How Could a Scumbag Alpha Possibly Love His Wife? (GL, ABO) - Chapter 14
The moment Bai Juntang saw Cheng Wan, she couldn’t help but frown.
Cheng Wan was still wearing the same modest black skirt suit and soft leather flats. Her makeup was carefully done, yet Bai Juntang immediately noticed that she had lost a noticeable amount of weight.
While sitting in the car, Bai Juntang looked her up and down before asking, “What’s going on with you? It’s only been a few days—why do you look even thinner?”
Cheng Wan froze slightly. She stayed quiet for a moment before lowering her head and softly said, “I’m sorry.”
“I don’t want to hear you say sorry,” Bai Juntang replied firmly. “You’re not a child anymore. I shouldn’t have to remind you to eat every day. And you’re not eating for one person anymore—you’re eating for two.”
She stared at her. “Cheng Wan, are you doing this on purpose? Are you trying to go against me because you don’t want to have this baby properly?”
Cheng Wan quickly shook her head. She looked up at Bai Juntang and said quietly, “No… I’ve just been having really bad pregnancy symptoms. I’m not avoiding food on purpose. I really can’t eat.”
She had tried to force herself to eat the past few days. The housekeeper kept preparing all kinds of nourishing dishes for her, but she could barely manage a few bites before throwing it all up.
Even when she managed to keep something down, it would only stay in her stomach for an hour or two before it came back up.
She threw up during the day, and sometimes at night too.
Sometimes she would wake up in the middle of the night, run to the bathroom, and vomit until she was trembling—often on an empty stomach.
Hearing all this, Bai Juntang’s frown deepened.
“If it’s that bad, why didn’t you go to the hospital for some medication?”
Cheng Wan lowered her eyes. “My mom said all women go through this during pregnancy.”
“Just because something’s common doesn’t make it okay,” Bai Juntang said, clearly unhappy. “It’s your body—not theirs. It’s easy for others to make careless comments when it’s not happening to them.”
Cheng Wan looked at her, quietly moved. She knew Bai Juntang only cared because of the baby—but still, no one had ever spoken to her like this before.
Bai Juntang reached behind her and opened a compartment in the backseat. Since she was often too busy to eat on time, she kept snacks and drinks stored there—bottled water, crackers, energy bars.
She pulled out a slice of whole wheat toast and opened a bottle of water, handing both to Cheng Wan. “If you haven’t eaten yet, have this for now.”
Then she told the driver, Li Chen, “Drive slowly and steadily. We’re not in a rush.”
Li Chen responded with a quick “Got it,” and kept the ride smooth and steady.
Cheng Wan took the toast and water. Honestly, she hadn’t eaten that morning. She was afraid to eat anything because even sitting in a car often made her throw up—and she didn’t want to vomit in front of Bai Juntang.
She already knew she didn’t leave a good impression on Bai Juntang, so she wanted to at least keep a little dignity.
Holding the piece of toast in her hands, she glanced at Bai Juntang, then took a careful bite.
Bai Juntang… seemed gentler than before.
Not knowing how Cheng Wan saw her, Bai Juntang turned her gaze to the scenery outside the window. She waited until Cheng Wan had quietly eaten most of the toast before speaking again.
“You’re meeting my mother today. She’s… sharp-tongued and not very nice.”
“Mm,” Cheng Wan nodded. She had already heard from Cheng Jiajian that Bai Weilan was a difficult woman—tough both in business and in life, with a fierce temper.
Bai Juntang turned to look at her. After a pause, she asked, “Are you still feeling sick?”
Cheng Wan hesitated, then shook her head. “No, I feel okay now.”
It was strange. These past few days, she would throw up any time she ate or got into a car. But right now—eating in a moving vehicle—she didn’t feel nauseous at all.
Surrounded by the faint scent of Bai Juntang’s cool fir-tree pheromones, she felt calm, even comfortable.
She didn’t know if it was Bai Juntang’s scent that was helping, but she felt much better than usual.
Neither of them said anything else. The car continued steadily down the road, and the quiet rhythm of the ride had a calming, almost drowsy effect.
Cheng Wan hadn’t slept well in days. Every night felt like a struggle.
But now she was fed, calm, and not nauseous—for once, the sleepiness started to wash over her.
As the car rounded a bend, Bai Juntang suddenly felt a light weight press against her shoulder. She turned her head and saw that Cheng Wan had fallen asleep.
Asleep, Cheng Wan’s whole body looked relaxed. She leaned against Bai Juntang’s shoulder, her head resting gently there. From this angle, Bai Juntang could clearly see her defined nose and long eyelashes.
Bai Juntang carefully raised her hand and tilted Cheng Wan’s chin ever so slightly, adjusting her posture so she could sleep more comfortably.
Cheng Wan was completely out—her head tilted slightly as she curled up next to Bai Juntang, peacefully breathing in the soft, calming scent of her pheromones.
As Bai Juntang looked at her, she couldn’t help but notice, Cheng Wan’s lips weren’t as thin as her personality made her seem. In fact, they were soft and full.
She looked like someone who would be very easy to kiss.
Bai Juntang didn’t feel there was anything inappropriate about the thought. She simply stared at Cheng Wan’s peaceful sleeping face, the corners of her mouth lifting into a faint smile. Then she told Li Chen to slow the car down even more.
What should have been a thirty-minute drive stretched into over an hour.
Just as the car came to a stop, Cheng Wan slowly woke up.
She was still dazed and disoriented, unsure for a moment where she was or how she got there.
Cheng Wan had always been like this—she needed time to fully come to her senses after waking up.
While rubbing her sore shoulder, Bai Juntang watched her patiently. After a few seconds, Cheng Wan blinked, still a little confused, and softly said, “I’m sorry.”
“This time, you really should apologize,” Bai Juntang said with a hint of amusement. “You slept for over an hour. My shoulder’s gone numb.”
Cheng Wan’s face turned bright red in an instant. She nervously offered, “Miss Bai, I—I can massage it for you. I’m really sorry. I don’t usually fall asleep in cars.”
Bai Juntang wasn’t actually expecting a massage—she was teasing. “So, what you’re saying is, you were so comfortable next to me that you just dozed off?”
Cheng Wan’s face flushed even deeper—because it was true.
It was exactly because she felt safe and at ease that she’d fallen asleep so quickly.
But that was something she could never say aloud. She just kept her head down, cheeks burning, and quietly apologized again.
Just then, a sharp knock came at the window. Bai Juntang turned to see her mother, Bai Weilan, standing outside the car in large sunglasses, looking visibly displeased.
Cheng Wan and Bai Juntang stepped out of the car.
Bai Weilan was wrapped in a dark red shawl and wore a long black dress that highlighted her pale skin and tall, elegant frame. Her assistant stood beside her, holding an umbrella to block the sun.
“You’re late,” Bai Weilan said, removing her sunglasses as she frowned at her daughter. “I’ve been waiting here for over half an hour. Even when visiting your mother’s grave, you show up late. Have you no manners?”
Then she glanced at Cheng Wan, sizing her up with a calm expression. “You’re Cheng Wan, right?”
Cheng Wan wasn’t used to dealing with someone so imposing. She simply nodded.
Bai Weilan looked her over for another moment.
Cheng Wan didn’t dare move. Thankfully, after just a few seconds, Bai Weilan put her sunglasses back on and turned to her daughter.
“A girl this lovely—how did she end up falling for someone like you?”
Bai Juntang blinked. “…Excuse me?”
“What, you don’t understand plain Chinese anymore?” Bai Weilan replied flatly.
Bai Juntang stayed silent for a second, then muttered to herself, Don’t get mad. She’s still your mom.
She turned to Cheng Wan and said, “Let’s visit the grave first, then we’ll have lunch.”
Cheng Wan numbly took the large bouquet that Bai Juntang handed her and followed the two women toward the cemetery.
The weather was warm and sunny, almost too hot, but the cemetery was lined with tall trees that offered shade. Being away from the city made it feel less stifling.
Bai Weilan and Bai Juntang walked ahead while Cheng Wan followed behind. Occasionally, Bai Juntang would slow down and wait for her, and the three of them walked together in silence.
Soon, they arrived at a gravestone. Bai Weilan removed her sunglasses and placed her flowers down in front of it.
Cheng Wan looked at the photo on the headstone. It was a young woman with a radiant smile—beautiful and full of life. Her features resembled Bai Juntang’s just a little, though Bai Juntang more strongly took after Bai Weilan.
Bai Weilan looked at the grave and spoke softly, “Look who we brought to see you—your daughter and I.”
Then she turned to Cheng Wan and waved her over. “Come here.”
Cheng Wan stepped forward, still holding her bouquet. She knelt and placed the flowers down gently, mimicking Bai Weilan’s actions.
“She’s just as sweet as you were,” Bai Weilan said to the gravestone. “She’s pregnant now. I’m sure the baby will be lovely. So maybe part of your wish is finally coming true.”
After chatting to the grave a little longer, Bai Weilan pulled her daughter closer and spoke quietly for a while. Then she turned and waved them both off.
“I want a moment alone to talk with her.”
Cheng Wan and Bai Juntang walked away together. Looking back at Bai Weilan’s figure crouched by the headstone, Cheng Wan softly asked, “Your two moms… they must have really loved each other, right?”
Bai Juntang also turned to look and said, “Yeah. They loved each other very much. Sometimes it made me feel… like the odd one out.”
Cheng Wan stared at Bai Weilan, eyes full of quiet envy. She lowered her voice and said, “I see.”
Seeing her expression, Bai Juntang suddenly remembered—Cheng Wan wasn’t even a biological member of the Cheng family. And after everything that had happened, it was clear: both of them were victims of the Chengs’ manipulation in one way or another.
She didn’t know all the details of how Cheng Wan was treated, but she could guess that she wasn’t cherished. Otherwise, Cheng Jiajian wouldn’t have been willing to push her into someone else’s bed like she was nothing.
Cheng Wan stood silently beneath the trees, gazing into the distance. As the breeze moved through the branches, sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting soft, flickering light across her and Bai Juntang.
The scent of summer was in the air, warm and bright like the sun.
Bai Juntang looked at Cheng Wan for a moment, then suddenly said, “Tomorrow’s Monday. Let’s go get our marriage certificate.”