I’m Definitely Taking This Scumbag Alpha Role! - Chapter 5

“Tap, tap, tap…”

The knocking sound from the stairs was the brisk rhythm of someone’s footsteps.

Ying Que practically flew downstairs. The shadow of having fallen from this very staircase not long ago was completely covered over by the excitement of her older sister coming home.

“Sis!”

The moment she saw Ying Xu’s figure around the corner, Ying Que called out.

The person calling was far too delighted, which only made Ying Xu’s voice seem colder by contrast. “You must be Miss Wu.”

Or perhaps she truly was cold toward Ying Que, who was now Wu Lan. “Miss Wu, you are my and Xiao Que’s young aunt. There’s no need to call me Sis. You can just call me by my name.”

Ying Que did not sense it at all. She was still immersed in the joy of finally seeing her family again and spoke to Ying Xu the way she always had. “But I want to call you Sis.”

“That is what my younger sister Ying Que calls me,” Ying Xu reminded her tactfully.

Of course Ying Que knew that was what she called Ying Xu. She had just been about to say, “Exactly,” but unexpectedly, the words got stuck in her throat.

This secret she was not allowed to say aloud was like the wind Ying Xu stirred up as she brushed past her—so small that no one else could notice it, yet impossible for Ying Que herself to ignore.

Ying Xu did not spare much attention for this Alpha her mother had brought into the house. When she saw Wei Zhixu coming downstairs, she took the initiative to walk over. “Zhixu.”

“Ying Xu.” Wei Zhixu’s lips curved faintly, counting as a greeting to a friend.

“I thought you’d be at the studio today too. I went there, and Zhouzhou told me you were working from home today, so I had to make another trip back.” Ying Xu sounded a little complaining, but there was no ambiguity between an Alpha and an Omega in her tone. It was entirely the teasing of familiar friends. “Good thing it’s Japanese food. Otherwise, you’d owe me this meal.”

Wei Zhixu was at the top of the industry, so she knew many people and had quite a few acquaintances, but very few friends. Ying Xu counted as one of them.

She was very willing to have this meal with Ying Xu. After all, this Alpha had good taste.

But as she spoke, Wei Zhixu’s gaze glanced somewhere without leaving a trace. She did not agree the way she would have in the past. “I can’t do it alone.”

Wei Zhixu was hinting at something, and Ying Xu followed her gaze to notice the small figure in the corner.

She could not be said to welcome Ying Que, nor could she be said to reject her. Thinking that she had already made her attitude clear just now, she also invited her. “Young Aunt, join us.”

The invitation was neither close nor distant. It was so polite that it instead made people feel estranged.

Ying Que looked at the invitation Ying Xu extended to her. Her well-tailored suit made her look composed, and even in slippers, she could not hide the aura of a listed company’s president.

Anyone else should not have refused such an invitation. They might even have accepted it with fear and reverence.

But unfortunately, the person being invited was Ying Que.

Only then did she understand that Ying Xu had not prepared this meal to welcome the newly arrived her.

It was for Ying Xu’s good friend, Wei Zhixu.

The servants had gone upstairs to find her only because Ying Xu knew she was at home, and both emotionally and logically, it would not have been right to leave her out.

No way.

Ying Xu, you really can’t recognize me?

Faced with Ying Xu’s invitation, Ying Que found it unbelievable.

Of course she would not be satisfied. From childhood to adulthood, Ying Xu had always favored her the most, almost to the point where even if Ying Que killed an Alpha outside and dragged the body home, Ying Xu would help her cover it up.

Ying Xu knew everything about what she liked, what her hobbies were, and what habits she had.

So later, at the dining table, she only had to behave according to “Ying Que’s” usual rhythm.

Ying Que gathered herself again, certain that Ying Xu would definitely recognize that the Wu Lan in front of her was her younger sister.

The restaurant lighting had been specially adjusted. The dim yellow light carried the feeling of dining in a Japanese restaurant.

The few of them sat separately before the table. The servants had already plated the fresh dishes on the table, and the fish, shrimp, and meat that had been freshly sliced and peeled glowed with an enticing sheen.

The servants brought over tableware and side dishes. When Ying Que saw white ginger being placed beside her, she immediately frowned and said, “I don’t eat this. Take it away.”

Seeing this, the servant hurriedly removed the white ginger from beside Ying Que’s hand, and even took away the red ginger that had not yet been set down.

But unexpectedly, Ying Que let out another dissatisfied sound. “Hey, leave the red ginger.”

This string of movements was somewhat overly dramatic and lacking in manners. Of course, Ying Que was also doing it to attract the attention of Ying Xu across from her—

Ying Que had a strange habit. Both were pickled products, but red ginger was fine while white ginger was not.

In the past, every time they ate Japanese food, Ying Xu would pay extra attention and instruct the server for her.

Sis, you’ll definitely notice, right?

Ying Que bit down on the red ginger and looked expectantly at Ying Xu.

And as expected, her actions drew Ying Xu’s attention. Ying Xu quietly watched this new Alpha across from her, a trace of emotion hidden in her eyes where no one could see it.

“Sister, try this northern sweet shrimp. It’s delicious.”

After tasting a few Japanese dishes she liked, Ying Que began ingratiating herself with Wei Zhixu.

Only this time, her target was different from usual. After sharing some with Wei Zhixu, she smoothly shared some with Ying Xu too. “Sister, you too. Add some green wasabi. It’ll suit your taste better.”

The crystal-clear sweet shrimp was delivered before the two of them with serving chopsticks.

The pale pink color interested Wei Zhixu very much. She lightly picked it up, dipped it in the sauce dish beside her hand, then slowly and unhurriedly sent the shrimp into her mouth.

She chewed carefully. It was unclear whether she was savoring the texture of the sweet shrimp, or also tasting the other scent that had clung to it when it was brought over.

Was it… mountain grape?

Ying Xu glanced at Wei Zhixu as if she had something she wanted to say, but in the end, she swallowed it all down together with the sweet shrimp Ying Que had given her.

The green wasabi was not exactly spicy, only a little choking, just like the Alpha sitting before her at this moment.

How could such a timid, round face make such a series of unruly gestures?

Did she think she was Ying Xu’s younger sister, who had been spoiled rotten since childhood?

During the whole meal, Ying Que used every trick she had. She was either deliberately showing off her old habits or trying to please Ying Xu.

She felt that even when she had spent the past year pursuing Wei Zhixu, she had not worked this hard. If Ying Xu still could not tell that Ying Que was her younger sister, then she would really have wronged her!

After the meal, Ying Xu moved to the living room to rest.

Seeing that the servant had brewed the tea, Ying Que sat down and thoughtfully poured Ying Xu a cup. “Sister.”

Heat rose from the tea, misty and curling.

At last, Ying Xu’s gaze landed on Ying Que more sharply. “Young Aunt, you’ve met my younger sister?”

That address sounded strange coming from her own older sister’s mouth. But from Ying Xu’s tone, Ying Que thought she had noticed something. She had no time to feel awkward and immediately nodded. “I have. Sis, did you…”

But unexpectedly, Ying Xu told her, “Then Young Aunt should also know that I only have one younger sister, and that is Xiao Que.”

Ying Que tilted her head, not understanding.

Ying Xu did not mind making it even clearer. “No one can replace Xiao Que’s place with me.”

From the first moment she saw Ying Que just now, she had felt that this little girl was strange, in a way she could not quite explain.

Especially when she heard her call her “Sis” in the tone her younger sister Ying Que used, imitate some of her younger sister Ying Que’s habits, and even try to ingratiate herself with her.

Something was wrong.

The older sister who usually seemed gentle and approachable suddenly changed her face at this moment. Ying Que had never felt Ying Xu was this unfamiliar.

Her back, which had been leaning against the sofa, slowly straightened, casting off the laziness and relaxation from before.

Her eyes stared fixedly, her brows slightly furrowed, leaving Ying Que with an impatient face full of Alpha oppression.

She had to protect her younger sister.

“Young Aunt, although I don’t know why Mom made an exception this time and let you stay at the Ying family’s home, since Xiao Que accepted it, I’ll accept it too. But since you’re living in someone else’s home, it’s better to follow the rules. That way, you’ll live more comfortably. This is my advice to you. I hope you can understand.”

“Boom!”

There was no need for lightning to arrive. Ying Que felt as though she had already been struck by it.

Listening to Ying Xu’s calm tone and sharp words, her heart swelled. A flood rose high enough to overflow from her eyes.

Ying Que had not felt hurt when the impostor impersonated her.

She had not felt hurt when Ying Ming and Wei Zhixu failed to recognize her.

Only now, after being sharply scolded by the older sister closest to her, tears fell in an instant.

Ying Que did not blink. She let the tears fall, staring at Ying Xu through the blur with a deadly fixation.

Humiliation covered Ying Que’s head, making her want to smash the jar, shatter the jade and stone together, and simply say outright that she was Ying Que.

“I—mm!”

Her heart was seized by something, and an unexpected pain violently pierced through Ying Que’s body.

Perhaps it was trying to keep this temporary soul alive, blocking her throat so she could not say the sentence.

No one had imagined that this face, so obedient that it carried no aggression at all, could also be so furious that it lost reason, its lips trembling.

Even Ying Xu, who had always remained composed in the face of change, panicked for a split second when she saw the way the little girl in front of her looked at her.

Why did that gaze look a little like Xiao Que that time when she was young and had been…

No.

How could she associate that matter with this child? She was truly not clear-headed.

Ying Xu silently judged herself and decisively cleared the link between Ying Que and Wu Lan from her mind.

But she was indeed a little worried about this child who had not long ago escaped life-threatening danger. After all, the scabs on her face had not yet faded.

“Wu…”

“Smack.”

The instant Ying Xu reached a hand toward Ying Que, Ying Que raised her hand and slapped it away.

She had figured it out. She would not say it anymore.

It was not worth losing her life for someone who could not recognize her. What older sister? Bullshit older sister.

But unwillingness still remained in Ying Que’s eyes, making her ask, “Ying Xu, after saying all that, do you dare guarantee that you’ve really watched over your younger sister properly?”

Relatives always knew how to stab each other’s weak spots. Ying Xu immediately thought of Ying Que falling down the stairs not long ago.

Although she had rushed back from abroad in the third hour after her younger sister’s accident, the incident still left a lingering fear in her. Hearing Ying Que say this, the pity she had just shown vanished completely, and her expression even darkened further.

No one could curse her younger sister in front of her.

“That is not for Young Aunt to worry about.”

Ying Xu’s tone was colder than ever. Ying Que stared at her, and the next second, this Miss Wu did exactly as Ying Xu wished and stopped worrying, turning around and running out of the house.

All at once, Ying Xu’s line of sight emptied.

For some reason, she felt hollow, as though she had lost something.

.

The cold moon was bleak, illuminating a lonely, scattered human shadow.

Today was the third day of the lunar month. A thin silver line, bent as though snapped, hung in the night sky, as if wanting to cut a piece of light into the dark curtain of the world.

“Damn Ying Xu, stinky Ying Xu, dogshit Ying Xu…”

The Chinese roses swayed, frail and helpless, unable to endure the disturbance.

After running out of the house, Ying Que had burrowed into Wei Zhixu’s Chinese rose garden. Her tears fell onto the flower buds, and her fingers plucked the leaves off one by one. Every leaf carried one of Ying Xu’s nicknames.

“Ying Xu made you suffer, so you came here to bully my flowers?”

A tall, slender shadow leisurely fell over the flowers and leaves. Ying Que did not need to lift her head to know who had come.

Wei Zhixu was still wearing the white dress from noon, only with a small lace cardigan draped over it. Under the streetlamp, its pattern was printed onto her skin.

“Poor thing. It can’t speak or move. Otherwise, who knows what else in the garden it might run off to bully.” Wei Zhixu took her Chinese rose from Ying Que’s hand and checked on its injuries.

The Omega’s fingers were long, slender, and delicate. When they brushed against the back of Ying Que’s hand, they felt cool and very comfortable.

Ying Que did not actually want to let go and return the flower to Wei Zhixu, but the Chinese rose’s thorns were sharp. She was afraid that struggling over it would hurt Wei Zhixu, so she still loosened her hand.

Summer was no longer the season when Chinese roses bloomed in full, yet Wei Zhixu had raised her roses very well. Pink and red blossoms opened across a large stretch. When the night wind blew over, they gently nodded, swaying as if bowing to humans, like a scene that could only exist in a dream.

Looking at this sight, Ying Que knew she had been wrong just now.

But from earlier until now, Ying Que had already heard too many things she did not want to hear from Ying Xu. She no longer wanted to listen to Wei Zhixu lecture her too.

So she simply lifted her foot, wiped away the tears gathered in her eyes, circled around the Chinese roses, and left.

The flowers shook violently. Wei Zhixu slowly lifted her head and looked at the girl who had left in anger not long after she had arrived. Without much concern, she sat down in the pavilion nearby and began boiling tea for herself.

The charcoal fire heated the tea stove, slowly raising a wisp of white mist into the night.

No one knew how much time had passed before the flowers shook violently again. In front of Wei Zhixu, a shadow fell.

Ying Que had come back angrily. “Wei Zhixu! I cried!”

“I saw,” Wei Zhixu replied.

Ying Que was perfectly self-righteous. “You didn’t come comfort me!”

Wei Zhixu lifted her eyes. “Do you need comfort?”

“If you don’t comfort me, how would you know whether I need comfort or not?” Ying Que argued unreasonably.

After crying for quite a while just now, this Alpha’s eyes were already uselessly red and swollen. Even though there were no tears at this moment, she still looked unbearably wronged.

She had none of an Alpha’s imposing aura at all.

Wei Zhixu glanced at Ying Que, then withdrew her gaze again. With unhurried movements, she added a small piece of charcoal to the stove and said, “If you don’t tell me whether you need comfort, how would I know whether you need comfort or not?”

The words sounded like a tongue twister. Ying Que was instantly furious, like a piece of explosive charcoal jumping out of Wei Zhixu’s stove. Huffing in anger, she turned and left again.

The Chinese roses shook. Their emerald leaves fluttered, as if complaining and protesting to their owner.

Wei Zhixu still did not react much. Her water had boiled, and it was time to brew tea.

Warm steam wrapped around the back of her hand, like the stubborn, obsessive heat of a certain young girl.

Plain water poured into the glass cup, curling up the thin green tea leaves.

Rinsing the tea, brewing the tea, pouring out the liquor—Wei Zhixu carried out each step methodically. She poured one cup for herself, then a second cup across from her—

A figure flashed past and landed solidly at the table.

In the background, the Chinese rose garden was still swaying from side to side. Ying Que wore a stubborn expression, her tear-soaked almond eyes filled entirely with unwillingness.

“I do!”