Transmigrated as a Scum Alpha Cannon Fodder, Sweetly Pampering the Heroine - Chapter 15

Shen Shu had already walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, which was open about half a foot. A warm breeze stirred her dark hair as she nodded slightly, her cherry lips parting slightly. “That’s good.”

Xu Jinman finally understood: Shen Shu might seem to trust her, but she would seize any opportunity to test her.

This is the true female lead, Xu Jinman thought, insecure, always seeking window corners, trusting only herself, a fox forever vigilant and aloof.

Xu Jinman shifted her gaze from Shen Shu and began to survey the room.

The room was reasonably spacious, with a striking view through the floor-to-ceiling window. The color scheme matched the villa’s champagne tones, and the bed was draped with a cool, gray-blue silk quilt.

Xu Jinman suddenly wondered, How am I supposed to sleep tonight?

It was past 9 PM.

Xu Jinman eyed the thin blanket on the carpet. Not bad, she thought, at least there’s something to lie on.

Zhou Pei had brought toiletries in advance. As Xu Jinman entered the bathroom, a familiar sweet scent filled her senses.

The body wash smelled of milk.

Despite Shen Shu’s cold, aloof demeanor, her body favored vanilla and milk scents—a stark contrast that evoked both temptation and purity, making it all too easy to nurture destructive desires.

Xu Jinman stepped out of the bathroom, exhaling a puff of warm air. Despite the air conditioning, she still felt hot after her shower.

She saw Shen Shu sitting at the vanity, holding a blue document. Every few moments, Shen Shu would pick up her phone, likely communicating with someone.

Xu Jinman didn’t want to disturb her. Just then, Lu Yun called.

She walked onto the balcony.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were hospitalized? Professor Qin said you need to rest and recover. Why go to the Shen Family after discharge? You should come home and recuperate! Come back immediately!”

Xu Jinman had anticipated this day and had already prepared her response.

Hearing this, Lu Yun’s anger visibly subsided. “Is Shen Shu cursed or something? You’ve been hospitalized repeatedly in just a few days of marriage.”

Xu Jinman glanced at the person inside the room. “It has nothing to do with her.”

“No, I need to consult a master these next few days to have her fortune read properly. I never liked her face from the start. It’s fine to play around, but don’t let her ruin you…”

Xu Jinman’s tone grew colder. “Alright, I’ll come home in a few days.”

When Xu Jinman asked about the Bidding Team, Lu Yun’s attitude shifted instantly, her voice brimming with pride and relief. “Mandan, how did you even know about that plot of land in the city’s development plan? When the shareholders heard you were the one who saved the deal, they were so shocked their jaws nearly dropped!”

As Xu Jinman listened, sweat broke out on her skin, and she loosened her collar.

After hanging up, Xu Jinman looked up to find Shen Shu gone. She walked into the room and heard the sound of water running in the bathroom.

She had just unfastened her belt and let her silk coat slip to her waist, revealing a knee-length gray slip dress underneath.

Xu Jinman checked the air conditioner but found no issues.

Her body grew increasingly hot.

When Shen Shu emerged, she saw Xu Jinman had moved the “bed” under the air conditioner. Her coat hung loosely at her waist, her cheeks flushed pink, and the white gauze on her pale arm stood out starkly. She was fanning herself with a tissue.

Shen Shu: “…What are you doing?”

Xu Jinman wiped her sweat. “…Just got a little hot after exercising.”

Xu Jinman finally realized the problem.

Especially when Shen Shu emerged, Xu Jinman’s heart began to pound wildly, almost as a conditioned reflex.

Shen Shu watched Xu Jinman’s retreating figure as she reentered the bathroom. A sweat stain bloomed across the back of her gray tank top, even though the room’s air conditioning was set to 18 degrees Celsius. What kind of exercise could make her sweat so profusely?

Half an hour later, Xu Jinman emerged from the bathroom, utterly drained. She collapsed onto the thin blanket spread on the floor, rolled over, and closed her eyes. “Your mom won’t suddenly come in, will she?”

Shen Shu glanced down. Even though this person was no longer the same as before, seeing someone who had once been so arrogant, a twisted blend of madness and illness, now lying obediently on the floor still felt surreal.

“She won’t come in while you’re here,” Shen Shu replied.

Does that mean Wei Wuqing will come in when I’m not here? Xu Jinman wondered.

Xu Jinman murmured in acknowledgment.

“Good night,” Shen Shu said.

After soaking in lukewarm water for half an hour, Xu Jinman hadn’t expected the tonic soup to be so potent. She needed to fall asleep quickly for safety’s sake.

Just as she was drifting off, a soft knock sounded at the door.

“Man-jie, are you asleep?”

Xu Jinman: “……”

She didn’t answer. Chen Xiaxia spoke again, “Cousin, could you get her for me? I need to talk to Jinman-jie about something important.”

Xu Jinman rubbed her forehead as she sat up, exchanging a glance with Shen Shu, who was leaning against the headboard with a book. Shen Shu lowered her gaze and said coldly to the door, “She’s asleep.”

Chen Xiaxia: “It’s really important.”

“Handle it yourself,” Shen Shu said to Xu Jinman.

The knocking persisted. Xu Jinman frowned, the words of warning still caught in her throat. She slowly turned the doorknob halfway, but Chen Xiaxia, in her impatience, twisted it open herself. “I really need to talk to her—”

Xu Jinman rushed to the bedside and yanked back the covers.

The mattress dipped beneath Shen Shu’s weight as Xu Jinman braced herself beside her, pinning her between her body and the bed. Just as Shen Shu’s hand brushed Xu Jinman’s bare shoulder, Chen Xiaxia burst through the door.

Chen Xiaxia’s eyes immediately fell on Shen Shu on the bed, and the telltale bulge beneath the covers. Anyone could see exactly what they were doing.

The person under the covers stirred, and the icy silk blanket slid down, revealing Xu Jinman’s face, flushed with anger.

“Doesn’t your guardian know how to teach you manners?”

Chen Xiaxia’s face paled, then flushed crimson. “I…”

Xu Jinman braced herself with her hands to avoid touching Shen Shu’s body. With just a slight lift of her eyelids, she could see Shen Shu’s slightly pursed, rosy lips.

The skin beneath Shen Shu’s palm was burning hot, abnormally so. Xu Jinman curled her fingertips inward, the pure, sunlight-like scent making her momentarily uncomfortable. Her voice turned stiff and cold as she ordered, “Get out.”

As soon as Chen Xiaxia left, Xu Jinman withdrew to the edge of the bed. Her exertion had made her hand ache, so she glanced at the gauze first, confirming there was no seepage. “We can’t let her see we’re sleeping in separate beds.”

Is she explaining herself again? Shen Shu paused. “Mm.”

“You don’t lock the door when you sleep?”

During her time living at home, Wei Wuqing often knocked and entered around eleven or twelve at night to discuss company matters. So whenever she was there, locking the door was pointless, whether Wei Wuqing came or not. It had become a habit.

She hadn’t expected Chen Xiaxia to come looking for her, let alone barge in.

Shen Shu shifted her gaze from the beads of sweat on Xu Jinman’s forehead. “I forgot.”

Xu Jinman quickly understood. After a moment of silence, she opened the door and left. A few minutes later, she returned, locked the door behind her, and settled back on the floor.

“No one will come again. Go to sleep.”

Soon, the room darkened, and soft moonlight seeped in.

The person on the bed gradually calmed her breathing, but Xu Jinman couldn’t help but open her eyes. She couldn’t sleep.

In the dimness, she had already hiked her skirt up to her thighs, but it did nothing to alleviate her restlessness.

She quietly got up and went to the bathroom. Suddenly, her nose felt hot, and a warm trickle ran down.

Just as she tilted her head back and reached for a tissue, she caught Shen Shu’s reflection in the mirror, standing at the doorway.

Xu Jinman’s face remained calm, her heart steady. “Still too weak for the tonic. It’s making me feel overheated.”

“You mean the Gland Tonic Soup?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Even though it was meant to replenish an Alpha’s energy, it was still a potent tonic. As an Omega and a patient, it was perfectly normal for her to be unable to tolerate it, Xu Jinman reasoned.

“Is that so? But Gland Tonic Soup only works for Alphas. For Omegas, it’s less effective than even vitamin C,” Shen Shu said slowly, her gaze fixed on Xu Jinman. “Didn’t you know that?”