The Fallen Film Queen’s Possessive Alpha - Chapter 46

[Would you like to have dinner together?]

[Got plans, whimper.jpg]

[Business dinner? Don’t drink too much.]

[Sort of.] Zhou Qiwei hesitated for a moment before adding a few more words, [Entertaining my mom.]

Wow, their relationship really is terrible. Song Haoyin tapped her screen rapidly and sent another message: [How about late-night snacks later? I’ll be at the company’s fitness room.]

In the Zhou family’s ancestral home, Zhou Qiwei sat stiffly in formal attire, her expression stern as she picked up her chopsticks and reached for the nearest dish only to grab a clump of air and place it on her plate. The air, of course, was wrapped around a single strand of ginger.

Zhou Zhao and Zhou Mu pretended not to notice. At this point, neither of them wanted to upset their younger sister. As long as Qiwei wasn’t climbing onto the table, they’d let her be. Du Ning, though visibly pained, guessed that her daughter probably had a romantic rendezvous later.

Only the person who had invested the most emotionally and otherwise in Zhou Qiwei’s existence couldn’t take it anymore. Zhou Qing set down her chopsticks and fixed her youngest daughter with a stern gaze, but the girl refused to meet her eyes. Just as Zhou Qing was about to speak, Du Ning gently grasped her wife’s hand and shook her head slightly.

Thinking about the matter they needed to discuss today, Zhou Qing felt her stomach twist so violently she could barely eat. But some things had to be faced. As a mother, she couldn’t run from her responsibilities.

Zhou Qiwei ate until she was about 30% full. If they’d just stop talking, she could go pick up Song Haoyin from the training room. Before their late-night snack, they could even take a walk together.

Her daughter sat there, a faint smile breaking through her usual indifference, which made Du Ning’s eyes widen. Combined with her odd behavior during dinner, Du Ning understood she really was in love. This look was all too familiar. Herself and Zhou Qing back in the day, Zhou Zhao later, and now Zhou Qiwei, when they fell in love, they all had the same dopey, unconscious grin.

Come to think of it, only their Zhou Mu had managed to stay relatively composed in matters of the heart.

The five of them were seated Zhou Qing and Du Ning at the head of the table, Zhou Zhao and Zhou Mu on either side, and Zhou Qiwei, as usual, directly across from Zhou Qing.

Every time Zhou Qing looked up, she saw her youngest daughter’s indifferent face. This was their first meeting since Qiwei had returned from Yorktown. Though they rarely saw each other, Zhou Qing had always made an effort to stay informed about her daughter’s life even if she never interfered.

Weiwei seemed different somehow. Zhou Qing had a vague sense that, despite her daughter’s eccentric behavior tonight, there was an unexpected lightness about her. For a long time, every meal Zhou Qiwei had at the Zhou residence had been tense, every word from them met with sharp wariness and resistance.

But not tonight. Tonight, her youngest daughter was almost relaxed, even now, knowing full well that Zhou Qing might have something to say. Qiwei sat there calmly not in passive defiance, but in something like detachment, as if she’d let go of her usual grievances.

Zhou Qing couldn’t quite place the feeling. At some point, without her knowing, her daughter seemed to have been healed by something or someone.

“Tomorrow’s banquet do any of you have guests you’d like to invite?”

As per tradition, the Zhou family foundation’s year-end banquet could naturally invite some friends, in addition to family members and the foundation’s management team.

Du Xin had already sent out her invitations she planned to invite Xuan Tinglu. Zhou Qiwei, on the other hand, had no intention of inviting anyone. Song Haoyin was too busy and likely wouldn’t have free time until next summer. She didn’t want to burden Song Haoyin during such a crucial phase of her career.

As for Qu Yuanzhi, after much deliberation, Zhou Qiwei decided to let Yuanbao enjoy the same treatment as Miss Song she could wait until after work was done.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Mu was the first to speak up. Sitting there, she seemed to have mustered great resolve before saying, “I invited Li You. But as for our engagement. I want to call it off.”

Zhou Mu’s confession seemed to flip some strange switch. Before the two women above could even react, Zhou Zhao immediately followed up: “I’m inviting Ji Xubai. She’s still on the trust fund’s beneficiary list.”

Both were explosive revelations. Zhou Qiwei scoffed inwardly but said nothing she couldn’t care less. Besides, she could already foresee the heated argument that was about to erupt. Glancing at the time, she decided to make a quick exit.

“I have things to do, so I’ll take my leave.”

“Stay right there!”

Du Ning called her daughter back, exchanging a glance with her wife as if they had reached some decision.

“That male Omega who tried to take advantage of you. Zhaozhao has looked into it. It seems he’s now involved in an illegal pheromone smuggling case. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.”

All four pairs of eyes turned to Zhou Qiwei, waiting for her reaction. Zhou Qing clenched her hands. If it had been Zhou Zhao or Zhou Mu in this situation, she would have sat beside her daughter, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and offered comfort.

But did Zhou Qiwei need that? If she tried to hug her now, would she just push her away?

“Isn’t this kind of matter the victim’s private affair? Was it appropriate for you to do this?”

“Your sister was only ”

“I was just informing the family. You were abroad, and I couldn’t reach you. An old case has resurfaced, what else was I supposed to do?”

Zhou Zhao cut off her mother’s words, standing up to meet her sister’s gaze without flinching. “That man is now implicated in a major case. During the investigation, your settlement with him will inevitably come to light. I didn’t want you to be caught off guard, nor did I want the family to remain in the dark.”

Du Ning also stood, wanting to say something to ease the tension between her daughters. Zhou Qing grew nervous if the two ended up fighting, should she hold Zhao back to avoid making Weiwei feel they were taking sides?

For a moment, Zhou Qiwei was indeed furious. But that night, she had confided in Song Haoyin about the incident, and her sister had held her close, comforting her. Her anger and resentment had been miraculously soothed then. Now, even with the matter brought up again, she felt no burning rage, no shame.

It wasn’t her fault. She hadn’t gone out looking for trouble it had been sheer misfortune. There was nothing to be ashamed of. If anyone should feel remorse, it shouldn’t be her, the victim. Raising an eyebrow, Zhou Qiwei suddenly smiled. “Well, thanks for that, then.”

If this had happened in any other family, the relatives would have gathered around the victim to comfort her and help her through the trauma. But when it happened to Zhou Qiwei, Zhou Qing didn’t know how to face her own daughter she even felt pressured in her presence.

Years had passed since the incident, and they had long missed the best opportunity to address it. What could they possibly say now?

Why didn’t you tell us back then? That would only invite humiliation.

Mom will stay by your side? Zhou Qing wasn’t shameless enough to say that. She had already missed far too many important moments in Qiwei’s life.

Would you like to stay home today and talk with me?

That should be a safe question. Though rejection was likely, Zhou Qing still asked, “Would you like to stay home today? We could talk.”

Sure enough, Zhou Qiwei refused her lightly, saying she had other plans. Just as Zhou Qing was about to press further, Du Ning subtly tugged her hand and mouthed, She has plans.

“Alright then. Zhaozhao wants to invite Xubai that’s fine. You two sit down first. We need to discuss Mumu’s engagement.”

Song Haoyin spent the entire afternoon in the training studio, preparing for her new film. The focus was on strength training to build muscle and combat drills. The hardest part wasn’t the leg and glute exercises muscle soreness wasn’t the worst of it. What really gave her a headache was the fight choreography. The training wasn’t just about making it look real; it had to be visually striking.

“Haoyin-jie, action scenes in movies are always like this. The audience doesn’t demand realism, but it has to look good,” the fight coordinator explained.

Song Haoyin understood. For years, action sequences had followed the same formula. But she wanted to try something different. She kept the thought to herself if she were to shoot according to her own vision, the current stunt team would have to adapt.

If they couldn’t, she’d either have to replace them entirely or find a new team altogether.

For now, though, she focused on training. Things had to be done step by step, and muscles had to be built gradually.

A pained groan echoed from the training room, making Zhou Qiwei frown, the voice was all too familiar. Another “Ah!” cut through the hallway. It was Song Haoyin!

Zhou Qiwei rushed in and pushed open the door. Everyone inside turned to look. On the training mat, the coach was using a foam roller on the back of Song Haoyin’s thighs and calves.

“G-gently!”

Startled by Zhou Qiwei’s sudden appearance, the coach instinctively pressed down harder, eliciting another scream from Song Haoyin.

“Sorry for interrupting.”

Taking a step back in alarm, Zhou Qiwei awkwardly greeted them. It wasn’t just Song Haoyin and her personal trainer members of the stunt team were also training there. Stand-ins were essential for scenes where the lead or other actors couldn’t perform certain shots.

Tears clung to Song Haoyin’s lashes, her face flushed. Bruises peeked through the gaps in her workout clothes where her fair skin had turned bluish-purple. Still burying her face, she muttered hoarsely, “Perfect timing.” Now Zhou Qiwei had seen her in such a sorry state.

To Zhou Qiwei’s ears, it sounded like her girlfriend was being coquettish, complaining that she hadn’t accompanied her through training. Thinking back to her own military service days, having someone by her side would indeed have felt better. Sigh, she really shouldn’t have stayed at the Zhou family residence for so long. Whether Zhou Mu gets married or not, what does that have to do with her?

Whether she herself should get married is… Wait, I’m a marriage free advocate!

Zhou Qiwei shook her head from side to side, as if trying to empty the water from her brain. Why on earth was she thinking about marriage out of the blue?

“Are you unhappy?”

A warm hand grasped Zhou Qiwei’s wrist. Song Haoyin looked at her with concern. Zhou Qiwei had a habit of getting stuck in a spiral of overthinking when unhappy, tormenting herself.

Zhou Qiwei lay down beside Song Haoyin and began massaging her arm. Today, she didn’t want to hide anything and spoke directly: “It’s not about me. My second sister wants to break off her engagement with her fiancée.”

Gossiping could relax the nerves. Without naming names, Zhou Qiwei explained that her sister had a well-matched fiancée, and they seemed to get along fine. But recently, they’d hit a rough patch conflicts arose, differences emerged, likely discovering their interests didn’t align, hence the desire to call off the engagement.

As the personal trainer massaged, she sighed inwardly. Truly, the wealthy have a different view on relationships everything yields to interests. Tsk tsk.

“It seems they didn’t have much affection to begin with. Even without this conflict, problems would’ve surfaced eventually.”

Zhou Qiwei disagreed: “Maybe without this incident, they could’ve married and gradually worked things out.”

Song Haoyin didn’t see it that way. Propping herself up, she looked seriously at Zhou Qiwei: “Working things out requires determination and willpower, which stem from affection. Without it, there’s no motivation to face or resolve conflicts. Naturally, breaking up is the easiest option no need to waste effort.”

“That makes sense. There are plenty who burn bridges after marriage, guard against their partner like thieves, or try to control everything.” Zhou Qiwei had seen and heard too much of such cases.

While the lovebirds were being affectionate, Ji Xubai ran into Zhou Zhao at the base of the Ferris wheel. The eldest Zhou sister had come personally, without her chauffeur, to intercept her.

This pair of ex-wives, divorced for over two years, met again after a month apart each with their own thoughts, but united in one regard: neither wanted to argue.

Ji Xubai chose a café beneath the company building and invited Zhou Zhao in, ordering only a hot cocoa for her: “No coffee at night. You could pass for a panda as it is.”

Zhou Zhao resisted the urge to touch her eyes. She should’ve put on makeup before leaving.

“It’s the trust fund gala. You should attend you’re still on the beneficiary list.”

The invitation was pushed forward, but Ji Xubai didn’t take it. She studied the woman before her. When they’d first met, Zhou Zhao had been a rising star in military circles. Now, she wielded considerable power in Luocheng. From what Ji Xubai knew, Zhou Zhao also held notable influence in the capital’s special district specifically, in Congress.

Back then, Ji Xubai was just an ordinary reserve officer, an unremarkable Alpha. To pursue someone like Zhou Zhao, an Omega, and be worthy of her, Ji Xubai had to work hard harder still. She did become more successful by conventional standards, capable of achieving more.

Yet, as the years flew by, Ji Xubai now understood her own feelings with absolute clarity she regretted it. She didn’t want this life.

Zhou Qiwei had been right all along. Zhou Zhao had initially taken notice of Ji Xubai only because she assumed Ji Xubai was Zhou Qiwei’s friend. Later, she chose Ji Xubai simply because she was a “suitable match.” For someone aspiring to enter politics, a stable partner and family were advantageous.

Unfortunately Ji Xubai suddenly smiled neither of them got what they truly wanted.

Zhou Zhao was nervous, a feeling she hadn’t experienced in years. The last time she’d felt this tense was probably because…

“I won’t be attending. You can take the invitation back.”

The thin slip of paper was pushed away. Before Zhou Zhao could speak, Ji Xubai continued, “We’re already divorced. My name should be removed from the trust beneficiaries. Our work doesn’t overlap, and there’s no need for us to meet again in the future.”

Zhou Zhao hesitated, the usually domineering heiress now too afraid to speak.

The ex-wives were caught in the bitter winds of unresolved history, while the lovebirds had already left the training room. The personal trainer called after them, “Eat something when you get home, but only protein! No high-carb meals!”

Zhou Qiwei flashed an OK sign, signaling that she’d remind Song Haoyin. With one hand carrying Song Haoyin’s bag and the other holding her girlfriend’s hand, she strode out of the company building, head held high. Then, through the glass window, she spotted her eldest sister and her sister’s ex-wife, who also happened to be her own friend.

“You didn’t finish earlier. You have two sisters, and then what?”

Song Haoyin wasn’t being nosy. it was just that Zhou Qiwei rarely spoke of her family, and it was obvious she didn’t get along with them. Now that she was willing to talk, Song Haoyin naturally wanted to understand her girlfriend’s background. Then she heard Zhou Qiwei say in that lovely voice of hers:

“My eldest sister got divorced because she married for convenience and had a child.”

“Later, the child passed away. Her Alpha hated her for it, so they divorced.”

The words were like a blade wrapped in silk the opulent fabric couldn’t conceal the weapon’s sharpness. Song Haoyin sensed that something had triggered Zhou Qiwei’s emotions. Zhou Qiwei stood still, blocking Song Haoyin’s line of sight, her gaze distant, as if speaking to herself:

“The child was born by that foolish Alpha for the heiress. When the little one was on their deathbed, the great lady didn’t even bother to see them one last time.”

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