Giving You Dawn and Dusk (GL) - Chapter 9

“What is Misfortune Value?” Liang Shi asked in her mind, expecting the system to give her an answer.

But there was none.

The atmosphere in the room was frozen, the two sisters simmering with silent resentment.

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“What’s a Level 1 Punishment?” Liang Shi asked again.

The system still didn’t answer.

Liang Shi felt uneasy, her eyes scanning every corner of the room, confirming that there was no fourth person in the room, and the windows were tightly shut. No one should be jumping in from a window.

As she grew nervous, Xu Qinya’s clear voice rang out, “Sister Liang, your hand…”

Liang Shi looked at her hand when she heard this. She saw a long bloody gash on her palm, seeping bl00d. The bl00d formed beads and dripped onto the floor. She hadn’t felt the pain until she saw the wound, but once she did, it felt as if her palm had been sliced by a blade. That voice kept replaying in her mind.

It was a double torment, both physical and mental.

Was this the Level 1 Punishment?

Liang Shi’s brows furrowed tighter. She often got injured while filming; being sick for a long time made her like a doctor. Her first reaction upon seeing bl00d was to put her hand behind her back, her fingers gently curling back into her palm, but it was too painful to curl them back.

She gave a weak smile. “It’s fine, you two chat. I’ll go take care of the wound.”

“You seem seriously injured,” Xu Qinya leaned closer, worried. “I’ll go with you.”

“No need, you talk with your sister for a bit,” Liang Shi said. “I’ll just find a pharmacy and bandage it up casually.”

After speaking, she glanced at Xu Qingzhu and found her looking over with a searching gaze.

Their eyes met.

Liang Shi was the first to look away.

The wound on her palm wasn’t entirely inexplicable. On the night she transmigrated, to stay conscious and avoid marking the Omega in estrus, she had used an art knife to cut her palm.

However, that cut was definitely not this long, nor this deep.

The doctor had already bandaged it, with only a plaster on her palm.

Liang Shi’s palm was aching terribly. She turned to leave, not forgetting to instruct, “Call me when you’re done talking.”

Before she even reached the door, Xu Qingzhu stood up and said in a clear, cool voice, “I’ll go with you.”

Liang Shi refused, “No need.”

Xu Qingzhu didn’t listen. She walked forward and took Liang Shi’s other, uninjured hand. “Let’s go.”

An Omega’s hand was smaller than an Alpha’s, and Xu Qingzhu was slender. Her somewhat cool hand unexpectedly slipped into Liang Shi’s palm, her fingers resting against Liang Shi’s.

Liang Shi’s palm suddenly grew hot.

Liang Shi looked back at Xu Qingzhu.

Among Omegas, Xu Qingzhu was considered tall at 166cm, while Liang Shi was 173cm.

At this moment, Xu Qingzhu slightly raised her head, a smile appearing on her cool face. Her eyes curved like crescent moons, and her fingertips gently traced Liang Shi’s palm. Her voice deliberately softened, “I’ll go with you.”

Liang Shi’s ears suddenly turned completely red.

Even though she had held hands while filming, the feeling was completely different now.

She even had the illusion that this was her girlfriend.

They would love each other for life and grow old together.

“Let’s go,” Xu Qingzhu said, seeing her not move, shaking her arm. “What are you still standing there for?”

Liang Shi finally came back to her senses. “Okay.”

••••

Outside, the wind was strong, hinting at an impending downpour.

The wind made Liang Shi a little more sober.

Xu Qingzhu, as soon as she entered the elevator, let go of her hand and dropped her smile, standing far away from her.

Only her peripheral vision seemed to subtly glance at Liang Shi’s injured hand.

Liang Shi knew she was acting, putting on a show for Xu Qinya.

However, this actress’s acting skills were still immature. She was too focused on blindly showing affection, forgetting the specific circumstances.

Seeing a loved one injured should evoke anxiety and fear, but Xu Qingzhu’s face showed no ripples of emotion.

Her acting still needed improvement.

Liang Shi didn’t expose her; she quietly played the role of a tool.

Opposite the hotel was a large pharmacy. Liang Shi was about to cross the road to buy medicine, but Xu Qingzhu stopped her. “I’ll go. You wait…”

She pointed to a bench by the roadside. “…there for me.”

Liang Shi was always uncomfortable bothering others. She often got injured on set and was used to being independent.

She shook her head. “No need, I’ll go.”

Xu Qingzhu, however, said nothing more and went directly to cross the road, while Liang Shi silently followed behind her.

Inside the pharmacy, Xu Qingzhu expertly found disinfectant, cotton swabs, and gauze. After paying, she left with the medicine and stopped at the nearest bench to the pharmacy.

She sat there, her bright yellow skirt billowing in the wind. Her eyes were indifferent and without warmth, yet they attracted many people’s attention.

The turn-around rate was almost one hundred percent.

“That Omega is so stunning.”

“Indeed, I really want to ask for her contact information.”

“Forget it, she’s already with an Alpha.”

“…”

Bits of conversation from passersby occasionally reached Liang Shi’s ears. She only glanced slightly, then looked away.

At this moment, Liang Shi had no mind for anything else.

She just wanted to understand what Misfortune Value was. Was it a curse given to her by fate, or had she done something wrong?

Why was she inexplicably enduring so much?

This crappy system.

Liang Shi cursed a few times in her mind, so lost in thought that she didn’t hear Xu Qingzhu calling her.

It wasn’t until Xu Qingzhu gently pushed her. “Give me your hand.”

Liang Shi then came back to her senses. She slowly extended her hand, whispering, “Sorry.”

Xu Qingzhu’s fingers, pinching Liang Shi’s hand, suddenly tightened. She looked up and glanced at Liang Shi thoughtfully.

Liang Shi was thinking about other things and didn’t notice.

Xu Qingzhu then expressionlessly took out a cotton swab and began cleaning the bl00d from her palm.

The pain brought Liang Shi slightly back to reality. She lowered her head, looking at the serious Xu Qingzhu.

Xu Qingzhu’s wound treatment was very professional, with just the right amount of pressure. It was clear she was used to handling wounds.

Yet, Xu Qingzhu had loving parents and a good family background. Even when the Xu family business faced a crisis and was on the verge of bankruptcy, her parents never let her suffer any hardship.

It was Xu Qingzhu who proactively suggested marrying the original owner.

No matter how awful the original owner was, she wouldn’t have been domestically abusive… right?

As Liang Shi was lost in wild thoughts, Xu Qingzhu suddenly asked, “What are you thinking about?”

“You seem very skilled at bandaging wounds,” Liang Shi said, speaking her mind.

Xu Qingzhu’s hand paused, and she gave a very faint laugh.

Her long hair fell beside her face, and the corners of her mouth curved into a pleasant arc. Even seeing only her profile was enough to captivate someone.

Liang Shi was momentarily dazed, then thought: As expected of the novel’s female lead.

“Is there something funny?” Liang Shi, fearing that her aesthetic preferences would be seen through, cleared her throat and asked.

Xu Qingzhu stopped smiling, and her voice became cold again. “Nothing.”

As soon as her words fell, that mechanical system voice suddenly sounded in Liang Shi’s mind: [Misfortune Value is a virtual value created by the Resentment Management Bureau to balance the ecosystem. The higher the value, the more severe the corresponding punishment. It triggers once for every multiple of 8, with an additional punishment every three triggers, and no upper limit.]

Liang Shi: “?”

Liang Shi’s heart burned with anger. Before she could speak, the system spoke first to placate her: [Host, please understand, we’re all just working people, it’s not easy. ]

“So what did I do wrong?” Liang Shi asked as calmly as possible. “Why did I trigger Misfortune Value?”

This time, the system didn’t give a vague explanation like it did for Luck Value; instead, it presented a list, like a supermarket receipt.

[Triggered Xu Qingzhu’s PTSD +5

Favored Xu Qinya +1

Triggered Xu Qingzhu’s grievance +1

Triggered Xu Qingzhu’s anger +1

Note: The final right of interpretation belongs to the Resentment Management Bureau]

Liang Shi: “…”

What kind of garbage system is this?!

“Does that mean I’ll accumulate Misfortune Value whenever I make Xu Qingzhu angry?” Liang Shi asked coldly.

System: [Theoretically, yes.]

Liang Shi’s heart was fuming. Before she could speak, the system started placating her: [Don’t worry, we’re just following the rules. You can do whatever you want later.]

The system, knowing it was in the wrong, even acted cute.

[As long as you complete your tasks well, this punishment definitely won’t happen a second time.]

“What if I don’t?” Liang Shi countered.

System: […] [Give me a chance.]

Liang Shi: “?”

System: [Your Luck Value has accumulated to ten points. We’re about to give you a small gift: 30,000 RMB.]

Liang Shi: “…?”

Is this a slap and then a sweet treat?

Then her phone vibrated slightly, and sure enough, she received a bank transfer message from an unknown account, with a line attached: [Your performance has made the target very satisfied. Please keep up the good work! ^-^]

Liang Shi was speechless. All she wanted to do right now was smash this system, okay?!

Screw your little emoji.

Before she could ask again, the system had already slipped away. [Other taskers are calling me, I’m leaving first. You go for it!]

“Go for what, crap,” Liang Shi grumbled.

Meanwhile, Xu Qingzhu, who was bandaging her wound, had just tied the final knot on the bandage, and it was even a bow.

It didn’t quite match the strong Alpha’s demeanor.

Liang Shi looked at the target’s face, and it seemed… her anger had subsided a little.

But unexpectedly, Xu Qingzhu suddenly looked up, her gaze fixed on Liang Shi, her crimson lips slightly parted. “You…”

She paused, a smile curving at the corners of her mouth. Though it was a question, she spoke with certainty: “You’re not Liang Shi, are you?”