I Transmigrated as the Protagonist and Was Kidnapped by the Villainous Omega - Chapter 21

Based on what Pupu said,  Su Cheng guessed that the Water Curtain Cave must be the “secret base” of Hongxiu’s faction, and all those high-tech weapons were likely hidden there. 

She was even nervous when she asked the question at first. Maybe because there was still a lack of trust, Ling Yuexi had never mentioned the Water Curtain Cave to her at all.

This was just a probe to test Hu Ziyuan. If she agreed, that would be perfect. But even if she refused or got suspicious, Su Cheng already had an excuse prepared.

“Anything else is fine, but not that.” Hu Ziyuan shook her head seriously. “Since Yuexi already agreed, just wait till she gets back and ask her to take you.”

“…Fine.” So that’s a no, huh?

Seeing how firmly she rejected the request, Su Cheng didn’t push it. She thought to herself, “Looks like only Ling Yuexi can give the green light on this.”

“By the way, where did we put the stuff we got from the Dawn last time?”

Hu Ziyuan paused with her chopsticks midair. “I’ll take you after I finish eating, okay?”

“Stop eating already, go on a diet!” Su Cheng grabbed her and started dragging her outside. “Big b00bs, no brains!”

“Pah! Jealous much?”

…

The two of them walked uphill along the gravel path from the kitchen. After a while, they arrived in front of a dilapidated wooden shack.

Hu Ziyuan pointed. “It’s all in there.”

Su Cheng nodded and pushed open the door without hesitation.

It obvious that the inside hadn’t been cleaned for a long time. Dust was everywhere, and even the ceiling beams had cobwebs. Boxes of various shapes and sizes, packed with materials and tools, were scattered on the floor. It is just a total mess.

She glanced around the room, then suddenly asked, “Someone used to live here?”

Hu Ziyuan was stunned by the question. Following Su Cheng’s gaze, she saw a crude single bed tucked into the corner.

“Yeah…” she replied quietly, then kicked a sack beside her with her foot. “These are it, haven’t had time to sort through them.”

“Oh.” Su Cheng crouched down and unzipped the sack, still following the train of thought. “Who lived here?”

The place was so run-down, and even the door was cracked.

“…Ling Yuexi.”

Su Cheng’s hand froze while searching, then she looked up at Hu Ziyuan in disbelief.

“Don’t tell me you guys ganged up on her and forced her to live way out here in the woods?”

The houses belonging to them were located nearby and appeared to be quite decent.

Hu Ziyuan gave her a light kick in the back, standing with her hands on her hips. “You think I could push her around?”

The fact that the woman didn’t set her up was already a remarkable achievement!

Su Cheng lost her balance from the kick and landed on the ground. She didn’t retaliate and just gave her a mocking grin. “Tang Jin likes refined ladies.”

“Ahem.” The previously arrogant Hu Ziyuan instantly lowered her hands and softened her tone. “She insisted on moving out. None of us could stop her.”

“…Why bother?” That little courtyard was chilly and barren—it couldn’t have been a comfortable place to live.

“Probably because she didn’t want to trouble anyone.” Hu Ziyuan tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said seriously, “Her heat period isn’t… normal. You haven’t seen it.”

At first, everyone in the camp was worried and stayed up with her all night. But after a few times…

The heat came every month. And every time, it dragged everyone down.

Ling Yuexi was too sensitive not to notice.

There wasn’t just fatigue in people’s eyes—there was fear.

Su Cheng hadn’t witnessed it firsthand. Last time Ling Yuexi entered her heat, she fell ill as soon as she returned and was too weak to do much of anything.

But now, as Su Cheng examined the room—the cracks in the walls and the worn-out floorboards—every trace seemed to reveal how wild Ling Yuexi had once been.

“Cheng Su.” Hu Ziyuan suddenly spoke in an uncharacteristically serious tone. Her expression was solemn. “I know it’s asking a lot… but I really feel like only you can do it.”

“Do what?”

“Talk to her… convince her.”

Wounds of the heart were the hardest to heal.

There were many times Hu Ziyuan had felt helpless—having all the medical skills in the world, yet unable to stop Ling Yuexi from drifting further and further away from them.

She was gradually losing her memories and becoming more and more vulnerable every day when she was exposed to heat.

But this person in front of her was different. She was far more observant than she let on and always managed to comfort Ling Yuexi in the most unexpected ways.

Hu Ziyuan hadn’t said it clearly, but Su Cheng understood—and was a little surprised.

“She doesn’t even listen to you guys. Why would she listen to an outsider like me?” Avoiding the hopeful gaze, Su Cheng turned her head with a helpless smile.

“I don’t understand why either. Just… I feel like you can.” Hu Ziyuan looked at her meaningfully. “I have a good eye for people.”

Su Cheng couldn’t help but laugh. “So you think pretty highly of me, huh?”

“Of course! You think I team up with just anyone?” She rolled her eyes, then added, “It’s all on you now.”

“Sigh… One step at a time.”

Su Cheng didn’t say yes, but she didn’t say no either.

“Great!” Hu Ziyuan clapped her hands, taking it as a done deal. “If you need anything in the future, just come to me!”

Su Cheng pulled a holographic alarm clock out of the sack, then looked around and asked, “Where’s that bedding set? And the matching compression pack?”

“Had it washed and hung out to dry.” Hu Ziyuan frowned slightly. “But all we have here are single beds. That stuff’s way too big—doesn’t fit.”

Especially the compression pack. It had a mattress inside that inflated as soon as it touched air. Totally useless on a single bed.

“Then make a double bed!” Su Cheng looked at her like she was an idiot. “You built your own houses but can’t make a bed?”

“You think I didn’t think of that?” Hu Ziyuan exploded again. Her chest heaving with anger. “There’s only one half-decent carpenter in the whole camp! And he just had a stroke last month! What can we do?”

“Okay, okay, I’ll do it.” Su Cheng covered her ears, afraid if she shouted any louder, someone would come drag her away. “You just find someone to prep the wood—I’ll build it myself.”

“You?”

“Yeah.” She waved her hand casually. “It’s just a bed. Easy.”

Su Cheng’s major in college was architecture and interior design. During school, she had joined the woodworking club and even won the provincial “Skill Star” award. Her craftsmanship was top-notch.

Even after graduating, she’d often make little things during her free time. She never gave it up.

The only question now was, could the original owner’s body handle it?

—

The autumn sun was warm and gentle. Hu Ziyuan called people over to help prepare the things needed, while Su Cheng sat on the front steps drawing blueprints.

Before long, freshly sawn wood was carried over piece by piece.

“Need help?” Hu Ziyuan came over, eyeing the precise drawings skeptically. “Want us to plane the boards for you first?”

After all, they didn’t have much in terms of tools. They only had the basic tools, such as hammers and saws, along with all the necessary manpower. As for nails and fasteners, those were scavenged from low-level infected zones. The parts were mismatched and of varying sizes.

The old carpenter used to slap things together however he could. It was the apocalypse, after all. Just having something was good enough.

“No, definitely not. Just leave the materials here—I’ll handle it.” Su Cheng refused at once.

If those barely competent folks laid a hand on the wood, the boards wouldn’t even be smooth. How could she work with that?

Once all the materials were delivered and the blueprint was finished, she rolled up her sleeves and got started.

Hu Ziyuan and the others watched curiously as Su Cheng deftly stripped the outer bark from the wood, then used sandpaper to smooth it out.

Relying entirely on manual labor, just sanding took a long time.

She worked slowly, measuring every step carefully. But the finished wood was clean, even, and smooth. Even outsiders with no experience could tell it was good quality.

She didn’t let anyone else touch a thing. She did every step by herself.

From noon till sunset, Su Cheng didn’t rest once. More and more people came to watch, and she only got more skilled as time went on.

The body she’d transmigrated adapted incredibly well. Not a hint of clumsiness.

As the frame gradually took shape, Hu Ziyuan was completely won over. She now had nothing but admiration—Su Cheng hadn’t used a single nail. Every piece was joined using *mortise-and-tenon techniques. (*The mortise and tenon joint is a fundamental woodworking technique used to connect two pieces of wood, often at a 90-degree angle. It involves creating a mortise (a rectangular hole) in one piece of wood and a tenon (a rectangular projection) on the other.)

To make something like this required not just strength and patience, but serious skill.

By now, Su Cheng had taken off her jacket. Her long black hair was tied up high, and she wore only a fitted black sleeveless T-shirt. A silver wing-shaped pendant hung at her neck, accentuating her sharp collarbones and toned waist. The muscles on her arms were strong yet graceful, radiating the distinct charm of a female Alpha.

Even though her clothes were soaked with sweat, her eyes remained bright, without the slightest sign of fatigue.

Usually she was always laughing and joking—yet in this moment of focus, she was mesmerizing.

“Ling Yuexi really has an eye for talent,” Hu Ziyuan thought.

Such an exceptional person, yet actually a defective A… what a pity. Otherwise, who knows how many Omegas would be chasing after her?

“All your beds are uncomfortable,” Su Cheng said as she worked, measuring and remeasuring with a ruler. Her arms ached, but she didn’t feel tired at all. Instead, she smiled and said, “The one I’m making will guarantee her a good night’s sleep.”

Just imagining Ling Yuexi’s surprised expression when she returned made her all the more motivated.

As the sky gradually darkened, Su Cheng finally wrapped up after a long day.

The frame was complete. Tomorrow, they could carry the parts over and assemble it on site.

She set her tools aside and straightened up, stretching her back and limbs. She hadn’t noticed the fatigue while working, but now that she’d stopped, the exhaustion hit her all at once.

Hu Ziyuan handed her a glass of water. “That was impressive. Didn’t expect you to be so particular about making a bed. Weren’t you in the vanguard army back in the Dragon Domain? How come you know carpentry too?”

“Ahem, yeah.” Su Cheng gulped down several mouthfuls, wiped her mouth, and answered smoothly, “I’ve got a natural talent. And when I was a kid, I was lucky enough to learn from an old master. That’s how I know.”

“You’re something else.” A defective A, who could do woodworking, made it into the vanguard and seemed well-connected in the Dragon Domain too. Her eyes landed on Su Cheng’s leg—oh right, she had almost forgotten about that crazy healing ability. The crutch was long gone.

“Of course,” Su Cheng said, pointing to the back of her neck with a cheeky grin. “When heaven closes one door, it has to open a window for me.”

Hu Ziyuan rolled her eyes. It felt more like a wall of windows was being closed.

******

The next morning, just after dawn, Su Cheng banged on Hu Ziyuan’s door, jolting her awake with sheer annoyance.

Like a storm, Su Cheng dragged her out, fed her a few random bites, and then had her call people over to carry the wooden boards they made yesterday to the fenced-in little yard.

Ling Yuexi’s cabin wasn’t locked, and there was nothing valuable inside anyway.

Once inside, everyone followed Su Cheng’s instructions and started assembling the bed.

Hu Ziyuan suddenly turned, her eyes glinting with mischief. “Su Su, come here. Got something.”

“What?” Su Cheng gave a few more instructions, then stepped over the wooden frame toward her. “What’s up with that serious face?”

Hu Ziyuan pointed to a bullet hole in the wall. “Stand there. Let me see—does it line up with your body?”

What the hell.

“Aren’t you too free?”

“Hahahaha!”

With many hands, the bed was quickly assembled. Su Cheng even laid out the sheet set she “borrowed” from home, making the bed instantly become the centerpiece of the whole cabin.

“I’m honestly a little jealous,” Hu Ziyuan said, shaking her head in awe. “Yuexi really picked up a gem.”

Su Cheng didn’t respond. She was pacing around the room, eyeing the space while rubbing her chin. “Nope. You need to get me more wood.”

“???”

Hu Ziyuan looked bewildered. “Why? Isn’t the setting great already?”

“Look at that table, those chairs.” Su Cheng pointed around. “What kind of mismatched junk is that? Totally unacceptable.”

In the days that followed, Hu Ziyuan found herself being bossed around like a lowly assistant. The second-in-command of Hong Xiu Zhao had been demoted to something like a secretary, practically tailing Boss Su around with a notepad.

“See that? The color has to match exactly. Tell them to go to the east side of the mountain—better trees grow there.”

“These floorboards won’t do. Gotta redo the whole thing. Oh, and we’ll need to empty out the furniture first.”

“Do we have any sheer fabric? I want to make a bed canopy.”

Hu Ziyuan was on the verge of exploding. “Cheng Su! Weren’t we just going to bring her back here? What are you doing—settling down for life?!”

“No, no.” Su Cheng waved a hand, speaking seriously. “All of this is detachable. Let her stay here comfortably for now. We still have to build a proper house later.”

“…”

Days passed in a blur. The once plain little yard in the forest was now unrecognizable.

Whenever Su Cheng had spare time, she helped out in the fields. While raking the soil, she kept glancing toward the mountain path.

Elder Zhen Yuan sat in the pavilion watching her and chuckled. “Missing our chief already, Su Cheng?”

“???”

She was just thinking about the Water Curtain Cave…

“Well, yeah, Grandpa Zhen.” Su Cheng looked toward the distance with wistful eyes. “She and Yun Qi have been gone for days now. She’s probably forgotten all about me.”

“Oh, come on, girl,” the old man took a swig of wine and said, “She’s known Yun Qi for years. If they were going to get together, it would’ve happened long ago.”

“But still…”

Zhen Yuan winked. “Young folks overthink. Just go for it. Hey—looks like they’re back.”

Su Cheng followed the direction he pointed, and sure enough, a few vehicles were slowly making their way up the mountain road.

“We’ll talk later!” she shouted, already dashing up the path.

“This kid… don’t let me down. I’ve bet three jars of wine on you.”

Pupu was driving with Shi Yunqi beside her in the front seat. Ling Yuexi reclined alone in the back, with eyes closed and resting. The car was running smoothly—until it made a turn and abruptly stopped.

“What is it?” Her voice was tired, and she didn’t open her eyes.

Neither of the two up front replied. Instead, they slowly rolled down the windows.

Ling Yuexi frowned and opened her eyes. In her line of sight was a slim figure waving a rake, running toward them.

“Yuexi! I missed you so much!”