After Becoming the Scummy Alpha in a Substitute Romance (GL) - Chapter 13

After that brief exchange, a long silence fell between the two.

At last, Jian Ya sighed softly. Her voice was light, tinged with helplessness and fatigue.
“I’ve been thinking… what do I have to do for you to believe me?”

Shen Shuyi remained silent in the face of that question.

She had no answer—because she knew all too well that after going through an ordeal like hell itself, no matter what Jian Ya did now, she would only see it as a calculated act, a disguise for some ulterior motive.

Jian Ya’s credibility with her had been completely exhausted.

And she wasn’t naïve enough to stumble in the same place twice.

People do change after going through major upheavals.

But not overnight—not to the point of seeming like a completely different person in just a day or two.

Moreover, Jian Ya hadn’t even experienced anything that could justify such a drastic change.

She couldn’t think of a single reason for it.

“No answer, huh? I figured as much,” Jian Ya said with a faint tug at the corners of her lips, her entire demeanor slightly defeated.

She fell into silence.

Shen Shuyi, however, lifted her gaze—gazing at Jian Ya slowly, with an intensity she hadn’t allowed herself in a long time.

She had to admit—Jian Ya was truly beautiful. It was no wonder everyone in the lab liked her, even wanting to treat her as something of a mascot.

Her long chestnut hair curled ever so slightly, her eyes—almond-shaped with a soft, enchanting allure—sparkled when she smiled, always able to stir hearts. She wasn’t yet wearing the lab-issued uniform and instead had on a simple, casual outfit. It was understated and, oddly enough, made the distance between them feel a little smaller.

At some point, Jian Ya’s gaze had lost the violent, volatile edge it used to carry. Her eyes now resembled still water—calm, deep, and capable of pulling you in if you weren’t careful.

But what unsettled Shen Shuyi the most was the cool composure faintly reflected in Jian Ya’s eyes—that kind of calm that only comes after one has been through a lot. Rational, almost serene. And it was that very calmness that quietly stirred something deep within her, something she couldn’t ignore.

They were the same kind.

The moment that absurd thought surfaced, Shen Shuyi’s heart wavered ever so slightly.

Jian Ya didn’t notice her change in expression.

She rubbed her forehead in frustration and mumbled, “I know what you’re afraid of. You think I’m here to sabotage things. But how could I possibly do that?”

“You’ve already finished the foundational data analysis. You’re in the modeling phase now, and what you need is algorithms.”

“The worst I could do is steal trade secrets. But even that shouldn’t worry you. If you’re really that concerned, just monitor me 24/7. I told you, I won’t hurt you again in any way—so whatever makes you feel safe, do it. While I’m in the lab, there’s nothing I can actually do. And outside the lab, just keep an eye on me.”

“If locking me up is the only way you’ll feel secure, then do it. I’ll let you handle it however you see fit.”

Jian Ya blurted it all out in one breath.

Every word came from the depths of emotions she’d been suppressing for far too long, and in that moment, she didn’t even realize anything she said might have sounded wrong.

After Jian Ya finished speaking, Shen Shuyi’s expression shifted noticeably.

There was something strange about it—especially the way her ears turned slightly red.

Jian Ya froze. Did I say something wrong?

She quickly went over her words in her head.

“Lock me up… handle me however you want…”

They were both adults. Putting those phrases together could definitely lead to… certain suggestive interpretations—ones that wouldn’t pass a Jinjiang content review.

Realizing this, Jian Ya began to panic. She hurried to explain herself.

“No, wait! Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t mean anything like that. I just meant that if you want to lock me up, I won’t resist. I wasn’t saying you could actually do anything to me…”

She paused, then fumbled again, “I mean, if you did want to do something, I guess I could—”

“…Never mind. I’m just going to stop talking.”

Once she realized there was no way to explain it without digging herself in deeper, Jian Ya wisely shut her mouth.

Across from her, Shen Shuyi’s entire face had turned red.

Her skin felt hot with embarrassment, and the worst part was that Jian Ya still looked completely innocent—as if she didn’t realize what she’d just said. Shen Shuyi no longer knew how to face her.

Avoiding eye contact, she walked around Jian Ya, opened the door, and quickly left the room.

Just before leaving, she muttered under her breath, “Do whatever you want.”

The conversation had clearly become awkward, and Jian Ya felt it too.

But even so, hearing Shen Shuyi’s parting words made her smile slightly.

No matter what, it felt like Shen Shuyi wasn’t pushing her away as much as before.

Jian Ya followed her slowly back to the lab. Before leaving, she carefully closed the door to the lounge behind her.

Shen Shuyi, however, didn’t return to the lab right away. She went to the break room instead. She didn’t understand why Jian Ya had affected her so strongly this time—why her emotions had gotten so out of control.

She stood there quietly and drank two full glasses of water, forcing herself to calm down.

When she finally returned to the lab, her expression was back to its usual blank, composed self.

Inside, Jian Ya was busy cleaning up the leftover lab materials again. Shen Shuyi glanced at her, then quickly looked away without saying a word.

She forced herself not to think about Jian Ya, not to be distracted by her.

“How did the talk go?” Xiao Bai asked quietly, stepping beside her. “Planning to keep her on the team? If so, having her do clean-up work might be a bit of a waste. From what I’ve seen, she does seem pretty capable.”

“Handle it however you think best,” Shen Shuyi replied flatly.

But with those words, she had already given her approval.

Xiao Bai smiled. That was all she needed to hear—she understood exactly what Shen Shuyi meant.

She immediately stood up and walked over to Jian Ya.

“Jian Ya,” Xiao Bai called out.

“Hm?” Jian Ya stopped what she was doing and looked up at her.

“Come with me. I’ve got something more suitable for you. No need to keep wasting your time cleaning up this pile of trash—we’ll have someone else assigned to that from now on,” Xiao Bai said.

With that, she turned and headed toward the area responsible for the computer systems.

Jian Ya froze for a moment, then understood what Xiao Bai meant.

A smile slowly spread across her lips. The disappointment she’d been holding in her heart quietly melted away, replaced by a ripple of warmth.

Her eyes instinctively glanced toward where Shen Shuyi was sitting. Shen Shuyi was still fully absorbed in her work, focused and distant as always.

But still…

No matter how cold or indifferent she appeared on the surface, there was softness underneath.

Jian Ya’s mood lifted completely.

This might be the happiest moment she’d had since arriving in this world.

She couldn’t hold back her excitement and said, “Alright! Don’t worry—with me on board, progress is definitely going to speed up. I mean, I won’t brag about anything else, but in this field, I’m pretty confident.”

Walking ahead, Xiao Bai chuckled quietly at Jian Ya’s youthful confidence.

That energy and enthusiasm young people carried—it really could be contagious sometimes.

“Well then, good luck,” Xiao Bai teased. “We’re counting on you to carry the whole project.”

“Leave it to me!”

Their voices weren’t loud, but a few words still drifted over to Shen Shuyi’s ears.

Overconfident, she thought silently.

But the lips that had been tightly pressed together all morning… relaxed just a little, curving ever so slightly.