The Scumbag Alpha is Courting Death Again - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Banana Crepe – Three Sentences, and the Paparazzi Put Us on Top…

Night fell, and sparse stars hung behind the flowing clouds. The rooftop offered an open view, from which the entire film and television center could be overlooked.

Ming Xi looked up, the evening breeze tousling the stray hair on her shoulders. She rubbed her wrist, which bore red marks from being grabbed, and gazed into the distance.

The wind today is exceptionally noisy…

“What are you carrying between your two ears?” A sudden voice came from beside her.

She looked over to see the woman’s eyebrows pressed down, her inky eyes surging with an unreadable emotion.

She stood silhouetted against the light, her hair coated with a pale silver moonlight. Even the refreshing, bitter scent emanating from her was diluted by the airflow.

Hearing the question, Ming Xi replied meekly, like a student being reprimanded: “A football with lush hair.”

Hearing the lengthy prefix, Xia Jinzhao raised an eyebrow, recalling the scene that had just unfolded in the hotel: “It’s good that you know.”

Shi Dezao and Ming Xi had gotten into a major physical altercation. Fortunately, the hotel manager arrived in time, acting as a mediator to separate the two, and quickly sealed the news.

The man, clutching his neck, which was red from the collar-pulling, fled in fear and anger, forgetting even his script. Ming Xi, however, was “honored” to be invited to the rooftop for a “heart-to-heart.”

The atmosphere was so solidified it was almost tangible. After the impulsivity, reason returned. Ming Xi had expected Xia Jinzhao to rush into her arms, sobbing and crying. In reality, the other party seemed to be here to demand an explanation.

This isn’t right. Shouldn’t the female lead be overflowing with gratitude and offer herself in marriage?

At the very least, she should be embracing her shoulder, regretting with a line like, “I misunderstood you before.”

Vaguely feeling the situation was beyond imagination, she twisted her fingers, unable to utter a single coherent sentence for a long time.

No, I have to say something!

“Um, Grandma Xia asked me to come and visit you, and then I saw that man was plotting against you, so I got excited and…”

Before she could finish, Xia Jinzhao, standing in front of her, looked up, her gaze sharp as a blade, slicing through layers of skin and suspending Ming Xi’s heart. Ming Xi secretly looked up and saw two words written all over the other’s face.

Disbelief.

“Is that so?” Xia Jinzhao curved her lips, casually surveying Ming Xi’s attire. “Then why the getup?”

At this moment, Ming Xi was still dressed in the paparazzi’s disguise. She removed her glasses, awkwardly saying, “I couldn’t help it. The checks here are too strict. I could only dress like this to get in…”

As she spoke, her voice became softer and softer; even she realized something was off.

Wait, isn’t this stalker-fan behavior?

To avoid being misunderstood, she quickly patted her chest, swearing confidently: “But I promise you, what I did just now was for your own good!”

Xia Jinzhao drooped her eyelids languidly. She seemed uninterested in this explanation, looking distracted.

“Let me tell you, that Shi Dezao is disgusting. He takes advantage of his seniority to grope people everywhere. If it weren’t for—”

“Ming Xi.” Just then, Xia Jinzhao spoke slowly, interrupting the incessant chattering.

She rarely called Ming Xi by her full name. Consequently, Ming Xi was startled: “Huh?”

A shadow cast from her waist to her shoulder. Xia Jinzhao moved closer, the cool, bracing scent of the wind hitting Ming Xi’s face.

Her long fingers skimmed the collar’s stitching, and she slowly tidied Ming Xi’s clothes.

“I really appreciate you stepping up today.” The woman’s lips curved into a smile, her expression indifferent.

A bad feeling suddenly rose in Ming Xi’s heart. Sure enough, after a few seconds of pause, the other party spoke again.

But this time, the content was not so pleasant to hear.

“It’s just—I’m very curious. Senior Shi is highly respected. Even professional paparazzi in the industry can’t find fault with him. How is it that you, of all people…”

As if unwilling to hurt Ming Xi’s feelings, Xia Jinzhao deliberately slowed her tone, the gentle voice inexplicably reminiscent of a hypocrite.

“Or rather, was your timely appearance not actually a coincidence?”

Ming Xi was stunned.

See, I was secretly celebrating that I arrived just in time, but there is always someone who will speculate with the greatest malice. Even that wasn’t enough; the other party had to pretend to bring it up inadvertently, to minimize the verbal damage.

The moment the words left her mouth, her feelings were already relegated to second place.

She was essentially being accused of orchestrating the entire setup.

The gentle breath brushing her face sent a chill down Ming Xi’s heart.

She turned her face away, avoiding the woman’s touch, and asked incredulously: “What do you mean? You suspect that I was the one who arranged for Shi Dezao to come?”

Xia Jinzhao’s hand remained suspended in mid-air, neither moving forward nor retreating, mirroring the tension between them.

“Xia Jinzhao, no matter how bad my character is, I would never use such tactics—”

“But you drugged me before, didn’t you?” Xia Jinzhao’s smile faded. Clearly, her patience had run out, and she didn’t have time to waste with Ming Xi here.

“Is that even possible?” Ming Xi felt like no amount of washing could clear her name. “I’m just an Alpha who’s coasting through life, waiting to die. How could I be involved with people in the entertainment industry?”

She clutched her hair, distressed about how to distance herself from the situation. She couldn’t possibly tell Xia Jinzhao that she had a “golden finger” and could see the future plot, could she?

That’s insane!

Xia Jinzhao took in all of these reactions. After a long while, she pressed her lips together, her tone not exactly disappointed.

“I thought you would change for the better.”

This sentence instantly ignited Ming Xi. Frustration flowed through her organs, almost causing her bl00d vessels to burst.

In the other person’s dark and indifferent eyes, she saw her own reflection. Like a piece of grit in the soft, clear vision, redundant and an eyesore.

For the first time, Ming Xi realized she could be this tough when facing the halo-wearing female lead.

“If I didn’t do it, I didn’t do it. Believe me or not, I don’t care.”

After feebly delivering her defiant words, she bumped past Xia Jinzhao’s shoulder and left the rooftop without looking back.

I am! So! Mad!

She would never, ever speak to Xia Jinzhao again! From now on, she would be the “villainess” through and through!

The conversation ended there, and the two parted on bad terms. And these scraps of conversation and arguments were naturally fully recorded by the two paparazzi lurking in the corner, who loved watching drama unfold.

Sister Jing flipped through the photos one by one, satisfied with the finished products. The triangular-eyed man leaned over, scratching his head in confusion.

“Sister Jing, why are you taking pictures of this? Didn’t Shi Dezao leave a while ago?”

Before he could finish, the woman hit him on the back of the head, exasperated: “Are you a pig? Isn’t this even more explosive than what Shi Dezao initially requested?”

“I’ve already thought of the title: Shock! A Certain Actress’s Late-Night Secret Rendezvous with a Lover, Only to Be Caught by the Legal Spouse! We’ll use some ambiguous main characters. Even if Xia Jinzhao’s team comes after us, we can deny it.”

Sister Jing boasted triumphantly. She could almost foresee tomorrow morning’s trending topic and the bright path of promotion and salary increase beckoning to her.

“Learn something! Go write the article. We need to finish it tonight.”

She didn’t believe that, by rubbing against Xia Jinzhao’s name, this topic wouldn’t blow up!