Chapter 24 Part 3

These points fluttered into Lu Ningshuang’s mind amid her thoughts.

From the conversation she overheard, the transmigrator himself had no real abilities. Even with the golden finger, there wasn’t much to fear from him directly. What to guard against was the System behind him.

Lu Ningshuang mentally struck that line too.

Not necessarily.

A fool causing trouble could be more destructive than a smart person—unpredictable, incomprehensible.

As for the System…

What was its true goal targeting Qin Yushu? It promised to give the transmigrator Qin Yushu’s original Fortune after capturing him, but would it really hand it over?

Or rather, hand over all of it? Or just a sliver, pocketing the lion’s share itself?

Anyway, Fortune—just the word sounded extraordinary. What exactly did the System want with collecting it?

Also.

Where had the original Huo Yunyi gone?

Dead? Erased by the System? Or locked away temporarily for refusing to cooperate?

According to the original plot that she had suddenly awakened to that day, the original Huo Yunyi was absolutely nothing like this current idiot. So, the System had grabbed a transmigrator from another world, perhaps simply because he was… easy to control?

That meant its ambitions were even greater.

Even Lu Ningshuang, who had been maintaining her rational thinking up to this point, couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat.

The one silver lining was that the System’s abilities seemed to have certain limitations for now, though that came with a hidden danger.

It could upgrade.

Originally, it only had the function of providing the original plot—a fact Lu Ningshuang knew well—but after upgrading, it gained an points mall.

The basic functions now included viewing status. Qin Yushu hadn’t said that every little thing was monitored in real-time, down to the smallest detail, but special events like [Marking] and [Marriage] were definitely recorded.

The former was especially infuriating, as marking was an intensely private matter.

Lu Ningshuang believed Qin Yushu would react the same way if she knew.

The later investigations into locations, especially controlling an Omega’s Heat Period, were even more outrageous—it was treating a living person like livestock to toy with!

Un! For! Giv! Able!!

However, because of this unexpected discovery, Lu Ningshuang finally figured out the issue with Qin Yushu’s glands.

The System and Huo Yunyi’s actions were unpredictable. She could only hear their conversations when she got close enough, so she couldn’t monitor them in real-time or preempt every dirty trick they pulled.

She needed to be even more cautious.

And conveniently, as the Alpha “convenient” for Qin Yushu to “use,” in situations like this, she could probably only respond more quickly and thoughtfully.

It was basic live-in Alpha protocol.

There was also one more thing—

Qin Yushu had called her over yesterday because her body had genuinely acted up, not because…

This realization lightened Lu Ningshuang’s mood by a couple of degrees.

Later at the hotel, she had gone straight up and knocked on the door without any obstruction because Qin Yushu had notified them in advance, opening the gates of convenience for her.

That part was real too.

Since “Huo Yunyi” had dared to pull something like that, he must have had a backup plan and wouldn’t have been unaware of Qin Yushu’s location at the time.

Wouldn’t that have been the same as running there for nothing the first time?

Perhaps he had gone to the predetermined spot but hadn’t seen anyone—Qin Yushu had already left. With Qin Yushu’s cunning and wisdom, even without knowing about the schemer behind those two, her usual crisis-handling instincts might have made her somewhat alert?

Lu Ningshuang unconsciously tapped lightly on the desktop.

Her face didn’t show much worry or distress; it remained in that nearly gentle calm. But in those eyes that Qin Yushu had always praised as clean and clear, the bottomless purity was gone.

Instead, there was a sharp glint of sober rationality, sharp enough to slice through the night.

So…

Should she tell Qin Yushu about this?

Lu Ningshuang was pondering this when she suddenly felt a bit hot. She paused for a moment, then realized the heat was coming from her neck.

“…”

Wearing a scarf indoors really wasn’t workable; it was too warm.

Lu Ningshuang took off the scarf again.

Some things were better kept aside for now 🙂

But since she could hear Huo Yunyi and the System’s conversation, she could at least stay one step ahead on many matters.

Since the System had no physical form and communicated virtually in Huo Yunyi’s mind, perhaps she could…

A sharp gleam flashed in Lu Ningshuang’s eyes.

Let the professionals handle the professional stuff!

Lu Ningshuang opened her contacts, found a familiar name, and tapped out a message on the screen.

[?]

The reply came quickly.

Qi Facai: [?]

Code confirmed.

Lu Ningshuang kept typing and sent: [How did you know I have a wife now?]

Qi Facai: [?????]

Who asked you?!

Wasn’t that what you said yourself?!

But the guy on the other end had a good temper. Even as Lu Ningshuang got all smug and overbearing, he patiently typed an explanation.

Qi Facai: [Xiaoyue told me.]

Xiaoyue was Lu Chengyue.

Lu Ningshuang didn’t care: [How did you know my wife is rich, beautiful, and the heir to a major conglomerate?]

Qi Facai: [She said you got kept by a rich lady and went to be a live-in Alpha for her.]

Lu Ningshuang: [How did you know we just went to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get our certificate?]

Qi Facai: [So from now on, you don’t need to give me your share of pocket money. Give it to her directly.]

Huh?

Huh??

The two of them talked past each other for a good while until this killer line finally shut down Lu Ningshuang’s smug attitude. Her fingers hammered out a string.

[???????????]

Qi Facai—Qi Jingming—saw his little cousin’s one-sided rambling finally slow down a bit before he replied.

Qi Facai: [Congratulations.]

Qi Facai: [But I haven’t agreed. Pocket money is always one share per person for you two.]

[Thanks, Cousin.]

Lu Ningshuang was a little touched.

Qi Facai, Qi Jingming, was Lu Ningshuang and Lu Chengyue’s cousin. This cousin was a full five years older than Lu Ningshuang.

Qi Jingming was the son of Lu Ningshuang’s father’s older sister—Lu Ningshuang’s aunt—Lu Peirong.

Her aunt Lu Peirong was a Beta in an AB romance with her uncle-in-law Qi Nanqing, the former Young Master Qi of the Qi Family, who was an Alpha and a total love-struck fool!

To be with her aunt, he boldly gave up his position as Qi Family heir and moved with her to a rundown neighborhood, where even a bowl of plain porridge warmed their hearts in their hard days.

It wasn’t bad.

Lu Ningshuang had often visited her aunt’s home as a kid. They weren’t rich, but the days were pretty sweet.

Mainly, Young Master Qi’s love brain was utterly hopeless, while her aunt always nagged him: Why don’t you go back and trade yourself for some food for us mother and daughter… That’d work too.

Back then, the Alpha Qi Nanqing would always get teary-eyed and pitiful, like an abandoned little dog.

Though Lu Ningshuang had seen her uncle-in-law alone and he had quite the imposing presence—keep out, strangers vibe.

Very intimidating.

Anyway, the Old Lu Family girls, whether married out or staying home… always seemed a bit odd.

Fortunately.

Her cousin, who took his father’s surname, didn’t inherit the love brain and became a Beta like his mother.

Unlike his two cousins whose genders clashed with their differentiation—Lu Ningshuang wanted to be an O but became an A, while Lu Chengyue had hoped for A but ended up B.

Qi Jingming’s personality was as tolerant and gentle as ever, and unsurprisingly differentiated into a Beta.

Following the principle that close neighbors beat distant relatives, the Old Lu Family branches all lived nearby, and the kids often played together.

Qi Jingming’s temperament was too good, and being five years older than the second youngest, Lu Ningshuang, with the Lu Family parents being unreliable, he often attended parent-teacher conferences for Lu Ningshuang or Lu Chengyue as a kid.

Even when they got called to the principal’s office.

As kids, when Lu Ningshuang and Lu Chengyue fought with other children, the mild-mannered but older Qi Jingming would just yell from the side, “Don’t fight, don’t fight, it’ll hurt bad if you get injured!”

But if he saw his two little sisters losing, he’d grit his teeth, step up, and use his much bigger body… to take the hits for them.

🙂

He was too good; it made her want to cry!

Even his current WeChat name was changed at Lu Chengyue’s request back then. She named herself “Lu Fugui,” so she sent matching ones to Lu Ningshuang and Qi Jingming.

Lu Ningshuang found it embarrassing and politely declined.

Qi Jingming, however, kept the somewhat shameful title to this day.

Recalling all these memories, Lu Ningshuang still said: [But no more pocket money.]

[I’m interning now and will soon have my own job. Cousin, you’re a contractor boss with a bit of cash on hand, but not much. Save it for your own wedding later.]

Yes.

The peerless good cousin Qi Jingming, now 27, was still a single dog.

Teary.jpg

Perfect!

With Qi Jingming’s agreement—though he was just a contractor boss now—it was the most reliable insurance for this matter.

The specifics still needed an in-person discussion, especially since it concerned Qin Yushu…

Right.

Qin Yushu.

Earlier, that “Huo Yunyi” had said he was going to gamble on Qin Yushu again as he left, so Lu Ningshuang hurriedly scrolled through her contacts.

[Where are you right now?]

A bit abrupt.

She followed up.

[What I mean is, how’s your body feeling now? Have you gone to the hospital?]

Most crucially, was Huo Yunyi there?

Damn.

She couldn’t explain this clearly in one go; it was… hard to phrase and even harder to bring up.

Tough to word.

Lu Ningshuang hadn’t decided yet whether to tell Qin Yushu, the person involved.

Moments later.

A notification popped up: Lu Ningshuang received a new message.

Q: [Little one.]

Q: [After getting the marriage certificate, you seem to have become a bit—clingy.]