"After Becoming the Protagonist's Scumbag Alpha Ex-Wife" (ABO) - Chapter 9

After unlocking her phone with her fingerprint, Qin Ran saw a bunch of missed calls and unread messages.

She ignored them for now and went straight to check her contacts.

Among the names of countless strangers, she couldn’t find any numbers belonging to her parents or other family members.

She tried dialing one of the numbers she remembered, but after a few beeps, an automated voice told her the number didn’t exist.

It had been so many years—of course the home number had changed. And since the “book-transmigrated” version of her hadn’t contacted her family at all, there wouldn’t be any record of it in the phone.

In a way, that was a relief. They had already cut ties years ago. Otherwise, her family might have been dragged into this mess too.

Who knew how far Wen Qingyun would go when she lost control? She might’ve even turned her hatred toward Qin Ran’s family.

Once things smoothed over with Wen Qingyun, she’d have to go back home for a visit.

It had been five years. She missed her family so much—and she missed her little girlfriend even more.

That thought tugged at her heart for a long while before she pushed the feeling down. She meant to look for the old butler’s number from the Wen family, but to her surprise, among the hundreds of contacts on her phone, not a single one belonged to him.

Looks like she’d have to ask A’Mei or Wen Qingyun directly when she got back.

The hospital wasn’t far, and the car pulled up at the entrance in no time. Qin Ran got out, holding Rou Rou’s hand.

Everyone at the hospital recognized Qin Ran, and before long, someone came over to greet her.

She picked up Wen Qingyun’s prescription, had herself checked out, got a tetanus shot, and bought some scar cream.

Just as she was about to leave, she felt Rou Rou tug lightly on her sleeve. When she looked down, she saw the little girl holding out her piggy bank toward her.

“You don’t want it anymore?” Qin Ran was surprised. That piggy bank had always been Rou Rou’s treasured possession.

“It’s for Mommy… to buy medicine… to get better…” Rou Rou said in a tiny voice, her big eyes looking up at Qin Ran with a pleading expression.

“Ah…” Qin Ran looked at her with a soft expression.

She’d always known Rou Rou was a little money saver, always hoarding her coins, but she’d never known what the child was saving up for.

Turns out, she must’ve known Wen Qingyun was sick… and wanted to save money to help her get better.

She must love Wen Qingyun deeply.

And Wen Qingyun clearly loved her too.

“Good girl. These medicines are for Mommy,” Qin Ran said gently, showing her the meds she had just picked up. “You don’t need to spend your money right now.”

“Will they make Mommy better?” Rou Rou asked.

“Of course,” Qin Ran nodded.

Rou Rou blinked and smiled. She looks visibly relieved and happy.

Qin Ran took her hand and left the hospital, heading straight to the mall.

“Pick out any clothes you like and show me—I’ll buy them for you,” she told Rou Rou as they walked into a children’s clothing store. The old Qin Ran had often come here to shop for Su Xiaorong, and she still had a VIP card, so she didn’t bother looking elsewhere.

“Really?” Rou Rou looked around at the shelves overflowing with clothes and accessories, her eyes were full of disbelief.

“Really,” Qin Ran nodded.

Maybe when Rou Rou was younger, the Wen family had bought her new clothes and let her pick some for herself—but the child probably didn’t remember them.

For the past six months, she’d been living under Aunt Su’s control. She probably hadn’t worn anything nice in all that time.

Now, faced with all the colorful choices, she was clearly thrilled… but also overwhelmed.

It took her a while, but she finally pointed shyly at an outfit worn by a mannequin.

“You sure?” Qin Ran blinked. She hadn’t expected her to pick a superhero-themed outfit from a children’s cartoon. It looked like a gender-neutral piece, probably more popular with boys.

She’d thought Rou Rou would go for something pink and frilly—maybe a princess dress.

Rou Rou nodded, very seriously.

“You don’t like this dress?” Qin Ran pointed to a pink, gold-trimmed velvet dress nearby.

Rou Rou shook her head.

Seeing how firm she was, Qin Ran figured the girl must be a fan of that superhero. The outfit actually looked quite cute—easy to move around in, and warm too. She had the staff bring out Rou Rou’s size to try it on.

The kid was already starting to have her own tastes. Qin Ran didn’t want to force her into a frilly dress she didn’t like.

Once Rou Rou changed into the outfit, she looked just like a little cartoon superhero—a chubby ball of energy, with big eyes and soft round cheeks. Totally adorable.

She smiled at her reflection in the mirror, and her tiny dimples popped right out.

Qin Ran picked out a few more pieces for her, including comfy underwear and pajamas. She let Rou Rou choose the colors herself.

The two of them spent about half an hour picking clothes. But when Qin Ran went to pay, she was stunned—the total came out to over 200,000.

Just for a few pieces of children’s clothing?

Good thing she’d mentally prepared herself for the Wen family’s level of wealth and spending. After all, it was still the Wen family’s money—spending it on Rou Rou didn’t make Qin Ran feel guilty at all.

Once they got into the car, Qin Ran glanced over at Rou Rou, who was clutching her piggy bank in one arm and running her hand over the superhero outfit she was wearing. Her eyes sparkled with joy.

Qin Ran felt herself relax a little.

The kid was clearly happy now, and probably had a much better impression of her. She’d even smiled twice today—those little dimples were showing both times.

Maybe when she finally saw Wen Qingyun again, Rou Rou could become her secret little helper, someone to boost her favorability score with Wen Qingyun.

They soon arrived at the Wen’s estate.

“President Qin, you’re back. Miss Wen just woke up. I was about to bring her something to eat,”  A’Mei said while carrying a tray with a bowl of porridge and a small side dish.

“Thanks. I’ll take it to her,” Qin Ran said and handed Rou Rou’s new clothes to A’Mei. “Please wash and dry these for her.” Then she took the tray from A’Mei’s hands.

“Come on, Rou Rou, let’s go upstairs and see Mommy.” Qin Ran smiled at her little superhero.

Rou Rou’s eyes widened with excitement. Any remaining fear she had of Qin Ran seemed to vanish. She took off running toward the stairs, her plump little body wobbling with every step like a tiny penguin.

Qin Ran easily caught up with her with her long legs, and together they went up to the room where Wen Qingyun was resting.

“Mommy!” Rou Rou knocked once before pushing open the door, her voice bright with joy as she ran toward Wen Qingyun.

The woman, who had looked lifeless and lost just a moment ago, suddenly seemed revived at the sight of her daughter. Her eyes trembled slightly, and she reached out toward Rou Rou, who leapt into her arms.

“Mommy, I missed you so, so much!” Rou Rou’s voice trembled with the hint of tears as her lips pouted.

Wen Qingyun held her tightly, gently patting her back without a word, quietly comforting her.

Qin Ran stood silently by the door, sensing the deep emotional bond flowing between the two.

In this moment, Wen Qingyun no longer seemed like a vengeful ghost consumed by hatred. She looked like a real mother—someone warm, gentle, and human.

She seemed to be in a calm, normal state now, without any signs of emotional instability.

“Mommy, here. I saved this… for you,” Rou Rou said suddenly, remembering the piggy bank in her hands. She pulled back from the hug and offered it to Wen Qingyun.

Wen Qingyun looked at her daughter tenderly.

“Mommy, look! I’m a superhero now—I’ll protect you!” Rou Rou said proudly after handing over the piggy bank. She stood tall, posing so Wen Qingyun could admire her new outfit.

Wen Qingyun’s expression shifted slightly. She gave Rou Rou a thumbs-up and praised her, but the moment she looked up and her eyes landed on Qin Ran, it turned sharp—like a blade of ice.

Locking eyes with her, Wen Qingyun pulled Rou Rou into her arms again and reached under the blanket, pulling something out. Her fingers swiped across the screen.

“You don’t need to be afraid,” Qin Ran said gently. “I’m not here to separate you from Rou Rou. I brought you some food. After you eat, maybe we could sit down and have a calm talk?”

But before she finished speaking, Wen Qingyun raised what she was holding—it was a tablet.

Big, bold letters were written on the screen:

“If you’re coming for me, then just come at me. But if you dare hurt Rou Rou, I won’t forgive you!”

Qin Ran stared at the words, feeling the intense hostility radiating from Wen Qingyun.

She didn’t even know what to say.

She took a step forward to place the food tray on the table, only to see Rou Rou spin around and make an “X” sign with her index fingers. Her little brows furrowed with eyes wide in warning.

“No getting close to Mommy!” the little hero declared. Her crisp voice was louder than usual, almost fierce. Maybe it was the outfit giving her courage—or maybe it was Wen Qingyun’s presence behind her—but she was already stepping into the role of a protector.

Her look mirrored the iconic pose of her favorite superhero—the one reserved for confronting villains.

Qin Ran’s mouth twitched.

You little traitor! So that happy grin in the mirror earlier wasn’t about the new clothes—it was about your superpowers?!

Now here she was, not helping at all, but acting like Qin Ran was the villain who needed to be “eliminated”!

“I’m not getting close. Mommy hasn’t eaten yet. I’ll just put the porridge down. You stay and eat with her. Also, here’s the medicine from the hospital—she needs to take it after the meal. I’ll leave now.”

Qin Ran set the tray down carefully and placed the medicine on the nightstand. Under the watchful, guarded stares of both mother and daughter, she quietly backed out of the room.

She closed the door behind her and sighed, heavy-hearted.

After thinking for a moment, she called A’Mei over to bring in some hot water and keep an eye on Wen Qingyun—make sure she took the right dose of medication.

A’Mei went in with the water and didn’t come back out. Qin Ran could still hear Rou Rou’s voice inside, happily chattering away. Clearly, they had no problem letting A’Mei stay.

Qin Ran’s expression darkened.

She had bought Rou Rou new clothes, moved Wen Qingyun back into the main house, into her old room—everything she did was meant as a gesture of goodwill. But Wen Qingyun had taken it all as part of some manipulative scheme.

Now that she had her tablet back and no longer had any movement restrictions, Wen Qingyun could easily get her hands on something sharp. And with the way she looked at Qin Ran—with that kind of hatred—who knew what she might do next?

Just thinking about her eyes sent a chill down on Qin Ran’s spine. Her neck tensed instinctively.

Things had gotten too tense. She couldn’t afford to keep waiting. It was time to take action.

Qin Ran pulled out her phone and dialed a number without hesitation.

It was the Wen family’s old lawyer—part of a well-known and respected law firm, someone the Wen family had always trusted. The original Qin Ran hadn’t hired him during the divorce, of course—she’d hired someone else in her attempt to seize the Wen family’s assets.

But now, it was time to bring this lawyer in. Time to renegotiate the divorce and the matter of company shares—with real action and real sincerity.