The Scumbag Alpha Movie Queen Pampers Her Wife - Chapter 40

Lu Panwei’s arrival remained a ticking time bomb. Though she wouldn’t bring it up herself, Gu Yiqiong’s naturally suspicious nature would inevitably uncover the truth.

Gu Muchu’s worries were justified. Given Gu Yiqiong’s domineering personality, discovering Ji Yuran’s existence would undoubtedly trigger a cascade of troubles. Maintaining constant vigilance while simultaneously maneuvering against Gu Yiqiong’s influence behind the scenes would inevitably stretch Gu Muchu thin.

Yet no secret remains buried forever. Whispers eventually reached Gu Corporation’s ears. Strangely, after weeks of escalating rumors, the tide began to turn. Whether someone had suppressed the rumors or Lu Panwei had whispered something in Gu Yiqiong’s ear, the shift was undeniable.

The next day, Gu Muchu received a friend request.

The two were comfortably nestled on the sofa watching a movie when the phone on the coffee table began to vibrate. Gu Muchu reached over, tapped the screen, and saw the friend request with a line of text below:

Added through Lu Panwei’s recommendation.

No explanation was needed to know it was Gu Yiqiong.

Seeing Gu Muchu’s inscrutable expression, Ji Yuran glanced at the phone and hesitantly asked, “Is it… family?”

Gu Muchu nodded and, almost unconsciously, tapped “Accept.” A message popped up:

G: Gu Corporation’s annual gala is on Saturday at 7 PM.

G: Bring your date.

The Original Self hadn’t contacted her in a long time, with most messages relayed through Lu Panwei. Gu Muchu had expected their first reconnection to be fraught with tension, but this reaction was unnervingly calm.

Date? Does she mean Ji Yuran?

Gu Muchu’s finger hovered in the air. She turned to see the Omega sheepishly withdrawing her hand from the bag of potato chips.

A muffled chuckle escaped Gu Muchu. Ji Yuran’s face flushed crimson as she tightened the blanket around herself, muttering, “What’s so funny…”

Her wet, puppy-like eyes gazed up at Gu Muchu, melting her heart.

Gu Muchu leaned closer, gently pulling back a corner of the blanket to reveal half of Ji Yuran’s face. She whispered, “Gu Corporation’s annual gala is this Saturday. Want to go with me?”

“Gu Corporation’s gala? What would I do there?” Ji Yuran tilted her head, clearly puzzled.

This was another thing Gu Muchu couldn’t understand. Gu Yiqiong’s unusual restraint suggested the annual meeting might be a trap. Though Gu Muchu was reluctant to bring Ji Yuran into the public eye, hiding forever wasn’t a solution either.

“What are you looking at?” the Omega leaned closer, as if studying the long lashes framing Gu Muchu’s profile.

The warmth of her breath brushed against Gu Muchu’s ear, and she replied, “If you don’t want to go, stay home.”

But some people are born with a rebellious streak. Ji Yuran pouted, hugging the blanket around her and grumbling, “I do want to go! The more you tell me not to, the more I want to.”

“Ranran, are you a child?” Gu Muchu chuckled. “You love to argue with me.”

In her mind, only rebellious teenagers acted this way. She didn’t feel offended by Ji Yuran’s defiance; she actually found it quite amusing.

“No,” Ji Yuran answered obediently.

She crinkled the potato chip bag in her hand before slowly pulling out a chip and placing it at the corner of her mouth.

“Eat less of that junk food,” Gu Muchu glanced at the bag—a common brand sold in supermarkets.

Her fondness for snacks and cartoons—these distinctive personal quirks—made her seem like a two-dimensional character stepping through the dimensional barrier, becoming a living, breathing person standing right beside Gu Muchu.

Gu Muchu realized that she might be gradually blurring the lines between her original world and the world within the book.

The crunching sounds grew louder as Ji Yuran ate with renewed vigor.

“Mind your own business,” Ji Yuran said, shifting uncomfortably to break the accidental contact between their shoulders.

Gu Muchu propped her elbow on the edge of the sofa, tilting her head to stare at the seasoning smudged on Ji Yuran’s lips. “Fine, I won’t.”

Liar, she thought, but she couldn’t let Ji Yuran be the only one acting contrary to her words.

She sincerely picked up the tablet propped against the glass coffee table, turned off the screen, and presented the blank display to Ji Yuran with a gesture of invitation.

“What’s this supposed to mean?” Ji Yuran asked, confused, but she leaned in to look at the screen anyway.

The dark screen smoothed out the shadows of the Omega’s deep, sculpted features, paradoxically diminishing her radiance. Her peach blossom eyes widened slightly, revealing an unreadable emotion.

Noticing Ji Yuran’s slow reaction, Gu Muchu reluctantly pointed to the corner of her own mouth. Ji Yuran raised her hand to feel around, finally realizing the unevenness beneath her fingertips. A blush slowly crept up her cheeks as she wished she could disappear into the floor.

She grabbed a tissue and wiped her mouth, feigning indifference. “Laugh if you want. I don’t care.”

“If you don’t care, then my laughter means nothing,” Gu Muchu said, closing her tablet case and setting it casually on the edge of the coffee table.

“So you find it amusing to see me embarrassed?” Ji Yuran asked, still sulking after confirming she’d wiped her mouth clean.

“So many meanings,” Gu Muchu replied, her voice trailing off with a hint of amusement.

The two women, once consumed by passionate love, were now retreating from the tide, revealing the bareness beneath the receding waves.

Clad in ordinariness and weariness, they gradually opened their hearts.

“I’m ignoring you,” the Omega retorted, unable to win the argument.

A silence fell between them. Neither looked up at the chaotic advertisements flickering on the wall-mounted TV, their reflections dancing across their profiles. Soft, rhythmic breathing filled the air.

Gu Muchu knew Ji Yuran had many hidden thoughts, and she found herself inexplicably speculating about them.

For instance, right now, Ji Yuran might be thinking about something completely unrelated, or perhaps replaying recent interactions to analyze where she had lost face in front of Gu Muchu. Or maybe she was rehearsing what she wanted to say next.

She certainly wasn’t focused on how the drama on TV would unfold.

Gu Muchu couldn’t explain her certainty, as if she knew Ji Yuran was preoccupied with her. A hazy fog swirled in her mind, temporarily clouding her intuition and preventing her from processing her emotions.

Rather than racking her brain for answers, she decided to shift her attention to Ji Yuran.

“You’ve gotten so bold lately,” Gu Muchu remarked as the TV screen flickered back to life. She sensed a burning gaze in her peripheral vision and turned her head slightly.

Ji Yuran, sensing Gu Muchu’s reluctance to engage, nervously tugged at the fuzz on her sweater sleeve. But just then, Gu Muchu leaned down, cupped Ji Yuran’s cheeks, and began playfully squeezing them, like she was petting a chubby-cheeked kitten.

After confirming that Gu Muchu’s words carried no reproach, the Omega carefully chose her words. “Do you think I’m spoiled?”

Only when nurtured by genuine kindness can one reveal their true self, free from the constant fear of treading on thin ice.

The soft flesh pressed against Gu Muchu’s palm, radiating warmth. Seeing Ji Yuran’s face flush under her gaze, Gu Muchu’s heart suddenly sank.

Noticing her prolonged silence, the Omega’s eyes dimmed, and she lowered her lashes, answering earnestly, “Or perhaps… a lack of refinement?”

“Not presentable enough…”

After all, in many people’s minds, spoiled behavior rarely earns respect. Remembering Gu Muchu’s earlier reluctance to bring her to the Gu Corporation’s annual gala, Ji Yuran’s mind began to race with anxious thoughts.

She knew Gu Yiqiong was part of the reason, but who wouldn’t want to be with…

She dared not complete the thought, instead lifting her long lashes to steal a glance at Gu Muchu.

The affection she harbored remained unspoken, especially when the other woman was so dazzlingly accomplished. Standing beside her, Ji Yuran always felt inadequate.

The former Ji Yuran had possessed a proud, unyielding spirit, but now she found herself uncontrollably succumbing to self-doubt.

The Omega’s reaction was too obvious, and the harsh phrase “not presentable enough” stung Gu Muchu. Her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. “Why would you think that?”

She placed her palm on Ji Yuran’s head, gently comforting her, “You’ll always be able to.”

The words carried a hint of ambiguity, and Ji Yuran’s body stiffened.

“Really?” Her voice held a barely perceptible joy, and her peach blossom eyes sparkled with a faint light.

“Mm.” Seeing Ji Yuran’s reaction, Gu Muchu raised her hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. But her hand froze mid-air, merely brushing aside a curl on her forehead, creating a light breeze.

A sudden unease washed over her. The distance between them felt more pronounced than ever, and she finally understood the fundamental differences between herself and Ji Yuran, as well as the awkwardness that had been lingering in her heart for days.

Memories of their past interactions swirled like snowflakes, silently accumulating in her heart, forming a cold, icy snow.

She couldn’t take advantage of Ji Yuran’s trust to do as she pleased.

Noticing Gu Muchu’s stiff movements, the Omega blinked, her gaze falling on Gu Muchu’s slender, well-defined fingers. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…” Gu Muchu’s voice trailed off. Suddenly, a warmth spread across her palm. She looked down and her eyes widened in shock.

Ji Yuran shifted her cheek slightly, then slowly pressed it against Gu Muchu’s. Despite initiating the contact, Gu Muchu still felt a tremor beneath her skin, like a cat with its throat constricted, wearing a pitiful expression.

The Omega’s ear, hidden beneath her curved black hair, flushed crimson. She didn’t dare look up, quickly pulling away with a nervous hum. “You’re not allowed to touch me anymore,” she mumbled.

Even though she had initiated the contact, she now acted as if Gu Muchu had forced herself on her.

Gu Muchu couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile. She deliberately grazed Ji Yuran’s earlobe with her thumb, teasingly. The Omega, unwilling to acknowledge her reaction, tilted her head and scratched her shoulder twice before wrapping herself even tighter in the blanket.

“Spoiled,” Gu Muchu muttered, unable to resist the word. Realizing Ji Yuran’s sensitivity, she quickly added, “But it’s my fault. I’ve spoiled you myself.”

This was her response to Ji Yuran’s earlier remark.

“I’m not spoiled!” Ji Yuran shot up, vehemently protesting.

“Looks like it’s still my fault then.” Gu Muchu straightened up, inhaling the lingering pheromones. She tossed the empty snack bag into the trash can.

She secretly wished Ji Yuran would rely on her more.

“What’s right or wrong? I do try to understand you sometimes…” The Omega, curled up under the blanket, shrank further into herself, her toes curling tightly against the sofa’s edge where Gu Muchu couldn’t see.

“Just sometimes?” Gu Muchu always loved to nitpick over these minor details.

As expected, Ji Yuran’s temper flared at the criticism, her voice sharp with irritation: “Often! Is that good enough for you?”

It sounded like a reluctant concession.

Satisfied with the response, Gu Muchu nodded solemnly. After building up to it for so long, she finally revealed her true purpose, speaking slowly and deliberately.

“Then could you humor me and come to the company’s year-end gala with me on Saturday?”

Ji Yuran was about to refuse when Gu Muchu preemptively brightened her phone screen and tapped on her chat with Gu Yiqiong. A reply had appeared: “Okay.”

“I already promised someone, and you know how Gu Yiqiong is,” Gu Muchu said, feigning melancholy. “Ranran, please help me out.”

Playing the victim was a tried-and-true tactic. Ji Yuran’s resolve visibly wavered, the words stuck in her throat, neither coming nor going.

After an indeterminate amount of silent confrontation, she sighed in resignation, grabbed a corner of the blanket—like a child reluctantly sharing a cherished toy—and pressed it into Gu Muchu’s palm.

“You’re impossible! But this is the last time, okay?”