The Scumbag Alpha is Courting Death Again - Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Pound Cake: Crying and Whining, Hiding in Wife’s Arms…

The meeting with Zhen Wenjing was scheduled for after work. Ming Xi packed her things and turned on the navigation to find the fastest route.

The setting sun was like bl00d, and the withered yellow leaves were scattered by the wind. She had visited Zhen Wenjing’s studio before. In terms of dilapidation, it was comparable to Lu Litong’s constantly-closed studio.

She waited by the stairs for a while, and the other party sent a message.

Zhen Wenjing: “The editor-in-chief kept me until now. You can come up first.”

Ming Xi went upstairs and saw the busy figures through the semi-transparent glass.

The woman was instructing someone with triangular eyes to move old cardboard boxes into a corner. The tightly packed desks were piled with outdated newspapers and magazines.

It looked like they were cleaning up.

Ming Xi pushed the door open, and the muffled, irritable voices became clear.

“Hurry up and call them, or are we planning to leave a hole in the next issue?” Zhen Wenjing was in a rush, tapping the desk phone.

Hearing the movement, she turned her head and met the gaze of Ming Xi, who was peeking in.

“I knocked, but seeing you were busy, I took the liberty of coming in…” Ming Xi pointed to the door, afraid of being misunderstood.

Seeing her arrive, Zhen Wenjing casually pulled over a chair, motioned for her to sit, and then rummaged through a pile of clutter.

“Have you been followed by a sasaeng fan recently?” The woman pulled out a few newspapers and threw them over. “These are examples of successful rights protection. Take a look.”

The smell of printing ink mixed with the musty odor of stored papers rushed to her face. Ming Xi felt a bit dizzy from the sheer amount of text and quickly skimmed them.

“Did I disturb you?”

Although the time and place were set by the other party, seeing how busy Zhen Wenjing was, she felt a little sympathetic.

She hadn’t realized that paparazzi nowadays had legitimate jobs. She thought they just needed to stake out hotels for photos, make up some little stories, and the money would automatically arrive in their accounts.

“The editor-in-chief went crazy today,” Zhen Wenjing raised her eyes to the corner camera and lowered her voice. “He insisted that people throw away the backlog of outdated papers. It’s not your fault. You just happened to run into it.”

“Oh,” Ming Xi nodded, mindlessly fiddling with a disposable water cup.

The office was cramped and narrow. As the sun set, the warm yellow light illuminated the streaked watermarks left on the glass over the years. She looked around and saw Wu Xiaxian carrying a stack, throwing it onto the floor.

“Sister Jing, do these need to be dealt with too?” He was panting from exhaustion.

“Nonsense. Can’t you see how much dust is on them?” Zhen Wenjing responded impatiently.

“Do you want me to help?”

Ming Xi’s gaze fell on the newspapers. The uneven edges were curled and folded. She bent down and casually pulled out one.

A newspaper from twenty years ago. The black and white photos were blurry, exuding a strange aura. The large primary headline was worn down into granules.

Factory explosion in the Eastern District of S City, resulting in 1 death and 6 serious injuries.

The date in the upper left corner: July 14, 2005.

Before she could read the content clearly, the newspaper was pulled away. Zhen Wenjing waved her hand: “No need. He’s quick. Just send him to run errands.”

Ming Xi’s mind was still on that news story: “You still keep such old newspapers?”

“In our line of work, we rely on clues and imagination. It’s normal,” Zhen Wenjing shrugged. “Maybe one day, we can cross time and solve a big case!”

Ming Xi: … Anyone would think you were detectives.

Seeing them chatting, Wu Xiaxian walked closer and exclaimed in surprise: “Hey, I’ve heard of this case. The person who died was a child, right?”

“It caused a huge stir back then. That factory was even shut down because they were employing child labor!”

The man was recalling details when Zhen Wenjing kicked him: “Get back to work! You’re so nosy!”

Ming Xi gave an awkward laugh, accidentally pulling the wound on her face again, which made her cry out in pain.

Seeing this, Zhen Wenjing took out a spare medical kit from the drawer and sighed with emotion.

“Oh my goodness, I didn’t believe it when I called, but that person is really vicious!”

In her impression, Ming Xi’s face was delicate and soft, lacking the flashy seductiveness that drew attention, making it easy for people to feel favorable toward her at first glance.

Only the scar on her face ruined the aesthetic.

The topic shifted back. Ming Xi resigned herself to bad luck: “No choice. That kid runs so fast. How can an office worker who’s worked for a few years catch up?”

She carefully peeled off the gauze and pressed it onto a cotton ball. The cool sensation seeped in, relieving some of the pain.

Zhen Wenjing was stunned: “Kid? She’s a minor?”

“Yep,” Ming Xi nodded, but saw the other party’s brow furrowing deeper. “What’s wrong?”

“A minor is tricky. Generally speaking, even if they’re caught, the parents can only be called in for a verbal reprimand,” Zhen Wenjing stared at her wound again. “For something like a cut, maybe half a day of detention?”

“But you have no evidence. Do you have a recording?”

“It happened suddenly. No time.”

“Then there’s nothing that can be done,” Zhen Wenjing sighed, looking like she couldn’t help.

Ming Xi couldn’t hide her disappointment but still got up to thank her. Regardless, the two were unrelated, and even harmless comfort gave her a sense of peace.

As she prepared to leave, the woman slipped a key card into her pocket.

Before she could react to the surprise, a warm breath circled her ear, mixed with a faint scent of perfume.

“Helping you this much, I deserve a little reward, right?” Zhen Wenjing gave a playful smile, closing the distance between them.

Ming Xi instantly got goosebumps from head to toe.

Okay, that was just her imagination.

Reaching into her pocket, she found a business card belonging to Zhen Wenjing. She looked up, and the woman stood with her arms crossed, chuckling.

“Since I’m being so kind, why don’t you help me out and connect me with Xia Jinzhao?”

Artists and paparazzi are not entirely antagonistic. Some paparazzi are even specifically hired by studios to dig up dirt on rivals. Private photos and information are resold through several channels, generating a lot of profit.

No wonder Zhen Wenjing was willing to talk to her. It was all because of the connection to Xia Jinzhao.

Although she wanted to be independent and self-reliant, the fact that others treated her differently was implicitly borrowing the Xia family’s influence.

As she left the studio, night had fallen. A pale yellow, hazy crescent moon squeezed through the gaps between the towering buildings.

Ming Xi stepped on the sound-activated light. Descending the stairs, she created a gust of wind that blew against the spiderwebs in the corner.

She was still thinking about Zhen Wenjing’s words. Having been in the industry for many years, the latter certainly understood the sasaeng fan group better than she did. If what she said was true, the matter was far trickier than imagined.

With her thoughts concentrated, Ming Xi naturally didn’t notice the subtle sounds around her.

The low bushes rustled, and the sound of rushed running suddenly came from behind!

“Ugh—”

An arm clamped around her neck, violently pulling her backward. Ming Xi’s breath hitched, nearly suffocating.

Immediately after, there was the sound of a small object dropping, and a sticky, cold liquid poured from her hair straight down her collar, quickly coating her in a matte film.

Using the faint light, Ming Xi quickly recognized that the person behind her was the same girl who had cut her the night before!

When people are extremely frightened, they can’t even scream. Especially with the person in front of her acting so recklessly, if she pulled out a knife, Ming Xi was afraid that resisting would only cause more harm.

The solidifying glue restricted her movement. The girl pushed Ming Xi to the ground, and a powerful slap landed on her face.

“Don’t hit me! Don’t hit my face!”

Ah, ah, my freshly treated wound!

A hoarse, suffocating voice echoed in her ear: “Let you seduce my sister! Go to hell—”

Just as the slap was about to land, Ming Xi seized the opportunity and violently kicked the other party’s ankle. After a muffled groan, the two struggled.

Utilizing her Alpha body advantage, Ming Xi quickly gained the upper hand. Amidst the girl’s random kicks, she pinned her to the ground.

Zhen Wenjing, who was not far from there, heard the commotion and quickly ran downstairs.

Ignoring everything else, she came over to help. Gradually, the girl lost the strength to struggle, and she glared fiercely at Ming Xi.

Wu Xiaxian had already called the police. When the siren sounded, Ming Xi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The group was taken to the police station. By the time they finished their statements, it was already ten o’clock at night.

Just as Zhen Wenjing expected, the police contacted the girl’s parents. When the latter arrived, they repeatedly bowed, apologizing to Ming Xi, and tearfully admitting their lack of proper guidance.

However, due to insufficient evidence, after a verbal reprimand, the girl was taken to a juvenile detention center for a few days.

Leaving the police station, she looked back. The pale light fell on the stone steps. The girl stood by the window, her eyes hidden beneath her thick bangs, making it impossible to see clearly.

Presumably, it must be hatred?

The troublesome and thorny matter seemed to have been resolved so simply, but Ming Xi still felt uneasy.

Everything happened too suddenly and ended too quickly.

Zhen Wenjing patted her shoulder in comfort.

“Don’t think too much about it. At least she has parents to control her. She probably won’t do it again.”

She parked the car by the door, motioning for Ming Xi to get in.

The sticky residue felt like it was glued to her body, carrying a strong chemical smell. Ming Xi curled up so as not to stain the passenger seat.

Returning to Huayang Qingyuan, she thanked Zhen Wenjing and watched her leave. She stepped onto the stairs, preparing to reach out.

The door opened from the inside, and a serene figure came into view. The woman’s expression was calm, like a trace of snow hanging from a branch.

Seeing Ming Xi’s battered appearance, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and she immediately stepped forward to ask.

“What happened?”

Like a small, drifting boat arriving at a harbor, the accumulated grievances suddenly found an outlet because of this question.

Ignoring why Xia Jinzhao had returned, Ming Xi thrust her swollen left cheek forward, almost bursting into tears.

“I was hit!”

Your wife’s face is ruined. You must avenge me, sniffle, sniffle…

Although she had decided not to trouble the other party, now that the dust had settled and she was no longer facing retaliation, Ming Xi let go of her reservations.

Xia Jinzhao was initially annoyed by Ming Xi’s concealment, but seeing the latter pitifully pour out her troubles, and with that seemingly spoiled tone, even the hardest heart would be melted.

“I had such a terrible time while you were gone!”

“Look, look! It’s all swollen!”

Ming Xi lifted her face, wanting to press it right against Xia Jinzhao’s eyes.

“I see it,” Xia Jinzhao lowered her eyes, then gently stroked her face. “Both my eyes see it.”

The faint fragrance from her sleeve brushed past, making Ming Xi’s face flush. She awkwardly stepped back half a step.

I almost got carried away.

Just as she was thinking about how to concisely summarize the sequence of events, the person in front of her suddenly said.

“Not only do I see it, but I know everything.”

Ming Xi suddenly looked up, meeting the ridicule in Xia Jinzhao’s eyes. The warmth from moments ago instantly vanished. The woman’s thumb rubbed her jawline, and she spoke flatly.

“If I hadn’t run into you,” she paused, her eyes dark and uncertain. “How long were you planning to keep it hidden?”

Perhaps it’s time to let Ming Xi know that without my protection, she can’t take a single step.