After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, the Movie Queen Just Wants to Pamper Her Wife (LILY, ABO) - Chapter 12

“Sister Wu, are you really sure the white cat’s name isn’t just my surname?” Xi Xiaoyan asked again, still unwilling to let it go as they walked toward the dining room.

“Yes, her name is Axi.”

“You mean ‘xi’ as in ‘fine and delicate’?”

“No, it’s the ‘xi’ from ‘system.'”

“That’s such a weird name.”

“Well, she’s a cat that came out of nowhere. A strange name suits her.”

“But it still sounds just like my surname. Can I just call her Axi the way I hear it?”

“As long as Yanyan is happy, you can call her whatever you like.”

Trailing behind them, Athena felt like she had just been force-fed a truckload of dog food. Her mind was shouting in protest.

“You two have got to be kidding me. Axi or Axi, what kind of weird village names are those?”

Meng Chuwu pretended not to hear Axi’s grumbling. No one else could hear the cat anyway.

She leaned close to Xi Xiaoyan and lowered her voice.

“Next time, don’t kiss me when Axi is around. That cat is not very decent. She was spying on us last night.”

“What?” Xi Xiaoyan turned her head to look at the cat, then leaned in closer and whispered, “Could she be a perverted cat?”

Athena felt like a shadow had just fallen over her entire life.

“Meng Chuwu, stop slandering me. I am still an innocent little cat, untouched and waiting to be loved.”

“An innocent cat, yet already spying like that? I can’t even imagine what you’ll be like after you get married,” Meng Chuwu thought to herself with amusement. Then she replied to Xi Xiaoyan, “Probably not. She’s just been single for too long.”

Being single and lonely was something Meng Chuwu could understand.

“Really?” Xi Xiaoyan giggled, then looked back at Axi again with a soft and sympathetic gaze. “Maybe we should get her a companion. She’s so pretty and her voice is so sweet. Sister Wu, she’s a female cat, right?”

“I think so.”

Athena extended a small paw, itching to scratch these two shameless lovebirds.

Xi Xiaoyan turned toward the bathroom, and Meng Chuwu went into the dining room first. She sat down while Athena hopped up onto the wooden chair on her left without hesitation.

“That’s Yanyan’s seat. Try using your eyes a little,” Meng Chuwu said silently as she looked at Axi. “Alright, what do you want?”

“Have you made up your mind about signing the contract?” Axi stayed put, sitting properly with her soft pink mouth slightly pouting. Her eyes showed clear annoyance.

“Honestly, I don’t really want to. If I can find a way to separate from Xi Xiaoyan, then I wouldn’t need to sign anything with you, right?”

“Let me explain the truth. Even though the story system chose you as the female lead, if you don’t sign the contract, the plot still follows the original storyline. You’ve read the ending. Without the contract, Xi Xiaoyan remains the author’s true protagonist, and your fate is tied directly to hers. That means in this world, your life belongs to her, and so does your death. Do you understand now?”

“That’s such a cruel setup.” Meng Chuwu felt like coughing up bl00d. Life and death tied to Xi Xiaoyan? It was suffocating.

“Why do you think you got married to her in the first place? You’re the official couple. That was the author’s arrangement. This novel was written just to torture the both of you.”

Meng Chuwu’s head throbbed. That author probably really was her number one hater.

“You don’t have much time. If something external triggers your cannon-fodder storyline, the speed of your death plot will increase dramatically. By then, it will be too late to regret anything. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“And what do you get out of the contract?”

“You don’t need to know that. Just understand that if you survive and unlock a brighter plot, both of us win. If you don’t make it, then I only waste a little time and effort.”

“If I sign the contract, doesn’t that make me no better than someone stealing another person’s partner?”

“You’re overthinking it. Once you sign, you and the original Alpha fully merge. You are her, and she is you.”

“But the memories that were transferred to me, all the things she did, the flirting and cheating, they had nothing to do with me.”

“That is the price of living again. Since you’ve entered this novel, you take on the identity of a fictional character. Most of what you’re talking about are just backstory memories. Did you forget? The novel actually begins with your wedding to Xi Xiaoyan. Everything before that is told through flashbacks.”

“This price still feels too steep.” Meng Chuwu couldn’t accept it. On one hand, she didn’t want to be bound by a contract. On the other, she really didn’t want to fully become the scumbag Alpha.

As for Xi Xiaoyan…

She was the kind of girl no one could dislike.

“You don’t have time to hesitate. If something external triggers your cannon-fodder arc, it will be a mess. Why take that risk? Let go of the idea of separating from her. It is too dangerous.”

Meng Chuwu realized that when Axi talked business, her voice actually sounded pretty normal. She had no idea why the cat acted so flirty the rest of the time.

“Sister Wu, what are you thinking about?”

Xi Xiaoyan had returned, cutting off the inner conversation with Axi.

“I was just wondering what kind of cat would be worthy of our seductive little Axi.”

“Really?” Xi Xiaoyan sat down and looked across at Axi. “She does look a little elegant. It might be hard to find a match for her.”

“Elegant? How can you tell?”

“Her fur and her features are exceptional. Her light blue irises and black pupils are so rare. And the shape of her eyeliner is so smooth and striking. She really gives off a strong presence.”

Athena felt her mood improve a little. At least Xi Xiaoyan had good taste.

At that moment, Chi Qing and Chen Lanying brought in the afternoon tea.

After a few bites, Xi Xiaoyan suggested they visit a cat shelter to find Axi a companion. Meng Chuwu agreed immediately.

Athena resisted at first but eventually gave in. She curled up in Xi Xiaoyan’s warm arms, powerless against the scent that drove cats wild.

Outside, Zitai had already pulled the car up to the door. As he came to greet them, Meng Chuwu said, “I’ll drive myself today.”

Zitai was a tall young man who always blushed whenever he saw her.

“Miss Wu, let me know if you need anything.”

“Alright, go have some fun.”

In this house, no one was overworked. The scumbag Alpha might have had a chaotic love life, but she was generous with her staff and paid them well. Because of that, everyone who worked for her was loyal and responsible.

“Get in,” Meng Chuwu said as she personally opened the car door for Xi Xiaoyan.

Xi Xiaoyan smiled and thanked her, then sat in the passenger seat with Axi in her arms.

Meng Chuwu got in as well, and the bright red car sped away.

Zitai stood there for a long time, quietly watching them go.

After visiting two or three cat shelters, they still hadn’t found a suitable Scottish Fold.

Both Meng Chuwu and Xi Xiaoyan were tired and a little disappointed, while Athena, on the other hand, let out a huge sigh of relief. She absolutely did not want to be casually paired up with some random cat from a shelter. However, Meng Chuwu completely ignored her silent protests. Xi Xiaoyan, seeing that Axi kept a sour face the whole time, simply assumed she was shy around strangers.

Tired from all the walking, they decided to have dinner out. They chose a restaurant so expensive it could make anyone gasp, but Xi Xiaoyan said it was the place where they had their first date, so tonight was like a trip down memory lane.

Just how rich was that scumbag Alpha? Meng Chuwu made a mental note to review her financial records sometime.

“No need. Her total assets are about ten times yours,” Athena said inside her mind.

Meng Chuwu realized that as long as she only thought things silently, Axi could not hear her. But the moment she thought clearly in words, the cat could pick it up.

“You seductive little cat, you’re a real threat.”

“I get nothing out of hurting you, thanks.”

“Why are you looking at me like I owe you a million dollars?”

“If you don’t sign the contract, you owe me way more than a million.”

“I see,” Meng Chuwu thought, suddenly understanding.

She hadn’t expected to become wealthier. If she could manage to survive, she decided she would spend the rest of her life only doing what she loved, and never force herself to do anything she didn’t want to.

Xi Xiaoyan was quietly studying the menu.

Looking at the prices now, Meng Chuwu didn’t even flinch.

Dinner was pleasant. The restaurant’s atmosphere was romantic, filled with fresh flowers, candlelight, and music that blended together beautifully.

The staff even thoughtfully brought a deluxe cat meal for Athena.

Two women and one cat gave off a very warm and intimate feeling.

In this kind of restaurant, it didn’t matter if you were a princess or a politician. The real gossip always happened in the kitchen.

“Meng the movie queen is here again. I love her and Xi Xiaoyan so much. They’re the best couple our restaurant has ever had.”

“Not just our restaurant. Across the whole country, they are one of the top pairs. An S-ranked Alpha and an S-ranked Omega? Out of hundreds of millions of people, there aren’t even a hundred pairs like them. In our city, there might be only a few. And they are definitely the most stunning to look at.”

“I really want to ask for an autograph. Maybe even a picture.”

“If you still want to keep this job, I suggest you snap out of it.”

“Did you see Xi Xiaoyan’s swan-shaped colored diamond necklace? It’s absolutely gorgeous.”

“Only she could pull off a piece like that.”

“Meng Chuwu definitely could too.”

“It’s time to serve dessert.”

“Let me go. Let me be the one. I need to witness this perfect couple before they ever break up.”

After dinner, Meng Chuwu and Xi Xiaoyan waited outside the restaurant for the valet to bring their car around. That was when a graceful, long-haired woman approached them.

Being a fan of beautiful faces, Meng Chuwu couldn’t help but glance at her more than once. When it came to appreciating beauty, she was just like the scumbag Alpha.

She could tell the woman was an Alpha, and not a low-ranking one.

“Meow,” Axi let out a soft but miserable sound in Xi Xiaoyan’s arms.

“Jiang Jie,” Xi Xiaoyan suddenly called out.

Her voice pulled Meng Chuwu out of her thoughts.

“What a coincidence,” the woman said as she walked straight up to Xi Xiaoyan, completely ignoring Meng Chuwu as if she wasn’t even there.

“A surprise meeting, indeed a coincidence,” Xi Xiaoyan replied with a smile, not noticing the way Meng Chuwu was staring at Jiang Tianyang.

The woman kept smiling warmly at Xi Xiaoyan. A moment later, she looked down at Athena.

“This cat has personality.”

“She belongs to Sister Wu. Oh, right. Let me introduce you.” Xi Xiaoyan finally turned to Meng Chuwu. “Sister Wu, this is my upperclassman from high school, Jiang Tianyang. Jiang Jie, this is—”

“The movie queen herself. I’ve heard so much about you,” Jiang Tianyang said with an easygoing smile. She didn’t have the usual intensity or pressure that came with being an Alpha.

“Nice to meet you,” Meng Chuwu replied.

But in her mind, she was thinking, Jiang Tianyang? Isn’t she the one who ends up with Xi Xiaoyan after the scumbag Alpha dies in the novel?

The way she looked at Xi Xiaoyan was almost like how someone might gaze at the number on their bank account—genuine, heartfelt joy.

Athena caught her thoughts and meowed again.

“An important supporting character has arrived ahead of schedule. Meng Chuwu, you’re in trouble.”

“Is it really that serious?” Meng Chuwu stayed calm.

Jiang Tianyang returned her greeting politely. The two of them exchanged a few routine, polite phrases.

“Yanyan, my friend is still inside waiting for me. I’ll head in now. See you later.” Before leaving, Jiang Tianyang gently patted Athena on the head. “I have a Scottish Fold too.”

“Meow,” Athena narrowed her eyes at her.

“Goodbye, Jiang Jie,” Xi Xiaoyan said as she waved.

Right then, their car arrived.

After they got in and before driving off, Meng Chuwu asked, “Does Jiang Tianyang like you?”