"After Becoming the Protagonist's Scumbag Alpha Ex-Wife" (ABO) - Chapter 19

When Qin Ran released more of her pheromones, Wen Qingyun didn’t lose control—though she hovered on the edge of agitation, instead falling into a whirlpool of inner conflict.

On one hand, Qin Ran’s unique pheromones brought a calm and quiet peace to her mind, soothing her body into relaxation. On the other, all the hatred she held toward Qin Ran made her reject this scent entirely. Even worse was the secret craving she felt for it—one she found both shameful and repulsive.

“I don’t want to treat you either,” Qin Ran typed out on her phone, showing it to Wen Qingyun to avoid letting Rou Rou hear about the divorce. “But no therapist is willing to take your case. Believe it or not, I just want to get this divorce over with. There’s no need to drag this affair out. If you can control yourself sooner, we can divorce sooner. It’s better for both of us.”

“Mama,” Rou Rou’s soft voice piped up as she reached out with her little chubby hand, gently touching Wen Qingyun’s cheek. Her big eyes looked up at her as if trying to coax a child. “Medicine is bitter, but being sick feels worse… Mama, I’ll get you candy if you take your medicine, okay? Be good.”

Wen Qingyun lowered her head and hugged Rou Rou tighter.

“Miss Wen,” Qin Ran said softly, speaking now instead of typing, since she didn’t mention divorce, “think about Rou Rou. Think about your father in the hospital. They both need you. You’ve probably known for a long time that conventional medicine cannot cure your complex condition. Right now, pheromone therapy is your only hope.

If I meant you harm, I wouldn’t offer this treatment. Pheromone therapy is something you can feel—it’s real, not something I can fake. I just hope you’ll think about it.”

Wen Qingyun kept her eyes down and didn’t respond.

Qin Ran didn’t say anything else. She stopped releasing her pheromones and waited.

Wen Qingyun hadn’t lost control of her emotions this entire time.

She was clearly torn.

Qin Ran decided to give her some space and quietly left the room, gently closing the door behind her.

“President Qin, the room’s ready. If there’s anything you’d like us to change, we can fix it,” A’Mei said, approaching her in the hallway.

Qin Ran followed her to the guest room next to Rou Rou’s.

The floor had been covered with soft carpet, and the walls were padded with cushions. Two bean bag chairs, some throw pillows, and floor cushions were arranged in one corner. Every sharp edge had been removed from the room.

The colors were warm and gentle, with cartoon prints that gave the room a cozy, childlike vibe.

A’Mei had assumed this was being set up for Rou Rou, hence the playful design.

“Mmm, you did well,” Qin Ran said with a nod. “Thank you, A’Mei. With Fu Ma’s back sprain, you’ve had a lot on your plate.”

This room would serve as a simple therapy space—not just for Rou Rou to practice coordination, but also for Wen Qingyun to try pheromone therapy in a controlled environment.

Qin Ran stepped out to check her messages. After about 30 minutes, Qin Ran was contemplating whether to approach Wen Qingyun to confirm her decision when she heard the sound of a door opening.

She looked up and saw a small head peeking out from behind Rou Rou’s door.

“Rou Rou? What’s wrong?” she asked gently.

Rou Rou held up a drawing board with a few wobbly words written on it: “You can come in.” The handwriting was clearly Wen Qingyun’s.

Qin Ran smiled—so Wen Qingyun had made her decision.

She walked over, and Rou Rou quickly ran to her mother’s side, watching Qin Ran with wide eyes—perhaps wary, or maybe just curious about what was going to happen next.

“You’re agreeing to the treatment?” Qin Ran asked as she closed the door behind her. “We can start right away.”

“I have one condition,” Wen Qingyun wrote on the board. Rou Rou helpfully held it up for Qin Ran to read.

“What is it? As long as it doesn’t cross any moral lines, I’ll consider it,” Qin Ran replied.

Wen Qingyun glanced at her, as if that statement was laughably naïve.

“I want access to the research institute,” she wrote quickly.

“Uh…” Qin Ran froze.

The Wen Group had its own research institute, home to a number of scientists and specialists developing various medications. As the current president of the group, it wouldn’t be hard for Qin Ran to get her in.

But the risk was enormous.

If Wen Qingyun decided to cook up some kind of virus or toxic compound in there, she could be in real danger—this wouldn’t be some visible threat like a knife; it could kill her without her even realizing it.

Just thinking about the storyline—the one where Wen Qingyun had created a substance that caused skin to rot, hair and teeth to fall out, and had no known cure—sent chills down her spine.

“What do you want to do at the institute? You’re not even writing steadily yet—how can you conduct experiments?” Qin Ran asked, buying herself some time under Wen Qingyun’s expectant stare.

“I want to study nerve growth factors. If you don’t agree, I won’t accept your treatment.” Wen Qingyun lowered her head and wrote the sentence. Rou Rou once again held it up.

After reading Wen Zhenheng’s medical records, Wen Qingyun had apparently decided to check the institute’s classified data and run her own experiments.

“Uhh…” Qin Ran stared at the board. She could see now that Wen Qingyun’s intentions weren’t random.

She really did have the skills to develop effective treatments. If she succeeded, and Wen Zhenheng recovered after surgery, it would help them move toward divorce with less complication.

“Alright, I agree. Tomorrow when I go to the company, I’ll make the arrangements. You’ll have your own lab, and I’ll assign you an assistant. You can give me a list of anything you need, and I’ll have it prepared for you,” Qin Ran finally said.

If Wen Qingyun was going to do research, then Qin Ran would give her a clean, controlled lab. Only that lab would be accessible to her, and anything she needed would go through Qin Ran’s approval. With a professional assistant there to supervise, Qin Ran could at least feel a little safer.

“I want full access to all institute research files.” Wen Qingyun added another line.

“That’s fine. I’ll grant it,” Qin Ran said. “But in return, you need to cooperate with the treatment. There’s a guest room next to Rou Rou’s—I’ve converted it into a therapy room. Let’s go take a look. I also wanted to talk to you about Rou Rou.”

Wen Qingyun looked at her and nodded.

No matter how much she resented Qin Ran, she couldn’t deny it—Qin Ran’s pheromones were helping her.

For the sake of Rou Rou and her father, Wen Qingyun could endure anything.

And if Qin Ran really harbored any ill intentions, getting access to the research institute would give her a potential backup plan.

“Rou Rou, what did you promise me earlier? Did you forget?” Qin Ran turned to the little girl. “Let’s go next door and do some exercises. Let’s bring Mommy along too.”

“I didn’t forget. Mommy, are you coming with us?” Rou Rou turned to Wen Qingyun with wide eyes.

Wen Qingyun took Rou Rou’s hand and stood up.

Her steps were unsteady as she walked. Qin Ran instinctively reached out to help, but Wen Qingyun refused, instead bracing herself against the wall as she walked out with Rou Rou.

Qin Ran followed behind, watching them leave the room. She turned on the ventilation system in Rou Rou’s room to clear out the pheromones, closed the door, and walked over to the room next door.

When Wen Qingyun stepped inside, she was taken aback by what she saw.

This is a therapy room?

It looked more like a children’s playroom.

She sat upright on the sofa while Rou Rou plopped down next to her, eyes sparkling with curiosity as she took in the surroundings.

Qin Ran entered and closed the door behind her, once again releasing her pheromones.

“Rou Rou, run from here to the other side of the room and back. Show Mommy how fast you are,” Qin Ran encouraged.

Rou Rou immediately got up and ran ahead. But maybe she was too excited—after just a few steps, she tripped and fell flat.

Luckily, the carpet was soft, so it didn’t hurt. But the fall left her red-faced with embarrassment. She quickly tried to get up, her chubby little body wobbling clumsily.

“She can get up on her own; she’s okay,” Qin Ran said calmly, stopping Wen Qingyun just as she was about to help. “I wanted you to see the way she runs. Her legs don’t move naturally—it’s like she can’t quite control them. She looks like she could fall at any moment. That’s because her coordination isn’t good.

Her teacher mentioned today that she tripped at school for the same reason and suggested we do some simple training exercises at home. I wrote them all down. One of them is crawling—it helps train coordination…”

Wen Qingyun paused, unsure whether to help Rou Rou or focus on Qin Ran’s words.

“I looked it up online. Crawling is great for brain development and coordination. I think it could help you too. You could do it with Rou Rou,” Qin Ran added.

“…Huh?” Wen Qingyun stared at her in disbelief. Was Qin Ran seriously bringing up Rou Rou like this? Since when did she care so much?

And did she just suggest she should try crawling?

“All the treatment you’ve received before focused on healing the damage in your brain from a medical standpoint,” Qin Ran went on. “But clearly, that approach is going to take decades—if it ever works. Why not start with your current physical condition? Train your body to adapt and function like a normal person. Combined with pheromone therapy, I believe you’ll be able to live like a regular person in no time.”

Her pheromones continued to flow, relaxing both body and mind. Even Qin Ran’s words sounded easier to accept now.

However, it was impossible to erase the long-standing resentment she had with Qin Ran in a single day.

And crawling on the floor? Wen Qingyun had serious doubts about Qin Ran’s intentions.

“You crawl.” She wrote the words on the whiteboard and shot Qin Ran a regal, frosty glare.

“…Ugh.” Qin Ran was momentarily speechless.

“Mommy! I—I ran back!” Rou Rou called out, breathing heavily.

“You did amazing, sweetheart!” Qin Ran smiled at her warmly. “Now let’s move on to our next exercise. Step one: crawl from here to that side of the room and back. We’ll race, okay?”

If Wen Qingyun wasn’t ready to try it yet, Qin Ran figured she’d start with Rou Rou. Once the little girl made progress, maybe Wen Qingyun would come around too.

Qin Ran even got down on all fours to demonstrate—so Wen Qingyun wouldn’t feel so self-conscious later.

Rou Rou’s eyes lit up. She got into position and looked at Qin Ran, ready to compete.

Qin Ran joined her, crawling across the soft carpet.

Wen Qingyun was stunned. She hadn’t expected Qin Ran to actually crawl. She was so tall that her legs stuck out awkwardly behind her. And yet she positioned herself just slightly behind Rou Rou, like a giant dog crawling alongside a puppy—all they were missing were wagging tails.

Rou Rou was thrilled. For her, this was just a fun game, and now she had someone to play with.

Wen Qingyun stared for a long moment, stunned, then shook her head to clear it.

After several rounds of crawling, Rou Rou got up and followed the S-shaped running path Qin Ran laid out. She started slow, then picked up speed, doing a few laps. By the end, she was drenched in sweat and yawning from exhaustion.

“That’s it for today. It’s time for a bath and bedtime. We’ll continue tomorrow night,” Qin Ran told her.

“Okay.” Rou Rou nodded, dimples showing faintly—she looked genuinely happy.

“Do you think we’re friends now?” Qin Ran crouched to her level and asked with a smile.

Rou Rou looked at her thoughtfully, then ran back to Wen Qingyun and held out her pinky, glancing at it hesitantly. Today, Auntie Qin had seemed so gentle, smelled lovely, and even played with her. Maybe… maybe they could be friends…

Qin Ran saw her glance at the pinky and smiled but didn’t push for an answer.

“Miss Wen, since Fu Ma can’t help you wash up tonight, I’ll arrange for an Omega nurse to assist you. I’m sorry for the inconvenience,” she added gently once A’Mei took Rou Rou away for her bath and bedtime.

“No need.” Wen Qingyun shook her head firmly. She didn’t trust anyone Qin Ran hired—not yet. She’d wait until she was in the lab before considering anything else.

The room was still filled with Qin Ran’s pheromone scent. Wen Qingyun didn’t really want to leave, but since Rou Rou had gone, she didn’t want to linger either. She stood up, wobbling slightly, and stepped outside.

A housemaid named Ah Zhen—someone Fu Ma trusted—quickly came to support her and led her upstairs.

Qin Ran closed the door behind them and let out a long breath.

There had been progress today. At least a little.

After crawling around with Rou Rou for so long, Qin Ran was feeling a bit worn out herself. She rubbed her neck. It felt hot and prickly—uncomfortable.

A sign.

Her heat cycle was approaching.

She mentally calculated the timing—yes, it was coming soon. She needed to prepare the inhibitors.

And speaking of inhibitors, she remembered something: the original Qin Ran had been using suppressants for a long time, which had started to cause health issues. The common inhibitors on the market had lost their effectiveness. For the past year, it had been Su Yuecha who had been providing hers.

The push to develop a new generation of suppressants had also been a decision made by the transmigrated Qin Ran.

Maybe the new formula would work better for her.

She’d check on the progress at the company tomorrow.