Transmigrated as an Alpha, the Fox Spirit Lives on Pheromone - Chapter 16

The street was bustling with noise and activity. On both sides of the road sat plainly dressed vegetable vendors, their cries of sales and haggling voices rising and falling in turn. Passing through the crowded roadside market, one’s eyes fell upon an old, dilapidated residential area. A tangled mess of electrical wires hung heavily in mid-air, impossible to sort out. The walls of the buildings were mottled beyond recognition, their original colors long faded. As they entered the stairwell, a musty odor of age assaulted their senses.

Qin Nian couldn’t help but grimace. “The living conditions here are just awful.”

Bai Muqin merely frowned slightly and continued up the stairs. Jiang Li followed closely behind, while Huang Xianxian poked half her head out of the pocket, her beady eyes filled with confusion. This was nothing like the home in her dreams! Where was the little courtyard filled with flowers and plants? The two-story house? How had it turned into this shabby, run-down complex?

The apartment upstairs was where Wen Rou lived. Outside the door, two thuggish young men were banging loudly. “Hey, Wen! Don’t pretend you’re not home. Payday’s here. If you dare not pay up, believe me, I’ll go to the hospital and finish off Huang Xianxian!”

A neighbor across the hall cracked their door open slightly, only to accidentally meet the thugs’ gaze and immediately slam it shut again.

With a creak, the door opened. Just as Qin Nian was about to step forward to help Wen Rou out of the situation, she saw her take an envelope from her pocket and hand it to one of the thugs. “I’m sorry, I was too busy and forgot to transfer the money on time. Thank you for coming to collect it,” she said gently.

The thug weighed the envelope in his hand, figuring this defenseless woman wouldn’t dare trick them. After taking the money, he flicked his cigarette butt onto the ground and walked off, humming a tune.

They happened to pass Bai Muqin and Jiang Li head-on. “You’re just in time. Go get your money,” he said, sidling past them.

Wen Rou watched the three women approaching her and instinctively touched her pocket. “How much do I owe you?” she asked.

Qin Nian’s prepared speech died in her throat. In that moment of hesitation, Bai Muqin spoke up. “You don’t owe us anything. On the contrary, I can help pay off your debts—if you can answer a few questions for me honestly.”

Only then did a glimmer of light return to Wen Rou’s bewildered eyes. Seeing that they didn’t seem hostile, she stepped aside. “Come in.”

The roughly fifty-square-meter apartment could be taken in at a glance. The interior was barely decorated, and the furniture looked old, as if scavenged from a secondhand market.

Huang Xianxian lamented guiltily, “It’s all my fault. I ruined Wen Rou’s life.”

Jiang Li muttered under her breath, “Don’t get too into character.”

Before coming here, Huang Xianxian had explained everything to Jiang Li. Jiang Li was terrified that Bai Muqin might misunderstand her. Weak and helpless as she was now, she had no way to investigate the original owner’s affairs. Fortunately, Bai Muqin’s attitude toward her hadn’t changed much these past few days, and she seemed quite receptive to Jiang Li’s attempts at seduction—though she had set a rule: only three times a week. Jiang Li, however, wanted to seduce her three times a day. When she voiced this delusion, Bai Muqin’s expression turned so threatening that Jiang Li didn’t dare bring it up again.

After entering and sitting down, Wen Rou poured each of them a cup of hot water, explaining awkwardly, “I don’t usually have guests over, so I don’t keep tea for entertaining.”

Bai Muqin accepted the cup and took a sip. “Hot water is just fine.”

Her expression was faint as she spoke, devoid of any excess emotion, but to Wen Rou, it felt like a reassuring affirmation.

“What do you want to ask?” Wen Rou sat down across from them, placing her hands on her thighs, occasionally rubbing them lightly.

“Do you know her? Or have you seen her before?” Bai Muqin pulled down Jiang Li’s mask.

Wen Rou’s gaze lingered on Jiang Li’s face for a moment before she shook her head. “No, I don’t know her, and I’ve never seen her before.”

Bai Muqin felt a wave of relief and continued, “Did Huang Xianxian’s friends visit her after she fell into a coma?”

Wen Rou shook her head again. “She’s been lying in bed for three years. No one came to see her in all that time. Ever since she sold her body, her old friends wanted nothing to do with her. And those women who paid for pleasure certainly wouldn’t visit her either.”

Bai Muqin nodded. “Alright, now for my last question.” Her eyes fixed intently on Wen Rou. “Was it you who scraped out Huang Xianxian’s gland?”

A flicker of panic crossed Wen Rou’s otherwise calm face. Her eyes darted around, and the frequency of her hands rubbing her thighs increased.

To everyone’s surprise, Huang Xianxian, who had been hiding in Jiang Li’s pocket, suddenly leaped out and landed on Wen Rou’s lap. Her tiny front paws pressed down on Wen Rou’s restless hands.

Wen Rou froze, locking eyes with Huang Xianxian. Instead of screaming or throwing her off, she gradually steadied, even reaching out to hold Huang Xianxian’s paws, as if reuniting with a long-lost friend.

Jiang Li hissed under her breath, “Huang Xianxian, get back here.”

Huang Xianxian retorted, “Stop yelling, stop yelling. I just feel bad for my wife and want to comfort her. Isn’t that helpful for answering your woman’s questions?”

Jiang Li fell silent. She watched as Wen Rou’s gaze softened further, even stroking Huang Xianxian’s head as she asked, “Is her name Huang Xianxian too? What a coincidence.”

“Ah, yeah, what a coincidence,” Jiang Li chuckled awkwardly, muttering under her breath, “She named herself.” She glanced up, meeting Qin Nian’s suspicious stare, then awkwardly turned away to look at Bai Muqin instead.

Once Huang Xianxian had soothed Wen Rou’s nerves, she hopped back to Jiang Li’s side. Wen Rou looked reluctant but didn’t try to stop her, then answered Bai Muqin’s earlier question unprompted: “I remember… she was drunk, completely unconscious. I held the knife, ready to end it all…” Her gaze grew distant, and she rubbed her temples. “After that, I can’t recall. The doctor said the scene might have been too horrifying—my brain’s self-defense mechanism erased that part of my memory.”

Her eyes swept over the group, wary and cautious. “Who are you people? Is the offer to help me repay my debts really genuine?”

“Of course it is. How much do you owe? Do you have an IOU?”

“We mean no harm. We’re just gathering material for a novel.”

Wen Rou nodded twice. “Oh, I see.” She patted her pockets, murmuring to herself, “How much was it again? Where’s the IOU? Why can’t I find it? Let me look…”

She stood and rummaged through her bag for a long time but couldn’t locate any IOU. Embarrassed, she admitted, “My memory isn’t great. I can’t remember.”

Bai Muqin said, “It’s fine.” She had Qin Nian hand Wen Rou a business card and added, “This is my assistant’s contact. If you remember how much you owe, you can reach out to her.”

Wen Rou took the card and repeated “Okay” twice.

After leaving Wen Rou’s home, the sound of the door closing caught the neighbor’s attention, who peeked out to see who was there. Noticing the group of women who appeared friendly, the neighbor called out, “Hey, are you her friends?”

They paused on the stairs, and Qin Nian flashed a disingenuous smile. “Yes, what’s the matter?”

The neighbor stepped out and whispered, “Your friend… seems a bit off here.” She pointed to her head and continued, “Last time, I overheard the people demanding money say the debt had already been paid. But she doesn’t seem to remember—whenever they come asking, she just hands over cash. Isn’t that infuriating? Taking advantage of a widow and her child like that! Since she moved here, I’ve never seen anyone visit her. And when we talk to her, her words don’t make much sense. Since you’re her friends, you should help her—don’t let those scoundrels keep swindling her. Plus, those people show up every now and then, making the whole neighborhood uneasy. It’s not safe.”

Qin Nian replied, “Thanks for the heads-up, ma’am.”

Once they were farther away, Bai Muqin instructed Qin Nian to assign two people to help Wen Rou resolve the issue. Qin Nian immediately stepped aside to make the necessary calls.

Huang Xianxian remarked, “Fox, your woman is truly a saint—no, wait, you’re all saints!”

Jiang Li trailed behind slowly, actually conversing with Huang Xianxian. “Aren’t you worried about your wife like this?”

Huang Xianxian sighed. “Worrying won’t change anything. For three years now, she’s been in and out of confusion—but maybe it’s a blessing in disguise for her. Right now, the most urgent thing is focusing on your cultivation. Once I wake up, I’ll take care of her with all my heart, warm her with love, and help her recover gradually.”

After finishing her calls, Qin Nian turned to Jiang Li. “What are you muttering about over there? You really don’t know that Huang Xianxian?” Ever since learning that Jiang Li might be acquainted with Huang Xianxian—and possibly a Scumbag Alpha—her attitude had cooled again.

“I was talking to Huang Xianxian. I really don’t know her. At the hospital, I noticed she shared a name with my weasel, so I got curious and looked a bit longer.” After spending so much time with Huang Xianxian, Jiang Li had become adept at spinning tales. Huang Xianxian had assured her that half-truths didn’t count as lies, and she’d taken it to heart.

Bai Muqin and Qin Nian dropped Jiang Li off at home before heading back to the office.

Qin Nian reported, “Sis, there’s still no lead on Ah Li’s identity. But all her documents are ready, including her phone.”

Bai Muqin nodded. “Good. She’s been learning quickly lately and can communicate normally now. Remember to assign someone to follow up on the endorsement deal.”

“Also, don’t bring her to the company for a while. Don’t shadow her or restrict her movements—just have two people keep a discreet eye on her.”

Qin Nian agreed with a knowing smile. “Playing hard to get, huh?”

Jiang Li was overjoyed to receive her ID card and phone, especially after Bai Muqin accepted her WeChat friend request. She immediately sent several voice messages in a row: “Master~”

“Master, I miss you.”

“Master, master, I’m hungry.”

“Master, please respond to me, okay?”

Bai Muqin: “Responded. Now shut up, or I’ll delete you.”

Only Bai Muqin knows how mortifying it is to accidentally play Jiang Li’s voice messages during a meeting. Fortunately, her mental fortitude is strong enough to continue the meeting agenda without blushing or flustering.