The Villainous Scum Alpha Was Reborn (GL) - Chapter 25

Jiang Ying’s belief in superstition had always been occasional. She never turned to it unless she was in a situation she didn’t know how to handle. Last time it was about the stock market. This time, Nan Ke could already guess it probably had something to do with Sheng Xing.

People say it’s best not to point out the harsh truth, especially between friends. And since she and Jiang Ying had been close for over ten years, Nan Ke had no reason to expose her now. Though she found it funny, she held back the urge to say something sarcastic and instead lowered her voice to ask, “Is it supposed to bring in money or love?”

Jiang Ying answered with a completely serious, dreamy look. “Maybe both.”

Nan Ke stared at her for a moment. She shouldn’t have asked. She had only herself to blame.

Strangely enough, after Jiang Ying arrived, more and more people started walking into the shop. She had only been sitting there for about twenty minutes, but customers just kept coming in one after another. In that short time, they had already sold several bouquets.

Under normal circumstances, selling two or three arrangements in one afternoon would be considered good business.

Liang Qingqing, now busy enough to have a light sheen of sweat on her forehead, finally saw off another customer and leaned over the worktable with a smile. “Jiang Ying, are you some kind of good luck charm? You really bring in customers.”

Jiang Ying straightened her posture at the sound of Liang Qingqing’s compliment and looked a little smug.

Nan Ke, noticing her proud expression, couldn’t help but comment. “Maybe it was me who brought in the luck.”

Jiang Ying raised her eyebrows confidently. “But Boss Liang just said it was because of me.”

Nan Ke gave her a sharp look and lowered her voice. “Yingzi, you better behave. If you mess this up for me, don’t even dream about getting into a relationship this lifetime.”

Liang Qingqing watched their banter and quietly lowered her head, trying to hide her laughter.

Jiang Ying’s smug look froze for a second. She cleared her throat and called out, “Qingqing, I actually agree with Nan Ke. She’s definitely a lucky cat. She’s amazing at making money. Don’t believe me? Try marrying her and taking over her finances.”

Liang Qingqing said nothing.

Nan Ke also stayed quiet.

Awkwardness quickly filled the room.

Nan Ke glanced at Liang Qingqing, who had turned away with a red face to help a customer. Then she glared at Jiang Ying. “Why do you always say the most outrageous things when no one’s prepared?”

Jiang Ying, who was clearly in a much better mood than the day before, gave her a teasing look. “It’s called surprise strategy. I make it sound casual, but it’s actually a clever move to show off your financial ability. I’m creating a character for you — attractive, wealthy, capable, and ambitious — paving the way for you without you having to say a word.”

Nan Ke let out a cold laugh. “How about you try a little honesty for once?”

“You never appreciate good intentions,” Jiang Ying sighed, raising her hands in surrender. “Fine, it’s my fault for running my mouth.”

Nan Ke made a warning gesture, then changed the subject. “Weren’t you telling me this morning that you were going to talk to your parents? Why are you here instead of at the company?”

Jiang Ying looked at Liang Qingqing, who was still busy with customers, and lowered her voice. “I don’t even know how it happened. I told them I was willing to work at the family company, but the moment they heard that, they started objecting again. Said I didn’t know anything and would just get in the way. They told me to do whatever I wanted, as long as I wasn’t wasting my life. My mom even said if I got bored, I could open a shop just for fun.”

Nan Ke was shocked. “Seriously? That’s a big change in attitude.”

Jiang Ying pursed her lips. “Right? They said just knowing I was willing to make a sacrifice for the family was enough. They understood I had other ambitions and didn’t want to push me. My dad’s about to turn sixty, and during lunch, he said he planned to step down once he hits retirement age. He wants to sell off some shares and travel with my mom.”

“That’s the dream. I’m jealous,” Nan Ke said with a thumbs-up.

Jiang Ying waved her hand at Nan Ke. “That’s what he says, but I doubt it’ll happen. You know how stubborn my dad is. He suddenly got all understanding, and it feels too good to be true.”

Nan Ke smiled but didn’t comment further.

Every family has its own challenges. As children, they knew their parents’ personalities better than anyone. Outsiders could watch but rarely had the right to speak on it.

After helping the latest customer, Liang Qingqing sat down behind the counter closest to the door.

Nan Ke and Jiang Ying took the hint and dropped the personal talk. Both turned to her with cheerful smiles.

Feeling their eyes on her, Liang Qingqing suddenly felt self-conscious. She quickly pulled out her phone to check her messages. About ten minutes earlier, Chen Ning had sent her a message, but she had been so busy helping customers that she had completely forgotten to reply.

Unlike Nan Ke, Liang Qingqing made sure to add notes for all her contacts, even those she added during shop hours. She liked to mark details that would help her remember who they were.

Chen Ning’s profile picture was a selfie, but the name displayed on the screen was clearly marked.

Thirteen minutes ago, the message read: “Do you want to change the dinner location?”

Liang Qingqing had been thinking about that too. Since they had eaten barbecue together before, she had noticed that Nan Ke didn’t seem to react much to spicy food. But the place she and Chen Ning had picked out for tonight was known for exactly that — its fragrant and fiery spice.

The atmosphere there was lively, but the environment wasn’t the best. It was noisy and located right by the road.

Although Nan Ke had said she was fine with their original plan, Liang Qingqing still worried she might not enjoy it. And now that Jiang Ying was here, knowing how close the two of them were, there was no doubt she’d be coming along as well.

Realizing that, Liang Qingqing made up her mind and spoke up. “Jiang Ying, we’re going out for barbecue tonight. Want to come with us?”

Jiang Ying loved to join in on anything exciting. Her eyebrows lifted immediately. “Really? That sounds perfect.”

Nan Ke’s smile froze for a moment. She quietly thought to herself, You looked so conflicted earlier when I asked to come. But now you’re inviting Jiang Ying so casually? This is not fair.

Jiang Ying paid no attention to Nan Ke’s reaction. She jumped up with enthusiasm and walked over to the counter. “Where are we going for barbecue? Is it a restaurant or a street stall? Do we need to make a reservation? I’ll treat tonight.”

“Jiang Ying.” Nan Ke walked over and tapped her on the shoulder, her smile clearly forced.

Jiang Ying understood immediately and changed her tone. “Let Nan Ke treat us.”

Liang Qingqing held back a laugh and turned to Nan Ke. “Can you handle spicy food? Do you mind street stalls?”

Jiang Ying was about to say she couldn’t handle much spice, but Nan Ke pressed down hard on her shoulder and quickly answered, “It’s fine. I don’t mind at all.”

Jiang Ying let out a quiet breath of relief. That was close. She had almost messed it up again.

Whether it was due to good timing or luck, by the time the sun began to set, nearly all the flowers in the shop had been sold. Without dragging things out, Liang Qingqing locked up and got ready to leave.

All three of them had come in separate cars.

Nan Ke looked at Liang Qingqing’s white compact SUV and stopped her just as she was about to open the door. “You don’t need to drive. Come with me.”

Liang Qingqing glanced at Nan Ke’s sports car parked by the roadside. It only had two seats. She hesitated. “But I need to pick up Chen Ning.”

“It’s fine. I can pick her up,” Jiang Ying said, resting one arm on her car and craning her neck to join in.

Nan Ke gave her an approving look.

Liang Qingqing hesitated. “But maybe I shouldn’t. I’ll still need my car tomorrow morning to open the shop.”

“That’s easy,” Nan Ke said, her hand still resting on the car door handle. Though her voice was calm, her gesture spoke volumes. “Just tell me what time you’re leaving, and I’ll come pick you up.”

Liang Qingqing tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear and smiled. She knew she had no excuse to keep insisting. “Alright then.”

Chen Ning had already gotten off work, but since she was still wearing her uniform, she went home to change first. By the time Nan Ke and Jiang Ying pulled up in their luxury cars at the entrance of her old residential community, they were already drawing attention. Cars like theirs were rare in a place like this.

Liang Qingqing had already let Chen Ning know through WeChat that Jiang Ying would be joining them. So when Chen Ning saw her smiling face, she was not surprised. She naturally pulled open the mustard-yellow Porsche’s passenger door and got in.

Watching from upstairs, Chen Ning’s mother grew excited. She turned and called out to her husband, “Come take a look. Our daughter’s really doing well!”

But before both parents could gather at the window, Jiang Ying had already driven around the corner.

The barbecue place was, in fact, a street-side spot. Business was booming. Even though they arrived early, most of the tables were already taken.

Nan Ke had downed a bottle of white liquor with Jiang Ying the night before. Although the alcohol had worn off, a slight burning sensation still lingered in her stomach. She also planned to drive Liang Qingqing home later, so she decided not to drink at all.

Jiang Ying glanced back at her Porsche, hesitated for a few seconds, and decided it wasn’t worth the hassle of calling a driver. For once, she behaved herself and ordered a soft drink.

Liang Qingqing enjoyed spicy food and ordered her skewers medium-spicy. Jiang Ying and Chen Ning, on the other hand, were more cautious. After one bite of the medium spice, they quickly switched to mild.

Not wanting to spoil the fun, Nan Ke took a bite of the mildly spicy skewer. Then she quietly stood up and went to the owner to reorder hers without any spice at all.

In the end, the four of them sat around a round table, eating skewers in three different levels of spiciness.

Liang Qingqing’s gaze kept drifting toward Nan Ke. She noticed her slipping away to reorder her food and couldn’t help but smile. Just as she was about to reach over and take a skewer from Nan Ke’s plate, Jiang Ying beat her to it and casually finished off the last bit of lamb.

Liang Qingqing blinked and snapped out of her daze. She shook her head slightly, trying to clear away the thoughts that had been swirling in her mind all day.

The two omegas didn’t eat much. After they finished the food in front of them, they were basically full.

Nan Ke and Jiang Ying, who weren’t bloated from beer, were still a bit hungry. As the plates emptied, they got up to order more skewers. But after just a few steps, Jiang Ying’s phone rang. She turned around and walked toward a quieter area to take the call.

After placing the order, Nan Ke looked back toward the table. In the soft glow of the streetlights, Liang Qingqing seemed to shine. Her pale skin glowed, and her gentle smile as she chatted with Chen Ning made her look even more lovely. Nan Ke reached for her phone, thinking of sneaking a photo or two.

But before she could tap the shutter, a broad-shouldered woman suddenly sat down in the seat she had just left.

What was happening?

Nan Ke immediately put down her phone and rushed back to the table. Even before she arrived, she caught the unpleasant scent of an omega-unfriendly pheromone. The woman had already picked up her glass and poured herself some liquor. She raised it toward Liang Qingqing, who looked caught off guard.

Chen Ning had just graduated and was smart, but not yet sharp enough to read the room quickly. While she was still trying to figure out the stranger’s intentions, Liang Qingqing smiled politely, lifted her glass, and stood up slightly to keep some distance. “Thank you for the gesture. I’ll drink to you.”

The woman didn’t take the hint. Instead, she stood up as well and leaned in further.

Nan Ke rushed over and stepped between them, pulling Liang Qingqing behind her.

“This lady is my girlfriend. She’s already had enough and can’t drink anymore. And I’m driving tonight, so I can’t drink either. How about this — I’ll toast you with water instead?” Nan Ke smiled politely, but there was no warmth in her eyes. She gave Chen Ning a subtle hand signal, indicating she should bring over Jiang Ying’s drink.

The woman was flashy, dressed in colorful clothes, and far from attractive. She gave off the impression of having some money and seemed like a local bossy type.

From the moment Nan Ke appeared, the woman looked annoyed. And now, with her toast dismissed, her expression turned ugly. “You’re not giving me any respect. She offered the toast first, didn’t she?”

The unpleasant scent in the air made Nan Ke’s expression harden. “Let me be clear then. I don’t want her to drink with you. Simple as that.”

The woman smacked her lips, clearly growing impatient. Her attitude turned aggressive, and she looked like she might smash a bottle any second.

Nan Ke was taller and looked down at her calmly, already preparing for the worst.

Just then, Jiang Ying finished her call and returned. Before she could ask what was going on, another alpha, shorter and leaner, ran over and whispered urgently into the woman’s ear. After a long string of words, her expression changed dramatically.

She froze for a few seconds, then forced a smile. “Let’s just forget it. I was out of line.”

Nan Ke said nothing and watched as they left. She noticed them whispering again while pointing at her car and Jiang Ying’s Porsche, and she had a good idea of what they were thinking.

Everyone says even a strong outsider doesn’t challenge a local boss. But smart locals also know better than to mess with people who are wealthy and well-connected. Being afraid of the consequences is, in some cases, a good thing.

The new round of skewers came out quickly. Nan Ke switched seats and wrapped a napkin around the glass that woman had touched. Without hesitation, she tossed it straight into the trash bin beneath the table.