After Becoming a Scumbag Alpha, I Protect the Female Lead’s Love - Chapter 4

After eating, Nan Zhiyi drove Liao Dong home. She then took Nan Jing to the mall to pick out a few new outfits and stopped by the supermarket to stock up on snacks.

Once they returned home, Nan Jing proactively took charge of organizing the snack corner, eager to help her mother with chores. Nan Zhiyi let her handle it while she busied herself pre-washing the new clothes.

After finishing her task, Nan Jing sat on the sofa to watch cartoons. Within minutes, her small head began nodding like a chick pecking at rice. She eventually tilted over and fell fast asleep. Having lost sleep the previous night and spent the morning playing hard, her exhaustion was natural. Nan Zhiyi turned off the TV and draped a small blanket over her.

With Nan Jing settled, Nan Zhiyi took her phone into the study to handle the fallout from the previous night. Just then, Xi Zhou called.

“It’s Xi Zhou.” Her voice sounded warm yet deep through the receiver. “Nan Zhiyi, I wanted to ask—would you be willing to let me handle the matter from last night?”

Nan Zhiyi considered this briefly before asking, “How do you plan to handle it?”

“I am the Third Miss of the Xi family.”

With that simple sentence, Nan Zhiyi understood her implication. Xi Zhou intended to use this “accident” as an opportunity to go public with their marriage. With the power of the Xi family, identifying the person who sabotaged Nan Zhiyi would be trivial. The aftermath would be even simpler: being targeted by all sectors until they faced bankruptcy.

“Are you sure you don’t want a divorce?” For the first time, Nan Zhiyi wavered. Xi Zhou’s goal was clearly to solidify their marriage through this gesture, but what benefit did such a marriage offer Xi Zhou? Furthermore, the fact that Xi Zhou seemed like a completely different person since her manifestation remained an unsolvable puzzle.

Xi Zhou was not the type of person to let herself lose out, yet every condition she proposed now favored Nan Zhiyi.

“I’m sure,” Xi Zhou said firmly. “If you can accept me announcing our marriage to my parents and the public, we can have a candid talk once I’m discharged. Think of my handling of this situation as an apology for hiding my identity.”

Nan Zhiyi stopped hesitating and agreed. “Very well.”

“Good. I’ll let you see the results as soon as possible.”

“Xi Zhou,” Nan Zhiyi called out before she could hang up, “has your fever broken? Do you need me to come to the hospital?”

“It’s gone. Don’t worry. My brother said he’s picking me up this afternoon, so you don’t need to come.”

“Alright,” Nan Zhiyi responded and ended the call.

Xi Zhou was woken up at noon by a call from Xi Jiajun. When an Alpha manifests, the hospital system automatically updates their gender information. The eldest brother, Xi Jiajun, had seen the update while processing paperwork for her credit card at the bank. He called immediately.

“When did you manifest?” His joy was palpable even through the phone.

“Big Brother?” Xi Zhou, startled out of her sleep by the unfamiliar male voice, gave a tentative reply. She subconsciously ruffled her hair to wake herself up.

“Speak up,” Xi Jiajun urged impatiently.

“Yesterday afternoon,” Xi Zhou answered honestly.

“Congratulations! Come back the day after tomorrow for dinner; the whole family will celebrate for you.” His tone was forceful, leaving no room for refusal. “How long has it been since you’ve come home? Are you really holding a grudge just because I cut off your credit card?”

“Uh, I’m in the hospital.”

Hearing she was sick, Xi Jiajun immediately grew anxious. “What’s wrong?”

“A high fever.” Xi Zhou hid the fact that she lacked the ability to mark; now was not the time to disclose that.

“You’ve been a medicine jar since you were a kid, getting sick at the drop of a hat.” Despite the scolding, he couldn’t hide his concern. “You’re an adult now; you need to mind your health. Which hospital? I’ll come see you after work.”

The Xi family had three children. Xi Zhou was the youngest, with a brother and a sister above her. The eldest, Xi Jiajun, and the second, Xi Jiahua, both worked for the Guanghua Group, though they managed different sectors. Jiajun handled the traditional industries the family was built on, while Jiahua managed the emerging industries Guanghua had entered in recent years.

“No need. I’m being discharged this afternoon.”

“Then I’ll pick you up and take you home for dinner.”

Seeing she couldn’t win against his stubbornness, Xi Zhou gave him the hospital name and room number.

“Got it.” Xi Jiajun had a meeting starting; his secretary was already prompting him. He gave a short acknowledgment and hung up.

Xi Zhou set the phone down and began contemplating her meeting with Xi Jiajun. This was the perfect opportunity to tell the family about the marriage. A woman of action, she had called Nan Zhiyi immediately, and fortunately, Nan Zhiyi had agreed.

The phone of the woman in the next bed rang again. The woman glanced at the caller ID and asked Xi Zhou, “I’m taking a call; will it disturb you?”

Xi Zhou waved her hand. “Not at all, go ahead.”

The woman smiled her thanks and answered.

Technical terms occasionally drifted from her conversation. After listening for a bit, Xi Zhou realized the topic was identical to her previous research direction. Once the woman hung up, Xi Zhou couldn’t contain her curiosity.

“Miss, what is the current academic consensus on the points you just mentioned?”

The woman was surprised but patiently explained it to her. As they talked, Xi Zhou continued to ask insightful questions, all of which the woman answered. Worried Xi Zhou might not fully grasp it, the woman added her on WeChat and forwarded several relevant papers.

“Thank you, I understand now,” Xi Zhou said sincerely.

The level of basic science in this world was consistent with her own time, with some areas even being more advanced. The topic the woman discussed was exactly what Xi Zhou had originally chosen for her graduation thesis—a topic her advisor had rejected, forcing her to change it. This woman’s answers proved that her original premise was viable.

Through their conversation, Xi Zhou learned the woman was an Associate Professor in the Astronomy Department at Qinglin University. The character “Meng Wenxin” hadn’t appeared in the original book. Xi Zhou knew of Qinglin University; in the novel, it was the top institution in the country and the alma mater of the heroine, Nan Zhiyi.

“You’re welcome. What’s your name?”

“I’m Xi Zhou.”

“Are you a graduate student? Any interest in applying to Qinglin?”

Xi Zhou looked young, and Meng Wenxin guessed she was a grad student somewhere. She appreciated Xi Zhou’s intellect; if Xi Zhou could settle down and focus on academia, she would surely achieve great things.

Xi Zhou forgot which university the original owner had attended, only remembering the major was Computer Science because it matched her own undergraduate degree. The original owner’s degree had been bought by the Xi family from some obscure “diploma mill” abroad with a convoluted name.

Having reached the PhD level herself, Xi Zhou knew the conversation had exposed her true knowledge level. She laughed it off, slightly regretting speaking up. “Professor Meng, you misunderstand. I’m not a student…”

Before she could finish, a knock sounded at the door. Meng Wenxin, assuming it was a doctor, called out, “Come in.”

The person who entered was not a doctor, but a woman with a haggard face.

“Wenxin.”

Xi Jiahua stood at the foot of Meng Wenxin’s bed. Her voice, thick with fragility and bitterness, made Meng Wenxin’s eyes redden instantly.

Xi Zhou, watching the emotional drama about to unfold, grabbed her cigarettes to give them some space. She was grateful for the sudden intrusion—it saved her from having to invent reasons for her academic knowledge.

As Xi Zhou quietly tried to slip out of bed, Xi Jiahua caught her movement out of the corner of her eye. Finding the figure familiar, she turned to see her own sister tip-toeing toward the door.

“Xiao Zhou? Why are you here?” Seeing her sister, Xi Jiahua immediately tucked away her despondency and forced a composed expression.

Hearing the woman call her “Xiao Zhou,” Xi Zhou immediately knew who she was. Only the four members of the Xi family called her that.

“I’m sick,” Xi Zhou said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. What else would one be doing in a hospital?

“What kind of sickness? Why are you in the Gland Department?” Xi Jiahua’s sharp intuition kicked in. “You’re a Beta. Since when do you have glands?”

“I manifested last night,” Xi Zhou explained. “I had a high fever during the process.”

“Manifested into what?”

“An Alpha.”

A flash of joy crossed Xi Jiahua’s face, followed immediately by a chill. “An Alpha staying in a ward with an Omega? What if it triggers a heat? Is the hospital this careless with patient assignments now?”

Xi Zhou realized where her sister’s displeasure came from. The original owner was notoriously promiscuous; as a new Alpha in a room with an Omega, Jiahua feared she would target Meng Wenxin. “I’m being discharged this afternoon,” Xi Zhou explained. “Plus, I currently lack the ability to mark anyone. The hospital was short on beds, so they arranged it this way.”

Meng Wenxin had heard of Xi Zhou before, but her knowledge was limited to the “useless rich kid” reputation. After their recent talk, she felt Xi Zhou wasn’t nearly as unruly as Jiahua claimed. Her first impression was positive, so she spoke up to defend her.

“Her staying in this room was a joint decision made after consulting with her wife. I don’t think you have the right to criticize the hospital right now, Miss Xi.”

Placing an Alpha and Omega in the same room was difficult for the hospital, but they had only proceeded after consulting Nan Zhiyi and Meng Wenxin.

Stung by Meng Wenxin’s words, Xi Jiahua felt a wave of frustration. She truly had no right to criticize—she was no longer Meng Wenxin’s partner. Meng Wenxin was only at the hospital to have Jiahua’s mark removed. Despite her heartbreak, Jiahua caught the key detail.

“Wife? Xiao Zhou, when did you get married? And why do you have no marking ability right after manifesting?”

Xi Zhou recounted the “marriage for love” with Nan Zhiyi. She embellished the story about Nan Zhiyi being sabotaged at a dinner, blaming her inability to mark entirely on the sudden influx of Omega pheromones during her own manifestation.

“If Nan Zhiyi had come home normally last night, she would have helped me through the manifestation smoothly. I wouldn’t have inhaled such a massive amount of Omega pheromones and lost the ability to mark.”

Xi Zhou concluded with a look of feigned grievance.

Xi Jiahua remained skeptical. They say a prodigal son’s return is worth more than gold, but she didn’t think that prodigal would be Xi Zhou. “Are you serious?”

“I am.” Xi Zhou nodded.

She wasn’t familiar with the family dynamics and didn’t know the Xi family’s current stance. The book had little detail on them, other than the fact that they abandoned Xi Zhou when she went to prison. She needed to test the waters. If the Xi family wouldn’t help Nan Zhiyi, she would have to do it herself. Having read the book, she knew exactly who the culprit was and how Nan Zhiyi eventually caught him.

After a moment, Xi Jiahua spoke flatly. “I see. When are you leaving?”

She didn’t take a stand on the matter, leaving Xi Zhou unsure of her thoughts.

“5:30,” Xi Zhou said. “Big Brother said he’s picking me up and taking me home for dinner.”

At the mention of Xi Jiajun, Xi Jiahua frowned and looked toward Meng Wenxin. “Wenxin, do you mind if I introduce you to my family?”

Meng Wenxin gave a cold laugh, her voice dripping with irony. “Introduce me to your family? In what capacity? As the ex-girlfriend?”

“Need I remind you? You were the one who brought up the breakup.”

“And you were the one who said ‘quit your job or we break up’.”

Xi Jiahua fell silent, absorbing the accusations while looking piteously at Meng Wenxin, hoping for a soft-hearted reconciliation. But Meng Wenxin remained perfectly composed, her tone terrifyingly calm.

“I’m sorry, Wenxin. It was an impulsive moment,” Xi Jiahua apologized sincerely.

“I accept your apology,” Meng Wenxin said. “I hope you won’t harass me anymore. Let’s end our relationship here.”