Reborn a Scummy Alpha, Happily Ever After with the Movie Queen - Chapter 44

The room was brightly lit, yet Meiru felt as if the matriarch were hidden in the shadows, her expression somber.

She wanted to say something in defense of the Young Mistress, but she was, after all, just a servant attending to the matriarch. After moving her lips, she swallowed her words.

After a moment of silence, Old Madam Wen patted Meiru’s hand and asked softly, “What about that person?”

The tone of disdain made Meiru immediately understand who she meant.

Her palm instinctively clenched into a fist, then she quickly relaxed it and lowered her head obediently. “Mr. Wei, he’s the same as always—distracted, not recognizing anyone.”

“That’s good,” Old Madam Wen nodded, clearly satisfied. “Just make sure they watch over him properly. Don’t let him die—he’ll be useful someday.”

Meiru hurriedly replied, “Yes, Madam.”

Once the matriarch changed the subject, Meiru wiped the cold sweat off her forehead.

Earlier, rumors had circulated on the island about an unknown force lurking around, even attempting to rescue Mr. Wei once. They had been discovered, and the attempt had failed.

This information had been kept from Old Madam Wen by Meiru herself—she hadn’t reported it immediately.

Now, she had no intention of telling her.

After all, if anyone could rescue Mr. Wei, it would be the Young Mistress. Meiru’s actions were meant only to assist her, out of compassion for the Young Mistress’ pitiable state.

More importantly, Old Madam Wen was already old, her health declining. Sooner or later, she would have to step down. Though the Young Mistress had left the Wen family, it seemed likely she would eventually take control of the family.

Meiru had to plan ahead for herself.

Old Madam Wen had suppressed the Young Mistress so harshly that, once the Young Mistress became head of the family, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t seek revenge. At that point, powerless, Old Madam Wen might be at the Young Mistress’ mercy.

Perhaps the Young Mistress would spare her for the sake of appearances, but Meiru and the others—mere minnows in the grand scheme—might end up as scapegoats.

Thus, during the transition of power within the Wen family, Meiru needed to prepare a safety net for herself.

Once the Young Mistress rescued Mr. Wei, Meiru could continue concealing some truths for a while longer, hoping that the Young Mistress would remember these deeds and treat her kindly.

Meanwhile, the filming of “Release” had been underway for over ten days. As the lead actress, Ye Youyi had been busy to the point of dizziness, leaving Qiu Qiu worried sick.

Today’s scenes were set in the mountains. The crew arrived at a small village at the foot of rolling hills in Qinghe Min Country.

The village, not yet accessible by proper roads, was bisected by a narrow river, making the sparse settlement appear even more isolated.

The crew had previously negotiated with the village head, so upon arrival, they were assigned accommodations in a few local households. After two or three days of filming, they would return to Qinghe Min County.

Ye Youyi and Qiu Qiu stayed in a home at the village’s riverside end, backed by a dense forest, with bamboo groves on either side and few neighbors nearby.

After greeting their hosts warmly, they carried their luggage into their assigned room.

Qiu Qiu sat on the bed, patting the clean bedding. “Good thing the crew arranged this in advance with fresh sheets. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep under someone else’s bedding!”

She helped Ye Youyi organize their luggage. “Luckily, we’re only filming here for two days. After that, we can leave. This place is so cold and eerie—it makes me uneasy.”

Once everything was unpacked, Ye Youyi joined her on the bed to rest. “Let’s get a good night’s sleep. We have to start early tomorrow.”

The mountain scenes depicted the lead character, Guo Zi, before being sold—highlighting her tragic upbringing and setting the stage for her later ruthlessness.

Fortunately, these scenes were mostly flashbacks, so the filming workload wasn’t heavy. With the normal pace, two or three days would suffice.

After a night of rest, the crew began filming early the next morning.

In the bustling, neon-lit capital, Wen Tang sat in her study, having just signed some documents. She rubbed her temples and leaned back in her chair.

After days of effort, the Bai Corporation had finally been fully absorbed into her control.

Of course, she was thrilled. Despite her exhaustion, she habitually reached for her phone, intending to video call Ye Youyi.

But as soon as she opened her contact, she remembered Ye Youyi had mentioned going to the mountains for filming, where there would be no signal—no video call, not even phone reception.

Suppressing her longing, she put the phone down.

The next moment, it rang.

Hoping it was Ye Youyi, she answered eagerly. “Hello?”

Wen Qi, brimming with excitement, didn’t pick up on Wen Tang’s anticipation. “Young Mistress! Mr. Wei, we’ve rescued him!”

Wen Tang froze, stunned by the sudden news.

Having learned that extra guards had been placed around her original father on the island, she hadn’t expected an immediate rescue.

Yet this time, Wen Qi’s team had succeeded in freeing him?

“Where is he now?” she asked, relief and joy in her voice.

“Mr. Wei is in a safe location. But to be cautious, I didn’t bring him back to the country. Young Mistress, should we send him to you immediately?”

Wen Tang considered briefly. “Not for now. If he’s safe, let him stay there. Once I’ve settled matters with the Wen family, I’ll go get him.”

She still wasn’t sure of Old Madam Wen’s intentions toward her. Keeping her father abroad reduced the family’s leverage against her.

Wen Qi’s excitement dimmed slightly at her reply. Hesitantly, he said, “Young Mistress, although we rescued Mr. Wei, he, he.”

Could something have gone wrong?

Wen Tang furrowed her brows. “What happened to him?”

“Mr. Wei, his mind seems to be having some problems.”

Wen Tang’s frown deepened. What does “having some problems with his mind” even mean?

In all her memories of her original self’s father, there had never been any sign of mental issues.

He had raised the original self with his own hands. Sure, he sometimes got depressed, but he had never—ever—developed mental instability.

Could it be that after being taken abroad by Madam Wen, something was done to him?

Thinking this, Wen Tang closed her eyes for a moment. “What exactly happened to him?”

Wen Qi, timid and cautious, lowered her voice even further, afraid of angering the young mistress. “Mr. Wei is lost in his own world. He doesn’t recognize anyone, and he doesn’t respond to the outside world at all.”

This has to be Madam Wen’s doing!

In her memories, her original self’s father was a resilient, kind Omega. Even though he had been heartbroken and devastated by the person he loved abandoning him, he had always continued to live positively—because the original self existed.

How could he suddenly collapse mentally, not even recognize people?

But she couldn’t confront Madam Wen yet—not until she had enough confidence to stand before her and demand answers.

Leaning back in her chair, Wen Tang spoke coldly: “Make sure he’s well taken care of and treated properly. His safety must be guaranteed. I’m counting on you.”

Wen Qi responded hurriedly, “Yes, Young Mistress. I will take care of it for you.”

After hanging up, Wen Tang closed her eyes briefly, then looked up at the enchanting night outside her window.

Some people live recklessly and freely in the bustling chaos. Others struggle quietly in the darkness, fighting with all their might.

As dusk fell and Wen Tang finished handling her affairs, she came out of the shower to the sound of knocking at the door.

Thinking it was a delivery, she walked over and opened it.

Only to find Aunt Mei standing there, after a long time.

She held the door open and greeted her politely. “Aunt Mei, what brings you here?”

Aunt Mei looked past her into the room, shaking her head with a faint smile. “I won’t stay long. I still need to return to Madam Wen to prepare her medicine.”

Hearing this, Wen Tang understood the purpose of her visit. Playing ignorant, she smiled lightly. “In that case, I won’t keep you.”

Aunt Mei noticed the faint smile on the young mistress’s face—her lips were smiling, but her eyes were cold.

After hesitating, she said, “Madam Wen is unwell. Young Mistress, do you want to go see her?”

Here it comes again!

Suppressing her annoyance, Wen Tang kept her smile perfectly composed. “There’s no need. Madam Wen never liked me anyway. If I go to see her, she might be upset and worsen her condition.”

Before Aunt Mei could speak again, she hurriedly added, “It’s too late tonight, so I won’t see you back. Be careful on your way. Good night!”

Seeing that the young mistress was resolute, Aunt Mei could only stare blankly as Wen Tang closed the door behind her.

Once the door was shut, a chill ran through Wen Tang.

She finally understood—Madam Wen had deliberately harmed her original self’s father, causing his mental collapse. How could she possibly return to the Wen residence and act like nothing happened?

“Don’t be so angry! He’s been rescued now. Later, you can still make sure he recovers, right?” The system appeared in her mind, trying to soothe her.

Wen Tang’s expression softened slightly. “I’m angry because Madam Wen doesn’t even consider the original self—or me—as human!”

The system looked at her, now perfectly immersed as a character in the novel, and thought she seemed much more alive than before. “Then complete your mission well. Get the Wen family in your hands. Later, you can make Madam Wen pay for all the suffering she caused.”

Wen Tang sat on the sofa, took a sip of warm water, and said, “We’ll deal with the future when it comes.”

As she calmed herself, her phone screen lit up.

Seeing that it was Qiu Qiu calling, she answered with curiosity. “What is it, Qiu Qiu?”

From the other end came Qiu Qiu’s choked sobs. Wen Tang frowned and heard her say: “Wen Tang, it’s bad! Xiao Ye, she, she’s missing!”