Dressed as the Scumbag Alpha Mom of the Tragic Female Lead (ABO, GL) - Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Jiang Chuxie looked dazed, staring blankly at her palm, lost in thought.

Zhuang Qi observed her expression through the rearview mirror. “Chuxie, don’t dwell on it too much. Things have settled for now, and we can focus on recovering physically and mentally. The doctor we’re seeing this time is very professional and well-known. With proper treatment, you’ll gradually get better.”

She had actually picked up the car earlier but wanted to give the two a chance to talk, so she parked at the corner and waited. It wasn’t until she noticed something was off that she stepped in to interrupt.

“Yeah, thanks.”

Jiang Chuxie closed her eyes wearily, leaning back in the seat as if to rest. Seeing this, Zhuang Qi said no more, letting out a quiet sigh before focusing on driving.

Jiang Chuxie’s thoughts were a mess, her mind flashing with chaotic images—people she’d met since arriving in this world, finally lingering on Gu Lingjun’s face from their last goodbye.

If before she had wanted to do her best to help those she could, now the only person she didn’t want to let down was Gu Lingjun.

Was this really over?

For Xu Wen, maybe it was, but not for her. She still had to face the changes happening to her, navigate the shift in her relationship with Gu Lingjun, and stay on guard against Lianping Association’s subtle moves.

This was far from the time to relax.

Thinking of the Lianping Association president she’d met a few days ago, Jiang Chuxie couldn’t shake the strange feeling in her chest.

The current president was a female Beta named Du Wanjun, a second-year graduate student in medical school.

As Zhuang Jingyuan had said, this president seemed very gentle, without a trace of a leader’s assertiveness. Faced with Jiang Chuxie’s aggressive questioning, she retreated step by step.

They eventually reached an agreement, but Jiang Chuxie was left with a strong sense of unease.

Was she really the president of Lianping Association? Was her demeanor a facade?

If she was indeed the president and her behavior wasn’t an act, then it was no surprise the association was spiraling out of control.

But that raised another question. If she couldn’t control the association, who was the one who made the decision to negotiate with her and ensure Yu Wen and the others confessed?

If that person was leading the reforms, could Lianping Association change?

But if she wasn’t the president, then the real president was far more terrifying than Jiang Chuxie had imagined. They might have deceived not only her but most of the association’s members.

Either way, her approach wouldn’t change. She’d shed her naivety and was ready for a full-on fight.

“Chuxie, we’re here.”

Jiang Chuxie only realized she’d fallen asleep when Zhuang Qi shook her awake. It seemed her mood had relaxed a bit compared to before—a good sign.

“Yeah, let’s go in.”

Jiang Chuxie followed Zhuang Qi out of the car, noticing the hospital’s name only when they reached the outpatient building.

“Gaoming? Does your sister work here?”

Gaoming Hospital was a renowned private hospital in the country, flawless except for its high costs. But Jiang Chuxie had mixed feelings about it. The hospital appeared frequently in the original novel, so she usually steered clear of it.

Gu Lingjun died at Gaoming Hospital. Jiang Weizao was born there. After Jiang Weizao’s miscarriage, she recovered there, and her escape was only possible with the help of a female Alpha named Gao Zhan.

Gao Zhan was the hospital director’s daughter, a bit younger than Jiang Weizao, interning at the hospital at the time. Naturally, she couldn’t resist the protagonist’s charm and fell head over heels in just a few days. She not only helped Jiang Weizao escape and hide her identity but also cared for her devotedly.

They lived peacefully for a while, but the protagonist’s six Alpha CPs weren’t ones to mess with. They soon found her. Though Gao Zhan was the daughter of a private hospital director, she couldn’t stand up to six ruthless, domineering Alpha CEOs. To save the protagonist, she was quickly written off, and the protagonist fell back into their clutches.

Gao Zhan was pretty pitiful. Not only was she a spare tire who lost her life for the protagonist, but the author, seemingly a straight woman, gave her no romantic scenes with the protagonist.

It made the plot feel long, but it actually spanned less than two chapters, brushed over quickly. Jiang Chuxie remembered it only because Gao Zhan was one of the rare good Alphas in the book.

“Yeah, my sister’s biological parents were shareholders of the hospital, but they died young in a car accident. My uncle was their friend and adopted her afterward. That’s why she studied medicine and works here.”

Jiang Chuxie recalled that Zhuang Qi’s cousin was seven or eight years older, and they were very close.

“I see.” Though she usually avoided this place, there was no need to overthink it now. Gao Zhan could barely be considered an ally, and she hadn’t even been born yet. Besides, Zhuang Qi had already made the appointment, and she couldn’t let her efforts go to waste. “Let’s go.”

“Wait, let me call my sister to come get us.”

Shortly after Zhuang Qi’s call, Jiang Chuxie saw a tall woman in a white coat, a female Alpha, walking toward them.

“Sis! Over here, over here!”

Zhuang Qi was thrilled to see her cousin, pulling Jiang Chuxie to meet her. Up close, Jiang Chuxie could see her cousin’s features clearly.

With no bl00d relation, Zhuang Qi’s cousin looked nothing like her. She had sharp features, a high nose bridge, and deep-set eyes, hinting at Western ancestry.

She wore light makeup and gold-rimmed glasses, with a teardrop mole by her right eye. In her white coat, she looked especially refined.

“Xiao Qi,” her cousin said, looking at Zhuang Qi with affection and a warm smile. “This must be the Jiang Chuxie you’re always talking about? Introduce us!”

Jiang Chuxie stared at her face, catching amber pupils through her glasses. Perhaps because of her smiling eyes, her face seemed to always carry a smile, making her eyes appear even deeper.

“Right, right, this is Jiang Chuxie, my roommate, best friend, and business partner. Chuxie, this is my cousin, Gao Yuanxun. You can call her Sister, too.”

Gao what?

Hearing the surname Gao, Jiang Chuxie’s heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t help it—Zhuang Qi’s cousin hadn’t even changed her surname, not taking the Zhuang name.

A shareholder of Gaoming Hospital, a doctor, surnamed Gao… it was like a neon sign screaming that Gao Yuanxun was Gao Zhan’s mother!

Jiang Chuxie felt she needed to reassess Zhuang Qi. Was she really not a significant character in the original story? How were so many people around her tied to the main plot?

“Hi, can I call you Chuxie like Xiao Qi does?”

Gao Yuanxun extended her hand, her slender, bony fingers looking perfect for holding a scalpel.

“Sister, hi.”

Jiang Chuxie snapped out of her daze, forcing herself to act normal, shaking Gao Yuanxun’s hand.

Perhaps because she was underdressed, Gao Yuanxun’s hand was colder than hers, fresh from outside, with slight calluses on her fingertips. The touch oddly reminded Jiang Chuxie of a scalpel.

“No need to be formal. I’m not a parent, just a peer. Relax.”

But Gao Yuanxun’s expression and demeanor were gentle, without a hint of a scalpel’s cold sharpness.

“Thanks, Sister.”

Jiang Chuxie had some doubts. Gao Yuanxun hadn’t appeared in the original story, and it was unclear what role she’d play. But since she had no connection to the six Alphas who harmed her, Jiang Chuxie’s unease wasn’t too strong.

“You’re welcome. Xiao Qi’s friend is my friend. Let’s head over now.”

Gao Yuanxun seemed to sense her discomfort and kept the small talk brief. As she led the way, her gaze subtly lingered on Jiang Chuxie until they reached the consultation room.

“Sis, you go handle your stuff. I’ll wait here for Chuxie.”

“You sure you want to wait here? Not come to my office?”

“No, no, I don’t want to disturb your work. I’ll stay here. You go.”

Gao Yuanxun slipped her hands into her white coat pockets, smiling at the door Jiang Chuxie had entered.

“You really like Jiang Chuxie, huh?”

“Of course! Our friendship is rock-solid.”

Gao Yuanxun chuckled. “Is it rock-solid just for you, or does she feel the same?”

“Come on, Sis, what are you saying? Chuxie totally feels the same!”

“Really? That’s good.” Gao Yuanxun looked away, patting Zhuang Qi’s head. “You should visit home sometime. Uncle misses you. Last time he came for a checkup, he kept nagging about you never coming home, always out gallivanting.”

“I’m not always gallivanting! I’m busy with my startup!”

“Busy with your career or busy chasing girlfriends?”

“Ahem,” Zhuang Qi’s little act fell apart, caught red-handed. “Sis, don’t call me out like that—we’re still friends. Besides, compared to you and Aunt, all work and no love, I’m the one people worry less about! If you two don’t step it up, my niece or nephew will beat your kid to it. Then we’ll see if it’s my dad nagging me or yours nagging you.”

“You little punk, barely dating and already thinking about kids.” Gao Yuanxun tapped her head. “Alright, enough joking. I’m heading back.”

“Yeah, yeah, go on.”

Gao Yuanxun left amid Zhuang Qi’s urging, but the moment she turned, her smile vanished.

Interesting. This Jiang Chuxie… is she really the Jiang Chuxie she knows?

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Gao Yuanxun pushed open her office door, and with her apology, the person inside turned around.

“No worries.”

Zhuang Jingyuan’s face held a mix of worry and evasion, avoiding Gao Yuanxun’s eyes.

Gao Yuanxun locked the door casually, her tone soft. “I thought you wouldn’t want to see me again. Times like this, I’m glad I’m a doctor.”

Zhuang Jingyuan looked away, murmuring, “If you don’t want to, it’s fine…”

“How could I not? I’ll help you get the suppressants.” Gao Yuanxun stepped closer but stopped when she sensed Zhuang Jingyuan’s tension. “Dad wants you to revert to your gender, but I want you to chase your dreams. Jingyuan, whatever you want to do, I’ll support you.”

Zhuang Jingyuan kept her head down, fingers twisting together. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. Just not treating me coldly makes me happy.” Seeing her unease, Gao Yuanxun poured her a glass of water. “Don’t worry, I won’t touch you again without your permission.”

Zhuang Jingyuan hesitated, then took the glass.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”

Gao Yuanxun smiled reassuringly. “Good… You’ve been working hard with the Lianping Association, haven’t you?”

Zhuang Jingyuan’s face soured. “Did Wanjun tell you?”

Gao Yuanxun sat down, crossing her legs comfortably.

“Yeah, I’m not a member, but I brought Wanjun into the association. After you left, she had no one else to turn to but me, especially with something this big.”

Zhuang Jingyuan held the glass, her voice tired. “Maybe starting the association was a mistake. I don’t have leadership skills, and I couldn’t follow through. But those kids won’t stop, and now I don’t know what to do.”

“It’s not your fault. Every organization faces issues like this. You’ve already left the association—you shouldn’t blame yourself.”

Zhuang Jingyuan shook her head. “It’s my fault. I thought Chuxie would support us like you did, so I recommended her to Wanjun. I never expected… never expected them to do something like this…”

Gao Yuanxun’s teardrop mole shifted slightly with her expression, but Zhuang Jingyuan, head bowed, didn’t notice.

“Their methods were extreme, but their intentions were for the association, for the group’s benefit. I’ve always believed the association could use bolder tactics. Being mild won’t earn respect.”

Zhuang Jingyuan had always been a moderate, but their demands were ignored and dismissed, reduced to a small circle’s self-indulgence.

Unable to change the status quo, members grew pessimistic and radical. Seeing no hope and losing control, she left the association in despair.

But Lianping Association didn’t disband. After restructuring, it slowly began to grow again.

“Does committing crimes earn respect and equality?”

“I didn’t say that, and I don’t think their actions were right. But the path to rights is thorny, and sacrifices happen. You can’t take all the blame.”

“But some of them have gone off the rails, and Wanjun’s temperament is like mine…”

Zhuang Jingyuan choked up, tears falling onto her hands.

Gao Yuanxun leaned forward slightly, cautiously taking her hand.

“It’s okay, Jingyuan. I’ll help you. Let’s fix it together.”

“Well, well, clothes make the person, just like saddles make the horse.” Zhuang Qi rubbed her chin, eyeing Jiang Chuxie with satisfaction. “Not bad for half a day of shopping. You look sharp and polished today. Even Gu Lingjun’s parents will like you.”

In her past life, Jiang Chuxie could doll herself up as a fresh, pretty girl. But in this life, she’d fully morphed into a coder. Except for borrowing Zhuang Qi’s clothes for the welcome party, she usually dressed plainly.

Part of it was to keep a low profile, and part was because the era, aesthetics, and her gender had changed. She didn’t dare mix and match on her own, lest she look even weirder.

This time, Zhuang Qi picked her outfit again—a camel-colored long wool coat, classic and timeless even by her past-life standards.

In her past life, she was too short for long coats, but this body suited them perfectly.

“Hmph, I studied Gu Lian’s style—this is her favorite brand. It’s a bit business-like, but it suits you. Makes you look mature and reliable, puts people at ease.” Zhuang Qi added a plaid scarf. “Gu Lingjun’s parents agreeing to meet you means you’re halfway there. Just make a good impression, and it’ll all fall into place.”

“Why do you seem so experienced?”

“Hey, I haven’t done this myself, but I have older siblings. This is the routine when they brought partners home. Trust me, be sweet, speak clearly. When Gu Lingjun’s parents ask what you like about her, don’t hesitate.”

Jiang Chuxie hadn’t been too nervous, but Zhuang Qi’s words stirred some unease. Last time with Gu Lingjun, her reaction was so intense. If she couldn’t adjust this time and acted off in front of Gu Lian and her mom, it’d be over.

“What should I say?”

“No way, you need me to coach you on this?”

She couldn’t. That’d make it seem like she didn’t even like Gu Lingjun.

“How about saying Gu Lingjun and I connect on an intellectual level?”

“Tch, you’re so unromantic!” Zhuang Qi smacked her forehead in frustration. “You think they want your calm reasoning? They want to see how much you like Gu Lingjun. You can use that reason, but add some… uh, like saying she’s cute, pretty, gentle. Praise her to the skies.”

“Wouldn’t that make me seem shallow?”

“What do you know? Parents know their kid’s flaws best. If you think Gu Lingjun’s perfect, it’s not you being shallow—it’s love blinding you. They want you blinded by love.”

Jiang Chuxie thought it over and found it oddly reasonable, though she disagreed on one point.

“I get it, but does Gu Lingjun even have flaws?”

“Huh…” Zhuang Qi was stumped, thinking hard before saying, “I’m not that close to her, so maybe she has flaws I don’t know about. Nobody’s perfect. But in your eyes, she can be!”

If she once thought Gu Lingjun’s softness was a flaw, now she saw it wasn’t weakness but gentleness.

Not only was Gu Lingjun angelically kind, but she was fiercely independent—not at all the weak, indecisive character from the novel.

No doubt about it, Gu Lingjun was perfect!

Jiang Chuxie decided Zhuang Qi was absolutely right.

“Got it.”

Today, she was meeting Gu Lingjun and her parents. She’d prepared extensively—buying clothes, gifts, seeing a doctor regularly, taking her meds, jogging daily to lift her mood, and rebuilding her energy.

At the very least, she couldn’t react abnormally to Gu Lingjun’s touch like last time.

She liked Gu Lingjun, no question. Her reaction before was just lingering trauma, a matter of not being in the right headspace.

With time, she’d get better. Her recent treatments were already showing results.

“Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale…” Jiang Chuxie stood at the door, doing Lamaze breathing to psych herself up. “Don’t be nervous, Jiang Chuxie. You’ve got this!”

In her past life, she’d never have imagined “proposing” to another girl. But now, she was about to do just that.

“Don’t panic. Greet them first… Hello, Uncle, hello, Auntie… Self-introduction, do I need one…”

She paced at the door, gifts in hand, raising her hand to ring the bell but pulling back. As the appointed time neared, sweat beaded on her forehead.

“I-I like Gu Lingjun… because she’s so c-cute…”

Jiang Chuxie muttered softly, rehearsing in her head several times before finally mustering the courage to ring the bell.

But before her hand reached the button, the door swung open, and Gu Lingjun appeared before her.

“Uh…”

Jiang Chuxie froze mid-motion, awkwardly staring at Gu Lingjun, who gave her a radiant smile. “I figured it was about time, so I came to check. Didn’t expect such perfect timing.”

Jiang Chuxie’s lips felt dry, regretting not applying more lip balm.

“Y-yeah, what a coincidence.”

“Don’t stand outside. Come in.”

“Oh, okay.” Jiang Chuxie had never been so nervous, nearly tripping over her own feet as she entered. “Um… these are gifts.”

“You didn’t need to bring anything.”

Gu Lingjun glanced at her with a smile, reaching for the bag. But instead of touching the handles Jiang Chuxie held, she bent slightly to take the entire bag, avoiding any physical contact.

“Auntie, could you help me with something?”

Jiang Chuxie blinked, quickly realizing this was Gu Lingjun’s thoughtfulness.

The maid came out, and Gu Lingjun handed her the gifts, instructing her to store them. Then she grabbed a new pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet for Jiang Chuxie.

“Senior, change your shoes and let’s head to the living room.”

“Mm…”

Jiang Chuxie was touched but also felt a strange pang of loss. Gu Lingjun stood quietly, waiting for her to change, then led her to the living room.

“Gu Lingjun,” Jiang Chuxie said, eyeing her dangling hand, recalling its soft, warm touch. She rubbed her palm lightly. “C-can I hold your hand?”

Gu Lingjun turned back, staring in disbelief. Jiang Chuxie’s face flushed as she stammered, “Last time was too sudden. I-I wasn’t ready, so… so this time, I want to… to…”

To hold hands and prepare.

Gu Lingjun’s lips curved, and she stepped back to Jiang Chuxie’s side.

“That’s great. I thought you hated me.”

“No, no, never! I don’t hate you, it’s just…”

“I know.”

Gu Lingjun looked up into Jiang Chuxie’s eyes, her beautiful, gentle face glowing with a hint of alluring charm in the soft light.

Jiang Chuxie’s heart raced, and she swallowed hard, feeling something soft brush her fingertips.

She flinched but held steady. It was just Gu Lingjun’s fingers—nothing to fear.

Sensing no retreat, Gu Lingjun gently took her fingers, one, two, three, until she held her whole hand, beaming. “How’s that, Senior?”

Jiang Chuxie’s cheeks burned, but nothing scary happened, giving her a boost of confidence.

Though, in another sense, she wasn’t exactly calm. In her past life, she’d been fine with close contact with girls, but now, just Gu Lingjun’s finger hooked around hers was almost too much.

“It’s… it’s good.”

“Hm? How so?”

How to even explain?

Jiang Chuxie racked her brain for words, but then a throat-clearing sound interrupted. Looking up, who else but Gu Lian was standing at the hallway corner?