After Becoming the Scummy Alpha in a Substitute Romance (GL) - Chapter 8

Shen Shuyi’s expression grew colder by the second. Her fingers trembled slightly, and her voice dropped a few degrees.

“So, you’re saying she got in… through connections?”

The supervisor wiped the sweat from his forehead, visibly nervous. He didn’t dare meet her eyes.

“Shuyi, I know how much this project means to you. But this isn’t something I could control. She was sent in by someone higher up. I… I really didn’t have a choice.”

Shen Shuyi laughed quietly, but there was no warmth in it.

“Of course,” she said softly. “There’s always someone you can’t afford to offend. Even if it means risking the integrity of the entire project.”

The atmosphere in the lab shifted.

Everyone nearby could sense the tension and instinctively stopped what they were doing. Silence fell.

Jian Ya stood quietly to the side, watching Shen Shuyi. Her eyes held a mix of patience and something unreadable—perhaps calmness, or maybe control.

Shen Shuyi turned to her slowly, her voice almost steady again, but her gaze sharp as glass.

“If you’re here to ruin me, just say it directly. Don’t pretend to be part of the team.”

Jian Ya’s expression didn’t change. She took a slow breath and said in a gentle voice, “I’m not here to ruin you.”

Her eyes met Shen Shuyi’s. Calm. Clear. Almost too steady.

“I’m here because I want to be close to you.”

Those simple words hit like a stone dropped in still water.

Shen Shuyi froze, completely caught off guard.

“I’ve hurt you before. I’ve done a lot of things I regret,” Jian Ya continued, her tone soft and even. “But this time… I want to do something right. I want to protect what you care about.”

Shen Shuyi’s heart clenched. Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.

It felt like her carefully built defenses were crumbling—bit by bit, without warning.

All the fear, the anger, the confusion… it was too much.

“You think just saying that changes anything?” she finally managed, her voice hoarse.

“I know it doesn’t,” Jian Ya replied. “But I had to say it.”

Shen Shuyi didn’t respond. Her eyes dropped to the floor. She didn’t want anyone to see the storm in them—not now.

She turned away sharply. “Do whatever you want. Just stay out of my way.”

With that, she walked off toward the other end of the lab, leaving everyone in silence.

Jian Ya didn’t move. She simply stood there, quietly watching her leave.

Shen Shuyi knew exactly how powerful the Jian family was. If they wanted to place someone in the lab, it would be all too easy.

She took a deep breath, not wanting to argue with the project supervisor any further.

Looking straight at Jian Ya, she said calmly, “Come with me.”

There was such authority in Shen Shuyi’s voice that Jian Ya didn’t even have the courage to explain herself. She lowered her head and quietly followed Shen Shuyi into a nearby break room—where she would have to face her head-on.

From the moment Shen Shuyi walked in, she stood with her back to Jian Ya, unmoving.

Jian Ya entered behind her and gently closed the door. Then she stood silently by the wall, not daring to step any closer.

The shadow of who she once was—the Jian Ya who had left painful scars on Shen Shuyi—still lingered. She didn’t want to get too close and trigger her.

The two stood like that for a long time, each locked in her own silence.

Eventually, Shen Shuyi spoke. Her voice was calm, emotionless, but steady.

“Jian Ya, I believe you’re someone who knows boundaries.”

“I know you hate me. Maybe you want revenge. But this isn’t the place for that. This project—what we’re working on here—has the potential to benefit all of humanity. It’s not something you can treat as a playground or a tool to satisfy personal grudges. This project doesn’t belong to me alone. It certainly shouldn’t be used against me.”

Her voice remained even, but Jian Ya could hear the restraint behind it.

“This isn’t revenge. I’m not playing games,” Jian Ya said earnestly, her tone serious and steady. “Shen Shuyi, listen to me. I’ve really changed. I’m not the person I was before. I’m here because I want to help you. Can’t you see that?”

To Shen Shuyi, it felt almost laughable.

If not for everything that had happened the day before, she might’ve believed a small part of it.

“Just tell me what you really want,” Shen Shuyi said, unclasping her fingers. She turned around and looked directly at Jian Ya. “What is it? Do you want the project itself? The money? The credit?”

“If that’s what you’re after, I’ll agree to give it to you. When the project is complete, I’ll give up every bit of my share. If you don’t want me to get any recognition, you can take my name off it completely. The title, the credit—you can have it all. That way I’ll be left with nothing, and your revenge will be complete. Just promise me one thing—don’t destroy this project. Please.”

Though it sounded like a negotiation, Jian Ya could feel the pain behind every word. Her heart tightened.

No money, no recognition—Shen Shuyi was willing to walk away from all of it, as long as the project survived. That was all she asked.

To a researcher, money isn’t always the goal. But authorship—being recognized for your work—is everything. It’s a symbol of worth, of purpose. Jian Ya knew better than anyone how much that meant.

This project had Shen Shuyi’s fingerprints all over it. Though it only officially launched in the past few months, the planning and groundwork had taken far longer. She had poured her time, her energy, and her youth into it—shutting herself inside the lab day after day, night after night.

How much did this project mean to her?

She didn’t need to say it. It was written in everything she did.

In the original story, something this precious… was taken away.

The thought alone made Jian Ya even more determined. No matter what it took—even if Shen Shuyi misunderstood her—she would stay and protect what mattered most to her.

She lifted her eyes and looked straight at Shen Shuyi. Her gaze burned with clarity and resolve.

“I never had any intention of sabotaging this project,” she said, her voice firm. “If you need me, I’ll help in any way I can. Tell me—what will it take for you to believe that I’m sincere? That I’m truly here to help, with no other motive?”

“You want to help me?” Shen Shuyi’s voice was laced with disbelief, even a touch of sarcasm. “I can’t think of a single reason why you would want to help me.”

Jian Ya didn’t hesitate. The words slipped out before she could stop them.

“Because I like you.”

Because she liked her—enough to let go of all the pride she had carried through a previous life. Enough to accept the blame, to endure the misunderstanding, and still do everything she could to protect her.