The Scummy Alpha Transmigrated into a Tragedy Novel and Went Viral! - Chapter 12

The elevator reached the first floor. The restaurant manager stood waiting outside the doors with several servers in tow.

“Welcome, Madam Cheng, Miss Cheng, Miss Ji, and Miss Jiang. Good evening. Your private room is ready—this way, please!”

The manager personally led them to the most elegant and secluded suite in the restaurant. Inside, Madam Yang Shujuan sat at the head of the table, with Cheng Jingling beside her, and Ji Yufu seated next to Cheng Jingling.

Yang Shujuan took the menu and warmly told Jiang Yun and Ji Yufu to order whatever they liked. She ordered several of the restaurant’s signature dishes and a few bottles of top-tier red wine before passing the menu to her daughter.

Cheng Jingling simply handed it over to Ji Yufu.

Caught off guard by the gesture, Ji Yufu thanked her softly before opening the menu. But she wasn’t much of a foodie—staring at the endless array of dishes only left her more uncertain.

“Nothing you feel like eating?” Cheng Jingling leaned over to look at the menu with her.

Instinctively, Ji Yufu wanted to lean away but stopped herself. “Not really.”

“Then let’s get the steak,” Cheng Jingling suggested cheerfully. “I’ve heard theirs is famous. We should try it!”

Ji Yufu glanced at the picture of the sizzling steak on the page and nodded in agreement, handing the menu back to the waiter.

Just as the server left, the manager returned—this time leading Director Wang and several investors.

“Madam Cheng! Long time no see!” Director Wang greeted with a wide smile, showing no displeasure over not being personally received. The investors behind him also wore polite, eager smiles.

“Director Wang, welcome! Please, have a seat,” said Yang Shujuan, rising with Jiang Yun to greet them. Cheng Jingling and Ji Yufu followed a step behind.

As they chatted, Yang Shujuan guided everyone to the lounge area. They settled around the low tea table while the manager personally brewed tea for the group.

Director Wang introduced the investors behind him: the slightly plump Mr. Zheng from Lingzi Media, the bespectacled Mr. Liu from Jiangnan Tech, and the tall, lean Mr. Zhou from Feiyu Culture.

Yang Shujuan greeted each of them cordially before introducing Cheng Jingling, who smiled gracefully and offered a polite greeting—poised and well-mannered. Then came Jiang Yun and Ji Yufu. When the investors saw Ji Yufu, their eyes lit up. “Miss Ji is even more stunning in person than on screen.”

Once the tea was served, Cheng Jingling accepted her cup with both hands. Seeing everyone take a sip, she followed suit—only to burn her tongue immediately and suck in a sharp breath through her teeth, earning everyone’s attention.

“Slow down!” Yang Shujuan snapped, half-annoyed, half-exasperated.

The manager quickly poured her a glass of cool water. Cheng Jingling accepted it and thanked him with her tongue still numb, looking unintentionally comical.

“Miss Cheng really is quite straightforward—so refreshing,” Director Wang laughed, quick to flatter.

“Yes, truly an unpretentious young lady,” one of the investors echoed.

Cheng Jingling smiled awkwardly, unsure how to respond. Yang Shujuan rolled her eyes. “She’s just a wild boar who can’t handle delicate things,” she quipped, prompting laughter around the room.

“Mom!” Cheng Jingling protested quietly, embarrassed that her mother would tease her in front of everyone. But when she caught sight of Ji Yufu’s faintly upturned lips as she sipped her tea, the irritation melted away.

If it made the beauty smile, her pride was a small price to pay.

As the conversation carried on, the servers arrived with the food. One by one, beautifully plated dishes were placed on the table. The steak that Cheng Jingling and Ji Yufu had ordered came out last—brought in on a special cart by the chef, who would prepare it right before them.

The manager approached. “Miss Cheng, Miss Ji, how would you like your steak cooked?”

“Well-done,” they answered in perfect unison. The manager smiled and instructed the chef to begin.

The meat sizzled on the hot stone plate, releasing a mouthwatering aroma. The crackle of fat drew everyone’s eyes to the performance. When the chef poured the wine and the flames leapt up dramatically, Cheng Jingling nearly gasped aloud but clamped a hand over her mouth—she didn’t want to be called a wild boar again.

When the flames died down, the chef plated the steaks, drizzled sauce over them, garnished with rosemary, and had them served before the two women. Soon, the staff quietly withdrew, leaving only the rich scent of seared beef lingering in the air.

“Director Wang, Mr. Zheng, Mr. Liu, Mr. Zhou—let’s eat and talk,” said Yang Shujuan, gesturing for everyone to return to their seats.

Cheng Jingling’s eyes were glued to the steak in front of her; she was just about to cut into it when her mother nudged her arm, signaling her to pour the wine first.

Lifting the decanter, Cheng Jingling began pouring wine for everyone. Having grown up in a wealthy household, she had been trained in etiquette from a young age—her movements were practiced, elegant, and graceful.

“Director Wang,” said Yang Shujuan, smoothly shifting the topic, “the show starts filming next week. I’ll be counting on you to take care of them.”

“Of course, Madam Cheng. Don’t worry. Miss Cheng and Miss Ji are friends—I’ll look after them both,” he promised with a grin.

“Then I’ll toast to that!” Yang Shujuan raised her glass.

“And I’ll toast you too, Director Wang,” Jiang Yun added, raising hers.

“Cheers!”

Glasses clinked all around—except for one small detail. Everyone had been poured wine except Ji Yufu. The room fell momentarily curious and quiet. Ji Yufu remained composed, while Jiang Yun’s smile subtly faltered.

Leaning closer, Cheng Jingling whispered, “You can’t drink yet.”

Just then, the server returned with a tray of milk. Cheng Jingling accepted it, poured it into Ji Yufu’s crystal wine glass, and said softly, “Here, have this instead.”

The pure white milk filled the elegant goblet, and the sight drew amused chuckles from across the table.

“Oh my, Miss Cheng really knows how to take care of someone,” Director Wang teased. “You two must be very close.”

Cheng Jingling smiled politely, though a faint blush crept up her cheeks. Jiang Yun watched the scene unfold with silent amusement—classic scummy Alpha behavior, she thought. Cheng Jingling sure knew how to play the part. But then she caught sight of Ji Yufu’s faint, secretive smile and nearly did a double-take.

“Well said!”

Yang Shujuan suddenly put down her wine, snatched the red from Cheng Jingling’s side, and grabbed the milk jug instead. Pouring her daughter a glass, she added dryly, “You can’t drink either.”

Cheng Jingling stared at the half-filled milk glass in front of her, utterly speechless. Laughter erupted around the room once again.

“Come on, cheers!”

“Cheers!” everyone echoed, milk and wine glasses alike raised high.

“Try their signature dishes—today’s menu was prepared personally by the head chef!” Yang Shujuan urged with a smile.

Everyone tasted the food, singing praises all around.

By the third round of drinks, Director Wang’s cheeks were flushed, and his words had loosened.

“To be honest, Madam Cheng, I was a little worried at first. You know how it is in our industry—so many on-screen couples who secretly can’t stand each other. I was afraid Miss Cheng and Miss Ji might bring tension to the show. But now I see I was worrying for nothing! Just look at how in love they are!”

The room erupted with laughter as every gaze turned toward Cheng Jingling and Ji Yufu. Both froze mid-bite, uncomfortable under the sudden attention.

Ji Yufu, embarrassed, instinctively lifted her glass for a sip—only to remember too late that it wasn’t wine but milk. The sweet, creamy flavor spread across her tongue.

Meanwhile, Cheng Jingling continued eating calmly, savoring her steak without a care in the world. She honestly had no idea how Director Wang had come to the conclusion that they looked like they were in love.

Jiang Yun quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

“Director Wang, you must be joking! Yufu has been in the industry for years and has never had a single scandal. If something ever does get exposed, it’ll definitely mean she’s in a serious relationship! She’d never do anything to ruin all your hard work!”

“Hah! Good! That’s good!” Director Wang slapped the table with excitement—clearly, he was a little drunk.

Ji Yufu, startled by his outburst, put down her chopsticks and stood up. “Excuse me, I’m going to the restroom.”

While one of the investors began discussing post-production sponsorship plans—something Cheng Jingling had absolutely no interest in—she too excused herself to the washroom.

When she came out, she spotted Ji Yufu sitting alone on the lawn.

The restaurant had a landscaped garden right outside the restrooms—a small patch of grass, rows of flowers, and even an artificial pond full of koi. Cheng Jingling walked along the stone path toward her, the quiet scenery giving off a feeling of calm and seclusion.

Ji Yufu sat on the grass, watching the fish swim lazily in the water. Cheng Jingling came over and sat beside her.

“Why aren’t you going back inside?”

Ji Yufu glanced at her. “Just needed some air.”

Cheng Jingling nodded, plucked a blade of grass from the ground, and tossed it into the pond to feed the fish. Trying to make conversation, she said, “The steak tonight wasn’t bad.”

“Mm.”

Ji Yufu’s tone was flat. Cheng Jingling picked another blade of grass and threw it in again, forcing another topic.

“You didn’t eat much earlier. Are you full?”

“I am. I usually eat very little at dinner—I have to maintain my figure.”

“That’s tough,” Cheng Jingling sighed, then suddenly thought of something. “Wait here, I’ll be right back!”

Ji Yufu watched her dash back toward the restaurant, her silhouette light and brisk. She turned back to the pond and idly pulled another blade of grass, tossing it in. A playful koi snapped it up—then promptly spat it back out.

Soon, footsteps approached again. Cheng Jingling returned, the wind from her running lifting strands of Ji Yufu’s hair.

“Here!” she said brightly.

“Ice cream?” Ji Yufu blinked in surprise.

“Yeah! I saw some in the lobby earlier. It’s the perfect weather for it! Try it—this place makes their own, you can’t buy it anywhere else!” She shoved it gently into Ji Yufu’s hand.

A flicker of nostalgia passed through Ji Yufu’s eyes. It had been a long time since she last had ice cream.

“Mmm, not bad!” Cheng Jingling said, savoring a bite, her expression pure delight.

Watching her, Ji Yufu finally unwrapped hers and took a small spoonful. The smooth, velvety sweetness melted on her tongue—light, cool, and comforting.

“I’m sorry.”

Ji Yufu turned to her, caught off guard.

“That night—I didn’t mean for it to happen.” Cheng Jingling mumbled around her spoon, her words a little muffled. The lamplight from the path cast a glow over her face; her eyes shone like glass, her cheeks flushed pink. Ji Yufu set down her ice cream and listened.

“I’ve been wanting to apologize for a long time. I know—sorry doesn’t fix anything. But I really didn’t know how to say it before. It was my fault.”

A small smile curved Ji Yufu’s lips. “I didn’t think you’d actually apologize.”

“Uh.” Wouldn’t that make it worse if I didn’t?

“I know you probably didn’t mean it,” Ji Yufu said calmly, “but it still hurt me. So, no—I can’t say it’s fine.”

“I understand.” Cheng Jingling’s gaze dropped, the sparkle fading from her eyes.

“But,” Ji Yufu added, her tone softening, “I hope that in the future, you’ll give me a reason to see you in a new light.”

So there’s still a chance! Cheng Jingling’s heart leapt. “I will!”

“And you?” Ji Yufu looked at her. “You don’t seem very happy yourself. What do you like? Maybe I can help.”

Cheng Jingling immediately perked up, words tumbling out as if she’d just opened a treasure chest of topics—she was practically asking how to make Ji Yufu happy.

Ji Yufu froze for a moment, her gaze flickering. What do I like? She honestly didn’t know.

“You talk too much,” Ji Yufu finally said.

“Oh.” Cheng Jingling obediently went quiet and focused on her ice cream.

When they both finished, she had nothing left to do. She lay back lazily on the grass, gazing at the night sky. A crescent moon hung there, solitary and bright, with a single star beside it. She sat up in excitement. “Look! The moon!”

Ji Yufu followed her finger and saw it too—a thin new moon with a brilliant star close by. Cheng Jingling pulled out her phone and started snapping photos; it wasn’t often you could see the moon so clearly in the capital. After a few shutter clicks, she turned the screen toward Ji Yufu. “How’s that? Not bad, right?”

Ji Yufu glanced at the photo of the framed moon and star. “Not bad,” she humored her.

Cheng Jingling’s tail practically wagged at the praise. “Of course! I used to study photography, you know!”

“Really?” Ji Yufu looked unconvinced.

Cheng Jingling grinned and kept fussing with her phone, laughing to herself as she admired the picture.

“What are you doing?” Ji Yufu asked, curious.

“Posting it on my Moments!” she replied cheerfully. Then she suddenly remembered the restriction she’d put on Ji Yufu’s profile and, feeling guilty, quickly lifted it in secret.

Ji Yufu didn’t notice. She only saw a smudge of cream at the corner of Cheng Jingling’s lips and pointed to her own. “Here.”

Cheng Jingling looked flustered. “Uh—that’s not appropriate, is it?”

Ji Yufu blinked. “It’s fine.”

“Th-then, okay.” Cheng Jingling set down her phone, leaned in, and swiftly pressed her lips to the corner of Ji Yufu’s mouth—right where she’d pointed.

Ji Yufu froze, her expression icing over. “What are you doing?”

“K-kissing you,” Cheng Jingling stammered.