The Scumbag’s Redemption: Kept by Her (GL) - Chapter 15
“What does ‘little angel’ mean?” Shen Yuwei asked as they walked in silence toward the front hall.
Ling Jiao hesitated. “Hmm, let me think.”
How was she supposed to explain that? Technically, “little angel” was a Western term, and tracing its origin would be a whole research project.
Was she supposed to tell Shen Yuwei that it was just a trendy internet phrase, one that everyone used but few could really define?
“Little angel is a term of endearment between close friends,” Ling Jiao finally explained.
Shen Yuwei was sure she had never heard this term before. She turned her head slightly to glance at Ling Jiao. As a diligent and practical top student, she decided to jot it down in her mental notebook to look up later.
Pushing aside her curiosity, Shen Yuwei walked into the front hall with Ling Jiao.
The Shen family had hosted this banquet with the intention of helping young people get to know one another. Many guests were of a similar age, so that Shen Xiaoxiao could quickly blend into this social circle and make new friends.
As Ling Jiao entered with Shen Yuwei, they overheard Shen Zhiwen cheerfully announcing to the crowd that Shen Xiaoxiao would soon be enrolling at Huayang No. 1 High School.
All the children of wealthy families attended Huayang No. 1.
The school had excellent teachers and was filled with affluent students. Many people would do anything to get their children in. It accepted students of all three genders—Alpha, Beta, and Omega. However, Betas had a much harder time gaining admission. Even if they had money, they still needed outstanding grades to get in.
Alphas and Omegas, on the other hand, only needed money.
Ordinary students, no matter how hard they tried, would eventually be turned away.
This prestigious high school, which had once seemed impossibly out of reach for Shen Xiaoxiao, was now within her grasp simply because she had been accepted back into the Shen family.
Tears welled up in Shen Xiaoxiao’s eyes. She spoke to the crowd with determination.
“I will not let my father down.”
Applause echoed throughout the hall.
Ling Jiao glanced around, determined not to clap. She was not interested in playing along with the crowd. There were already plenty of people clapping, no need to add herself to the list. When Shen Yuwei was about to join in, Ling Jiao quietly pulled her aside and led her to a seat.
The table was filled with dishes that looked and smelled delicious.
Ling Jiao took one bite, and her expression changed instantly. She quickly spat it out.
“Ugh, awful.”
Shen Yuwei watched her.
“The food’s been sitting out too long. Even if it was hot before, it’s cold now. Don’t eat it. You’ll get sick.”
Ling Jiao sighed dramatically. She looked heartbroken.
Such a waste.
Everyone here was too busy trying to flatter others, network, and chase romantic prospects. No one actually cared about the food.
As the applause died down, Shen Xiaoxiao shifted the tone of her speech. Her voice softened.
“Here, I also want to say how grateful I am to Weiwei-jie. Thank you for looking after my father while I was away. I never had a proper education growing up. If I make mistakes in the future, I hope my sister will be patient and understanding.”
With just a few words, she redirected the spotlight onto Shen Yuwei, who was seated in a corner. All eyes turned toward her and the young woman sitting next to her, the famous Miss Ling from the Ling family.
Whispers broke out across the room.
Guan Qing also noticed. She frowned.
Just earlier, no matter what she said, Shen Yuwei had refused to enter the hall. But now, with Ling Jiao, she had come in without hesitation.
Was she the one engaged to Shen Yuwei, or was Ling Jiao?
After Shen Xiaoxiao was officially recognized as the true daughter of the Shen family, Guan Qing had considered breaking off the engagement. But doing it too quickly would make her look shallow and opportunistic, which would damage her reputation. Now that Shen Yuwei was no longer the Shen family heiress, staying with her offered no benefit to Guan Qing’s career. She still had feelings for her former fiancée, but things had changed.
And there was another problem.
Shen Yuwei, as an Omega, was reserved and conservative. Even during their courtship and engagement, they had only ever held hands. They had never even kissed. Shen Yuwei insisted on waiting until marriage for anything more intimate.
Guan Qing was deeply frustrated by this.
Back on the stage, Shen Zhiwen took the microphone.
“Yuwei was raised by me. I know it’s hard for her to accept all of this right away. But since Xiaoxiao has come home, Yuwei should also go and see her own parents.”
“As her foster father, I should not selfishly keep her here.”
The word “foster” settled like a heavy weight on the room.
That single word decided Shen Yuwei’s future.
From now on, she would no longer be involved in any of the Shen family’s financial affairs. The plan to let her join the family business after high school, even the possibility of inheriting any assets, was now gone. That one word erased over ten years of upbringing and care. It drew a clear line, separating her entirely from the Shen family.
The room fell into a heavy silence. Guests exchanged tense glances and whispered among themselves.
Guan Qing clenched her hands, trying hard to maintain a calm expression. Around her, a few people gave her subtle, mocking looks, as if laughing at how hard she had once pursued Shen Yuwei.
Trying to smooth things over, Shen Zhiwen smiled.
“But Yuwei is still my daughter. She will still attend Huayang No. 1 High School and finish her education there. After that, my work as a father will be complete.”
Her engagement to Guan Qing was supposed to take place after she graduated high school.
Guan Qing lowered her head, hiding the dark expression on her face.
In the corner, Shen Yuwei sat pale and shaking. Her hands were clenched tightly into fists.
She wanted to speak, but she knew there was nothing she could say. The DNA test result was clear. It proved, in black and white, that she had no biological connection to Shen Zhiwen.
So, whatever he chose to do was entirely within his right.
The summer night was hot and suffocating. Shen Yuwei could hardly sit still. Her heart, which had held onto a small shred of hope just moments ago, now sank into the depths.
She had only recently convinced herself that if she worked hard enough and won her father’s approval, everything could go back to how it used to be.
Still too naïve.
How could an adopted daughter ever be treated the same as a biological one?
Shen Zhiwen shattered all of her beautiful and unrealistic dreams.
It felt as if the sky had collapsed and the ground had given way beneath her feet.
A warm hand gently rested on the back of her own. That warmth felt like a wave of heat slowly wrapping around her cold and trembling body.
Shen Yuwei looked at her in panic.
Ling Jiao whispered, “You did nothing wrong. Don’t doubt yourself. I’m your friend, and I’m on your side.”
She stood up and, in front of everyone, led the dazed Shen Yuwei out of the front hall. Just as they reached the main entrance, the house steward, who had been nowhere to be found earlier, suddenly appeared and spoke.
“Miss, don’t forget the curfew. Try not to come back too late.”
As before, he silently signaled for two bodyguards to follow them.
Ling Jiao gave a mocking laugh.
“Curfew? What curfew? Since when did the Shen family become so precious that we need to rush back on time?”
“We’re not coming back tonight.”
The steward frowned.
He looked only at Shen Yuwei.
In his eyes, going out at night with a reckless and unruly girl like that was clearly a bad decision. He had taken care of Shen Yuwei since she was a child, and he was certain she would never go through with it.
But Shen Yuwei proved him wrong.
“Ling Jiao is my friend,” she said, biting her lip. Her father’s words kept echoing in her mind.
“As her adoptive father, I truly should not have selfishly tried to keep her tied down.”
Again and again, his words repeated in her thoughts.
She hesitated, then took a deep breath. After a moment, she opened her eyes and said with determination, “I’m staying out tonight. I’m not coming back home.”
Because now, the Shen residence no longer felt like home.
Ling Jiao laughed with satisfaction.
“Not coming back tonight. Did you hear that?”
The steward’s frown deepened, but he said nothing more. Ling Jiao had already taken Shen Yuwei away quickly, as if the Shen family meant absolutely nothing to her.
Shen Yuwei stumbled slightly as she followed Ling Jiao through the busy streets.
Tall buildings loomed above them. People passed by in waves. The noise was constant, filled with the sounds of life and chatter.
But inside Shen Yuwei’s heart, it was snowing. Hailstones crashed and scattered in her chest.
Ling Jiao was thinking about what to eat later.
“When you’re feeling down, eat hot pot. If one meal doesn’t work, then have two.”
In all her years, this was the first time Shen Yuwei had ever stayed out at night.
She had no idea where to go or what to do. Part of her started to regret arguing with the steward earlier.
Ling Jiao walked ahead, full of energy, while Shen Yuwei held her breath and thought deeply. After a long moment, she reached out and gently tugged on the back of Ling Jiao’s shirt.
Ling Jiao turned around.
“What’s wrong? You don’t want hot pot anymore?”
Shen Yuwei took a quiet breath. She kept her head down so no one would see the redness and sting in her eyes. In a soft and trembling voice, she said, “I don’t want to sleep on the street tonight. Could you… could you let me stay with you for the night?”