"After Becoming the Protagonist's Scumbag Alpha Ex-Wife" (ABO) - Chapter 18

After the consultation with the teacher, Qin Ran took Rou Rou home.

“Rou Rou, besides the fall at school today, was there anything else that made you unhappy? Did anyone bully you?”

Once they got in the car, Qin Ran asked with concern. She was worried that Su Xiaorong might have said something hurtful again; although a physical fight was unlikely with teachers present, children could still be verbally cruel.

Rou Rou glanced at Qin Ran, then looked down at her fingers. Her eyes were still red, and her whole face looked small and pitiful.

She had clumsily fallen down, hurting herself and becoming the subject of her classmates’ laughter—especially Su Xiaorong, who had laughed the loudest.

Rou Rou was clearly feeling down, but she didn’t feel close enough to Qin Ran yet to open up about it.

Still, Qin Ran could tell what had happened just by looking at her.

“You were very brave today at school,” Qin Ran said gently. “You deserve a reward. Want some gold coins?”

Given the child’s lack of interest in conversing, Qin Ran drew out her secret weapon—a handful of fifty-cent coins—from her pocket.

As expected, the power of money worked. Rou Rou looked up at Qin Ran and silently stretched out her chubby little hand.

“These coins aren’t for eating. They go into your piggy bank,” Qin Ran said, placing a few into her palm.

Rou Rou immediately clenched her little fist to hide the coins tightly inside.

“Falling down wasn’t your fault. The teacher gave me lots of tips for exercise. When we get home, we’ll start training together. You’ll be able to run fast, jump high, and become a real little hero. Not only will your classmates admire you, but you’ll also be able to protect Mommy better. And I’ll give you lots more coins as a reward. How about it?” Qin Ran continued coaxing.

Rou Rou looked up at her, clearly tempted by the idea. Finally, she nodded.

“Great. When we get home, I’ll have someone prepare a space for it,” Qin Ran said with a smile.

The kindergarten wasn’t far from the Wen household. Soon, they arrived at the villa. Qin Ran got out with Rou Rou and led her into the house.

In the main hall of the Wen residence, Wen Qingyun was being helped out by A’Mei—her expression was full of anxiety.

“Miss Wen, look—Rou Rou’s back now. President Qin picked her up; she’s safe,” A’ Mei said with a smile, trying to calm her.

Wen Qingyun had woken from her nap and realized that it was time for Rou Rou to come home. But since Fu Ma couldn’t pick her up, she’d rushed out in a panic. If A’Mei hadn’t been there to catch her, she would’ve stumbled a few more times.

The mention of Qin Ran being the one to pick up Rou Rou only made her more uneasy.

Especially since it was already past the usual pickup time, Wen Qingyun had grown more and more anxious, terrified that Qin Ran might’ve taken Rou Rou somewhere else.

After all, “Qin Ran”had never picked her up before. This sudden change in behavior made her suspicious.

Seeing Rou Rou now, she let out a breath of relief—but she was still tense. She tried to walk faster to greet her, but her legs wouldn’t cooperate. Her mind told her to move forward, but her body leaned to one side, her steps unstable. If not for A’Mei, she would’ve fallen again.

“Mama!” Rou Rou called out when she saw Wen Qingyun, running toward her.

Qin Ran watched her run. She looked like a little penguin—very cute. But her steps were wobbly, and her legs seemed weak, like she could trip over her own feet at any moment.

It looked like the teacher was right.

Qin Ran quickly caught her when she stumbled, helping her reach Wen Qingyun safely. Rou Rou then hugged her mother’s leg tightly.

Wen Qingyun bent down and looked at Rou Rou with eyes full of concern.

“I fell during morning exercises. It’s okay, Mama. I’m a little hero; it didn’t hurt,” Rou Rou quickly explained, not wanting her mom to worry.

She even managed a small smile while talking to her mother and seemed more cheerful now.

Wen Qingyun hugged her and gently patted her head.

While they talked, A’Mei called them over to the dining room where dinner had been served.

Qin Ran walked around the first floor of the villa and found that, like the second floor, every room had features to block pheromone leakage and was equipped with purification systems. Definitely the home of a wealthy family.

In a typical home, only an Alpha or Omega would have a room like this, and it would be small. The other rooms wouldn’t be equipped like this at all.

This setup made things a lot easier—any room could be used.

“A’Mei, please have someone clear this room out. Leave only a bed, and move it to the back. Clear out the rest of the space, cover the floor with rugs, and pad the walls with soft materials. If we don’t have them, send Xiao Zhang, the driver, to buy them right away,” Qin Ran instructed.

Though she didn’t understand why, A’Mei went off to do it anyway.

Meanwhile, Wen Qingyun and Rou Rou were in the dining room, eating slowly but happily. Rou Rou was even feeding her mother.

As long as Wen Qingyun wasn’t emotionally overwhelmed, she remained calm and quiet.

After dinner, a servant helped Wen Qingyun and Rou Rou go visit Fu Ma.

Qin Ran sat in the living room checking the emails from her assistant. When she saw Wen Qingyun and Rou Rou, went to the room, she finally got up and followed them.

She figured it was best to bring up the treatment now—while Rou Rou was around, Wen Qingyun’s mood seemed more stable, and it might be easier to convince her.

“Miss Wen, sorry to bother you. I’d like to talk to you about something,” Qin Ran said, standing at the door to Rou Rou’s room.

Wen Qingyun, who had just been smiling at Rou Rou, turned to her. Her eyes weren’t as icy as before, but still very cold and distant.

It was obvious she didn’t want to hear anything Qin Ran had to say.

“Excuse me, could you step outside for a moment?” Qin Ran addressed the maid who was assisting Wen Qingyun. Once the maid left, she closed the door behind her and stepped in.

Wen Qingyun hugged Rou Rou tightly, her eyes full of wariness as she stared at Qin Ran.

“It’s about your treatment. What happened this morning was an accident—no one knows why it happened, and there are no answers yet.

But it’s a fact that the treatment center turned you away. No one else dares to treat you, but I can try.

I’m a soother. You probably didn’t know this, but I got my junior soothing therapist certificate five years ago. I haven’t used it recently, but today I went to the center and got recertified. This is the proof.”

Qin Ran showed her a card with her photo on it and gently released a trace of her pheromones.

Rou Rou, being a child, wasn’t sensitive to it and hadn’t shown any aversion before. But Wen Qingyun could definitely feel it.

Her expression changed when she saw the certificate—she looked like she was on the verge of breaking down, but holding Rou Rou in her arms helped her stay in control.

Then she caught a whiff of Qin Ran’s pheromone, and her body trembled.

She pointed to the door, eyes cold and restrained, clearly asking her to leave.

Qin Ran had been a soother. Wen Qingyun had known that five years ago.

All day long, she had caught traces of Qin Ran’s scent.

When she was lost in her breakdown, it had been Qin Ran who pulled her back. Even while sleeping, that familiar scent had surrounded her.

For a moment, she’d forgotten all of Qin Ran’s wrongdoings and just wanted to stay wrapped in that peaceful scent.

When it faded, she’d felt an empty ache and longed for it again.

In her half-awake state, she’d even shamefully clutched her clothes, sniffing the remnants of that scent like it brought her peace and safety.

But once fully awake, thinking of who Qin Ran was and what she’d done, she was filled with hatred and shame for herself.

Qin Ran’s pheromones these days were different.

Or rather, they reminded her of the way they used to be—five years ago.

Back then, she had trusted that scent so much, even going to her during her rut.

But it had all been a lie.

“You go play. “Mommy doesn’t want to play with you,” Rou Rou said softly to Qin Ran while being held in her mother’s arms.

“Sweetie, it’s not that Mommy doesn’t want to play. She just doesn’t want to take her medicine. But if you don’t take your medicine, how can you get better? Help me talk to Mommy, okay?” Qin Ran smiled and then turned her phone screen towards Wen Qingyun.

The message read:

Miss Wen, I know you don’t like my pheromones. But bitter medicine is good for

you. Everything I’m doing is so you can recover faster—so you can control your

body and your emotions again.

Don’t you want a divorce? Don’t you want custody of Rou Rou?

How will you know if it works if you don’t even try?