"After Becoming the Protagonist's Scumbag Alpha Ex-Wife" (ABO) - Chapter 17

Qin Ran released a small amount of pheromones beside Wen Qingyun. At first, Wen Qingyun furrowed her brows in her sleep, her expression full of pain and discomfort—it looked like she was rejecting it completely. Qin Ran hesitated about whether to continue, but then she noticed Wen Qingyun’s expression gradually ease. Her body instinctively leaned toward Qin Ran, inching closer until her head nearly burrowed into Qin Ran’s chest.

“Uh…” Qin Ran took a step back, but now she had a better idea of what was going on.

The last time she released pheromones to Wen Qingyun, her initial reaction had also seemed like rejection. That was probably due to psychological resistance. Physically, though, Qin Ran’s pheromones clearly had a positive effect on her.

That realization brought Qin Ran a bit of relief.

If that was the case, she could take over Wen Qingyun’s treatment until they found Liao Zhiyi.

Just as she was thinking about how to design a treatment plan for Wen Qingyun, there was a knock at the door outside.

“Just a moment,” Qin Ran called out. She immediately stopped releasing her pheromones and switched on the room’s ventilation system to dissipate the scent.

As her pheromones faded, Wen Qingyun seemed visibly uncomfortable. Her brows furrowed again, and she curled into herself, leaning toward her collar and pillow—seeking out the lingering scent she wanted.

Who would’ve guessed that the fierce and cold “demon king” when awake would be like a clingy cat when asleep?

Qin Ran looked away and opened the door.

“President Qin, Assistant Wang is here. He says it’s urgent,” the maid said.

“Alright, I’ll be down in a minute.” Qin Ran closed the door behind her and followed the maid downstairs to meet Wang.

“President Qin, my goodness, why weren’t you answering your phone?”

In the living room, a young man was pacing anxiously. When he saw Qin Ran, it was like he’d spotted a savior.

“I was busy with something. What’s going on?” Qin Ran asked as she walked over.

“There were two important meetings this morning that you missed. I was unable to reach you on your phone. The housekeeper said you were at the hospital, so I had no choice but to postpone the meetings.

Also, several urgent matters need your decisions. Here are some documents that require your review… We also need to discuss the development of a new inhibitor in the research lab. Dr. Su has submitted a report and a project plan for the next phase. It needs your approval and budget allocation.”

“There’s also a complaint about one of our newly produced drugs. Someone claims there’s an issue with the ingredients and is demanding compensation. We’ve handled it preliminarily, but we need your direction on the next steps. Also, the Qing County pharmaceutical plant is having supply issues—one of the raw ingredients is—”

Wang rattled off several matters in a row. Qin Ran had no idea how to respond—she’d only skimmed a bit of company information and wasn’t familiar with the operations at all.

“Doesn’t the assistant team have any proposed solutions? “Are you simply here to provide me with a detailed report?” she inquired. “List everything in an email, have a meeting with the assistant team, and put together your proposed action plans. Involve the legal team as well to ensure that there are no legal issues. Prioritize the matters, and then I’ll review everything.”

She figured even if she didn’t know the details, she could treat the task like a multiple-choice test as long as she had clear options.

“I’ve already sent you an email outlining the matters. I’ll follow up with more detailed proposals after the meeting,” Wang replied, stunned by her sudden change in management style. Something felt off—President Qin was definitely acting differently.

“I’ve got personal matters to handle these two days. Postpone anything that’s not urgent. I should be able to come to the office tomorrow. If there’s nothing else, go take care of everything on your end,” Qin Ran said.

She knew she’d have to start managing things soon. She wasn’t about to accidentally crash the Wen family company before she could even get a divorce. That would just be adding fuel to the fire.

“Wait, President Qin. Miss Gu called earlier and said she wanted a role in a web drama. Should we invest in the project or just talk to the director?” Wang lowered his voice and looked around.

“Miss Gu?” Qin Ran blinked. What the hell?

“You know, the actress? The one you were… interested in? Weren’t you planning to invest in her?” Wang asked with a knowing tone.

“Don’t bother with her! From now on, anyone with the name Miss Gu or Miss Wang—just ignore them all,” Qin Ran said.

This indicated that the transmigrated Qin Ran had been involved with someone else.

She had promised Su Yuecha marriage but had other women on the side? Disgusting.

“…Understood.” Wang was caught off guard by her reaction, completely unsure what was going on, but he nodded obediently.

After Qin Ran signed a few more documents, Assistant Wang took her instructions and left.

Qin Ran thought things over and let out a small sigh of relief. Fortunately, the original novel’s transmigrated Qin Ran had been cautious because she feared Wen Qingyun’s father. She hadn’t dared mess around—too busy with her power grabs, walking on eggshells to avoid exposing anything that might jeopardize her divorce. At most, she’d flirted and hinted, secretly planning to wait until after the divorce to fully take control of Wen Group and surround herself with lovers. But for now, she hadn’t actually done anything.

What a ridiculous mess.

Qin Ran didn’t want to think about it anymore. Just as she was about to return to researching at her computer, her stomach grumbled loudly. A glance at the time—it was already past two.

She asked someone to prepare lunch and had A’Mei bring food to Wen Qingyun and Fu Ma in their rooms, while she ate in the dining room herself.

“President Qin, it’s about time for Rou Rou to get out of school. Fu Ma was supposed to pick her up, but she can’t move right now,” A’Mei said as Qin Ran finished eating.

“I’ll go,” Qin Ran paused, suddenly remembering—oh right, little Rou Rou started school today.

She called the driver and set off for the kindergarten, surprised to discover it was only a few minutes away from the Wen estate—barely ten minutes on foot.

From the outside, the kindergarten looked like a fairytale castle. She checked in at the gate and was led to the waiting lounge for pick-up.

More and more parents arrived. Qin Ran spotted someone familiar—it was Su Yuecha.

Su Yuecha blinked in surprise when she saw Qin Ran but didn’t look too shocked. Her eyes lingered briefly, soft but stubborn, with a hint of anger—then she turned away without another word.

Su Yuecha was the lead researcher on the new inhibitor project, and Qin Ran was nearing her susceptible period. No matter what, they’d have to cross paths again.

Qin Ran didn’t acknowledge her either.

Seeing Su Yuecha, though, reminded Qin Ran of something: her daughter, Su Xiaorong, was in the same class as Rou Rou.

Damn. She’d sent Rou Rou to school today without thinking—what if Su Xiaorong had bullied her again?

Just as she was worrying, the soft, high-pitched voices of children echoed in the hallway. Several teachers led a group of little kids into the room.

Qin Ran immediately spotted Rou Rou—noticeably chubbier than the other kids.

While the other children chatted happily, Rou Rou stood apart, with red eyes and lips pressed tight in a pitiful pout.

The teacher lined the kids up and started calling them one by one to be picked up.

“Qin Aunty! You came to pick me up?” Su Xiaorong noticed Qin Ran and excitedly waved her small hands.

“I’m here for Rou Rou. Your mom’s here too,” Qin Ran replied, a bit awkward in the face of the child’s enthusiasm, offering a polite smile.

“But I missed you, Qin Aunty. Can I go home with you?” Su Xiaorong said pitifully.

“Xiaorong, what did I tell you? Be good. Come home with me.” Su Yuecha stepped forward and took her hand.

Su Xiaorong looked back at Qin Ran, looking clearly reluctant.

Qin Ran just rubbed her forehead and ignored the girl.

Soon it was Rou Rou’s turn.

“Rou Rou, look, your mommy’s here to pick you up!” the teacher said. Although Qin Ran had never picked her up before, she had given proper ID, and the teacher knew who she was.

“She’s not my mommy. She’s Qin Aunty,” Rou Rou said seriously, blinking her big eyes.

“Rou Rou, isn’t she your mommy?” The teacher was a little taken aback.

“I only have a mommy, not a mama…” Rou Rou replied.

“That’s impossible. Everyone has a mom. Think again,” the teacher said gently.

“Hmm… maybe Mama Fu is my mommy,” Rou Rou said after some thought.

“…Uh.” Qin Ran was speechless and a little embarrassed.

Did the kid think that just because “Mama Fu” had “mama” in the name, she was her mom?

“I’m sorry. I’ve been too busy with work; I’ve neglected her. She doesn’t really understand yet. Did something happen today? Why has she been crying?” Qin Ran quickly stepped forward, trying to change the subject.

“Please come with me. I was just about to speak with you about Rou Rou,” the teacher said, leading both her and Rou Rou to a private office.

“Rou Rou’s mom, here’s the situation—Rou Rou hasn’t been in class for a while, so she’s a bit out of sync. Her motor coordination is a little behind. During exercises today, she tripped—her left foot caught her right, and she fell. I’m so sorry; we didn’t watch her closely enough. Her leg’s bruised, but the bone’s fine,” the teacher said, bowing apologetically.

“…Uhh.” Qin Ran was still getting used to being addressed as “Rou Rou’s mom.” She turned to look at the girl, who was now sheepishly hanging her head.

Qin Ran couldn’t help but smile—so this kid was just like Wen Qingyun, a little “flat-ground tumble princess.” How does one trip over their own feet like that?

“Please take extra care of her. Her size might make movement harder,” Qin Ran said.

“Rou Rou’s mom, her size is only part of the issue. The main concern is her coordination. Her steps are unsteady, and she’s very prone to falling.

I’d recommend a full medical checkup to see if she’s lacking any nutrients. And day-to-day, she needs more practice to build coordination—activities like crawling or jumping rope can help,” the teacher explained.

Listening to the teacher, Qin Ran suddenly realized Rou Rou’s condition sounded a lot like Wen Qingyun’s.

Other than releasing pheromones for therapy, Qin Ran still didn’t know how to help Wen Qingyun regain her independence. She’d been stressing over how to train her to be more self-sufficient—and now the teacher had handed her a perfect solution.

“Crawling helps with what exactly?” Qin Ran asked, curious.

“Crawling is great for brain development and motor skills. Kids who didn’t crawl enough as babies might struggle with walking steadily later on,” the teacher said, giving a quick science explanation.

Qin Ran pulled out her phone and jotted it down. She planned to take both Wen Qingyun and Rou Rou through training together, starting with crawling to improve coordination.

Let’s see if it worked.

But would the fierce “big boss” agree to crawl on the floor?

Would she agree?

Or stab her with a knife on the spot?