The Scumbag Alpha is Courting Death Again - Chapter 52

Chapter 52: Taro Ball Milk Tea: The Consequences of Going Home Drunk Behind Your Wife’s Back…

The bathroom lights were bright. Ming Xi pulled the shower curtain, lying in the bathtub and pondering life. Recalling Xia Jinzhao’s refusal to divorce, she suddenly couldn’t guess what the other person was thinking.

Is she planning to trap me and torture me to death?

The steaming water fogged up the mirror. The confined room made her dizzy with heat. She leaned against the bathtub wall to cool down, counting the stupid things she had done in the past on her fingers. She mistakenly entered the police station, forcing someone to make an extra trip to claim her; she trespassed into a room and beat up a male actor, causing a trending topic; she blew up the kitchen of the villa they had lived in for years… More importantly, she was also burdened with the original body’s grave sins.

Piece by piece, the thought was terrifying. If she were Xia Jinzhao, she would definitely have to bring herself to justice.

A sudden phone ring startled Ming Xi, making her nearly slide into the bathtub. She reached out with a wet arm, picked it up, and answered.

“Xi Xi, are you busy right now?” The environment on the other end was noisy, and Wen Can’s voice was unclear, muffled by the dynamic melody.

“No, I’m not busy. What’s up?” Ming Xi turned on the speakerphone.

A call from a colleague at this hour usually meant trouble. Although she was tired from a busy day and might have to work overtime, she was on good terms with Wen Can and would try to help if possible. Fortunately, what the other party said next had nothing to do with work: “Sister Lu and I are at the bar. Do you want to come hang out?”

“I just finished showering. I’m too lazy to go out.” Ming Xi stood up, stirring up a rush of water.

“Come on, come on! Everyone is happy today. Sister Lu said she’ll raise our base salary if you come.” Wen Can softened her tone to coax her.

Ming Xi held the phone with her face, put on her clothes, and walked out of the bathroom. The living room was quiet. Sparse moonlight filtered through the window frame, sprinkling a layer of broken silver on the floor. Xia Jinzhao seemed to be asleep, as no light shone through the bedroom crack.

The thought of lying in the same bed with her later made the skin that hadn’t been dried yet immediately goose-pimple. Whenever she was alone with Xia Jinzhao, she would feel inexplicably nervous. Afraid of saying the wrong thing, afraid of having no topic to talk about, Ming Xi could never treat the other person as an equal friend.

“Xi Xi, going to bed so early isn’t the typical schedule for young people, right? Besides, the live stream tomorrow is moved to the afternoon, so you don’t have to worry about staying up all night.” Wen Can on the other end used all her techniques, thinking of how to trick her into coming over.

Ming Xi took a long look at the tightly closed bedroom door and grabbed the jacket from the hanger. Since there was no place for her to sleep anyway, she might as well go out and relax.

“Address.”

S City was by the sea. The wind carried a damp, chilly cold. Before midnight, the street corners were brightly lit, and the entertainment venues were bustling.

After showing her ID, Wen Can waved at her at the entrance. The moment they met, she gave her a bear hug: “My little ancestor, I finally waited for you!”

“You’re waiting for the rising salary slip, not me,” Ming Xi pressed against her shoulder, reluctantly pulling the distance between them.

Wen Can grinned and led her inside: “Sister Lu ordered wine and a fruit platter. We’re just waiting for you to open it.”

This wasn’t a quiet bar. The deafening music made her temples throb. Colorful lights flashed, illuminating the excited young people on the dance floor.

Ming Xi was led to a sofa in the corner. Sister Lu was drinking a glass of strong liquor. Her long, straight black hair was pinned up with a claw clip. Even in such a passionate setting, she couldn’t shake off her laid-back vibe, raising her glass to the two who had arrived. The woman preferred dark red cat-eye nail polish. Her nails had grown out repeatedly, the style remained the same, and the perfume she wore was still the common rose scent.

Seeing Lu Litong looking listless, Ming Xi leaned close to Wen Can’s ear and asked: “How much did she drink? She looks like she’s about to pass out.”

“She’s happy, you know,” the young girl said cheerfully, opening a bottle of wine.

“She doesn’t look like someone who’s overwhelmed by money.” Ming Xi took a sip of the drink in front of her. The spicy taste stimulated her taste buds, and the strong after-effect made her frown.

“Then I’m happy. Is that better?”

Ming Xi wasn’t fond of drinking, but she liked the feeling of being slightly tipsy, like treading on a drifting cloud, forgetting all worries and troubles. However, due to the environment, she occasionally lost control and easily got drunk if she drank too much.

After a few rounds of drinks, the lights were hazy. She leaned her head back on the sofa, her stomach burning with pain. Wen Can chattered excitedly beside her, planning where to go on vacation with this month’s earnings.

Since she had a place to crash tonight, Ming Xi felt relieved. She sat up and said to the other two: “I feel sick. I’m going to the restroom.”

“Should I go buy some medicine?” Wen Can looked at her worriedly but was waved off. She gave a couple more instructions, then continued playing dice with Lu Litong.

Following the sign into the restroom, the music was blocked outside. Her rapidly beating heart slowed down. Ming Xi leaned both hands on the edge of the sink, staring at her flushed cheeks in the mirror, and chuckled foolishly.

She suddenly remembered when she first came to this world. She was still unaccustomed to it and always felt homeless. Who would have thought that in just a few short months, her life would be so well-managed?

After vomiting everything in her stomach, Ming Xi rinsed her mouth. Just as she was about to return to the table, an unfriendly greeting suddenly came from behind.

“Well, well, isn’t this Sister Ming?”

The washbasin in the restroom was a communal area. It was normal to encounter men here. Hearing the familiar address, Ming Xi sobered up halfway and turned to look back.

“You are…” She took a deep breath, recalling carefully, “Dog thing?”

Gou Dongxi (a homophone for “dog thing” in Chinese), one of the original body’s hangers-on, who used to thrive under the original body’s influence. Since Ming Xi transmigrated, the clique’s relationship completely soured. Due to the Xia family’s name, none of them dared to cause trouble at her door. The last time she saw them was at the police station.

Hearing Ming Xi’s words, the man was enraged and mocked: “You’re successful now, still coming to a small place to hang out. You must have suffered a lot at the Xia family, huh?”

“Yeah, the rich lady ignores me. I’m alone in a big villa, squandering an unlimited credit card. I’ve indeed suffered a lot of ‘hardship.'” Ming Xi retorted sarcastically, intentionally emphasizing the last two words.

“You—” Gou Dongxi clenched his fist. Fearing that he would anger her, he could only glare angrily.

“What ‘you’! Do you believe I’ll ask Xia Jinzhao to find someone to beat you up?” Ming Xi was rare to be a paper tiger, her words much tougher.

Entangling with a minion was a waste of time. Sending him away in a few words was better than the various troubles that might arise later.

“My friends are still drinking outside. You wait for me.” Sure enough, Gou Dongxi was intimidated by her words. He pointed at Ming Xi and retreated to the doorway. He was still bitter about going to the police station last time and had been looking for a way to retaliate. Seeing Ming Xi alone, he naturally wouldn’t let go. Even if he couldn’t seriously injure her, a little lesson to vent his anger would be good.

This kind of counterproductive thinking subsided when he bumped into the woman entering. The person was permeated with a faint smell of tobacco, wearing a gentle and sophisticated smile that was completely out of place in this noisy venue. Her gaze scanned between the two, and she put out the cigarette butt between her fingers.

“Causing trouble in a bar? The police station is right next door. You’ve got guts.” Her low-heeled patent leather shoes stopped beside Ming Xi, seemingly backing her up.

Reminded of the police station, the man’s face twisted, grinding his teeth in hatred.

Song Yu looked at him deeply: “Put away your thoughts and mind your mouth. If you spread rumors everywhere, forget the Xia family, as Miss Ming’s friend, I won’t let you off either.”

Seeing the woman’s impressive demeanor, Gou Dongxi glared fiercely at Ming Xi, leaving the restroom reluctantly.

Looking at his retreating back, a knowing smile appeared on Song Yu’s lips. She raised her hand to steady the staggering Ming Xi, asking with concern: “How dare you drink so much alone? Aren’t you afraid of being abducted by bad people?”

Leaning on her for support, Ming Xi regained her balance: “I could have handled him without you just now.”

“Bars are a mixed bag. Come here less often.”

“You said it’s a mixed bag. Aren’t you here too?” Ming Xi was unconvinced. Now, every time she saw Song Yu, she would think of Xia Jinzhao. Many words were stuck in her chest. She wanted to ask about the emotional progress between her and Xia Jinzhao, but they all got stuck in her throat, turning into a mouthful of bitterness.

“Why can’t I be here?” Song Yu found it amusing. “According to your impression, shouldn’t I be relaxing in a luxury suite?”

“Otherwise?” Ming Xi countered.

“I’ve also lived a hard life. Don’t think of me as so noble.”

“So, you’re here tonight because…”

“I’m in a bad mood,” Song Yu answered directly. “What about you? Why aren’t you home with Jinzhao?”

“Why would she need me…” Ming Xi mumbled. “We have a generation gap.”

Hearing this, Song Yu couldn’t help but laugh: “Jinzhao is just conscious of boundaries. She’s not entirely clueless about romance.”

Ming Xi held up three fingers: “A generation gap every three years. In my eyes, you are both my older sisters.”

Something in her words seemed to touch Song Yu. She lowered her eyelids and, on an impulse, raised her hand to brush aside the long hair draped over Ming Xi’s shoulder: “Then, do you think I have a generation gap with you?”

Her finger stroked Ming Xi’s right earlobe, gently rubbing it. This was a slightly ambiguous gesture. If Ming Xi were sober, she would have naturally backed away to avoid suspicion. But at this moment, she was intoxicated. She tilted her head, thought for a while, and shook her head: “You are more approachable than Xia Jinzhao.”

Song Yu recovered, sighed, and retracted her hand: “If my business partners heard that, they would think I’m a soft touch.”

“How can work and life be compared? I’m a two-faced person too,” Ming Xi pointed at her nose, feeling like she was seeing double.

Seeing her obvious intoxication, Song Yu suggested: “Shall I send you back?”

“No, no, my friends are outside.” Ming Xi let out an ungraceful burp.

She walked out of the restroom with Song Yu, bypassing the dancing crowd. The patches of light on the floor were colorful and dazzling, and the volume of the music made her eardrums ache. Spotting a familiar figure, Ming Xi shouted toward the sofa in the corner.

“Hi, friends! I’m here!”

Fortunately, the surroundings were noisy enough that her action didn’t seem too bizarre. Wen Can’s facial expression was twisted with disgust, while Lu Litong was clearly very drunk, lying beside her like mud. She usually had a laid-back attitude, but rarely showed such a wistful expression as she did now.

Hearing the commotion, she struggled to sit up and immediately saw Song Yu standing next to Ming Xi. Their eyes met, then quickly darted away.

After dropping her off, Song Yu found an excuse to leave. As soon as Ming Xi sat down, Wen Can immediately rushed over excitedly.

“Wait, was that Song Yu just now? Was it, was it? Am I seeing things?” Xia Jinzhao, as a popular actress, naturally had fewer rumors than celebrity idols. However, many people shipped her and Song Yu. The love-hate drama between the cold beauty and the dominant CEO was a popular topic. Wen Can, as a frequent internet surfer, naturally couldn’t be immune to it.

“Yeah,” Ming Xi answered weakly. Her stomach felt sour after vomiting. She grabbed some melon seeds and started cracking them.

“How do you know her?” Lu Litong covered her throbbing head, interested in the topic.

“We crossed paths before.”

“Maybe they were friends before she became famous,” Wen Can nudged Ming Xi’s shoulder, gossiping. “By the way, are she and Xia Jinzhao really involved?”

Ming Xi was vague. Lu Litong sighed and shook her head: “Business people value profit the most. They’ve long lost their true selves in the pursuit of fame and fortune. Don’t be so foolish as to believe in a friendship in times of trouble.”

“Sister Lu is very experienced in this. I’ve learned a lot!” Wen Can patted her chest.

“And Xiao Ming, you too. Don’t associate with her too much. You don’t want to be sold out one day and still be counting the money for her.”

Lu Litong was the typical person who loved to lecture when drunk. She rambled on and on. Ming Xi nodded perfunctorily, focusing on eating the fruit platter. When her sluggish body regained some strength, drowsiness hit her. She looked at the time and stood up.

The alcohol hadn’t worn off, and Ming Xi was slurring her words.

“I have to, have to go home, or my wife will be worried waiting for me.”

“Can you make it on your own? Don’t get picked up by someone on the main road,” Wen Can stood up to walk her out, but was stopped.

“No need!” Ming Xi waved her hand decisively. “Don’t underestimate me!”

With that, without waiting for the other two to stop her, she stumbled toward the exit.