The Scumbag Alpha is Courting Death Again - Chapter 45

Chapter 45: Boya’s Broken Zither: The First Unexpected Event

Zhou Zhenhui slammed on the brakes, her body leaning forward due to inertia. She held the steering wheel and gave an awkward laugh: “Nothing of the sort. Ming Xi, you’re thinking too much, haha…”

“Is Xia Jinzhao going to renovate the house?” Ming Xi saw through her lie immediately and asked unhurriedly.

She mused to herself that given Xia Jinzhao’s attitude towards her, it definitely wasn’t with good intentions. Most likely, a visit back to the Xia family resulted in pressure being put on her, forcing her to go through the motions and use Zhou Zhenhui to inquire about her preferences.

Speaking of which, it had been almost a week since she and Xia Jinzhao last met, and even their messages were few and far between.

While Ming Xi’s mind wandered, Zhou Zhenhui in the driver’s seat had already gone through ten thousand fabricated excuses, attempting to muddle through.

“Well… it is both of your home, after all. She has to ask for your opinion, right?” As a guardian of their love, Zhou Zhenhui seized every opportunity to bring them together, deliberately portraying Xia Jinzhao as a tsundere who speaks one thing but means another.

Ming Xi said casually: “We’ll talk about it when she gets back.”

“Get back?” Zhou Zhenhui slowly stepped on the gas.

The scenery outside the window sped by. Tall evergreen trees and modern buildings intersected in the light and shadow. A gap of two fingers in the window lifted the wisps of hair on Ming Xi’s head.

“Sister Xia is filming in S City. She just hasn’t been able to spare any time. The work is being handled by Manager Cui. Otherwise, I would have followed her out of town long ago.”

The car turned, leaving the bustling downtown area and entering a high-end hotel’s parking lot. Zhou Zhenhui parked the car and got out, taking a large bag of daily necessities from the trunk. The plastic bag was almost bursting, filled with toothbrushes, towels, and slippers, fully prepared for a long stay.

Then, she stuffed the bag into Ming Xi’s arms and pulled out a business card from her pocket: “I’m worried about your inconvenience when traveling, so I’ve assigned you a driver. You can call them if you need an errand run.”

“Of course, you can also look for me if you encounter any difficulties.” Zhou Zhenhui smiled, two gentle dimples showing on her cheeks.

Ming Xi nodded at her instructions. After saying goodbye downstairs, she took the elevator and swiped her card to the top floor of the hotel.

Due to her profession, even if Xia Jinzhao owned a fixed residence, it couldn’t be called a home. Avoiding paparazzi to prevent exposure of privacy was one aspect. The inconvenience of travel and detours that could delay her schedule meant that a frequently stayed-in hotel felt more lively.

The hotel overlooked half of S City from the window. Skyscrapers were lined up, shrouded in a smoky, dark haze.

Ming Xi walked into the bathroom, staring at the row of side-by-side mouthwash cups, feeling a subtle emotion rise in her heart. It’s actually unbelievable that Xia Jinzhao could tolerate me bouncing around her for so long.

The phone in her bag rang. It was a message from her spare phone. She opened the Lang Yin app. A small red dot appeared in the upper right corner of the pinned chat box that hadn’t moved for a long time.

Miss Lin: “Why haven’t you been live streaming lately?”

Given that the previous user ID was too unpleasant and contrasted too much with Miss Lin’s silent, wealthy persona, Ming Xi changed it to a more acceptable note. She racked her brain, coming up with an easily acceptable reason.

Chang Guan Studio: “Something happened. I took some time off.”

Miss Lin: “What happened?”

Her sending speed was too fast, almost a subconscious reaction. After realizing it, she immediately added another message.

Miss Lin: “Sorry, that was a bit presumptuous. I take it back.”

With that, she actually retracted the message. Due to her upbringing, she always maintained a sense of propriety.

Chang Guan Studio: “Thank you, Wife. The matter has been resolved [Moved]”

Ming Xi’s willingness to share stopped at the boundary of intimacy. Even if exchanging personal life topics with a customer could enhance emotional connection, she wasn’t willing to confide in someone she didn’t know well. Anyone else would probably feel disappointed upon hearing such polite and distant words. However, the other party’s reply didn’t show any displeasure, even a hint of relief.

Miss Lin: “Hope to see you soon.”

Ming Xi replied with a thank-you sticker for the support, and there was no further activity from the other end.

Exiting the live-streaming app, Zhen Wenjing sent a message, asking her out for a simple dinner. Ming Xi had previously agreed. Moreover, to make up for lost work progress after her recovery, her free time would only become scarcer. Ming Xi directly sent the address of the reserved restaurant.

Night fell, and neon lights flickered. A popular internet-famous restaurant was packed. Ming Xi scanned the code to order. Not long after, Zhen Wenjing walked in. The woman’s sunglasses obscured most of her face, and the bulky hoodie made her look bloated. Since entering the door, she had been glancing around, her behavior suspicious.

Spotting the familiar figure, she hurried toward the window, pulled out a chair, and greeted Ming Xi.

“Long time no see. You look to be in good shape.” Zhen Wenjing examined her injuries, her gaze lingering on her left cheek. New skin had grown, and there was no trace of the injury.

“The doctor Xia Jinzhao found for you?” The woman took off her coat and sat in the inner side of the sofa.

The vinyl record’s melody was lingering, creating a retro atmosphere reminiscent of the twentieth century. The warm air from the air conditioner made people feel warm-headed. Colorful lights were strung up.

“Yes,” Ming Xi handed over her phone. “Order whatever you want.”

“Not bad. I thought your relationship was poor,” Zhen Wenjing teased.

“Skip the flattery. I might not be able to help you build bridges,” Ming Xi said, referring to connecting Zhen Wenjing with Xia Jinzhao.

“It’s fine. It’s only a matter of time anyway,” the woman chuckled.

At that moment, the waiter served two glasses of iced lemon tea. Ming Xi picked up one and took small sips.

“Do you know why I was so eager to find you?”

She didn’t know when, but the two had inexplicably become friends. Although Zhen Wenjing’s profession wasn’t glamorous, as her only contact in the entertainment industry, Ming Xi didn’t mind having more friends. Before she could answer, the other party tossed a stack of photos from her bag. In the photos, a man with a full beard, fierce, drooping eyes, exuded the aura of a criminal.

Ming Xi was confused. She picked up the photos and examined them carefully: “What is this?”

“He’s a kidnapper who was sentenced to more than twenty years and was just released these past two days,” Zhen Wenjing tapped the table, looking relaxed.

Knowing that what she was about to say was related to her, Ming Xi didn’t interrupt.

“This group was inexperienced and only committed one crime. As for why they were imprisoned for so long… their first target was the Xia family.”

“Xia Jinzhao?” Ming Xi was shocked. She was unfamiliar with the minute details of the book’s plot and wasn’t interested in the complicated history of the wealthy family, often skipping those parts. She only knew that the two female protagonists, Song Yu and Xia Jinzhao, had nearly achieved a happy ending after going through life-and-death situations.

“That’s right. Didn’t a factory the Xia family invested in explode that year? Many people were injured. Workers set up banners at the entrance to protest and demand compensation. Unfortunately, the Xia family used their power to intimidate and directly called people to chase the group away.”

“Perhaps some people held grudges and kidnapped the two Xia children. One of them was Xia Jinzhao.”

Noticing the descriptive phrase “used their power to intimidate,” Ming Xi frowned: “Something like that happened…” In her impression, Xia Xuefeng was a kind and amiable elder who took good care of her. Zhen Wenjing’s description didn’t match her behavior at all.

“Yes, I only found out recently. Isn’t it a coincidence? We just talked about this the last time we met.”

“If you ask me, those who can start from scratch often have a shady foundation. These people just love to exploit ordinary citizens,” Zhen Wenjing shrugged, her tone sarcastic.

“How do you know so much?” Ming Xi looked at her suspiciously.

Hearing this, Zhen Wenjing leaned back triumphantly: “Who are we? Professional paparazzi! As long as something has happened, it’s impossible to completely erase the traces.”

“Are you planning to use this to blackmail Xia Jinzhao?” Ming Xi put down the photo, her attitude no longer as friendly as before. “Also, why should I believe what you say?”

Seeing Ming Xi showing signs of anger, Zhen Wenjing quickly waved her hands, trying to calm her down.

“Don’t make our relationship so tense. The information is definitely true. I hope you can seek Xia Jinzhao’s opinion.”

“After all, sucking the bl00d of factory workers can be considered a scandal. Xia Jinzhao was young at the time, and coupled with the kidnapping, if her team handles the public relations well, she might even be able to play the victim card.”

“Friendship price,” Zhen Wenjing looked around and held up two fingers: “Two million.”

Ming Xi gasped: “That much!” Even in her most successful year, she might not have earned that much. Facing the other party’s exorbitant demand, she re-evaluated the concept of a “friendship price.”

“That’s a lot?” The woman scoffed, got up, and sat next to Ming Xi, whispering, “You know that Xia Jinzhao’s salary for one movie is more than thirty times that.” Even if character actors don’t compare to popular young actresses, their earnings are still considerable.

…Well, poverty limits my imagination. Hearing her say that, it did seem quite a bargain.

Ming Xi hesitated, but how should she tell Xia Jinzhao? If the other party knew she was colluding with an entertainment paparazzo, she would definitely hate her. In the past, she wouldn’t have cared about the other party’s opinion. As long as she wasn’t hated and escaped the tragic fate of the original book, she could sign the divorce papers and live happily ever after.

The memory of Xia Jinzhao’s care for her over the past few days surfaced in her mind. Ming Xi couldn’t bear it. She inexplicably didn’t want her image to be tarnished in Xia Jinzhao’s heart.

Zhen Wenjing observed her expression, patting her shoulder as a signal, “Don’t rush to reply. Let’s eat first.”

Just then, the dishes were served. The two stopped the previous topic, eating the meal each harboring their own thoughts. A layer of watery mist condensed on the glass door. When it was pushed open, a bell rang. After the meal, they said goodbye. Ming Xi stood on the street. Cars passed by on the road, stretching her shadow obliquely.

She repeatedly flipped through the photos, different angles of the same person. He looked like his sharp edges had been smoothed down in prison, his eyes dull and lifeless.

Kidnapping. Ming Xi had always wondered what kind of troubles a privileged young lady like Xia Jinzhao would have, leading her to develop such a quiet personality. Sure enough, no matter how perfect the character setting, the author would definitely use the tragic beauty trope.

While waiting for the driver, a phone ring broke her thoughts. She took out her phone and looked at the contact. It was Zhou Zhenhui’s number. The two hadn’t been apart for long. Thinking Xia Jinzhao had another instruction, Ming Xi quickly answered. Amidst the noisy background, Zhou Zhenhui was incoherent, her voice tearful.

“Ming Xi, Sister Xia had an accident while filming!”

Her heart sank abruptly. She forced herself to calm down.

“The crew said it was a guest role. The set was built in the suburbs of S City. But that area was developed for some project a few years ago. Now, that set has collapsed, and Sister Xia… Sister Xia is trapped underneath…”

In an instant, the surroundings started to buzz.