How Could a Scumbag Alpha Possibly Love His Wife? (GL, ABO) - Chapter 4
Giving birth to a child in exchange for a hundred million from the Bai family—no matter how you looked at it, this was an incredibly profitable deal. Cheng Jiajian was naturally delighted, rubbing his hands together in excitement. When he saw Cheng Wan appear, he eagerly waved her over.
Bai Juntang also noticed Cheng Wan standing a short distance behind her. Their eyes met.
For a moment—perhaps it was just her imagination—Bai Juntang thought Cheng Wan looked especially pale, like a discarded porcelain doll, completely devoid of color.
But what did that have to do with her, Bai Juntang?
She despised the Cheng family—and that included Cheng Wan.
Cheng Wan looked at Bai Juntang nervously, her fingers gripping the hem of her skirt. She had just opened her mouth to speak when Bai Juntang suddenly stood up and walked past her without even a glance.
The front door slammed shut, a clear sign of Bai Juntang’s growing frustration.
But Cheng Jiajian seemed completely unfazed by the noise. He enthusiastically discussed the hundred million yuan with his wife. That sum could save their entire project.
“Wanwan, you’d better do your best,” Xu He said with a beaming smile, her eyes nearly squinting shut. She looked at Cheng Wan as if she were a glowing statue of gold. “Work hard and give birth to a little Alpha. Who knows? The Bai family might pay even more.”
Cheng Wan stopped listening after that. She stood frozen in place, watching her ecstatic adoptive parents, her mind still caught on the expression Bai Juntang wore as she walked away.
Even the air seemed to carry the cold, distinctive scent of fir wood.
Cheng Wan felt like she didn’t belong—neither in this home nor in Bai Juntang’s world.
Over the next few days, it was as if Bai Juntang had completely erased Cheng Wan from her memory. Her life carried on as usual, her work structured and efficient.
Li Chen, Bai Juntang’s assistant, wore many hats.
In addition to his regular duties, he also drove her, picked up breakfast, made coffee, and managed nearly everything outside of her work responsibilities.
That morning, while Bai Juntang was deep in a quarterly meeting, Li Chen received a call from her mother. The reason? Her calls to Bai Juntang had gone unanswered.
Li Chen didn’t have the heart to say it was probably because she’d been blocked. He simply took down her message respectfully.
“Tell Bai Juntang I’ll be returning to Fancheng in a few days,” Bai Weilan said over the phone. “I’m going to visit the gravesite, and while I’m there, I want to meet that girl—Cheng Wan.”
“She’s carrying my daughter’s child. No matter what, she should be brought to see me.”
After hanging up, Li Chen looked down at the notebook where he had written “return home,” then glanced into the conference room where Bai Juntang was still focused on the meeting. He felt an instant headache.
The meeting lasted the entire day. It wasn’t until 9 p.m. that the main session finally ended.
Most of the people leaving were regional directors. Senior executives had to stay for follow-up meetings, which would last well into the night.
Barring any surprises, Bai Juntang was going to pull an all-nighter.
“President Bai,” Li Chen said quietly, placing a cup of freshly brewed coffee on her desk, “your mother tried calling you this morning, but couldn’t get through, so she called me. She said she’ll be back in Fancheng soon—aside from visiting the grave, she wants you to bring Miss Cheng Wan to see her.”
Bai Juntang took a sip of the rich, aromatic coffee, paused, and then asked, “Have you finished investigating Cheng Wan?”
“All done.” Li Chen placed a file folder in front of her and offered a summary. “Miss Cheng Wan is not the Cheng family’s biological daughter. She was adopted from an orphanage. She graduated from university last year and currently works at an information company in Fancheng.”
He glanced at Bai Juntang flipping through the file, then added in a lower voice, “That company is a subsidiary of Qiangu.”
Bai Juntang tilted her head slightly and looked at Cheng Wan’s résumé. The two-inch ID photo was plain and formal. Her straight bangs were neatly trimmed, and the photo framed a small, serious face that still had a touch of youthful innocence.
It must have been taken while she was still in school. The faint traces of inexperience still lingered in her eyes, her features full of youthful softness.
She hadn’t changed much at all.
Li Chen noticed how focused she was on the file and helpfully reminded her, “Miss Cheng Wan is still employed. HR said she took two days off recently, but she’s already returned to work.”
“She’s working?” Bai Juntang frowned slightly. “Doesn’t she know she’s pregnant? Why is she still working?”
Li Chen replied with a touch of helplessness, “President Bai, it’s normal for pregnant women to work. Besides, Miss Cheng Wan’s job isn’t strenuous—just an ordinary clerical role.”
But Bai Juntang still felt a little uneasy. She clearly remembered how pale Cheng Wan looked every time they met—like someone who was physically weak.
How could someone in that state work properly?
“What exactly does she do?” Bai Juntang closed the folder and asked, “Small company jobs shouldn’t be too demanding, right?”
“She mostly prints documents, prepares tender forms, and handles some office supply purchases—nothing heavy.”
Hearing that, Bai Juntang’s expression finally eased a little. After a long silence, she said to Li Chen, “Clear my schedule for tomorrow. I’m taking her for a full medical check-up.”
Li Chen expressed concern, “But today’s quarterly meeting isn’t over yet. You’ll likely be working late into the night.”
“I’ll sleep in the office tonight,” Bai Juntang said lightly. “You can go home. Tomorrow morning, bring Cheng Wan in for a check-up. Just say it’s… for company health purposes.”
The next day, Cheng Wan got dressed as usual in her bedroom.
The weather was starting to warm up—today’s high was 21°C. It was that time of year when people dressed either too much or too little.
Cheng Wan wasn’t the kind of person who cared much about fashion. Back in school, she wore uniforms; in college, she mostly stuck to athletic or casual wear. It wasn’t until she graduated and started working that, on the advice of a colleague, she bought a few outfits with a more mature, office-appropriate style.
Today, she wore a white and green dress with a simple cut, and her hair was tied up in a high ponytail.
According to her supervisor, it made her look more energetic.
In front of the mirror, Cheng Wan instinctively glanced down at her stomach. At less than two months, there was nothing visible yet. It felt slightly firm to the touch, but once she removed her hand, it looked as flat as always.
She remembered that one of her coworkers had started showing early in pregnancy—by three months, she looked like she was carrying a little balloon.
Her baby must be a quiet one.
Gently caressing her belly, Cheng Wan whispered softly, “Time to go to work.”
When she stepped out of her room, both Cheng Jiajian and Xu He had already left. The house was nearly empty, except for a housekeeper and her younger sister, who had just started high school.
Cheng Qiaoqing was sitting at the dining table eating breakfast. When she heard Cheng Wan’s footsteps, she glanced up briefly, then lowered her head again, continuing to eat while scrolling on her phone—completely ignoring her.
The housekeeper, Auntie Liu, noticed Cheng Wan come out and called out, “Wanwan, I just steamed some shrimp dumplings and shumai. Want to eat something before heading to work?”
“No, thank you,” Cheng Wan said, glancing at the breakfast on the table. She didn’t feel hungry. “I’m heading out now.”
The housekeeper looked at her with concern and gently said, “You should eat something, even just a little. You’re not eating for just yourself anymore—you can’t keep being so careless.”
Cheng Qiaoqing, who was still eating at the table, looked up when she heard this. She grabbed a shumai and stuffed it into her mouth, muttering through her chewing, “Auntie, stop worrying about her. She’s not a kid—if she doesn’t want breakfast, that’s on her. Besides, who doesn’t know where that baby came from?”
Cheng Wan lowered her eyes and stayed quiet. The housekeeper, unable to hold back, scolded gently, “Qingqing, don’t talk to your sister like that.”
“She’s not my real sister,” Cheng Qiaoqing said coldly, pausing between every word for emphasis.
The housekeeper stood there awkwardly. Teenagers could be cruel, and as a servant, she couldn’t say too much to the family.
Cheng Wan acted as though she hadn’t heard any of it. She quietly sat down on the bench near the door, changed into her shoes, and walked out without saying a word.
It had always been like this.
The Cheng family never hid the fact that she was adopted. Everyone in the household—including the staff and her 15-year-old “sister” Qiaoqing—knew she wasn’t related to them by bl00d.
It felt like everyone around her was constantly sending her the same message: You don’t belong here.
And because she wasn’t one of them, she wasn’t treated like family. She was different—always an outsider.
As soon as Cheng Wan stepped outside, she saw a silver sedan parked at the gate.
When Li Chen saw her, he got out of the car and walked over. Standing in front of her, he said politely, “Good morning, Miss Cheng. I’m here to take you to the hospital for a full check-up.”
“A check-up?”
Cheng Wan blinked, confused. After a moment, she asked, “Why? I… I have to go to work.”
“HR has already approved your time off,” Li Chen replied with a warm, professional smile. “It won’t count as leave or absence. Please get in. President Bai has been waiting for a while now.”
President Bai?
Bai Juntang?
Hearing that name again after several days, Cheng Wan felt a little caught off guard. She instinctively glanced at the car, but the tinted windows made it impossible to see inside. Still, if Li Chen said she was there, he wouldn’t lie about that.
But didn’t Bai Juntang hate her? Why would she take her to a check-up?
With mixed feelings, Cheng Wan slowly opened the car door—and saw Bai Juntang in the backseat, eyes closed, looking like she was resting.
“M-Miss Bai…” Cheng Wan hesitated at the car door, unsure how to act. “Good morning.”
Bai Juntang opened her eyes. Her long lashes fluttered as she blinked, and her brows drew together slightly. She had only gone to bed after four in the morning and barely got three hours of sleep. She looked—and felt—exhausted.
Her voice was cool and distant: “Why are you still standing there? Get in.”
The coldness in her tone made Cheng Wan’s heart sink. Without saying anything, she quietly sat down beside her.
Li Chen closed the door behind her and got into the driver’s seat.
Cheng Wan always felt uncomfortable around Bai Juntang, but sitting this close made her even more nervous. She clutched her bag on her lap tightly, keeping her hands folded over it, barely daring to breathe too loudly.
A few minutes into the drive, Bai Juntang suddenly opened her eyes again.
She turned and looked at Cheng Wan, who was visibly tense, and asked in a calm but sharp voice, “What’s that smell on you?”