The Villainous Scum Alpha Was Reborn (GL) - Chapter 22

Nan Ke and Jiang Ying had always been the type to take action immediately. Especially when it came to making plans or arranging meetings, Jiang Ying had practically made it her personal skill after graduation.

But right now, the two of them looked at each other and remained still, neither making a move.

Sheng Xing, that intense and unpredictable junior from their school days, was someone neither of them liked to talk about. Now, after six years of silence, the idea of inviting her to sit down for a chat or a meal wasn’t terrifying, but it was certainly something they both wanted to avoid.

“Do we really have to go through with this?” Jiang Ying asked with hesitation in her eyes.

Nan Ke replied uncertainly, “Maybe we should think about it a little more?”

Jiang Ying didn’t say anything.

Sheng Xing had always been like glue in their memories. Once she stuck to someone, it was hard to shake her off. If there was any way to avoid a direct confrontation, they would take it. Who could say whether she had changed in the past six years? And if she hadn’t, or worse, had become more obsessive, then getting caught up with her again would be a nightmare.

Just the thought of it made it hard to breathe.

Jiang Ying stared at the long list of WeChat messages on her phone. After a moment, she asked, “Should I just change my number?”

“I thought you said you weren’t scared anymore,” Nan Ke replied, her expression a mix of annoyance and pity.

Jiang Ying swallowed and didn’t answer directly.

Nan Ke leaned against the railing and thought for a moment, then said, “How about this? I’ll go meet her.”

Jiang Ying tilted her head and pointed to herself. “What about me?”

Nan Ke looked at their reflection in the glass and, with rare seriousness, said, “You wait in the car. For now, don’t let her see you.”

Without a word, Jiang Ying handed her phone to Nan Ke, silently agreeing to the plan.

Once they had decided what to do, Nan Ke searched for Sheng Xing’s account and added her as a friend. The request was accepted almost instantly.

Wasting no time, Nan Ke made a voice call, but to her surprise, the phone only rang once before it was declined. Before she could wonder why, Sheng Xing sent back a video call request.

Nan Ke and Jiang Ying looked at each other. Jiang Ying quietly stepped back into a corner where she would be out of the camera’s view.

The video call connected, and Sheng Xing’s doll-like face filled the screen. At first glance, she still looked sweet and innocent, but the familiar smile on her face made Nan Ke frown. It was the exact same smile she remembered from high school. Aside from slightly more mature features and a slimmer face, her eyes were still just as bright and intense.

“Oh, it’s just you? I thought you and Jiang Ying were always together. I heard even after graduation, you two didn’t get proper jobs and just stayed together running your family businesses. So where is she?” Sheng Xing smiled, her eyes playful and teasing.

Nan Ke’s eyebrows furrowed. She had never liked the way Sheng Xing talked.

“I didn’t expect you to be so hung up on her. After all these years, you still haven’t moved on? And aren’t you an Alpha now, Sheng Xing? You and Jiang Ying could never work.”

Instead of getting upset, Sheng Xing laughed. “Whether we can be together or not is not for you to decide.”

“It’s not up to you either,” Nan Ke replied coldly.

Sheng Xing blinked slowly and leaned a little closer to the screen. “So, why did you call me? I’m a direct person, and I don’t like wasting time. I remember you used to know that about me.”

Nan Ke resisted the urge to hang up. Forcing a smile, she said, “I heard you’re back in town. I wanted to meet you and talk about a few things in person.”

“Sure. I’m free anytime. You pick the place.” Sheng Xing smiled politely, though the sparkle in her eyes began to fade.

After hearing her answer, Nan Ke waved at the camera and ended the call. She then sent over the location of a restaurant.

There was something off about Sheng Xing. She still lit up when Jiang Ying’s name was mentioned, but that only made her seem even more suspicious.

If she really had never let go of her feelings, then with her obsessive personality, how had she managed to stay silent for six years?

But if she was only pretending, then what was her goal? What could she possibly gain by faking her devotion to Jiang Ying? Everyone knew Jiang Ying wanted nothing to do with her. She would never agree to marry her. And Jiang Tairan was known for spoiling his daughter. He would never force her into any kind of arranged relationship.

So there was no real chance of the two families merging their business interests. That idea was completely unrealistic.

Could Sheng Xing really be doing all this just for fun? She was not mentally ill. Or at least, not in any way that had been diagnosed.

Jiang Ying came out from the corner and showed Nan Ke her phone. She had booked a private room in a restaurant directly across the street from the one Nan Ke had chosen. “If it gets too much, you don’t have to stay.”

Nan Ke glanced at the reservation details and nodded, then headed for the elevator.

The restaurant she had picked was random. It had mediocre reviews and wasn’t very popular. Even though it was dinner time, the entrance looked deserted. It was clear the place didn’t get many customers.

But Nan Ke hadn’t come to eat. The empty restaurant would make it easier to talk privately.

Sheng Xing had gone abroad shortly after they graduated from high school. Her knowledge of G City’s dining scene was at least five years out of date. Seeing the modern decor, she simply assumed that Wei Ke had rented out the place.

Very few people outside the inner circle knew that Wei Ke had changed her name. Sheng Xing still addressed her as if she were the second daughter of the Wei family. She greeted her with, “Sister Wei Ke.”

Nan Ke waved her hand. “Don’t act close with me. We’re not on those terms.”

“We’re not?” Sheng Xing sat down with a smile. “If we’re not close, then why invite me to dinner? I may be free, but I don’t go out with just anyone.”

Nan Ke was starting to wonder if Sheng Xing’s smile was permanently fixed to her face. She smiled all the time, and it was starting to make Nan Ke uncomfortable.

“Alright. Since you’re here, drop the act. You already know why I asked to see you.”

Sheng Xing shrugged. “To be honest, I really don’t.”

“I know you’ve been bothering Jiang Ying again. Just say it. What are you trying to do?”

Nan Ke glanced out the window. A tall, slim man had just stepped out of a bright red Ferrari parked behind her green C20. She frowned. She had noticed earlier that Sheng Xing had arrived in that car.

The man was slender, with long legs. He held a lit cigarette between his fingers, the embers glowing as he inhaled.

Sheng Xing followed Nan Ke’s gaze and smiled. “I went to see her because I like her, of course. Back in high school, didn’t the whole school know I was chasing her? Then I had to leave for school overseas, and it broke my heart. Now that I’m back, I want to keep chasing her. Is there something wrong with that?”

Nan Ke turned her head slowly and looked at her without any emotion. “You know clearly that Jiang Ying will never love you.”

Sheng Xing nodded. “I know a forced relationship doesn’t taste sweet. But it still quenches thirst. With Jiang Ying, I don’t care if it’s sweet or not. I don’t even care if it satisfies me. I just want her. I want to have her, no matter what.”

She glanced at her brother, who was still smoking by the car, then smiled again. “I heard about you. You like collecting things, buying blind boxes, right? Well, Jiang Ying is like that one rare, hidden item that I’ve always wanted but never got. If it ever shows up, I’ll pay any price to get it. When it comes to her, I won’t take no for an answer.”

Nan Ke narrowed her eyes as she watched Sheng Xing speak so confidently. A disturbing thought crept into her mind. She lowered her voice and asked slowly, “So you just want to own her, no matter if there’s love or not? No matter if she wants it or not? Even if it costs her life?”

Sheng Xing was stunned for a moment. She clearly hadn’t expected that question. She thought about it seriously, then asked in return, “Why not?”

A heavy weight suddenly settled in Nan Ke’s chest. She thought, So it really was you. You were involved in Jiang Ying’s death in the previous life.

When she looked up again, her gaze held not just disgust, but also a sharp glint of hostility.

Sheng Xing, who had been smirking under her scrutiny, froze for a moment. After registering the rage in Nan Ke’s eyes, she gave a stiff smile and said with mock innocence, “Why do you look angry? Did I say something wrong? Wanting her no matter if she lives or dies is my way of admiring her. As her friend, shouldn’t you feel happy for her?”

“Try laying a finger on her. I dare you.” Nan Ke stood up, her hand clenched so tightly by her side that her clean, rounded nails dug half-moon shapes into her palm.

Sheng Xing leaned back in her chair, smiling lazily, completely unfazed. “Then I’ll try and see what happens.”

There was no longer any point in continuing the conversation. Nan Ke turned around and left with long, steady strides.

As she came down from the second floor of the restaurant, still fuming, her eyes met those of the man leaning against the front of the red car. In that instant, her pupils widened.

She had seen him before—in her past life.

Suppressing her shock, Nan Ke took a closer look at him, then opened the car door and got inside.

In the rearview mirror, the man furrowed his brows slightly, clearly annoyed by her stare. But he didn’t make a move or come after her.

He looked young, possibly even younger than her. Judging from his age and his clothes, he didn’t seem like a driver or a bodyguard. What stood out most was the red thread around his wrist—the same kind Sheng Xing wore.

More importantly, even though everyone now used suppressants in public to block the release of pheromones, some traits unique to Alphas could not be completely hidden.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, Nan Ke stared at him in the rearview mirror. Her thoughts churned nonstop. She was now nearly certain that this male Alpha was Sheng Xing’s twin brother—the same one Jiang Ying had mentioned. Sheng Su.

Strangely enough, they didn’t look much alike.

But for Nan Ke, that wasn’t the important part. What mattered was that this man had appeared in her previous life. If she remembered correctly, she had seen him twice.

The first time was after Jiang Ying’s death. She had gone to visit her grave and talk to her. As she was leaving, she passed by this man. She had noticed the red thread on his wrist and even thought it was some trendy couples’ accessory. She glanced at him again before walking away.

The second time was not long before her own death. She had gone to confront Bai Ruoya and had seen this man gently tucking Bai Ruoya’s hair behind her ear. At the time, she hadn’t seen his face clearly, but she recognized the thread on his wrist. By the time she tried to follow him, he had already walked off. All she caught was a side profile from a distance.

That explained why his silhouette had seemed so familiar earlier when he was smoking.

So this was the connection.

Before coming here, Jiang Ying had mentioned that Sheng Xing’s mother was Sheng Xinyuan, and her brother’s name was Sheng Su. So this man had to be Sheng Su.

But what was he doing with Bai Ruoya? What kind of relationship did they have?

According to Jiang Ying, both Sheng Su and Sheng Xing had only recently returned to the country. Bai Ruoya wasn’t a former classmate of theirs and shouldn’t have had any connection to them.

Yet in those few seconds Nan Ke had seen them together, Bai Ruoya had been acting shy and affectionate, laughing as if they were close.

Could it really be that kind of relationship?

Before she could think further, she spotted Sheng Xing coming out of the restaurant. She was dressed in her usual cutesy style. Nan Ke’s eyes darkened slightly. She started the car and drove off, but Sheng Su’s face lingered in her mind.

Upstairs in the private room, Jiang Ying had seen everything unfold through the window. She watched Nan Ke walk out of the restaurant and drive away quickly, then called her immediately.

As soon as the call connected, a sharp screech of tires could be heard.

Then came a loud thud.

Jiang Ying panicked. “Hello? Ke-jie? Nan Ke! Are you okay?”

Nan Ke heard her voice through the speaker as she pulled the handbrake and bent down to pick up her phone, which had rolled to the passenger-side floor mat.

“I’m fine.”

Jiang Ying asked anxiously, “What was that noise just now?”

“The phone fell off the holder and hit the center console. Then it rolled to the passenger side. It’s nothing.” Nan Ke held the phone in one hand and pinched her thigh with the other, using the pain to calm herself. She kept her voice steady so Jiang Ying wouldn’t sense anything wrong.

“As long as you’re okay. That sound scared me. I thought something happened. Where are you now? I’ll come find you.” Jiang Ying grabbed her jacket off the hanger, already preparing to leave.

Hearing her voice, Nan Ke looked out at the empty street, took a deep breath, and said, “Come to my place.”

When Jiang Ying arrived at Nan Ke’s apartment, the dining table was already set with food and drinks.

Nan Ke had already poured the liquor. When she saw Jiang Ying walk in, she waved her over. “Come, have a drink with me.”

“What’s going on?” Jiang Ying asked in surprise. Usually when they drank, it was outside somewhere. Aside from that one time Nan Ke tried to teach her a lesson, she had never prepared food and drinks at home to drink together.

She had only met with Sheng Xing for five minutes at most. Was it really that bad? Even if Sheng Xing was deliberately trying to mess with her, Nan Ke didn’t need to take it so hard.

Nan Ke didn’t answer. She just shook her head.

Seeing that she didn’t want to talk, Jiang Ying said nothing more. She sat across from her and raised her glass. “Fine. I’ll drink with you.”

They were drinking baijiu this time, which hit hard and fast. Within thirty minutes, the 500-milliliter bottle was nearly empty.

Nan Ke had not eaten much and drank quickly. Although her vision wasn’t spinning yet, things were beginning to blur. She glanced at Jiang Ying, who was now resting her head on her wrist at the table.

“Feeling good?” Jiang Ying’s cheeks were flushed. She hadn’t broken down in tears like she did last time, but her eyes were definitely misty.

Nan Ke pushed herself up from the table. Whether or not she heard the question clearly, she reached out and patted Jiang Ying on the shoulder like a mother bird comforting its chick.

“Don’t be scared. Your Ke-jie will protect you this time.”

Jiang Ying gave a low laugh. Her head slipped from her wrist and landed on her arm as she mumbled, “Not scared. Let her cling all she wants. Worst case, I’ll just change my number again. This isn’t school anymore. Hiding from her… is easy.”

“Go to bed. I’m a little tired. I’ll be in my room. If anything happens, call me loud and clear.” Nan Ke rubbed Jiang Ying’s head once more before staggering toward the master bedroom.

Jiang Ying nodded and muttered to herself, “Nan Ke, you really don’t have to worry about me so much. I can handle it…”