After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, I Refuse to Get Divorced - Chapter 30

The second day of the visit to the in-laws began. This time, breakfast was prepared by the family, sparing Zhu Qingran from kitchen duty. However, it turned out that the soundproofing in the Du family’s massive villa was practically non-existent.

The moment Zhu Qingran sat up groggily, her arm still draped over her “Little Darling Wife’s” shoulder, the rhythmic blare of radio calisthenics music drifted in from outside.

Word had it that Count Du Jingtan, the esteemed father-in-law, led the entire family in these exercises every single morning at the crack of dawn, rain or shine. Downstairs, the Du sisters were already swaying their arms and legs with bleary eyes, their clothes rumpled and lopsided from sleep.

Zhu Qingran didn’t go downstairs voluntarily. She was absolutely “compelled” by circumstance, yet forced herself to look proactive as she stretched her long limbs.

“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight! Two, two, three, four.”

The father-in-law led the drill with boundless vigor, while behind her trailed a line of children looking like they were ready to collapse into puddles of mud.

By breakfast, everyone sat around the table in a state of mental exhaustion, staring blankly at their bowls of plain porridge and vegetarian side dishes. They looked less like a family and more like spirits wandering outside their physical bodies.

“Ahem. In light of everyone’s vibrant energy and overflowing passion during this morning’s exercises, I have decided…”

The moment Du Jingtan spoke, the world fell into an unprecedented silence. It was definitely not good news. The eldest and second sisters buried their faces so deep into their rice bowls they practically disappeared, yet they still couldn’t escape their fate.

The plan: The entire family would go to a nearby greenhouse farm to volunteer.

Zhu Qingran wasn’t sure how often the Du children had to visit the vegetable gardens before she joined the family, but seeing them expertly change into work uniforms was a real eye-opener.

“Son-in-law Zhu,” the father-in-law began her pitch, “you are the fresh blood of the Du family, a renowned young talent of the Interstellar Empire. Therefore, we believe you can handle this entire patch of cherry tomatoes on your own.”

This opening statement was a classic “trap” designed to coax an unsuspecting son-in-law into manual labor through flattery. Was Zhu Qingran the type to be easily manipulated by such empty praise?

Actually, yes. She walked right into it—willingly.

For the sake of a long life with her wife, and to secure the full blessing of her in-laws, she had only one word in mind:

Work!

“Don’t you worry, Father-in-law! Leave this patch to me! I’ll be back before you know it!”

Over the next thirty minutes, using both hands in a blur of motion, Zhu Qingran harvested every single ripe cherry tomato in record time. When the Du family saw the massive buckets she had filled, they stood frozen in shock.

Du Shiyu wiped the sweat from Zhu Qingran’s brow, but she didn’t offer a word of praise. Instead, she whispered, “Are you planning to give out cherry tomatoes as the company’s end-of-the-month bonus?”

Only then did Zhu Qingran notice the sign hanging around her neck: [Tomato Pruning].

As it turned out, her task was simply to trim the excess leaves and branches—not to pick the fruit.

By the next second, a logistics notification for the month-end rewards hit the company group chat. That afternoon, every employee received a crate of fresh cherry tomatoes, personally hand-picked by CEO Zhu.

Even He Yimo received a box. Seeing the gift sent for free by her own cousin, He Yimo was moved to tears.

“There’s enough for everyone! Ten per person, first come, first served! This is the CEO’s love! This is the essence of her soul!” As the assistant distributed the tomatoes on set, the savvier staff members didn’t forget to send back blessings for the CEO to have “a fruitful and prosperous family life.”

While everyone else was enjoying the sweet fruit, Zhu Qingran was still in her muddy boots, dragging her heavy feet across the small farm, grunting through the labor. She had probably finished a lifetime’s worth of exercise in these past few days.

Bedtime exercise at night, field exercise by day.

Move, move, move!

That evening, as Zhu Qingran sat with her aching, “paralyzed” legs in a foot-soaking tub, her father-in-law looked at her with pure joy.

“Little Zhu is a good kid. She worked so hard at the farm today that the owner wants her to come back often!” Du Jingtan’s praise was heartfelt; she clearly felt her son-in-law had done her proud.

The older sisters had already made their escapes earlier that afternoon, claiming “work emergencies.” As for Du Ziyu, being an incoming university student, she tried to run but failed; she was dragged back by her father for “pre-enrollment physical conditioning.” She was, after all, still a kid, and was currently sprawled on her bed, unable to move.

The only one left breathing normally was Zhu Qingran, who was trapped in a conversation with her father-in-law. She didn’t want to talk, but she couldn’t just walk away without being disrespectful. She endured the urge to bolt, nodding along with a series of “mm-hmms” until a well-timed cough from her wife finally granted her a reprieve.

This time, with no one in the rooms next door to disturb them, Zhu Qingran found she was no longer in the mood for anything “shameful.”

“Next time my dad asks you to help at the farm, just say no,” Du Shiyu said. “She doesn’t go once all year, but when she does, she tries to do six months’ worth of work in a day. It’s inhumane!”

Du Shiyu rarely criticized people, but since returning home, she had roasted her blood relatives one by one. Her protective streak was so vivid and endearing that just looking at her made Zhu Qingran feel at peace.

“Wife, Father-in-law did it for my own good. She thinks my stamina is poor and wouldn’t provide good genes for a child. I can handle it!” Zhu Qingran lay on the bed and raised her trembling arms, trying to show her wife she was still capable.

Unfortunately, her strength didn’t match her spirit. After an afternoon of pulling weeds in the rice fields and watering the strawberry patch, her hands were shaking like she was eighty years old.

“Does she really think one day of exercise changes a child’s genetics? I don’t buy that logic for a second,” Du Shiyu muttered. She couldn’t understand why the usually brilliant CEO Zhu was being so stubborn today.

“A child’s genes aren’t decided in a day, and besides, the mother contributes half. I just feel that if your parents are happy, you won’t be stressed—and if you’re happy, I’m happy. I want you to feel joyful being with me, not caught in the middle of a family dilemma.”

Zhu Qingran brought the conversation back to what they had discussed in the car. She had asked: Are you happy being with me?

Though Du Shiyu hadn’t given a definitive verbal answer yet, Zhu Qingran was using her own effort and actions to turn that unspoken answer into reality.

“Are you a total dummy?” Du Shiyu lay down beside her, reaching out to ruffle Zhu Qingran’s hair, which was fluffy from the hairdryer.

“A dummy? Oh no, if my genes are that ‘dumb,’ I really hope you contribute some of your smart ones so the kid takes after you!” Zhu Qingran nuzzled into the elder woman’s palm like a little sister. She didn’t do anything bold, yet the atmosphere was thick with flirtation.

“Just go to sleep!” the wife teased, reaching out to turn off the light.

Once the room was plunged into darkness, Zhu Qingran truly had no energy left to stir up trouble. As a “Super-S Rank” Alpha, she never expected her true calling to be farming.

It was a literal “CEO Farming Novel” come to life.

The next morning brought the familiar sound of radio calisthenics. This time, the only ones performing were three Alphas with aching backs. However, the family hadn’t scheduled any more labor for Zhu Qingran that day. It was a day for recuperation.

Upon hearing she could rest, Zhu Qingran spent half an hour finishing a meeting for the Latiao project. When she emerged to find Du Shiyu, she found the house quiet. Her wife was in the flower garden, watering plants with Lin Zhi.

“Sweetie, how did you find a kid like Little Zhu? She’s good—quite interesting—but she seems like she’s never on the same wavelength as you.”

The conversation between mother and daughter was gentle and calm. Lin Zhi’s question was honest and direct, sparking deep thought.

Zhu Qingran leaned against a nearby railing, pondering the same question.

Back when she first met her wife, her relatives had been hounding her and her grandmother with endless “ideal” marriage candidates. In their eyes, anyone who could infiltrate the core of the Zhu family was a tool for profit. Filial piety was nothing more than a shortcut to power.

Tired of the constant noise and the traps her relatives set for her, Zhu Qingran had decided to follow the family’s earlier wishes and pursue further studies. She picked a random assortment of classes, attending only the ones that caught her eye. She had always lived by her own rules, unswayed by external pressure.

Until the day she skipped a blind date to attend a lecture—given by Du Shiyu.

The young teacher, who looked slightly timid yet possessed an inner calm, transformed completely into her role the moment the class bell rang.

When Du Shiyu spoke, her voice was gentle, flowing like a long, steady stream. Yet, when she lectured, her tone became resonant and powerful, blending perfectly with the subject matter.

At first, Zhu Qingran thought of this as a mere interlude in her life—meeting a stranger among millions. But when she saw how the young teacher could still face the world with a smile despite immense pressure and the coldness of those who disliked her, she suddenly found her fascinating.

Perhaps because she found her interesting, her attention shifted toward her more and more.

Zhu Qingran almost never skipped Du Shiyu’s classes. Even if she had just finished a high-stakes board meeting, she would do her best to rush back to campus.

The one time she failed to make it back was because someone had caused a scene on the anniversary of her parents’ death. That troublemaker was none other than her dispensable aunt—a woman who was useless at everything except causing disasters.

Zhu Qingran had handled such messes countless times before. But on that day, she had a quiz to get back to, yet she was maliciously detained at the cemetery by those with ulterior motives.

Then, it started to rain.

What had begun as a perfectly clear day somehow squeezed out a few “cliché” raindrops, shifting from a light drizzle to a heavy downpour. By the time Zhu Qingran made it back to the school, soaked to the bone, the exam was already over.

But Du Shiyu hadn’t left.

The day before, Zhu Qingran had sent Du Shiyu a rare student email: “If I’m late for the exam tomorrow, would you give me a chance and wait for me?”

There was no explanation, no excuse—just a simple question.

When she hadn’t received a reply, Zhu Qingran assumed she wouldn’t get that chance. Yet, the moment she stepped through the doors of the examination hall, she saw Du Shiyu sitting at the podium grading papers. On Zhu Qingran’s desk, a blank exam paper and stationery had been neatly laid out.

The little teacher, who usually lived her life strictly by the book, had seemingly broken the rules for her.

If there truly is someone willing to defy convention for me, Zhu Qingran thought, I think I could fall in love with her.

________________________________________

Author’s Note:

For a long time, Zhu Qingran rarely spoke sweet nothings, let alone wrote love letters.

Until one day, while Du Shiyu was organizing their old textbooks and notes at home, she found a passage written on the back of a book titled Strength and Beauty:

“They say love at first sight is just a matter of aesthetic timing; they say love over time is just a slow-burning spark. But the moment I asked you to be with me, it was simply the success of a long-term scheme. I didn’t want to be rejected, and I didn’t want to lose. So, I set my mind with absolute certainty on making you mine—and only mine.”