The Scummy Alpha Transmigrated into a Tragedy Novel and Went Viral! - Chapter 1

The air was thick with a heady fragrance.

The crisp freshness of white tea threaded into the senses, tugging at the heartbeat, while the fiery burn of whiskey seared like a blaze, igniting the hidden depths of desire and pushing it toward eruption.

Cheng Jingling was the first to be struck awake by the entwined scents—her body reacting even before her mind.

So fragrant…

That’s… pheromones…

As her vision cleared, her foggy thoughts gradually pieced themselves together. Her head still spun, but she managed to squint hard enough to make sense of her surroundings. She was lying on a bed in some unfamiliar hotel room. The last thing she remembered was drinking too much with her friends, getting dizzy, and then… a street-racing bet? How had that turned into a hotel bed?

She tried to rationalize it. Probably she’d passed out in the car, and those good-for-nothing friends of hers had at least had the decency to dump her in a hotel instead of the roadside.

But Cheng Jingling didn’t have time to think about the how. The pheromone scent beside her was growing thicker, impossible to ignore. Following the trail, her gaze landed on the woman next to her.

She wore almost nothing. A slip of silk clung to her curves, barely covering the essentials. Pale, flawless skin was left exposed to the air, glowing honey-soft beneath the dim amber light. Her body trembled, curled in on itself, hands pressed against her chest as though seeking relief. The fever had already taken hold of her, tears shimmering in her eyes. The sight of such fragile beauty hit Cheng Jingling square in the chest. Her throat tightened. She swallowed hard.

She reached out, brushing strands of hair away from the woman’s face. The moment she saw her features, shock flared—then turned to uncontainable joy.

Ji Yufu?

Was she dreaming?

Cheng Jingling stared at the goddess-like face, utterly entranced. She’d only met Ji Yufu once, but that single glimpse had left her breathless. There had been no chance for further contact.

Her fingertips traced gently along Ji Yufu’s cheek. The silky warmth beneath her touch thrilled her.

“If this is a dream, then I won’t be polite!” she whispered to herself, giddy with delight.

Her pale, slender fingers drifted downward, skimming over a gleaming shoulder to the bare skin of her back. Smooth as warm jade. The sensation set her very soul ablaze. A fierce hunger lit up her gaze. Excitement surged. Tonight—tonight she would drag the world’s untouchable ice goddess down from her pedestal.

Take her. Conquer her. The demon in her head howled.

Like a predator, she lunged toward her prey.

The roughness jolted Ji Yufu awake from her feverish haze. Terror widened her tear-bright eyes as she saw the Alpha, already consumed by frenzy. Her cool voice broke into a sobbing cry.

“Let go of me! Don’t touch me!”

She screamed until her throat was raw, but no one came. No one ever would. She understood now—she’d been set up. No rescue would come. Her gaze flicked toward the locked door, filled with loathing for this cold, merciless world.

But Cheng Jingling only grew more exhilarated by the thrill of overpowering her. She had within her grasp the flawless snow lotus, the untouchable flower on the highest peak. And now, she could crush it in her palm. How could she not be intoxicated?

Using her Alpha strength, she pinned Ji Yufu’s wrists with one hand and tugged at clothing with the other. Her lips barely grazed the delicate skin at Ji Yufu’s collarbone when—

Agonizing pain split across her forehead. Cheng Jingling toppled sideways, clutching her head. Hot liquid blinded her vision. The crimson flood sent her body slack with shock.

“You dare—” She choked out half a curse before darkness swallowed her.

At the head of the bed, Ji Yufu trembled violently, a lamp clutched in both hands. She stared at the unconscious Alpha, then down at the blood staining her weapon. Terror stole all sense from her.

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When Cheng Jingling woke again, her entire body felt shattered. The first thing she did was grope her forehead—where the lamp had struck. Smooth. Unbroken. No wound, no blood.

She stumbled to the bathroom and stared into the mirror, twisting left and right. Her face was flawless. Perfect, unmarred. Not even the faintest blemish.

Joy flooded her. It really was just a dream.

Relieved, she strutted out of the bathroom. But the rich, cloying scent of tea still clung to the air. The dream wasn’t over.

Her gaze snapped back to the bed. The woman’s long, delicate figure was curled up, trembling. Cheng Jingling’s heart leapt—so it truly had only been a nightmare. Now, she’d turn it into a dream worth savoring.

She pounced again, clawing at the slip. Once more, the beauty woke. Once more, the lamp came down.

Darkness.

________________________________________

“Still asleep? If you’re not dead, get up already. There’s a mission to do.”

A cold, mechanical voice stabbed into her mind. Her consciousness snapped taut. Outwardly, her comatose body only frowned.

“Who’s there?”

“I am your system. Congratulations. You’ve entered the novel Spring Passion, Dreamlike. Here, you will experience the most thrilling, dramatic life imaginable.”

“…Huh?” Cheng Jingling froze. A system? She’d only ever heard of that in novels and dramas. And in those, it was never good news.

“In short—you’ve transmigrated into a book. You are now the scummy Alpha. I am the Scum-Alpha Reform System, here to guide your mission.”

“!” Cheng Jingling’s jaw nearly hit the floor. Of course it couldn’t be anything good.

“If you want to return to reality, follow my instructions. Do the missions properly.”

Still dazed, she mumbled agreement.

The system flickered into form: a hovering silver-white mini-robot, the size of a pastry box. A black display screen served as its face, complete with moving brows, blinking eyes, and a mouth that curled—currently in disdain.

“What mission?” she asked blankly.

“You are now one of the protagonists of Spring Passion, Dreamlike. You’ve been bound to the ‘Tragic Heroine Aid Program.’ Only by making the other protagonist genuinely happy can you return to reality.”

Cheng Jingling thought it over. It didn’t sound too bad.

“And the other protagonist is…?”

The system’s smile turned cruel. “Ji Yufu.”

“…” Cheng Jingling nearly choked. Possible? She just smashed my skull in!

“Don’t worry!” The little bot spun in the air with elegance.

“What you saw just now was only a dream. That dream contained the novel’s main plot. Your task is to follow the storyline—while ensuring Ji Yufu finds happiness.”

A chill ran through her. How is happiness even possible in such a hellish script?

The system then laid out the novel’s original plot: the drunken hotel scandal, the paparazzi exposé, the fake relationship, the eventual marriage… followed by betrayal, affairs, miscarriages, abuse, family exploitation, Ji Yufu’s eventual blackening, revenge, and Cheng Jingling’s gruesome end.

By the time the story was done, Cheng Jingling’s eyes brimmed with tears.

She hadn’t transmigrated into just any book. She’d landed in hell mode.

That damned scum Alpha deserved it. But now it’s me. I have to change this… She clenched her fists. The plan: suppressants first, hospital second, and cling to Ji Yufu’s thigh for dear life. Survival above all.

But the system’s cold voice cut through her hope:

“You cannot change the opening events. They are fixed.”

“…Help.”

“And don’t expect me to hand-hold you. I don’t assist scummy Alphas,” it added flatly.

“…Excuse me?”

“I refuse to lower my moral baseline.”

“Wow. So noble. So righteous.”

“As consolation, I’ll skip you past the beating and drop you straight into the hospital. See? Kindness.” The system beamed smugly.

“…Thanks a lot,” Cheng Jingling muttered, deadpan.

“Good! Then let’s begin.”

________________________________________

Three days later—St. Fiore Hospital, the largest private hospital in Huadu.

In a luxury ward, Cheng Jingling lay in bed, dressed in a hospital gown, thick bandages wrapped around her forehead. Her face was pale.