The Scumbag Alpha is Courting Death Again - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Tiramisu. Today’s Persona is the Thoughtful, Family-Oriented Good Wife…

Back at the hotel, the clock showed 10:30 PM. Exhausted from the day’s events, Ming Xi took a shower, stepping out with trailing water vapor.

Undried moisture slid from the ends of her hair onto the towel. The narrow room was filled with the fragrance of shower gel. She rubbed her hair haphazardly and walked to the nightstand drawer to take out the hairdryer.

Her phone on the desk showed one unread message from Xia Jinzhao.

Oh-ho, she actually unblocked her.

Ming Xi’s heart immediately started thumping. The image of the figure driving away flashed in her mind, and she eagerly anticipated what the other person had to say.

Willing to chat, so maybe she doesn’t hate me that much?

An unfounded guess tore a gap in her apprehension, and Ming Xi seemed to see a sliver of hope. She took a deep breath and clicked on the chat box.

Xia Jinzhao: “Returning to the old family residence this weekend. Grandma wants to see you.”

The old residence?

Searching through her memory, Ming Xi finally recalled that the reason the female lead and the original host were bound together was heavily influenced by the Xia family’s insistence.

It was strange. Grandmother Xia doted on Xia Jinzhao, treating her as the apple of her eye since birth, so how could she allow the latter to marry a minor internet celebrity with an ordinary background?

Thinking of this, Ming Xi looked up at the full-length mirror at the foot of the bed. Her eyes were misty from the steam of the bath, and her cheeks were faintly flushed, making her look like a white flower carrying morning dew—innocent and harmless.

She had to admit, this face was quite compelling. She flashed a V-sign at the mirror, preened for a moment, and then remembered to reply.

Ming Xi: “What time, ducky? Do I need to prepare anything?”

To gain favor with the female lead, she deliberately used a cuter tone.

Then, a bright red exclamation mark next to the dialogue box stabbed her eye.

Ming Xi: “…”

Judging by the previous tone, Xia Jinzhao was clearly giving a unilateral notice rather than consulting.

Sure enough, I still underestimated the original host’s troublemaking level. If she let things continue this way, the chances of her walking down the predetermined ending path were high.

Thinking of her weekend plans, Ming Xi turned on the hairdryer. The buzzing sound filled the room, and warm air flowed along her hair. She stood in front of the mirror, closing her eyes to consider what gift to prepare.

Although Grandmother Xia liked the original host, going empty-handed was never a good idea.

The problem was, she was broke!

Staring at her three-digit balance, Ming Xi was bitterly disappointed. She downloaded a job hunting app, carefully pondered the jobs in this world, filled out her personal information, and submitted resumes to several desired positions.

Since the original host was merely a stepping stone on the female lead’s path to fame, the book didn’t detail her past. The work experience on the resume was mostly fabricated by Ming Xi; after all, smaller workshops rarely do background checks, unlike big corporations.

Things went smoothly. When she woke up the next morning, she received three replies from HR. Picking the most promising one, she tidied up her attire and prepared to set out.

The interview location was near the East District Commercial Street. This area hadn’t been fully developed by manufacturers yet. The human-interest-rich streets faced the distant city center, with the river dividing the two areas of distinct style.

Standing under the dilapidated residential building, Ming Xi suddenly felt a sense of being tricked. The wall paint was peeling off from years of rain. Rusted bicycles leaned against the steps. The entrance door was plastered with small advertisements.

…She could already imagine herself as the poor, manipulated fresh graduate on the news.

Ming Xi: “Are you sure it’s here? [Image]”

The reply came back quickly.

HR: “Yes, yes, go straight up the stairs. I’ll be waiting for you at the door of 402.”

With the thought that “I’m an Alpha anyway, I should be able to handle it as long as there aren’t too many people,” Ming Xi went upstairs as instructed. The lonely sound of footsteps echoed in the empty corridor. Sunlight shone through the dirty glass, illuminating tiny flying dust particles.

She stood at the door of 402, about to raise her hand. The person inside heard the movement and opened the door first.

The woman was about thirty years old, with long, straight black hair hanging over her chest. Her face was long and narrow, and her demeanor was somewhat casual, forming a sharp contrast with the suit-wearing Ming Xi.

“You must be…” Referring to her personal information, the person looked down at the printed document in her hand. “Ming Xi, right?”

She moved aside, gesturing for Ming Xi to enter.

“Yes, are you the HR here?” Ming Xi peeked her head in, first assessing the interior decor.

The heavy scent of instant noodles mixed with common rose perfume. The old wooden furniture was in a style popular years ago.

Choosing to interview here, no matter how you look at it, is strange. Is it still too late for me to leave T T?

Seemingly guessing Ming Xi’s thoughts, the woman tossed her hair casually and reclined back onto the comfortable sofa chair.

“I’m the HR and the boss. My name is Lu Litong. You can call me Sister Lu.” She picked up a half-full cup of milk tea on the table, her nails painted in deep red cat-eye polish.

Seeing the person still standing there awkwardly, Lu Litong lifted her chin, signaling for her to sit. Unwilling to offend her, Ming Xi sat uneasily on the edge of the sofa, pondering an excuse to politely decline the interview.

Admittedly, there were plenty of better companies than this, but almost none would pay half the salary in advance. If she weren’t so short on cash, she would never subject herself to this. As for the original host’s previous job, Ming Xi had already resigned, worried that a sudden change in temperament would arouse suspicion.

“We discussed the salary and benefits online, and you seemed satisfied. Do you have any other questions here?” The woman adjusted the angle of the backrest, half-lying on the chair.

As a boss, she showed no airs, not even bothering with superficial formality.

A computer was placed on her desk, displaying data familiar to Ming Xi. That’s right, the position she applied for was a livestreaming sales anchor, which was related to the original host’s profession and easy for her to pick up.

“Sister Lu, actually, I—” The word of rejection was on her lips, but Ming Xi hesitated.

All her thoughts were written on her face. Sister Lu, having been in the professional world, was an old hand. How could she not understand what she meant?

So the woman stood up, poured Ming Xi a glass of warm water, and then sat opposite her: “Little sister, you need to consider carefully. There aren’t many positions that can pre-pay salary. If you miss this opportunity, it’s gone.”

Since Ming Xi walked in, Lu Litong had been sizing her up. She had expected the applicant to be at least a down-on-their-luck young person, as no one willingly came to an irregular, small setup.

To her surprise, Ming Xi was completely different from her imagination, honest and naive, like a fresh graduate who was very easy to fool.

Hmm, she’s quite quiet. If not for the shortage of staff, she would at least be a bit pickier.

Hearing her words, Ming Xi fell silent, the scale in her heart gradually tilting. Lu Litong was not in a hurry, stretching lazily as she continued to scroll through short videos.

“Tell me when you’ve decided.”

“When can I start?”

The two spoke almost simultaneously. Lu Litong smiled, shaking her phone: “Nine o’clock tomorrow morning. Want to add me on WeChat?”

Leaving the residential building, Ming Xi felt a sense of unreality. Staring at the three thousand yuan that had been deposited into her card, she couldn’t help but inwardly scoff.

This Boss Lu is truly foolish with money!

Since she found a job, the stone hanging in Ming Xi’s heart finally dropped. Having money in her pocket gave her confidence, and she ate much more lavishly. The only problem was that this job wouldn’t last long; it was just a stepping stone.

The studio seemed to have just started, with many things in the initial stage. The selected goods were trendy leather bags, and the intended audience should be contemporary young people, but Lu Litong’s taste… was truly hard to describe.

However, there are always kind bosses. In terms of living arrangements, the other party didn’t mistreat her, renting her a small apartment not far from the office, which solved her urgent problem.

After dinner, Ming Xi lay on the sofa scrolling through her phone. Xia Jinzhao’s Weibo was clean and consistent, only reposting the entertainment company’s official accounts and promoting new films. She rarely posted about her daily life, not even a nine-picture grid photo.

She also didn’t seem like the type to share her life.

Just as Ming Xi was about to search for news about Song Yu, a call suddenly came in.

The moment the contact name popped up, she immediately sat upright and said fawningly, “Why did you suddenly think of calling me?”

The woman’s voice came through the speaker, carrying a hint of the low, husky quality of desire, making Ming Xi blush.

“Dinner at the old residence. Send the address.”

“You’re coming to pick me up?”

The response was a long silence. The other party clearly didn’t want to waste words on her. Ming Xi, keenly aware of this, obediently reported the address, and the call was abruptly ended.

What’s with the aloofness? = =

A few minutes later, the familiar black sedan stopped downstairs. Ming Xi opened the selfie mode on her phone, reconfirmed that her attire was fine, and walked to the passenger door, carrying the gift box.

Xia Jinzhao was wearing a gray batwing sleeve knit sweater. Her slender and beautiful hands rested on the steering wheel, radiating a blend of laziness and noble temperament. Her dressing style was quite monotonous; aside from work requirements, she typically stuck to the standard black, white, and gray of a dominant CEO.

This was Ming Xi’s first time riding in her car, and she felt somewhat awkward, especially in the subtle position of the passenger seat.

She couldn’t possibly sit in the back and treat the novel’s female lead like a chauffeur.

She cleared her throat, deciding to greet her: “Hi.”

Xia Jinzhao ignored her, glancing in the rear-view mirror to turn the car around. She didn’t even look at the person beside her, practically having the words “I’m not interested in you” carved onto her face.

So, the atmosphere in the car became awkward. Ming Xi clutched the hem of her clothes on her lap, sitting stiffly like a thoughtless wooden post, staring ahead with a blank expression.

Help! Speak quickly, say something! This is a great chance to boost her favorability!

Just as she was brainstorming, Xia Jinzhao was the first to break the silence, her tone indifferent.

“How does it look?”

Ming Xi: !

Is she actually talking to me on her own initiative?!

Her back tensed. She quickly glanced at Xia Jinzhao from the corner of her eye, assuming the question referred to her clothes.

She had to admit, Xia Jinzhao was the epitome of “looks that can conquer nations.” Her deep-set eyes accentuated her sculpted features, especially those quiet, profound eyes, which seemed to possess a magic that could easily make anyone who met her gaze fall captive.

Ming Xi withdrew her gaze, fidgeting and staring at her helpless fingers, blushing as she said, “Mhm, it looks very good.”

The other party didn’t speak, seeming to be considering something. After a few seconds of pause, she spoke again.

“I have an advertisement shoot in a few days. I need to leave City S.”

“Ah… Where are you going? The temperature has dropped these days, so you should pay attention to your health and don’t suddenly wear fewer clothes.”

As the words fell, Ming Xi secretly gave herself a pat on the back.

Yes! I am so thoughtful! Wouldn’t this female lead’s attitude towards me change 360 degrees?

Of course, a 360-degree turn would just bring it back to the beginning.

“Call me if anything happens.”

“Mhm, leave Grandma to me, and you can go without worry!”

Ming Xi: I truly am a thoughtful, family-oriented good wife TvT.

Hearing this, Xia Jinzhao cast her a dubious look.

Then, she brushed aside the stray hair by her temple, tapped her Bluetooth earphone, and ended the call with the person on the other end.