Oops, I’m the Scumbag Ex in Her Storyline - Chapter 5
Bei Lanlan had already looked over. To keep her from seeing any trace of panic, Xin Yan kept up her coughing fit. Only when she felt it was “realistic enough” did she finally stop.
Doing her best to put on a face that said “Huh? That name sounds totally unfamiliar, I’ve never heard of her in my life!”, Xin Yan gave an awkward, forced smile.
“That might not be a good idea… University professors are usually very busy. We shouldn’t trouble her like that.”
Bei Lanlan blinked, then straightened in her seat.
“I never said Professor Xu was a professor.”
Xin Yan: “……”
Bei Lanlan smiled faintly.
“How did you know?”
Xin Yan: “……”
There was a reason Bei Lanlan asked that. Xu Suyu had only taught one class during Bei Lanlan’s freshman year. After that, they were no longer in any teacher-student relationship. By the time the original Xin Yan married Bei Lanlan, she was already in her second year. So technically, the original Xin Yan never had a chance to meet Xu Suyu.
Though Xu Suyu was part of Bei Lanlan’s “harem,” she wasn’t a suitor in the strictest sense. Her attention toward Bei Lanlan came from recognizing her outstanding academic potential. When Bei Lanlan dropped out unexpectedly, Xu Suyu grew suspicious and investigated—only then discovering the truth, that the original Xin Yan was the cause. That was how the two of them truly reconnected.
As a senior expert in her field, Xu Suyu couldn’t stand to watch such a promising student be destroyed by someone like the original Xin Yan. Over the next two years, she kept reaching out to Bei Lanlan, encouraging her to return to school. But Bei Lanlan always refused—until that incident happened.
That was when Xu Suyu’s care for a student transformed into fierce personal protection. She supported Bei Lanlan in everything—no matter what she wanted to do. And even after Bei Lanlan grew more powerful, Xu Suyu’s unwavering devotion remained unchanged. When that “protection” morphed into something else, no one could quite say. All anyone knew was that in the end, Xu Suyu was head over heels—even if she walked in on Bei Lanlan curled up in another woman’s arms, over and over again.
Xin Yan didn’t care how a highly educated elite devolved into an utterly brainless simp. What she cared about was:
How was she going to get out of this?
She sat in silence, racking her brain for a plausible explanation—but nothing came. In the end, she resorted to the universal solution:
Play dumb.
…
Wiping her mouth, she stood up casually and made a beeline for the door, calling out to the driver who had been waiting patiently.
“Didn’t I have an important meeting at the company today? Come on, let’s go, we can’t be late!”
Bei Lanlan: “……”
Xin Yan disappeared in a flash. Watching her retreating figure vanish from sight, Bei Lanlan lowered her head to look at the half-finished breakfast in front of her. She held it in for a moment—but still couldn’t stop herself.
She gave a soft, almost imperceptible laugh. Then she stood up and, as usual, returned to her room with an expressionless face.
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Meanwhile, in the backseat of the company car, Xin Yan sat in deep, painful reflection over everything she’d said and done since the night before.
She’d thought she was doing well—but there were holes everywhere.
Sure, no one would ever guess that a living, breathing person had been body-swapped.
But what they might guess… was dissociative identity disorder.
If someone really did suspect that—and by someone, she specifically meant Xu Suyu—and told Bei Lanlan, then given the current state of their relationship, Bei Lanlan might just take the chance to go all in and finish what she started.
And here’s the kicker:
People with mental illness are not allowed to run companies.
As her legal spouse, Bei Lanlan would have every right to commit her to a psychiatric hospital and then seamlessly take over the company. So much simpler than the original plot, which dedicated hundreds of thousands of words to describing Bei Lanlan’s long, drawn-out takeover.
Now, thanks to Xin Yan’s arrival, all it would take…
was one phone call.
Just get a trustworthy psychiatrist to evaluate her. One test to see if she’s really Xin Yan. And that’s it. Game over.
Xin Yan pictured herself in a psych ward, hair a mess, hunched in a corner while a burly nurse brought over a tray of pills.
She’d mutter the same words over and over: “I’m not taking them… I don’t want to take them…”
Xin Yan: “……”
Too tragic.
It was so miserable she wanted to call the police on behalf of her imaginary future self.
No.
No way.
She absolutely could not let anyone find out she wasn’t the original.
From now on, she had to watch every move, every word.
She was Xin Yan.
Xin Yan was her.
No one—no one—was sending her to a psych ward!
The moment that thought solidified, her whole aura shifted.
The car pulled up to the company, and the driver opened the door for her. Xin Yan stepped out, nodded slightly, and walked toward the building with an air of cold detachment.
This was how the original operated—aloof, eyes always above others. In her eyes, the staff were just replaceable cogs. Unless there was a company crisis, she barely noticed their existence.
On her way in, employees greeted her one after another. She ignored them all.
Only once she entered her private office did she finally relax. Settling into the plush executive chair, Xin Yan mentally reviewed all the faces she’d just seen. Nothing suspicious stood out. Relieved, she playfully kicked her feet, letting the chair spin her around in giddy celebration.
When she finally came back to face forward—
Someone was suddenly sitting across from her.
She looked up.
They locked eyes.
Awkward silence.
…
So the rumors were true.
Jing Chu had gotten engaged, and President Xin was so devastated that she was showing signs of a complete mental breakdown.
An Zhiyuan decided then and there that he was going to tread carefully from now on. If things got worse, the resignation letter in his drawer might just be the thing that saved his life.
He quietly placed the file in front of Xin Yan and, lowering his voice like he was speaking to a mental patient, said,
“President Xin, these documents need your signature.”
A signature? No problem. She could handle that.
With a cool nod, Xin Yan took the pen and signed.
Then another stack landed in front of her.
“These documents need your review.”
Uhh… there were a lot of forms and technical numbers inside…
Still, no big deal. Back in school, she was a pro at Excel. She’d just read them carefully. She’d get it.
Just as she started to feel a little more confident, An Zhiyuan placed yet another stack on her desk.
“These were sent over by Minister Wang. Yesterday, a representative from Lantian Group had preliminary talks with him. They claimed their technology was recently recognized by the International Solid Waste Association and the European Water Authority. According to them, their method could make PCR obsolete. But Minister Wang thinks they’re exaggerating. PCR is currently the only method capable of rapidly testing large sample volumes. It works by using DNA polymerase and specific primers to synthesize and amplify target DNA in vitro. It’s extremely precise and fast. Lantian Group’s immunoprobe technology, on the other hand, lacks full-spectrum coverage. These files detail the technical differences and the specifics of Lantian’s research. Minister Wang hopes you’ll review everything before the afternoon meeting so you won’t be misled by their claims.”
…
Xin Yan stared blankly at him.
That entire speech?
All she understood was the word “waste.”
An Zhiyuan finished, glanced at her completely vacant expression, adjusted his glasses, and calmly asked,
“President Xin, is something unclear?”
Xin Yan: “…Just one thing.”
An Zhiyuan waited.
Resting her elbows on the desk, Xin Yan asked with the utmost sincerity:
“Can we… cancel the meeting?”
An Zhiyuan: “……”
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Author’s Note:
Note: The PCR explanation is adapted from an article in the academic journal Ecological Environment & New Technology Research.