After Transmigrating as a Scumbag Alpha, I Marked the Crazy Hotshot – Chapter 112
by Little PandaTang Jia X Tong Yanxi
A new beginning
It was mid-May, and the temperature was perfect.
Somewhere between spring and autumn.
Tang Jia’s car was in the parking lot outside the film set. She had been waiting for over an hour, and her calls to Tong Yanxi went unanswered.
She glanced at the time and got out of the car.
The crew was already starting to pack up the location; it looked like they were done.
From a distance, she saw Tong Yanxi standing beside the filming area, talking to another woman.
Tong Yanxi was dressed in casual clothes—a loose-fitting T-shirt, flared jeans, her hair tied up loosely. She was gesturing as she spoke, looking very serious.
In truth, many people’s first impression of Tong Yanxi was one of being misled by her casual image. Only after getting to know her would they realize that she was simply a person who lived by following her own heart.
Tang Jia stood where she was, recalling her first time seeing Tong Yanxi.
Her first meeting with Tong Yanxi hadn’t been in a classroom.
It was at the school gate when the university semester began. Tong Yanxi had been dressed just like this, a bag slung over one shoulder, standing by the roadside smoking a cigarette.
She paid no mind to anyone’s gaze, flying her own banner1.
Their second meeting was in the philosophy classroom.
And again, she had spotted Tong Yanxi in the back row with a single glance.
Later… the entire process of her taking the initiative to get to know Tong Yanxi could almost be considered a lesson in what not to do.
Not far away, Tong Yanxi’s shoulders shook with laughter over something they were discussing.
The actress across from her was also smiling happily.
Tang Jia snapped back to her senses. Seeing that smile, her heart was pricked for a moment.
It was a shallow feeling, like a piece of fluff falling onto a lake’s surface—thin, light, and powerless, yet capable of stirring moving ripples.
She just stood there and waited until Tong Yanxi turned around.
She was finally exposed in Tong Yanxi’s line of sight.
A dozen or so minutes later.
Tang Jia and Tong Yanxi walked side-by-side toward the car.
Tang Jia asked, “Did you forget I was coming to pick you up today?”
Tong Yanxi replied, “Yeah, I forgot.”
Tang Jia: “…You don’t have to be so brutally honest.”
Tang Jia unlocked the car, went to the passenger side to open the door, and rested her hand on it, waiting for Tong Yanxi to approach. She tried to negotiate, “Then next time, if you’re busy and can’t answer the phone, could you at least find a moment to message me back?”
Tong Yanxi rubbed her sore neck and glanced at Tang Jia. After a brief moment of scrutiny, she reined in her emotions and said flatly, “If you can’t stand it, then don’t come next time.”
As she spoke, her gaze remained on Tang Jia’s face.
Observation was a director’s fundamental skill; she was trying to uncover something from that expression.
But there was nothing. She saw not a single trace of wavering.
She heard Tang Jia say earnestly, “I can stand it. Even if you were a little fiercer, I could still stand it.”
Tong Yanxi froze, never having expected Tang Jia to suddenly say something like that. She pursed her lips. “Psycho.”
Then she let out a soft scoff and bent down to get into the car.
Tang Jia stood by the car door, her view temporarily blocked by the roof. She smiled silently.
I never felt it before, but now, even hearing her curse at me feels comforting—I really must have a problem.
Tong Yanxi had an online meeting with the film crew later, so she told Tang Jia to drive straight home.
Tong Yanxi’s current home was in a building at the very edge of the Southern District.
It was a very secluded place.
The car came to a stop.
Thanks to spring, the tulips in the flowerbeds downstairs were in full bloom.
The car was silent for a few seconds before Tong Yanxi reached for the door handle. “I’m heading up.”
“What are you having for dinner?”
“Don’t know.”
“How about… I cook for you?”
Hearing this, Tong Yanxi turned her head and asked, “You know how?”
Tang Jia: “…”
Tang Jia said, “Don’t look down on me. I know how now.”
Tong Yanxi fell silent for a moment. When they were married, she had always been the one who spent more time at home, but Tang Jia was very busy, so she was basically the one responsible for cooking.
Sometimes, even when she was busy, she would try to make sure Tang Jia had a hot meal to eat the moment she got back.
But Tang Jia didn’t always come back as promised.
Last-minute things, being unable to get away—it happened often.
And so a meal would be cooked, only to sit there growing cold.
At first, she made herself understand. Later, she grew tired, exhausted.
In the end, she proposed a divorce, and Tang Jia agreed.
The relationship ended there.
There was no need to dwell on these sins; Tang Jia was already keenly aware of them.
She hadn’t been at first. It was only after the divorce, sitting in the empty living room, staring forlornly at a table full of food, that she finally understood what kind of mood Tong Yanxi must have been in, all alone at home back then.
Later, when it came to the divorce, she had even misunderstood that Tong Yanxi still had feelings for her first love.
As a result, she had broken Tong Yanxi’s heart.
She remembered it very clearly.
The night Tong Yanxi brought up the divorce.
At the time, her research institute was collaborating with the authorities on a very important project. Everyone’s schedules were erratic; they worked according to the arrangements.
She always came home late, always missed the times she had promised Tong Yanxi.
She had no time to spend with Tong Yanxi, either.
She noticed that Tong Yanxi spoke to her less and less, that the smile on that person’s face appeared less and less.
She knew it couldn’t go on like this.
The day she finished the project after working overtime, she submitted her resignation to the institute.
The academician at the institute was shocked and asked if she wouldn’t regret this. As long as she persisted, she could achieve even greater things.
For someone who studied medicine, for a medical professional, the two words “great achievements” were in themselves a huge temptation.
She shook her head and refused. “Achievements are not as important as my wife.”
It was also that night when she went home.
She saw Tong Yanxi getting out of her first love’s car.
She smoked two cigarettes downstairs before slowly heading up, where Tong Yanxi was wiping away tears…
And then she heard Tong Yanxi say, “Tang Jia, let’s get a divorce.”
This wasn’t the first time she had seen Tong Yanxi wipe away tears. Once, Tong Yanxi had been crying at her desk. When she asked what was wrong, Tong Yanxi just shook her head, not saying a word.
In the early morning, she heard Tong Yanxi on the phone with her first love.
Therefore, when Tong Yanxi proposed a divorce, her heart felt like it was being fried in oil. She thought, I always believed there was love between me and Tong Yanxi, but it turns out there wasn’t.
She had been too foolish back then.
It had never occurred to her that Tong Yanxi’s tears were shed for her.
She thought Tong Yanxi didn’t love her, or rather, didn’t love her anymore.
It was only during a conversation after the divorce that she learned all the bitterness was nothing but a sin of her own making2.
The day Tong Yanxi was on the phone with her first love, it was because the first love was asking about a script in the industry—a normal work-related conversation.
The day of the divorce, when she saw the first love drop her off… it wasn’t just the first love in the car; his girlfriend at the time was there too.
That girlfriend was an actress from Tong Yanxi’s film crew.
Misunderstandings are the kind of thing that, if not cleared up once, will never be cleared up.
It’s like being poisoned; if not purged once, it seeps deep into the bones, and trying to remove it completely will inevitably be painful.
So now, her waiting for an hour or two, compared to the hurt she had caused Tong Yanxi in the past, was nothing.
What did it even count for?
Tong Yanxi had suffered too much for her, endured too much bitterness, put up with too much.
For a personality as free-spirited as Tong Yanxi’s, to have spent so many nights alone after marrying her, secretly wiping away tears in the dead of night…
The thought made her want to slap herself twice.
She thought she understood everything, that she knew it all.
But in reality, she was just an idiot.
When it came to her own affairs, she was a complete idiot.
When they divorced, the last thing Tong Yanxi said to her was—Tang Jia, I f#cking really feel like a joke.
The car window was halfway down, and the wind blew through Tang Jia’s short hair.
It also pulled them both back from their less-than-perfect memories.
Tong Yanxi said, “Forget it.”
She didn’t look at Tang Jia’s expression. For the past few months, Tang Jia had always been by her side. No matter how harsh her words or actions were, no matter how she ‘retaliated,’ Tang Jia took it all.
She lowered her gaze and pulled the car door open.
Rounding the front of the car, she headed toward the building.
After just a few steps, Tang Jia called out to her from behind, “Tongtong.”
Tong Yanxi’s back was to her, unwilling to turn around.
Tang Jia said, “I’m sorry.”
No matter how she tried to explain, she couldn’t deny the mistakes she had made in the past.
Tong Yanxi didn’t speak, just stood there quietly.
Then she heard the person behind her say, “I always thought I was a smart person, but I’m actually very stupid. I didn’t know how to love someone the right way before… I thought I was loving, but I only realized later that love that the other person can’t feel doesn’t count as love.”
She had watched 《Going Ashore》 . She had watched 《Cat and Mint》 . She had watched 《Adult Fairytales》 , the one Tong Yanxi recommended to Cheng Jiqing.
No matter how much pain they went through, the protagonists always found hope in the end. Even in 《Going Ashore》 , the true ending was a happy one.
She felt as if she could see into Tong Yanxi’s heart—the struggle, the sadness, the expectation.
Tong Yanxi’s heart had always been waiting for her.
But she only understood after she had lost it.
“I never said it before. I love you.”
“Tong Yanxi, I love you.”
Tong Yanxi’s breath hitched slightly, her fingertips curling.
After taking a deep breath, she lifted her foot and walked forward.
Tang Jia watched her retreating back, a trace of disappointment in her eyes, but she wasn’t discouraged. She wouldn’t let go so easily and foolishly like she did back then.
She watched.
Suddenly, she saw Tong Yanxi’s steps halt.
Her nerves tensed in unison.
The next second, Tong Yanxi turned around and strode toward Tang Jia. When she reached her, she lifted her foot and kicked.
Tang Jia bent over in pain, taking a step back in her high heels, before straightening up again.
She lowered her gaze to look at the nearly furious woman. “Tongtong…”
She subconsciously wanted to coax her.
Tong Yanxi was livid. “Isn’t this absurd? Tang Jia, don’t you think this is just too absurd?”
Being together was absurd, getting married was absurd, and the divorce was absurd too.
Compared to the misunderstanding, compared to the communication gaps, she would have preferred it if her and Tang Jia’s feelings had simply fallen apart.
At least then, the time since the divorce would have been a release, not a regret.
They were like children playing house.
Absurd, ridiculous.
Tang Jia choked, unable to offer a rebuttal.
She looked at Tong Yanxi’s expression, listened to that furious questioning, and a warmth spread through her chest. She reached out, grabbed Tong Yanxi’s arm, and pulled the woman into her embrace.
That night, Tang Jia held Tong Yanxi and said “I’m sorry” many times.
And said “I love you” many times.
Ever since Tang Jia began her pursuit to win her wife back, as long as Tong Yanxi was in Beicheng, she would wake up early in the morning to drive from the northern district to the southern district.
The sky would be dimly lit when she set out, and by the time she arrived, it would be daylight.
Occasionally, time was too tight, so Tang Jia rented an apartment in Tong Yanxi’s complex.
Right below Tong Yanxi’s unit.
Coming and going was even more convenient.
This morning, Tang Jia was driving Tong Yanxi to the film set.
It was drizzling, and the weather wasn’t great.
On the highway, the world outside the car window was dim and gloomy, not like a clear morning at all.
The phone on its stand buzzed. Tang Jia was checking the car in her side-view mirror. She glanced at the unfamiliar number and asked Tong Yanxi to hang up for her.
Tong Yanxi reached out.
The moment she ended the call, her gaze froze.
The photo on the lock screen was their wedding picture.
A red background, white shirts.
She and Tang Jia were wearing pretty lipstick, smiling, their eyes soft and bright.
Tong Yanxi’s nose suddenly stung. She turned her head to look out the window. The drizzle pattered against the glass beside her, like little stars.
She was sitting inside the car, unable to wipe them away.
When they arrived, Tong Yanxi got out of the car.
Tang Jia called out to her and walked over in a few steps.
A pale-yellow lollipop landed in her palm.
Pear-flavored.
When they were married, Tong Yanxi had still enjoyed smoking, and Tang Jia smoked even more heavily than she did now.
After Tong Yanxi’s mother passed away from lung cancer, Tang Jia had discussed quitting with her.
The first lollipop used to quit smoking was pear-flavored, bought by Tang Jia.
Later, it gradually became a habit.
And they really did quit.
Tang Jia didn’t smoke during that time either.
Tang Jia had said that not smoking with her was the greatest motivation to quit.
But when they met again after the divorce, Tang Jia smelled of smoke again.
In truth, Tang Jia really had quit. It was just that, after divorcing Tong Yanxi, she had lost her motivation.
Quitting smoking was no longer necessary.
Smoking became a way to relieve the longing she felt day and night.
…
Sometimes Tang Jia would buy breakfast and bring it upstairs. If there was time, she would also come in to cook—Tong Yanxi had given her the door code, but she would lock her bedroom door when she slept…
That day.
Tong Yanxi came out of her room.
Tang Jia was shredding chicken breast, each strip uniform and regular, as serious as if she were performing surgery. She heard the door open, pushed her glasses up slightly with the back of her hand, and said, “Director Tong, I’m not that much of a beast3, am I…”
As she spoke, she finally lifted her eyes to look at Tong Yanxi.
The woman was wearing a beige cardigan over a white dress, which must have been a slip dress, as the skin below her collarbones was fair and radiant.
Her arms were crossed, and that expanse of snowy white and fullness stung her eyes.
Tang Jia’s gaze flickered. “Then again, I might be a beast. You should probably keep it locked.”
Tong Yanxi: “…”
The air fell silent, and an ambiguous atmosphere began to spread.
Desire is strongest in the early morning. In the few seconds they looked at each other, Tang Jia’s heart rate rose to an audible level.
She put down her chopsticks, paused for a moment, and slowly walked over.
Standing before Tong Yanxi, she lowered her head and asked softly, “Tong Yanxi, may I apply to kiss you?”
It was a gentle, forthright request. A flicker of affection stirred in Tong Yanxi.
“If you don’t refuse, I’ll take it as a yes…”
Tang Jia slowly lowered her head. Just as she was about to kiss her—
Tong Yanxi suddenly raised a hand to block her, and then both of them froze.
The sensation in her palm was soft and resilient. Tong Yanxi lowered her eyelids and squeezed involuntarily.
Tang Jia immediately let out a soft grunt.
Tang Jia’s gaze darkened. “…I haven’t even kissed you, and you’re already taking advantage of me?”
Tong Yanxi immediately pulled her hand back. She tightened her cardigan, feigning indifference. “Hmph, take advantage of what? It’s so small. You’re the one taking advantage of my hand.”
Tang Jia: “…?”
In front of Tang Jia, Tong Yanxi rubbed her hands together and turned around. “I’m going to go wash up. If you’re going to cook, hurry up.”
Tang Jia chuckled in exasperation. She took two steps forward, grabbed Tong Yanxi’s hand, and pulled her back.
Under the force of inertia, Tong Yanxi bumped into her.
Tang Jia: “That’s not what you used to say.”
Tong Yanxi struggled to get away, but Tang Jia held her hand tight. She lowered her head and saw that Tong Yanxi’s composed face was flushed, even the tips of her ears were crimson.
Her heart itched, and her throat felt dry.
“You said it yourself, that was in the past,” Tong Yanxi said.
The first time they had sex, Tong Yanxi had said hers were very soft and felt very good.
Many years had passed since that time.
“So now, do you want to try again?”
Tong Yanxi pressed her lips together slightly and asked, almost deliberately, “How do we try?”
As the words fell, Tang Jia took her hand and placed it on her chest again.
This time it was pressed even tighter, so the feeling was extremely clear.
Tang Jia asked, “How is it?”
“…”
Tong Yanxi’s lips moved. The next second, she came to her senses. What were they doing? The key thing was, the moment she touched that thing, her thoughts had turned a little dirty.
She could feel that the hand holding hers was exceptionally hot.
It made her feel hot as well.
They were both adults; how could they not understand that if this atmosphere continued, something was bound to happen.
She didn’t want to let this person take advantage of her so quickly. She gave her a shove, pushing her away, and walked toward the bathroom. “Tang Jia, you’re sick. You’re really sick!”
Tong Yanxi entered the bathroom with a cold expression.
Tang Jia returned to the kitchen, washed her hands, and continued to shred the chicken breast, but her hands were unsteady—her mind was in turmoil, her thoughts impure.
Half a minute later.
She put down what she was doing again.
Tong Yanxi had just finished washing her face. She stared at her pink, water-splashed face in the mirror and slowly let out a breath.
She looked at her palm, slowly clenching it into a fist.
I almost lost control.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door behind her.
Tong Yanxi composed herself, turned to twist the handle, and the moment it gave way, Tang Jia stepped inside.
Tang Jia took off her silver-rimmed glasses, pressed her toes against Tong Yanxi’s, and pulled the woman into her arms.
She leaned down and kissed her.
Amidst their hurried breaths, Tong Yanxi’s hand clutched the hem of Tang Jia’s shirt, and she heard Tang Jia’s devout voice—
“Tongtong, let’s start over.”
This time, I swear I’ll use every ounce of my strength to love you right.
The author has something to say:
Thank you for the donations, comments, and nutrient solution~
The next chapter is the finale.
This is it for this couple. It’s the ending I had planned for them for a long time. I personally like it.
To be honest, writing this couple wasn’t very smooth, so if any darlings feel like it’s not enough, first of all, thank you for your love, but it’s true that if I were to continue writing about them, I probably wouldn’t be able to do a good job. I don’t want to get stuck here or force myself to write a little something for you all. That wouldn’t be good.
Therefore, if I get inspiration someday, perhaps I’ll write more and add it after this chapter. Thank you for your understanding~
Footnotes
- 独树一帜 | dú shù yī zhì | A chengyu (four-character idiom) literally meaning “to raise a banner of one’s own.” It describes someone who is highly original, unique, and stands apart from the crowd.
- 自作孽 | zì zuò niè | A phrase meaning a transgression or suffering of one’s own making; to reap what one has sown. The full idiom is 自作孽，不可活 (zì zuò niè, bù kě huó), meaning “one who commits a sin of their own making cannot hope to live.”
- 禽-兽 | qín-shòu | Literally “birds and beasts,” a term for a savage or beastly person, often with sexual connotations. The hyphen is a common form of self-censorship in Chinese webnovels to avoid keyword filters.
fools in love