How Could a Scumbag Alpha Possibly Love His Wife? - Chapter 92

Cheng Wan stood at the slightly open door, her mind buzzing.

Keep the child but abandon the mother?

Were they talking about her and Sui Sui?

Her head rang as she struggled to process what she’d just heard. She wasn’t even sure if she had understood correctly. She had always known that Bai Juntang hadn’t liked her in the beginning. That much had been obvious from the moment they met.

Back then, Bai Juntang was cold and harsh. The way she looked at Cheng Wan was often filled with disdain. Most of the time, she didn’t even bother to look at her at all.

Even though Bai Juntang treated her kindly now, Cheng Wan couldn’t help but think back to how things had been just half a year ago.

Maybe… Bai Juntang never truly liked her.

Maybe the only reason she treated her so well now was because of Sui Sui.

If it hadn’t been for the child, Bai Juntang probably wouldn’t have even looked at her. The difference between them was too great. If not for some strange twist of fate, they would have never crossed paths.

Cheng Wan couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation. Her whole body broke out in a cold sweat, even though it was broad daylight.

“Cheng Wan?”

Aunt Pei’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

“What are you doing here?” Aunt Pei walked over and noticed Cheng Wan’s pale face. “You don’t look well at all. Did something happen?”

Cheng Wan shook her head. Right now, she just wanted to get away. At least in this moment, she didn’t want to see anyone.

But fate had other plans. Before she could respond, the study door opened from behind her.

The first person to step out was Bai Juntang. The moment she saw Cheng Wan’s ghostly pale face, her eyes widened. “What’s wrong?”

Cheng Wan turned around to look at her. Her eyes seemed to hold something she wanted to say, but in the end, she said nothing.

Bai Weilan followed them out. Noticing the small crowd at the door, she looked at Cheng Wan and commented, “So you weren’t asleep. Your face looks awful. Did you not rest well?”

Cheng Wan shook her head and replied, “I couldn’t sleep. I just wanted to find a book to read.”

Bai Weilan chuckled. “What’s there to read in that study? If you really can’t sleep, don’t force it. We were just discussing Sui Sui’s official name and household registration. Since you’re awake, why not join the conversation?”

Cheng Wan felt her heart sink. She gently closed her eyes and said, “I’m not feeling well. You can decide without me.”

After all, she was still an outsider. Bai Juntang had already done so much for her, rescuing her from the mess that was the Cheng family. How could she possibly expect to be part of their family decisions?

Bai Juntang could sense that something was off with Cheng Wan, but seeing how pale and drained she looked, she didn’t push her.

She watched helplessly as Cheng Wan turned and went upstairs. Something didn’t feel right. Bai Juntang looked back at her mother, who met her gaze but said nothing. Then she turned and went back into the study.

This time, Cheng Wan fell asleep quickly after lying down.

In a haze, she slipped into a distant dream. She was small again, her tiny arms and legs curled up in someone’s embrace.

That person’s scent was warm and gentle, but no matter how hard she tried to focus, she couldn’t make out who it was or what they smelled like.

When she was set down, she looked up and saw the tall, iron gates of an orphanage.

She remembered now. This was a memory she hadn’t revisited in years. It was her only memory of her biological mother—the moment she was left at the orphanage gate.

The towering gates seemed to belong to another world. The entire scene glowed with a soft light. She could feel someone standing behind her, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t turn around.

Sometimes Cheng Wan would wonder—if she had looked back at that moment, would her mother have taken her back?

Or was it that no matter what she did, she was always meant to be abandoned?

In her dream, the world around her began to fade, becoming cold and translucent. Just when she felt like she was freezing, someone wrapped their arms around her. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

The room was quiet and dim. Lying still on the bed, she tried to calm her breathing, but there was a bitter, salty taste in her mouth.

It had been a long time since she’d dreamed of her mother. She never talked about it, but deep down, she had never been able to forgive the woman who abandoned her.

As she grew older, Cheng Wan realized more and more that if her mother had stayed, she might have grown up safe and carefree. Instead, she lived each day fearing she would be abandoned again.

She only became aware that someone else was on the bed when she heard the faintest movement behind her.

Cheng Wan turned around and found herself face-to-face with Bai Juntang’s deep eyes. They were clear and calm like still water. The sight of them made her breath catch in her throat.

This woman—maybe she was the next person who would leave her behind.

“What’s wrong?” Bai Juntang leaned closer and wrapped her arms around her. “You looked pale earlier today. You don’t seem any better now. If you’re not feeling well, we should go to the hospital.”

Cheng Wan let herself be pulled into the embrace, her forehead resting under Bai Juntang’s chin.

“No…” Cheng Wan lowered her gaze and said quietly, “I’m fine. I don’t want to go to the hospital.”

Bai Juntang gently patted her back and replied, “Alright. I don’t like the smell of disinfectant there either. Too many people coming and going. It’s not restful. But if you really feel sick, we should still go. Don’t force yourself to endure it.”

Cheng Wan didn’t know how to respond. It was an ordinary exchange, but somehow every word made her feel more suffocated.

She couldn’t understand why Bai Juntang still cared about her. Sui Sui had already been born.

Then she remembered the one hundred-million-yuan Bai Weilan had given her. Now she finally understood why Bai Weilan never took it back it was payment. Her compensation. What she was “worth.”

No matter how long Bai Juntang comforted her, Cheng Wan remained distant and unresponsive. That was when Bai Juntang realized something was seriously wrong.

“What is it?” she asked, sitting up and looking at her. “Are you keeping something to yourself?”

Cheng Wan closed her eyes. “No. I’m just tired.”

Though Bai Juntang felt uneasy, she didn’t press further. She reached out to touch Cheng Wan’s forehead and, seeing that there was no fever, gently kissed her on the temple.

“This afternoon, my mom and I were discussing Sui Sui’s name and registration,” she said softly. “What do you think about the name Bai Zhiyu?”

Bai Juntang held Cheng Wan close and gently explained, “We figured that once Sui Sui starts preschool, a complicated name might be hard for her to write. So my mom and I discussed choosing something simple, pleasant, and easy to remember. But if you don’t like it, we can still change it.”

Cheng Wan kept her eyes closed. “It’s a good name. If you both think it works, that’s fine.”

Bai Juntang nodded and continued holding her. “As for the household registration, after thinking about it carefully, I still believe it’s better if Sui Sui is registered under your name. After all, you are—”

“Don’t register her under me,” Cheng Wan opened her eyes at last and looked directly at Bai Juntang. “There’s no real benefit to that. It’s better for her to be registered with you.”

Bai Juntang was caught off guard. She studied Cheng Wan’s expression, then asked gently, “Did you overhear something outside the study?”

Cheng Wan’s body tensed slightly.

Seeing that, Bai Juntang reached out and gently held her chin, guiding her to meet her eyes.

“I don’t know exactly what you heard,” she said softly, “but I want you to believe me. No matter what I said, or what my mom said, none of it was meant to hurt you. We were both thinking of what’s best for Sui Sui.”

“Yes,” Cheng Wan let out a dry laugh. “It’s all for Sui Sui.”

Bai Juntang frowned. Just as she was about to say something more, Cheng Wan pulled out of her arms and sat up in bed.

“I understand what you’re saying. Sui Sui is my daughter. Of course I want her to have the best,” Cheng Wan said, her eyes focused on her hands, as if she was trying to read something hidden in the lines of her palms.

“Cheng Wan…?”

“I’m a little hungry.”

She turned her face away. “What time is it? Is it dinner time?”

She picked up her phone and checked the screen. It was already past six. Right on time for dinner.

Just then, Aunt Pei’s voice called from downstairs, “Dinner’s ready! Come down and eat!”

Cheng Wan quickly lifted the blanket and got out of bed. Bai Juntang could only watch silently as she entered the bathroom.

As the sound of water echoed from inside, Bai Juntang walked over and leaned against the bathroom door, glancing in. The frosted glass blocked the details, and she could only see the blurry outline of a figure inside.

She had a feeling Cheng Wan was hiding something, but Cheng Wan didn’t seem ready to talk. Most likely, she was upset about them deciding on Sui Sui’s name and registration without consulting her.

With a quiet sigh, Bai Juntang said through the door, “Come out when you’re done. It’s time for dinner.”

There was no response.

She added, a little softer, “I’ll go down first. Don’t take too long.”

After the sound of the bedroom door closing, Cheng Wan finally lifted her head in the steamy bathroom. Warm water splashed around her feet and soaked through her pale pink sleepwear.

She stood there quietly, not moving.

Her thoughts were a mess.

A complete mess.

In the days that followed, the Bai family stayed busy. But finally, they managed to take care of an important task—registering Sui Sui’s name and household.

She was registered under Bai Juntang’s name. With the Bai family’s resources and connections, Sui Sui would be well taken care of.

As her one-month milestone approached, the family began planning her full-month celebration. It was a major event.

Bai Weilan, who had spent years living overseas, was back in the country and naturally wanted to invite many people.

Bai Juntang was already well-known in social circles. There were many who wanted to use this event to get closer to her, so even a rough estimate put the guest list at over a hundred people.

“That many?” Bai Weilan was surprised. “We’ll need to book a really big venue.”

Bai Juntang replied calmly, “That’s a conservative estimate. Since you haven’t been back for so many years, plenty of people will use Sui Sui’s party as a chance to see you. On top of that, there will be those who show up uninvited. It’ll probably be closer to two or three hundred.”

Bai Weilan stirred her soup and sighed, “Too many people makes it feel meaningless.”

Bai Juntang shared the same thought. She already dealt with enough banquets and business events. For Sui Sui’s celebration, she had wanted something small and warm, just with close friends and family.

She thought for a moment, then turned to Cheng Wan, who was quietly eating beside her.

“What do you think?”

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