After leaving the slums, Pei Liang went straight home.
The original owner’s family structure was rather complicated. The Pei Family was a large clan, and its current head was the original owner’s eldest uncle. As a result, she had a fairly strong presence among the younger generation of the family.
Her parents’ marriage had been a business arrangement. After having her, they went their separate ways and rarely saw each other outside of family gatherings and other necessary occasions.
Since the true nature of this world was ABO, the mess in the original owner’s family was considered quite a scandal among the upper classes.
It was nothing unusual for her father, a high-ranking Alpha, to be a womanizer. What people found utterly baffling was that her mother, an Omega, could apparently resist the effects of being marked and frequently change Alphas.
After all, everyone knew that Omegas were sensitive, fragile creatures. Once marked by an Alpha, they would instinctively desire and remain loyal only to their Alpha partner.
If their Alpha was unfaithful, the resulting grief and heartbreak could destroy an Omega from within, even driving them into depression and an early grave. It was extremely rare to see an Omega change Alphas as casually as changing clothes.
Omegas were symbols of fidelity. Naturally, the original owner’s mother, an aberration in their eyes, had become the laughingstock of high society—a notorious whore.
The most humiliating incident in the original owner’s memories had occurred at an important family gathering. Her mother had arrived late, carrying the pheromones of an Alpha who was not her husband.
The Pei Family had been furious. Her father had even nearly killed her mother. Yet her mother had merely sipped her wine with languid, seductive ease.
Because of her biological mother’s disgraceful promiscuity, the original owner was naturally a frequent target of ridicule and humiliation among her peers.
That was also why the original owner enjoyed bullying the weak. Within her own social circle, she was the one being bullied.
Pei Liang, however, could not sympathize with the original owner in the slightest. In her view, it was the original owner’s mother who truly deserved admiration.
Earlier, at the club, she had been affected by Alisha’s Omega pheromones, so she knew exactly how stimulating the stuff could be. It magnified one’s instincts without limit, making a person feel as though they had instantly devolved from an intelligent being into a beast.
All that remained in one’s mind was the desire to mate.
Yet human beings were not supposed to be ruled by instinct. Pei Liang considered herself a shameless pervert and often behaved like she had no morals, but she was extremely arrogant about this particular point.
Willingly indulging oneself and being controlled against one’s will were two entirely different things. Thus, Pei Liang hated being forced into heat by external stimulation with every fiber of her being.
Besides, she possessed a powerful mind and unwavering will, while her internal energy constantly adjusted her body. As a result, she could remain completely unfazed in the presence of an Omega’s pheromones.
Pei Liang knew that her situation was unusual. She also understood that if the effects of pheromones were so easy to resist, this world would not have become what it was.
Moreover, there were ethical restraints born from differences in physique and social status. For an Omega to live so freely and indulge in sensual pleasures without restraint was truly extraordinary.
In Pei Liang’s eyes, the important point was not how promiscuous the original owner’s mother was. It was that, despite behaving this way, her spirit and will were utterly different from those of Omegas who had been domesticated by ordinary social rules.
Chu Xingyu’s determination had been forged by the chaos and defiance of growing up in the slums. The original owner’s mother was different—she had grown up as a pampered, wealthy Omega.
A rebellious streak nurtured in comfort was even more precious.
If not for the difference in their ages, Pei Liang might have suspected that she was the protagonist of this world—
Wait. It actually wasn’t impossible.
Hadn’t this world once been an adults-only game scenario? Although Pei Liang was most likely now in a storyline centered around Chu Xingyu, before the game had been reported and taken offline, and these scenarios temporarily sealed away—
Wasn’t that roughly the era in which the original owner’s mother had lived?
If so, she really might have been the protagonist.
With newfound admiration for the original owner’s mother, Pei Liang returned home. As it happened, her mother had come back that day.
Not only her mother, but her father had returned as well.
The two of them sat facing each other on the sofas in the living room. Her father’s face was dark and grim, while her mother looked far more relaxed and at ease.
Neither of them had come home alone. Even for a trip back to the house, they had each brought their own lover.
Her father had brought an Omega with a delicate, tearful air, while her mother had brought a handsome Alpha.
The Alpha did not look particularly weathered, but he carried an air of maturity and the imposing presence of someone accustomed to power. That was also why Pei’s father, despite his dark expression, had not said a word.
Pei Liang’s arrival finally broke the strange atmosphere in the room.
Neither of her parents seemed to have much affection for the original owner, so their reactions were equally indifferent.
Pei’s father frowned and was just about to scold her for doing nothing but loafing around when Pei Liang spoke first.
“Are you two planning to get divorced?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Pei’s father snapped. “Didn’t I tell you yesterday to stay home and not go out? Why are you only coming back now?”
The original owner had known that nothing good could come from her parents being together, so she had gone into hiding early that morning. She had even planned to trick some pretty little thing into bed.
Pei Liang had only just arrived in this world. Her attention had been occupied with analyzing her situation and the plot, and then she had encountered an assassination attempt. She had not yet had time to dig up this matter.
But now that she recalled it, she realized that it had indeed happened.
She did not care much, however. She simply sat down and had a servant pour her a glass of water.
Ignoring her father’s reprimand, she countered, “If it isn’t a divorce, then did you have an illegitimate child and come back to discuss how to divide the inheritance with me?”
The moment Pei’s father heard this, he wanted to curse her for being so full of herself. With a daughter as useless as this, did she really think she had any say in the division of the family assets?
Before he could say anything, Pei Liang waved a hand.
“I don’t care about the family fortune. Give more to the younger brothers and sisters outside. It’s already pitiful enough that they ended up with the two of you.”
Pei’s father was cold and unfeeling. Once he grew tired of a lover, he showed not the slightest bit of lingering affection or concern. How well could his illegitimate children possibly fare?
According to the original owner’s memories, this scumbag had once thrown a pregnant lover out into the rain. Because she had been “unreasonable,” he had cut off all financial support.
Pei’s mother, on the other hand, was not so heartless. At least she did not mistreat her own children materially.
But with a biological mother who was such a notorious whore, even the original owner—the legitimate child of the main branch of the Pei Family—had been subjected to endless ridicule. The illegitimate children naturally had it even worse.
Still, Pei Liang’s casual generosity caught both Pei’s father and Pei’s mother off guard.
Although they had not spent much time with this daughter over the years, they understood her to some extent. She had never been this carefree and indifferent.
Pei’s mother gave her a half-smile. “Has something good happened lately? You’ve suddenly become so generous.”
Pei Liang did not want to have any unnecessary interaction with her parents. To be honest, it was perfectly fine if this family continued to maintain its usual coldness and distance. This world would clearly keep her busy, and she had no patience to waste her time and energy cultivating a fake family bond.
So she said, “You could say that. But judging from what you said, Mother, did you come back today because you have some good news for me?”
It was Pei’s father who answered her. In a commanding tone, he said, “You’re old enough now. Your mother and I have reached an agreement and arranged a marriage for you.”
“He’s the Carter family’s eldest son. He has a gentle personality, an attractive appearance, and is an excellent Omega. Get yourself ready tomorrow and meet him.”
So it was an engagement after all. But this so-called agreement was probably just the compromise reached after both families had haggled over their respective interests.
Given the original Pei Liang’s abilities, Pei’s father and Pei’s mother were surely well aware that they couldn’t expect much from her. After all, despite having the Pei Family’s resources piled behind her, she had only performed indifferently at military academy. To put it harshly, even a pig would have achieved something remarkable with that kind of support.
Since the original owner herself was useless, naturally her marriage had to maximize the benefits—though not for her benefit, of course, but for Pei’s father and Pei’s mother’s.
Pei Liang, however, truly had little interest in Omegas.
Especially sensitive, fragile Omegas raised in greenhouses. The moment they were affected by her pheromones, they would become anxious and insecure over her. It felt practically like bullying them.
Pei Liang would never casually provoke someone too fragile. Besides, she had never believed that Omegas were supposed to be like that.
So without even thinking, she refused. “I don’t agree to this marriage.”
“You have no room to object,” Pei’s father said coldly. “The Carter family’s eldest son is the best match you can hope to secure.”
“I know an Alpha’s pride can’t tolerate an Omega who’s been marked and nearly eloped with someone else. But let me put it this way: if she hadn’t caused such a scandal, do you think the Carter family’s eldest son would be within your reach?”
“Before this, he was the first choice for a political marriage among all the distinguished families in the capital.”
Pei Liang immediately perked up. “Marked and nearly eloped? There’s a story like that? How exciting!”
Pei’s father and Pei’s mother stared at her in surprise. The astonishment in her eyes was clearly genuine.
“You haven’t heard about it?”
But then again, that made sense. The military academy was completely closed off, with strict discipline. Students wouldn’t hear this kind of juicy gossip while they were there. And if she hadn’t had time to hear about it after returning home yesterday, that wasn’t strange.
Pei’s father was puzzled. “Then why did you refuse?”
Pei Liang replied, “I recently discovered my true sexual orientation. I can’t ruin an Omega’s life.”
At first, Pei’s father and Pei’s mother didn’t understand what she meant. Pei’s mother instinctively asked, “You prefer Betas?”
“But you should know that personal preferences are insignificant when confronted with pheromone stimulation. Besides, only a union between an Alpha and an Omega can ensure the best possible continuation of superior genes.”
“There’s something your mother doesn’t want to say outright.” Pei’s mother glanced at Pei Liang. “When you were born, your father’s condition was unstable, so…”
“So if you marry a Beta, there’s a good chance your child won’t even reach S-rank mental strength. Naturally, you would then fall out of the center of power in the Pei Family.”
Pei’s mother understood an Alpha’s instincts quite well. Aside from their desire for Omegas, another instinct was reproduction. Of course, the two were closely connected.
Therefore, they didn’t believe a single word of Pei Liang’s claim that she disliked Omegas.
But Pei Liang said, “That works out perfectly. I never planned to have children anyway. Actually, I think Betas are still a little too risky.”
“The ideal choice would be an Alpha. That would satisfy my preferences, and I wouldn’t have to worry about accidentally getting someone pregnant. They’re practically a species created just for me.”
“I absolutely adore Alphas.”
Especially arrogant men who thought they were the masters of the world, only to end up pinned beneath her. Pei Liang had spent too long in a matriarchal world, and now she had developed a particular fondness for proud, conceited men who believed themselves to be in control.
Pei Liang’s words naturally made Pei’s father, Pei’s mother, and even both of their lovers shudder.
Pei’s mother looked at her daughter as though she were meeting her for the first time. She had high emotional intelligence, and from the light in Pei Liang’s eyes and the intensity of her interest, she could tell that this wasn’t some clumsy lie meant to defy her parents.
The girl was telling the truth.
Pei’s father, however, flew into a rage. “What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”
“You like Alphas? Have you no shame? Isn’t the disgrace your mother has brought upon this family already bad enough?”
The moment he said that, he enraged both Pei’s mother and her lover.
But before Pei’s mother could lose her temper, Pei Liang spoke first. “I just happen to like an Alpha. How does that mean I have no shame?”
“What respectable Alpha would like another Alpha? Anyone who likes Alphas isn’t a respectable person. They’re a pervert.” Pei’s father was beside himself with rage.
Pei Liang remained utterly languid. “But I’ve tried it. I really don’t feel anything for Omegas, while Alphas get me excited. What do you expect me to do?”
“Sexual orientation isn’t something you can change through morality or values. If it can’t be changed, what’s the point of yelling at me?”
“You’ve tried it?” Pei’s father was so furious he felt dizzy. “You—you mean, when did you discover this?”
“Yesterday.”
“No. This is just a temporary delusion. I refuse to believe my child is a pervert.” As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward Pei’s mother, and he suddenly found the source of all the trouble.
“It’s all because of you, you promiscuous slut. You corrupted our child.”
Pei’s mother sneered. “Have you no shame?”
Pei Liang hurriedly cut in, “All right, you’re both sleeping around. Who are you to look down on anyone?”
“How can that be the same? What respectable Omega from a distinguished background would debase herself like her?” Pei’s father said.
“That’s true. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have had a chance to marry her in the first place.” Pei Liang beamed. “You both know how it is. Try to look on the bright side.”
Her words were essentially the same as what Pei’s father had just said. If the Carter family’s eldest son hadn’t been tainted by scandal, the Pei Family’s useless heir would never have had a chance with him.
Pei’s father’s face turned purple. Pei Liang even tried to comfort him. “I know it’ll take some time for parents to accept something like this.”
“But I can give you time. I’m sure you’ll eventually understand and accept my choice.”
“As for what outsiders think, when has that ever mattered to our family? The three of us—your life together is already so exciting. If I were too ordinary, I’d be the odd one out.”
“Once we all have the same style, I can even help shoulder some of the pressure from public opinion. Isn’t that a good thing?”
“You—” Pei’s father was nearly angered into unconsciousness. For a moment, he didn’t even know which aspect of her shamelessness to reprimand first.
Pei’s mother, on the other hand, stood up after hearing Pei Liang’s words. Although her face was still filled with disbelief, she said directly, “Fine. Since you have your own ideas, we’ll discuss this matter later.”
“Remember to behave yourself at school. If you get into trouble, have your counselor call your father. I’ll be leaving first.”
Before she left, she even kissed Pei Liang on the cheek. “Mommy loves you.”
Pei Liang: “…”
Even she couldn’t bring herself to dump a mess on someone and then say “I love you” afterward.
With Pei’s mother pulling out and refusing to get involved, Pei’s father could no longer remain calm. The agreement they had reached for their mutual benefit—she had simply abandoned it just like that.
Pei's father hurriedly cursed Pei Liang a few times before chasing after Pei's mother.
The enormous villa fell silent in an instant.
However, this also seemed to mean that another possible suspect in the attempted assassination had emerged.
If the Carter family’s young heir was so deeply in love with his partner that they could neither live nor die apart, then upon learning that his family intended to arrange his engagement to the Pei Family’s useless daughter, it wasn’t impossible that he might have carried out an assassination.
Perhaps his lover had acted alone. Or perhaps the two of them had conspired together. In any case, this was another possible lead.
It was simply too obvious a connection. Unless the Carter family’s young heir had let love rot his brain, Pei Liang still didn’t consider him a particularly likely suspect.
But none of that was the most important thing right now. What Pei Liang was most eager to do was test out her mecha.
The new mecha the original owner had ordered hadn’t arrived yet, but given the Pei Family’s wealth, they certainly weren’t short on mechas at home.
Imperial law, however, stipulated that mechas could not be brought into public places without a license.
The original owner was still a military academy student, and she was still in the process of taking the licensing exam. Of course, if she graduated successfully and became an Imperial soldier, the license would be granted automatically.
It was simply that the original owner was too incompetent. According to her memories, quite a few of her classmates in the elite class had already obtained their licenses. Teresa was one of them.
Pei Liang went to the mecha storage room. It was called a storage room, but it actually occupied very little space. After all, during peacetime, mechas used space-folding technology to exist in the form of accessories.
The original owner’s mecha took the form of a ring or bracelet. Pei Liang brought out the one she had been most accustomed to using.
Once they reached the open space outside, she activated the mecha.
Centered around Pei Liang, the mecha restored itself to its original form. The entire process was a visual spectacle. The ring that had originally been worn on her finger first stretched and spread outward, somewhat like Iron Man’s nanotech armor.
But the volume it expanded into was far beyond anything that merely enveloped the human body. Once it reached a certain size, the dazzling transformation and armor-sealing process was even more breathtaking, leaving anyone watching in awe.
Even though the original owner’s memories treated this as nothing extraordinary, experiencing it firsthand for the first time still left Pei Liang’s blood racing, despite all the spectacular scenes she had witnessed in the apocalypse.
But the romance of a mecha was still—
She was still caught up in the excitement when the system suddenly spoke.
“Sis, I’ve detected that your heart rate is accelerating, your dopamine secretion is going wild, and your physical condition is showing abnormalities.”
“I think I should remind you, Sis, that mechas in this world don’t develop sentience. Don’t start harboring desires toward machinery that go too far beyond ethical boundaries.”
Pei Liang: “…”
Did this thing actually think she was unhinged enough to want to sleep with a mecha?
Pei Liang suddenly became curious about what kind of reputation she had in the game.
She casually switched the system to Do Not Disturb mode. By then, the mecha’s neural interface had already connected with her.
In the past, whether practicing her cooking or martial arts, she had always pursued the state of becoming one with her knife or her body—and she had already achieved that level.
Yet the moment she connected with the mecha, she truly experienced the direct sensation that she was the mecha, and the mecha was her.
The entire mecha could no longer be described as merely an extension of her limbs. The sensory synchronization created by their shared experience and skill was on an entirely different level.
Pei Liang tried making a few movements with the mecha. Aside from a somewhat inexplicable heaviness, there was no awkwardness or delay whatsoever.
She even used the mecha to perform a set of Moon-Cleaving Swordsmanship in the courtyard. The high-difficulty movements still required precise coordination between body and blade, but she handled them with ease.
Pei Liang’s face was glowing with excitement. Once she started playing with the mecha, more than a day passed in the blink of an eye. She spent the entire weekend at home doing little besides eating, sleeping, and tinkering with it.
If the mecha had been a man, it would probably have been complaining by then that Pei Liang was working it to death.
When the weekend ended, Pei Liang reluctantly returned to the military academy.
She had nowhere near as much freedom at school. Apart from mecha classes, she wasn’t allowed to deploy her mecha whenever she pleased.
Once she arrived at school, Pei Liang finally witnessed just how appalling the original owner’s relationships had been.
The people who gathered around her were basically all there either to take advantage of her or because they belonged to minor families dependent on the Pei Family. In terms of character, they were much the same as the original owner—a classic case of birds of a feather flocking together.
Without exception, they were all students ranked below the special-grade class.
As for her own classmates, most of them treated her with indifference or disgust.
Pei Liang first returned to her dormitory. Although the Imperial Military Academy had money to burn, it did not provide students with excessively luxurious living conditions.
Each dormitory housed four students. Besides Pei Liang and Teresa, her room also had two other elite students from the special-grade class. Neither was there when she arrived; they were probably already in the classroom.
Pei Liang didn’t stay long. She put down the things she had brought and left the dormitory.
There was still some time before class. As luck would have it, just as Pei Liang was about to enter the classroom, she ran into Teresa coming out.
The moment he saw Pei Liang, his expression darkened. But someone seemed to have called for him, and he couldn’t be bothered with this bastard at the moment.
After shooting Pei Liang a gloomy glare, he shoved past her and headed toward the end of the corridor.
Pei Liang didn’t take it personally. After all, it had been the original owner who had acted like a piece of garbage. If Teresa had arrived even a little later, Pei Liang would have ruined his entire life.
She entered the classroom. Her classmates showed no particular reaction, and Pei Liang went straight to her seat.
It had a pretty good position—second to last row by the window, the quintessential protagonist’s seat.
But not long after she sat down, an arm draped around Pei Liang’s neck and pulled her close.
A domineering Alpha scent swept over her. Before she even turned around, she could feel the other person’s sturdy build and powerful arm.
The man’s magnetic voice brushed against her ear.
“Well, well! I heard you had quite a nice weekend.”
Pei Liang looked up and saw the Alpha holding her.
His dark complexion was intensely attractive, but compared with General Liu’s restrained and resolute bearing, he was an entirely different type.
He was flamboyant and uninhibited, making no effort to conceal his oppressive presence or pheromones. His school uniform was worn carelessly, with no tie and several buttons undone.
His short silver hair complemented his dark skin perfectly. Even through his clothes, Pei Liang could feel that his body temperature was higher than an ordinary person’s—a definite sign of abundant vitality. The corner of his mouth curved into a malicious, teasing grin.
According to her memories, this guy was Teresa’s close friend. He had probably heard about what happened over the weekend and come looking for trouble.
But Pei Liang had to admit, this Alpha was incredibly appealing.
She was even impatient to see what he would look like with sweat running down that dark skin.
This guy probably had quite a rap sheet at school too. Seeing this, the special-grade class monitor—a handsome, meticulous young man wearing glasses—called out loudly, “Arnold, what are you trying to do?”
Arnold clicked his tongue. He pulled Pei Liang to her feet and put on an intimate, languidly casual act.
“Nothing. I’m just exchanging weekend stories with my newest friend.”
Seeing that Pei Liang didn’t look uncomfortable, the class monitor couldn’t say anything more.
Arnold, however, kept his arm around Pei Liang and led her out of the classroom.
“Come on. Go to the bathroom with me.”
