The Cannon Fodder Alpha Who Made the Heroine Pregnant - Chapter 28

28:

Zhou Lan smiled all the way back from the recording studio.

Not only had “Newborn” been completed in a single day, but her worth had also skyrocketed—the song she sold to the “Screw Off” band fetched nearly 500,000 yuan.

In the industry, established composers priced their work by the word (literally). While beginners didn’t qualify, top-tier creators could charge tens of thousands per character.

Zhou Lan had casually named her price, never expecting the band to agree immediately.

(Back in her previous life, her songs sold for millions—with royalties far exceeding that.)

Selling a song didn’t mean relinquishing all rights. Derivative earnings would continue flowing in.

Her good mood was contagious, even the taxi driver noticed.

“Young lady, did you fall in love? You’re glowing.”

The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror.

Love? The word instantly brought Chu Zhao’s phone call to mind.

That call before recording Newborn had lifted her spirits inexplicably.

Seeing Chu Zhao Calling on her screen, her heart nearly stopped—

Equal parts shock (Is this a ghost calling?) and panic (Did I mess up somewhere?).

Embarrassed, she looked up to find Hua Qiao and the band staring.

Normally, taking calls during work was rude. But they hadn’t technically started yet…

To emphasize this call’s importance, Zhou Lan did something unprecedented: “It’s my wife.”

Hua Qiao: “???”

Screw Off Band: “???”

Married at a young age? was everyone’s first thought.

But an Alpha who openly acknowledged their marriage was rare and respectable.

Hua Qiao’s gaze softened. (Too many married Alphas pretended to be single. She’d seen it all in this industry.)

“Answer it then,” someone teased. “Unless you want to kneel on keyboards later.”

Zhou Lan pressed her lips together. It wasn’t that she wouldn’t answer, she dared not.

But some things couldn’t be avoided. A quick death was better than slow torture.

Stepping outside, she answered softly: “Hello?”

A pause on the other end. Then Chu Zhao’s cool voice: “Did you expose Liu Qing?”

Tong Kai had acted swiftly. After Zhou Lan’s approval, she’d sent the evidence to Chu Meng immediately. Rumor had it the Chu estate had stayed lit all night.

But how did Chu Zhao know it was her?

“How did you—” Zhou Lan caught herself. “Let me explain.”

She hadn’t planned to hide it anyway. Even if Chu Meng found out, what could he do? The Zhou’s were untouchable, and Liu Qing had cheated. He’d have to swallow the humiliation.

As for whether Chu Zhao would be angry, Zhou Lan hoped not. Their fragile peace couldn’t withstand misunderstandings.

“I overheard Liu Qing and her son that day. They went too far. Chu Yanhe told me about the affair, so I had someone investigate.”

She omitted her transmigration and foreknowledge, sticking to plausible details.

Chu Zhao was silent for a moment. When she spoke again, her tone had thawed slightly:

“Weren’t you afraid Chu Yanhe was setting you up?”

It didn’t sound like anger, almost like… concern?

Zhou Lan dismissed the thought immediately. Chu Zhao worrying about me? Impossible.

“What trap could there be? Just verifying facts. At most, Chu Yanhe wanted to use me against Liu Qing.”

With Liu Qing disgraced, marginalized children like Chu Yanhe might get opportunities.

Recalling Liu Qing’s words that day, Zhou Lan’s voice hardened:

“Bullies should pay their dues.”

“Mom—” The habitual address slipped out. She corrected hastily: “Never mind.”

“It was nothing. Don’t overthink it. If I overstepped, tell me—I’ll follow your plans.”

Chu Zhao: “…”

“I know. I didn’t call to criticize you.”

Chu Zhao’s voice softened further: “Thank you.”

Zhou Lan hadn’t said much, but Chu Zhao understood—she’d done this purely out of indignation for their suffering.

No ulterior motives. No obligations.

Chu Zhao had called to identify the whistleblower, fearing unknown forces might disrupt her own plans against the Chu’s.

Discovering it was Zhou Lan (via Tong Kai, last night’s housekeeper-delivering Alpha) surprised her.

But hearing Zhou Lan’s genuine disgust toward Liu Qing’s cruelty—and her glee at their downfall left Chu Zhao speechless.

She’d hung up abruptly.

—

Zhou Lan had stared at her phone, dazed.

That might have been… the gentlest Chu Zhao had ever sounded.

(Not gentle exactly, just not guarded or hostile for once. The contrast was jarring.)

Her lips curled uncontrollably. For the first time, she felt their relationship had genuinely improved.

All her efforts weren’t in vain. The realization sent warmth blooming in her chest.

That joy carried through the entire recording session.

Even now in the taxi, remembering Chu Zhao’s tone made her smile.

The driver noticed. “Must be love.”

Zhou Lan just smiled wordlessly.

Since arriving in this world two weeks ago, everything was looking up. How could she not be happy?

Next steps: wait for her diploma, postpone studying abroad (with the Zhou-Chu downfall imminent), and maybe retire to some quiet town afterward.

As for Chu Zhao? Staying out of her way was probably contribution enough.

—

Over the next two days, Zhou Lan transcribed songs from her past life—categorized by genre in labeled notebooks.

A hundred songs took her two full days. (Thankfully, her memory was impeccable.)

With this arsenal, she could coast indefinitely—not that her creativity had dried up.

Mid-July’s sweltering heat kept her indoors. Ling Hena’s calls went unanswered; the voicemails were trivial.

Her days passed peacefully—composing, playing newly purchased instruments, and exploring this world’s music.

(The two worlds’ musical canons didn’t overlap. Introducing past-life classics would revolutionize the industry—but she’d never plagiarize, even unknowingly.)

Just as she settled into this idyllic routine, Tong Kai sent shocking news:

The Chu family is in chaos. Chu Yanqing publicly accused them of tax evasion and illegal competition.

Zhou Lan shot up from her piano stool.

This was how the Zhou-Chu empire began crumbling in the novel.

Had exposing Liu Qing accelerated the timeline?

Did Chu Zhao secure evidence against the Zhou’s yet?

If her actions had forced Chu Zhao’s hand prematurely, consequences could be catastrophic.

Throwing essentials into a bag, Zhou Lan rushed back to Jiangning.

—

Pulling up to the villa district gates, she found security blocking a group of suited men.

Assuming they were troublemakers, she rolled down her window for the automated barrier—

Until their leader spotted her and hurried over: “Miss Zhou! Mr. Chu sent us to retrieve Madam.”

???

Chu Meng wanted his wife back?

Security intervened: “They’ve been harassing us for two days! Miss Chu refused to let them in.”

Police kept arresting them, but replacements arrived endlessly. Security was at their wits’ end.

Zhou Lan stepped out, eyeing the suits coldly. “Tell my father-in-law: Madam isn’t returning. If they come again, I won’t be polite.”

The men who’d been shoving security moments ago—froze under her gaze.

After exchanging glances, they retreated to their vans.

“Our apologies, Miss Zhou,” the leader said meekly. “Just following orders.”

(He knew better than to cross the Zhou’s—especially when the Chu’s were floundering.)

Zhou Lan snorted and drove off, tires screeching dramatically.

One question burned in her mind:

Why does Chu Meng want his wife back NOW?