Scumbag A's Plan to Save the Heroine - Chapter 7

By the time Zhi Qiu arrived, Ruan Ye was being humiliated by Fu Jin Yan’s stepmother.

The beautiful woman in her qipao wore exquisitely crafted jewelry, flaunting her wealth and elegance. Yet the words she spat were venomous.

“I’ve seen plenty of poor, lowly Omegas like you,” Fu Shangyue sneered, waving her fan to half-conceal her face. “They all pretend to be aloof and virtuous on the surface, but behind closed doors, they flit between wealthy Alphas. If you want to snag a golden bachelor, you need to master the art of playing hard to get. After injuring Jin Yan today, have you considered whether A City will still tolerate you?”

She chuckled, her eyes glinting maliciously. “You’re still too young, my dear. You don’t understand which is more important: fleeting chastity or a promising future. Very well, I’ll give you one more chance on Jin Yan’s behalf. If you agree to be his mistress for a year, I’ll wipe the slate clean. The Fu Family will even cover the cost of removing your mark afterward. What do you say?”

This is too much.

Ruan Ye, lying in the hospital bed, clenched her jaw so tightly her fingernails dug into the flesh of her palm. The humiliating words were so unbearable that even the uninvolved medical staff couldn’t stand it. Several young nurses politely tried to escort the unrelated woman out of Ruan Ye’s room, but the director of neurosurgery quickly intervened.

Director Cao rushed to the AO Mental Treatment clinic after receiving a call from President Fu’s assistant. As the chief surgeon of neurosurgery, he had secured his position as department head through family ties with the Fu Family. He had just finished a major surgery when he was summoned, still wearing his bl00d-stained surgical gown.

“Out, out, out! What’s all the commotion? This is Madam Fu,” Director Cao waved dismissively, urging the young Omega nurses to leave quickly. He then turned to Madam Fu with a fawning smile. “I’ve heard about young Master Fu’s condition. Rest assured, our neurosurgery department will spare no effort to help him recover.”

Something in Director Cao’s words infuriated Fu Shangyue. Her smug expression suddenly darkened, and Cao Guang realized his mistake.

Fu Jin Yan was not Fu Shangyue’s biological son.

Recognizing the situation, Cao Guang slapped himself several times and, sensing Madam Fu’s mood, turned on Ruan Ye, who lay unconscious in the hospital bed. “Our private hospital typically doesn’t admit patients without federal certification. Although Miss Yuan used her family’s influence to bring her here, this patient has no connection to the Yuan Family. Continuing her treatment here would be inconvenient.”

It’s often said that doctors possess a compassionate heart, but for those who have spent years in the social melting pot, things are as Marx wrote in Capital: “With a 50% profit, capital will take reckless risks; with a 100% profit, it will trample all human laws underfoot; and with a 300% profit, there is no crime it will not commit.”

Cao Guang, the director of neurosurgery, was one such example. Yet no one is purely good or evil. He had once arrived at the hospital with the fervent ambition of “a doctor must abandon all pursuit of personal gain and fame, dedicating themselves solely to the noble cause of healing and saving lives.”

But among the hospital’s many postdoctoral fellows, how could he have risen to become the youngest neurosurgery director without the Fu Family’s backing? His heart had long since darkened, ever since his student days ended.

To curry favor with Madam Fu, Cao Guang resolved to use his position to drive Ruan Ye out of the hospital.

Ruan Ye refused to stay and endure further humiliation. With the help of several nurses, she returned to her wheelchair and said to Ren Yi, whose face showed his distress, “Let’s go.”

Though Ren Yi disapproved of these actions, he lacked the power to challenge the Fu Family. Gripping the wheelchair handles, he prepared to take Ruan Ye away and find another hospital.

Just as he turned his back to the door, preparing to wheel Ruan Ye out, a hand suddenly pressed down heavily on his arm, pinning him to the wheelchair.

A voice, thick with suppressed fury, echoed through the hospital room: “Who authorized you to drive away my people?”

Zhi Qiu’s face flushed with anger as she sneered at Cao Guang, who was abusing his authority and hiding behind the Fu Family’s influence. “The Zhi Family holds a 30% stake in this private hospital. Yet you, Dr. Cao, insist on expelling our patient. Perhaps this hospital is too small for your esteemed presence. You’d be wise to seek employment elsewhere.”

Cao Guang recognized Zhi Qiu instantly. His face paled as he recalled his earlier words. He glanced nervously at the panting Zhi Qiu, then at the brooding Ruan Ye in the wheelchair, before finally fixing his pleading gaze on the stunned Fu Shangyue.

The Fu Family also held a 30% stake in the hospital. If Fu Shangyue was determined to protect him, even the Zhi Family’s overwhelming influence in City A couldn’t touch him under the Fu Family’s protection.

Fu Shangyue was clearly taken aback. Having never fully understood the circumstances of Fu Jin Yan’s hospitalization, she had always been accustomed to getting her way. This was the first time she had encountered someone whose arrogance rivaled her own.

Assistant Wang, sent by President Fu to accompany Madam Fu, finally spoke up, his expression respectful and tone humble. “Miss Zhi Qiu, Madam Fu is unaware of the full circumstances and has been quite offensive. I hope you will forgive her.”

Zhi Qiu, who hadn’t heard Fu Shangyue’s earlier vicious insults and threats, waved her hand dismissively, unwilling to prolong the confrontation.

She failed to notice Ruan Ye’s darkened gaze as she stood with her back to them, nor the clenched fist and injured palm, tightened in humiliation.

Suddenly, a warm current surged through the armrest of Zhi Qiu’s wheelchair.

The Truth System’s passive ability had been triggered.

“Madam Fu, have you already forgotten how you schemed your way into your position? I’ve heard you were entangled with several Alphas back then, making President Fu wear quite a few green hats.” Zhi Qiu sneered from her wheelchair. “And who knows if the child you carried back then was even President Fu’s? I advise you to stick to being a wealthy idler. If you come here to provoke my people again, I’ll expose all your past misdeeds.”

“You’re spouting lies!” Fu Shangyue, accustomed to her domineering ways, instinctively reached out to strike.

Fueled by anger, Fu Shangyue momentarily forgot the vast difference in strength between Omegas and Alphas. Assistant Wang hurriedly tried to restrain the impulsive Madam Fu, but Zhi Qiu had already seized Fu Shangyue’s wrist before he could react.

The warmth radiating from Zhi Qiu’s wheelchair had vanished, her expression now clear and sharp. Leaning close to Fu Shangyue’s ear, she warned, “Don’t provoke me. Otherwise, your son will never amount to anything in the Fu Family.”

Zhi Qiu released Fu Shangyue’s wrist with a disdainful flick.

At that moment, Ruan Ye, who had been silently sitting in her wheelchair, wordlessly offered Zhi Qiu an alcohol wipe.

This wipe was one the nurse had intended to use to disinfect Ruan Ye’s knee, but hadn’t gotten around to using. Perhaps fearing Zhi Qiu’s disapproval, Ruan Ye had been carefully observing her expression.

“Thank you, Classmate Ruan,” Zhi Qiu said, accepting the wipe with a grateful smile, still playing her part. “Thanks to Teacher Ren Yi, the matter of Fu Jin Yan forcing himself on you has been resolved smoothly. I almost forgot to tell you—we’ll be classmates from now on. Let’s help each other out in the future.”

Ren Yi blinked, thoroughly satisfied with this seamless performance. He and Zhi Qiu had rehearsed their story on the way here.

Zhi Qiu’s explanation was friendly and measured, but it dimmed the light in Ruan Ye’s eyes, who had just been so openly defended. Her raven-black hair cascaded over the armrest of her wheelchair. The usually silent Ruan Ye suddenly fixed her gaze on Zhi Qiu, her pale gray eyes filled with both longing and sorrow.

“Student Zhi,” she asked, “why are you being so kind to me?”

She was the one asking the question, yet she was also the one who seemed to be fleeing. Ruan Ye avoided Zhi Qiu’s startled gaze, the Sword of Damocles hanging precariously above her head. This unearned kindness terrified her, yet it also stirred a deep sense of dependence. Ruan Ye feared she was merely deluding herself, that for Zhi Qiu, this was just an ordinary question. But for Ruan Ye, the answer might be her final judgment.

Zhi Qiu didn’t know how to answer this question, which was identical to the one Ruan Ye had asked in their previous life.

She remembered that in their past life, when Ruan Ye had asked this, they had already confirmed their romantic relationship. Her response, “Because I like you,” had seemed perfectly natural.

Back then, she had merely been acting according to the script. Though Ruan Ye had been overjoyed, those sweet words were nothing more than the Scum Alpha’s fabricated charm to win Ruan Ye’s heart, not genuine feelings.

This time, Zhi Qiu refused to let Ruan Ye live under such deception again.

Zhi Qiu racked her brain, searching for words that would both align with their current relationship and pave the way for future development.

“Because…” I want to be good friends with you. Friends should help each other.

The wheelchair felt scorching hot beneath her. Zhi Qiu completely forgot the carefully prepared speech she had rehearsed. Her face burned crimson, yet she felt more alive than ever.

“Because I love you—more than anyone else in the world. That’s why I immediately recognized your pheromone leak and rushed to help you. That’s why I angrily threw away the key when I realized you were trying to harm yourself. That’s why I disregarded the risk of being caught on surveillance and being seen as crazy to come to your aid when I learned you were being harassed at the hospital. Whether in the past or now, my world has always operated on the principle of ‘you first, everything else second.’ I don’t want to lie and say I don’t love you, but I’m even more afraid you’ll think I’m like those Alphas at school who only covet your appearance. That’s why I wanted to start as friends, letting our connection grow slowly and steadily until you see my true feelings and are willing to truly be with me. Ruan Ye, I…”

I really do love you.

From beginning to end, I’ve only ever loved you.

Zhi Qiu’s face flushed crimson as she turned away, unable to meet Ruan Ye’s gaze. The Truth System’s passive effect had forced her to voice her long-held feelings.

The hospital room fell into silence.

Suddenly, Yuan Menglu stepped forward and patted Zhi Qiu’s shoulder, tears of emotion welling in her eyes. “Zhi Qiu, I’ve misunderstood you all this time. It turns out your promiscuity was just a facade. You’ve hidden your true feelings so deeply for years! Secret crushes need to be confessed loudly so the other person knows. Otherwise, you’ll spend the rest of your life regretting not speaking up!”

Ren Yi’s expression was complex.

He calmly removed Yuan Menglu’s hand from Zhi Qiu’s shoulder, slowly pushed his slipping glasses back up his nose, and said earnestly, “I never realized, Student Zhi, the depth of your feelings. Although you’re both adults, as your elder, I must remind you to exercise restraint at school.”

Chapter 8

If a crevice in the ground had opened up right then, Zhi Qiu would have unhesitatingly crawled inside, carved out a Decani Castle within it, and set off a dazzling fireworks display to mourn her utter social death that day.

As if sensing they were intruding, the nurses, the Fu family members, Ren Yi, and Yuan Menglu quietly left the hospital room after Zhi Qiu’s almost direct confession, leaving the pink-tinged atmosphere undisturbed.