The Scumbag’s Redemption: Kept by Her (GL) - Chapter 20

If there was ever a moment when Ling Jiao was in the best mood, it was now. Ever since she entered this book’s world, she hadn’t felt this pleased.

Shen Yuwei had softly, sweetly, and sincerely called her “sister.”

There was no bribe involved, no pressure or obligation—just a genuine, heartfelt moment. And to top it off, she had managed to completely outshine Guan Qing in front of her.

Just watching the stunned look on Guan Qing’s face was enough to make Ling Jiao feel incredibly satisfied.

She poured another glass of water and slowly helped Shen Yuwei drink it. Shen seemed to be in a bit of a hurry and ended up coughing lightly. When she looked up again, Guan Qing was already gone from the hallway outside the infirmary.

She hadn’t even bothered to pretend she cared.

At that moment, Shen Yuwei couldn’t quite explain what she was feeling. Her nose tingled, and her eyes began to sting. In such a short time, everything had changed. Not a single one of her once-close friends had come to visit. Even her fiancée, someone she had deeply cared for, only rushed over several hours after she’d been injured and unconscious.

Yet a girl she had only recently begun to know showed more warmth and care than anyone else.

Shen Yuwei didn’t want Ling Jiao to see her looking weak. She lowered her eyes, turned over, and lay on her side, her back facing Ling Jiao.

The IV drip continued, the fluid quietly flowing into her arm. Her back was tense with silent stubbornness. Ling Jiao, still sitting beside her bed, said righteously,
“It’s just an Alpha. Don’t worry about it. Once you’re better and ready to move on, I know a few who are a hundred times better than Guan Qing. I can introduce them to you.”

Shen Yuwei was sad and had no desire to talk, but she still couldn’t help muttering under the blanket,
“No.”

Her voice was weak.
“I don’t want that.”

Ling Jiao’s circle of so-called friends wasn’t exactly impressive. If someone like Ling Jiao was already the best among them, Shen Yuwei didn’t dare imagine what the rest were like.

If it came to that, maybe she’d rather choose Ling Jiao herself.

At least, she wasn’t that unbearable.

The moment that thought crossed her mind, Shen Yuwei’s breath caught in her throat. The wound on her head began to throb again. Something had to be wrong with her. Why would she ever imagine being with Ling Jiao in the future?

Even if Ling Jiao agreed, would her family allow it? Could they really accept an Omega with no family background and questionable morals?

The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed.

She quickly shut her eyes. It had to be Ling Jiao’s influence. There was no other explanation for such strange thoughts.

Overwhelmed by exhaustion, Shen Yuwei drifted back to sleep.

Not long after, Wan Qing tiptoed into the room and leaned close to Ling Jiao to whisper,
“Boss, you really do have foresight. I asked to check the surveillance footage, and they told me it had been broken for over half a month. So I reported it to the police immediately and got them involved.”

“An Omega getting bullied and hurt at school is a big deal, but once they realized it was Shen Yuwei, they clearly wanted to sweep it under the rug. I told them she’s your person, and if anything happens to her, the Ling family will never let it go.”

If using power to pressure others had a name, this was it.

On her own, Wan Qing didn’t have the weight to threaten anyone. But once Ling Jiao’s name was attached, the situation changed completely.

As Ling Jiao listened, something clicked in her mind. There had been a similar event in the book. After the truth about the switched daughters came out, Omega Shen Yuwei had been targeted by other students and bullied repeatedly.

In the original storyline, the ringleaders were Lou Xiaoyu, Wang Ruo, and a few others.

The one change here was that Shen Yuwei wasn’t lured into the library. In the book, it had happened during a team-building event organized for Omegas. They were grouped to play basketball together, and during that game, Shen Yuwei had broken both legs, leaving her with permanent injuries.

After that, the Shen family had abandoned her. The school turned a blind eye, and the bullies continued on as if nothing happened. Eventually, Ling Jiao’s original self had locked Shen Yuwei in a small dark room, effectively erasing her from school and society.

Ling Jiao thought for a moment.
Was she the butterfly who had changed the story?

Maybe she had disrupted a darker, more dangerous version of this plot.

If the storyline could be changed, then all her efforts so far weren’t for nothing. Maybe she wasn’t doomed to follow the book’s tragic fate after all.

“Good work,” Ling Jiao said, praising her.

“You taught me well,” Wan Qing replied proudly.

The two began exchanging compliments.

Once the IV finished, Ling Jiao carried Shen Yuwei to the exclusive dorms for Omegas. Their shared room had remained empty for a long time due to Shen Yuwei’s special status, but recently the school had started looking for a new occupant.

For now, Shen Yuwei was still alone there.

With her head wrapped in a soft white bandage, Shen Yuwei looked up at Ling Jiao, her eyes shimmering with tears. They were expressive and deeply moving.

At first, she hadn’t expected those who hurt her to face any real consequences.

But now, with Ling Jiao around, it seemed possible that those people could be brought to justice. Even if Shen Xiaoxiao didn’t come back to help her, maybe she didn’t need her anymore.

Even though she was the victim.

“Will they really be punished?” Shen Yuwei asked, full of hope. She needed a clear answer.

Ling Jiao nodded seriously.
“I promise.”

Shen Yuwei finally felt reassured. She knew depending on others was a mistake. She had relied on the Shen family, and they had abandoned her. That should have taught her to be strong, to grow on her own, and never place her trust in anyone again.

But when she looked into Ling Jiao’s steady, reassuring eyes, the words slipped out of her mouth without thinking.

Just one more time, she thought.

Let me believe in someone again.

And from now on, I will become stronger than ever.

Ling Jiao gently touched her head.
“Don’t think about any of that right now. Just focus on resting and getting better.”

Shen Yuwei quietly closed her eyes, obedient and calm.

Ling Jiao tucked her in, smoothed the blanket, and gently closed the door behind her. Wan Qing was waiting outside.

“There’s news,” she said.

This bullying incident hadn’t exactly been subtle. Even though there was no video footage leaked yet, the scene Ling Jiao created at the infirmary had already made the story blow up online.

Ling Jiao took out her phone and glanced at the screen.

The public opinion was no longer overwhelmingly one-sided. The days of people accusing Shen Yuwei of “taking someone else’s place” were gone. This time, the tide had clearly turned. More and more voices were speaking up in defense of Shen Yuwei.

People were saying things like, “The grudges of the previous generation shouldn’t be taken out on the next.”
“It’s not her fault.”
“Even if the child made a mistake, bullying someone so badly they nearly died, how can that be considered justice? When did justice become so cheap?”

Others openly mocked those who were now flip-flopping and applying double standards in the most shameless ways.

Outraged netizens demanded that the school and the police handle the matter fairly and not protect the perpetrators.

As the saying goes, a single event can draw the attention of millions. Every reader sees their own version of Hamlet. Everyone had a different opinion. But what was most surprising and ironically revealing was this:

So many Alphas with good reputations, those who claimed to respect and care for Omegas, including Shen Yuwei’s own fiancée, had said nothing.

In the end, the only person demanding justice and calling for punishment was an Alpha with a reputation so bad her name alone caused controversy.

It felt like the sun had risen in the west.

When Wan Qing quietly leaked the fact that the library’s surveillance camera had been broken for over half a month, it sparked even more public ridicule.

Everything was moving in a good direction.

Even if the school wanted to protect certain students, they now had to weigh the risk. Was it worth sacrificing decades of the school’s hard-earned reputation for a few bullies?

But this time, Ling Jiao had overlooked one thing.

She didn’t receive direct pressure from the school. Instead, after bringing dinner back to Shen Yuwei’s dorm room, she got a phone call from her mother, He Meiyi.

“I heard you’ve become quite the hero online,” He Meiyi said in a flat tone. But if one listened closely, there was a hint of weariness in her voice.

Ling Jiao stood on the balcony, gazing through the insulated glass at Shen Yuwei inside, eating slowly and carefully.

Even in her current situation, Shen Yuwei’s years of good upbringing hadn’t crumbled. She held herself together, quietly enduring everything. Ling Jiao thought, if she hadn’t stepped in, perhaps Shen Yuwei would already be on the verge of breaking down.

“I did something right. Isn’t that a good thing?” Ling Jiao replied with a smile.

The original host’s memories had slowly fused with hers during this time.

“You used to say I was a bad influence, always hanging out with the wrong crowd, that I’d eventually cause trouble. And you and Father were always there to clean up after me. I was grateful for that.”

“But this time, I did something I truly believe is right. I’m not a great hero. I’m just an Alpha with a bit of a conscience. Mother, shouldn’t you be proud of me?”

He Meiyi chuckled softly, sounding genuinely pleased.
“Then let’s celebrate your conscience.”

She turned to Ling Fengye, who sat beside her, overwhelmed and silent.
“She did the right thing, didn’t she?”

Ling Fengye stared at her but said nothing.

After hanging up the phone, Ling Jiao walked back inside and pulled over a chair, sitting down in front of Shen Yuwei.

She asked with anticipation,
“How’s the food?”

Her stomach growled at the same time, giving itself away with two loud rumbles.

Shen Yuwei paused mid-bite, then quietly got up to wash another pair of chopsticks so they could eat together.

Ling Jiao quickly stopped her.

“Real sisters share the same pair of chopsticks. That’s how you show how close you are.”

She grinned mischievously.
“I want you to feed me.”