A Scumbag Alpha Gets the Simp’s Script - Chapter 23

Yu Jinzhao had no idea that Pei Daowan had already finished work. She had been busy to the point of exhaustion; from the moment she arrived at the office this morning until now, she hadn’t even had time for a sip of water.

As the wealthiest family in Jiangcheng, the Yu family’s industries spanned almost every sector—vast and chaotic. More importantly, with the Yu family backed by the government, many of their projects were tied to urban planning.

This Yu family is truly a massive empire, she thought. To grow to such a scale in just a few decades—it had to be said, Yu Xincheng was quite the talent.

As Yu Xincheng’s “biological daughter,” he hadn’t given her any of the core projects. Instead, he handed her a relatively marginal industry within the Yu family: film and television entertainment.

Yu Xincheng’s thinking was old-fashioned. Since most of what the Yu family controlled were traditional industries, he held a certain level of disdain for the entertainment business, viewing it as something beneath the dignity of the family.

Consequently, though the Yu family had invested in entertainment companies, they had always been lukewarm. He rarely inquired about them, using them more as a way to grant favors to people within the social circle.

Taking over this sector now, Yu Jinzhao couldn’t quite gauge Yu Xincheng’s attitude. She had checked—on the surface, “she” was indeed his only Alpha. Why let her take over such a peripheral industry?

Yu Jinzhao personally held no prejudice against entertainment, nor did she care what project Yu Xincheng gave her. She was simply wondering: Are the core industries of the Yu family off-limits to everyone but him?

It seemed Yu Xincheng’s vigilance was much deeper than she’d imagined. His authority was absolute; she’d been at the company for half a month, yet aside from inconsequential details, she hadn’t gained a single piece of important information. Everything else she knew, she had dug up herself.

But it didn’t matter. Since Yu Xincheng didn’t value the entertainment sector, it meant his reach didn’t extend there—giving her a perfect opportunity. She was going to cultivate her own power base.

It wasn’t until past 9:00 PM that she finally found a moment to rest. Exhaling a long breath, she felt the sheer weight of the job. This work is truly exhausting.

She instinctively took out her phone, scrolling through her contacts. She needed to arrange tomorrow’s schedule. She had to admit, having grown used to her world’s messaging apps, the lack of a similar unified platform here made her feel out of place; she had to find each contact individually to send messages.

Once everything was settled, Yu Jinzhao rubbed her aching eyes. It was nearly 10:00 PM; by the time she got home, it would be 10:30. She wondered if Pei Daowan was already asleep.

At this moment, Pei Daowan was feeling a bit irritable. In a rare move, she was sitting in the living room watching TV, though she had no heart for the program. She kept glancing at the time.

It was almost 10:30. What kind of work took that long? The girl was coming back even later than she did.

Click!

The sound of the key turning in the lock. Pei Daowan instantly relaxed her posture, pretending to be indifferent. She stared at the TV screen as if she were completely engrossed.

Yu Jinzhao hadn’t expected Pei Daowan to be in the living room. The moment she saw her, a wave of subtle emotions surged up.

“Morning…”

She stammered, regretting the words as soon as they left her mouth. What time is it? Why would I say that?

Pei Daowan turned to look at her, her face expressionless, showing neither joy nor anger. Inexplicably, Yu Jinzhao felt like a husband being caught coming home late by his wife.

The awkwardness and guilt intensified. She walked in with her limbs moving in stiff coordination, even forgetting to set down her bag. She stood behind Pei Daowan like a dazed fool, fishing for a dry topic: “Not asleep yet? Watching TV?”

Nonsense, it’s right there in front of you. Did you really need to repeat it!

“Is your work usually this busy?”

Oh no. The feeling intensified—it was an exact match for the “interrogation” vibe. If Yu Jinzhao didn’t know she hadn’t done anything wrong, she’d truly think she was being caught in an affair.

“It’s… alright. Just taking over the company business, there’s a lot to do…”

“Do you need help?”

Yu Jinzhao suddenly remembered: Pei Daowan was someone with actual corporate management experience, and on a scale far larger than her own failed startup. Why hadn’t she asked her?

“Actually, yes!”

Pei Daowan arched an eyebrow. “Oh? Let’s hear it.”

Yu Jinzhao set down her bag and sat on the sofa beside her, leaving a gap of about half a meter.

“I took over the Yu family’s entertainment business, Huying Media. The thing is, the company doesn’t have any real operations. They just threw money at a few films and dramas—it feels like they’re just granting favors, not actually trying to produce anything.”

“I’m wondering if I can turn it into a girl group debut survival show. It would bring buzz and ratings.”

Fearing Pei Daowan wouldn’t understand the concept, Yu Jinzhao explained the idol survival shows from her world. Pei Daowan was sharp; she understood the premise almost instantly.

She tapped her finger lightly on the table, seemingly nonchalant. “Did you like following girl groups before?”

Yu Jinzhao didn’t hesitate. “I rarely watched them. I only like movies and the occasional drama.”

“Then how do you know so much?”

“Girl group survival shows were huge back where I’m from. Many people liked them, so I picked up a bit of knowledge.”

Hearing the explanation, Pei Daowan’s mood inexplicably lightened. “I think the idea is sound. You can be bold with it. This is something that doesn’t exist here yet; even if it doesn’t meet full expectations, it will certainly pique people’s curiosity.”

Yu Jinzhao’s eyes lit up. “You think it’s feasible too?”

But then her voice dropped several notches. “But… I have zero experience in this field…”

“All things share a common root. You have experience in other industries; by the same logic, you’ll learn this very quickly. You’re a smart person.”

Being praised by Pei Daowan made Yu Jinzhao feel a bit shy. She scratched her head, her voice carrying a hint of joy. “You trust me that much?”

Pei Daowan’s gaze grew meaningful—half teasing, half encouraging. “You’re so talented; how could you not learn it?”

“Speaking of which, the moment I arrived in this world was shortly after my business failed…”

Yu Jinzhao trailed off, seemingly unsure how to open that door. Pei Daowan encouraged her with a look to continue.

“I was really dejected, almost depressed. But I feel much better now. I think I was just stuck in a rut back then.”

Pei Daowan narrowed her eyes and suddenly said, “Come here.”

Yu Jinzhao instinctively took a step forward, closing the distance until they were barely a foot apart. Since she was standing, she leaned down, bringing her ear close to Pei Daowan as if to listen intently.

Pei Daowan reached out her hand as if to touch her. Yu Jinzhao didn’t even dare to breathe; she leaned her “fluffy” head forward to save Pei Daowan the effort of reaching.

The expected touch didn’t come immediately. Yu Jinzhao felt a flicker of disappointment, her lips pursed, unsure whether to stand back up or keep waiting.

In the next second, Yu Jinzhao felt slender fingers gently thread through her hair. Then, a palm landed softly, covering the top of her head. The fingertips touched her hair first, as if testing it, before the whole palm settled firmly on her head. It stayed there for a moment, then gave two gentle ruffles.

A head pat!

Her heart gave a violent jolt. Something hit the bullseye. An indescribable fluttering surged in her chest, leaving Yu Jinzhao flustered yet delighted. Unable to process the emotion, she furrowed her brow slightly and looked up at Pei Daowan, as if waiting for an explanation.

Pei Daowan’s attitude was nonchalant. The moment Yu Jinzhao looked up, she withdrew her hand as if she had never crossed the line.

“What? You don’t like me touching you?”

Pei Daowan’s voice held a playful hook at the end, sending a tingling sensation through Yu Jinzhao that left her even more bewildered. She stood there dazed, nodding and then shaking her head, completely losing track of what she was doing.

Pei Daowan tilted her chin up, a faint smile playing at the corners of her eyes. Her slender fingers extended again, slowly and gently grazing Yu Jinzhao’s collar.

Yu Jinzhao was wearing a shirt today; she’d taken off her blazer when she walked in and had unfastened the top two buttons. Leaning down as she was, her collarbones were clearly visible.

The fingertips brushed past as if by accident, but each touch felt like an electric current. Yu Jinzhao shifted slightly, her body leaning forward. A warm breath brushed against her earlobe, while one of Pei Daowan’s hands instinctively rested on the sofa, trapping her in her own space.

“I…”

Yu Jinzhao opened her mouth awkwardly, then snapped it shut. She felt that if she said anything right now, she’d be a total mood-killer.

But…

“You what? What do you want to say?”

Compared to Yu Jinzhao’s stiff and nervous state, Pei Daowan was perfectly composed, radiating the pride of a superior and absolute control over the situation.

Yu Jinzhao’s lips felt dry as she muttered: “It’s… pretty late. We should go to sleep…”

Pei Daowan: “…”

Instantly, the ambiguous atmosphere so carefully cultivated vanished without a trace. Truly throwing pearls before swine.

Pei Daowan rarely felt speechless, but right now she was truly silent. Was her charm really gone, or did Yu Jinzhao just not like her type? But the girl’s reactions didn’t seem to suggest that.

“I see. Go to bed then.”

Even someone as dense as Yu Jinzhao noticed the shift in the atmosphere. She asked timidly, “Are you angry?”

Pei Daowan sneered. “What would I be angry about? Is there anything worth my anger? Laughable.”

With that, she ignored Yu Jinzhao’s expression, turned off the TV, and marched upstairs, her footsteps thumping loudly against the steps.

Yu Jinzhao touched her head belatedly—the spot where Pei Daowan had just patted her.

I’m so glad I washed my hair before leaving this morning, she thought. It wasn’t oily; it was actually quite fluffy. What if she’d been repulsed?

Should I wash my hair before leaving tomorrow too? What if she tries to pat me again?

Clutching her guilt-ridden thoughts, Yu Jinzhao quickly washed up and went to bed.