After Setting Me Up With My Ex, The Aloof Alpha Regrets It - Chapter 41.2

Chapter 41.2: Shi Li Really Wanted to Jump Up and Hug Zhu Yunqi.

Lan Yang tried to get them to strike a few poses, but both of them couldn’t do it. In the end, she gave up, and they took a photo of the two of them standing as stiff as logs, with their peace signs looking like forked tree branches.

Shi Li said she’d send them the photos later.

They said their goodbyes near the restaurant. Shi Li and Tang Yingchi’s homes were in the same direction, so they took a public bus back together.

The buses were all magnetic levitation and basically covered all the districts of the Star Capital. You could get almost anywhere by public bus.

On the bus, Tang Yingchi was excitedly flipping through the videos she had recorded at the concert.

Even though the official Yuna Isadora account would later upload the concert footage, which would have much better quality than what they had recorded, it was strange that only the videos they recorded themselves could make them feel like they were back at the venue that night.

Tang Yingchi rested her chin on Shi Li’s shoulder. “Li Bao, how much did you give Lan Yang? I’ll transfer you my share.”

Even though Shi Li’s salary was a bit higher than hers, Shi Li had to pay back her student loans and had a mother who was always in a nursing home, so her financial burden was heavier. Besides, tickets for Yuna Isadora’s concert wouldn’t be cheap, and their seats were so good.

Shi Li shook her head, saying it wasn’t necessary. She hadn’t found a suitable opportunity to tell her friend that she was no longer the debt-ridden Shi Li she used to be.

Tang Yingchi suspected she was lying to her. “You weren’t scammed, were you? Like getting into some unreliable online loan scheme? No, you’re not that kind of person.”

Shi Li said, “There are some things I can’t tell you right now. Just pretend I won the lottery, okay? Don’t worry, I won’t be easily scammed by others, and I haven’t done anything illegal.”

Tang Yingchi pouted sadly. “I’m hurt. You have your own little secrets and you’re not telling me.”

Shi Li was also a little embarrassed. “I’ll definitely tell you when I get the chance. Anyway, you don’t have to worry about my money problems anymore.”

Tang Yingchi sat up straight, looking at her friend intently. Finally, her body went limp, and she leaned back on Shi Li.

“Alright, fine. Who asked me to be your best friend? I’ve always had a wish that you would marry a super, super rich person. Then, when one of you gets ahead, all of your family and friends benefit. I wouldn’t have to work, and I’d spend your wife’s money with you every day, hehe.”

Then, she suddenly sat up with a jolt, not even reviewing the concert videos anymore. Her eyes were bright, and she grabbed Shi Li’s shoulders as if she had thought of something incredible.

Shi Li watched her friend warily.

“Is Zhu Yunqi super rich? And her personality is great, and she’s so good-looking. She’s not a bad Alpha. Hey, speaking of which, she was the one who got the tickets for today’s concert and wanted to go with you. Is she trying to pursue you? She wants to pursue you but is too shy, so she brought her friends and your friends, which is me, the lucky one. How does that saying go? ‘To be able to have a meal with you, I’ve invited everyone.’ In the face of a perfect woman like Zhu Yunqi, even if you don’t like Alphas, it would be hard to say no. I think you got along with her pretty well today.”

Tang Yingchi was almost convinced by her own theory.

Shi Li didn’t think so.

Zhu Yunqi probably just saw her as a friend.

“No, that’s not it. I didn’t tell you before, but she originally wanted me to go with Wen Yue. She just couldn’t go…”

“So I was a replacement for Wen Yue?” Tang Yingchi scrunched up her nose. “That doesn’t make sense. Concert tickets are so hard to get. Why would she want you to go with Wen Yue?”

Shi Li thought for a moment and gave her a simple explanation.

“Actually, you can think of Zhu Yunqi as the leader of my and Wen Yue’s fan club.”

When Tang Yingchi heard this, her jaw almost dropped to the floor.

But her friend didn’t seem to be joking at all.

Shi Li felt her summary was perfect. It was easy to understand and didn’t reveal any key information.

Tang Yingchi sputtered for a long time before finally managing to say a full sentence. “She has such bad taste? She’d be better off shipping you and me instead of you and Wen Yue. Wen Yue isn’t reliable at all.”

“Oh, it’s their freedom to ship whoever they want. Anyway, that’s how it is. We got to know each other because of that relationship. You can’t make jokes about Zhu Yunqi and me anymore, okay?”

Tang Yingchi: …

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t understand Zhu Yunqi’s behavior of shipping Shi Li and Wen Yue. In her opinion, this couple was doomed to break up sooner or later. In the end, she could only convince herself that this was probably a special hobby for rich people.

Shi Li added, “Don’t tell Wen Yue that Zhu Yunqi went to the concert today. Wen Yue doesn’t like her shipping us. Zhu Yunqi usually does it secretly.”

Tang Yingchi agreed with a face that read, “Rich people are so complicated.”

By the time Shi Li got home, it was already past midnight.

A week’s worth of fatigue washed over her, along with the exhaustion from the high excitement of the concert and the post-meal drowsiness. Shi Li forced herself to go to the bathroom to shower and then collapsed onto her bed.

The bed was soft, and she rolled around comfortably, burying her face in the blanket. The spherical lamp on her nightstand filtered out a honey-colored light, like a melting caramel.

She took out the autographed photo Zhu Yunqi had given her and placed it in her palm, gently rubbing the words on it with her fingertips.

The warmth of her palm made the photo play a sound again.

Shi Li held the photo to her ear. It was quiet in the room in the dead of night, except for the occasional tapping of the night wind on the windowpane. It was supposed to rain tonight, but it hadn’t yet. The first half-second of the photo’s sound was like the faint scratching of an old record player or the sound of raindrops on a window. It rained for the night.

Yuna Isadora’s amber voice flowed slowly into her ear. Because the technology for recording photos was still immature, the sound was a bit distorted, but she could still tell it was Yuna. “Dear Shi Li, I’m Yuna Isadora. I’m very happy you came to my concert. As I wrote on the photo, I wish for the starlight to illuminate your path forward. May your life be bright and clear from now on. Be brave and do what you want to do.”

Yuna’s voice stopped there. Shi Li thought it was over and was about to listen again, but after Yuna, someone else said something.

The voice was faint and blurry. Even when she held the photo tightly to her ear, she couldn’t make out what was said. She could only barely recognize a word that seemed to be “happy.”

The last line ended abruptly. It was as if Yuna hadn’t finished her lines, and the person next to her prompted her for the next line, but the photo’s recording time was limited, and Yuna didn’t have time to repeat it before it stopped. It also seemed that Yuna had finished what she wanted to say, and there were one or two seconds of recording time left, accidentally recording the voice of the person next to her.

Shi Li listened to it a few times and thought the last voice sounded like Zhu Yunqi.

Her eyes blinked slower and slower, and finally closed. She fell into a deep sleep, still holding the photo in her hand.

…

After being confined to the house for a week, Wen Yue was finally able to go out.

She went to work as usual, and after work, she met up with Shi Li.

Wen Lirong also had a lot on his plate and couldn’t watch her for an extended period. On her way to meet Shi Li, Wen Yue carefully checked for any of Wen Lirong’s men following her.

As soon as they met, Shi Li said, “A Yue, you’ve lost so much weight.”

Wen Yue had indeed lost a lot of weight. During her time confined at home, she was anxious every day. She wanted to share her location with Shi Li and video call her constantly, wanting to see where she was and what she was doing. But she was also afraid that Shi Li would think she was a control freak, so she desperately suppressed her impulses.

Wen Yue looked at her own slightly yellowed hair and smiled. “I missed you so much. I couldn’t eat or sleep.”

Because she had been “famous” on the star-net for a while, Wen Yue wore a hat, worried about being recognized.

The brim of the baseball cap was pulled low. Her smile was forced and a little odd. Shi Li had the strange feeling that she was being stared at by a black hole.

She suppressed the strange feeling and showed a sweet smile. “Come on, I’ll take you to eat something good.”

They went to the snack street they used to frequent in college.

Shi Li gave Wen Yue a pair of matching rings. The rings were small and delicate, set with a small aquamarine diamond. The color was very similar to the gemstone necklace she had given Wen Yue before, making them look like a matching set at first glance.

However, the rings, though small, were several times more expensive than the necklace. She had bought the necklace with the money she had saved in college, but the rings were bought with the “funds” Zhu Yunqi had given her.

Wen Yue put the ring on her finger, a little curious where Shi Li got the money. She remembered Shi Li always being a bit frugal, but recently, she was constantly giving her gifts.

Shi Li said she had won a small prize.

Wen Yue didn’t doubt her. She was just a little surprised. “I didn’t know you had a habit of buying lottery tickets.”

Shi Li smiled but didn’t say anything.

In a way, meeting Zhu Yunqi was like winning the lottery for her.

They walked and ate on the snack street. After buying milk tea, Shi Li bit on her straw and proactively asked about the progress of the engagement with Zhu Yunqi.

Wen Yue turned her head to look at her, her eyes containing a hint of scrutiny. “Baby, you used to be so against me mentioning Zhu Yunqi’s name. Why do you seem so concerned about me and her lately? Aren’t you worried she’ll steal me away from you?”

“No, I’m not worried,” Shi Li said calmly. She was certain that Zhu Yunqi wouldn’t “steal” Wen Yue. Not only would she not steal her, she was constantly trying to push Wen Yue away.

“Because I know you only have me in your heart. Are you going to like someone else? Are you going to treat me the same way you were going to treat her when you wanted to get engaged?”

In a moment, the roles were reversed.

Wen Yue didn’t get an answer from Shi Li. Instead, she had to comfort her first. “No, I won’t like anyone else. Baby, can we not talk about that anymore? I was forced back then.”

“Okay, let’s not talk about it.” For some reason, Shi Li started to dislike Wen Yue calling her “baby.” It made her feel a little sick. Only then did she answer Wen Yue’s initial question. “Didn’t you say you wanted to cancel your engagement with her? Now that we’re together, I hope you’re not engaged, or else I’ll feel like I don’t belong, like I’m a third wheel.”

After she said it, Shi Li felt her tone was a bit harsh. She wondered if she should say something to make up for it, but she didn’t expect Wen Yue to look so happy.

Wen Yue’s eyes and brows lit up. “Baby, you’re jealous. I haven’t seen you get jealous for me in a long time.”

Shi Li always gave Wen Yue a feeling that she couldn’t be held onto.

This feeling only disappeared when Shi Li was angry or jealous for her.

Shi Li didn’t want to hear anything else. She pressed on. “So what did you tell your father?”

“We should be able to postpone it.”

“What about canceling it?”

“It depends on what Zhu Yunqi’s side wants. Because of my accident, even my father is being investigated, and their family hasn’t actively helped us at all,” Wen Yue said with a sneer.

“It was supposed to be an exchange of interests. If the Zhu family were nobodies, my father wouldn’t have taken a liking to them. We’re different. There are no dirty things mixed in between us.”

No, there are. And quite a few.

Shi Li thought to herself.

There used to be none. But now there are.

At that moment, Shi Li’s terminal buzzed.

It was her mother, Shi Yu, calling.

Shi Li’s expression changed, but she still answered. If she didn’t, Shi Yu would sometimes call again in a while, sometimes she would call non-stop, and sometimes she would even call the police out of fear that she had died in an accident.

Shi Yu looked to be in a good state today. When her mental state was normal, she looked like a loving mother.

The mother and daughter talked for a while, and the atmosphere was harmonious. Shi Li noticed that Shi Yu was alone on the nursing home lawn. “Mom, where’s Auntie Zhang?”

“Auntie Zhang’s daughter had a baby, so she went back to help take care of the baby. Xiao Li, don’t worry. The nursing home temporarily replaced her with another caregiver. She’s not bad either,” Shi Yu said with a smile.

Shi Li was worried. “Mom, can you send me her information later?”

And Auntie Zhang. Why didn’t she tell me she wasn’t taking care of my mom anymore? I paid her for the next quarter already.

“Okay, mom knows. Xiao Li, when are you on vacation? When can you come see me?”

“In a while, Mom.” Shi Li calculated that it had indeed been a long time since she had visited Shi Yu. When Zhu Yunqi went back to the Black Star Belt, her training would also be over. At that time, she could take one day off on a Friday and combine it with the weekend to visit Shi Yu for three days.

A flash of disappointment crossed Shi Yu’s eyes. Shi Li caught it, and her heart ached for a moment. She sometimes blamed herself for being so heartless, leaving her mother in the Middle Star Domain. But every time she was supposed to go see Shi Yu, she procrastinated and didn’t really want to go. It felt like a chore she had to complete.

Shi Li pretended she didn’t see Shi Yu’s disappointment.

Fortunately, Shi Yu was only disappointed for a few seconds. She saw Wen Yue occasionally peeking out from beside Shi Li and asked curiously, “Xiao Li, who’s that beside you?”

Shi Li had never told Shi Yu that she had a girlfriend. And she didn’t want to tell her now.

So she gave Wen Yue a look, telling her not to say anything.

“Mom, this is my frie—”

Unexpectedly, Wen Yue seemed to not understand her intentions. She moved her face closer. “Auntie, my name is Wen Yue. Wen from gentle, Yue from moon. I’m Xiao Li’s girlfriend.”

Both the mother and daughter’s faces changed. Shi Li immediately tugged on Wen Yue’s sleeve, her brows furrowed in a silent question.

Wen Yue subtly shook her off.

“Auntie, we’ve been together for a long time. Xiao Li probably hasn’t mentioned me to you… Next time Xiao Li comes to see you, I’ll go with her and talk to you.”

Shi Yu looked like she was about to have a breakdown. But this time, the situation was much better than before. She calmed herself down, slowly settling her breath.

She asked Wen Yue, “Are you an Alpha?”

Shi Li was an Omega. Wen Yue naturally thought Shi Yu would want her daughter to marry an Alpha, so she immediately tried to prove that she was no less than an Alpha. “Auntie, I’m a Beta. Even though I don’t have pheromones, Xiao Li doesn’t like Alphas. Besides, I’m also…”

Upon hearing Wen Yue say she was a Beta, a light suddenly appeared in Shi Yu’s eyes.

“It’s good that you’re not an Alpha! Oh, Xiao Li, why didn’t you tell your mom you were in a relationship? This little beauty looks great to me. Bring her with you next time, okay?”

Unexpectedly getting her girlfriend’s mom’s approval, Wen Yue talked to Shi Yu for a while longer. She was witty and charming, making Shi Yu laugh continuously.

After the call ended, the smile on Wen Yue’s face disappeared.

She asked Shi Li, “What’s wrong? You don’t want me to get to know your mom?”

Shi Li’s face was cold. She was a little angry at Wen Yue’s unauthorized actions.

“I didn’t think we were at that stage yet. And my mom’s situation… you don’t understand at all. Shouldn’t you at least have gotten my permission?”

“Then you should have told me. How was I supposed to know what was going on with Auntie if you didn’t tell me?” Wen Yue raised her voice slightly. “Shi Li, I’ve noticed you’re acting weird. You don’t want your mom to know about me at all—and do you know what you’ve been making me feel like lately? You’re treating me like a chore. I’m so scared. I’m fighting this battle alone for you, but you’re not giving me any sense of security.”

Hearing this, Shi Li was angered to the point of laughter. She didn’t want to argue with Wen Yue, but she couldn’t help herself. “I don’t want my mom to know about you? A Yue, have you ever mentioned me to your father?”

She controlled her anger, and her voice remained as soft as a sea breeze.

“I didn’t mention you to protect you.”

“I’m not talking about now. Before Zhu Yunqi appeared, at our classmates’ wedding, you said you would find time to get engaged to me. But I later found out that you never mentioned me to your father even once.”

Shi Li’s voice was a little shaky. “I just didn’t say anything, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know anything. Also, what kind of security do you want? Was I the one who wanted to have my cake and eat it too at first?”

After she finished speaking, she turned her back, biting her lip tightly, and breathing rapidly.

She repeatedly told herself in her heart that a little argument was good for the relationship, but she absolutely couldn’t continue. She couldn’t break up with Wen Yue now. Even though she was growing to dislike Wen Yue’s words and was afraid of the things she did—she couldn’t make a scene.

The gentle and diligent Wen Yue from before was gone, replaced by a sensitive and suspicious Wen Yue.

Shi Li wasn’t sure if Wen Yue was changing or if she was simply taking off her lover’s filter.

“Let’s both calm down. I don’t want to fight with you. I’m sorry, I said I wouldn’t bring that up again.”

Today, she finally said the grievances that she had kept in her heart for a long time.

After a long time, someone hugged her from behind.

Wen Yue apologized in a low voice. “I was impulsive. I just want to be a bigger part of your life, more and more. Don’t be mad, don’t be mad.”

Shi Li finally held onto Wen Yue’s arms around her.

At the same time, Shi Li felt an inexplicable sense of disgust.

In the place where Shi Li couldn’t see, a dark glint flashed in Wen Yue’s eyes, like a gloomy sky before a storm at sea. One of her hands quietly slipped into Shi Li’s pink handbag, sticking a miniature listening device to the outside clasp.

Support After Setting Me Up With My Ex, The Aloof Alpha Regrets It