Qin Junlan asked casually, “You two seem to be getting along alright?”
Green-hair made a small sound and glanced at Bai Lansheng.
Qin Junlan said, “Don’t worry, I didn’t get into a fight with your friend. She went home. You focus on recovering. Your health is the most important. Once you’re better, I’ll take you fishing.”
Green-hair had known Manman for a long time and understood that once she had made up her mind, it was hard to change it. But if their boss had managed to make her back down and leave, then she must have said something to her. Since Qin Junlan didn’t tell her, there was no need to push for answers. She trusted that when the time came, the boss would let her know.
Green-hair nodded. “Got it, Boss.”
After chatting a little more, Qin Junlan left the room with Bai Lansheng.
The moment they were gone, Green-hair jumped up and lowered the drip rate on her IV.
“Ouch… that really hurts. The whole area is red. I bet she was using me to vent because she was mad on the boss’s behalf.”
Green-hair had a minor bone fracture and would need a few more days in the hospital before being discharged. After visiting her, Qin Junlan didn’t leave the clinic. Instead, she turned around and registered herself for a checkup.
There were a lot of patients in the surgical department. Two people ahead of them had gotten into a fight and ran into each other again outside the clinic, which forced the doctor to step in and calm things down, delaying the queue even more.
Qin Junlan didn’t get involved. She leaned back in her chair, one leg crossed over the other, her fingers resting lightly on the back of Bai Lansheng’s seat, half embracing her as she closed her eyes.
The noise around them never stopped—doctors, nurses, patients, family members—all speaking over one another. Bai Lansheng hated this place. She hated the air, the sounds, the people. She hated everything about it.
But after a while, those chaotic emotions began to fade. All she could hear was the rhythmic tapping on the back of the chair.
Tap. Tap.
Steady and quiet.
Strangely, her heart began to settle.
When Qin Junlan’s name was called, she opened her eyes and shook the medical booklet in front of Bai Lansheng to explain why she had signed up.
“I got a little hurt fighting Green-hair. Just wanted the doctor to take a look.”
In truth, what she wanted was to ask about what had happened the night before.
Her symptoms had flared up so violently that if something like that happened a few more times, not even ten lives would be enough.
The doctor said, “It’s definitely a case of exposure to cold air, but that’s only the trigger. The real cause is untreated internal injury that developed into inflammation. You may be an Alpha, and your recovery rate is good, but internal injuries need proper attention. I’ll prescribe a few days of anti-inflammatories.”
While the doctor explained, Bai Lansheng stared blankly at the floor, lost in thought.
Sometimes reminding the family is more effective than reminding the patient, so the doctor turned to Bai Lansheng and said, “If she gets sick, you should bring her in for treatment right away. I’m prescribing three days of medication. Make sure she takes it.”
Bai Lansheng looked confused. Why was the doctor suddenly talking to her?
Then the doctor said, “She has a D-level mental strength defect. She needs to be very careful when using it. That episode of physical immobility was due to mental exhaustion.”
Qin Junlan asked, “Can it be treated?”
The doctor shook his head. “Not with regular methods. I’ve heard some medications can help, but they’re incredibly expensive. Most people can’t afford them, and even if they can, the effectiveness is still uncertain.”
A defect…
Qin Junlan thought back to the room filled with beer bottles. The original owner of this body had been so reckless and self-destructive. Was this why?
Maybe once she realized she was “defective,” she gave up on herself.
The doctor continued, “There is another method. Not exactly medical, but it requires the help of a partner. Omega pheromones can serve as a natural restorative for Alphas. There is a chance, though not guaranteed, that they could help repair damaged mental strength.”
Qin Junlan turned her head to look at Bai Lansheng. Bai Lansheng responded by turning away and showing her the back of her head.
After thanking the doctor, Qin Junlan took the prescription and went to line up to pay, telling Bai Lansheng to wait on the bench.
As she walked away, Bai Lansheng stared at her back, a bit dazed.
Most Alphas had at least C-level mental strength. A D-level was considered a disgrace among Alphas.
The fact that a doctor had dared to say something like that to her face was like stepping on a landmine.
No, what was more unbelievable was Qin Sisi herself.
She had openly told the doctor about her condition. Calmly.
Bai Lansheng frowned. The corners of her mouth dipped, and her blue eyes filled with confusion.
As she was deep in thought about Qin Sisi’s changes, someone suddenly bumped into her hard.
The person who hit her immediately snapped, “What are you looking at, ugly? Keep staring and I’ll hit you.”
Before she could react, that person got into a full-on fight with someone else right beside her. The two men clashed violently just a few feet away. Blood splattered near Bai Lansheng’s feet, and the stench filled the air.
Most people nearby had already stepped away, but Bai Lansheng sat frozen in place. Her face turned blank and pale.
The fighting, the curses, the blood, it all overlapped too closely with memories from her past.
She knew she should move.
But the memories wound around her like vines, holding her tightly in place.
While waiting for her medication, Qin Junlan looked at her contact list. Her eyes landed on two names she had saved a long time ago.
They were the only two people she knew from Dongxi.
Back during her first mission at the integrated hotel, Qin Junlan had come across a few phone numbers. At the time, she had saved them out of habit, thinking they might be useful one day. Now, it seemed like that day had come.
She was starting to suspect there was something wrong with the system itself. The missions it issued didn’t seem right either.
For one, the system would occasionally go completely silent. And the difficulty of the missions had dropped dramatically. The first mission had been divided into multiple stages, each with tight time limits. But the last two missions had unusually generous deadlines.
It was almost as if the system was saying, “Take your time, waste it if you want. There’s plenty of time to spare.”
But was there really that much time?
Or was it like the first mission again, with hidden deadlines? Maybe once she passed a certain critical point, if she didn’t meet the system’s progress expectations, the whole thing would blow up in her face.
And then there was the sudden episode last night…
Qin Junlan paused, then decisively made a call.
She trusted only herself.
“Hello, Boss Lü? This is Qin Sisi. We’ve met before, on the eighth floor of the hotel. At the time, you were speaking with Minister Li from the Transportation Department. I’d like to request two tickets. Two days from now? Perfect. Thank you.”
After ending the call, she turned around and saw the same two men from earlier. They had moved from the doctor’s office to this part of the clinic and were fighting again.
She was stunned. These two really had it out for each other. What kind of hatred made them fight a third time?
Next to her, Bai Lansheng sat completely still, unusually calm.
Qin Junlan walked over, planning to move her away from the scene to avoid any risk. But when she tried to help her up, she realized Bai Lansheng wouldn’t move.
“What’s wrong?”
Before Bai Lansheng could answer, the two men shouted at them.
“Get out of the way. Don’t block us. Atai, today we settle this.”
“Bring it on. I’m not scared of you.”
They lunged at each other again.
Qin Junlan watched them for a moment and noticed their movements were mostly punches. Their style resembled boxing.
She spoke up. “If you want to fight, take it outside. This is a place for treatment. Doctors can fix injuries, not damaged brains.”
Others began murmuring in agreement, complaining that the fight was disturbing everyone. Soon, security arrived. After some effort, they managed to push the two men out of the clinic.
Once things settled down, Qin Junlan gently picked up Bai Lansheng and carried her to a quiet corner. She held her close and softly patted her back.
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you.”
Bai Lansheng sat on Qin Junlan’s lap. As she listened to a gentle humming tune, the tension in her body slowly began to melt away. When she relaxed, she noticed her jaw was sore. At some point, she had been clenching her teeth without realizing it.
“Mommy, that big sister is just like me.”
The clear voice of a child rang out.
Bai Lansheng looked up and saw a young mother holding a little girl. The girl had a thermometer tucked under her arm and was staring at them curiously from her mother’s arms.
The mother patted her on the back gently, trying to quiet her. But the girl pointed and said loudly, “She’s so big and still wants cuddles. Shame on her.”
Then she made a silly face and burst out laughing.
The mother apologized in embarrassment and quickly pulled the little girl’s hand down.
But the words had already been said, and everyone nearby had clearly heard them.
Bai Lansheng realized she was sitting in the exact same posture as the little girl. The child was nestled sideways in her mother’s lap, and she was curled up on the thug’s lap.
She tried to get up, but Qin Junlan stopped her.
“Don’t move. You’re pressing down on me.”
Bai Lansheng froze. Something under her felt strange.
Qin Junlan’s expression turned awkward. She let out a long sigh and muttered, “You were the one rubbing against me. I didn’t ask for this either…”
There was nothing she could do. She wasn’t familiar with this body yet.
Bai Lansheng’s face turned crimson. The blush quickly spread to her neck. That little girl’s teasing had come true in full.
Qin Junlan wrapped an arm around her waist and rested her chin on Bai Lansheng’s shoulder. She could see the tips of her ears glowing red.
Qin Junlan asked silently in her mind, “What is going on with me?”
The system replied, “This is a good sign. Your soul and this body are becoming more compatible.”
She continued, “Can my mental strength improve along with that? C-level isn’t enough.”
The system responded, “This system does not know.”
That meant it was something she would have to figure out on her own.
If her soul was syncing with the body, that also meant her bond to this world was deepening. The more connected she became, the less likely she would be able to go back.
Qin Junlan felt a strange wave of sadness. She let go of Bai Lansheng and said, “You can get down now.”
Bai Lansheng stood up slowly. Her legs felt soft and weak. She lost her balance slightly and accidentally stepped on Qin Junlan’s foot.
Qin Junlan chuckled. “Was that payback?”
Bai Lansheng didn’t respond.
The little girl giggled again and held out a piece of candy.
“Sister, this is for you.”
In her tiny palm was a small piece of candy with a sticky wrapper. It looked cheap and a little melted, like she had been holding it tightly for a while.
Bai Lansheng turned her head away, clearly not planning to accept it.
The little girl’s cheeks were sunken, her limbs thin and frail. Just from looking at her, it was clear her health wasn’t good. Her mother dressed plainly and looked just as unwell.
Qin Junlan thought for a moment, then said, “I can’t take your gift for free. Let me give you something in return.”
She accepted the candy from the girl and, to avoid it sticking to anything, wrapped it in a receipt and slipped it into her pocket. Then she pulled out her wallet and handed a few folded soca bills to the girl’s mother.
The woman looked panicked, unsure what to do. She understood the value of the candy, but she truly needed the money.
The little girl hadn’t seen what was exchanged and began tugging at her mother, insisting she wanted to see. Her mother instinctively clutched the money tighter and looked nervously at Qin Junlan, afraid she might ask for it back.
Qin Junlan gently patted the girl’s head. “Let your mom hold onto it for now. You need to grow up strong and healthy.”
While she was talking to the girl, Qin Junlan kept a soft smile on her face. Her whole demeanor was warm and kind.
This scene struck Bai Lansheng as completely absurd.
Selfish people like her could never show real gentleness.
And sure enough, what happened next confirmed Bai Lansheng’s doubts. Someone from the clinic came to thank them, and the thug shamelessly asked for a discount.
Bai Lansheng pressed her lips together. She had actually been touched for a moment earlier. It turned out she had been fooled. “Gentleness” and “this thug” had absolutely nothing in common.
Qin Junlan was quite pleased with saving a bit of money. She now had two sources of cash, one from Bai Lansheng, and another from Ke Nian. The amount was decent.
The cost of living here wasn’t high. If she just wanted to drift through life, the money would last a while. But to reach the goals in her heart, it wasn’t nearly enough. So she had to be frugal.
She rubbed Bai Lansheng’s head. “Looks like I need to earn money to support you. We still have some time. Want to walk around and do a little shopping?”
Bai Lansheng slapped her hand away with frustration. She wasn’t a child. Why did this woman keep treating her like one?
But then again… going out meant food, right?
Author’s Note:
Recommending a novel by a close author friend: “Transmigrated into the Female Lead’s Ex-Wife” by San Qian Chi Nian. Thanks to her for helping me sort through my thoughts. Her profile also has lots of other GL novels!
Synopsis:
Lin Yiran wakes up to find herself inside her own ongoing novel, as the cannon fodder ex-wife of the female lead, Gu Jianxi.
This ex-wife is rich, beautiful, and worth billions, but has no taste in people. She marries Gu Jianxi in a contract marriage and divorces her within three months, only to go against her later for the sake of a scumbag, ending in ruin.
Now, Lin Yiran just wants to retire early and avoid all the drama. But the female lead keeps getting into trouble right in front of her.
At the hospital, she collapses with a high fever.
At the bar, she gets cornered and bullied.
How could Lin Yiran ignore her own “precious daughter” from the novel?
But the more she helps, the harder it is to walk away.
After that first encounter at the hospital, Gu Jianxi notices her “wife” has changed.
She used to be distant, sticking only to the surface-level contract.
Now she’s thoughtful, always showing up when needed.
One night, tipsy, Gu Jianxi finally asks, “Lin Yiran, why are you being so nice to me?”
Drunk and giggling, Lin Yiran says,
“You’re my most favorite, most most most favorite… baby girl. If I’m not nice to you, who else should I be nice to?”
Gu Jianxi: “…”