The Scumbag Who Bowed for Money - Chapter 42

After Xie Yuanwei spoke, she fell quiet, carefully watching Le Shi’s expression. The omega was also looking back at her.

The atmosphere shifted with Xie Yuanwei’s gentle lead. Every point of contact between them felt scalding hot. Sometimes, the alpha felt as though she were in a dream, as if Le Shi weren’t even real. The omega leaned slowly against the door, cradled in Xie Yuanwei’s arms.

“Wait,” Le Shi said softly, pushing Xie Yuanwei back a little. She pressed her lips together, swallowing the faint trace of moisture left on them. Tilting her head up, she asked, “Do you know what you’re doing?”

Xie Yuanwei nodded. “I do.”

Her eyes were misty. She held Le Shi tightly and said nothing more, resting her head on the omega’s shoulder. Her breath came out fast at first, then turned into a long, soft sigh.

With her eyes closed, Xie Yuanwei murmured, “Of course I know. Your name is Le Shi. My name is Xie Yuanwei. I’m kissing you.”

“Do you like kissing me?”

“I do.”

Le Shi tilted her head back up and kissed her again. Their lipsticks smudged into a complete mess. Xie Yuanwei opened her eyes slightly as she leaned down, watching Le Shi’s closed eyes and dazed expression. She gently took two steps back.

“What’s wrong?” Le Shi asked, a little dazed. “Did something feel off?”

Xie Yuanwei shook her head and exhaled deeply. “Your makeup’s ruined.”

Le Shi let out a soft sound in acknowledgment. As she looked up, the mist in her eyes vanished, and she spoke in the calm tone of someone talking to a friend. “It’s fine.”

They both stepped back. Le Shi lowered her gaze, opened the door, and let the others in. No one seemed surprised—things like this were expected by now. The makeup artist didn’t say much and simply helped retouch their looks. The rest of the shoot went smoothly.

“Looking forward to working with you again,” He Suhe said, extending her hand to Le Shi. Her voice dropped slightly as she raised an eyebrow. “Take good care of your alpha.”

Le Shi kept her polite smile. “Goodbye.”

Xie Yuanwei was already waiting in the car when Le Shi got in. The omega had just sat down when she took a call. A minute later, the alpha could already sense a shift in the mood. At a red light, she turned her head and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Le Shi hung up and looked down briefly before lifting her head again.

“Have you been in a fight with Zheng Shunyu lately?”

Xie Yuanwei looked puzzled. “No, we haven’t even talked recently.”

“I see. Let’s head to the office first.”

Le Shi didn’t say anything else. Xie Yuanwei looked at her a few times but didn’t ask further, quietly driving the rest of the way.

When they arrived, Le Shi got out and turned around, leaning on the car window. Looking into Xie Yuanwei’s eyes, she asked suddenly, “Do you ever feel lonely?”

Xie Yuanwei blinked and paused for a few seconds before replying.

“Not really. I don’t feel much of anything.”

Le Shi only nodded. “Alright then. I’m heading in. Drive safe.”

“Okay.”

Without another word, the omega turned and went upstairs. Her lips were pressed together tightly. She pushed open the office door and saw Yan Yu and Bo Zhiqu already inside. Le Shi met Yan Yu’s eyes, and in that moment, both of them silently looked away.

Meanwhile, Xie Yuanwei had gone back home and flopped onto the sofa. She sighed, strangely in a good mood, and hummed to herself. Not long after, she received a text from Le Shi.

[Yan Yu will come by later. Please host her for a while.]

What?

Xie Yuanwei sat up, reading the message again to double-check the name. Once she was sure, she clicked her tongue.

When had they gotten this close? Or had Le Shi asked Yan Yu to keep her company on purpose?

She thought back to the question Le Shi had asked her earlier and couldn’t help overthinking. She sat up, sliced some fruit, and waited for Yan Yu to arrive.

It was about ten minutes before she heard a knock. Xie Yuanwei opened the door happily, since Yan Yu was the only one who knew her true identity.

“What brings you here?”

She invited Yan Yu to sit on the couch and had just handed over the fruit when she heard the question.

“Bo Zhiqu and I are going on a trip in a couple of days. Want to come?”

Xie Yuanwei widened her eyes. “Why would I? To be the third wheel?”

“We’ve got a few things to deal with. It wouldn’t hurt for you to go off on your own for a bit.”

Xie Yuanwei frowned. “On my own? Was this Le Shi’s idea?”

Yan Yu sighed. “It doesn’t matter who said it. What matters is, Le Shi agreed. Isn’t it a good thing? You’ll get to explore more of the world here.”

“What does that even mean?”

Xie Yuanwei looked up. She was wearing a loose white hoodie, slouched on the sofa, her hair neatly tucked behind her ears. She had always been obedient, but there was a sharpness in her voice now that left Yan Yu momentarily speechless.

She asked again. “Was this Le Shi’s idea?”

Yan Yu opened her mouth, then sighed and turned her head away.

“Yes. She hopes you’ll come along.”

The tension in Xie Yuanwei’s body instantly faded. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her shoulders trembled just a bit. She placed her hands between her knees and asked quietly, “Is something going on with Zheng Shunyu?”

Sometimes Xie Yuanwei admired her own intuition—or maybe she was just too sensitive to Le Shi’s tone. Every little word from her felt like either a blessing or a sentence.

Yan Yu gave a low response. “Le Shi told me Zheng Shunyu has other plans now. She can’t let it go. She wants to use you first, then pull Le Shi down with you.”

So that meant—

Xie Yuanwei paused for a few seconds before speaking again.

“I’m the one dragging Le Shi down, aren’t I? I don’t know anything about Zheng Shunyu’s plans.”

Xie Yuanwei wasn’t good at protecting herself. In this world, the best she could do was not make things worse. She took a deep breath and said, almost with relief,

“Then I’ll go. Sorry for the trouble.”

She was truly grateful that Yan Yu was willing to help her.

“I…” Yan Yu hesitated for a moment, then said nothing more. She only reminded her to pack and be ready. They would leave tomorrow.

Xie Yuanwei sat on the sofa and let out a soft, confused sound.

“So soon?”

She looked completely stunned.

Yan Yu sighed, her tone filled with a trace of guilt.

“Le Shi doesn’t want anyone standing in her way. Those were her exact words.”

Xie Yuanwei turned her head slowly, then looked away again. She pulled a pillow into her arms and muttered to herself.

“But I haven’t even had proper time with my cat yet.”

Yan Yu didn’t stay long. After saying what she needed to, she headed to the door. Before leaving, she turned and locked eyes with Xie Yuanwei. The alpha didn’t move, still sitting on the sofa, looking up like a lost child stuck in a place that wasn’t home.

That expression in her eyes was full of sadness and quiet despair.

Yan Yu stepped outside and looked back at the house. It was big, clearly a product of wealth, but in that moment, as she closed the door, it felt more like a cage for Xie Yuanwei.

She was not like her friend. They were two very different people.

Even Yan Yu had been surprised when Le Shi said what she did. She had wanted to speak up but quickly realized she had no right. From one point of view, Le Shi saw Xie Yuanwei simply as herself. That alone changed how everything was judged.

With a long breath, Yan Yu left without saying anything more.

Inside, Xie Yuanwei remained crouched next to the sleeping kitten, Xiao Wei. She listened to the tiny rhythm of the cat’s breathing. Her eyes trembled slightly, but in the end, she simply buried her head in the crook of her arm and said nothing at all.

“I’m back.”

Le Shi had worked overtime and asked Xie Yuanwei to save her some dinner. As soon as she walked in, she saw the alpha coming down the stairs.

Le Shi smiled gently.

“Did you eat?”

Xie Yuanwei nodded.

“I did. I made some fish for you too. It’s still warm.”

“Thanks,” Le Shi replied, drawing out the last syllable slightly.

“Did you finish packing?”

“I did.”

Le Shi paused when she heard the quick and firm reply. She turned to meet Xie Yuanwei’s eyes under the pale overhead light.

The lighting had shifted to a cooler tone, which made the atmosphere feel a little harsh. Le Shi tried to focus on Xie Yuanwei’s face under that sterile glow but only saw a quiet expression that gave nothing away.

Xie Yuanwei wasn’t smiling.

“What’s wrong?”

Le Shi asked the question, but it felt like a strange reversal. Both of them seemed caught off guard by the shift.

Xie Yuanwei couldn’t help wondering if the question was really meant for her.

But even if it was, what good would answering do?

Xie Yuanwei was happy to kiss Le Shi. But would Le Shi feel the same? She was grateful that the omega had accepted her, but she also felt the weight of everything between them.

She didn’t know how to move forward anymore. It felt like every step she tried to take would be stopped by Le Shi’s silence.

She needed Le Shi’s approval. But that approval only came within the boundaries Le Shi was willing to offer.

What could Xie Yuanwei do?

She had no answer. From the very beginning, it seemed like she had always been in a passive role.

“It’s nothing. It just feels too rushed,” Xie Yuanwei said with a forced smile. She knew it was a weak attempt, but she still tried.

“Aren’t you coming too?”

She knew the chances were low, but she asked anyway.

Le Shi stood there and felt overwhelmed. She bit her lip.

“I’m not done with work yet.”

“Is it something difficult?”

“It’s manageable. I can handle it on my own.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Their short exchange quickly drained all energy from the conversation. The silence between them grew.

Le Shi could feel the tension but didn’t know what to say. She gave up and walked into the kitchen instead.

By the time she returned, Xie Yuanwei was already gone.

Le Shi washed the dishes herself. She stacked them neatly and looked around the clean kitchen, which Xie Yuanwei had quietly tidied earlier.

For the first time that evening, it felt like a home.

She didn’t think Xie Yuanwei should stay confined here. She had tried to gently coax her out, to make her open up slowly, like warming water around a frog. But in the end, it hadn’t worked.

This matter wasn’t small. But it wasn’t so large either.

Zheng Shunyu had started working with Xie Zhunyi, and Le Shi had no idea what that meant for Xie Yuanwei.

She simply couldn’t relax.

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