Transmigrated as a Scum Alpha Cannon Fodder, Sweetly Pampering the Heroine - Chapter 19

Xu Jinman’s explanation was cut short by a sudden vibration from her phone.

 

After answering the call, Xu Jinman apologized, “Can we postpone this meal? I have something urgent to attend to.”

 

Shen Shu didn’t mind at all. “Go ahead.”

 

However, the earlier awkwardness lingered. Xu Jinman touched the tip of her nose, leaned toward Shen Shu, and whispered, “We’ll talk about this later.”

 

She was referring to the matter she had mentioned earlier.

 

In truth, dissociative identity disorder would have been a perfect excuse. After all, it wasn’t her fault; it was just that Zhou Pei was still present, making such a conversation inappropriate.

 

She only regretted not changing her phone number sooner.

 

“Just drop me off first,” Shen Shu said.

 

“No need,” Xu Jinman replied. “Let Zhou Pei take you home. I’ll grab a taxi; it’s nearby.”

 

Shen Shu didn’t argue. After Xu Jinman got out, she glimpsed her waving down a taxi in the rearview mirror.

 

She hadn’t been particularly hungry anyway.

 

Shortly after leaving, Shen Shu received a WeChat message from Xu Jinman.

 

Xu Jinman: Heading back to Star City?

 

Star City was the name of her rented apartment.

 

Shen Shu: Yeah

 

When they arrived, Zhou Pei offered to help carry her luggage upstairs, but Shen Shu declined after a moment’s thought.

 

The suitcase was a bit heavy, so she mentioned it to Xu Jinman as she entered the elevator.

 

Xu Jinman replied instantly: I’ll come get it tonight?

 

 

Xu Jinman was halfway through typing “I can pick it up tomorrow too” when Shen Shu sent six digits—the apartment’s access code—along with the unit number.

 

Xu Jinman tapped her phone a few times, staring at the code with an inexplicable feeling—a hint of joy, perhaps.

 

Does this mean she’s starting to trust me?

 

Belatedly, Xu Jinman remembered to change Shen Shu’s contact name. Her profile was strikingly simple: a white background with a crescent moon and an “X,” identical to her tattoo. Her WeChat ID was just an abbreviation, and there were no Moments posts.

 

Like the woman herself, her profile exuded a cold, solitary aura, both inside and out.

 

The car pulled up outside Lanjing Western Restaurant.

 

A newly opened, top-tier restaurant in Beicheng, Xu Jinman found her appointment already waiting.

 

The Omega wore a powder-blue suit, beige heels, and silver-gray, chin-length hair—each color notoriously difficult to pull off, yet she wore them with effortless style.

 

Her name was Tong Jia, the founder of Sacred Heart Pictures.

 

Unfortunately, aside from two blockbuster dramas in its first two years, Sacred Heart Pictures had produced no new hits. While some sought to acquire the company and others offered investment, all demanded that Tong Jia produce commercially viable dramas featuring trending stars or following popular trends.

 

Tong Jia had rejected them all, Xu Jinman included.

 

As a result, Sacred Heart Pictures had debuted with a reputation for being both infamous and popular, having been publicly mocked by industry giants.

 

“Miss Xu, you had someone tell me that you would only provide the funding, leaving all decision-making for Sacred Heart to me, with no interference whatsoever. Did I hear that correctly?”

 

Xu Jinman swirled her wine glass, smiling. “That’s right. An initial investment of ten million, with only one condition.”

 

Understanding dawned in Tong Jia’s eyes. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. When Xu Jinman revealed the condition, Tong Jia’s eyes widened slightly. “Just that? Get someone cast in the project?”

 

In today’s industry, ten million could secure far more than a single casting opportunity—it could buy any role imaginable. Moreover, if Xu Jinman wanted to promote someone, countless major studios would offer her their talent. Why come to her?

 

Xu Jinman replied, “I invested because I recognized Sacred Heart’s potential to resist following trends. My judgment of people has always been impeccable.”

 

She had always possessed a photographic memory for books. In the mid-point of the novel, Shen Shu and Tong Jia had become friends, with Shen Shu even helping Tong Jia secure investment. Sacred Heart Pictures had then achieved phenomenal success with a Republican-era drama.

 

Tong Jia studied her for a moment, then smirked. “Miss Xu, I forgot to mention—I already have a girlfriend.”

 

Xu Jinman remained silent. Being a “scumbag Alpha” was truly difficult; even complimenting someone could be misconstrued as flirting.

 

Who doesn’t have a partner these days?

 

“I have a wife too,” she said.

 

Tong Jia remained noncommittal, treating Xu Jinman with neither deference nor disdain. Her smile carried a hint of mockery as she retorted, “So, this ten million is for your wife then?”

 

“You guessed right.”

 

“?”

 

Xu Jinman arrived at Shen Shu’s apartment building after eight in the evening.

 

Chen Bo had called her twice on the way, but she hung up both times.

 

Man-jie, I’ve got something really exciting and fun happening here. You’d definitely be interested.

 

Don’t say I didn’t give you a heads-up later.

 

Xu Jinman glanced at the messages and closed the app.

 

After entering the password and taking the elevator upstairs, she mentally tallied the funds in her account. Though the original owner had been reckless, she wasn’t living paycheck to paycheck. With Lu Yun’s regular remittances, the total came to over fifteen million. Not one to rely on money, Xu Jinman would need to find alternative funding for future investments.

 

She rang the doorbell, and after a moment, the door opened from within.

 

Shen Shu had changed into comfortable loungewear, and a cool breeze spilled from the apartment, soothing the heat from Xu Jinman’s journey.

 

“Water or tea?”

 

Xu Jinman changed into her slippers, glancing down at the pink bunny slippers on her feet. “…Water, please.”

 

She wiggled her toes, mentally joking to herself, I’m such a fierce Alpha.

 

“Cai Ying bought them,” Shen Shu said. “They’re the only new pair.”

 

“They’re perfect,” Xu Jinman replied. “So cute.”

 

Shen Shu poured a glass of warm water and turned back to find Xu Jinman already sitting on the edge of the sofa, opening her suitcase.

 

A deep violet haute couture dress lay inside, its rich color complementing her porcelain-pale skin.

 

Though her posture often seemed languid, her bearing was impeccable, clearly cultivated from a young age. Every gesture exuded an undeniable air of nobility.

 

This was a stark contrast to the Xu Jinman Shen Shu had known before.

 

As Shen Shu set down the water, she caught a faint scent of alcohol on Xu Jinman’s breath.

 

“What are you doing?” Shen Shu asked, settling into the opposite chair and watching Xu Jinman pull a mini safe from the suitcase.

 

“Checking what’s inside,” Xu Jinman replied. “But I don’t know the password.”

 

“…Whose is it?”

 

“Mine.”

 

“…?”

 

Xu Jinman quickly corrected herself. “The other me’s. You forgot I’m sick? Like… I had no idea about what happened during the day.”

 

Her reaction was quick and natural.

 

Yet, for some reason, Xu Jinman felt like she was making excuses like a manipulative woman.

 

“We just added each other as friends. It’s nothing.”

 

Xu Jinman: “……”

 

Wasn’t she talking about seeing the note?

 

Shen Shu studied her intently, suspicion flickering in her eyes. “Is there something else?”

 

“What else could there be?” Xu Jinman countered.

 

Xu Jinman adjusted her mindset. Good. It’s better if she didn’t see that note.

 

 

Xu Jinman focused intently on the safe. It wasn’t the original owner’s default password, and she had already ruled out her birthday. It was Shen Shu who suggested it might be Lu Yun’s.

 

Click—

 

The safe opened.

 

Xu Jinman retrieved the box inside.

 

A hush fell over the living room. This box, too, was locked with a password.

 

Xu Jinman sighed. Her curiosity had truly been piqued this time. What extraordinary secret could be hidden within this triple-layered, nested doll of a container?

 

Just as she was about to try cracking the code, Shen Shu, her face pale, held up her phone.

 

“What’s wrong?” Xu Jinman asked.

 

“Was that guy’s name Chen Bo?” Shen Shu asked. “Chen Xiaxia is with him.”

 

No further explanation was needed. They both knew exactly what kind of person Chen Bo was.

 

Xu Jinman took the phone. A video showed a table littered with wine bottles in a noisy, chaotic setting. Chen Xiaxia, dressed in a revealing bikini, lay unconscious on a black sofa illuminated by flashing colored lights.

 

So that’s what those two text messages meant.

 

“Don’t go,” Xu Jinman said. “I’ll bring her back.”

 

Seeing Shen Shu rise, Xu Jinman said sternly, “If you go, how can I keep her in line?”

 

Shen Shu froze, momentarily stunned.

 

She hadn’t lost her senses completely. Knowing those people wouldn’t dare harm Xu Jinman, she nodded. “Then be careful.”

 

Before leaving, Xu Jinman called Chen Bo, but he didn’t answer. Instead, she quickly received a text message:

 

Dihao 888

 

Unbeknownst to Xu Jinman, the moment her car left the residential complex, Shen Shu received a second text message that compelled her to go.

 

Dihao was a members-only establishment, and Xu Jinman, as a distinguished regular, gained entry with a simple facial scan.

 

The opulent, decadent decor, the deafening music, and the scantily clad princes and princesses in the corridors—several of whom seemed to recognize her and approached to greet her—were all brushed aside.

 

Until she reached Area 888.

 

No one approached her here. Even the staff seemed under orders to remain at a distance, stationed outside the area.

 

Compared to the earlier commotion, this place was eerily quiet, like another world.

 

Xu Jinman pushed open the private room door and saw Chen Xiaxia sprawled on the sofa. Beside her lay another figure in the same position, a slightly familiar silhouette—

 

Cai Ying.

 

Xu Jinman’s mind raced. In an instant, her scalp tingled with dread.

 

As Xu Jinman absentmindedly stepped into the private room, a powerful hand gripped her from behind the door, yanking her inside. A sharp, piercing pain shot through her glands, instantly draining most of the strength from her body.

 

Bang!

 

She was pinned against the door.

 

“Yin Xue!”

 

“It’s me, Manman… Did you miss me?” Yin Xue whispered close to Xu Jinman’s ear. “I missed you.”

 

“You fucking psycho—ugh!”

 

Xu Jinman groaned as a second injection was administered from behind, intensifying the reaction within her body. The sensation was all too familiar.

 

“What did you inject me with…?”

 

“Something good, of course. Something to force you… into heat. The same kind you used on your little wife, but I specially prepared it in an injectable form to suit your preferences.” Yin Xue smiled coquettishly, as if seeking praise. “Don’t you think I’m so considerate? Regret leaving me yet?”

 

Xu Jinman’s face darkened. The drug only worked on Omegas. Yin Xue had known her true identity all along! With this leverage, no wonder Yin Xue had been so brazen with the original Xu Jinman.

 

As expected, Yin Xue murmured, “Your little wife still doesn’t know you’re an Omega, does she?”

 

The glandular stimulation Xu Jinman was experiencing made her tremble violently, her body burning from the inside out like a raging fire. Then came the aching, numbness, and itching, as if ants were gnawing at her flesh.

 

Professor Qin had warned her that these were the initial symptoms of stress-induced heat, meaning her first Alpha rut was about to begin.

 

Xu Jinman desperately suppressed her instincts, terrified of losing control and succumbing to the overwhelming, irrational heat.

 

And here, besides Yin Xue, were two other Omegas!

 

“Weren’t you putting on a show of deep affection for her? Soon, I’ll let her witness your depraved side firsthand… Don’t struggle. Who told you to be a Failed Differentiation, a sexless failure? I injected you with a high dose of aphrodisiac in that first shot. You won’t escape my grasp tonight.”

 

“You did something to Shen Shu too…” Xu Jinman gritted her teeth, clenching her soft fist. Even her voice was starting to weaken.

 

She was losing control.

 

Just as her Alpha pheromones were about to erupt, Shen Shu’s voice rang out from beyond the door.