After Transmigrating Into the Scummy Alpha’s Rebirth Story - Chapter 21

Chaoxi had never expected an emergency to disrupt her planned meeting with Qingqing. Yuan Xiao hadn’t run in a straight line; to shake off the crowd, she had led them through a maze of twists and turns. Now, they stood on a secluded little side street.

It was a one-way street, tucked away and dim, with streetlights spaced so far apart that the shadows felt heavy.

As the evening breeze ruffled Chaoxi’s hair, she tucked a stray lock behind her ear. Feeling Yuan Xiao’s intense gaze, she offered a small smile. “Are we lost?”

Yuan Xiao seemed to be dazed for a moment. It wasn’t until Chaoxi squeezed the hand holding hers that she snapped out of it. “It’s fine. I’ll check the navigation on my phone.”

Chaoxi watched silently as Yuan Xiao fished her phone out of her pocket. Yuan Xiao used facial recognition to unlock it, but a split second later, the screen went black. It had shut down completely.

“I.” Yuan Xiao looked incredibly embarrassed. She couldn’t exactly admit that she’d been so excited to go out with her wife that she’d forgotten to charge her phone.

A smile played on Chaoxi’s lips. For a fleeting second, Yuan Xiao thought she saw a flash of mischief in her wife’s eyes, but when she looked again in the dim light, Chaoxi appeared as innocent and guileless as ever.

I must have seen it wrong, Yuan Xiao decided. How could my wife have any hidden schemes?

But Chaoxi did. While they were eating at the stalls earlier, she’d noticed Yuan Xiao’s battery was critical every time she scanned a QR code to pay. Chaoxi had even quietly reached into her own pocket and turned her own phone off in advance.

In the silence of Yuan Xiao’s embarrassment, Chaoxi pulled out her own device. “Use mine,” she said gently.

As Chaoxi pressed the power button, Yuan Xiao leaned in to watch.

“Oh, mine is dead too!” Chaoxi held up the black screen with a look of pure innocence. “Maybe we should split up to find the way?”

“No,” Yuan Xiao replied immediately, frowning as she surveyed the quiet surroundings. “Let’s stay together. I’m afraid it’s not safe if we separate.”

Chaoxi had counted on this. Yuan Xiao’s protective Alpha instincts were exactly what she was playing into. She walked over to the nearest streetlight, turned around, and looked at the approaching Yuan Xiao. “I’m too tired to walk another step, Yuan Xiao. How about I wait here while you find the way back to the hotel and come back for me?”

Yuan Xiao’s brow furrowed behind her mask. “All the shops on this street are closed. It’s already 10:30 PM. Leaving you here alone.”

“It’ll be fine.” Chao Xi reached out and gave Yuan Xiao’s arm a gentle, persuasive tug. “Just be quick. You wouldn’t want me to keep wandering around with you, would you? Who knows how much further it is.”

She was acting spoiled, and Yuan Xiao couldn’t bear to say no, even though leaving her felt risky. Even if the island was known for its safety and honest locals, Yuan Xiao still worried.

Sensing her hesitation, Chaoxi added, “If anything happens, I’ll just scream really loud.”

“But.”

“No buts!” Chaoxi pointed to a building a short distance away. “Look, there’s a police station. Even if the lights are off, having a station on this road means bad guys won’t hang around.”

Yuan Xiao followed her finger and saw the blue sign of the police station peeking out from under some banyan branches. Because it was dark and the lights were sparse, she hadn’t noticed it before.

“Okay. But stay alert. If anything happens, shout.”

Yuan Xiao finally relented. Chaoxi nudged her along. “Go, go! Find the way. I’ll be right here waiting for you.”

Since it was late, Yuan Xiao didn’t dally. She took off at a quick run toward one end of the street.

Once she was safely out of sight, Chaoxi promptly turned her phone back on, keeping a sharp eye out in case Yuan Xiao doubled back. The kid was straightforward; when she said she was looking for the way, she really meant it.

Chaoxi immediately dialed Qingqing.

“Baby! Where are you?” Qingqing’s voice was frantic.

“I have no idea,” Chaoxi said calmly. “But long story short, we can’t meet tonight. There was an incident.”

Qingqing lowered her voice. “I know! I was at the beach! Someone recognized Yuan Xiao. What a mess. Fine, let’s try for tomorrow.”

Chaoxi glanced around to ensure the coast was clear. “No need to wait. I sent Yuan Xiao off to find the way; she’ll be back soon. Later tonight, once we’re back at the hotel and she’s gone to sleep, come find me. I’m at the Baba Ice Fruit Hotel, Room 8805. I’ll message you when she leaves.”

Qingqing repeated the details: “Baba Ice Fruit, 8805. Got it! I’ll wait for your signal.”

“Bye.”

Chaoxi hung up, satisfied. Based on last night, she knew Yuan Xiao wouldn’t disturb her in her room during the later hours. She smiled to herself, powered the phone back down, and tucked it away. Everything felt like it was moving too slowly; she needed to accelerate the plot. As the female lead of Unattainable Love, she figured skipping a few filler scenes wouldn’t hurt the overall narrative.

As an Alpha, Yuan Xiao’s stamina was impressive. And if she truly resembled the person she was based on, her sense of direction would be excellent too. Chaoxi just had to wait.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Yuan Xiao reappeared, jogging back from a side path.

“Found the way already?” Chaoxi greeted her with a smile.

Yuan Xiao was beaming. She pointed toward the path she’d come from. “Just around that corner, you can see our hotel. It’s not far at all.”

“Great, let’s go,” Chaoxi said, taking a step.

Suddenly, Yuan Xiao caught her hand. Chaoxi looked up, confused. “What is it?”

Yuan Xiao looked down at her, her dark eyes shimmering with an unreadable light. “Wife, didn’t you say you couldn’t walk another step?”

Chaoxi froze. Her smile stiffened. Sht. How do I explain this?

“Listen, I.” Can explain? Lie better?

Yuan Xiao didn’t wait for her to finish. She broke eye contact and asked, “Can I carry you back?”

Chaoxi: “?”

Yuan Xiao had asked “Can I,” but her actions were already decided. She turned around and crouched down, waiting for Chaoxi to climb onto her back.

Chaoxi let out the breath she’d been holding. This kid.

Scared me to death.jpg

Chaoxi had never been carried like this before. But Yuan Xiao had broad shoulders and a slim waist—it wasn’t a bad deal. Compared to an Alpha, the original owner’s stamina was indeed lacking, and now that she’d relaxed, Chaoxi actually did feel the exhaustion hitting her. Plus, letting Yuan Xiao be this attentive now would only make the upcoming “big argument” more dramatic. It was a win-win.

Chaoxi climbed onto Yuan Xiao’s back, her hands gripping the girl’s shoulders. “Carry me steadily, okay?” she said, feigning shyness.

Yuan Xiao suppressed a smirk. She knew it! Her wife was so sweet-tempered; there was no way she’d refuse.

Yuan Xiao hooked her arms under Chaoxi’s thighs and stood up effortlessly. It was a bit of a walk to the hotel, but at this pace, it was comfortable.

The island breeze was salty. With few pedestrians around, the midsummer silence was tranquil. Yuan Xiao walked with a steady, rhythmic pace. She carried a faint scent of red wine that, mingled with the wind, made Chaoxi feel incredibly relaxed.

Eventually, Chaoxi drifted off to sleep against Yuan Xiao’s back. To any onlooker, they would have looked like a deeply in-love Alpha-Omega couple.

Yuan Xiao smiled under her mask. It was a pity this peace wouldn’t last; her “soft and sweet” wife would be fighting with her soon. She needed a plan. She didn’t want any more conflict, but she couldn’t stop the plot. Those two Omegas would definitely meet. Knowing Qingqing, she wouldn’t keep a secret that big from her best friend.

Maybe I should just confess first? Yuan Xiao thought. If I tell her the truth now, she’ll be prepared. Then, no matter what Qingqing says, maybe she won’t be so angry that she demands a divorce. She just needed a way to bring up the marriage.

Lost in thought, she arrived back at the Baba Ice Fruit Hotel.

It was nearly 11:00 PM. A few guests were scattered around the lobby. Usually, Yuan Xiao wouldn’t pay them any mind, but one guest stood out. Despite the heat, this person was wrapped up from head to toe, her head swathed in one of those exotic scarves sold by beach vendors.

Those scarves were for blocking the sun during the day. It was almost midnight.

As Yuan Xiao carried the sleeping Chaoxi past the lobby, she couldn’t help but steal a glance at the strange guest. The woman had just finished checking in and was nervously peering toward the hotel entrance.

When the girl reached up to push her sliding glasses back up her nose, Yuan Xiao’s sharp eyes caught a glimpse of a blue floral tattoo on her wrist.

Yuan Xiao: “…”

Holy crap. That’s Qingqing!