"After Becoming the Protagonist's Scumbag Alpha Ex-Wife" (ABO) - Chapter 2

In the living room, two little girls were squabbling over a piggy bank. The slightly chubby girl, named Rou Rou, was Wen Qingyun’s biological daughter, Wen Yirou. Her nickname was Rou Rou, but the other girl, who often teased her about being fat, always called her Meatball. This other girl was Su Xiaorong, the child of Su Yuecha, an Omega that the transmigrator (the story’s protagonist, Qin Ran) herself liked. Su Xiaorong was brought in under the guise of being a companion for Wen Yirou, but she enjoyed more privileges than the legitimate young mistress of the house, Wen Yirou, and was doted upon to the point of being spoiled and willful.

As Qin Ran approached, fear flickered in little Rou Rou’s eyes. The hand she’d reached out for the piggy bank retracted, and her body instinctively recoiled. Her black, grape-like eyes, however, remained fixated on the piggy bank. The money inside was what she had saved up, little by little. She couldn’t lose it, but… but… Was this home really not hers? Could she not even keep the money she’d saved?

The woman before her, back when Grandpa was still around, used to smile at her. But after Grandpa was sent to the hospital, this woman always had a cold expression. Whenever she saw Rou Rou, she’d have someone take her away. Rou Rou instinctively felt that the woman didn’t like her, only Su Xiaorong. If she fought with Su Xiaorong over something, she’d surely be called a bad child and be punished. She was so scared; standing outside as punishment, her legs would ache, and it would be so cold, so cold.

“Mine, my…” Rou Rou looked at Qin Ran with pleading eyes, and despite her fear, she stammered, willing to be punished and scolded if it meant getting her piggy bank back.

“Auntie, Auntie, didn’t you say everything here…” Su Xiaorong snorted at Rou Rou, then looked at Qin Ran and began to speak, but before she could finish, Qin Ran, who had quickly walked over, covered her mouth. This little thing might look cute, but her actions and words were clearly meant to lead Qin Ran down a terrible path! What a disaster! What was all this about telling her to hit Rou Rou and everything else she’d said? It was all just inviting hatred! This was originally the Wen family’s home; everything here belonged to the Wen family. Constantly talking about kicking people out—a child of about four or five was already starting to form memories. Even if she didn’t fully understand now, she’d remember it as resentment later.

Moreover, Qin Ran recalled that the plot mentioned the little lunatic, Wen Yirou, was a little miser, with an inexplicable obsession with money from a young age. Her only hobby was saving money; she loved money more than life itself. Anyone who dared to steal her money was essentially taking her life. The money in this piggy bank had been saved by little Wen Yirou for a long time, and it was currently the child’s most precious possession. In the original plot, it was snatched away by Su Xiaorong, who then deliberately smashed it and took the money inside. This incident, which led to Wen Yirou being traumatized, injured, and sick, was the very trigger for Wen Yirou’s eventual blackening.

Su Xiaorong hadn’t expected that Qin Ran would cover her mouth. She glared at her with wide eyes. Qin Ran gave Su Xiaorong a warning look, took the piggy bank from her hand just as it was about to drop, and handed it to Rou Rou, who was curled up in a ball. Qin Ran’s look towards Rou Rou was as gentle as possible.

Rou Rou instinctively recoiled but then realized that the piggy bank she wanted was being offered to her from that direction. Rou Rou looked at Qin Ran, a little confused and still a bit scared. She remembered the last time “Qin Ran” smiled at her; she had the nanny lock her in her room and forbid her from coming out front. But this piggy bank, she couldn’t lose it. Even if she was punished later, she had to get it back. Rou Rou reached out her chubby little hand. grabbed the piggy bank and immediately hugged it tightly to her chest, as if afraid it would be snatched away again the next moment.

Qin Ran looked at the timid, shy, and still-mumbling chubby little Rou Rou in front of her, feeling a bit conflicted. The currently arrogant Su Xiaorong would soon have her face bitten by a stray dog that Rou Rou would adopt. If the plot wasn’t changed, Qin Ran herself would have her oxygen tube pulled out by this little dumpling’s chubby hands, suffocating to death amidst gasps for air. Thinking about Rou Rou’s future actions, Qin Ran felt a bit lightheaded.

“Director Qin, I’ll take her away now. Meatball, why are you so disobedient? You’re going to stand in punishment for half an hour!” The plump nanny from before came over and spoke, turning to scold Rou Rou and grabbing her arm somewhat roughly. Usually, “Qin Ran” didn’t care for this child and didn’t even want to see her, so the nanny naturally didn’t treat Rou Rou with the respect due to a young mistress. The nanny’s only thought now was to quickly take Rou Rou out of Qin Ran’s sight; otherwise, Qin Ran would get angry again.

“No, no… don’t…” Rou Rou stammered, her whole body trembling, her little chubby face filled with panic and fear. She tumbled onto the floor, one arm being pulled forward, the other tightly clutching the piggy bank.

“Don’t touch her! Let go!” Qin Ran frowned. She had just managed to shut up Su Xiaorong, and now another person was trying to send her to her doom!

“Director Qin, what are you…?” The nanny looked at Qin Ran, puzzled. What was Qin Ran doing? Didn’t she hate Rou Rou?

Qin Ran released Su Xiaorong, walked up to the nanny, and pushed away the hand she had on Rou Rou’s arm. “Aunt Su, is this how you treat a child? Do you even remember your place?” Qin Ran looked at the nanny and spoke, remembering that this was the nanny that was hired by the transmigrator to take care of the children.

“Director Qin, I was just too rushed just now; it wasn’t intentional. This child is very mischievous; if I’m not strict, she won’t listen.” Aunt Su, the nanny, plastered an awkward smile on her face. She was good at reading expressions and felt that Qin Ran was a bit off right now.

“Auntie Qin, you should make Meatball stand in punishment and throw away that piggy bank; don’t give it to her…” At this moment, Su Xiaorong, whose mouth had been freed, quickly blurted out.

“You take her back to her room first.” Qin Ran frowned and told Aunt Su. Hearing what Su Xiaorong said, she wished she could sew her mouth shut, but she was just a child. She couldn’t hit or scold her, and it wasn’t easy to educate her, so she could only quickly get rid of this little firecracker who was desperately trying to cause trouble for her.

Aunt Su was very confused but still bent down and picked up Su Xiaorong.

“Amei, could you please come here and pick her up? See if she’s hurt anywhere.” Qin Ran wanted to get closer to Rou Rou and tried to pick her up from the carpet but found that she was too weak. Lifting Rou Rou was very strenuous, and Rou Rou looked terrified. Qin Ran felt that being suddenly affectionate with the child might scare her sick. She looked around and pointed to Amei, who had seemed to have a slightly more righteous demeanor just now, asking for her help. Qin Ran dug up some relevant information about Amei from her memory of the plot. This woman was considered to have some conscience; she had helped the female lead and her daughter during their difficult times. Later, when the female lead’s family reclaimed their assets, many people were purged, but Amei was kept and trained to become the Wen family’s housekeeper. It seemed her character was pretty good.

Amei was surprised that Qin Ran wasn’t angry with her and was even so polite in asking her to do something. This startled her, and she cautiously walked over. Aunt Su saw Qin Ran ask Amei for help, and her eyes paused. Su Xiaorong tried to say something, but Aunt Su shook her head at her and quickly walked with Su Xiaorong to a lavishly decorated pink children’s room on the first floor.

“Auntie, what’s wrong with Auntie Qin? Doesn’t Auntie Qin love me anymore?” Su Xiaorong asked Aunt Su with a furrowed brow, feeling wronged. Aunt Su was Su Yuecha’s cousin.

“Little ancestor, how could that be? Your Auntie Qin loves you the most. Don’t worry, I promise she’ll buy you toys and play with you very soon. Be good, play here, and I’ll call your mommy,” Aunt Su told Su Xiaorong. Aunt Su believed she understood “Qin Ran.” 

She had no good feelings for the Wen family. Before, when Old Master Wen was still around, “Qin Ran” would put on a facade, but now that Old Master Wen was paralyzed by a stroke and Wen Qingyun was foolish and mute, occasionally having fits, both adults in the Wen family were like living dead. “Qin Ran” no longer bothered with pretenses and usually ignored Rou Rou, occasionally having her quickly taken away so as not to be an eyesore.

On the contrary, “Qin Ran” was very fond of Su Xiaorong’s mommy, Su Yuecha. Before, with Old Master Wen around, “Qin Ran” had scruples and dared not do anything out of line, but now she naturally had no reservations. Su Yuecha herself had said that Qin Ran was divorcing and would marry Su Yuecha afterward. Su Yuecha had mentioned this to Aunt Su and Su Xiaorong, which was why Su Xiaorong dared to speak that way in front of Rou Rou. Because of Su Yuecha, “Qin Ran” treated Su Xiaorong like her own biological daughter and was even respectful towards Aunt Su, Su Yuecha’s cousin.

Qin Ran’s tone and expression just now were different from usual. Aunt Su felt she needed to report this to Su Yuecha immediately. Aunt Su comforted Su Xiaorong, then dialed Su Yuecha’s number and exaggeratedly recounted what had just happened.

“You were right to tell me to watch out for that Amei. I bet she’s seducing Director Qin when I’m not looking. You’re so busy and come rarely; you should come early today, teach her a lesson, and win back Director Qin’s heart.” Aunt Su concluded, her main concern being the fact that Qin Ran had called Amei over at the end. She told Su Yuecha what she believed was the reason for Qin Ran’s unusual behavior. Even if Amei was pretty, she couldn’t compare to Su Yuecha, who was an A-class Omega. That wasn’t just a physical advantage; releasing even a tiny bit of pheromones would enchant any Alpha, regardless of their level.

“I have a diamond necklace in Xiaorong’s room closet; it seems to be missing. Can you see if Amei stole it? I’ll be there soon.” After a moment of silence on the other end of the line, a soft, delicate voice slowly replied.