The Scummy Alpha Transmigrated into a Tragedy Novel and Went Viral! - Chapter 22

The three of them ate and chatted together, the mood light and cheerful. Even Ji Yufu, who was usually so restrained, made an exception and had a whole bowl of rice, giving the auntie plenty of face. They talked all the way until eleven o’clock at night before Ji Yufu and Cheng Jingling finally said their goodbyes and took the car back to the guesthouse to rest.

As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, He Yue came running out of the living room to greet them.

“Ah Fu-jie, you’re finally back! I was worried sick.”

Hearing that, Cheng Jingling glanced at her, then, seeing that the two of them clearly had things to discuss, she excused herself with a nod to Ji Yufu and went upstairs to wash up.

“Yun-jie called you so many times but you didn’t pick up. She said to call her back.”

“Did she say what it was about?”

“No, not really.”

That calmed Ji Yufu a little. There hadn’t been any issues lately—everything was proceeding according to plan. The PR team’s work was going smoothly too, and public opinion remained well-managed. She took out her phone and dialed Jiang Yun’s number. It connected almost instantly.

“Oh, my darling! You finally answered!” came the overly dramatic voice on the other end. Ji Yufu wrinkled her brow at the greasiness of it.

“Yun-jie, what’s the matter?”

“Now, now, don’t talk like that. Am I the kind of person who only calls when there’s a problem? I just wanted to check on you! It’s your second day of filming today—how’s it going? Are you getting used to it?”

Ji Yufu smiled faintly. “Everything’s been going smoothly. I’m fine.”

“That’s good! Cheng Jingling didn’t bully you, did she?”

Ji Yufu walked to the east side of the courtyard, idly brushing her fingers over some flowers. “No. She’s been pretty well-behaved.”

“That’s good to hear!”

“And how about you, Yun-jie? Everything at the company okay?”

“Ah, same old, same old. But that Wang Zien mess is finally sorted out. Honestly, I told him again and again not to date anyone, but he just couldn’t help himself—one pretty face and he’s a goner. Look at him now, half his fans gone, and suddenly he’s clinging to his agent wanting to ‘focus on his career.’ Infuriating!”

Ji Yufu couldn’t help laughing. “Sounds like you’ll have to step in again, Yun-jie.”

“Absolutely not!” Jiang Yun said indignantly. “That one’s a lost cause. I’ve got better things to do. Aside from you, there’s hardly anyone worth the effort in this company. Sometimes I think, once your contract’s up, I’ll just quit too. Let’s start our own agency—bring along Yueyue and Xiao Wei. Working for ourselves would be way better than taking orders here!”

“That’s actually not a bad idea. I’ll think about it.”

“Heh, great! Your contract’s up next year anyway. We’ll plan it properly when we have time.”

By the time Cheng Jingling finished showering and drying her hair, the room was warm with steam. She opened the window, letting the cool night air wash over her flushed face. Glancing down, she saw Ji Yufu standing in the courtyard, phone in hand.

Her head was slightly lowered, her eyes soft beneath the warm glow of the orange streetlight, wrapping her in a halo of gentleness. She looked like a goddess from an oil painting.

Unable to resist, Cheng Jingling lifted her phone and snapped a photo before Ji Yufu could even notice.

She looked at the picture, satisfied. Perfect shot—well done, me! She was about to take another when her mother’s call came through. With a small sigh, she turned back into her room to answer.

“Lingling, still awake?”

“Mm, just finished my shower,” Cheng Jingling said, the sound of her mother’s gentle voice making her a little homesick.

“How’s filming? Getting used to everything?”

“It’s fine. I even ranked first in today’s mission!”

Yang Shujuan smiled as her daughter shared the day’s events, the corners of her lips lifting with maternal pride. Beside her, Cheng Yuwei was reading; when he heard that, he nodded approvingly, gave a silent thumbs-up, and mouthed, That’s my girl!

Yang Shujuan gave him a look of disdain and flipped his hand gesture upside down. Cheng Yuwei huffed in mock outrage and went back to his book.

“Are the accommodations okay? You comfortable there?”

“Yeah, it’s a guesthouse, clean and cozy. Meals are taken care of too.”

“That’s good. Since you don’t have an assistant this time, you need to learn to be independent—take care of yourself, understand?”

“Got it.” Cheng Jingling nodded.

“Alright then, it’s late. Get some rest.”

“Goodnight.”

After hanging up, she turned around just as Ji Yufu entered. Their eyes met for a second, a flicker of awkwardness passing between them.

“It was my mom,” Cheng Jingling quickly explained, afraid Ji Yufu might think she’d been secretly calling a lover.

“Mm.” Ji Yufu’s tone was calm.

“It’s true, look!” Cheng Jingling held up her phone, showing the call log—“Mom” clearly written in the contact name.

“Alright. I’m going to shower.”

When Ji Yufu came out of the bathroom, Cheng Jingling was sitting on the bed playing with her phone. The pillows had already been neatly arranged to mark the boundary between them. Ji Yufu picked up the hairdryer and started drying her hair, but as soon as Cheng Jingling heard the sound, she put her phone aside and walked over.

“Let me do it.”

“No need, go rest.” Ji Yufu was about to switch it on when Cheng Jingling gently took it from her hands.

“I’ll do it.”

She guided Ji Yufu to sit on the bed, then had her lie sideways as she plugged in the dryer at the bedside outlet. “This way’s more comfortable.”

“Alright.”

“Was today tiring?” Cheng Jingling asked, gently drying her hair. With one hand holding the dryer, the other combed through Ji Yufu’s long strands, her fingers light and careful as she untangled and smoothed them.

“A little. We walked a lot today.”

“Lucky me then—I borrowed a bike, so I didn’t get as tired.”

“True. The auntie was kind, too.”

“Still, thanks to you.”

“Me? Why?” Ji Yufu turned her head slightly toward her.

“Well, thanks to Film Queen Ji, I got treated to a delicious meal tonight. Ate till I was stuffed.”

“There’s no need to thank me. I didn’t cook it.”

They both laughed softly. From Cheng Jingling’s angle, she could see Ji Yufu’s refined facial features—her smooth forehead, straight nose, and those beautiful lips, the line of her jaw disappearing beneath the collar of her pajamas. Cheng Jingling’s gaze accidentally drifted lower; realizing it, she quickly looked away, cheeks heating up. She silently warned herself not to be inappropriate.

Once Ji Yufu’s hair was dry, Cheng Jingling set the dryer down and gently massaged her temples. Ji Yufu relaxed with a faint sigh—though she worked out regularly, walking nearly ten kilometers in a day had left her exhausted. She allowed herself to sink into the soothing rhythm of Cheng Jingling’s hands until drowsiness crept over her.

When Ji Yufu’s breathing evened out, Cheng Jingling softly called her name twice, then, realizing she was asleep, didn’t have the heart to wake her. She climbed quietly onto the bed and began massaging her legs. She wasn’t doing it for show; she just wanted Ji Yufu to recover—to be strong again, to reach the peak of her career—so that she herself could finally go home.

Remembering her mother’s obsession with health maintenance after turning fifty, Cheng Jingling mimicked the massage techniques she’d often seen. Her mother used to drag her along for “wellness massages,” claiming it “promoted blood circulation.” Cheng Jingling would always end up yelping in pain until her mother kicked her out for being too noisy.

Still, the methods had stuck. She copied them now, pressing lightly into Ji Yufu’s soles.

“Ah—” A soft hiss escaped Ji Yufu’s lips. She woke up.

“Did that hurt?”

“Mm.”

“Sorry, I’m not very good at this.”

“It’s fine. It’s late—you should rest.”

“I’ll just do a bit more. After all that walking, this’ll help you relax and keep your legs from aching.”

Ji Yufu looked at her focused side profile, emotions stirring. “You don’t have to. The cameras are off.”

Cheng Jingling paused, meeting her eyes. “I’m not doing it for the cameras.”

“Then why?” Ji Yufu asked softly, confused.

“I told you tonight,” Cheng Jingling said, her voice low but steady. “I’ll treat you well. I want you to feel that being with me wasn’t a mistake. And I want others to envy you when they talk about me. That’s all.”

Ji Yufu was stunned. The Cheng Jingling before her felt entirely different from the one she thought she knew. For a moment, she was speechless.

Cheng Jingling gave a little self-deprecating laugh and resumed the massage. “Think of it this way—I didn’t have a choice before. But now, I just want to be a good person.”

“Alright,” Ji Yufu murmured, half-amused. There she was—the same familiar Cheng Jingling after all.

The night was cool and pleasant, yet Ji Yufu felt inexplicably warm. Every time Cheng Jingling’s palm brushed her skin, heat rippled through her, unsettling and strange. She tried to suppress it, but the restless feeling only grew. Not wanting Cheng Jingling to notice, she quickly drew back her legs. “I’m sleepy. Let’s go to bed.”

“Alright. Goodnight.”

Once the lights were off, darkness filled the room. Ji Yufu curled up under her blanket, while Cheng Jingling lay properly on her side of the bed.

Time passed. Half-awake, Cheng Jingling caught the faintest trace of fragrance in the air—fresh and soft, like flowers after rain. She took a deep breath, feeling strangely comforted by it. It was familiar somehow, though she couldn’t recall where she’d smelled it before.

Meanwhile, Ji Yufu was sweating in her sleep. Overheated, she kicked off the blanket, curling into herself in discomfort. She heard something fall to the floor but was too drowsy to open her eyes—her eyelids felt impossibly heavy.

She turned over and unknowingly rolled into a warm embrace. Strong arms closed around her, holding her close. Her body instinctively wanted to escape the heat, yet the scent in that embrace soothed the restless fire within her. Her furrowed brow relaxed, and wrapped in that warmth, Ji Yufu slowly drifted into peaceful sleep.