After Becoming the Scummy Alpha in a Substitute Romance (GL) - Chapter 17

The weather in Ancheng had started to cool down.

Especially at night, the breeze brushing against the skin brought a noticeable chill.

Jian Ya wasn’t wearing a coat. The wind cut through her clothes, taking some warmth away.

It was cold.

But right now, that cold was exactly what she needed.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Once the restless feeling inside her faded, her rational mind fully took over again.

What had gotten into her? Jian Ya rubbed her forehead, feeling a bit of a headache.

Had her reaction just now scared Shen Shuyi? After all, the original Jian Ya had left a deep emotional scar when it came to these things.

Jian Ya lowered her eyes, unsure how to face Shen Shuyi now.

Should she try to comfort her?

But with this face and this body, she wasn’t sure any comfort would feel sincere, even if her heart was in the right place.

While she hesitated, she saw Shen Shuyi walking toward her down the hallway.

Shen Shuyi was holding her coat, the one she had left in the break room. When she reached her, she silently handed it over.

The two of them stood quietly for a moment, not knowing how to begin the conversation.

“I’m sorry.”

“I’ll bring an electronic scanner tomorrow.”

They both spoke at the same time.

Their eyes met. In that moment, they could both see a trace of guilt in each other’s expression.

Jian Ya looked down slightly.

Sensing the tension in the air, she smiled and tried to ease it.

“I was just thinking,” she said with a light tone, “tomorrow I should wear something with absolutely no pockets at all. Not even one.”

Shen Shuyi heard the exaggerated tone in her voice and couldn’t help but smile a little. The smile was faint and fleeting, but Jian Ya noticed it.

She blinked in surprise, as if she had just discovered something rare.

“Shen Shuyi, you just smiled.”

Shen Shuyi said nothing.

“You look really pretty when you smile.”

“Can you smile more often? When you don’t, I get too scared to talk to you.”

“You imagined it,” Shen Shuyi replied calmly.

“I didn’t imagine it. I saw it clearly.”

“Hey, don’t walk away.”

Shen Shuyi turned and began walking without looking back.

Jian Ya followed closely behind. Compared to Shen Shuyi’s silence, her non-stop talking made her seem especially chatty.

After walking like that for a while, Shen Shuyi stopped and turned to look at her.

“Why are you still following me? Aren’t you going home?”

“It’s late,” Jian Ya replied. “You live in the university’s residential area, right? That’s still a bit of a walk from here. You’re an Omega. It’s not safe to go alone. I’ll walk you back.”

Shen Shuyi raised an eyebrow and looked at her carefully, as if trying to figure her out.

It was almost instinctual. Every time Jian Ya appeared at night, her presence made Shen Shuyi automatically stay on guard.

Especially when walking down an unguarded street alone with someone else, Shen Shuyi couldn’t help but feel tense.

The psychological shadow left by Jian Ya had faded quite a bit over the past few days, especially since Jian Ya no longer acted like her old self.

But still, when night fell and that same person appeared beside her, Shen Shuyi would instinctively feel uneasy and even afraid.

Jian Ya saw through her thoughts and smiled.

“You’re worried about me? Don’t worry, I’ll keep a safe distance. You walk ahead, and I’ll follow behind.”

“Do as you like,” Shen Shuyi replied, then turned and walked away, leaving Jian Ya with nothing but her back.

Just like she promised, Jian Ya didn’t get too close. She waited until Shen Shuyi had walked about a hundred meters ahead. That way, if something happened, she could still reach her in time without making her feel too nervous.

She walked slowly and deliberately.

She always kept that same distance.

When Shen Shuyi sped up, she quickened her pace slightly.

When Shen Shuyi slowed down, she also slowed down to match.

She knew that following her would make Shen Shuyi more tense and alert than if she had been walking alone.

But she had to do it.

Because she remembered something mentioned in the original book. During the development of Shen Shuyi’s research project, the company that eventually stole her work didn’t just send an undercover spy. They also used some very dirty tactics.

They had staged a kidnapping, pretending it was just a regular criminal act.

But in truth, it was an excuse to steal the core content of her research.

Shen Shuyi was eventually rescued, but not before suffering greatly.

Since Jian Ya knew this might happen, there was no way she could leave Shen Shuyi unprotected.

The original novel didn’t mention the exact day the kidnapping took place, only that it happened during this phase of the project. So Jian Ya could only be cautious and prevent it ahead of time.

That was why she insisted on walking with Shen Shuyi after work. She wanted to make sure there was no chance of something happening to her.

Shen Shuyi looked calm as she walked.

But in truth, her attention kept drifting back to Jian Ya behind her.

From the corner of her eye, she could see that Jian Ya was keeping her word, always staying at a respectful distance.

Seeing that, Shen Shuyi felt a strange tightness in her chest.

Jian Ya’s recent behavior had thrown her into complete confusion.

Shen Shuyi was not someone who liked owing others.

When someone treated her well, she always felt the need to return it in equal measure.

She didn’t like Jian Ya. That hadn’t changed.

But over the past few days, she couldn’t deny that Jian Ya had been cautious, considerate, and aware of her feelings.

Because of that, it was getting harder for her to stay indifferent.

But the last time she believed in Jian Ya’s sincerity, it ended with memories she still couldn’t forget.

This time, she didn’t dare believe so easily.

Shen Shuyi took a deep breath, trying to suppress the restless thoughts in her heart.

They walked in silence the whole way.

When they finally reached the residential complex provided by the university, Shen Shuyi went inside. Jian Ya stopped walking.

She didn’t leave right away. Instead, she crossed the road and stood under a tree.

Leaning back gently against the trunk, she relaxed a little.

From time to time, her eyes drifted toward Shen Shuyi’s building.

She was waiting for the lights in the apartment to turn on. Only then would she leave.

Inside, Shen Shuyi didn’t turn on the lights right away. Instead, she walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.

Through the glass, she saw Jian Ya standing quietly across the street, all alone, as if she existed outside of everything else around her.

In that moment, Jian Ya looked peaceful, maybe even a little lonely.

But it also seemed like she was at peace with that loneliness.

The soft yellow glow of the streetlight spilled onto her figure, casting a long shadow beside her.

She kept glancing toward the apartment, as if she wasn’t willing to leave until she was sure Shen Shuyi had made it home safely.

Shen Shuyi stood still, watching her from the window.

After a while, Jian Ya straightened up. Since the lights still hadn’t come on, she looked toward the building several times, her body visibly tense with worry.

Shen Shuyi lowered her eyes. Her hand, resting by the curtain, curled slightly.

Then she turned around and finally turned on the light in the living room.

She sat on the couch, her head lowered slightly, her expression full of thought.

After a while, she walked back to the window and looked across the street again.

But the figure was already gone.