Chapter 89: The Rice is Cooked – Melodrama and Using a Dead Man as a Shield
The wild wind howled past, swirling up gravel and dust from the ground. It whipped harshly against Bai Ning’s face, making his eyes turn slightly red. Bai Ning instinctively pursed his lips and gripped the star coins in his hand tightly, slowly lifting them beneath his nose.
A faint scent lingered at the tip of his nose—it was the scent from that man’s body.
It wasn’t the scent of pheromones, but a very ordinary, light fragrance from his clothes.
Not far away, the man’s face was dark. Since keeping Bai Ning was useless anyway, it was better to drive him away. “What? You got the money and you’re still not getting lost?”
Bai Ning’s face showed no ripples of emotion, only his dark eyes remained as calm as a deep pool. Step by step, he approached the man with the ferocious expression. “I want to ask, what questions did that man just ask you?”
The man sneered. “Why should I tell you?”
Before his voice even fell, Bai Ning’s wrist flicked, and a portion of the coins in his hand smashed hard against the man’s face.
the star coins hit the man’s cheek with a light clinking sound and then rolled onto the ground.
Looking at the man’s stiff expression, Bai Ning said softly, “This is the payment for the answer. Now, can you speak?”
…
Jiang Chenyan and Kai Lan walked side by side toward the shuttle parked at the berth.
Kai Lan glanced at Jiang Chenyan beside him and couldn’t help but speak first: “Who was that person just now? Do you know him? From the looks of it, he seems to care a lot about Xie Huaijin.”
Jiang Chenyan raised his hand to brush the dust off his shoulder and explained to Kai Lan that they had met once before the auction, and later at the Jiang family villa.
Kai Lan nodded, then lowered his voice and leaned into Jiang Chenyan’s ear. “Do you know what kind of story I just coaxed out? Holy sh*t, it’s so explosive you won’t believe it.”
Jiang Chenyan grew interested. “Tell me.”
“Isn’t Bai Ning single-mindedly set on staying by Xie Huaijin’s side?” Kai Lan’s expression turned grave. “Just a few days ago, the day after you ‘died,’ Xie Huaijin became a different person. He spent every day soaked in the bars, living a life of debauchery. I reckon Bai Ning couldn’t take it and went looking for him.”
He paused and then continued: “I heard Xie Huaijin was holding an Omega in a VIP room at the time; they were probably just one step away from the finish line. As a result, Bai Ning burst straight in, hauled that Omega up, and gave them a beating right there.”
Jiang Chenyan’s steps came to a sudden halt, his brow furrowing slightly. “A beating?”
He couldn’t imagine the scene. “He really beat them?”
“How could it be fake?” Kai Lan sighed. “Yeah, he beat them. To be honest, I really don’t get it. If he wanted to vent, he should have gone for Xie Huaijin. Why did he have to beat that Omega? I heard that when the Omega was carried away, their face was covered in blood; it was miserable. But the strange thing is, Xie Huaijin didn’t really punish Bai Ning, as if nothing had happened.”
“I also heard them say that Xie Huaijin had drunk too much at the time and failed to control his pheromones, which is why he sought out an Omega in a moment of muddledness…” Kai Lan grew more speechless as he talked. “To put it bluntly, didn’t he just want to release his desires? Why must he find such a high-sounding excuse?”
Jiang Chenyan’s eyes were like ice. In the original novel, Xie Huaijin was exactly this kind of person—entangled with the protagonist shou while constantly having relationships with others.
He gave a light “mm.” “He is the most disgusting.”
“There’s something even more unexpected.” Kai Lan frowned, secretly observing Jiang Chenyan’s reaction. “I don’t know what suddenly came over Bai Ning, but he actually questioned Xie Huaijin directly, asking him if he… uh.”
“?” Jiang Chenyan noticed Kai Lan’s oddity, and his gaze darkened. “Questioned Xie Huaijin about what?”
Kai Lan hesitated for a moment before finally whispering: “Whether he likes Jiang Chenyan… meaning you.”
Jiang Chenyan’s expression froze. He never imagined that, as an outsider who had “died,” he would actually be dragged into the mess between Xie Huaijin and Bai Ning.
The love-hate entanglement between Xie Huaijin and Bai Ning was dramatic enough; why must they drag a dead man like him in to serve as a shield?
Jiang Chenyan’s mood was complex, and his voice felt a bit dry: “Keep talking.”
Kai Lan said, “From then on, Bai Ning became like a different person; his eyes were full of obsession and madness. He probably felt that the soft approach wasn’t working, so he went for the hard one. He actually secretly drugged Xie Huaijin, wanting to ‘cook the rice’ while Xie Huaijin’s consciousness was blurred.”
“I heard that their pheromone compatibility isn’t actually low. If they really had a relationship, the probability of a ‘one-hit-success’ would be high. But is Xie Huaijin someone so easily schemed against? The plan was exposed, and Xie Huaijin flipped his face on the spot, directly sending people to dump Bai Ning in this hellhole.”
After hearing the cause and effect, Jiang Chenyan frowned. “How does that man know so clearly? Even the details are exact.”
Kai Lan gave a tsk. “Wasn’t it a coincidence? He was the person who assisted Bai Ning in the drugging.”
Jiang Chenyan fell completely silent. Kai Lan truly hadn’t made the trip in vain, being able to coax so much secret information from that man’s mouth.
However, thinking carefully, these were ultimately the grudges between Xie Huaijin and Bai Ning—like a ball of melodramatic mud that had nothing to do with Jiang Chenyan and Kai Lan. He had already tried to help Bai Ning. Everyone has their own choices and fate; Jiang Chenyan didn’t intend to interfere in their subsequent matters anymore.
Jiang Chenyan’s thoughts quickly shifted to more important things. Lately, he and Shen Shiyue had been in contact a few times. Shen Shiyue told him that his family had finalized the arrangements and would soon send him to the Alliance to take up a post.
In the school now, rumors about Shen Shiyue’s true identity were becoming more frequent, with all sorts of guesses flying around. Some said he was the heir to a great family, and others said he had backing from high-level officials in the Alliance; it was a huge stir.
Besides this, there was one more thing Jiang Chenyan was quite concerned about. Because of his “death” and complete disappearance, the vacant position in the Alliance was successfully filled by Ji Xuan through nomination. This was an unexpected variable.
Ji Xuan’s situation had always been a point of doubt in Jiang Chenyan’s heart. He knew very well that Ji Xuan’s pheromone rank was very low because his gland had suffered a serious problem. Logically speaking, he didn’t possess the qualifications to enter the Alliance at all.
He had specifically asked Shen Shiyue before if there had been any abnormal changes in Ji Xuan’s pheromones lately, and Shen Shiyue’s answer was negative. This meant that Ji Xuan hadn’t reached the plot point of a second pheromone differentiation yet.
So… it was very strange.
There was no way to start investigating.
Night fell.
Jiang Chenyan lay on the bed with no desire for sleep.
The moonlight from outside the porthole spilled in, casting mottled shadows on the floor.
Just then, the system’s voice sounded in his head:
[Host, why aren’t you asleep yet? Are you thinking about Shen Shiyue? The young couple just separated not long ago; you must miss each other very much.]
Jiang Chenyan was stunned for a moment. “Maybe… I am.”
[Since you miss him, what do you plan to do next?]
The system continued,
[You are now a free man, and the task is complete. Why not take this chance to go traveling and relax, far away from these conflicts and troubles?]
The system’s words were indeed reasonable. He really could let go of everything and live a peaceful life now.
But Jiang Chenyan was a bit lost. Was this really what he wanted? He felt as if he had been escaping—escaping his own heart. Could such an escape truly bring him liberation?
Early the next day, just as the sky was barely bright, Kai Lan hurriedly found Jiang Chenyan, his face as pale as paper. Jiang Chenyan had never seen Kai Lan like this.
“Jiang Chenyan… my mom… something happened to my mom!” Kai Lan’s voice carried a sob, and he spoke almost with a choke. “I just saw the news. The shuttle she was on collided with another shuttle and there was a massive explosion… She’s still lying in the hospital’s intensive care unit now, and she hasn’t woken up.”
Jiang Chenyan patted Kai Lan’s shoulder, trying to comfort him, only to find he couldn’t say a word.
“I have to go back and see her… just one look from afar, to confirm she’s okay.”
Kai Lan grabbed Jiang Chenyan’s arm, as if grabbing a final life-saving straw.
He had always been working hard, thinking of creating great inventions to help more Omegas and change the prejudices others had against them.
Abandoning family to run toward a perceived freedom and dream.
Right now.
Kai Lan could no longer hold back, and tears burst from his eyes.
He planned to go after disguising himself, without exposing his identity.
Jiang Chenyan knew that Kai Lan really must go back this time.
Ultimately unable to rest easy letting Kai Lan go alone, Jiang Chenyan decided to accompany him back after thinking for a moment.
When the shuttle landed slowly on the familiar planet, a complex and difficult-to-describe feeling welled up in Jiang Chenyan’s heart.
The hospital was very quiet. The medical staff and patients passing by were in a hurry, and no one paid much attention to the two of them. Kai Lan led Jiang Chenyan to quietly arrive outside his mother’s ward.
The two looked through the glass window, quietly watching the person lying on the hospital bed.
Kai Lan’s mother’s face was pale, and she was hooked up to various tubes. Kai Lan’s eyes turned red instantly. He clenched his fists tightly, his nails almost digging into his palms.
At this moment, he suddenly doubted whether his actions all along had been correct. Even if he truly achieved extraordinary things and invented something that could change the world, could he change the status of Omegas in this society?
The two stood outside the ward for a long time, until Kai Lan’s emotions gradually stabilized.
Later, Jiang Chenyan felt a bit thirsty and planned to go get some hot water at the end of the hallway.
The hallway was very quiet, with only the low hum of medical instruments.
Jiang Chenyan walked quickly, not noticing a person coming around the corner; the two collided.
“Ngh.” Jiang Chenyan stumbled back and looked up into a pair of cold eyes.
The Alpha was very tall, wearing a white lab coat. His features were refined, and his entire being radiated a cold aura that said “do not approach.”
There was no expression on his face as he gave Jiang Chenyan an indifferent glance.
“Sorry.” Jiang Chenyan hurriedly apologized while bending over to pick up the documents that had been knocked to the floor.
The moment he picked up the documents, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of the signature on them: Xiao Zeyu.
Jiang Chenyan’s brow furrowed instantly. He was very familiar with this name—it was the original body’s future marriage partner. He hadn’t expected to meet him at this time and place.
He remembered the original novel mentioned that Xiao Zeyu had insisted on being a doctor in his early years and stayed in the hospital for several years until family pressure forced him back to inherit the family business. And the original host was the marriage partner the Jiang family had forced upon him to consolidate interests.
Later in the plot, Xiao Zeyu was supposed to fall in love with the original host. However, the two’s worldviews were completely different. The original host craved freedom and loathed the shackles of family marriage, while Xiao Zeyu was used to controlling everything and always trapped the original host by his side in the name of “it’s for your own good.” This relationship ultimately ended in mutual destruction.
Jiang Chenyan secretly felt lucky that he had already “died,” otherwise he would have been entangled in this melodramatic plot sooner or later.
He hurriedly shoved the documents back to Xiao Zeyu and turned to leave.
Xiao Zeyu looked at Jiang Chenyan’s departing back. His fingertips moved slightly, but he didn’t call out to stop him.
Jiang Chenyan walked into the pantry. Only when the cold tap water splashed on his face did the restlessness in his heart settle slightly. He poured a cup of warm water and, once his emotions had stabilized a bit, turned to walk back toward Kai Lan’s mother’s ward.
But just as he reached the ward door, the expected figure wasn’t there. Jiang Chenyan’s brow furrowed, and a hint of unease flitted through his heart as he took several more steps down the hallway.
Where had Kai Lan gone?
Around the corner, Kai Lan was arguing with someone about something.
Seeing that the two were about to start a physical fight, Jiang Chenyan walked quickly over to stop them. When he saw the other person’s face, his vision went dark, and his blood felt solidified.
What a coincidence. Professor Ariel.
Jiang Chenyan paused his steps and silently retreated, hiding in the shadows of the corner.
Professor Ariel didn’t know he was still alive.
Learning of his “death escape,” what would the professor think?
Jiang Chenyan didn’t plan on eavesdropping. He turned quietly, preparing to leave, not noticing a person walking up behind him.
Thud.
His forehead hit a hard chest. Jiang Chenyan stumbled back a step and looked up to meet a pair of cold, rippleless eyes.
It was still that same cold, aloof, and indifferent appearance. He was still clutching the same set of documents that had been knocked down earlier.
Xiao Zeyu.
Him again.
Jiang Chenyan was a bit irritable. He didn’t understand why they would encounter each other again. it was as if he were being pulled back and forth by fate, unable to escape the entanglement with these plot characters no matter what.
The air stagnated for a few seconds. Xiao Zeyu finally spoke, his voice as cold as the man himself. His gaze passed over Jiang Chenyan, landing in the direction of Ariel and Kai Lan’s argument. “Do you know the people over there?”
Jiang Chenyan took a glance in the direction Xiao Zeyu pointed. “I don’t know them.”
He didn’t want to have any extra involvement with this man.
“They are very noisy.” Xiao Zeyu’s voice was cold, carrying an undetectable hint of displeasure. His gaze was fixed on Jiang Chenyan, as if confirming something. “Don’t they know where this is? Being so loud affects the patients’ rest.”
After speaking, he wanted to go over to stop and warn Kai Lan and Ariel.
Just as he took a step, Kai Lan burst out from inside, coincidentally coming face-to-face with Xiao Zeyu.
Kai Lan didn’t even lift his head as he ignored Xiao Zeyu. Without any hesitation, he grabbed Jiang Chenyan’s arm. “Let’s get out of here quickly.”
Jiang Chenyan, “…”
Xiao Zeyu frowned. “?”
Translator’s Note:
“The rice is cooked” (生米煮成熟饭 – shēng mǐ zhǔ chéng shú fàn) is a classic Chinese idiom meaning what’s done is done, but in web novels, it almost always refers to someone trying to force a sexual relationship to seal a marriage or commitment. Bai Ning is really going off the deep end here. And of course, Jiang Chenyan’s “fiancé” Xiao Zeyu makes an appearance. Talk about awkward!
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