After Becoming the Scummy Alpha in a Substitute Romance (GL) - Chapter 16

Jian Ya couldn’t help but think—she’d been coming to this break room way too often lately.

It reminded her of her school days, like getting called into the teacher’s office for a scolding every other day.

And every time she was summoned here, it was like stepping into a new battlefield.

The two of them walked into the break room, one after the other. Shen Shuyi took off her lab coat and hung it in the closet.

Then she turned around and looked at Jian Ya.

Jian Ya noticed it—Shen Shuyi really was acting a bit different lately.

She seemed a lot more relaxed around her.

But still, being alone in the same room and casually taking off her outer coat like this—it honestly caught Jian Ya by surprise.

Does she not realize how badly the original me wanted her?

It was a good thing she was the one standing here now. Sure, she liked Shen Shuyi, but maybe it was more admiration than infatuation. She felt drawn to her, yes, but it wasn’t uncontrollable.

If it had been the old Jian Ya in this room, she probably wouldn’t have been able to restrain herself.

Thinking that, Jian Ya put on a playful, mock-threatening look and said, “You’re really brave to be alone with me. Aren’t you afraid I’ll do something?”

She deliberately lowered her voice for effect.

Shen Shuyi’s hand paused briefly before she turned back with her usual calmness.

She pointed to the alarm system on the wall.

“This is a research facility. The security measures are very thorough,” she replied plainly.

Jian Ya instantly deflated. “Couldn’t you just say you trust me?”

Shen Shuyi glanced at her but didn’t answer.

“Coat,” Shen Shuyi said, nodding toward her.

Jian Ya: “…”

Under her steady gaze, Jian Ya reluctantly took off her coat.

She watched as Shen Shuyi carefully inspected it without showing any emotion, then shifted her attention to Jian Ya herself.

She looked like she wanted to say something—but stopped halfway.

Jian Ya immediately guessed what it was. She gave a sheepish smile and gently suggested, “The rest… do I really need to take it off?”

Her voice was soft and a little pitiful.

Shen Shuyi was about to say, “Take off your pants,” but stopped herself just in time.

Yeah… that didn’t sound appropriate.

Expressionless, she simply walked over and said, “Turn around.”

Jian Ya: “…”

For a moment, Jian Ya seriously wondered if Shen Shuyi had been born the wrong gender.

She definitely gives off Alpha energy.

That calm, commanding presence—so intense and forceful—it was no wonder people said even Alphas would go weak in the knees around her.

Jian Ya hadn’t reached that point yet, but she definitely didn’t dare disobey. Even the urge to say something clever was swallowed back under Shen Shuyi’s piercing gaze.

Silently, she turned around, her back now facing Shen Shuyi.

Out of sight, Shen Shuyi quietly drew in a breath. Her fingers curled slightly as she reached out, clearly trying to get the search over with quickly. But halfway there, her hand froze.

“Shen…” Jian Ya felt her hesitate and realized that she wasn’t the only one feeling awkward. Wanting to ease the tension, she tried to say something.

But before she could finish, she suddenly felt a light shove on her back, followed by Shen Shuyi’s slightly rushed voice:
“Turn around. Stand still. Don’t move.”

The unexpected push caught Jian Ya off guard, and she nearly stumbled into the wall.

She quickly reached out a hand to brace herself against it.

She had wanted to straighten up again, but Shen Shuyi had already started the search, so she stayed there, frozen in place, pressed against the wall.

She wasn’t wearing much.

After removing her coat, all she had on was a plain, casual T-shirt—nothing much to search.

The only real place to hide anything was in the pockets of her pants.

Naturally, that became the focus of Shen Shuyi’s inspection.

Jian Ya was wearing casual pants made from soft fabric, and she could clearly feel Shen Shuyi’s hand moving around the outside of the pocket area.

Her breathing hitched slightly.

She could feel the warmth of Shen Shuyi’s hand brushing near her pockets, and it made her whole-body tense.

Shen Shuyi’s scent is clean, with a subtle sea-salt freshness—drifted faintly through the air, occasionally brushing past Jian Ya’s nose, making her heart stir with a restlessness she hadn’t expected.

Shen Shuyi’s movements were careful, almost as if she had been trained—polite and professional.

And yet—

Jian Ya was starting to regret her choice of pants today.

They didn’t have standard side pockets.

The pockets were slightly toward the front, and each side had a small decorative one placed along the inner thighs.

Jian Ya had thought the search would end after the main pockets were checked.

After all, those decorative ones were just for show—what could she possibly hide in them?

But clearly, Shen Shuyi didn’t think the same way. In her eyes, Jian Ya had never been someone with boundaries or shame.

Even though she had come to acknowledge Jian Ya’s abilities recently, she still didn’t trust her character.

This project held the bl00d, sweat, and effort of the entire team—she couldn’t afford to take any chances.

With that in mind, Shen Shuyi reached out and placed her hand against one of the decorative pockets.

In her past life, Jian Ya’s identity meant that no one had ever dared cross the line with her.

Touching her in such a private area? That was unthinkable. Even casual contact was rare.

So when Shen Shuyi’s hand landed there without warning, Jian Ya’s body stiffened instantly.

The hand she had braced against the wall clenched slightly, and her breathing grew short and tight.

That touch—brief and professional as it was—sent a jolt through her body, like an electric current that left her disoriented.

A primal instinct stirred inside her, something wild and unfiltered, flickering to life deep within her core. Her eyes darkened slightly with a hint of red.

Jian Ya clenched her jaw, silently cursing the body’s original owner.

She knew this reaction wasn’t really hers.

It was the body’s—the instinctive response of someone impulsive, hot-blooded, and ruled more by instinct than reason.

Her palm, still flat against the wall, slowly curled into a fist. She gritted her teeth as she fought to stay in control—logic battling against pure reflex.

As the heat built up inside her, she could feel every one of Shen Shuyi’s movements with almost painful clarity, even without looking.

In her mind, she could practically see it—those pale, slender fingers carefully pressing around the fabric, polite but thorough.

Her fingers pressed lightly, checking for anything hidden in the pocket.

The motion was quick and routine—but to Jian Ya, it felt painfully slow, like time had stretched out unbearably.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Shen Shuyi finished her search.

Jian Ya, struggling to suppress the chaos inside her, asked in a low, slightly hoarse voice,
“Is it over?”

Hearing her voice, Shen Shuyi finally noticed how tense Jian Ya was.

The faint wildness in her eyes, that sharp glimmer of something raw and dominant—it made Shen Shuyi instinctively uneasy.

But then she reminded herself—this was a research facility. Jian Ya wouldn’t dare step out of line here.

That thought helped her settle, if only a little.

“…Yes. You’re good,” Shen Shuyi replied, trying to sound calm.

But her voice carried a barely noticeable tremor.

Jian Ya didn’t catch it, she was too busy trying to get herself back under control.

Hearing the confirmation, she gave a small nod. “I’m going to step out for a moment.”

She needed to. She needed to calm down—fast.