After Becoming a Scumbag Alpha, I Protect the Female Lead’s Love - Chapter 5

Xi Jiahua stood rooted to the spot, looking utterly despondent. Seeing her like this didn’t make Meng Wenxin feel any better; she burrowed under her covers, closed her eyes, and turned her back to Xi Jiahua.

Xi Zhou sat on her hospital bed, watching the two of them awkwardly, wondering if she should say something to ease the tension.

Help. Why do I have to face such an awkward scene? If I’d known, I would’ve preferred jumping off that building a second time.

“I’m going to the restroom,” Xi Zhou said, unable to bear the heavy atmosphere. She grabbed her cigarette pack and slipped out to smoke.

Finding her way to the rooftop, she couldn’t wait to light a cigarette and take a deep drag.

“Hey… can the existence of ‘Systems’ like you be perceived by other individuals?”

Xi Zhou had wanted to ask this for a while, but things had been too hectic. Now that she had a moment, she queried the system in her mind.

The crisp, energetic voice of a young girl rang out: “No. No method or personal will can perceive our presence.”

“Good, understood. I’m a transmigrator—can I let others know that?”

This was what Xi Zhou cared about most. She needed Nan Zhiyi to understand that she wasn’t the original owner.

“Please note, Host, this is not a book world. That book was merely a projection of this world.”

The system dodged the question, once again emphasizing the difference between the novel and reality. Having failed to get a direct answer, Xi Zhou rephrased it.

“Fine, fine. Let me ask it this way: Can I let people know that I am not ‘Xi Zhou’?”

This time, the system understood. “You can tell them, but you must bear any consequences that arise, regardless of whether they believe you or not.”

“Understood.” Xi Zhou decided she would tell Nan Zhiyi the truth when the time was right.

Nan Zhiyi was too smart and sharp; Xi Zhou’s personality was the polar opposite of the original’s. She feared she couldn’t hide it for long.

“You just don’t want to pretend to be the original owner!” a voice snapped in her head as the system spoke indignantly.

That sparked Xi Zhou’s stubborn streak. “Who wants to spend their whole life suppressing themselves to live someone else’s life? I won’t do it. The original was stupid, shallow, and a brainless romantic—how am I supposed to fake that? Later in the plot, she even commits domestic violence and does drugs. Am I supposed to fake that too? This is how it is. If you don’t like it, kill me. Let someone else be the ‘Savior’.”

Retreating after being rebuked, the system didn’t dare make more demands. “Apologies, Host. I failed to consider your feelings.”

“Hmph.” Xi Zhou dropped the subject but pivoted. “Can you read my mind?”

The system grew tense. “Only when communicating with you.”

Though uncomfortable with the idea, Xi Zhou had no way to make the system leave. “Fine. One more thing: why don’t I have the original owner’s memories?”

She had arrived here with zero memories of the host, relying entirely on her knowledge of the book to guess everyone’s identity.

“The original owner has been annihilated; her memories did not survive,” the system explained quickly to soothe her anger. “But don’t worry, I will provide assistance—passwords for her bank cards, her social network, things like that—to help you live better in this world.”

“Good enough.” Xi Zhou crushed her cigarette out, then stomped on it twice more for good measure. “Give me the information then. Stop making me guess.”

“Understood, Host.”

A file was immediately transmitted to her mind. Xi Zhou scanned it; five minutes later, she was finished.

The original Xi Zhou was the third child of the family and their most pampered—a spoiled, useless trust-fund kid. She was a promiscuous romantic whose “love” for beauties lasted at most a month. In reality, she only loved Li Qingyu; everyone else was just a substitute who shared some resemblance to her. Li Qingyu looked down on Xi Zhou, yet Xi Zhou remained a devoted “simp.”

Wow, Xi Zhou thought, she was even into the ‘substitute’ trope. However, seeing how much the Xi family doted on her, she felt relieved. They likely wouldn’t ignore Nan Zhiyi’s situation.

Checking her clothes for any lingering smoke smell, Xi Zhou returned to the ward. Meng Wenxin was still in the same position, but Xi Jiahua had composed herself and was sitting calmly in a chair looking at her phone.

“Sister.”

“Mhm.” Xi Jiahua looked up and gestured for Xi Zhou to sit on the bed. Once she did, Jiahua asked, “Is your wife the daughter of Minsen Jewelry?”

Xi Zhou wasn’t surprised that Jiahua had investigated Nan Zhiyi. A family this powerful wouldn’t be without vigilance. She wasn’t worried about Nan Zhiyi’s background because the woman was genuinely excellent—enough to dispel any prejudice.

Dissatisfied with Jiahua’s description of Nan Zhiyi’s status, Xi Zhou corrected her: “She’s the CEO.”

“I see. I’ve already sent people to investigate last night’s incident. We should have results by tonight. Once we do, you let your wife decide how to handle it.”

“Okay, thanks, Sis.”

Xi Zhou was impressed by her efficiency. Given the family’s protective nature, Jiahua wouldn’t let Xi Zhou’s marriage slide without a background check; only after confirming Nan Zhiyi wasn’t a threat did she offer help.

“Xiao Zhou, now that you’ve started a family, you should think about your career.” Xi Jiahua began a lecture. Xi Zhou nodded obediently, chiming in at the right moments. Pleased by her lack of backtalk, Jiahua pulled out her phone and transferred 500,000 yuan to her.

Xi Zhou stared at the transfer in the chat window, quickly masking her shock. “Thanks, Sis.”

“You didn’t have a wedding, but etiquette must be followed. Once the parents meet, we’ll discuss the dowry. Take this money for now and buy something for your wife.”

So she was benefiting from Nan Zhiyi’s reflected light. Xi Zhou agreed with the sentiment but had no idea what Nan Zhiyi liked. Being an honest person, she transferred the entire 500,000 yuan to Nan Zhiyi and sent a message explaining exactly where the money came from and what Jiahua had said.

Upon receiving the transfer, Nan Zhiyi stared at the chat in a daze. She exited the app and went back in several times to confirm it was really Xi Zhou. Her confusion deepened; how could a person’s personality change so drastically upon manifestation?

Nan Zhiyi sent a single question mark back.

Xi Jiajun eventually arrived at the ward. Having no luggage, Xi Zhou followed him to handle the discharge. He was surprised to see Jiahua there but didn’t ask questions until they reached the car.

Jiahua had sent her own car home with her assistant and joined them in Jiajun’s car. As they pulled onto the road, Jiajun asked why Xi Zhou was in the Gland Department. She repeated her story, and Jiahua summarized Nan Zhiyi’s resume. Jiajun had dealt with Nan Zhiyi in business before and was very pleased with her as a sister-in-law. But when he heard the details of the sabotage, he was furious.

“What rubbish! Someone dares to bully a member of the Xi family? Unacceptable. I’ll have it investigated immediately.”

He had already categorized Nan Zhiyi as “one of them.” Xi Zhou was very satisfied with the protective nature of her siblings.

“No need, Brother. I’ve already handled it. We should have a name soon,” Jiahua said from the passenger seat.

Jiajun calmed down slightly. “Good. I trust Jiahua’s work. The Xi family doesn’t take losses lying down.”

When they arrived at the old family manor, Mother Xi was in the front yard tending flowers with Jiajun’s 6-year-old son, while Father Xi and Jiajun’s wife, Yang Xiu, were busy in the kitchen.

“You’re back. Wash up, dinner’s almost ready.” Father Xi emerged with a bowl of fish soup.

Not knowing the layout, Xi Zhou followed Jiahua to the bathroom. She deliberately hung back and only took the empty seat to Jiahua’s right once everyone else was seated.

She reached for her chopsticks with her left hand and bumped into Jiahua’s right arm. Jiahua frowned at her in dissatisfaction. Xi Zhou whispered an apology and switched the chopsticks to her right hand to pick up some greens. She sighed inwardly; faking being the original owner was hard. Xi Zhou was left-handed, though she had trained to be ambidextrous in her past life.

The meal was warm and harmonious. Jiajun’s son, Xi Rui, was a clever child whose witty remarks delighted the adults. Xi Zhou followed the principle of “speak less, err less,” focusing on her food and only chiming in when spoken to.

Near the end of the meal, Mother Xi brought up Jiahua’s marriage. Jiahua, already annoyed by her situation with Meng Wenxin, didn’t hesitate to sell Xi Zhou out.

“Xiao Zhou already got married behind your backs.”

The news hit the table like a lightning bolt. Jiajun joined in, and the two siblings revealed everything they knew about Xi Zhou’s marriage.

Mother Xi was both shocked and delighted. “Xiao Zhou, why would you hide this from the family? And what will you do about your marking ability being gone?”

Xi Zhou set down her chopsticks and gave her rehearsed reason. “Zhiyi said not to tell you yet until her situation stabilized. She married me when she thought I was a Beta; whether I can mark her now doesn’t change our relationship.”

Minsen Jewelry was a top local brand in Lancheng, but it paled in comparison to the massive Xi family. It had recently been hit with a plagiarism scandal—which was what Nan Zhiyi had been dealing with the night before.

Father Xi looked at Xi Zhou sternly. “Marriage means taking on family responsibilities. Are you prepared for that?”

“I am,” Xi Zhou said seriously. “I will work hard from now on.”

He nodded in satisfaction. “Good. Remember those words. I don’t want to see you getting a divorce one day.”

“I’ll remember.”

The news of the marriage filled the house with joy, and Xi Zhou felt some of her internal gloom lift. After dinner, Mother Xi didn’t keep her long, knowing Nan Zhiyi was at home, but insisted she bring her back for a meal soon.

Jiahua offered to drive Xi Zhou home. Xi Zhou wasn’t surprised—Jiahua likely needed to deal with the fact that Xi Zhou was the only family member who knew about her and Meng Wenxin.

Once in the car, Jiahua spoke. “The person who sabotaged your wife has been found. It was Zhao Que of Zhaoxiang Jewelry.” Jiahua’s investigators were fast; she had checked her phone after dinner and found the report.

“That fast?”

“Mhm. I sent the video to you.”

Xi Zhou checked her phone. She finally saw Nan Zhiyi’s question mark from earlier and replied first: Sorry, just saw this. Let’s talk when I get back.

Then she opened the video Jiahua sent. It clearly showed Zhao Que spiking the drink. Xi Zhou immediately forwarded it to Nan Zhiyi.

About a minute later, Nan Zhiyi must have finished watching.

Nan Zhiyi: Okay.