After Transmigrating into a Scumbag Alpha, I Had a Happy Ending with the Heroine - Chapter 37

Song Qin Ning’s lips moved slightly, shaping silent syllables, but no sound came out.

Even someone trained with the sharpest hearing would not have been able to guess what she said.

Her chest still ached with the sorrow of a maid losing her beloved, but sitting beside the person she liked in real life made that sadness transform into a quiet sense of joy. She could not help wanting more than this still and peaceful happiness. She wanted to let the love that had built up over the past few days finally slip out into the light.

She was not asking for much. Just being able to express a little affection in secret, right under Jiang Qing’s nose, was enough for her.

Jiang Qing leaned back against her seat and looked at her with a teasing tone.
“I didn’t hear what you said.”

“Then forget it. It wasn’t anything important.”

The dim lights hid the redness in Song Qin Ning’s cheeks. It would have been a miracle if Jiang Qing had heard. She had never intended to let her hear it anyway.

She had already asked her friends for advice. They told her that if you want to pursue someone, it has to be gradual. If you rush in with a big confession, the other person will not be moved. They will run away.

The highest form of confession is one that slips in quietly and gently, like rain nourishing the soil.

Song Qin Ning had listened to all this advice but still felt lost. She did not fully understand what to do.

So she decided to watch more romance dramas during her free time and copy what she saw.

Jiang Qing took a few sips of water, looking back at the screen, though her thoughts were far away.

She thought of what President Jiang had said.

Was she hesitating?

Yes, there was some hesitation.

But hesitation did not mean she liked Song Qin Ning. The two feelings did not always go hand in hand. Jiang Qing could not say for sure that she liked her.

Maybe during their time together, she had developed a small liking for her. It could be because of her beauty, or maybe because their personalities fit well.

But that kind of liking felt more like friendship. It was not strong enough to make her want to start a relationship.

This hesitation mirrored something in her past. She still carried a certain disbelief in love.

Even so, she trusted the friendship between her and Song Qin Ning.

No feeling lasted longer than friendship.

It allowed both people space to come and go and always stayed within a comfortable boundary.

The lights in the theater suddenly came on. It was time to leave.

“Teacher Jiang, Teacher Song!” A staff member rushed over.

He looked flustered.
“Someone leaked that you were here. Now a huge crowd of fans has gathered outside. No matter what we say, they refuse to leave.”

Outside the private screening room, the crowd was packed tight. People were pushing and shoving. The theater security tried to maintain order, but their voices were drowned in the noise. They were clearly struggling to manage.

“Let them take the back exit,” He Shu stood up from a few rows behind and said calmly. “Xiao Yu and I will leave from the front. Have security follow us and pretend that Jiang Qing and Song Qin Ning have already left.”

Her quick thinking gave the staff some relief.

“Follow He Shu’s lead.”

The usher led Jiang Qing and Song Qin Ning to the stairwell and returned to work.

Inside the stairwell, it was pitch black and smelled damp and musty.

Jiang Qing stomped her foot. The sensor lights did not respond at all.

“Are you afraid of the dark?” Song Qin Ning asked.

“I am not afraid. I just don’t like it.”

This kind of cold, damp feeling reminded her too much of her sensitive period. It made her uncomfortable.

Song Qin Ning stayed calm.
“Want to hold hands while we walk?”

“No need. Holding hands won’t fix the lighting problem.”

Jiang Qing shoved her hands into her coat pockets.

She knew exactly what Song Qin Ning was trying to do. It was too obvious. She decided to play dumb and keep her distance.

“Alright,” Song Qin Ning said with a nod. She turned on her phone’s flashlight.
“Let’s go.”

Jiang Qing blinked.

Why had she not used that earlier?

Jiang Qing wanted to speak but held her tongue. Was Song Qin Ning not even trying to hide her feelings anymore?

The warm light from the phone spread gently. The staircase was narrow. Jiang Qing stepped to the side, closer to the handrail, and let Song Qin Ning walk on the inside.

She ran her fingers lightly along the wall for balance.

The stairs were steep and oddly shaped, almost like they had been carved from a cliff. It was hard not to think someone had cut corners when they built them.

Jiang Qing could not help saying,
“Qin Ning, slow down. If you fall, you’ll…”

Before she could finish, her foot slipped.

What should have taken two or three seconds felt much longer, like a slowed-down movie scene. Her vision tilted, following the motion of her fall. Just before she hit the ground, she landed in a pair of arms that smelled faintly of soap and herbs.

Her back pressed into Song Qin Ning’s slender body. There was a soft grunt, and Song Qin Ning stumbled but managed to stay upright.

Jiang Qing quickly stepped back and asked,
“Are you hurt?”

She glanced down at Song Qin Ning’s delicate ankle. It looked fine. The bone stood out clearly, no sign of swelling.

“I’m okay. Just a little startled,” Song Qin Ning replied.

The jolt sent a tingling feeling through her leg. Cold sweat broke out down her back.

After this, Jiang Qing did not hesitate. She reached out and took Song Qin Ning’s hand.

Her hand was soft and warm.

Jiang Qing looked down at the steps. The road was so soft. No, wait. The hand was so steep. That was not right either.

Her expression stiffened. She closed her eyes briefly, trying to push away the messy thoughts in her head.

They were actresses. They had kissed in scenes more times than she could count. Holding hands should have meant nothing.

But now that they were just themselves, not characters, this simple gesture felt strangely intimate.

Their fingers interlocked. Palms pressed together. Warm and cool skin mixed together as they walked.

Soon, they reached a patch of light.

A streetlamp outside shone through the window.

The day after the premiere, Jiang Qing’s name was everywhere in the headlines.

Unlike the small buzz created by her past variety show appearances, this time her name was linked with Warm Spring in March. The trending tag had already reached hundreds of millions of views.

This film was clearly made with awards in mind. By all logic, its audience should have been limited and not particularly suited for viewers of all ages.

Yet on its opening day, the box office kept breaking records, showing an unexpectedly strong performance.

Its score on review platforms was nearly perfect. Veteran critics were full of praise, and the few negative reviews that did appear were quickly drowned out by a flood of positive feedback.

In the top comments section, countless viewers were leaving messages like, “I didn’t cry the first time, so I’m watching it again. Your Highness, please break my heart one more time.”

Jiang Qing’s phone was overflowing with congratulatory messages, popping up like mushrooms after the rain. She glanced over the list of names, many of them without saved contacts, and only replied to close friends.

The doorbell rang.

He Shu walked in and got straight to the point.
“Did you see the trending search?”

Jiang Qing handed her a glass of water.
“I saw it.”

It was expected and not worth mentioning.

Seeing how relaxed and at ease she looked, He Shu quickly realized they were talking about two completely different things.

Jiang Qing downed the cold water in one gulp, letting it ease the sticky heat clinging to her skin.
“I’m not talking about the morning headline.”

Other people might be surprised by Jiang Qing’s acting, but not He Shu. She had already become numb to it.

At first, she used to get so nervous about Jiang Qing’s future that her legs would bounce with anxiety. Now she accepted the envious stares from others in the industry as her due reward.

Fate had finally been fair. Her “dead fish” had flipped, and all the rewards that came with it were well deserved.

But He Shu was here about a different trending topic that had suddenly surged to the top just two hours ago.

She asked,
“Do you want to check it yourself or should I just tell you?”

Jiang Qing didn’t feel like picking up her phone.
“Just tell me.”

He Shu puffed up her cheeks in frustration.
“There’s a rumor going around online that you cheated.”

Jiang Qing paused.
“What?”

“And the post sounds so convincing too. If I didn’t know for a fact that the only Omega around you smells like cool mint, I might have believed it myself.”

It was too complicated to explain in a few words, so He Shu told her to look at the trending topic herself.

The rumor had already shot to number one. Jiang Qing tapped into it, scanned the content quickly, and frowned for a second before relaxing again.

“What do you think?” He Shu asked.

The one who accused Jiang Qing of cheating was a barely known actress, clearly jealous of Jiang Qing’s sudden rise to fame. It was a shameless attempt to steal the spotlight.

Jiang Qing thought back carefully.

After a moment, she nodded.
“Her face looks different. She must’ve just gotten a double eyelid surgery.”

He Shu blinked in disbelief.

That was not the point!

She nearly choked on air.
“Who cares about that right now?”

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