The Scummy Alpha Transmigrated into a Tragedy Novel and Went Viral! - Chapter 13

Ji Yufu shot to her feet, fury flashing in her eyes. “Who told you to kiss me?”

Cheng Jingling blinked in confusion and hurriedly stood up too. “You did! You told me to kiss you. I even said I wasn’t good at it.”

Ji Yufu’s voice turned sharp and icy. “I told you to wipe your mouth. Who on earth told you that meant kiss me?”

“My exes all said it that way.” Cheng Jingling mumbled, brows drooping. Her wide, bright eyes shimmered with tears, helpless and pitiful—like a big dog that had just been scolded. Ji Yufu was too angry to speak, and yet, seeing her like that, she couldn’t even bring herself to continue scolding her.

“Argh!” Ji Yufu stomped on her foot and turned to leave.

Cheng Jingling winced, clutching her sore foot, but still scrambled after her. She bent to snatch up the fallen ice cream cup and limped forward.

“I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean it! I thought that was, you know, the rule everyone followed!”

Ji Yufu ignored her and kept walking ahead.

“Please don’t be mad. Next time, I’ll make sure to ask before I kiss you, okay?”

At that, Ji Yufu stopped walking.

Cheng Jingling seized the chance to rush in front of her, holding two half-melted ice cream cups in her hands. Sticky cream dripped down her fingers—it was a complete mess. Ji Yufu gave her a cold, level stare. “You’re already planning for a next time?”

Realizing her blunder, Cheng Jingling stammered, “No, no! There won’t be a next time! I won’t kiss you again! I don’t dare!”

Ji Yufu fell silent, speechless.

“I’m angry because you crossed a line,” she said coolly. “Let me remind you—we’re just business partners, not a real couple. I don’t care if that’s what couples do; between us, it’s inappropriate. Don’t get carried away, and don’t make everything about you.”

“I understand. I’m sorry.” Cheng Jingling lowered her head, sincere and remorseful.

Ji Yufu headed straight back to the restaurant. Cheng Jingling wanted to follow but froze when she heard someone call her name.

“Lingling! Time to go home!”

Yang Shujuan was standing by the restroom door. Cheng Jingling had no choice but to give up chasing Ji Yufu. She tossed the ice cream cups into the trash and washed her hands clean.

“What happened between you two?” Yang Shujuan asked. From that distance, she hadn’t caught their argument.

“Nothing,” Cheng Jingling muttered gloomily. Then she added lamely, “The ice cream wasn’t good.”

“Not good?” Yang Shujuan blinked in surprise. “Then we won’t come here next time. Let’s go.”

When they returned to the lobby, the dinner had already ended. Everyone was waiting for them. Ji Yufu and Jiang Yun were chatting politely with the director, while the investors teased the newly arrived Cheng Jingling.

“Couples fight all the time,” one of them joked. “Miss Cheng, don’t look so down—just coax her a little, and she’ll forgive you.”

“Exactly! No one’s better at coaxing women than President Zheng.”

“Right, maybe he should give you some lessons.”

Their laughter rang through the room as the three men exchanged banter. Cheng Jingling could only smile stiffly. When she glanced toward the restaurant’s garden-facing wall—a wall of glass—she realized with horror that their little scuffle outside had likely been in full view. The thought made her want to dig a hole and hide.

They all took the elevator down to the parking garage. Before getting into the car, Yang Shujuan shook hands and said polite goodbyes to the others. Cheng Jingling secretly watched Ji Yufu, who smiled gracefully as she spoke with the director, her composure flawless, as if nothing had happened earlier. Cheng Jingling sighed inwardly. She’d finally managed to have a few words with her—and somehow ruined it all again. How frustrating!

Once they were in the car, Cheng Jingling finally relaxed, leaning back with her eyes closed. Her mind was a blur. It had almost been a month since she’d transmigrated, and she still hadn’t made any progress on her mission. Anxiety gnawed at her.

“Does your foot still hurt?”

She jolted awake to see her mother watching her with concern.

“I’m fine.” She didn’t even use her heel, thank goodness, Cheng Jingling thought wryly.

“Did you two fight?”

“Um, not really.”

“Well, since it’s just work, don’t dwell on small arguments,” Yang Shujuan said gently.

“I know.”

“But you shouldn’t get too attached either. I don’t want you getting tangled up with her, understand?”

“Mm.”

Yang Shujuan seemed pleased by her daughter’s obedience. “The reality show starts filming next week. Make sure you and Ji Yufu cooperate well. And about those people in the industry—keep your distance.”

“Got it.”

“Here.” Yang Shujuan handed over her phone. Cheng Jingling’s eyes brightened.

“This is the guest list?”

“Mm. Unless something changes at the last minute, yes. But you know how this industry is—nothing’s certain until the cameras roll.”

Cheng Jingling scrolled through the list. Including herself and Ji Yufu, there were five celebrity couples. Some were powerhouse actors, others rising idols; some were industry royalty, others self-made stars. There were “perfect couples” adored by fans, and famously volatile pairs who broke up every other week. Director Wang Yumin, the so-called “godfather of variety,” clearly had a sharp eye. Each couple alone could carry an entire relationship-themed reality show.

She flipped through the show’s outline next—each episode filmed in a different location, ranging from glittering metropolises to impoverished rural towns. The concept was clear: a celebrity-couple “life swap.”

Cheng Jingling stared at the photos. She’d been to a few big cities before, but those remote villages were unfamiliar territory. She wondered if Ji Yufu had received this same information.

“Mom, can you send this to me?”

Yang Shujuan nodded, took back the phone, and forwarded the files via WeChat. Cheng Jingling immediately sent them to Ji Yufu with a thoughtful message:

“Here’s the show’s info. It probably won’t change.”

Ji Yufu didn’t reply.

Cheng Jingling stared at the chat window, lost in thought. She always felt clumsy around Ji Yufu—trying to be helpful but somehow always making things worse. Every time she tried to reach out, it was like punching into cotton. The thought made her sigh heavily.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Something on your mind?”

“No, nothing,” she murmured weakly.

Yang Shujuan chuckled. “Your frown could crush a mosquito. Come on, tell Mom what’s bothering you—maybe I can help.”

The warmth in her mother’s voice made Cheng Jingling’s nose sting. She threw herself into her arms and whined softly, “I just don’t want to be away from you. I’ll miss you.”

Yang Shujuan burst out laughing. “Well, well—my little cotton jacket doesn’t have any holes after all.”

“When did I ever have holes? I’ve always been good!” Cheng Jingling protested, puffing her cheeks.

“Oh please. When you went abroad for school, you didn’t even call me—you were too busy having fun! Now you’re just shooting a variety show in the same country, and suddenly you can’t bear to leave me?” She pinched Cheng Jingling’s soft cheeks, smiling with motherly amusement. “Alright, what are you really up to this time?”

“I’m a grown-up now, I know how to behave!”

Cheng Jingling nestled in her mother’s arms, basking in the warmth of the embrace.

When the mother and daughter returned home, Cheng Yuwei had already gotten off work. The butler, Uncle Ming, informed them that he was having dinner in the dining room. Yang Shujuan took her daughter’s hand and said gently, “Come on, let’s go join your father for dinner.”

“Okay!”

The moment Cheng Yuwei saw his wife and daughter, a smile spread across his face. Yang Shujuan sat down beside him, reached out, and promptly confiscated his wine glass.

Cheng Yuwei: “!” — miscalculated again.

Watching the scene, Cheng Jingling couldn’t help but laugh. Her henpecked father was really quite entertaining.

“So, how did the meeting go? Everything smooth?” Cheng Yuwei didn’t dare show his displeasure to his wife, so he quickly changed the subject.

“Very smooth,” Yang Shujuan replied, pleased. “The investors had no objections to the proposal. Once the contract’s finalized, we can sign.”

“My wife is amazing!” Cheng Yuwei praised without reservation, making Yang Shujuan blush. She turned to her daughter and instructed, “Lingling, you should make good use of this opportunity.”

“Mm!” The family of three enjoyed a warm, harmonious dinner together.

At the gated entrance of the residential complex, Jiang Yun’s car came to a stop. He Yue and Xu Wei immediately ran up to greet her. After dropping off Ji Yufu and exchanging a few polite words, Jiang Yun drove away.

“Sister Yufu, did everything go smoothly tonight?” He Yue asked anxiously.

Ji Yufu smiled, her tone relaxed. “It went very smoothly. After all, it was Madam Cheng’s gathering. Sister Yun and I barely had to say a word, and neither of us had to drink.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” He Yue and Xu Wei beamed. “I was worried you might’ve been forced to drink. The doctor said you need rest and shouldn’t have alcohol before you’ve fully recovered—now I can relax!”

Back at home, Ji Yufu settled onto the sofa to rest. She noticed that Cheng Jingling had sent her the program’s reference materials. Although Jiang Yun had already given her a copy, Ji Yufu still replied politely with a “thank you.” Then, almost on impulse, she tapped on Cheng Jingling’s profile picture to peek at her latest social media post.

There were only two photos. The first was of the same poorly taken moon picture she’d already seen before—truly nothing to compliment. But the second one made Ji Yufu pause in surprise. A silver crescent moon was reflected in a pool of water, fish gliding beneath it and stirring ripples that shattered the moonlight into glimmering fragments. The scene was like an oil painting, rich in texture and depth.

Judging by the angle, the photo must’ve been taken lying down—no wonder Cheng Jingling had been fiddling with her phone for so long.

But when Ji Yufu read the caption, she silently withdrew her thumb, deciding not to like the post after all.

“Went out for some fresh air and caught sight of the moon and stars. Guess when you’re this pretty, even the heavens can’t help but adore you! 😎”

Ji Yufu: “…”

How she wished she had that kind of confidence.

In the comments section, Cheng Jingling had replied three times: one death-smile emoji, one “shut up,” and another saying “Queen energy—confidence shines bright.”

Apparently, even her friends couldn’t handle her self-love.

The day before filming began, Cheng Jingling packed her luggage at home under her mother’s supervision. To keep things simple, she only prepared two suitcases. Since the early filming locations were all in the city, anything missing could easily be bought later. As she folded clothes, Yang Shujuan reminded her to bring essential daily items—especially inhibitors and suppression patches. Cheng Jingling nodded obediently and packed everything carefully.

The next morning, the driver took Cheng Jingling to the hotel. Yang Shujuan, still uneasy, decided to accompany her. She followed all the way to the entrance of the Minglai Hotel, watching as the driver helped carry her luggage inside and handed her over to the show’s staff before finally heading home.

The night before, she and her husband had agreed: though they were getting older, their daughter was still too sheltered. This variety show would be a good opportunity for her to learn independence. That was why they hadn’t assigned her a personal assistant—she would have to handle everything herself.

“Miss Cheng, I’m the show’s producer. Director Wang asked me to come and welcome you.”

Cheng Jingling smiled and greeted the capable middle-aged woman politely. The hotel’s lobby manager, ever attentive, helped push Cheng Jingling’s luggage. The three of them entered the elevator together.

“Miss Cheng,” said the producer, handing over a business card, “once everyone’s arrived today, the director will host a dinner tonight. Please add me on WeChat, and I’ll invite you to the show’s group chat. All future announcements will be made there.”

“Okay, thank you!” Cheng Jingling added the producer’s contact, and soon after, she was invited to the group chat for Unforgettable Love. Quite a few people were already in it.

At the hotel room door, the lobby manager knocked, then opened it courteously. “Miss Cheng, this is your room—1012. Here’s your room card.”

Cheng Jingling accepted it with a polite smile. The manager wheeled her luggage straight into the bedroom, where she noticed two suitcases already sitting by the wall. Just as she was about to ask if there’d been a mistake, she turned—and saw Ji Yufu and He Yue stepping out from the balcony.

She hadn’t expected them to arrive before her.

“This room is only temporary,” the producer explained kindly. “Tomorrow, everyone will head to the filming location. After tonight’s welcome dinner, please rest early. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to contact me.”

“Okay!”

“Thank you!”

Once the producer and manager left, Cheng Jingling found herself alone with Ji Yufu and He Yue. Remembering their last unpleasant parting, she felt awkward and uncertain whether Ji Yufu was still upset. Scrambling for something to say, she blurted, “What a coincidence—you’re staying in this room too?”

He Yue froze mid-action, giving her a look that said plainly: Are you stupid?

Ji Yufu merely glanced at her, saying nothing.

Cheng Jingling wanted to dig a hole and disappear. Of course the couple would share a room—what a dumb question. Then, as the realization sank in, she hurriedly inspected the room again, only to make a horrifying discovery.

“There’s only one bed?”

So stingy!