I Heard I’m a Scummy Alpha? [Transmigration] - Chapter 35

As soon as Xuan Baiquan’s question fell, the conference room went so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

The three experts wore expressions of amusement, as though watching a show, while the Yan Corporation employees quickly dropped their gazes and shuffled papers, pretending they hadn’t heard a thing.

Secretary Shen, Assistant Peng, and the others were, of course, aware of Qi Yunwei’s background—but none of them had expected Xuan Baiquan to know as well, let alone to bring it up so bluntly in public.

Qi Yunwei’s smile slowly faded as she fixed her gaze on him, leaving behind only an icy chill.

Seeing her face change, Xuan Baiquan felt a surge of triumph. He pressed again, his tone dripping with mockery:

“Miss Qi, perhaps you didn’t hear me clearly. I asked—what school did you graduate from? Or, is it that you haven’t graduated at all?”

The sharp edge of ridicule in his voice was a stark contrast to the sunny, cheerful boyish image he had shown yesterday. Xuan Mingzhu glanced at him, her expression unreadable.

She had underestimated this younger brother of hers. For the sake of Yan Zui, he had no qualms about publicly exposing Qi Yunwei’s weak spots.

But still, too green.

If Qi Yunwei’s skeletons in the closet could spread through Yan Corporation, then surely Yan Zui already knew. And if she knew yet still kept Qi Yunwei at her side, it only proved she didn’t care.

To attack Qi Yunwei with something Yan Zui dismissed was pointless—except to anger Yan Zui.

Xuan Mingzhu lowered her gaze, hiding the mockery in her eyes.

Yesterday, she had been caught off guard, quarreling with Xuan Baiquan simply because he wanted in on the project. But now it was clear—he posed no threat to her at all.

“Yan Zui, I’m done being this so-called technical expert. Let whoever wants it have it!” Qi Yunwei’s voice was cold as she shot to her feet and strode out of the conference room.

As she passed Xuan Mingzhu, the latter caught the hatred flickering in her eyes.

Secretary Shen stole a glance at Yan Zui. Seeing her faintly furrowed brows, she could tell—she was displeased.

Yan Zui rose, her tone cool. “My apologies. Yunwei has a rather impulsive temperament. I’ll go bring her back, and then we’ll continue the meeting.”

Once she left, the smile faded from Xuan Baiquan’s face.

Why?

Why was someone as useless and arrogant as Qi Yunwei worthy of Yan Zui’s affection? What exactly did she see in her?

Secretary Shen kept a polite smile. “Please wait a moment, everyone. President Yan and Miss Qi should return shortly.”

Behind the smile, though, she couldn’t help but curse Xuan Baiquan’s loose tongue. Did he think this was Xuanqian Group, where he could insult anyone he liked? Did he not see who Qi Yunwei was? She was the one President Yan favored!

Inside the company, some employees disapproved of Qi Yunwei—but that was because they wanted the best for President Yan. Over time, as Yan Zui’s feelings proved steadfast, they had all slowly come to accept her.

But what right did Xuan Baiquan have to mock her? His question hadn’t only insulted Qi Yunwei—it was a slap in the face to Yan Zui herself, and by extension, the entire Yan Corporation.

Just then, Xuan Mingzhu stood. Noticing the eyes turning to her, she offered an apologetic smile.

“Excuse me, I’ll just step out to the restroom.”

Leaving the conference room, she spotted Yan Zui’s bodyguard at the door. She gave him a slight nod, and he responded with a guileless smile.

Once she was far enough down the hall in the direction of the restroom, Zhou Xiao immediately whipped out his phone to send Qi Yunwei a message:

Boss’s wife! Xuan Mingzhu is on her way over!

Qi Yunwei: Got it.

Just before reaching the restroom, Xuan Mingzhu caught faint voices drifting from a balcony around the corner.

She paused, changed direction, and crept closer, steps light.

The voices grew clearer—it was unmistakably Qi Yunwei and Yan Zui. Xuan Mingzhu halted and tilted her head, listening intently.

Qi Yunwei’s voice was sharp with sarcasm:

“Yan Zui, you don’t really love me. When Xuan Baiquan targeted me just now, you didn’t say a single word in my defense. What is it—are you planning to dump me and form a powerful alliance with Xuanqian Group instead?”

Yan Zui’s tone was calm.

“Yunwei, it’s not what you think. I have no feelings for Xuan Baiquan, and I would never marry into his family. I didn’t step in just now because I was caught off guard. He was out of line, yes, but the two companies are at a critical stage of cooperation. Forcing him to apologize in that moment could have jeopardized everything. I’m the president of Yan Corporation—I need you to understand my position. Within the company, I let you have your way. But in front of outsiders, you need to let me keep some face.”

Qi Yunwei’s anger only deepened.

“Keep face for you? You only ever think about yourself! I know, Yan Zui—you’re only with me because of Uncle Yan and Aunt He. If you truly don’t like me, then let’s just end this cleanly. At worst, I’ll make Uncle Yan so angry he takes back your presidency.”

She turned as if to leave, startling Xuan Mingzhu. Fortunately, Yan Zui caught her arm.

“Yunwei, enough. Calm down and think this through. This has nothing to do with my parents. Stop bringing them up. I’ll say no more.”

Annoyance crept into her voice, and with that, she turned and left.

Luckily, Xuan Mingzhu’s hiding place kept her from being spotted.

Watching Yan Zui’s figure disappear around the corner, she lingered in thought, then deliberately stepped forward, turning onto the balcony.

There sat Qi Yunwei, sulking in her chair. Hearing footsteps, she looked up, expecting Yan Zui—only to see Xuan Mingzhu.

Her eyes narrowed. “What are you doing here?”

Then, her expression shifted. “You heard my conversation with Yan Zui?”

Xuan Mingzhu smiled mysteriously, sitting down opposite her with an air of composure.

“Don’t worry, I won’t repeat a word of it. After all, if people in the company knew you and President Yan were together only because of Chairman Yan’s request, well, I doubt many would understand.”

“What do you mean? Are you threatening me?” Qi Yunwei frowned, clearly displeased.

Xuan Mingzhu looked genuinely surprised. “Threatening you? Miss Qi, how could you think that of me? I’m not like my brother, always poking at people’s sore spots.”

“Miss Qi, I’m here to help you,” Xuan Mingzhu said, her tone filled with conviction.

Qi Yunwei shot her a skeptical glance. “Help me? Hah. If you really wanted to help, you’d have your brother apologize to me.”

Despite Qi Yunwei’s sharp tone, Xuan Mingzhu showed no sign of anger. “Getting Xuan Baiquan to apologize is easy—far too easy. It wouldn’t teach him a real lesson. But if you and I work together, and make him suffer a real setback, wouldn’t that be much more satisfying?”

Qi Yunwei finally gave her a serious look. “Aren’t you two twins? Does your family know you’re planning to collude with an outsider against your own brother?”

Xuan Mingzhu’s lips curved into a polite smile, though a flash of coldness glinted in her eyes. “Yes, we’re twins, both Alphas. But from the very beginning, our parents have favored him. This crucial partnership was originally supposed to be led by me, but Father insisted on letting him take part—never once caring how I felt.”

“Tell me, Miss Qi—am I scheming against him, or am I simply fighting for fairness?”

Qi Yunwei seemed to waver, studying her for a moment. Then she suddenly extended her hand. “Happy cooperation.”

Xuan Mingzhu’s smile turned confident as she clasped it. “Happy cooperation.”

When Yan Zui returned to the conference room, Xuan Baiquan noticed Qi Yunwei was missing. He asked, “President Yan, where’s Qi Yunwei?” He originally wanted to add, Don’t tell me she didn’t dare come back? but swallowed the words when he caught sight of Yan Zui’s icy expression.

“Forget her,” Yan Zui said flatly. “Continue the presentation.”

Xuan Baiquan’s heart leapt. So, their talks had collapsed? That meant his chance had come!

Struggling to hold back a grin, he turned to the male expert on his left. “Go on, continue.”

The man glanced at him uneasily but said nothing.

Xuan Baiquan frowned. “What is it?”

A female expert spoke up to explain. “Manager Xuan, President Xuan hasn’t returned yet. Shouldn’t we wait?”

Xuan Baiquan froze for a second, then the realization sank in, leaving a sour taste in his chest.

They called his sister “President Xuan,” yet addressed him as “Manager Xuan.” The contrast stripped him of all authority.

Manager Xuan and President Yan? What a laughable match.

His brow furrowed. How could he secure a promotion faster? If he wanted to pursue Yan Zui, he needed a position with real weight.

After a brief wait, Xuan Mingzhu finally returned.

Once she sat down, Xuan Baiquan couldn’t contain himself. “Let’s get started!”

The male expert, however, looked to Xuan Mingzhu for approval. “President Xuan, may we begin?”

A shadow flickered across Xuan Baiquan’s eyes.

Instead of answering, Xuan Mingzhu turned to Yan Zui. “Didn’t you go to look for Miss Qi? Without her, your technical expert, can we proceed smoothly?”

Yan Zui pressed her red lips together.

Xuan Baiquan tensed immediately, inwardly cursing his sister for bringing this up. Yan Zui had seemed indifferent to Qi Yunwei—what if she changed her mind after this reminder?

“There’s no need to wait for her. She won’t be coming back,” Yan Zui said coolly.

“Who says I won’t?” Qi Yunwei’s voice rang out as the door swung open. She stepped in, smiling as if the angry woman from earlier had never existed.

Xuan Baiquan nearly lost his composure at her sudden reappearance.

Yan Zui’s eyes widened in surprise.

Smiling brightly, Qi Yunwei walked straight toward Yan Zui, not sparing Xuan Mingzhu even a glance, as though she hadn’t just plotted with her minutes ago.

Xuan Mingzhu, however, felt pleased. Being able to keep one’s composure without revealing a thing—yes, she had chosen the right partner.

Ignoring everyone else’s undercurrents, Qi Yunwei took her seat beside Yan Zui. Tilting her head, her dark eyes sparkled with mirth. “Sorry, I was in the restroom and came back a little late.”

Then she leaned closer, her voice dropping into something almost intimate. “President Yan, you’re not angry with me, are you?”

Caught off guard by her breath so close, Yan Zui’s cheeks flushed faintly. “No.”

Across the table, Xuan Baiquan clenched his jaw so hard it nearly cracked.

“That’s good,” Qi Yunwei said cheerfully. Straightening, she turned to the male expert with perfect composure. “Where were we? Please continue.”

The man hesitated, clearly reluctant, but before he could reply, Xuan Mingzhu said, “Now that everyone’s here, let’s begin.”

The expert blinked, then quickly nodded. “Of course, President Xuan! President Xuan, President Yan, I’ll continue the presentation.”

Still wary of Qi Yunwei, he spoke with care, but to his relief, she seemed entirely focused—listening, jotting notes, even nodding at key points like a true technical professional.

Encouraged by her engagement, he grew increasingly animated, moving from practical explanations into grand visions of Zhi Niao’s future capabilities.

“All right,” Xuan Mingzhu interrupted smoothly when his pitch started to sound too far-fetched, not wanting Yan Zui to grow suspicious. “That’s enough for now.”

The expert realized he had gone too far and sat down sheepishly.

Xuan Mingzhu’s smile returned as she looked toward Qi Yunwei. “Miss Qi, I noticed you were listening very intently. Do you have any comments?”

Since they were now partners, Qi Yunwei naturally wouldn’t nitpick.

She said seriously, “There’s nothing to criticize. Zhi Niao is already excellent—and it will only grow better in the future.”

The three experts exchanged satisfied glances.

The female expert beamed. “Miss Qi is very professional—what sharp insight.”

Qi Yunwei lifted her chin slightly. “Naturally.”

Xuan Mingzhu then turned to Yan Zui. “What do you think, President Yan?”

Yan Zui glanced briefly at Qi Yunwei, who responded with an emphatic nod. Withdrawing her gaze, Yan Zui said evenly, “Since our company’s technical expert has given her approval, I naturally have no objections to Zhi Niao.”

Delight flickered across Xuan Mingzhu’s face.

As expected—Yan Zui cared deeply about Qi Yunwei. Choosing to ally with her had been the right move.

“In that case, it seems President Yan recognizes the value of our research.” Rising gracefully, Xuan Mingzhu added, “We’ll return to draft the contract now and discuss the terms tomorrow.”

Yan Zui nodded. “That works.”

The preliminary deal was sealed. Smiles lit up the room—everyone’s except Xuan Baiquan’s, who could barely conceal his gloom.