After Falling in Love with the Scum Alpha’s Beautiful Original Wife at First Sight - Chapter 2

At the mention of her grandmother, Xu Qingzhi’s expression faltered. She gave a low, soft response before hanging up the phone.

The stairwell was exceptionally cold; after standing there for just a few minutes, her hands and feet had turned icy.

She pulled open the emergency exit door and returned to the corridor of the inpatient department.

As she reached the elevator and pressed the down button, several voices suddenly drifted over from behind her—

“You—you—how did you get here? Who told you? Was it that…”

“You’re nearly at death’s door and I’m not allowed to come? What, were you planning to wait until your cremation to notify me?”

The first voice sounded terrified and blindsided, while the latter sounded as if there were thorns in its throat—sharp, biting, and dripping with sarcasm.

Xu Qingzhi instinctively looked toward the source of the noise.

The conversation was coming from a ward diagonally opposite the elevator.

the door wasn’t fully shut, leaving a gap about two fingers wide. A girl was hunched by the door—the same one who had been dozing against the wall earlier.

She was currently so engrossed in the drama unfolding inside that she didn’t notice Xu Qingzhi watching her from behind.

What is she doing?

Xu Qingzhi couldn’t help but wonder. She lifted her gaze and peered through the crack in the door.

A woman was standing over a hospital bed, her short hair styled with a wild, effortless edge.

Xu Qingzhi could only see her back. She was dressed in black from head to toe, even wearing a pair of black gloves. The oversized technical windbreaker she wore couldn’t hide the sharp, cold lines of her frame. While her trousers weren’t particularly unique, they emphasized how long and straight her legs were.

Wait a minute, with that height, she could be a model, couldn’t she?

Xu Qingzhi calculated that if she stood in front of this woman, she would be at least half a head shorter. She couldn’t help but feel a bit stunned.

Is she an Alpha? Even for an Alpha, her physical attributes are a bit too superior.

“Who are you cursing? Who said I’m dying!”

A frantic, frustrated voice rang out. The person on the bed was agitated; previously completely blocked by the woman’s silhouette, she now revealed half her body, her multi-colored long hair flying in the air.

The woman’s tone held a hint of genuine surprise, as if the other person’s lack of comprehension was simply illogical:

“You, obviously.”

“Drinking until you vomit blood—I truly admire you. You’re lucky you’re young and healthy enough to be alive and kicking while talking back to me. But in a few years, after you graduate, if you keep drinking like your life depends on it and end up dying young, I won’t be surprised.”

As a high school teacher, Xu Qingzhi’s first reaction upon hearing this was that this student was far too unruly.

How could a minor dare to drink to the point of being hospitalized?

But then she realized that all the high schools in Huaikang City had started classes a few days ago. Students who had just returned to school were usually gloomy and stressed; they wouldn’t have the time to go out drinking.

Moreover, no high schooler would dare dye their hair like that—every strand was a different color.

Someone whose school started later and had no qualms about hair dye was likely a university student.

Still, even for a college student, drinking oneself into a hospital bed was shameful.

“Oh, right. Do you remember what you told me before the holidays?” The woman let out a cold laugh. “You said you’d stay out of trouble. You said you’d review your lessons over the winter break to prepare for your make-up exams. You talked a big game back then.”

“And the result? You ‘reviewed’ your way into a bar? Got tired and sleepy so you decided to pop a bottle and down it? Impressive, Qi Yue. You’ve pioneered an unprecedented ‘Drunken Revision Method.’ Is the advanced version reviewing while hooked up to an IV drip in a hospital bed?”

While her tone was mocking, her voice carried the sharp sting of “disappointed anger.”

“And look at those ‘good friends’ you hang out with. Once you drank yourself into a state where you couldn’t pay the bill, those people ran off faster than anyone. Did a single one look after you? If your classmate hadn’t happened to be there, I’m afraid the call I received this morning wouldn’t have been from your friend, but from the funeral parlor.”

The girl on the bed hadn’t been able to get a word in. Finally, when the woman paused, she was so angry her voice trembled. “Can… can you talk to me like a normal person!”

The woman immediately countered, “Have I not talked to you like a normal person before? When I talk to you nicely, do you ever listen? You’re nearly twenty—do you still expect me to coax you like a three-year-old? If I treat you like a toddler, you just turn around and play me like a one-year-old. Is that fun for you?”

The moment the woman finished speaking, she swiftly raised her hands to cover her ears.

Just as Xu Qingzhi was wondering why she did that, the girl on the bed suddenly—and without warning—let out a piercing scream. While screaming, she began to pound the mattress frantically like a madwoman. The sound echoed instantly down the corridor.

Xu Qingzhi: “…”

The girl eavesdropping at the door was also startled into a stumble. Her hand slipped, causing the ward door to let out a loud creak.

Not good, Xu Qingzhi’s heart skipped a beat.

The woman inside seemed to sense the movement at the door. She turned her head toward the entrance.

Xu Qingzhi turned around in a panic, desperate to escape the woman’s line of sight.

For a split second, she caught the woman’s eyes. They were clear, but held the lingering remnants of the repression and impatience from lecturing the girl. They were as fierce as a cold winter wind—impersonal and ruthless to anyone they landed on.

Xu Qingzhi’s heart hammered against her ribs. The shame of being caught eavesdropping sent a flush of heat to her face.

The elevator, which felt like it had been in transit for half a century, finally opened its doors like a literal lifeboat.

She hurried inside and frantically pressed the buttons, wanting nothing more than to flee the scene. She didn’t notice that the turquoise braided knot hanging from her handbag had been flung off the moment she turned around.

As the elevator doors slid shut, Xu Qingzhi felt a wave of immense relief.

…I’m never eavesdropping again. How embarrassing.

When Qi Hengxing looked toward the door, she only saw Fang Xiaotang’s awkward, round little face.

Expressionless, she pulled her gaze back and gave the girl on the bed, Qi Yue, a mocking look.

“You’ve been using this trick since you were a kid. Aren’t you tired of it yet? Since you’re already in the hospital, you might as well visit the pediatrics department and see how many toddlers still throw tantrums like you.”

Qi Hengxing had always had a short temper, and she had already exhausted an immense amount of patience on this sister.

But patience has its limits. Qi Yue’s behavior was getting worse every time—street racing last time, binge drinking this time; who knew what she’d dare to do next.

When Qi Hengxing got the call that Qi Yue had vomited blood from drinking, her heart had nearly stopped. This time, she had no intention of being lenient.

“Stay in the hospital and reflect. Oh, by the way, starting next month, I won’t be giving you a single cent for living expenses. You’re on your own. When you learn how to behave, I’ll give you money. Also, don’t think about complaining to Grandma and Grandpa, and don’t bother looking for your ‘biological one.’ They’ll just report everything you’ve done straight to Mother.”

Having said her piece, Qi Hengxing didn’t care what Qi Yue’s reaction was. She turned and walked out.

Outside the ward, Fang Xiaotang was standing there like a timid little animal.

She hadn’t intended to eavesdrop, but the scene of these two sisters fighting was truly terrifying. It looked like they might actually come to blows in the room. Fang Xiaotang was even wondering if she should grab Qi Yue if a fight broke out, because compared to Qi Yue, Qi Hengxing was at least a somewhat responsible adult.