After Becoming the Live-in Scummy Alpha, I Pamper Her with Real Strength - Chapter 31

He Song shook off Bai Wei’s hand, tone impatient.
“Miss Bai, whether you return to the country or come looking for me—none of it has anything to do with me. Sure, we had a little something in the past, but it’s just that: the past. We’ve broken up. Let’s not bother each other again, okay?”

“I see…” Bai Wei pouted and clung to the corner of He Song’s shirt, swaying like a child pleading. “You’re blaming me, aren’t you? You blame me for breaking up with you back then. But I had to go abroad, I had no choice, I—”

She started sobbing midway, her quiet cries giving He Song a pounding headache.

“Miss Bai, please turn off the waterworks. We’re not close. I’m begging you to keep your distance. You go your way, I’ll go mine—let’s be strangers, alright?”
Bai Wei’s delicate face was stained with tears. She looked up at He Song, eyes misty with sorrow.

“Don’t say such hurtful things, Weiran… I admit it, I still have feelings for you. So please, stop saying things like that.”

“I’m not being mean. You may still like me, but I no longer like you.”

“That’s impossible. Weiran, I don’t believe it. I don’t believe you don’t love me anymore. Do you remember? Back in college, we—”

He Song clenched her fists. She was ready to explode. Was this woman incapable of understanding human speech?

She had no intention of getting entangled with Bai Wei. Grabbing the tray, she bypassed her and walked out.
________________________________________

In the living room, Qi Lian’s identity was finally revealed: bar owner by day, guitarist and part-time rapper by night.

“I told you, I didn’t drink. I never drink and drive. I must’ve picked up a bit of the smell coming from the bar,” Qi Lian explained.

But Ji Jingyan wasn’t buying it. He narrowed his eyes. “You reeked of alcohol the moment you walked in. It hit me like a wave.”

In truth, Qi Lian only wore a subtle herbal cologne—there was no alcohol scent at all. Even Xu Yiyi, who sat closest to him, could confirm that.

Qi Lian gave Ji Jingyan a sidelong glance.
“President Ji, you’ve really got the nose of a bloodhound. You can sniff out anything, huh?”

He Song walked over and placed the water glasses on the table, feigning regret.
“Pity. I thought you were a motorcycle racer. That jacket of yours is pretty cool.”

Qi Lian shrugged.
“I do have a motorcycle. But I’m just an amateur—nothing close to pro.”

Out of all the career guesses tossed around, surprisingly, Jian Lin—usually the most forgettable—got the most correct.

Yu Dongdong took a sip of her lemon water, sighing with regret. Jian Lin had mirrored most of her guesses but turned out to be the only one who correctly guessed Ji Jingyan’s identity as a CEO.

With the guessing game over, it was time to assign rooms.

Just then, Bai Wei returned, eyes red and swollen.

Everyone except He Song turned to her in surprise. Their eyes shifted back and forth between the two of them. After all, they’d all seen Bai Wei follow He Song into the kitchen not long ago. How had she come back crying?

Xu Yiyi thoughtfully handed over a few tissues.
“Bai Wei, what happened? Did you cry?”

Bai Wei gratefully accepted the tissues, dabbing at her tears. She waved a hand and said it was nothing, but her pitiful, tear-streaked expression said otherwise.

So naturally, everyone turned to look at He Song.

Under their curious gazes, He Song braced herself.
“Probably just got lemon juice in her eyes while cutting fruit. Should be fine in a bit.”

Bai Wei froze. The tissues in her hands crumpled under her grip. She swallowed her frustration and croaked out hoarsely,
“It’s my fault. Of course He Song is mad. I wasn’t good enough for her. I promise I won’t say I like you again.”

【!!! Wait, what? The sweet girl just confessed?】

【And He Song didn’t just reject her—she made her cry?】

【What the hell did I miss? Why wasn’t there a camera in the kitchen?!】

【Bai Wei, please, He Song isn’t worth it. She’s just another scummy Alpha. Don’t be fooled by her looks.】

【I don’t get what Bai Wei sees in her. Ji Jingyan is clearly the better match. Alpha male and Omega female? That’s peak sweetness. And he’s a billionaire CEO too!】

【Look at the way Ji Jingyan looked at Bai Wei—so full of concern. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.】

Xu Yiyi glanced awkwardly between Bai Wei and He Song. He’d heard about He Song’s questionable reputation, but their earlier interactions didn’t make her seem like the cold type. Still, with Bai Wei crying this much, and He Song showing no reaction…

Qi Lian stepped in.
“Alright, no more tears. You’ll ruin your makeup. If there’s someone here you don’t like, how about I take you out to the courtyard to see the stars?”

Bai Wei blinked in surprise, sniffled, then nodded gratefully.
“Okay… maybe some fresh air will help.”

And just like that, the two of them headed out.

Inside the house, Ji Jingyan’s face turned visibly darker, a storm cloud of silent fury settling over the room.

Jian Lin tried to lighten the mood.
“Ji Jingyan, since the stars are apparently worth seeing… shall we… go take a look?”

Instantly, Ji Jingyan’s mood brightened. He shot her an approving look that said, “Smart girl,” and the two of them followed.

Xu Yiyi busied herself clearing glasses and preparing to choose a room.

He Song gazed up at the ceiling, exasperated. How had she, a neutral, harmless Alpha who just wanted peace, become the designated villain of the house?

Yu Dongdong clung to her arm cheerfully.
“He Song, come on, let’s go pick our room! I want to be your roommate!”

He Song: Sigh… emotionally exhausted.

The romantic cottage housed two per room, with strict rules separating Alphas and Omegas. Betas could room with either, since they couldn’t smell pheromones and weren’t affected even during heat or rut.

But He Song knew the truth: Yu Dongdong was a disguised Omega. And while she didn’t think Dongdong’s scent would affect her much, she herself had unstable pheromone dependency. Sharing a room with an Omega just wasn’t safe.

Later that night, He Song lay wearily on the bed when a video call from Mo Qingran lit up her phone.

“President Mo. Miss Mo. Mo Qingran. This dating show gig is way too much.”

On the other end, Mo Qingran’s voice was gentle.
“Is that so? Funny, you looked like you were enjoying yourself—surrounded by beauties, one on each side. How’s that feel?”

He Song immediately knew she’d been watching the livestream.
“Enjoying it? I nearly died of secondhand embarrassment.”

“They’re all out stargazing. Aren’t you going with them?”
The camera feed cut to the courtyard: two men and two women standing under the moonlight, gazing up at a starry sky rarely seen in the smoggy city of S.

Qi Lian, with his smooth charm and flirtatious jokes, had Bai Wei giggling non-stop. There wasn’t a trace of the sadness from earlier.

Meanwhile, Ji Jingyan stood stiffly behind them, straining to eavesdrop, his gaze practically glued to the pair.

Jian Lin kept to herself, sipping her lemon water and enjoying the breeze like a lone cat in a sunbeam.

【What a peaceful scene. I’m shipping the Bai Wei couple already.】

【Hold on now. Don’t count Ji Jingyan out. Between a bar owner and a CEO, I’d pick the CEO.】

【That’s so shallow. Qi Lian is funny, sweet, and warm—how can he not win?】

【I’d still choose the CEO.】

【+1】
He Song muttered,
“They can look at their stars… and I’ll look at mine.”

The sudden romantic line had Mo Qingran’s ears turning red. Ever since that emergency mark, He Song had gotten bolder with these flirty remarks.

The worst part? She didn’t even seem to realize she was doing it.

If it was intentional, she’d be more playful. If it was unintentional, why was it only directed at her?

“So… are you flirting with me right now?”
Mo Qingran’s deep eyes searched the screen.

He Song twirled a strand of her hair and played dumb.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Mo Qingran: Fine, keep playing. I’ll wait and see how long you can keep this up.

Then she casually asked,
“By the way… that Bai Wei in the livestream—what’s her deal? Did you really yell at her in the kitchen?”

He Song bolted upright, holding up her hand in mock oath.
“I did not! Why would I make her cry? Are people online saying that?”

Bai Wei was good—so good at playing the victim that no one even questioned it. And with He Song’s reputation being what it was, no one would believe her side of the story anyway.

Mo Qingran’s expression shifted slightly.
“She seemed pretty hung up on you. Did you two… know each other?”

He Song’s breath hitched. Should she tell the truth—that Bai Wei had been her college white moonlight? That Jiang Weiran once used Mo Qingran as a stand-in? Wouldn’t that be…

“He Song,” Mo Qingran cut in, her tone sharp and steady, eyes fixed on the camera, “Are you choosing not to tell me?”

That sense of pressure and unease had He Song shaking her head rapidly.
“I’ll tell you—I promise.”

She thought about the study incident from before. Maybe Mo Qingran’s real anger came not from the action itself, but from the fact that He Song had hidden it from her.

She remembered how angry she had felt when Mo Qingran lied about eating properly. What if the roles were reversed—what if Mo Qingran had pheromone dependency and needed her Alpha pheromones, but kept it secret?

That thought alone made her heart ache.

“I used to go to college with Bai Wei,” she admitted. “We… had a thing. Then she went abroad, and we broke up. That’s it. But I swear, I have zero feelings for her now.”

“Oh? Funny, because she looked like she wanted to pick up where you left off.”

“Too bad for her. That mirror’s been shattered. I’m not taping it back together. I feel nothing. The next month, I’ll just steer clear of her.”

“Why avoid her?” Mo Qingran’s voice was crisp and bright, like a violin in perfect tune. “You should face her head-on. Let her know she doesn’t stand a chance.”

“…What?” He Song didn’t quite follow.

Mo Qingran smiled faintly.
“You’ll understand tomorrow.”
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Author’s note:
Tomorrow… President Mo enters the scene. Happy Children’s Day, everyone~ 🎉