I Heard I’m a Scummy Alpha? [Transmigration] - Chapter 78

This morning, there were no scheduled tasks, so both the staff and the guests got to sleep in a little.

Filming would officially begin at nine. By eight-thirty, the crew had already set up the cameras and were waiting eagerly for Qi Yunwei to wake up so they could tell her what dishes they had in mind.

At eight-forty, Yan Zui came out. In the courtyard, only staff and equipment were around—the other guests were nowhere to be seen.

“Where are Xueyu and Haiyue?” Yan Zui asked.

“They went hiking,” a staff member explained. “Peng Xueyu said Qiao Haiyue wasn’t in a good mood, so he’s accompanying her up the mountain for some fresh air. The cameraman’s following them. They’ll be back shortly.”

[First thing in the morning, and I open the livestream to this explosive news? If Peng Xueyu and Qiao Haiyue aren’t real, then I’m fake! Forget Haiyue Xueyu, I’ll go mad otherwise!!]

The staff and viewers all expected Yan Zui to ask where Qi Yunwei was, but she merely nodded, said nothing more, and carried a folding stool from under the eaves into the middle of the courtyard to sit and bask in the sun.

[What’s going on? After just one night, Yan Zui suddenly doesn’t care about Qi Yunwei?]

[Maybe she’s come to her senses—realized she shouldn’t get entangled with an Alpha who already has someone in her heart?]

[Even as a friend, you’d at least ask, right?]

[Looks like she doesn’t even want to be friends. I support you, Yan Zui—be a goddess, not a third wheel!]

[Third wheel my ass! Can you talk properly? Qi Yunwei only has a crush, she hasn’t actually pursued anyone. Both of them are single. Single!]

[If it was me, I’d fall for Yan Zui at first sight.]

[Stop dreaming. Not only would Yan Zui never look at you, neither would I.]

Because Yan Zui didn’t ask about Qi Yunwei, the morning viewers of her livestream started all sorts of wild speculations.

Another ten minutes passed before Qi Yunwei finally stumbled out of her room, rubbing her eyes.

Her shared room with Qiao Haiyue didn’t have a sink, so she had to come outside to wash up. After rinsing her face and brushing her teeth by the outdoor tap, she put her toiletries back inside and came out again, now fully awake.

“Good morning.” Qi Yunwei greeted brightly.

Yan Zui, her back facing her, stiffened ever so slightly, forcing her expression to remain calm.

Qi Yunwei didn’t look at Yan Zui either—afraid that if she did, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself.

After all, they had just confessed to each other. The moment they saw each other, all they wanted was to stick together. But with cameras rolling, it was better to keep some distance.

“Miss Qi, you seem really happy today,” one of the crew remarked.

Qi Yunwei’s dark eyes sparkled with laughter. “Do I? It’s nothing, really.”

“Very much so!” the staff member said. “You look just like someone in love.”

Qi Yunwei blinked in surprise. “You can tell just from looking?”

The staff was even more surprised than her. “Miss Qi, you’re already off the market?”

Just yesterday, she had said she was chasing someone she liked.

“Did that person happen to be watching the livestream and see your confession?”

“Something like that, but not entirely,” Qi Yunwei said with a smile. “I’m just in a good mood today. You can order three dishes instead of two.”

The staff lit up. “Thank you, Miss Qi!”

Yesterday they’d already decided on twice-cooked pork and shrimp tofu casserole. Now, they eagerly added the director’s favorite dish, boiled fish, to avoid him nitpicking and assigning two tasks in the afternoon.

“We’ll also do sweet-and-sour ribs, shredded chicken with lemon, and lump soup. How’s that?”

Just hearing the names had the staff drooling—they certainly had no objections.

“Go prepare the ingredients. Have them ready around ten-thirty.”

The crew hurried off.

[What’s with Qi Yunwei? She comes out, ignores Yan Zui completely, and only talks to the staff. What’s she up to?]

[Didn’t you hear? She’s in a relationship now. Of course she can’t be too close to another Omega—it’s normal not to talk much.]

[But Qi Yunwei doesn’t seem like someone who’d abandon a friend for love. Maybe the Omega she likes saw Yan Zui in the livestream, felt insecure, and told Qi Yunwei not to pay attention to her. Omega jealousy can be scary.]

[Stop blaming others—it’s clearly Qi Yunwei’s issue. No matter what, basic courtesy still matters. Yesterday she worked so well with Yan Zui, and now just because she’s “taken,” she acts like this? Disappointing.]

[This is all you CP fans’ fault. You keep shipping them. Now Qi Yunwei’s afraid her girlfriend will misunderstand because of you, so she’s avoiding Yan Zui.]

[Don’t throw labels around! We’ve always said it’s about friendship. Not every CP is romantic—friendship CPs can be just as moving!]

[She even discussed dishes only with the staff, didn’t ask what Yan Zui likes at all. Forget it. Burn it all down.]

[Knew it. Never invest real emotions in celebrities—everything about their relationships is fake.]

Both their livestream rooms began to lose viewers, most people switching over to watch Peng Xueyu and Qiao Haiyue instead.

After chatting with the staff, Qi Yunwei finally braced herself, gave herself a pep talk, and slowly shuffled over to Yan Zui. “Isn’t it a bit too sunny sitting here?”

“Not really.” Yan Zui’s tone was cool.

“Mm, yeah, it’s not bad.” Qi Yunwei’s heart pounded. She still didn’t dare look at Yan Zui, afraid that just one glance would make her think of last night’s kiss in the dark.

“Mm.” Yan Zui’s voice remained indifferent, yet she still responded to every single thing Qi Yunwei said.

[When will my secondhand embarrassment condition ever heal? Help!]

[This is embarrassment’s grandmother opening the door—embarrassment has truly arrived home.]

[Yesterday I was complaining that two days of filming was too short. Now I just want to say—please, hurry up and leave!]

[Wait, before you leave, I have one request: Qi Yunwei, can you open a restaurant? If your food’s really this good, you’ll make a fortune—way better than running a company.]

[Seriously? This is what you’re thinking about right now?]

[I’m thinking it too.]

[Me as well.]

While Qi Yunwei and Yan Zui awkwardly exchanged a few words on camera, Peng Xueyu and Qiao Haiyue finally returned from their hike.

Thanks to Peng Xueyu’s company and encouragement, Qiao Haiyue’s mood had improved a lot.

Originally, she hadn’t thought much of him—believing he wasn’t on her level, that his small popularity only came from leeching off her traffic. But after spending more time together, she realized Peng Xueyu was actually a genuinely good person.

The two of them were laughing and chatting as they walked into the courtyard. When Qiao Haiyue saw Qi Yunwei standing beside Yan Zui, her smile faded. Memories of what had happened when she woke up last night and again this morning nearly broke her composure.

Peng Xueyu said cheerfully, “You’re up already. I just took Haiyue up the mountain for a walk—the scenery was amazing, the air so fresh.”

Then, with a sigh, he added, “It’s all thanks to Yunwei that we could enjoy such a leisurely morning.”

“Right, Haiyue?” He nudged Qiao Haiyue.

Qiao Haiyue forced herself to nod.

“If there’s anything you need while you’re cooking later, Yunwei, don’t be shy—just tell us.”

Qiao Haiyue felt a stab of discomfort when she saw Qi Yunwei, and seeing Yan Zui made her chest ache so badly she could hardly breathe. Making an excuse, she tidied up and went back to the bedroom.

The sun climbed higher. The three of them moved under the eaves to soak up the morning light.

Peng Xueyu had been scrolling Weibo before bed last night and noticed that Qi Yunwei and Yan Zui were being shipped together; when he sat down this morning he deliberately took the seat next to Qi Yunwei so he wouldn’t be beside Yan Zui.

Qi Yunwei, however, knew Yan Zui would probably enjoy talking with Peng Xueyu more, so she carried her little stool and circled around to sit on Peng Xueyu’s other side—now Peng Xueyu and Yan Zui were next to each other.

Peng Xueyu was bewildered. Why had Qi Yunwei moved all of a sudden? Had the two of them had a fight?

He glanced at Yan Zui—her expression was as cool as ever. Then he looked at Qi Yunwei; she couldn’t hide the smile on her face.

What on earth was going on?

[Qi Yunwei really doesn’t want to be friends with Yan Zui anymore. I’m so sad. This is my first time shipping a friendship CP and I didn’t expect it to split so quickly.]

[Qi Yunwei’s move didn’t seem to upset Yan Zui at all.]

[You don’t get it. Yan Zui has just re-frozen her heart. She’s not worth getting angry about on Qi Yunwei’s behalf.]

[We’re all confused for Xueyu—this must be the first time he’s seen something like this. Oh no, now I’m awkward for them again, what do I do.]

“The weather’s really nice today,” Peng Xueyu said, making conversation by looking up at the eaves.

Yan Zui suddenly asked, “Xueyu, what do you think of Haiyue?”

Peng Xueyu hadn’t expected Yan Zui to start talking—instead of getting upset about Qi Yunwei’s move, she’d reached out and started a conversation. He answered at once: “Haiyue? Of course she’s great.” Yan Zui was a good friend of Qiao Haiyue—how could Peng Xueyu say anything otherwise?

“I really liked your Legend of Boling. Could you tell me some fun stories from the set?” Yan Zui asked.

“Sure!” Peng Xueyu was pleased, almost flattered.

They went back and forth easily, chatting happily. Qi Yunwei, sitting off to the side and scrolling recipes on her phone, felt a little left out.

By around ten-thirty, they’d bought all the ingredients for lunch.

Qi Yunwei stood up to start preparing.

Peng Xueyu hurried to help, but Qi Yunwei waved him off. “No need. I can do it. You two keep chatting.”

Yan Zui was leaving that night; she might not get another chance to talk to Peng Xueyu about her and Qiao Haiyue, so Qi Yunwei wanted her to enjoy the conversation.

She called a few crew members to help wash and prepare the food and start the fire, reviewed the recipe she’d glanced through earlier, and began cooking.

She steamed the rice first, then blanched the ribs.

Several dishes were prepared at once, finished within minutes of each other.

A mouthwatering aroma wafted through the yard. Peng Xueyu grew increasingly distracted and kept glancing toward Qi Yunwei at the stove.

Even Qiao Haiyue—who’d been hiding in the bedroom to soothe her heartbreak—couldn’t help but come out.

There were more than ten crew members, so Qi Yunwei used a large half-meter-wide pot this time, cooking huge quantities—more than enough for lunch, and plenty left for dinner.

The cameraman filming her couldn’t help but swallow at the bold, intoxicating smells rising from the pot.

And the livestream audience—well.

Qi Yunwei’s dishes looked perfect in color, aroma, and taste. Just seeing them made you imagine how delicious they must be.

Most Chinese viewers are food lovers; seeing this scene, nobody bothered to discuss Qi Yunwei “choosing looks over friendship.” Instead, the chat filled in unison, urging her to open a restaurant and swearing they’d be regulars.

The director had assumed there would be no assignments this morning and feared the stream would be dull and viewers would drop off.

But backstage monitoring showed the opposite: audience numbers hadn’t fallen—they’d risen.

When Peng Xueyu and Qiao Haiyue climbed the mountain together earlier, viewers had spiked once. After Qi Yunwei started cooking, the audience doubled.

Halfway through her cooking, the director finally couldn’t resist. He ran out from the control room, and even before he entered the yard the scent made his mouth water.

Two tables had been set up in the yard; everyone stood by, waiting for the food.

When the last batch of sweet-and-sour ribs came out, Qi Yunwei carried them over—placing one platter on the other table and setting the second right in front of Yan Zui.

Qiao Haiyue’s brow tightened the moment she saw it.

Sweet-and-sour was Yan Zui’s favorite.

“Miss Qi, come sit!” Everyone held off picking up their chopsticks, waiting for Qi Yunwei to take her seat.

She washed her hands and joined the guests and the director’s table.

This morning a lot of people had sensed that the atmosphere between her and Yan Zui was off, so they’d saved her a spot beside the director, opposite Yan Zui.

Qi Yunwei could see Yan Zui as soon as she looked up.

“Everyone’s worked hard these past two days—especially our Miss Qi, who’s made so many delicious dishes this morning to reward us. Let’s raise our glasses to thank her.”

“Thanks, Miss Qi!”

“Don’t be polite—dig in before the food gets cold,” Qi Yunwei said with a smile.

The director took the first chopsticks, and everyone happily began to eat.

Three cameras captured everything: the exaggerated reactions after tasting the food were faithfully relayed to the livestream audience.

[My mom asked why I’m drooling at my tablet.]

[Qi Yunwei, please open a restaurant! I beg you!]