Reborn a Scummy Alpha, Happily Ever After with the Movie Queen - Chapter 40

The deep winter snow fell like feathers from the sky. The cold wind whipped through the streets, sending the flurries swirling, covering the entire city in a thick, white blanket.

Inside a cozy Western restaurant on the corner, soft background music muffled the hustle and bustle outside.

Wen Tang leaned back on the sofa, gazing through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the drifting snow and people strolling along the street. A sudden pang of longing hit her—she missed Ye Youyi, who had already returned home.

Just then, her phone buzzed. Ye Youyi was calling.

“What are you up to? Missing me?”

Ye Youyi’s sweet voice came through as soon as the call connected.

Wen Tang lowered her head and smiled softly. “I was just thinking about you.”

“Really?” Ye Youyi let out a light hum. “And hearing my call, does that make you happy?”

“Very happy. But I want to see you even more.” Wen Tang could easily picture Ye Youyi’s expression right now—eyes sparkling, lips slightly parted, a mix of shyness and coyness.

If Ye Youyi hadn’t insisted on returning alone, Wen Tang would have gone with her without hesitation.

Young couples in love couldn’t bear to be apart, craving to stick together every moment.

“When will you come back?” Wen Tang remembered—Ye Youyi’s twentieth birthday was just a few days away. It would be her first birthday since they had been together, and Wen Tang wanted to celebrate it properly.

On the other end, Ye Youyi chuckled softly. “No rush. I’ll be back in about four or five days. Don’t miss me too much—eat well and sleep well, okay.”

Four or five more days?

Wen Tang counted on her fingers. She could still make it back in time for Ye Youyi’s birthday.

“Okay, I’ll wait for you.”

The two of them lingered on the call a little longer, exchanging playful words, before reluctantly hanging up.

Nearby, Wen Qi had been waiting patiently. Seeing that her young mistress had ended the call, she finally approached.

Sitting across from Wen Tang, she greeted her first, then opened her tote bag and placed a stack of documents in front of her.

“Miss, here are all the detailed files on the companies we’ve acquired. Please take a look.”

Wen Tang picked up the folder and skimmed through it quickly, taking in the information at a glance.

Within moments, she had reviewed all the materials. She then opened another folder and began going through it carefully.

Wen Qi quickly explained, “These are Mr. Wei’s files. We’ve gathered fairly comprehensive information, and it’s all recorded here.”

The merger of Bai’s companies had been relatively simple for Wen Qi. Without alerting the Wen family, she had quietly handled it. Anyone investigating later would never be able to trace what happened to the remaining Bai enterprises.

However, dealing with Mr. Wei was trickier.

It wasn’t just that she didn’t have permission to go to the island—ever since Miss Wen had left the Wen family, the matriarch had doubled the security there.

She had spent months discreetly gathering information and only had a rough understanding of the island’s situation. Even now, she dared not act rashly to rescue Mr. Wei.

After some time, Wen Tang finished reviewing the files on her original father.

Her brow furrowed slightly as her fingers tapped the table. “If that friend of yours cooperates, how likely is it that we can rescue him?”

Wen Qi understood immediately who “him” referred to.

She gave a cautious estimate. “If we act without alerting anyone, there’s about a seventy percent chance of success.”

Seventy percent?

Wen Tang thought for a moment before asking, “If we use the funds from the merger to smooth relations on the island, could we increase our odds by ten percent?”

Wen Qi nodded. “Yes. That would give us at least an eighty percent chance of success.”

“Good.” Wen Tang made no hesitation with the newly acquired Bai funds. She instructed Wen Qi to use all of it to establish connections on the island.

“This matter cannot be delayed. You know what to do.”

Wen Qi understood the importance of Mr. Wei and nodded solemnly. “Understood. I’ll ensure he is brought safely before you.”

Wen Tang smiled lightly and snapped her fingers at a passing waiter in the corridor.

“Hello, what would you like to order?”

She handed the menu to Wen Qi. “You go ahead.”

Wen Qi hesitated, then returned the menu. “Please, you order first.”

“It’s rare we get to have a meal together. Don’t be so formal.” Wen Tang’s usually cool expression softened slightly.

Taking her cue, Wen Qi relaxed and happily ordered a few dishes.

Outside, the streets of the small town were still alive with the festive cheer of the New Year.

Ye Youyi, wrapped in a knee-length down coat, walked home. She overheard people discussing the still-showing Moon Spirit Chronicle and even caught the name Xian Ruo mentioned. Silently, she pulled her hood lower, hiding most of her face.

As she neared the familiar little building, a wave of nostalgia swept over her.

She remembered back when her father was still alive and her mother’s legs were healthy. The three of them had been a happy family.

Mom loved dancing, so Dad arranged for her to study under the finest dancer in the capital, ensuring she could pursue her passion to the fullest.

Meanwhile, he stayed at home, taking care of her, and every night, after Mom’s training sessions, he would video call. The three of them would share the day’s little joys and troubles through the screen.

It was an ordinary life, yet at this moment, it felt like a past Ye Youyi least dared to imagine.

Standing outside for a long time, Ye Youyi finally took out her keys and opened the door.

The familiar garden appeared before her eyes. In the corner pond, koi fish had grown larger, gliding through the water. Snow fell silently, and the world felt so still she could hear only the soft landing of each flake.

She walked along the stone path and stopped just outside the living room.

The house was quiet, and the heating was off. Her mother was likely not home.

Biting her lip, Ye Youyi stepped inside, closed the door, and switched on the heater.

Once she felt warm enough, she took off her coat and placed it in the room she had once occupied.

Looking around at every corner of the house, her eyes welled up slightly.

She had messaged Mom before coming home, yet today, her mother had still not waited, probably giving extra lessons to her students at school again.

Sitting on the bed for a long time, Ye Youyi checked her phone—it was almost six o’clock.

She stifled all her emotions, stood up, and prepared dinner, hoping Mom would return in time to eat together.

Opening the fridge, she found only a few bottles of water and a handful of eggs—no vegetables or meat.

Thinking of how her mother had always been absorbed in dance, never lifting a finger in the kitchen, Ye Youyi sighed.

She stepped out to the market and returned with bags full of groceries.

By the time she had cooked and set the table, it was nearly seven o’clock.

Just as she placed two pairs of chopsticks on the table, she heard footsteps outside.

Frozen in place, she nervously watched the door.

Soon, a familiar figure entered.

Seeing her mother walk in, Ye Youyi whispered softly, “Mom.”

Her mother paused at the sound, then continued walking in.

“You’re back?”

Before her stood an exceptionally beautiful and elegant Omega. Even with slight wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, her aura remained striking. Yet there was a heavy shadow in her eyes and the corners of her brows, slightly dimming her beauty.

She glanced at the table full of dishes and said lightly, “I’ve eaten out. You can eat these yourself.”

Hearing this, Ye Youyi gripped her sleeves tightly, tugging at the fabric.

She watched the retreating figure, holding back her tears.

Lowering her gaze to the food on the table, she let out a bitter laugh.

One by one, she quietly carried the dishes to the trash and dumped them.

During the few days she stayed at home, Ye Youyi and her mother spoke little. At first, she had cooked every day, waiting for her mother’s return, but now she had packed her things, unwilling to linger any longer.

Everyone in town was talking about Moon Spirit Chronicles. Many neighbors had recognized her as the actress playing Xian Ruo, and some even knocked on the door to ask her mother about her.

Yet her mother seemed completely indifferent, as if unaware Ye Youyi had been nominated for Best Supporting Actress.

Having packed her luggage, she quietly went downstairs.

She froze for a moment at the figure on the sofa but continued walking.

“Leaving?”

Ye Youyi hadn’t expected her mother to speak first.

“Yes. I should go back.”

Hearing this, her mother finally turned to her. “Going back to film?”

Thinking of Director Li Zheng inviting her for the next project—and the script already in her inbox—she nodded. “Yes.”

But her mother’s reaction was not what she expected. She snorted twice. “After today, don’t come back here again.”

Ye Youyi’s face went pale. Her mother, was she being kicked out again?

“Why?”

Her mother looked her over from head to toe before averting her gaze. “You’re filthy.”

Ye Youyi froze. After a long moment, she stammered, “Mom, what did you just say?”

Even though the living room door was tightly shut and the heater was on, Ye Youyi felt a creeping coldness spreading over her body, seeping into her heart.

Her mother didn’t look at her, speaking flatly: “To climb your way up, you were willing to seduce the director. And you still think I wouldn’t say anything?”

Now, Ye Youyi understood perfectly.

Clutching the handle of her suitcase, she fought back tears. “Mom, do you really think I’m that kind of person?”

“What kind of person you are no longer concerns me,” her mother said calmly, pointing toward the door. “Go. And don’t come back.”

Ye Youyi looked at the cold figure for a long moment, let out a low, defeated smile, and without another word, pulled her suitcase and walked out the door.