The Scumbag Alpha is Courting Death Again - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Mango Sago – Undercurrents During Dinner with a Love Rival…

As dinner time approached, many college students left the bubble tea shop, giving the crowded corner a moment to breathe. Ming Xi sat on the long bench, sipping her brown sugar boba tea, chewing, chewing, chewing.

“No need, this is your quality time together. What would I interfere for…”

She quickly waved her hand, politely refusing Song Yu’s offer.

Are you kidding me? She was the ultimate CP fan of the original book! If she, a big, shining lightbulb, went along, how could Xia Jinzhao and Song Yu develop their relationship?

Clearly, her words couldn’t convince the other person. The latter crossed her hands, murmuring the previous words again.

“Quality time together?”

With that, the corner of Song Yu’s lips curved into a subtle arc. In this way, the “bling-bling” effect around her, like falling leaves, made her smile even brighter and more dazzling.

Ming Xi: …

She shifted her gaze uncomfortably. Recalling that, in the other person’s eyes, she was Xia Jinzhao’s legitimate wife, she chose a different approach.

“Um, you probably have business to discuss, right? It wouldn’t be good for me to just freeload.”

“Jinzhao and I are friends. Our conversation won’t be serious or boring,” the woman winked, suddenly leaning closer. Her moist eyes reflected Ming Xi’s flustered face. “Besides—”

She drew out the word: “You’re Jinzhao’s wife. With you present, at least I don’t have to worry about misunderstandings.”

Listen to that! What an upright and honorable thing to say! Since that was the case, what reason did she have to refuse?

It was dinner time, and the fifth floor of the shopping complex was packed. The lowered night sky revealed the winding lights along the riverbanks. Ming Xi followed Song Yu and entered a private room.

It really did seem like just a gathering of friends; they didn’t even bother with pretense, choosing a quiet and elegant Western restaurant instead of a showy hotel. Colorful oil paintings hung on the walls, the transition of blue and green resembling a whirlpool of mint mambo.

This is a dating hotspot!

Before Ming Xi could fully take in the surroundings, Song Yu had already greeted the person inside: “Jinzhao, you arrived quite early.”

The intimate address rolled out with the gentle voice. Even stranger, the “leaves” next to her seemed to be drawn to Xia Jinzhao, clustering around her, creating an atmosphere that disallowed a third party.

Ming Xi: … Seriously? The female leads get a boost buff when they meet?

Truly the author’s beloved daughter.

In contrast, the most expensive item in her wardrobe was the shirt Xia Jinzhao had casually bought for her last time. She didn’t dress formally for work, and standing there, she looked so shabby that she seemed to be from a different world.

The square table was by the floor-to-ceiling window, allowing a view of S City’s nightscape. At this moment, Xia Jinzhao was browsing the menu. Hearing the movement of the newcomers, she looked up.

Then, she made eye contact with the little tail behind Song Yu.

Ming Xi forced a smile, poking out half her head and awkwardly saying, “Hi, what a coincidence.”

The answer was an eerie silence.

Ahhh, I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to come to dinner! What is with this subtle gunpowder smell in the air!

If looks could kill, Xia Jinzhao would have already cut her into a thousand pieces.

The woman slightly furrowed her brow but quickly concealed her displeasure, looking towards the other person in the room for an explanation.

Song Yu, enjoying the spectacle, even turned sideways and pushed Ming Xi forward slightly: “We ran into each other at the mall. I didn’t expect Miss Ming to be in the South District either.”

“Mm.” Xia Jinzhao looked enlightened. Fortunately, she didn’t issue an eviction notice on the spot, instead signaling for the two to sit down.

This nonchalant demeanor made Ming Xi even more flustered.

You definitely think I followed you here, right? You must!

By now, reading expressions had been ingrained in her. Based on her understanding of Xia Jinzhao, the other party was undoubtedly concocting a whole drama in her mind about Ming Xi being caught tailing her and thus having to bite the bullet and join the dinner.

The wait for the food was undoubtedly agonizing for Ming Xi; she felt like she was being roasted over a fire. Especially since the two female leads were sitting across from each other, leaving the superfluous Ming Xi next to Song Yu’s left hand.

Fortunately, the restaurant was efficient.

The steaks sizzled on both sides, the black pepper sauce coating the pasta, making her mouth water. Xia Jinzhao rolled up her cuffs, revealing her warm white forearm, and ate with refined manners.

Song Yu on the other side did the same. The ink-blue night outside the window cast a mysterious and elusive glow on her. The two had similar yet distinct auras, subtly holding their own against each other.

Thankfully, the fidgety Ming Xi in the middle provided a neutralizing factor.

After a few minutes, Song Yu put down her fork first and spoke: “Jinzhao, how did the commercial shoot outside the city go these past few days?”

“The photographer introduced by Miss Song is certainly professional, and the work went very smoothly,” Xia Jinzhao answered formally.

Oh, right, no wonder she hadn’t heard any news about her; she wasn’t in S City. Speaking of which, Ming Xi remembered Xia Jinzhao mentioning it briefly in the car during their last visit to the mansion.

The unpleasant memory made her blush.

“That person was introduced by a friend of mine. I can send you their contact information.”

Song Yu was about to open her contacts when the crisp sound of silver utensils clashing came from across the table. Xia Jinzhao wiped her mouth, declining the offer.

“That’s too much trouble. Maybe next time.”

“You’re always so polite with me,” Song Yu’s tone held a hint of bitterness. “I apologize for the trouble I caused you last time.”

Ming Xi, who was focused on eating, immediately perked up her ears. Her intuition told her a huge, shocking piece of gossip was coming!

“I intended to take you home, but then those paparazzi followed us and wrote nonsense. Luckily, you didn’t get rained on in the end.”

Mentioning the trouble she had caused last month, Song Yu lowered her long eyelashes, concealing a look of guilt.

Sure enough, Xia Jinzhao’s expression softened, and she slowly said, “But I heard you caught a cold.”

The two spoke in riddles, but thankfully Ming Xi had read the original book and instantly decoded the event they were referring to.

Xia Jinzhao was stranded at the company on a rainy night, and her assistant was stuck in traffic and couldn’t get there. Song Yu happened to have a dinner engagement nearby and gave her a ride home. As a result, Song Yu got drenched, caught a fever, and was bedridden for several days, unable to go to the company.

This was a critical turning point for their relationship to deepen. It was precisely this incident that triggered the original owner’s sense of crisis. Her marriage with Xia Jinzhao was already strained, and now that such an excellent woman as Song Yu was around her, it was entirely possible for feelings to develop over time, leading the original owner to plot the drugging.

Seeing Xia Jinzhao’s attitude soften, Song Yu looked helpless, her tone a little spoiled: “It’s good that you’re okay.”

Their eyes met. The cool special effect around Song Yu was driven by emotion, very tactfully lighting up with twinkling stars. And the outsider, Ming Xi, was even more excited, a small volcano about to erupt in her heart.

“Finally, my fan moment! I’m shipping them, I’m shipping them,呜呜呜…” She pulled out a napkin, smiling a knowing, satisfied auntie smile.

Song Yu was closest to her and, hearing Ming Xi muttering, asked confusedly, “Miss Ming, what did you say?”

Afraid of her little thoughts being discovered, Ming Xi quickly clutched her elbow, her face contorted in pain.

“I bumped my hand! It hurts so much!”

Just as she finished speaking, the woman behind her softly called out: “Xi Xi, come here.”

She turned around and met Xia Jinzhao’s eyes, which were filled with an unsettling tenderness.

Ming Xi: …

Why are you indulging in this drama queen act now? Communicating with Song Yu about your relationship is the priority!

She felt exasperated but, due to Song Yu’s presence, couldn’t say it directly, so she obediently moved over.

Her wrist was grasped, the force just enough to be bearable but not easily broken free. Xia Jinzhao carefully touched Ming Xi’s elbow: “Does it still hurt?”

It was all an act, and Ming Xi desperately didn’t want to interrupt their private time, almost thumping her chest to guarantee: “It doesn’t hurt anymore! Small issue!”

She needed to find a way to escape so the two could have time alone.

A subtle sweetness was interwoven with a sharp, penetrating mint scent, swirling as Xia Jinzhao leaned in. She stroked Ming Xi’s hair like petting a kitten and complained.

“Still mad? You came over but didn’t sit next to me.”

Her voice was low, just loud enough for the two people in the room to hear. The tone was like a lover’s complaint. If Ming Xi wasn’t the person involved, she would have been fooled.

The gaze on her head was intense. She guessed Xia Jinzhao’s intention in 0.01 seconds. The other person probably couldn’t handle Song Yu’s enthusiasm and was using her as a shield to create the illusion of a couple bickering, making it seem like their relationship was strained.

Am I a tool now?

Ming Xi regretted agreeing to have dinner with Song Yu again and decided to bolt. She picked up the cross-body bag from the back of her chair and, facing the two simultaneous gazes, forced herself to say, “Um, I need to go to the restroom first. You two take your time talking.”

Seeing Xia Jinzhao about to speak, she quickly pressed the other’s hand, emphasizing repeatedly.

“Please don’t let me interrupt your pleasant conversation.”

With that, she immediately slipped away, thoughtfully closing the private room door as she left.

In an instant, the heated atmosphere cooled down. The ceiling light cast a warm yellow glow, making the white porcelain glaze look retro. With only the two of them left, Xia Jinzhao also seemed to lose interest, or perhaps was eager to escape the undercurrents, and briefly spoke a few words as a farewell.

The chair scraped against the floor, making a harsh sound. Seeing that she was about to leave, Song Yu stood up as well.

“This dinner was quite short today.” She curved her eyes, meticulously wiping the space between her fingers with a napkin.

Xia Jinzhao was always aloof, only occasionally showing a slight smile to fans for business purposes. After repeatedly inviting her to dinner, and seeing that the photographer had a connection, the other party finally agreed.

Song Yu was a smart person. She knew that aggressive pursuit wouldn’t work on someone with a cold personality, so she chose a method with moderation. Even if rejected, she could claim she didn’t have that kind of intention.

“I recently accepted a new role and need to go back to memorize the script.” Xia Jinzhao pushed open the door. A refreshing breeze blew in from the wide-open window at the end of the hall.

Her shoulder was lightly nudged, and then a business card was slipped into her pocket. She looked up and met Song Yu’s gaze. Seeing the latter nonchalantly leave the private room, she didn’t ask further and headed downstairs in the opposite direction.

The underground parking lot was brightly lit, especially on the weekend. Cars were tightly packed, making it almost impossible to find a space. Xia Jinzhao put on her mask and sunglasses and drove out of the mall, turning the steering wheel. As she shifted her body, the thin fabric, along with the card, pressed against her waist.

She suddenly felt a bit curious. Aided by the dim streetlights, she pulled out the business card.

The simple design lacked any artistic flair, consisting purely of information arrangement, with the font being the standard Song typeface.

Changguan Studio—Ming Xi.

Her thoughts inexplicably returned to last weekend, where Ming Xi did confess at the dinner table that she had recently joined a shell studio.

Xia Jinzhao lowered her eyes, then pinched the business card between her fingers and casually tossed it onto the passenger seat.