Transmigrated As The Cannon Fodder Ex-Wife Of A Scumbag Alpha - Chapter 8

“How is that even possible?” Zhao Zhiyi said casually. “It’s mostly likely that the things Cheng Hui said before reached Meng Ze’s ears. Meng Ze isn’t exactly known for his good temper, of course he wouldn’t stand for it.”

He was just cannon fodder, there was no way the lead Alpha would go to such trouble for him.

Zhao Zhiyi had sold all the things Cheng Hui had brought over. Even though they were second-hand and sold at rock bottom prices, he still made a significant income. After treating Zhan Yue to a meal and looking at his bank balance, he suddenly felt that, so what if he had to go get scolded? So what if he had to watch two lunatics act out? For the sake of money, he’d be willing to stand there and say, “Stop fighting! If you want to fight, go fight in the dance studio!”

Becoming a slave to money is truly the easiest thing in this world.

The day arrived on Saturday. In the afternoon, Zhao Zhiyi received a call from Meng Ze telling him to go to a high-end styling club where a reservation had already been made.

Standing in front of the opulent entrance with its glittering gold sign, Zhao Zhiyi looked down at his own bulky, pitch-black cotton padded jacket. He felt he might need some mental preparation before taking this step.

“Why are you standing here dazed?” Meng Ze’s cool, indifferent voice sounded from behind him. He brought with him a gust of cold, snowy wind, his finger lightly tapping the tip of Zhao Zhiyi’s hair. “It’s snowing. Aren’t you cold?”

Zhao Zhiyi tucked his hands into his pockets and coughed lightly. “I’m kind of an embarrassment to you.”

Standing next to Meng Ze, who wore a sharp cashmere coat and polished handmade leather shoes, Zhao Zhiyi didn’t even look like a driver, he looked more like a vagrant from the roadside.

“You aren’t.” Meng Ze glanced down at his watch and said, “It’s time. Let’s go in.”

He stepped forward, and the doorman respectfully pulled open the glass doors. Zhao Zhiyi followed behind Meng Ze like “Grandma Liu entering Prospect Garden,” wide eyed as they entered the club.

Meng Ze was clearly a regular here. He leaned back on a sofa to read a magazine while Zhao Zhiyi was whisked away by a stylist. His ears were filled with all sorts of praise, whether sincere or fake, Zhao Zhiyi just listened and didn’t take it to heart.

About two hours later, with a snap of the stylist’s fingers, Zhao Zhiyi breathed a sigh of relief, it was finally over.

“Darling, you are truly beautiful,” the stylist said with a wink. “No wonder Mr. Meng is so infatuated with you.”

Zhao Zhiyi: “?”

Zhao Zhiyi looked at the stylist’s exaggerated look with long bangs covering one eye and thought: If you don’t need your eyes, you can donate them to someone who does.

“Alright, go on out,” the stylist said suggestively. “Mr. Meng will surely be stunned.”

When Zhao Zhiyi stepped out of the dressing room, he happened to see Meng Ze rejecting a lady’s attempt at conversation.

Looking at Meng Ze from this angle, aside from his overly cold expression, he perfectly fit the worldly stereotype of an elite, polite, low-key, and even though he was right in front of you, it felt as though there was an invisible barrier between you.

Only Zhao Zhiyi knew exactly what kind of “insanity” he would unleash tonight.

“Does this thing have to be worn?” Zhao Zhiyi walked up to Meng Ze and tilted his head to show his ear. He didn’t have ear piercings, so a silver stud was clipped on. Whether the clip was too tight or Zhao Zhiyi was too sensitive, his snow white earlobe had already turned a bright, flushed red.

“It’s a bit uncomfortable,” Zhao Zhiyi said.

Meng Ze: “Lower your head.”

Zhao Zhiyi obediently bowed his head. Meng Ze removed the small object and habitually pinched that pitiful, blood-red earlobe. “If it’s uncomfortable, don’t wear it. Does it still hurt?”

Zhao Zhiyi blinked. “Why are you touching my ear?”

Meng Ze hesitated: “Comforting you?”

Zhao Zhiyi gave an “oh.” He felt the spot Meng Ze had pinched turning tingly and even more uncomfortable. He said, “Thanks, but I’m not a child anymore.”

A faint smile curved Meng Ze’s lips. “Twenty-one… how is that not a child?”

Zhao Zhiyi recalled the original plot. Meng Ze was twenty-eight this year, meaning there was a seven year age gap. In other words, when Meng Ze was in primary school learning poems and how to read a clock, Zhao Zhiyi had only just been born. In Meng Ze’s eyes, he really was quite young.

“How is it, Mr. Meng?” The flamboyant stylist walked over, turning Zhao Zhiyi around for a 360-degree display, like he was exhibiting a proud masterpiece. “Good-looking, right?”

Zhao Zhiyi was handsome; there was no doubt about that.

In elementary school, girls would give him all sorts of candy and cookies. As he got older, there were even boys who would corner him to confess. As for people stubbornly asking for his WeChat while he was working part time, that was common. Zhao Zhiyi knew his appearance was an asset, and he used this gift from the heavens to make his life a bit easier, like negotiating higher wages with his bosses.

So, he didn’t feel awkward. Instead, he looked up at Meng Ze. “It’s alright, I guess?”

Meng Ze looked at the tiny black mole on the tip of his nose and nodded slightly. “Mm.”

Stylist: “That’s it?”

“That’s all?”

Zhao Zhiyi was puzzled: “What else?”

Meng Ze frowned: “What else should there be?”

The stylist looked like he was losing hope in them. “Mr. Meng, you should be holding your beautiful wife’s hands, lightly kissing the back of his hand, and praising him for being as beautiful as an angel fallen to earth today. Then, you two should embrace and kiss until you’re inseparable…”

Zhao Zhiyi endured it but couldn’t help himself: “Don’t make me hit you.”

Meng Ze said, “Time is tight, let’s go.”

As the two left the club, a staff member whispered, “Why can’t you keep your mouth shut? Is Mr. Meng someone you can joke with?”

The stylist leaned against the bar counter with a grin. “Mr. Meng wasn’t angry.”

Staff: “Even if Mr. Meng were angry, he wouldn’t let you see it.”

“What do you know?” the stylist said. “Based on my understanding of Alphas, not only was he not angry, he was probably quite happy.”

Meng Qiao’s godfather was a top philanthropist in A-City, frequently appearing in media news and a regular on the big screen. Zhao Zhiyi looked at the manor through the car window, thinking that it was no wonder he could do charity, one couldn’t afford that without a solid family fortune.

Tonight’s banquet invited many socialites, and luxury cars were as common as clouds. Zhao Zhiyi couldn’t even recognize all the brands, he only knew that as soon as he and Meng Ze stepped out, countless people eagerly greeted Meng Ze. It was only then that Zhao Zhiyi realized the man standing beside him was the powerful heir who shook the business world in the original novel.

Inside the banquet hall, it was a scene of elegance and extravagance. At a glance, you could find almost every face on the cover of a financial magazine.

Every guest entering would hand over an item for the night’s auction to the waiter. Zhao Zhiyi only then realized he had completely forgotten about this.

He felt his pockets, slightly regretting that he’d let Meng Ze take off that ear clip, otherwise, he’d at least have something to offer as an auction item.

With a crisp “clink,” something was placed onto the waiter’s tray. Zhao Zhiyi looked over and saw it was the silver ear clip and a pair of obsidian cufflinks. The waiter, with a perfect smile, bowed and left.

“You brought it out?” Zhao Zhiyi was surprised.

“I just slipped it into my pocket,” Meng Ze said. “What’s wrong?”

Zhao Zhiyi was blunt: “I was wondering if you paid for it.”

Meng Ze was starting to get used to Zhao Zhiyi’s speaking style. He said, “I’m a VIC there, don’t worry about that.”

Zhao Zhiyi regretted his big mouth, he’d just been flexed on by a rich guy again.

“A-Ze!” A steady, aged voice rang out. “I was just talking about you with a few old friends. Come here.”

Qiu Shichang was in his seventies but still energetic, wearing a black Tang suit with a back straighter than many young people. He said with a chuckle, “This must be Zhiyi? Truly handsome. No wonder a stubborn kid like A-Ze, who refused to marry, finally compromised and is willing to settle down and run a home properly.”

Zhao Zhiyi put on a fake smile for the elder: “Hello, Grandpa Qiu.”

“Good, good, such a good child.” Qiu Shichang patted his hand and introduced him to several old companions. “This is A-Ze’s partner. I told you all and you didn’t believe me. Now that you’ve seen him, you know I wasn’t lying, right?”

A few old men and women surrounded Zhao Zhiyi as if inspecting an endangered species, looking him over and becoming increasingly satisfied, praising him to high heaven. Zhao Zhiyi almost started believing he was actually that excellent.

But there were perks; after a round of calling them “Grandpa” and “Grandma,” Zhao Zhiyi received many “meeting gifts” all of them high-quality items. There were so many that Meng Ze had to have a waiter take them to the car first.

One kindly old lady asked, “Zhiyi, when are you and A-Ze planning to have children? You see, A-Ze isn’t getting any younger…”

Zhao Zhiyi: “But I’m still young.”

The old lady choked for a second, then complained, “True. Sigh, it really is an old cow eating tender grass.”

Meng Ze, standing nearby: “…”

Businessmen gathered together naturally talked about business. Once the novelty of Zhao Zhiyi wore off, everyone began chatting about land acquisition cases. Zhao Zhiyi couldn’t understand a word, and his eyelids were starting to feel heavy. Suddenly, he felt someone pat his shoulder. As he turned his head to see who it was, Meng Ze leaned down to whisper something in his ear. In that instant, Zhao Zhiyi’s lips brushed against Meng Ze’s jawline.

It was just a fleeting moment, like a dragonfly skimming the water, but both of them froze simultaneously.

Their eyes met. Zhao Zhiyi saw Meng Ze’s dark, pool-like eyes.

Among Asians, it was rare to have eyes as pitch-black as Meng Ze’s, they carried a natural indifference that screamed “keep away.”

It felt as though time in the banquet hall had frozen. He could even hear Meng Ze’s breathing and see the slight quiver of his eyelashes.

“If you’re bored, find somewhere to play on your own,” Meng Ze whispered. “I’ll call you when it’s time to leave.”

Like a calm mirror suddenly shattering, the surreal scenery became vivid again. Zhao Zhiyi snapped out of it and nodded: “Then I’ll go find something to eat.”

He slipped away quickly, like a nimble fish diving into a vast sea, vanishing in an instant.

Qiu Shichang said with a beaming smile, “Stop looking, he’s already gone.”

Meng Ze withdrew his gaze and said calmly, “You’ve always wanted to meet him. Now that you have, are you satisfied?”

“Quite satisfied.” Qiu Shichang lowered his voice. “Even though your father forced you to marry this child, I think he’s good, both well-behaved and good-looking. It’s great. You two should live well together and have a child…”

Meng Ze said coldly, “To give Yu Shu’en another tool?”

Qiu Shichang wanted to offer some advice, but the words were just the same old platitudes. Not only was Meng Ze tired of hearing them, but he was also tired of saying them, so he could only let out a long sigh.

On Zhao Zhiyi’s side, he accurately locked onto the dessert table. Later, when Su Jiyu and Meng Ze would have their confrontation and people would be pointing fingers at him, he could at least have something to eat. Perfect.

“You’re already this old, and Meng Ze is already married. It’s not right for you to stay single!” a middle-aged woman said persuasively. “Don’t worry, would Auntie Liu harm you? Chenchen, come here. This is the one I mentioned to you before, the son of the Su family, Su Jiyu…”

Su Jiyu?!

Zhao Zhiyi’s radar pinged. He turned around quickly and indeed saw the elegant Su Jiyu.

He was dressed in a white suit, his amber eyes carrying a slight smile, his face handsome and gentle. He truly looked like a Prince Charming from a fairy tale. The Omega who had been called over immediately blushed: “…Hello.”

“Hello,” Su Jiyu nodded politely.

Auntie Liu said, “Chenchen just returned from studying abroad. She studied music. I remember you studied the violin? You two should have a lot in common. Young people should talk, feelings are built through spending time together.”

Chenchen’s face turned even redder.

“I’m sorry, Auntie Liu,” Su Jiyu’s tone remained gentle. “I actually already have a boyfriend.”

Zhao Zhiyi pricked up his ears: “!”

Ah, is Su Jiyu going to announce publicly that the person he loves is actually that Alpha, Meng Ze? How exciting!

“That can’t be right. How come I haven’t heard of any Omega by your side? Are you trying to fool me?” Auntie Liu asked suspiciously.

“How could I?”

Zhao Zhiyi nodded: He’s telling the truth. Though there’s no Omega by his side, there is an Alpha.

Zhao Zhiyi focused all his attention, waiting for Su Jiyu to say Meng Ze’s name.

“Zhiyi?” A voice so gentle it could melt into water sounded in Zhao Zhiyi’s ear. “So you’re here. I’ve been looking for you for a long time. An elder of mine wants to meet you, is that okay?”