After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, I Became a Slave to My Beloved Wife (GL) - Chapter 17

Qiao Wenyu didn’t press the issue further. Instead, she smiled faintly and addressed the group of visitors,
“I’m fine now. Thank you all for coming. I’m sorry for disrupting the shoot and affecting the show’s continuity.”

The two omega singers standing near the door waved their hands.
“No worries. Just focus on resting.”

Other guests offered similar reassurances, creating a warm and caring atmosphere in the room.

Tong Yunyao, seated at Qiao Wenyu’s bedside, still had faint tear streaks on her pale cheeks.
“You scared me to death, Wenyu-jie,” she said softly.

Jiang Nian, sitting nearby, couldn’t help but feel suspicious of Tong Yunyao. She wanted to pull her away. But to her surprise, Qiao Wenyu showed no signs of discomfort around her. In fact, she even held her hand and chatted with her.

They reminisced about their trainee days—particularly how Qiao Wenyu had nearly been cut from the debut lineup, while Tong Yunyao had originally planned to debut solo.

“I was so happy to debut with you back then,” Tong Yunyao said with a soft smile, her cheeks tinged pink.

Qiao Wenyu’s eyes darkened slightly. Though her lips still curled into a smile, the warmth in her gaze disappeared.
“Really?”

But Tong Yunyao didn’t catch the shift in mood. She simply nodded.
“Of course. You should rest early. If you’re not feeling up to filming tomorrow, just take the day off.”

Watching them hold hands so closely, Jiang Nian felt a growing discomfort. Out of everyone, Tong Yunyao was the most suspicious. So why was Qiao Wenyu still treating her like a close friend?

Earlier, Qiao Wenyu had practically pointed to her as the culprit. But now she acted like nothing had happened.

Jiang Nian couldn’t make sense of it, and without hard proof, her suspicions remained just that—suspicions.

When visiting hours ended, everyone left except Jiang Nian, who stayed to keep watch over Qiao Wenyu.

In the quiet of the hospital room, Jiang Nian couldn’t help but ask,
“Sis, you knew who the culprit was, didn’t you? Why didn’t you confront her on the spot?”

“Xiao Nian, everything has its time and place.”
Qiao Wenyu pulled out her phone from under her pillow and appeared to send a message. Then she slowly lay back down, pulling the blanket over herself.
“It’s late. I’m tired. Let’s talk tomorrow.”

“Wenyu—” Jiang Nian still wasn’t satisfied. The truth was right in front of them, and yet Qiao Wenyu wouldn’t let her act.

But then, from the bed, Qiao Wenyu murmured in a soft voice,
“Xiao Nian… I’d like a little of your pheromone. Just a bit—please?”

Jiang Nian instantly understood—Qiao Wenyu’s pheromone deficiency symptoms were back. She stopped speaking, leaned down, and exposed her gland, releasing a soft wave of her red wine-scented pheromone.

The hospital’s strong antiseptic smell was quickly masked by the calming aroma.

Qiao Wenyu knew how to soothe her little pup. As soon as the room fell silent and filled with familiar comfort, she closed her eyes and whispered in a voice like spring water,
“Xiao Nian, good night.”

Jiang Nian had still been stewing in frustration—but that one “good night” washed it all away. She listened to Qiao Wenyu’s soft, steady breathing and gently replied,
“Good night, Sis.”

—

The production team paused filming for three days after the incident. During this time, Jiang Nian never left Qiao Wenyu’s side, working on her laptop in the hospital room while keeping vigil.

On the final day of the break, the director suddenly received a video.

It was slightly grainy, taken from the drone that had been assigned to follow Qiao Wenyu. Just before the drone was damaged, it had captured footage of Qiao Wenyu being drugged with pheromones, fainting, and then being tied up.

The face of the perpetrator was clearly visible.

The director, terrified by what he saw, immediately arranged a meeting with Jiang Nian and Jiang Fenyun that night.

When the full clip finished playing, Jiang Nian’s face turned ashen with rage. She stared coldly at the frozen image of Tong Yunyao’s smug face.

“So it was her!”
Jiang Nian slammed her fist onto the table. The impact echoed through the room.

Startled by the sound, Jiang Fenyun looked at her in shock. It was the first time she had ever seen Jiang Nian truly lose control—her eyes were like frozen lakes in the dead of winter.

The director said nothing, nervously glancing at Jiang Fenyun for help.

Jiang Fenyun draped an arm around Jiang Nian’s shoulder.
“Calm down. We’ve got the evidence now. All that’s left is how we handle it.”

Jiang Nian’s voice dropped, cold and steady.
“She loves putting my sister on trending searches, doesn’t she? Let’s give her what she wants. Post this video online. Let the whole world see it.”

Jiang Fenyun raised a brow.
“That’s it? If this were the old you, anyone who dared touch your omega would’ve had their gland ripped out and been tossed in a psych ward.”

Hearing that, Jiang Nian’s anger suddenly melted away. She rubbed her forehead.
“Fenyun, we’re civilized people now. We can’t go that far.”

“Pfft, come on. You’ve clearly been blinded by love. Can’t even play the villain anymore.” Jiang Fenyun clicked her tongue.

Jiang Nian flushed.
“What nonsense are you spouting? Who’s been blinded by love?”

“Oh really? Then tell me honestly—do you like Qiao Wenyu or not?”
For once, Jiang Fenyun’s teasing stopped. Her eyes were serious.

Jiang Nian hesitated for a few seconds. The more she thought about it, the more her behavior seemed suspicious—like someone in love. But after sorting through her emotions, she quickly denied it.
“No, I really don’t. I just… I just want her to be happy. To live well, without being hurt.”

“You’re really that kind? Helping an omega with zero personal feelings involved?”
Jiang Fenyun raised a skeptical brow.

The director, sensing this wasn’t his business, quickly cupped his ears and pretended he heard nothing.

Jiang Nian let out a long sigh.
“What exactly are you getting at with that question?”

“I… I just…”
For once, Jiang Fenyun looked uncharacteristically sheepish. She shifted uncomfortably, then finally admitted,
“Back then, I used to be just like you—playing around, never serious. But ever since I met Qiao Wenyu… I realized she’s just… a beautiful person. I really want to pursue her. Seriously.”

Jiang Nian fell silent.

Her chest tightened.

She couldn’t find a reason to say “no.” She had no right to. She herself didn’t dare to harbor that kind of affection toward Qiao Wenyu.

But just picturing Jiang Fenyun fussing over Qiao Wenyu—serving her, doting on her—sparked a thousand waves of resistance in Jiang Nian’s head.

“Ha! Look at that face.”
Jiang Fenyun had caught that momentary lapse.

Jiang Nian quickly reeled herself in, adjusting her expression before reluctantly glancing sideways at Jiang Fenyun.

This person… wasn’t bad. At the very least, she was genuine to her friends—someone who likely wouldn’t cause real harm.

But still… to hand Qiao Wenyu over to her?

Unacceptable.

Even so, Jiang Nian decided to play along for now. If Jiang Fenyun wanted to chase, fine. Let her try. She’d just have to “accidentally” make her fail.

“Fine. Do whatever you want,” Jiang Nian said, her gaze firm.
“But if you hurt her—even a little—I won’t forgive you. Got it?”

“Relax,” Jiang Fenyun grinned.
“I plan to pursue her like a proper lady.”

Only when their conversation ended did the director dare to uncover his ears. He cautiously stepped forward and asked with a forced smile,
“So, um… are we still filming the show or…?”

“After everything that’s happened, with all the cast changes—do you really think it’ll even make it to air?” Jiang Fenyun crossed her arms.

The director’s face turned pale.
“But the funding… it’s already spent.”

“Don’t panic. We’ll just repackage the existing footage as a ‘prologue episode’ of Heartbeat Code,” Jiang Fenyun offered calmly, pulling the director aside to explain her plans for reformatting the show.

Jiang Nian knew she couldn’t help with that part of the business, so she quickly slipped away and returned to Qiao Wenyu’s room. It was the longest she’d been apart from her in days.

Fortunately, Tong Yunyao was now under close surveillance, and security at the villa had been significantly tightened.

Jiang Nian knocked lightly before opening the door—just in time to see Qiao Wenyu closing her laptop. A few notebooks were stacked on the nightstand, filled with incomprehensible equations.

“You’re back?” Qiao Wenyu quickly tidied the papers, her movements efficient—clearly not giving Jiang Nian any chance to peek.

Jiang Nian wasn’t particularly curious. Her mind was elsewhere, tangled in thoughts. After a moment of hesitation, she finally spoke up.

“There’s something I wanted to tell you…”

Damn. Harder to say than she thought.

Qiao Wenyu tilted her head.
“Oh? What is it?”

Jiang Nian twisted her fingers anxiously.
“Well… it’s about Jiang Fenyun…”

Ugh. How should she even begin?

Qiao Wenyu blinked.
“?”

Jiang Nian steeled herself, shut her eyes, and blurted out:
“If she tries to pursue you—don’t say yes!”

Qiao Wenyu blinked again, caught completely off guard.
“You mean President Jiang? She wouldn’t be interested in someone like me.”

But she is!

Jiang Nian was dying inside. She looked like someone who’d swallowed bitter medicine and couldn’t spit it out. After struggling for a moment, she decided there was no use in eloquence—it was better to just… slander her friend.

“Her pheromone smells like dry hay. When it gets strong, it’s like smoke! And she… she grinds her teeth in her sleep and snores! You wouldn’t be able to handle it. Most importantly—she has a habit of chasing people and dumping them once she gets bored. You must stay away from her!”

She said it all in one breath. By the end, she was slightly out of breath.

Qiao Wenyu couldn’t help but laugh.
“Want to take a breath before you keep going?”

“No need. That was all of it.” Jiang Nian looked down at her feet.

“President Jiang’s still young. It’s normal to want to have fun,” Qiao Wenyu replied calmly. “And hay-scented pheromones aren’t bad. They’re kind of unique. As for her sleeping habits—those can be corrected with time. It’s really not that bad.”

Jiang Nian felt like she’d been doused in vinegar and rain all at once.

“You’re really defending her?”

“She’s your friend. By helping her, aren’t I helping you too?” Qiao Wenyu replied slowly.

Jiang Nian’s eyes lit up.

But then Qiao Wenyu continued,
“Fenyun’s a good person. I think I kind of like her.”

Jiang Nian’s eyes widened in shock.
“You—you—you really like her?”

Qiao Wenyu covered her mouth and laughed.
“Of course not.”

Only then did Jiang Nian’s tightly clenched heart finally relax.

“But,” Qiao Wenyu added, her voice suddenly softer, a hint of melancholy passing through her eyes,
“There was someone I really liked… deep in my heart.”

Jiang Nian’s breath caught.

“But she’s gone. I don’t even know if we’ll ever meet again in this lifetime.”