After the Scumbag Alpha Heard her Inner Thoughts - Chapter 51

The two of them quietly hugged for a while. Then, Su Wanqing turned over, facing away from Chu Muqing.

Chu Muqing placed her hand around Su Wanqing’s waist and gently pulled her closer. Their bodies were almost pressed together.

“Why did you turn away?” Chu Muqing asked softly.

“I’m just used to… sleeping like this,” Su Wanqing replied in a small voice. “Is that okay?”

Chu Muqing held her hand firmly. “Go to sleep.”

Su Wanqing was actually wide awake and not sleepy at all. She had been thinking about starting a conversation with Chu Muqing. Her body was warm, like a big, comforting heater  cozy but not too hot.

Before she could come up with a topic, sleep slowly crept up on her, and she drifted off.

The next morning, after the alarm buzzed for a few seconds, a soft, soothing melody played. Su Wanqing reached her hand out from under the covers to search for her phone, but instead, she touched something warm.

Chu Muqing had already woken up when the alarm went off. She had been planning to turn it off for Su Wanqing so she could sleep a little longer, but she hadn’t been able to find the phone right away.

Both of them fumbled around. Chu Muqing found the phone, and Su Wanqing found Chu Muqing’s hand.

After the alarm was turned off, Chu Muqing held Su Wanqing’s hand against her chest. “Sleep a little longer?”

“I can’t. I have work today,” Su Wanqing answered.

“Alright.”

Chu Muqing also had some things to take care of today. They got up one after another to wash up.

They stood side by side in front of the mirror, brushing their teeth. Su Wanqing couldn’t help sneaking glances at Chu Muqing through the reflection. Chu Muqing’s hair was a bit coarser and seemed easy to manage — a few quick brushes and she could head out. In contrast, Su Wanqing’s hair was soft and flat, making her look like a messy golden retriever.

Chu Muqing finished rinsing her mouth, paid no attention to Su Wanqing’s little glances, and left the bathroom.

Su Wanqing took her time applying her skincare products. After a few days of rest, she felt completely out of work mode and moved sluggishly.

By the time she finished getting ready, Chu Muqing was already dressed and standing by the door, waiting for her.

“You’re up early today,” Su Wanqing said.

“Mm.”

Su Wanqing glanced at the time. “You should head out first. I’ll grab a cab later.”

After she spoke, Chu Muqing remained standing there, not moving. Su Wanqing quickly tidied up the sink, looked up, and asked, “You’re… not leaving?”

Chu Muqing stared at her, amused by her cluelessness. Worried that Su Wanqing wouldn’t catch on, Chu Muqing raised a hand and pointed to her own cheek.

Su Wanqing chuckled quietly, walked straight over, tiptoed, and kissed Chu Muqing on the cheek.

Her warm lips barely brushed against Chu Muqing’s skin before pulling away. But Chu Muqing wasn’t satisfied. Just as Su Wanqing stepped back, Chu Muqing pulled her into her arms and kissed her deeply.

The kiss was full of the fresh scent of mint. After a long moment, when their lips finally parted, Chu Muqing gently pinched Su Wanqing’s cheek. “I’m leaving now.”

Su Wanqing was left dizzy and flushed from the kiss. She nodded and watched Chu Muqing leave, then quickly changed and rushed to the company.

She wasn’t sure if it was because of her own hard work or if Chu Muqing had secretly done something to help, but Lanqing’s performance had been steadily improving. At least for now, they didn’t have to worry about survival.

Just as she finished reviewing a document, Ji Yu walked in right on time, tossed a proposal onto her desk, and said, “Take a look at this.”

They had discussed the fall project a few times already, and this was the final version. Su Wanqing glanced over it. “This doesn’t seem like your writing.”

“That obvious?” Ji Yu asked.

“It really isn’t yours?”

“It’s from a friend of mine.”

Su Wanqing narrowed her eyes. “That Alpha friend?”

Ji Yu, surprisingly, blushed and bit her lower lip. “Yeah, it’s her.”

Strictly speaking, company documents weren’t supposed to be shown to outsiders. But since this proposal didn’t involve any sensitive information, Ji Yu had weighed the risks and decided it was okay.

“I didn’t expect her to be good at this,” Su Wanqing said, quite satisfied. “Let’s go with this one, then.”

Su Wanqing gathered her team for a meeting to discuss the autumn project and to set the schedule for upcoming business trips.

At two o’clock in the afternoon, Su Wanqing received a WeChat message from Chu Muqing.

[Are you free tonight?]

[I am.]

[I’ll pick you up at six.]

Su Wanqing stared at the chat for a moment, wondering what Chu Muqing had planned. She rearranged her afternoon tasks, prioritizing them by importance and finishing them one by one.

At around five-thirty, the team from the basement level contacted her, saying that the maternity clothes she had ordered were finished and asking if she had time to inspect the final products.

Thinking it would fit nicely before clocking out, Su Wanqing grabbed her bag and headed down to the basement. The staff member was already waiting.

“Boss, here are the three pieces. If everything looks good, we can pack them up and deliver them for you.”

The three outfits were displayed on a custom rotating rack, allowing her to view the details easily. They matched her expectations closely without any major issues.

“Go ahead and pack them. Send them to this address,” Su Wanqing said, handing over a pre-written address slip.

After leaving the basement, Su Wanqing took out her phone and sent Chu Muqing a message.

[I’m done with work! Big sister’s coming to pick me up!]

Chu Muqing had just turned off the car engine when she received Su Wanqing’s text. She touched the small box in her pocket and replied:

[I’m downstairs, to the right.]

Su Wanqing walked out and glanced around. Chu Muqing’s car was easy to recognize. She ran over in small steps, opened the passenger door, and hopped in.

“How was work today?” Chu Muqing asked. “Tired?”

“Not tired,” Su Wanqing replied with a light shake of her head.

Chu Muqing wasn’t very talkative, and Su Wanqing didn’t ask where they were headed. She simply leaned against the window, watching the unfamiliar scenery pass by.

Half an hour later, the car pulled up in front of a hotel. Su Wanqing glanced at the name. “Isn’t this the new hotel that just opened?”

“It’s owned by the Cheng family,” Chu Muqing explained.

“Is Sister Lu here too?”

“She’s not.”

After getting out of the car, Chu Muqing walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for her. Holding her hand firmly, she led Su Wanqing inside and straight up to the higher floors.

It was around this point that Su Wanqing started to guess what Chu Muqing was planning.

Chu Muqing swiped the keycard and opened the door to the presidential suite on the top floor.

Aside from that one time at home, they had never stayed together in a hotel. Su Wanqing’s mind immediately filled with a flurry of wild thoughts.

But once she stepped inside, she realized she had been overthinking it.

It wasn’t what she imagined. Chu Muqing had arranged a candlelight dinner. The food had already been set out neatly, likely pre-arranged with the hotel.

Chu Muqing walked over and pulled out a chair for her. “Sit.”

In the center of the table, fresh roses bloomed vibrantly. Two plates of steak had been cut into neat, bite-sized pieces. Candleholders lined the center, filling the room with a soft, romantic atmosphere.

Chu Muqing moved over to a record player nearby and selected a song. Soft English music began to fill the air.

Once Chu Muqing sat down, Su Wanqing smiled and asked, “Why so formal all of a sudden?”

She was a little unused to it.

“I just suddenly realized,” Chu Muqing said calmly, “that we’ve never had a dinner like this.”

Su Wanqing picked up her fork and speared a small piece of steak. The meat was tender and juicy, with a rich, flavorful sauce. She smiled brightly, her eyes curving like crescent moons.

Chu Muqing wasn’t in a rush to eat. Instead, she picked up a bottle of wine that had already been decanted and poured two glasses, sliding one across the table to Su Wanqing.

Su Wanqing swallowed her bite of steak and looked at the glass, hesitating a little. “I’m not very good with alcohol.”

“This wine has a very low alcohol content,” Chu Muqing reassured her.

In fact, Su Wanqing almost never drank. On rare occasions, when she couldn’t avoid it, she would only sip lightly for appearances’ sake. But tonight, with the warm, romantic atmosphere, she felt a little bolder.

“Alright, I’ll give it a try.”

The two clinked their glasses gently.

Su Wanqing took a small sip. The wine was slightly bitter at first, but then a faint rose fragrance bloomed on her tongue, followed by a subtle sweetness she couldn’t quite describe.

“It’s pretty good,” Su Wanqing said.

“If you like it, we can bring a couple of bottles back,” Chu Muqing offered casually.

“…”

That might be a little much.

“This hotel belongs to the Cheng family, but it’s not Cheng Zhuo’s personal property,” Chu Muqing added.

“Doesn’t make much of a difference,” Su Wanqing said.

Because of Lu Qinghe’s pregnancy, Cheng Zhuo had returned home twice. By now, her family had softened a little—it was only a matter of time before she moved back permanently.

They ate, drank, and chatted. Without realizing it, Su Wanqing had downed two or three glasses of wine. Her cheeks were flushed and warm. She waved her hand. “I’m done eating.”

“Alright.”

Chu Muqing raised her hand and pressed a service bell nearby. Two servers quickly came in and cleared the table.

Su Wanqing went inside to pour herself a glass of water. When she came back out, the table had already been cleaned spotless.

Chu Muqing was bending over, gently tapping a rose on the table with her fingertip. Droplets of water rolled off the petals and onto her finger. As she pulled her hand back, she looked up and saw Su Wanqing standing there.

The record player switched to the next song—a familiar one that Su Wanqing immediately recognized.
It was from her playlist: 34+35.

The rhythm, as with most English songs, was catchy—but the lyrics… were absolutely not for innocent ears.

At first, Chu Muqing didn’t pay much attention. But when a few more lines played, she caught on. Her eyes narrowed slightly. She looked across the table at Su Wanqing.

“Baby, come here.”

Su Wanqing walked over. Chu Muqing took her hand and led her toward the side of the suite.
Next to the bedroom, there was a smaller lounge area.

Only a large sofa sat against the wall. Chu Muqing led her further toward the balcony, pulling open the sliding door.

Outside was a small rooftop terrace.

Above them stretched a rare, clear sky dotted with stars—a rare sight in Beicheng.
Below, the city’s nightscape glittered. The lights were like stars spilled from a torn galaxy, scattered across the earth.

Su Wanqing had never seriously looked at Beicheng’s night sky before. From this height, it was breathtaking.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Chu Muqing asked.

“Mm!” Su Wanqing answered enthusiastically.

A gentle breeze brushed past them. Chu Muqing hugged her from behind, resting her chin lightly on Su Wanqing’s head.
Su Wanqing was too busy marveling at the night view to notice Chu Muqing’s small gestures—stroking her waist, playing with her hand.

Chu Muqing lifted her hand up in front of her face.

Only then did Su Wanqing notice—there was now a ring on her finger.

A simple silver band, with a single sparkling diamond. She stretched her hand out further, and in the darkness, it seemed to merge with the stars in the sky.

“Is this… a proposal?” Su Wanqing asked softly.

“It is,” Chu Muqing replied. “Baby, will you marry me?”

Su Wanqing withdrew her hand, placing it lightly on the glass railing, not answering right away.

There was no grand ceremony.
No friends watching.
No shower of flowers.
But her heart was racing so hard it felt like it might burst.

Chu Muqing’s arms around her waist tightened slightly, urging her. “Baby, will you marry me?”

Chu Muqing couldn’t see her expression in the darkness.
Su Wanqing, standing with her back to her, had to bite her lip to stop herself from smiling too widely. She stroked the ring lightly and said, “Big sister… aren’t you missing a line for a proper proposal?”

Chu Muqing turned her around, hooking a finger under her chin. “Getting greedy, are we?”

“I’m just spoiled because of you,” Su Wanqing teased, her eyes sparkling.

Chu Muqing chuckled lowly. She lowered her gaze and looked deeply into her eyes.

“Su Wanqing,” she said, voice soft and serious, “I love you.”

Su Wanqing had joked that she wanted to hear it.
But she hadn’t really expected Chu Muqing to say it.
She hadn’t expected those words to hit her so hard.

For a moment, the world around her went silent.
All she could hear was those three words, echoing again and again.

“I said,” Chu Muqing repeated, “I love you.”

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