When a Scumbag Cannon Fodder Alpha Meets a Mad Movie Queen Villainess - Chapter 9

Surrounded by the crowd, Qi Ning’an was being plied with drinks as people took turns toasting her. Shen Yuanyi noticed this out of the corner of her eye.

“Qi Ning’an is too nice—she never knows how to refuse people,” Shen Yuanyi muttered before leaving the crowd and heading to the barbecue and dessert area in the yard, where she ate and drank heartily.

The pool was filled with sexy omegas in bikinis—some posing cutely with inflatable balls, others playfully splashing water at people on the shore.

The atmosphere was flirtatious. When an alpha and omega caught each other’s eye, they would beckon with glowing gazes. Some alphas even pretended to be concerned about omegas catching a chill, wrapping them in dry towels before leading them to secluded corners for ambiguous teasing.

Shen Yuanyi only had eyes for the food. Glancing at the pool for even a second would have been disrespectful to the barbecue and desserts.

Roast beef was a hundred times better than boiled chicken br3ast!

A loud splash caused a commotion.

“Qi Ning’an fell into the pool!” someone shouted.

Shen Yuanyi turned her head, a slice of beef still pinched between her chopsticks, frozen in thought.

Who had they said fell into the pool?

Qi Ning’an?

The crowd in the pool scattered, staring in shock but not daring to move. The person who had fallen in wasn’t struggling—it was as if they had sunk straight to the bottom.

Shen Yuanyi’s heart clenched. She set down her chopsticks and stood, scanning the area. No one was making a move to help.

Clenching her fists, she gritted her teeth. Were they really going to stand by and watch someone drown?

They had been so enthusiastic about plying her with drinks, yet now they were coldly indifferent.

Were they afraid of dirtying their evening gowns? Or worried about being blamed if something went wrong?

Shen Yuanyi didn’t hesitate—she jumped into the pool. Water rushed into her nose, making it sting.

Slowly opening her eyes, she peered through the water until she spotted Qi Ning’an lying motionless at the bottom.

The distance seemed impossibly far.

For Shen Yuanyi, who had spent her twelve-year-old self training in dance studios and had never learned to swim or dive, it was an overwhelming challenge.

Mimicking the breaststroke she’d seen on TV, she held her breath and dove down, wrapping her arms around Qi Ning’an, who was half-lidded and limp.

“Puppy,” Qi Ning’an mouthed, bubbles escaping her lips.

Shen Yuanyi was furious—even now, she was still teasing her with that nickname.

She shot her a reproachful look, not stopping to question how a drowning person could be so calm underwater.

Gazing up at the dark surface, she racked her brain for a way to drag Qi Ning’an to safety.

Her lungs burned—there wasn’t enough air left to swim up while carrying someone.

Thinking of the debt the original owner owed Qi Ning’an, she pushed forward, but halfway to the surface, she couldn’t go any further. Staring at the big villain’s innocent, dazed expression, she hesitated.

Her fingers brushed Qi Ning’an’s lips—soft and warm.

“Sorry…” Bubbles escaped as she spoke.

Before she could finish, water flooded her mouth. Clenching her jaw, she cupped Qi Ning’an’s face, closed her eyes, and pressed her lips against hers, transferring the last of her oxygen into Qi Ning’an’s lungs.

Her consciousness faded, darkness swallowing her vision. She hadn’t even become a star yet—was this how she would die?

All she could hope for was that Qi Ning’an would make it to the surface and survive.

Then, suddenly, oxygen seemed to refill her lungs. She opened her eyes—the shimmering surface was right above her, within reach.

Who would choose death when they can live? This is nothing short of a miracle.

Shen Yuanyi turned her head away from Qi Ning’an’s lips, using every ounce of strength to hold her tight as she desperately swam upward. Breaking through the water’s surface, she gasped for air, the sudden rush of oxygen making her cough violently.

“Cough, cough, cough…” The sound of their coughing overlapped. Shen Yuanyi’s fingers clung tightly to Qi Ning’an’s waist, her eyes shining with a bright light.

It took a moment for the onlookers to react—some reached out to pull them ashore, while others hurried to fetch dry towels.

Shen Yuanyi lowered her gaze to the beautiful woman whose wet hair clung to her neck as she coughed. Her heart pounded wildly. Now, she could feel the warmth of the body pressed against hers, the softness beneath the thin fabric separating them.

A pair of plump curves pressed against her chest, whether intentionally or not, and the arm wrapped around her rubbed against them.

So lewd—!

Thump, thump, thump, thump-thump-thump…

Shen Yuanyi’s cheeks burned as she averted her eyes. Qi Ning’an had no idea—she was just trying not to sink. But Shen Yuanyi’s mind was…

Damn it, filled with nothing but dirty thoughts.

“Cough, cough… Are—are you okay?” Shen Yuanyi deliberately withdrew her arm, shifting to hold Qi Ning’an by the shoulders instead, ensuring they wouldn’t slip back under.

“Puppy… cough, cough, cough…” Qi Ning’an looked at her with damp eyes, unable to speak between coughs.

Shen Yuanyi wiped away the tears clinging to Qi Ning’an’s reddened eyelids with her thumb. “It’s okay now. We’re both safe.”

She lifted Qi Ning’an bridal-style and carried her out of the pool, accepting a dry towel from someone nearby and draping it over Qi Ning’an’s exposed, fair chest.

I hope no one saw. Shen Yuanyi scanned the area. The fewer people who saw Qi Ning’an’s private areas, the better—otherwise, rumors would spread, and that wouldn’t be good for the villainess’s reputation.

Fortunately, everyone was too focused on helping to pay attention to the drowned woman’s disheveled state.

Shen Yuanyi carried Qi Ning’an into the villa’s first-floor lounge, setting her down on the sofa. She shook out her own soaked clothes, wringing the excess water from the hem.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the woman on the sofa sitting motionless, staring blankly at her. Droplets clung to Qi Ning’an’s lashes, making her look pitifully delicate.

“You…”

It’s normal to be dazed after nearly drowning, right?

Taking the dry towel from Qi Ning’an’s hands, Shen Yuanyi began drying her dripping hair, trying to make conversation. “You must have been drunk and accidentally fell into the pool, right?”

Qi Ning’an gazed into the innocent puppy’s eyes, suppressing the urge to let her lips curl into a smile.

Drunk and fell in by accident?

Oh, how she wanted to tell the puppy that she’d orchestrated this whole thing just to be alone with her.

“Mhm… My head feels so dizzy. I must have slipped. Thank goodness you were there, puppy. Otherwise… I would have sunk to the bottom.”

Shen Yuanyi watched as Qi Ning’an lowered her head, fingers clutching her skirt. She stepped closer and patted her head. “Don’t blame yourself. Is your head still spinning?”

The little rabbit looked up at her with reddened eyes, timidly grasping one of her hands with both of hers. “Yes… I need you to stay with me.”

“Really?” Out of all the people Qi Ning’an knew, she chose her to stay.

For some reason, Shen Yuanyi felt a flicker of joy at being trusted, her lips curving upward unconsciously.

But then she caught a glimpse of Qi Ning’an’s body through the soaked, plain dress—her breath hitched, and she choked on her own saliva.

“Cough, cough, cough! You—you dry yourself. I’ll go get some food.” Shen Yuanyi quickly looked away, her gaze flustered as she pulled her hand free and hurried out.

Her hand was suddenly grasped, and Qi Ning’an looked at her with pitiful eyes. “You don’t agree?”

Shen Yuanyi turned back, met her gaze, then leaned her neck back and shook her head repeatedly. “I was just… going out to get some food. I didn’t say I disagreed.”

The villain’s clothes were completely soaked, clinging tightly to her body—so tempting.

“Oh, I see.” Qi Ning’an sighed in relief. “Puppy, there are spare clothes in my car. Go get them. I’ll wait here for you.”

“…Okay.” Shen Yuanyi swallowed hard, clenching her fingers.

The wet clothes sticking to her skin felt awful—damp and hot. Qi Ning’an must be feeling the same way.

“Wait.”

Shen Yuanyi tilted her head in confusion, but before she could ask what was wrong—

A hand wrapped around her neck as the innocent and naive Qi Ning’an leaned in, pressing her fair fingers against Shen Yuanyi’s lip. “Here… can we kiss too? Like this?”

She touched her own lips with the same fingers that had just brushed Shen Yuanyi’s.

Shen Yuanyi’s eyes widened, her pupils trembling.

“…”

The lounge seemed to hold nothing but the sound of their pounding heartbeats.

Wasn’t this an indirect kiss? Ahhh—no, what was she thinking? The villain was so pure.

“Puppy?”

Qi Ning’an gazed at her with guileless eyes.

Snapping back to reality, Shen Yuanyi quickly took a step back, coughing lightly before turning away to explain. “Theoretically, yes, you can kiss there, but… that place…”

“That place?” Qi Ning’an’s voice carried childlike innocence.

Shen Yuanyi didn’t really want to answer—it felt like she was corrupting the villain. “That place is only for kissing someone you love.”

“What about under the pool…?”

Shen Yuanyi hastily waved her hands. “That didn’t count! That was me giving you air in an emergency. It wasn’t a kiss.”

Qi Ning’an nodded, wearing an expression of vague understanding.

The villain really was too pure.

Shen Yuanyi tugged at her damp collar, unable to stand the clingy fabric any longer. “I’ll go get the clothes. Wait here for me, okay?”

The little rabbit seemed startled, staring at her with clear, dazed eyes before murmuring a soft, “Oh.”

What was she thinking about?

Shen Yuanyi smirked slightly.

She turned and left the lounge, weaving through the crowd in the garden until she reached the parking area. Finding Qi Ning’an’s car, she had the driver open the trunk—sure enough, there were two sets of clothes inside.

A plain white dress and a white shirt paired with high-waisted trousers.

The driver politely informed her, “Miss Shen, the shirt and trousers were tailored to Miss Qi’s measurements.”

“Oh.”

What did that mean?

Her eyes flicked to Shen Yuanyi’s chest, and Shen Yuanyi immediately understood, straightening her posture.

Was this the difference between a cannon fodder and a villain? The villain had wealth, looks, and a perfect figure, while she—the cannon fodder—had an empty wallet and an equally lacking physique.

Grumbling, she grabbed the bag and stormed off. Passing by the pool, she overheard a conversation between a female alpha lounging in sunglasses and another alpha soaking in the water.

“Did Qi Ning’an jump into the pool on purpose?”

“Absolutely. She didn’t even struggle when she went under. I heard she got her diving certification years ago.”

“But why? If she wanted an alpha, all she’d need is a glance, and plenty would throw themselves at her. Why go through all this trouble?”

“Who knows?”

Shen Yuanyi’s footsteps halted as he recalled Qi Ning’an falling into the swimming pool—there really didn’t seem to have been any struggle.

A cold breeze brushed over him, raising goosebumps. Shen Yuanyi shook his head and glared at the two gossiping individuals.

Qi Ning’an had accidentally fallen into the pool because he was drunk, yet these two made it sound intentional.

Lowering his head, he quickened his pace toward the lounge and pushed the door open.

The little rabbit sitting upright on the sofa perked up its ears, eyes brightening as it said, “Welcome back. I’ve been waiting for you all this time.”