After the Scummy Alpha Marked the Crazy Beautiful Heroine (GL) - Chapter 20

Pei Jiuyao had an uncharacteristically peaceful night’s sleep. She only woke up when she heard the sound of a keycard unlocking the door.

Rubbing her dazed head, she sat up and pulled back the curtains. Sunlight poured into the room.

It was nearly noon.

Jiang Tian stepped in and asked softly, “Jie, you’re awake?”

“I bought you breakfast,” she said carefully, placing a paper bag on the table. “There’s a pre-interview this afternoon—we need to head over early.”

Then she hesitantly asked, “Will you be going?”

After washing up, Pei Jiuyao smiled and asked, “What, do you think I can just skip it?”

Jiang Tian froze. “Then… I’ll go cancel it?”

“Wait, I was joking,” Pei Jiuyao quickly stopped her.

Jiang Tian stood frozen in place, clearly uncomfortable.

Pei Jiuyao let out a half-laugh. “Was I always like this?”

“Like what?” Jiang Tian asked.

“Just ditching jobs I didn’t like?”

Jiang Tian nodded slightly.

So willful? The original owner really had neither connections nor skills—only a diva complex.

Pei Jiuyao opened the food box. Inside were delicate crystal-skinned soup dumplings and a bowl of congee.

Conveniently, she preferred something light for her first meal of the day. Seemed like the original owner had similar tastes.

She looked at Jiang Tian and asked, “Have you eaten yet?”

Jiang Tian nodded quickly. “If you don’t need anything else, Pei-jie, I’ll get going.”

“No rush, come sit for a bit.” Pei Jiuyao patted the sofa.

Jiang Tian visibly flinched but didn’t dare disobey. She tiptoed over and sat beside her.

“Was I very harsh to you before?”

“No!” Jiang Tian shook her head frantically, her fingers tugging nervously at her shirt hem. “It was my fault—I didn’t do a good job.”

“And what exactly did you do wrong?” Pei Jiuyao asked, popping a dumpling into her mouth.

Jiang Tian hesitated for a few seconds before lowering her head and asking in a whisper, “Are you… going to fire me?”

That level of fear made it obvious just how badly the original Pei Jiuyao had treated her. Yet Jiang Tian had stayed for three years—longer than any other assistant. Supposedly the longest-serving Omega on her team.

At first, Pei Jiuyao thought Jiang Tian might be a die-hard fan. But her behavior didn’t quite fit, so she asked Wen Li.

Wen Li explained that Jiang Tian’s younger sister was severely ill and the family desperately needed money—so she had no choice but to hold on to the job.

Such an instinctive fear response made it clear the original owner had been downright vicious.

Pei Jiuyao let out a quiet sigh and said gently, “Don’t be scared. I’m not going to eat you.”

She patted Jiang Tian’s shoulder. The girl flinched under her hand.

Pei Jiuyao softened her voice further. “Don’t be afraid. I know I was a terrible person before, no matter what I did to you. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

Jiang Tian looked absolutely stunned by her sudden self-awareness, mouth slightly agape, eyes wide.

She quickly dropped her head again and whispered like a mosquito, “Jie, if I’ve done anything wrong lately, just tell me—I’ll fix it! Please don’t act like this, it scares me…”

“How about I give you a raise?” Pei Jiuyao mused aloud.

“Huh? What?”

Pei Jiuyao turned to her. “What’s your current salary?”

“Um… ten thousand.”

Ten thousand a month was standard for an assistant at Pei Jiuyao’s level—but not enough to endure this kind of abuse.

“Let’s make it thirty thousand.”

“Th-thirty thousand?” Jiang Tian stammered. From what she knew, even Wen Li’s salary was around that range.

She stood up nervously, then asked in a tiny voice, “Jie, I… I don’t like Alphas.”

Pei Jiuyao let out a low laugh.

Just how terrible had the original Pei Jiuyao been to make her assistant think she was about to be kept?

If she didn’t explain herself today, Jiang Tian would carry this shadow forever—and might not stick around for long.

Pei Jiuyao thought for a moment, then lifted her head and explained, “You’re my assistant. We’re in this together. Especially in a place like the entertainment industry—most people can’t be trusted. If even the people around you can’t be trusted, how can you move forward?”

Jiang Tian’s eyes widened slightly. “I’d never betray you…”

“I know you wouldn’t,” Pei Jiuyao said, standing and lightly patting the Omega on the head. “That’s why I’m showing you my sincerity.”

“And… I already have someone I like. Don’t worry.”

Jiang Tian nodded blankly, still stunned.

Pei Jiuyao bent down a little, lips curling into a smile. “So I’ll be relying on you from now on.”

Jiang Tian nodded like a bobblehead.

“Alright, tidy up—we’re heading out.”

After finishing breakfast, Pei Jiuyao went to knock on Chi Yang’s door, asking if she wanted to come to the set together.

It was a bit early to head out for the pre-interview, but Pei Jiuyao really wanted Chi Yang to watch her in action.

After all, she had at least 10 affection points from her. She probably wouldn’t refuse, right?

But when Pei Jiuyao saw her, Chi Yang looked like she hadn’t slept well—her face was pale.

Still, after a moment’s hesitation, she agreed.

In the van, Pei Jiuyao asked, “Why do you look so out of it?”

Chi Yang was quiet for a long moment. Then, with a hint of gloom, she stared at Pei Jiuyao and muttered, “I don’t sleep well in unfamiliar beds.”

“But hey, our names were next to each other on the trending list last night.”

Pei Jiuyao was still visibly excited. “I was so thrilled I could barely sleep!”

Chi Yang made a noncommittal noise, looking even worse.

“Did you click in to see me?”

Chi Yang glanced at her, her light brown eyes like frozen glass.

“No.”

“Oh, I see…” Pei Jiuyao wasn’t surprised by the cold response.

“But I clicked in to look at you for ages. You looked amazing in that red dress,” she said, eyes gleaming with a soft light as she recalled the night before. “It reminded me of that night.”

Chi Yang’s breath caught.

Pei Jiuyao lowered her gaze, catching the faint flutter of Chi Yang’s lashes.

Suddenly understanding, she added, “That Weibo post last night—it was Wen Li who posted it.”

Chi Yang’s fingers tightened around her phone, her knuckles faintly red. Then she slowly released her grip, placing her hand back on her lap. “Oh,” she said softly.

She didn’t look bothered.

But Pei Jiuyao caught the subtle reaction clearly.

“I haven’t been in contact with Chu Si for a long time now.”

“That’s none of my business,” Chi Yang said, rubbing her thumb against her palm. The pale skin quickly turned red. “You can be friends with whoever you want—as long as you don’t mess around.”

“Do I seem that scummy to you?” Pei Jiuyao chuckled. “Come watch my pre-interview.”

Chi Yang glared at her. “You better not say anything ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous? You mean like…” Pei Jiuyao paused, then lowered her voice. “Like saying I went on the show because of you? Or that the song was written for you? Or that I… might actually like you?”

Chi Yang awkwardly pushed Pei Jiuyao away.

“All of it.”

Pei Jiuyao leaned back against her chair with a light chuckle.

Once her makeup was done, the pre-show interview for the guest stars began as usual.

Because Pei Jiuyao and Chu Si had trended together on social media the night before—and even interacted on Weibo—the host quickly shifted the conversation toward Chu Si.

Just as the host asked, “Is it true Jiuyao joined the show for Chu Si?” the door opened. Chi Yang ducked inside, back slightly hunched.

She had somehow found the baseball cap she wore to the set last night and sat on a couch in the back, her expression obscured.

She must’ve given the crew a heads-up beforehand; the host didn’t show any surprise and continued the interview without pause.

“They say you and Chu Si have known each other for years. When she found out you were joining the show, she said she was so excited she couldn’t sleep.”

The host smiled brightly, but Pei Jiuyao’s attention was fixed entirely on Chi Yang.

“Jiuyao?” the host prompted again. “What do you say?”

Pei Jiuyao snapped back to focus and offered a smile to the camera. She thought to herself, Next time I trade points with 7023, I should pick acting skills.

“Everyone saw the Weibo post yesterday, right?” Pei Jiuyao said lazily, slouching on the couch with a teasing smile. “But that’s not the whole story.”

Since they were from the same agency, she was willing to own the post to keep Wen Li out of a tough spot.

But her true reason for being here? She was ready to make it known.

“Oh? Then what’s the real reason?”

“Well… I really admire Senior Chi Yang. I wanted the chance to perform alongside her.”

The moment she said it, the host lit up, unable to hold back their amusement.

“Really? Then how did you and Chi Yang-jie first meet?”

…

From there, it was mostly generic fluff.

Pei Jiuyao fielded every question with practiced ease and polished charm.

She’d clearly learned her lesson—the viral clip of her snapping at a reporter was still floating around the trending topics from just a week ago.

Chi Yang tugged her cap down, quietly observing Pei Jiuyao through the camera monitor.

She was so casual, so at ease—those soft, smiling eyes still held a trace of edge, something a little wild, something that seemed to pierce right through the screen and straight into Chi Yang’s chest.

Chi Yang caught herself smiling before quickly rubbing her cheeks in frustration.

She thought about what Pei Jiuyao had just said: “I really admire Senior Chi Yang.”

A line like that—so sweet, so suggestive—but wrapped up in a perfectly respectable package.

There was nothing technically wrong with it. Just a junior expressing admiration for a senior.

Yet… this person felt completely different from the one she used to know.
Soon after, Pei Jiuyao subtly traced her cheek with her finger and gave a small smile to the camera.

The host laughed along.

It looked like an interview—but her gaze landed with pinpoint accuracy on Chi Yang.

Chi Yang was startled to find herself smiling again. She rubbed her face harder this time, annoyed.

Near the end, the host “coincidentally” brought up the circulating rumor that Pei Jiuyao had been acting like a diva.

That was when Pei Jiuyao finally showed a hint of sharpness.

“I’m not sure how that rumor even started. My side signed the contract long ago, and as far as I know, it was another artist who came on later.”

She sighed softly and added with just the right touch of innocence, “I guess Producer Chen was so impressed by my musical talent, she felt honored to make her show my official debut.”

“I feel honored too,” she added with a smile.

The host’s smile froze slightly.

Yep. Still the same Pei Jiuyao underneath it all.

________________________________________

By the time Pei Jiuyao finished the interview, Chi Yang had already left.

After fine-tuning some equipment, she went back to the dressing room to change her look and casually scrolled through Weibo.

Clips from the pre-interview were already airing, and Pei Jiuyao’s name was still dominating the trending list.

Fans were mostly defending her, but a few anti-fans were mixed in:

【PJY’s delusion level is off the charts.

“Musical talent,” LMFAO…

She’s not gifted, she’s gifted at embarrassing herself.

Others: A-lister with small diva tendencies.

PJY: No fame, all diva.

Wait, no, she got at least one card… Joker.】

…

【Looks like PJY was nearly pushed out by a resource-hogging starlet.

That earlier “scandal” was obviously fake.

If PJY had any backing, she’d have digitally adopted the producer by now.】

…

None of it got under Pei Jiuyao’s skin anymore. In fact, she found it kind of funny.

After all, she wasn’t the original Pei Jiuyao.

Once she was done changing, she headed back toward the venue and spotted Chi Yang sitting on the couch from afar.

Just as she was about to approach her, Chu Si popped up out of nowhere and draped an arm around her shoulders.

“Xiao Pei! You’re finally here. I missed you sooo much,” Chu Si clung with syrupy sweetness.

“You missed me so much you couldn’t sleep last night?” Pei Jiuyao didn’t even look at her, gaze locked on Chi Yang as she tried to step around her.

Chu Si tugged her back. “Why the rush? Ditching your friends for a pretty face?”

She raised an eyebrow. “How’d you know I didn’t sleep well last night?”

Pei Jiuyao rolled her eyes. “The host said it.”

Chu Si clutched her wrist and pleaded, “Come sit with me for a bit, let’s chat—it’s been so long.”

“Found out who drugged me yet?” Pei Jiuyao asked coolly.

Chu Si lowered her eyes. “Why so harsh? Give me some time, okay?”

“Then we’ve got nothing to talk about. I’m going to see Chi Yang.”

“Hey!” Chu Si’s tone turned sour. “Chi Yang already has Meng Yu with her. What are you even doing?”

“Meng Yu?”

“Her ancient bestie,” Chu Si sneered. “Used to be her senior at their old agency. I heard she’s an S-Class Alpha too—cedarwood-scented pheromones, kinda like yours.”

“Those cold, abstinent-type dommes are the best to press under you, even if they’re Alphas.” Chu Si gave Pei Jiuyao a sidelong glance as she finished.

Pei Jiuyao’s expression turned frigid. She shoved Chu Si aside and walked over.

“Meng Yu-senpai?”

Meng Yu looked up. “You are?”

“I’m Pei Jiuyao.” She lowered her gaze respectfully. “Would it be alright if I had a quick word with Chi Yang-senpai?”

Chi Yang looked up and pointed to the seat beside her.

“Then sit here.”

Pei Jiuyao let out a soft laugh.

“…It’s personal.”