Scumbag A's Plan to Save the Heroine - Chapter 26

“Persuade? If it’s about Light Brain therapy, there’s no need to say anything.”

The woman in the qipao curled her lips into a mocking smile as her fingers rapidly flipped through the company’s pending documents, seemingly uninterested in anything beyond her work.

Having his intentions exposed and his thoughts laid bare, Fu Jin Yan hastily tried to recover with a few hurried words. But by then, the woman with striking beauty and snow-white skin had already fully immersed herself in her work, shutting out all external noise.

Through Ruan Ning’s meticulous makeup, Fu Jin Yan could see the exhaustion deeply etched beneath her eyes. Concern clouds judgment.

In his desperation, he blurted out, pointing at the woman organizing the documents, “Do you realize that by using such aggressive treatment methods on Zhi Qiu, she’s more likely to die by your hand than from the illness itself?!”

Click. The sound of a file snapping shut.

Hearing those words, the woman in the black qipao slammed the file closed and abruptly stood up. The strong wind outside the window tugged at her hair, which had been neatly pinned up with a hairpin. At first, only a few strands escaped, flying wildly. Then, she simply yanked out the hairpin, letting her ink-black hair cascade down her back.

Silver-white strands, hidden deep within the bun, now peeked through the dark mass. Fu Jin Yan averted his gaze in frustration.

Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair disheveled, and Fu Jin Yan’s words had shattered her last restraint, unleashing the madness within. Ruan Ning lunged forward, grabbing Fu Jin Yan by the collar, her voice raw with anguish. “Do you think I wanted this?”

“Without mental therapy using the Light Brain, Zhi Qiu would be condemned to lie in bed forever—a living corpse, a cripple!”

A cripple?

What did that mean for someone who had once stood radiant on the stage, bathed in dazzling light?

Tears streamed endlessly from her bloodshot eyes, evaporating into the air, leaving a faint, acrid scent of seawater in her breath. Fu Jin Yan stood frozen, utterly helpless.

In the silence, both their gazes drifted to the hospital bed. The woman lying there, connected to a ventilator, was so still she seemed to have vanished entirely, her body shrouded in a pallid gray. No one could imagine she had once been so vibrant, so dazzlingly radiant.

Ruan Ning tilted her head back, wiping away the overflowing tears with her fingers. She stumbled to the bedside and gripped the still-warm hand of the short-haired woman, murmuring, “Qiu, please wake up.”

“I can’t hold on much longer.”

Her voice, weary and broken, grew fainter and fainter until it dissolved completely into the wind.

Noadon was a private school, so its teaching methods differed significantly from those of public schools in the Federation.

In public schools, bells signaled both the start and end of classes to remind teachers to adhere to the schedule. At Noadon, however, there was only a bell for the start of class; teachers could freely extend lessons to complete their teaching objectives.

Ren Yi was a rare exception among Noadon’s faculty—a stickler for punctuality. After finishing the last equation, he glanced at the clock, noticing the minute hand had just struck noon.

Seeing his students’ listless expressions, he adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses, smiled confidently from the podium, and declared in a firm voice, “Class dismissed!”

The moment the words “class dismissed” rang out, the drowsy students erupted into cheers, grabbed their bags, and bolted from the classroom, each trying to escape faster than the others, as if they had just received the best news imaginable.

News of Fu Jin Yan’s apology and expulsion had spread like wildfire across Noadon, quickly becoming the hot topic of conversation among the wealthy students after class.

During class, Chen Nuo had been drowsy and distracted, but the moment dismissal was announced, he snapped awake. He gathered with his clique of sisters, gleefully discussing Fu Jin Yan’s morning apology. “I thought Fu Jin Yan was some kind of big shot,” he sneered, “but he couldn’t even withstand the public pressure and got expelled! And he thought he could get revenge on us? It’s not just us talking about him—the whole school knows about his dirty business now.”

Since Meng Yuan had distanced herself from their group, the marginalized Omegas from several noble families had been forced to band together for mutual support. Hearing Chen Nuo’s words, they nodded in agreement, terrified of expressing any dissenting opinions that might get them kicked out of their little group, where their fates were intertwined.

Amid the chorus of agreement, Yuan Xiangxiang, the most perceptive Omega among them, gently tugged at the hem of the person walking ahead. Chen Nuo turned around, looking at her with a puzzled expression.

The Omega wore her long hair parted into two sections, each braided into a pigtail. Dressed in her school uniform, her gaze darted nervously, her posture slightly hunched as she hesitated, “That girl ahead… she looks like Meng Yuan.”

Yuan Xiangxiang knew Chen Nuo had always disliked Meng Yuan. After a long pause, she cautiously ventured, “Now that Fu Jin Yan has dropped out, Meng Yuan’s gossip about him won’t affect us anymore. Maybe we should apologize and make up with her? With her on our side, we’d have more clout in Noadon.”

One more friend, one less enemy—a truth every marginalized person who had lived in the world of the wealthy understood.

As an illegitimate son, Chen Nuo was well aware of this. But to seek reconciliation so soon, after only half a day, felt like a loss of face.

Yuan Xiangxiang noticed Chen Nuo’s hesitation and exchanged a knowing glance with the others. They chimed in unison, “Yuanyuan has always been soft-hearted. You two used to be so close. Just explain things properly, and she’ll remember the old times, forgive you, and we’ll all be friends again!”

Remembering how he used to save seats for Meng Yuan and bring her lunch, Chen Nuo’s expression softened slightly. He gritted his teeth, quickened his pace, and grabbed the pink backpack of the Omega ahead.

Inadvertently, his white manicured nails brushed against the dried bloodstains. Chen Nuo yelped in disgust, complaining impatiently, “Why are you still carrying this backpack? Just throw it away! I’ll buy you a new one. This bl00d must be from Fu Jin Yan this morning—a person with such rotten character has bl00d just as filthy!”

Meng Yuan turned around, her gaze inscrutable as she took in Chen Nuo and the group behind him.

She had anticipated that these people would eventually seek reconciliation, but she hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.

In the cold wind, the Omega in the white dress smiled back, a sweet smile that felt like a warm spring breeze. But even spring breezes can conceal bloodless blades.

“Everyone sees the world as a mirror,” Meng Yuan said softly, her words carrying a pointed undertone. “If you find it beautiful, it’s because you feel content. If you find it filthy…”

The Chen Family was one of the most prominent families in the region, but they were utterly insignificant in Noadon, a city teeming with elite clans.

Born into a small, still-feudal family, Chen Nuo’s upbringing had been primarily focused on material wealth, with little emphasis on spiritual or intellectual development. After all, in such a traditional family, Omegas weren’t expected to work outside the home; their value lay solely in bearing children and forming advantageous marriages.

Chen Nuo was utterly bewildered. Though he didn’t fully understand Meng Yuan’s words, his subconscious told him they were far from complimentary. He pressed her relentlessly, “Meng Yuan, what do you mean? I sincerely apologized, and you’re acting so ungrateful!”

Meng Yuan’s smile strained. She knew these people had initially sought her protection, but during their time together, she had genuinely considered them friends.

Some hid behind volatile tempers, while others shielded themselves with flawless smiles. Finally abandoning her forced smile, Meng Yuan calmly gazed at the familiar strangers behind her and spoke slowly, “Some apologies deserve forgiveness because they come from genuine remorse, not from someone who apologizes only to excuse their actions.”

“May you all fare well.”