"After Becoming the Protagonist's Scumbag Alpha Ex-Wife" (ABO) - Chapter 26

“You’re talking nonsense! My kidneys are perfectly fine. Don’t spread rumors.” Qin Ran said seriously. How could Wen Qingyun possibly know about that? She had been cooped up in the office the whole time.

She had only just received those test results herself.

But as soon as she finished speaking, she saw Wen Qingyun pointing toward a paper report sitting on the desk. Qin Ran froze, feeling utterly awkward.

When Assistant Wang had called her to the lab to speak with Professor Song earlier, he’d also handed her the report—but since she hadn’t understood it, she just left it on the desk without looking!

Qin Ran now felt completely exposed.

Would Wen Qingyun assume she’d been cheating during their marriage, that she’d exhausted herself from too much indulgence and ruined her own health?

“Ms. Wen, I have no idea how this happened, but I’ve always been disciplined and lived a clean life. This must be a mistake in the test results,” Qin Ran hurried to explain—but Wen Qingyun just looked down and coolly typed another line, clearly uninterested in her excuses.

“Kidney deficiency can also cause hair loss and skin issues. I mentioned it so you wouldn’t assume it was my doing. If I had poisoned you, it’d be untraceable—and far more serious.” Wen Qingyun typed coldly.

After seeing the lab report on Qin Ran’s desk, Wen Qingyun had quickly deduced that Qin had already investigated the entire smaller lab after her sudden breakdown. Since she hadn’t had time to cover her tracks, she knew the researchers would likely have analyzed the substances—so rather than cover it up, she figured she might as well use the information to pressure Qin Ran.

Hair and skin issues clearly mattered a lot to Qin Ran—she even mentioned them while she was half-conscious.

And kidneys were even more important—especially for an alpha and their… long-term performance. Qin Ran would undoubtedly take this matter seriously.

Qin Ran stared at Wen Qingyun’s expression, unsure whether she was bluffing or not—but either way, she no longer had the energy to speculate. She touched her thinning hair mournfully, feeling utterly defeated.

Today has been an intense journey through both joy and sorrow. Her emotional rollercoaster could’ve filled a whole lifetime.

“You said you’d help? You’re going to help me, right?” Qin Ran latched onto the earlier glimmer of hope.

She knew full well that the kidney issue wasn’t caused by Wen Qingyun.

“I’ll help you determine the cause of your kidney issues and research a side-effect-free treatment. If you want your kidney function fully restored—stronger than ever—you’ll need to cooperate with me and keep me satisfied. Right now, I need several pieces of equipment to study nerve growth factors. Tell Procurement to purchase them.” Wen Qingyun typed calmly, with eyes as cold as frost.

Qin Ran’s mouth twitched.

This woman truly possessed a remarkable intellect, discussing kidney health with the eloquence of a street-side medicine vendor, all the while glaring at you with the intensity of an executioner.

Others might doubt Wen Qingyun’s abilities, but Qin Ran didn’t. She knew Wen’s expertise was real. Most Western medicines had side effects—if Wen Qingyun was serious about developing a treatment plan, it would definitely work.

“Okay, list out what you need. I’ll get someone to buy it all today,” Qin Ran said, snapping out to reality as Wen Qingyun tapped away on her tablet.

“You should go to the hospital for further testing—urine test, hair analysis, glandular assessment, and standard drug screenings. We need to identify the root cause before we can prevent it from worsening. If your annual physicals didn’t catch it, the issue must be subtle.”

“What? Drug screenings? I’ve never used drugs—never even touched the stuff…” Qin Ran stammered, but her confidence faltered halfway through.

Her symptoms during her heat cycles had been outrageous. Before Wen Qingyun gave her that ultra-effective suppressant, she’d been reliant on a powerful injection-form suppressant made by Su Yuecha. It had always seemed a bit suspicious…

Su Yuecha had always been close with the former Qin Ran—she even wanted to marry her. Would she really go so far as to damage her kidneys?

She’d claimed it was a special enhanced version of the new suppressant project… Could there be a problem with the suppressant itself?

“Addictive substances can overload the kidneys. It’s just a possibility.” Wen Qingyun replied calmly.

“Alright. I’ll go get it checked. Thanks. We’re partners now, right? I still have to help you—you better not harm me again.” Qin Ran said sincerely, glancing at Wen Qingyun.

“Depends on whether your behavior satisfies me.” Wen Qingyun typed—her expression was still cool and distant.

“Uhh…” Qin Ran felt like she’d just been given a suspended sentence. Her kidneys actually ached a little at that moment…

“Oh—by the way, that suppressant patch you gave me—can you modify it? It hurts like hell. Didn’t it bother you? My skin broke out in a rash.”

“The pain is a side effect of its potency. Potency comes at a cost. If you want it to be gentler, I’ll need to add new components and conduct trials. I haven’t had the chance yet.” Wen Qingyun replied.

“Would you be able to get it approved for commercial release if you improved it?” Qin Ran asked.

“Commercial release?” Wen Qingyun blinked, confused.

“I mean, people like me—those with abnormal cycles—we’re not common, but we’re not rare either. If you can improve the patch, we could add it to the company’s product line. A milder version could even replace standard patches.

The ones on the market do nothing for me. Yours hurts, but it actually works.

If we turn it into a real product, I guarantee it’ll sell. This way, you’ll prove yourself as a top expert and bring revenue to the company. The profits would be yours—remember, I’m about to leave with nothing.” Qin Ran said with a smile.

Her current condition made her worry—if standard patches didn’t work, she’d be at Wen Qingyun’s mercy every heat cycle. She’d end up doing whatever Wen Qingyun wanted—or worse, totally losing control.

Turning it into a product would solve everything—she could just buy it directly.

Genius idea.

“That would prove my ability?” Wen Qingyun paused and typed.

“Of course! A suppressant better than anything else on the market—delivered as a patch, not some annoying injection? That’s groundbreaking. Once you release it, no one will question your qualifications as chief expert.” Qin Ran nodded.

“Okay. I’ll think about how to improve the formula.” Wen replied. A faint spark of light flickered in her eyes.

She had struggled with illness for years, causing her father endless worry—and had never been able to contribute to the company he built from scratch. But if she could really make this happen, he’d be proud of her when he woke up.

She wasn’t a burden. She could help too.

“Great, you think on that. I’ll go take care of other matters. You must be hungry—I’ll get someone to bring lunch,” Qin Ran said, finally feeling like something was going right for once.

Qin Ran had Assistant Wang prepare lunch while she walked over to the desk to check emails and see what needed handling.

Thanks to her good mood before the meal, she found herself enjoying the food quite a bit.

Wen Qingyun’s hands were unsteady and she often spilled things while eating, so she had no plan to eat at all—but Qin Ran had already placed the food in front of her.

The soup came with a straw, the main course was spaghetti, and the utensil was a fork. It wasn’t too difficult to manage. Whether Qin Ran had done it intentionally or not, it was unclear.

Wen Qingyun recalled Qin Ran’s words about becoming a “slow-paced person” and thus ate with careful elegance, maintaining a composed demeanor.

But when her eyes glanced over at Qin Ran, who was eating fast and eating a lot, she couldn’t quite wrap her head around it. Just earlier, this woman had looked like death itself—now she was devouring her meal like the kidney deficiency was someone else’s problem entirely.

After eating her fill, Qin Ran started to feel drowsy. She dozed off in the leather office chair for a little while.

Wen Qingyun, meanwhile, focused on reviewing her data—the top priority for her was still her father’s medication research.

While she was busy with the data , a message came in from Guan Jingyi.

“Qingyun, how are you feeling? Have you woken up?”

“I’m fine now. Thank you for asking.” Wen Qingyun replied.

Guan Jingyi had been her university classmate and one of the few people who had patiently tried to befriend her during those rare years when her health improved. Wen Qingyun trusted her slightly more than the average person—but only slightly.

More messages came in, but Wen Qingyun was engrossed in her research and didn’t notice.

On the other hand, Qin Ran had only been napping for about thirty minutes when Assistant Wang’s call woke her up.

“President Qin, Dr. Su Yuecha has submitted her resignation. According to protocol, you’ll need to speak with her. What time and place would work best for you?” Assistant Wang asked.

Qin Ran blinked in surprise, her mind clearing quickly. She tapped on her computer screen and, sure enough, found Su Yuecha’s resignation email.

She hadn’t even fired the woman yet—and now she wanted to quit? That saved her a few months’ severance, at least.

But there was no way this woman would quit out of pure goodwill. What was she planning now?

“No need for a meeting,” Qin Ran said with a frown. She didn’t want to be alone with Su Yuecha—who knew what awkward or unpleasant stunt she might pull?

“Dr. Su said she has something she wants to hand over to you in person—some things you two had previously agreed on. President Qin, you’ve placed high importance on this project. The initial investment was huge. We can’t let it fall apart at such a critical stage. Are you two… in conflict?” Assistant Wang asked in a quiet voice.

“Didn’t I already tell you? As an assistant, your job is to handle your own responsibilities. Don’t ask about things that don’t concern you. If you don’t want this job anymore, feel free to resign,” Qin Ran said coldly, glaring at him.

“I understand. I apologize. So… should I go ahead and arrange the meeting with Dr. Su?”

Assistant Wang was flustered under her gaze. His earlier question had just been a test—it was clear now that things were really over between them, and he knew not to bring it up again.

“Arrange it, but don’t let her come to this office. Anywhere else is fine—the sooner the better.”

Qin Ran thought of the “things” Su Yuecha mentioned—probably the luxury goods the original Qin Ran had given her. She had promised to return them, hadn’t she?

Fine then. She’d meet with her, take the stuff, and leave. Besides, with the potent suppressant patch on her neck right now, her glands were completely subdued.

Assistant Wang agreed and went off to make arrangements. Qin Ran washed her face to wake up, then headed to the small meeting room that had been prepared.

Su Yuecha was already there, sitting down with a pitiful look on her face. Her eyes were red, as if she’d been crying, and a large paper bag was beside her.

“President Qin, these are the items I mentioned. I went home at lunch to get them. Like I said before—I never wanted anything from you,” Su Yuecha said with a look of grievance.

Qin Ran glanced inside the bag. Several designer purses and a finely crafted jewelry box—clearly expensive.

She let out a subtle breath of relief—one less thing to worry about. But as she looked at Su Yuecha, who sat there so poised and fragile-looking, she wondered if she was putting on her “pure white lotus” act again.

“You saw my resignation letter, didn’t you?” Su Yuecha asked softly.

“I did. Hand over your responsibilities to the deputy team leader. Your resignation will be finalized in a month. And don’t forget—per your contract, you’re not allowed to engage in any suppressant research for one year after leaving the company,” Qin Ran said calmly.

“President Qin, I’ve worked here for years. Even if I haven’t done anything spectacular, I’ve worked hard. You’re not even going to try to keep me? And now you’re bringing up the contract—do you have to be so ruthless?”

Su Yuecha looked heartbroken, her eyes glistening with tears again.

“Let’s be honest here. Everything will proceed by the book. If you violate the contract and the company suffers damages, I’ll be sure to have the lawyers involved,” Qin Ran said with firm seriousness.

“Well then. Very well!” Su Yuecha’s expression changed. Despite her tear-streaked face, a faint smile curled at her lips—and the vulnerability in her eyes was now laced with resentment.

“Why don’t you take a look at your company inbox? See how many resignation letters are in there.”

Qin Ran opened her phone in response—one, two… twelve resignation emails?!

“See for yourself. The entire new suppressant research team is leaving. The project is dead. You invested over a hundred million yuan in the early stages—building new facilities, purchasing specialized equipment and materials—all of it in preparation for mass production once the suppressant passed standards.

And that’s not all. You’ve already signed contracts with multiple companies. If the project collapses now, not only will you lose the initial investment, but you’ll also owe huge penalty fees.

With that kind of loss, the board has every right to impeach you. Still think you can keep that CEO position?

Oh, but maybe you’re not worried. After all, you’ve got a secret weapon now—the new chief expert! You can hand the project over to her,” Su Yuecha said, her smile widening as she spoke.

What a joke. That lunatic might be good at having breakdowns, but running a project? She’d probably smash the entire lab to pieces.