I Heard I’m a Scummy Alpha? [Transmigration] - Chapter 43

“President Yan, are you buying sapphire jewelry? It’s so beautiful.”

Qí Fāngyuè came bouncing over with feigned curiosity. But when she saw the sapphire ring gleaming on Yan Zui’s slender, porcelain-white finger, she was briefly stunned—so dazzled she almost forgot why she had come over in the first place.

Inwardly, she clicked her tongue. That sapphire ring must be worth millions.

She glanced at the crystal bracelet on her own wrist and suddenly didn’t feel the least bit proud anymore.

Forcing herself to drag her gaze away from the sapphire, she noticed Qí Yúnwèi watching her. Immediately, she lifted her hand and flaunted the sparkling bracelet on her wrist.

“My crystal bracelet might not be as fancy as a sapphire ring, but at least it’s better than some people. At least someone’s willing to buy me jewelry. Unlike certain people, who—even after marrying into a wealthy family—can’t even get a bracelet worth tens of thousands.”

Qí Fāngyuè was certain Yan Zui could never possibly like a useless good-for-nothing like Qí Yúnwèi. In her eyes, bringing her along shopping was no different from bringing that hulking bodyguard—it was just to carry bags. So when she mocked Qí Yúnwèi, she didn’t bother to hold back at all.

“I don’t have a crystal bracelet worth tens of thousands,” Qí Yúnwèi replied with a lazy curl of her lips, her tone perfunctory. “Truly, I envy you.”

Qí Fāngyuè could tell she wasn’t being sincere. Irritation rose in her chest, and she was just about to retort when a sales assistant approached with a smile, carrying a packaged jewelry set.

“Miss, please come this way to make your payment.”

“She? Pay?” Qí Fāngyuè scoffed loudly. “She’s nothing but a useless pauper! Let her try to come up with even a thousand yuan. Truly laughable!”

“The real wealthy one here is President Yan. How can someone so blind to the situation be working in a high-end jewelry store?”

Her venomous words stung everyone indiscriminately. The smile on the sales assistant’s face nearly faltered.

But Qí Yúnwèi smiled warmly at the clerk. “Don’t mind her. Let’s go—time to pay.”

The assistant’s professional smile instantly brightened again as she led Qí Yúnwèi to the cashier’s desk.

Qí Fāngyuè, convinced Qi Yúnwèi couldn’t possibly pay, hurried after them.

Coincidentally, Qí Fānghuái had just finished paying at the counter with Luo Yi. He was about to look for Qi Fāngyuè when she spotted him and waved excitedly.

“Big brother, Mom—come watch the show! Qí Yúnwèi claims she’s buying President Yan a sapphire ring worth millions. Hahaha, what a joke!”

The cashier and clerk winced at her shrill voice, but when they saw the serene smile still resting on Qí Yúnwèi’s face, they couldn’t help but admire her composure.

“Miss, this complete set of sapphire jewelry includes a necklace, earrings, bracelet, ring, and brooch—six pieces in total. If purchased together, it comes with a one percent discount. The final price is 15.84 million yuan.”

Both Qí Fāngyuè and Luo Yi, who had been watching gleefully from the sidelines, went slack-jawed at the price. Over fifteen million?! That’s beyond imagination!

But the moment of awe quickly turned to scorn. Qi Fāngyuè sneered, “Haven’t I already said she’s a pauper? What’s the point of telling her the price? She’s just pretending. In the end, won’t President Yan be the one to pay?”

It was clear Qí Fānghuái and Luo Yi shared the same thought. They stood by, ready to watch the farce unfold, making no move to stop her.

Trailing behind Yan Zui, Zhōu Xiāo had overheard everything. He frowned, muttering with disbelief, “President Yan, are they really Boss Lady’s family? Every single one of them seems eager to see her humiliated.”

Yan Zui’s gaze lingered on Qí Yúnwèi’s face. Seeing her calm and unaffected, she finally said lightly, “Don’t mind it. The one who’ll end up humiliated won’t be Qí Yúnwèi.”

Reassured by her words, Zhōu Xiāo let out the breath he’d been holding. After all, the jewelry set was no small sum. Qí Yúnwèi didn’t have a job, and looking at her family, it was obvious they weren’t wealthy. He had worried for a moment she truly couldn’t afford it.

Yan Zui stepped up beside Qí Yúnwèi. “How much is the set?” she asked.

Qí Fānghuái’s eyes flickered sharply toward her, but Zhōu Xiāo stood at her side like a shield, watching him warily.

“Not bad,” Qí Yúnwèi answered breezily. “Six pieces for fifteen million with a one percent discount. Hardly expensive.”

Then, with utter composure, she handed a card to the sales assistant. The clerk accepted it reverently with both hands, slipped it into the machine, and trembled as she processed the payment. Handing it back to Qí Yúnwèi, she said respectfully, “Miss, please enter your PIN.”

The receipt printed out moments later. Qí Yúnwèi signed, the assistant retrieved the card, and with both hands, returned it to her. “Here’s your card, Miss.”

Qí Fāngyuè looked as though she’d been strangled, her eyes bulging, mouth agape.

“Wh—what?! Impossible!”

Where on earth did Qí Yúnwèi get that kind of money?!

The clerk carefully placed the packaged jewelry into an elegant gift bag and presented it to Yan Zui.

“Miss, here is the complete sapphire set, gifted to you by Miss Qi.”

Yan Zui accepted it without a ripple in her expression. “Thank you.”

To Qí Fāngyuè, the sight was like needles in her eyes. She let out a bitter laugh.

“Don’t get smug, Qí Yúnwèi. I know that money was President Yan’s. You’re married, after all. Of course she wouldn’t want you to lose face, so she secretly slipped you her card to make the payment.”

“The money belongs to President Yan, and the jewelry belongs to her as well. It has nothing to do with you. You’re still the same as before—nothing.”

Unable to stand her sneering anymore, the sales assistant retrieved another package from the counter—a diamond necklace. Holding it reverently, she spoke slowly and deliberately, making sure Qí Fāngyuè heard every word.

“Miss Qi, here is your diamond necklace. No one in the world could wear the brilliance of diamonds more perfectly than you.”

Qí Fāngyuè was stunned. A diamond necklace? When did Qí Yúnwèi buy that? How could she possibly afford it?

Qí Yúnwèi smiled and nodded at the clerk in thanks. Then she turned to Yan Zui.

“Thank you, darling, for the six-million-yuan diamond necklace. It may not be as precious as a crystal bracelet worth a few tens of thousands, but I’m already very satisfied with it.”

The words were clearly meant for Qí Fāngyuè. Her face alternated between pale and flushed as whispers and snickers rippled through the other customers around them. Tears of humiliation welled up in her eyes.

At last, Qí Fānghuái stepped forward. His refined, scholarly face was tinged with apologetic gentleness as he addressed Yan Zui.

“Fāngyuè did go too far. She’s still in her rebellious phase, and I’ve been too lenient with her. When we return, I’ll be sure to have our mother discipline her properly. Please forgive her.”

Having played the good brother in front of Yan Zui, he then turned to Qí Yúnwèi, his tone earnest, his expression sincere.

“Yúnwèi, about what happened before, your big brother no longer holds it against you. Since your marriage, you haven’t been home for over a month. The family misses you dearly. Come visit when you have the time.”

Every inch of him radiated the image of a thoughtful, responsible elder brother.

In the entire Qi family, Qi Fanghuai was the best at putting on a show.

Since he wanted to act, Qi Yunwei would act right along with him.

With a guilty expression, Qi Yunwei said, “Big Brother, I’ve really been swamped with work this month. Every day I’m busy from seven in the morning until midnight, not a single day off. I didn’t realize the family felt this way about me. If you’d called me earlier and told me, even if I had to work until three in the morning, I would’ve made time to come home and see everyone.”

She claimed she missed them, yet he had never once picked up the phone to call her.

The nearby waitress shifted her gaze, which had been admiring, into one of disdain. This man was such a good actor—even with her sharp eyes, she had almost been fooled.

Qi Fanghuai’s smug expression faltered for the briefest moment before he quickly replied, “Big Brother has been busy starting his own business lately. The whole family’s been helping out, so we haven’t had time to care for you. Once things settle down, we’ll come home to see you. Your health is what matters most.”

“Thank you, Big Brother.” Qi Yunwei smiled, looking touched.

At last, the awkward family interlude came to an end. After Qi Fanghuai and the others left, Qi Yunwei turned to Yan Zui and said, “Carrying jewelry around is inconvenient. Why don’t we head home for lunch instead? I’ll have Xiao Jiu prepare it ahead of time.”

“You had it prepared ahead of time? Don’t tell me you told Xiao Jiu to start cooking this morning?” Yan Zui asked, surprised.

Qi Yunwei shook her phone. “Of course not. I’m calling Xiao Jiu right now to let it know.”

“Calling?” Yan Zui’s eyes widened slightly. “You mean, calling a robot?”

Zhou Xiao, listening nearby, was confused. “Who’s Xiao Jiu? Why can Boss Lady call it while President Yan seems to think she can’t?”

Qi Yunwei laughed. “You’ll understand once you come home with us for lunch and see it yourself.”

Xiao Jiu always had a call function, though she had never had reason to use it until now.

The three of them took the elevator down to the underground garage and got into the car. Qi Yunwei dialed Xiao Jiu’s number.

She switched to speakerphone. The ringtone was a cheerful children’s song, and after just two rings, the call connected.

Zhou Xiao, driving, couldn’t help but keep an ear on the conversation.

“Hello, this is Xiao Jiu. What can I do for you?”

A childish, milky voice chimed from the phone, leaving Zhou Xiao stunned.

They stopped at a red light, and Zhou Xiao turned to stare at the phone in Qi Yunwei’s hand.

Wait—had Boss Lady and President Yan already had a child?

But weren’t they newlyweds?!

Hearing Xiao Jiu’s voice, Yan Zui’s expression softened.

Qi Yunwei said, “Xiao jiu, Yan Zui and I, along with another big, strong brother, will be home soon for lunch. Please have something ready for us.”

“Got it! Xiao Jiu will take care of it.”

When the light turned green, Zhou Xiao swallowed his questions and kept driving.

Traffic was heavy, so it took them twenty minutes to get back to the apartment.

Zhou Xiao parked the car and rushed out, but Qi Yunwei and Yan Zui remained unhurried, leaving him no choice but to wait impatiently.

Once inside, Qi Yunwei and Yan Zui headed straight for the kitchen, with Zhou Xiao following close behind. The first thing he saw was five dishes and a soup already laid out on the island counter, along with three steaming bowls of rice.

The heat still rising from the food proved it had just been cooked. Zhou Xiao glanced around and noticed that the kitchen utensils were fitted with strange robotic arms.

“Did Xiao Jiu make this? It smells amazing.” The aroma made his stomach growl.

“Yes, big brother, Xiao Jiu made it.”

A half-meter-tall robot model standing by the dishes suddenly spoke, startling Zhou Xiao so badly he almost jumped.

He stared at Xiao Jiu’s blinking eyes and its mechanical mouth opening and closing in sync with its words, utterly in disbelief. “Boss Lady, I’m not dreaming, am I?”

“It’s broad daylight, what dream? Believe in the power of technology,” Qi Yunwei said with a smile.

“Master is right. Xiao Jiu is the power of technology.”

The word Master finally made Zhou Xiao realize—so the slightly mechanical tone he’d heard in the car really was a robot speaking! He had thought it was just the phone distorting the sound, but Xiao Jiu was real!

“Xiao Jiu, you’re amazing.” Yan Zui walked over and gently patted its head.

“Thank you, beautiful Sister Yan Zui.”

Still dazed, Zhou Xiao carried the food to the dining table. He took a bite, and the delicious flavor snapped his brain awake. “It’s so good!”

“President Yan, Boss Lady, has our country’s technology really advanced this far?” Zhou Xiao blurted, unable to hold back. “Xiao Jiu is incredible—don’t tell me it’s some kind of secret company prototype?”

“Xiao Jiu was developed independently by Qi Yunwei,” Yan Zui answered.

“Boss Lady?” Zhou Xiao nearly leapt out of his seat. “But isn’t Boss Lady supposed to be useless? Didn’t she not know how to do anything?”

He had never believed the ugly rumors about Qi Yunwei, but he had believed she was incompetent. She had always acted that way. How could she suddenly be this skilled?

“I—I’m not inside a novel, am I?” Zhou Xiao stammered.

Qi Yunwei froze. Could Zhou Xiao have figured something out?

“Why would you say that?” she asked, a little nervous.

Yan Zui gave her a puzzled glance. Why the sudden tension?

“This feels exactly like the plot of one of those son-in-law novels I read a few days ago,” Zhou Xiao explained earnestly. “The kind where everyone thinks the male lead is a useless live-in husband, but in reality he’s a hidden big shot who keeps slapping the faces of everyone who looks down on him.”

“Boss Lady, you must be the protagonist of a son-in-law novel!” Zhou Xiao’s eyes gleamed with conviction.

Qi Yunwei: “…”

No. I didn’t transmigrate into a son-in-law novel. And I’m not the protagonist. Yan Zui is.