The Cannon Fodder Alpha Who Made the Heroine Pregnant - Chapter 31

31:

Chu Zhao kicked Sang Xia out, her incessant awkward questions had made the atmosphere unbearable.

The fledgling partnership between Zhou Lan and Chu Zhao now carried an odd tension.

“I’ll… let you work,” Zhou Lan coughed lightly and retreated to her room.

Sang Xia’s remarks had left their solitude uncomfortably changed.

Chu Zhao’s expression remained impassive—if not for hearing her inner monologue (I should strangle them both), Zhou Lan might have believed she was unfazed.

(Zhou Lan shot her an aggrieved look. Why am I catching strays?)

But voicing protests was inadvisable. Best to stay quiet.

As Zhou Lan left, Chu Zhao frowned at her despondent posture. Why does she seem so dejected?

—

Sang Xia returned to the Sang estate and finally met Sang Yu.

Taking Zhou Lan’s advice to heart, she decided on a direct approach—what did she have to lose?

At their first encounter, Sang Xia beamed. “Sister!”

The address drew stares. Everyone awaited Sang Yu’s inevitable humiliation of this illegitimate upstart.

True to form, Sang Yu’s expression could freeze hell.

Unfazed, Sang Xia persisted. (Better to fawn over a gorgeous, capable ice queen than these vipers.)

To everyone’s shock, Sang Yu responded with a neutral “Mn.”

No conflict. No scorn.

Sang Xia was thrilled. Given her mother’s role as the homewrecker, this was progress.

—

Zhou Lan had no idea how Sang Xia fared. Her advice was purely to prevent future headaches for Chu Zhao.

Based on the novel’s portrayal, she believed her strategy could neutralize tensions—if executed well.

Her current mission: prevent the Chu’s from reclaiming Chu Zhao’s mother.

With her presence, the Chu family didn’t dare force the issue. But their desperation puzzled her.

What triggered this? Did Chu Zhao make a move?

Without explanations, she focused on guarding Madam Wu (Chu Zhao’s mother’s maiden name title). Stability here meant Chu Zhao could act freely.

But this stalemate couldn’t last. Daily harassment was unsustainable.

The real solution was getting Madam Wu out of Jiangning, though breaching the Chu-Zhou surveillance net seemed impossible.

Once the Chu’s realized Chu Zhao’s role in their downfall, this villa would become unsafe.

Madam Wu needed relocation, somewhere untraceable.

—

One evening, Zhou Lan broached the subject.

Chu Zhao’s face was calm, but her thoughts revealed agreement.

Her operations against both families could be exposed anytime. Securing her mother’s safety was paramount.

“Do you think we can leave Jiangning?” Chu Zhao asked bitterly.

If escape were feasible, she wouldn’t be stuck here.

Zhou Lan shook her head. The Chu’s wouldn’t even let Madam Wu step beyond the villa gates.

“Why are they suddenly so desperate to get her back?”

The quiet villa, with Madam Wu and staff asleep, left just the two of them in the living room.

Moonlight glimmered on the pool outside, lending false serenity to their turmoil.

Chu Zhao sipped water, studying Zhou Lan’s earnest expression before speaking.

“First issue: The Chu’s have Jiangning locked down. No one escapes their notice.”

“Second: They want me to cooperate. I refused, so they’re using mother as leverage. Our plans aren’t exposed yet.”

“There is one escape route—you take mother to the Capital where my contacts would arrange her transfer abroad. But…”

But entrusting her lifeline to Zhou Lan? Unthinkable.

Not yet.

She needed more time. If her current plan succeeded, the weakened Chu family would be devoured—with the Zhou’s leading the feast.

Their impending monopoly would blind them to their own vulnerability.

Breaking the Zhou-Chu alliance reduced the challenge from 100 to 50 (Zhou) and 20 (Chu).

Letting the Zhou’s consume the Chu’s created the perfect strike window, while they struggled to digest their prey.

Thanks to Zhou Lan’s tips, Chu Zhao had accelerated her timeline. Now, she needed to sever Zhou-Chu ties, baiting the Zhou’s into attacking.

Her position at Zhou Corp required maintaining visible antagonism with the Chu’s, hence their retaliation.

Having her mother safe was crucial for unrestrained action.

A flicker of gratitude crossed Chu Zhao’s gaze. Currently, only Zhou Lan could shield her mother in Jiangning.

Trusting her seemed the sole option.

—

Zhou Lan’s eyes lit up. “The Chu’s blocked mother from leaving Jiangning, but not from staying with the Zhou’s.”

“If I take her to the Zhou estate, would the Chu’s dare barge in?”

The real hurdle was Zhou Xianling, her biological father.

The Zhou estate was the safest haven. After a few days there, smuggling Madam Wu to the Capital would be feasible.

By the time the Chu’s noticed, it’d be too late.

But this hinged on Zhou Xianling’s cooperation. She’d need to negotiate terms first.

Would Chu Zhao trust her though?

What exactly do I represent to her now?

Chu Zhao knew Zhou family protection would simplify everything.

Yet, what if they turned her mother into leverage against her?

Escaping the Chu family’s control only to submit to Zhou’s demands was unacceptable.

Zhou Lan understood the hesitation. She’d feel the same in Chu Zhao’s place.

Fortunately, the Zhou household was simpler—no illegitimate children, just Zhou Lan as sole heir.

Persuading Zhou Xianling was possible… with the right incentive.

Chu Zhao’s silence wasn’t a refusal. Encouraged, Zhou Lan pressed on.

“I need your cooperation.”

Her father wouldn’t act without benefit. Only mutual gains could sway him.

Chu Zhao tensed. “How?”

“A method to directly annex the Chu family.”

The words struck Chu Zhao like lightning.

How does she know my plans?

This supposed “waste” of an Alpha kept revealing impossible insights.

For the first time, Chu Zhao burned with curiosity—

Who exactly is Zhou Lan?