When a Scumbag Cannon Fodder Alpha Meets a Mad Movie Queen Villainess - Chapter 22

Qi Ning’an noticed Shen Yuanyi smiling at them and instantly felt displeased. Smiling at her was fine, but there was absolutely no need to smile at that woman.

Putting down her water glass, she pounced on Shen Yuanyi. “Shen Yuanyi, let’s go back.”

Shen Yuanyi’s face was buried in Qi Ning’an’s chest before she could even speak, the softness instantly turning her cheeks crimson.

She shook her head but couldn’t easily break free from Qi Ning’an’s grip—her arms held her head firmly in place.

“Qi—Qi Ning’an, let go first. I can’t breathe.”

Hearing this, Qi Ning’an loosened her hold and looked down to check on Shen Yuanyi.

A face flushed deep red from suffocation made her take a guilty step back.

Shen Yuanyi gasped heavily for fresh air. She hadn’t been killed by the villain’s dark schemes, but she’d nearly been smothered to death by the pure-hearted antagonist instead.

A soft knock sounded at the hospital room door. Outside stood a tall woman in a sleek black wool coat. “You two can go. I’ll take care of Yan Yue.”

Shen Yuanyi turned and widened her eyes—it was the female lead, the dominant one.

She immediately jumped up from the plastic stool and grabbed Qi Ning’an’s hand. “Sure, sure!” she agreed eagerly.

With the dominant female lead here, the submissive one would be safe—free to return to being her delicate greenhouse rose.

Not wanting to be a third wheel, Shen Yuanyi tugged Qi Ning’an toward the exit without noticing the terrified, trembling gaze Yan Yue fixed on her from the hospital bed.

“Shen Yuanyi, your clothes,” Yan Yue called out, trying to stall her.

Pausing at the door, Shen Yuanyi glanced back with a smile. “Keep them.”

She brushed past the female lead without noticing the icy, piercing glare Zhou Huan directed at her—a look so chilling that anyone else would’ve frozen in fear.

But Shen Yuanyi acted as if nothing were wrong, practically sprinting away to avoid getting caught up in the two leads’ romantic tension.

Qi Ning’an, of course, paid no mind to that cold stare. Her eyes were only for Shen Yuanyi. She’s holding my hand—so soft, so warm, so nice.

Once they were gone, Zhou Huan scoffed disdainfully before crossing her arms and turning her attention to the caged songbird on the bed.

She strode in unhurriedly and sat beside Yan Yue, silent, watching the IV drip count the seconds.

“Zhou Huan…”

The person on the bed called her name nervously. She heard it, but it wasn’t the answer she wanted. She hadn’t come here just to hear Yan Yue say her name.

“Why does it have to be me? Can’t you pick another omega? I don’t want to stay in the cage you’ve made.”

“Sweetheart, what are you talking about?” Zhou Huan leaned down, gently cupping Yan Yue’s face. “The villa is huge—TV, phone, garden. You can ask me for anything, go anywhere. Is that a cage?”

“Without me, your naive self wouldn’t survive. You couldn’t even last a day outside before ending up like this. Fool.”

She tenderly smoothed Yan Yue’s hair, tucking loose strands behind her ear.

“I want freedom,” Yan Yue turned her face away, refusing Zhou Huan’s touch.

Zhou Huan clenched her fingers, a fleeting cruelty hidden in her eyes as she smiled. “Haven’t I given you enough? I didn’t get angry when you wore another alpha’s clothes, nor when you ran off without telling me.”

Her fingers gripped Yan Yue’s chin as she leaned in, the cold scent of cedarwood overpowering the woman on the bed.

Just as she moved to kiss her gently, a sharp slap landed on her face, the ringing in her ears drowning out all other sounds.

Yan Yue’s tears fell freely. “You’re insane! It’s my choice whose clothes I wear, my choice where I go. These aren’t privileges you grant me—you have no right to control me.”

The red mark of the slap still visible on her cheek, Zhou Huan closed her eyes in silence, the calm before the storm. Her face burned with pain, the ringing in her ears persistent.

“Zhou Huan…” Hearing Yan Yue’s timid call, she caught sight of the other woman’s trembling hands and terrified expression in her peripheral vision.

Even knowing a slap would provoke her, Yan Yue had done it anyway.

Zhou Huan chuckled instead of raging, gently pinching Yan Yue’s chin. “I thought acting this way might at least make me seem gentle to you, make you less afraid of me.”

She laughed softly again. “But perhaps you prefer me forceful—locking you in a dark room, shackling your limbs, cutting you off from sunlight and the outside world. Slowly breaking you down until you can stay by my side without guilt.”

Trembling uncontrollably, Yan Yue gasped, “Madwoman… you’re insane…”

She struggled violently, dislodging the IV needle on her hand. Bl00d welled up as tears streamed down her face.

“I understand everything, darling.”

An omega’s strength was no match for an alpha’s. Zhou Huan easily pinned Yan Yue’s hands against the wall, leaning in to claim her lips in a rough kiss.

Resistance was futile.

The bitter taste of medicine filled her mouth—this kiss might give her a cold or fever, but it didn’t matter. Right now, she wanted to punish her disobedient lover immediately.

Her free hand slipped under the skirt, fingers brushing against delicate petals. Yan Yue’s initial struggles gradually gave way to tearful whimpers, her vulnerability stirring pity that tempered Zhou Huan’s roughness.

Zhou Huan licked the tears from Yan Yue’s cheeks, ruffled her hair, and smiled. “I’ll play with you properly when we get home.”

——

Shen Yuanyi and Qi Ning’an stepped out of the clinic into the fresh air. Suddenly remembering, Shen Yuanyi turned to Qi Ning’an. “Are you alright with your cold? Should we get some medicine?”

Most people pretending to be ill would show surprise or hesitation when questioned unexpectedly.

But Qi Ning’an was an expert actress. Blushing faintly while suppressing her excitement, she calmly replied, “Thank you for your concern, puppy. My family has a private doctor—I’ll get medicine when I return.”

“Is that so? Should I take you home then?” Shen Yuanyi’s gaze remained fixed on her. She knew those eyes held only innocence yet couldn’t help fantasizing how wonderful it would be if they burned with desire instead.

With just a glance, he could bring her to climax—pull her into a dark alley, strip off her clothes, ruin her. Or step into a crowded mall elevator, slip a hand beneath her skirt, and pluck her petals.

But none of these were things Shen Yuanyi would do. She wouldn’t act this way. Her puppy-like mind was pure, her heart spotlessly clean.

Qi Ning’an took a deep breath and countered, “Does Puppy want to take me home?”

“If you don’t mind, I can. You helped me this morning, and I still don’t know how to repay you.” Shen Yuanyi scratched the back of her head and smiled.

“Then let’s go.”

“Mm.”

After seeing Qi Ning’an back to her villa and sharing afternoon tea, Shen Yuanyi returned home as night fell. Following a shower, she unexpectedly received a call from the original owner’s friend.

After some small talk—asking how she’d been lately, chatting about her acting in some drama crew—the conversation turned to the main point. “Shen Yuanyi, how’s your progress with Qi Ning’an? Last time, you drugged her to make her obedient, right? Hook me up with some resources.”

Shen Yuanyi grew impatient, wanting to hang up, but her good manners made her respond. “Qi Ning’an and I have no relationship. The drugging was a misunderstanding—I didn’t do anything to her.”

“Wait—” As if sensing Shen Yuanyi’s intent, the friend blurted out in a hurry, “I get it, fine, no resources then. But you should step up your game. Qi Ning’an doesn’t just have you—she’s had alphas before. At her peak, she kept ten at once.”

“She’s never short of outstanding alphas chasing her. She could toss you aside and forget you anytime. If it were me, I’d be groveling, acting cute, living off her wealth, making enough to last a lifetime. Then, once she got bored, I’d leave whenever.”

“What exactly are you trying to say?” Shen Yuanyi’s grip on the phone tightened, irritation flaring—especially at the mention of Qi Ning’an keeping ten alphas. Qi Ning’an wasn’t that kind of person.

If this kept up, she’d sue for slander. The pure-hearted villainess couldn’t possibly be like that.

“Nothing, just fishing for favors. Take the opportunity while you can. Bye.”

The call ended, leaving Shen Yuanyi restless all night.

Life carried on as usual. Each day, after washing up and resting, she’d head to the café to compose music, aiming to finish by December and upload it online.

As mid-month approached, Qi Ning’an’s birthday drew nearer, and Shen Yuanyi found it harder to focus. Her mind was consumed by one question: What gift should she give?

Qi Ning’an had helped her so much, treated her so well—it felt like offering her own body wouldn’t be excessive. The friend’s words echoed in her mind:

Qi Ning’an isn’t lacking for outstanding alphas.

Setting down her pen, Shen Yuanyi clutched her head. Expensive gifts were beyond her means, cheap ones too embarrassing. Did Qi Ning’an really have so many exceptional alphas around her? If she rashly gave a gift, would Qi Ning’an accept it politely only to toss it in the trash later? Would those other alphas laugh at her offering?

Across from the café, in a private dining room Qi Ning’an had booked for the day, she peered through binoculars at Shen Yuanyi by the window. Watching the puppy fret, clutching her head, Qi Ning’an’s heart clenched in sympathy.

“Are you having trouble with composing or writing lyrics? Do you need help from a professional teacher?” Qi Ning’an really wanted to call Shen Yuanyi to ask what the problem was, but that would definitely make her suspect she was being followed.

Anxious enough to bite her nails, she took out her phone, pondering how to subtly fish for answers. Unexpectedly, Shen Yuanyi sent her a message first.

“Sister, you must have many outstanding people around you. Why did you choose me and invest all these resources in me?”

Qi Ning’an bit her nails harder, staring at each word. What did this mean? Was the puppy angry? Had her stalking been discovered? Or had she remembered something?

Too afraid to reply, worried that saying the wrong thing would raise suspicions.

After a long while, the message was recalled, replaced with: “Sister, your birthday is on November 23rd, right?”

“Mhm.” Qi Ning’an faintly guessed what this was about—the puppy must be struggling with what gift to give for her birthday.

Letting out a relieved sigh, she released her fingers and smiled. “Puppy, are you trying to ask what kind of gift I’d like?”

Shen Yuanyi, whose thoughts had been read in an instant, reluctantly admitted, “You guessed it.”

To save face, Shen Yuanyi immediately recalled the message she had just sent. “Actually, I’ve already decided. Just wait for a surprise on your birthday, sister.”