Chapter 41

A wife is a wife... (Bonus chapter including 2k nutrient solution)

"How could this be!"

Mi Rui'an had been lying on the couch, listening to Wei Jiangxue tell a story, her face still showing signs of weariness. Now, that weariness was gone, replaced by an almost... blank expression.

Wei Jiangxue had never known that the word "blank" could be used to describe a person's expression, but at this moment she understood. It was simply because the message received was so astonishing that a person could not react at all, and even their original emotions disappeared.

Omega's face turned pale, and he opened his lips, but no sound came out, as if he had lost the ability to speak.

Wei Jiangxue sat down, put her arm around Mi Rui'an's shoulder, and turned to the butler, saying, "Prepare the car to go to the hospital immediately, as quickly as possible."

The butler looked at Mi Rui'an, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back, which intensified Wei Jiangxue's bad premonition.

But the housekeeper said nothing, only nodded heavily, and then turned and left.

Wei Jiangxue wanted to chase after her to find out what was going on, but after feeling the dampness seeping into her clothes on her shoulder, she hugged Mi Rui'an tightly as she snuggled into her arms.

“If it were just a matter of injury and emergency treatment, the housekeeper would definitely have said so clearly. But…”

Mi Rui'an's voice was barely audible, and her hand, clutching Wei Jiangxue's clothes, trembled uncontrollably.

She didn't say more, but Wei Jiangxue could guess what came next: Mi Jia and Ji Ruo were likely confirmed dead on the spot. That's why the housekeeper even forgot to prepare the car and rushed over to tell them this devastating news.

A subtle detail aroused Wei Jiangxue's suspicion. After working for the Mi family for so long, would the housekeeper really be so reckless? He actually rushed over to tell the two children bad news instead of giving them some time to process it.

But she wasn't sure what other complications might lie ahead, and for now, she could only comfort Mi Rui'an. Wei Jiangxue thought of the worst-case scenario, her throat tightened, and she wanted to say something, but the words of comfort seemed to get stuck in her throat.

Words seemed inadequate at this moment; all she could do was press her face against Mi Rui'an's and say, "I'll stay with you. Whatever you want to do, I'll be there for you."

Mi Rui'an did not respond, remaining motionless, her breathing so faint as to be imperceptible.

After an unknown amount of time, the housekeeper's voice came from outside. Wei Jiangxue patted Mi Rui'an on the back, trying to help her up so that she could at least see Mi Jia and Ji Ruo.

But the moment her fingertips touched Mi Rui'an's skin, Wei Jiangxue felt a burning heat coming from her—Mi Rui'an seemed to have a fever.

"You..." have a fever.

Wei Jiangxue was unable to finish her sentence because Mi Rui'an put her finger to her mouth and said, "Shh."

Mi Rui'an continued to whisper in her ear, her warmth washing over Wei Jiangxue's face like a wave: "There's something strange about the people around me. You're the only one I can trust. For now, just pretend nothing happened. I'm not sick. Let's go see Mom first. After we visit them, anything can happen. It's not too late to see a doctor then."

What does that mean? Wei Jiangxue was dumbfounded, but out of trust, she did as Mi Rui'an said.

*

The next few days were as chaotic as a nightmare from which I could not wake up.

Mi Jia and Ji Ruo did indeed die on the spot. The truck driver who caused this tragedy was found to be driving while fatigued and came from a poor family. If it weren't for insurance, the driver would not even be able to provide legally recognized financial compensation.

But for Mi Rui'an, and for the deceased Mi Jia and Ji Ruo, the compensation was less than one-tenth of what they would normally donate to charity.

After seeing the remains of Mi Jia and Ji Ruo, Mi Rui'an developed a persistent high fever and fell into a semi-comatose state. Occasionally, she would open her hazy eyes and mumble "Mom" a few times. Most of the time, the ward was deathly silent. The Mi family doctor and the doctors at the sanatorium were at a loss. Examinations showed that her physical functions were not seriously affected; it seemed more like a stress reaction after suffering a huge psychological shock.

Then, many employees of the Mi family mansion resigned, with the butler being the first to leave. Seeing the chaotic state of the Mi family mansion, Wei Jiangxue had no choice but to step in and help handle all the aftermath.

She contacted the lawyers and trustees hired by the Mi family who were still alive, and cooperated with the police and funeral home procedures, awkwardly learning how to deal with those who came to offer condolences or inquire. In front of distant relatives, business partners, and media reporters whose intentions were unknown, Wei Jiangxue had to appear calm enough.

Although in the eyes of outsiders she was just a young child, a page and playmate found by the Mi family for Mi Rui'an, and had no right to handle these matters.

But now, besides her, should we ask Mi Rui'an, who is still sick and in a coma, to solve these problems?

Therefore, while worrying about Mi Rui'an, Wei Jiangxue tried her best to ignore those who looked down on her and made things difficult for her.

However, during this chaotic time, Wei Jiangxue began to notice something slightly amiss.

At first, it was just a slight sense of unease.

Wei Jiangxue was standing by the window reading documents when someone knocked on the door of the ward: "It's time to change the dressing."

It was the nurse who came to change Mi Rui'an's IV drip; Wei Jiangxue had just pressed the call button by the bedside to call her.

The nurse's footsteps were as light and quick as ever, and her tone of voice remained unchanged. Wei Jiangxue should have continued to focus on the documents in front of her, but as if possessed, she suddenly looked up at the nurse.

Wei Jiangxue almost dropped the document in her hand—when she looked in the direction of the nurse, she could clearly see the nurse's figure and the action of changing the dressing, but Wei Jiangxue could not see the nurse's face.

She even thought she was seeing things, but no matter how hard she blinked, the nurse's face remained a blurry fog, while Mi Rui'an on the bed looked perfectly normal.

"You..." Wei Jiangxue took a few steps forward, trying to call out to the nurse, but the nurse acted as if she hadn't heard her and quickly left after changing the dressing.

Wei Jiangxue stared at the closed door, beginning to doubt her own eyes.

Was I just too exhausted from working non-stop? Was that why I was hallucinating?

But soon, Wei Jiangxue became certain that this was not an illusion.

More faceless people entered Wei Jiangxue and Mi Rui'an's illusory world, from nurses to doctors, and even the security guards at the sanatorium...

Some became even more blurry, their shapes indistinct. Wei Jiangxue could only see that there was probably someone there, and they could have a normal conversation, but she just couldn't make out what they were looking at.

Apart from Mi Rui'an and Wei Jiangxue, everyone else seems to be slowly flattening out, or even disappearing.

Wei Jiangxue realized this, but she didn't understand why.

On one occasion, a woman who was familiar with Wei Jiangxue came to visit. She was a good friend of Mi Jia and Ji Ruo and was very concerned about the current situation of Mi Rui'an and Wei Jiangxue. Her voice was kind and gentle and her words were appropriate.

But Wei Jiangxue felt a chill creep up her spine, because this time she couldn't even see the mist that represented the location of humans.

Wei Jiangxue seemed to be talking to thin air; there was nothing around her except for a sound of unknown origin.

The bizarre scene made her only dare to stay by Mi Rui'an's side, as if Mi Rui'an was the real existence in all of this illusion.

If Wei Jiangxue stayed too long near those faceless, shapeless fogs that only made sounds, she feared she would be assimilated.

Even when she was by Mi Rui'an's side, unease continued to grow.

In Mi Rui'an's hospital room, there was complete silence when the windows were closed. When the windows were open, there would be the occasional chirping of birds or the sounds of human conversation. These were like thin, monotonous background noises, devoid of any meaning or vitality.

Only Mi Rui'an is normal.

Wei Jiangxue could feel her body temperature, hear her uneasy murmurs in her sleep, and smell the rich rose scent on her body.

*

On a gloomy afternoon, Mi Rui'an's uncle, Mi Feng, came to visit her.

Strangely enough, Wei Jiangxue only just learned that Mi Feng's wife, Bai Rong, had passed away, and that her death date was the same as that of Mi Rui'an's mothers.

However, Mi Jia and Ji Ruo died in a car accident, while Bai Rong disappeared on a cruise ship.

As a relative of the three deceased, Mi Feng was the first to be investigated by the police, but was later cleared of suspicion, and it was confirmed that all the deaths were accidents.

Logically speaking, Mi Feng had a solid alibi and no motive to kill Mi Jia, Ji Ruo, and Bai Rong, so Wei Jiangxue shouldn't have suspected him. However, Wei Jiangxue couldn't let her guard down.

"Xiaoxue, I heard that An'an is sick, so I came here to see her." Mi Feng's voice rang out, his face still indistinct to Wei Jiangxue, but at least his figure was clearly visible.

Even in this form, Mi Feng still made Wei Jiangxue uncomfortable. The intense presence emanating from him constantly disgusted her.

“Uncle, Rui’an is resting and recuperating, and it’s not appropriate for her to receive any visitors,” Wei Jiangxue refused him.

"Sigh, this child has been frail since childhood, and this time she has suffered such a great blow..." Mi Feng sighed, his voice sounding somber. "I am also heartbroken about her mother's situation. It was truly an unexpected disaster. That truck driver was driving while fatigued, which caused immense harm!"

“Yes, accidents are always unpredictable, just like Aunt Bai Rong…” Wei Jiangxue said regretfully, following his words, “It’s so unfortunate, we can only say that those who are still alive should take heart.”

Mi Feng gave a strange laugh: "Who says otherwise? This world... that's why I'm even more worried about Rui'an. Let me go up and see her, at least I can feel more at ease."

Wei Jiangxue suddenly stood up, blocking the fog: "Uncle, Rui'an just took her medicine and is resting. The doctor specifically said that she can't have any emotional fluctuations right now. You don't want her to be reminded of her mother just by seeing you, and suffer more stimulation, do you?"

Her tone was too abrupt, so Wei Jiangxue paused again and readjusted her words: "I will convey your wish to visit her. We can arrange a meeting when she is feeling better, is that alright?"

The air was silent for a few seconds. Although Mi Feng was just a cloud of mist whose face was not visible, Wei Jiangxue could feel that the mist was scrutinizing her.

This situation was rather funny, and Wei Jiangxue forcefully suppressed the corners of her mouth, preventing them from turning up.

The misty gaze held a scrutinizing quality, as if assessing the sincerity of her words.

Finally, Mi Feng smiled and took a step back: "Xiao Xue really cares about An An. You two have such a good relationship. Then please tell her that her uncle is very worried about her and that she needs to rest well. As for the company's affairs, I'll take care of things here and help out."

Wei Jiangxue's heart tightened, and she nodded slightly: "I will."

The malicious aura gradually faded away. Wei Jiangxue stood there, slowly exhaling a breath of stale air, her palms sweating profusely.

She just stopped Mi Feng from seeing Mi Rui'an, but can she really stop him completely?

A strong intuition told Wei Jiangxue that she absolutely could not let Mi Feng see Mi Rui'an. This was not only because of grief, but also because of a subconscious premonition of crisis.

A deeper danger, one that Wei Jiangxue cannot fully comprehend, may be looming before them, waiting for Wei Jiangxue and Mi Rui'an to fall into it together.

We must take Mi Rui'an away as soon as possible.

This thought was crystal clear.

But where could they go if they left here?

Wei Jiangxue didn't know the answer, but if she didn't leave, she would never know where to go.

She practically ran back to her ward.

Fortunately, this time it happened to coincide with Mi Rui'an's lucid period.

The moment Wei Jiangxue pushed open the door, before her rapid breathing had even subsided, she heard Mi Rui'an's voice: "Xiaoxue..."

On the hospital bed, the figure that had been silent for many days stirred slightly and waved to Wei Jiangxue.

"You're awake!" Wei Jiangxue's heart skipped a beat, then she was overwhelmed with joy. She quickly walked to the bedside, wanting to check on Mi Rui'an, but then stopped, afraid that her foreign aura might disturb Mi Rui'an.

The surprise was quickly overshadowed by a stronger sense of urgency. Mi Rui'an woke up, but they were still in a dangerous place.

"Rui'an, listen, we have to leave the hospital immediately, it's not safe here! You have to trust me!" Wei Jiangxue leaned down and lowered her voice, afraid that someone might overhear.

Her tone was hurried and serious, which made Mi Rui'an want to laugh.

"Take your time and tell me."

However, Wei Jiangxue couldn't calmly recount the events; she only wanted to make Mi Rui'an realize the seriousness of the situation as quickly as possible: "Right now, many things are so strange. So many people don't have faces or bodies! The people outside... I just ran into Mi Feng, your uncle. His wife is also dead. This is not right! She even died on the same day as your mother! I persuaded him to leave. I felt he had ill intentions, and I don't know if he will come back. It's really dangerous here!"

Mi Rui listened quietly, her face expressionless. After Wei Jiangxue finished speaking, she slowly reached out and offered her hand to Wei Jiangxue.

Wei Jiangxue's anxious face was reflected in her eyes, which appeared empty and deep due to illness and sleep.

The hand was pale and thin, and it was still trembling.

Mi Rui'an spoke, as if murmuring in a dream: "Then, did you come to take me away?"

The moment the words left his mouth, the entire ward began to collapse and disintegrate.

It was as if the space they inhabited, this hospital room, along with the sky and world outside the window, was merely a painting. And now, someone had torn this painting apart, revealing the endless, empty darkness behind it.

The scene before her eyes shattered into countless pieces, refracting strange light. Mi Rui'an's hand remained steadily outstretched in front of Wei Jiangxue. Before she could even think about what was happening, Wei Jiangxue grabbed Mi Rui'an, and a feeling of weightlessness washed over her. At the same time, Mi Rui'an tightened her grip on Wei Jiangxue's hand.

The two of them, along with the shimmering fragments, fell into darkness.

*

[System 233: Ahhh—Host, you're finally awake! I was thinking I was doomed! If you hadn't woken up, I would have had to self-destruct to atone for it!]

Wei Jiangxue's head throbbed with pain, and she suddenly opened her eyes—

With all her memories returning, she managed to gather her thoughts before speaking to 233: "I was just dreaming? A really, really long time passed in the dream..."

[System 233: Thank goodness, you finally responded to me!]

233's voice was filled with excitement, tinged with the relief of surviving a disaster. It was hard to imagine that an AI that had transmigrated into the bookstore could be so human-like.

[System 233: Do you know what happened shortly after you entered the dream? It scared me to death! My permissions were taken away, and it said that a higher-level being had taken over the dream! Then I tried everything I could, but I couldn't affect Mi Rui'an's dream, and I completely lost contact with you!]

Wei Jiangxue opened her mouth to ask for clarification, but 233 then poured out everything about her second dream.

It turned out that shortly after waking up in the middle of the night and entering the dream a second time, 233 noticed that something else had intervened. 233 frantically searched for solutions, asking friends in various systems for help, and finally discovered that the consciousness of the small world had taken over Mi Rui'an's dream.

233's actions were already against the rules, but now that the small world's consciousness has arrived, 233 dares not utter a sound and can only frantically try to awaken Wei Jiangxue, but all attempts have failed.

When 233 discovered that Wei Jiangxue and Mi Rui'an were still asleep, it was terrified. If Wei Jiangxue woke up any later, 233 would report to the main system and ask the Transmigration Bureau to intervene and save its host.

After listening, Wei Jiangxue murmured, "Mi Rui'an's dream was taken over by the consciousness of the small world midway? What is that thing going to do?"

[System 233: Nothing much. It seems the small world's consciousness has anchored your consciousness to the core of Mi Rui'an's dream, preventing you from waking up and escaping on your own. You can only wait for Mi Rui'an to wake up, and then it just washes its hands of the matter... I feel like it's observing you and Mi Rui'an, huh?]

What's there to observe? It sounds like they've locked the two of them in a room where "they can't get out unless they do *that*."

Wei Jiangxue frowned: "In my dream, I saw a lot of Mi Rui'an's past, but some parts probably didn't actually happen. Because in the dream, my identity was that of a girl adopted by her mothers, specifically to be Mi Rui'an's playmate."

[System 233: That's natural. Dreams are inherently full of fantasy, especially since you're in a deep dream realm where real-life memories are mixed in, completely controlled by the dreamer's subconscious. It's likely that Mi Rui'an's brain generated the most suitable role for you based on your latent needs and your current relationship.]

"...In my dream, I was Mi Rui'an's playmate, and later I became her wife."

Wei Jiangxue left those words and waited for 233's reply.

After a few seconds of silence, 233 let out a sharp, explosive roar: [What?! Wife?! Did I hear that right?!]

Wei Jiangxue ignored its screams. Anyway, 233 was probably in a frenzy right now and couldn't provide any good answers, so she could only figure it out herself.

What are Mi Rui'an's underlying needs? Has she chosen the most suitable identity for herself?

So, in reality, Mi Rui'an didn't have such a playmate in her past; she probably endured it all alone...

Thinking of Mi Rui'an's loneliness and weakness at that time, Wei Jiangxue felt a heavy weight in her chest, making it hard to breathe. The dream might have embellished or omitted many things; she couldn't imagine Mi Rui'an's true situation back then.

Moreover, later on, Mi Rui'an was controlled by Mi Feng... Wei Jiangxue closed her eyes and stopped thinking about this.

In her final moments, the frail, pale child on the hospital bed reached out his hand to her.

Wei Jiangxue chose to hold her hand.

It wasn't for the sake of the mission; after all, Wei Jiangxue had forgotten about System 233 and the Transmigration Bureau at that point. What drove her to respond wasn't the system's instructions, but simply a heartfelt desire and instinct.

He wanted to protect Mi Rui'an, to take her away from the dangerous environment, and he didn't want to see her so lonely and helpless.

The thought popped into her mind, leaving Wei Jiangxue momentarily stunned.

She shook her head. No, she and Mi Rui'an were from two different worlds, and Mi Rui'an didn't need her pity or help. In the original story, the other person's future life was going to be exceptionally exciting; whether Wei Jiangxue was there or not wouldn't make a difference.

As for the identity of the "wife"? It is possible that Mi Rui'an, who lost both parents at a young age, subconsciously yearned for a harmonious family and love, so he placed this wish on Wei Jiangxue.

*

233 had assured Mi Rui'an beforehand that she wouldn't have any memories of Wei Jiangxue entering her dream, but Wei Jiangxue still couldn't believe it, especially after learning that the consciousness of the small world had intercepted 233's access.

However, this time 233 seemed to be very reliable. Since Wei Jiangxue sat down at the table to eat, she did not notice any strange behavior from Mi Rui'an across from her. Everything was normal.

But Wei Jiangxue was too hasty. Just as she finished her porridge, Mi Rui'an suddenly spoke up: "Jiangxue..."

The other person's tone was weak, with a hint of coquetry.

This is more like the behavior that little Mi Rui'an in the dream would exhibit. The way she addresses her is more distant compared to the dream version, but much more intimate than the way she addresses her in reality.

In that long dream, Wei Jiangxue had developed a conditioned reflex; upon hearing Mi Rui'an's tone, she knew that Mi Rui'an was feeling unwell and needed comfort.

Wei Jiangxue immediately asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

When she heard a muffled laugh from Mi Rui'an's side, Wei Jiangxue suddenly blushed. She immediately realized that she had brought the way she interacted with the little Mi Rui'an in her dream into reality.

But what was Mi Rui'an laughing about? Before Wei Jiangxue could figure it out, she heard Mi Rui'an get up quietly, and the scent of roses instantly approached—Mi Rui'an sat down next to her.

A hand tugged at Wei Jiangxue's sleeve and gently shook it: "It's a lingering issue from the last temporary marking. I might need some of your pheromones."

Wei Jiangxue still remembered this point: Omegas develop a certain dependence on the Alphas who mark them, so the Alphas have to release pheromones to appease the Omegas.

"Then what should I do?" Wei Jiangxue asked helplessly.

Seeing that she was accepting it well, Mi Rui'an simply rested her head on Wei Jiangxue's shoulder and whispered, "Can you hug me?"

Her voice carried a subtle hint of probing and anticipation.

It was just a hug, Wei Jiangxue suddenly realized, and as if she were going to her death, she opened her arms wide: "Here, come and hug me."

Omega quickly threw herself into her arms. Wei Jiangxue wrapped her arms around Mi Rui'an's shoulders and held her, her movements a little clumsy but very gentle.

In her dream, Xiao Mi Rui'an also sought Wei Jiangxue's embrace, so Wei Jiangxue was already quite adept at it.

The freesia pheromones were crisp and delicate, enveloping the rose scent. Mi Rui'an, nestled in his arms, stiffened slightly before relaxing and pressing herself even closer to Wei Jiangxue.

Warm breath brushed against Wei Jiangxue's collarbone, and Wei Jiangxue heard Mi Rui'an let out a light sigh of relief, like the sound of a puppy finding a comfortable spot to lie down in bed. It seemed that this had truly brought Mi Rui'an some kind of comfort.

Wei Jiangxue seemed to be deep in thought. The ABO world was truly wondrous. Could simply releasing pheromones and giving a hug really offer comfort? Comforting someone in the real world was not so simple.

Sigh, speaking of the real world, she misses home again. How should she help Mi Rui'an next? Should she get Mi Feng to step down as soon as possible?

Nestled in Wei Jiangxue's arms, Mi Rui'an closed her eyes, her cheek pressed against the skin of Wei Jiangxue's neck, a reassuring fragrance lingering around her nose.

The deep sorrow and unease in my dream were isolated by this embrace.

A sweet feeling quietly rose in my heart, like the bursting bubbles floating in pink soda.

"If only time could stand still at this moment," Mi Rui'an thought dazedly.

Then she heard Wei Jiangxue's voice above her, as if she had thought it through carefully: "Tell me, if we kill Mi Feng, will we both be safe?"

Mi Rui'an: "?"

[Author's Note]

Bonus chapter with 2k nutrient solution