A Short-Lived Cannon Fodder Alpha Just Wants to Be a Salted Fish - Chapter 2

Pain! So much pain!

It felt as if something were tearing its way out of her body. Every inch of her skin felt as though it were being pierced and shredded by a searing-hot blade, a sensation that went straight to her bones—scalding and agonizing.

This bone-deep pain came in waves. At its peak, it would last for half an hour, or perhaps longer; Wen Yuan would occasionally pass out from the sheer intensity of it.

In her groggy mind, fragments of text and images flashed by like a revolving lantern.

【Wen Yuan wept, her face pearly with tears, but Jiang Huaiyu remained unmoved: “I only got with you to provoke her. Now you know the truth, so can you stop clinging to me? I’m bored of you.”】

【“If only you didn’t exist.” Wen Yuan glimpsed the headlights drawing closer from the right side of the road and suddenly shoved Wen Ling toward them.】

【Wen Ling dodged with quick reflexes. Due to her momentum, Wen Yuan stumbled forward a few steps, and the sharp screech of brakes pierced the silence of the night…】

The text dissolved into fine points of light, reconverging into dazzling headlights. The ear-splitting screech of brakes suddenly echoed in her ears.

The pain struck again. Scattered scenes rushed into Wen Yuan’s mind once more, becoming increasingly clear and coherent.

Wen Yuan clutched her head, which felt like it was about to explode. She gasped and snapped her eyes open.

She had died in a car accident and was then born into this world. This world was actually inside an ABO romance novel, and she was the short-lived female cannon fodder of the story.

Jiang Huaiyu was the second male lead of the book. She couldn’t confess to him! She would be used, dumped, become a villain, and then be written out of the story in less than two chapters!

Having digested all this information, Wen Yuan felt her hair stand on end and her scalp go numb. She lay on the bed, staring at the white ceiling, waiting for her heart to settle.

After a long while, once she regained her composure, Wen Yuan realized she seemed to be in a hospital. For a moment, she couldn’t quite react.

Wasn’t she just in the school restroom?

Wen Yuan instinctively touched the back of her neck. It felt smooth, like the texture of a sticker, and the skin underneath was slightly raised.

It was an anti-pheromone patch. The raised area was her gland.

She remembered! She had been bitten by Chu Yihan!

She had nearly died from the pain, and then she had released pheromones—she vividly remembered that sensation. It was like being in a drizzling rain; the damp air smelled of fresh grass and earth, vaguely mixed with a hint of floral scent…

Wait, that’s not right. Manifesting as a Beta doesn’t involve releasing pheromones!

A thought occurred to her. Wen Yuan’s nerves instinctively tensed as she pulled at her collar to look down: “Holy crap.”

Big “B” turned into small “A”… her “buns” had turned into “mini buns”…

Wen Yuan bolted upright, sitting as still as a wooden statue.

She really had manifested as an Alpha.

Just then, the door pushed open. A doctor in a white coat walked in, looked at her, and smiled: “You’re awake?”

“Dad?!” Wen Yuan was now certain this was a ward used to isolate people with pheromone disorders. “Why am I in the hospital?”

“You suddenly manifested at school. Your teacher brought you here. It’s a coincidence—I happened to be on shift today.”

Wen Ming stepped forward and performed a routine basic check-up. “Your teacher said your pheromones were leaking in the gym. Fortunately, a classmate gave you an emergency injection of an Omega suppressor to prevent a chaotic situation. You should thank that classmate properly when you go back to school.”

Manifesting in a public place is a very dangerous affair.

Wen Yuan remembered Chu Yihan jabbing the suppressor into her wrist. Her lips quirked as she thought to herself: Thank her for biting me into manifestation?

Seeing Wen Yuan frowning with a grim face, Wen Ming asked with concern, “Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

Wen Yuan snapped out of it, shook her head, and touched her stomach. “No, I’m just hungry.”

“Your mom just arrived; she brought preserved egg and pork congee.” Wen Ming finished recording the data and said to the young nurse behind him, “Go notify the family; her precious daughter is awake.”

The nurse gave a smiling “Aie” and left.

A moment later, Fang Jingbai rushed into the ward carrying a thermal flask, showering Wen Yuan with concern and inquiries.

Listening to Fang Jingbai’s nagging and seeing her worried expression, a memory suddenly flashed in Wen Yuan’s mind: a woman crouching outside a hospital room, clutching her head and weeping silently.

That must have been someone very close to her in her previous life.

Her heart suddenly twinged, and a faint ache spread through her. When someone dies, it is always the living relatives who suffer most.

If she continued down the path of seeking her own doom, how sad her parents in this life would be.

Wen Yuan secretly made a resolve: Stay away from trashy men, cherish life! Be a long-lived salted fish, and maybe eat two extra bowls of congee!

Wait? Congee? Wen Yuan helplessly interrupted Fang Jingbai: “Mom, I’m starving.”

Two minutes later, Wen Yuan was leaning over the small table, happily drinking her congee while listening to Wen Ming’s lecture on Alpha precautions.

Once Wen Ming finished his “science lesson,” Wen Yuan asked doubtfully, “How did I manifest as an Alpha? Didn’t the genetic test say there was a 70% chance I’d be a Beta?”

“A genetic test is just a reference; it can’t guarantee you’ll be a Beta. There was still a 30% chance, wasn’t there?” Wen Ming paused. “In the end, your mother’s genes were just too strong.”

Fang Jingbai shot Wen Ming a glare, and he quickly changed the subject. “After you finish the congee, we’ll observe you for another hour. If there are no issues, you can go home. Just stay in isolation at home for observation for a while.”

Wen Yuan asked excitedly, “Does that mean I don’t have to go to school tomorrow?”

“Yes. Your homeroom teacher also said you should wait until your pheromones stabilize.” Fang Jingbai glanced at her beaming face and added, “She also mentioned your grades have dropped too much and suggested I sign you up for the school’s online classes. I’ve already done it. The class schedule is synced with the school. You look quite energetic—you can start tomorrow.”

Wen Yuan’s smile vanished. She cursed inwardly while nodding obediently.

After an hour of observation confirmed that Wen Yuan was stable, Fang Jingbai completed the discharge paperwork.

Changing out of the hospital gown, Wen Yuan tugged at her clothes, which were now a bit too short. “Mom, I need new clothes.”

Fang Jingbai looked her over. “I thought you were going to be a Beta, so I didn’t prepare anything in advance. When we get back, we’ll take your measurements and order a couple of things online first.”

Wen Yuan hummed in response. She regretted not wearing a skirt—her long pants had turned into capris, and they were tight.

Back home, after measuring her height and dimensions, Wen Yuan felt sticky and went to the bathroom to shower.

The humid air in the bathroom reminded her again of that faint floral scent, as if diluted by rainwater.

Two red needle marks were particularly obvious on her pale wrist. Wen Yuan stared at them for a long time.

Where did Chu Yihan get a suppressor to give her? Furthermore, Omega suppressors have very little effect on Alphas. How did it manage to suppress her pheromones?

Wen Yuan couldn’t be bothered to think deeply about it. She began trying to recall things from her past life.

But aside from knowing she was reincarnated into a book after a car accident, everything else was a blur that caused a splitting headache whenever she tried to focus on it. Wen Yuan simply cleared her mind and stopped thinking about it.

Maybe she would remember slowly in the future.

Living in the moment was more important.

When she stepped out of the shower, Fang Jingbai was just leaving the room with the old bedsheets and pillowcases.

“Mom,” Wen Yuan called out. “Have you seen my phone?”

Fang Jingbai nodded toward the nightstand. “I’ll make an exception and let you have it today. Don’t stay up too late. Go to sleep early.”

Wen Yuan gave a listless reply.

Once Fang Jingbai left, Wen Yuan dug her phone out of the nightstand drawer and called Shi Ran.

Shi Ran was apparently playing on her phone, as she picked up quickly: “You finally called! How are you doing?”

“A bit unaccustomed,” Wen Yuan summarized. “I grew taller, and my chest got smaller. Dammit, it wasn’t big to begin with.”

“Hahaha!” Shi Ran laughed shamelessly.

Wen Yuan said coolly, “Is it polite to laugh that hard?”

Shi Ran stifled her laughter to comfort her. “It’s normal, it’s normal. All Alphas are like that after manifestation. How much did you grow?”

Wen Yuan raised an eyebrow. “About 3 centimeters taller than you…”

Shi Ran made a dismissive sound. “By the way, how did you suddenly manifest as an Alpha in the gym restroom?”

Wen Yuan rubbed the back of her neck, instinctively hiding the fact that Chu Yihan had bitten her. “I don’t know, I can’t remember.”

“Fair enough. But thank goodness the Study God was also in the restroom. You have no idea how terrifying it was. Several Omegas were triggered into heat by your pheromones at the time. Luckily, she carried you on her back and slipped away fast.” Shi Ran paused and marveled, “I don’t know how she, an Omega, had the willpower to resist your pheromones and the strength to carry you all the way to the infirmary…”

A vision suddenly flashed through Wen Yuan’s mind: the girl’s thin shoulders and back, her soft black ponytail, and that elegant floral scent lingering at the tip of her nose… Wen Yuan felt the nerves near her gland throb.

Shi Ran continued to ramble, and Wen Yuan listened with only half an ear.

Before ending the call, Shi Ran said, “Oh, right. The Study God added me as a friend to ask about your condition and contact info. She seemed quite worried about you. Anyway, since you’re awake now, I gave her your ID. Whether you add her or not is up to you.”

Wen Yuan gave an absent-minded hum. It wasn’t until after the call ended that she realized what Shi Ran had said.

Just as she was about to type a message to stop Shi Ran, a notification popped up on her screen:

“125 requested to add you as a friend: I am Chu Yihan.”

Shi Ran’s words—”I heard Omega heats are incredibly, incredibly uncomfortable”—played on a loop in her head. Wen Yuan stared at the friend request, suddenly recalling Chu Yihan’s flushed face and watery eyes.

Forget it. What bad intentions could an Omega have? She probably only bit me because her heat was too painful.

Wen Yuan pursed her lips and tapped “Accept” on the screen.