I Heard I’m a Scummy Alpha? [Transmigration] - Chapter 88

When it came to the topic of having children, both Qi Yunwei and Yan Zui always put on a show of agreement—nodding along to everything their parents said, only to brush it off in practice. After promising to do a hundred impossible things, they were finally spared further lectures.

That night, on New Year’s Eve, the three families gathered together for dinner. The atmosphere seemed cheerful on the surface, yet there was an undercurrent of tension. Liang Kejue and Qi Fanghuai ended up seated next to each other again—though they spoke only polite words, it was clear they had reached some sort of unspoken agreement on certain matters.

After dinner, Yan Zhao insisted that the Qi family stay overnight. He said he wanted to stay up late chatting with Qi Jiuyuan, and suggested that Yan Zui share a room with their wives—so they could “learn something together.”

Qi Yunwei replied calmly, “Having a child takes two people. I should go too.”

The parents were dead set on giving them a “lesson.” Since there was no escaping it, she could only join in—at least she and Yan Zui would suffer together.

That New Year’s Eve, the two were subjected to hours of “education” on pregnancy and childbirth—an entire seminar based on the two Omega mothers’ personal experiences. Qi Yunwei listened attentively. After all, even if they weren’t planning on children now, that didn’t mean they never would. If all went as expected, they could start preparing by summer.

In the interstellar world, artificial gestation had yet to receive ethical approval, so women still had to bear children themselves. Qi Yunwei had seen many of her colleagues struggle through pregnancies.

If it wasn’t for Yan Zui’s genuine desire to have a child, Qi Yunwei would never have considered it.

Since she couldn’t change Yan Zui’s mind, the least she could do was learn how to take care of a pregnant partner properly.

Luo Yi and He Ran lectured for nearly three hours before finally stopping.

The two older women looked at Qi Yunwei—who had filled half a notebook with notes—with complicated expressions.

To most Alphas, an Omega’s pregnancy was as natural as breathing. It was their “duty,” something that required no Alpha’s involvement. Yet here was the so-called “useless Alpha,” despised by everyone, taking Yan Zui’s pregnancy so seriously—it left both women with an odd, uncomfortable feeling.

On New Year’s Day, the family ate dumplings. The housekeeper had hidden three coins inside several of them and brought them out with a grin.

“Whoever finds one,” she said, “will have smooth sailing and great fortune this year.”

Qi Fanghuai smiled faintly. He didn’t believe in such things, but last year, he had been the one to find a coin—and sure enough, this year, he had made a fortune.

Now, with Yan Corporation thriving and the company about to go public, Yan Zhao’s assets were set to multiply several times over. He chuckled, eager to find a coin himself.

In his mind, the three coins were meant for the “right” people—himself, Yan Zui, and Qi Fanghuai, the capable eldest son of the Qi family.

“Alright, let’s eat! Let’s see who’s the lucky one this year,” Yan Zhao said cheerfully.

Qi Yunwei picked up a dumpling from her plate and bit into it lightly, careful not to chip a tooth. But the moment her teeth met resistance, she knew—she’d found one.

Smiling, she held up the coin for everyone to see. “Looks like I’ll be the one getting rich this year.”

The room fell silent, everyone staring at her strangely.

Qi Fangyue curled her lips. “If she can get rich, then pigs might fly.”

Qi Fanghuai quickly smoothed things over, turning to Yan Zhao. “There are still two more coins, Uncle Yan—you’ll definitely get one!”

That improved Yan Zhao’s mood a little.

But before anyone could blink, Qi Yunwei bit into her second dumpling—another coin.

“Liu-jie, did you accidentally give all the lucky dumplings to Yunwei?” He Yunqing asked, astonished.

Qi Fanghuai gave her a pointed look. “If that’s really the case, Yunwei, shouldn’t you give your plate to Uncle Yan?” His tone carried a hint of reproach.

Everyone knew Qi Yunwei was considered worthless. There was no way she could ever make money—finding the coins on her plate was just a waste of luck.

Her plate was soon pushed in front of Yan Zhao.

Qi Yunwei didn’t mind. She knew perfectly well that she would make money this year—not because of any lucky coin, but because of her own ability.

Yan Zui quietly pushed her own plate toward her. “Let’s share mine, then.”

Qi Yunwei gave her hand a gentle squeeze under the table and whispered in her ear, “Only my wife knows how to spoil me.”

Yan Zui shot her a glance. “Eat your food.” She could tell how easily Qi Yunwei got worked up when it came to her, yet seemed utterly indifferent about her own troubles.

“Uncle Yan will definitely get one this time,” Qi Yunwei said with a teasing smile.

Everyone watched as Yan Zhao carefully picked out the most “suspicious-looking” dumpling from Qi Yunwei’s plate and took a big bite—only to find it empty. Before he could try another, Qi Yunwei said apologetically, “Sorry, it seems I’ve eaten all three coins.”

Yan Zhao’s face fell instantly, his cheer vanishing.

After all that fuss to take her dumplings, she had still turned out to be the lucky one.

Qi Fanghuai quickly shot his sister a look.

“Superstition,” Qi Fangyue declared loudly, picking up on the cue. “It’s not like eating coins means anything. My sister doesn’t even have a proper job—how could she possibly make money? The only money she has is from Sister Yan Zui, and that’s really Uncle Yan’s money.”

“I’ve thought about it,” she continued with a smirk, “and there’s only one way my sister could get rich—if Sister Yan Zui got pregnant and Uncle Yan rewarded them with a huge bonus. But in the end, that’s still his money.”

Her words neatly restored Yan Zhao’s pride. He laughed and said, “You have a sharp tongue, young lady. If Yan Zui really does get pregnant, Uncle will give you a red envelope with six figures.”

Qi Fangyue’s eyes lit up. “Really? Thank you, Uncle Yan!”

The atmosphere around the table lightened again, and the conversation flowed easily—except that no one paid any more attention to Qi Yunwei.

She didn’t care. But Yan Zui did. Her gaze grew cooler, the warmth in her eyes fading as she looked at the people around the table.

After the meal, everyone moved to the living room for tea. Not long after, the Qi family stood up to take their leave.

Once they were gone, He Yunqing’s family quickly followed, since guests were already lining up to visit for New Year’s greetings.

Yan Zui rose and said, “Dad, Mom, Yunwei and I still have some other things to take care of, so we’ll be going first.”

Yan Zhao frowned. “All our relatives are coming soon, and you’re leaving now? Does that sound appropriate?”

Sensing Yan Zui’s displeasure, Qi Yunwei stepped in to smooth things over. “Dad, we’re just worried the relatives might keep asking about when we’re having kids. Zui’s finally relaxed a little lately—it’s better if she doesn’t get pressured again.”

He Ran gave Yan Zui a long look but said nothing. Finally, she patted Yan Zhao’s shoulder and said gently, “Let them go. You’ve already told everyone you’ll have a grandchild this year—if the relatives start asking and it doesn’t happen, won’t you be the one embarrassed?”

Yan Zhao hesitated, but her words softened him. “Fine, go on then. Take the next few days to rest properly—don’t waste your time.”

Back home, Qi Yunwei sank onto the sofa with a sigh of relief. “These past two days have been tougher than the last few months combined—so tense, so exhausting. I thought we’d have to go visiting relatives today too. Thank goodness we don’t.”

She patted the seat beside her. “Come sit and rest.”

Yan Zui sat down next to her. “It’s a family tradition,” she said quietly. “Omegas aren’t considered part of the main family, so they don’t have to visit relatives. But entertaining guests at home is worse. I don’t want to hear another word of them speaking ill of you.”

Qi Yunwei realized Yan Zui was becoming more and more open with her feelings—speaking her mind directly, even saying things that made her heart melt.

The two didn’t rest much over the holiday. They had promised Xiao Jiu, their robot, that its dishes would be enjoyed by more people. After the successful trial of their restaurant Jinzhao Youjiu, they began scouting locations in major cities across Huaguo.

By the end of last month, they had secured 160 restaurant sites, all fully renovated before the New Year. Each one reflected local aesthetics while maximizing seating capacity—around a hundred per branch.

To speed things up, Yan Zui had even opened a small factory to produce customized fixtures for their restaurants.

On the fifth day of the new year, all 160 branches opened simultaneously nationwide.

Qi Yunwei logged into her verified account for the show Living With You, only to find thousands of notifications—999 likes, endless comments, and a flood of unread messages that almost crashed her phone.

Those were remnants of her past popularity. Now that the buzz had faded, only a few persistent foodies and die-hard couple fans still mentioned her.

She picked a few recent tags and replied.

@QiYunwei: Wish granted — 160 Jinzhao Youjiu restaurants open nationwide today! Here’s the full list of locations. [Image]

@BoboCai: It’s been months and I’m still thinking about how good Qi Yunwei’s cooking must be. @QiYunwei, when are you finally opening your restaurant?