Not a Scummy Alpha, But a Sweet Puppy (Transmigration Into A Novel) - Chapter 11

The department’s gathering was scheduled for Saturday. The night before, they decided to celebrate with grilled skewers. Those who could drink downed plenty, leaving Jiang Zhenmian to reluctantly finish over a bottle herself. She hadn’t realized her body was so weak; she was already feeling lightheaded.

Thankfully, it was just a dizzy spell, not enough to knock her unconscious. She managed to find her way back to the dorm, forced herself to wash up, and collapsed into bed, falling asleep instantly.

When she woke up the next morning, she discovered she hadn’t even changed out of her pajamas or covered herself with the blanket. She’d spent the whole night sprawled out like that, waking up with a pounding headache and a stiff neck.

Ridiculous, she thought. I really need to cut back on the drinking.

Jiang Zhenmian wasn’t a heavy drinker anyway. She only indulged occasionally during work gatherings, rarely touching alcohol otherwise.

She arrived at the company gate at the agreed-upon time and texted Sister Lin. Moments later, a blue sedan pulled up to the curb. The window rolled down, revealing Wang Lin’s face.

Jiang Zhenmian jogged over and hopped into the car. “Thanks, Sister Lin.”

“No problem. I was heading this way anyway,” Wang Lin replied, tapping her phone to activate the navigation app. Guided by the crisp, feminine voice of the GPS, she slowly drove forward.

Jiang Zhenmian pulled out her phone. Gu Zhibai hadn’t replied to her morning message yet. She was probably still asleep; after all, it was Saturday, and sleeping in was perfectly reasonable.

She had sent a “good morning” message early, followed by an apology for forgetting to say goodnight the previous night when she was drunk, adding a cute cat emoji peeking out.

“I’m in Sister Lin’s car now, heading to a place called Green Shadow Villa. They say it’s got everything: a game room, karaoke, and even a kitchen where we can cook our own meals. We’re planning to have hotpot!”

“Sister, what’s your favorite hotpot flavor? I love tomato and spicy. Tomato broth for shrimp balls, spicy broth for duck tongues. So good!”

“My head still hurts a bit. I’m never drinking again! I’ve never had alcohol before, so I didn’t realize my tolerance was so low.”
By the time the car reached their destination, it was almost ten o’clock, and Gu Zhibai still hadn’t replied.

Jiang Zhenmian: Why are my eyes filled with tears…?

After sending Gu Zhibai a message saying she had arrived, Jiang Zhenmian glumly put away her phone and followed Wang Lin into the villa.

They were among the last to arrive. Most of the Art Department’s dozen or so members were already there, but the Manager was absent. Su Qiwen, the deputy team leader and the most senior member present, was in charge. Despite his unpopularity among the younger women, everyone treated him with superficial respect, likely due to his connections.

Naturally, organizing the gathering fell to him.

It was a simple affair. Some sang karaoke, others played cards, and a few gathered around board games. At noon, they prepared the hotpot ingredients together and began cooking.

Su Qiwen stood up, beer in hand, and cleared his throat. “The main purpose of our gathering today is to welcome Xiao Jiang to the Art Department family. Despite her youth, Xiao Jiang is remarkably talented. She was immediately assigned to a new team upon arrival, truly a rising star that puts us veterans to shame.”

“Xiao Jiang, Brother Su raises a toast to you!” He drained his glass in one gulp.

Jiang Zhenmian: This bald-headed creep is pulling this act on me?

Forced to stand, she replied demurely, “Brother Su, you’re exaggerating. I’m nothing special. I’ve only learned from the guidance of my seniors. Your words are making me blush.”

“I can’t refuse a toast from you, Brother Su, but my alcohol tolerance is really low. I drank too much yesterday and still have a headache. How about I just take a half-glass as a gesture?”

The amber liquid bubbled gently, carrying the refreshing aroma of malt. Jiang Zhenmian drank half her glass and sat down. Since she’d made her position clear, Su Qiwen couldn’t press her further. He rolled his eyes, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and also took his seat.

But during the meal, he grew restless, relentlessly urging everyone to drink. As the alcohol took effect, the group grew rowdy, and soon they were competing to drink without needing any further encouragement.

Workplace gatherings rarely went without alcohol, especially among colleagues who had known each other for years. Those who were close friends naturally drank together.
Jiang Zhenmian was persuaded to finish a bottle. Still recovering from her hangover, she felt even worse now, though thankfully she hadn’t reached the point of blacking out.

The living room was a noisy mess. Afraid of being pressured to drink more, Jiang Zhenmian retreated to the mahjong room.

The moment she opened the door, she was hit by a wave of cigarette smoke. She frowned, sat down in a chair, and told herself that at least she’d found some peace and quiet.

Her low alcohol tolerance, combined with the fact that hotpot didn’t provide much solid food, and the lingering smoke, made her feel utterly uncomfortable. Her head felt slightly feverish.

Seizing a moment of downtime, Jiang Zhenmian pulled out her phone and was delighted to find that Gu Zhibai had already replied. Gu Zhibai said she also loved tomato hot pot and asked how the gathering was going.

Jiang Zhenmian tapped the voice recording button, cracked the door open a sliver, and recorded a short message.

“They’re drinking like crazy! I’m hiding in here, scared they’ll force me to drink.”

Jiang Zhenmian’s usual voice was clear and bright, full of energy, like the rustling of leaves in a mountain breeze. But this voice was different. Each word seemed to linger on her tongue before being released, carrying a wet, slurred quality.

Perhaps because she was too close to the microphone, her breathy pants were clearly audible, flooding Gu Zhibai’s ears.

After a moment of silence, Gu Zhibai asked softly, “Have you been drinking?”

“I couldn’t escape it. I had a bottle. I’m a little dizzy. Mmm, Sister, are you busy? I want a ride…”

Gu Zhibai hadn’t just woken up, of course. She’d been up since dawn, working from home instead of going to the office. She simply hadn’t wanted to reply to Jiang Zhenmian’s message.

Hearing the other woman’s drunken, whiny, and clingy tone, Gu Zhibai’s heart softened despite herself.

She was always a sucker for soft tactics, and besides, what harm could a few words do?

She called Jiang Zhenmian, and before Jiang could even speak, she said, “I have to go out this afternoon, so I can only chat for a little while.”

“Hehe, even just hearing your voice makes me so happy!” Jiang Zhenmian grinned foolishly at her phone, sprawled across her desk. Gu Zhibai’s voice was like the best hangover cure, but while the alcohol in her stomach cleared, the alcohol in her heart began to intoxicate her anew.

“Is Sister going out to work again?”

“Sort of. I’m meeting with an advertising director to discuss a collaboration,” Gu Zhibai replied calmly.

“Ah, that sounds so tiring. Even bosses don’t get weekends off,” Jiang Zhenmian sighed dramatically, then mumbled after a long pause, “I didn’t say goodnight to you yesterday. I fell asleep as soon as I got into bed, still in my clothes. I didn’t mean to disappear suddenly.”

Gu Zhibai’s voice remained flat. “You already explained that this morning.”

“But… I was so worried you might be upset or worried when I suddenly disappeared,” Jiang Zhenmian asked anxiously. “Sister, are you angry?”

Gu Zhibai picked up her water glass, paused, and said, “No, you’re overthinking it.”

A little, but it’s definitely not because I was worried. Don’t get any ideas.

“Xiao Jiang,” Su Qiwen said, pushing the creaking door open with a smile. “Why aren’t you out drinking with your colleagues? Running off to be alone in here isn’t very sociable, is it?”

Jiang Zhenmian startled, instantly alert. Her first instinct was to flip her phone over, hiding the fact that she was on a call with Gu Zhibai.

It wasn’t that she cared about herself, but she didn’t want anyone spreading rumors about Gu Zhibai.

“Just getting some fresh air,” Jiang Zhenmian said, forcing a smile. “My family called, so I chatted for a bit. I was just about to head back out.”

“Finished talking now?” Su Qiwen asked, leaning against the doorframe.

“Just finished,” Jiang Zhenmian replied, standing up and pretending to head for the door.

“Hey, wait a minute,” Su Qiwen said, slamming the door shut behind him. “Let’s have a little chat ourselves.”

Jiang Zhenmian eyed him warily, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Let’s talk after dinner. I’m still hungry and want to grab some more food.”
With Gu Zhibai still on the line, she had no time to waste on this man. She needed to get rid of him quickly so she could talk to her sister.

“What’s the rush?” Su Qiwen chuckled, stepping closer to her, one deliberate step at a time. “Xiao Jiang, Xiao Jiang, you sure have a high opinion of yourself. You hem and haw when I ask you to do some work, and now you won’t even spare a few words? Have you no respect for your seniors?”

Jiang Zhenmian felt like slapping him across the face while no one was around, but she couldn’t. She had to maintain her image.

In front of Gu Zhibai, she was supposed to be the innocent, energetic type. How could she possibly curse someone out?

Seeing his persistence, Jiang Zhenmian reluctantly took a step back. “What do you want to talk about, Brother Su?”

“Just a little chat about how juniors should please their seniors,” Su Qiwen said, grabbing her hand with a grin. “I didn’t expect an artist like you to have such smooth hands.”

Jiang Zhenmian never imagined he would dare to harass her so openly. A dozen people were right outside the door, their voices clearly audible. She had assumed he would just say some harsh words, threaten her, and tell her to be sensible.

How could he be so brazen?

The unfamiliar man’s proximity made Jiang Zhenmian feel nauseous, even more disgusted than if a toad had crawled onto her hand.

Jiang Zhenmian yanked her hand free from Su Qiwen’s grasp, her voice sharp. “You’re insane! This is sexual harassment!”

“Nonsense,” Su Qiwen scoffed, his eyes oily. “Who’s going to believe you? If you spread rumors, I’ll sue you for defamation. Little girl, you need evidence to back up your claims.”

“You’re sleeping with Manager Zhang too, aren’t you? Otherwise, why would she give you such a huge advantage for nothing? She must be blind. Sleeping with her is fine, but a woman like me?” Su Qiwen sneered. “Do you really think you can handle me?”

“Just be good today and let me have my fun. Otherwise, don’t force me to make sure you can’t work in this company anymore. My uncle’s a high-ranking executive!”

“When it comes to connections, I think I have more say here.”
Jiang Zhenmian’s eyes widened slightly as she glanced down at her phone. He had switched the call to video. The anger in her heart deflated like a punctured balloon, vanishing completely. She even felt a flicker of amusement.

She tapped “Accept,” and Gu Zhibai’s face filled the screen.

Who didn’t recognize their own CEO? Su Qiwen was about to demand who was being so arrogant when he saw the face. The words froze in his throat, his face twitched twice, and his eyes widened in terror. A panicked, ingratiating smile crept onto his lips as he stammered, “CEO Gu?”

“Su Qiwen, you don’t need to come to work anymore,” Gu Zhibai said, her gaze sharp and her voice cutting. “Or you can ask your uncle to fire me too.”

Su Qiwen’s face drained of color. He wanted to argue, but he didn’t know what to say; she had clearly heard everything. He glared fiercely at Jiang Zhenmian, then, too afraid to make another move, he opened the door and fled.

Jiang Zhenmian held up her phone, the corners of her lips curving upward uncontrollably. What did I just say? Competing over connections? Didn’t that imply that she’s my backer?!

Though this harassment made Jiang Zhenmian nauseous, it didn’t really scare her. If Gu Zhibai hadn’t intervened, she would have hung up and grabbed the mahjong tiles from the table, ready to smash them over the guy’s head.

But the feeling of bullying someone with power behind her was so satisfying. Having someone resolve her problems for her felt both novel and deeply touching to Jiang Zhenmian.

She pinched her thigh hard, and tears welled up in her eyes reflexively from the pain.

After Su Qiwen left, she turned her phone around, adopting a pitiful expression, her eyes brimming with tears.

With a blink, tears streamed down her face. Jiang Zhenmian choked out, “I… he…” She looked utterly wronged, her voice breaking with sobs.

Gu Zhibai frowned, her voice softening. “Go lock the door and wait inside. I’ll come get you.”

Jiang Zhenmian nodded silently, shuffling to the door and obediently locking it.

Gu Zhibai texted her assistant to cancel her afternoon appointments, grabbed her coat, and headed straight for the door. Just as she slipped on her shoes, she heard the person in the video ask, their voice thick with a nasal tone, “Sister, how did you know his name was… Su Qiwen?”
Gu Zhibai: ……

Gu Zhibai: “I know the company’s employees.”

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