Chapter 18

Ye Chengxing didn’t notice Li Jia’s actions at all.

Dinner was ready in no time, and she called out to Li Jia with a beaming smile, inviting her to eat together. Once they had finished, Ye Chengxing checked the wound on the Omega’s palm.

It looked much better already. Ye Chengxing fetched the medical kit and changed the dressing for Li Jia, reminding her once again, “Make sure you don’t get it wet for the next couple of days.”

Under the soft glow of the lights, her features appeared gentle and earnest.

This wasn’t the first time Li Jia had received treatment from Ye Chengxing, but even now, a strange sensation stirred in the depths of her heart.

She couldn’t help recalling the scent on the other woman—that faint trace lingering on her palm. After just a meal and a fresh bandage, even that remnant of Ye Chengxing’s fragrance had nearly dissipated.

The realization filled her with an inexplicable sense of loss.

The fragrance had faded too quickly, like an epiphyllum blooming only for a fleeting moment.

And what about Ye Chengxing’s kindness toward her? Would it one day vanish just as swiftly, a brief flare before fading into nothing?

Li Jia stared down at her palm, her long lashes casting gentle shadows.

From her past life to this one, the person before her was both familiar and subtly different—a vision so beautiful it felt like a dream. In certain moments, she truly felt as if she had fallen into one.

How could anyone care for her with such genuine warmth?

After packing away the medical kit, Ye Chengxing noticed Li Jia still gazing blankly at her palm, lost in thought. Assuming she was fretting over the injury and its inconvenience, Ye Chengxing offered some reassurance. “It’s fine, really—no need to worry. We just changed the dressing tonight, and I checked it. You’re healing remarkably fast. You might wake up tomorrow and find it’s already good as new.”

With that, she glanced at the smart clock on the wall, picked up the medical kit, and winked at Li Jia. “Speaking of sleeping, it’s getting late. I’m heading back to my room. Just shoot me a message if you need anything.”

It wasn’t actually that late, but considering this world’s rigid distinctions between Alphas and Omegas, Ye Chengxing decided it was best to keep some distance. Sure, she saw herself as just a woman, same as Li Jia, but to the other girl, she was a female Alpha. Now that the bandage was fresh, it made sense to mind these little details.

Li Jia looked up at her, pausing for a few seconds before replying. She seemed comforted by Ye Chengxing’s words, her own eyes curving into a gentle smile. “Then good night in advance, Sister.”

Ye Chengxing hadn’t thought much of it before, but ever since arriving in this world and meeting Li Jia, she found she rather enjoyed being called “Sister.” It sent a pleasant tingle through her heart, utterly delightful to the ear.

The hairstyle Li Jia had tied for her was still in place. Knowing it marked the start of their growing closeness, Ye Chengxing had no desire to undo it just yet.

Better to leave it for later.

“Good night in advance,” Ye Chengxing replied with a smile. She opened the door and stepped out.

With a soft click, the door swung shut behind the departing Alpha.

The moment Ye Chengxing’s figure vanished from sight, the smile drained from Li Jia’s face.

She turned her gaze back to the wound in her palm.

Ye Chengxing had just said it was healing quickly—that it might be fine by tomorrow.

If the wound healed, would she stop sitting here, carefully rebandaging it and murmuring reminders not to get it wet?

At the thought, Li Jia pressed her lips together and rose abruptly to her feet.

She headed to the bathroom and held her freshly bandaged palm under the automatic faucet.

A stream of cool water poured relentlessly over it, soaking the gauze through.

Worried it wasn’t enough, she pressed down hard several times, until a faint sting spread through the wound, growing sharper and more insistent.

Li Jia kept her eyes lowered, her expression unchanging despite the pain. Only when she felt the injury hadn’t worsened enough did she frown slightly. She repeated the process a few times before finally stopping.

Her fingers trembled uncontrollably from the prolonged exposure to cold water, mingled with a numb ache. The wound, which had begun to mend, now oozed beads of blood under this rough treatment, staining the pristine white gauze with red.

At the sight, Li Jia smiled.

She wiped away the water droplets and gazed at the bloody palm, a satisfied thought crossing her mind: now Ye Chengxing could keep changing her bandages. She could keep… caring for her.

After rebandaging Li Jia’s wound, Ye Chengxing returned to her room to deal with the messages piling up on her phone.

She hadn’t paid them much attention the past couple of days, and now they formed quite the backlog—all from the original host’s crowd of sleazy fair-weather friends.

Ye Chengxing had initially planned to keep up the original persona somewhat, to avoid too drastic a shift, but one look at the messages killed that idea.

Mingling with these lowlifes—even pretending to—turned her stomach. The mere thought choked her up.

No point maintaining the act.

Since she was ditching the persona entirely, she figured she might as well make the break crystal clear.

Not only did she ignore their messages, but she also posted to her Moments: something about embracing a new life. The accompanying photos stood in stark contrast to her previous shots of lavish parties and neon nights.

The post went up, and likes and comments poured in instantly.

【This vibe… what’s going on? New conquest?】

【Anyone wanna bet how long Miss Ye sticks with this?】

【Doubt she’ll last. Lol, she’ll get bored soon enough.】

【Hey, time to post on Moments but not reply to us? Actually into it this time?】

Ye Chengxing didn’t bother responding to any of it. She simply turned off her phone.

Staying up late was terrible for her health, and it really was getting on toward bedtime. Her previous life’s death had likely stemmed from chronic sleep deprivation and overwork. With better circumstances now, she resolved to stick to an early-to-bed, early-to-rise routine.

…

Ye Chengxing enjoyed a solid night’s rest.

Over the past few days, she’d pieced together that the original host was a textbook spoiled brat—her days filled with nothing but spending and indulgence. She had a nominal position at one of the Ye Family’s small subsidiaries, but aside from a personal assistant her late mother had assigned, no one there had much respect for her.

Her social circle consisted of those same shady friends, all of whom Ye Chengxing had now cut off unilaterally.

Putting it all together, though, something felt off.

According to the original plot, the host was the family’s pampered darling. Yet Ye Chengxing’s check through her contacts revealed no close relatives. Even this villa had housed only the original host and the household AI before Li Jia arrived.

On top of that, she’d found a stash of psychiatric medications in the bedside drawer.

A young woman possibly struggling with mental illness, living alone with scant family contact.

Was this really being “pampered”? It didn’t add up.

Moreover, the original host had gambled away her inherited shares in a drunken bet, losing everything. The massive inheritance had ended up with other Ye Family elders, who cited preventing further reckless spending as the reason. Now, she received only a monthly allowance from the family.

It seemed reasonable at first glance, but Ye Chengxing sensed something fishy. Recalling this world’s surprisingly underdeveloped culinary scene, she decided to start something there as a backup plan.

She jotted down her ideas and plans meticulously on paper—a habit of hers, sketching them out by hand for clarity.

Once finished, she headed downstairs to make breakfast. In addition to portions for herself and Li Jia, she prepared extras, planning to try selling them during the day.

Ye Chengxing eyed her handiwork, then instructed Xiao Bai to serve breakfast to the table for her and Li Jia. She placed the surplus food into the kitchen’s Smart Storage Compartment.

At a glance, it resembled a refrigerator, but its functions went further: freezing, freshness preservation, and even stasis mode—

A setting that locked food in its exact state upon entry, so temperature and texture remained unchanged when retrieved.

Ye Chengxing found the feature incredibly handy.

She stowed the extra portions safely inside just as Li Jia came downstairs, neatly dressed.

Ye Chengxing curved her lips into a smile and beckoned her over to eat.

Li Jia was still in her pajamas, the soft fabric in a pale shade verging on pure white lending her an air of gentle fluffiness, like a cloud. She looked utterly harmless, especially when she lifted those eyes—few could refuse whatever she asked.

“Good morning, Sister,” Li Jia said with a smile.

With that greeting, the Omega took the seat across from Ye Chengxing. Spotting the breakfast spread, she blinked. “Today’s breakfast looks delicious too.”

Her expression and tone seemed no different from usual, but Ye Chengxing noticed how Li Jia hesitated, her movements stiff and labored as she reached for her chopsticks—like she was enduring some hidden pain.

Having picked up on the detail, Ye Chengxing wouldn’t let it slide or put it off. She set down her chopsticks and called out softly, “Li Jia, before we eat, could I take another look at your palm?”

If she recalled correctly, they’d just changed the dressing last night. With Li Jia’s healing rate, it should have been nearly mended by now. Yet it somehow looked even worse—graver than before the treatment.

Li Jia glanced at her, then set down her own chopsticks. Meekly, she extended her hand palm-up, making it easy to inspect.

Ye Chengxing’s brow furrowed slightly at the faint, dried bloodstains visible on the bandage.