After Becoming a Scumbag Alpha, I Protect the Female Lead’s Love - Chapter 2

Xi Zhou was so startled by the system’s words that she froze. Ash was blown by the wind onto her hand, stinging her; the midnight breeze slipped past her, bringing a wave of chilliness.

“Currently, we don’t know exactly where the storyline collapsed. This is just a general deduction. You will need to investigate the specific causes, Host, and prevent those factors from affecting the plot.”

“How do you know nothing? I have to investigate everything by myself?” Xi Zhou wanted to curse, but she was so physically and mentally exhausted that she didn’t have the energy to argue with the system.

Other people transmigrated into books with a stack of “golden fingers” (cheats) and a god’s-eye view, becoming CEOs, marrying their crushes, and reaching the pinnacle of life. She, on the other hand, got stuck with a “scum Alpha” script and a useless system that knew nothing. Even the god’s-eye view—the biggest advantage of a transmigrator—was mostly rendered useless due to the shifting plot. And because she was chosen as the “Savior,” she had to work for the system.

The system maintained its lively tone: “You can do it, Host! Although I can’t help much, I will always be by your side!”

“I’m tired. I want to sleep.” Xi Zhou felt like a salted fish, her face full of despair.

“Rest well, Host. Nan Zhiyi will wake up tomorrow! You need to perk up and treat her well!”

The system logged off nimbly after finishing. Xi Zhou extinguished her cigarette and returned to the hospital.

She didn’t enter the ward. Instead, she chose to sit on a chair outside the door. Having just smoked, even after airing out for a bit, she still smelled of tobacco. There was a patient and a child inside.

As an Alpha who had just manifested, her body was weak. Coupled with the high-intensity stress of Nan Zhiyi’s situation, the double fatigue of body and soul left Xi Zhou with no room for further thought. She sat on the chair with her arms crossed and fell asleep.

The next morning, the sound of the nurses’ shift change woke Xi Zhou. She sat on the chair, dazed, rubbing her bleary eyes.

“Miss Xi, did you go to get your glands checked?”

The Omega nurse from yesterday was about to get off duty when she saw the sleepy-eyed Xi Zhou and walked over to ask about her.

“Oh, not yet. I’ll wait for my wife to wake up before I go.” Xi Zhou smiled at the nurse. “Thank you for the reminder.”

“No problem. Glands are a big deal; you must take them seriously.” The nurse waved. “Goodbye, Miss Xi.”

“Goodbye.”

Xi Zhou checked her phone; it was already 6:30 AM. She walked into the ward. Nan Zhiyi was awake, and Nan Jing was lying on the bed sleeping next to her. The coat that had been draped over Nan Jing had fallen to the floor.

The other Omega woman in the room hadn’t woken up yet, and the ward was quiet. Nan Zhiyi noticed the moment Xi Zhou pushed the door open. Xi Zhou walked to the bed, picked up her coat, and put it on.

Nan Zhiyi watched her movements silently without speaking.

“Do you want something to eat?” Xi Zhou spoke flatly. “The doctor scheduled physical therapy for nine o’clock, then you can be discharged.”

“Anything.” Nan Zhiyi’s tone carried an unmistakable exhaustion, her eyes flickering with coldness and suspicion.

“Then I’ll go buy breakfast.” Xi Zhou couldn’t handle that scrutinizing gaze. She looked calm on the outside, but she was terrified inside. No one would have a pleasant expression toward someone who had nearly assaulted them, especially someone as decisive in love and hate as Nan Zhiyi.

“Wait, let me borrow your phone.” Nan Zhiyi stopped her.

Xi Zhou took out her phone, unlocked it, and handed it over. Taking the opportunity to go to the restroom, Nan Zhiyi called Liao Dong, asking her to come and pick up Nan Jing.

Nan Zhiyi returned the phone. “Thank you.”

“I’m going out to get food.”

There were several breakfast shops near the hospital. Not knowing Nan Zhiyi’s or Nan Jing’s tastes, Xi Zhou bought a variety of items and brought them back. Nan Jing was already awake, sitting obediently by Nan Zhiyi’s side. The Omega woman in the next bed was also awake, leaning against the headboard looking at a tablet.

“Auntie Xi.”

When Nan Jing saw Xi Zhou enter, she greeted her proactively. After last night, the little girl had discovered that Xi Zhou wasn’t as mean as she appeared and was no longer as resistant to her as before.

“Good morning, little one.” Xi Zhou set down the breakfast and let Nan Jing choose. “See what you want to eat.”

Nan Jing climbed down from the bed, sat on a chair, picked out her favorites, and ate obediently. Before starting, she didn’t forget to thank Xi Zhou. “Thank you, Auntie Xi.”

As Nan Zhiyi watched Nan Jing eat, the coldness in her eyes melted. She said gently, “After breakfast, how about Auntie Liao takes you to the amusement park to play?”

Today was Saturday, so Nan Jing didn’t have school. Since Nan Zhiyi needed to discuss their previous agreement with Xi Zhou after being discharged, it wasn’t convenient for Nan Jing to be there. She asked Liao Dong to look after her for the day.

“But I want to stay with Mommy.” Nan Jing swallowed her food, looking a bit unhappy about having to leave. “Mommy is sick, it must be painful. I want to stay with Mommy.”

Nan Zhiyi was very patient. “But if An-an stays here, she’ll be sad for Mommy, and Mommy doesn’t want An-an to be sad. If An-an goes to play with Auntie Liao, you can share your happiness with Mommy later, and then Mommy won’t hurt as much, right?”

Nan Jing thought for a moment and finally nodded. “Okay then.”

Watching the interaction between mother and daughter, Xi Zhou felt a pang of bitterness.

Is this what family is like?

Xi Zhou didn’t know; she couldn’t tell who she envied more. Nan Jing had been worried about Nan Zhiyi since last night, and Nan Zhiyi would gently persuade her so she could go have fun with “Auntie Liao.”

“Don’t be envious, Host. When the mission is complete, you’ll have this too.”

The system’s voice chimed in at an inopportune moment. Xi Zhou immediately tucked away those thoughts and bickered with the system.

“Why after the mission? Can’t I have family during the mission?”

“Uh, well…” The system was speechless at her contrarian behavior. “I’m going offline.”

Xi Zhou said: “Did you just come online to chat with me?”

“I almost forgot the main point because you distracted me,” the system turned serious. “I’m here to give you a mission.”

Hearing there was a mission, Xi Zhou became unhappy. “Another one? Isn’t saving the world enough? Why are there side quests?”

“Your mission is to achieve economic independence as soon as possible. It’s best to start your own business. Try not to work for the Xi or Nan family companies.” The system bypassed her question without answering.

The original owner was a textbook “trust fund kid.” Not only did she spend every day idling in bars with bad company, but she had recently been tricked into investing in a shell company. She didn’t have enough money to pay her credit cards and nearly became a blacklisted debtor until her brother, Xi Jiajun, bailed her out. Her father, in a fit of rage, cut off her living allowance. It was because she had no source of income that the original Xi Zhou agreed to a marriage of convenience with Nan Zhiyi.

Nan Zhiyi was willing to pay her 30,000 yuan a month after marriage, and this clearly-priced contract was set to last for one year. Having learned from being scammed that she had no skills and couldn’t handle hardship, the original owner accepted the conditions and entered the agreement.

“Why can’t I go to the Xi or Nan companies?”

Xi Zhou was puzzled. If she wanted to make money, those companies were currently her best options.

“Sorry, Host. The mission is issued by the system; I don’t know the reason.”

Xi Zhou was momentarily speechless. Truly a system that knows nothing.

“Don’t worry, Host. Missions issued by the system will never harm you. They are all meant to serve the storyline and your life in this world. The purpose of this mission is to make money. You need enough financial power to afford the cost of trial and error.”

The system had a point, and Xi Zhou agreed.

“I understand.”

Xi Zhou was someone who had lived through hard times. She was an orphan whose financial situation had always been poor until she took on many side hustles and part-time jobs in college. Regardless of the world, financial ability provided the most basic sense of security.

Xi Zhou stood by the window and watched Nan Zhiyi and Nan Jing finish their meal. The mother and daughter were naturally whispering to each other. Xi Zhou quietly walked out to give them space, taking her pack of cigarettes to the rooftop.

“How did you know to greet Auntie Xi on your own today?” Nan Zhiyi hugged Nan Jing and asked gently.

Nan Zhiyi knew Nan Jing was very afraid of Xi Zhou. Xi Zhou had sharp, well-defined features that made her look unapproachable, especially those slightly downturned eyes that resembled a dangerous beast. Xi Zhou rarely smiled and always looked cold; a single glance could usually scare Nan Jing into silence. Yet this morning, Nan Jing had taken the initiative to say hello.

Nan Jing shyly buried her face in Nan Zhiyi’s arms. “Auntie Xi was comforting me all last night and coaxed me to sleep.”

Nan Zhiyi was surprised. This didn’t sound like something Xi Zhou would do. She felt something was off. Xi Zhou didn’t like children—she had stated that clearly when they signed the agreement.

Nan Zhiyi suppressed her doubts and chatted casually with Nan Jing. She had been busy with work lately and hadn’t had a chance to talk or play with her for two or three days. The mother and daughter enjoyed a warm moment of parent-child bonding.

Twenty minutes later, Liao Dong arrived.

Liao Dong pushed open the ward door in a rage, ready to demand an explanation. “What’s wrong with Xi Zhou?”

“Keep it down,” Nan Zhiyi reminded her. “There’s another patient.”

Liao Dong finally noticed the woman in the next bed and quickly apologized. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” The woman looked up with a gentle smile and accepted the apology.

Xi Zhou, timing her return to ensure the smoke smell had mostly dissipated, walked back into the room. She walked right into the middle of Liao Dong’s anger.

“Xi Zhou, come outside with me.”

Xi Zhou: ???

Although she didn’t know what was going on, she obediently prepared to follow Liao Dong out.

“It’s okay, Dong-dong. I’ll handle it myself,” Nan Zhiyi stopped them. “Take An-an to the amusement park. We’ll talk tonight.”

Liao Dong trusted Nan Zhiyi’s ability to handle things but was still furious on her behalf.

“Fine.” Liao Dong took Nan Jing’s small hand to leave, but not before shooting Xi Zhou a fierce glare.

That was Liao Dong, Nan Zhiyi’s close friend and a high school geography teacher. Xi Zhou avoided her gaze, looking down at her hands as if fidgeting.

After Liao Dong and Nan Jing left, Xi Zhou sat on the chair by the bed. She looked at Nan Zhiyi; neither spoke, letting the silence stretch out.

Finally, a sharp ringtone broke the quiet. The woman in the next bed went outside to take a call. Nan Zhiyi watched the door close and spoke slowly.

“Why did you lie to me?” Nan Zhiyi’s cold voice was tinged with frost. “You’re an Alpha. Why did you tell me you were a Beta?”

“I didn’t lie. I only manifested yesterday afternoon,” Xi Zhou denied. “My ID says Beta. I let you see it when we registered at the Civil Affairs Bureau. If you don’t believe me, I can go get a certification right now.”

In the original novel, the original owner had manifested as an Alpha early on but kept it a secret through family connections because she enjoyed playing the field with Alphas, Betas, and Omegas alike. But in this world, Xi Zhou truly had just manifested.

Seeing Xi Zhou’s open attitude, Nan Zhiyi no longer doubted the truth of her words, but she remained guarded. However, Xi Zhou’s pheromones had a massive impact on her; she had nearly lost control and tried to seek pleasure from her. Nan Zhiyi didn’t even need a test to guess that their pheromone compatibility was likely very high.

In that case, Nan Zhiyi had to seriously consider whether this marriage should continue.

“No need,” Nan Zhiyi said calmly. “Let’s get a divorce.”

Xi Zhou had been suffering from a headache since returning from the rooftop. Her mind was foggy and she didn’t know what to do, so she could only stall. “Let me think about it, okay?”

The storyline had just begun, and Nan Zhiyi’s “true” Alpha partner hadn’t appeared yet. Xi Zhou didn’t dare change the divorce timing recklessly for fear of causing a massive butterfly effect in the plot.

Fortunately, the system came online just in time. “Whatever you do, don’t divorce! If you stay by Nan Zhiyi’s side, you can correct things if something goes wrong. I won’t be able to predict the butterfly effect caused by a divorce.”

“Then what am I supposed to say to her?” Xi Zhou panicked upon hearing she couldn’t divorce.

She had no idea how to salvage a relationship, especially a fragile marriage built on money.

The system was also helpless and spoke with a hint of apology: “Sorry, Host. You’ll have to work this out yourself.”

Xi Zhou: …

Xi Zhou looked at the woman on the bed with trepidation. Finally, after building up her psychological defenses, she plucked up the courage to speak.

“Let’s… not divorce…”