After Becoming the Scummy Alpha in a Substitute Romance (GL) - Chapter 7

Inside the lounge of the Anda Research Institute.

Shen Shuyi had just taken off her coat and hadn’t yet had time to put on the required lab coat when her phone rang.

She picked it up. It was a call from Ni Ruoyun.

“Hello?” Shen Shuyi’s voice was calm and clear, carrying a touch of quiet elegance.

In contrast, Ni Ruoyun sounded noticeably agitated.

“Shuyi, did that monster really divorce you? Did she set any cruel terms in exchange? You absolutely must not fall for her tricks again,” Ni Ruoyun said rapidly, her voice brimming with concern.

Shen Shuyi’s tone, however, was soothing.

“There were no conditions.”

Ni Ruoyun was silent for a long while, seemingly unable to believe it.

That monster—how could she possibly let Shen Shuyi go so easily?

“Is it possible she’s pretending to let you go, only to take revenge later?” Ni Ruoyun speculated nervously. “What if she makes the news public? Given the current state of the Shen family, once the divorce is exposed, your situation will be very difficult…”

“She hasn’t done that. When we divorced, I was already prepared for questions from the Shen family. But she suggested we keep it confidential from both sides.”

Ni Ruoyun was even more confused upon hearing that.

“That condition… actually sounds like she’s trying to protect you. What is she really planning?”

“Maybe she’s just tired,” Shen Shuyi said mildly. “She never truly loved me. And once I stopped playing along, she probably lost interest.”

“Well, no matter what, at least you’re finally free. Congratulations,” Ni Ruoyun said.

A faint smile curved at the corners of Shen Shuyi’s lips.

“But even if she’s really changed, you should still be careful. I don’t believe someone can change that drastically in such a short time. Watch out in case she has something else planned.”

“Mm.”

“Let’s not talk about her anymore. How’s your project going? I heard you might wrap it up in the next two months?”

“Yes. We’re down to the final step—converting the previous experimental data into a working model. If our hypothesis is correct, once the model is built, we’ll be able to declare the project completed. But this last step requires a skilled computer expert. Our current lab team can’t handle it alone.”

“That shouldn’t be too hard. Your project lead will help you figure that out,” Ni Ruoyun said, pleased for her. “Congratulations. Once this project wraps up, you can finally take a break. Maybe we can go on vacation together and unwind?”

“Sounds good,” Shen Shuyi replied.

“All right, then. I won’t keep you. Get some rest—and don’t let your guard down just because the divorce went through. Keep an eye on Jian Ya. I doubt she’ll give up that easily.”

“I will.”

After hanging up, Shen Shuyi lowered her gaze slightly.

Jian Ya’s intentions?

She couldn’t quite figure them out. In truth, the fact that the divorce had gone through so smoothly was completely unexpected.

Even now, holding the divorce certificate in her hands, she still felt as though it were all unreal.

As if it might all disappear like a dream.

She took a deep breath and decided not to overthink things. Pulling a lab coat from the locker, she slipped it on, picked up her documents, and headed toward the laboratory.

As she stepped into the hallway, she happened to run into the project supervisor.

The supervisor’s face lit up with a smile as he waved at her.

“Professor Shen, I was just looking for you,” he said cheerfully.

Shen Shuyi returned a polite smile and gave him a small nod in response.

“It’s like this,” he continued. “A few days ago, you asked me to help you find a skilled computer expert to support your project. Well, I’ve found someone. She’s in your lab right now, getting familiar with the environment. Once you’re there, take a look at what still needs to be done and give her specific tasks.”

That was good news.

The chill in Shen Shuyi’s eyes seemed to soften slightly.

“Thank you,” she said.

“No need to thank me—it’s my responsibility,” he replied enthusiastically. “If there’s anything else you need, just say the word. I’ll do everything I can to make sure the project runs smoothly!”

Shen Shuyi smiled again and thanked him politely.

“Shall we go take a look at the new member together?”

“Sure.”

Inside the lab, the rest of the team was still busy with their work.

Jian Ya’s sudden appearance quickly drew everyone’s attention.

Most people can’t help but notice a beautiful woman, and this situation was no exception.

As soon as Jian Ya walked in, she became the center of whispers and glances.

“Is she the computer expert the supervisor brought in? She doesn’t look like one.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s so good-looking, and so young. And look at that thick hair! How could someone like that be a computer genius?”

“Your logic is ridiculous, but I don’t know how to argue with it.”

…

The group chatted quietly among themselves, but Li Lu—the leader of the modeling team responsible for converting experimental data into models—rolled her eyes at them and walked over to Jian Ya.

“You’re Jian Ya, right? Do you know what you’ll be working on here?” she asked.

Li Lu was the most senior person in the lab. Unlike the younger members, she had met many people and knew exactly what they needed: someone with real technical skills, not just a pretty face.

So, ignoring Jian Ya’s striking appearance, she got straight to the point.

Jian Ya looked well-behaved and respectful. She answered calmly and seriously, “Yes, I understand. I’ll be building models based on the experimental data and theoretical framework, using computer programs to help uncover deeper patterns, which will allow the results to be applied more broadly.”

“Good. Sounds like someone already explained things clearly to you,” Li Lu said. “Now, tell me—what programming languages do you know?”

Jian Ya paused for a second, a bit caught off guard. “In which area?”

It wasn’t that she didn’t know—just that the question was too general.

In her past life, she had gone from nothing to making it into the top 50 of the world’s richest people through her computer skills. There was too much she knew—so much that she wasn’t sure what Li Lu wanted her to focus on.

But Li Lu misunderstood her hesitation.

She was already feeling a bit disappointed, but continued asking, “I mean, what computer languages are you familiar with?”

Jian Ya understood now and gave a slight smile. “C, C++, and C# are all fine. I’ve also worked with many other programming languages. It depends on the problem we’re solving—each situation calls for the right approach.”

Li Lu was speechless.

Young lady… aren’t you a little too confident?

To her, people who spoke this boldly were usually all talk.

While the two of them were speaking, Shen Shuyi and the supervisor were approaching the lab entrance.

As they reached the door, Shen Shuyi looked up—and instantly took in the entire scene.

“Shuyi, let me introduce you,” the supervisor said. “This is the new member joining your lab.”

As he spoke, he stepped aside so Shen Shuyi could see clearly.

Her eyes followed his gesture—and landed directly on the shyly smiling figure standing inside the lab.

Jian Ya.

In that moment, Shen Shuyi froze.

It felt like she had plunged into icy water.