The Scumbag Alpha is Courting Death Again - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Macaron – Has My Identity as a Transmigrator Been Discovered…

Night was falling. In the brightly lit living room, Xia Jinzhao leaned on the sofa, quietly listening to the movements from the kitchen counter.

Ming Xi drained the water from the fruit basket, secretly popped a red berry into her mouth as she turned, and then walked to the sofa, respectfully saying.

“My Lady, please have some fruit.”

Xia Jinzhao picked up a bright red fruit, her smile not reaching her eyes: “Haven’t seen you in a few days, and you’ve become the lady of the house here.”

“How dare I, how dare I! I just moved in today. Look at all this luggage, it hasn’t even been touched!”

Faced with the sharp words, Ming Xi quickly slid to her knees and pointed to the cardboard boxes near the door.

The apartment was cramped and narrow, so she didn’t have much. All her belongings were pitifully piled up in the corner.

The female lead is something else, too. She could have at least told me she was coming back tonight!

Oh, wait, I almost forgot, I’m already on her assassination list.

Just as she was thinking this, Xia Jinzhao pulled out an invitation and tossed it onto the coffee table. The smooth paper floated over the glass, and the gilded border shone like fine golden sand in the light.

“My little sister is holding her twentieth birthday party tomorrow night. You will attend with me.”

Ming Xi unfolded the letter, seeing her own name on the header, and knew she probably couldn’t avoid it this time.

“Xia Shurui?” Remembering the arrogant young lady she met at the manor last time, she couldn’t help but frown.

The other party had practically written “I despise you” on her face. She didn’t know how she would be targeted this time.

Xia Jinzhao took in Ming Xi’s subtle expression: “Since there will be outsiders, she won’t dare to do anything to you.”

Her gaze fell on the unopened cardboard boxes. She rubbed her tired temples and stood up, walking toward the elevator.

“I need to rest. We’ll talk about everything else tomorrow,” she brushed the hair from her shoulder, intentionally reminding, “Don’t make strange noises at night. There are cameras installed outside the bedroom.”

“If you’re not well-behaved, it’s hard to say who the footage might be handed to.”

The elevator door closed with this highly threatening statement, leaving only the faint, elegant scent of perfume in the air.

Ming Xi: …So what exactly constitutes a ‘strange noise’?

Despite her inner reluctance, Ming Xi dressed up properly the next evening.

The Lin Dan Water Pavilion was shrouded in hazy light. Luxury cars lined up outside the venue, and various dignitaries and powerful figures walked arm-in-arm into the glittering ballroom.

Ming Xi leaned against the passenger seat window, breathing out a small patch of white mist on the glass as she spoke.

“Wow, that person is so beautiful! Must be a celebrity too!”

“Ah, ah, it’s Director Zheng! I really liked the movie she filmed recently.”

“Ying Lan is even more elegant than in the photos in the financial magazine.”

Hearing this, Xia Jinzhao raised an eyebrow: “You actually read financial magazines?”

Speaking of which, when she first transmigrated, to better integrate into this world, Ming Xi had read all sorts of books and found that, apart from the development of secondary genders and more advanced technology, the world was largely similar to her original one.

Sensing the surprise in the other party’s words, Ming Xi retorted defensively: “Why can’t I read financial magazines?”

Hilarious! I was a well-educated person who won scholarships every year in college, okay!

Forget it! A good woman doesn’t mention past glories.

Hearing this, Xia Jinzhao tapped the steering wheel with her finger and did not reply. When she parked the car in an empty spot and got out, Ming Xi very naturally hooked her arm around hers.

Perhaps the movement was too practiced. The woman gave her a deep look but didn’t say anything more.

Given Xia Shurui’s high-profile style, the people invited to the dinner party were wealthy or influential. Familiar faces were often seen in the opulent hall.

Most were leading figures in a certain field, or actors and celebrities who were constantly active in the public eye. Since they were all gathered, networking was inevitable.

As soon as they stepped onto the stairs, several people approached them with champagne to chat.

Xia Jinzhao’s looks were too striking; even among a crowd of well-dressed and groomed people, she could be quickly located.

Many people noticed Ming Xi next to her but were tactful enough to suppress their curiosity.

Unspoken rules in the industry—for example, who got married privately or who had a new drinking partner—were mutually understood and wouldn’t be disclosed publicly.

Xia Jinzhao was quickly surrounded, so Ming Xi couldn’t get a word in. She had to squeeze out of the crowd and rush to a corner to grab some food.

Champagne flowed profusely from the top of the tower. The shallow gold under the light reflected shimmering ripples on the table. Various small, palm-sized dishes were laid out nearby, and waiters were constantly seen circulating the hall.

Ming Xi forked a small piece of sirloin steak, her eyes squinting in enjoyment.

What was the saying? The bigger the plate, the more expensive the food looked.

She ate several pieces in a row, yet it wasn’t even enough to fill a gap between her teeth.

Just as she was eating enthusiastically, Xia Jinzhao, having managed to ditch the crowd, stood behind her, saying faintly, “Aren’t you going to greet Grandma?”

The woman was wearing a white, off-the-shoulder mermaid dress tonight, with cutouts on both sides of the waist, accentuating the beautiful curve of her figure, like a mermaid who swam in the deep sea year-round.

As she spoke, Ming Xi clearly felt several glances directed their way.

She feigned composure: “Oh, oh, I haven’t seen her yet—”

Before she could finish, Xia Jinzhao suddenly moved closer, raising her hand as if to stroke her cheek.

Startled by the sudden action, Ming Xi stood frozen, afraid to move.

A warm touch came from the corner of her mouth. The woman’s finger gently wiped her lips.

“Sauce on your mouth.”

Before pulling away, Xia Jinzhao mischievously pressed her finger against her lips.

In an instant, a tingling current spread from her cheek to her limbs.

Perhaps the other party wanted to remind her to always remember her role in public. Even though she knew these gestures were for outsiders, she couldn’t help the flutter in her heart.

In other people’s eyes, they probably look like a very affectionate couple, right?

Thinking of this, Ming Xi eyed Xia Jinzhao out of the corner of her eye. Seeing that the other party’s expression was normal, her long-dormant sense of mission burst forth.

The female lead is no longer repulsed by me. My dedication hasn’t been in vain. The person has finally come to her senses!

Seeing the happy life waving its little hand at her, Ming Xi triumphantly wagged her tail, her words becoming more daring and explicit.

“Xia Jinzhao, I suddenly feel like you’ve become really nice, completely different from before.”

She spoke in a volume only the two of them could hear.

“Is that so?” Xia Jinzhao’s demeanor was unchanged. “People change, and you’re no exception.”

She tilted Ming Xi’s face, forcing her to look into the distance.

In that direction, Xia Xuefeng was chatting happily and laughing heartily with an old friend from the industry.

This fear, born from the inability to make eye contact with the person speaking, felt more like a game between predator and prey. Ming Xi didn’t dare to move. She felt that Xia Jinzhao’s words just now had a hidden meaning.

“Before, in these kinds of settings, you were more eager than me to network and climb the social ladder. Now, you’re quite reserved.”

“Anyone who didn’t know would think there was a different person in that body.”

This remark gave Ming Xi a cold sweat. She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat felt stuffed with waterlogged cotton, unable to make a single sound.

For a moment, she felt the other party was looking through her, carefully examining the soul that didn’t match this body.

She… discovered it?

Just as she was pondering how to respond, the pressure on her chin suddenly eased.

Xia Jinzhao stepped back half a pace and spoke lazily.

“After all, having lived a life of luxury for three years, your vision shouldn’t be so shortsighted.”

After speaking, she subtly glanced at the plate Ming Xi had ravaged.

Ming Xi: …

Okay, I overthought it, but what’s your deal?

You can insult my friends, but not me!