A Vicious Female Rival Omega is Sweet and Soft - Chapter 8

To be perfectly honest, Ye Yixi had significantly overestimated her own physical abilities. Though she wasn’t particularly old, this new body felt like it belonged to an eighty-year-old. She spent ages thrashing around below the branches but couldn’t climb up an inch, leaving her completely out of breath.

This is a lost cause. I should just find someone else to help, she thought. But wait, would that disqualify me from completing the mission? At that thought, Ye Yixi abandoned the idea. She scanned the area and picked up a fairly long stick from the ground, attempting to poke at the spot where the cat was trapped. After several attempts, she still met with failure.

After this frantic workout, Ye Yixi was sweating profusely, her neck dripping with perspiration. Unsure of how to proceed, she scanned the area left and right, unexpectedly spotting a massive rock sitting in the nearby bushes—it was the perfect height to use as a stepping stool.

After a brief struggle, rolling and pushing with all her might, she finally maneuvered the rock right beneath her feet.

Ye Yixi had never been a fan of exercise. Back in the real world, a single day of work was exhausting enough, leaving her with absolutely no time to work out. Now, forcing her to climb a tree was a genuine tall order. Fortunately, since transmigrating into this world as a female Alpha, her physical strength had been augmented somewhat.

Stepping onto the rock, she gained a significant head start on her initial height. Spotting a few small indentations on the tree trunk, Ye Yixi wedged the tips of her toes into them. With a forceful burst of strength from both arms, she finally hauled herself up onto the lower branches.

This orange cat turned out to be remarkably intelligent, seemingly understanding that the person in front of it was there to save its life, so it cooperated by remaining perfectly still. Ye Yixi took a stride toward a diagonal lower branch, anchoring herself with her left hand while extending her right to pull the cat’s trapped leg free. It was clearly stuck quite tightly; the skin and fur had split open, leaving a fair amount of blood stains behind.

Striving to cause it as little pain as possible, Ye Yixi executed her movements with extreme caution, beads of sweat breaking out across her forehead. After several minutes of grueling effort, she successfully pushed its hind leg free. Letting out a soft cascade of meows, the orange cat moved with agile lightness, using Ye Yixi’s shoulder as a launching pad to spread its limbs and leap straight down to safety.

Covered in a layer of dirt and grime, Ye Yixi slowly retraced her steps back down. As she did, the system notification chimed in her head, announcing that 0.4 points had been successfully acquired. The absolute instant both her feet touched solid ground, she looked up to see the orange cat she had just rescued resting securely in someone’s arms.

Staring intently, she realized it was… Shen Qingran?

Today, Shen Qingran was wearing a rather sultry little camisole under a light-colored cardigan. With her hair pulled into a low ponytail, she actually carried a hint of a gentle, soft aesthetic. Yet, because her features were inherently so delicate and seductive, the combination could only be described by Ye Yixi as “pure desire”—or perhaps what people called a pure seducer type?

“Pangfu, where did you run off to? You worried me to death! I’ve been searching for you for ages… Oh my, how did your leg get hurt?” Shen Qingran looked down with a face full of worry. Though the breeze had ruffled the strands of hair framing her forehead, it only added a touch of effortless, messy beauty. However, she clearly hadn’t noticed that Ye Yixi was standing right in front of her.

Ye Yixi had truly never heard Shen Qingran speak in such a cutesy, high-pitched register. As expected, when humans face adorable, fluffy creatures, they unconsciously adopt a “baby voice.” However, she had completely failed to anticipate that the cat she had just exerted a monumental amount of energy to save would turn out to be Shen Qingran’s pet.

Why do these side quests from the System always end up entangled with Shen Qingran…

Rubbing her palms together, Ye Yixi let out a deliberate cough.

Shen Qingran finally shifted her gaze away from the cat. When she looked up and caught sight of Ye Yixi’s face, her pupils dilated slightly, her expression shifting to one of absolute shock. Confusion flooded her mind: Why is it Ye Yixi again?

“What a coincidence, Miss Shen. I happened to find a cat stuck in a tree here and just rescued it. I truly didn’t expect it to be your pet,” Ye Yixi initiated the greeting, flashing a brilliant smile.

Hearing those words, Shen Qingran’s eyelashes fluttered as she blinked rapidly, her entire demeanor turning somewhat unnatural. She hesitated for a long pause without offering a response. Pangfu, however, possessed none of its owner’s conflicted emotions; twitching its whiskers, it let out a few meows toward Ye Yixi as if offering a vote of thanks, immediately curling its body back into Shen Qingran’s embrace to act spoiled.

Ye Yixi was thoroughly charmed by its cuteness. With a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, she couldn’t resist reaching out to stroke the fur on top of Pangfu’s head. Pangfu seemed to thoroughly enjoy it, letting out a comfortable purr.

The intimate, harmonious scene before her eyes caused Shen Qingran to fall into a brief daze. She felt a vague sensation that Ye Yixi seemed different somehow, though she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was.

“Oh right, its leg seems to be injured. You should take it back for treatment right away!” Ye Yixi suddenly remembered the issue and quickly reminded her.

Only then did Shen Qingran notice the small wound beneath the orange cat’s left leg. Full of heartache, she first gently blew on the scratch, then immediately whipped out her phone to call her staff, anxiety resurfacing on her face.

“I’m so sorry… I brought Pangfu out to play today, but the moment we stepped out of the car, it ran off. I didn’t expect it to get hurt…” Speaking to this point, Shen Qingran suddenly paused, her speaking pace slowing down slightly. “I’ve caused you a lot of trouble, Miss Ye. Let’s arrange a dinner sometime soon; I want to officially offer my thanks for the incidents over these past few days.”

Shen Qingran was quite reasonable; she took things as they came and was perfectly willing to acknowledge a debt of gratitude. Although she still felt somewhat awkward internally, she figured it wasn’t a big deal.

“Mm… since Miss Shen has put it that way, I shall naturally comply.” Ye Yixi pulled out her phone and jingled it in front of Shen Qingran. “Since we’re planning a dinner, we should probably add each other’s contact details first… So, can Miss Shen release me from your messaging app’s blacklist now?”

Shen Qingran truly hadn’t expected this person to respond this way. Most people in their circle would offer a few polite phrases of decline, but Ye Yixi wasn’t polite at all, catching her completely off guard.

Being confronted so directly, she felt an embarrassed flush creep up to the tips of her ears, even bordering on a touch of defensive annoyance. Yet, Ye Yixi showed absolutely no intention of backing down, tilting her head with a face full of anticipation. What a shameless creature!

Unable to contend with her, Shen Qingran bit her lower lip, fished her phone out of her small purse, and unblocked Ye Yixi right in front of her face. “Is Miss Ye satisfied now?”

“Satisfied, exceptionally satisfied!”

Ye Yixi grinned so widely her teeth showed. Her smug, teasing demeanor made Shen Qingran’s teeth itch with irritation, harboring a sudden urge to pounce forward and bite this person fiercely just to make her hurt!

A short while later, the driver arrived, taking Pangfu from Shen Qingran’s arms and placing him inside a large, transparent pet stroller.

“Alright, Miss Ye. We’re going to head to the pet hospital now. See you next time.”

“Don’t run off just yet—let me tag along with you~~”

“No need!”

Shen Qingran answered instantly, declining the offer without a second thought, her eyes snapping wide open. She absolutely did not want Ye Yixi tag-teaming with her!

“I’m idle right now anyway. Since I was the one who saved the cat, I won’t be able to rest easy until I see it successfully treated!”

Ye Yixi spoke with a face full of absolute sincerity, but Shen Qingran remained completely unyielding, refusing to grant permission.

“Oh, come on, just let me join you~~ I’m begging you, Miss Shen!”

“I’ll be incredibly bored on my own. Isn’t it better to have an extra person keeping you company~~”

“Please, pretty please? Hmm?”

Ye Yixi executed a three-hit combo of acting spoiled, even going so far as to tug at the sleeve of Shen Qingran’s cardigan, looking precisely like a massive, petulant white dog throwing a tantrum.

Shen Qingran felt her grasp on reality slipping under the onslaught. Staring at her with a face full of deadpan disbelief, she wondered: Was this person always like this? She looked nothing like the arrogant, overbearing socialite heiress in her memory. Could she have been possessed by a spirit?

“Fine, fine, fine. If you want to follow, then follow.”

Shen Qingran truly couldn’t out-argue her and was too lazy to keep spinning in circles; whenever she conversed with this person for too long, her ability to maintain a polite veneer shattered. She subtly pulled her sleeve out of Ye Yixi’s grip, composing her features into a serious expression, though her ears remained flushed a bright crimson.

Yes!

Ye Yixi let out a quiet cheer. She felt she had more or less figured out Shen Qingran’s weak spot: Miss Shen was actually remarkably easy to talk to, turning soft-hearted the moment she was subjected to a bit of relentless pestering. Though on the surface, her face still maintained a classic “tsundere” pout… uh.

According to her memory database, this seemed to be the first time Ye Yixi had ever stepped into Shen Qingran’s car. The interior was sleek, minimal, and sophisticated, yet several pink, fluffy plush dolls were suspended inside. It seemed this imposing Miss Shen still harbored quite a girlish heart underneath.

Ye Yixi evaluated the space. She sat in the back row next to Pangfu’s carrier box, the cat’s claws scraping against the plastic in a steady rhythm. She couldn’t resist teasing the creature again, while Shen Qingran tracked their interactions through the rearview mirror from the front passenger seat.

The journey passed in absolute silence with little conversation. Arriving at the clinic entrance, the driver stepped out to help carry the cat inside. Since Shen Qingran held a VIP status at this facility, the veterinarian executed a seamless, fluid routine of X-rays and ointment application.

Ye Yixi stood off to the side with her arms crossed, watching Pangfu let out sharp meows of pain. However, the cat’s temperament was genuinely excellent, its claws never flailing wildly. Shen Qingran kept a close watch from the side, occasionally letting out a few light coughs.

“What’s wrong? Are you sick?” Hearing the noise, Ye Yixi asked automatically. Only now did she notice that Shen Qingran’s voice sounded somewhat raspy.

“Mm. I caught a cold after falling into the water last time, and it hasn’t fully cleared up yet.”

Shen Qingran spoke with a distinct nasal congestion. Because the two of them were standing quite close right now, Ye Yixi caught a delicate scent floating off her—a subtle, sweet fragrance. Shen Qingran stood slightly shorter than her, and looking down at her fair, delicate neck, Ye Yixi sincerely felt that this person’s frame was incredibly slight.

Ye Yixi nodded, refraining from asking further questions. Once Pangfu was fully bandaged, it was time to head back.

“Miss Ye, where are you…?”

“I had my driver take my car back earlier. I might… have to trouble Miss Shen to give me a lift.”

Shen Qingran offered no rebuttal, agreeing to the request. Following the map navigation back to Ye Yixi’s residential neighborhood didn’t consume an excessive amount of time. Yet, by the time Ye Yixi finally walked through her front door and sat down on the sofa, she felt as though her brain had suffered a brief lapse in sanity.

The moment she had stepped out of the vehicle, Ye Yixi had tapped on Shen Qingran’s car window again. As the glass slid down smoothly, it revealed Shen Qingran’s face, completely filled with confusion.

“Miss Shen, didn’t you say back at the park that you wanted to arrange a dinner to thank me? I think there’s no day like today. How about tonight?”

She hadn’t expected Shen Qingran to just agree like that. But what she couldn’t understand even more was what was wrong with herself. Why was she acting so aggressive and proactive toward Shen Qingran? It could even be described as suspiciously eager.

Ye Yixi’s mind was in a bit of a daze, utterly failing to comprehend her own behavior. She’s just a supporting female rival; what does she have to do with me? Why am I running around trying to curry favor with her?

She pulled out her phone to check the time: only 2:30 PM, leaving over four hours before the designated dinner time.

Ye Yixi sat there pondering for another moment, then bounded straight off the sofa in the next second, practically sprinting into her walk-in closet.

“Ahhh… later on, I am going to wear my most stunning clothes and apply the most exquisite makeup to go meet her!!”