The Scumbag Who Bowed for Money (GL , ABO) - Chapter 8
“Knock before coming in. Didn’t anyone ever tell you that—”
Le Shi’s voice cut off the moment she looked up and saw Xie Yuanwei standing there. Her irritation shifted into silence. She lowered her head and asked more softly,
“Have you eaten?”
The alpha held a bouquet of flowers in her arms. Her expression softened as she smiled. From the moment she walked in, she noticed the omega’s gaze lingering on the flowers before quickly looking away.
“I have. What about you?”
Xie Yuanwei walked in at a steady pace. The weather outside was still rainy, and the wind had brought a chill with it. The light coming through the window was dull and grey, casting a gloomy shadow over the room.
She stopped in front of the desk and waited quietly for Le Shi to finish her work. She didn’t seem in any hurry, standing there calmly with the flowers in her arms.
Le Shi finally paused what she was doing. She wasn’t dressed very warmly, and her knuckles were slightly red from the cold. She looked up at Xie Yuanwei and replied,
“I’ve eaten. It tasted pretty good.”
“What do you want to eat tomorrow?”
Xie Yuanwei moved closer, leaning casually against the edge of the desk. She didn’t set the bouquet down, and the wrapping paper made a soft rustling sound. Her eyes drifted toward Le Shi’s hands as she asked,
“Aren’t you cold?”
Le Shi bit her lip and leaned back a little in her chair, her fingers lightly clasped in front of her stomach. She smiled and brushed at her clothes as if to dust them off.
“I feel like having fish. And no, I’m not cold.”
The alpha raised an eyebrow.
“Are you sure?”
Le Shi responded with a soft hum, her voice stretching the word slightly.
“If you don’t have anything important to say, please leave. I need to get back to work.”
She lowered her gaze and deliberately avoided looking at Xie Yuanwei.
“Don’t be like that.” Xie Yuanwei’s tone was a little dramatic, her words carrying a hint of mockery.
“President Le has so many admirers. I’ve only been here for a few minutes, and I’m already getting kicked out. Looks like this bouquet is going to end up just like me. Tossed aside.”
Le Shi frowned at her tone. She didn’t know why, but it rubbed her the wrong way. She looked up, only to meet Xie Yuanwei’s smiling eyes. She rubbed her wrist, which was starting to ache, and took a step back to put some distance between them.
Le Shi held out her hand.
“Give me the flowers.”
Xie Yuanwei pouted playfully.
“President Le, you’re so cold.”
“Today is Omega Day. You didn’t even say anything to acknowledge it. What makes you think I’d be nice to you?”
Le Shi took the bouquet and gently touched the still-vibrant petals. Her voice softened again.
“You like roses?”
Xie Yuanwei answered casually.
“Not particularly. I just thought they suited you.”
Le Shi let out a small hum through her nose. She seemed satisfied.
“They’re beautiful. I do like them.”
She got up and carefully placed the flowers in a vase, adjusting their position until it looked just right.
Xie Yuanwei walked over quietly and stood beside her, watching closely. The omega’s eyelashes were lowered, and the tip of her nose was slightly red from the cold. Xie Yuanwei reached out to touch the petals but pulled her fingers back quickly.
“Why are you staring at me?” Le Shi asked.
Xie Yuanwei didn’t deny it. She just smiled and asked,
“Are you feeling a bit better?”
“What?” Le Shi blinked.
“Why would you say that?”
Xie Yuanwei gave a short sigh and took two steps back before explaining.
“Your peach scent turned bitter.”
She touched the back of her neck where her gland was located and said with a bit of uncertainty,
“Is it rude to say that? I just felt like I could pick up on your mood through your pheromones.”
“It’s not rude,” Le Shi replied, her gaze softening. She slowly reached out her hand.
“We haven’t seen each other all morning. That might have affected my mood, though I didn’t even realize it myself.”
Xie Yuanwei stepped forward quickly and pulled Le Shi into a gentle hug. She gradually released her pheromones, careful not to overwhelm her. Alpha pheromones could be too intense if released too strongly.
“It’s kind of amazing,” she whispered.
“That pheromones can reflect someone’s emotions.”
Le Shi rested her head on Xie Yuanwei’s shoulder and closed her eyes.
“You really need to brush up on your basic biology.”
“Fine, fine. I’ll grab a few books on the way home and study up.”
Xie Yuanwei chuckled softly.
“President Le, would you mind explaining it to me in the meantime?”
“I suppose I can make an exception,” Le Shi replied with a light sigh.
“Pheromones really can reflect someone’s emotional state, but there are a lot of conditions. It usually only works if you’ve had at least four temporary markings, or if you’ve fully bonded. Another exception is if the compatibility level between two people is extremely high, like ours. In those cases, even without those previous conditions, the emotional connection still works.”
“But this is the first time I’ve actually felt it myself.”
Xie Yuanwei listened to her quietly and smiled.
“People with high compatibility aren’t exactly easy to find. If you’d already met someone like that, I wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
Le Shi murmured in agreement.
“It’s not just about compatibility. My condition dulls the scent of my pheromones. Most people can’t smell them at all unless I release a large amount. You’re the first person who’s ever picked up on it.”
Xie Yuanwei held her a little tighter, falling silent for a moment.
Then Le Shi spoke again, her voice filled with reluctant amusement.
“Sweet oranges can taste a little rotten sometimes.”
Xie Yuanwei let out a small, awkward laugh. The tips of her ears turned a little red.
“President Le, sorry to interrupt, but something came up—”
The office door suddenly opened. The assistant walked in holding some documents. She froze at the sight of the two of them still hugging. Her normally serious face twisted in shock. After a few seconds of stunned silence, she quickly processed the scene.
As any competent assistant should, she turned around and quickly walked out, leaving behind only one sentence.
“In the face of President Le’s love life, this matter doesn’t seem urgent anymore.”
Le Shi was speechless.
Xie Yuanwei finally let go. She rubbed her ears and lowered her voice.
“I’ll head back to work now. If you’re not feeling well, tell me. Don’t force yourself.”
“I know.”
Xie Yuanwei hesitated, wanting to say more, but she didn’t want to break the character she had worked so hard to maintain. With a quiet sigh, she left.
Le Shi glanced at the office door as it swayed slightly, then turned toward the bouquet of roses. She let out a soft chuckle and murmured to herself,
“She really talks a lot, so annoying.”
Xie Yuanwei received a call from her parents just as she was getting ready to leave work. At the same time, Le Shi had messaged her, saying they should head back together and that she wanted Xie Yuanwei to bring her along.
In the original story, Xie’s parents were never portrayed positively. They had three alpha children, and Xie Yuanwei was the eldest. She was also the least liked among them.
Every visit home came with a scolding, and this time would likely be no different. They would probably find something new to criticize.
Le Shi, being a rare gem, would likely be taken advantage of once they saw her.
Xie Yuanwei’s expression turned a little cold. She didn’t feel comfortable letting Le Shi get involved with her family.
But refusing to go home would only lead to more problems.
So she decided to send Le Shi a message.
“My dad wants us to come over for dinner tonight.”
Le Shi replied almost immediately.
“Alright, that’s fine.”
Xie Yuanwei blinked in surprise and whispered to herself,
“That was quick.” Then she smiled.
“Come to think of it, Le Shi is tough. It’s not like this group can break her that easily.”
Although she was young, Le Shi had sharp instincts and wasn’t afraid to use force when necessary. If it weren’t for her illness, she probably would have been a powerful rival to the original Xie Yuanwei in the novel.
That thought made Xie Yuanwei feel a little more at ease. She patiently waited for the workday to end and didn’t leave for the garage until most people had gone home.
When she arrived, Le Shi was already sitting in the car waiting.
Xie Yuanwei opened the door and got in. Before starting the car, she looked at Le Shi with concern.
“Are you really sure you want to go?”
Le Shi was checking messages on her phone. Her tone was calm.
“Why not? It’s not like we’ve done anything wrong.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Xie Yuanwei said, trying to explain.
“I’m just worried you’ll feel uncomfortable when you get there.”
She paused, then added,
“And maybe put your phone away while I drive. It can make you dizzy.”
Le Shi didn’t argue. She turned off her phone and set it aside. Then she turned toward Xie Yuanwei.
“Yuanwei, I know exactly what kind of people your family is. When I agreed to this engagement, I had my own reasons. You should already know that. Your parents were thrilled back then.”
She gave a brief smile, more bitter than amused, and continued,
“Honestly, the way you acted before really was awful. When they saw that I had feelings for you, they made a lot of unreasonable demands. I argued with them about it too. Things didn’t go smoothly on either side. So tonight, it depends on how you choose to handle things.”
She didn’t say anything more. After that, she turned to look out the window at the scenery passing by.
Xie Yuanwei glanced at her quietly. Le Shi was wearing an earbud in her left ear, and her phone was still showing the GPS.
Everything about this trip felt unfamiliar. Nothing about it was simple.
It took almost an hour to reach the destination. Xie Yuanwei narrowed her eyes slightly at the villa in front of them. She got out of the car and opened the door for Le Shi.
“President Le,” she said quietly, offering her hand.
“For tonight, let me call you something different. Just for today.”
Le Shi placed her hand gently into Xie Yuanwei’s palm and whispered,
“Do as you like.”
The omega leaned slightly into her as they walked. Xie Yuanwei supported her openly and greeted the people who came out to meet them.
“Mom. Dad. Second Brother. Third Brother.”
Her eyes swept over her two younger brothers. The second, Xie Hefeng, and the third, Xie Zhuyi, had both spent a few years working in the business world. They had fully inherited their father’s scheming nature.
“You’re finally here, Xiaowei. We’ve been waiting for so long. What took you so long to arrive?”
The words sounded like a casual greeting, but Xie’s mother couldn’t hide the sarcasm in her tone.
Xie Yuanwei gently rubbed her fingers along Le Shi’s shoulder and replied calmly,
“Le Shi had some work matters to handle. I’m already grateful she was able to come.”
Her father frowned and began to speak.
“Why would you—”
“Dad, let’s just eat first,” Xie Yuanwei interrupted, her tone polite but firm.
“It’s already late, and we still have other things to deal with later.”
“You—” her father tried again, but was quickly cut off by Xie Zhuyi.
These two younger brothers were only twenty-five and twenty-two, but both looked like they were pushing thirty.
And neither of them was good-looking.
This wasn’t Xie Yuanwei’s first time dealing with her family, but her dislike for them ran deep.
“Since Big Sister went through the trouble of bringing President Le home, let’s eat first. We can talk afterward,” Xie Zhuyi said with a fake smile as he stepped aside to let them in.
Le Shi stared at him expressionlessly. Then she reached out and gently held onto Xie Yuanwei’s hand. The alpha’s body was warm.
She smiled coolly.
“Such a thoughtful little brother. Would you mind stepping aside a bit more? You’re standing in the doorway.”