Reborn a Scummy Alpha, Happily Ever After with the Movie Queen - Chapter 38

Hearing movement behind her, Wen Tang turned her head slightly, her dark gaze settling on Ye Youyi.

The Alpha’s eyes hadn’t completely calmed down yet—there was still a trace of desire lingering within them. Her shirt collar was half open, revealing the smooth, delicate lines of her collarbone. She looked nothing like the cool, restrained person she usually was.

Ye Youyi froze in place.

Wen Tang’s breathing was still uneven. Looking at the girl standing about a meter away, she said in a hoarse voice, “Sorry, I scared you just now.”

Ye Youyi hadn’t expected her teasing to push Wen Tang this far—to make her lose control like that. To be fair, she had almost lost control herself.

After all, she was the one who started it. Hearing Wen Tang apologize now made her feel strangely self-conscious.

Her face flushed crimson. Avoiding the Alpha’s gaze—which was nothing like her usual calm demeanor—she ducked her head and quickly walked toward her room. “We’re running late, wait for me a bit, okay?”

Once inside, she leaned back against the door, covering her rapidly beating heart for a long while. Then she hurried to the vanity, pulled out an inhibitor patch, and pressed it against the back of her neck.

Just a moment ago—just a little more—and Wen Tang’s pheromones might have completely lured her into heat.

Sitting on the stool, Ye Youyi stared at her reflection, her eyes still hazy with the afterglow of arousal, and slowly picked up her eyebrow pencil.

If she hadn’t pushed Wen Tang away just now, would she have gone into heat right there? Would she have been marked by her?

The thought sent an unexpected thrill through her chest—was that anticipation?

All right, fine—maybe she didn’t actually hate the idea of being marked by Wen Tang. She was just nervous, that was all. It would be her first time and she’d panicked.

Still, she told herself, it’s better not to tease Wen Tang too much anymore. Otherwise, they’d both end up suffering.

Shaking her head hard, Ye Youyi decided to throw that mortifying moment out of her mind and focus on what was next—her and Wen Tang’s second date.

She had originally planned to confess during the movie tonight, but after what just happened, she was way too embarrassed to bring it up.

When she finished getting ready, Ye Youyi did a quick spin in front of the mirror, checked her face one last time, and blinked at her reflection.

Whatever. Whether she confessed or not didn’t matter anymore. She’d just treat this as the sweet, uncertain “pre-relationship” stage.

Feeling more at ease, she added one last touch of lipstick and stepped out of the room, looking radiant.

“Let’s go.” She walked up to Wen Tang, instinctively wanting to take her hand—but remembering her earlier resolution, she quietly pulled it back.

Wen Tang stood up, her gaze sweeping over Ye Youyi, whose very hair seemed to shimmer under the light. She cleared her throat softly, then reached out and took the hand Ye Youyi had just lowered.

Ye Youyi blinked in surprise, lifting her head. Wen Tang led her toward the door, saying in all seriousness, “It’s windy outside. I don’t want your hands to get cold.”

Outside, as Ye Youyi looked down at their interlaced fingers, her lips curved into a smile.

Since Wen Tang hadn’t brought her car, they hailed a cab to the cinema.

On the way, they picked out a movie together. When they arrived, Wen Tang retrieved the tickets, then held Ye Youyi’s hand as they went to buy a bucket of popcorn, two drinks, and a few snacks.

“I’ll hold these,” Wen Tang said, glancing down at the girl beside her, who was wearing a cap. She tucked the tickets into Ye Youyi’s hand and gathered up the snacks instead.

With one arm free, she naturally reached for Ye Youyi’s hand again.

After the tickets were checked, they entered the dim theater and found their seats. Once they sat down, Ye Youyi took advantage of the low light to remove her cap.

As soon as she set it aside, she looked down—only to find two pieces of popcorn suddenly offered at her lips.

Her cheeks grew warm. But since the theater was dark and no one could really see, she shyly parted her lips and accepted them.

Except in her flustered haste, she accidentally took Wen Tang’s fingertips into her mouth too.

The faint dampness against her skin made Wen Tang’s heart jolt. She leaned in slightly, slowly withdrawing her fingers. Then, catching the faint glimmer of moisture, she gently lifted Ye Youyi’s chin.

For some reason, it felt like Ye Youyi was teasing her again.

The girl’s watery eyes shimmered with bashful light. Wen Tang arched an eyebrow and, following her own desire, pressed her lips against Ye Youyi’s soft ones.

Their kiss deepened, lingering for several breaths—until a faint, shaky sound escaped Ye Youyi’s throat. Only then did Wen Tang pull away.

She looked at Ye Youyi’s now-swollen lips, ran her tongue over her own, and murmured lowly, “Don’t be naughty. My self-control isn’t that great.”

Then she turned away, leaning back in her seat as she tried to calm her restless pulse.

The movie they chose was a suspense thriller—clever and just a little scary.

As it reached its climax, several people around them gasped or screamed. Some couples even huddled close together.

Before long, the theater was full of sugary, romantic “dog food.”

Wen Tang glanced at the couple in front of them, who were practically glued together—and even kissing audibly. She cleared her throat twice, then quietly reached for Ye Youyi’s hand resting on her lap. When her fingers brushed the girl’s soft skin, she continued, intertwining them tightly.

Ye Youyi glanced down at their joined hands, then at the Alpha who was pretending to watch the movie seriously. She gave a soft laugh and brushed her fingertips lightly against Wen Tang’s palm.

Wen Tang’s body trembled. She tightened her grip, not letting Ye Youyi move anymore.

Two and a half hours later, the movie ended before they knew it. When they stepped out of the theater, the sky was already dark.

Wen Tang checked the time—almost nine o’clock. Her stomach was starting to feel a little empty.

“Have you thought about what you want to eat?” she asked.

As Ye Youyi looked around at the bustling square, her sharp eyes caught sight of a hotpot restaurant in the distance. She turned to Wen Tang with a bright smile.

“Want to have hotpot?”

Wen Tang didn’t mind what they ate — as long as it was something Ye Youyi wanted, she would go along with it.

“Sure, let’s go.”

Ye Youyi’s eyes curved into a sunny grin. She took Wen Tang’s hand and led her toward the restaurant.

The plaza was lively, full of people coming and going. Just then, a little boy clutching a rose ran up to them, beaming. He held out the flower toward Ye Youyi and said to Wen Tang,

“Pretty lady, your girlfriend’s so beautiful! Give her a flower and she’ll smile — she’ll look even prettier!”

Wen Tang couldn’t help but chuckle. Her lips curved upward as she reached for her phone, ready to pay.

But Ye Youyi quickly stopped her. Returning the flower to the child, she smiled sweetly. “Thank you, but we don’t need one.”

Then she tugged Wen Tang’s hand and hurried away.

When they reached the front of the hotpot restaurant, Wen Tang glanced back at the child still holding the rose, confusion flickering in her eyes.

“You didn’t want the flower?”

Ye Youyi caught her breath, gave Wen Tang a long look — almost as if she was seeing her for the first time — and said,

“Don’t you know that’s a scam? A single flower like that costs twenty or thirty yuan! You’re so gullible!”

Wen Tang scratched the back of her head. “Huh? That expensive?”

“Of course! They target couples — shove the flower at the Omega, then wait for the Alpha to pay. Total rip-off.”

Ye Youyi was explaining seriously when she suddenly noticed something off about the Alpha in front of her.

“What are you laughing at?” she asked, tilting her head.

Wen Tang took her hand, leaning in close, and murmured softly,

“So, we’re a couple?”

Hearing that, Ye Youyi rolled her eyes affectionately. Then she lifted Wen Tang’s hand, shaking their joined fingers in front of her.

“We’ve held hands, hugged, and kissed. If we’re not a couple, then what are we?”

Wen Tang’s smile softened, warm and full of affection.

“You’re right.”

Ever since confirming their relationship, Wen Tang and Ye Youyi had been practically inseparable. It just so happened that Ye Youyi didn’t have any work scheduled lately, so she spent her days keeping Wen Tang company.

Time flew, and soon the New Year was around the corner. Moon Spirit Chronicle was set to premiere on Lunar New Year’s Day.

The moment the trailer dropped, the internet exploded. Audiences who had been looking forward to the film’s costumes and production design were pleasantly surprised to find the story intriguing as well — word of mouth spread quickly.

The buzz around Moon Spirit Chronicle skyrocketed even before release, far surpassing that of Immortal Quest.

At the premiere on New Year’s Day, Director Li Zheng appeared alongside the main cast for promotion.

Reporters were especially interested in Xu Zhao and Yu Mianyue — the on-screen couple who had recently gone viral — and bombarded them with questions. The pair played along perfectly, dishing out sweet, flirty interactions that sent fans into a frenzy.

Viewers watching the livestream were collectively squealing from the sugar rush.

When it came time to interview Ye Youyi, however, the atmosphere cooled noticeably. Her career had always been rather low-key, and few reporters paid her much attention.

Ye Youyi was used to that, so she didn’t mind. But Xu Zhao frowned slightly at the dismissive tone from the reporters. Taking the initiative, she brought Ye Youyi into the conversation.

Ye Youyi, though slightly irritated, kept a polite smile under the cameras and responded with measured courtesy.

Immediately, the live chat exploded again.

It turned out that after the behind-the-scenes photos had been leaked, many fans felt Xu Zhao and Ye Youyi’s chemistry was even stronger than that of Xu Zhao and Yu Mianyue — their interactions more natural, their energy sweeter.

As a result, “Zhao–Yi CP” fans had actually outnumbered the “Zhao–Yue CP” fans — a rare phenomenon in the fandom world.

When the interviews finally ended, Ye Youyi was ready to head out through the backstage corridor. Just as she turned a corner, she heard someone calling her name.

She stopped and looked back — it was Xu Zhao.

“About tonight,” Xu Zhao said gently, “don’t take it to heart. Once the drama airs, you’ll blow up for sure. By then, those reporters will be begging to interview you.”

She smiled, taking a step closer. “It’s getting late. How about I give you a ride home?”

Ye Youyi took a few steps back, her smile faint but polite. “No, thank you.”

Being turned down again by the same Omega left Xu Zhao a bit sour. She reached out, trying to grab Ye Youyi’s wrist — but Ye Youyi dodged her easily.

“It’s not safe for an Omega to be out alone at night,” Xu Zhao pressed, still unwilling to give up.

Before Ye Youyi could respond, a calm voice sounded from behind.

“No need to worry. Her girlfriend’s already here.”

From the shadows emerged a tall, graceful figure.

Xu Zhao’s expression darkened as she turned toward the newcomer. Under the faint glow of the moonlight, she found the Alpha strangely familiar — yet couldn’t quite recall where she’d seen her before.

“Girlfriend?” She looked back at Ye Youyi, incredulous. “She’s your girlfriend?”

Ye Youyi walked over to Wen Tang’s side, laced their fingers together, and smiled sweetly at her before turning to Xu Zhao.

“That’s right. She’s my girlfriend. So, I’m definitely not going home alone.”

With that, she and Wen Tang left hand in hand, without sparing Xu Zhao another glance.

As they walked down the quiet street, Wen Tang lowered her gaze to the radiant girl beside her, a trace of jealousy glimmering in her tone.

“She seems to like you and you two have quite a lot of CP fans.”