Dressed as the Scumbag Alpha Mom of the Tragic Female Lead (ABO, GL) - Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Jiang Chuxie straightened her back, striving to maintain a cool demeanor to hide her unease and awkwardness. After the woman identified herself as Gu Lingjun’s mother and explained her purpose, Jiang Chuxie followed her into the car.

The car had been driving for nearly five minutes, and neither had spoken, leaving the cabin in utter silence.

If facing Gu Lingjun allowed Jiang Chuxie’s mind to wander with random thoughts, facing Gu Lingjun’s mother—whose name she recalled was Gu Lian—filled her with nothing but guilt.

Gu Lingjun never appeared formally in the main story, and in that timeline, Jiang Chuxie had no direct interactions with her, so their meeting felt like a true first encounter. Plus, with her brain constantly conjuring bizarre praises for Gu Lingjun, she had little room to think of anything else.

But Gu Lian was different. In the story, after Gu Lingjun’s death, Gu Lian relentlessly pursued the truth behind her daughter’s demise, doing everything to protect her granddaughter, only to be killed by Jiang Chuxie in a brutally cruel way. Gu Lian carried the flag of confronting the villainous boss early on, propping up the sparse serious content in the story. Jiang Chuxie would be a fool not to feel guilty.

“Miss Jiang, I heard about what happened from Lingjun. Thank you so much for helping her,” Gu Lian finally broke the silence. “I’m very sorry for coming without notice. I’ve been tied up with the police station these past few days and only found time today, so I have some questions for you.”

“You want to know the details of the incident, right, Mrs. Gu?”

Gu Lian nodded. “I’d like to hear it from the only eyewitness.”

“You’ve seen the surveillance footage, haven’t you? Why do you need me to tell you?”

Facing Gu Lian, Jiang Chuxie didn’t dare let her guard down. Though Gu Lian lost in the story, that was the work of the scummy Alpha Jiang Chuxie. Gu Lian was a sharp businesswoman, evident from how well she managed the family empire. Her defeat came partly because the original Jiang Chuxie was shameless, winning over Gu Lingjun first to restrain Gu Lian, and partly due to the author’s ultimate weapon—plot armor.

In truth, Gu Lian had been wary of the “phoenix” Alpha Jiang Chuxie from the start, even when Jiang Chuxie was groveling and currying favor.

Jiang Chuxie feared that, despite being a decent person now, she might still arouse Gu Lian’s suspicion. Though she wanted to steer clear of Gu Lingjun, the Gu heiress seemed quite interested in her.

She suspected Gu Lian’s visit today was to probe this very point.

“I’ve seen the footage and know the results of the drug and fingerprint tests. Zhao Gang’s crime is undeniable,” Gu Lian said with a smile, her tone gentle. “But I’d still like to hear the details from you, Miss Jiang. And I’d also like your opinion on how to express our gratitude.”

Jiang Chuxie fully grasped Gu Lian’s intent.

Her act of heroism was her choice, and not wanting repayment was her choice too, but for Gu Lingjun—or rather, Gu Lian—this was a significant favor.

Rich people don’t mind owing money, but they hate owing favors. Why hadn’t she realized this sooner?

Her coldness toward Gu Lingjun might have made her seem, in Gu Lian’s eyes, like a scheming vixen pretending to be pure and unaffected. God, she wasn’t trying to be an “intriguing woman” or playing hard to get!

In those few seconds, Jiang Chuxie’s mind raced, but her face remained impassive—Gu Lian wasn’t one of her young classmates; she’d read micro-expressions.

“If that’s the case, I’ll tell you again, Mrs. Gu.”

She recounted the events of that day in a calm tone, avoiding personal emotions. Gu Lian listened intently, then thanked her again. “This was truly dangerous. Thank you again for helping my daughter.”

“It was just my duty. It was the coffee shop where I worked, after all.”

Gu Lian smiled faintly. “But I heard you quit because of this, didn’t you? I know you didn’t save Lingjun for a reward, but please let me offer some compensation, or I’ll feel uneasy.”

Jiang Chuxie had been pondering how to appear neither scheming nor overly pure. Her coldness to Gu Lingjun before meant fawning now would backfire, but rejecting Gu Lian’s offer might make her think Jiang Chuxie was playing coy, biding her time for a bigger catch.

“In that case,” Jiang Chuxie decided after a moment’s thought, “please offer me some monetary compensation, Mrs. Gu.”

For the wealthy, problems solved with money weren’t problems. Taking the money would give Gu Lian leverage to feel secure, and Gu Lingjun, seeing her as money-grubbing, would lose interest.

Plus, Jiang Chuxie was short on cash. This money would ease her startup’s financial strain—a fair reward for not harming Gu Lingjun and saving her, right?

She accepted it without guilt.

Gu Lian raised an eyebrow, a slight smile on her lips. “That’s only right. So, Miss Jiang, what amount do you think is appropriate?”

Jiang Chuxie hadn’t expected Gu Lian to let her name a figure. She paused, then quickly recovered. “I don’t know what this means to you and Miss Gu. Coming from a poor background, I know little about your perspective on money. Whatever you think is fair, Mrs. Gu.”

She wasn’t really haggling with Gu Lian but didn’t want her to see through her. She aimed to craft an image of a cynical yet shrewd youth who resented the rich, explaining both her coldness to Gu Lingjun and her request for money now, while showing she had no intention of cozying up to wealth.

Gu Lian didn’t press her, nodding after a brief pause. “I understand. Please give me a bank account number, Miss Jiang.”

Jiang Chuxie recited a string of digits without hesitation, and Gu Lian jotted it down in a notebook.

“To avoid any suspicion of bribing a witness, I’ll transfer the money after you’ve testified in court.”

Jiang Chuxie caught her meaning and, far from feeling insulted, felt a wave of relief.

“No problem. After accepting your thanks, I won’t bother you or Miss Gu with this again.”

Gu Lian nodded, satisfied. The car slowed to a stop at the school gate, and Jiang Chuxie got out without lingering.

“What a pity. I didn’t expect Miss Jiang to be like that,” Uncle Wu said regretfully as he restarted the car once Jiang Chuxie was gone. “How should I report this to Miss?”

A long-time Gu family retainer trusted by Gu Lian, he’d informed her that night when Gu Lingjun asked him to look into Jiang Chuxie. Gu Lian’s visit today was indeed because of this.

Gu Lian gazed out the window, smiling.

“Old Wu, what are you talking about? Isn’t she a calm and pragmatic young person?”

Uncle Wu drove steadily. “Miss Jiang staying so composed in front of you is impressive for her age.”

What he didn’t say was that Gu Lingjun didn’t care about Jiang Chuxie’s composure or pragmatism.

Gu Lian, as if reading his thoughts, said lightly, “Even if Jiang Chuxie is a bit special, even if she’s the person Lingjun hopes for, I wouldn’t indulge it. So, isn’t this the best outcome?”

Uncle Wu, long in Gu Lian’s service, understood her meaning and replied, “I’ll report to Miss as it is.”