After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, I Became a Slave to My Beloved Wife (GL) - Chapter 25
“Kid, you’re not right for Xiao Yu.”
“Welcome! How can I help you?” the receptionist said warmly, her lips curled into a polite smile as a customer walked in.
Jiang Nian entered the convenience store, rubbing her chilly arms with her hands. Autumn had arrived, and wearing just a short-sleeved shirt at night made the cold feel sharp and biting.
She stood in front of the counter, her eyes sweeping over the neatly arranged cigarette packs.
“One pack of Premium,” she said, pulling out two 100-yuan bills and placing them on the counter. Taking the cigarettes the clerk handed her, she casually said, “Keep the change,” and turned to leave.
She walked a few steps under the dark sky before stopping beneath a streetlamp. She tore open the plastic seal on the pack and slid out a cigarette, holding it between her fingers.
The lighter clicked several times before finally sparking. Jiang Nian lit the cigarette and took a slow drag.
The sharp smell of smoke filled the air, curling into wisps that drifted toward the night sky.
She looked across the street at the tall office building. Her mood was heavy, and she paced back and forth, unable to suppress the frustration that had been building. No matter how much she tried to stay calm, the irritation was bubbling over.
She lifted the still-lit cigarette to her lips, took an awkward puff, and exhaled a thin stream of smoke. Under her breath, she muttered, “Why is she still not down…”
It had been over an hour since Qiao Wenyu went into Bai Ye’s company. Jiang Nian was getting more and more restless. What on earth could they be talking about for so long?
Her patience was nearly gone. Just as she was about to give up and drive off, Qiao Wenyu finally appeared across the street.
At the sight of her, Jiang Nian quickly stubbed out her cigarette and crushed it under her shoe. She rushed into the car and started the engine.
When Qiao Wenyu got in the passenger seat, Jiang Nian acted as though she had been calmly waiting the whole time. Her hands rested on the steering wheel, eyes fixed ahead. “So? Is Bai Ye willing to help me get in touch with the overseas designer?”
“Xiao Nian, I…” Qiao Wenyu began as she unbuttoned the collar of her shirt, revealing a glimpse of her fair skin. “I… got her pheromones on me.”
A faint scent of mint drifted from her collar. Jiang Nian instinctively felt uncomfortable. Because of the temporary bond between them, Jiang Nian was sensitive to the presence of another alpha’s pheromones on Qiao Wenyu.
“It’s fine. It couldn’t be helped,” Jiang Nian replied quietly. She didn’t dare show her discomfort—after all, Qiao Wenyu had gone to Bai Ye for her sake.
“Ah Ye said it won’t be easy. She needs to understand the designer’s background before she can arrange anything,” Qiao Wenyu said after a pause. “These things take time.”
Jiang Nian understood. She started the car and turned onto the main road. “Jiejie… thank you for doing this for me.”
Qiao Wenyu tilted her head, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at her with a soft smile. “Xiao Nian, since you’re thanking me, can I ask you for something?”
“Hm?”
They were at a red light. Jiang Nian shifted the car into neutral. She could feel Qiao Wenyu’s gaze lingering on her.
“Xiao Nian… smoking isn’t good for you.” Qiao Wenyu gently brushed her fingers against Jiang Nian’s sleeve. “See? Your clothes smell like smoke. I thought you’d notice the mint scent on me right away, but it was completely masked by the cigarette smell.”
Jiang Nian had been listening so intently that she forgot to watch the light. A car honked behind them, jolting her back to attention. She shifted into gear and started driving again.
“I only smoke when I’m feeling really stressed or anxious. Don’t worry, Jiejie, I’ll be more careful,” she promised.
Qiao Wenyu, ever perceptive, picked up on the hidden meaning. She turned to the window, watching the passing scenery, then said quietly, “You were that anxious while I was meeting with Bai Ye?”
“I…” Jiang Nian was so distracted she nearly lost control of the car. She had to slam on the gas just to avoid hitting a utility pole at the corner.
“You’re distracted,” Qiao Wenyu said gently, steadying herself with one hand on the door. She let out a sigh and shook her head with a faint smile. “Silly pup. Why are you panicking just because I saw through you?”
Jiang Nian shook her head and said, “No distractions while driving. Shhh.”
Qiao Wenyu chuckled and pressed her lips together in amusement. “Take me to the set.”
“Okay.”
Qiao Wenyu had recently landed a supporting role in a television drama. From what Jiang Nian had heard, it was thanks to Jiang Fenyun’s strong recommendation—and even treating the director to a meal—that Qiao Wenyu got the part. Knowing that, Jiang Nian was genuinely grateful and hadn’t argued with Jiang Fenyun the last few times they met.
The show was a historical fantasy drama. To capture the grandeur of the setting, the production had chosen a location out in the suburbs.
The filming schedule was about two weeks long. Qiao Wenyu didn’t have many scenes, but they were scattered throughout, so she still needed to be on set for quite a while.
After dropping her off, Jiang Nian leaned on the car window, watching Qiao Wenyu leave.
“Xiao Nian, I’m going,” Qiao Wenyu said as she pulled her suitcase behind her.
Just as she was about to turn away, Jiang Nian suddenly called out, “Jiejie!”
Qiao Wenyu turned back. “What is it?”
Jiang Nian hesitated, clearly embarrassed. Her voice was soft, almost shy as she said, “Jiejie… can I have a… goodnight kiss?”
The last few words came out as quiet as a mosquito’s buzz—Qiao Wenyu couldn’t hear a thing. “What?”
“I said… goodnight, Jiejie,” Jiang Nian mumbled, her ears burning red. She didn’t even understand why she suddenly wanted a goodnight kiss. Thankfully, her sister hadn’t caught it clearly—otherwise, it would’ve been too embarrassing.
Qiao Wenyu raised her hand and waved. “Goodnight, Xiao Nian. Be careful on your way back.”
Only after watching Qiao Wenyu enter the accommodation arranged by the production team did Jiang Nian finally drive off.
In the days that followed, Jiang Nian poured herself into work, doing everything she could to minimize the risks to her project. She was either living at the office or running around pulling strings. Depending solely on Bai Ye was too uncertain—it wasn’t a safe bet.
Jiang Nian had reached out to Jiang Fenyun during that time, but unfortunately, Fenyun’s business scope was different, and there wasn’t much she could do to help.
One day, Jiang Nian sat at her desk, staring blankly at the mountain of documents in front of her, mentally drained as she calculated figures.
“President Jiang, the receptionist says President Bai is here,” said Lu Renbing, opening the door with a report.
Jiang Nian was already in a foul mood. Hearing that Bai Ye had come, she forced herself to swallow her irritation and asked her secretary to let her in.
A moment later, footsteps sounded outside the door. The secretary led Bai Ye into the office.
“Kid, your company’s in deep trouble and you had Xiao Yu come talk to me? Why didn’t you show up yourself?” Bai Ye sat casually on the sofa, chin lifted, eyeing Jiang Nian coldly.
Jiang Nian’s hand, resting on the table, slowly curled into a fist. She had always felt a deep-rooted hostility toward Bai Ye—an instinctive aversion. But now that she was the one seeking help, she had no choice but to lower her pride. She forced a smile. “President Bai, Xiao Yu is my wife. Whether she comes or I do—what’s the difference?”
That line clearly struck a nerve. Bai Ye’s previously calm face changed slightly. She pushed her glasses up and shifted her posture, then replied coldly, “So this is what asking for help looks like?”
“Exactly. Otherwise, why would I have let Xiao Yu come to see you? Isn’t that like sending a lamb into the tiger’s den?” Jiang Nian narrowed her eyes with a smile.
Who would’ve thought the so-called ‘spoiled brat’ Jiang Nian could be so sharp and composed in business negotiations? Within a few words, even Bai Ye found herself momentarily speechless.
“Let’s focus on business. And stop bringing up Xiao Yu all the time,” Bai Ye said with a cold smirk. “You and she—what kind of relationship do you really have? You know that better than anyone.”
That line hit Jiang Nian right where it hurt. Her relationship with Qiao Wenyu was in name only. The fact that Qiao Wenyu had been willing to help her at all was already more than she deserved.
“Alright, let’s talk business,” Jiang Nian said, her smile unchanged, though her eyes now glinted with cold light.
She glanced at Lu Renbing, who understood instantly and bowed before leaving, carefully closing the office door behind him. He silently thanked the heavens for being a beta—if he were sensitive to pheromones, just standing in the presence of two top alphas might’ve knocked him out.
Outside, Lu wiped sweat from his forehead and returned to his desk.
Inside the office, the two alphas stared each other down like beasts sizing up prey, both tense and unyielding, as if one wrong move could lead to claws being bared.
After more than half an hour of tense negotiation, Jiang Nian finally managed to get Bai Ye to sign the contract, securing exclusive collaboration rights with Bai Ye’s designer friend.
For once, Jiang Nian’s expression softened. She sincerely said, “Thank you, President Bai, for your help.”
“I have a profit share in the project—I’m just doing my job. No need to thank me,” Bai Ye replied, raising an eyebrow. “By the way, I spoke to Xiao Yu a few days ago. I want her to be the contact point for the next phase of work. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Xiao Yu has her own job. I’ll have a department manager handle the communication,” Jiang Nian declined, keeping her tone polite.
Bai Ye gave her a condescending smile. “Didn’t you just say you two are married? What difference does it make whether she comes or you do?”
Jiang Nian was momentarily at a loss for words. After thinking it over, she still refused. “No. I don’t want her to overwork herself. You’d better drop that idea.”
“I don’t think so,” Bai Ye said bluntly. “The contract clearly states that the project lead must be approved by both parties. If you won’t let Xiao Yu work with me, then the collaboration is off the table.”
Left with no choice, Jiang Nian finally relented. “Fine. But since President Bai is such a prominent figure, I trust you wouldn’t go so far as to steal someone’s wife, right?”
Bai Ye gave her a meaningful smile. “That depends on Xiao Yu. I’m just doing my best.”
With that, she stood up and walked out. Just before leaving, she added with a smirk, “Kid, you’re not right for Xiao Yu.”
After Bai Ye was gone, Jiang Nian paced around the office in a fury. She stomped back and forth before finally punching the sofa cushion, gritting her teeth as she muttered, “Kid, huh? Trying to steal my Jiejie with a contract? How shameless…”
At that moment, her secretary peeked in through a crack in the door and cautiously asked, “President Jiang, Miss Qiao’s agent just called. She said Miss Qiao has some time off tonight and tomorrow.”
Jiang Nian’s eyes lit up. She hadn’t seen Qiao Wenyu in so long. “I want to go see her.”
Lu Renbing hesitated. “But… there’s a meeting tonight. President Bai said the designer will be coming to review the project details.”
“When was that scheduled?” Jiang Nian frowned.
“Just now, at Bai Ye’s request. Looking at the calendar, it has to be either tonight or tomorrow. President Jiang, if you’d like to spend more time with Miss Qiao, maybe hold the meeting tonight and visit the set tomorrow?”
Jiang Nian rubbed her temples. “Alright, we’ll go tomorrow then.”