I Heard I’m a Scummy Alpha? [Transmigration] - Chapter 69

There were no inns in the village, so the director—thinking Yan Zui and Qi Yunwei were simply friends—arranged for them to stay in two different households.

The only fortunate part was that the two houses were next to each other. Since the cameras hadn’t been set up yet, Qi Yunwei snuck over to Yan Zui’s room after nightfall.

There were no beds in the village, only kang—stone platforms built for sleeping, connected to cooking stoves at the end so they could stay warm in winter.

Yan Zui’s kang was padded with three layers of bedding, yet it was still hard and uncomfortable. Normally, she already struggled to sleep without Qi Yunwei by her side; lying on a stone-hard platform made rest nearly impossible.

For the guests’ safety, the director had arranged patrols nearby, which completely quashed Yan Zui’s idea of sneaking out to find Qi Yunwei.

It seemed her condition for tomorrow’s shoot might not be the best.

Staring out at the stars outside the window, Yan Zui wondered: was Qi Yunwei also awake at this moment, looking at the sky as she was? Or had she already fallen asleep?

Cre-eak.

The outer door suddenly sounded, and Yan Zui immediately sat up alert, wary.

“Yan Zui, it’s me.”

Qi Yunwei stepped inside, using the flashlight function on her phone.

Afraid of being noticed by the patrol, she kept the light pointed at the ground. Yan Zui hadn’t expected her to come, and her heart softened with a rush of warmth. “Why did you come?”

“Of course, I came to coax you to sleep.” Qi Yunwei climbed onto the kang, turned off the flashlight, and—guided only by the moonlight—lay down precisely beside Yan Zui. Turning on her side with a smile, she whispered, “We’re already married, legal partners, yet somehow it feels like we’re sneaking around like.”

The autumn night was already chilly, especially up in the mountains. Yan Zui pulled half of her blanket over to cover Qi Yunwei and murmured, “My father only wants a grandchild. He refuses to let it be public that I’m married, claiming it would affect Yan Corporation’s stock price. Once Yunmengze grows strong enough, it’ll be different.”

Her marriage would only negatively affect the stock price if people thought she’d married a useless Alpha who was good for nothing except getting her pregnant. But if that Alpha wasn’t useless—and her company had great prospects—then the revelation that she was married would only boost the value.

Qi Yunwei drew Yan Zui into her arms, gently patting her back. “Looks like we only have about two months left before the deadline to fool Father-in-law with a ‘pregnancy.’”

Yan Zui didn’t reply. She simply nestled her face against Qi Yunwei’s shoulder. “Sleep.”

Qi Yunwei chuckled softly, recognizing her embarrassment.

Lowering her head, she rubbed her cheek lightly against Yan Zui’s hair. “Goodnight.”

The mountain sunrise came at five in the morning. Qi Yunwei had to slip back to her assigned room before then. She set her alarm, linked it to her Bluetooth earpiece to keep it private, and fell asleep peacefully with Yan Zui in her arms.

Yan Zui woke to find Qi Yunwei gone. She had slept deeply and contentedly, hugging the blanket and rolling lazily across the kang before finally sitting up in a daze.

Because of biological limitations, very few Omegas worked outside the home. In the entertainment industry, there were none at all. On-screen Omegas were always played by actors of other genders.

Since the audience couldn’t sense pheromones through a screen, as long as someone looked delicate and cute enough, they could play an Omega.

That Yan Zui had agreed to appear on a variety show at all was a huge surprise to the director.

The first episode was packed with dramatic highlights—there was no way it wouldn’t go viral.

At 7:30, the live broadcast officially began.

Qi Yunwei and Yan Zui rode a van down a dirt path to the small courtyard two kilometers away, where Qiao Haiyue and Peng Xueyu were staying.

As Qi Yunwei opened the car door, two cameras immediately zoomed in on her and Yan Zui.

Yan Zui stepped out and walked toward the trunk for her luggage. Remembering her on-screen persona—a fragile yet aloof Omega—she chose not to lift a finger.

Qi Yunwei, slower to exit, reached the trunk and casually took out her own suitcase.

Just as she was about to wheel it inside, she noticed Yan Zui standing still, not moving to claim hers. With a mocking curl of her lips, she said, “Can’t even carry it? Too proud to ask for help? What, do you think everyone’s your servant, Miss Yan?”

Yan Zui lifted her lashes, her sapphire-dark eyes flashing cold as she glanced at Qi Yunwei. Pressing her lips together, she reached for the suitcase herself.

She tried twice, but the suitcase didn’t budge. Her pale cheeks flushed pink, the sight breathtakingly beautiful.

The staff nearby—and especially the cameramen with the clearest angle—couldn’t help their hearts from skipping a beat, some even sucking in sharp breaths.

Seeing Qi Yunwei still stone-faced despite such beauty, several crew members shot her reproachful looks.

“Tch.” Qi Yunwei clicked her tongue. “Omegas who’ve never suffered a day in their lives such trouble.” With one hand, she easily lifted Yan Zui’s suitcase and placed it by her side.

In that moment, she thanked herself for never skipping workouts.

Yan Zui’s little act of “helpless effort,” face flushed red from pretending she had no strength, was so adorable it nearly made Qi Yunwei lose composure.

Live broadcasting is too damn hard.

The early-morning viewers were mostly die-hard fans of Qiao Haiyue and Peng Xueyu. Excited to see the stream, they clicked in—only to be greeted by unfamiliar faces.

[Who’s this guest? That stunning ice beauty—whose friend is she? Three minutes, I need all her info!]

[The other one’s good-looking too. Sure enough—gorgeous people always travel in pairs.]

[The beauty must be an Omega—look, she can’t even move her suitcase. Someone help her already!]

[Tch, and this is what they call a beauty? I woke up early for Qiao Haiyue, not some random newbies stealing screen time.]

But once they saw Yan Zui’s flushed cheeks after failing to move her suitcase, the critics quickly changed tune:

[Okay, I admit it—she really is a beauty. My heart nearly jumped out just now.]

[Same here. She’s too gorgeous, I can’t take it.]

[She has to be an Omega. Could this be the entertainment industry’s first Omega star? If she debuts, I’m a fan for life!]

[Count me in!]

[Is the other one blind? How could she still be snarky in front of someone that stunning? Unbelievable.]

[And then she effortlessly lifts the suitcase with one hand—don’t tell me she was just trying to impress the beauty. I have evidence!]

Because of Qi Yunwei’s earlier attitude, Yan Zui didn’t say thank you. The two looked at each other like they were equally annoyed, pulling their suitcases like strangers as they walked into the courtyard.

Qiao Haiyue and Peng Xueyu had arrived half an hour earlier. Peng Xueyu was working hard cleaning the messy yard, while Qiao kept glancing toward the gate, anticipation written all over her face.

Finally, the gate opened, and Yan Zui stepped inside. Qiao Haiyue lit up with delight and immediately started toward her. But after just two steps, she caught sight of Qi Yunwei following behind. The smile nearly froze on her face—but she quickly recovered.

This was a live broadcast. She couldn’t afford to slip.

“Yan Zui, we’ve been tidying up. There’s already a spot cleared out. I’ll get you a chair so you can sit and rest—you just watch us Alphas work.”

[So the beauty’s name is Yan Zui. Lovely name. And she’s friends with our Haiyue? Not surprising—our Haihai’s heart is basically Omega herself, of course she’d have Omega friends.]

[Stop with the CP delusions. What if Yan Zui’s actually her girlfriend?]

[No way! Haihai only belongs with Peng Xueyu! Haiyue Xueyu is REAL!!!]

Hearing Qiao Haiyue’s words, Qi Yunwei stepped forward. “Omegas have hands and feet. They’re not bedridden invalids. We’re all guests here. Why should she sit while I stand? Why should she rest while I work? I don’t agree.”

Qiao Haiyue was secretly delighted. Clearly, the showrunners had given Qi Yunwei a deliberately unpleasant persona. She obviously wasn’t good at acting, and if she kept it up, she’d surely get roasted by the audience.

Feigning disapproval, Qiao Haiyue said, “Yan Zui’s never suffered a day in her life. I invited her here for a vacation, not to labor. The three of us Alphas can handle the yardwork just fine.”

“Xueyu-ge, come help me out here.” She pulled Peng Xueyu over.

The two of them had excellent on-camera chemistry, with a large fanbase as a CP. She still had a few solo fans of her own, but Peng Xueyu’s popularity relied almost entirely on their pairing. She was confident he’d back her up.

Peng Xueyu walked over with a broom. After greeting his unfamiliar friend, Qi Yunwei, he turned to the camera and introduced her: “This is my friend, Qi Yunwei. Alpha, twenty-three years old. She’s already started her own business, and she’s incredible.”

Only then did Qiao Haiyue realize she hadn’t introduced Yan Zui yet. Flustered, she hurried to add: “And this is my friend Yan Zui—she’s an Omega.”

“Xueyu-ge, I wanted Yan Zui to take a break, but your friend here disagreed. Can’t you persuade her?” Qiao Haiyue said.

[Qi Yunwei’s so lacking in empathy. Yan Zui’s an Omega—why make her do chores?]

[No normal Alpha would ever say something like that.]

[What kind of friend is this, Peng Xueyu? Cut ties already.]

[LOL, Peng Xueyu introducing her sounded like he was setting her up on a blind date—so detailed!]

[Ahhh I’m losing it! Haihai calling for Xueyu-ge, just call him hubby already!]

[Ignore the delusional ones, everyone. Move on.]

Peng Xueyu didn’t answer Qiao Haiyue’s request right away. Instead, he frowned slightly at how close she was standing to Yan Zui. He reached out, pulled Qiao Haiyue over to his own side, and then said, “Yunwei has a point. The courtyard’s big. If Yan Zui doesn’t work, are you going to do her share instead?”

Qiao Haiyue faltered. “I”

Peng Xueyu cut her off, his dark eyes warm as he looked at her. “You don’t have the stamina. In the end, I’ll be the one finishing it for you anyway.”

[AAAAHHHH I’m losing my mind!!!]

[kswl kswl kswl (knock me over with sweetness, please!)]

[Peng Xueyu is spoiling her so much, I can’t breathe—someone bring me oxygen.]

From the corner of her eye, Qi Yunwei noticed Yan Zui’s tightly clenched fists, her sparkling eyes, and the faint blush spreading across her cheeks.

Luckily, the cameras were fixed on Qiao Haiyue and Peng Xueyu’s sweet interaction. Otherwise, fans with the same mindset as Yan Zui would’ve instantly picked up on her reaction.

“Forget it. Having an Omega really is troublesome. You two stop arguing. I’ll clean for her—my stamina’s better anyway.” Qi Yunwei muttered, irritated.

The sweet atmosphere between Qiao Haiyue and Peng Xueyu was interrupted. Yan Zui quickly restored her cool, aloof façade, while the cameraman stepped back to capture all four of them in frame.

“No need. I can do it myself.” Yan Zui said coldly.

“Better not need me.” Qi Yunwei shot back.