How Could a Scumbag Alpha Possibly Love His Wife? - Chapter 46

Cheng Jiajian’s words hit Cheng Wan like a bucket of cold water in the sweltering summer heat.

He was right—how could Bai Juntang possibly like her?

Someone like her… how could Bai Juntang ever truly care for her?

No matter how close they had become, or that Bai Juntang had brought her to live in her own home, all of her concern had always been for the child in Cheng Wan’s belly—a child that belonged to the Bai family.

It had nothing to do with Cheng Wan herself.

She suddenly thought back to that day at the hospital, when Bai Juntang said she didn’t want to know the baby’s gender. Cheng Wan had felt a quiet warmth in her heart.

But so what?

It was just generosity on Bai Juntang’s part—it still had nothing to do with her.

At best, she was just a vessel. Once the baby was born, there would be nothing left between her and Bai Juntang.

Maybe Bai Juntang had simply been too kind to her lately, and Cheng Wan had begun to entertain foolish thoughts. She started to believe that maybe, just maybe, Bai Juntang liked her—even as she knew she had feelings for Bai Juntang too.

After work, the person Cheng Wan most wanted to see was Bai Juntang.

She loved sitting in the car with her on the way home, watching the now-familiar streets roll by, chatting idly about nothing important, letting the days pass gently like that.

But with just a few words, Cheng Jiajian had shattered all those illusions.

Whatever else he said after that on the phone, Cheng Wan didn’t really hear. She vaguely understood he wanted her to invite Bai Juntang out for a meal when she returned—ostensibly to talk about an investment deal.

When Chang Le came back with their lunch, she found Cheng Wan sitting in her chair, staring at her now-dark phone screen.

“What’s wrong, Wanwan?” Chang Le asked as she began unpacking the food. “You don’t look well at all. Did something happen?”

Cheng Wan shook her head, but her face was so pale it was impossible to ignore.

Chang Le grew worried at once. Now was not the time for anything to go wrong with Cheng Wan. She hurried to pour her a glass of hot water. “If you’re not feeling well, I’ll take you to the hospital right now. You look awful.”

“I’m really fine,” Cheng Wan said, pressing her hand to her chest. But though she said it out loud, she felt worse than anyone could imagine.

She barely took a bite before throwing up—something she hadn’t done in months. It felt like her insides were being wrenched out.

The little one in her belly seemed to sense her distress and started thrashing around more than usual. Cheng Wan could only retreat into the restroom, trying again and again to calm it down, but she couldn’t utter a single word.

What was she supposed to say?

Or rather… what could she say at all?

This time, Bai Juntang had traveled to the South Sea region to oversee the development of a luxury resort. The purpose of the trip was to inspect the site and meet with investors. After all, the resort was being built to five-star standards, co-funded by Qian Gu and two other publicly listed companies. It was the largest investment Qian Gu had made in the past two years.

By the time they arrived at the hotel after the flight, the whole morning had passed. Bai Juntang had brought seven or eight key executives from the company for an on-site visit.

The reception team had arranged two vehicles for them. On the way, the host kept enthusiastically introducing the local culture and customs, which genuinely interested the group.

“President Bai, do you eat seafood?” asked Mr. Wang, their local contact, from the front seat. “The seafood here is fantastic—fresh and cheap. Everything’s caught the same day! If you’re up for it, we can even take a speedboat out to sea and catch some ourselves. That’s where you get the real flavor!”

As Wang chattered on, Bai Juntang rested her head against her hand and gazed out the window.

The privacy screen on the window blocked most of the sunlight, but it couldn’t hide the South Sea’s dazzling weather.

It took more than an hour to get from the airport to the hotel. Bai Juntang had her own room; the assistants and managers shared two to a room.

“The hotel staff have already delivered your luggage upstairs,” Mr. Wang said. “This afternoon, feel free to rest here at the hotel. In the evening, we’ve arranged a dinner at the nearby winery. Everyone’s invited.”

He eagerly described the winery’s location and wine collection, full of self-praise. Bai Juntang saw right through it but didn’t bother pointing it out.

Flying across cities was always exhausting—especially when they’d practically crossed half of China. The fatigue was catching up with her. She grabbed a quick bite from the hotel’s buffet before heading to her room to rest.

By five o’clock, Mr. Wang showed up at the hotel with a large group in tow. As Bai Juntang glanced at the familiar and unfamiliar faces crowding into the lobby, she felt a headache coming on.

“This is President Xu, this is Manager Hu, this is Director Zhao from Finance…”

She glanced over and counted at least seven or eight people. Are they planning to drink me under the table tonight?

While she politely greeted each person, she turned to Li Chen in the car and said quietly, “There’s going to be some serious negotiating tonight. You and Liu should help me fend off some drinks.”

Li Chen and Manager Liu in the front seat both nodded. Business trips were still work and drinking was part of the job.

All evening, the hosts kept finding ways to toast her, their enthusiasm just barely concealing other intentions. Thankfully, Bai Juntang had warned Li Chen and the team ahead of time. While she kept her drinking minimal, the rest of the group drank with abandon.

“President Bai, President Bai…”

During a lull in the meal, an alpha slid up beside Bai Juntang, pouring her a drink while grinning. “It’s not often we get you here, President Bai! You’ve got to enjoy yourself—can’t have a good time without a few drinks. We’re hitting a bar later, too!”

Bai Juntang had already had more than enough. Her head was spinning, and she could only watch as the man clinked his tiny glass against hers with a crisp clink.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Manager Hu,” she said, pressing a hand to her forehead and waving him off gently. “But I’ve really had quite a bit. We’ve got to be on-site tomorrow morning—if I drink any more, I won’t be able to get up.”

“Ah, the construction site isn’t going anywhere! Let’s just finish this glass first.”

Before she could respond, Li Chen, who was seated beside her, picked up the glass and intercepted the moment with a smooth conversation about anything and everything. Without missing a beat, he downed the drink meant for her.

Bai Juntang, feeling the liquor sloshing uncomfortably in her stomach, used the opportunity to slip away.

The winery wasn’t exclusive to their party; many rooms were filled with guests. The décor had a distinctly French flair.

As the night breeze swept over her, half of her drunken haze cleared.

The sea breeze, heavy with the salty scent of the ocean, tugged at her black hair. It had been over 30 degrees Celsius during the day, but now the night air held a subtle chill.

Bai Juntang walked along the winery’s veranda, staring out at the dark, endless ocean. A distant lighthouse blinked steadily, like a faraway star echoing the night sky.

Maybe it was the beauty of the night, or maybe she just needed to do something to anchor herself—but she pulled out her phone.

It was nearly midnight. Everything around her had quieted. As she dialed Cheng Wan’s number, she wondered: She’s probably asleep by now, isn’t she?

Surprisingly, the call connected almost immediately, as if Cheng Wan had been waiting for it.

“Hello?”

That soft, familiar voice—slightly distorted—sounded almost childlike.

Leaning against the railing, Bai Juntang let the sea wind wash over her and asked, “Why are you still awake?”

“Mm… couldn’t fall asleep.” Cheng Wan’s voice was thick with congestion, as if she had a cold—or was simply feeling unwell.

Bai Juntang heard it immediately and reminded her, “You should sleep earlier, or you won’t be able to get up for work tomorrow.”

“Okay.” There was a pause, then Cheng Wan asked, “Are you outside?”

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

“I heard the wind. It’s pretty loud.”

Bai Juntang smiled, her gaze still fixed on the dark sea. “You’ve got sharp ears. I’m by the ocean. They were trying to get me drunk at dinner, so I escaped.”

“Drinking too much isn’t good for you. Aren’t you cold out by the sea at night?”

“A little.”

She tilted her head slightly and smiled. “The view here is beautiful. The sky is so clear. If we ever get the chance, I’d like to bring you here.”

There was a long silence on the other end before Cheng Wan said softly, “I’ve never seen the ocean.”

Not just the ocean—Cheng Wan had rarely even left the city. Her whole life had been confined to this cage-like place.

She was lying in bed, covered by a thin air-conditioned blanket. The soft fabric brushed against her bare skin as she curled up with the phone in her hand. Remembering the baby inside her, she protectively cradled her belly.

The wind on Bai Juntang’s end was loud. She seemed to be saying something more, but Cheng Wan could no longer hear clearly.

She felt cold—completely cold—even though she had already turned off the air conditioner. She was shivering. Even Bai Juntang’s voice seemed distant, blurred.

“It’s getting late. You shouldn’t stay up. Try to sleep.”

Bai Juntang’s voice felt miles away. Cheng Wan softly replied, “Mm,” and listened as the call ended.

The phone screen dimmed. Only the bedside lamp cast its soft, yellow glow over the room.

Lying in bed, Cheng Wan shifted slightly, trying to find a position that would ease her discomfort and help her fall asleep.

But every time she closed her eyes, all she could see were the faces of Cheng Jiajian and Xu He—and hear Cheng Jiajian’s cruel words from the call, along with a message Xu He had just sent:

[Come home tomorrow. We need to talk.]

Cheng Wan didn’t know what they wanted to say, but her mind ran wild with possibilities. She realized that she had grown afraid of this family.

They had always treated her as someone beneath them. Because she was only adopted, they believed they had the right to do anything to her.

They say blood ties are chains you can’t escape—but adoption can be a cage you can never leave.

No matter how far she ran from that house, one word from them could drag her back into the nightmare.

That night, Cheng Wan felt frozen through. She had never feared the dark before, but now, she couldn’t bear to turn off the light. The dim lamp stayed on until dawn, and she barely slept a wink.

It wasn’t until birdsong drifted in from outside and the first sliver of sunlight slipped through the heavy curtains that the night finally broke.

Morning had come.

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