The Scumbag Alpha is Courting Death Again - Chapter 44

Chapter 44: Taro Balls and Grapes: Who Doesn’t Know How to Go Through the Motions?

The overcast sky, with its scrolled clouds, cast a dim light into the partially curtained room. Ming Xi groggily opened her eyes, the unfamiliar ceiling greeting her gaze. She found herself lying on the floor. Her rusty brain slowly started working, and she finally remembered what happened last night.

Wait, Xia Jinzhao…

She abruptly looked up. On the bed, level with her sight, the woman had buried her face in the pillow. Her long lashes cast a shadow beneath her eyes. Her abdomen rose and fell, indicating a peaceful sleep. Looking down again, she saw that she was wrapped in most of the duvet and had rolled off. She could easily guess what had happened in the middle of the night.

Ming Xi awkwardly touched her nose. She crawled up from the floor, smoothing and straightening the quilt. While Xia Jinzhao was still asleep, she carefully covered her with the blanket. Her movements were light, so she didn’t wake the other person. Leaning closer, she heard shallow breaths, like a cool mint breeze brushing against her cheek.

The scent of pheromones, even with a patch to block them, would inevitably seep out with movement. Perhaps after spending a long time together, the initial stunning impression of her looks had faded. But if you looked closely, Xia Jinzhao was quite appealing when she wasn’t speaking.

Ming Xi cupped her face, admiring her beauty for a moment, then suddenly snapped back to reality. She realized she was swooning over the sleeping Xia Jinzhao, so she quickly dismissed the irrelevant thoughts and got up to dress and wash.

Returning to the master bedroom, she found the person still sound asleep. The fatigue from being out in the rain last night was heavy. She didn’t want to disturb her and quietly went downstairs.

Wu Ma was preparing breakfast in the kitchen. Hearing the noise, she thought it was Xia Jinzhao and asked without lifting her head: “How did you sleep last night?”

“It’s me,” Ming Xi walked around behind her, looking at the shredded chicken on the cutting board. “Is there anything I can help with?”

“I thought it was Jinzhao. How could I let you cook? Go wait in the dining room.” Wu Ma gestured towards the living room.

Ming Xi was helpless: “Jinzhao is still asleep. If I go outside, no one will talk to me.”

Hearing this, Wu Ma mistakenly thought the two hadn’t reconciled and stopped refusing: “Alright then, you can clean the crab shells on the table.” Even if Ming Xi genuinely wanted to help, she was still Xia Jinzhao’s person, so Wu Ma only assigned her small, non-essential tasks.

The overcast sky was laden with lead-colored clouds. It was rare for light rain to continue for several days in late autumn. In the kitchen, the two busied themselves at the counter, occasionally interjecting with conversation.

“I heard you just got discharged. Are you okay after getting rained on yesterday?”

“I’m fine. The doctor Jinzhao found is very skilled. I’m recovering quickly.” Ming Xi polished the countertop until it reflected light brightly.

“That’s why I say, even if she argues with you, she still cares about you in her heart.” After saying this, the knife rhythmically hit the cutting board. Wu Ma sighed, lost in a long-ago memory. “Jinzhao was a lonely and quiet child from a young age, without many friends. It’s rare that she met someone like you, who is willing to talk more. Before, Mrs. Xia and I were worried that you two wouldn’t be happy after marriage.”

Elderly people tend to speak at length, breaking down their words. Ming Xi listened intently, her wiping slowing down. In short, this passage was nothing more than the classic line from formulaic novels: I haven’t seen the young miss smile in a long time. From her perspective, if she was born with a silver spoon, getting everything she wanted, she would definitely be tyrannical and intentionally mistreat people, rather than developing Xia Jinzhao’s difficult personality.

“She talks a lot,” Ming Xi pouted. The complaint, heard by others, carried the suspicion of complaining about a sweet relationship.

Sure enough, Wu Ma smiled knowingly: “That’s because she likes you. If it weren’t for…” Something came to mind, and her words abruptly stopped. She shook her head: “Something bad happened when she was little. Maybe she would be as lively as you are now!”

Just as Ming Xi was about to press for details, a sudden low-pressure atmosphere came from behind her. A cold, husky voice, laced with deep fatigue, sounded, very typical of a certain someone’s style.

“Waking up early and finding no one next to me, turns out you’re hiding here to tattle.” Xia Jinzhao walked up, grabbed Ming Xi’s hands, and shoved them under the faucet: “You’ve wiped this cleaner than your face. Do you want to keep listening?”

The heat at their joined hands almost scalded Ming Xi. Since there were outsiders present, she couldn’t struggle, so she could only protest softly.

“I wasn’t tattling.”

“True,” Xia Jinzhao pumped some hand soap. The foam clung to Ming Xi’s hands, and she used her finger to help rub it in. “Twisting the facts. You never fail to do something bad when I’m not paying attention.”

“I didn’t!”

“What about snatching the blanket last night?”

The slow, deliberate force gliding over her knuckles made her ears feel hot. The woman lightly embraced Ming Xi’s upper body from behind. The scent of shower gel mixed with pheromones wafted over. Xia Jinzhao wasn’t looking at her. Her attention was focused on their hands, joined by the slickness of the soap, staring at her distinct finger bones in a slight daze.

Even though her eyes were purely focused, when she lowered her gaze, there was an ambiguous look, a blatant honesty that seemed to relieve some kind of desire. This atmosphere of freely radiating hormones was wicked, making Ming Xi the one to have naughty thoughts first. She wanted to pull her hands away, but her four fingers were immediately grabbed.

“I didn’t snatch the blanket.” Ming Xi was anxious to break the strange atmosphere and lied out of guilt. “You were the one who kicked me down. The blanket just happened to wrap around me. And now you’re blaming me…” Her voice grew softer towards the end.

“Is that so?” Xia Jinzhao suddenly leaned closer to her ear. “How come I remember my hand was around your waist in the middle of the night?”

Ming Xi: …

The volume was not loud, but the third person present could hear it. Wu Ma showed a meaningful smile, occasionally giving them teasing looks. Ming Xi suddenly understood and winked at Xia Jinzhao.

So it’s an act! Don’t worry. Even though I can’t win an Oscar, my ability to adapt in the workplace is very strong!

“I was wrong about you,” Ming Xi was like a rabbit with drooping ears, almost teary-eyed. “I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for between us?” Xia Jinzhao said softly.

“But… but you almost kicked me out of the bedroom yesterday.” Ming Xi blinked, her face sly.

Xia Jinzhao remained unfazed, still wearing a sweetly feigned smile. She raised her hand, seemingly dotingly pinching Ming Xi’s cheek, but actually twisted it outward. The pain made Ming Xi gasp.

“Didn’t you also abandon me yesterday?”

Listen to that! She’s portraying me as an ungrateful woman who doesn’t care about others! Ming Xi squeezed out two tears and performed the boldest action of her life. She hugged Xia Jinzhao’s waist, acting spoiled and begging for forgiveness, then smeared her wet hands all over the other person’s clothes. Xia Jinzhao visibly stiffened, her face immediately turning dark, but she had to silently tolerate Ming Xi’s brazen behavior. The two silently struggled, neither giving in.

Until a sudden voice interrupted them.

“The sour smell of love early in the morning. I’m going to be suffocated.” The girl’s tone was flamboyant, seemingly teasing, but a carefully discernible malice was hidden within.

Xia Shurui, dressed in a creamy-white loose-fitting long dress, stood at the doorway, smiling as she looked at them. Her pure, slightly chubby face was swollen from waking up early.

“This is what you call affection.” Wu Ma walked out the door with a bowl of seafood porridge, timely breaking the awkward situation for the two. “Stop standing around. Come eat,” she instructed before leaving.

Xia Shurui crossed her arms and glared at Ming Xi with conceit. Xia Ling’s warning was effective. After suppressing her domineering attitude, she only dared to be passive-aggressive. Ming Xi was annoyed, so she tugged at Xia Jinzhao’s clothes and stomped her foot in dissatisfaction: “Wifey, look at her!”

Her tea-like behavior was overflowing. Anyone who wasn’t an idiot could see her pretense. Xia Shurui almost vomited. Xia Jinzhao, who was forced into the role of a pillar of support, curved her lips, inexplicably appreciating this remark.

As the eldest sister of the family, she had a natural deterrent. No need for many words, a simple frown was enough to make the other person tremble with fear. Xia Shurui only dared to complain when she spoke. Now, seeing the person stand silently without a word, she felt bored and reluctantly left the doorway.

Ming Xi made a face at her retreating back. The hand clutching her clothes was gripped. Xia Jinzhao distanced herself from her and said unhurriedly.

“How many times is this?” She smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes, clearly in a bargaining mood.

“This is mutually beneficial for us.” Ming Xi was defiant but with a strong rationale. Seeing Xia Shurui frustrated, her mood visibly improved.

Seeing her like this, Xia Jinzhao didn’t bother arguing further. As she was about to leave, she paused. “I’ll be joining the film crew in a few days. I might be away from home for a while.”

After saying this, she glanced at Ming Xi from the corner of her eye, as if anticipating her reaction. The wind picked up outside, shaking the leaves and causing the shadows to sway.

Ming Xi was confused: “Then, is there anything I can do for you?” She intuitively felt that the other party was serious and must have a difficult task for her, so a strong sense of responsibility arose.

Xia Jinzhao turned around, her gaze fixed on Ming Xi’s face. Her lips moved, looking like she wanted to speak but stopped. “It’s nothing. Let’s eat.”

That single sentence halted the rest of Ming Xi’s concern. She eventually said no more and followed silently.

After a few days of rest at the mansion, Xia Xuefeng arranged for an experienced doctor to visit. Ming Xi’s condition improved, and her movements were more agile than before her discharge. Xia Jinzhao gave her a room key—for a member-exclusive hotel in the city center.

Zhou Zhenhui first dropped Xia Jinzhao off at the airport, then drove Ming Xi to her new place of residence. Soft instrumental music played in the car. The assistant in the front seat bobbed her head to the rhythm. Ming Xi sat in the passenger seat replying to messages.

She wasn’t close to Zhen Wenjing, but the latter was very attentive to her, asking about her injuries and looking for a new place for her to stay. If there was an ulterior motive, the person was so transparent that it was hard to dislike her.

Paparazzi Sis: “Have you decided where to live yet?”

Ming Xi: “I won’t tell you. What if you bring people to stake out the place?”

Paparazzi Sis: “You can’t say that. Don’t you know what kind of person I am?”

Ming Xi: “…”

Seeing her chatting enthusiastically with the other person, Zhou Zhenhui couldn’t sit still. While waiting for a red light, she craned her neck to peek at the conversation, but the angle was tricky, and she couldn’t read the words clearly. She rested her hand on the steering wheel, counting the seconds with inner anxiety, and finally couldn’t help but speak.

“Who are you chatting with? So happy?”

“Am I?” Ming Xi subconsciously touched the corner of her mouth.

“Yep, you’re grinning ear to ear. Tell me quietly, are you hiding something from Sister Xia…” Zhou Zhenhui leaned forward, asking mysteriously.

Fearing that she would say something to Xia Jinzhao, Ming Xi shook her head in denial: “My loyalty to your sister is evident to heaven and earth! I absolutely haven’t messed around!” She almost raised her hand to swear, which made Zhou Zhenhui laugh.

“I was just joking. Sister Xia still cares about you a lot.” She patted Ming Xi’s shoulder.

Knowing the other person was just trying to comfort her, Ming Xi didn’t take it to heart. Recalling Xia Jinzhao’s often gloomy gaze directed at her, she couldn’t help but shiver.

The yellow light flashed, and the stopped traffic began to move forward. The disruption from the honking broke the conversation between the two. Zhou Zhenhui started the car.

“Oh right, what’s your favorite color?” she suddenly asked.

The topic change was too abrupt. Ming Xi froze: “Why are you asking that?”

“Nothing, just chatting, haha…” Zhou Zhenhui scratched her head, quickly stopping herself, afraid of giving anything away.

Unfortunately, the silence didn’t last long. She broke it again: “How about a separate bathtub and shower room?”

Ming Xi: …

She considered herself smart. The other person’s little schemes were too easy to see through. She twitched her mouth.

“Did Xia Jinzhao ask you to ask?”