The Scumbag Alpha is Courting Death Again - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Lemon Milk Pudding: Injured, Needs a Kiss from Wife for Comfort…

Inexplicably, Ming Xi heard a hint of demanding accountability in that sentence.

She nervously shrunk her shoulders, carefully recalling how many baskets of sweet talk she had used on customers in her past professional career.

Besides “wife,” there were also business terms like “baby” and “darling.” In her daily work, she could already say these things to strangers without any burden.

Oh, except for Xia Jinzhao.

Even when playing a role with her, she could still open her mouth awkwardly, but if calling her “wife” became a habit in private, she would surely be met with cold disdain.

Xia Jinzhao didn’t seem to like overly intimate terms. Even when she spoke them during extraordinary circumstances, Ming Xi could feel a chill around her, like stubborn frozen ice covered in frost and snow.

She chose not to answer directly.

“If you don’t like it, Xixi can change the name, darling [Blossom]”

This time, the reply speed on the other end was noticeably slower.

Ming Xi simply snapped open the disposable chopsticks and ate while working. She used to be like a non-stop spinning top, with work and life almost integrated, so she was well-adapted to this situation.

Half-open Sichuan peppercorns were dotted on the soft, stewed vegetables. She picked the bright red dried chili peppers onto the container lid but still couldn’t avoid the spiciness that slipped into her mouth.

Wen Can hadn’t been here long and didn’t know much about her eating habits.

She was digging into her rice: “Sister, you talked to that person. Does she feel like a scammer?”

“Unsure. Don’t get too excited,” Ming Xi said.

“Do you think someone recommended her? People who enter the live stream normally check it out first,” Wen Can swallowed her rice. “She’s good, though. She comes in and wants to buy everything. I’ll fight alongside those rich people!”

“If you do this long enough, you’ll meet all kinds of people.”

The sound of dragging footsteps amplified as the restroom door opened. Lu Litong had a layer of lotion and cream on her face, her composed demeanor like someone who came to collect rent.

Ming Xi subtly signaled to Wen Can: “Like Sister Lu, I’ve never even heard of her.”

Hearing this, Wen Can chuckled twice: “I bet Sister Lu is a rich second-generation pretending to be poor to experience life. Otherwise, why is she so generous?”

The two chatted while eating, and the phone beside them buzzed.

Ming Xi received the reply.

“No need”

“Keep it”

Her thumb slid down, and she re-examined their conversation.

She maintained her usual slick attitude, while the person on the other side spoke familiarly, as if they were old acquaintances.

The shadows of the trees rustled, and the broad edges of the leaves were stained with a layer of brilliant gold by the autumn wind.

Zhou Zhenhui held the handle of the small cart, stepped out of the elevator, and expertly pressed the doorbell.

After a short while, the door opened. The woman was used to this, standing by with her arms crossed, letting Zhou Zhenhui place the mountain of packages at the door.

“So, when is Xia Jinzhao planning to come and get these?” Lin Cheng’an raised an eyebrow.

Dealing with the operating table year-round left her with an indelible scent of disinfectant. However, because her eyes didn’t show signs of aging, she rarely lacked deterrence in front of patients.

Having heard this question countless times, Zhou Zhenhui pulled out her usual excuse.

“When my sister comes back, Sister Lin, if you see anything you like, you can take it and give it to a friend!”

“That excuse every time. Is she going to live in the film studio for another three or four months?”

Walking around the island counter, Lin Cheng’an poured a glass of warm water.

“It was originally supposed to be finished next month, but the crew replaced an actor temporarily, and the previous scenes need reshooting.”

After neatly stacking the express boxes, Zhou Zhenhui leaned the small cart against the door. Even though it wasn’t the scorching heat of summer, going back and forth still made her sweat profusely.

“Reshooting, huh…” Lin Cheng’an pondered. “When she gets back, how about we have dinner together with Song Yu?”

She was introduced to Xia Jinzhao as a family doctor through Song Yu. The three of them had a good relationship, often gathering when work was light.

Zhou Zhenhui was gulping down water and almost choked upon hearing this.

As an assistant, she inevitably searched for topics related to her artist, the hottest of which was the Goldfish CP, the super topic about shipping Song Yu and Xia Jinzhao.

While outsiders saw them as a sweet and ambiguous couple, Zhou Zhenhui didn’t think so.

It wasn’t that the two were putting on a show. Song Yu’s care for Xia Jinzhao was obvious to all, but the two just didn’t click.

They were like two parallel lines that, even when infinitely close or overlapping, could never intersect.

It was hard to imagine them in a passionate relationship, especially since Xia Jinzhao was married, and Song Yu couldn’t possibly not know.

On this, Zhou Zhenhui’s attitude was ambiguous: “Oh, we’ll see.”

“What ‘we’ll see’? Song Yu helped Jinzhao a lot. What’s wrong with having a meal?”

Lin Cheng’an lightly clicked her tongue, pulled out a chair, and sat down, seemingly wanting to reprimand this insensitive assistant.

She clasped her hands, adopting the strict posture of someone examining a patient. Her gaze through the reflective wire-rimmed glasses seemed capable of seeing right through people.

“Don’t use moral blackmail on me. Sister Jinzhao has also contributed a lot these past two years!”

Fortunately, the two were familiar, allowing Zhou Zhenhui to speak her mind confidently.

The cup of water was quickly emptied. The water stains slowly sliding down the side of the cup were inexplicably irritating.

“I have other things to do. I’ll be going now. Bye-bye.”

With that, Zhou Zhenhui stood up and left without waiting for Lin Cheng’an to see her off.

“I’m leaving now. You should go home early.” Wen Can tightened the straps of her backpack, waving to Ming Xi, who had just finished her live stream.

Outside, the sky was darkening, and the wind bent the bare tree trunks, looking quite frightening.

Ming Xi tidied her desk, greeted Lu Litong, who had just come out after a shower, and then left the studio.

Sales had been good these past two days. Perhaps because Miss Lin had supported the business earlier, the live stream traffic improved, and many new customers came in.

The dim light illuminated the spiderwebs blown up in the corner of the wall, and below was the dark stairwell.

As usual, Ming Xi walked out of the residential building, ready to take the subway across the street.

That omnipresent stare returned.

She wasn’t sure if it was an illusion caused by being too busy, but these past two days, she felt like someone was following her.

Hidden in an unknown corner, showing its fangs like a venomous snake, ready to strike at any moment.

Ming Xi pretended to casually play with her phone, while her other hand had already gone through the zipper and found the stun gun.

The cold, hard material gave her a great sense of security, and her unease gradually disappeared.

Although the physical strength of Alphas was generally greater than Omegas and Betas in this world, having seen a lot of social news in her past life, as a law-abiding citizen, she couldn’t help but feel timid when resorting to practical action.

Despite walking away from the dangerous alley, the sound of erratic footsteps still echoed behind her.

Her heart leaped into her throat. When Ming Xi rounded the corner, she suddenly pulled out the stun gun and pressed the button toward the space behind her.

If that person approached one step closer, they would undoubtedly be paralyzed by the electric current and temporarily lose consciousness.

“You’re following me—”

Before Ming Xi could finish speaking, the person who dashed out reacted even more strongly, stepping back in fright, staring in horror at the weapon in her hand.

It was an unfamiliar face. Judging by the briefcase in his hand, he looked no different from the office workers she usually saw.

“Oh my god, you scared me to death! Are you crazy, waving that thing around!”

The man’s chest heaved violently, his excitement revealing a local dialect.

Seeing this, Ming Xi was stunned, and the intense gaze locked onto her back suddenly vanished.

It wasn’t him.

The man was still ranting, genuinely afraid that Ming Xi was a societal avenger. He cursed under his breath, keeping his distance from her.

“I’m sorry. I thought someone was following me.” Ming Xi quickly bowed in apology.

The misunderstanding was huge.

“I walk this route every day. Don’t wrongly accuse good people, okay…” The man pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat, glared at her twice, and then hurried off to catch the next subway train.

Watching the person walk out of sight, the stone in Ming Xi’s heart finally dropped.

What the heck? It turned out I was just being paranoid.

She carefully placed the stun gun in the inner layer of her backpack, zipped it up, and prepared to rush to the subway entrance before the red light turned.

Just then, her whole body felt like it was brushed by a tickling foxtail grass, and she instantly felt a strong discomfort!

At the same time, the sound of rapid running rushed toward Ming Xi!

The moment her shoulder was bumped, a needle-like pain struck her cheek.

“Hiss—”

Ming Xi gasped sharply. When she reacted, she only saw a fleeing figure.

The petite girl in a hoodie held a utility knife in the hand that was shrunk inside her sleeve. It wasn’t a deep wound, but it was enough to send a chill down one’s spine.

It was her!

A few days ago, when Xia Jinzhao was at the hospital, a group of fans surrounded the car asking for autographs and photos. This girl stood out, her gloomy aura setting a distinct boundary from everyone else.

“Stop!” Ming Xi shouted, ignoring the gruesome scratch on her cheek, and quickly chased after her.

Unfortunately, she was a step too late. The girl was agile and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Seeing that she couldn’t catch up, Ming Xi accepted her bad luck. She crouched down, cautiously touching the wound on her left cheek.

It was about seven centimeters long, the skin and flesh curled at the edges due to the sharp blade. Bl00d flowed uncontrollably, accumulating bloody drops on her chin, carrying a strong metallic scent.

Afraid of scaring passersby, she hastily wiped it with her sleeve, covered her face, and walked toward the convenience store.

If she didn’t deal with it soon, tomorrow’s headline would probably be—Shock! A beautiful girl meets tragedy on the street. Is it the distortion of human nature? Or the decay of morality?

But the person who hurt her definitely had a strong motive.

Connecting it to the look in that person’s eyes and the note tucked into her takeout bag not long ago, Ming Xi instantly cleared her mind.

I’m afraid this disaster is inseparable from Xia Jinzhao.

When surfing the internet before, she had heard of the malicious behavior of sasaeng fans.

For example, sending dead rats to celebrities who got close to their idol, or harassing them with phone calls late at night.

She never thought such terrible things would happen to her!

There weren’t many people in the convenience store. The air was filled with the steaming aroma of oden.

While buying bandages and alcohol, Ming Xi also grabbed a bun and hot milk from the shelf.

The glass window reflected the hustle and bustle of the street, the flashing neon lights dizzying to the eyes.

Finding an unoccupied corner, Ming Xi used her phone’s selfie mode to treat her wound.

She hadn’t decided whether to tell Xia Jinzhao about what happened today.

Although it was inseparable from her, she had no right to demand anything!

That girl was an extremist. If she posted it online… Ming Xi had witnessed the bloodbath among fans.

The media would also dig it out: Xia Jinzhao sent a lawyer’s letter to a sasaeng fan for someone insignificant.

Whether she was insignificant or not, everyone knew the truth.

Moreover, Xia Jinzhao was far away in A City, and Ming Xi didn’t want to trouble her.

Just then, the phone suddenly rang. Ming Xi’s hand tightened, causing a dull ache in her wound.

“Damn it—” She grimaced, having no time to complain.

Because the person making the video call was none other than Xia Jinzhao, who was in a different location.

Perhaps feeling guilty, Ming Xi hung up the call without a second thought.

The screen returned to the chat interface. The other end slowly sent a question mark.

Xia Jinzhao: “?”

Xia Jinzhao: “Answer the call. It’s urgent.”

The woman was as forceful as ever, her tone allowing no refusal.

What kind of urgency requires a video call?

Ming Xi grumbled inwardly, trying to lie her way out of it.

Ming Xi: “Stomach ache, on the toilet.”

Three minutes later.

Xia Jinzhao: “Okay.”

Just one word immediately made Ming Xi panic.

No, no, no! With Xia Jinzhao’s two-faced nature, being so agreeable all of a sudden means she must be plotting some bad idea!

Did she find out I secretly ate behind her back?!

Heaven knows! A celebrity’s small stomach really can’t hold much. There were too many near-expired foods in the fridge, and I thought it was a waste to throw them away, so I just ate them right there…

I didn’t break the robot vacuum cleaner. It just stopped moving after being fully charged. I don’t know why either!

Or was it that bottle of insanely expensive French perfume I broke the night before last…

Ming Xi descended into a state of frenzy. Xia Jinzhao usually wouldn’t call to maintain their relationship. This time, she must be here to demand an explanation!

The female protagonist of this book, Ming Xi, died at the age of twenty-six. Cause of death: panic.

After the daytime hustle, the film studio was nestled in the deep moonlight.

Curtains shielded the night scenery outside. The warm yellow reading lamp, like a glowing mushroom, sat on the bedside table.

The woman stepped out of the bathroom barefoot. The trickling water flowed along her calves to her ankles, leaving distinct marks on the bathmat.

The wall clock pointed to nine o’clock. She glanced at it and picked up her phone charging on the bedside table.

There was no new activity on the lock of Huayang Qingyuan. Usually, Ming Xi would have been home by this time.

So troublesome.

Xia Jinzhao frowned, tapping into the live streaming app she had recently downloaded. After getting the verification code from Zhou Zhenhui, she entered the frequently visited homepage.

The live stream room was not yet open.

The light on her face made her features look deeper. The white bathrobe draped over her shoulders lent a domestic softness to her cool, distant demeanor.

She called Ming Xi directly, but it was rejected.

Staring at the brief reply on the other end, Xia Jinzhao pursed her lips.

Lying.

Knowing that Ming Xi used to enjoy gathering with her shady friends at nightclubs, an unknown anger surged in Xia Jinzhao’s heart, and she tossed the phone onto the bed.

The phone rang. The other party was calling her.

She initially wanted to hang up. Her finger hovered over the red button for a moment before sliding to the side.

“What’s the urgent matter you want to tell me?” The long-unheard voice came through the receiver.

Actually, it wasn’t exactly long-unheard.

Judging by the background, the person seemed to be in a convenience store. Her back was to the light, making her face look softer and more obedient than her usual sharp-tongued self.

Her fuzzy, tousled hair swayed with her small movements, drawing attention.

Xia Jinzhao stared at that patch of fuzz. Her heart swayed with it, and the swelling, unnamed anger instantly disappeared.

Only one thing remained.

“Why are you turned to the side?”

Faced with Xia Jinzhao’s soul-searching question, Ming Xi hedged.

“Oh, did you know? A person’s left and right sides of the face aren’t entirely the same.”

“Speak human.”

“At night, my right side looks more beautiful.”

“So?”

Ming Xi stuttered, scratching her temple in distress, as if she were about to transform into a fortune teller who knows “the secrets of the heavens cannot be revealed” in the next second.

“Right, what’s the urgent matter you called about?”

The topic shift was too abrupt. Anyone could tell.

In fact, Xia Jinzhao didn’t have anything urgent. She simply wanted to ask where Ming Xi was tonight.

Calling on impulse, she had already prepared her excuse. She would just say she forgot where something was and called via video to confirm it was at home.

Xia Jinzhao averted her eyes. The momentary distraction made her realize she was almost being led astray.

“Turn your face over,” she insisted.

“Facing you, of course, I have to present my best side!”

“Turn it over.”

“Actually, I got a stiff neck last night—”

“Don’t make me say it a third time.”

Xia Jinzhao was immune to Ming Xi’s flowery language. No light could be seen in her dark pupils.

Stared at by such eyes, Ming Xi’s defenses were thoroughly shattered. Knowing she couldn’t hide, she stiffly turned her neck, like a rusty machine.

The shocking wound was exposed.

Seeing this, Xia Jinzhao was startled. The complex emotion turned into an inexpressible anger that choked her throat.

“Who did this?” she asked in a low voice.