After the Bigshot Turned into a Gold-Digging Scumbag Alpha - Chapter 19

Jiang Shuiyun chatted idly with Xi Rong as they waited for everyone to exit the elevator. Once the group had gathered and it was time to head out, she casually glanced at Yi Jinbai. “We,”

“Right, Miss Jiang,” Xi Rong suddenly interrupted. “You and Miss Yi should ride with President Shen. She’s waiting outside, and it’ll be easier if you two need to discuss anything on the way.”

The arrangements were already made, and it wasn’t convenient to change them now. Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai exchanged a look, then agreed and walked out first. The remaining team would take Xi Rong’s car and the shared vehicles in the garage.

As the two of them walked, Jiang Shuiyun brushed her still-damp hair tips aside, eyes fixed ahead while stealing glances at Yi Jinbai from the corner of her eye. “You look really good today.”

Yi Jinbai noticeably stiffened. “Thank you.”

That was the end of their conversation. Fortunately, the courtyard wasn’t large—just a few steps and they could already see Shen Yunyi’s car parked at the gate. Shen Yunyi, now dressed in casual clothes, stepped out to open the door for them.

Jiang Shuiyun motioned for Yi Jinbai to get in first. Shen Yunyi added, “Didn’t you say you had something to ask me earlier? Why don’t you take the front seat?”

“That works.”

Jiang Shuiyun nodded. It was the perfect chance to ask her about some tech-related questions.

Shen Yunyi started the car. Jiang Shuiyun sat in the front passenger seat, Yi Jinbai in the back. Once they had settled in, Shen Yunyi remembered something and glanced at Jiang Shuiyun. “The bag next to you has the sheet music you asked Xi Rong to look for. He’s been searching these past few days, but nothing he found was worth much. I happened to have some, so I brought them along.”

“Really? Thank you.” Jiang Shuiyun looked at the brown bag in surprise, opening it for a peek. The sheet music inside looked noticeably aged—exactly the kind of pieces that were more precious because of it. She hadn’t expected Shen Yunyi to bring so many. “Jinbai is the one who really likes music. I wanted to find some for her. These are far too valuable—let me copy them first and return the originals to you.”

She handed the bag to Yi Jinbai in the back. “Jinbai, I don’t understand any of this. You should take a look.”

“It’s fine, I don’t really know much either. As long as Miss Yi likes them.” Shen Yunyi smoothly shifted the topic as she drove. “Speaking of which, I heard Miss Yi studied music?”

She met Yi Jinbai’s gaze through the rearview mirror. She nodded.

“Yes, I studied a bit. I graduated from Sluris Academy.” Yi Jinbai hadn’t expected Jiang Shuiyun to ask someone to find music sheets for her. She flipped through the bag—almost all of them were rare, valuable pieces, possibly even originals. She tensed immediately. “President Shen, these are too valuable.”

“It’s nothing, they’re just collecting dust with me,” Shen Yunyi said lightly. Then she redirected, “Right, what did you want to ask me?”

Jiang Shuiyun turned back and gave Yi Jinbai a reassuring nod—since Shen Yunyi insisted, she might as well keep them. Once Yi Jinbai immersed herself in the scores, Jiang Shuiyun faced forward again. “Well, I’ve been getting interested in tech and information systems lately. Are you familiar with that field?”

“Tech? Information?” Shen Yunyi shot her a couple of sideways looks, visibly conflicted. “Are you thinking of inheriting your family’s old business? But, didn’t you lose your memory?”

“Our family used to do that?” Jiang Shuiyun truly had no idea what the original owner’s family had done. When she arrived, the family had already gone bankrupt. The novel barely mentioned them beyond a few disgraceful anecdotes about the original owner.

“You still haven’t remembered? And you’re suddenly interested in this? Must really be something in your genes.” Shen Yunyi looked even more puzzled. Jiang Shuiyun, who supposedly remembered nothing, coincidentally brought up something the Jiang family had once dominated?

“Don’t joke around. It’s just coincidence. I’ve been playing games lately, and I wanted to try full-dive holographic tech. Current games still feel a little underwhelming.”

She needed a reasonable excuse for her sudden career shift, and games made the transition sound natural.

Shen Yunyi groaned at the mention. “Holographic tech, huh. Don’t even get me started. Everyone’s trying to develop it, but none of them can even get proper 3D or VR working. If you can actually make it happen, I’ll follow you.”

“What if I really can?”

It wasn’t bluster. She’d been trained in a top military academy in a world where technology governed everything. Without mastering these things, you couldn’t even survive on the battlefield. Not to mention, she had researched countless technologies herself for training purposes. Now she even had her mech and its AI system—creating full-dive holographic tech in this world was only a matter of time.

Shen Yunyi’s expression grew more serious. Before its collapse, the Jiang family had been the leader of this exact industry. Even if Jiang Shuiyun had lost her memory, as their sole heir, she might still have something up her sleeve.

“We can talk about this later. If what you said is true, I’ll definitely be the first to invest. But if you really hold something that valuable, why are you still wasting time playing games?”

From the moment she first saw Jiang Shuiyun after the Jiang family’s bankruptcy, all she had sensed from her was contradiction—layer after layer of contradictions.

“This isn’t something that can be accomplished overnight. Besides, I still need to play the game. And well, I’m short on cash, aren’t I?”

Jiang Shuiyun had already made up her mind, and she admitted her predicament calmly and openly. At the very least, until she had enough funds, she wouldn’t give up her career in professional esports. She also wasn’t someone who abandoned things halfway—no matter what path she took, she intended to see it all the way to the top. Anything less would feel suffocating.

Her candor genuinely made Shen Yunyi regard her with newfound respect. If she was in Jiang Shuiyun’s current situation, she wasn’t sure she could face it as calmly as she did.

“By the way, I still have a piano sitting unused. I’ll have someone deliver it later—Miss Yi can practice at home.”

Hearing Shen Yunyi bring up Yi Jinbai again, Jiang Shuiyun’s impression of her as a potential friend improved a great deal.

“Why is everything you own ‘unused’?”

Jiang Shuiyun glanced at Yi Jinbai, who was still absorbed in studying the sheet music, completely unaware of their conversation, and picked up Shen Yunyi’s remark.

“I bought it for appearances. Put it in the entryway so people would think I’m cultured, talented, and blessed with musical genes. Honestly, it’s normal behavior. Before you lost your memory, didn’t you bid an insane amount for that crystal violin? You didn’t even know how to hold it—you just hung it by the door for show.”

Maybe it was the camaraderie from building that wooden pavilion together, or maybe their brief chat earlier had hit the right notes, but Shen Yunyi found herself speaking comfortably and without pretense.

It really seemed like they’d had a bond even back then—right down to the decorations in each other’s homes. Jiang Shuiyun smiled. “That’s true. You don’t happen to own a crystal piano, do you?”

“It’s not. The crystal piano is at my parents’ place—it’s my mother’s. Mine is just a regular one. Fine for playing casually,” Shen Yunyi said with a laugh. “Right, about that game you mentioned—any progress? ‘Star Wars’ is popular right now, but the game market is still too one-note. If you really can create something better, gamers will welcome it with open arms.”

“No solid plan yet, but even on the foundation of ‘Star Wars,’ there’s a lot of room to improve. How about this—I’ll make a polished demo for you later so you can see the effect. That shouldn’t count as infringement, right?”

The idea had just formed, so Jiang Shuiyun brought it up.

“If you can really manage that, I’ll secure the official authorization for you myself. I own shares in the group behind ‘Star Wars,’ so I still have some influence.”

Shen Yunyi was honestly looking forward to what Jiang Shuiyun could produce.

Jiang Shuiyun felt at ease hearing this. “No worries—I won’t let you down.”

“All right. Oh, by the way, the food you cooked last time was pretty good. You’ve got skills. How’d you make it?”

“Give me a break. It’s nowhere near as good as the auntie’s cooking.”

“The dumplings were good.”

“Those were frozen. And you caught us at a bad time—we hadn’t prepared food for you. Jinbai and I didn’t eat enough and ended up having bread afterwards.”

“My bad. Next time, I’ll bring my own dumplings over.”

Jiang Shuiyun and Shen Yunyi chatted as they walked in front, while Yi Jinbai sat in the back seat flipping through her sheet music. Before long, they arrived at the destination—an exclusive private kitchen that Xi Rong had reserved. The food there was excellent, just a bit niche.

“Jinbai, we’re here.”

Jiang Shuiyun gave the engrossed Yi Jinbai’s sheet music a gentle tap, reminding her to get out of the car.

“Oh, okay.”

Yi Jinbai was still a little dazed. After carefully putting away the sheet music, she followed Jiang Shuiyun out of the car, looking slightly spaced-out.

“Let’s go.”

Her soft, fuzzy expression was unusually adorable. Smiling, Jiang Shuiyun tugged lightly on her sleeve, just in case she wandered off.

“We’ll go in first. They should be here soon—no need to wait.”

Shen Yunyi glanced at the two of them, looked again, and then looked away, shifting her focus as she turned and walked inside.

Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai followed at a slower pace.

Just as Shen Yunyi rounded a corner, another group of people came from the opposite direction, running straight into Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai.

Jiang Shuiyun didn’t know any of them, so she kept her eyes ahead and continued forward—only to have the group block her path.

“Well, if it isn’t Miss Jiang. Fancy seeing you in a place like this. Not visiting your parents in jail?”

The crude, provocation-laced words were unmistakably aimed at Jiang Shuiyun.

She halted, puzzled, her gaze sweeping over the group.

The two at the front remained silent. One look was enough to tell they were pampered, arrogant types. The ones behind them were clearly just lackeys—sycophants embodying the phrase “bullying others through borrowed power.”