"The Alpha Who Abandoned Love—And Got a Second Chance" - Chapter 6
The living room, without air conditioning, was stiflingly hot. In the cramped space, the pungent odor of beer mixed with the sour stench of spoiled food hung heavy in the air.
Lin Xi walked over to the window and flung it open with a clang.
A few raindrops splattered onto the windowsill as a cool breeze carrying strands of drizzle swept in, finally clearing the unpleasant smell lingering in the room.
She rubbed her temples, clearly impatient, and without a word, pulled over the trash can and began tidying up the mess bit by bit.
Chu Muqing watched silently as Lin Xi busied herself picking up broken pieces of a Yixing teapot from the floor, showing no intention of speaking to her.
Lin Xi was petite, both in stature and frame—three centimeters shorter than Chu Muqing—and didn’t quite look the part of an Alpha.
Typically, Alphas were considered more striking in appearance than Omegas or Betas. They were born to dominate society, with stronger immune systems and more robust physiques, as if favored by nature itself.
And truthfully, Lin Xi’s face was favored by nature.
Her delicate features, when pieced together, exuded a kind of youthful audacity unique to young women. Even when she had once confessed her family was poor, that she’d grown up with hardship, her fair and flawless skin betrayed no sign of struggle. Her bright, expressive eyes held both sincerity and an undeniable sense of strength—like a vibrant, confident university student.
But back then, it was precisely that beautiful face that had deceived her.
As she recalled this, Chu Muqing—who had originally wanted to warn Lin Xi to be careful not to cut herself on the shards—abandoned the thought.
It took Lin Xi a full thirty minutes to bring the living room back to life.
She mopped the floor three times and even disinfected it. She had planned to swap out the sofa covers for new ones, but Chu Muqing had already taken Chu Zhi to the bedroom and shut the door.
With no other choice, Lin Xi stacked the covers against the wall and returned the mop to the bathroom.
Having been fully absorbed in her role as a housekeeper just moments ago, this was the first time she had a chance to look around and observe the setup.
To the right of the sink was a small white shelf. Chu Muqing owned very few cosmetics. Compared to Lin Xi’s own nearly empty bottles of cheap makeup, it was the milk cream lotion used by Chu Zhi that caught her attention—it looked like a high-end brand.
Lin Xi shook her head with a smile.
She thought to herself, No matter how hard life gets, a child should never suffer. Chu Muqing really is a responsible mother.
But even without expensive cosmetics, Chu Muqing’s picturesque face showed not a single flaw—it needed no embellishment.
Still, this did confirm one thing: her financial situation seemed quite strained.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t be in such a rush to sell the house.
As Lin Xi was mulling this over, her phone suddenly rang.
She glanced at the caller ID: ATM.
…What the hell?
Lin Xi answered in a soft voice. “Hello?”
She didn’t dare say too much, afraid of slipping up.
“Lin Xi?” came a middle-aged woman’s voice, accompanied by the sound of several women chatting and laughing in the background. “Do you remember what I told you last time? About Aunt Sun’s youngest daughter?”
Lin Xi frowned and responded perfunctorily, “Doesn’t ring a bell…”
“You know, the Omega you held hands with and kept praising—saying how beautiful she was. It wasn’t that long ago. How could you forget already?” the woman chuckled.
Lin Xi cleared her throat. “Did I really say that?”
“Aunt Sun is right here with me. She said if you like Xiao Wu, you should take her out more often. She just came back from overseas and hasn’t been to many fun places yet.”
“…Mom?” Lin Xi tried cautiously.
“Oh, now you’re shy?” her mother laughed. “Didn’t you say you needed money the other day? Your brother just transferred it to you.”
That confirmed it—it really was her mother.
Mother Lin chuckled, “Your brother’s transfer is just for spending money, so try not to blow through it. But if you take Xiao Wu out and it’s not enough, you can use the card your Uncle Lin gave you.”
As she finished, another woman laughed in the background, “Mrs. Lin, you’re too generous. Whether or not the two of them work out still depends on Lin Xi. If she’s not willing—”
“Oh please, what’s there to be unwilling about?” her mother said breezily. “She’s already at that age. It’d do her good to settle down.”
Lin Xi’s brow furrowed.
So, her original self’s mother didn’t even know she was already married?
Well, that made sense. The marriage between the original Lin Xi and Chu Muqing had only happened because of a bet with her degenerate friends.
At that moment, she heard footsteps in the living room. She glanced over, but the hallway blocked her view. It must’ve been Chu Muqing coming out.
Lin Xi quickly said, “Mom, thank big brother for me. I’ve got something going on right now—I’ll talk to you later.”
“Wait, you little—”
She hung up before her mother could finish.
She hadn’t told her mother about her marriage for a reason.
Chu Muqing was already filing for divorce. If they really did end things, there was no need to inform her mother at all.
Of course, it’d be better if they didn’t divorce…
But with how Chu Muqing treated her…
Lin Xi adjusted her clothes and stepped out of the bathroom.
As she walked down the short hallway, her phone vibrated with a WeChat notification.
Sliding open the screen, she saw several unread messages—but one bank alert immediately caught her eye.
[Notice for your linked account ending in 07X6]
Currency: CNY
Transaction Time: September 17th, 18:30
Transaction Amount: ¥3,000,000.00
Transaction Party: 1104******…**
Lin Xi didn’t bother reading the rest. Her eyes were glued to that long string of zeroes.
Just how rich is this original body’s family?!
Do rich people really call three million yuan pocket money?
“…”
If she had to describe her feelings right now, Lin Xi genuinely didn’t know where to begin.
Her ex-girlfriend used to dream about winning the lottery and spending it all on expensive makeup counters.
Back then, Lin Xi had said that if she won the lottery, she’d splurge on a 500-yuan McDonald’s meal.
Her girlfriend had laughed and said she had no ambition.
But for a fresh graduate like her, a good meal was the ultimate indulgence.
And now? Suddenly, she had three million yuan at her fingertips.
For a moment, this newly minted “rich girl” Lin Xi wasn’t even sure how to walk anymore.
Her legs trembled slightly, but she steadied her breath and entered the living room.
Chu Muqing had packed her bag and looked ready to head out with Chu Zhi.
Seeing her emerge, Chu Muqing gave no reaction—treating her like a stranger.
Lin Xi paused, stretched exaggeratedly, and said, “Whew, after all that cleaning, I’m exhausted.”
Chu Muqing glanced at her indifferently, not even moving her lips.
Lin Xi let out an awkward laugh.
Message received, loud and clear.
“But it’s my duty, right?” she said cheerfully. “Labor is glorious!”
She turned and beamed at Chu Zhi.
The little one immediately chimed in with her part, voice milky and sweet: “Labor makes me proud!”
Lin Xi burst out laughing. “That’s right! My little darling is so smart~”
Chu Muqing gave Lin Xi a cold glance before bending down to speak to her daughter, “Chengcheng, let’s go.”
The little girl nodded. “Okay…”
“Hey—” Lin Xi quickly called out, “Where are you two going? It’s already past nine! It’s not safe at night!”
Even though Chu Muqing didn’t want to talk to her, she still answered, “I’m taking her to get something to eat.”
“Something to eat?”
Without another word, Chu Muqing headed toward the door with Chu Zhi.
Lin Xi immediately followed.
Chu Muqing turned back warily. “What do you want?”
Lin Xi flashed a bright smile. “Miss Chu… do you need a walking, talking, ATM Alpha?”
“…?” Chu Muqing froze for a moment before replying, “Lin Xi, I think we’ve already—”
But Lin Xi gave her no chance to finish. She looked pitiful as she said, “I’m hungry too… Please, take me with you?”