After I Picked Up the Movie Queen Who Was Pretending to Be an Alpha - Chapter 10

Lin City is located between West Beijing and Yunzhou, but the small town where Pei Suyuan lived was much closer to Yunzhou. Yunzhou is a coastal city, making the air here a bit more humid.

She tossed and turned under the covers, unable to sleep as soon as dawn broke. The peaceful, comfortable mood she had fallen asleep with had shifted. She was filled with anticipation for the day, even calculating how long she could stay in Lin City. Despite Pei Jing’s lack of lucidity, Pei Suyuan hadn’t seen her in a very long time.

Living in West Beijing year-round, she naturally missed her mother, but she knew that eventually, she had to rely on her own strength to care for her rather than always leaning on Zheng Xuncheng. For that, she needed money.

After a quick wash, Pei Suyuan opened her closet. From a sea of white and yellow clothes, she picked out a T-shirt with a little yellow duck and a white tracksuit. She dressed this way because Pei Jing liked it.

When Pei Suyuan was little, she looked like a “Little Yellow Man.” Back then, Pei Jing’s lucidity was hit-or-miss. When she was clear-headed, everything was fine, but when she wasn’t, she would get upset if Pei Suyuan tried to change her clothes. Pei Suyuan hated wearing the same thing all the time, so she eventually negotiated: could she at least wear something else? After thinking seriously for five minutes, Pei Jing allowed her to wear white.

As a child, Pei Suyuan didn’t understand the obsession with yellow; as a teenager, she began to resent it. Her mother didn’t even wear the color herself, yet insisted on seeing her in it. Now, none of that mattered. If it made Pei Jing happy, it was just a piece of clothing. Consequently, Pei Suyuan’s entire wardrobe consisted of yellow and white combinations. She even bought suitable outfits whenever she saw them while shopping.

Downstairs, Zheng Xuncheng was already waiting. She smiled and hopped into the car, offering a polite, “Did you wait long, Uncle?”

“It’s fine, I just got here,” Zheng Xuncheng chuckled. As he turned the wheel, he added, “I contacted Xiao Yi this morning. He’ll meet us directly at the nursing home this afternoon.”

Despite their long talk the previous night, Pei Suyuan still felt a jolt of nervousness at the mention of Zheng Yi. She gripped her seatbelt, gave a dazed “Oh,” and fell silent.

The drive to the Lin City Stability Hospital was quiet, with Zheng Xuncheng doing most of the talking. At the hospital, they headed straight for the ward. Pei Jing was already awake, staring out the window. She turned to them when she heard the door open.

Her gaze… based on Pei Suyuan’s years of experience, was “semi-lucid.” But in the next second, Pei Jing called out softly: “Xiao Yuan.”

Pei Suyuan froze for a moment, unsure of what expression to make. She forced a stiff smile and hurried forward. “Mom?”

“Xiao Yuan.”

A wonderful surprise happened: Pei Jing was lucid. Because she rarely went outside, her skin had a sickly paleness. She reached out to stroke Pei Suyuan’s hair. To make it easier for her mother to reach from the bed, Pei Suyuan obediently bowed her head.

After messing up her daughter’s hair, Pei Jing suddenly questioned, “Why are you dressed like this? You’re twenty-six, not a child.”

Even though she was being criticized, Pei Suyuan beamed a brilliant smile. “I like this color,” she chirped.

Pei Jing didn’t say more. She looked past her daughter and smiled at Zheng Xuncheng. “Big Brother.”

Pei Jing was a naturally gentle Omega. Having been tormented by illness for so many years, moments where she could recognize and call him “Big Brother” were rare. Zheng Xuncheng’s eyes welled up. He was more than ten years older than her; he had doted on her like a sister and a daughter, and she relied on him deeply.

The two smiled at each other, and for a moment, Zheng Xuncheng saw glimpses of the Pei Jing from years ago. He walked over and stroked her hair as well. No one knew how long this lucidity would last, but the doctor had said her condition was improving because she wanted to be awake now.

Pei Suyuan packed her mother’s medication into her bag, and they helped Pei Jing back to the nursing home. The trip was filled with rare laughter. Like any normal mother, Pei Jing held her daughter’s hand and asked, “Is Xiao Yuan dating anyone?”

Pei Suyuan’s face flushed with shyness as she shook her head.

“It’s time,” Pei Jing said. “When I was your age, you were already starting school.”

Zheng Xuncheng caught her eye in the rearview mirror and sighed inwardly. Pei Jing had been only nineteen when she had Pei Suyuan—she hadn’t even finished university. She had been such a good, smart girl; he and the old director had doted on her. She had even made it into Yunzhou University. Sadly, after a little over a year there, she came home with a baby and a shattered mind. Zheng Xuncheng had tried to ask what happened, but at first, she wouldn’t speak, and later, he didn’t dare ask for fear of triggering her.

The lucidity didn’t last. That afternoon, they visited Wang Qian, and when Zheng Yi arrived, they pushed Wang Qian’s wheelchair to a hotel for dinner.

During the meal, something went wrong. Pei Suyuan was sitting next to her mother, leaning sideways to talk to Zheng Yi. Without any warning, Pei Jing reached out and slapped Pei Suyuan across the face. She began muttering something under her breath.

Pei Suyuan’s fair cheek turned red instantly, leaving five distinct finger marks. Zheng Yi, sitting beside her, was startled. He rarely saw Pei Jing and Pei Suyuan together. As a spoiled child, he had bullied Pei Suyuan, feeling she was an interloper stealing his parents’ affection. As they grew older, they became distant—first out of embarrassment, then because they simply didn’t know how to talk to each other.

Becoming a father had changed him. He had been listening to Pei Suyuan talk about the wedding gift and her plans to meet in West Beijing when the outburst happened.

Ignoring her throbbing cheek, Pei Suyuan turned to comfort her mother. But Pei Jing pushed her away violently, as if she were terrified of her, crying out for Zheng Xuncheng.

“Big Brother, take me home… Big Brother… wu wu…”

Pei Suyuan’s hand was heartlessly flung aside. She stood there, arms hanging low, feeling utterly lost. She took a sharp breath, whispered to Zheng Xuncheng to take care of her mother, and walked out of the private room, then out of the hotel.

Once outside, the tears finally fell. She curled into a corner by the wall, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Zheng Yi tried to call her, but she glanced at the screen and didn’t answer.

By the time the tears stopped, she remained huddled against the wall, arms wrapped around herself, staring blankly at the ground. Her phone vibrated again. A flash of irritation crossed her face. She pulled the phone roughly from her pocket to silence it, only to see it wasn’t Zheng Yi.

It was Wei Jinzhi’s number.