Villainous Scientist (12)
Song Xuyi was jolted awake by the glaring sunlight.
Along with it came an unmistakable gaze from the bed next door.
“You’re awake!” Song Xuyi yawned, just about to check in on Jiang Qianyu’s condition, when suddenly, the sytem’s voice echoed in her mind: “She woke up last night and then snuck over to your bed in the middle of the night to sleep hugging you!”
This statement was packed with so much information that Song Xuyi was momentarily stunned; her mind glitched.
After sharing a dorm room with Jiang Qianyu, Song Xuyi had tweaked the system settings so that the system would keep an eye out for any abnormalities from Jiang Qianyu. But she never expected Jiang Qianyu to push her luck and squeeze into her own bed…
Song Xuyi couldn’t help but recall the dream from last night, the chilling cloud pressing down on her body—it turns out not all of it was a dream…
Remembering the excessive things Jiang Qianyu had done to her on the spaceship, Song Xuyi’s face flushed red.
However, she couldn’t explain how she knew what had happened in the middle of the night. With no other option, she could only send an annoyed glare Jiang Qianyu’s way, then got out of bed and headed into the bathroom.
Jiang Qianyu had been attentively observing Song Xuyi’s every move. Initially, when Song Xuyi greeted her, Jiang Qianyu thought that Song Xuyi hadn’t noticed her research on drugs, and a glimmer of hope blossomed in her heart. However, that hope was short-lived as she saw Song Xuyi’s complexion change…
Watching Song Xuyi’s retreating back, Jiang Qianyu lowered her head and clenched her fists, her fingernails almost digging into her palms.
She must be suspecting me, right? What can I do to make Xuyi forgive me…
But aside from turning Song Xuyi back into an Alpha, there are no other remedies.
Yet, if Song Xuyi changes back to an Alpha, her personality will revert as well, right?
Every time Jiang Qianyu recalls how arrogant and rude Song Xuyi was two months ago as an Alpha—and even attempted to forcibly claim her—she feels a deep-seated repulsion from the bottom of her heart…
It seems like whatever I do, it’s a dilemma…
Jiang Qianyu flopped back onto her bed in dismay, at her wit’s end. It was then that she suddenly thought of the old grandpa at home.
In the post-interstellar era, technology had solved nearly all problems, from terraforming to space exploration, and human development had reached unprecedented heights, but the old grandpa still clung to some simple habits, such as a firm belief in the existence of deities in this world.
Deities aren’t specific beings but rather a reverence for life and nature.
In the ABO world where power is revered, Jiang Qianyu didn’t quite grasp the old man’s simple wishes; instead of believing in the elusive spirits, she put more faith in her own strength.
The old man always nagged Jiang Qianyu, saying she was good in all respects but too arrogant and disbelieving in karma.
Because Jiang Qianyu’s identity had to be kept under wraps, the old man would secretly make donations every year under her name to help the Beta populations of impoverished planets, firm in his belief that this act of giving would bring her good fortune. Jiang Qianyu initially sneered at these actions, but by the time she realized the depth of caring behind them, the old man was gone.
The downfall of the Jiang family made Qianyu fully comprehend that no matter how strong she was, there were things beyond her control.
Jiang Qianyu had always known that her path of revenge would be paved with the blood of countless others; she had always been indifferent to this, reasoning that if she could bear pain, why couldn’t others?
But now, Jiang Qianyu was knocking on the door of her own conscience, asking herself: If she proceeded this way, what made her any different from the Emperor of the Imperial Star?
The lives of the Jiang family mattered, but so did the lives of innocent people.
In that instant, Jiang Qianyu broke out into a cold sweat. For the first time, she questioned herself with such piercing clarity…
Perhaps Xuyi was a gift from the gods, a moment of sobriety amidst the raging tide of murderous intent, allowing her to glimpse a broader world—a world where a place like the Blue Star existed, where everyone was equal…
She had nothing left!
Something within her heart trembled faintly, as if it was about to sink into the pitch-dark eternal night, yet amidst the silence, something else was slowly being born. Jiang Qianyu bit her lower lip tightly, slightly lifting her head, a fiery light seemed to ignite in her eyes…
If the gods had brought Xuyi into her life, there must be a reason for it…
In the depths of her heart, Jiang Qianyu silently made a sincere wish: If the gods truly could hear, if after today she could keep Xuyi as a friend, she would abide by the gods’ will, strive to be compassionate, and minimize the bloodshed in her revenge as much as possible…
On the other side, Song Xuyi didn’t notice anything unusual with her gland while checking in the bathroom, and didn’t experience the sore feeling all over the body that happened previously after Jiang Qianyu’s observation of her gland. Thinking it over, Song Xuyi asked the system somewhat puzzledly, “Did you… see any mosaics last night?”
Whenever there was a scene that crossed the line even slightly, it would be a blur of mosaic in front of the system.
The system almost immediately understood what Song Xuyi meant and promptly denied, “No! Jiang Qianyu was holding onto your neck, crying like a little dog that’s been abandoned, it was so pitiful…”
……
Jiang Qianyu cried?
Song Xuyi was taken aback, completely unable to picture Jiang Qianyu breaking down in tears. But there was no reason for the system to lie…
In that moment, a flood of memories came rushing back to Song Xuyi: she remembered the tragic history of the complete destruction of the Jiang family she had learned about the day before; she remembered the abnormality in Jiang Qianyu’s behavior was due to her study of the Jiang’s in 《History of Pharmacy》; she remembered in the plot summary how Jiang Qianyu held deep-seated hatred towards the Emperor; she thought of the historical trope ‘When the birds are gone, the good bow is hidden,’ suggesting that once someone is no longer useful, they are discarded; and she thought of the Alpha enhancer in the hands of the Emperor…
If it had been just a hunch before, then now Song Xuyi was pretty much certain about Jiang Qianyu’s identity.
For Jiang Qianyu to have survived up to this day as an orphan after the annihilation of her entire clan, she must have endured unspeakable pains and hardships.
“I’m really lucky to be able to live and leave Imperial Star alive,” Song Xuyi thought of the Emperor’s wariness of the original owner and sighed softly. With these precedents, it was nothing short of a miracle that the Emperor didn’t send someone to assassinate her when she left Imperial Star this time…
“What did you say?” The system hadn’t caught what Song Xuyi had muttered.
“Nothing,” Song Xuyi snapped back to reality, remembering Jiang Qianyu crying in the dark night, and raised her voice: “I think it might be impossible for us to persuade Jiang Qianyu to give up her desire for revenge now…”
Put yourself in her shoes: if your entire family had been wiped out by the Emperor, you’d definitely be like Jiang Qianyu, hell-bent on revenge no matter what.
To Song Xuyi’s surprise, the system adapted extremely well to the situation. It almost immediately responded, “No worries, there’s always a silver lining.”
Song Xuyi had no idea why the system was so optimistic, but for now, the only thing to do was to play it by ear. After all, her priority was to keep the male lead Zhou Sui and the female lead Zhao Man safe; the Emperor wasn’t really a big concern for her.
With this in mind, Song Xuyi buoyed her spirits and stepped out of the room.
Jiang Qianyu lay in bed with her eyes open, her gaze vacant as if lost in thought.
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The young girl already had a delicate and frail look to her, and after falling ill, her cheeks had become even more gaunt, making her large eyes appear even more pronounced, giving her a pitiable look. She was nothing like the overbearing and bullying presence she had been before.
Song Xuyi had always been a sucker for Jiang Qianyu’s good looks, and seeing her like this, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of compassion—by modern standards, someone of Jiang Qianyu’s age would still be a college student, and all this burden of vengeance for her family’s destruction… shouldn’t really fall on her shoulders.
“I’m all good!” Suppressing the melancholy at the bottom of her heart, Song Xuyi put on a smile, acting nonchalant as she approached Jiang Qianyu, “Are you heading out to wash up and go to school now? Or are you planning to take another day off to rest in the dormitory?”
It seemed to take Jiang Qianyu a long time to process Song Xuyi’s words.
Her listless eyes slowly focus and at last, her gaze settled on Song Xuyi’s face. A faint spark kindled in her pupils then gradually grew brighter, and all of a sudden, Jiang Qianyu’s eyes became incredibly lucid.
“Xuyi, are…are you calling me?” Jiang Qianyu looked at Song Xuyi with hope, her voice hoarse, as if she couldn’t quite believe it.
“What’s wrong?” Jiang Qianyu seemed a bit off, and Song Xuyi touched Jiang Qianyu’s forehead worriedly, but Jiang Qianyu was not feverish.
Jiang Qianyu looked extremely docile, bowing her head and allowing Song Xuyi to touch her forehead and observe her complexion. However, the moment Song Xuyi’s hand left her forehead, Jiang Qianyu hugged her tightly.
Song Xuyi’s instinct was to push her away, but Jiang Qianyu’s pheromone scent was very gentle and didn’t carry any forceful intent. Thinking of what Jiang Qianyu had endured in the past, Song Xuyi sighed and ended up patting Jiang Qianyu on the back in a comforting manner.
At this moment, it was Jiang Qianyu’s body that became rigid.
She seemed to be momentarily startled, then she started to speak in a soft voice, her speech quickening. Suddenly, the tone of her whole person became cheerful—
“Xuyi, I will listen to you from now on.”
“I won’t force you anymore, won’t do anything you don’t like.”
“I will help you fulfill your wishes.”
“I will become the best friend in the world…”
Song Xuyi didn’t understand why Jiang Qianyu was so happy, like a puppy wagging its tail joyfully. Seeing Jiang Qianyu shake off her gloomy mood made Song Xuyi kind of happy, too. But as Jiang Qianyu went on and on, Song Xuyi still ended up pushing her away.
“If you don’t go and wash up, you’re going to be late!”
Song Xuyi’s push was gentle, yet Jiang Qianyu toppled over onto the bed. Her cheeks were a bit flushed, and when she caught Song Xuyi’s gaze, she suddenly covered her face with her hands and started laughing joyfully. Song Xuyi had never seen Jiang Qianyu laugh so heartily!
Unconsciously, a smile also appeared on Song Xuyi’s lips.
The morning sunshine was just perfect, illuminating the two girls laughing on the bed.
Song Xuyi thought Jiang Qianyu was overjoyed because she had released the pressure in her heart and had made progress in her experiments.
Little did she know, that this morning, Jiang Qianyu had come to firmly believe in the existence of deities.
The two went to the cafeteria for breakfast, and Jiang Qianyu got to the classroom first, dutifully copying down the school rules. After finishing, she delivered the school rules to the dean’s office.
In the dean’s office there wasn’t just the dean present; even the principal and some other leaders were there too.
No one knew what they chatted about, but after coming out, Jiang Qianyu had earned the privilege to skip classes at will.
Not long after, everyone in the Medical School knew that a mysterious teacher had appeared out of the blue. Except for a few teachers, nobody knew who she was, but almost all the faculty would feel a kind of reverence when her name came up. At the same time, the Medical School’s textbooks and medicinal supplies were quickly prepared, and the quality of military doctors significantly improved.
Some people also noticed that from then on, in almost every class, all the teachers would avoid calling on Jiang Qianyu to answer questions. The classmates thought it was because the teachers collectively disliked her due to her previous arrogant behavior, but the real reason was known only to the teachers themselves.
Despite having the liberty to skip classes at will, Jiang Qianyu typically only missed out on the 《History of Pharmacy》 class.
Most of the time, she would use the duration of this class to research drugs in the lab.
As per the original plot summary, Jiang Qianyu still secretly connected with several Omega organizations, but unlike the radical Omega organizations in the original, Jiang Qianyu made contact through Zhou Sui with the moderate faction of Omega organizations, of which Zhou Sui was a member.
Meanwhile, Jiang Qianyu once again improved the efficacy of the Alpha-to-Omega drug, developing a temporary version that could only sustain the transformation for a week.
Zhou Sui asked Jiang Qianyu for this temporary drug, wanting to try his luck and use it on his Alpha lover to bring down her high and mighty attitude. Jiang Qianyu cautioned Zhou Sui about the drug effects. As for who Zhou Sui’s lover was, Jiang Qianyu, who didn’t have a good opinion of any Alpha, didn’t ask nor wanted to know.
Before Marshall Jiang passed away, he transferred all the Jiang family’s wealth to Jiang Qianyu’s name. After a separation of 18 years, the poorest Beta planet, located many galaxies away, once again welcomed a new aid. However, this time, the benefactor went by the name of Song Xuyi.
During the occasional class she ducked out of, Jiang Qianyu would sneak over to the Mecha Department to watch Song Xuyi’s drills.
The live-action Mecha class was the star course of the entire school, with many students skipping their classes just to see the Mecha students pilot their mechs. Jiang Qianyu, standing incognito in the crowd, initially thought Song Xuyi wouldn’t notice her, but she was spotted by her every time.
At these moments, Song Xuyi would take on the role of a “big sister” figure, operating the Mecha to scoop Jiang Qianyu out of the training field, delivering a long-hearted lecture: “Kids should focus on their studies. Don’t skip class.”
Jiang Qianyu wanted to retort that no one in the world was better at medicine research than her, those teachers were all begging her to teach them…
She also wanted to tell Song Xuyi: If she hadn’t been asleep for 15 years, she’d actually be thirty-five, a lot older than Song Xuyi.
For some reason, she particularly disliked Song Xuyi treating her like a child…
But every time she remembered her promise to Song Xuyi to listen to her, Jiang Qianyu could only return to the classroom sullenly.
However, later on, Jiang Qianyu found another way to watch Song Xuyi practice—Chen Xi secretly broadcasted the training sessions to Jiang Qianyu.
Ever since being defeated by Jiang Qianyu in just a few moves, Chen Xi, after recovering, became a fan girl of Jiang Qianyu. She would stick around Jiang Qianyu every day and called her “Boss Jiang” in a presumptuous and familiar manner.
Jiang Qianyu was naturally averse to Alphas. In order not to break the school rules and alert Song Xuyi, Jiang Qianyu contained her impulse to pummel Chen Xi. She ignored all of Chen Xi’s brown-nosing attempts, until one day, Chen Xi saw Song Xuyi operating a Mecha suit and once again carried Jiang Qianyu out of the training arena. Seizing the moment, Chen Xi called a lackey over to Jiang Qianyu’s side and deliberately turned on the livestream.
Watching Jiang Qianyu’s gaze fixated on the livestream, Chen Xi knew she had finally curried favor with Jiang Qianyu. Afterwards, she invested in even more professional equipment and began broadcasting with dedication…
Years later, Chen Xi, having lost a hand in the war and unable to fight, became a war correspondent and even received the highest journalism award. On the award ceremony stage, Chen Xi, with greying temples, held the trophy with a gaze full of reminiscence.
“I originally got into livestreaming because of the two people I admire the most; I’m sure everyone knows their names. Back then, I was muddling through life, a campus thug with laughably childish thoughts, only focused on buttering up the boss to become stronger. But I never realized that it was from them that I learned about justice and responsibility and understood the power of conviction…”
“There are always some people who, by a mysterious fate, cross your path and change your life…”
……
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But that’s a story for later.
At this time, Chen Xi was still a student who covertly broadcasted for Jiang Qianyu. Thanks to her height, she could capture a much wider view, and with the strength typical of an Alpha, Chen Xi managed to squeeze to the very front of the crowd. Even though Jiang Qianyu might not have wanted to admit it, Chen Xi was indeed the best person for live proxy filming.
Chen Xi camped out at each Mecha training session partly as a way to curry favor with Jiang Qianyu, and partly because she herself loved watching the Mecha performances, especially when each one featured Song Xuyi, who was keen on breaking records.
At first, people weren’t optimistic about Song Xuyi. Being an Alpha, with naturally strong physical abilities, it was rare for Alphas to master their own strength, and piloting a Mecha required strict cognitive logic and precise controls – historically, Alpha Mecha warriors were mostly mediocre performers.
The first time during training, Song Xuyi was the first to complete the Mecha drills, and everyone chalked it up to luck at first.
However, during the second drill, Song Xuyi scored full marks. She maneuvered the Mecha to thread a line neatly through the eye of a needle, setting a record for the fastest needle-threading in history.
The third time, Song Xuyi piloted the Mecha to carry an egg for a hundred meters, and the several times the egg fell, she caught it with precise control, not letting it hit the ground. This was something that even many veteran Mecha warriors couldn’t accomplish…
……
Everyone had long since taken it for granted that Song Xuyi was the undisputed number 1 among this year’s Mecha warriors.
What garnered even more admiration was that, despite appearing to be at the peak of her performance, Song Xuyi never skipped a minute of training time, working harder than anyone else!
……
Jiang Qianyu really likes the sight of Song Xuyi dismounting from her Mecha.
With her helmet in hand, Song Xuyi’s got this aura—half valor, half beauty. She’s got every reason to be cocky, but there’s always this polite smile playing on her lips…
Every time Jiang Qianyu catches sight of Song Xuyi like that, her heart races, feels like it’s gonna leap right out of her chest.
She can’t quite name the feeling, but whenever this happens, Jiang Qianyu—who usually keeps a poker face and isn’t big on chitchat—would hold her head high and announce to everyone around with a kinda proud gloat, “Song Xuyi is my friend!”
“My only friend!”
Jiang Qianyu couldn’t pinpoint when exactly, but at some point, her whole attitude started to shift.
Especially after each Mecha practice, when she’d hear all those guys and girls rushing up, shouting shameless things like “Xuyi, Xuyi, I love you,” Jiang Qianyu would get so ticked off: Xuyi isn’t even their friend, why are these people so… over the line?!
And it wasn’t just at the training ground; even on the way back to the dorms, or heading to the cafeteria, she’d often see people trying to chat up Song Xuyi, either shoving little gifts at her, confessing their feelings, or saying they wanted to be friends…
Jiang Qianyu felt like she was about to die of anger!
It bugged her out even more when she last found out that Song Xuyi had made some other friends in the Mecha class.
Jiang Qianyu knew she shouldn’t be angry; after all, Song Xuyi never promised that she would have only one friend. But that day, her heart felt extremely uncomfortable. She skipped all her classes for the first time and ran alone to a secluded spot on campus to catch some breeze…
This secluded spot was rarely visited, and Jiang Qianyu thought nobody would come. However, she heard two sets of approaching footsteps.
Separated by a wall, Jiang Qianyu heard that annoying voice of Chen Xi.
Chen Xi sounded somewhat anxious, repeatedly urging, “The money has been transferred to you, now hurry up and send over the resources…”
“Aiya, how could this little money be enough! These are the Empire’s latest resources, related to the secret of the Ninth Princess of the royal family who has been infertile for many years, and the love-hate entanglement between the deceased former Marshal Song and her family’s hidden Omega… These were all obtained by taking great risks… Oh, and there are plenty of your favorite videos too…”
“Profiteer!” Chen Xi angrily cursed, “I’ve paid extra! You should pass the resources on to me now!”
……
After receiving the resources, Chen Xi watched as the other person slowly walked away. With a guilty conscience like a thief, she was about to head back to her dormitory to watch the resources properly when she turned around and saw a figure standing behind her.
“Which blind guy…”
“— Boss?”
Chen Xi quickly lowered her head, her heart in utter turmoil: The boss had never looked favorably upon her, and just as she had finally made some inroads with her through the opportunity provided by the live broadcast, she was caught purchasing those kinds of resources…
It’s all over now!
“Ah?”
“Send me the stuff you just received…”
After transferring the things to Jiang Qianyu, Chen Xi ran off with a face alternating between green and red, as if something was chasing her.
Jiang Qianyu couldn’t bother with Chen Xi’s abnormal behavior, as she turned on her light brain to check the resources sent over by Chen Xi.
Jiang Qianyu wasn’t worried in the least about why the Ninth Princess hadn’t become pregnant. She quickly skimmed through the document titled “Top Secret: The Untold Story of the Ninth Princess and Her Beta Maid” and opened the one called “The Omegas Hidden in Marshal Song’s Harem over the Years”…
This document was lengthy, yet the Song Xuyi it described seemed almost like a different person than the one Jiang Qianyu knew.
The document
In the document, it was written that Song Xuyi harbored a secret crush on a noblewoman. Every time she saw this lady, she felt profoundly moved. The document emphasized the tumultuous feelings Song Xuyi experienced in the presence of this woman, elaborating on the psychological struggle she underwent upon the sudden realization that she was attracted to women.
As Jiang Qianyu read descriptions such as “feeling sad when with others, wanting to be with her forever, thinking of her while eating, and also thinking of her while sleeping…” she paused for a moment, realizing that she had recently been exhibiting these symptoms herself.
However, what she was more concerned about was who exactly was the noblewoman that Song Xuyi was secretly in love with!
Upon reading these words, Jiang Qianyu felt as if a piece had been dug out from the bottom of her heart, her heart aching intermittently. It had never crossed her mind that Song Xuyi would harbor affection for someone!
With a clenched lower lip, enduring the heartache, Jiang Qianyu continued to read on.
In the subsequent plot, the noblewoman whom Song Xuyi had silently adored—died—
Jiang Qianyu inexplicably heaved a sigh of relief; however, at this point, the document had only reached one-third of its length…
What followed was a depiction of how Song Xuyi forcibly marked the Omega daughter of the noblewoman, who was already attached, and how the daughter resisted time and again, only to be forcibly marked by Song Xuyi in various ways each time. The narrative even described the union between a pair of Song Xuyi’s Beta maids…
The various marking chapters continued for a full half of the book. In the end, the author hastily threw together a conclusion: Song Xuyi died, and the noblewoman’s daughter, having found herself in love with Song Xuyi, followed suit in a lovesick tragedy…
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At the end of the book, there was a passage that read: 【The plot is purely fictional, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.】
From the moment the noblewoman’s daughter appeared in the book, Jiang Qianyu understood that this was one of those legendary erotic reads, purely full of nonsensical rambles. However, for reasons unknown, she kept reading with a guilty pleasure, her face flushed red with embarrassment…
Jiang Qianyu had always been devoted to her research, and from the bottom of her heart, she harbored an aversion to Alphas. In some ways, she was terrifyingly naive. She had originally thought that marking simply involved biting through the gland to inject pheromones. She never imagined that the act could be so varied; that marking wasn’t only between men and women, that women could mark each other as well, and that it could even involve the mouth…
Her mind grew hazy, and as Jiang Qianyu flipped backward, her light brain started playing a video clip: two women, their faces unseen, were embracing each other…
Something exploded in her mind, and Jiang Qianyu slapped the light brain shut with a ‘snap’.
For the entire day afterward, Jiang Qianyu was somewhat distracted, and she went to sleep early in the evening…
However, sleep did not bring peace, as Jiang Qianyu dreamed of herself and Song Xuyi. In her dream, Song Xuyi lay submissively beneath her, looking up at her with sultry, silky eyes…
Jiang Qianyu suddenly woke from her dream, the room filled with the sweet fragrance of peaches. She looked at Song Xuyi, who was frowning in her sleep due to the disturbance of her pheromones. Biting her teeth, Jiang Qianyu rushed into the bathroom and took a cold shower.
However, while the cold water could wash away the body’s desires, it could not flush out the memories that kept replaying in her mind…
Jiang Qianyu took a deep breath and covered her face.
A burning sensation in her chest, a thought emerged unwaveringly firm from her mind:
She… seemed not to be satisfied with being just Song Xuyi’s friend; she wanted to be her…
The one and only lover!
The author has something to say:
Good night, muah~
I’ve really done something impressive, I actually finished writing seven days in a row~! Hands on hips!~
LP: Re-translated on February 12, 2024