After Becoming the Scummy Alpha in a Substitute Romance (GL) - Chapter 1

In a luxury club located in Ancheng…

It was the last weekend of the month. As usual, this time belonged to the wealthy, reckless second-generation heirs of the city. Tonight was no exception—in fact, it was wilder than ever.

On the top floor of the club, deafening music pulsed through the bar.

Surrounded by glittering lights and excess, the air reeked of indulgence and decay. The chaotic clash of metal and instruments echoed like the cries of something breaking.

In the dark corners, bodies intertwined without restraint. Dozens of pheromone scents tangled and collided in the air, releasing the wild, desperate hunger buried deep in their hearts.

The entire club, aside from the top floor, was now empty.

Except for one place—Room 302, on the third floor.

Inside the room, Shen Shuyi was pressed against the wall, struggling to remain conscious and calm.

“Jian Ya,” she said, her voice strained, “You need to stop what you’re doing. This is illegal.”

Her words trembled with fear, and though she tried to stay composed, the weakness in her voice revealed the pain she was enduring.

Across from her, Jian Ya moved forward slowly, step by step, closing the distance between them.

With every step she took, the scent of her blazing-hot pheromones grew stronger. It radiated aggression and heat, wrapping around Shen Shuyi like flames licking at her skin.

“Illegal?” Jian Ya sneered, her voice cold. “Shen Shuyi, you are my Omega. We’re married. Everyone in Ancheng knows you belong to me. I have every right to mark you. But you…”

She stopped in front of Shen Shuyi, who was curled up in the corner, trembling and in pain. Jian Ya crouched down.

She reached out and grabbed Shen Shuyi’s chin, pulling her close. Her voice lowered, filled with madness.

“You put on this act in front of me, pretending to be pure. Are you trying to play innocent? Huh?”

As Jian Ya drew closer, Shen Shuyi felt as if her skin were burning under the heat of the Alpha’s pheromones. The pain spread across her body like a fire.

She could hardly breathe.

Summoning the last of her strength, Shen Shuyi shoved Jian Ya away and scrambled to her feet, trying to escape.

But Jian Ya was faster. She caught Shen Shuyi by the wrist and slammed her onto the bed.

Her ribs hit the edge of the mattress hard. Pain shot through her side, and she let out a muffled cry.

Sweat beaded on her forehead as she clenched her teeth tightly.

Jian Ya climbed over her, holding her wrists down against the bed.

She stared at Shen Shuyi’s twisted expression, her tightly knit brows, the fear in her eyes she tried so hard to hide. It only made Jian Ya feel more excited.

Under the overwhelming pressure of Jian Ya’s burning pheromones, Shen Shuyi could no longer hold back. Her own sea salt-scented pheromones flooded the room uncontrollably.

Jian Ya inhaled deeply, greedily drawing in the scent.

What a beautiful smell. It had to be the most intoxicating scent in the world.

She reached out and placed her hand on Shen Shuyi’s pale neck.

To mark her. To claim her.

Even if she wasn’t Su Qing, the ex she once obsessed over, Shen Shuyi carried the same pheromone scent. That alone made her desirable enough.

Jian Ya leaned down, getting closer and closer to Shen Shuyi.

Shen Shuyi struggled with all her might, but the difference between Alpha and Omega was too great. No matter how hard she fought, she couldn’t break free from Jian Ya’s grip.

“Jian Ya, please don’t do this… I’m begging you,” Shen Shuyi whispered, her voice shaking as she made one final plea.

For a moment, Jian Ya’s movements paused. The pressure in her grip loosened slightly.

She stared blankly at Shen Shuyi. Then, suddenly, she let out a twisted laugh.

“Well, well, what did I just hear? The proud Miss Shen Shuyi actually knows how to beg? What’s wrong—afraid now?”

“If you knew this day would come, you should’ve listened to me from the start. You should’ve played your part as a substitute, acted like Su Qing. If you had, none of this would be happening. I would’ve given you whatever you wanted. Your Shen family too. But now? Now you beg? It’s too late.”

As she shouted those last words, Jian Ya reached out and ripped open the collar of Shen Shuyi’s blouse.

A sudden chill spread across Shen Shuyi’s neck, and her body trembled in fear. Her heart sank into despair. She shut her eyes tightly, and a single tear slipped down her cheek.

Her mind was filled with sorrow.

When she agreed to marry Jian Ya under contract, she never imagined that the refined and well-mannered woman she once knew would turn out to be such a monster.

The one who spoke gently of admiration, who proposed a marriage of convenience to help her through a difficult time, never truly cared for her. What Jian Ya admired wasn’t her—it was the scent of her sea salt pheromones. Because that scent was identical to the one she remembered from Su Qing.

After discovering the truth, Shen Shuyi had always kept her guard up. But this time, she had still fallen into Jian Ya’s trap.

Earlier that day, she was working late when she received a phone call from an unknown number. The person on the line asked if she was Jian Ya’s wife.

They said Jian Ya had gotten drunk at a club and needed someone to pick her up.

Even though she wanted nothing to do with Jian Ya, she was still her wife in name. She felt she had no choice but to go.

But the moment she arrived and opened the door, someone sprayed a high-dose pheromone inducer onto the back of her neck.

Dizziness overcame her, and she collapsed.

Clinging to consciousness, she saw a figure appear—a woman in a deep red evening gown, beautiful and seductive. It was Jian Ya, the Alpha she was married to, standing there with a cold and distant smile.

Then Jian Ya dragged her to this room.

In the haze of her mind, Shen Shuyi thought she heard laughter from behind Jian Ya.

“Boss, once you’ve had your fun with this beauty, don’t forget about us. We’ve been helping you all night—you know we’re dying for a turn too!”

That moment, Shen Shuyi looked up at Jian Ya’s smirking face and felt a wave of terror crash over her. Her heart was filled with despair.

She had no idea what kind of humiliation might await her after being marked by Jian Ya.

Shen Shuyi clenched her eyes shut. Her eyelashes trembled slightly from fear.

But as seconds passed, the pain she was expecting never came.

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

What she saw was unexpected.

Jian Ya was staring at her with a blank expression—eyes dazed, full of confusion, and completely lost.

…

Right now, Jian Ya was panicking.

She was completely confused.

Just a second ago, she had been peacefully asleep like always. And now?

Now she had opened her eyes… to find herself face-to-face with a stunning woman.

She was right there—close enough that Jian Ya could lower her head and touch her.

Jian Ya had no idea what was going on. Instinctively, her eyes scanned the woman in front of her.

The woman’s skin was pale, almost snow-like. Her eyes were tightly shut, her face so delicate it resembled a flawless piece of art. Her long lashes trembled slightly, revealing the fear she was feeling. As Jian Ya’s gaze moved down, she noticed the elegant curve of the woman’s white neck.

Her collar had been torn by someone, and faint red marks were visible on her collarbone, clear signs of struggle.

Altogether, she radiated a beauty that was both fragile and fierce—a kind of broken strength that made her seem even more stunning.

Jian Ya had been about to admire this beautiful woman a little longer, but her entire body felt like it was burning. The heat surged through her veins, overwhelming every nerve.

She didn’t know what was happening. Her body was so hot it felt like her organs were being scorched from the inside out. The searing pain was unbearable, and her instincts screamed that she needed something—anything—to cool down and put out the fire.

That was when the scent of sea salt gently wrapped around her like a breeze. Soft, fresh, and calming, it carried the vastness and serenity of the ocean. The moment the scent brushed against her skin, the burning sensation slightly eased, and a rare comfort washed over her.

A strange, primal instinct kicked in.

Somehow, she felt that if she just leaned in and bit the back of this woman’s neck—if she marked her—then all the fire inside her would vanish in an instant.

Of course, that was just a thought.

No matter how much pain she was in, she couldn’t just go biting a beautiful stranger’s neck. That would be—what, harassment?

Jian Ya awkwardly swallowed and nodded slightly. That was when her gaze met the woman’s eyes—eyes full of hatred and pain.

Hatred?

In that moment, Jian Ya finally realized their position. Her hand was gripping the woman’s wrist, holding it tightly above her head. Her body was half-pressed against hers.

This… this really did look like she was assaulting someone.

Jian Ya instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

She still had no idea what exactly had happened, but her instincts screamed that this situation was very, very bad. Without hesitation, she let go and backed away.

“I—I…” Jian Ya opened her mouth, trying to apologize.

But before she could finish, the woman suddenly sat up. Her expression was filled with desperate determination. She grabbed a shard of broken glass from the floor and, without hesitation, aimed it at the back of her own neck.

Jian Ya’s heart jumped. Instinct took over. She raised her right hand and blocked the blow.

The sharp glass cut straight into her palm. The pain was immediate and intense, making her entire body tremble. But she didn’t flinch. She held firm, using her bleeding hand to shield the woman’s neck.

“Please,” Jian Ya said, voice tight with pain. “Calm down. We can talk. Don’t hurt yourself.”

The woman gave her a broken, bitter smile.

“Talk?” she said hoarsely. “Jian Ya, if all you love is the scent of my pheromones, then I’ll cut out the glands and give them to you. I’m begging you—just let me go.”

Jian Ya’s eyes widened slightly.

Did she just say… Jian Ya?

Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the unfamiliar layout and furniture. Finally, her gaze returned to the beautiful woman in front of her.

Connecting the dots, Jian Ya suddenly recalled the book she had been reading just before falling asleep last night.

Her eyes widened in shock. Almost in disbelief, she asked cautiously, as if trying to confirm something too surreal to be true.

“You… are you Shen Shuyi?!”