Scumbag A's Plan to Save the Heroine - Chapter 8

The man called Uncle Li lay back down, pulling his hat over his face to block the streetlight. He waved dismissively at Ruan Ye and Zhi Qiu, urging them to leave quickly and not disturb his sleep.

It was late at night during the Flower Festival, and the crowds had dispersed.

Wearing fox masks, the two women strolled through the narrow alley. The barrier of the masks seemed to make Zhi Qiu feel more at ease. She asked curiously, “How do you know that boss? I can’t sense any pheromones from him. Is he a Beta?”

Ruan Ye didn’t answer directly. She seemed to be pondering sIf 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.

Only the two of them remained.

Ruan Ye suddenly smiled, like a rainbow arching across the sky after a storm, scattering her hidden brilliance across the world.

Sunlight streamed through her raven-black hair, illuminating her pale, delicate face. Her light gray eyes shimmered in the soft light, and the melancholy that had clung to her vanished like smoke in the wind, dispelled by the other woman’s sincere words.

Ruan Ye stood up, leaving her wheelchair, and turned to face Zhi Qiu, who was still facing away from her. She stepped back into the light and gently touched Zhi Qiu’s crimson ear.

“Let’s go, my friend,” Ruan Ye said.

“Okay, let’s go,” Zhi Qiu instinctively agreed, then suddenly realized, “Wait, you’re still recovering. Where are we going?”

Though her body was still weak, Ruan Ye felt no fatigue. A warm energy coursed through her, emanating from the blatant favoritism of the person in the wheelchair.

“We’re friends, of course we should do what friends do.”

Today was the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the annual Dragon Boat Festival. Yet the usually bustling streets were eerily silent, with only a few vendors hawking their snacks along the road.

Technological advancements and the emergence of the ABO secondary genders had led Hua Guo to discard its traditional festivals as outdated relics. Only a handful of enthusiasts for Ancient Earth culture still insisted on celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival each year.

As they passed through the street, Ruan Ye remained silent, while Zhi Qiu, who had lived two lifetimes, grew increasingly uneasy.

Everything unfolding now far exceeded her expectations. She had said things she hadn’t intended to, yet achieved the desired outcome, successfully becoming Ruan Ye’s friend.

Ruan Ye finally stopped the wheelchair at a retro-style stall selling masks.

The stall’s owner was an ordinary-looking man, lacking both the exceptional physique of an Alpha and the delicate features of an Omega.

He’s likely a safe Beta, Zhi Qiu thought to herself as Ruan Ye browsed through the masks.

“Zhi Qiu,” Ruan Ye called out, snapping Zhi Qiu out of her wandering thoughts. “I’m here,” Zhi Qiu replied quickly.

Ruan Ye had chosen a fox mask dominated by red hues. Its slender eyes and arched brows clearly marked it as a meticulously crafted masterpiece. The colors were perfectly balanced, showcasing the designer’s exceptional skill—a blend of simplicity and intricacy.

Zhi Qiu outwardly praised Ruan Ye’s taste, but inwardly she wondered how such a high-quality piece had ended up on an ordinary street stall.

The mask felt strangely familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before—perhaps a unique item that had gone missing from an auction.

As Zhi Qiu spoke, the Boss, who had been sprawled lazily on the ground, suddenly sat up. He removed his hat and smiled warmly, addressing Ruan Ye with familiar ease. “This is the first time you’ve brought a friend here. Since it’s the Dragon Boat Festival, and I happen to have two identical masks, I’ll give them both to you.”

Seeming genuinely familiar with the Boss, Ruan Ye, who usually kept her distance from people, didn’t hesitate to accept. “Thank you, Uncle Li,” she said readily.

omething. After a long pause, she suddenly asked, “Do you believe there could be a world without pheromones?”

Zhi Qiu stiffened, about to reply, but Ruan Ye shook her head and chuckled self-deprecatingly. “Just rambling. Human history has always included Alphas, Betas, and Omegas. How could there be people without pheromones? Let’s go wander around the bustling streets. It’s always quieter here; it’ll be more lively over there.”

Changing the subject, Ruan Ye pushed Zhi Qiu’s wheelchair, their laughter fading into the distance as they moved further away.

After the two women left, the man Ruan Ye had called “Uncle Li” nimbly rose to his feet.

He first cautiously surveyed his surroundings, and only after confirming they were out of earshot did he retrieve a circular wristwatch from a worn-out bag.

His name was Li Te, and he hailed from the legendary Ancient Earth of this world. He had been sent here by his Boss to monitor the progress of the treatment.

Li Te frantically pressed the watch’s buttons repeatedly until he finally received a response. A crisp, clear female voice emanated from the device.

“Stop pressing the buttons! I heard you. What’s happened over there?”

“Boss, this is bad news!”

Four Seasons Building.

Late at night, countless artists were still at work in the towering skyscraper. On the top floor of this luxurious commercial building in the city center was the workspace of Ruan Ning, a national treasure-level designer.

Through the twenty-third-floor transparent glass, one could see a woman of elegant bearing and striking beauty. She wore slender black high heels and a custom-tailored qipao that accentuated her graceful figure. Her jet-black hair was simply coiled up with a hairpin, and she wore no superfluous jewelry—only a black stud earring on her right ear that shimmered in the city’s neon glow.

“What?!” Ruan Ning exclaimed, her hand gripping the sofa, her voice trembling with agitation. “Are you saying Zhi Qiu and my in-game avatar went to the street where you were selling masks, and you gave them the couple’s masks I designed?”

“Boss, I don’t think they’re at that stage yet,” Li Te stammered, trying to explain, but only making things worse. “They’re just ordinary friends out for a stroll during the Dragon Boat Festival—you know, the kind who can push each other’s wheelchairs around. It hasn’t gotten to that point yet. President Zhi only just returned to the game a few days ago.”

Ruan Ning’s face darkened, her thoughts turning to her own miserable and bleak circumstances. She immediately instructed Li Te, “I told you to keep an eye on Ruan Ye to prevent game glitches. Is this how you’re ‘keeping an eye on her’? Keep your optical computer on. I’ll be entering the game within the next few days. Stay in constant contact with me.”

“…Yes, Boss.”

Li Te had originally worked for the Zhi Family’s corporation, where Zhi Qiu was his boss. But after Zhi Qiu and Ruan Ning’s grand wedding, he was reassigned to the design department as Ruan Ning’s secretary.

In Li Te’s memory, the new boss and the old boss had always argued after their marriage. Both were exceptionally gifted women: one an internationally renowned designer, the other a natural-born businesswoman who had shown remarkable aptitude for commerce since childhood.

Each believed herself to be in the right, leading to monthly cold wars that had become routine. Over time, their subordinates grew accustomed to their pattern of minor squabbles every three months and major clashes every six months—a dynamic that persisted until the senior boss fell ill and slipped into a coma.

Li Te recalled the aftermath of Ruan Ning’s forced intervention in the game.

A dense fog hung in the air, and torrential rain lashed against the windows, obscuring the view behind a misty film. The long-haired woman lay quietly on the sofa, still in her formal attire, her head nodding drowsily like a pecking chick. Exhausted as she seemed, her hand remained tightly clenched around her illuminated smartphone. Li Te leaned closer to the hospital’s optical computer, trying to get a better look.

Just then, the phone she was gripping rang. The drowsy woman stirred from her shallow sleep, her eyes not even glancing at the screen as she swiped to answer the call with practiced ease.

A gentle female voice came through the communicator: “Sister Zhi Qiu, my plane just landed in City A. I’m going through domestic security now. I’m so nervous being in a place I don’t know. Could you come pick me up?”

“Why so sudden?” Zhi Qiu feigned surprise, slowly and deliberately adjusting her tie. Her expression remained cold, but her tone was gentle. “Stay put in the guest lounge. I’ll be there to get you soon.”

The woman’s voice carried anxiety and apology: “Sister Ruan Ye will be furious if she finds out you came to see me alone, right? She’s always been so sensitive about our relationship. Honestly, it’s just the classmates teasing us. It’s getting late. Will leaving her to pick me up affect your relationship?”

“Don’t worry about that, sweetie,” Zhi Qiu said patiently, her face expressionless as she offered reassurance. “While you’re waiting, pick a restaurant. We’ll catch up properly.”

The call connected at 11 PM. Zhi Qiu had arrived at the hotel closest to the airport three hours earlier to catch up on sleep, all to properly execute the Scum Alpha’s storyline. Tonight, she had arranged for her secretary to report on work matters at home, subtly letting Ruan Ye know she had no social engagements.

Holding a bouquet of crimson roses in her left hand, Zhi Qiu pulled out her room key, ready to check out. Just then, a sudden knock echoed through the room. Tilting her head to wedge her phone between her ear and shoulder, she freed a hand to open the door.

With a thud, the phone slipped from her grasp and crashed to the floor.

The person on the other end was still cooing sweetly, but Zhi Qiu had no time to spare for the white moonlight character’s emotions.

The visitor was dressed only in beige loungewear, her glossy black hair slightly disheveled by the wind, betraying her hurried journey to the hotel.

Bending down to retrieve her phone, Zhi Qiu swallowed nervously and managed to stammer, “Ruan Ye…”