After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, I Refuse to Get Divorced - Chapter 26

Du Shiyu gave Zhu Qingran a look of mild exasperation, yet she didn’t pull her hand away from Zhu Qingran’s tight grip. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder, they appeared intimately inseparable. To any ordinary observer, the scene was a beautiful display of a perfectly matched, loving couple.

In Fu Chensi’s eyes, however, things were not quite so simple.

Back when she first heard Du Shiyu was getting married, she had canceled a major lecture just to meet with her. But Du Shiyu had refused to see her. They had once been so close, sharing every secret—what on earth had led them to this current state of estrangement?

Was it simply because Fu Chensi had been too focused on her career back then, neglecting the inner thoughts of her “little sister” until the distance between them grew too wide to bridge?

Reflecting on it later, Fu Chensi had convinced herself that Du Shiyu’s marriage was merely a way to kill time. How could someone as rational and thoughtful as Du Shiyu so recklessly entrust her life to a businessman with a flighty reputation?

But Fu Chensi was a proud woman, a “favored child of heaven” since birth. She wasn’t the type to bow her head or chase after someone. If Du Shiyu wanted to distance herself, Fu Chensi wasn’t going to be the one to go groveling. She thought that one day, the little sister who used to follow her everywhere would come to her senses instead of continuing down this path of willful rebellion.

Who could have guessed that this silence and estrangement would last for nearly three years? They still exchanged pleasantries during major holidays, but the deep connection and communication were gone.

Had I really made a mistake? Fu Chensi wondered. Is it impossible to return to the starting point once you’ve passed that fork in the road?

So, when she received the Du family’s invitation for the “return-to-the-bride’s-home” feast, Fu Chensi had accepted immediately. She wanted to see exactly what kind of personal charm this person possessed to have Du Shiyu so thoroughly bound to her. Her twenty-year history with Du Shiyu couldn’t possibly be overshadowed by someone else’s two or three years of tenderness.

“If I remember correctly, the children of Linshuang and Linwu both carry the Du family surname,” Fu Chensi remarked after a long silence, her words instantly shifting the atmosphere to one of gravity. “Shiyu, have the two of you decided whose surname your first child will take?”

Zhu Qingran’s father-in-law was a high-ranking official in the Interstellar Empire’s Ministry of Armed Forces. Though she spent most of her time at home with her wife now, her noble title remained, and her students and disciples were the pillars of the galaxy. Added to the fact that the Du daughters were all paragons of excellence, many people would scramble for the chance to bear their children.

Even though Du Shiyu had married “out,” if her child could carry the Du surname, they would essentially be born a little princess with a direct line to a noble house. It was a golden opportunity for anyone.

Now that Fu Chensi had brought it up, it wasn’t just her curiosity at stake; everyone present was suddenly very focused on what Zhu Qingran and Du Shiyu’s decision would be.

Zhu Qingran hadn’t expected that visiting the in-laws would involve fighting for her future child’s naming rights. But since she had dared to come, she wasn’t about to back down.

“The child.” Du Shiyu started, clearly taken aback by the sudden seriousness. She opened her mouth to continue but found herself at a loss for words. She turned to gauge Zhu Qingran’s reaction, only to find her hand gripped tightly as Zhu Qingran looked directly at their parents.

“The child can take either surname. Ultimately, the child belongs to both Shiyu and me. If they take the Du name, it’s only right—Shiyu will go through the immense hardship of bringing them into this world, and it’s the children’s good fortune to share a name with their mother. If they take my name, it’s my good fortune for having married such a wonderful wife and having such adorable children. It doesn’t matter to me, as long as the children are happy and Shiyu is happy.”

Though she had organized the answer on the spot, it was a sentiment Zhu Qingran had long held in her heart. She didn’t care much about the surname; she only cared about who she was having the baby with.

“Oh? You’re a remarkably ungreedy little girl, aren’t you?” Mother-in-law Lin Zhi remarked with a half-smile, clearly not disappointed by the answer.

“Du Shiyu, where did you pick up such a clever and quick-witted little thing? No wonder you’re so infatuated. If I were younger, I’d be charmed by a ‘little sister’ like this too!” Lin Zhi laughed, only to have her waist playfully pinched by her husband, Du Jingtan.

The parents’ obvious affection for each other served as a perfect example for Zhu Qingran. They’ve been in love for decades; my wife and I will definitely keep up and never fall behind.

“Alright, alright, I was just joking. This girl is quite interesting; I like her. Since she’s here, there’s no reason to keep her standing around.” Lin Zhi seemed satisfied with her daughter-in-law. She winked flirtatiously at Du Jingtan, then waved at Zhu Qingran. “Don’t be so stiff, Little Zhu. We’re all family. Come and play!”

When Lin Zhi said “play,” she meant it. In the home of a titled Count, there were all sorts of tabletop games set up.

There was Fight the Landlord.

There was Mahjong.

And even Pai Gow.

On her first day back at her wife’s home, Zhu Qingran found herself being dragged into a game of Pai Gow by her high-ranking father-in-law. Of course, these games were purely for relaxation—no money was involved, only the “punishment” of having paper strips stuck all over one’s face.

When she saw the famous, legendary Du Jingtan with a face full of paper strips stuck on by her wife, Zhu Qingran squeezed her own thigh hard through her wife’s hand. The pain was real, but so was the fun.

“Keep it up, Little Son-in-law! This luck and skill level of yours isn’t doing much to exercise your brain. You can’t just provide our future grandkid with genes for tapping on keyboards and writing code! You have to be good with your hands and your head. Quick, keep up!”

Zhu Qingran was sweating as she was urged to play her hand. She wasn’t wearing much, but she felt like she was in a down jacket sitting next to a furnace in mid-summer. People usually said you should “let” your in-laws win at cards, but Zhu Qingran wasn’t winning at all.

Her sisters-in-law, who claimed to be “beginners” as they rotated in, had far fewer paper strips on their faces than she did. Du Shiyu had lost count of how many times she’d had to stick a new strip on Zhu Qingran’s face. By now, Zhu Qingran was so covered in paper that she looked more like a chrysanthemum in full bloom than a CEO.

“Shiyu, you can’t be too protective of her right now. This is just the beginning,” the eldest sister said, rolling up her sleeves and losing all her refined “big sister” composure. She was clearly having a blast and was terrified Du Shiyu would spirit the girl away out of pity. “Every time you and Little Zhu come home for the holidays, she’s going to have to sit at this table. Can you protect her for a lifetime?”

“Don’t worry, Big Sister! For the sake of the baby’s ‘active brain’ genes, Little Zhu will work hard!” Zhu Qingran patted her chest, showing her resolve.

As she started a new round of shuffling, Du Shiyu felt a wave of helplessness mixed with deep warmth. This scene was both unexpected and exactly what she had once imagined. Zhu Qingran had truly come home with her. Zhu Qingran was truly considering her feelings at every turn and treating every family interaction with sincerity.

Du Shiyu even found herself daydreaming: If our future child really does have ‘active genes’ and a quick wit, maybe they can play games with the elders during holidays. Then, can Zhu Qingran and I sit on the balcony of my old bedroom, drinking milk tea and chatting about the little things from our past?

“Shiyu,” her mother Lin Zhi spoke up, “our Little Zhu is working hard for the baby’s genes; why don’t you go pour her a drink? Work on building up a strong ‘mother’s physique.’ Look at how thin you’ve gotten lately—how are you going to carry a child like that?”

Du Shiyu smiled and agreed. Although she was slightly worried about her family ganging up on Zhu Qingran, she figured pouring a drink would only take a moment. She took the cup that Zhu Qingran liked to share and walked over to the kettle.

Coincidentally, Fu Chensi was leaning against the counter nearby, sipping tea.

“What? Is our Shiyu worried about Little Zhu being besieged by the family? I think they like her quite a bit; you can relax,” Fu Chensi said. Despite being at a family feast, she maintained her air of being interested only in Du Shiyu and indifferent to everything else.

“Is that so?” Du Shiyu set the cup down. Without looking at Fu Chensi, she asked a pointed question: “Does Sister Chensi like Ah Ran too?”

“As long as you like her, that’s fine. Everyone else liking her is more than enough,” Fu Chensi replied instantly, without a moment’s hesitation.

“But I hope that you don’t dislike her, Sister Chensi,” Du Shiyu countered. She finished pouring the water and looked up at Fu Chensi’s complicated expression. “This is the person I’ve chosen to spend the rest of my life with, so I hope to have the support of my close friends and family.”

“So, Shiyu, is that your final answer? You only see me as a ‘friend’?”

Fu Chensi’s voice finally wavered. She found it difficult to accept; she had waited so long, only to be relegated to such a position.

Just a friend, nothing more than a friend.

“Shiyu, I don’t think you need to be in such a rush to make a judgment. Perhaps at your age, you can’t give an immediate response. I think you—”

“Sister Chensi, just like the title suggests, I’ve followed you and clung to you since I was a child. I have always called you ‘Sister Chensi.’ To me, you are the most decisive person I know—someone unaffected by outside influence, someone who refuses to bow to tradition or the status quo. I wanted to be just like you. You were my guide, a sister I deeply admired.”

Du Shiyu finally said the words out loud. At this age, she had finally analyzed all her relationships and provided the answer she wanted to give. She hadn’t wronged anyone; in fact, she had never once indulged in ambiguity throughout her life.

But today, she had clearly realized one fact: she hated it when people were unkind to Zhu Qingran—especially when that unkindness was deliberate and targeted.

From the moment they stepped out of the car, Du Shiyu had noticed how flustered the usually formidable “Little President Zhu” had become. Zhu Qingran would nervously pick at her fingers just because she couldn’t hold Shiyu’s hand or open the car door for her. Every time the little thing cried “I’m so wronged,” Du Shiyu felt her heart ache with her.

She felt wronged on Zhu Qingran’s behalf—wronged because she hadn’t yet been able to soothe her lover’s insecurities.

So, she decided: from now on, neither of them would feel wronged again. They were going to be happy.

Du Shiyu turned to bring the water to Zhu Qingran. Just as she took her first step, the person behind her spoke.

“I understand, Shiyu. So, in my capacity as your ‘dear friend,’ I’m going to go join the game and challenge Little Zhu at the table!”

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Author’s Note: Little Theater

One day, Zhu Qingran glanced at her bank account balance and gave “Little-Little Zhu” a subtle hint: “Your Dad is broke, but your Mom’s birthday is coming up.”

Little-Little Zhu shook her head helplessly, striking the pensive pose of a CEO.

Little-Little Zhu: “Call Eldest Aunt, Second Aunt, Little Aunt, and Grandma. Tell them I’m opening a card table!”

After two hours of Little-Little Zhu slaughtering everyone at the table, Zhu Qingran slapped her thigh and laughed uproariously.

Zhu Qingran: “Daughter! We’ve got the diamond ring! Daughter, we’ve got the designer bag! Daughter, even the birthday cake is covered!”

That night, Zhu Qingran and her pampered wife worked hard to give Little-Little Zhu a second-generation sibling.

Little-Little Zhu lay in bed clutching her plushie, completely “laying flat” (bailing): Sigh. Today was another day spent with my ‘unfortunate’ biological father. So happy.

(The true successor of President Zhu and a money-making genius: Little-Little Zhu.)