Transmigrated into the Scummy Alpha of the Apocalypse Heroine (GL) - Chapter 13
Qin Junlan took a bite of the bread and looked at Bai Lansheng with a warm smile. Her eyes curved gently with amusement, and that expression alone made Bai Lansheng bristle with irritation.
She tried to act as if she didn’t care, but her wide eyes gave her away.
Noticing where Bai Lansheng was looking, Qin Junlan deliberately made an exaggerated swallowing motion.
Bai Lansheng, clearly reluctant, reached out and picked the smallest piece of bread she could find.
Qin Junlan said casually, “What a pity. You just missed a chance to kiss me.”
Bai Lansheng rolled her eyes. Who would want to kiss you?
She ate with refined manners, always swallowing one bite before taking the next. Her pace was slow and careful.
Each bite was tiny. It took her three bites to match the size of one of Qin Junlan’s. Of course, Qin Junlan was intentionally taking large bites just to tease her.
Qin Junlan didn’t rush her. She watched quietly as Bai Lansheng’s cheek puffed slightly from the food, and the bread in her hand gradually shrank. Watching her eat like that reminded Qin Junlan of bringing home a shy kitten that had finally started eating. It made her feel a strange kind of maternal satisfaction.
Bai Lansheng kept her body stiff and leaned slightly away to avoid Qin Junlan’s intense gaze. Her silver hair accidentally brushed against the bread.
Qin Junlan gently lifted the strand and brushed off the crumbs. “Your hair is getting long.”
Bai Lansheng almost choked.
She remembered that sentence clearly.
There had been another line that followed it.
Your hair is getting long… which makes it easier to grab.
After that, her hair had been pulled, and she was thrown into a corner. Qin Sisi had stepped into her bl00d and complained that her new shoes were dirty.
That memory made Bai Lansheng’s throat tighten.
The bread in her mouth felt heavy, like a stone lodged in her throat. She couldn’t swallow it no matter how hard she tried.
Qin Junlan had been crouching on one knee to be at eye level with her.
Noticing that Bai Lansheng was eating very slowly and pausing between bites, Qin Junlan figured it would take a while.
Her leg was starting to go numb, so she stood up to stretch a little.
The moment she got to her feet, Bai Lansheng suddenly leaned backward and fell, like a tree tipping over.
There were small stones scattered across the riverside. If she hit the ground hard, she could have hurt her head again.
Qin Junlan quickly caught her and scolded, “How do you manage to fall while sitting? This is exactly why I say you need to exercise more.”
Bai Lansheng was stunned.
She had been startled when Qin Junlan stood up suddenly. Out of instinct, she leaned back to avoid having her hair grabbed. She forgot she was sitting, and her foot caught on a rock, which made her lose her balance.
If Qin Junlan hadn’t caught her, she would already be on the ground.
The same person who had caused her pain in the past had just caught her and held her safely.
Qin Junlan looked at her blank expression and raised an eyebrow. “Are you in shock? Can you sit up on your own?”
Realizing she was still in Qin Junlan’s arms, Bai Lansheng quickly sat up straight.
She still had half a piece of bread left, but now she was eating without focus.
That woman had saved her again.
And why? Why would she care?
Qin Junlan noticed her zoning out again and sighed softly. She really didn’t know what to do with her.
Qin Junlan: “What kind of people are Bai Lansheng’s parents?”
System: “Why do you want to know that?”
Qin Junlan: “I am just curious. What kind of family raises someone this absent-minded?”
Could someone this scattered really be the person who ends the world?
The system refused to answer. It would not reveal who Bai Lansheng’s parents were, nor would it explain how she might destroy the world.
Qin Junlan could only wait for time to provide those answers. No matter how slowly Bai Lansheng ate, eventually the last bite of bread went down.
They walked together again, just like before. Bai Lansheng led the way with slow steps, while Qin Junlan gently pressed her palm against her back, guiding her forward along the riverside.
Their shadows stretched long in the slanting sunlight. Eventually, the two shadows merged into one strange shape. The belly of the shadow looked round, like it had eaten too much.
A few steps more, and they would be turning a corner. The river would soon be out of sight.
Suddenly, Bai Lansheng stopped walking.
Qin Junlan felt her hand meet resistance and paused as well. She asked, “What’s wrong?”
Bai Lansheng said softly, “Goose sounds are supposed to be honk honk, right?”
Qin Junlan followed her gaze to the sky, where a few birds flew overhead.
The wind brushed the river’s surface, creating a shimmering ripple of light. But there was not a single goose in sight.
The lighthearted energy that had slowly built up during the day disappeared the moment they stepped inside.
As soon as Bai Lansheng entered the room, she went straight to her usual corner. She crouched down and hugged her knees, curling into a small ball.
Qin Junlan sat on the bed, resting her hands on the edge, and tilted her head slightly to look at the back of Bai Lansheng.
“Does that corner have magic powers? It seems to pull you in every time.”
There was no response to her question, and Qin Junlan didn’t push for one.
Bai Lansheng stayed in the corner for ten full minutes, and Qin Junlan watched her the entire time.
She found herself impressed. Her arms were getting tired just from leaning on the bed. She wanted to shift positions, but Bai Lansheng hadn’t moved at all, sitting there like a monk in meditation.
Qin Junlan started to wonder if her earlier approach had been wrong for someone like Bai Lansheng.
She had tried to pull her out of her quiet world, hoping to reconnect her with the outside.
But maybe, for Bai Lansheng, what she needed most wasn’t stimulation from others.
Maybe that corner was her safe space.
Still seeing no movement, Qin Junlan rustled around for a bit and stepped outside. After ten minutes, she came back and returned to Bai Lansheng’s side.
She looked at the curled-up figure and crouched down beside her, copying her posture.
Legs together. Arms wrapped around her knees. Eyes facing the wall.
This should be it.
But what was so interesting about this cracked wall? What was Bai Lansheng seeing that made her stare at it so intently?
Qin Junlan stared at it too, but couldn’t understand the feeling.
All she could see was dust.
Even though she had cleaned the room, the original owner had treated it so poorly that no amount of effort could make it truly clean. Especially the corners. If you didn’t look too closely, it was fine. But up close, those cracks were filthy.
This kind of stubborn grime could never be cleaned off unless they moved to a new house.
Qin Junlan fought back her cleanliness obsession and continued staring at the wall. Even after her eyes started to ache, she still couldn’t connect with whatever thoughts were running through Bai Lansheng’s mind.
She tried to start a conversation.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Are you thinking about Ke Nian?”
“What do you like about her?”
“She doesn’t treat you well. You shouldn’t like her.”
“Where is your home?”
“If you go far away, would your parents worry?”
“You should eat more.”
“I should trim your hair sometime.”
At the mention of hair, Bai Lansheng’s ears twitched ever so slightly. Qin Junlan smiled faintly and moved on to other topics.
After that, Bai Lansheng gave no reaction at all, let alone a response. Qin Junlan was not in a hurry. She treated it as if she were talking to herself.
“If I had more time, I would take you fishing. I used to hate fishing. I thought it was boring. Sometimes, it takes thirty or forty minutes to catch a single fish. Sometimes even hours. You have to sit still and stare at the water the whole time. It sounded awful.
I used to think, wouldn’t that time be better spent making money?
But then I went fishing twice, and I realized that the longer you wait, the more satisfying the moment becomes when you finally catch something. The harder the wait, the greater the joy. Of course, I’ve gone home empty-handed a few times too.
But what matters is that while you wait, you don’t have to think about anything. You just sit there and stare at the water. All your pain, frustration, anxiety, fear, envy, jealousy, sadness… you can forget all of it. You just wait for that one moment when you catch the fish and feel happy again.”
Maybe Bai Lansheng, sitting quietly here, was living through that kind of waiting.
During this waiting period, she could forget everything that weighed her down and rest in a space without sorrow or joy.
Qin Junlan’s voice gradually lowered, and the room became completely silent.
Time passed slowly. Maybe it was the stillness, or maybe Bai Lansheng sensed someone had entered her space. Her dull blue eyes finally flickered, and she looked to the side.
The sight startled her.
Qin Junlan’s face was right there, so close.
Bai Lansheng thought the scoundrel was planning to torment her again, but then she realized the woman’s eyes were closed.
Her slightly long bangs softened her face. There was no trace of the aggression Bai Lansheng had come to expect.
It looked like she had fallen asleep.
Outside, sounds began to stir. Bai Lansheng quickly closed her eyes.
Qin Junlan had also heard the noise. It was nearly eight o’clock, time to gather.
When she stood up, she couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath. Her leg had gone numb.
She glanced at Bai Lansheng. Since the girl hadn’t moved from her position, she probably didn’t notice her awkward attempt to keep balance.
Qin Junlan muttered to herself, “Squatting really doesn’t suit me. I’m better off sitting while fishing.”
She shook her leg, trying to get the numbness out. Then she reached over and picked up her little “watermelon.”
She had learned a bit from experience. By pulling Bai Lansheng against her and making sure her back rested completely on her chest, she could hold her with less effort.
Just as she was about to move her onto the bed, she heard the system’s voice.
System: “This system has another method to make the heroine obedient.”
Qin Junlan: “What method?”
System: “Mark her.”
Qin Junlan: “…”
Bai Lansheng, suspended in mid-air, already felt anxious. When she noticed the person holding her suddenly freeze, she struggled to get down.
As her body started to slide, her feet had not yet touched the ground before Qin Junlan lifted her back up.
“Stop squirming,” Qin Junlan said.
Her warm breath brushed past Bai Lansheng’s ear. She could feel the heat behind her, and the gentle vibration of Qin Junlan’s chest as she spoke. The closeness was overwhelming.
Bai Lansheng froze.
Qin Junlan placed her gently on the bed.
The moment Bai Lansheng touched the mattress, she darted into the corner, pulled a thin blanket over herself like a shield, and curled up.
The bed was small. There was nowhere to hide, but she still tried to use the flimsy blanket as armor.
Qin Junlan smiled and responded in her mind.
Qin Junlan: “And then what? Lose control again like last time?”
System: “You’ve probably heard the term temporary mark. Since you have to leave, giving her a temporary mark might be a good idea.”
A mark meant that an Alpha injected their pheromones into an Omega’s gland to claim them.
But there was also something called a temporary mark, or incomplete mark.
The Alpha would inject only a small amount of pheromones into the Omega’s gland, which would affect the Omega’s physical condition.
Temporary marking could help ease the Omega’s heat and repel other Alphas.
An Omega who was temporarily marked would develop affection for the Alpha who marked them. They would also emit a unique scent, allowing the Alpha to locate them at any time.
If she temporarily marked Bai Lansheng, the girl would become more obedient. And no matter where she went, Qin Junlan would be able to find her.
Qin Junlan: “Oh, that sounds like a very strategic idea. But I’m not doing it.” She had no interest in punching walls again out of regret.
She gently pressed Bai Lansheng down and wrapped her securely in the blanket. Under the girl’s uneasy gaze, Qin Junlan said calmly,
“I have to go out. I’ll be back late tonight. You should go to sleep. Good night.”
She said it simply and clearly. Then she turned and left without hesitation.
Her movements were so quick that by the time the door closed, Bai Lansheng finally realized that she had really left.
When Qin Junlan stepped outside, Green Hair and another person were already waiting for her.
She gave them a smile and said, “Let’s go.”
The dice had already been cast. Whether it would lead to life or death was now up to fate.
Once the noise outside faded, Bai Lansheng sat up and let her feet dangle off the edge of the bed.
Her feet were pale and delicate, smooth like polished jade. It was easy to tell she had never endured hardship.
She didn’t dare put her shoes on right away. She was afraid the closed door was just a trick, afraid that Qin Junlan might come back at any moment, afraid that the silence outside was just another trap.
She held her breath and listened carefully. Only after confirming there was no sound outside did she quietly slip on her shoes and tiptoed toward the door.
Once she reached the door, she did not open it immediately. She stood there, still and cautious, and peeked through a small gap. After making sure no one was outside, she slowly pushed the door open.
The alley was silent. The end of the path stretched out like a dark open mouth, ready to swallow anyone who walked by.
A cold wind swept through the alley, carrying away the warmth from her body and pointing her toward freedom.
Just like in her memories, this was the day Qin Sisi would leave this place with the others.
But unlike last time, Qin Sisi didn’t tie her up before leaving.
In her past life, her hands and feet had been bound behind her back. She had smashed a bottle and used a piece of broken glass to cut the ropes and escape, but the glass had also sliced her wrist. Bl00d had followed her footsteps and left a trail behind her.
She had been in such a hurry to escape that she didn’t notice the bl00d she was leaving behind. Even if she had noticed, she wouldn’t have had time to do anything about it.
It was that trail of bl00d that led to her capture.
They dragged her back into the house. What awaited her then were violent fists filled with rage, because her escape had humiliated Qin Sisi.
Remembering that miserable experience, Bai Lansheng hesitated.
A sharp noise cut through the quiet.
Startled, she turned her head and saw a large rat dragging its tail into the darkness.
If she stayed here any longer, how would she be any different from a rat clinging to life in a filthy gutter?
Bai Lansheng took a step forward.
The houses were completely dark. Without any lights, the buildings that had looked yellow and dusty by day now stood like ghostly towers in the night.
She could only rely on the moonlight to see where to place her feet.
The ground was soft and muddy beneath her shoes. It was far from comfortable, but Bai Lansheng felt a strange excitement stirring in her chest. Her steps quickened.
That feeling disappeared the moment she reached the end of the alley.
Someone was standing in her way.
“Out this late?” Old Wu walked toward her, holding a flashlight.
The beam of light illuminated his face, casting deep shadows and making his expression difficult to read.
Bai Lansheng’s face went pale. As he approached, it felt like she could hear the sound of a death bell ringing in her ears.
In her last life, it had been this very man who caught her and brought her back.