After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, I Was Spoiled by a Sweet Omega - Chapter 53

“Ding Jie, are you out of your mind?”

Ning Xuan shook her shoulders firmly, her tone serious. “Wake up! You’re still so young, how can you have such dangerous thoughts?”

Ding Jie rubbed her eyes and yawned. “Oh, come on, I was just joking.”

In truth, she had read something like this on a certain forum. The story went: the heroine secretly loved the hero but couldn’t win him over. Her best friend then gave her a twisted idea and unbelievably, the heroine actually carried it out.

She drugged him, kidnapped him, and forced herself on him, all in one horrifying sequence. The impression it left on Ding Jie was far too deep.

Forgive her for being so indecent!

Ning Xuan: “…”

She pressed her forehead and sighed. “Ancestor, that kind of joke could scare someone to death!”

Shang Li, however, wasn’t frightened. Instead, she was stirred. She picked up her phone and dialed Zhong Qiu.

At the same time, across a closed door, Yu Jiayan spoke to Qu Ran: “Ranran, I’m so bored.”

He had laid out a mat outside her room, like a guard dog, ears pricked to catch any sound from within.

The mountain night was quiet.

Her room was quiet too.

She didn’t speak, didn’t watch TV, didn’t play on her phone.

Perhaps she didn’t even have a phone.

Yu Jiayan thought about it, then asked: “Ranran, what are you doing? Are you asleep? Let’s chat. Do you have a phone? The world outside is wonderful, you should go see it. Do you really want to spend your whole life here just herding sheep?”

No response.

Qu Ran lay on her bed, eyes closed, as if asleep.

Yu Jiayan knew she was taciturn and disliked talking, so he kept rambling on his own: “I kind of miss home. My family is rich, and my parents adore me. If you were with me, they’d definitely adore you too.

Ranran, look at you—living here all alone, no family, no friends. Isn’t it lonely? But if you were with me, you’d gain a warm, loving family.”

Qu Ran thought of her own family and found the word “family” bitterly ironic.

She didn’t want to hear more. “Yu Jiayan, shut up.”

Yu Jiayan: “…”

A wife’s words cannot be disobeyed.

The man who was usually domineering instantly fell silent.

Dali Martial Arts Hall

“Sorry, the number you dialed is powered off. Please try again later.”

A pleasant female voice came from the phone.

Shang Li frowned and dialed again. Same reply. She scratched her head in frustration. “Why is her phone off? Did she change her number?”

Ning Xuan, watching, suggested: “Try calling one of her friends?”

Shang Li’s eyes clouded with worry. “She doesn’t have friends.”

“What about colleagues? Didn’t she succeed in her business venture?”

“I only know that half a year ago, she handed the herbal medicine base over to President Yu.”

“What? Really?”

Ning Xuan remembered Zhong Qiu once attempting suicide to secure investment. She had thought Zhong Qiu was ambitious, but after succeeding, she suddenly abandoned everything.

Why would she quit?

Then Ning Xuan recalled her hospitalization. “What about the hospital?”

Shang Li didn’t answer. Instead, she called Yu Yazhi.

Yu Yazhi was filming a blooming epiphyllum with her phone. Meng Xi had bought seven pots, placed on the balcony. One was about to bloom, and she wanted to record it.

Just then, Shang Li’s call came through.

Seeing the caller ID, Yu Yazhi immediately thought of Ning Xuan and answered. “Hey, Shang Li, what’s wrong?”

She assumed Shang Li only called her because of Ning Xuan.

But Shang Li asked: “Do you know how Zhong Qiu is doing? I tried calling her, but her phone’s off. I’m worried.”

Yu Yazhi replied: “I don’t know. Half a year ago, she said she was going for treatment and handed the herbal base to me. Since then, I haven’t heard from her.”

She had always assumed Zhong Qiu was in closed treatment. Attempts to visit were refused. She had even asked about her progress and introduced doctors, but Zhong Qiu rejected them all. Eventually, she stopped asking.

“Why suddenly ask about her? Did you change your mind? Want to reconcile?”

“We were never together. Reconcile what?”

Her voice was heavy with disappointment, and she hung up.

Yu Yazhi froze, eyes wide in disbelief. Then realization dawned: So, Shang Li had been in unrequited love all along? Zhong Qiu’s resistance, was it partly to avoid Shang Li’s pursuit?

Shang Li hung up and called the hospital Zhong Qiu had once stayed at.

As before, the staff replied: “Sorry, we cannot disclose patient information.”

Shang Li nearly broke down, shouting: “Is she still in your hospital?”

The staff paused, then asked: “Miss, are you drunk?”

Assuming it was just a drunk nuisance call, they waited, heard no reply, and hung up.

Shang Li didn’t call again.

She kept drinking, tears brimming in her eyes.

Ning Xuan handed her tissues, gently asking: “Master Shang, are you okay?”

Shang Li was truly drunk, speaking in anguish: “She did this on purpose! She told them to say that. She doesn’t want to see me! She hates me! Don’t you see? Once, when I secretly went to see her, the look in her eyes, that disgust.”

As if her love was something terrifying.

Ning Xuan didn’t know their entanglement and couldn’t comment. She only patted her shoulder in comfort.

Shang Li collapsed, muttering: “I’ll find you. Xiao Qiu, I’ll find you.”

Even the strongest exterior hides a weakness.

But after a night’s sleep, though the pain remained, one could still smile numbly and carry on.

The Next Morning, daylight streamed in.

When Ning Xuan woke to the sound of movement, Shang Li was already carrying breakfast inside.

“Good morning.”

Ning Xuan greeted instinctively.

Then she glanced at Ding Jie, still asleep on the carpet beside the coffee table. This girl’s drinking habits were truly frightening.

Shang Li clearly remembered Ding Jie’s insolence from last night. Setting the breakfast down, she nudged her lightly with her foot just enough to wake her. “Wake up, stop sleeping.”

Ding Jie startled awake, eyes widening at the sight of Shang Li. “Shang, Master Shang.”

Her eyes darted nervously as she tried to recall what had happened last night. She remembered drinking, crashing at Ning Bao’s place, and maybe chiming in twice. But what she had said, she couldn’t remember at all.

“What are you staring for? Go wash up.”

After urging her, Shang Li opened the chopsticks and began eating on her own.

Ning Xuan and Ding Jie, still dazed, obeyed her command and rushed into the bathroom together.

While washing up, they whispered.

Ding Jie asked: “Ning Bao, I didn’t say anything I shouldn’t have last night, did I?”

Ning Xuan looked shocked. “You blacked out?”

Ding Jie frowned, scratching her head. “I can’t remember. But I feel like I did something wrong.”

Ning Xuan: “…”

She wanted to say: Be confident, remove the words ‘feel like.’

But considering Ding Jie’s fear of Shang Li, she didn’t point it out. Instead, she said: “Blackouts are a blessing. Pray you never remember.”

Ding Jie grew even more anxious. “What did I do? Did I make a mistake?”

Ning Xuan thought: Mistake? You practically encouraged Shang Li to commit a crime.

“Ah, you.”

She patted her shoulder kindly. “Drink less in the future. And if you do, don’t get drunk.”

Ding Jie: “…”

So, What Exactly Did She Do Last Night?

Oh my god!

After a quick wash, the two sat down at the coffee table.

Shang Li devoured buns and soy milk, sweeping away the food like a storm.

Ding Jie, hungry herself, joined in. While eating, she kept sneaking glances at Shang Li’s expression, wondering: Is this turning grief into appetite?

Ning Xuan was also hungry. She picked up a bun with her chopsticks, eating while checking her phone.

On WeChat, Yu Yazhi had sent two messages the night before.

[How’s Shang Li?]

Sent at 10:20 p.m.

When there was no reply, another came at 10:40:

[What are you busy with?]

After that, she sent a few more messages but all were retracted.

Curious, Ning Xuan replied: [What did you retract again?]

This person really seemed to enjoy withdrawing messages.

She waited a while, but no reply came. Thinking Yu Yazhi was probably busy, she put down her phone and focused on breakfast.

Shang Li soon finished eating.

She set down her chopsticks and stared at Ding Jie without saying a word.

Ding Jie’s heart raced. Meeting her gaze felt like facing the legendary “death stare.”

“Hahaha, Master Shang.”

She forced a laugh, then asked nervously: “If you have something to say, please go ahead.”

Shang Li nodded. “I remembered, last night I said we’d add two more hours of training. Keep that in mind. Don’t slack off.”

So that was it.

Ding Jie quickly agreed. “Don’t worry, I’ll remember. I’ll do it properly this time, no slacking.”

Seeing this, Shang Li’s eyes softened with approval. “Good. I’ll be away on a business trip for a few days. When I return, if you can’t pass the second-stage assessment, you’d better consider another career.”

Ding Jie was horrified, about to beg for mercy, but caught the key point: “You’re going on a trip? Where? For how many days?”

Shang Li replied calmly: “Not sure how many days. Don’t ask too much, just focus on your training.”

She planned to go to Nanping to look for Zhong Qiu, unsure how long it would take. After returning, she wouldn’t have time to personally test Ding Jie, since she’d be joining Director He’s crew as a martial arts consultant, at least half a month’s commitment.

But she didn’t intend to tell Ding Jie that. Otherwise, the girl might think she had plenty of time and start slacking again.

“Oh, I understand.”

Ding Jie lowered her head and answered obediently.

Ning Xuan quietly observed the master-disciple exchange, occasionally checking WeChat. Yu Yazhi still hadn’t replied. What was she busy with?

Meanwhile, Yu Yazhi was on the balcony, learning from a horticulture teacher how to care for epiphyllum. She held sticky notes, jotting down key points.

In the process, she also learned about flower symbolism.

The teacher said: “I love lilies of the valley—their meaning is happiness returns. I also love crabapple blossoms—their meaning is selfless devotion, no regrets.”

Yu Yazhi thought for a moment, then asked softly: “If someone wanted to express feelings subtly, which flower language would be suitable?”

“Buckwheat flowers mean you are the lover I want to protect. That’s already quite subtle. If you want something even more reserved.”

The teacher looked at her knowingly, then smiled. “Send snapdragon. Its meaning is please notice my love.”

Yu Yazhi nodded, smiling in thanks, and asked no more.

She felt snapdragon perfectly matched her current emotional needs.

After seeing the teacher off, she downloaded a picture of snapdragon, turned it into a sticker, and added the caption: Here, a flower for you.

Back on WeChat

Ning Xuan received the sticker: [Here, a flower for you jg.]

She stared at it, baffled. Why send a sticker out of nowhere? What does this mean?

Truly confused, she sent back another sticker: [Black man question mark face jg]

Yu Yazhi quickly replied: [Guess.]

Ning Xuan guessed: [You’re in a good mood?]

Yu Yazhi: [Guess again.]

Ning Xuan: [A new way of greeting? A new opener?]

Yu Yazhi: [Keep guessing.]

Ning Xuan’s head spun. Is she testing my comprehension? This is torture!

After several failed guesses, she finally sent a sticker of kneeling in apology: [I was wrong jg]

Yu Yazhi sent the flower sticker again: [Here, a flower for you jg]

Ning Xuan: “…”

In despair, she sent another sticker: [You’re so naughty jg]

Yu Yazhi: “…”

Maybe she had been too subtle? Should she hint that it was about flower language?

She typed: [Do you know the meaning of this flower?]

But thinking it was too direct, she deleted it and instead wrote: [When are you coming back?]

Ning Xuan packed her luggage, heading downstairs, and replied with a voice message: “I’m preparing to return now.”

Yu Yazhi: [Take care on the way.]

Ning Xuan: [Thanks.]

She released the suitcase handle to type another message, just as Shang Li picked up the suitcase and strode toward the parking lot beside Dali Martial Arts Hall.

Ning Xuan carried her small bag, following behind. She checked WeChat a few more times, no new messages from Yu Yazhi, but Su Manyun had sent one.

[Are you coming back today? What time? I’ll host a welcome dinner.]

[Yes, today. I’ll arrive around noon. No need for the trouble.]

[Of course it’s needed! I miss you. Let’s gather and also talk about Director He’s script.]

[Any new updates?]

[Yes. They say there’ll be open auditions.]

[Date confirmed?]

[Not yet. We’ll discuss in detail once you’re back.]

[Alright.]

Ning Xuan wasn’t afraid of open auditions. On the contrary, she looked forward to them, feeling a surge of excitement like her career was truly beginning.

After all her preparation, it was finally time to see the results.

“Come on, hurry up.”

Shang Li’s voice called from ahead.

Ning Xuan tucked her phone back into her bag and jogged to catch up.

The car soon came into view.

She pulled out the keys, opened the trunk.

Shang Li placed the suitcase inside and reminded her: “Travel safely. Let me know when you get home.”

Ning Xuan thanked her, hugged her, and with a smile offered her blessing: “Master Shang, you’re truly wonderful. I wish your ‘business trip’ goes smoothly and that your wishes come true.”