The Scumbag Who Bowed for Money (GL , ABO) - Chapter 11

“Where are we going for the business trip?”

Xie Yuanwei took only a few seconds to process what was happening, then continued eating. The meal Le Shi had ordered was generous in portion.

Le Shi set down her chopsticks and held the bowl Xie Yuanwei had brought from home. It was pink with a little bunny on it flashing a peace sign.

“You accepted that pretty quickly.”

“What else would I do?” Xie Yuanwei didn’t see the issue. She smiled, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and set her bowl aside.

“You need me. Of course I’ll go with you.”

“If you hadn’t told me about the trip, I would’ve bought a ticket and gone anyway. You can’t go long without my pheromones, can you?”

What she said was genuine and made perfect sense, but Le Shi furrowed her brows slightly.

The omega lowered her head, letting her soft strands fall along her cheeks. She stirred her rice with her chopsticks, then quietly started eating again. Her tone was flat as she chewed.

“You’re right.”

The alpha quickly noticed something off in Le Shi’s mood. Her tone had become dull and distant. Instead of asking why, Xie Yuanwei gently shifted the conversation.

“Is there anything you need me to prepare?”

Le Shi didn’t look up.

“I’ll send you the details later. Just go home and pack. It’ll probably be a three-day trip.”

“Alright.”

Xie Yuanwei had just finished eating and was about to stand when she received a message from her team lead.

“Then I’ll head back downstairs first.”

Le Shi paused, then gave a soft response.

“Okay.”

Xie Yuanwei stood up and looked at her for a moment, unsure what to say. The omega’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and the pheromone in the air quietly faded. Her cheeks were slightly puffed, and though she said nothing, she looked visibly disappointed.

Xie Yuanwei didn’t like seeing her that way.

She scanned the room quickly, walked over to the window, and closed it. Then she turned on the ventilation system. The soft whirring of the fan was the only sound left in the room.

It wasn’t loud or harsh, but it was a reminder. She was still there.

After confirming it wasn’t too cold, Xie Yuanwei softened her voice.

“Look at the rain outside. Even light rain is still rain. The temperature dropped a lot today. You’re dressed so lightly, President Le. What if you get sick?”

Le Shi finally looked up and turned her head slightly to glance at her. Xie Yuanwei stood with both hands behind her back, holding the doorknob as the office door swung slightly behind her.

“I understand. Go on, get back to work.”

“Alright.”

Xie Yuanwei rarely said no to Le Shi. Since she had spoken, she followed through.

Just as Le Shi looked back down, the door suddenly opened again. Xie Yuanwei poked her head back in and grinned.

“Don’t be mad.”

Then she quickly slipped away.

Le Shi was startled. Her body jolted a little, and she instinctively looked toward the sound, but all she saw was the gently swaying office door.

She pressed her lips together, packed away her now-empty lunch container, and placed it neatly back in the bag. She threw away the takeout boxes and wiped the table carefully with a wet tissue.

Xie Yuanwei was a thoughtful person or at least, she was thoughtful when it came to Le Shi. That was how the omega saw it now.

These past few days, Xie Yuanwei had been consistently releasing just enough pheromones to keep her comfortable. She always turned on ventilation, and the soft hum of the air system left Le Shi feeling oddly blank.

Even now, she could still faintly sense Xie Yuanwei’s pheromones. Her palm felt moist with warmth she couldn’t ignore. She sat down on the sofa, tossing the used tissue into the bin before reaching for another to dry her hands.

She had unknowingly sat in the same place Xie Yuanwei had been earlier.

Letting out a silent sigh, Le Shi covered her face with both hands, paused for a moment, then returned to her desk and sent a message to Xie Yuanwei.

At that same moment, Xie Yuanwei had just sat back down. She saw the messages coming in from Le Shi and read through them one by one. Then she stood and went to find the team lead.

“About what you mentioned earlier—”

The team lead, a kind Beta, didn’t let her finish.

“I already got the update. You’ve been assigned to travel with President Le. This one might be a bit tricky.”

She took a deep breath and continued.

“I’ve worked with you for a few days now, and you’ve left a good impression. You’re capable and patient. I’ll speak frankly. I don’t treat you like some rich girl from the Xie family.”

Xie Yuanwei nodded with a serious expression.

“I understand, Team Lead. Please feel free to speak openly.”

The Beta nodded.

“It’s nothing major. Just a reminder. President Le is not easy to work with. She’s very particular, and there can be no mistakes on the job. Be prepared in all areas. Things like hotels and restaurants should be handled properly. If needed, adjust your attitude. I don’t know why she asked to bring you along, but I’m telling you what you need to know.”

Xie Yuanwei could feel her sincerity and bowed slightly.

“Thank you, Team Lead. I understand. You can count on me.”

“As long as you understand. You can go now.”

Xie Yuanwei didn’t linger. She returned to her desk and started working through the files Le Shi had sent her, taking detailed notes. She had been on business trips before, even for large projects, so she had some experience.

When work picked up, time moved quickly. She didn’t notice how late it had gotten until people around her started getting ready to leave. That was when she finally thought to check her phone.

Le Shi: I’m waiting in the car.

Xie Yuanwei: I’ll be right down.

But it wasn’t just Le Shi who had messaged her. She also saw one from Yan Yu.

Yan Yu: You’ve been really distant lately. A lot of people messaged you, and all they got was half-hearted replies. Are things not going well at work?

Xie Yuanwei: It’s going fine. I’ve just been busy and forgot to reply.

Yan Yu: Really? I’ll believe you for now. I know you’re working, so I’ve declined a few invitations for you. Are you joining the private chat group again or not?

That message brought something back to Xie Yuanwei’s mind. When she first arrived in this world, she had accidentally left the group chats while trying to sort her phone. There was a big group for large gatherings and a private one for close friends. The private chat was where people joked around more freely. She had even set the big group to “Do Not Disturb” to avoid endless notifications.

Back when she left the chats, someone had even messaged her privately, worried they had said something wrong and asking if they needed to apologize in person.

But Xie Yuanwei hadn’t paid attention to the chat content at all. She had just made up a vague excuse to smooth things over.

After thinking about it for a moment, she made her choice.

Xie Yuanwei: Add me back.

Xie Yuanwei wasn’t entirely sure if her old friends would notice a change in her. After all, her personality was quite different from the original version of “Xie Yuanwei.”

Still, she didn’t let it bother her. At this point, there was no way to predict how things would unfold. She preferred to take things as they came. Overthinking only brought unnecessary stress.

Soon, she was added back into the private group chat. The moment she entered, it was as if everyone had been waiting. Stickers and emojis flooded the screen, almost blinding her.

These alphas…

Xie Yuanwei’s expression tensed slightly. It was a bit overwhelming.

She casually sent a message.
“Heading home with Le Shi. Driving. Do not disturb.”

Then she muted the conversation completely. Whatever chaos might erupt in that group, she had no intention of getting involved.

With everything set, she felt much better. Humming to herself, she made her way to the parking garage to serve as her sponsor’s personal driver.

“Have you been waiting long?”

After closing the car door, Xie Yuanwei placed her phone to the side. She no longer needed navigation. The route was already familiar.

Le Shi turned off her own phone. She always felt a little sleepy around this time of day. Her voice was soft.

“It’s fine. Just drive. Let me know when we get home.”

“Alright.”

Xie Yuanwei focused on the road. Outside, the rain had picked up. Heavy droplets struck the windshield with a steady rhythm.

Le Shi couldn’t fall asleep. She opened her eyes and adjusted her posture, staring ahead as she tried to shake off the drowsiness.

Just then, Xie Yuanwei’s phone vibrated twice.

Le Shi glanced at the screen, then looked away, feeling it was impolite. She scolded herself internally for even checking. But to her surprise, the message had popped up on the screen clearly, making it hard to ignore.

The contact name was Shunyu.

Le Shi remembered the name. Zheng Shunyu, the youngest daughter of the Zheng family. A beta who used to be quite close to Xie Yuanwei. She had a reputation as a smooth talker and had been involved in her fair share of gossip.

Shunyu:
“One of your little lovers came to me yesterday, asking why you deleted her messages. What do you think I should have told her?”

Le Shi raised an eyebrow. Was that really something that needed to be reported?

The way the message mentioned a “little lover” made it sound casual, like this had happened more than once. If the woman had the nerve to approach Zheng Shunyu, she probably had Xie Yuanwei’s number already.

Le Shi clicked her tongue softly. Maybe they had stayed in contact after all.

From the tone of the message, it sounded like the conversation hadn’t gone well.

“President Le,” Xie Yuanwei suddenly called her name. She looked confused and curious at the same time.
“I didn’t know peach scent could turn sour. This one smells strange. Is something wrong?”

Le Shi understood what she meant right away. She stared at Xie Yuanwei silently for a few seconds, then turned away without a word and faced the window.

A moment later, she spoke again.

“I don’t want to sit in the front seat anymore.”

Xie Yuanwei didn’t quite understand why she said that, but she agreed immediately.

“Sure. Next time you can sit in the back. It’s more spacious. If you get tired, you can lie down instead of curling up in the front. It’ll be much more comfortable.”

Le Shi looked out the window. The rain was coming down hard. Everything outside was blurred, and her own reflection appeared faintly in the glass.

She bit her lip and spoke softly.

“I saw the message on your phone. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. You can look at anything you want.”

Xie Yuanwei didn’t mind. She drove into the garage and turned off the engine, but Le Shi still sat with her back to her.

Her voice was calm and quiet, almost emotionless.

“Have you been in touch with your exes?”

She turned around, her eyes focused and sharp.

“I told you before. I don’t want you talking to them.”

Without hesitation, Xie Yuanwei held out her phone with both hands. She gave Le Shi a wide smile.

“I guess I haven’t earned your full trust yet. Then let’s start with phone checks.”