How Could a Scumbag Alpha Possibly Love His Wife? - Chapter 52

Inside the Bai family villa, Bai Juntang carefully picked up a wrapped ice pack and gently pressed it to the swollen side of Cheng Wan’s face. Her eyes were full of concern. She barely applied pressure and asked softly, “Does it hurt?”

Aunt Pei had only just learned that Bai Juntang was back. A few hours earlier, she’d seen her standing at the gate, dragging her suitcase, sweaty and tired. For a moment, Aunt Pei thought she was seeing things.

After a quick shower, Bai Juntang had gone straight to pick Cheng Wan up from work, leaving Aunt Pei behind to prepare dinner.

Cool air from the living room air conditioner filled the space. Cheng Wan sat beside Bai Juntang, holding a fluffy orange cat in her lap. Bai Juntang watched her closely, not looking away for even a moment.

The kiss they’d shared in the car still lingered in her mind, slightly salty from Cheng Wan’s tears. Now, being this close—seeing her long lashes and soft, rosy lips—made Bai Juntang want to kiss her again.

But the ice pack in her hands reminded her that taking care of Cheng Wan’s injury came first.

After the cold compress, Bai Juntang grabbed the ointment she had just bought. Aunt Pei leaned over uncertainly and asked, “Is this okay for pregnant women? Will it affect the baby?”

Bai Juntang replied calmly, “I asked the doctor. This one is safe.”

Besides, Cheng Wan’s face was already this swollen. There was no way she could leave it untreated. With a face that pretty, she didn’t want one side healing wrong—it would be such a shame.

Cheng Wan didn’t say anything. She just lifted her bright, tear-washed eyes and quietly watched as Bai Juntang squeezed the clear ointment onto her cheek and gently spread it with her fingertip.

The gel felt cool and soothing on her skin, with no strong smell. It was surprisingly comforting.

After applying a thin layer, Bai Juntang finally looked up and smiled at Aunt Pei, who was still watching with curiosity. “Is dinner ready?”

Aunt Pei snapped to attention. “Yes, yes—it’s ready. I didn’t know you’d be coming back today, so I just made some cold noodles.”

In the middle of summer, nothing tastes right, but a bowl of cold, tangy noodles was one of the few things people could still enjoy.

Bai Juntang stood up and reached out to help Cheng Wan. “Come on, let’s eat. We’ll need to do another cold compress before bed.”

Cheng Wan looked at her and nodded shyly. “Thank you.”

Her face felt cool and refreshed in the air-conditioned room. By the time dinner was over, she could already tell the swelling had gone down a bit. Even Aunt Pei noticed and said regretfully, “If we’d used the ointment earlier, we wouldn’t have had to wait so many days.”

That night, there was still no update from Nanhai. Bai Juntang sat in her study, waiting for a phone call. When she heard a sound from the room next door, she got up and walked over.

Cheng Wan had finished her shower and was sitting at the edge of the bed, towel-drying her hair. When she heard the door open, she looked up and met Bai Juntang’s gaze.

“All done?” Bai Juntang sat beside her, looked at her cheek, and nodded with approval. “Much better. One more ice pack before bed, and it might be gone by tomorrow.”

Cheng Wan touched her face doubtfully. “Really? That fast?”

Though she often said she didn’t care about appearances, she was still a woman—and it was hard not to care about a swollen, bruised face. Every time she looked in the mirror, she felt awful.

Bai Juntang chuckled gently. Seeing Cheng Wan like this—freshly showered, fragrant, and a bit shy—made her want to hold her.

“Dry your hair properly. I’ll go grab some more ice,” she said.

While packing the ice in the kitchen, Bai Juntang’s thoughts were full of Cheng Wan. She realized she wasn’t the same person she used to be.

When she first heard Cheng Wan had been slapped, she was furious—so angry she felt like she might explode.

Her Omega, someone she couldn’t even bear to scold harshly, had been slapped? Whoever did that must have had a death wish.

But today, when she saw the marks on Cheng Wan’s face with her own eyes, her anger unexpectedly settled.

She’d planned so many things to say—so many ways to press Cheng Wan for the truth—but the moment she saw her crying, everything melted away. Now, all that mattered was that she was safe.

As for who had done it and why—Bai Juntang had her suspicions.

She might be tied up with the Nanhai project right now, but once that was handled, there was no way the Cheng family would get away with this.

Back in the bedroom, she found Cheng Wan sitting neatly on the bed, hair already dry. When she heard the door open, she looked up. She looked just like a bride waiting for her wedding night.

Bai Juntang couldn’t help but laugh. She sat down beside her and gently pressed the towel-wrapped ice pack to her cheek.

“You look like you have something to say,” she said quietly.

Cheng Wan looked up at her with bright, hopeful eyes. After a moment, she asked softly, “Did you come back… because of me?”

She had wanted to ask this from the start. But now, with just the two of them alone, she couldn’t hold it in any longer. Did Bai Juntang come back because she cared about her?

Or was it… just because of the baby? Or maybe… someone else?

“Of course I came back for you,” Bai Juntang replied, looking her straight in the eye. “Do you really think I could keep working out of town after hearing you’d been hurt?”

When Cheng Wan heard those words, her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest. Her face flushed uncontrollably.

So Bai Juntang really had come back because of her.

That alone was enough for Cheng Wan. Whether it was for the baby or something else, just hearing Bai Juntang say it out loud brought her deep comfort.

“Actually, after you left on your trip,” Cheng Wan said, lowering her head and gently rubbing her belly, “my parents told me to go back to the Cheng family home. I think they were trying to use me to feel you out—maybe to ask for a project or something.”

But Bai Juntang never discussed business matters with her, and Cheng Wan never asked. So she didn’t know anything about it.

Bai Juntang was quiet for a moment before asking, “Was it your father who hit you?”

Cheng Wan didn’t answer. She just lowered her eyes and whispered, “I’m sorry…”

Bai Juntang sighed. This habit of Cheng Wan’s—apologizing every time something went wrong—was something she really needed to break. She had only just started opening up again, and now she was back to bowing her head and apologizing.

Setting the towel-wrapped ice pack on the small table beside the bed, Bai Juntang squeezed some ointment into her palm. With her other hand, she gently tilted Cheng Wan’s chin up so they were face-to-face.

The cool gel touched Cheng Wan’s skin, making her shiver involuntarily.

“This isn’t your fault,” Bai Juntang said softly, carefully spreading the ointment. “Just focus on resting and taking care of yourself and the baby.”

“Does it still hurt?” she asked, glancing at Cheng Wan’s face.

Cheng Wan blinked. She wanted to shake her head but didn’t dare move, so she looked at Bai Juntang and softly said, “It doesn’t hurt.”

Hearing her soft voice made Bai Juntang’s heart itch with affection.

She stopped applying the ointment, held Cheng Wan’s chin gently, and leaned in, pressing her lips to hers.

Cheng Wan froze, her whole body stiffening as she instinctively closed her eyes.

Her soft lips parted under Bai Juntang’s touch, and that familiar, comforting scent filled her senses—the unique soothing scent of her Alpha.

The kiss was warm and lingering, like invisible fingers gently brushing over their hearts.

Bai Juntang deepened the kiss, savoring the sweet taste in Cheng Wan’s mouth. The scent of white peach and cool fir mingled in the air, twining together.

Even though they had already kissed earlier in the car, Cheng Wan still felt her body heat up as if she were on fire. Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment.

A tingling sensation ran down her spine. Cheng Wan clutched Bai Juntang’s shirt, and the two of them fell back onto the bed.

“Ah…”

Cheng Wan’s eyes turned red. She felt overwhelmed by Bai Juntang’s weight, but her hands clung even tighter.

She stared at her, startled, feeling the burning heat of Bai Juntang’s body, suddenly realizing they were both feeling the same thing.

Bai Juntang’s dark eyes gleamed, even under the dim lighting. She gently stroked Cheng Wan’s cheek and kissed her again.

This time, Cheng Wan felt a growing intensity. Bai Juntang’s hands moved slowly, her touch full of tenderness but also unmistakably suggestive—it made Cheng Wan’s breath hitch.

The kiss could have lasted five minutes, or even longer. When Bai Juntang finally pulled away, Cheng Wan’s eyes were misty, and tears had slipped down her cheeks. She looked both vulnerable and alluring.

Bai Juntang’s lips tingled slightly. She stroked Cheng Wan’s hair and lay down beside her, pulling her into her arms.

“It’s late. I still have work to do. Try to get some rest,” she said gently.

“Mm,” Cheng Wan replied, her voice hoarse with emotion. She buried her head in Bai Juntang’s chest, the tips of her ears flushed red.

Maybe it was the exhaustion of the day, but she soon fell asleep. Bai Juntang gently wiped off the remaining ointment on her cheek with a tissue, deciding to reapply it in the morning.

In the distance, she faintly heard her phone ringing from the study. After tucking the blanket around Cheng Wan, Bai Juntang left the room to take the call and get back to work.

The next morning, Bai Juntang dropped Cheng Wan off at her office before driving to headquarters.

Last night, Director Wei from Nanhai had called to go over the details of the issue and possible solutions. So far, no solid plan had emerged. Since Dry Valley hadn’t signed a formal contract, they could still pull out of the deal—but the investment already made would be lost.

Director Wei’s suggestion matched what Bai Juntang had already been thinking: cut the losses and withdraw quickly.

Business was never without risk. Bai Juntang accepted the sunk cost—what mattered now was avoiding further loss.

As soon as she arrived at the company, her secretary, Xiaomi, hurried over, her expression uneasy.

“President Bai,” she said, “Mr. Cheng is here to see you again.”

“Which Mr. Cheng?” Bai Juntang asked.

Before the words were even out, Cheng Jiajian appeared out of nowhere, blocking her path with a cheerful smile.

“Good morning, Miss Bai.”

Bai Juntang stopped and looked at him with a cold smile. “President Cheng, your timing is impeccable. I only returned yesterday, and here you are, waiting for me already.”

Cheng Jiajian chuckled. “Now, now, what are you saying? We’re practically family. Since you’re so busy and I can’t get a hold of you, of course I had to come find you myself.”

The word “family” made Bai Juntang feel sick, but she smiled and said politely, “Perfect. I was just about to look for you, too. Xiaomi, bring two coffees to my office. I need to talk with President Cheng.”

Turning back to him, she said, “Come on. Let’s have a proper conversation.”

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