The Scummy Alpha Transmigrated into a Tragedy Novel and Went Viral! - Chapter 9

While the files were copying, Cheng Jingling took the opportunity to continue watching the surveillance footage. Her mother had already marked several key locations along her route, saving her a great deal of time.

She watched as she entered the private room and was greeted with enthusiastic applause. A group of well-known figures stood to welcome her, shaking her hand before ushering her to a seat. Surrounded by admiration, she enjoyed the attention of a star among stars.

A group of young celebrities and influencers noticed them and immediately swarmed over, their eyes sparkling with excitement. The four members of Cheng Jingling’s group were quickly separated in the commotion. She was surrounded by a circle of heavily made-up socialites, who began insisting she drink. Knowing she couldn’t hold her liquor, Cheng Jingling stopped after two glasses. But when her refusals failed, they began touching her, teasing her—making it impossible for her to defend herself.

Overwhelmed, she tried to push through the crowd toward Wu Di for help. “I want to leave,” she pleaded. “They look like they’re going to eat me alive.”

Her words only drew laughter from the crowd. One of the investors chuckled, “Isn’t that exactly what they want—to eat you up?”

Cheng Jingling: “…”

She meant like the way demons wanted to eat the monk from Journey to the West, not that kind of “eat”!

Through the footage, she then saw Liu Ruilin—looking perfectly at ease—accept a glass of wine from Tong Yali. The two exchanged a few words before Liu Ruilin approached her, shooed away the people crowding around, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder with a smile.

“Come on, drink up! What’s there to be afraid of? You’re here to have fun. We’re all right here with you!”

For some reason, Cheng Jingling watching from the screen felt an odd tension in her chest. On camera, she saw herself down the drink Liu Ruilin offered, then chat idly for a while—before suddenly “passing out.”

Her heart sank. She knew her limits—her tolerance was low, but not that low. Her instincts were right: there was something wrong with that drink.

After she “passed out,” Liu Ruilin and Tong Yali could be seen whispering to each other while Zhou Ziyu listened nearby. Meanwhile, Wu Di, ever the lightweight, was already slumped over, drunk out of her mind without anyone forcing her.

That’s how she got caught. But what about Ji Yufu?

Cheng Jingling quickly opened the remaining surveillance clips one by one until she finally located Ji Yufu. The footage showed Ji Yufu checking into her hotel room on the 12th floor, guided by a staff member. After putting down her luggage, she went out again.

Tracing her route, Cheng Jingling reconstructed Ji Yufu’s movements that day:

Ji Yufu went out to buy something, and on her way back, she ran into Tong Yali, who was heading downstairs to meet someone. The three of them got into the elevator together. Tong Yali seemed to recognize Ji Yufu, who removed her mask and greeted them politely. When the elevator reached the 12th floor, Ji Yufu stepped out—but Tong Yali and her companion followed. After a brief exchange, Ji Yufu appeared to agree to go with them. They entered the suite together, where the others gave her a warm welcome. Tong Yali then introduced Ji Yufu to the investors. Everything on camera looked perfectly cordial.

Cheng Jingling wanted to keep watching, but her mother’s voice suddenly called from outside the door:

“Lingling, the noodles are ready! Come eat before they get cold.”

“Oh, okay! Coming!”

She paused the video, opened her desk drawer to retrieve her test report—and accidentally spotted her old phone tucked in the secret compartment. She ignored it for now, took a photo of the report, then messaged Ji Yufu:

“I got it. I know most of what happened. Let’s talk in person.”

After confirming all the footage had finished transferring to her phone, she shut down the computer and headed out to eat.

Almost instantly, Ji Yufu replied:

“Come to my place. Now.”

When Cheng Jingling entered the dining room, her mother had already set the noodles on the table and was taking off her apron to wash her hands. The housekeeper was still busy bringing out the side dishes.

“Dad, you’re back.”

“Mm.” Cheng Yuwei’s tone was curt—he didn’t sound pleased.

The moment she sat down, he frowned. “Did you wash your hands?”

Cheng Jingling silently stood up again to do as told. By the time she returned, her parents were already seated. She picked up her chopsticks to eat, but her father spoke up once more:

“Your mother’s busy managing the company and cleaning up your messes, and now she has to cook for you too? She’s working herself to the bone!”

Cheng Jingling kept quiet, eyes darting toward her mother for help.

Her mother only smiled, standing up from her chair.

“You can’t even show your mother a little concern? The chef’s food isn’t good enough for you?”

Yang Shujuan’s smile deepened as she carried a bowl of noodles to Cheng Yuwei. “Here, I made this for you.”

His face instantly lit up. “You made this for me? Thanks, honey!” He immediately dug in, all complaints forgotten.

Cheng Jingling: “…”

Ah yes. Double standards at their finest.

She put down her chopsticks and asked the maid for a fork, twirling up a big bite of noodles. One slurp later, her eyes shone. “Mom, your noodles are amazing!”

“If you like them, eat more. There’s plenty left in the pot.”

“I want some too!” Cheng Yuwei chimed in.

The once-imposing business mogul now looked like a doting husband at home. Yang Shujuan beamed, her face full of warmth. “Alright, alright, there’s enough for everyone.”

Halfway through the meal, Cheng Jingling checked her phone and saw Ji Yufu’s message. She quickly replied: Okay.

“What, your mom’s cooking’s not good enough? You’ve still got the mood to play on your phone?” her father muttered.

“No, it’s work-related,” she said, inwardly rolling her eyes at how childish he was being.

“Work? I’ll be grateful if you stop making trouble for once!”

“I,” Cheng Jingling bit back the rest of her retort. Ever since her accident, her parents had become more controlling. She couldn’t help wondering how her real parents—still by her bedside in the real world—were coping.

“Who messaged you?” her mother interrupted her thoughts.

“Uh, Ji Yufu.”

Her parents exchanged a look. “What does she want with you?”

“Probably a business thing. I’ll go meet her for a bit.”

They didn’t object.

“Alright,” her father finally said. “If you’re going to act, act well. Don’t let anyone see through it.”

“Got it.”

After dinner, Cheng Jingling had the driver take her to He Yue’s apartment. He Yue was already waiting downstairs and led her up once she arrived.

Ji Yufu opened the door, let He Yue in first, and listened as Cheng Jingling explained that all the footage was on her phone. Ji Yufu took the phone—then, with practiced grace, closed the door in her face.

Cheng Jingling: “…”

Well. That was awkward.

Cheng Jingling banged on the door impatiently. Ji Yufu turned back and opened it. “What is it?”

“Aren’t you going to let me in?” Cheng Jingling snapped.

“Oh, sorry, I forgot.” Ji Yufu apologized, though her tone carried no hint of sincerity. She swung the door wide open to let Cheng Jingling in, then added with a smile, “Make yourself at home.”

Cheng Jingling: “…”

That passive-aggressive tone again—fine, whatever. I can endure it.

“Where’s the footage?” Ji Yufu handed her the phone, indicating she should pull up the surveillance videos immediately.

“Do you have a computer? The files are pretty big.” Cheng Jingling took a data cable out of her pocket. He Yue passed her a tablet, and Cheng Jingling connected the devices to start the transfer.

“You want to watch it now?” she asked, offering both the phone and the tablet to Ji Yufu.

Ji Yufu took them and settled on the couch, casually opening one of the videos. Cheng Jingling sat down beside her, prompting Ji Yufu to lean back and pull away slightly. At that, the two assistants rushed over like bodyguards guarding their boss from a thief.

“What are you doing?” Ji Yufu asked warily.

“I’m watching the surveillance footage. I haven’t finished it yet!” Cheng Jingling protested.

Ji Yufu, half skeptical, sat upright again and resumed watching while her two assistants stayed seated nearby like vigilant protectors.

“All the footage related to the two of us is here,” Cheng Jingling explained. “I’ve already labeled the ones I’ve gone through.”

“Mm.”

“My mom’s also investigating,” Cheng Jingling continued. “She said,” She suddenly stopped, glancing at Ji Yufu’s assistants.

Ji Yufu noticed and reassured her, “It’s fine. Go on.”

“My mom said that party that day was hosted by Tong Yali. Apparently, the drinks she provided were spiked with pheromone-inducing agents. That’s why both of us tested positive for it. But I haven’t finished reviewing the footage yet, so

I still don’t know how you got exposed.”

“You too?” Ji Yufu’s disbelief was clear.

Cheng Jingling took back her phone, opened her photo album, and showed her the test report. Only then did Ji Yufu believe her.

“How did you end up at that party?” Ji Yufu asked casually, but when there was no response for a long moment, she looked over curiously—only to find Cheng Jingling visibly uncomfortable.

Cheng Jingling rubbed her palms awkwardly before confessing, “My friends dragged me there to hang out.”

Ji Yufu didn’t look surprised. “Those same three friends?”

Cheng Jingling coughed softly and nodded. “Mm.”

“The four of you really are inseparable.” Ji Yufu smiled faintly, her expression practically saying I knew it.

Cheng Jingling: “…”

Once there were the Four Great Talents, now there are the Four Great Scoundrels. If you want to insult me, just say it—no need for all the snide remarks, she grumbled inwardly, not daring to argue aloud.

As for Cheng Jingling’s claims, Ji Yufu couldn’t fully determine their truth just yet. She still needed to watch the surveillance footage herself. The recordings covered everything—from the hotel’s front entrance to the elevators, hallways, and private rooms. There was so much material that it would probably take all night to get through it.

Fortunately, Ji Yufu had patience—and with her upcoming work temporarily canceled, she was more than willing to spend the time finding out who was behind it all.

By the time she checked the clock again, it was past ten. Cheng Jingling had dozed off on the sofa, only to be startled awake by her phone ringing. The file transfer had long been completed, while Ji Yufu was still intently watching the footage on the tablet.

“Hello, Mom,” Cheng Jingling mumbled sleepily.

“It’s so late already, aren’t you coming home?” Yang Shujuan asked, worried.

Cheng Jingling glanced at the focused Ji Yufu, massaging her temples. “I still have things to do, I’ll stay a bit longer.”

Yang Shujuan sounded startled. “You’re still at Ji Yufu’s place? Don’t tell me something’s really going on between you two?”

Startled, Cheng Jingling quickly cupped a hand over the receiver, forcing a nervous laugh at Ji Yufu’s questioning stare. She slipped onto the balcony and whispered, “Of course not! How could there be?”

Who in their right mind would date their boss? You’d have to be insane! she thought, rolling her eyes silently. Aloud, she said, “I’ll come back after I’m done, don’t worry. I’m fine. Bye, Mom!”

After hanging up, Cheng Jingling returned to the living room—only to find Ji Yufu watching her, gaze cool and piercing.

“You’re not going home?” Ji Yufu’s tone made it clear she wasn’t thrilled by the idea.

“I’m staying here tonight,” Cheng Jingling declared matter-of-factly. “I’ll head back after you finish watching.”

And without a shred of embarrassment, she sat right back down beside her.