How Could a Scumbag Alpha Possibly Love His Wife? - Chapter 37

Despite Cheng Wan rejecting Xu He’s call earlier, the phone didn’t hang up. Later that evening, just before bed, Cheng Wan received another call from her.

This time, there was no way to avoid it, so Cheng Wan answered the phone.

“Finally decided to pick up?” Xu He’s voice on the other end was sharp. “You didn’t reply to my message this morning, and you didn’t answer my call this afternoon. Looks like you’re getting more and more impressive—now even we can’t get you to do anything.”

Cheng Wan stayed silent, letting Xu He vent. After a few moments, Xu He calmed down and Cheng Wan quietly replied, “I didn’t have my phone today.”

Xu He didn’t argue with whether Cheng Wan was being honest or not. Now that the phone was answered, she got straight to the point. “I don’t care about your excuses. By now, you and Bai Juntang must be getting along, right? You’ve been living in her house for a month, you must have formed a good relationship.”

“Your dad’s company has taken on a few new projects, but there’s a slight gap in funding. Next time, bring Bai Juntang over to have dinner with us.” Xu He added, “Her family is wealthy. Getting her to invest in our projects would be nothing for her.”

“Mom…” Cheng Wan’s heart felt heavy. She knew that Xu He never contacted her out of concern. When there was nothing to gain, Xu He didn’t care to reach out. Now, the only reason she was calling was to ask for Bai Juntang’s money.

How could someone like this be the woman Cheng Wan had called “mom” for over ten years?

Bai Juntang was the best person Cheng Wan had ever met in her life. She couldn’t just sit back and watch her family treat her this way.

“Miss Bai and I don’t have a good relationship, and you should know she only let me stay because of the baby in my belly,” Cheng Wan said softly, looking down at her small bump. “She wouldn’t want to go with me.”

“How do you know she won’t?” Xu He snapped. “Have you even tried? I can’t stand how you always give up without even attempting! I’ve never liked that about you. You’re an adult now, but you still don’t have any opinions of your own.”

Xu He’s words stung, and Cheng Wan chose to remain quiet.

After a while, Xu He seemed to remember Cheng Wan’s current situation. No matter what, Cheng Wan was carrying something valuable—a child who could be of great potential. Xu He’s tone softened, and she said, “Just think of it as a meal with us. It won’t take much time. If you can’t get the words out, your dad and I will talk to Bai Juntang ourselves.”

Xu He seemed to be worried that Cheng Wan wouldn’t agree, so she added, “By the way, Qiaoqing did well in her final exams and made it into the top 30 in her grade. We’re planning to celebrate. You can use that as an excuse to invite Bai Juntang over for dinner.”

Cheng Wan stayed silent, feeling a weight in her chest. Xu He, sensing her hesitation, added, “If you don’t say anything, I’ll just call Bai Juntang myself. You decide.”

With that, Xu He ended the call.

Staring at the darkened screen of her phone, Cheng Wan felt a wave of sadness wash over her.

Whenever she thought she had finally escaped the shadow of the Cheng family, they always found a way to remind her of her place—her real identity. No matter how good Bai Juntang was to her, it didn’t change the fact that she was still an adopted daughter of the Cheng family. Nothing would change that.

And even after the baby was born, she would have to leave Bai Juntang completely.

Cheng Wan suddenly felt lost. It was as if she were a child lost in a thick fog, with no one coming to find her and no one waiting for her return.

Bai Juntang seemed like a fleeting light in that fog—warm but only for a moment. The rest was still the unrelenting, dark mist.

The next morning, Bai Juntang noticed that Cheng Wan seemed off. The usually sweet, peach-scented pheromone surrounding her now carried an undertone of sadness.

Bai Juntang couldn’t quite understand why the scent of pheromones could make her feel that Cheng Wan was “sad,” but she could tell something was wrong. Cheng Wan had eaten less than usual for breakfast.

“What’s wrong today?” Bai Juntang asked, glancing at her and noticing that Cheng Wan had barely touched her milk.

Cheng Wan froze for a moment, unsure of what Bai Juntang meant.

Bai Juntang gestured to the milk and said, “Don’t you usually like milk? Why haven’t you drunk much today?”

Aunt Pei also noticed and asked with concern, “Wanwan, is your appetite not good again? Should I make something lighter for you?”

Cheng Wan quickly shook her head. “No, I’m just thinking about some things.”

“Whatever you’re thinking about, you still need to eat,” Aunt Pei said. “It’s already summer, and I saw that your pregnancy check-up came back normal. How about I cut half a watermelon for you?”

Bai Juntang intervened, “It’s too early for watermelon. You should have that in the afternoon.”

Aunt Pei nodded. “The weather’s getting hot, and a lot of young girls are losing their appetite. I’m worried it’s the same for Wanwan, and that’s not good.”

“I’m fine, I’m not losing my appetite,” Cheng Wan said, glancing at Bai Juntang. “I’ll drink it.”

Cheng Wan finished the milk in her cup, and Aunt Pei started cleaning up and heading to the kitchen.

Since it was the weekend, the whole family was staying at home. Aunt Pei stayed busy in the kitchen, and once she was done, she relaxed in the living room, watching a TV show.

Cheng Wan didn’t have much to do, so she sat with Aunt Pei on the sofa, watching the drama.

It was an old show, one Cheng Wan had watched when she was in elementary school. As she watched the familiar characters and listened to the familiar voices and lines, she suddenly felt sleepy.

Cheng Wan had fallen asleep on the sofa, with the little cat, Guazi, curled up in her arms, also dozing peacefully. When Bai Juntang came downstairs, she saw this scene.

Aunt Pei had already turned down the volume of the TV. Seeing Bai Juntang coming downstairs, she waved her hand, signaling her to be quiet.

Bai Juntang lightened her steps and walked over to the sofa. She leaned against the backrest and looked at Cheng Wan, who was fast asleep. A soft smile appeared on her lips, her eyes filled with tenderness.

She would catch a cold sleeping like this.

Bai Juntang softly spoke to Aunt Pei, “I’ll carry her back to her room. Can you keep an eye on the cat and make sure it doesn’t follow us?”

Guazi, the little orange cat, had become unusually clingy to Cheng Wan. Maybe animals were more sensitive and could smell the pleasant scent on Cheng Wan. So, the cat loved to crawl into her arms, and Bai Juntang couldn’t help but feel a little jealous.

“Meow~”

As Guazi was picked up, it squirmed in protest for a moment before Aunt Pei took it into her arms.

The cat looked up, watching as Bai Juntang gently picked up Cheng Wan and carried her away from the sofa.

Bai Juntang could feel that Cheng Wan had gained some weight since she last carried her—she definitely felt heavier now.

Cheng Wan didn’t wake up when Bai Juntang carried her, but as soon as she was laid down on the bed, her eyes fluttered open. She instinctively reached out and grabbed Bai Juntang’s shoulder, still half-asleep, not quite aware of what was happening.

Bai Juntang rested her hand on Cheng Wan’s side, gazing at her delicate lashes that fluttered like dandelion petals. It made Bai Juntang’s heart flutter.

Without hesitation, Bai Juntang leaned down and kissed Cheng Wan.

The kiss was soft and gentle, like a form of comfort. Cheng Wan, still drowsy, didn’t react in time. By the time she realized what was happening, Bai Juntang had already pulled away.

Cheng Wan stared at Bai Juntang, confused. Why was she kissed when it wasn’t even the right moment for pheromone exchange?

Bai Juntang found Cheng Wan’s shocked expression amusing. She couldn’t help but smile and leaned down to kiss her again, this time a light, teasing peck.

“Mm…”

Cheng Wan jumped in surprise, quickly sitting up on the bed. She looked at Bai Juntang, completely flustered.

Bai Juntang, noticing her reaction, felt a bit embarrassed as well. Her ears turned pink, though her long hair covered them. Luckily, Bai Juntang had always been thick-skinned, and after a brief moment, she quickly regained her composure.

“I saw you were asleep on the sofa, so I carried you back,” Bai Juntang explained softly. “If you want to sleep, it’s better to be in bed.”

Cheng Wan, now wide awake, was too startled to even think about going back to sleep.

Seeing how flustered Cheng Wan was, Bai Juntang felt a little awkward as well. She stood up and said, “You should rest. I won’t disturb you anymore.”

As Bai Juntang was about to leave, Cheng Wan suddenly remembered the phone call from Xu He the day before. She quickly reached out and grabbed Bai Juntang’s sleeve. “W-wait, wait a minute.”

Cheng Wan looked at Bai Juntang, thinking for a moment before saying, “I have something I need to tell you.”

Bai Juntang sat back down on the bed, this time a little closer than before. She stared at Cheng Wan, her gaze intense as she softly asked, “What is it?”

Cheng Wan didn’t notice the shift in Bai Juntang’s behavior. Her mind was occupied with Xu He’s request. After hesitating for a long while, she finally spoke up, “My mom wants to invite you to our house for dinner.”

Bai Juntang’s bright eyes immediately lost their sparkle, and her expression became distant and neutral.

Cheng Wan watched her in silence, feeling a knot tighten in her chest.

She had completely forgotten how Bai Juntang had originally viewed her. When they first met, Bai Juntang hadn’t even spared her a glance. The first time they spoke, Bai Juntang had only asked if the baby was hers.

From the start, Cheng Wan had known that she and Bai Juntang were not equals. Even the friendly rapport they had shared recently could have just been an illusion.

Cheng Wan slowly lowered her head, clutching the fabric of Bai Juntang’s shirt tightly. She continued, “My sister did really well in her final exams. They want to invite everyone over to celebrate, and if… if you could come, that would be great.”

That wasn’t what she wanted to say, though.

Cheng Wan felt like an accomplice, using Bai Juntang’s kindness to draw her deeper into the trap set by her family.

She shouldn’t be doing this.

Bai Juntang was such a good person. Why did she have to be deceived like this?

Cheng Wan didn’t understand. She opened her mouth, wanting to ask Bai Juntang to refuse, but she was interrupted by Bai Juntang’s calm voice, saying, “I understand.”

Bai Juntang looked at Cheng Wan’s pale face, reaching out to gently touch the corner of her eye. “It’s just a meal. I’ll go with you.”

Cheng Wan felt a tightness in her chest. Her nose tingled, and her eyes started to well up.

“Don’t go,” Cheng Wan shook her head, nuzzling her cheek against Bai Juntang’s hand. Her voice was thick with emotion as she said, “I don’t want you to go. My parents’ investments went wrong, and they want you to help fix it. They’re terrible, please don’t go.”

Cheng Wan’s eyes were red as she continued, “I’ll turn them down. I shouldn’t have told you all this… I’m sorry.”

She didn’t want Bai Juntang to hate her. She didn’t want to return to the way things were.

The coldness and humiliating words she had endured for over ten years were things she’d tried to forget. But now that she had felt what warmth truly was, she never wanted to go back to that dark place.

That darkness was too much. Cheng Wan didn’t want to go back there.

She longed for someone to ask her softly how she had slept the night before, to care about what she had for breakfast, and even to take a walk with her in the evening. She wanted all of that, and more.

So, she didn’t want Bai Juntang to hate her.

Bai Juntang watched Cheng Wan’s face and sighed softly. She gently cupped Cheng Wan’s face in her hands, leaned down, and placed a gentle kiss on the tip of Cheng Wan’s nose.

“It’s just a meal. What could they possibly do to me?” Bai Juntang said with a light smile. “You should bring me around them more often, let them see how happy you are with me.”

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