After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, I Became a Slave to My Beloved Wife - Chapter 40

Blindfolds? Is that really how we’re playing now?

The situation had escalated so quickly that Jiang Nian didn’t even have time to react. She just watched, stunned, as Qiao Wenyu stood there making urgent phone calls to her agent, trying to minimize the damage as quickly as possible.

Jiang Nian trailed behind her, poking her head out like a curious little mole, standing quietly by Qiao Wenyu’s side while she waited for the call to end.

When Qiao Wenyu finally hung up, she lowered the phone and pressed it against her chin. She didn’t say a word—just stared silently at the flowing river ahead.

“Sister, what’s going on? I just got the news too… about your single…”

“Yeah,” Qiao Wenyu said seriously. “The lyricist is now claiming they never authorized me to use the lyrics. They’re threatening to sue and demanding compensation. But when I received this project, it was already approved through official channels. There shouldn’t have been any copyright issues.”

With resources vetted from the top, it should’ve been airtight. And yet, when problems arose, the public would only turn their outrage toward the face of the project—Qiao Wenyu.

Jiang Nian frowned. This didn’t sit right with her. Considering everything that had happened lately, she couldn’t help but feel this was somehow connected to Jiang Fenyun.

“That resource came from Fenyun…” she muttered, her voice tinged with frustration.

Qiao Wenyu wasn’t particularly surprised. Calmly, she reached out and gently took Jiang Nian’s hand, giving her a reassuring wave. “Don’t worry, Xiao Nian. Whether the single comes out or not, it doesn’t matter to me.”

“But you worked so hard on it. It’s not fair.” Jiang Nian’s voice was tight with emotion.

Qiao Wenyu reached out and cupped Jiang Nian’s face in both hands. Her brow relaxed, and her eyes softened with tenderness. “Xiao Nian, sometimes effort alone doesn’t guarantee a good outcome. I’ve been through this more times than I can count. The timing just isn’t right—don’t let it get to you.”

“But still…”

“Classmate Jiang,” Qiao Wenyu interrupted playfully, turning to face the river again. “Didn’t you lose our stone-skipping match? Shouldn’t you accept your punishment now?”

Since Qiao Wenyu wasn’t bothered by the situation, Jiang Nian couldn’t press the issue. Besides, they were supposed to be relaxing today—not dragging work drama into their getaway.

Leaning against the railing by the riverbank, Jiang Nian tucked her windblown hair behind her ear. “So, Teacher… what kind of punishment do you have in mind?”

Qiao Wenyu smiled faintly and curled her finger, motioning for her to come closer. “Come here.”

Jiang Nian, a little confused, followed her back to the cabin.

During their trip, they’d picked up lots of little trinkets and souvenirs along the way. Many of the gifts were wrapped with colorful ribbons—especially around here, where even the smallest items were tied up prettily.

Jiang Nian watched as Qiao Wenyu casually picked out a pink ribbon. Then she gave her a gentle nudge on the shoulder, signaling for her to turn around.

Like a clueless puppy, Jiang Nian obediently turned her back.

The ribbon was cool and silky against her skin. Before she could react, Qiao Wenyu had taken her hands behind her back and tied them together with the ribbon—not too tight, but snug enough that it was difficult to break free.

Startled, Jiang Nian was about to turn around when her vision suddenly went pink. Qiao Wenyu had gently blindfolded her with the same soft ribbon.

“Xiao Nian, this doesn’t feel like a punishment anymore,” Qiao Wenyu teased through a chuckle. “You look more like a gift.”

Unable to see, Jiang Nian felt her ears burn. A wave of nervousness washed over her.

This is… definitely not a good atmosphere for self-control.

The scent of roses—Qiao Wenyu’s pheromones—drifted faintly through the air, spreading to every corner of the room. Jiang Nian couldn’t see, and the scent only made it harder to guess where Qiao Wenyu was.

“Sister… stop teasing me. Help me untie this,” Jiang Nian said, twisting her arms slightly, but the ribbon held firm.

And then—she felt a warm touch at the corner of her lips.

…

The ribbon fell away.

Half of Jiang Nian’s phoenix-like eyes were revealed beneath the pink silk. And within them was an unmistakable, smoldering desire.

It was destined to be another night under a sky full of stars.

When you travel with the one you love, time feels slow—in the best way. Watching sunrises and sunsets, mountains and oceans, the quiet beauty of life feels endless.
But at the same time, traveling with the one you love also makes time feel far too short. Immersed in each other’s warmth, the trip was over before they realized.

Work continued in its usual, relentless rhythm. Jiang Nian, dealing with some sales issues, had arranged a meeting with Bai Ye.

It was the first time Jiang Nian had seen Bai Ye since officially getting together with Qiao Wenyu.

Bai Ye sat at the head of the meeting table, raising her brows slightly. “Long time no see.”

“President Bai, it has been a while.”
Jiang Nian, having now confirmed her feelings with Qiao Wenyu, no longer held any hostility toward Bai Ye.

“I already know,” Bai Ye said, folding her arms. “About you and Wenyu.”

Jiang Nian paused for a second. “Oh. I see.”

“Hmph, it was obvious. Plus, Xiaoyu’s been in touch with me—I could tell just from how she talks.”
Bai Ye huffed softly, clearly a little disgruntled. “Now that you’ve marked her, take good care of her. She and I didn’t have that kind of fate. So make it count. Lucky you, Jiang Nian.”

Jiang Nian rubbed the bridge of her nose and nodded. “Of course. I love her. That means I’ll treat her right.”

Their business wrapped up shortly after. Bai Ye gathered her things and stood up, ready to leave. “I’m heading abroad soon. I think I’m better suited to work overseas. My phone number won’t change—if anything comes up, contact me anytime, kid.”

Jiang Nian wasn’t quite used to this version of Bai Ye. She stared blankly for a moment before awkwardly agreeing, “Okay.”

Bai Ye glanced back at her before walking off, then added softly, “I envy you. Falling in love with the right person at the right time—what a rare kind of luck.”

That look in her eyes carried something bittersweet—regret, perhaps sadness.
It was as if she was mourning the love of her youth while also saying goodbye to it. There was light in her gaze, but also a sense of finality.

After seeing Bai Ye off, Jiang Nian slumped into the sofa, feeling unexpectedly emotional. She picked up her phone and casually started scrolling through trending news.

She swiped through a few items—but the next headline made her sit up straight.

It was a video posted by a bystander. In the footage, Qiao Wenyu was being swarmed by a crowd of haters in front of her company building. The crowd was packed tightly, angry voices shouting insults from every direction.
Worse still, someone had picked up a small stone and hurled it at her.

The stone flew straight toward Qiao Wenyu, striking her on the forehead. Blood immediately began to trickle down from the fresh wound.

Jiang Nian froze the video at that exact frame.

The wound was on Qiao Wenyu’s face, but the pain—she felt it in her heart.

She couldn’t sit back and do nothing anymore. For a minor copyright dispute to spiral into this kind of chaos—there had to be someone behind the scenes stirring the pot. Jiang Nian didn’t believe otherwise.

“Secretary Lu!” she called out sharply toward the door.

It was the first time the secretary had heard his boss call for him with such anger. He stepped into the office nervously, assuming he had done something wrong.

“Look into this matter. I want every person who stirred things up, every instigator—find out who they are and where they came from,” Jiang Nian said coldly, her eyes darkening and her voice far lower than usual.

Lu Renbing took her phone and glanced at the video. “Understood, President Jiang. I’ll get on it right away.”

“No,” Jiang Nian cut in. “First, go to the garage and bring out my limited edition executive car. I’m going to pick up Wenyu.”

That car—Lu Renbing knew exactly which one she meant. Jiang Nian almost never drove it. Its presence alone turned heads, and when car enthusiasts spotted it on the road, they were always stunned.

It was the kind of car Jiang Nian reserved for meeting with high-ranking officials or top-tier clients—never to pick someone up from work.

But this time was different.

Lu Renbing didn’t say a word. He knew she was furious, and when Jiang Nian was like this, the best thing to do was follow orders without question.

While Lu went to fetch the car, Jiang Nian paced in her office like a caged beast, full of frustration with nowhere to direct her energy.

Meanwhile, Qiao Wenyu was just as anxious.

She had already sent people to negotiate with the lyricist, but the situation had only gotten worse. Strangers were defaming her online based on nothing more than hearsay—and now, some had even shown up in person.

Her forehead ached from the cut where the stone had hit her. Clutching the wound, she scanned the angry crowd in front of her. Most of the agitated faces were unfamiliar. They looked like paid protesters. Of course, some were just misled by online gossip, here demanding answers.

The lyricist in question was well-known in the industry. Many of the protestors were her fans.

Qiao Wenyu ordered security to clear a path—she wanted to speak with the lyricist directly.
But before she could go find her, the lyricist appeared on her own.

A stern-looking beta woman with her hair in a bun stepped out from the crowd. Her expression was harsh as she marched up to Qiao Wenyu, jabbing a finger in her face.

“You’re Qiao Wenyu, aren’t you? When you took my work, you said it was just admiration. And now you’ve gone and commercialized it? That’s copyright infringement. I could sue a no-name little idol like you into bankruptcy.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am. That’s not what happened,” Qiao Wenyu replied calmly. Even with a finger in her face, she didn’t lose her composure. “I was told someone had already negotiated the copyright with you.”

The lyricist scoffed and took a few intimidating steps forward, looking down at her with disdain.
“Do you even have the status to use my lyrics, huh?”

“I…”

“‘You’ what? Is your father a government official? Is your mother some corporate tycoon? Do you even know what kind of industry you’re trying to mess with? You think you can just grab my work without consequence?”
Her voice was sharp and relentless, giving Qiao Wenyu no room to respond.

“I…”

“Speak up. Who are your parents? If you had any real background, you wouldn’t still be some unheard-of little singer.”

Cornered, Qiao Wenyu finally spoke her father’s name.

“Yan Zhong,” she said quietly.

The lyricist paused and repeated it. “Yan Zhong?”
The name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. “Probably just some minor player.”

Her assistant, however, knew exactly who that was. She leaned over and whispered frantically in the lyricist’s ear, “That’s the Yan Zhong—business tycoon Yan Zhong.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed with doubt. “But her last name is Qiao. How could she be Yan Zhong’s daughter? Don’t overestimate yourself.”

Just then, the roar of engines drew everyone’s attention.

Jiang Nian had arrived—followed by a convoy of sleek black SUVs. Several bodyguards stepped out and swiftly cleared a path.

From the opening they created, Jiang Nian emerged—poised, powerful, every step full of authority. Behind her was the unmistakable silhouette of the globally limited-edition executive vehicle.

Anyone with eyes could tell immediately: this was someone with serious status.

“So, tell me,” Jiang Nian said as she walked up, her gaze cool and cutting, “does this ‘no-name idol’ have enough gold on her to impress you now?”

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