After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, I Was Spoiled by a Sweet Omega - Chapter 82

“Zhong Qiu is a woman with secrets.”

Yu Yazhi analyzed the situation for Shang Li while skillfully blanching vegetables. “I don’t believe she would split into another personality and name it ‘Qu Ran’ for no reason. There is definitely a story behind that name.”

As for what that story was, Shang Li would have to be the one to dig it up.

Shang Li sighed. “I’ve already looked into it. Zhong Qiu’s father died young in a car accident, and she lived with her mother after that. Other than being from a single-parent household, her life seemed perfectly normal—school, work, no major upheavals.”

Yu Yazhi shook her head, her tone certain. “There has to be something else.”

Ning Xuan chimed in, “Did her mother say the same?”

“Her mother.” Shang Li sighed again. “She passed away from overwork six years ago.”

Ning Xuan went silent. That’s devastating. To be so young and have no immediate family left in the world.

Yu Yazhi chewed her food thoughtfully for a moment before suggesting, “Dig deeper. Did her parents have no other relatives or friends? What about Zhong Qiu’s classmates? If you look hard enough, you’re bound to find the root of the problem.”

Shang Li nodded. “That’s all I can do.” She resolved to hire a professional private investigator to look into Zhong Qiu’s past.

The three of them chatted about the movie for a while longer. They didn’t wrap up until ten o’clock.

Ning Xuan and Yu Yazhi returned to the hotel. Since Yu Yazhi had to leave early the next morning to inspect a saffron cultivation base in Yancheng, they both went to bed early.

The next day, Yu Yazhi rose with the sun. After having breakfast with Ning Xuan and reminding her to take care of herself, she set off.

Ning Xuan headed to the set as well. With Shang Li’s arrival, her workload had significantly increased. The reason was simple: her character, He Suizi, begins learning martial arts and training herself to follow in her husband’s footsteps.

This training provides the foundation for her later “wrath for her husband,” where she single-handedly storms an interrogation room. It also explains her survival during their later flight from pursuers.

Consequently, after a full day of filming, Ning Xuan had to work overtime with Shang Li to learn the choreographed fight scenes. After two days of this, her legs were like jelly by the time she crawled into bed.

“I’m so tired.”

She started a video call with Yu Yazhi from under the covers.

Yu Yazhi had been working on her tablet, but she immediately accepted the invite and propped the phone up on the coffee table. The screen filled with Ning Xuan’s exhausted face and drooping eyes.

Yu Yazhi felt a pang of sympathy. “I’ll be back soon. When I am, I’ll give you a massage.” She meant a proper, therapeutic massage to help her relax and ease the fatigue. “Actually, should I call a professional to come to your room right now?”

She reached for her phone, intending to set her location to Hengzhuang to find a high-end massage therapist.

Ning Xuan hurriedly refused. “No, don’t. Calling a masseuse in the middle of the night, if someone sees, it’ll cause a misunderstanding.” She let out a soft laugh. “Besides, would you really be okay with that?”

In her worry, Yu Yazhi hadn’t considered the optics. She hesitated. “Fine. I guess I’ll just have to wait until I’m back to do it myself.”

Ning Xuan was leaning sideways against her pillow. Her eyes were closed, and her occasional “mhm” sounded more like she was talking in her sleep.

Yu Yazhi didn’t take offense, but she couldn’t resist teasing her. “And here you were saying you’d be so miserable without me that you’d have insomnia. You’re working like a dog all day; where would you find the energy for insomnia?”

The subtext was clear: You don’t miss me at all. Hmph. I’m pouting.

Knowing she was in the wrong, Ning Xuan quickly apologized. “I’m sorry, Yazhi. My mistake.” She tried to pivot. “What about you? Do you miss me?”

Yu Yazhi nodded. “Of course. I actually do have insomnia. Look at these dark circles. Tell me, what should I do about my sleeplessness?”

Ning Xuan thought for a second. “Have some red wine? It helps with sleep.”

“I tried. It didn’t work.”

“Then maybe you didn’t drink enough? Why don’t you have a bit more?”

Even as she said it, she felt guilty.

Yu Yazhi felt like she was talking to a total “straight girl” who didn’t understand romance. “Is it really a lack of wine?”

It’s because I miss you! No amount of wine can drown out how much I want to see you!

Ning Xuan was on the verge of passing out. “Then, what is the reason?”

“What do you think?”

“I. I.”

Her brain stopped functioning, and she drifted off entirely.

From Yu Yazhi’s perspective, she saw Ning Xuan’s face sink deep into the soft pillow. It looked like she was burying herself so deep she might have trouble breathing.

Yu Yazhi started to panic. She’s going to suffocate herself!

“Hey, Ning Xuan! Wake up! Fix your position.”

“Oh.”

Ning Xuan was startled awake but didn’t open her eyes. She rolled onto her back and mumbled, “Goodnight, Yazhi.”

And she was out again.

Yu Yazhi was at her wit’s end. She couldn’t stay mad at Ning Xuan, so she directed her frustration toward Shang Li. After all, Shang Li was the one working her to the bone.

She hung up and angrily dialed Shang Li. “I know you’re in a hurry to finish the choreography so you can run back to Qu Ran, but have some consideration for Ning Xuan’s body! If she gets injured from exhaustion, I’m coming for you.”

Shang Li had just finished her shower. She was drying her hair with her phone on speaker on the bed. “Did Ning Xuan complain to you?”

“No. Is she the type to complain? But I know exactly what you’ve been up to.”

“Feeling protective, are we?”

“If I don’t protect my own woman, am I supposed to protect you?” Yu Yazhi snapped.

Shang Li raised the white flag. “Fine, fine. I’ll let her rest tomorrow.”

Yu Yazhi pushed her luck. “Make it two days. No, three.”

Shang Li countered, “Then you deal with your brother for three days.”

The mere mention of her brother made Yu Yazhi’s head ache. “What did he do now?”

Shang Li sighed. “Ask him yourself.”

Yu Yazhi had no choice but to hang up and call Yu Jiayan. He didn’t answer.

He was currently busy dragging Qu Ran over to show off his latest acquisition: a private helicopter. “Custom-made. Worth 800 million. Integrated combat and passenger features.”

The helicopter continued to circle loudly overhead.

The roar of the engines was deafening.

Qu Ran couldn’t hear a word he said, and she wasn’t in the mood to listen anyway. She kept waving her hand, signaling for him to get the helicopter out of there immediately.

Unfortunately, Yu Jiayan was so caught up in his peacocking that he didn’t stop to consider the actual meaning of her gestures. On the contrary, he thought she was waving hello to the helicopter and began showing off even more enthusiastically.

In short, it was a disastrous misunderstanding.

The neighboring villagers, drawn by the commotion, all came out to stare at the aircraft. It was a very lively night.

But Qu Ran clearly detested the noise.

She usually had a mild temperament, but seeing that she couldn’t get through to him, she snapped. She delivered a direct kick to his shin. “It’s too loud! Get it out of here!”

Stung by the pain, Yu Jiayan finally snapped out of it and waved for the helicopter to leave. As the rumbling faded into the distance, the villagers dispersed.

Qu Ran retreated to her bedroom. Just as she was about to slam the door, Yu Jiayan wedged his foot inside.

Acting as if she hadn’t seen it, she slammed the door anyway.

The next moment, Yu Jiayan let out a scream like a slaughtered pig. He jerked his foot back, gasping in pain. His eyes welled up with tears; he looked both pitiful and infuriating.

Ding Jie, clutching a small electric fan to keep herself cool, watched him cry with rapt attention. This guy was Master Shang’s love rival. By extension, he was her enemy too.

“What are you looking at? Never seen someone cry before?”

Limping, Yu Jiayan sat down across from Ding Jie and snatched her fan away. Naturally, Ding Jie wanted it back and getting it back was easy. Her hand shot out like lightning, precisely striking his elbow.

Yu Jiayan felt his arm go numb, and the fan clattered to the floor.

Between Qu Ran’s rejection and the throbbing pain in his foot, he was already fuming. Ding Jie had just walked right into his line of fire. Enraged, he cursed, “Damn it! Do you even know who I am?”

Ding Jie picked up her fan and cradled it like a protective mother. She wasn’t the least bit intimidated by his fury. Instead, she looked at him with disdain. “I know. You’re an idiot.”

Yu Jiayan: “…”

He was livid! These rude, uncultured peasants!

“You’re the idiot!” He pointed a finger at her nose and cursed viciously, “Your whole family are idiots!”

Ding Jie spared him a fleeting, contemptuous glance. “Whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you.”

Yu Jiayan was about to explode. He headed for his “nest,” but since the house was small, his spot had long since been occupied by Ding Jie.

“This is my territory.” He started throwing Ding Jie’s things out.

Before he could throw another item, Ding Jie grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back, forcing him to his knees in pain.

“Ow, ow, ow! Hiss—let go! You’re going to kill me!”

The tears started flowing again. Ding Jie couldn’t believe that a man—an Alpha, no less could be such a crybaby. She was thoroughly disgusted. “You’re sleeping outside tonight! Don’t bother Miss Qu.”

Terrified of another beating, Yu Jiayan could only whimper, “Just you wait!” as he wiped his tears and stumbled outside.

Squatting in the courtyard, he pulled out his phone to message his head of security, telling them to come over. He figured there was strength in numbers; surely they could handle this bratty girl.

Predicting he would call for backup, Ding Jie immediately contacted Shang Li. She had already reported the helicopter stunt the moment it happened.

“Master Shang, what’s the plan? That kid is a real piece of work. If he tries to snatch her away, I might not be able to stop them all.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already sent your Senior Brother over with a crew.”

“How many people?”

“Is ten enough?”

“More than enough.” Ding Jie hung up, satisfied. She straightened her bedding, and feeling bored, she went back out to watch the “idiot” some more.

Yu Jiayan was squatting in the corner, slapping at mosquitoes while making a call.

The person on the other end was Yu Yazhi. He had intended to call his security team, but when he picked up his phone, he saw a missed call from Yu Yazhi. Since she almost never called him first, he was curious enough to call her back.

And then, he heard Yu Yazhi say:

“Qu Ran’s original name was Zhong Qiu. For certain reasons, Zhong Qiu developed a split personality named Qu Ran. The person you like is the sub-personality. Yu Jiayan, it’s never going to happen between you two. Can you please wake up?”