Transmigrated as the Cannon Fodder Boss of the Disabled Heroine (GL, ABO) - Chapter 3
At the same time.
In another hospital room.
The cool scent of medicinal ointment filled the air, and the faint throbbing of her wounds kept Yu Zhiwan’s brows furrowed even in sleep. Her slender fingers clutched the bedsheet tightly.
An Omega’s body was inherently fragile, and she was on the verge of her heat cycle. Having been tied up in a dark attic for two full days without a drop of water, her mental state was on the brink of collapse.
For those two days, her only companions were the rough nylon ropes and the howling wind outside the window.
Whenever her consciousness began to fade, it was her fierce will to survive that jolted her awake again, only to plunge her back into endless confusion and darkness over and over.
The wounds from the nylon ropes burned like fire, as if ants were gnawing at her skin or needles were piercing through. Once again, she dreamed of that cold, damp basement, her entire body feeling as though it had been thrown into an icy abyss, every breath laced with a tearing pain.
“Miss Yu.”
Yu Zhiwan’s breathing grew ragged. She heard someone calling her, but the bloody images from her dream surged forward, making her heart pound violently in her chest. The sound of her heartbeat was like thunder, and indistinct noises seemed to echo in her ears.
Thump, thump, thump!
Yu Zhiwan jolted awake.
A nurse’s concerned voice reached her ears:
“Miss Yu, were you having a nightmare just now?”
Her heart still racing, Yu Zhiwan hadn’t experienced such intense emotional turmoil in a long time and couldn’t immediately pull herself out of the chaos. But soon, the sweet fragrance of honey water wafted into her nose, soothing her senses.
“Miss Yu, you have a visitor. If you need anything, you can press the call button by your bed. I’m Nurse 019.”
With that, the nurse considerately took Yu Zhiwan’s hand and guided it to the electronic call button by the bed. After making sure Yu Zhiwan could locate it, she bowed to Pei Yujiang and left.
As the nurse gently closed the door, only the two of them remained in the room.
Pei Yujiang wasn’t socially awkward, but she had little experience interacting with Omegas especially one who seemed to harbor such deep misunderstandings about her.
She hadn’t really wanted to come, but the female lead’s “darkening value” had already reached 99%. According to the system, once it hit 100%, there would be no turning back, the female lead would fully succumb to darkness and seek revenge on society, and Pei Yujiang would fail her mission and lose her life.
Pei Yujiang had once led troops into battle and had read many of the popular “scumbag Alpha” novels. She knew the first rule in placating an Omega was to apologize before anything else. So, steeling herself, she mimicked the nurse’s address and called out, “Miss Yu,” before asking:
“How are you feeling now?”
She had studied voice modulation, though she wasn’t particularly skilled at it. Still, she figured it would be enough to fool an ordinary person, so she deliberately used the same voice as their first meeting while carefully observing Yu Zhiwan’s expression.
That said, even if Pei Yujiang wasn’t one to judge by appearances, she had to admit, the female lead’s face was truly a work of art, the kind that could incite envy from the heavens.
Yu Zhiwan’s features were delicate, striking the perfect balance between bold and understated. At first glance, she might not seem overwhelmingly stunning, but she undoubtedly fell into the category of “first-glance beauties.” The longer one looked, the more captivating she became.
Her eyes were soft and beautiful almond-shaped, with a delicate beauty mark beneath the left eye that added a lively charm. Her fair complexion, accentuated by a sickly pallor, gave her an indescribable fragility. Her thin lips were slightly pursed, pale in color, yet it did nothing to diminish the beauty of her features.
Even in the hospital’s standard-issue patient gown, a loose blue-and-white striped garment, she managed to look elegant.
Yu Zhiwan merely responded with a faint “Mm” after hearing her speak, her tone cool and inscrutable. Though the back of Pei Yujiang’s head still throbbed faintly, she kept her voice relaxed, betraying no trace of nervousness as she closely monitored the heroine’s darkening meter.
“Here, I made you some honey water. Drink it while it’s warm. That incident earlier really wasn’t me, you can check for fingerprints if you don’t believe me.”
While untying Yu Zhiwan, Pei Yujiang had quickly brainstormed ways to defend herself. Chat logs wouldn’t work the other party had used an anonymous account, likely with a fake IP, making it nearly impossible to trace. As for an alibi, no one could vouch for the original owner of this body, who had refused to work properly after college, spending her days idly wandering. Even her personal assistant, Zhou Shuyue, couldn’t have tracked her movements 24/7.
If she were pinned with the kidnapping accusation, Pei Yujiang doubted she’d survive. The priority now was to dispel Yu Zhiwan’s suspicions.
She handed the honey water over, watching for any reaction. When Yu Zhiwan showed no resistance, Pei Yujiang deliberately hissed in pain.
Yu Zhiwan’s brows lifted slightly. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, just a bit of a headache probably from when I fell earlier. But thank you for bringing me back. Can I get your contact info? I’ll treat you to dinner sometime.”
As Yu Zhiwan took a sip of the perfectly balanced honey water, Pei Yujiang saw the darkening meter dip slightly. Her eyes lit up.
On the way here, she’d prepared multiple excuses, ultimately settling on the most pitiable one based on Yu Zhiwan’s reactions. In the original story, the heroine’s later descent into darkness had led to her exacting brutal revenge proof that she responded better to vulnerability than aggression.
“Actually, I was at the factory to collect empty bottles to sell…” Pei Yujiang began weaving a tragic backstory.
Orphaned young, raised in an institution, working her way through school despite lacking academic talent… She borrowed elements from her own past her parents had died under the claws of zombie beasts in her original world and spun the tale further, straining her creativity.
Pei Yujiang felt like she’d used a lifetime’s worth of eloquence in those few minutes, her throat parched by the time Yu Zhiwan finally showed a flicker of sympathy.
She explained that she’d found the key, having heard noises from the building a couple of days prior but been too afraid to investigate in the fading light. When rain threatened, she’d gone up, worried something might have happened.
Logically speaking, there didn’t seem to be any issues. Relying on the fact that the other couldn’t see her face and having altered her voice, Pei Yujiang dared to brazenly lie to Yu Zhiwan right to her face.
As for the official love interest Liu Huanran, it was unclear why she hadn’t come to Yu Zhiwan’s “rescue” in time. Since the moment had passed without direct confrontation, Liu Huanran couldn’t possibly frame her out of nowhere.
But the outcome seemed favorable. Pei Yujiang watched as Yu Zhiwan’s corruption value dropped from a terrifying 99% to 98%, then 92%, gradually falling below the dangerous 90% threshold before stabilizing at 87%.
Pei Yujiang was as nervous as if she were facing zombie beasts on the battlefield for the first time, treating the Omega with extreme caution. Yu Zhiwan even used her blind-accessible smartphone to let Pei scan her WeChat QR code to add her as a friend.
“By the way, what’s your name?”
“Just call me Xiaoyu, like the fish in ‘as a fish takes to water’.”
The moment she said this, Pei Yujiang realized she’d dug herself into a hole creating a secret alias in front of the female lead.
Oh well. Once Yu Zhiwan’s corruption value stabilized, Pei probably wouldn’t be needed anymore. She’d established her persona as a poor young woman, so Yu Zhiwan likely wouldn’t be interested in keeping in touch frequently.
But to maintain the act, Pei deliberately pitched her voice and added:
“Then you must accept when I treat you to dinner later.”
Yu Zhiwan gently replied “Okay.” Her voice was pleasant too not overly sweet, but soft and gentle like a spring breeze.
Nothing about her suggested she was capable of corruption.
In the original story’s plot, after this female lead turned dark, she and her official Alpha partner would sever the tendons in the villain’s hands and feet, cut over a dozen wounds into her body, feed the flesh to pet snakes right before her eyes, and laugh while forcing her to drink her own thick, spurting bl00d.
Just the description alone was shockingly cruel, showing how deeply the original owner must have been hated.
After temporarily calming the female lead, Pei Yujiang made her exit. Just as she turned the corner outside the hospital room, she saw a figure rushing over.
[Warning! Official love interest Liu Huanran detected within 100 meters!]
This was Liu Huanran? Pei Yujiang frowned slightly. After all this time, why was she only arriving now?
The woman was clearly dressed to impress today her hair carefully styled, wearing a deep V black slip dress that accentuated her tall, sexy Alpha figure.
Her makeup was striking yet not overdone, clearly applied with care. Perhaps from running, her shawl was slipping off her shoulders, revealing smooth, pale skin.
Pei had never seen someone visit a hospital patient dressed like this. She paused to observe this so-called official love interest.
Dressed in hospital garb with her hair down, Pei went unnoticed as Liu Huanran hurried past. She watched Liu Huanran enter the room without even closing the door behind her.
Seeing Yu Zhiwan listless in bed, Liu Huanran instinctively rushed forward, grabbing her wheelchair and calling her pet name.
“Wanwan, are you okay?”
Liu Huanran was drenched in heavy perfume, the overwhelming scent enough to make one dizzy. Even Pei Yujiang, standing at a distance, could smell it. With an Omega’s heightened sense of smell, Yu Zhiwan couldn’t help but furrow her brows under the assault of the strong fragrance.
Yet Liu Huanran remained oblivious, chattering loudly beside Yu Zhiwan.
“Wanwan, say something if you’re okay, don’t scare me! Is your heat coming?”
At the mention of “heat,” Yu Zhiwan’s eyelids trembled slightly, responding with prolonged silence. As if sensing something, Liu Huanran reached out to touch her forehead.
From her vantage point outside, Pei Yujiang suddenly noticed, the moment Liu Huanran’s hand made contact, Yu Zhiwan’s body shuddered.