The Villainous Scum Alpha Was Reborn (GL) - Chapter 5

By the time Wei Ke returned home holding the sunflowers, it was already past eleven at night.

Even though she had been home just that afternoon, and the apartment was warmly decorated, she still felt cold standing there in the living room. It felt lifeless, like there was no trace of anyone really living there.

After graduating, Wei Ke had moved out to live on her own. She had stopped the habit of having a housekeeper on call twenty-four hours a day. Now she only hired two part-time helpers who took turns cleaning. She did not have anyone cook for her anymore. If the kitchen was ever used, it was only when she felt like learning a new recipe on a whim. In fact, when she moved in, she had topped up two hundred yuan on the gas meter, and it still had not run out.

She stood in front of the coffee table and glanced around. Only the flowers in front of the television cabinet showed signs of withering. She walked over, emptied the vase, changed the water, then unwrapped the bouquet that Liang Qingqing had given her and placed the sunflowers inside.

The bright yellow stood out against the plain white walls. She had to admit, it looked full of life.

After arranging the sunflowers, Wei Ke grabbed a few tissues to wipe the water droplets off the outside of the vase. She stepped back and looked at it for a while, then let out a quiet laugh.

She had not expected herself to smile while thinking about Liang Qingqing’s face. The moment she realized what she was doing, her expression changed into one of mild shock.

It was strange, even to her. That woman had only met her once, and they had barely exchanged a few words. Thinking about her now felt a little wrong.

Besides, she did not even know if Liang Qingqing was an alpha or an omega.

Realizing how ridiculous her thoughts were, Wei Ke looked away and turned off all the lights except the hallway and foyer. Then she returned to the master bedroom.

She had already taken a very thorough shower that afternoon, so now she just rinsed off and got into bed.

The large, luxurious bedroom was dim, lit only by a feather floor lamp beside the curtain. The light was soft and far away, barely enough to affect her sleep. But she lay in bed tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

When she turned off the lamp, all the memories she was trying so hard to avoid came flooding back like a broken dam. She got up again and turned the floor lamp back on, then switched on the chandelier and the lights along the walls.

The room, just moments ago dark and still, lit up as bright as daytime.

Wei Ke leaned against the headboard and let out a long breath.

Jiang Ying was right. Whether she was their biological daughter or not, she needed proof. She had to get the DNA test done in the next few days. She could not keep spiraling on her own like this. It would only make her look like someone imagining things.

Still, the moment she thought about the way her parents and sister had treated her, the pain in her chest came back, sharp and suffocating.

For more than twenty years, her family had been the most important part of her life. She had believed that nothing in the world was more secure or more intimate than family.

But how could they turn against her so quickly for the sake of an outsider? For someone who had not even married into the family yet?

She was twenty-five this year. She had graduated at twenty-three and moved out after that. Before university, she had lived under the same roof with them, shared thousands of days together. How could all those years mean less than the few days since Bai Ruoya appeared?

Wei Ke blinked, wiping away the tear that had fallen from the corner of her eye. But that one motion seemed to break the dam. More tears followed, falling one after another.

In the bright light, the tip of her nose and the corners of her eyes turned red. She gritted her teeth, refusing to make a sound, even though no one was around to hear her cry.

She did not know how long she cried. Her nose was stuffy by the end of it. She grabbed a tissue to wipe her eyes, then got out of bed and went to the dining room where the wine cabinet was. She took out a bottle of red wine and a crystal glass.

The wine had not been aired out, so it was a bit harsh. But Wei Ke drank it as if she could not taste a thing, finishing one glass after another.

Just hours ago, she had told Jiang Ying to skip the alcohol and drink porridge for her health.

Now, overcome by sadness, she forgot how strong her own tolerance was. When she finished the entire bottle and still felt nothing, she realized she had underestimated herself. She opened two more bottles.

She also forgot that wine could not ease sorrow. It only made it worse.

The chandelier was off, but she had turned the floor lamp up to full brightness. She sat on the couch nearby, within reach of her charging phone.

Ever since seeing her sister outside the apartment complex yesterday, she had logged out of WeChat. Maybe it was guilt, or maybe it was fear. Either way, she had not dared to check if her sister had messaged her or what she might have said.

Being reborn was something she was grateful for. But the time had been too short, too rushed. She had not figured out how to face the people who once meant more to her than her own life.

Because in that final moment, as she fell from the cliff, all she could think was, “Big sister, please don’t believe her…”

Maybe it was the wine giving her courage. Wei Ke unplugged her phone and logged back into WeChat.

As soon as she logged in, the notifications lit up one after another. The top message was from Jiang Ying, sent two hours ago.

Don’t overthink. Just get a good night’s sleep. No matter what kind of storm hits tomorrow, I’ll be with you.

Right below that was her sister’s name. Five messages.

What time are you coming home tonight?

Your favorite bag just came out in a new color. I bought it for you.

It’s with the gatekeeper. Pick it up when you get back.

You wore a mask and were coughing today. Did you catch a cold?

Season’s changing. Take care of yourself.

See? Her sister still cared about her.

Wei Ke opened the keyboard and typed three words. But then she noticed the time in the corner of her phone and deleted everything, one character at a time, until she returned to the main screen.

Her mother had sent her a message too.

Your sister said you were coughing. Is it a sore throat or a cold? I’ll ask Aunt Qian to make some soup for your lungs tomorrow. Let me know if that’s okay.

Wei Ke rubbed the bridge of her nose. Just when she had managed to stop crying, the tears returned, slipping silently down her cheeks.

That was what hurt the most. How had their love turned into something that ended with words like “cut ties” or “never speak again”?

“Bai Ruoya… what did you say to them to make them believe you so completely?”

The empty wine bottle slipped from Wei Ke’s hand and rolled off the edge of the table onto the carpet with a soft thud.

She did not even look at it. She simply lifted the crystal glass and finished the rest of the wine in one gulp. Then she pulled the blanket off the couch, curled up, and closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, the morning sun had already slipped through the gap in the curtains and was shining on her pale, cold feet.

The hangover mixed with exhaustion made her head heavy and painful. Her nose and throat felt off too.

Her phone had fallen face-down onto the carpet. It made no sound, but the notification light kept blinking steadily.

Wei Ke pinched her nose and bent down to pick up her phone. When she saw that it was her mother calling, she instinctively tapped the screen to answer.

“Ke Ke, you’re at home, right? Did you see the message I sent you last night? Why didn’t you reply?”

Wei Ke gave a slight nod and replied, “I saw it. I was a bit busy last night and forgot to get back to you.”

“Oh dear, what happened to your voice? You sound so hoarse. Did you catch a cold? Don’t put it off. After you drink the soup, I’ll have the family doctor check on you. Wait, I almost forgot, Dr. Shao is out of town for a few days. Never mind, I’ll come and take you to the hospital myself.”

Xu Bingzhi, hearing her daughter’s raspy voice, grew increasingly worried.

Wei Ke was startled by how hoarse she sounded too, but she didn’t want to trouble her mother. After hesitating for a second, she quickly said, “No, no, no, Mom, you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll have Jiang Ying take me to the hospital later. The flu is spreading right now and I don’t want you to catch it. I’m fine, really. I’m in my twenties. It’s just a cold…”

“Alright, alright, stop talking. I’ll call Jiang Ying now. That’s settled,” her mother said, then immediately hung up, not giving Wei Ke any chance to respond.

Wei Ke rubbed her temples and looked at the time. It was already past ten in the morning. She hadn’t even realized she had fallen asleep on the sofa last night.

Aunt Qian had access to the building but didn’t know the entry code. If her mother was calling just now, that meant Aunt Qian would likely arrive within the next few minutes. And her mother had just said she would call Jiang Ying too…

Realizing how close everything was about to happen all at once, Wei Ke rushed to pull off the blanket, quickly hid the wine bottles and cushions, then went out to the balcony and grabbed a new cushion from the storage cabinet to replace the one on the couch.

This was one of the benefits of stockpiling. If she wanted to swap something out, she could do it instantly.

Just as she finished tidying everything, the doorbell rang.

Wei Ke ran a hand through her hair and shuffled to the door in her slippers.

Sure enough, Aunt Qian was standing there with a thermal container. Wei Ke raised her finger to unlock the door, but before touching the panel, she switched to the intercom and spoke instead.

“Aunt Qian, I think I caught a cold. Please just leave the soup outside. I don’t want to risk you getting sick.”

Hearing the hoarse voice through the speaker, Aunt Qian was startled. It took her a moment to recognize it was Wei Ke. She nodded and gently placed the soup by the door.

Before she could say anything, Wei Ke added, “Alright, go ahead. I’ll return the container later.”

“Alright,” Aunt Qian replied, and without hesitation, stepped back and entered the elevator.

Wei Ke was still in her pajamas. After bringing the soup inside, she figured Jiang Ying should be arriving soon and went to wash up.

But just as she finished applying her skincare, she heard the faint sound of the front door opening. When she came out dressed, Jiang Ying was already at the dining table, opening the thermal container.

The Wei family was known for being picky eaters. The fact that Aunt Qian had worked for them for over thirty years said a lot about her cooking skills.

Wearing heat-resistant gloves, Jiang Ying carried out Aunt Qian’s signature lung-nourishing soup, her eyes gleaming with delight.

“Ke Jie, Aunt Qian’s cooking really is something else.”

“And your puffy eyes are something else too,” Wei Ke replied, her voice so raspy it sounded like it had been dragged through gravel.

Jiang Ying had expected to be teased about her eyes, but when she heard Wei Ke’s voice, she immediately looked up and was shocked by how she looked.

“And you’re teasing me? Did someone rip out your tonsils last night? And look at your eyes. Where do you get the nerve to mock me?”

Wei Ke didn’t respond. She walked into the kitchen, washed two spoons, then sat down and quietly drank the soup.

After the warm meal and the warmth between them settled in, Jiang Ying got up to wash the dishes.

Wei Ke sat back down on the living room couch and opened the shopping bag she had seen earlier but hadn’t had time to check. Inside was not a blind box, but a handbag.

“This isn’t from you, is it?” Her voice was rougher than an old wooden door creaking in the wind.

Jiang Ying twitched her lips. “Do I even have time to shop? I passed by the gate and asked if you had any packages. The guard said yes and asked me to bring it up. Your sister left it for you.”

“Well, that worked out. Saved you some money too,” Wei Ke said as she carried the bag into the room across from the master bedroom and placed it inside an empty glass cabinet.

Jiang Ying followed her and leaned against the doorframe, watching her carefully arrange the bag.

“Look at this entire room filled with handbags. Honestly, Wei Ke, this is a serious problem. You need therapy.”

Wei Ke shot her a look. “And you don’t have a problem? Living in that huge apartment with nothing in it, like you’re going for that abandoned concrete shell aesthetic. Your decor is no different from an unfinished building.”

“Okay, okay, I get it. I said too much. Let’s go. I’m taking you to the doctor,” Jiang Ying said. She really didn’t want to listen to that raspy voice anymore.

Wei Ke immediately wanted to say more. “Stop calling yourself my older sister, Jiang Ying. My ID clearly says I’m older than you by two months.”

“Fine, fine. You win. You’re the older sister,” Jiang Ying said as she walked ahead. On her way through the living room, she grabbed a pair of sunglasses and put them on.

Inspired, Wei Ke grabbed her own pair from the cabinet near the entrance and handed Jiang Ying a disposable mask while taking one for herself.

Jiang Ying hooked the mask over her ears and used the corner of her phone to tap the elevator button.

Standing side by side, both watching the numbers change on the elevator panel, there was silence for about ten seconds before Wei Ke finally spoke.

“Yingzi, when you have time, can you help me book a paternity test?”