How Could a Scumbag Alpha Possibly Love His Wife? - Chapter 48

Cheng Jiajian’s slap had been brutal. A glaring red mark bloomed across Cheng Wan’s fair cheek, covering nearly half her face.

Everyone at the table was stunned. Xu He jumped up and grabbed her husband’s arm, then turned and scolded Cheng Wan, “Are you out of your mind? Why say something so outrageous for no reason—trying to make your father angry, is that it?”

Cheng Wan turned her head slightly. She could hardly hear Xu He’s words. The slap had been so forceful that her ears were ringing. She could only vaguely make out Xu He’s mouth moving, but the sound didn’t reach her.

It was like listening through water.

Cheng Jiajian was furious. He believed he had treated Cheng Wan well enough. Other Omega girls her age were married off as soon as they differentiated, but they had sent her to college and even let her work.

After raising her for over a decade, all he’d done was ask her to climb into Bai Juntang’s bed—and now she dared talk back?

“I’ve clearly spoiled you too much!” he snapped, face dark with rage. He grabbed the tablecloth and yanked it, sending bowls and soup flying—drenching Cheng Wan’s clothes and splashing all over Cheng Qiaoqing, who was sitting beside her.

But Qiaoqing didn’t dare make a sound. She jumped up and scurried behind her mother, too afraid to even lift her head.

Cheng Wan didn’t even remember how she managed to get out of that house. She tried flagging down several taxis, but when the drivers saw the stains and soup on her clothes, none of them were willing to take her. Finally, one kind-hearted driver stopped, confirmed she could pay, and drove her home.

Aunt Pei opened the door to find Cheng Wan in a wretched state, her face visibly swollen with the mark of a slap. Her heart clenched at the sight.

“Oh my god, what happened to you?” Aunt Pei quickly ushered her inside. The smell on her clothes was indescribable, and her brow furrowed deeply. “What on earth happened? And your face?”

Cheng Wan lowered her gaze and said nothing. Aunt Pei grabbed her hand and guided her toward the bedroom, urging, “Go clean up first, sweet girl. Take those clothes off and shower. You reek of soup—didn’t you go home for dinner? Why’d you come back like this?”

Hearing Aunt Pei’s familiar voice nagging, Cheng Wan slowly returned to herself. She lifted her head and looked at Aunt Pei, who was rummaging through the closet for pajamas.

Then she asked quietly, “Aunt Pei… is there any food left?”

“What?” Aunt Pei raised her voice. “They sent you home like this and didn’t even feed you?!”

That family was outrageous.

Muttering angry curses, she stormed toward the kitchen, then turned back to look at Cheng Wan’s swollen cheek with deep concern. “Did they hit you? Even if you’re not their biological child, they can’t treat you like this.”

Cheng Wan’s body stiffened. Aunt Pei immediately realized she’d misspoken.

“I’m sorry, Wanwan,” she said softly. She didn’t dare touch the mark on her face. “Go take a quick shower. I’ll get some ice from the freezer—you need to reduce the swelling, or you won’t be able to go to work tomorrow.”

Cheng Wan nodded. Once Aunt Pei left, she slowly undressed and stepped into the bathroom to wash up.

The sour, greasy smell clung to her in the humid summer air. She scrubbed herself with body wash several times before the stench faded. By then, Aunt Pei had returned with ice.

“Come sit on the couch. Let me help with your face,” she said gently, wrapping the ice in a towel and pressing it to Cheng Wan’s cheek.

Fresh out of the shower, Cheng Wan smelled clean and warm, her skin soft and dewy. But the red handprint across her face stood out starkly against her complexion.

“I’ll stir-fry a couple of dishes for you. The rice will be done soon,” Aunt Pei said as she sat beside her. “Wanwan, did something happen at home? Why did you come back like this?”

Cheng Wan was quiet for a while before finally turning to her. “Aunt Pei… could you not tell Bai Juntang about what happened today?”

Aunt Pei was taken aback. “You got hit—how can I not tell her?”

“Please don’t,” Cheng Wan said. “Aunt Pei, I want to handle it myself.”

“You…” Aunt Pei sighed. This girl seemed soft-spoken and obedient, but her stubbornness ran deep. Even when wronged, she wouldn’t complain.

“Fine. I promise I won’t tell Juntang,” she said, her voice heavy. “But you need to understand—you’re pregnant now. If anyone tries to hurt you again, you have to protect yourself.”

Cheng Wan nodded slowly.

Today’s events had taught her something. She’d always believed her adoptive parents disliked her because she wasn’t good enough. But now she understood the truth.

At least she was an adult now, capable of taking care of herself. If she’d learned this lesson back in her teens, she might never have recovered.

At least now, she wasn’t worried about food or money. She had income. She could protect herself and her child.

That night, though her appetite was gone, Cheng Wan forced herself to eat a full bowl of rice—for the baby’s sake.

Aunt Pei sighed more than ten times that evening, picking up and putting down her phone repeatedly. She didn’t dare call Bai Juntang, afraid that if Cheng Wan found out, she’d close herself off even more.

Early the next morning, Aunt Pei was up making breakfast. When Cheng Wan came out of her room, Aunt Pei hurried over. The handprint on her face had faded a little from the day before, but it was still painfully noticeable. Combined with the puffiness from waking up, half her face looked swollen.

“How can you go out looking like this?” Aunt Pei said, worried as she pressed another ice pack to Cheng Wan’s cheek. “Why don’t you take the day off? You can’t show your face like this.”

But Cheng Wan just smiled and reassured her gently, “It’s fine. I’ll wear a mask. It’ll cover most of it.”

Seeing that Cheng Wan was determined not to skip work, Aunt Pei gave in and found her a few disposable masks. With one on, the swelling was at least partially hidden.

And so, Cheng Wan left for work and arrived at the office ten minutes early.

When Chang Le arrived right on time, she immediately noticed Cheng Wan wearing a mask. Her eyes looked puffy, and Chang Le asked with concern, “What happened to you? Your face looks swollen. Are you sick? You didn’t look too great yesterday either. If you’re not feeling well, you should see a doctor.”

Manager Zhou, who happened to be walking by, overheard and looked toward Cheng Wan’s face. After observing for a moment, she asked, “Are you okay? You look a little off.”

“I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep well and caught a bit of a cold,” Cheng Wan replied. She saw that Manager Zhou was holding some documents and asked, “Is there something you need me to do?”

Manager Zhou nodded. “Actually, yes. There’s an off-site task, and I was going to ask if you were available.”

“Me?” Cheng Wan looked puzzled. “What kind of task?”

“There’s a magazine interview shoot going on these days—our PR department is collaborating with another company,” Manager Zhou explained. “They’re short on staff, so I was hoping you could run over to the studio.”

She handed Cheng Wan a file. “It’s nothing complicated. Just deliver this signed document to the person in charge at the studio. Then, we need someone to stay there and keep an eye on the equipment. Those cameras and gear are worth hundreds of thousands—no one feels comfortable leaving them unattended.”

It really didn’t sound difficult—just a delivery and watching over some equipment.

Chang Le spoke up quickly. “Wanwan’s pregnant! Don’t send her on off-site work. She’s sick, too. Let her rest. I can go instead.”

Manager Zhou looked conflicted. “But you’re already assigned to go out today. I’ve really got no one else, which is why I thought of Wanwan.”

“It’s okay,” Cheng Wan said. “It’s not hard, and I don’t have much going on in the office anyway.” She took the file from Manager Zhou. “Just send me the address, I’ll take a cab over.”

Manager Zhou smiled, relieved. She pulled out her phone and sent Cheng Wan the location. “The shoot should wrap up around two or three in the afternoon. Once it’s done, just go home directly. Be sure to get a receipt for the cab so you can submit it for reimbursement tomorrow.”

Chang Le looked at Cheng Wan enviously. “Will the studio have lunch? Air conditioning? Drinks?”

Manager Zhou rolled her eyes. “Yes, all of that. But what’s the point in asking? You’re not the one going. Now stop stalling—you’re heading out with the new colleague soon. I’ll treat you to bubble tea when you’re back.”

With everything arranged, Cheng Wan didn’t stick around. The shoot was starting at 9:00, so she needed to get there beforehand to deliver the paperwork.

She called a cab and headed toward the outskirts of the city. Following the location Manager Zhou had sent her, she quickly found the photography studio and handed the file to the person in charge.

The studio manager frowned a little when he saw her belly but didn’t say much. “See those two cameras and those big equipment cases over there?” he said. “We’re not using them for now. Just grab a stool and sit near them to keep watch. There are drinks over there. With the way you are, you can’t move around much anyway—just rest and keep an eye on things.”

As he walked away, he muttered under his breath, “An Omega still working while pregnant? That’s a first.”

Cheng Wan couldn’t tell if he was criticizing her or her Alpha, but she didn’t let it get to her. She grabbed a chair and sat down at a reasonable distance from the equipment she was assigned to watch.

The studio was spacious but dimly lit. Only the main shooting area was brightly illuminated.

She’d heard this was a joint project between Qian Gu and a magazine, with interviews featuring executives from several companies. On stage now was a woman with sleek black hair, dressed in a sharp business outfit—probably one of the executives being interviewed.

Under the lights, as everyone’s focus turned to her, Cheng Wan suddenly thought of Bai Juntang.

Maybe only people like her could truly shine on a stage like that.

Just as the interview began and the host started asking questions, someone walked past Cheng Wan—and then suddenly stopped behind her.

Mu Ruchu had caught a familiar scent.

She turned and looked down at the masked woman sitting beside the equipment. Her eyes moved to the small but unmistakable baby bump.

She blinked slowly.

Well then. Looks like she just ran into someone she knew.

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