Reborn a Scummy Alpha, Happily Ever After with the Movie Queen - Chapter 59

The unwanted engagement banquet ended in chaos and was ultimately called off.

Although Ning Xu and Cheng Ye had made both families the laughingstock of the city, Old Madam Wen warned the other families not to spread word of the incident. With Wen Tang stepping in to protect them, the pair were merely scolded a few times before being sent abroad together—never to return, lest they further upset the old lady.

Yet after that disastrous night, the already frail Old Madam Wen fell ill.

The Wen family’s private doctor was summoned immediately. After a long night of treatment, the old lady’s condition finally stabilized, and she drifted into a light sleep with Meiru by her side.

By dawn, the Wen residence, which had just quieted down, was startled awake by a sudden commotion.

Having just received word, Wen Xin rushed back and burst straight into the old lady’s courtyard.

Hearing the noise, Meiru threw on a coat and came out to the living room. Seeing it was the second young lady, she quickly gestured for her to quiet down. “The madam just fell asleep, Second Miss. Why don’t you go back for now? You can visit once she wakes.”

But Wen Xin ignored her and pushed her aside.

Seeing this, Meiru didn’t dare stop her again. She hurried to the door and quietly instructed one of the servants, “Go tell the young lady—Second Miss is back.”

The servant nodded in understanding and ran off toward Wen Tang’s courtyard.

Meiru then returned to the bedroom. Seeing that the old lady was still fast asleep and that the second young lady was only sitting quietly at the bedside, holding her hand, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness the old madam hadn’t woken—otherwise who knew what kind of slander the Second Miss would be spouting about the eldest again!

After a while, Wen Xin rose from the bedside, ready to leave. When she saw Meiru standing at the doorway, she decided to question her.

Once they reached the sitting room, Wen Xin went straight to the point. “The engagement wasn’t completed yesterday?”

Ever since the time she and Bai Yuqing had teamed up to kidnap that little celebrity, she had learned that Wen Tang had returned home, managed to win over their grandmother, and even gained back her power and influence.

She loathed Wen Tang to the core.

She had thought that by pushing her to the brink, Wen Tang would be forced to use what remained of the Bai family’s power. Who would’ve thought that instead of fighting back, Wen Tang would stoop so low as to flatter and deceive their grandmother!

Wen Xin swore she would one day seize some dirt on Wen Tang—something she could present to the old lady to expose Wen Tang’s “true colors.”

But after the kidnapping incident, she found her influence and resources dwindling fast. And because she had been using them behind the old lady’s back, she couldn’t admit it to her either.

As a result, studying abroad had left her increasingly cut off from the family’s affairs.

Even the news of her grandmother’s sudden illness reached her only because Aunt Mei had secretly sent word.

Upon returning and hearing that Wen Tang’s engagement to Ning Xu had fallen through, Wen Xin felt a burst of satisfaction.

So, Grandmother didn’t value Wen Tang that much after all. The marriage had failed in the end—and soon enough, that “breeding tool” would be of no use to the Wen family anymore.

But Meiru’s next words shattered her little daydream.

“Second Miss, about that.” Meiru began cautiously, choosing her words carefully for the sake of the family’s reputation. In a few brief sentences, she explained what had happened at the banquet and concluded, “So the madam felt the young lady had been wronged and decided to listen to her opinion—for the time being, she’s chosen to let the Ning family and those two go.”

Wen Xin’s face twisted in disbelief. “Aunt Mei, are you saying—Grandmother actually listened to Wen Tang’s opinion?”

When Meiru nodded, Wen Xin completely lost her composure.

She stomped her foot in fury and was about to storm off to confront Wen Tang—just as Wen Tang appeared from the garden path, calm and cold as ever.

Wen Xin let out a sharp laugh, her tone dripping with mockery. “Without Grandmother’s approval, how dare a bastard born from the gutter walk in here? And you—how dare you manipulate her decisions? Don’t think that just because Grandmother let you back into the family, you’re qualified to take over the Wen estate! Keep dreaming! Grandmother belongs to me alone—and so does this family!”

Her voice grew shrill, as though the louder she shouted, the more authority she could assert—as if sheer noise could somehow crush Wen Tang beneath her heel.

Under the morning light, Wen Tang approached at an unhurried pace. Her expression remained unreadable, her eyes calm, as though none of Wen Xin’s words had reached her at all.

That composure only made Wen Xin feel as if she’d punched into cotton—her anger useless, her performance ridiculous.

Her fingers clenched tight, hatred flashing in her eyes. “You’re not allowed to see Grandmother! Get out!”

She lunged forward to shove Wen Tang, but the latter easily sidestepped her. Wen Xin, unable to stop her own momentum, nearly stumbled and fell.

Her rage surged higher.

“Before she fell asleep,” Wen Tang said evenly, adjusting her slightly rumpled sleeve, “Grandmother gave me full authority to handle family affairs. If you disagree, you can tell her when she wakes. But shouting outside her room and disturbing her rest isn’t the way.”

Her tone was calm, almost detached, yet it stung more than open hostility. Wen Xin’s jaw tightened in fury, teeth grinding.

“Hmph! Don’t think you can butter up Grandmother and become her heir. Just wait and see!”

She knew she couldn’t win right now. With Grandmother still unconscious, she had no backing—best to retreat and bide her time. Once the old lady recovered, she’d make sure Wen Tang paid for this humiliation.

As sunlight spilled through the courtyard, Wen Tang watched her sister’s retreating figure, then turned slightly toward Meiru. “Thank you for handling things today, Aunt Mei.”

After all, Meiru had been the one to alert her that Wen Xin had returned, and she had stopped Wen Xin from waking the old lady—saving Wen Tang no small amount of trouble.

“Miss, you flatter me,” Meiru said with a smile. “From now on, this household will depend on you. I’m only doing what I can in advance.”

Wen Tang lowered her gaze, a soft smile touching her lips. “I’ll remember this favor, Aunt Mei.”

The words made Meiru beam with satisfaction. “Don’t worry, miss. I’ll make sure to speak well of you before the madam.”

When Old Madam Wen finally awoke again, it was already noon the next day.

After this illness, her complexion was far worse than before, and her spirit seemed to have completely collapsed.

When she finally woke and saw Wen Tang sitting by her bedside, she stared blankly for a moment before emotion welled up in her eyes.

Reaching out, she gently patted Wen Tang’s head. “Xiao Tang, Xiao Tang.”

After a moment, Wen Tang rubbed her sleepy eyes, her voice still soft with drowsiness. “Grandma, you’re finally awake! How do you feel?”

Seeing the genuine concern in Wen Tang’s eyes, the old lady was deeply moved. She hadn’t expected that after falling ill, the one who stayed by her bedside would be Wen Tang.

“I’m fine.” The old lady noticed the faint dark circles under Wen Tang’s eyes and guessed she hadn’t slept well. She smiled kindly and urged her to rest. “You’ve been keeping watch for quite some time, haven’t you? Grandma’s all right now. Go home and get some rest.”

Wen Tang obediently nodded. “Then I’ll go call Aunt Mei.”

Once she stepped out of the room, the worry and relief faded from her face. She motioned to Meiru, who was waiting nearby. “Grandma’s awake. You should go in.”

Then she added in a low voice, “Grandma might ask to see Wen Xin. I’ll have to trouble you with that, Aunt Mei.”

When she reached the garden, Wen Tang didn’t return to her courtyard.

These days, she no longer needed to sneak out like before—she could come and go openly, and no one dared stop her.

She truly hadn’t slept well last night, but not because she had been watching over her grandmother.

Lately, she’d been busy taking over the Wen Corporation while keeping an eye on Wen Xin’s movements. Between those and dealing with a few rebellious subordinates, she’d worked late into the night before finally getting some rest.

This morning, when the family doctor said her grandmother might wake soon, she’d gone to her room to “stand guard” and make a show of filial devotion.

She wondered whether her performance earlier would make Grandma start feeling dissatisfied with Wen Xin.

With that thought, Wen Tang headed for the Wen Corporation headquarters—she intended to personally deal with those troublesome dissenters.

When Wen Xin was summoned home, it was already afternoon.

She saw her grandmother sitting weakly against the headboard, looking frail and exhausted. Just as she was about to complain tearfully about how Wen Tang had bullied her, the old lady spoke first.

“Why are you only coming back now?”

Wen Xin quickly explained, “Grandma, I came home yesterday, but you were still asleep, so I didn’t want to disturb you.”

However, the old lady had already asked Meiru earlier—and Mei had told her that Wen Xin had never come back at all.

Disappointment clouded her expression. “Xin Xin, you know Grandma loves you the most, but you shouldn’t lie to me.”

Wen Xin blinked in confusion. “Grandma, what did I lie about?”

The old lady didn’t want to argue further. Instead, she spoke of the decision she had made during her illness. “I’m getting old, and my health isn’t what it used to be. But the Wen family can’t fall. So, I’ve decided that soon, I’ll publicly announce Wen Tang as the heir to the Wen family.”

“What?”

Wen Xin’s face twisted in disbelief. She hadn’t imagined her grandmother would truly hand the company over to that wretched Wen Tang!

Fury surged through her. “Grandma! Didn’t you say Wen Tang was rebellious and unreliable? You said you’d find me an Alpha husband so I could inherit the family business myself!”

The venomous resentment on Wen Xin’s face made her look almost deranged. To the old lady, she seemed like a stranger possessed by malice.

“Wen Xin!” the old lady snapped. “This is my decision. Do you think I’m wronging you by doing this?”

“And another thing—you’re the second young lady of the Wen family. I raised you myself. Mind your words! Don’t act rashly and bring shame to our family and to me!”

Wen Xin stared at the elderly woman who had once doted on her most, stunned that she would speak to her like this. “Grandma! Did Wen Tang feed you some kind of poison? How can you take her side against me? You promised—the family business was supposed to be mine! How can you betray me like this?”

“Wen Xin!” the old lady shouted, her voice sharp and trembling. The effort was too much—she suddenly gasped for breath and broke into a fit of coughing.

Her head spun, her vision darkened, and she collapsed back onto the bed, losing consciousness.

The sight terrified Wen Xin. She stared at her motionless grandmother, her whole body shaking. Too afraid to even check if the old woman was still breathing, she trembled uncontrollably—terrified she might have truly angered her grandmother to death.

All her earlier arrogance vanished. Her lips quivered as she let out a strangled cry, then turned and fled in panic.

The sound of chaos erupted behind her, but Wen Xin didn’t look back. She jumped into her car and sped away without hesitation.

The old lady’s condition worsened once more—her body now so frail that she could no longer sit up, only lie still as the servants tended to her.

Her speech was slurred and weak. When she saw Wen Tang standing beside her bed, she tried to speak, opening her mouth again and again, but no words came out.