After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, I Was Spoiled by a Sweet Omega - Chapter 89

Thinking of this, Shang Li took her hand and said softly, “Xiao Qiu, can you tell me? What exactly happened? Xiao Qiu, please stop running away, okay?”

Touched by the nickname “Xiao Qiu,” Zhong Qiu’s eyelashes trembled, and fresh tears spilled over. She murmured, “I didn’t want to. I didn’t mean to.”

The memories surged through her mind. Zhong Qiu felt as if she were back in that sweltering summer. At the time, she was only fourteen and in middle school.

Life in middle school hadn’t been easy. Her classmates mocked her for being poor and bullied her constantly. The class monitor was a kind person who often helped her, but that only incited the jealousy of his admirers. Those girls were ruthless. They called her shameless, accused her of seducing the monitor, and even tried to strip her of her clothes to take compromising photos.

Terrified, she was too afraid to go to school. She wanted to tell her mother, but her mother was exhausted. To support her, this uneducated woman worked three jobs a day; she was truly at her limit.

Left with no choice, she skipped school and turned to her sister for help.

After their father died, her sister, Qu Ran, had been given up for adoption. Their mother forbade them from seeing each other, fearing that if the adoptive parents found out, they might treat Qu Ran poorly. But the sisters had always met in secret.

Her sister was wonderful—mature, sensible, and incredibly caring. She would quietly save the pocket money her adoptive parents gave her to buy Zhong Qiu snacks and clothes. She used to say that when she grew up and got a job, she would have enough money to take Zhong Qiu away so they could live together. Then, the two of them would never be apart again.

It was such a beautiful promise.

So, after running away from school, Zhong Qiu called her, crying, “Sister, let’s go away together. You said you’d take me with you. We can live together. Sister, I miss you. I want to be with you.”

At the time, her sister was preparing for the national college entrance exams. With her excellent grades, she was certain to get into a good school. She wanted to be a doctor and save lives. But upon hearing that Zhong Qiu had skipped school and run away from home, she came to find her.

Zhong Qiu didn’t want to go home, and she didn’t want to go back to school. Her sister tried to persuade her, staying by her side. They huddled together in a dilapidated hotel room. Her sister held her and stroked her hair like a mother would.

She described the life they could have: “Xiao Qiu, just hang on a little longer, okay? Once I get into university, I can work while I study. I’ll rent a place and we can live together. You love flowers, so we’ll plant so many of them. We’ll even get a big dog, okay?”

What had Zhong Qiu said then? It seemed she had said “no.” She had been made too willful by her sister’s indulgence.

The next day, her sister packed their things, intending to take her home. Zhong Qiu refused and ran away again, though she didn’t dare go far. Her sister found her once more in a small alley next to the hotel.

It was dark. It was raining.

Her sister held an umbrella, calling her name over and over: “Xiao Qiu, Xiao Qiu, I’m here. Come out, I won’t make you go home. Are you hungry? I’ll buy you some cake, okay?”

See? Her sister loved her the most!

Zhong Qiu smiled triumphantly and was about to answer when a tall, burly figure suddenly lunged out of the darkness. He covered her mouth, and a glinting knife was pressed against her throat.

She was too terrified to move. The man let out a sinister laugh, using the knife to slowly cut through her clothes.

She was paralyzed with fear, her voice a muffled sob: “Sister. Sister, save me.”

Her sister rushed over, pleading, “Don’t hurt her! She’s still a child, she’s not even an adult yet, please.”

But her sister wasn’t an adult yet, either.

The ice-cold fruit knife sliced through her bra strap. Her clothes fell open. Her sister broke down in tears: “Take me instead. Take me, please, just don’t hurt her.”

As she spoke, she took off her own clothes, revealing her pale, budding body. Upon seeing this, the man agreed.

And so, her sister traded herself for her.

Even while being violated, her sister’s voice still rang out: “Run! Xiao Qiu, run!”

The rain poured down in torrents.

Boom.

The thunder was so loud. The alley was so long. Her legs were too short, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t reach the end. She was too clumsy; she even tripped while running.

She, she had destroyed her sister.

By the time she returned with help, her sister was gone. On the ground, alongside her sister’s torn clothes, lay the body of a man. Her sister had killed someone.

She had ruined the person who loved her most. Her sister’s youth, her entire life, Xiao Qiu had destroyed it all with her own hands!

The police investigation concluded that her sister had used excessive force, resulting in intentional homicide. Even after the suspect had lost the ability to resist, she had stabbed him seven more times. It was a brutal act.

And so, her sister went to prison. She was sentenced to seven years.

Xiao Qiu wrote to her constantly, apologizing over and over. Her sister wrote back: [A sister’s job is to protect her little sister. So, Xiao Qiu, I don’t blame you. Truly. It’s okay. I’m doing fine here. By the time I get out, you’ll be all grown up. That’s good, too. I can’t wait to see the woman you’ve become. Oh, and don’t spend all your time thinking about me, you must study hard. Be a good girl.]

She took those words to heart. She studied hard and became the perfect, obedient daughter. She was determined to get into a top university, find a great job, and earn enough money to support her sister. She would buy her sister everything she ever wanted. She would repay her for everything.

Finally, seven years passed. Xiao Qiu went to the prison, full of joy, to bring her sister home.

But where was she? Why wasn’t she there?

The guard told her, “Your sister was released early for good behavior.”

Surprised and ecstatic, she asked, “When did this happen?”

Why hadn’t her sister told her? They had corresponded every single month for seven years! How could her sister keep something so important a secret? Was she trying to surprise her?

But there was no surprise only a nightmare.

“Your sister was released two years ago,” the guard said.

It was a bolt from the blue. Her sister had been out for two years, yet she hadn’t reached out or come looking for her. Did she hate her?

Xiao Qiu went to the home of her sister’s adoptive parents, only to find they had cut ties with her long ago. No one knew where she was. Xiao Qiu continued writing to the old address. After receiving one brief letter saying she was safe, there was nothing but silence.

Her sister had abandoned her. Her mother was already gone. She had no family left in this world.

No, I have to find her.

She had to make money; she had to succeed. Once she was wealthy and powerful, she would have the ability to protect her sister.

Year after year passed. Her saffron base began to turn a profit. And finally, her sister came looking for her.

But why was she so frail? Why was she wrapped up so tightly in the middle of a sweltering summer?

Xiao Qiu rushed forward to embrace her, but her sister flinched, retreating in fear.

“Sister. Sister, what’s wrong?”

Xiao Qiu looked at her, tears of joy falling. Her sister was crying, too, though her eyes were full of smiles. “It’s wonderful. Xiao Qiu, you’ve done so well. I’m so proud of you.”

Feeling a mix of shyness and pride, Xiao Qiu replied, “Of course. I’m your sister, after all. Sister, I have money now so much money. We can live together.”

Her sister smiled and agreed. “Alright. We’ll live together.”

It was all a lie.

Her sister was a deceiver. After seeing her just once, she vanished into the night again. She left a letter: [Xiao Qiu, seeing where you are today makes me so happy. You were always smart and resilient; nothing can stand in your way. I know you will stay that way. But I heard from your employees that you are lonely and withdrawn, that you don’t talk to anyone. That isn’t good. You need to find joy from within. I miss and I want that lively, cheerful little sister. Don’t drown in the past. Love, your sister.]

Her sister loved her too much.

So, she never spoke of the hardships she endured.

So, even when she was on the verge of death, she never told her.

“Sister is dead.”

The memories tore at Zhong Qiu’s nerves. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her voice was so raspy from sobbing that she could barely make a sound. “She died shortly after coming to see me. I should have suspected something. She wouldn’t have appeared out of nowhere. She was worried about me, so before she died, she came to see me one last time. I didn’t even notice. I just stood there smiling in front of her like an idiot, hahaha.”

She began to laugh almost frantically, though her heart was screaming in agony. She hated herself. This self-loathing was so intense that every time the memory surfaced, she couldn’t stop herself from slapping her own face.

Slap! Slap!

Just like now. In an act of pure self-torture, she used all her strength to strike herself twice. Immediately, red, swollen handprints bloomed on her pale, delicate skin.

Shang Li quickly grabbed her hands, stopping her from hurting herself further. “Don’t do this. Xiao Qiu, if your sister saw this, her heart would break for you.”

Those words, without a doubt, pierced her soul again. Zhong Qiu clutched her chest, choking back sobs. “Yes, her heart would break. She cherished me so much. Haha, Shang Li, do you know? She loved me so much, yet in the end, I was never able to do anything for her.”

So, what if she had money? So, what if she was successful? Her sister never spent a single cent of her money, nor did she enjoy even one day of the comfort Zhong Qiu could provide.

The child wishes to provide, but the parent is gone.

This was her eternal sorrow. Everything had lost its meaning. Her sister was dead. Everything in this world, to her, had become meaningless. Zhong Qiu beat her chest, her eyes filled with despair as she laughed and cried simultaneously.

“You still love me? Haha, what is there to love about someone like me? I’m nothing but a jinx, a bringer of misfortune!”

“No. You are not.”

Shang Li pulled her into a firm embrace and kissed her forehead, offering comfort. “Xiao Qiu, you can’t think like that. Truly. Your sister loved you. If you think this way, then all her sacrifices and everything she gave for you lose their meaning. You must understand that from beginning to end, all she ever wanted was for you to live a peaceful and happy life.”

“Yes to live.” Zhong Qiu nodded with a self-mocking smile. “My sister wanted to live, too. She didn’t want to die. In prison, she behaved perfectly, she studied hard, she fought tirelessly for her dreams but it was no use. She couldn’t stay alive.”

Shang Li knew she was approaching the most painful part of the story. She almost couldn’t bear to listen anymore. “Don’t say another word. Xiao Qiu, it’s all in the past. The dead are gone; the best we can do is never forget her, and then, carry her love forward to live a happy life.”

“No, that’s not it. I can’t live like this.” Zhong Qiu shook her head, her voice completely hoarse, yet she kept speaking. “Shang Li, I owe her too much. I have to pay her back. Help me, okay?”

Shang Li shook her head as well, her voice filled with grief. “Xiao Qiu, how can you have the heart to say such things right in front of your sister? Do you want her death to be for nothing?”

Zhong Qiu fell silent. She looked at the tombstone, reaching out to touch the photo of Qu Ran—a picture of her at seventeen, such a bright and vivid girl. By the time she died, she had withered into a skeleton.

The guilt washed over her once more. Zhong Qiu said, “Look at this epitaph. ‘Here lies an angel. She lived a long and wonderful life.‘ It’s all a lie. I’m a liar. Even though she’s dead, I’m still lying to her.”

Shang Li tried to soothe her. “No, you aren’t lying to her. For her, being able to love and protect you meant she did live a long and wonderful life. Think about it, if those things had happened to you instead, she would be in just as much pain as you are now. Death is an end, a release. It is the living who carry the greater, more enduring burden of suffering. Would you want her to carry that burden?”

“No.”

“Then, Xiao Qiu, let her go, and let yourself go, too.”

“Is that how it is?” Zhong Qiu murmured. Without waiting for a reply, she collapsed into Shang Li’s arms.

The night grew deep. The mournful cry of a crow pierced the silence. Shang Li picked Zhong Qiu up, looked at the girl in the photograph, and bowed deeply. “Rest assured, I will take good care of her. I will love and protect her just as you did.”

The girl in the photo seemed to smile slightly, the dimples in her cheeks appearing to deepen.

“And thank you for always protecting her, for loving her.”

Having said her piece, Shang Li carried Zhong Qiu and began to walk. She walked for what felt like an eternity until she finally reached the road. The students were waiting by the cars. Ding Jie rushed forward, waving her hands. “Master

Shang, where did you go? Miss Qu oh, I mean, Miss Zhong, why is she—”

“Let’s go.”

Shang Li walked straight to her car. Seeing this, Ding Jie hurried to open the door. Shang Li carefully placed Zhong Qiu inside, then climbed in from the other side, supporting the woman’s head so she could sleep in her lap.

Zhong Qiu was in a state of semi-consciousness, murmuring, “Sister, don’t go, please.”

She was dreaming. She was back to that day Qu Ran came to find her. The details she had overlooked in reality were starkly clear in the dream. She saw Qu Ran wearing a mask, keeping a great distance as if she were afraid of passing on a disease. Later, Qu Ran made an excuse to go to the restroom and was gone for a long time.

In reality, Zhong Qiu had waited outside, never following her. But in the dream, she pushed the restroom door open. She saw the residual blood staining the sink.

The signs had been there all along. She had simply been too oblivious.

“Sister, I’m sorry. I failed to save you,” she whispered, as tears rolled silently down her face.