After Transmigrating as the Abandoned Rich Wife O, I Turned the Scum A's Life into a Crematorium [Transmigration] - Chapter 13

The curtains fluttered in the wind, and waves of elegant, quiet osmanthus fragrance drifted into the hospital ward with the cool breeze, brushing past the person admiring the night scene.

“It’s early winter, yet there’s still osmanthus,” the butler remarked as he moved to close the window.

Gu Bei, who was staring out the window in a daze, hurriedly stopped him: “Don’t close it. The breeze keeps me clear-headed.”

Though he had his doubts, the butler knew he couldn’t win an argument with her, so he ceased his movements.

“Butler, do you follow any celebrities?”

Gu Bei’s question shattered the seemingly somber, artistic atmosphere. The butler was speechless.

Gu Bei said: “Never mind, pretend I didn’t ask.”

The butler picked up a fruit knife and, in a few swift motions, peeled an apple perfectly. The skin fell away in a single, unbroken spiral.

“Wow! That’s amazing!” Gu Bei pressed her palms together at her chest, her eyes sparkling and her mouth wide in an exaggerated expression of awe, like a kindergarten child who had just received a gold star. She made the butler laugh once again.

The concert hall was packed. Piano enthusiasts had braved the biting cold to enjoy this quadrennial musical extravaganza. After the organizer’s opening remarks, the competition officially began.

The jury for this competition included many famous pianists, and the contestants featured rising stars like Xin Mengyao. Tickets had been nearly impossible to obtain. The organizer was a friend of Shen Siying and, knowing she was coming, had reserved an excellent seat for her.

Shen Siying was somewhat distracted. After a long moment of inner conflict, she pulled out her phone to check work messages sent by Xiao Ye. The lights in the concert hall dimmed, leaving only two rows of spotlights on the stage.

Shen Siying’s seat was indeed perfect, providing an unobstructed view of the performer from every angle.

The tenth contestant, wearing a snow-white strapless floor-length gown, walked slowly toward the grand piano at the center of the stage. A few people in the audience whispered before chanting loudly: “Xin Mengyao! Xin Mengyao!”

Shen Siying looked down at tomorrow’s meeting agenda, but her gaze was drawn back to the stage by the group of fan girls. Under the warm yellow spotlight, Xin Mengyao seemed to have a filter over her; she was breathtakingly beautiful. Her dress was encrusted with tiny rhinestones that shimmered under the lights. Around her neck, she wore a massive “Heart of the Ocean” gemstone necklace, provided by the president of a jewelry company that was one of the competition’s sponsors.

Many well-known contestants’ PR teams had hoped to secure the endorsement of this necklace, but the jewelry company president had rejected them all. It was provided to Xin Mengyao solely because she was a friend of Shen Siying.

Sitting next to Shen Siying was a girl dressed rather flamboyantly. She leaned against her partner’s shoulder and said in a pinched voice: “Darling, my head is spinning. Do you think I have a fever?”

“Let me feel,” the partner said. “It seems so. Should we go to the hospital?”

“Yes, I feel terrible.”

After their brief exchange, the partner put an arm around the girl, and they left the concert hall.

Shen Siying became restless. She pondered for a moment, then stood up and left her seat. Standing in the whistling cold wind, Shen Siying lit a thin cigarette, took one puff, and hurriedly extinguished it. She dazed off for a long while before lighting another. The orange-red core burned silently, sending up a single silver thread of smoke.

When she returned to the concert hall, Xin Mengyao was finishing her piece and standing up, holding her snow-white gown as she bowed to the audience. The hall erupted into thunderous applause that lasted for several seconds. Shen Siying didn’t have time to walk back to her seat and stood in the aisle clapping.

A person standing in the aisle was very conspicuous; Xin Mengyao found her quickly and flashed a massive smile at her. Shen Siying returned a look of admiration and approval.

Xin Mengyao didn’t remove her makeup immediately after the performance. Instead, she found her phone and messaged Shen Siying: [Why weren’t you in your seat?]

Shen Siying: [I stepped out for a cigarette.]

Xin Mengyao: [Can you come backstage to keep me company?]

Shen Siying hesitated for a moment but eventually replied: [Okay.]

After Xin Mengyao’s performance, there were two contestants left. The backstage area was now tensely crowded with organizers, production crews, and staff from hair, makeup, and wardrobe. Shen Siying had to constantly dodge people to reach the back.

“Oh my god, is that Shen Siying?”

“Is that really the head of Haolan Group?”

“She’s so young and beautiful. She’s exactly my dream Alpha!”

“Is she here for Xin? Does that mean the rumors are true?”

“So the winner of this competition was basically decided internally?”

…

Shen Siying ignored the gossip of the bystanders. She quickly found Xin Mengyao, who was sitting at the vanity posing for staff photos. She didn’t look lonely or in need of company at all. Looking at Xin Mengyao, who radiated the aura of a champion, Shen Siying was reminded of Gu Bei’s haggard face as she lay in the hospital with a fever.

Shen Siying’s brow knit slightly but smoothed over quickly.

“Teacher Xin, hello. I’d like to take a photo with you.” A female Beta staff member approached Xin Mengyao shyly. She seemed to step on Xin Mengyao’s gown; Xin Mengyao lost her balance for a moment and fell backward.

At the critical moment, Shen Siying moved quickly to Xin Mengyao’s side, catching her and holding her in her arms. Xin Mengyao was clearly startled and smiled weakly at Shen Siying in thanks.

The surrounding crowd whispered.

“Xin usually doesn’t let anyone touch her. Shen is holding her like that and she isn’t dodging; the rumors are confirmed.”

“But Shen has an Omega wife!”

“I heard she’s a poisonous woman. Shen will probably divorce her!”

“Divorce? Wouldn’t she have to enter a concentrated breeding camp then?”

“Who knows? She probably deserves it!”

“I ship Shen and Xin, nobody stop me!”

…

The crowd grew louder and more out of line with each comment. Shen Siying heard them, but she didn’t take them to heart.

“I’ll step out,” Shen Siying said, helping Xin Mengyao stand upright. She straightened her Alpaca cashmere coat and walked straight out the door. Although Xin Mengyao was somewhat reluctant, she didn’t go against Shen Siying’s wishes.

The female Beta staff who had tripped her leaned into her ear and whispered: “Do we still want to take the photo?”

Xin Mengyao waved her hand, indicating it wasn’t necessary.

Shen Siying drove Xin Mengyao back to the Shen estate. The butler had returned and greeted them at the door, having sent a maid to the hospital to look after Gu Bei. Although the boss was married, as an Alpha, as long as there wasn’t a “permanent marking,” feelings could still change. Therefore, he didn’t show much shock when he saw Xin Mengyao returning with her. Whether the mistress of this house was named Gu or Xin, they would do their work all the same; they had no right to question anything.

However, the butler couldn’t help but ask: “President Shen, the Madam is staying at the hospital tonight. Do you need to go see her?”

Shen Siying watched Xin Mengyao’s graceful silhouette walking up the spiral staircase and replied: “I’m not going.”

Since Gu Bei started forming her girl group, there were too many miscellaneous documents and photos, so the butler had prepared an empty room as her study. Xin Mengyao stood at the door of the new study, carefully scanning every corner.

Shen Siying came to her side and followed her gaze into the room. “What, don’t want to go in and look?”

Xin Mengyao was startled, her thin shoulders trembling slightly. “No need. Sister probably wouldn’t want me entering her study.”

Shen Siying’s eyebrow arched as she placed a hand on Xin Mengyao’s shoulder. “Why?”

Xin Mengyao said: “After all, I returned to the country without a word, stayed in your home without a word, and even participated in the competition without a word, dragging you along to be an audience member.”

“First, you don’t need to report to anyone whether you return to the country or not.” Shen Siying held up two fingers: “Second, you have almost no relatives left in the country. Staying at the home of a classmate you’re less familiar with is worse than staying here.”

Seeing Xin Mengyao remain silent, she continued: “Third, you’ve prepared for this competition for so many years. It was hardly ‘without a word’.”

Hearing this, a satisfied smile appeared on the corner of Xin Mengyao’s mouth. This smile disappeared instantly as soon as Shen Siying turned away, making it difficult to read.

In the ward, Gu Bei tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Inadvertently, she caught a message on her phone—

Jian Peiyun: [I went to your studio this afternoon, but unfortunately you weren’t there.]

Gu Bei felt that Jian Peiyun’s image, temperament, stage presence, and vocals were excellent. Combined with the fact that the girl was very interested in the group she was forming, it was truly hard to ignore her. She picked up her phone, edited her message several times, and finally sent one: “I have a fever and I’m in the hospital, but it’s no big deal. I’ll contact you tomorrow once I get to the studio.”

The top of the chat then showed “Typing…”, but no message came through for a long time. Suddenly, Jian Peiyun called.

The moment she answered, Jian Peiyun’s gentle words were laced with deep anxiety: “Why are you in the hospital? What happened? Do you need me to come see you?”

The “Soul-Piercing Three Questions.”

Gu Bei was between laughter and tears. “Really, it’s nothing. I just got a chill from a cold shower.”

The other party clearly didn’t believe her. “Is it your heat? Have you injected suppressants?”

Gu Bei didn’t want to discuss Omega heat with an Alpha; it felt like a boy discussing a girl’s period with her. She and Jian Peiyun chatted idly for a while until the maid entered the room, at which point she hung up.

She looked out the window at the starlit sky shimmering through the clouds. Her gaze was like cold moonlight, fragmented like ice. She told herself in her heart: Do not miss the sun by day, and then miss the stars by night.