After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, I Refuse to Get Divorced - Chapter 34

The brief seven-day trip to the wife’s parental home had come to an end.

Before their departure, the neighbors near the Fu estate arrived in droves to see them off with parting gifts. The farm where Zhu Qingran had volunteered sent milk, meat, eggs, and fresh produce; the fish pond where she had labored in the following days sent fish, shrimp, and shellfish. In short, three large crates were packed to the brim with local specialties, all of which had to be shipped back ahead of them.

Since the young couple couldn’t possibly finish it all, Zhu Qingran—in a rare move—posted a status on her social media offering the farm products for half-sale and half-gift. The news caused an immediate sensation; the stock sold out instantly, and some people even begged her to act as a personal shopper. Little Zhu hadn’t intended to do business, but when money practically beats down your door, who is she to say no?

After a reluctant farewell to her in-laws, Zhu Qingran boarded the flight back to the city with her “Little Darling Wife.” On the plane, the two leaned against each other, savoring the quiet proximity. Though some passengers cast curious glances and snapped a few photos, the couple was so drained from the family visit that they didn’t even notice the cameras.

It wasn’t until they landed and boarded the car arranged by Liang Jing that Zhu Qingran noticed the mountain of missed calls and messages from her little cousin, He Yimo.

“This girl, Momo, right before we boarded the flight, she was yelling about how she’d never contact us again because she didn’t want to choke on our ‘everlasting dog food.’ Yet here we are—it must be dinner time, and she’s back for her serving.”

Zhu Qingran rolled her eyes, intending to snap a couple’s selfie to send some “dog food” (displays of affection) back. But the next second, her wife turned her phone screen around. It showed a newly accepted friend request and a startling verification message:

“Urgently seeking help! I’m being followed!”

The little cousin was being followed?

Zhu Qingran checked the date and time, confirming this wasn’t an April Fool’s prank. The message was recent; after failing to reach Zhu Qingran, He Yimo had immediately sent a distress signal to Du Shiyu.

“Why hasn’t Momo responded since? Where is she? Is she busy with work, or has she actually been targeted? Where are the bodyguards the film department assigned to her?”
Panicked, Zhu Qingran tried to contact the film and television department of He Yimo’s agency. She scrolled through her contacts frantically but couldn’t find a single useful number. Sometimes, when the heart panics, the hands tremble—and Zhu Qingran was experiencing that first-hand today.

“Ah Ran, relax. Maybe Momo is just busy and sent that to someone she trusts the moment she had a chance. Now that we’re back, we’ll solve it. Stay steady.”

The wife gently patted the back of Zhu Qingran’s hand, offering grounding comfort. Zhu Qingran was rarely this flustered, unless it involved the people she cared about most. Clearly, her little cousin was high on that list.

“I’m steady, I’m steady Shiyu, don’t worry. Momo is like that—always busy. Maybe she really is just working. I’ll contact her assistant and manager to confirm her status.”

Despite being the one more worried, Zhu Qingran chose to comfort her wife first. After all, the last message had been sent to Du Shiyu, and she didn’t want her wife to spiral into anxiety. Their mutual concern for one another brought a touch of warmth to the tense situation.

“Okay, I’m staying calm. You call the manager; I’ll try the assistant.”

When Zhu Qingran reached the manager, the latter was in the middle of a talent scout meeting at the company.

“Oh, CEO Zhu! Momo is actually on a rare day off today, so she’s enjoying some private time. She just finished that couple’s smartwatch promo for IO Group yesterday and was exhausted, so we thought it only right not to disturb her.”

The manager’s tone was professional, despite the loud background music. If the manager was certain she was on leave, then she truly was. After confirming a few places He Yimo might frequent, Zhu Qingran hung up.

Du Shiyu had also reached the assistant, Huang Doudou. The poor girl was clearly enjoying her own hard-won day off and had been in a deep sleep.

“Doudou said that whenever Momo has a holiday, she goes out alone and doesn’t usually ask the staff to tag along. So, she doesn’t know where she went either.”

The wife hesitated to relay the exact words to Zhu Qingran but felt she shouldn’t sugarcoat the facts. She delivered the message delicately and waited for Zhu Qingran’s reaction.

“No one knows, fine, I’ll find her myself.”

Zhu Qingran considered sending her wife home first, but Du Shiyu just looked at her, her hand gripping Zhu Qingran’s tightly.

“I’m coming with you. Momo is your sister, but she’s my sister-in-law too. I care about her just as much.” The wife’s firm tone gave Zhu Qingran a surge of strength.

“Wife, thank you for your hard work!”

The first place Zhu Qingran chose was the media college where He Yimo had graduated. They checked the Alumni Hall of Fame, the student activity center, and finally the cafeteria. For a long time after entering the industry, He Yimo had worked tirelessly to become a “Distinguished Alumna.” Whenever she hit a setback, she’d visit the student center to see the reflections of her younger self chasing dreams, and then treat herself to a massive bowl of noodles by the pond to relax.

But today, she was nowhere to be found.

“If she isn’t at school, maybe she’s at a place she’s been wanting to visit. Like a scenic spot or a shopping mall?” Du Shiyu suggested, seeing Zhu Qingran’s darkening mood.

“Right! That girl always said she’d take her ‘other half’ to her old kindergarten site, or go for a stroll in the botanical gardens, she even said she wanted to feed other people dog food for a change.” Taking the hint, Zhu Qingran hurried to the next location.

But at the kindergarten site, the children only tugged at their sleeves, asking the “pretty sisters” for hugs. At the botanical gardens, the flowers were mostly withered, leaving only fallen leaves and a desolate landscape.

There was no sign of the little cousin. It was as if He Yimo had vanished into thin air—messages went unread, and calls went straight to voicemail. It was the first time Zhu Qingran had faced a situation like this.

“He Yimo, that’s enough! It’s fine that she’s an old bachelorette who can’t get married, but does she have to hijack the quality time I have with my wife? When I find her, if I don’t sign her up as a contestant for a celebrity dating show, my name isn’t Zhu!”

Her complaining was just a mask for her deep worry. Du Shiyu watched as Zhu Qingran nervously picked at her fingers, and immediately interlaced her own fingers with hers to stop the habit.

“Wife!”

Little Zhu had been feeling quite aggrieved lately. She had finally managed to use her “CEO charm” (and a bit of her dorkiness) to smooth things over in her relationship, and now her cousin had added this dramatic twist to her life. She was so frustrated she could cry, but since they were in public, she could only give her wife a pathetic, soulful look. She needed double—no, triple—the hugs and kisses to recover from this.

“How about I ask my parents to lend us some people? My dad might be retired from politics, but her network is still vast. Finding one person would be a breeze.”

When the wife proposed using her family’s connections, Zhu Qingran sighed. She knew that her own network was just as broad; she could have people searching in minutes. But it was a workday, and she hated using private matters to monopolize others’ time—it felt selfish.

As long as the two of them could find her easily, it would prove it was just a prank. But the more people involved, the more the situation seemed to be spiraling out of control.

“I’ll contact the company and have them spare a few people to look. Let’s not tell your parents yet. If the kid is just being irresponsible, we shouldn’t worry the elders.”

Zhu Qingran exhaled, reaching for her phone to call her Inner Cabinet. But before she could, Du Shiyu’s phone vibrated.

It was a voice message—from a certain “Little Rival.”

“Shiyu, I’ve picked up a stray child over here. You and CEO Zhu should let me know when you can come and collect this brat.”

When Fang Ziyan’s voice message played, it was accompanied by the loud, chaotic music of a children’s play center. As the catchy, ubiquitous “Pleasant Goat” theme song blared in the background, a woman’s excited voice could be heard from a mile away.

“Master Fang! Sifu Fang! Quick, quick, quick! I want that rabbit! Get me that rabbit!”

The person chirping away for a stuffed rabbit was none other than He Yimo.

The person Zhu Qingran had spent hours frantically searching for was, as it turned out, currently entangled with the CEO’s former “little rival.” Previously, the little cousin had joked about going on a blind date with the childhood friend, Fu Chensi, just to earn some “spy money” by infiltrating the enemy camp. Yet here she was, throwing herself into Fang Ziyan’s orbit instead?

Fang Ziyan’s intentions toward the little cousin remained suspiciously unclear. Zhu Qingran still vividly remembered the great Photographer Fang remarking that her sister was a “stunning vase—as long as she keeps her mouth shut.”

“He Yimo, stay exactly where you are! You little brat, I’m going to show you what happens when your sister stops being nice! You really took me for a sucker, didn’t you?”

Zhu Qingran was fuming, but she didn’t even get the chance to take the driver’s seat. The “Little Darling Wife” declared that since Zhu Qingran was emotionally unstable, she would take the wheel herself for their mutual safety.

And so, Zhu Qingran’s brand-new luxury sports car was driven exactly like the Du family’s slow electric scooter.

Putt-putt-putt.

What should have been a mere few minutes’ drive stretched into over ten minutes under her wife’s careful navigation. By the time the car pulled into the arcade’s parking zone, Zhu Qingran assumed the little cousin would have already bolted to save her own skin.

As it turned out, Zhu Qingran had overestimated her.

Zhu Qingran hadn’t met Fang Ziyan many times, but she was certain of one thing today: Fang Ziyan had lost all will to live. When they finally met, the “edgy and artistic” Photographer Fang was covered from head to toe in plush dolls.

Aside from her eyes, there wasn’t a single inch of her body left uncovered.

“CEO Zhu, Shiyu good afternoon. Before you deal with this brat, could you please rescue me from my lapse in judgment?”