"After Becoming the Protagonist's Scumbag Alpha Ex-Wife" (ABO) - Chapter 16

When Qin Ran returned to Wen Qingyun’s hospital room, she was carrying a few items.

“This is the bag you left behind earlier. Check if anything’s missing. I asked about the test results—the preliminary bloodwork looks normal. Here’s the lab report.

The more detailed analysis won’t be ready until tomorrow. There’s no reason for us to stay here any longer. Pack your things—I’ll wait outside,” Qin Ran said plainly as she set the items down and turned to leave.

Fu Ma opened the bag and checked inside. Nothing was missing. The other paper bag wasn’t something they had brought in—it contained a clean set of athletic clothes.

She had been worried about Wen Qingyun catching a cold earlier—her clothes were damp, and her hands and feet were icy. She hadn’t expected Qin Ran to be this considerate and actually bring her fresh clothes.

Qin Ran hadn’t wanted to wear activewear to the certification test—she’d thought it looked too casual. So the night before, she’d picked out a clean shirt and slacks to wear. But since she still preferred comfy clothes, she’d also washed a set of athletic wear and left it in the car, planning to change afterward. When she went to call the driver for help earlier, she’d remembered how disheveled Wen Qingyun looked and decided to bring the clothes.

“Qingyun, change out of those clothes. They smell like suppressants—damp and unpleasant,” Fu Ma said gently, handing the clothes over.

Although she held a grudge against Qin Ran, the clothes were clean, and they were suitable for Wen Qingyun. There was no reason to refuse them.

Wen Qingyun was distracted, and her mind was drifting. The tranquilizer made her feel foggy and dull. With Fu Ma’s help, she changed into the clean clothes. Only afterward did she realize there was a faint scent hidden under the soap fragrance—fresh and comforting. It eased her discomfort a little and even cleared her fuzzy mind.

It was Qin Ran’s scent.

“These don’t fit perfectly, but they’ll do for now. Once you put your coat on, it’ll be covered anyway. I’ll pack up the rest of the things… ah, my back—”

Wen Qingyun, uncomfortable with wearing the clothes, was about to change back into her damp ones when Fu Ma’s voice cut in. She winced and clutched her waist in pain.

Her back had been in pain for a long time due to the push she received during the earlier chaos. She’d been silently enduring it, but one wrong move now had made it worse.

“Call her back in. We need to go to the hospital and get your back checked,” Wen Qingyun signed, worriedly supporting Fu Ma.

Fu Ma sat down with a sigh and agreed to let Qin Ran come back in.

Seeing the situation, Qin Ran realized neither of them could walk properly. So she arranged for two wheelchairs.

Fu Ma used the other wheelchair, with Driver Xiao Zhang pushing her.

Wen Qingyun had already put on her coat. Qin Ran moved to help her, but she refused and shakily seated herself in the other wheelchair.

Qin Ran didn’t press it. She gathered the rest of the belongings and quietly pushed Wen Qingyun out.

They had come with hope—and left in disappointment.

The therapy center clearly didn’t welcome Wen Qingyun. It was unlikely she’d ever come back.

Fu Ma and Wen Qingyun rode in one car. Qin Ran sat in the front passenger seat. They headed to the Wen family’s private hospital to get Fu Ma checked out.

Inside the enclosed space of the car, Qin Ran’s scent seemed even stronger. Wen Qingyun felt a mix of resistance and comfort. Her fists clenched as she tried to block it out until they arrived.

At the hospital, Qin Ran again called for two wheelchairs. Two attendants helped move Wen Qingyun and Fu Ma so they could be seen by doctors.

While Fu Ma was being examined, Wen Qingyun didn’t ask for any tests for herself. Instead, she quietly asked one of the attendants if she could visit her father, Wen Zhenheng.

She rarely left home. Now that she was at the hospital, she wanted to check on him while she had the chance.

An attendant wheeled her toward Wen Zhenheng’s ward, with Qin Ran following close behind—worried that Wen Qingyun might lose control again.

“If your father were to undergo surgery right now, the success rate would be extremely low,” the attending doctor explained. “None of the family members have approved the procedure, so we’ve been maintaining his vitals as best we can. Don’t worry about that part.

If there were more effective neural growth factors available, we might be able to improve the odds… but…” the doctor trailed off.

Wen Qingyun frowned as she glanced through the files on the desk. Fu Ma had told her not to worry—that they were just waiting for the right doctor and everything would be fine.

But clearly, it wasn’t about the doctors. What they truly lacked was a reliable auxiliary treatment. Without that, even the best surgeon couldn’t do anything.

She read through the files quickly, understanding her father’s condition. Her heart grew heavier.

“It’ll be okay,” Qin Ran said softly from behind her. Now that Wen Qingyun knew the truth, perhaps it wasn’t such a bad thing.

In the original storyline, Wen Zhenheng’s surgery succeeded thanks to a new drug Wen Qingyun had developed.

He might even recover before then if she had begun that research sooner. And even if she hadn’t recovered physically herself, with Wen Zhenheng acting as her legal guardian, she could proceed with the divorce.

Wen Qingyun didn’t acknowledge her. Instead, she asked the attendant to take her back to Fu Ma.

Fu Ma’s diagnosis came back: a pulled back muscle. She was fitted with a brace, prescribed oral and topical medications, and advised to rest in bed.

“Don’t worry, Mama Fu. Just focus on recovering,” Wen Qingyun signed to comfort her.

“I’m so useless… I feel so useless, having barely returned home, and already now I am causing trouble,” Fu Ma said with a bitter smile.

Now that Qin Ran was acting so strangely and Wen Qingyun had had an accident, she should’ve been on high alert—careful at every turn. But instead, she couldn’t even move properly.

No matter how badly she wanted to protect Wen Qingyun, she no longer had the strength.

Qin Ran picked up Fu Ma’s medicine, called the car around, and helped them into it. Then they headed back to the Wen family estate.

On the way, Wen Qingyun finally succumbed to the lingering effects of the tranquilizer and fell asleep.

When they arrived, she still hadn’t woken up, and Fu Ma couldn’t rouse her.

“I’ll carry her,” Qin Ran said, calling A’Mei to help Fu Ma inside. She bent down, gently lifted Wen Qingyun from the car, and carried her into the main house.

“Ugh…” Fu Ma didn’t have the strength to stop her—she could only watch as Qin Ran carried Wen Qingyun away.

All day, Qin Ran had taken charge like a dependable and attentive spouse. Fu Ma’s feelings were mixed. If only she’d truly been a good person from the beginning—things wouldn’t have turned out this way.

Qin Ran didn’t know what Fu Ma was thinking. She carried Wen Qingyun to her bedroom, closed the door behind her, and stood still for a moment.

Wen Qingyun was asleep now—maybe the moment was a good chance to test it again. See if she truly rejected her pheromones.

The therapy center had no top-tier S-rank soothing specialist. They didn’t dare treat Wen Qingyun anymore. And with Liao Zhiyi still nowhere to be found, Qin Ran had no choice.

She had to try it herself.