After the Scummy Alpha Marked the Crazy Beautiful Heroine - Chapter 41.2

Lin Leyi noticed where she was looking and gave a soft laugh.

“I hounded her for ages. She finally agreed to take a picture, but only on the condition it never be posted.”

“I figured that was fine. After all, I’d chased her so long—finally won her over. A photo just for me was enough.”

When Pei Jiuyao turned the page, the album ended.

“The day before, we were together. The next day, we broke up.” Lin Leyi’s tone was casual, as though it hadn’t been a big deal at all.

But ten years later, the weight of that butterfly still pressed on her chest—like maggots on bone, gnawing away, never letting go.

Pei Jiuyao flipped back again.

In the photo, the blonde girl smiled brightly—so different from the stern director she’d become. Beside her, Chi Qing merely gazed down at the ring on her hand, expression unreadable.

When Pei Jiuyao finally left, the emotions pressing down on her chest felt heavier than ever.

Carrying the snacks she’d bought for Chi Leya, she headed home, mind in disarray. Suddenly, a shadowy figure caught her eye.

Dressed head-to-toe in black, with hat and scarf concealing everything but her eyes.

“How did you get in here?” Pei Jiuyao walked toward her.

The woman stepped closer, coughed a few times, and said hoarsely, “I did date one of the heiresses here, you know.”

“That wasn’t dating. That was you abusing her.”

“Mutual consent,” the woman drawled, tugging her scarf lower to reveal a mocking smile. It was Chu Si.

She stepped forward again. “So, you’re living together now? In Chi Qing’s house?”

Pei Jiuyao tightened her grip on the plastic bag.

“Whatever you or Mo Tian are planning, stay away from Chi Yang.”

“No rush.” Chu Si chuckled, her eyes carrying a surprising hint of weariness. “I only came to see you.”

“I don’t want to see you.” Pei Jiuyao brushed past her, striding toward the villa.

“Pei Jiuyao!” Chu Si raised her voice, then doubled over coughing violently.

“You think walking out of the mud into a utopia is that easy?”

Pei Jiuyao turned back, frowning faintly. “Then say what you came to say. All of it.”

Chu Si pulled off her scarf, exposing the back of her neck.

Where her gland once was, there was now a gruesome scar—angry red and ridged like a burn, surrounded by sharp knife marks.

She slowly wrapped the scarf back around, then faced her again.

“You think Chi Yang’s some kind of saint? It was her people who carved out my gland. Do you know how slim the survival rate is for that? Less than fifty percent. She wanted me dead.”

“Tell me, Pei Jiuyao—how can you date a murderer? Have you thought about what happens if one day she stops loving you, or you anger her? You might end up just like me.”

Pei Jiuyao stared at her in shock.

After a long silence, she finally said, “I’ve never believed in utopias. Everyone has darkness inside. I’ve often wanted to blow up the world myself—but I wouldn’t do it.”

“If she really cut out your gland, it was because you hurt her first. Not because she’s inherently evil.”

When she returned home, Chi Leya was curled on the sofa, scrolling her phone. She squinted against the sudden light as Pei Jiuyao flipped the switch.

“Jie, who was that outside just now? She stood there a long time—I thought she was here for me.”

In just a few days, Chi Leya had already glued herself shamelessly to Pei Jiuyao.

Still, it was awkward having to face the very girl who wrote those spicy fanfics about her every day.

Fortunately, perhaps because Chi Leya knew Chi Yang had differentiated as an Omega, she was one of the rare few “YaoChi shippers” among the sea of “ChiYao fans.”

Not having to read her own smutty “red-eyed, breathless literature” every day, and occasionally being fed some sweet little “younger-girl” romance instead—Pei Jiuyao felt she owed her some thanks.

Touching her nose in embarrassment, she said, “Just… someone I used to know. Came to talk.”

Chi Leya pressed both hands over her chest, patting her heart.

“Phew, scared me. I thought she was here to kidnap me.”

“Kidnap you?” Pei Jiuyao washed her hands and put the groceries into the fridge. “Who’d dare kidnap you?”

Chi Leya shrugged, unconcerned. “Oh, you know. All the aunts and cousins—come New Year, they fight over the inheritance. Nothing’s beneath them.”

“Your family is really…”

“Full of tigers and wolves, rats and cats in bed together,” she summed up neatly.

Pei Jiuyao couldn’t help but laugh. “Where’d you even learn sayings like that?”

Chi Leya sprawled over the sofa. “Anyway, why are you back so late? I was waiting to eat with you.”

“I had to drop off a friend. You know Director Lin Leyi?” Pei Jiuyao pulled out a yogurt drink. “Want me to make you a fruit parfait?”

“Of course I know! She directed Shan Hai. My cousin’s on that set right now. Wait—you’re in that crew too, aren’t you?”

Pei Jiuyao gave a soft “mm,” then added, “Funny, though—both you and Chi Qing have Le in your names. Quite the coincidence.”

“I don’t even know why,” Chi Leya said casually, plucking a grape off the coffee table. “My name was actually chosen by Sister Chi Qing.”

The knife in Pei Jiuyao’s hand stilled mid-slice. “What about your mother?”

“She died during childbirth. I never even got to see her face,” Chi Leya said with practiced indifference. “I grew up eating meals wherever I could, like a child raised by the village. It wasn’t until elementary school that Sister Chi Qing brought me home.”

“But they’re good people,” she went on after a pause. “I know Chi Qing only really wants the shares my mother left me. Even so, she’s genuinely good to me—different from the others.”

Then she added with a little laugh, “And besides, she knows perfectly well I’d never hand over those shares, yet she still lets me live here, eating and drinking for free.”

Pei Jiuyao raised a brow. “You don’t plan on giving them to her?”

“Of course not.” Chi Leya looked genuinely surprised. “That’s my lifeline. Am I insane, giving it away?”

Children from families like this really do grow up fast.

“But if Sister Chi Yang wanted them, I might give them to her,” Chi Leya said after a moment of silence.

“Why?”

She rolled over on the sofa, musing, “Mm… because Sister Chi Yang is more sentimental than Chi Qing.”

You think Chi Yang’s some kind of saint?

She tried to kill me.

How could you even think of dating a murderer?

She’ll kill you too.

A sharp hiss—

Pei Jiuyao dropped the knife, clutching her finger in a wad of tissues. Blood quickly seeped into the white paper.

Her phone lit up on the side table. A message from Chi Yang:

FoxEarsToday: [No need to bring food today. My aunt’s visiting.]

Pei Jiuyao: [Got it.]

________________________________________

The phone buzzed again.

Chi Yang glanced down.

NoLeashGetsLost: [Got it.]

She locked the screen with a tap.

“This office is quite the spot,” Aunt Chi Ran drawled, strolling around. “Right across from Tianhe Tech, wide view, plenty of competition to keep you sharp. No wonder your company’s grown so big these past few years.”

“Auntie, what brings you here today?” Chi Yang pressed her fingers against her temples.

Chi Ran dropped onto the sofa with a bounce. “What, I can’t come see you unless I’ve got an agenda?”

Secretary Lin frowned from the side. “Madam Chi, our President Chi has already said you’re not allowed up here. Young President Chi might not know the rules yet, but if President Chi finds out you came, it’ll be hard for us to explain.”

Chi Ran shot her a glance. “Well, well. Whose dog are you? Did your master tell you to bark?”

Chi Yang had always thought the word puppy was kind of cute.

Today it sounded especially grating.

Exhaling slowly, she said, “Auntie, you didn’t just come for a stroll, did you?”

“I heard Xiao Ya’s back?” Chi Ran stretched her lips into a smile. “Why don’t you bring her out and we’ll all have dinner together?”

“She’s down with a cold. Needs to rest at home.”

“See? I knew it. You two are way too busy to take proper care of Xiao Ya!” Chi Ran sprang up, waving her hand like a general marshaling troops. “One of you is always at the hospital, the other at the office—no wonder the poor girl fell sick!”

“There are three nannies at home,” Chi Yang said evenly, “and… my girlfriend is there too. She can take care of her.”

“Your girlfriend?” Chi Ran’s eyes widened. “You’re dating? Bai Zhi? Mo Tian?”

“If you have nothing else, please head home,” Chi Yang said curtly, no longer bothering with polite address. “I still have work to do.”

“Yangyang, outsiders will never care the way family does. An aunt worrying about her niece—that’s something you young people just don’t understand.”

Chi Yang rubbed her brow. “Leya really can’t come out. If you insist, I’ll eat with you instead.”

The righteous elder act evaporated from Chi Ran in an instant. “What the hell good is eating with you?”

Realizing how coarse she sounded, she forced a laugh, narrowed her eyes, and muttered, “Well… if Yangyang wants to dine with Auntie so badly, then fine. Let’s go.”

________________________________________

By the time Chi Qing drove over to pick up Chi Yang, it was already ten at night.

When they came out, Chi Ran had her arm slung around Chi Yang’s shoulders, ill intent written all over her face.

“Well, well, I thought you’d given up on this sister of yours. Turns out you do care about her after all.”

Chi Qing sneered. “I just don’t want Grandmother to beat me to death if you try anything with her.”

“Oh, still sick and you’re driving all the way here so late. How that must break Auntie’s heart!”

Once Chi Yang got into the car, Chi Ran leaned down with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Why don’t you stay the night at Auntie’s place?”

Chi Qing’s reply was flat: “I don’t stay in pigsties.”

“You little brat—”

The engine roared as Chi Qing hit the gas, leaving the curses behind.

“What possessed you to go have dinner with her?” Chi Qing’s expression was stormy.

Chi Yang slumped against the seat, exhaustion etched in her features. “She showed up at the company to make a scene. She’s still my aunt—what else was I supposed to do?”

Chi Qing snorted. “You’re too easy to push around.”

“It was just a meal.” Chi Yang lowered her gaze, sulking, unwilling to say more.

“I once bet her that if she ever came bothering us again, I’d be a dog.”

…

Dogs really were getting mentioned a lot today.

After a pause, Chi Yang murmured, “Puppies are kind of cute, though.”

Chi Qing snorted and pulled up at the gate of Chi Yang’s home.

As Chi Yang stepped out, she asked, “You’re not coming in?”

“Wouldn’t want to intrude on your little three-person household.” Chi Qing didn’t even glance her way. “Besides, Xiao Ya looks at me like I’m some rabid dog.”

Chi Yang: “…”

“I’ll stay somewhere else. But…” Chi Qing hesitated a few seconds before adding, “Pei Jiuyao ran into Chu Si today.”

Chi Yang’s head snapped around. “Chu Si?”

“Seems to be about that time you had her glands cut.”

Chi Yang froze. “Me?”

“Well… not exactly. It was Shi Nian.” Chi Qing’s fingers twitched reflexively.

“But I told Shi Nian to let her go.”

“Not… exactly. What I said was, ‘teach her a lesson.’ She must’ve misunderstood, thought I meant take out her glands. You know how mercenaries are—no sense of proportion.”

Chi Yang was speechless. “What exactly did you say to her?”

Chi Qing stepped on the accelerator and drove off without answering.