After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, I Refuse to Get Divorced - Chapter 33

Zhu Qingran’s steps were a bit unsteady as she left the Fu family banquet.

A few glasses of that cheap white spirit, followed by two bottles of Erguotou, was certainly no joke. Usually, Zhu Qingran stuck to red wine or fruit liqueurs during social engagements; this time, she had truly received an education in drinking.

She managed to maintain a shred of her “CEO poise,” avoiding any unseemly stumbling, but Old Master Fu was a different story. He stood there waving a silk scarf, laughing heartily as he saw them off, following them a good distance.

“Little brother, wait, no, little sister! Come back for a drink next time! I promise I’m just as good as you, just as good!”

The Old Master laughed until the electric car disappeared from sight, then let out a long, dramatic sigh.

“Zhu Qingran really is something else. An old drunkard like me couldn’t even outdrink her. I drank my future grandson-in-law right out of the family! She’s gone! Gone!” He muttered to himself, looking as though he had just made a catastrophic life decision.

As the Fu family moved in to comfort him, Fu Chensi was the first to take the hit.

“Fu Chensi, look at Little Zhu, then look at yourself. She’s five or six or seven years younger than you. You’re a CEO, and so is she. You understand art; she can cook. You have little fangirls; she has a darling wife!”

No matter the time, place, or social status, the “neighbor’s kid” trope remained a timeless curse that no child could escape. Fu Chensi watched helplessly as her grandfather nagged her, having no choice but to nod in agreement.

“Yes, yes, it’s all my fault. I failed to seize the initiative and lost you a prime candidate for a grandson-in-law. Tell me how you want to punish me, and I’ll take it. But today is your 78th birthday—please, focus on your health!”

If Fu Chensi hadn’t spoken, it might have been fine. The moment she did, the Old Master clutched his chest.

“I’m an old man with old bones, and frankly, looking at you ‘Bachelors’ makes my blood pressure rise! You’ve all been single for so long, yet you dare show your faces to me? Are you here to celebrate my birthday or to finish me off?”

The Old Master’s acting was top-tier—hardly surprising for a veteran who had been honing his craft for decades. At the mention of his “distress,” his grandsons and granddaughters swarmed forward to receive their scolding.

“This ‘Bachelor Brigade’ led by Fu Chensi is growing too large. To soothe this old heart of mine, I’m going to need a soft, chubby little great-grandchild.”

The Old Master squinted, observing the reactions of the younger generation before laying out his demands. Since they had failed so miserably at the “Grandson-in-law” stage, surely a great-grandchild wasn’t too much to ask?

According to his timeline—one week of blind dates, one month for a marriage license, three months for a pregnancy, and one year for the birth—he was certain he could show off a great-grandchild at next year’s gathering of old friends.

Absolutely certain!

Consequently, that night, the only topic trending alongside “CEO Zhu bullied by rival’s family, drunk at banquet” was the news of Old Master Fu—the Interstellar Empire’s premier artist—officially seeking marriage partners for his grandchildren.

The nation was in an uproar, and even the “Inner Cabinet” group chat was buzzing with excitement.

Secretary Liang Jing: Congrats to CEO Zhu for the victory! You’ve left the rival’s family in the dust!

Assistant Zhou Ranran: CEO Zhu is a legend, the undisputed MVP of the romance department!

Resident Actor Momo: Calling all sponsors! Do you need me to apply for the matchmaking position at the rival’s house? My rates are affordable and high-value—don’t miss out! @EmpressCEOZhu

The group chat was flooded with high-end, flashy emojis—animated fireworks with actual sound effects. Crack! Pop! Boom!

Zhu Qingran clicked on one, and the sound nearly vibrated the face mask right off her and her wife’s faces. With a deadpan expression, she opened the chat and sent a stiff voice message.

Empress CEO Zhu: “Do I look like a rich sucker to you? Why would I hire an actor to put on a show for my rival? Do you all think I’ve saved up too much diaper money lately and need to squander it? Do I look like that kind of person?”

After her message hit the chat, the collective urge to reply with a single word—”Yes”—was overwhelming.

In the past, if CEO Zhu won a victory like this, distributing wealth in the chat would be the bare minimum; it wouldn’t be her style unless she set off cannons in the city center. But lately, she seemed to be genuinely tightening her belt.

Forget distributing wealth; according to the “insider” cousin, she hadn’t even “indulged” in a while.

Based on this evidence, everyone reached the same firm conclusion: The “Little Darling Wife” is pregnant.

At this point, they didn’t know whether to praise the CEO’s prowess or the wife’s fertility. According to their “expert” analysis, she was definitely carrying more than one. No wonder the CEO, who used to treat money like dirt, was now experiencing the “hardships of life.” Apparently, being a “Strong Alpha Dad” wasn’t easy.

Immediately, a spontaneous “donation drive” began in the chat.

Secretary Liang Jing has transferred 500 to you.

Assistant Zhou Ranran has transferred 500 to you.

Resident Actor Momo has transferred 501 to you.

The notification pings were relentless, reminding Zhu Qingran of each new arrival of funds. Her wife, who had been peacefully soaking her feet while wearing a face mask, sat up and stared into Zhu Qingran’s soul.

“Wife, I’m being framed! I swear I haven’t made any shady deals with them! They are unilaterally insulting me with money! Do I look like the kind of person who would just take their cash?”

Zhu Qingran held her hands away from her phone, looking at her wife with an air of pure innocence. She wasn’t involved in any illicit business with those women! What were they doing? Was she, Zhu Qingran, a shallow woman who could be bought for a few hundred bucks?

(Even if she might not have a few hundred bucks in her pocket right now.)

To prove her innocence, she shoved the phone into Du Shiyu’s hands.

“Wife, you have to believe that I am a kind, honest, lovable, and docile partner. I treat my employees with generosity and wisdom. I.” When the phone buzzed again, she quickly surrendered it. She refused to believe an honest “Alpha Husband” like herself could be hiding anything bad.

Then, Du Shiyu was urged to read the messages aloud.

“’CEO Zhu, considering how you used to throw money around saying the Little Darling Wife would fall head-over-heels for you, become addicted to you, and obey your every command step-by-step-by-step-by-step, the Inner Cabinet has, after deep consideration and multiple meetings, completely overturned your previous claims and conclusions. Therefore, in your time of need, we are returning a portion of that squandered wealth to help you through the difficult years of buying formula and washing diapers.’”

Du Shiyu read the text softly, her tone not changing at all. But the calmer she was, the more Zhu Qingran felt a storm was brewing.

Did I really do such stupid things? My brain is so sharp, why do I have zero memory of this? Why? This was a hole she had dug herself; even if she walked in upright, she’d have to find a way to crawl out.

Buzz. Buzz.

Another vibration. Before Zhu Qingran could snatch the phone back and kneel for an explanation, Du Shiyu opened the voice message.

“Sis, as your most trusted sister, even though we’ve spent years digging pits for each other, I can’t be outdone. Here’s my contribution—it’s one dollar more than the others. Don’t look down on it; I’d give more, but I’m afraid you’d get arrogant. If the day comes that my little sister-in-law kicks you out of the house, you can use this dollar to buy a stick of Latiao for warmth, or a bottle of water for the heat. If all else fails, take the bus to the university and kneel before her to beg for mercy. Anyway, your sister loves you. Sleep early, get up early. Nighty-night!”

Trust her little cousin to push her into the pit at the perfect moment. Zhu Qingran tried her best to force a smile, but she found she couldn’t.

“Wife?”

“Go empty the foot-soaking water.”

“Right away!”

After Zhu Qingran scurried off like a disciplined puppy to empty the foot-soaking water, her “Little Darling Wife” had already peeled off her face mask and was rhythmically patting the remaining essence onto her skin with a series of light slaps.

Zhu Qingran’s knees buckled; she nearly collapsed right then and there.

Was the “Little Darling Wife” getting angry?

Was that “slapping” sound a subtle hint that the CEO’s face was about to get slapped by reality?

The Little Darling Wife was—

“I hear CEO Zhu is quite wealthy,” the wife remarked. “Apparently, she’s always showering her subordinates with riches.”

As expected, she brought it up. Zhu Qingran decided that honesty was the best policy—fess up now, hope for mercy later.

“I, I might have distributed a bit of wealth a few times, just a few times.” Zhu Qingran stammered, reaching out to take the used mask from her wife’s hand.

However, her wife didn’t let go.

“A few times? How many times a month?” she pressed.

“Maybe three or four times a week?”

The moment the words left Zhu Qingran’s mouth, her wife stood up. As the “Little Darling Wife” took a deliberate step toward her, closing the distance, Zhu Qingran’s instincts took over.

Thud.

She dropped to her knees. Though the sound wasn’t particularly loud, given the Du family’s “transparent” soundproofing.

“Little Zhu! Take it easy in there!” her father-in-law, Du Jingtan, shouted from the small kitchen, her voice piercing through several layers of walls. “Watch your strength—don’t go banging your head! They say a child’s genes mostly come from the father; keep that brain of yours intact!”

In that moment, Zhu Qingran was morbidly relieved she was only admitting to a mistake. If they actually had been in the middle of “making a baby,” she was certain a headline like “Dominant CEO Zhu Suffers Performance Issues” would have become a permanent fixture in the gossip columns.

“Wife, I was wrong! I’ll never waste money again! I promise to save every penny for the kids’ diaper fund! I.”

Zhu Qingran continued her frantic rambling until she saw her wife suddenly raise her hand. In that instant, “Little Zhu” squeezed her eyes shut, her heart wailing in despair.

I brought this on myself. Even if I get hit, I can’t cry.

Sob, but the Little Darling Wife looks so cute when she’s being assertive. I love it!

As the mask was tossed aside, her wife’s lips parted slightly: “Since people are willing to pay for CEO Zhu’s ‘performances’ without her even asking, I suppose a daily allowance of ten dollars won’t be a problem, right? Then it’s settled: ten dollars. As for the money returned to you in that group chat, turn it all over. If I find out.”

Right in front of Zhu Qingran’s eyes, the wife squeezed the used mask, forcing the essence to leak through her fingers.

Zhu Qingran instinctively gulped. “Wife, I promise I’ll never do it again. But ten dollars, isn’t that a bit?”

“You’re right, it is a bit much. Let’s make it five. That covers the bus to and from work plus a bottle of water. The children will certainly appreciate their CEO father’s frugality.”

With a subtle smile, the “Little Darling Wife” headed off to finish her skincare routine. Zhu Qingran let out a long sigh, not daring to haggle any further. She was truly afraid that if she pushed it, her wife’s next line would be: “Everything’s two dollars! Everything in the store is just two dollars!”

Author’s Note:

As the relationship between the “Little Darling Wife” and “Little Zhu” heats up, the wife’s true “spoiled” nature will gradually emerge—like right now, by slashing Little Zhu’s allowance! If Little Zhu dares to haggle, the price gets cut in half again, and she’ll be dragged to the “Bed of Love” by her wife for a very long lecture!