After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, I Refuse to Get Divorced - Chapter 25

The woman who had struck out retracted her hand, smoothed down her modified cheongsam, and headed toward the villa. She didn’t look back, leaving Zhu Qingran with nothing but a view of her retreating figure.

The moment she was gone, Zhu Qingran rushed to check on her wife, but Du Shiyu caught her by the hands first.

“Why did you have to be so stubborn? Don’t you know my dad is a martial arts fanatic? If I hadn’t managed to call her off in time and she actually hurt you, what would I have done?”

Du Shiyu was clearly panicked. She knew her family’s skill level and temperament all too well. Today, however, Zhu Qingran had become the one factor she couldn’t control.

She pulled Zhu Qingran back and forth, inspecting her from every angle, terrified that she had missed even a scratch. As her concerned gaze swept over her, Zhu Qingran simply broke into a wide, genuine grin—a smile of pure joy and comfort.

“Wife, were you worried about me?”

Zhu Qingran couldn’t help it; she was ecstatic. Despite the unsettling nature of the encounter, being worried over—even scolded—by her wife made her incredibly happy.

“Shut up!”

The pampered wife snapped, her tone sharp. Zhu Qingran was stunned for a split second, but she quickly behaved, miming a zipper across her lips. If her wife told her to be quiet, she would be a “good girl.”

Seeing the deep concern in Du Shiyu’s eyes gave Zhu Qingran a profound sense of accomplishment. But it also hardened her resolve: this would be the last time she let her wife worry like this. She wanted to bring her wife joy, not anxiety.

“How could she have a father-in-law like that.” Du Shiyu muttered under her breath, satisfied that Zhu Qingran was unharmed. She took her partner’s hand and continued toward the main entrance. The whisper was a mix of frustration and helplessness, a private complaint not meant for the world to hear.

Beside them, the childhood friend Fu Chensi likely overheard. She opened her mouth to speak but ultimately found nothing to say. Zhu Qingran, on the other hand, let out a silent chuckle and gave Du Shiyu’s hand a tight squeeze.

“After all, I stole her precious pearl. It’s only natural for Father-in-law to be angry with me,” Zhu Qingran said, sounding perfectly understanding, before immediately pivoting back to acting spoiled: “But Father-in-law is so cold-hearted!

Isn’t she worried that if she ruins my face and makes me ugly, our future children will have bad genes? Father-in-law doesn’t dote on her son-in-law at all. Sister, I feel so wronged.”

Zhu Qingran might not be a “Green Tea” expert, but she came from a family of schemers. She refused to believe she couldn’t out-maneuver a childhood friend. As she spoke, she didn’t forget to swing Du Shiyu’s arm playfully.

The CEO’s ability to act coquettish was easily on par with her negotiation skills in the boardroom. At the very least, Du Shiyu’s annoyance had vanished, replaced by a sense of amused resignation.

“Fine, fine. I know you were wronged just now. But Dad has always been like that—it’s probably due to her rank and profession. Just be careful when you go inside. Don’t let her hurt you again.”

After her worried instructions, the wife allowed Zhu Qingran to keep clinging to her arm as they walked toward the front door.

Meanwhile, by a second-floor window, two beautiful, sophisticated women watched them.

“I always thought our third sister was someone who valued substance. Who would have thought she’d pick such a goofy ‘vase’ like this?”

One of them, her hair swept up with a jade pin, spoke with a clear hint of dissatisfaction toward Zhu Qingran. In their eyes, Du Shiyu was the “treasure” of the family. Even after their parents had a fourth child—a little Alpha sister years later—they still pampered their third sister like she was the baby of the family.

Now that the mysterious partner had finally decided to visit, the sisters had canceled all their appointments just to vet her. Judging by the test just conducted by the head of the household, Du Jingtan (the father-in-law), Zhu Qingran had technically passed the first round.

However, that was only the beginning. Just because someone could walk in through the front door didn’t mean they wouldn’t be flying out of a side window or a balcony later.

As the couple entered the lobby, those upstairs moved into position to observe. Zhu Qingran was immediately struck by the woman who met them.

The woman wore a form-fitting blue-and-white porcelain patterned cheongsam. She held an elegant feather fan, her hair styled in a bun held by a rosewood pin. She had an oval face and willow-leaf eyebrows, but her look wasn’t harmless—it was sharp and predatory. Though she wore a smile, she was clearly not someone easily approached.

“You’re back?”

When the woman spoke, her voice was seventy to eighty percent similar to Du Shiyu’s. But having listened to her wife for so long, Zhu Qingran could hear the added layers of maturity and command. These words were directed at Du Shiyu, not Zhu Qingran.

“Mom, I’m home,” Du Shiyu replied softly, offering a slight bow of respect.

“It’s good you’re back. I thought you were so set on being kidnapped by some girl from outside that you’d forgotten all about your mother.”

The woman continued, her gaze finally shifting from Du Shiyu to Zhu Qingran.

This was Zhu Qingran’s mother-in-law, Lin Zhi. While the father-in-law had tested her with a physical strike, the mother-in-law used only her eyes and tone to exert an immense, suffocating pressure. Zhu Qingran felt a surge of admiration for her wife—growing up in a home where one parent hits you as a greeting and the other snubs you verbally meant she must have been raised in a truly “hardcore” environment.

Zhu Qingran felt a pang of heartache for her. In her home, her wife would never be treated this way. Never!

“My, my. Has my little son-in-law been scared to tears by her old mother-in-law? Why are your eyes red before you’ve even said hello?”

Because she was so focused on her love for her wife, Zhu Qingran had let a slip of emotion show, and her mother-in-law had pounced on it instantly. Besides a zero balance in her bank account or a divorce paper from her wife, almost nothing could make Zhu Qingran tear up.

“Mother-in-law, you misunderstand! Ah Ran was simply thinking that since I haven’t visited in so long, it’s a blessing that you’re willing to welcome me back without a grudge. I’m overwhelmed with regret for my past ignorance and immaturity, and for a moment, I just couldn’t control my emotions. My heart is simply on my sleeve.”

Throughout her speech, Zhu Qingran never let go of her wife’s hand. She wanted every gesture to prove that her devotion was no mere talk.

“I can understand ‘youthful ignorance,'” a different but similar voice rang out. “But we invited President Zhu several times and were ignored. That isn’t youth; that’s just plain rudeness, isn’t it?”

Zhu Qingran turned toward the sound and saw a “miniature” version of the father-in-law. Although a “mini” version, she was a fully grown woman with an aura even more intimidating than Du Shiyu’s.

Zhu Qingran had done her homework. This was likely Du Shiyu’s eldest sister—Du Linshuang.

Du Shiyu’s eldest sisters were twins. Below Linshuang was a second sister, Du Linwu, born only a minute later, who supposedly looked exactly like their mother. Because the mother-in-law’s surname was Lin, the parents had named the twins “Shuang” and “Wu” (forming the homophone for unparalleled in the world).

The eldest sister, Linshuang, was no ordinary person; a world-renowned diplomatic translator fluent in multiple languages. The second sister, Linwu, was a famous cellist in a major symphony orchestra. Their schedules were usually so packed they were rarely home at the same time.

Seeing the eldest sister, Du Linshuang, standing there with such a commanding presence, Zhu Qingran realized this trip was going to be a steep learning curve. The eldest sister had made her entrance with a direct challenge, clearly intending to put the “son-in-law” in her place.

Zhu Qingran was someone who rarely suffered slights in the outside world, yet today, she had to endure with every ounce of her will.

“Yes, it was my rudeness. I was so preoccupied with winning Shiyu’s heart that I forgot to maintain my own dignity. I was wrong, and I apologize. I beg you, Big Sister, please be merciful and don’t separate Shiyu and me! Waaaah. I promise to take you out for manicures every year! I.”

Zhu Qingran surrendered on the spot.

Even though it was her first time meeting the parents, her strategy of making her wife the center of her universe could not be hidden; it was the ultimate display of sincerity. She didn’t believe that if she acted this sensible, they would still have the heart to tear her face off and make her take her words back.

Impossible!

“Manicures? Big Sister isn’t into that, but I am!”

The second sister, Du Linwu, was instantly hooked by the word “manicures.” As a cellist, she rarely had time to dress up her hands, but who doesn’t think diamond-encrusted nails are beautiful? Zhu Qingran’s offer had hit the bullseye.

“Big Sister and Second Sister can go together! I’ll cover your memberships for life! Just please, don’t separate Shiyu and me, okay? we’re truly in love! Shiyu just promised to give me a daughter this year. A child can’t grow up without a father, and a child certainly can’t be without a mother.”

Zhu Qingran’s crying was so convincing and dramatic that the oppressive atmosphere the Du family had spent all morning building vanished instantly.

“Shiyu, are you planning to conceive?”

The father-in-law, who had been silent since coming inside, suddenly spoke up, looking at Du Shiyu with an expression of pure anticipation.

It turned out the Du family was exceptionally interested in the topic of pregnancy. The “suppression-style” meeting they had planned in their heads was discarded in a heartbeat, replaced by dreams of a future grandbaby.

“If Shiyu starts preparing now, and if Little Zhu’s health is up to par and she puts in enough effort, we might have a late summer or early autumn baby. Even if Little Zhu is a bit lazy, we might still get a ‘Snow White’ winter baby. In any case, Shiyu, are you really planning to start?”

The father-in-law, who had been so decisive and lethal in the courtyard just moments ago, was now as giddy as an eight-year-old at the mention of a child. Meanwhile, the eldest and second sisters were already debating what gifts to buy to prove their “Auntie Love.”

Zhu Qingran, caught mid-sob, blinked her tears back.

“Wife, look! I told you having a baby is what everyone wants! They are dead serious about us reproducing!”

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Author’s Note: Little Theater

For a while after “Little-Little Zhu” was born, Zhu Qingran almost started selling tickets at her own front door.

Greeting Little-Little Zhu: 500 starting price.

Hugging Little-Little Zhu: 1,000 starting price.

Kissing Little-Little Zhu: 10,000 starting price.

Zhu Qingran sat at the entrance with her QR code displayed, watching relatives and friends pass by under the guise of “saving up for the baby.”

Until one day, Little-Little Zhu heard about this from her cousin-aunt, He Yimo. She went to her parents and asked: “Where is my money?”

Du Shiyu: “It probably went toward the rings, dresses, building blocks, and necklaces your Papa bought me. Oh, and an endless supply of condoms.”

Little-Little Zhu looked at the younger sister behind her: “My bad. So, I saved up money just to buy myself a bunch of sisters?”