After Setting Me Up With My Ex, The Aloof Alpha Regrets It - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Now, You Must Pay a Small Price for That Freedom.

Half an hour ago, in a lakeside villa in the Pushkin wealthy district.

As soon as Zhu Yunqi walked in, she saw her mother, Zhu Shengxi, and her other mother, Shen Qinghe, sitting in the living room with faces that were grim, to say the least. Her older sister, Zhu Jingshan, was sitting with them, elegantly stirring a cup of green tea.

Knowing she was going to get a lecture sooner or later, Zhu Yunqi walked over with a “what’s done is done” attitude and greeted them. “Mother. Mom.”

Her mother, Zhu Shengxi, was already sullen, but seeing Zhu Yunqi’s nonchalant attitude made her even more furious.

“It’s half-past eight at night. Did Jingshan not tell you that your mother and I were here?”

Zhu Yunqi said nonchalantly, “I was busy.”

Zhu Shengxi didn’t believe it for a second.

“You’re on vacation. What could you possibly be busy with?”

Zhu Yunqi: “I was being a good citizen and drove an Omega stranger to the hospital in a storm. Does that count? Or should I find a paparazzo to get a scoop and buy a trending topic on the StarNet tomorrow, praising the selfless daughter of Zhu Holdings?”

Zhu Jingshan glared at her. “Yunqi, you’ve been in the Black Star Belt for years and haven’t seen Mother and Mom in so long. Can you just talk to them properly?”

Zhu Yunqi went along with it. “My apologies.”

Zhu Shengxi slammed the table in frustration. “Zhu Yunqi! You cannot ignore the interests of the entire family because of your personal emotions! From the moment you applied to the military academy without permission to you secretly joining the Silver Snake Legion, your mother and I never said a word. We just thought you were young and didn’t know better, that you’d experience some hardship and realize how good you had it at home. Who knew you would willingly debase yourself and stay in a place no one goes to? Our Zhu family pays so much tax to the Federation every year. It’s not so you can risk your life in the Black Star Belt!”

Zhu Jingshan took her mother’s arm and tried to soothe her anger.

“Mother, Yunqi was defending the Federation. Isn’t saying she’s ‘willingly debasing herself’ a bit too much?”

With her daughter’s reminder, Zhu Shengxi realized she was losing her composure.

She softened her tone slightly and continued, “Your mother and I don’t want you to stay in the Silver Snake or the Black Star Belt anymore. You’ve met Wen Yue. She’s gentle, beautiful, and highly capable. Other than being a Beta, is there anything about her that you find unsuitable? You’re an Alpha, so it’s normal not to like Betas. We understand and won’t stop you from keeping an Omega you like outside of the marriage. So what exactly are you against?”

Zhu Yunqi let out a low laugh.

She had long told them why she didn’t want to marry Wen Yue, but her mothers had simply chosen not to listen.

They were convinced that Zhu Yunqi didn’t want the engagement because she was dissatisfied with Wen Yue.

Although, after meeting Shi Li today, Zhu Yunqi was indeed quite dissatisfied with Wen Yue.

She had been in a seven-year relationship with an ill girlfriend and never once accompanied her to the hospital. Dr. Ji had said that every time she received a pheromone stabilizer injection, she would go through a painful period of struggle. The Omega would feel panicked, vulnerable, sensitive, and depressed. When Shi Li came out of the clinic, her nose and eyes were red. Even she, a stranger, felt a pang of sympathy.

“I’ve already told you, I don’t accept the terms the Wen family proposed. I will not leave the Silver Snake because of an engagement. The Federation General is ill, and the Wen family is desperate to replace him. They’re only trying to get Wen Yue to marry me because they lack financial support. It’s a marriage purely for profit. And what comes for profit will scatter for profit.”

“Besides, Mother, I have no intention of cheating, whether it’s before or after marriage.”

A week ago, Zhu Yunqi returned to Z3291 on a vacation after leading her squad on a mission in the Black Star Belt. She didn’t even have time to change out of her training uniform before her mother took her to a dinner party.

At the dinner, Zhu Yunqi met Wen Yue and Wen Yue’s father, Lieutenant General Wen Lirong.

Only toward the end of the party did she learn that her mother, Zhu Shengxi, had already arranged for her to get engaged to Wen Yue as soon as she returned to Z3291. The party was just for the two children to meet. Zhu Yunqi had inexplicably acquired a fiancée.

Wen Lirong made one request: leave the Silver Snake Legion and come home to take over the family business.

Zhu Yunqi refused on the spot, but her mothers just pushed it aside with a string of excuses.

Zhu Yunqi didn’t think much of it at first. She was a free person. If they absolutely insisted on marrying her to someone else, she would just run away. With so many planets in the Federation, there would always be a place for her to go.

But she didn’t expect her mother to freeze all her bank accounts on the day she returned. Her mother also filed for a two-month activity restriction as her guardian.

In other words, she wouldn’t have any money for her two-month vacation and would be confined to Z3291, unable to go anywhere.

Fortunately, Zhu Jingshan had left her enough money beforehand. Desperate, Zhu Yunqi discovered that her fiancée, Wen Yue, had an Omega girlfriend she had been with for a long time named Shi Li, and they had a very deep relationship.

A thought immediately popped into Zhu Yunqi’s head: if she could get Shi Li and Wen Yue back together, the Wen family would have to call off the engagement. It would also be a happy ending for a loving couple.

Given Wen Yue’s ambiguous attitude at the dinner, Zhu Yunqi decided to approach Shi Li first.

…

Zhu Shengxi was utterly infuriated by Zhu Yunqi’s words.

Especially the last sentence, which seemed to imply that she had cheated on her spouse.

“Your mother and I are right here. We will personally watch over you until you are engaged to Wen Yue. Jingshan, I know you always protect your sister, but this time, don’t have any improper ideas, or you won’t be able to hold onto your shares.”

Hearing this, Zhu Jingshan’s face went pale for a moment.

Just as she was about to defend Zhu Yunqi again, Shen Qinghe, who had been silent all this time, cleared her throat.

Shen Qinghe was very well-preserved. At nearly fifty years old, she looked no older than thirty. Her slanted eyes were carved from the same mold as Zhu Yunqi’s, and their introverted and humorless personalities were also very similar.

Shen Qinghe slowly said, “Jingshan, this is a family matter for the three of us. You don’t need to get involved.”

She had never forgiven her wife’s affair, and she loathed her wife’s child with another person.

Zhu Yunqi frowned. “Mom.”

Even Zhu Shengxi looked away and remained silent.

Shen Qinghe walked slowly to Zhu Yunqi’s side.

“Yunqi, you should know that the Federation government’s approval for the mining rights on C7836 was for seventy percent. If you marry Wen Yue, that number won’t be seventy percent; it will be one hundred percent.”

“You are different from children in ordinary families. Since childhood, you have enjoyed wealth that you could never spend, no matter how much you squandered. You received an elite education tailored specifically for you, and you even had your first mecha at the age of five. These things weren’t free. Now, you must pay a small price for that freedom.”

“We have indulged your ridiculous dream for a few years. The result is obvious: you have disappointed us greatly.”

“It’s time to stop your childish ideas, Yunqi. It’s time for you to contribute to this family.”

…

On the second-floor balcony.

After the hail stopped, the rain became a torrential downpour, like a night-shrouded white silk.

Zhu Jingshan came to Zhu Yunqi’s side and leaned against the railing with her, lighting a fresh-smelling cigarette. The smoke turned into embroidered patterns on the rainy curtain.

“Want to try one?” Jingshan asked.

“No, thank you.” Zhu Yunqi reached out to catch the rainwater. “I don’t smoke.”

Zhu Jingshan smiled and put away the cigarette she was about to offer.

She didn’t like smoking either. But when she was stressed or in a bad mood, one cigarette would help a lot.

“I didn’t get a chance to ask you, how did your talk with Shi Li go?”

Just as Zhu Yunqi was about to answer, her wrist communicator vibrated, alerting her to a new call.

She and Zhu Jingshan exchanged a look, and she answered.

On the other end, Shi Li’s voice was a little hoarse.

“Zhu Yunqi, I agree.”

Zhu Yunqi clenched the rainwater in her hand.

She had guessed that Shi Li would agree. She had asked her squadmates in the Silver Snake Legion beforehand how much money they couldn’t refuse.

They said things like ten million, fifty million… The numbers varied. Zhu Yunqi chose the largest one, a billion, thinking Shi Li couldn’t possibly refuse it either.

But she didn’t expect Shi Li to agree so quickly.

She thought she would have to wait two or three days.

Shi Li repeated herself: “I agree.”

“Good.” Zhu Yunqi let out a long sigh of relief. “Besides what I told you at the cafe earlier today, there are three more things you need to be aware of.”

Shi Li didn’t hesitate. “Go on.”

Zhu Yunqi: “First, keep me updated on your progress so I can adjust my Plan B according to your situation. Second, you are not to mention our transaction to anyone, including Wen Yue. I will do my best to ensure your safety, but I can’t guarantee anyone else’s. And third…”

She paused. Shi Li urged her on: “What’s the third one?”

“The third one is that if you want to cry, cry out loud. Don’t hold it in your throat. You sound very congested.”

There was a moment of silence on Shi Li’s end.

Then she denied it. “I’m not crying, I just have a cold. Is that it?”

“Yes. I’ll have a contract ready for you when we meet again.”

“Okay. I agree.”

After hanging up, Zhu Yunqi gave Zhu Jingshan an OK sign.

“She agreed.”

Zhu Jingshan smiled. “I wish you success. Don’t worry about the funds. Mother hasn’t started keeping an eye on my card yet.”

Zhu Yunqi’s gaze softened a little. She said sincerely, “Thank you for this, Sister.”

Looking at her sister, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, Zhu Jingshan suddenly remembered a time when a stumbling, learning-to-walk Zhu Yunqi would totter behind her, calling out “Jiejie.”

Shen Qinghe didn’t like Zhu Yunqi having too much contact with her, so Zhu Jingshan could only secretly play with her. When the butler found them, Zhu Yunqi would rush to block Shen Qinghe before she could make a snide remark, holding her short arms out and saying softly, “Mom, I was the one who went looking for my sister.”

She didn’t know when the little dumpling had grown into an Alpha taller than her.

Zhu Jingshan extinguished her cigarette. “You’re my sister. It’s what I’m supposed to do.”

…

After ending her call with Zhu Yunqi, Shi Li opened her chat with Wen Yue and read the messages from top to bottom.

A’Yue: Honey, please talk to me. Can we talk this through? Don’t break up with me.

A’Yue: Honey, I was wrong. Take your anger out on me, but don’t hold it in.

A’Yue: Honey, I’ll make it up to you. I can give you anything you want. I have an apartment in my name. You can move in and save on rent.

A’Yue: I’m a victim, too. No one told me that the person I was going to see that night was Zhu Yunqi. You know my dad’s temper.

…

The latest message.

A’Yue: Do you not love me at all?

Shi Li replied: Wen Yue, let’s meet tomorrow night.

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