After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, I Became a Slave to My Beloved Wife (GL) - Chapter 11

Victory crowns the king, and defeat brands the villain. The same rules apply in variety shows: whoever wins gets to choose. The contestant who boldly claimed he “didn’t want a wife” in the end clung tightly to her.

Jiang Fenyun pressed her forehead in exasperation, as if she’d seen something unseemly, and shook her head repeatedly.
“You really are something, Jiang Nian.”

The group assignments were announced, and the next task was for participants to work in pairs.

The director’s team officially issued the first mission: two pairs would go grocery shopping for lunch at a nearby supermarket; three pairs would visit a nearby farm to experience agricultural work; and one pair would stay behind at the villa to clean up.

There was a twist—each pair had to act out a specific phase of a romantic relationship. After the day’s tasks were completed, international viewers watching the live stream would provide feedback. If the overseas audience couldn’t tell it was all an act, the pair would be rewarded with a luxurious dinner and a nighttime ride on a Ferris wheel.

All of the roles and tasks were assigned by drawing lots.

Jiang Nian nudged Qiao Wenyu playfully with her shoulder.
“Sis, you draw. I’m not lucky when it comes to this stuff.”

“Huh? What does luck have to do with it?” Qiao Wenyu looked puzzled.

Jiang Nian leaned in and whispered,
“If we draw a ‘dull phase’ couple, it’ll be easier to act natural. I’m not good at pretending, afraid I’ll mess it up.”

Qiao Wenyu raised a finger and pointed back and forth between them.
“You think… things between us are dull?”

Realizing her slip, Jiang Nian rushed to explain.
“No, no! That’s not what I meant, I just worded it poorly. I didn’t mean it like that, sis. I mean… not that I have any feelings for you—ugh, that sounds wrong too.”
The more she tried to explain, the weirder it got.

Qiao Wenyu didn’t ask further. She wasn’t particularly interested in Jiang Nian’s “feelings,” so she simply got in line to draw.
“I’ll go draw, then.”

Jiang Nian, awkward as ever in front of Qiao Wenyu, just nodded.
“Okay.”

The director’s team announced the results.

Jiang Nian’s team drew the “ambiguous stage” of a relationship and was assigned the supermarket shopping task. Coincidentally, Jiang Fenyun’s team also drew the same task, but their relationship status was “conflicted couple.”

Jiang Fenyun didn’t feel much for Tong Yunyao, so she was quite satisfied with their assigned dynamic. Playing a couple in the midst of a cold war meant she barely had to speak. Likewise, Tong Yunyao wasn’t particularly invested in Jiang Fenyun. The two maintained a sort of polite detachment.

Since both teams had the same task, the four of them headed to the supermarket together.

As the filming began, the production team confiscated all personal belongings from the cast—cash, private phones, cars, and so on.

With no personal transportation and only enough money to buy ingredients, Jiang Nian suggested they take the bus and transfer to the subway to reach the supermarket, which would save the most money.

“What? A bus?” Jiang Fenyun rolled her eyes dramatically.
“Girl, I’ve never taken public transport in my life. Are you serious? Can’t we just get a cab?”

“A round-trip cab ride would cost a hundred yuan. We’re far from the commercial district. Each of us only has a hundred. If we take a cab, we won’t have enough left to buy proper food.”
Jiang Nian explained. Back in college, she survived on just 800 yuan a month. Of everyone here, she probably knew best how to stretch a budget.

Qiao Wenyu didn’t object, and though Tong Yunyao hesitated, she eventually agreed with Jiang Nian’s plan.

“Fine. We’ll do it your way.” Jiang Fenyun crossed her arms and gave Jiang Nian a once-over, then smirked like she was watching a show.
“Let’s just hope we even know how to ride the subway, Miss Jiang.”

“What do you think?” Jiang Nian shot back, clearly annoyed by Jiang Fenyun’s nonstop chatter.

Jiang Fenyun just shrugged, choosing not to argue further.

The production crew signaled the teams that it was time to begin the task.

“Xiao Nian, I already mapped out the route. Come with me.” Qiao Wenyu waved the phone in her hand—a backup device provided by the show, equipped with all necessary apps.

Jiang Nian was about to respond normally but suddenly remembered their “relationship phase” assignment. She forced a shy smile and leaned close.
“Sure, sis.”

The walk from the villa to the bus stop was 2.6 kilometers—about a 30-minute walk according to navigation.

Jiang Nian had only walked a few steps in her heels before her feet began to ache. She still hadn’t adjusted to wearing them for long periods, but unwilling to be the exception, she endured the growing discomfort in silence.

Finally reaching the bus stop, they had just sat down to wait when their bus pulled in—amazingly, it was the exact one they needed.

Because buses came infrequently in this area, it was packed with passengers.

The camera crew, posing as regular commuters, boarded first with concealed cameras, followed by Jiang Nian and Qiao Wenyu.

With the bus so crowded, moving through it meant brushing up against people constantly. Jiang Nian discreetly extended her arm to shield Qiao Wenyu’s waist, clearing a small space so she could move more easily.

In contrast, Jiang Fenyun’s team was completely uncoordinated. They boarded one after the other, showed no concern for each other, and didn’t even bother standing close together.

Jiang Fenyun, long accustomed to a life of luxury, was clearly uncomfortable being squished on public transport like an ordinary citizen.

The air inside the bus was stifling—sweat, the scent of food wrappers, and various pheromones all mixed together. In the barely ventilated space, the smell became overwhelming.

Jiang Nian found a small spot by the window for Qiao Wenyu and cracked it open to let in some air.

“Sis, if you’re uncomfortable, you can rest your head on my shoulder.”
There was something inherently comforting in the gentle tone of Jiang Nian’s voice—an allure that made people want to lean in.

Qiao Wenyu initially wanted to refuse, but remembering they were filming a task, she complied, pretending to be affectionate and rested her head against Jiang Nian’s shoulder.

The bus jolted along, bumping now and then over uneven roads. The swaying made it hard for even standing passengers to keep their balance.

Just as the bus made a sharp turn, a tricycle suddenly darted out from the sidewalk, forcing the driver to brake abruptly.

Qiao Wenyu lost her balance and fell straight into Jiang Nian’s warm embrace.

“Th-thank you…” she stammered. As she looked up, she realized her face was just centimeters away from Jiang Nian’s lips. The moment felt uncomfortably intimate. Flustered, she quickly stood upright.

It was also Jiang Nian’s first time being this close to Qiao Wenyu. She could even clearly see the slight trembling of her eyelashes. Jiang Nian instinctively covered her mouth with the back of her hand, turned her head, and feigned composure.
“It’s nothing. No need to thank me.”

After pulling away, the two of them couldn’t help but sneak glances at each other—only to meet eyes by accident. Their gazes locked for a brief, silent moment, as deep as the ocean, before they both quickly turned away, cheeks slightly flushed.

Whether it was due to the heat inside the bus or something else entirely, they couldn’t be sure…

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the same bus, the other team wasn’t nearly as engaging to watch.

Tong Yunyao was lucky enough to snag a seat, but Jiang Fenyun was squeezed into a corner.

Already prone to motion sickness, Jiang Fenyun now had to endure the overwhelming mix of sweat, food wrappers, and body odors in the unsteady bus. With the constant jolts, her stomach churned violently. She nearly threw up.

Feeling unwell, she scanned the crowd, looking for her teammate—some kind of support. But instead, her eyes landed on Jiang Nian, who was acting like an innocent schoolgirl: holding hands, blushing at every glance with Qiao Wenyu.

Jiang Fenyun clutched her stomach, her face darkening with a scowl.

Tsk. Absolutely nauseating. Made her want to vomit even more.

Please just let me off this damn bus, dear heavens…

After what felt like forever, they finally reached their stop.

Jiang Nian held Qiao Wenyu’s hand as she led the way off the bus. Tong Yunyao followed with an impassive expression, and last came Jiang Fenyun—pale and visibly weak.

So dizzy she could barely stand, Jiang Fenyun had to support herself against the bus door, her knees trembling as she tried to walk.

It was Jiang Nian’s first time seeing someone so wrecked from motion sickness. Curious, she stepped over and gave Jiang Fenyun a pat on the back.
“Girl, your body’s really not built for this, huh?”

“Screw you and your ‘not built for it.’ How would you know what I’m built for?” Even in this state, Jiang Fenyun had the energy to snap back.

Seeing she still had the strength to talk back, Jiang Nian dropped the concern.

Qiao Wenyu, however, noticed that Jiang Fenyun’s lips were pale to the point of being alarming. Clearly, her motion sickness was serious.
“President Jiang, are you okay?” she asked, stepping forward with concern.

“I feel awful.” Jiang Fenyun leaned weakly against a nearby signpost, her voice noticeably softer than when they had first left.

Tong Yunyao wanted to check on her too, but remembering the ongoing task, she simply crossed her arms and stayed silent nearby.

There were no medics on site, just the filming crew. No one had motion sickness meds either. In emergency cases like this, the only effective relief would be for an omega to release calming pheromones to soothe an alpha.

Unfortunately, Tong Yunyao was a beta. Not only could she not detect pheromones, she didn’t produce any either. There was no way she could help.

Jiang Nian noticed how attentive Qiao Wenyu was to Jiang Fenyun, and though something stirred within her, she remained silent.

Qiao Wenyu assessed Jiang Fenyun’s condition and ultimately decided her health took priority.

“Xiao Nian, I’m going to release some soothing pheromones to help her. You don’t mind, do you?”

Jiang Nian froze.

Letting your omega soothe another alpha with calming pheromones was a huge insult to any alpha’s pride.

But if she said no, she’d come across as petty or jealous, and would be letting Jiang Fenyun suffer needlessly.

After weighing the situation, Jiang Nian reluctantly agreed.
“Alright. Let her feel better. Otherwise, we won’t be able to complete the task.”

Qiao Wenyu nodded, approached Jiang Fenyun slowly, then peeled off half of her gland patch, subtly releasing a faint rose scent.

As the calming pheromones took effect, Jiang Fenyun’s tense expression softened noticeably. Color returned to her lips, which had earlier been ghostly pale.

Jiang Nian stood off to the side. She had thought she wouldn’t care.

But because of the bond created by marking, a discomfort stirred deep within her.

At that moment, Jiang Fenyun—relieved—grabbed Qiao Wenyu’s arm and said sincerely,
“Thank you.”

Jiang Nian’s expression darkened. Her voice suddenly rose in volume, laced with emotion.
“Say thank you all you want, but keep your hands to yourself.”