After Being Forced to Take the Role of the Scumbag Protagonist - Chapter 6

Be careful what you wish for, Jiang Shuming thought.

He had just finished worrying about whether Xu Ying was pregnant when the Omega started retching right in front of him. This ominous signal made Shuming’s nerves stand on end.

He rushed over, intending to pat Xu Ying’s back to help him catch his breath, but Xu Ying shoved him away. Stumbling back a few steps, Xu Ying covered his nose and hissed, “Get away from me.”

Xu Ying’s eyes were bloodshot from vomiting. He spoke with a muffled voice through his hand: “Retract your pheromones. Now.”

“I’m an Alpha, it’s normal for my scent to be a bit strong. Besides, the indoor alarm didn’t go off.”

In this society, Alphas didn’t have to wear collars, but public spaces were equipped with sensors. If an Alpha’s pheromone concentration reached a level that could trigger a collective heat in nearby Omegas, the alarm would blare and the police would arrive to “regulate” the scene. Since Shuming was within legal limits, he didn’t think much of it. He tried to approach again to check on his friend, but Xu Ying waved him off aggressively.

“I’m fine.” Xu Ying leaned against the cold brick wall, trying to use the chill to shock his drunken brain into clarity. “I always want to puke when I drink too much. It’s… it’s fine.”

“…” Shuming looked at Xu Ying’s flushed face and sighed. He grabbed Xu Ying’s arm anyway and began dragging him toward the exit.

A drunk Omega in a bar was the ultimate prey. As Shuming navigated the crowd, several Alphas stepped forward, asking if they could “borrow” Xu Ying for a while. Shuming barked a string of curses at them to get lost.

As much as Shuming disliked Wu Yunzhi, he had to admit the man had a top-tier face. Compared to Wu Yunzhi, these opportunistic Alphas looked like shriveled trash.

Fed up with being stopped every two steps, Shuming abandoned the front entrance and dragged Xu Ying toward the back alley.

But as they reached the heavy back door, the sound of heavy, rhythmic panting reached their ears. It was the unmistakable sound of two people engaged in a very “private” activity in the shadows. Shuming froze, hesitating.

Public sex wasn’t rare in bars; some people sought the thrill of a “wild encounter” in the pitch-black alleys. If anything, an audience might make them more excited. Shuming looked at the muddy mess that was Xu Ying, then back at the hungry Alphas inside, and decided the alley was still the lesser of two evils.

“Don’t make a sound,” Shuming whispered. He pulled Xu Ying along, staying low as they slipped through the side of the alley, trying not to disturb the couple.

But human curiosity is a powerful thing. Just as they were about to clear the corner, both Shuming and Xu Ying couldn’t resist a backward glance. What they saw nearly made their hearts stop.

One half of the passionate couple pinned against the wall was none other than Xu Congrong—the “virtuous” eldest son and Wu Yunzhi’s future fiancé.

Xu Ying’s drunken fog cleared by thirty percent. He and Shuming ducked into a deeper shadow. A distant streetlamp provided just enough light to confirm the Omega’s identity. It was definitely Congrong.

“Holy crap…” Shuming hissed, his breath hitching.

He knew Wu Yunzhi had dumped Xu Ying to climb the social ladder with Congrong, but he hadn’t expected the “perfect” eldest son to be even wilder than the social climber. The man was days away from an engagement and was already out here having a secret tryst with a random Alpha.

What do they call this? Shuming thought. The cheater getting cheated on?

While Shuming stood there dumbfounded, Xu Ying was already acting. He clutched his nose to block out the Alpha’s Lotus-scented pheromones and pulled out his phone. With shaking hands, he snapped several clear photos of Xu Congrong and the stranger locked in an embrace.

The couple was oblivious. When they finished, Xu Congrong handed the stranger a stack of cash and whispered something that sounded like a plea. The Alpha just let out a lazy, mocking chuckle, took the money, and walked away without a second glance. Xu Congrong stood alone for a moment, looking both ashamed and furious, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

He didn’t stay upset for long. Once he calmed down, he produced a bottle of neutralizer from his pocket and sprayed himself thoroughly, erasing every trace of the Alpha’s Lotus scent until he smelled perfectly “clean” again.

Only after Congrong left did Xu Ying and Shuming dare to emerge.

By now, Xu Ying was drifting off again. He slumped against the wall, and Shuming had to use all his strength to haul him into a taxi. The rest of the ride was a nightmare; Xu Ying entered the “crying” stage of drunkenness, wailing without explanation and leaving Shuming exhausted. Shuming made a mental vow then and there: I am never marrying an Omega.

When they finally arrived at the Xu estate, Shuming tried to get Xu Ying out of the car, but the drunk man had grown a sudden backbone. He refused to step foot inside. No matter how much Shuming pulled, Xu Ying planted his feet and wouldn’t budge.

At that moment, Wu Yunzhi happened to be taking a post-dinner stroll in the garden. He wandered near the gate and saw Xu Ying “tangled up” with another Alpha. He watched as Xu Ying shook the man off, lost his balance, and plopped onto the ground with a dull thud.

The stranger, Jiang Shuming, looked up and saw Wu Yunzhi standing there. His eyes lit up with relief. “Wu Yunzhi! Xu Ying fell… can you help me get him up?”

Wu Yunzhi frowned, about to decline, when Xu Ying reacted violently. He scrambled on the ground like a blind man, staggering to his feet with a slur: “No! I don’t need him to touch me!”

He took two wobbly steps, his declaration of independence cut short by his own uncoordinated legs. Thwack. He fell flat on his face again.

Wu Yunzhi: “…”

Jiang Shuming: “…”

Wu Yunzhi locked eyes with Shuming for a second, then turned and walked away with cold indifference.

Left without help, Shuming looked down at the stubborn drunk. “Did you fall so hard you went stupid? Can you walk?”

Xu Ying tilted his head, staring at Shuming for a long time. Then he sneered, “Who are you?”

Shuming had an idea. “I’m Wu Yunzhi.”

He expected Xu Ying to behave and follow him, but instead, Xu Ying’s response was immediate and soulful: “You’re Wu Yunzhi? Since when did you get so ugly?”

Jiang Shuming: “…”

Furious, Shuming dragged him inside anyway, dumped him unceremoniously on the butler and the maids, and ran for his life as if a pack of dogs were chasing him.

The patriarch soon discovered that Xu Ying had been out drinking. He delivered a blistering lecture, but Xu Ying was too far gone to hear a word of it. Eventually, the butler stepped in to calm the old man down, and Xu Ying was allowed to go to his room.

As the maids helped Xu Ying down the hallway, Wu Yunzhi, for reasons he couldn’t explain, stepped out of his room. He saw Xu Ying being supported up the stairs and paused, instinctively checking the hallway behind them.

Seeing that Xu Ying hadn’t actually brought that Alpha home, Wu Yunzhi looked down at him. Before he could speak, Xu Ying gave him a goofy, lopsided grin.

“Wu Yunzhi, you’re handsome again,” Xu Ying giggled. “Which plastic surgery clinic did you go to? You recovered so fast.”

Wu Yunzhi: “…”

He stared at the drunk with an unreadable expression. Then, he reached out and took Xu Ying from the butler. “I’ll take him the rest of the way.”

The butler, who was struggling with the weight, hesitated for only a second before nodding. “Then I’ll leave him to you, Master Wu.”

Wu Yunzhi didn’t reply. He swept Xu Ying up into a horizontal carry and hauled him upstairs. Hearing Xu Ying mumble Shuming’s name in his sleep, Wu Yunzhi dropped him onto the bed with unnecessary force.

He walked out, expressionless, and returned a minute later with a bottle of Pheromone Neutralizer. He began spraying the sleeping Xu Ying with a vengeance.

The cold mist hit Xu Ying’s face. He shivered and struggled awake, blinking slowly at Wu Yunzhi, who was standing over him like a judge.

“Wu Yunzhi?” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. “Why are you spraying me with air freshener?”

“Because you smell like a brewery. It’s disgusting,” Wu Yunzhi said coldly. “And it’ll wake you up so you stop being a burden to everyone else.”

Without another word, he turned on his heel and left.

Xu Ying sat up, looking like a lost puppy with dark, bewildered eyes. After a moment, he sniffed his own clothes. He almost gagged at the smell of stale alcohol and the lingering “mating” pheromones of the Alphas at the bar.

Whether he couldn’t stand the smell of the booze or the scent of other Alphas, he ran to the bathroom to vomit again. Finally, he shuffled back to bed, falling face-first into the pillows. A moment later, he kicked off his slippers and wiggled under the covers like a caterpillar, wrapping himself into a tight cocoon.

Minutes ticked by. Suddenly, a pale hand reached out from the cocoon and grabbed the phone on the nightstand.

Still a bit blurry, Xu Ying squinted at the screen, trying to see the photos he had taken of Xu Congrong’s affair. The images were doubling in his vision, frustrating him so much he threw the phone onto the floor.

In the silence of the room, his days of repressed grievance finally found an outlet. He turned toward the wall and whispered into the dark:

“Wu Yunzhi… doesn’t want me. Thinks I smell.”

“He’s a stupid bastard who deserves to wear that green hat.”

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