I Transmigrated into a Scummy Alpha and Stole the Heroine from Her Tragic Romance - Chapter 57.2

The mood at the table remained warm and pleasant. After the meal, Yu Peirong offered to help clean up and loaded the dishes into the dishwasher. Qi Xiyao was called away by her mother, while Qi Bin asked Yu Peirong to step outside to the yard. In a gentle tone, he began,

“Xiaorong, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about. Don’t be alarmed. Your aunt… had a difficult experience in the past, so she’s always been a bit wary of Alphas…”

“I know,” Yu Peirong replied before he could finish.

Qi Bin was momentarily surprised. He hadn’t expected that Qi Xiyao would share something so private with her.

Still, he didn’t mind that his daughter had spoken about their family’s past. She was an adult and knew where to draw the line. Whatever she chose to share must have been important to her.

What truly surprised him was the level of trust Qi Xiyao placed in Yu Peirong. That painful history was something they never spoke about. For both him and his daughter, it remained an unhealed wound. Even though Qi Xiyao had never mentioned it aloud, she had always been sensitive to it.

If she was willing to talk about it with Yu Peirong, it meant Yu Peirong held an unshakable place in her heart.

They also knew how much Yu Peirong had helped their daughter. Their only concern had been whether she would use that kindness to demand absolute loyalty from Qi Xiyao. But seeing her now, Qi Bin no longer believed that was the case.

He looked at Yu Peirong, and their eyes met. There was no tension, but a silent understanding passed between them.

Her gaze was calm and gentle. The affection she held for Qi Xiyao was evident, impossible to hide. Unlike some Alphas who viewed Omegas as possessions to be conquered and discarded, Yu Peirong looked at her daughter with tenderness, not desire.

“Yaoyao doesn’t say much, but she’s always been sensitive,” Qi Bin said, watching the children playing in the snow outside. His voice softened as he spoke, memories of his daughter’s childhood surfacing.

He and Zhuang Xiufen had been very busy back then, barely home. Qi Xiyao had been raised mostly by her grandparents. When they passed away, he returned to arrange the funeral. He thought Qi Xiyao was just tired and carried her to bed to rest.

But later, his cousin quietly told him that they had heard the sound of a child crying from the room.

He hadn’t thought much of it at first, believing she was just a child who didn’t understand. What he hadn’t expected was that she had hidden all her sadness deep inside, choosing to cry quietly when no one was around.

One day, her aunt couldn’t help asking her, “Yaoyao, why are you hiding and crying all by yourself instead of being with everyone else?”

The little girl had sniffled and replied with her nose red, “I don’t want to make Daddy and Mommy feel worse.”

She had pretended to be sleepy, lying in the dark room by herself, silently wiping away her tears so her parents wouldn’t be more upset.

Even as she grew up, Qi Xiyao remained quietly considerate in ways that made people ache inside.

She had never told her parents about everything that happened with Yu Shang, but they weren’t unaware either. In the age of the internet, being in the entertainment industry meant that rumors and gossip were everywhere.

What Yu Shang did to Qi Xiyao was essentially sexual harassment, but online, some people twisted the story and accused Qi Xiyao of seducing him. For some, the victim is always the one to blame. The pressure of public opinion can destroy a person.

Yu Peirong hadn’t expected that Qi Xiyao’s parents not only knew about Yu Shang but had chosen to keep it to themselves. They hadn’t added more pressure to their daughter and had instead respected her choices.

This was the first time she had heard about Qi Xiyao’s childhood. At first, she felt a sense of closeness. Then a faint sadness settled in her chest.

If this had followed the plot of the original story, and her parents had known how Yu Shang treated her, the silence would only have led to more abuse. Qi Xiyao might have been manipulated so thoroughly that she eventually accepted Yu Shang’s presence in her life as inevitable.

Yu Peirong took a deep breath.

Outside, it had started snowing again without anyone noticing. The night was quiet, and the parents of the children playing in the yard were now calling them inside to rest and watch the Spring Festival Gala together.

While Yu Peirong spoke with Qi Bin, Qi Xiyao and Zhuang Xiufen were in the living room, slicing fruit and watching the gala.

At the moment, a comedy skit was being performed. The exaggerated acting made Zhuang Xiufen smile despite herself. When the two came back inside, Qi Xiyao glanced at her father instinctively. Seeing that his expression was normal, she finally relaxed.

Qi Bin chuckled and said, “Why are you looking at me? Watch the show.”

Just then, a commercial played during the intermission. It featured the upcoming films set to release during the Spring Festival season.

Among them, a film scheduled for the third day of the new year included Qi Xiyao’s name. This was the first time it had been publicly announced, and to their surprise, it was promoted during the Spring Gala.

Both parents looked visibly excited.

Although they had always supported her acting career, they had not seen any real momentum until now. It was just a brief mention and a quick introduction, but it still meant a significant step forward in exposure.

Qi Xiyao blushed and glanced shyly at Yu Peirong. Her heart felt full.

She knew that if it had been left to her alone, she probably wouldn’t have landed this opportunity. It was a resource Yu Peirong had personally helped secure. But technically, it still fell within the company’s normal promotion schedule. It wasn’t favoritism, just the treatment any artist from a leading agency should receive.

Yishui Entertainment was one of the top agencies in the business. With its strong financial backing, pulling off a high-profile launch like this was no problem.

In the past, Yu Shang had gone out of his way to suppress Qi Xiyao, refusing to promote any of her work. His goal had been to keep her small and dependent on him.

But she was never meant to be confined. She was born to soar.

Zhuang Xiufen turned and asked, “Can we get two tickets for the premiere? Your father and I would really like to see it.”

After all, this was their daughter’s first major film appearance.

Qi Xiyao blushed and whispered something to Yu Peirong.

Yu Peirong turned to Zhuang Xiufen and smiled. “Uncle, Auntie, if you want to go, I’ll have someone deliver VIP tickets for the premiere on the second day.”

At midnight, the bell marking the start of the new year rang out clearly from the distant town square. The sound echoed through the quiet night.

Qi Xiyao tugged Yu Peirong along to watch the neighborhood children’s light fireworks. Brilliant bursts of color lit up the sky and reflected in their eyes. In that brief moment, Yu Peirong felt a rare peace.

Over the next few days, she and Qi Xiyao woke naturally each morning. Her parents never scolded them or treated them like children. When they woke early themselves, they simply went out for a walk or bought fresh groceries.

But time passed too quickly. By the second day of the new year, both girls were already preparing for the film premiere on the third.

Later, Yu Peirong received a reluctant phone call from Quan Zhihong, who told her to prepare two backup outfits for Qi Xiyao and to arrive early the next day for a rehearsal.

Quan Zhihong had clearly gone all in on the publicity for this project. With the added weight of Yishui Entertainment behind it through Yu Peirong, the promotional campaign was strong and the audience’s response was enthusiastic. The box office numbers were looking quite promising.

Yu Peirong handled the call professionally, then turned to see Qi Xiyao giggling at something on her phone. Curious, she asked what was so funny.

Qi Xiyao handed her the screen. Zou Yue had just posted a very obvious, inflammatory message on Weibo, clearly meant to stir up trouble.

“This Lu Zhiyao, what kind of grudge does she have against us? Even on New Year’s Eve she has to cause drama,” Qi Xiyao said, amused.

Zou Yue was not particularly skilled at picking fights. Her attempts at manipulation were clumsy at best. Other than her loyal fans, few people ever took her seriously. In her latest post, she hinted that Qi Xiyao was benefiting unfairly from the film’s promotion, suggesting she might outshine the male and female leads and become the secret star of the movie. The jealousy was obvious.

It was also obvious that this was Lu Zhiyao’s doing. The IP address linked to Zou Yue’s post showed she was in City E, which was also Lu Zhiyao’s hometown. Zou Yue herself was from a different region, so her current location made the connection clear. She wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that she was with Lu Zhiyao.

Yu Peirong raised an eyebrow.

“In the past, Yu Litian discussed acquiring some land in the northern part of the city. That land originally belonged to Lu Zhiyao’s family. He wanted it, so he tried to use his daughter to make it happen.”

Yu Litian was in real estate and had a sharp eye. The land he had targeted had recently started gaining value and was on its way to becoming prime property. Lu Zhiyao hadn’t fully agreed to a deal yet, but it wasn’t out of the question.

If Yu Litian could finalize the agreement before her father caught on, he stood to make a massive profit. That was why he had tried to arrange a blind date for Yu Peirong.

Maybe Lu Zhiyao had played too many mind games over the years, and her brain had suffered for it. Even after Yu Peirong had dumped water on her last time, she still couldn’t let go, acting like a glutton for punishment.

But Yu Peirong had no interest in inheriting Yu Litian’s business. She had zero passion for real estate and no intention of carrying on his so-called legacy. Even if she did, she would never be foolish enough to form some transactional alliance with someone as unreliable as Lu Zhiyao.

Hearing this, Qi Xiyao pouted slightly.

“Then maybe she and Yu Shang should be together. They seem like a good match.”

Both of them were shameless and consistently twisted other people’s words to fit their own agenda.

Qi Xiyao actually found herself wanting to see what would happen if Lu Zhiyao and Yu Shang tangled with each other. The thought amused her, and she chuckled. Seeing her laugh, Yu Peirong leaned over and playfully bit her on the cheek.

“You’re laughing even though someone’s eyeing your wife. We’ll see how I punish you next time.”

Qi Xiyao laughed even harder. The two of them ended up tangled together, playing around like kids.

On the third day of the New Year, they left home early and arrived at the venue a full hour ahead of schedule.

This was Qi Xiyao’s first time attending such a major event. In the past, she had always played small supporting roles, rarely getting to participate in premieres. Often, she hadn’t even been invited.

Before going inside, she saw fans waiting outside. It was still cold, with snow recently fallen, and the air carried a damp chill. The fans were bundled up in puffy coats, holding support signs, standing obediently behind the barricades. When they saw Qi Xiyao, they started waving excitedly.

Amid the cheers, someone even shouted, “Wife!” loud and clear.

Yu Peirong, wearing sunglasses, raised one hand to shield Qi Xiyao, keeping the excited crowd at a distance.

The wind lifted their hair, causing their long strands to tangle together. The narrow entry path forced them to lean close, and the way they moved side by side looked more like a couple walking hand in hand than a manager protecting a star.

Several CP fans couldn’t hold back and screamed with delight. They began snapping photos madly, eager to capture the rare moment of them together.

After guiding her onto the stage and making sure the rehearsal went smoothly, Yu Peirong slipped into the backstage lounge to avoid stealing attention from the cast during the event.

There, she spotted Quan Zhihong, who looked visibly exhausted. Her eyes were bloodshot and heavily shadowed with dark circles. Even makeup couldn’t hide the fatigue.

When she noticed Yu Peirong, she hesitated and looked away, clearly not wanting to interact.

Yu Peirong scoffed quietly.

The smell of durian pheromones had always been a sore spot for Quan Zhihong. As fellow Alphas, Yu Peirong could have been understanding, but Quan Zhihong had used it to intentionally hurt her own girlfriend. That crossed a line.

Standing at the edge of the red carpet, Yu Peirong watched as Qi Xiyao took the stage with the film’s leads to deliver New Year’s greetings. She wore a stunning pearlescent mermaid gown that shimmered under the lights. In the middle of winter, her slender figure stood out, elegant and radiant, drawing every eye.

This was her Omega. Even though she wasn’t the female lead in this film, standing on that brightly lit stage, she was every bit as dazzling.

Qi Xiyao’s performance, professionalism, and dedication were all well recognized. All she needed was a chance, and she would shine in her own right.

Yu Peirong watched her with a warm smile, eyes full of quiet pride.

After the event, she personally handed Qi Xiyao a cup of red sugar ginger tea she had brewed earlier.

Unlike Alphas, Omegas were more physically sensitive. An Alpha could walk around in just a coat in the dead of winter and, at worst, catch a mild cold that went away in a day. But an Omega might get sick for several days from the same exposure. Yu Peirong refused to let her girlfriend suffer during the holidays.

Knowing Qi Xiyao didn’t like spicy things, she had added plenty of soft brown sugar to make it warm and soothing. As she sipped the tea, Yu Peirong also brought over a coat she had pre-warmed in the dryer and draped it around her shoulders.

An Xiaotang had just pushed through a crowd of reporters and spotted the scene. She howled dramatically.

“Now that’s what I call a manager. She gets red sugar tea right after coming off stage! My manager never spoils me like this. I’m filing a complaint.”

Qi Xiyao and Yu Peirong shared a laugh.

After the press event, there wasn’t much left on the schedule for the day. Quan Zhihong used the excuse of going home with her wife to skip the usual cast-and-crew group dinner. No one questioned it, and people began heading home.

Yu Peirong and Qi Xiyao had no desire to stick around either. They quickly agreed to pick up some good food and drinks and head back to continue celebrating the holiday with Qi Xiyao’s parents.

Her parents rarely got to spend time with their daughter, and this year was a rare chance. Yu Peirong decided they should join them for one more dinner. The next day, her cousin had invited them over, and Yu Peirong planned to bring Qi Xiyao along to meet the original body’s mother.

Before visiting her own family, Yu Peirong naturally planned to get in touch with Ye An first.

On their way home, they would pass a sea-crossing bridge. That area had been under construction recently, but work had stopped for the New Year holidays. A portion of the road was closed, making it harder to travel through, so few people were around.

Yu Peirong had the GPS running and sat back comfortably on the soft car seat, chatting casually with Qi Xiyao.

“I want to give Ye An a call tonight,” she said. “I’m wondering if she’s spending the New Year with Xu Xiaoqi or not…”

She glanced at her phone. “That girl clearly likes Xu Xiaoqi but just won’t say it. Who knows how long she’ll keep holding it in.”

As she spoke, she reached over instinctively to smooth a few strands of Qi Xiyao’s messy hair. Her movements were gentle, practiced, and full of quiet intimacy.

The area near the bridge was quiet and nearly deserted. The two of them were relaxed and close, enjoying their peace without a hint of awkwardness.

But in the car trailing behind them, the driver who had witnessed their affectionate interaction gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Suddenly, they slammed the gas pedal down, sending the car hurtling forward at top speed.

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