After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, I Became a Slave to My Beloved Wife - Chapter 49

Faced with this situation, Jiang Nian had already learned the best solution in this world.

She simply said two words to the studio owner: “Pay more.”

The owner took the thick stack of money and instantly transformed into a completely different person, bowing repeatedly. “Sure, sure! Boss, just give me a moment—I’ll call my staff back right away.”

In less than half an hour, all the employees who had just left for the day returned to the studio.

The makeup artist was immediately captivated by the appearance of the two guests upon entering. She especially stared at Qiao Wenyu for a long time—something about her seemed very familiar.

“You do their makeup, Xiaomei,” the studio owner instructed.

Xiaomei turned around again to take another look at the two guests. “Oh my god, you two would look amazing even in potato sacks!”

“Thank you,” Qiao Wenyu replied with a warm smile.

Although the studio was small, it was fully equipped. Jiang Nian and Qiao Wenyu went to separate rooms to get changed and have their makeup done.

“This place is so cramped—I can’t even be with my wife,” Jiang Nian said, pointing at the wall. “If only this part could be knocked through.”

“Haha, you sure know how to joke,” the stylist said while helping Jiang Nian into her gown, then led her to sit in front of the mirror.

Jiang Nian had been working non-stop lately. Now, being pampered and not needing to move a finger, she felt her eyes sting and her head grow heavy. She closed her eyes—and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

Seeing her sleeping so soundly, the stylist didn’t wake her while doing her makeup, letting her rest and recharge.

By the time Jiang Nian woke up, everything was finished.

In the mirror, a regal face was reflected. She wore a high-end black-and-white formal gown adorned with sparkling sequins. To match the outfit, the makeup artist had given her a smoky eye look with glitter accents.

“You have such beautiful eyes,” the stylist praised. “It’s rare to see such perfectly shaped phoenix eyes—like those of a seductive little fox.”

At that moment, Qiao Wenyu walked in and caught the comment. She laughed and playfully retorted, “Fox? More like a silly puppy.”

The stylist had a low laugh threshold and burst into giggles. “Oh, you two are just perfect together—not only do you look good as a couple, but you’re also hilarious.”

Jiang Nian looked toward the voice and saw Qiao Wenyu standing at the doorway in a tailored women’s suit. Her long, slightly curled hair was tied into a high ponytail, giving her an aura of bold charisma—completely different from her usual gentle and delicate demeanor.

“Jie… you…” Jiang Nian was caught off guard. “Did we walk into the wrong dressing rooms and pick the wrong looks?”

“Nope, I asked for this on purpose,” Qiao Wenyu said as she extended her hand like a courteous gentleman. “You look just like a princess. Will you be my princess tonight?”

Jiang Nian couldn’t help laughing. Playing along, she placed her hand in Qiao Wenyu’s palm. “Gladly, my knight.”

Hand in hand, the two walked down to the first floor of the studio, where they were greeted by the photographer who had already set up the equipment.

The studio owner, who also happened to be the shop’s top photographer, casually snapped a photo as the couple descended the stairs. Looking at the image on his camera screen, he nodded with satisfaction. “Not bad. I may not take many photos these days, but my skills are still sharp.”

“We’ll leave it to you then,” Jiang Nian said.

With a cigarette tucked behind his ear, the owner replied, “Alright. I know just the place—guaranteed to get some beautiful shots.”

“Nope, I asked for this on purpose.” Qiao Wenyu extended her hand like a gentleman, graceful and polite. “You really look like a princess. So, will you be my princess tonight?”

Jiang Nian couldn’t help but laugh. She slipped into character, placing her hand in Qiao Wenyu’s palm. “Gladly, my knight.”

Fingers interlaced, the two of them walked down to the first floor of the studio, where they were met by the photographer who had just finished setting up his equipment.

The studio owner, also the shop’s award-winning photographer, casually snapped a shot of them as they descended the stairs. He glanced at the photo and nodded with satisfaction. “Not bad. I don’t take many pictures these days, but I still got it.”

“We’ll leave it to you, then,” said Jiang Nian.

The owner tucked a cigarette behind his ear. “Alright, I know a great spot. The photos will turn out beautifully.”

A small crew of five or six—including lighting and touch-up staff—headed out of the studio and into the little park across the street.

“There’s an old phoenix tree up ahead, over a hundred years old. They’ve strung some white fairy lights through it recently, and there’s even a little tent setup nearby. Let’s check it out,” the owner said, leading the way with equipment in tow.

They hadn’t walked far when they arrived at the picturesque setup. The owner instructed two assistants to set up the lighting.

“Stand over here,” he said, holding the camera in one hand while framing the shot with the other.

Jiang Nian and Qiao Wenyu moved into position.

“Alright, let’s start with the first mov—” The photographer’s words were cut off mid-sentence.

Jiang Nian watched as Qiao Wenyu suddenly dropped to one knee.

Startled, Jiang Nian took a step back and froze like a statue.

Or more accurately, her mind went completely blank—stone still, unable to react.

Kneeling gracefully, Qiao Wenyu looked up into Jiang Nian’s eyes and pulled a small velvet box from her pocket. Inside was a pair of simple silver rings, faintly engraved with letters.

“Oh wow, you young lovers…” the studio owner said knowingly as he lowered the camera and motioned for his staff to step back, giving them privacy.

The silver rings shimmered faintly in the night light. Jiang Nian felt like the glow had pierced her eyes, and all of a sudden her vision blurred with tears.

“Xiao Nian,” Qiao Wenyu said softly, “you’ve done so much for me—I know. There were a lot of things in the past… things that made you worry because of me. Maybe, just maybe, I fell for you even earlier than I thought.”

Under the soft glow of the lights, Qiao Wenyu’s face was especially clear, even the blush on her cheeks stood out. “I originally planned to wait until everything was over to give this to you. But I realized… my silly puppy’s been a bit insecure lately. Silly puppy!”

“Here,” Jiang Nian replied instantly.

“Silly puppy, I’ll use this collar to tie you to me. And you’ll use this ring to tie me to you. That way, neither of us will have to worry again. Isn’t that fair?” Qiao Wenyu lifted the ring box toward her.

Jiang Nian was visibly moved. As she reached out to take the ring, her fingertips trembled uncontrollably. After a moment to compose herself, she reached again, this time with all the steadiness she could muster, and took the ring in her hand.

“Put it on me, Xiao Nian,” Qiao Wenyu said, raising her slender hand.

Holding her breath, Jiang Nian carefully slid the thin silver band onto Qiao Wenyu’s finger.

Once the ring was in place, she gently helped Qiao Wenyu to her feet. Then Jiang Nian knelt down herself, took the remaining ring, and said, “Wife, I know this is kind of like offering stolen flowers at a shrine, but… I’ve never, ever felt this way before.”

Qiao Wenyu listened quietly.

“I—I love you so much. I hope I can be the only one in your heart. Jie… wife… my love, please never leave me, okay?” Jiang Nian held her hand as if she were holding onto her faith, her gaze full of sincerity.

Qiao Wenyu took the ring meant for Jiang Nian, bent down, and personally slid it onto her finger.

“Looks like I wasn’t wrong all this time. I know exactly what your fingers are like,” Qiao Wenyu said with a teasing smile.

Jiang Nian’s face flushed instantly. Embarrassed, she jumped up in mock anger, wrapped her arms around Qiao Wenyu’s waist, and kissed her deeply, biting down on her lips with all the passion she’d been holding back.

The crew standing nearby all pretended not to notice.

The studio owner said, “What a lovely night.”

The makeup artist sniffled, “Oh no, my eyeliner’s smudged. I need a touch-up.”

One assistant awkwardly covered his eyes. “You didn’t see anything, right?”

Another nodded. “Nope. You didn’t see it, I didn’t see it.”

Once the couple had finished their sweet moment, the studio owner hefted his camera and returned to his previously chosen spot.

“Alright, ladies—it’s truly an honor to shoot your wedding photos. Just look at you two, so in love,” he said, waving his hand. “Yes, just like that—hold that look. Beautiful eye contact.”

The flash fired again and again. As the photographer watched the number of photos grow on the camera screen, his satisfied expression never changed.

“Let’s try a few more with a touch of atmosphere… yeah, like this…” The photographer demonstrated a couple of poses, then squinted through the viewfinder. “Okay, now give me that pose… hey, hey—stop with the googly eyes. I need something more restrained here.”

He sighed. “Forget it. Go back to cuddling.”

Once all the usable shots had been taken, Jiang Nian and Qiao Wenyu followed the owner back to the studio. Since Qiao Wenyu wanted a photo to display in her office, the two decided to pick one on the spot.

The owner imported the photos into the computer and began clicking through them.

“How about this one?” he asked, pointing at the screen.

Jiang Nian: “Nope. Keep going.”

“This one?”

Qiao Wenyu: “Feels too staged.”

“This one, then?”

Both of them in unison: “Not special enough.”

After bouncing between images for over half an hour, they finally circled back to the very first photo—the one the photographer had casually snapped.

“Print it. I’ll put it on my shelf as soon as I get back,” Qiao Wenyu said.

The owner eyed the photo. “You sure you don’t want any retouching? I mean, you already look great, but maybe just a little color correction—”

“No need,” Jiang Nian replied, satisfied. “It’s most natural this way.”

And so, they selected a few more shots that required touch-ups, then returned to Qiao Wenyu’s office.

The freshly printed photo was carefully placed into a frame by Qiao Wenyu and then positioned in the most prominent spot on her shelf—visible the moment anyone walked into the room.

The two shared a smile and held each other’s hands tightly.

Meanwhile, in another corner of the city—

At the Yan family’s old estate.

“President Yan, this photo was sent by Jiang Fenyun—along with a handwritten letter,” a servant reported, presenting the items to Yan Zhong.

Yan Zhong paused from feeding his fish, slowly turning around. With two fingers, he picked up the envelope and opened it with his ring-clad hand.

Inside was a photo of Jiang Nian and Qiao Wenyu, intimately close, along with a personal letter from Jiang Fenyun.

The moment Yan Zhong laid eyes on the photo, his brow furrowed deeply. Nothing irritated him more than seeing Qiao Wenyu happy. He couldn’t tolerate the idea of her living freely and joyfully. Just looking at the picture left him unsettled.

He then carefully read through the letter from Jiang Fenyun. It took less than thirty seconds to get through—he didn’t need to read between the lines to understand the intent.

Without hesitation, he tore the letter to shreds. Then, with surprising swiftness, he snatched a fish from the tank and stuffed the shredded paper into its mouth. The fish swam around for a few seconds before flipping belly-up.

“President Yan, the fish…”

“It was dying anyway. Throw it out—just make sure I never see it again,” Yan Zhong said with distaste, wiping his hands clean with a handkerchief.

As the servant lifted the fish tank to leave, Yan Zhong stopped him.

“You. Come here.”

The servant stepped closer.

Yan Zhong leaned in and whispered a few words into the servant’s ear.

“Go take care of it.”

The servant’s face paled. “Won’t Chairwoman Jiang find out? She might cause trouble…”

“Trouble?” Yan Zhong sneered. “Let be it. If she’s upset, she should blame her perfect daughter for falling in love with my wretched illegitimate one.”

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