Reborn as the Heartless Alpha - Chapter 18

Zhou Zhou watched in astonishment as Miss Song, seemingly experiencing ice cream for the first time just like her, beamed with joy like a child who had just been given candy.

Her face, usually coldly elegant with a touch of sharpness, now wore an innocent smile, softening the edges of her brows and eyes.

Surrounded by the bustling market and light industrial area, people came and went, the hum of machinery from nearby factories blending with the vendors’ dialect-laden cries and customers’ passionate haggling.

Yet Zhou Zhou seemed to hear none of it, aware only of her own frantic heartbeat. It reminded her of the scorching summer days in the orphanage, the ceaseless croaking of frogs from the nearby lotus pond, and the sudden “plop” when she got too close to the water.

Now, it felt like a hundred tiny frogs had taken up residence in her heart.

Song Yi was utterly absorbed in savoring her first-ever ice cream.

When she opened her eyes and turned to look at Zhou Zhou, the latter quickly averted her gaze. Song Yi noticed the untouched ice cream in Zhou Zhou’s hand.

“It’s going to melt,” Song Yi reminded her with a smile.

The taro-flavored ice cream was twice the size of the previous chocolate one, topped with a crispy layer that looked delicious. The melting pale purple liquid dripped enticingly.

Finally remembering to eat, Zhou Zhou took a small, restrained lick so cautious compared to Song Yi, who might as well have been devouring hers.

Song Yi glanced away, checking her watch. It was almost two in the afternoon, the hottest part of the day.

“Let’s get in the car,” she said, opening the passenger door for Zhou Zhou, who climbed in still clutching her ice cream.

Once in the driver’s seat, Song Yi instinctively turned to look at Zhou Zhou, who seemed lost in thought, her gaze distant, her entire demeanor oddly dazed.

Maybe she was wondering if she’d boarded a thief’s car, destined for a den of thieves next.

Amused by her own imagination, Song Yi’s lips curved slightly. She raised a hand, intending to tap Zhou Zhou’s shoulder to remind her to fasten her seatbelt, but at the last moment, fearing she might startle her, redirected her movement. Leaning over instead, she buckled Zhou Zhou in herself.

Still lost in thought, Zhou Zhou only registered the sudden dimming of light before her, enveloped by the faint scent of red wine subtle yet enough to make her hold her breath.

A second later, the light returned. But the lingering, pleasant aroma of wine remained. Swallowing hard, Zhou Zhou took a big bite of her ice cream, only to find the long-coveted chocolate crisp suddenly tasteless.

Song Yi focused on driving, her mood buoyant after successfully convincing Zhou Zhou to come with her.

Unconsciously, she had already begun to place great importance on Zhou Zhou’s fate.

By the time they returned to the villa district, it was past four in the afternoon. Song Yi drove into the property, bypassing the garage and parking in the courtyard.

The meticulously maintained lawn was a vibrant green, with a designated parking spot near the wall paved with pentagonal hollow-centered tiles, a seamless design that didn’t look out of place at all.

On the other side of the yard stood a medium-sized fountain, seemingly ordinary and unremarkable.

Song Yi, wealthy in her original world, was unfazed by such luxuries, but to Zhou Zhou, they were entirely novel.

As Song Yi retrieved Zhou Zhou’s luggage from the trunk, she noticed her walking toward the fountain and followed. Remembering the book’s setting, she explained, “It doesn’t look like much now, but at night, it’s completely different.”

“How so?” Zhou Zhou turned to her, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.

“We’ll know when it gets dark. Telling you now would spoil the surprise,” Song Yi decided to keep her in suspense.

Zhou Zhou didn’t press further, simply nodding in agreement.

“Go ahead and pick a room you like first,” Song Yi said gently, hoping this would help ease Zhou Zhou’s fear of her and make her feel a little safer.

After all, for an omega who was still quite vulnerable, sharing a roof with a powerful alpha they barely knew was an extremely dangerous situation.

It was like a lion and a lamb, the lion couldn’t even be a hundred percent confident in restraining its own terrifying desires, let alone the defenseless little lamb.

For a moment, Song Yi suddenly realized: Zhou Zhou agreeing to come back with her was no different from a lamb walking into a lion’s den. And didn’t that also mean Zhou Zhou trusted her?

At that thought, Song Yi felt a surge of exhilaration.

There was no emotional experience better than being trusted, she mused.

Carrying Zhou Zhou’s luggage, Song Yi gave a slight bow in a gentlemanly gesture, like a prince from a fairy tale treating a princess who instinctively commanded reverence. Zhou Zhou’s mind wavered Miss Song was even more heart-stirring than any fairy-tale prince.

This presence was real, yet she couldn’t shake off a vague sense of unreality, as if Miss Song didn’t belong to this world, or as if they weren’t meant to exist in the same world to begin with.

A shadow of melancholy flickered in Zhou Zhou’s eyes before she forced a faint smile and followed Miss Song’s lead up the steps, stepping through the grand entrance of the villa, this luxurious place that would soon be her workplace.

Suddenly, a woman’s voice came from behind.

“Song Yi, so you’ve changed your taste again?”

The tone carried obvious teasing and a barely concealed hint of sarcasm.

Zhou Zhou’s foot froze mid-step. On the stairs, Song Yi turned to look at the cold-faced beauty who had just walked through the courtyard gate.

If Song Yi’s own features leaned toward icy elegance, this newcomer was like a glacier, how could someone’s eyebrows, eyes, and lips all be so sharp, as if coated in an unmelting layer of frost?

“What? Even if you’re the type to love the new and loathe the old, we grew up together. Have you forgotten me so quickly?” The woman smirked at Song Yi, her lips curled in a smile that somehow conveyed displeasure.

Song Yi studied her intently, sifting through the memories of the original scumbag alpha. Soon, she had her answer.

This woman was named You Xuechu. According to the novel’s explanation, she was born on the day of the first snow fitting, since she gave off an aura as cold as ice, even when smiling.

You Xuechu and the original scumbag alpha had a complicated relationship. Their elders were close friends, and this villa district was practically divided between their two families. They had grown up together, childhood friends both alphas, so logically, there shouldn’t have been any romantic tension.

But the original scumbag alpha earned her title for a reason, she was so shameless she’d even betray a lifelong friend.

You Xuechu was naturally aloof and cold by nature, never taking the initiative to make friends, and few dared to approach her. The original scumbag Alpha was the boldest of them all. Even as a child, the first time she greeted You Xuechu, she dared to grab her hand and forcibly pull her into her own playgroup, bringing her along to play games with other kids. At first, You Xuechu resisted and refused, but the scumbag Alpha’s relentless persistence moved the lonely yet innocent You Xuechu. She came to regard the scumbag Alpha as her best friend. Even later, when she witnessed firsthand how the scumbag Alpha changed girlfriends faster than clothes and even when the scumbag Alpha proposed taking their relationship to a more ambiguous level, she didn’t refuse. After so many years of friendship, she thought she would be the exception. But the result was cruel. She experienced the pain of being discarded firsthand.

A scumbag is a scumbag!

When they broke up, You Xuechu fought Song Yi. Their strengths were evenly matched, and both ended up battered and bruised, with neither gaining the upper hand.

After recovering from her injuries, You Xuechu watched helplessly as Song Yi continued to cycle through girlfriends. Beyond resentment, what filled her heart most was sympathy for the girls who were either deceived or willingly became Song Yi’s short-term girlfriends.

Every time she witnessed it, she would appear just like now at least to make sure the girls understood that Song Yi was a complete scumbag Alpha. If the girls still chose to stay with Song Yi, then there was nothing more she could do.

“Little one,” You Xuechu said, softening her gaze slightly as it landed on Zhou Zhou. “Life is long, and there are many ways to solve problems. You don’t have to take the most degrading path.”

Zhou Zhou blinked in confusion.

Song Yi, the target of the veiled mockery, understood You Xuechu’s intentions all too well. She pinched the bridge of her nose and said, “It’s not what you think. Zhou Zhou is just someone I hired as a villa housekeeper.”

You Xuechu snorted in disbelief. She truly didn’t buy it. Even if it were true, she thought, it was just another one of Song Yi’s tactics to lure in an innocent girl. No matter how noble the method seemed, the underlying motive was ugly.

“Last time no, the time before that, and the time before that, you used the same routine with that waitress you brought back from the restaurant. Did you really think I’d believe you?” You Xuechu’s gaze was as sharp as an eagle’s.

Song Yi thought back, and images flashed through her mind. Indeed, there had been such a scene as You Xuechu described.

But how could the words and actions of the original scumbag Alpha be equated with her own, Song Yi’s?

The most frustrating part was that she had no way to distance herself from the original scumbag Alpha’s behavior. She could only endure it silently.

Putting herself in You Xuechu’s shoes, she wouldn’t believe it either.

The helplessness of having a voice yet being unable to defend herself plunged Song Yi into an abyss falling, endlessly falling.

“I believe her!” Zhou Zhou, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke up.

“I believe Miss Song!”

Her voice, gentle yet resolute, was like a lifeline that hooked onto Song Yi’s waist as she fell, pulling her back to the edge of the cliff. Song Yi, her face pale with anxiety and helplessness, looked down at Zhou Zhou.

“Although I don’t fully understand the specifics of what you’re saying, I can tell there must be some misunderstanding between you and Miss Song. Miss Song is a good person. She hasn’t asked anything of me, and I’m well aware that there’s nothing about me worth Miss Song going to such lengths to pursue.”

Upon hearing this, You Xuechu was utterly stunned, frozen like an ice sculpture for a long moment. She had encountered girls who spoke up for Song Yi before, but never one who defended her as sincerely as this girl named Zhou Zhou before her.

Her cold eyes revealed a look of pity. “Sympathy for scum is the beginning of misfortune, little girl. Think carefully. If you’re lacking work or money, whatever benefits Song Yi can offer you, I can provide the same. Consider coming with me instead.”

Song Yi’s pale complexion had already begun to ease, but upon hearing You Xuechu offer Zhou Zhou the same job opportunities and benefits, a surge of impulsiveness rose within her, she wanted to accept on Zhou Zhou’s behalf immediately. Though You Xuechu was often cold, she was undoubtedly upright, reliable, and compassionate. Before Zhou Zhou’s parents and fiancée appeared, You Xuechu would be a far better protector than she could ever be.

Yet this impulse was quickly replaced by a hidden unease, as if a seed buried at some unknown time was trying to sprout.

What was Zhou Zhou thinking? Was she seriously considering You Xuechu’s offer?

She wanted Zhou Zhou to accept You Xuechu’s proposal, yet at the same time, she hoped Zhou Zhou would refuse.

Song Yi was torn since when had she become so conflicted?

Meanwhile, You Xuechu stood with her arms crossed, in no hurry for Zhou Zhou to give an answer. She admired Zhou Zhou’s attitude of thinking carefully before making a decision. Besides, the fact that Zhou Zhou didn’t immediately reject her this time suggested there was hope for her to turn back from the wrong path.

Song Yi watched Zhou Zhou intently from the side, not daring to blink, as if she might miss something the moment, she closed her eyes.

Zhou Zhou slightly raised her eyes and parted her lips, but before she could speak, Song Yi swiftly reached out and grabbed her wrist.

Zhou Zhou glanced down at her wrist, now held by Miss Song, then lifted her gaze with even more determination. “Thank you for your kindness, miss, but I’ve already promised Miss Song.”

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