After Becoming the Scummy Alpha in a Substitute Romance (GL) - Chapter 11

Jian Ya had spent two full days cleaning up the lab’s waste.

By noon on the third day, the entire overflowing box of trash had been neatly sorted and handled.

Once she was done, even the atmosphere in the lab seemed cleaner—brighter somehow.

A few of the lab members glanced at her with newfound warmth and appreciation in their eyes.

Though it might sound a little harsh, the truth was—everyone was starting to genuinely like her.

Sorting and organizing lab waste was one of those boring, annoying tasks that no one wanted to do, but everyone knew had to be done.

Usually, no one touched it until the pile got too big and Shen Shuyi had to step in and ask the team to deal with it together. No one ever took the initiative.

But Jian Ya did.

And all of it—the change in the lab’s environment, the subtle shift in mood—had not gone unnoticed by Shen Shuyi.

She had expected Jian Ya to be a disruption, someone who would constantly pester her.

But that never happened.

For the past two days, Jian Ya had quietly gone about her work. Since their first brief exchange, not a single word had passed between them.

In fact, she’d spoken more to the cleaning lady outside the lab than to Shen Shuyi herself.

Still, the changes were undeniable.

The lab was more organized now. Everything seemed clearer and more in order.

And Jian Ya had kept at the job—one Shen Shuyi didn’t believe she would finish—all the way to the end.

Afterward, Shen Shuyi had checked the results herself.

Everything had been sorted thoroughly and professionally.

She looked at Jian Ya now, her eyes filled with a quiet mix of surprise and uncertainty.

When Jian Ya approached, smiling gently and asking a casual question, Shen Shuyi pressed her lips together and said, “You did well.”

Jian Ya’s smile widened, reaching her eyes. She looked genuinely happy.

“Thanks,” she said with a light laugh, rubbing her sore back. “If there’s nothing else, I’m going to rest for a bit. But if anything comes up, just call me—I’ll be ready anytime.”

She looked over at the organized waste area and added, “Also, I think you can see now—I’m capable. I won’t drag the team down.”

Shen Shuyi lowered her eyes and didn’t respond, but she didn’t look as guarded as before. The usual suspicion and coldness had faded, even if just slightly.

Jian Ya smiled again, gave her a small wave, and walked out of the lab.

She made her way to the break room and collapsed onto the couch, stretching her back with a groan.

She reached around to rub her lower back. As an Alpha, by this world’s standards, her body should’ve been much stronger than average.

And yet, after just two days of handling garbage, her back and shoulders were aching like crazy. She felt like her soul had nearly floated out of her body.

Jian Ya knew why.

The original version of her—this body—wasn’t used to working hard.

She’d lived a life of luxury and indulgence, eating well, doing little, barely lifting a finger. If she hadn’t been fixated on that old “white moonlight” of hers, she probably wouldn’t have even held back from overdoing the rest—who knows what kind of mess she’d be in by now.

As Jian Ya lay there rubbing her aching waist, the door to the break room quietly opened.

Jian Ya looked up—it was Jiang Shuqi.

She was the one who had shown kindness to Jian Ya on her first day in the lab.

Naturally, Jian Ya greeted her with a friendly nod.

Jiang Shuqi poured herself a cup of tea and sat on the sofa beside her. When she saw Jian Ya lying there rubbing her sore back with no concern for appearances, she chuckled.

“Two days of cleaning—it must’ve worn you out.”

Jian Ya nodded immediately.

The pile of trash had been even bigger and more complicated than she expected.

Sipping her tea slowly, Jiang Shuqi leaned back and explained, “It’s not really something we can help. You know how tricky lab waste can be—it’s not something we can just toss out. Professor Shen had thought about hiring someone specifically for this, but it’s always a problem. If they don’t understand the lab, they mess everything up. If they do understand, they tend to think they’re too qualified, like doing grunt work is beneath them. We’ve hired people several times, and they all ended up leaving.”

“No interns?” Jian Ya raised her eyebrows slightly.

“You’re too naive,” Jiang Shuqi replied, amused. “You think interns are okay doing this stuff without complaint? We had one once. He lasted about half a month, then quit in a rage when he realized Professor Shen had no plans to promote him. He even made a bit of a scene.”

She shook her head with a sigh. “After that, Professor Shen never brought in anyone just to handle the waste again.”

“Usually, we let the trash pile up to a certain point, then all of us pitch in and get it sorted. Takes about half a day. So the fact that you took the initiative to do all of this? Even if Professor Shen didn’t say anything, I could tell she was impressed.”

Everything Jiang Shuqi said made sense to Jian Ya.

“I just came in here to take a quick break and have some tea,” Jiang Shuqi said as she stood up. “You take your time and rest.”

“Wait, hold on a second,” Jian Ya called out.

Jiang Shuqi paused.

“When I came out just now, I noticed Professor Shen was out of water. She’s been so focused on her work, she might not realize it. If you’re going back, maybe bring her some?”

Jiang Shuqi raised an eyebrow at her, giving Jian Ya a teasing look. “Didn’t think you were the type to care so much about Professor Shen.”

Jian Ya rubbed her nose, looking a little embarrassed. “It’s not like that—I just happened to notice. That’s all.”

“A lot of people ‘happen to notice’ things,” Jiang Shuqi said, her voice light with amusement. “But not many dare to notice Professor Shen.”

Then she added, “But hey, nothing wrong with it. She’s amazing—plenty of people like her. Though I hate to break it to you, she’s already married. You’ve got no chance.”

“No, no—it’s nothing like that,” Jian Ya said quickly.

“Sure, sure,” Jiang Shuqi replied, still smiling. “Well, whether you’ve got a shot or not, it’s always smart to make a good impression. If she thinks highly of you, maybe she’ll finally let you into the project team. That’d be a win for you.”

As she spoke, she reached for her cup, heading over to pour some water.

“Use warm water,” Jian Ya added quickly. “If it’s too hot, and she drinks it without thinking, she could burn herself.”

Professor Shen often got so absorbed in her work that she wouldn’t notice something like that.

Jiang Shuqi gave Jian Ya a surprised look but didn’t argue.

For an Alpha, Jian Ya’s attention to detail was honestly kind of impressive.

After filling the cup, Jiang Shuqi placed it on the table and said, “Since you care so much, why don’t you take it to her? Might help you score a few more points.”

Jian Ya immediately shook her head.

No way. With how guarded Shen Shuyi still was around her, if she handed her food or drink, she probably wouldn’t even touch it.

Jiang Shuqi looked helpless. The one time it’s actually a good moment to show yourself, and she backs off.

But she didn’t press the issue. She carried the cup back to the lab and gently set it down on Shen Shuyi’s desk.

“Professor Shen, take a short break. Have some water.”

Shen Shuyi looked up and nodded slightly. “Thank you.”

She reached for the cup. Just as it was about to touch her lips, Jiang Shuqi added casually, “By the way, the new girl was the one who reminded me to bring you water. Seems like she’s quite thoughtful.”

The cup paused mid-air.

“…She told you to bring this?”

Shen Shuyi’s expression paled slightly.