After Transmigrating into a Scummy Alpha, I Became a Tool Person - Chapter 9

Xie Yinian withdrew her gaze and rubbed her nose. “Mm, I guess you could say it’s fate.”

Wasn’t it just? She had run into her the moment she crossed over.

While Xia Qiqi lowered her head to drink her soup, Xie Yinian quietly ate her rice. The dining room fell into a peaceful silence, broken only by the occasional clink of chopsticks against porcelain.

Neither of them spoke again. They simply ate in companionable quiet.

After lunch, Xia Qiqi went upstairs to read, while Xie Yinian headed out to buy materials.

She took a rickety mountain bus into the city instead of driving one of the cars from Xia Qiqi’s garage—after all, those belonged to her, and Xie Yinian didn’t feel right borrowing them.

When the bus arrived at its stop, Xie Yinian got off, pulled up the map on her phone, and followed the route to the nearest bookstore.

Inside, she began scanning the shelves lined with neatly arranged books, looking for the kind she needed.

A sales clerk approached with a polite smile. “Hello, may I help you find something?”

“Uh, do you have any books with human anatomy diagrams? I need them for reference.”

“Yes, right over there,” the clerk said, pointing to a nearby shelf.

“Thanks.” Xie Yinian nodded and walked over.

She picked up one of the books, flipped through a few pages, and found the content pretty good—perfect for manga drawing references. She checked a few more titles just to compare.

Then a sudden, unfamiliar yet oddly familiar voice called out.

“Xie Yinian?”

She turned toward the sound and saw someone who looked both strange and vaguely recognizable.

The girl walked up with a grin. “I wasn’t sure it was you at first, but when I got closer—sure enough, it really is!”

“Wow, you? Buying books?” she teased. “I’ve seen your bookshelf—nothing but game figurines. I thought the only thing you ever read were game manuals.”

Xie Yinian quickly searched through the original body’s memories and recalled who she was—Lu Anran, the original host’s best friend. They used to hang out constantly, gaming, shopping, goofing off. No matter how bad the original’s temper got, Lu Anran never seemed to mind.

“Just bored. Thought I’d grab something to read.” Xie Yinian replied vaguely.

“And you? What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Me? Working, obviously!” Lu Anran raised an eyebrow and gestured to her uniform.

Xie Yinian looked her over—sure enough, she was wearing the bookstore’s staff outfit.

Lu Anran sighed dramatically. “I ran out of money lately, can’t even afford lunch, so I had to get a part-time job.” She blinked mischievously.

That made Xie Yinian laugh. The “poor” girl in front of her was actually a bona fide rich heiress. Even if she never worked a day in her life, her parents would never let her starve. So this little job must be her way of ‘experiencing the real world.’

“Oh, well then, I’ll stop bothering you at work. See you.”

Just as Xie Yinian turned to leave, Lu Anran grabbed her hand and pouted. “Leaving already? Stay and have a drink with me. I’m in a bad mood today.”

“Uh.”

“Please?” Lu Anran swayed her arm and whined.

“Please, please, pleeease?” she repeated in a playful, sing-song tone.

Completely at a loss, Xie Yinian sighed and nodded. “Alright, fine.”

“You done with work?” she asked.

“Yup! Come on, let’s go drink.” Lu Anran beamed.

“Wait a sec, let me pay for these first,” Xie Yinian said, nodding toward the books in her arms.

Lu Anran nodded. “I’ll wait outside.”

“Okay.”

After checking out, Xie Yinian walked out of the store, carrying her bag of books. She spotted Lu Anran leaning casually against the glass door, scrolling through her phone.

“Let’s go,” Xie Yinian said.

Lu Anran pocketed her phone and fell into step beside her. “I went by your place a while ago and found you’d moved out. Where’d you go? Didn’t even tell me?”

She nudged Xie Yinian with her shoulder, giving her a mock reproachful look.

Awkwardly, Xie Yinian rubbed her own shoulder. “Sorry, I didn’t tell you right away. Actually, I moved in with someone else.”

Lu Anran’s curiosity lit up immediately. “Who?”

Too close.

Xie Yinian took half a step back, hesitated for a moment, then decided there was no real reason to hide it. “Actually, I got married. I live with my spouse now.”

Lu Anran froze. “You, what did you just say?”

Thinking she hadn’t heard clearly, Xie Yinian repeated patiently, “I said I got married, and I’m living with my spouse.”

For a moment, Lu Anran just stared, dazed.

“What’s wrong?” Xie Yinian asked.

Lu Anran shook her head. “Nothing.”

Then, voice low and sulky, she muttered, “You can go drink by yourself. I’m going home.”

She turned around and walked off.

Xie Yinian blinked after her, confused. What’s gotten into her?

She lifted her shopping bag, ready to leave—only for Lu Anran to come marching right back, cheeks puffed and eyes blazing.

“I changed my mind,” she huffed. “I’ve decided I’m drinking at your place tonight.”

Xie Yinian: “…”

Why did this young lady suddenly change so much?

Xie Yinian glanced at the time—it was almost two o’clock. Xia Qiqi was probably about to head to work. Bringing someone home shouldn’t be a big deal, right?

Still, since she was living under someone else’s roof, it was better to inform Xia Qiqi first.

She took out her phone and sent a message.

Xie Yinian: I ran into an old acquaintance. She said she wants to hang out at my place for a while. Is it okay if I bring her back?

Lu Anran caught sight of Xie Yinian texting someone and pursed her lips. She wanted to see just who this person was—someone who could actually catch Xie Yinian’s attention.

Xia Qiqi: Sure.

Xie Yinian: Are you at the company?

Xia Qiqi: No. I’ve got something else to do this afternoon, so I took leave.

Xie Yinian: Oh.

Putting her phone away, Xie Yinian turned to Lu Anran. “Let’s go.”

Lu Anran snorted softly. “Was that your wife you were texting just now?” she asked, her tone dripping with envy.

“Mm.” Xie Yinian nodded.

Lu Anran gave a derisive little hum and strode ahead, muttering under her breath, “Whipped.”

Xie Yinian merely arched a brow and followed after her.

Meanwhile, Xia Qiqi’s car pulled up to the Xia family villa. As she stepped inside, a housemaid’s surprised voice called out, “Miss? You’re back?”

Xia Qiqi’s expression remained calm as she nodded slightly and walked in.

Halfway through the hall, she happened to run into her older brother and sister-in-law.

Xia Jiasheng and Ji Banxin were taking a stroll outside the villa, chatting and laughing by the fountain. Ji Banxin rested a hand on her round belly, smiling sweetly. When she saw Xia Qiqi, she gave her a polite smile.

Xia Jiasheng turned his head and, spotting Xia Qiqi, raised an eyebrow.

“Second sister, long time no see.”

Xia Qiqi’s gaze was indifferent. Her brother was more than ten years older than her. When she was still a child, he had already left home to make his way in the world, and only returned later to marry Ji Banxin.

As for her—she’d grown up at home taking those so-called Omega domestic courses: how to serve an Alpha, manage a household, raise children. To work outside, for an Omega, was considered shameful.

In this world, Alphas and Omegas were never equal. Being able to support herself through her own abilities was already the best outcome she could hope for.

“Brother. Sister-in-law.” Her tone was even, polite.

Xia Jiasheng waved his hand. “Mom and Dad are furious inside. You’d better go in quickly.”

She gave a slight nod.

The moment Xia Qiqi stepped into the living room, her mother glared at her with fury. “You still dare come back?”

Facing her mother’s anger and her father’s silent, equally hostile stare from the sofa, Xia Qiqi pressed her lips together.

No matter the time or place, what she saw in their eyes was never affection—only rage.

“Speak! Cat got your tongue?” her mother snapped.

Xia Qiqi remained silent.

Of course she knew. She’d long since understood—there was no love here for her.

She was an accident. They hadn’t planned for her; she was the result of a failed precaution.

And because she was born an Omega, she had never been welcomed.

Everyone else in the Xia family was a Beta. She was the only Omega.

To her mother, her gender was a disgrace—Omegas were impure by nature, born only to seduce Alphas.

Ignoring her mother’s glare, Xia Qiqi walked toward her father and said evenly, “Dad, I’m a person, not a puppet. I have my own thoughts. Please stop interfering in my life.”

“Interfering?” Her father gave a short, incredulous laugh.

“I heard you’re keeping a pretty little thing at home,” he said coldly. “You’re really willing to turn against us over her?”

“She’s my wife,” Xia Qiqi replied in a low voice.

“All the same.” He leaned back in his chair, voice dripping with disdain. “You really think that just because you have a marriage certificate, I can’t control you anymore? How naive.”

Xia Qiqi pressed her lips together. “No matter what you say, I won’t get a divorce. And don’t try to push any blind dates on me. If you do, I’ll reject them outright—because I’m already married.”

At that moment, Xia Jiasheng came back inside, helping Ji Banxin by the hand.

Their father’s expression shifted back to calm. “Jiasheng,” he said mildly, “see your sister out.”

Ji Banxin gave her husband’s hand a gentle pat. “Go on.”

Xia Jiasheng nodded and turned to his sister. “Come on, Second Sister. I’ll walk you out.”

Xia Qiqi cast one last, steady look at her father, then turned and left the room.