Reborn as the Heartless Alpha - Chapter 36

Song Yi woke up to find it was already 9:00 PM. Her throat was parched; realizing she had been woken by thirst, she immediately prepared to head downstairs for water.

Just as she slipped into her slippers, the phone on the nightstand vibrated slightly. Song Yi leaned over to pick it up, but before she could check the messages, a knock sounded at the door.

 

Holding her phone, she went to open it.

 

When the door opened and she saw it was Zhou Zhou, the post-sleep haze in her eyes vanished, replaced by a sudden brightness.

 

She wanted to ask if Zhou Zhou had seen the jar of stars and the apology note she had left by the door, and if she had been forgiven. Yet, fearing Zhou Zhou might have something else important to say, she hesitated, waiting for the girl to speak first.

 

At this moment, Song Yi was completely unaware that Zhou Zhou had contemplated resigning or had even written a letter. Aside from a lingering trace of worry about being forgiven, her expression was much the same as usual: her sharp, handsome features softened in Zhou Zhou’s presence, her lips curling into a faint smile.

 

Zhou Zhou, who had been troubled for a long time, felt herself instinctively settle down upon seeing her.

 

“Ms. Song didn’t reply to my messages, so I was worried something might have happened. That’s why I knocked,” Zhou Zhou said truthfully, omitting the sheer depth of her anxiety.

 

For over two hours after finishing dinner, she had been waiting and worrying, terrified that Ms. Song might have lost control again—like she had at Dr. Ding’s—and had found a way to trap herself to avoid causing harm.

 

Seeing Ms. Song standing there perfectly fine, the heart she had held in suspense finally settled back into place.

 

Even though Zhou Zhou tried to downplay her emotions, Song Yi caught them. She turned her head, glancing at the unmade bed she had just vacated. “I’m sorry. I was sleeping and didn’t see your messages in time. I was just about to check them when you knocked.”

 

“It’s okay,” Zhou Zhou said, waving it off. Ms. Song’s constant apologies always made her feel a bit overwhelmed by the kindness.

 

At the same time, she realized once more that the Ms. Song she saw was completely different from the person described by Ms. You or the housekeeper.

 

The Ms. Song she knew wasn’t some psychological deviant or a scoundrel seeking to satisfy carnal desires through deception. The Ms. Song she knew was someone who treated her with genuine kindness, someone who rescued her from crises and helped her in her financial distress in ways she could accept—by offering work rather than just handing over money.

 

All of this suggested that Ms. Song was a person who respected others. She didn’t adopt a high-and-mighty posture of charity just because she was the one providing help.

 

But… was Ms. Song always like this, or was it only because she was facing her?

 

At that thought, Zhou Zhou’s breathing quickened.

 

She couldn’t let her thoughts run wild. Zhou Zhou pulled herself back from the edge, lowered her head, and blinked. “Are you hungry, Ms. Song?”

 

As she asked, she inevitably noticed she was still wearing those old, faded canvas shoes. In her haste to abandon the idea of resigning tonight, she had forgotten to switch back to her slippers.

 

This small mistake gave her a sense of crisis, as if her secret were about to be exposed. She pressed her toes against the tops of the shoes, praying Ms. Song wouldn’t notice.

 

The bright hallway lights shone down on them, stretching their shadows long. The shadows were closer to each other than they were physically standing; since she was looking down and leaning forward slightly, the shadow made it look as if she were nestled in Ms. Song’s arms.

 

Zhou Zhou’s face flushed crimson at the discovery.

 

“Zhou Zhou?” Song Yi called out in confusion.

 

As if startled, Zhou Zhou immediately took a step back. The distance between their shadows widened instantly, leaving no room for romantic fantasies.

 

“Sorry, I scared you again,” Song Yi said, stepping out of the room. “I’m going downstairs for water. Want to join me?”

 

“…Okay,” Zhou Zhou replied slowly, remembering her other reason for coming up: to ask if Ms. Song wanted dinner.

 

Song Yi hurried downstairs and went straight to the kitchen to pour a drink. She was truly thirsty; she gulped down a large glass of water and immediately poured another.

 

“It’s past nine. You should eat dinner, Ms. Song. It’s not good for your stomach to skip meals,” Zhou Zhou reminded her from behind.

 

Song Yi was struck by the realization: Zhou Zhou wasn’t just worried about her losing control; she was worried about her health.

 

In her original world, Song Yi’s stomach had been a wreck due to an incredibly irregular diet. It wasn’t uncommon for her to spend nights rolling in pain, yet she never cared much unless it became unbearable enough for a hospital stay. Even then, she would handle work online while being “nursed” back to health.

 

In this new world, her stomach was fine, yet someone was already caring for her.

 

A warm current flowed through her heart, and she couldn’t help but smile. “It’s already past nine? I really slept for a long time.”

 

Seeing that Ms. Song wasn’t opposed to eating, Zhou Zhou quickly said, “Please wait in the living room for a moment. I’ll use the microwave to reheat the dishes.”

 

“Okay,” Song Yi agreed, yet she didn’t leave the kitchen. For some reason, she quite enjoyed these moments in the kitchen with just the two of them. It felt like they were both being immersed in the simple, comforting atmosphere of a home.

 

Song Yi took out bowls and chopsticks from the sterilization cabinet and scooped out two bowls of rice. She glanced between the dining table and the small coffee table, eventually choosing the cozier coffee table. There, they could sit on the rug and lean against the soft sofa.

 

It would also allow her to be closer to Zhou Zhou.

 

Soon, the food was heated.

 

Zhou Zhou had learned two new home-cooked dishes that evening from a cookbook—Stir-fried Pork with Green Peppers and Blanched Greens. There were also several dishes the cook had made for lunch. When they were all laid out together, the leftovers actually looked even more impressive than the new dishes.

 

Zhou Zhou felt an urge to hide her face, thinking that perhaps she should just ask the cook to handle dinners from now on as well.

 

Song Yi hadn’t felt hungry before, but the aroma changed that. She could easily distinguish the two different styles of cooking on the table. Knowing Zhou Zhou’s skill level, she quickly identified which ones the girl had made.

 

Her chopsticks moved toward the green pepper pork, then the greens. Song Yi ate with great relish.

 

Zhou Zhou observed silently. Ms. Song seemed to really like those two dishes; it seemed her “blind cat” had indeed stumbled upon a “dead mouse.”

 

After the meal, Song Yi stood up from the rug. Having had a good sleep, her energy was high, and she didn’t want to go back to bed. She wanted something to do. Suddenly, she remembered the colored fluorescent paper she had used for the stars and instinctively went looking for them.

 

“Are you looking for the delivery boxes, Ms. Song?” Zhou Zhou asked.

 

“Yes,” Song Yi nodded. “I opened them this afternoon.”

 

“Over there.” Zhou Zhou walked around the sofa, leading her toward the stairs.

 

The six cardboard boxes were neatly lined up against the wall; Song Yi hadn’t even noticed them when she came down.

 

Watching Song Yi head straight for the boxes, Zhou Zhou stayed behind, pressing a hand to her heart. “Those stars… did you fold them yourself this afternoon, Ms. Song?”

 

“I did.” Thinking of the full jar she had produced, Song Yi felt a surge of achievement. She couldn’t help but ask a bit smugly, “Do they look pretty?”

 

At the confirmation, Zhou Zhou’s heart beat even faster. “They are beautiful.”

 

The moment she decided to stay, Zhou Zhou had made peace with herself. She decided to be kinder to her own heart. Liking someone was an irrational feeling she couldn’t control; even if she had left today, she wouldn’t have been able to forget Ms. Song. It was better to stay as her butler and like her quietly, making sure her feelings never burdened Ms. Song or Ms. You.

 

“You bought so much… I suppose it’s for a big surprise for Ms. You?” Zhou Zhou asked in a casual, gossipy tone, trying to satisfy her curiosity.

 

Song Yi’s hand brushed over the boxes of materials, cataloging the colors and types. At Zhou Zhou’s question, she turned her head back immediately.

 

“It has nothing to do with Ms. You,” she said with a hint of helplessness. She understood why Zhou Zhou was so stubborn about her and You Xuechu “rekindling their flame.” It was all the “Scum Alpha’s” fault, leaving her with these romantic debts.

 

Luckily, You Xuechu was someone who looked forward and wasn’t stuck in the past; otherwise, Song Yi would really be forced to act out some melodramatic play about refusing to return to an old flame.

 

Sure enough, Zhou Zhou still looked at her with doubt in her eyes.

 

Song Yi couldn’t help but laugh. “Do you know how to fold stars?”

 

“I do.”

 

“Do you prefer weaving grasshoppers or folding stars?”

 

The doubt in Zhou Zhou’s eyes deepened. “…Stars,” she answered tentatively.

 

Song Yi gave her a smile, turned around, and carried a box upstairs. Zhou Zhou, thinking she wanted to move them all to her room, stepped forward to help. She carried a box up, only to find that Song Yi hadn’t put them in her own room but had opened an empty guest room instead.

 

She probably thinks the boxes are in the way in her room, Zhou Zhou thought as she set the box down.

 

Suddenly, she heard Song Yi speak from behind her. “If you ever feel bored and want to do some handicrafts, you can come to this guest room.”

 

Zhou Zhou froze for a second. Once the meaning of the words sank in, she asked in shock, “Are these all… for me?”

 

“Yes. I took away your hobby of weaving grasshoppers, so I had to compensate you somehow,” Song Yi admitted openly.

 

A huge wave of emotion surged in Zhou Zhou’s heart. Why is Ms. Song so good to me?

 

She vaguely sensed that this kindness exceeded the typical boundaries of a boss-subordinate relationship, yet she could also clearly feel that there was no inappropriate motive behind Song Yi’s actions.

 

Working together, they moved all the boxes up in a few trips, stacking them neatly in the corner of the room.

 

As Song Yi leaned against the sofa to rest, she remembered something and looked at Zhou Zhou. “That bouquet… did you throw it away?”

 

Zhou Zhou looked uneasy.

 

“It was bought for you anyway. You can do whatever you want with it.”

 

“Okay,” Zhou Zhou replied with her head down.

 

Song Yi couldn’t see her expression. Shifting her gaze downward, she noticed that Zhou Zhou had at some point changed back into her original clothes—the long sleeves and trousers that were well-worn but very clean.

 

Are the clothes in the wardrobe beautiful but uncomfortable?

 

Song Yi never suspected the real reason for the outfit change was a planned resignation. She blamed herself for not realizing that while those clothes were pretty, they might not be “comfortable” for Zhou Zhou’s daily life.

 

After a moment of thought, Song Yi spoke: “Zhou Zhou, come with me somewhere tomorrow.”

 

“Okay,” Zhou Zhou agreed immediately, assuming it was related to her duties as butler.

 

“Get some rest. Goodnight.” Song Yi stood up to say goodbye. She had slept enough, but she couldn’t keep Zhou Zhou awake.

 

“Goodnight, Ms. Song.”

 

Zhou Zhou went back to her room. Song Yi didn’t leave her spot; instead, she started searching for major shopping malls on her phone. She wanted to take Zhou Zhou to pick out some suitable clothes—for daily wear and for when she eventually started university.

 

Thinking of university, Zhou Zhou’s college entrance exam results were due soon. In the original story, Zhou Zhou’s scores were excellent. If the Scum Alpha hadn’t interfered, she would have certainly attended a top university.

 

There were several good universities in H City. When she took Zhou Zhou to buy clothes tomorrow, she could also visit some campuses to help the girl decide where to apply. If Zhou Zhou liked C University, where Song Yi and You Xuechu were students, that would be even better.

 

Back in her room, Zhou Zhou’s heart wouldn’t stop pounding.

 

Why am I so excited? she asked herself.

 

Ms. Song had said she was taking her out tomorrow, not right now. She approached the classical-style vanity and saw her flushed face in the bronze mirror.

 

Averting her eyes from the mirror, she saw the bouquet she had hidden behind the curtain. Ms. Song thought she had thrown it away, but she had secretly brought it back to her room.

 

After washing up, Zhou Zhou got into bed. To ensure she was in the best state for “work” tomorrow, she needed to sleep early.

 

Lying on her side, she reached out to turn off the light when she saw the glass jar full of stars Ms. Song had left by her door. Her hand dropped. She sat up and pulled the jar into her arms.

 

On a whim, she decided to count how many stars were inside—treating it as a sleep aid.

 

She opened the jar and poured the stars onto the quilt. She counted five and put them back, but then a thought struck her.

 

She turned off the light and continued counting.

 

In the darkness, the stars—emitting a soft, ethereal glow—lay scattered across her. She picked them up one by one.

 

Six, seven, eight, ninety-eight, ninety-nine.

 

There were exactly ninety-nine stars.

 

Clasping the jar, Zhou Zhou felt as if she had discovered a grand secret. Excitedly, she replaced the lid and carefully put the jar back on the nightstand.

 

She settled into a side-sleeping position, slowly drifting into sleep while watching the stars.

 

The vibrant bouquet of flowers also quietly slipped into her dreams.