"After Becoming the Protagonist's Scumbag Alpha Ex-Wife" (ABO) - Chapter 3

In the living room, Rou Rou was pulled up by Amei. She clutched her piggy bank, and her face was full of wariness, not letting Amei touch it again, as if Amei was trying to snatch her piggy bank.

“Did I hurt you just now? Don’t be scared; I won’t hit children, and I certainly won’t punish you. They were talking nonsense. This is your home; you can go wherever you want,” Qin Ran said to Rou Rou as kindly as possible.

Rou Rou didn’t say a word; she only hugged her piggy bank tighter. The fear in her dark eyes hadn’t disappeared.

 Qin Ran looked at Rou Rou and sighed inwardly. After being estranged for so long, the child couldn’t possibly warm up to her so quickly and probably wouldn’t even believe her words. Thankfully, although the transmigrator had disliked Rou Rou before, she hadn’t physically harmed her. Qin Ran didn’t expect Rou Rou to be affectionate with her, just not to seek revenge. Trying too hard to get close now would make the child uncomfortable and scared, and Qin Ran herself would feel awkward.

She had helped her save the piggy bank, so her favorability should have gone up a little, right? She needed to maintain this. If she treated the little one normally from now on and prevented the key incidents from happening, if the child wasn’t sent away for adoption, and if nothing unexpected happened, her personality wouldn’t become so extreme, and she wouldn’t hate Qin Ran so much.

“Director Qin, this child started talking late, and she still doesn’t speak much. Please, please don’t blame her…” Amei, seeing Qin Ran frown, thought she was angry and spoke timidly. Amei’s hanging heart hadn’t settled yet, but she saw Qin Ran acting as if nothing had happened and looking even gentler than usual.

“I’m not blaming her,” Qin Ran said, glancing at Amei. This woman was indeed not bad. Rou Rou was at the age for learning to speak, yet no one was communicating with her or teaching her how. Her language development was much slower than other children her age.

“Didn’t you say breakfast was ready just now? Let’s eat breakfast first.” Qin Ran was about to say something else when a spasm in her stomach made her realize the reason for her weakness: she was hungry! She didn’t know how long it had been since she last ate. Qin Ran herself was very health-conscious and keen on fitness. However, the transmigrator didn’t exercise much, stayed up late every night, socialized and drank, and didn’t eat proper meals. Despite her Alpha physique, her body was somewhat sub-healthy. This whole mess, she’d have to clean it up slowly.

“Breakfast is being kept warm; we’ll set the table now.” The maids behind them quickly said, exchanging glances with Amei and hurrying off to set the table.

“Are you hungry? Let’s go eat breakfast together,” Qin Ran asked, looking at Rou Rou, who was silently trying to make herself scarce and slowly move away. Rou Rou’s dark, round eyes glanced at Qin Ran, then quickly lowered. There was some disbelief in her dull, round eyes. She remembered “Qin Ran” saying that she lost her appetite whenever she saw Rou Rou, so why was she asking to eat with her now?

“Come with me.” Qin Ran saw Rou Rou neither speak nor move, so she said it and walked forward. Rou Rou looked at Qin Ran’s back, afraid of being punished if she didn’t obey. She touched her rumbling stomach, hugged her piggy bank, and slowly shuffled after her.

Qin Ran didn’t go directly to the dining room but instead went to the first-floor washroom. She found spare new toothbrushes and towels. Seeing Rou Rou standing at the doorway with a panicked expression, Qin Ran picked her up and placed her on a chair. The little chubby one was surprisingly heavy; in Qin Ran’s current weakened state from not eating, picking her up was a bit strenuous.

Rou Rou sat on the chair, her eyes wide, as if she’d been scared again. Her mouth drooped, and tears welled up in her eyes, making her look like she was about to cry. Wasn’t it time to eat? Why were they in the bathroom? Rou Rou remembered what Su Xiaorong used to say, that she smelled bad, and Qin Ran would throw her into the toilet and flush her away. Was this woman going to flush her away now? She didn’t want to swim, and besides, the toilet was so dark; she was scared. Thinking this, Rou Rou’s tears started to fall rapidly.

Qin Ran hadn’t expected Rou Rou to be so terrified of her. It seemed the previous trauma was indeed too strong. Qin Ran sensed her own gland wanting to release some pheromones to comfort Rou Rou. Before transmigrating, Qin Ran had obtained a junior certificate as a Pheromone Therapy Counselor. Her pheromones had a calming and relaxing effect on the mind. This was a rare and special function of pheromones, similar to ancient aromatherapy but more effective and miraculous, capable of alleviating or treating certain psychological and mental illnesses that modern medicine was helpless against. Pheromone Therapy Counselors were also one of the most sought-after professions currently. Five years ago, when Qin Ran was inexplicably sent to another world, she transmigrated with her gland. In that world, others cultivated their qi sea, while she cultivated her gland. The reason she was able to survive was entirely due to the therapeutic effect of the pheromones in her gland.

Qin Ran released a bit of pheromones, sensing that familiar coolness first emanating from her neck. The refreshing scent made Qin Ran’s mind relax. This was perhaps the only thing she could be happy about today: her gland had also transmigrated back with her! In the memories the system had given her, the transmigrator had her own pheromone scent, which was different from Qin Ran’s. She must have also transmigrated with her gland, but her pheromones didn’t have the function of calming the mind, so she had never used her identity as a Pheromone Therapy Counselor.

“Wash your hands before eating.” After releasing some pheromones, Qin Ran saw Rou Rou’s expression soften and said softly to her. Outward emotions could be faked, but the goodwill of pheromones could not be faked. A faint trace of Qin Ran’s pheromones, a mixed scent similar to grass and flowers, was released. It was very subtle, but it made Rou Rou’s highly tense and fearful mind relax slightly. The scent of the woman in front of her had become pleasant, and she actually wanted to smell more, to be closer to her. Rou Rou was startled by her own thoughts, and then a warm towel covering her face left her no time to think.

Qin Ran had experience taking care of her younger sister, so she was familiar with it. She ran water and washed Rou Rou’s hands and face. The warm sensation and the relaxed feeling on her face made Rou Rou more comfortable. She opened her big, round eyes and looked at Qin Ran. Qin Ran found it amusing. Her impression of the “little lunatic” faded somewhat. The child was like a cartoon character, with big, round eyes that revealed everything she was thinking. After all, she was still a child; she was mostly afraid, and there should be very little hatred.

Qin Ran used the warm towel to dry Rou Rou’s face and hands, noticing that some of Rou Rou’s hair was matted into strands. She didn’t know how many days it had been since it was last washed, and her clothes also looked quite dirty. It seemed she needed a bath after eating.

“It’s a bit warm; you can take off your jacket,” Qin Ran said, seeing Rou Rou sweating a lot. The villa’s heating was very strong; Qin Ran wasn’t cold even in her pajamas. Rou Rou’s face was flushed from the warm water, and her eyes were a bit dazed, as if she hadn’t fully reacted. Qin Ran’s heart softened. She reached out to help her take off her jacket. After unbuttoning a few buttons, the clothes revealed underneath made Qin Ran pause. The jacket looked to be of good quality, but the sweater underneath was old. Not only was it roughly knitted, but the material was also poor-quality yarn that wasn’t warm at all, and it had a lot of pilling. It looked thick but provided no warmth. The collar of the thermal undershirt inside was loose and frayed, clearly indicating poor quality and that it had been ruined by washing.

Qin Ran was shocked. She hadn’t expected people’s bottom line to sink even lower. To treat a child so poorly… With such a large family fortune, it was impossible that they couldn’t afford new clothes for the child. Qin Ran thought back. This matter shouldn’t have been instructed by the transmigrator. For all the expenses of the entire mansion, she was only responsible for signing checks and providing money. The ones managing these funds were the housekeeper and nannies. The Wen family’s original housekeeper had already been dismissed, and now the nanny, Aunt Su, was in charge. It was also because the transmigrator was so negligent with the child that she indulged Aunt Su.

Qin Ran’s face darkened, and Rou Rou’s eyes went from confusion to fear. “Don’t be afraid; you can take off the clothes inside,” Qin Ran said, releasing a little more pheromones. The un-warm, bulky sweater was helped off by Qin Ran. During the process, Rou Rou’s hands kept switching to hold the piggy bank’s pig ears, never letting go for a moment.

“Wait for me.” Qin Ran re-buttoned Rou Rou’s jacket, said softly to her, and went to the sink to wash herself. 

Originally, Qin Ran wanted to sort out her memories a bit more before firing the nannies and maids hired by the transmigrator. Now, it seemed she needed to speed things up; otherwise, no matter how much she did, these people would still accumulate hatred for her and send her to her doom. Embezzling Rou Rou’s daily expenses and lining their own pockets was not just a simple matter of dismissal. Qin Ran thought to herself, quickly finished washing up, and, remembering that she had just released pheromones, she turned on the exhaust fan to purify the surrounding air. Once her pheromone scent was gone, she opened the door, picked Rou Rou up from the chair, and they went to the dining room together.

The pleasant scent from earlier was gone, and Rou Rou was slightly disappointed, but she felt she could smell a faint trace whenever she was close to Qin Ran. Rou Rou didn’t dare to get too close, only stealing glances at Qin Ran.

In the dining room, Amei and the others had already set the food for breakfast: beef porridge, steamed buns, fried eggs, hot milk, etc. It was a rich spread, all steaming hot, which gave Qin Ran a good appetite. 

“If Su Xiaorong and Aunt Su haven’t had breakfast, please take some to them and let them eat in their room. And don’t forget the breakfast for the flower room,” Qin Ran said to Amei.

The two were a bit surprised by what Qin Ran said but didn’t dare to question it, splitting up to prepare. Qin Ran glanced back at Rou Rou, who was slowly trailing behind. When Rou Rou reached her chair, Qin Ran lifted her onto the child’s seat. Rou Rou, being held for the second time, was a little calmer.

“Let’s eat,” Qin Ran said, and after sitting down, she noticed a bowl of braised pork, looking very fatty, placed not far from Rou Rou. 

Rou Rou clamped her piggy bank securely, her eyes sparkling, and used the spoon in front of her to scoop a piece into her mouth. The frightened and timid expression she had earlier was gone, and she squinted, thoroughly enjoying it. 

Qin Ran rubbed her forehead, recalling the unreliable plot the system had given her. Aunt Su made high-calorie food for Rou Rou every day: either braised pork, or burgers and hot dogs, or cakes high in sugar. She claimed it was for Rou Rou’s good, but it was actually to fatten her up and make her unlikable.

The transmigrator had never liked Rou Rou, and with Rou Rou like this, she didn’t even want to look at her, disliking her even more. Qin Ran was speechless. Was it really necessary to do this to a child?

“Finish this bowl of porridge first, then eat other things.” 

It was her first day back, and Qin Ran didn’t want to make too many drastic changes. She simply pushed a bowl of beef and salted porridge closer to Rou Rou and gently pushed the braised pork a little further away. Rou Rou paused, still a bit scared of Qin Ran and not daring to disobey. She pouted and used her spoon to scoop up the porridge. After one bite, her eyes narrowed. The savory and fresh taste was better than the braised pork! Rou Rou buried her head in her food, and Qin Ran slightly exhaled in relief, also starting to eat. After filling her empty stomach with warm food, she finally felt more comfortable and energized.

Qin Ran organized her thoughts. She needed to take a bath and change clothes first, then quickly deal with Aunt Su. She also needed to talk to the female lead, Wen Qingyun, who was in the flower room. It made her scalp tingle just thinking about her. She needed to reverse the previous bad impression as soon as possible. Otherwise, her ending would still be very difficult to change. Rou Rou was just a child; the most terrifying one was still the woman in the flower room.

“Amei, please watch Rou Rou eat. Make sure she eats more vegetables. After she finishes, take her back to her room. Try to avoid meeting Aunt Su and the others. I’m going to take a bath first.” Qin Ran sighed, seeing Amei and the others return.

“Director Qin seems to have changed, for the better. Is it temporary with some purpose, or has she truly changed?” Amei thought to herself, watching Qin Ran leave.

Qin Ran naturally didn’t know what Amei was thinking. She returned to her room on the second floor and looked through the clothes in her dressing room. They were definitely not her style—too brightly colored, with a bit of a nouveau riche vibe. Qin Ran also didn’t want to wear clothes the transmigrator had worn. She searched and found unopened underwear and a brand-new  pure black tracksuit. Qin Ran put the clothes in the washing machine to wash and dry, then went into the bathroom to shower. By the time Qin Ran put on her dry clothes, blew her hair dry, and tied it into a high ponytail, an hour had passed.

As soon as Qin Ran opened her room door, she heard a commotion downstairs.

“I didn’t steal it! It wasn’t me!” Amei’s trembling voice came through, mixed with Rou Rou’s crying. Qin Ran frowned. What about stealing? It wasn’t in the plot. Who was causing trouble now?

“What’s going on?” Qin Ran asked a maid who was coming upstairs.

“Director Qin, Aunt Su discovered Amei stealing something and called the police. The police are here now; you should go down and see,” the maid said.

“Huh…” Qin Ran heard this and was amused, almost angry. This Aunt Su really knew how to stir up trouble. Qin Ran had actually wanted to call the police to deal with Aunt Su’s matters, so this timing was perfect.