After Becoming the Scummy Alpha in a Substitute Romance (GL) - Chapter 12

Jiang Shuqi had only mentioned Jian Ya’s gesture to help out, thinking it was a harmless way to ease things between her and Professor Shen. She thought Jian Ya was trying to be friendly but didn’t know how to show it—so she gave her a little nudge.

What she didn’t expect was for Shen Shuyi to react so strongly.

The sudden tension made Jiang Shuqi realize something was off. She quickly stammered, “Uh… yeah, but I poured the tea myself. She didn’t touch it at all.”

“She never touched the cup? Not at any point?” Shen Shuyi asked, needing to be sure.

“No,” Jiang Shuqi confirmed with a nod.

Seeing how nervous Jiang Shuqi had become, Shen Shuyi realized her own reaction had been too intense.

She took a deep breath and lowered her gaze, calming herself.

“I understand. Don’t worry. I was just asking.”

Shen Shuyi sipped the water, then glanced at Jiang Shuqi. “Go ahead and get back to work. I’m fine.”

“Oh, okay.” Jiang Shuqi nodded and quickly returned to her desk.

Still, her eyes occasionally drifted back to Shen Shuyi, filled with quiet doubt.

What was going on between Professor Shen and Jian Ya?
There was something strange there—more than just awkwardness.

Could it be… they knew each other from before?

But Jiang Shuqi didn’t dare ask. Once back at her workstation, she kept her head down and focused on her tasks, not even daring to look Professor Shen’s way again.

Meanwhile, Shen Shuyi stared at the cup in front of her for a long time before finally relaxing.

She really was…
Haunted by the past.

By the time Jian Ya had handed her that water laced with suppressants, it had already become a psychological shadow.

One simple cup of tea could bring back so many memories.

But what confused her even more was the stark contrast in Jian Ya’s recent behavior.

What was she trying to do?

Days passed, and in the blink of an eye, a week went by.

The marks on her skin from that night were long gone. Jian Ya’s hand—once cut by shattered glass—had also healed completely.

Time was a frightening thing.

It could reveal a person’s true nature.
And it could also make you forget pain.

Shen Shuyi found that terrifying.

And yet, even now, Jian Ya was still acting the same—doing the tasks no one else wanted, quietly, meticulously, and without complaint.

Over time, Shen Shuyi even began to feel a little… guilty when she looked at her.

Thanks to Jian Ya’s deliberate discretion, very few people in the lab knew her true identity. Add to that her good looks and charming personality—sweet words and a pretty smile—and it didn’t take long for her to win over almost everyone.

Shen Shuyi, knowing the truth, could only watch with a cold eye.

Yet from time to time, she found herself worrying about the others’ safety.

After all, the staff didn’t know who Jian Ya really was. They treated her casually, sometimes even bossily.

At first, they just had her sort the trash.

Eventually, she was handling nearly all the behind-the-scenes support work for the entire lab.

Running errands for takeout, throwing out trash, delivering tea and water—

Everyone in the lab had started treating Jian Ya like a helper, casually calling on her for all kinds of small tasks.

It wasn’t that anyone meant any harm. Most of the time, they were just busy, and since she didn’t seem to have anything urgent to do, they’d ask her to help.

But Shen Shuyi couldn’t ignore one thing: whether Jian Ya came here with a hidden agenda or not, she had always been the pampered young lady of the Jian family. She was used to giving orders, not taking them. When had she ever done things like this?

And Jian Ya—Shen Shuyi knew—was very good at pretending.

She could play the part. But even the best masks can’t last forever. Shen Shuyi feared what would happen when the act eventually cracked. Would she take revenge on the people who had casually ordered her around?

Knowing Jian Ya’s personality, it was a real concern.

So when another employee called Jian Ya over to take out the trash, Shen Shuyi stepped in.

She walked over and said, voice calm but firm, “From now on, handle these things yourself. She’s not here to run errands.”

“Ah—” The employee froze, startled. Under Shen Shuyi’s cold gaze, she didn’t dare argue.

She quickly lowered her head, took the trash herself, and hurried back to her seat.

To anyone in this lab, nothing was more terrifying than being scolded by Professor Shen.

Jian Ya watched the scene unfold and gave a helpless smile.

Shen Shuyi was strong, no doubt about it—not only did she have high standards for everyone else, but she was even stricter with herself.

That was what had created the lab’s sharp, no-nonsense atmosphere.

But sometimes, pushing that hard could backfire.

In science, being afraid to make mistakes can kill creativity. Real progress comes from having the courage to try, to risk being wrong—and only then applying precision to the process.

Thinking of this, Jian Ya tried to smooth things over.

“It’s really not a big deal,” she said with a small smile. “I don’t have much on my plate, and this is easy to do. I don’t mind.”

Shen Shuyi didn’t answer right away. Her clear, cold eyes settled on Jian Ya’s face.

The longer she stared, the quieter Jian Ya’s voice became. The confidence in her tone faded, and even her smile became a little awkward.

Maybe I should’ve just stayed quiet.

Shen Shuyi looked at her, head lowered, shoulders slightly hunched, looking almost wronged. With a soft sigh, she rubbed her temples.

“Come with me,” Shen Shuyi said calmly.

With that, she turned and walked out of the lab.

Jian Ya rubbed her nose awkwardly, not daring to refuse. Under a wave of sympathetic glances from others in the lab, she followed Shen Shuyi—once again—to her private break room.

This was the second time she had been here.

Everything from the last visit still felt vivid in her memory.

The pale skin beneath the second unfastened button… the delicate curve of her collarbone… and the faint red marks that had lingered there.

It had been a while since then, but the memory was still crystal clear.

This time, it was Shen Shuyi who closed the door herself.

With the door shut and only the two of them in the room, the silence was heavy—you could hear each other’s breathing.

To be honest, Jian Ya was nervous.

She was terrified Shen Shuyi might repeat what happened last time. And though she had strong self-control, if she kept being pushed like that over and over again… even she had her limits.

Thankfully, Shen Shuyi was calm this time.

After closing the door, she got straight to the point.

“Jian Ya, leave this place,” she said. “You still have many things to do. And with your background, you shouldn’t be wasting your time doing errands here.”

It was the same message—she wanted her gone—but Jian Ya could tell something was different this time.

Before, Shen Shuyi had been on guard, even hostile.

Now, she was simply stating a fact.

So, she isn’t completely cold after all, Jian Ya thought. That small change in Shen Shuyi made her feel strangely happy.

“I think it’s great here,” Jian Ya replied, smiling sincerely. “I actually enjoy doing these things. It feels… peaceful.”

And she meant it.

Shen Shuyi tried to find a trace of discomfort or pretense in her eyes—something she could use to convince herself that pushing Jian Ya away was the right thing to do.

But what she saw instead was pure sincerity.

“Why are you so stubborn about staying?” Shen Shuyi asked, taking a deep breath. Her eyes locked onto Jian Ya, demanding a real answer.

“To help you,” Jian Ya said, without hesitation.

She knew that with Shen Shuyi, any lies or flattery would only backfire.

“You can’t help me,” Shen Shuyi said, her voice sharper now. “What you’re doing—anyone can do.”

“But I can also do what others can’t. You just don’t want to believe that,” Jian Ya replied softly.

Her tone was gentle, but her words landed right where they needed to.

Shen Shuyi: “…”