Must a Villainess Be Punished? - Chapter 8

I had no idea whether Jiang Shechuan ever regretted it.

I certainly did.

After that night, he seemed to discover the appeal of corporal punishment.

Whenever I made a mistake, he undid his belt. He never stopped until I was in tears, crying out for my brother.

I still refused to submit to him out loud, but deep down, he had beaten a healthy fear into me.

These days, whenever I did anything bad, I hid it from Jiang Shechuan and tried not to give him an excuse to hit me.

Not everything could be concealed.

Even with Cen Qi covering for me, Jiang Shechuan learned almost immediately that I had presented as a Beta.

That was why he ended his work early and rushed home for the short holiday.

The first thing he said when he saw me was a cold, merciless announcement.

“When the holiday ends, I’ll go to Military University and withdraw you.”

It was a bolt from the blue.

My mind went blank. Without thinking, I raised my luggage and swung it at him.

“I’m an adult! This is my business. What right do you have to interfere?”

Jiang Shechuan took my “weapon” with one hand and restrained me effortlessly with the other.

“Military University admits only Alphas. Forcing yourself to stay would only waste your time.”

“After you withdraw, I’ll contact suitable universities. Whether you want to enter business or politics—”

“I don’t!” I hated his tyranny. “I don’t want you controlling me! This is my life. I get to decide!”

Jiang Shechuan looked at me calmly.

“No, you don’t.”

“The path you wanted closed the moment you presented as a Beta. Xie Jin, you’re no longer a child. A mature adult should know when to cut her losses.”

But I had a chance at secondary differentiation.

I refused to give up, become an ordinary Beta, and spend the rest of my life unable to hold my head high before Alphas.

I, Xie Jin, would stand above everyone else. I would be the one watched and revered by millions.

I couldn’t say any of that to Jiang Shechuan. He would dismiss it as the tantrum of a spoiled child.

And if he learned about the secondary differentiation, he would definitely hit me again.

He would never believe Chu Ruoqing had volunteered his pheromones.

“But I truly don’t want to leave. I like Military University.” I forced down my temper and tried to reason with him. “Didn’t you say I could do anything I wanted as long as I didn’t break the law or violate discipline?”

Jiang Shechuan pressed a hand on my head. “Concealing your secondary sex violates military discipline. Therefore, you shouldn’t do it.”

To hell with *shouldn’t*.

I smacked his hand away.

“So you’ve made up your mind to ruin everything for me?”

Jiang Shechuan, who had crossed star systems to get home, didn’t argue. He simply watched me stamp and rage.

He was always like this.

Once he decided on something, nothing could sway him. Persuasion and threats were equally useless.

It was what I hated most about him.

It was also what I wanted most to become.

No matter how I argued, he remained unmoved.

Unable to beat him, I used the trick that had served me since childhood.

“Your life is perfect, but you insist on kicking me into the mud. What sort of brother does that? I’m telling Dad!”

Jiang Shechuan’s lips seemed to curve, but the expression disappeared too quickly for me to be certain.

“A moment ago, you were an adult. How have you still not outgrown tattling?”

Before I could threaten him further, he ended the conversation unilaterally.

“Tattling won’t change the fact that you’re a Beta. Instead of wasting time, think about what you want to study next.”

Damn him.

He was telling me that even Dad couldn’t help.

Father no longer headed the family. He couldn’t overrule Jiang Shechuan, much less change Military University’s regulations.

If Jiang Shechuan was determined to withdraw me, Father’s objections meant nothing.

I stood on the stairs, furious and powerless.

“You tyrant! Dictator! Cold-blooded machine without a shred of family feeling! I hate you!”

Unruffled, Jiang Shechuan nodded.

“Mm. One more sentence, and I’ll contact your professor now.”

I shut my mouth.

Then I shot up the stairs, fled to my bedroom, and slammed the door.

Tyrant. That damned tyrant!