Reborn a Scummy Alpha, Happily Ever After with the Movie Queen - Chapter 45

In the soft haze of night, all filth was buried beneath the shroud of darkness.

Inside an unnamed villa, the lights were dim, the air hushed and still.

Behind a polished mahogany desk sat Wen Xin, a smile curling on her painted lips as she listened to her subordinate’s report. Leaning back comfortably in her chair, she looked every inch the picture of control.

“Miss Wen Tang has already learned of Ye Youyi’s disappearance,” the man finished quietly.

At those words, Wen Xin’s brow furrowed. “Wen Tang? That wretched illegitimate girl dares call herself ‘Miss’?”

The man in the black suit quickly bowed his head. “Yes, Miss Wen Tang knows, but she hasn’t taken any action yet.”

Wen Xin’s expression smoothed into satisfaction, and she nodded approvingly.

“Good. Keep a close eye on her—every move she makes.”

Tonight’s game had two purposes.

First: to test whether that Ye Youyi truly held a place in Wen Tang’s heart.

Second: to see whether the Wen family’s lost assets, those left behind after the Bai Corporation’s bankruptcy, had been quietly devoured by Wen Tang.

Everything was proceeding just as she had planned. Wen Xin stroked her freshly manicured nails and said lazily to the girl trying to make herself invisible in the corner, “I suppose you’ve proven somewhat useful.”

The petite girl flinched, her body trembling as she lifted her head.

Wen Xin glanced sidelong at Lin Shuang and gave a faint smile. “If Wen Tang really is that hung up on this Ye Youyi, then I’ll overlook your failure to seduce her.”

Assigning Wen Tang to work as a celebrity’s assistant had never been just about humiliation. The real goal had been to get one of those stars to lure her into a compromising position.

Unfortunately, the first one—Zuo Xiaojiao—had been duplicitous, turning up her nose at Wen Tang and even plotting to hand her off to the Yang family.

So, when Wen Xin later reassigned Wen Tang to assist Lin Shuang, she personally ordered Lin Shuang to succeed at seduction—or else be sold off to the Black Triangle.

Although Lin Shuang hadn’t managed to ensnare Wen Tang, the information she’d just reported was still of value.

If Wen Tang really had fallen for Ye Youyi, then Wen Xin’s scheme wasn’t a failure after all. Her original goal, after all, had been to sabotage Wen Tang’s engagement to the Ning family.

The process might have deviated from her expectations, but the result was still acceptable.

“You can go now,” Wen Xin said coolly. “Take your money and keep your mouth shut. If I hear a single word leak out.” Her smile turned razor-sharp. “I have plenty of ways to make you wish you were dead.”

Lin Shuang’s trembling worsened. Wen Xin cast her one last contemptuous look, let out a derisive laugh, and waved her out of the room.

Then, rising gracefully to her feet, she pressed a hidden button on the bookshelf behind her. The shelves slid aside with a soft mechanical hum, revealing a narrow passage just wide enough for one person.

She stepped in without hurry.

Though the secret chamber had no doors or windows, it was well-furnished—brightly lit, stocked with toiletries, clean and almost comfortable.

On the bed lay a frail, thin woman.

Wen Xin approached and looked down at her. “How are you feeling now?”

The woman turned her head. Her face, once radiant, was now pale and hollow—it was none other than Bai Yuqing, heiress of the Bai Corporation.

“I’m much better,” Bai Yuqing murmured weakly.

Not long ago, she had been abducted by an unknown group and imprisoned in the dungeon beneath her own ancestral home. Her captors had forced her to drink a drug every day, leaving her too weak to move.

Just when she had lost all hope, the eldest daughter of the Wen family had appeared—her savior.

Wen Xin had hidden her here, even hiring doctors to nurse her back to health.

Later, when Wen Xin explained why she had intervened, Bai Yuqing’s doubts eased.

The Bai Corporation was gone now. With nothing left, she could only rely on Wen Xin.

Wen Xin had told her that she suspected the Bai family’s ruin had been orchestrated by their illegitimate daughter—and that she wanted to work together to uncover the truth.

So, Bai Yuqing had supplied her with secrets only the Bai family would know, including information on several covert subsidiary companies, to aid her investigation.

“How’s it progressing?” Bai Yuqing asked softly.

Wen Xin shrugged. “She hasn’t made a move yet. But Ye Youyi’s already in my people’s hands. As soon as Wen Tang mobilizes the Bai Corporation’s remaining resources, I’ll know immediately.”

If Wen Tang did use those resources, it would confirm everything—that she had indeed been behind the Bai family’s downfall.

Once Wen Xin had that proof, she could present it to her grandmother and expose Wen Tang’s ambition and disloyalty.

Then, with the engagement to the Ning family already broken off, their grandmother would surely reconsider giving the Wen family’s power to such a scheming, uncontrollable woman.

The thought alone made Wen Xin’s heart light with glee. She could already picture it—Wen Tang abandoned by the family, kneeling at her feet in disgrace, begging for mercy.

Beijing.

Wen Tang grabbed her coat and strode out.

Descending into the underground garage, she headed straight for her car and got in.

As the engine roared to life, she sped toward the airport and dialed Wen Qi’s number.

“Miss?” came the voice on the other end.

“Ye Youyi’s missing,” Wen Tang said, her voice low and steady. “Find out where she is.”

Wen Qi’s eyes widened in shock. “Miss Ye has gone missing?”

Wen Tang’s expression remained calm and composed. She briefly relayed to her the details Qiu Qiu had told her about Ye Youyi’s disappearance, then added in a low, steady voice, “Before dawn, I want to know where she is.”

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Wen Qi nodded firmly. “Understood.”

Once the call ended, Wen Tang slammed her foot down on the accelerator, weaving swiftly through the traffic.

In less than an hour, she reached the airport and purchased the earliest ticket to Qinghe Min Country.

Seated in the departure lounge, she asked silently in her mind, “Er Que, if I remember correctly, there wasn’t any plotline in the original novel where Ye Youyi goes missing, what’s going on here?”

The system smacked its lips before replying in a cryptic tone, “I told you before, the storyline has changed. Things that weren’t in the original might now appear—like this one. But the general direction hasn’t shifted much, so don’t panic.”

Wen Tang frowned slightly. “Then can you tell me where Ye Youyi is now? Is her life in danger?”

“I don’t know where she is either,” the system admitted, seeing Wen Tang’s brows knit tighter and quickly tried to reassure her, “but she shouldn’t be in any immediate danger.”

So, this was truly a major deviation from the original plot—otherwise, the system wouldn’t be dodging her questions like this.

Wen Tang exhaled softly and shut the system off from her mind.

She went over every possible suspect but couldn’t think of anyone who would dare lay a hand on Ye Youyi.

Just as boarding time approached, she stood up to head for the gate when her phone rang.

Seeing that it was Wen Qi, she immediately answered. “Did you find Ye Youyi’s whereabouts?”

Wen Qi wiped the cold sweat from her forehead before answering hesitantly, “Miss, I’ve used every level of authority I have, but I still couldn’t locate Miss Ye—or determine who took her.”

Most of Bai Corporation’s forces had been sent abroad to rescue Mr. Wei, leaving little power left in the country. Desperate, Wen Tang had authorized Wen Qi to use her remaining influence within the Wen family.

Even so, there was no trace. The result left Wen Qi with a faint, troubling suspicion, but she dared not speak it aloud.

Wen Tang stopped in her tracks, gripping her phone tightly. “If we combine the Bai family’s remaining forces with our Wen family’s resources, can we find her then?”

Wen Qi mentally calculated for a moment before shaking her head. “Even then, it wouldn’t be enough, unless—”

“Unless what?” Wen Tang’s voice sharpened, a flicker of hope lighting in her chest.

After a moment’s struggle, Wen Qi finally said, “Unless you return to the Wen family, Miss. With your authority as the eldest daughter, the forces you could command would far exceed mine.”

The Wen family’s influence was enormous. If Wen Tang returned and exercised her full rights as the family’s heir, finding a single person would be effortless.

Wen Tang fell silent for a long time after hearing that.

When the call ended, she stood before the boarding gate, staring up at the display screen. Slowly, she closed her eyes.

On one side lay the safety of the woman she loved; on the other, the suffocating shackles she had escaped once before.

Faced with such a choice, Wen Tang gave a quiet, bitter laugh.

So, in the end, reality still demanded her submission.

If she didn’t return to the Wen family, she couldn’t save Ye Youyi. But if she did, she would once again be under her grandmother’s control.

At last, she didn’t ask the system for advice.

She reached into her pocket, took out her plane ticket, glanced at it once, and then calmly tossed it into the trash bin.

Once she made her decision, there was no trace of hesitation left in her.

Driving through the night, she soon arrived at the grand Wen family estate. The towering gates loomed before her under the dim glow of the lanterns. She unclenched her fists, took a deep breath, and stepped forward.

It was late; most of the servants who bustled through the manor during the day were long gone. Wen Tang walked through the quiet corridors until she reached the old lady’s private residence. She knocked on the door.

It was Meiru who opened it. Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Miss? It’s so late—why are you back?”

Wen Tang stepped past her into the hallway. “Where’s Grandmother?”

“The Madam just took her medicine. She hasn’t gone to bed yet. Do you have something to discuss with her?”

Wen Tang’s lips curved faintly, her tone calm and even. “I was too rebellious before. But I’ve thought things through. I wanted to see Grandmother—if she’s still willing to see me.”

Meiru was taken aback. The same young lady who had once refused all ties with the Wen family now stood before her, smiling softly and speaking with deference. The change was startling.

“How could she not want to see you? The Madam has been longing for your return!”

She hurriedly led Wen Tang upstairs to the old lady’s study, knocking gently on the door. “Madam, are you busy?”

A frail, aged voice came from within. “Come in.”

Meiru pushed the door open and gave the visibly tense young woman an encouraging nod before watching her step inside.

Quietly, she closed the door behind her, thinking that perhaps—if the eldest lady lowered her pride—the formidable old Madam might finally yield and welcome her back into the family.

Inside, the study was still and dimly lit. The old lady looked up, startled for a moment to see the granddaughter she hadn’t laid eyes on in so long.

She set her book aside, studied Wen Tang from head to toe, and leaned back slowly in her chair.

“You’ve come back?”

Meeting that sharp, discerning gaze, Wen Tang clenched her fists inside her sleeves. Keeping her emotions in check, she lowered her head. “I heard from Aunt Mei that you were ill, so I came to check on you.”

“And?” The old lady’s tone was calm but laced with scrutiny.

She wasn’t so easily deceived. After all, it was already past eleven at night. If Wen Tang truly came just to visit, why would she appear at such an hour?