Chapter 10: Her Lover, the Deceiver

Jia Hua hid inside the pitch-black rice vat, listening to the humble pleas and countless demands coming from her father and mother in the small courtyard outside.

“Old Jia, hand over your daughter quickly! If you keep obstructing us, don’t blame us for getting rough!”

“No, no, please, I beg you, I beg you! We two elders finally had this one daughter in our middle age. Please, I’ll kneel for you, I’ll kowtow for you!”

“The River God has specifically designated your daughter. You’d better hand her over obediently! Don’t make the whole village die for her sake!”

“No, no…”

“…”

Inside the rice vat, Jia Hua trembled uncontrollably. Her face was streaked with tears, her mouth open, but no sound came out. A high fever in her childhood had stolen her voice. And now, the villagers actually wanted to offer her to the River God. No, she didn’t want to…

After an unknown amount of time, the kitchen door was kicked open with a bang. Chaotic footsteps reached Jia Hua’s ears. In her heart, she begged endlessly for no one to find her.

But heaven showed no mercy. The lid of the rice vat was lifted. Several men looked down at her coldly, then shouted loudly: “Found her!”

Jia Hua was roughly dragged out of the rice vat, hauled across the rough ground. Dragged into the small courtyard, she saw her elderly parents already collapsed in a pool of blood, motionless.

Dad! Mom!

The first rays of morning light were blocked outside by thick curtains. The small bedroom was shrouded in darkness. In this dim room, a pair of ink-black eyes suddenly opened, bloodshot.

Jia Hua turned over and switched on the bedroom light. Her expression was indifferent. A cold laugh suddenly escaped her lips. She flipped out of bed and went to wash up.

No matter how many missions she did, how many worlds she visited, how many Taskers’ lives she experienced, the memories of her life before reincarnation still fragmented and reappeared every night in each mission world, relentlessly tormenting her.

But in this Retirement World, she hadn’t dreamed of her pre-life memories for a long time. She hadn’t expected it to happen again tonight.

An old dream. She was used to it.

Jia Hua shouldered her backpack and went out, heading as usual to the steamed bun shop at the street corner for breakfast.

Jia Hua: “Auntie Li, the usual.”

Auntie Li beamed, her hands moving nimbly to pack Jia Hua’s breakfast.

“Auntie Li, two meat buns and a soy milk.” Zhen Yan’s voice came from behind Jia Hua.

Jia Hua turned her head and glanced back, smiling. “Good morning.”

Zhen Yan nodded. “Morning.”

Jia Hua: “What a coincidence. We’ve bumped into each other at the bun shop every morning for the past few days.”

Zhen Yan: “Mm.”

Walking along the road, Jia Hua remembered yesterday’s military academy matter and asked, “How did the military academy thing go?”

Zhen Yan looked down. “I passed. But I still have to be a B-rank Alpha.”

Jia Hua: “Are you confident?”

Zhen Yan: “…I don’t know.”

Jia Hua: “You can do it.”

Zhen Yan: “Mm.”

They fell silent again.

The two walked side-by-side, wearing identical school uniforms, carrying black and pink backpacks of different colors, holding two bags of breakfast of differing sizes, heading toward the school. They didn’t speak the entire way, but the atmosphere wasn’t awkward.

The small bag’s opening was clutched tightly in Zhen Yan’s hand, her lips pressed firmly together as she remained silent.

What coincidence? She had seen Jia Hua leave her building from her window and only then gone out to create these chance encounters.

The way Jia Hua asked just now… she wasn’t suspicious, was she?

Just as the two finished breakfast in the classroom and prepared for morning reading, they saw Zhang Juan walk in through the front door carrying a large bag of lavish breakfast items. She went straight to them and took out a single bread roll, placing it on Zhen Yan’s desk.

Zhen Yan: “No need, I already ate.”

However, Zhang Juan didn’t spare Zhen Yan a single glance. Biting her lower lip, head lowered, she quickly took four bread items and a carton of fresh milk from the food bag and placed them on Jia Hua’s desk. Then she turned and ran back to her own seat, giving Jia Hua no chance to refuse.

Zhen Yan watched incredulously as Zhang Juan sat down in the first large group section. She glanced at the solitary bread roll on her own desk, then at the lavish spread on Jia Hua’s. Her eyes filled with questions.

That Zhang Juan. Didn’t she really detest Jia Hua? When I asked her to escort Jia Hua home after school yesterday, she was completely unwilling. How could her attitude do a complete one-eighty in just one night?

As she was puzzling over this, Jia Hua had already torn open a bread package and started eating again.

Zhen Yan’s pupils contracted. “Didn’t you already eat breakfast?” That huge bag of breakfast food!

Jia Hua turned to face Zhen Yan directly and said seriously, “Not full.”

Zhen Yan: “…”

Jia Hua took a sandwich and placed it on Zhen Yan’s desk, her words sincere. “One bread roll isn’t enough for you, is it? Here, have this.”

Zhen Yan was speechless. She began to ponder: had Jia Hua’s previously small appetite been fake all along? Was she actually a big eater?

After morning reading class ended, Zhen Yan dragged Zhang Juan to the end of the hallway. “Why did you bring Jia Hua breakfast today?”

Zhang Juan suddenly grinned and nudged Zhen Yan with her elbow. “Did Jia Hua say anything? Did she smile or get angry? Did the corner of her mouth go up or down? Did she—”

“Zhang Juan.” Zhen Yan suddenly called her full name, her expression serious.

“Wh-what is it?” Zhang Juan subconsciously took a step back.

Zhen Yan said sternly, “When I had you escort her home yesterday, did she find out?”

Zhang Juan’s throat bobbed as she shook her head. “No. I didn’t dare follow too closely; I was afraid she’d notice.”

Zhen Yan asked again, “And did anything happen on the way after school yesterday?”

Zhang Juan continued shaking her head. “Nothing happened.”

Zhen Yan crossed her arms and leaned against the railing, lifting her chin. “Then why are you acting crazy today? Suddenly bringing Jia Hua breakfast? Do you like her?”

Hearing this, Zhang Juan suddenly bit her lower lip, looking very embarrassed. She lowered her head, clasped her hands together, and wriggled her body. “Sister Yan, do you think Jia Hua would like me? Does she prefer the cute type or the gentle type? Do you think I run fast? Do you think I—”

“Heh.” A cold laugh escaped Zhen Yan.

Zhang Juan looked up, confused, only to find Zhen Yan advancing on her step by step, cornering her against the wall. Zhen Yan even pressed a hand against the wall to prevent her escape.

“S-Sister Yan, why are you so close? It’s making me shy,” Zhang Juan deliberately acted coy.

Zhen Yan looked at Zhang Juan speechlessly but still warned her in a low voice: “You are not allowed to get close to Jia Hua. You are not allowed to like her. And you are absolutely not allowed to pursue her.”

Zhang Juan protested, “Why can’t I get close to her? I still want to be her little—”

“Cough, cough.”

A crisp cough sounded nearby. Both turned their heads simultaneously and saw Jia Hua standing in the corridor, looking at them. “Teacher Li is starting class early. She asked me to call you both back.” Having said that, she turned and left, leaving the two staring at each other.

Once Zhen Yan and Zhang Juan returned to their seats, Jia Hua secretly glanced at Zhen Yan several times.

Zhen Yan liked female Alphas. And Zhang Juan just happened to be a female Alpha… So Zhen Yan actually liked Zhang Juan. No wonder the original owner had clung so tightly. There was Zhang Juan, always by her side under the guise of a “good friend.”

Jia Hua looked at Zhen Yan with newfound admiration in her eyes.

Two female Alphas… That’s dangerous during their susceptible periods. If the two of them really were a couple, it must be true love.

The morning passed quickly. Just before the last morning class ended, Zhen Yan suddenly whispered to Jia Hua, “Zhang Juan has something to do. Let’s eat lunch together later.”

Jia Hua turned and blinked at her but shook her head. “Sorry, I have something to do at noon. I might not be able to eat with you.”

Just then, the dismissal bell rang perfectly on cue. Jia Hua hurriedly grabbed her phone and meal card and walked out.

Zhang Juan, as usual, ran up to Zhen Yan. “Let’s go, eat together. I’m starving!”

Zhen Yan nodded guiltily, picked up her meal card, and went to the canteen with Zhang Juan.

As soon as they arrived at the canteen, someone familiar walked up to Zhen Yan and pointed toward a corner where two female Omegas were sitting. Zhen Yan focused her eyes and saw it was Jia Hua and Liu Yangyang.

Quite a few students in the canteen were eyeing that corner. The forum had been buzzing with that explosive post all day yesterday. Although it was later deleted, many people had seen it. Now, they were all guessing: had Jia Hua come to settle accounts with Liu Yangyang? In that post, Jia Hua was practically depicted as a devil incarnate.

Moreover, Jia Hua was like a female Alpha—tall and slender, more than a head taller than a normal female Omega like Liu Yangyang. If the two started fighting, Liu Yangyang wouldn’t stand a chance; she’d definitely lose.

Zhen Yan swept her gaze across the canteen, her expression unchanged. She went to the serving window, got two portions of food, and sat down at an empty table.

Zhang Juan, seeing Zhen Yan had gotten two meals, naturally assumed one was for her. Happily, she sat across from Zhen Yan and reached for one of the meals, only to have her hand smacked away by Zhen Yan’s chopsticks.

“That’s not for you. Go get your own.”

Zhang Juan: “…”

Meanwhile, on Jia Hua’s side, she was indeed settling an account. But not about the forum post—about the people sent to beat her up after school yesterday.

“Liu Yangyang, look at this picture. Do you recognize this person?” Jia Hua pulled up a photo on her phone and placed it in front of Liu Yangyang, speaking softly.

Liu Yangyang glanced at the picture and nodded. “I know her. What about it?”

Jia Hua slid her finger across the screen. A photo appeared showing four Alphas lying on the ground, groaning in pain.

“Do you recognize these four as well?”

Liu Yangyang studied the photo carefully, gradually piecing it together. She raised her eyes and looked at Jia Hua seriously. “Are you suspecting that I instigated Yu Mengyao to have people beat you up?”

Seeing that Liu Yangyang understood, Jia Hua put her phone away and shrugged. “It’s not my suspicion. It’s what that Yu Mengyao you mentioned told me herself. She said you put her up to it, that you told her to bring people to hit me because I stole Zhen Yan from you.”

Liu Yangyang was so angry her face flushed red. She slammed her fist heavily on the table, grinding her teeth. “She’s full of crap! She and I are mortal enemies! How could I possibly instigate her to hurt you! That woman! She actually dared to frame me! I’m going to find her and settle this score!”

She stared directly at Jia Hua, showing no fear. “I’ll go find her right now and get to the bottom of this. Don’t worry, I’ll prove my innocence, and I’ll give you an explanation too!”

With that, Liu Yangyang hurried off, leaving Jia Hua alone to bear the scorching gazes from all around.

Students murmured amongst themselves:

“As expected, Liu Yangyang was driven to tears. I wonder what Jia Hua said to make her so angry.”

“First time seeing Liu Yangyang slam the table. Gosh, I’m dying of curiosity. Any brave soul want to go ask? I’ll treat them to milk tea!”

“Get lost! Who the hell dares get close to Jia Hua? Do you want to get cursed out until you cry too?”

“Damn, forget it, forget it…”

“…”

Everyone ate slowly, secretly watching Jia Hua’s every move. Those burning gazes hit maximum temperature when Zhen Yan, holding two portions of food, sat down right in front of Jia Hua.

The onlookers’ eyes bulged in shock: What’s going on with Zhen Yan? Taking the initiative to get close? And she even got a meal for Jia Hua?

Are the two of them… back together again?