The Villainous Scum Alpha Was Reborn (GL) - Chapter 3
“An online date?” The florist, still wearing her apron, stood up from the worktable and smiled as she glanced toward the shelf lined with bouquets. “For a first meeting, lilies, tulips, or the roses over here are all great choices.”
Wei Ke looked at the display. Every bouquet was beautiful. With no personal experience to draw from, she had no opinion and simply turned to Jiang Ying.
“Ying, you decide.”
Jiang Ying was still mesmerized by how beautiful the florist was. It was strange. Just a few minutes ago she had looked like she might collapse, but now her back was straight, her breath was steady, and when the florist smiled at her, she even pretended to know what she was doing.
She reached out and pointed confidently at the tulips at the edge of the shelf. “Tulips, of course. They are the best for a first meeting.”
“That’s a great choice,” the florist replied with a smile. After confirming the selection, she thoughtfully suggested a few color combinations that would be safe and well-liked.
Wei Ke rarely bought flowers. She knew very little about flower meanings or symbolism, so she stepped aside and let Jiang Ying take the lead while she looked around casually.
Though she could be a flirt, Jiang Ying was not the type to fall in love with just anyone. After the small talk ended, she remembered the friend she had nearly forgotten beside her.
She leaned in and whispered, “Be honest, isn’t she even more beautiful than the flowers?”
Wei Ke had not seen the florist’s face clearly until now. Hearing Jiang Ying’s question, she finally turned her head for a proper look and was caught off guard.
The lighting around the worktable was bright. As the florist bent over to trim the stems, the light hit her face just right. It was not anything fancy, just plain white light, but it made her features look breathtaking.
Her face was delicate, not inferior to any celebrity. Her hair was casually tied up, clean and effortless, giving off a gentle, artistic vibe. She was elegant, poised, and naturally attractive.
Jiang Ying chuckled softly and whispered, “I know what you’re thinking. But Ke Jie, let me be clear. That is not lighting. That is all her.”
Wei Ke glanced at her friend leaning on her shoulder and gave her an unamused look, refusing to answer.
Jiang Ying, never one to give up easily, just kept talking as if nothing happened. “Seriously, if I were not already taken, I would definitely go after her. Ke Jie, how about it? Should I ask for her contact information for you?”
“I have a mouth. If I wanted her number, I could ask myself. Stop using me as your excuse.” Wei Ke was in no mood to joke. She had just gone through a lot and was not interested in romance.
It was as if the florist had heard them. She continued arranging the flowers without pausing but still smiled politely and nodded toward a small sign on the counter.
“You can scan the QR code on the cat sign to add my WeChat. I post bouquet updates there and also take orders through WeChat.”
Wei Ke fell silent.
Jiang Ying, bold as ever when facing someone attractive, pulled out her phone without hesitation. She scanned the QR code and immediately followed it with the payment code next to it to pay.
Wei Ke had no intention of adding her at first. But when she caught a glimpse of the profile picture and name on Jiang Ying’s phone, she hesitated. Not wanting to be teased, she waited for Jiang Ying to pay, then quickly switched her phone to silent and scanned the florist’s QR code too.
As they stepped out of the flower shop, Jiang Ying holding the bouquet of tulips, she finally noticed the faint scent of alcohol and disinfectant still clinging to her clothes. There was also a light trace of someone’s pheromone. She could not tell whose it was.
“Are we really going like this?” Jiang Ying looked concerned.
“I feel fine,” Wei Ke answered casually.
“Of course you do. You are not the one meeting your online match.”
Wei Ke raised an eyebrow. “Come on. What is yours is mine. If she is not your girlfriend yet, she is still our online date.”
Jiang Ying rolled her eyes and did not bother to respond. She called the driver and waited for the ride.
It was still early. They had plenty of time to go home, take a shower, and change. Even though it was just a first meeting, she wanted to make a good impression. Better to be a little extra than make the other person think she had not put in any effort.
Wei Ke did not want to go back to the Wei family home, and she was not in the mood to return to her own apartment either. So she clung to Jiang Ying like a determined octopus.
Ever since they graduated from college, they had lived by the principle of not depending on their parents. They moved out and lived on their own. While their houses and cars had been gifted by their families, they had not asked for any financial help since.
Compared to many of the other second-generation elites around them, that was already quite impressive.
Jiang Ying’s apartment complex was just across the street from Wei Ke’s, but even with that short distance, Wei Ke still insisted on going with her.
Jiang Ying could not understand her at all.
“I don’t even have clothes your size. Why are you following me home? Just go to your own place. We can meet at the entrance later.”
“No way. I’m almost out of body wash, and if I want to shower properly, I need to use yours.” Wei Ke stared at the car door as if prepared to stop Jiang Ying from jumping out and escaping.
Jiang Ying had no words. Friends who stuck too close could be terrifying.
Wei Ke saw the resigned look on her face and followed her inside without a trace of guilt.
It was not that she could not be alone. But every time she remembered that even her own family had not believed her, and Jiang Ying had still stood by her side, her heart ached.
She still remembered what it felt like to see Jiang Ying lying among the white flowers with her eyes closed, her body cold and lifeless.
In her past life, she had been too obsessed with proving herself right and had ignored Jiang Ying too many times. Now that she had another chance, she wanted to protect her friend. She wanted them both to live well. Life still had so many beautiful things to offer. It was far too soon for them to die.
Both of their apartment complexes were in high-end neighborhoods. The location and cost demanded quality service.
From the main entrance, everything was done through facial recognition and fingerprint scanning. If you were not registered in the system, you could not get in, not even if you were a future tenant.
Jiang Ying walked ahead, unlocking everything with a quick face scan. By the time they got to her apartment, it was already close to four o’clock.
“I’m going to shower. Make yourself at home.” Jiang Ying kicked off her shoes and ran barefoot toward the master bedroom’s bathroom. It was clear how seriously she was taking this date.
Wei Ke paused in front of the full-length mirror at the entrance, then went to find a charging cable that matched her phone. She dragged a chair over, sat beside the power strip, and started browsing through the florist’s WeChat Moments.
The florist’s name was Liang Qingqing. Her profile photo was a cartoon girl holding a bouquet. Just as she had said, her Moments were filled with photos of flowers, all posted during work hours.
It was clearly a business account.
After browsing for a while, Wei Ke put down her phone and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows on the balcony.
Jiang Ying lived on the top floor, and her large window faced directly across from the unit Wei Ke lived in.
They lived so close that there really was nothing to worry about. Wei Ke let out a soft laugh and shook her head, amused at herself.
Jiang Ying was quick in the shower. Her shoulder-length hair did not take long to dry either. By the time she came out dressed and ready, Wei Ke was comfortably lounging in the massage chair on the balcony, bouncing her foot slightly.
“You’re kidding. You haven’t showered yet?” Jiang Ying looked at her in disbelief. A sudden and completely unreasonable possibility popped into her mind. “Wait, don’t tell me you want me to go to your place and wait for you to shower? You said you came here to borrow my body wash!”
“You’re the best. So sharp,” Wei Ke replied with a lazy grin as she opened her eyes and gave Jiang Ying a thumbs-up in mock praise.
Jiang Ying was speechless.
Wei Ke slowly got up from the chair and walked toward the guest bathroom, saying, “I do want to use yours, but I realized that if I shower here, I’ll have to walk back to my place wearing only a bathrobe. That’s a no from me. So I thought I’d just take your body wash and use it at home.”
Jiang Ying believed in minimalism. She never stocked up on toiletries in advance. Her massive apartment had four or five bathrooms, but only the one in her bedroom and the guest bathroom near the balcony had actual supplies. The one in the master bedroom had just been used. Even if she ordered more, they would not arrive until tomorrow. She needed to keep the guest bathroom supplies for emergencies. There was no way she could let Wei Ke take them.
“Ke Jie, listen to me. You know how I am. I just used up the last bit in the master bath. You can’t take the guest bathroom stuff.”
Wei Ke had already touched the doorknob but pulled her hand back. “See, this is why you should learn from me. Stock up on these daily essentials. All your shelves are empty, and it’s not like you don’t have room to store them.”
Jiang Ying scoffed. “You talk about stocking up, yet you said you were out. Actually, if you’re so well-stocked, how could you possibly run out?”
“I was teasing you,” Wei Ke said with a chuckle, her expression so shameless it was almost impressive.
Five minutes later, Jiang Ying stormed into Wei Ke’s apartment straight from the elevator without even changing out of her slippers. She went directly to the massive wall of storage cabinets and yanked one open.
Inside, there was everything from toiletries to household essentials, all neatly arranged. On the far side, one cubby was entirely filled with body wash in various brands and scents. The stockpile could rival a small personal care store.
Wei Ke showed no embarrassment at all. She waved generously and said, “Pick whichever one you like.”
Jiang Ying paused. After spotting her favorite brand in multiple scents, she quietly shut her mouth. Taking favors made it hard to keep arguing.
Wei Ke showered quickly, but her long hair took a while to dry. Not wanting to test Jiang Ying’s patience, she kindly dried it only halfway and changed into her clothes before coming out.
Jiang Ying did not waste her effort or Wei Ke’s kindness. Before they left, she actually packed one bottle of body wash, one shampoo, and one conditioner into the car’s trunk.
Unfortunately, just as they were about to open the car door and leave, a white R8 pulled up and parked right behind Jiang Ying’s car.
The windshield of the R8 was crystal clear. From inside, Bai Ruoya could be seen smiling while looking down at her phone. Just a glance to the side, and those bright, familiar eyes of Wei Huan’s came into view.
Wei Ke had never believed in the saying, “When bad luck hits, even drinking water can chip your tooth.”
She used to wonder how water, of all things, could possibly chip a tooth. But now she understood.
Not only could it chip your tooth, it could stab you straight in the heart. The feeling was worse than swallowing a stone.
“Ke Ke.”
While Wei Ke stood frozen, Wei Huan had already gotten out of the car.
The smile on Wei Ke’s face vanished in an instant. Without thinking, she ducked down and tried to slide into the car. But before she could escape, Jiang Ying, ever the smooth talker, turned around, smiled brightly at the approaching Wei Huan, and bumped Wei Ke back with her shoulder.
“Huan Jie, you came to see Ke Ke?” Jiang Ying asked, her tone warm and enthusiastic but not over the top.
Looking at Jiang Ying’s bright and seemingly sincere smile, Wei Ke suddenly felt that she would never find anyone else in this world as two-faced as Jiang Ying.
Weren’t you the one who said you were bad at socializing and hated dealing with people?
And now look at you, smooth as silk in every direction.
But worse than Jiang Ying’s sudden shift was the annoying alert that suddenly popped up from her salted-fish system.
System Notification:
Warning. Based on current circumstances, the probability of you and the female lead coming face-to-face has reached 99 percent. Probability of plot reversal failure has also reached 99 percent. Please take immediate action to change the current situation.