Chapter 58

Lin Xuan was absolutely terrified. If he could choose to pass out right then and there, he would have done so without a second thought.

He had brought plenty of men with him, all of them burly and tough. They had come with the intent to beat their target half to death—or worse, leave her wishing for death. Once they had their fun, they would snap some photos and upload them to Star Net to vent their rage.

She was just an Omega. How could she possibly escape the palm of their hands?

But… but this Omega was a complete lunatic! Others would collapse when injured, but she seemed utterly unaffected, growing even wilder with every blow.

Lin Xuan stared in horror, his eyes wide. He desperately wanted to faint, but his body refused to oblige.

By the time Ye Chengxing arrived, the students who had just finished their exams had already crowded around the scene.

Peering through the gaps in the throng, all she could see was chaos: scattered sticks, steel pipes, and cameras littered the ground, while the bloodstains smeared across the pavement had mingled into an indistinguishable mess. Some of it had already begun to coagulate.

Anxious, she pushed forward, only to hear gasps rippling through the crowd. Whispers buzzed incessantly, and someone shouted for them to stop.

“Didn’t someone call the hospital? Where are the security guards? Can’t anyone step in and break this up?”

“I heard they’re on their way, but who would dare get close in this situation? They’d have to be suicidal…”

“She’s a total monster…”

Despite the number of onlookers, fear had rooted every single one of them in place. No one dared intervene.

“Excuse me, thanks. Let me through.”

The crowd was so dense that Ye Chengxing struggled to edge closer to the front.

She caught her breath and lifted her eyes, searching for Li Jia.

In truth, she didn’t need to search at all.

Li Jia stood right in the center, clutching the collar of a heavyset man. The way she looked at him was like she was staring at a slab of lifeless meat, her eyes laced with a chilling, unfamiliar malice.

As if sensing something, the Omega suddenly turned her gaze toward the crowd.

The onlookers fell deathly silent the instant her eyes swept their way.

“…Sis?”

The moment her gaze locked with Ye Chengxing’s, Li Jia’s grip loosened. In near panic, she hid her hands—now stained a dark crimson—behind her back. She took a step forward, but before she could speak, the crowd recoiled in terror. Someone screamed outright, even raising an object to shield themselves. “S-stay back, you maniac!”

Li Jia’s footsteps halted.

As the crowd surged backward, Ye Chengxing seized the opening and shoved through. She stepped over the debris and bloodstains, making a beeline for Li Jia.

“Xiao Li!” She had rushed over so hastily that now, coming to a stop, her voice came out breathless.

Li Jia lowered her eyes, suddenly afraid to meet Ye Chengxing’s gaze.

What would she see in those eyes, always so gentle?

The same fear as the others? Disgust? Or… profound disappointment? It was only natural to feel scared or let down upon discovering that the Omega she had cherished like a little sister was actually like this behind her back.

All the dark, ugly sides she had desperately hidden were now laid bare before Ye Chengxing, exposed in the most wretched way imaginable.

She still clutched a shard of broken glass in her hand, refusing to let it go. The thought of the blood smeared on it made her grip tighten even more.

She bowed her head and parted her lips.

Her chest ached bitterly, and when she finally spoke, her voice was hoarse beyond recognition.

She wanted to say, Don’t be afraid of me. Don’t be disappointed in me. But the words wouldn’t come.

Noise erupted from the crowd—apparently, security had arrived.

A wry smile twisted Li Jia’s lips as she let her hands drop. But in the next instant, the person she had expected to recoil in revulsion enveloped her in a tight embrace instead.

“I’m sorry. I came too late.”

Ye Chengxing took hold of Li Jia’s wrist and carefully pried the jagged glass shard from her clenched fist. Heartache and lingering fear twisted inside her.

Nearby, Lin Xuan’s eyes were swollen shut, his face a bloody mess. Blind as he was, he mistook her words for his own salvation and crawled toward her, groping for her ankle. “Save me! Save me! It hurts so much… That damned crazy bitch…”

Ye Chengxing eyed the hand reaching for her. She shifted slightly and stomped down hard on it. “Save you? Sure. Since you’re so close with your uncle, why don’t I send you to prison to keep him company?”

Lin Xuan let out a guttural wail of agony.

Now that the glass shard was removed from Li Jia’s palm, nothing impeded the blood oozing from the wound. It trickled freely down her hand. She stared at Ye Chengxing, her gaze dazed and full of bewilderment.

“…Why didn’t you run away like the others?” she murmured softly.

Ambulances and security had arrived by then, and the gawkers had mostly dispersed.

Ye Chengxing examined Li Jia’s right palm closely. Tiny flecks of glass were still embedded in the skin.

“Run away?” She took Li Jia’s left hand, not quite catching what she had said. “Let’s get to the hospital first. I won’t let those animals get away with this.”

Li Jia’s eyes fell to their joined hands.

Ye Chengxing’s hand had been clean before, but now it was smeared with the filth of her blood.

The stain was glaring, out of place where it didn’t belong.

Li Jia pressed her lips together, her voice barely above a whisper. “My hand’s too dirty, Sis. Let go.”

Don’t hold onto me.

It’s better if you look at me with fear like the others and run away.

Only then might you shake me off. Otherwise, I’ll cling to you forever, from life to death, inseparable.

She tugged her hand back, but it didn’t budge—instead, the grip tightened.

Li Jia froze, then slowly raised her eyes.

Meeting her gaze, Ye Chengxing smiled softly, rubbing Li Jia’s hair with her clean palm. Her voice was gentle. “What are you talking about?”

Ever since arriving, nothing had unfolded as Li Jia had feared. Ye Chengxing held her hand firmly and calmly, with no intention of letting go.

After a pause, Li Jia rasped, “I thought you’d be scared or disappointed. That you’d think I’m a monster…”

Just like the others had.

Ten people against one—most would sympathize with the lone target at first. But when that one overpowered them all, shattering everyone’s expectations, fear would take hold.

Especially after witnessing the brutality firsthand.

Ye Chengxing’s heart grew even more aching as she listened to Li Jia’s flat tone.

She hadn’t thought this through. With Lin Que locked up, his nephew had come after Li Jia directly.

At that moment, she genuinely wanted to grind those beasts into dust.

No one was born believing such things about themselves. It was just that others said it so often, it became habit.

A habit of blaming oneself first, even when it wasn’t one’s fault.

“…I thought you’d hate me.”

Li Jia fell silent after that, eyes on their clasped hands.

Noticing the speckles of blood on Li Jia’s face, Ye Chengxing cupped her cheeks and gently wiped them away. “Our Xiao Li is a very brave girl. Even if you’re a little monster, you’re the cutest little monster in the world. No matter what you’re like, you’re still you. I would never hate you.”

“There’s nothing wrong with defending yourself. Xiao Li, you were amazing. But next time, don’t fight like that.” Ye Chengxing pointed out a few spots that would cause intense pain and disable an opponent without inflicting serious injury. “And you were holding that broken glass. Your hand must hurt so much.”

Li Jia hadn’t expected those words. Her gaze shifted from their hands to Ye Chengxing’s face.

The dark thoughts lurking in her heart paused briefly, then surged even more fiercely.

There were so many things she had hidden from Ye Chengxing. She had always dreaded and feared that if Ye saw her true, opposing nature, she would leave. So she had disguised all her flaws, unsure how to keep her without resorting to methods Ye would despise.

But now, she suddenly felt that this person before her might not abandon her, even if she saw her at her absolute worst.

Li Jia stared at Ye Chengxing for a long moment before murmuring, “Sis, you’ll stay by my side forever, right?”

Hearing Li Jia’s voice, Ye Chengxing met her eyes.

She didn’t overlook the word “forever” in the Omega’s question.

A promise of forever was too weighty, with far too many variables in the flow of time.

Not long after arriving in this world, she had often longed for home. Her family wasn’t here, and she had wanted to return.

But in this moment, she truly felt like staying—staying by Li Jia’s side.

She had a warm family, many friends, and received so much kindness and affection.

She was surrounded by love.

But in this world, Li Jia had only Ye Chengxing—at least for now.

So… she would stay with her, accompany her, until she no longer needed her.

After a brief hesitation, Ye Chengxing spoke softly. “As long as you need me, I’ll always be here.”

Li Jia noticed the pause before Ye Chengxing’s answer, but it didn’t matter.

All she heard was confirmation: she could have her forever—because—

“I’ll always need you, Sis.” She gazed at Ye Chengxing intently, her eyes misting with emotions Ye couldn’t quite decipher, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

“Then you can stay by my side forever.”

With that, she gripped Ye Chengxing’s hand even tighter.

She deliberately smeared blood onto the part of the Alpha’s palm that had still been clean.

Ye Chengxing sensed something off in Li Jia’s words but, considering the condition, found the logic sound. She nodded reassuringly. “I’ll be right by your side.”

“Good. Then you have to keep your word, Sis.” Li Jia’s eyes curved into a smile.

The possessive greed churning in her heart nearly took tangible form, craving to envelop the person before her completely.

She hadn’t stopped her from walking away or letting go.

She had given her more than one chance to choose freedom.

Ye Chengxing hadn’t left.

She had chosen to stay.

And now, Li Jia truly believed she wouldn’t go.

So, as the price of earning her trust, you must keep your word—no matter what. Please… don’t leave her.