After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, I Became a Slave to My Beloved Wife - Chapter 57

The next day, inside Kiki Café.

Jiang Nian recounted everything about entering the novel to Wen Yun in detail. Afterwards, she nervously gripped the cup in her hands.
“That’s how it happened… I—I don’t think it was a dream.”

“I understand,” Wen Yun sighed. “You and I didn’t have the same dream.”

“What?” Jiang Nian was in disbelief. How could it not have been a dream?

Wen Yun wiped the coffee stain from the corner of her mouth with a napkin.
“The dream I had was the inspiration for Burning Passion. The other person in my dream was Bai Ye. And you, Jiang Nian… you were just cannon fodder.”

“That’s impossible…”

“You probably just read my novel and started fantasizing about my protagonist. Still, it’s strange—how much you resemble Jiang Nian. I naturally assumed you were just another expendable character,” Wen Yun said with a faint, apologetic smile. “Sorry, but let’s not meet again. I’m no longer curious about you.”

As Wen Yun was about to leave, Jiang Nian panicked and grabbed her hand.

Wen Yun’s cool wrist trembled. The bracelet she wore was yanked and broke apart. The translucent, shimmering beads scattered across the floor.

“I’m sorry!” Jiang Nian quickly let go, flustered.

Wen Yun looked stunned. She stared at the fallen beads for a long time, then crouched down to gather them, her expression on the verge of tears.

As Jiang Nian bent down to help, she noticed Wen Yun’s expression and said awkwardly,
“Don’t… don’t cry. We can string it back together.”

“But it won’t be the same anymore,” Wen Yun whispered.

Jiang Nian didn’t understand—was it really worth crying over a bracelet?

“I’ll fix it for you. I promise it’ll look exactly the same.” She gathered the beads in her palm.

Wen Yun looked reluctant. “I don’t want to give this to anyone else.”

“Is it a protective charm? Don’t worry, I’ll return it to you tomorrow,” Jiang Nian vowed.

Wen Yun frowned. “No…”

“Then come and get it! If you can reach it, it’s yours.” Jiang Nian rose on tiptoes, holding the beads high in her hand.

“Give it back to me first thing tomorrow morning,” Wen Yun replied irritably and left with her shoulder bag.

Watching Wen Yun walk away, Jiang Nian suddenly remembered something and sent her a message.

Jiang Nian: Where should I bring it?
Wen Yun: To my studio. Oh, and here’s what the bracelet originally looked like.

Jiang Nian received a location pin and a photo.

With the meeting set, she went home and began researching how to restring the bracelet. She stared blankly at the photo Wen Yun had sent. The weaving pattern and beadwork were completely baffling.

Determined to return the bracelet by morning, Jiang Nian stayed up all night following online tutorials and working on it until she finally finished near dawn.

Looking at the almost identical bracelet, she lay her head on the table, satisfied, and slowly closed her eyes.

Outside, the inky night gave way to drifting clouds, and silvery moonlight sprinkled across Jiang Nian’s desk. The bracelet glowed faintly white, the beads shining brilliantly.

That night, Jiang Nian had no dreams.

At dawn, she was still sound asleep—until the alarm clock jolted her awake.

“So sleepy…” she murmured, still clutching the bracelet. Under the morning sun, the transparent beads sparkled brilliantly.
“This bracelet really is beautiful.”

She suddenly remembered how Wen Yun used to wear the bracelet every single day. Looking at it now, Jiang Nian couldn’t help but feel a tender affection for the piece.

If time weren’t so tight, she might have allowed herself to drift off in thought a little longer.

Before the appointed time, Jiang Nian stood in front of the mirror, tidying herself up. For once, she stepped out the door looking vibrant and refreshed.

Truthfully, she had always been quite attractive. But during university, no one ever seemed to take notice. Jiang Nian never cared much for her appearance. Though she was only slightly nearsighted and didn’t really need glasses, she insisted on wearing thick-framed ones that covered half her face. Her wardrobe consisted entirely of tracksuits and sneakers—year-round.

After her experience inside the novel, she had learned a thing or two about personal grooming. She took out a long dress she had bought for her senior high school coming-of-age ceremony and carefully tidied up her messy hair.

“Wow… Was I always this unkempt before?” Jiang Nian muttered to herself, turning left and right in the mirror until she was finally satisfied.

Maybe it was her good mood, but just as she stepped outside, the bus arrived right on time—uncannily so.

She arrived at Wen Yun’s studio a few minutes early and raised her hand to knock on the door.

“Coming! Who’s—oh, it’s you?” The person who opened the door was the same manager who had handed her a business card the day before. “You look so good today—I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“I’m here to return the bracelet,” Jiang Nian explained.

The manager’s eyes widened when she saw it. She stomped her foot.
“Oh, so you’re the one returning it! What a coincidence. Well… come on in.”

She led Jiang Nian into the studio, which was spacious and filled with bookshelves lined with Wen Yun’s novels. The most prominent display featured a full three-volume hardcover set of Burning Passion.

“That office there is Ms. Wen Yun’s. Knock before you go in. I’ve got to get back to work on the publicity campaign,” the manager said before hurrying off.

Jiang Nian stood nervously at the door for a moment. Then, after receiving permission, she knocked and stepped inside.

“You’re here,” Wen Yun said, her gaze lifting—and pausing. She seemed stunned. The woman before her looked entirely different from yesterday, and much more like the Jiang Nian from her dreams.

Jiang Nian held out the bracelet. “Here it is.”

Wen Yun took it, and her expression shifted.
“This isn’t the same. It’s different from the original.”

“I followed the photo exactly,” Jiang Nian said, her voice tinged with grievance. She muttered under her breath, “It’s just a bracelet…”

“What do you know? This was the last thing Bai Ye left me! And you just—” Wen Yun’s eyes filled with tears, her voice catching as if she were about to cry.

“Bai Ye? But isn’t she…” Jiang Nian hesitated. Wasn’t Bai Ye just a character in a novel?

“This was her favorite bracelet,” Wen Yun said quietly. “She put it on me herself when she was lying in her hospital bed. Do you understand? And now you’ve… you’ve…” Her voice trembled as she covered her face, overwhelmed.

In that moment, Jiang Nian finally understood: the bracelet was a keepsake from Wen Yun’s late ex-girlfriend.

Panic set in. She had no idea Bai Ye had passed away in the real world.

“I… I didn’t know. Please don’t cry…”

Wen Yun didn’t respond, still silently weeping.

“How about this?” Jiang Nian tried to comfort her, though she wasn’t very good at it. “I’ll take it back and redo it. Or—no, we can do it together. You show me what’s wrong, and I’ll fix it.”

She softened her tone as she moved closer to Wen Yun, trying to reassure her.

Reluctantly, Wen Yun nodded.

At this point, there was no other choice. If they wanted to restore the bracelet exactly as it was, Wen Yun—who had worn it every day—would have to supervise.

…

The bracelet’s pattern was intricate, and Jiang Nian, wanting to spend more time alone with Wen Yun, deliberately took her time. It ended up taking an entire month to complete.

On the day they finally finished, Jiang Nian personally fastened the bracelet around Wen Yun’s wrist.

As her warm fingertips brushed lightly across Wen Yun’s arm, Wen Yun’s eyes grew misty.

“W-What’s wrong? Is it too tight?” Jiang Nian asked in alarm.

Wen Yun wiped the corner of her eye with her finger and shook her head. “No… I just suddenly missed Bai Ye.”

Just seeing you put the bracelet on me like this… it felt surreal. My heart skipped a beat…

Jiang Nian looked up and met her gaze.
“Jiejie… could you think about me instead?”

Wen Yun said nothing.

“No,” she finally replied flatly. “I only love Bai Ye.”

…

Jiang Nian was hit by a wave of dizziness. Her body trembled as she suddenly opened her eyes.

“What’s wrong? Xiaonian, did you have a nightmare?” Qiao Wenyu pulled her close, resting her head on Jiang Nian’s shoulder and gently rubbing her chest to calm her down.

Jiang Nian was drenched in cold sweat. It took a few seconds for her to realize that the whole “return to the real world” scenario had just been a dream.

“Jiejie…” Jiang Nian buried her face in Qiao Wenyu’s neck and nuzzled softly like a child. “I dreamed that you didn’t want me anymore… That you didn’t love me and were still in love with Bai Ye.”

“Hmm? It was just a dream, silly. How could I not love you?” Qiao Wenyu chuckled through a sigh.

Jiang Nian grew increasingly agitated.
“In that dream, even though Bai Ye was gone, you still couldn’t let her go. You kept wearing the bracelet she gave you… and you rejected my confession.”

“How could that happen, Xiaonian? It was just a nightmare,” Qiao Wenyu said gently, leaning in to place a soft kiss on her lips. She cupped Jiang Nian’s face, “Maybe… maybe I was confused about Bai Ye once. But I fell in love with you. Some things are destined. Now forget that bad dream.”

“Jiejie, I want to make you a bracelet too—so I can keep you tied to me forever,” Jiang Nian said, her thoughts drifting into the distant future. “What if one day… I’m no longer here?”

Qiao Wenyu quickly covered her mouth. “Don’t say things like that. Don’t be silly.”

“I mean like when I’m away on a business trip or not by your side. You’ll have something of mine with you, and when you see it, it’ll feel like I’m still there,” Jiang Nian explained.

Qiao Wenyu held out her hand. “Doesn’t this ring count?”

“Nope. It doesn’t count. I’m really scared you’ll stop loving me…” Jiang Nian pouted, launching into another round of affection.

Qiao Wenyu leaned in and whispered into Jiang Nian’s ear,
“You know… I’ve heard some couples say the best way to tie someone down after marriage… is to have a child together. Want to give it a try?”

As soon as Jiang Nian heard that, her eyes lit up. “Really? We’re going to have a baby too?”

“Mhm…” Qiao Wenyu’s gaze softened.

Jiang Nian hugged her tightly. Their bodies pressed together.

Five Years Later
Break Room – Jiang Corporation

“Slow down, little ancestor!” Lu Renbing chased after a little girl, toy boxes spilling from her arms as she ran around the room in chaos.

Four-year-old Jiang Wanyue stuck out her tongue, “You can’t catch me!”

“Oh, little miss, please stop running!” The secretary, drenched in sweat after just a short time babysitting, pleaded, “If you don’t like that toy, we’ll switch it. Just don’t throw things everywhere.”

Jiang Wanyue shook her head. “Only babies play with dolls. I want to play with Gundam models! And drones!”

“Goodness, where did you even hear about that? Grown-ups can’t even handle those,” Lu Renbing said, panting as she collapsed to the floor.

Just then, the break room door opened.

Jiang Nian, dressed smartly in a business suit, stepped inside with a serious expression. But the moment she saw her daughter, her face lit up with a smile.
“Baby!”

“Don’t come over here, Mother—I don’t want your kisses!” Jiang Wanyue hid behind the sofa.

Qiao Wenyu followed behind Jiang Nian and raised an eyebrow.
“Xiaoyue, did you finish your pinyin lessons for today? Still goofing around?”

“Mama, I did! ‘Slide’ is… h…u…a, h…u…a…ti!” Jiang Wanyue beamed. “Did I get it right, Mama?”

“You’re amazing, sweetheart.” Jiang Nian couldn’t resist. She crouched down, reaching out for another kiss.

Jiang Wanyue had had enough. She bolted.
“Mama! I can’t take this anymore! Just give me a baby sister already!”

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