I Heard I’m a Scummy Alpha? [Transmigration] - Chapter 40

Yan Zui also realized what was happening. She abruptly let go, and Qi Yunwei slid right off the sofa onto the carpet. The two of them—one higher, one lower—looked at each other across the space between.

Yan Zui’s dark eyes, tinged with a deep, cool blue, fixed on Qi Yunwei for a moment before she turned and headed back into the bedroom. “You and I both need to calm down. Come back in half an hour.”

As soon as Yan Zui left, the faint trace of her pheromones lingering in the air slowly dissipated.

Qi Yunwei’s fevered blood began to cool. She sat on the carpet in a daze until every strange reaction in her body had faded. Only then did she use the coffee table for support and slowly stand.

Xiaoman, is it possible to react like that even when it’s not heat? she asked, frowning in confusion.

【According to the novel’s descriptions, an Omega’s sweat can carry pheromones when aroused, which in turn triggers an Alpha’s response—and vice versa.】

Aroused? Qi Yunwei’s heart skipped a heavy beat.

Could it be that Yan Zui liked her?

Impossible.

Qi Yunwei quickly rejected the thought. Yan Zui wasn’t suffering from Stockholm syndrome. After all the things the original host had done to her, Yan Zui would have to be insane to fall for her.

Are there any other explanations?

【Possibly, but Xiaoman hasn’t found any in the novel. Its coverage of this aspect isn’t complete.】

Unable to return to the master bedroom, Qi Yunwei remembered there were still toiletries left in the guest room from before. She took a shower there, dried her hair, and changed into a set of sleepwear she’d barely ever worn.

Honestly, she’d forgotten why she bought it in the first place—maybe the salesperson had been too persuasive, or maybe she’d been in a rush and just told them to pack it up.

It was a pearl-white silk camisole nightdress. Standing before the mirror in it, she saw herself revealing just enough where she shouldn’t and half-revealing what should have been covered. The longer she looked, the more she felt she was dressed far too seductively.

Back then, she’d avoided wearing it because sharing a bed with Yan Zui in something like this would look like she was deliberately seducing her.

She had also assumed she’d never wear it, which was why she’d left it in the guest room the last time she moved her things back.

Tonight, though, she hadn’t realized she had nothing else to change into until after her shower. She couldn’t very well put her sweaty workout clothes back on, so she had no choice but to wear this.

But given the charged atmosphere that had just passed between them, now appearing in this barely-thigh-length nightdress, if Yan Zui saw her, she would definitely misunderstand.

Qi Yunwei even considered just sleeping in the guest room to avoid the problem.

But that was only a thought. Tomorrow’s meeting was too important. Yan Zui couldn’t sleep without her beside her. No matter what, she’d have to go back.

While she hesitated, her phone rang. Glancing at the screen, Qi Yunwei was surprised—it was Feng Yue.

So he had already confirmed her words were true.

She hadn’t expected him to act this quickly. She thought he would wait until the next day before contacting her.

She answered, and Feng Yue’s voice came through, low and strained with suppressed urgency. “Hello? Is this Miss Qi? This is Feng Yue.”

“It’s me,” Qi Yunwei replied.

“Miss Qi, I went to the old house and checked. My wife’s gold jewelry really is missing a bracelet. Can you, can you tell me who has it now?”

Whoever had the bracelet was the one who had killed his wife.

“I can tell you,” Qi Yunwei said quietly, “but you probably won’t believe me.”

“I will! Miss Qi, I swear I’ll believe you. I won’t doubt your words anymore. Please trust me.”

Qi Yunwei was silent for a moment. Feng Yue didn’t dare to rush her. She could only hear his heavy breathing and the nervous sound of him swallowing.

Her lashes lowered, veiling the pity in her eyes. “Your wife’s bracelet, is in Qin Feili’s possession.”

At that name, Feng Yue’s mind went completely blank. Without thinking, he blurted, “Impossible!”

“Qin Feili has kept it close to him all these years,” Qi Yunwei said evenly. “That’s all I can tell you.” With that, she hung up.

For someone who had believed for twenty years that his greatest benefactor was actually his wife’s killer, Feng Yue’s first reaction being denial was only natural.

Five minutes later, his number flashed on her phone again.

Qi Yunwei was surprised—had he already come to terms with it?

She picked up. Feng Yue’s voice was hoarse, weary, and thick with exhaustion. “Miss Qi, thank you for telling me.”

It sounded as if something was lodged in his throat, making it almost impossible to speak.

“I thought you would need a night—or longer,” Qi Yunwei admitted.

Feng Yue rubbed his face, drew in a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. “I just remembered something Qin Feili said not long ago.”

He paused for a long time before choking out, “When I took Qin Lifeng back to the Qin estate, the very first thing Qin Feili asked me was why I had returned to the old apartment where my wife and I once lived. That suburban housing block—I hadn’t gone back in over twenty years. The first time I did, he knew instantly.”

“That proves one thing: Qin Feili felt guilty. He’s had someone watching me all along.”

Back at the Qin family manor, Feng Yue had been too moved by the Qin father and son’s supposed concern to notice anything strange. Only now, with Qi Yunwei naming Qin Feili, did the truth hit him.

His hand trembled as he held the phone. His voice trembled. His entire body trembled. His bloodshot eyes held not a single tear. “It’s all my fault, I failed Lingling.”

“It isn’t your fault,” Qi Yunwei said softly. “It’s Qin Feili’s fault. Both you and your wife were victims.”

“You’re right,” Feng Yue said bitterly. “But I still need proof. I can’t afford to be wrong again. If I find my wife’s bracelet, I’ll call you.”

When the call ended, Qi Yunwei felt a pang of melancholy.

Meanwhile, in the master bedroom, Yan Zui had finished her shower. She sat against the headboard, skimming financial news on her phone. When she noticed the time—nine o’clock—her brows drew together.

She distinctly remembered telling Qi Yunwei half an hour. But it had been forty minutes, and Qi Yunwei still hadn’t returned.

Yan Zui went back to reading, but another ten minutes passed, and Qi Yunwei was still nowhere in sight.

Her lips pressed into a thin, displeased line. Was Qi Yunwei planning not to sleep with her tonight?

So, 1 million a month really wasn’t enough anymore. Back when Qi Yunwei had no income of her own, she had never disobeyed her.

Yan Zui slid off the bed, deciding to go out and renegotiate the terms with her.

Stepping out of the bedroom into the living room, Yan Zui found the television off and Qi Yunwei nowhere in sight.

At this hour, Qi Yunwei couldn’t possibly be working out in the gym again. Could she be in the study?

But when Yan Zui entered the study, she still wasn’t there.

Her gaze cooled. Leaving the study, she walked straight toward the guest room opposite.

She placed her hand on the doorknob, turned it gently, and pushed the door open.

“Yan Zui? What are you doing here?” Qi Yunwei turned around in surprise.

She had just finished rinsing out her workout clothes and hanging them to dry, preparing to head back to the bedroom—only for Yan Zui to find her first.

She’d already changed into her pajamas.

Yan Zui’s expression was faintly cold as she asked, “You were planning to sleep here by yourself?”

Realizing the misunderstanding, Qi Yunwei quickly stepped closer to explain. “No, I was just about to go back to the bedroom. I only came here to shower, that’s all.”

“Come on, let’s go back. I promise I won’t keep you awake,” Qi Yunwei coaxed softly.

Yan Zui’s expression eased a little.

Qi Yunwei let out a quiet breath of relief. She rested a hand on Yan Zui’s shoulder and gently steered her out of the guest room, switching off the light on the way out.

“Think about it—there isn’t even a blanket in here. Plus, it hasn’t been cleaned in two days. How could I possibly sleep here?”

Back in the bedroom, Yan Zui turned to her and said, “If a million isn’t enough, how about three million?”

Qi Yunwei wasn’t short of money these days. She hadn’t even touched the one million Yan Zui had already given her. Shaking her head, she said, “No need, one million is plenty.”

“Then three million it is,” Yan Zui said, frowning.

“Alright, alright, whatever you say.” Qi Yunwei was highly attuned to her moods. Though she knew Yan Zui was upset because she thought she didn’t want to share a bed, she hadn’t expected her to be this upset.

And instead of scolding or lashing out, Yan Zui was tripling her allowance.

Qi Yunwei found her unbearably adorable for it, and her voice grew more indulgent as she coaxed her.

Yan Zui immediately opened the bedside drawer, pulled out a bank card, and handed it over. “There’s thirty million in here. Ten months’ advance.”

Qi Yunwei accepted the card, feeling both amused and overwhelmed by such extravagance.

“This isn’t all you have, is it?” she asked.

From what she knew, Yan Zui only had a modest share of company stock inherited from her grandparents. As CEO, her salary was fixed, with no commission. She’d only been in the company a few years—scraping together thirty million couldn’t have been easy. If she handed it all over, what would she have left for herself?

Yan Zui gave her a look, as if she’d just said something ridiculous. “You think I only have a measly thirty million?”

Qi Yunwei: “My mistake.”

Measly thirty million. Yes, she’d spoken out of turn.

Yan Zui said coolly, “I have more than enough money to buy out the rest of your life. Don’t worry—I can afford you.”

Only after saying this did she notice Qi Yunwei’s attire. Her heart lurched twice, her cheeks heating.

Reason told her to look away, yet her eyes refused to leave Qi Yunwei.

“Why are you dressed like that?”

It was far too seductive.

Not wanting the atmosphere between them to grow more awkward, Qi Yunwei spun once in front of her, openly showing off her figure. “I bought it the last time we went shopping. Never worn it before. Turns out, it’s pretty comfortable.”

The silky hem lifted with her turn, then fluttered lightly back down her thighs. Against the pearly sheen of the fabric, her skin looked even fairer, softer.

Yan Zui abruptly turned away. “It’s late. Let’s sleep.”

Half her face buried in the pillow, heat crept from her cheeks all the way to her ears.

She pressed a hand over her chest; her heart was racing wildly.

A while later, Qi Yunwei lay down beside her as well.

Yan Zui thought she’d finally be able to calm down and sleep. But the image of herself, asleep, instinctively hugging Qi Yunwei—while Qi Yunwei was dressed in that skimpy slip—only made her heartbeat quicken, not slow.

It didn’t make sense.

She and Qi Yunwei had the same figure. Whatever Qi Yunwei had, she had too. The only difference was Qi Yunwei was an Alpha, and she was an Omega. So why was her face burning, her heart pounding like this?

Could it be that wearing so little let pheromones slip out?

Biting her lip, Yan Zui turned over, ready to tell her to change back into her usual pajamas—only to find Qi Yunwei lying neatly on her side, already sound asleep.

Yan Zui: “…”

If Qi Yunwei was asleep, then what on earth was she supposed to do?