After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, I Refuse to Get Divorced - Chapter 35

Fang Ziyan, acting as a human claw machine, was unceremoniously stuffed into the car by Zhu Qingran. He Yimo met the same fate. The car kicked up a cloud of dust as it sped directly toward He Yimo’s apartment.

The moment they stepped through the door, Fang Ziyan—who was drenched in sweat from being buried under layers of plush dolls—was startled by a sudden roar.

“You! Stand right there!”

Zhu Qingran’s voice commanded respect without needing to scream, though her volume was several notches higher than usual. She was genuinely furious.

On the ride over, Fang Ziyan had been mentally rehearsing an explanation for her presence. But the atmosphere in the car had been so suffocatingly tense, and the synthetic fur of the dolls so stifling, that her mind had gone uncharacteristically blank. Now, under Zhu Qingran’s low growl, she found herself utterly speechless.

“Didn’t you hear me? I told you to stay put! Do as you’re told!”

Zhu Qingran spoke again, her tone nearly an official command that forced Fang Ziyan to freeze in her tracks.

“One more step! Just try it! Go stand in the corner against the wall! I want to see if you’ve grown some thick skin to match that bold attitude of yours! You.”

Zhu Qingran’s scolding came like a torrential downpour, threatening to drown Fang Ziyan in an instant. In all her years, Fang Ziyan had never been lectured like a misbehaving child, but Zhu Qingran was managing it. All her excuses and justifications were scattered to the wind. She even felt a genuine urge to apologize for leading He Yimo on an endless “claw machine crusade” at the arcade.

She glanced at the apartment’s interior. From the foyer onward, every available inch of space was occupied by dolls. Big ones, small ones, colorful, monochrome, plump, and thin. Fang Ziyan looked at the variety of species still hanging off her own body and felt a sudden pang of guilt for their indulgence. Chastened, she obediently pressed herself against the wall in the corner.

“Ahem, Professor Fang? I’m disciplining a child here. Perhaps you’d like to excuse yourself?”

Zhu Qingran gave Fang Ziyan’s sleeve a little poke, signaling for her to take the dolls into the other room and sit down. Then, Zhu Qingran narrowed her eyes into thin slits, her gaze hot enough to practically slow-roast He Yimo on the spot.

“He Yimo! You’ve really got some nerve! Learning how to send cryptic distress signals and then playing ‘missing person’ while you’re out having a blast? I’m telling you, if you scared your future nieces before they even arrived, I’d never hear the end of it!”

Zhu Qingran sounded furious, but inside, she was relieved. With an explosion of mock-rage, she swung her hand toward He Yimo in front of everyone.

Fang Ziyan’s eyes went wide. People always said CEO Zhu was professional, even-tempered, and possessed a stellar reputation. Was she really about to lay into her little cousin in front of an outsider? Was she actually going to hit her?

Fang Ziyan’s mind couldn’t keep up with the action. Her hand reached out instinctively, only to see Zhu Qingran give He Yimo’s forehead a sharp, firm poke.

“Ow, ow, ow! Sis, it hurts!” He Yimo cried out, screwing up her face in a display of exaggerated misery.

Zhu Qingran had considered giving the brat a few good flicks to the head, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Having watched this girl grow up, she just didn’t have the heart for it. However, the stunt the little cousin pulled was no small matter; while she turned out to be safe, she had nearly frightened the “Little Darling Wife” to death. Seeing that the girl still hadn’t learned her lesson, Zhu Qingran felt her anger flare up again.

“What are you looking at?” Zhu Qingran hissed through her teeth.

The little cousin, having just dodged a bullet, immediately snapped her eyes away from the pile of dolls. “Nothing, nothing at all.”

“I heard you went on a spending spree today. You promised me last time you’d buy fewer dolls and save more money. Do you really plan on spending your youth on fast food and starving to death later?”

Zhu Qingran’s anger hadn’t dissipated. The little cousin quickly held out her palms.

“Little Sister-in-law! I didn’t spend much today! Please watch her—don’t let my sister wreck my hands! I have a jewelry endorsement coming up! Save me!”

The moment He Yimo pleaded for mercy, Zhu Qingran’s palm came down with a sharp smack. Zhu Qingran didn’t use a tool; she used her own hand to strike her cousin’s palm. If it hurt He Yimo, it wasn’t easy on Zhu Qingran either.

After three strikes, the cousin’s palms were bright red, and Zhu Qingran’s own hand didn’t look much better.

Du Shiyu stepped in to check on them, softly urging Zhu Qingran to show some mercy.

“What did I teach you? Tell me—which part do you actually remember?” Zhu Qingran demanded.

With trembling hands, the little cousin answered honestly: “Stay in safe areas during holidays. If I run into trouble and you aren’t around, contact the company’s Inner Cabinet. If all else fails, stay at the office and don’t go out, it’s safer than being alone.”

He Yimo looked nothing like a big star now. She recited the self-defense strategies Zhu Qingran had drummed into her since childhood, her voice shaking more with every word.

“Sis, I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. I won’t make you worry anymore! Don’t be mad—you look so ugly when you’re mad, don’t mess up my future nieces’ genes, I, I was wrong.”

He Yimo couldn’t keep up the act anymore. Since Zhu Qingran became CEO, He Yimo had rarely seen her cousin this angry. But this time, the expression was so grim and the voice so strained that it was clear her actions had truly crossed a line. He Yimo didn’t want to think about what her sister must have gone through emotionally. Luckily, the outcome was good, so there was no need to bring up the scarier details. Being able to stand here together, safe and sound, was the best possible result.

“Fine, Sis. If you’re mad, just hit me. Don’t do this to yourself—”

Before He Yimo could finish, Zhu Qingran pulled her into a fierce, tight embrace. The strength of a “Super-S Rank” Alpha was no joke; He Yimo felt her sister’s arms were wider and more powerful than ever. Her sister’s scent was still as comforting as always. For someone who had lacked a mother’s affection growing up, as long as Zhu Qingran was there, she could always feel the warmth of family.

“You brat, you made my hand hurt so much. You’re paying for my anti-inflammatory ointment this time! If you’ve got the guts to catch dolls, you’ve got the guts to buy me medicine!” Zhu Qingran gave the back of He Yimo’s head a firm, affectionate squeeze, delivering her demand with a mix of exasperation and love.

Zhu Qingran didn’t ask where He Yimo had been. Instead, she sat applying cooling ointment while eyeing the Alpha on the sofa. Fang Ziyan was fanning herself with a paper fan, her face flushed from being surrounded by the plushies.

When He Yimo scurried over with drinks and fruit for the “guest,” Zhu Qingran blocked her path.

“How did you two even meet?” Zhu Qingran didn’t use Fang Ziyan’s name, but her narrowed eyes shot out dangerous glimmers.

“That, I picked Professor Fang up.” He Yimo said, sounding slightly guilty.

“Picked her up? Since when can Omegas just go out and pick up Alphas off the street? Things getting that wild now?” Zhu Qingran continued to stare her sister down.

The “Little Darling Wife,” finding the sibling interaction rather amusing, decided to take the fruit platter and deliver it to Fang Ziyan, who had been ignored for far too long.

Zhu Qingran blinked, and He Yimo immediately came clean, clutching the platter tightly: “Remember when I accidentally punched Professor Fang and gave her a concussion? Well, she went for a check-up today. I timed it right and loitered by the hospital entrance and picked her up.”

Her own sister “picking up” her sister’s former rival—the whole thing reeked of a long-term scheme. He Yimo stammered for a good while before the truth finally came out.

“And then? She kidnapped you? ‘Famous Star Kidnapped by Crazed Fan, Sends Distress Signals Before Incident’? Only for the ‘Crazed Fan’ to be kidnapped by the star and turned into a human claw machine?”

Zhu Qingran grew more animated with every word, while the little cousin’s head sank lower and lower.

“The, the process was basically like that. But I’m doing this to drain your rival’s energy and passion! Think about it: my Little Sister-in-law is an Omega, and I’m an Omega. If a tasteless, bored-to-death Omega like me is more than

Professor Fang can handle, then a high-quality Omega like my sister-in-law would definitely be impossible for her to land!”

He Yimo spoke with such solemnity she almost convinced herself. She gestured grandly across her chest, then scurried off with the fruit platter to pester the “rival” further.

“Sis, trust me! As long as I’m here, your rival won’t dare come back!”

As He Yimo scurried back into the living room, Zhu Qingran inexplicably clutched her chest. “Wife, looking at Momo’s IQ and personality, do you think I’m about to lose a sister to some smooth talker? Sob, sob, if my sister is getting married, should I start thinking about how much to ask for the dowry?”

Zhu Qingran’s emotions always shifted with effortless fluidity.

Acting as if nothing had happened, she began touring He Yimo’s small apartment, pointing out various plushies to Du Shiyu.

“That set of miniature figures in the dust-proof display case? Those were my souvenirs from the Junior Programming Competition years ago.”

“That giant bear on her headboard? I bought her that ‘companion’ the first time she went away for work to a city where I couldn’t visit her right away.”

“And no matter what designer bag Momo carries, there’s always a charm dangling from it. I made that out of polymer clay myself. It’s ugly, but she refuses to throw it away.”

Listening to Zhu Qingran’s explanations, Du Shiyu felt a deep wave of insight. In truth, it wasn’t that He Yimo loved plushies; it was that she loved and relied on the things her sister gave her.

“That’s truly lovely.”

The “Little Darling Wife” gave her heartfelt evaluation. She felt it was all wonderful—the memories, the history, and the people involved.

“Ah Ran, do you like plushies too?”

Du Shiyu picked up the nearest set of rabbit dolls to examine them. They were still in their original packaging, ranging in size from the length of a finger to half a person’s height—six or seven in total. As she toyed with a rabbit’s ears and tail while asking the question, the occupants of the living room were currently pressed against the wall, eavesdropping.

He Yimo had stuffed a massive amount of fruit into Fang Ziyan’s mouth, covering the other woman’s lips before she could even finish chewing.

“I do like them. They’re fluffy, cute, and very healing!”

Zhu Qingran was about to say more when her wife used one of the plushies to shield their profiles and kissed her squarely on the lips.

“Then let’s have a baby as a gift for you.”

The wife’s voice was barely a whisper, meant only for the two of them.

However, the little cousin completely misunderstood the situation. Wait, my sister and sister-in-law both like that rabbit set? And they’re both kissing the rabbit’s tail? Its butt?

Consequently, on the day Zhu Qingran and Du Shiyu left the apartment, they received a same-day courier package from the little cousin. Inside was a hand-drawn picture of a rabbit being kissed on the cheek, with a note: Sis, Sister-in-law, the rabbit’s butt is dirty. Can’t we just stick to kissing its face?

Author’s Note:

At that moment, a bewildered toy rabbit walked by and saw the entertainment headlines:

“According to an insider, CEO Zhu Qingran and her wife have a peculiar fetish: kissing the tails and backsides of toy rabbits.”

The Toy Rabbit: ??? Since when was I considered “dirty”?