Transmigrated as a Scum Alpha Cannon Fodder, Sweetly Pampering the Heroine - Chapter 21

Xu Jinman tossed her phone onto the sofa, sat for a moment, glanced down at her pajamas, and stood up.

The hotel wardrobe held only two dresses she’d bought on the way here. She preferred dresses—easy to slip on and off.

After changing, she heard her phone chime with a WeChat notification from Shen Shu: Busy this afternoon. Will be late.

Xu Jinman raised an eyebrow. Was this a flake? Miss Shen was quite the busy bee.

She replied with a curt Okay, suddenly finding herself with nothing to do. She decided to call Zhou Pei over to visit the company she was considering investing in.

She still had some funds left; might as well put them to use.

After reviewing two gaming companies without finding either satisfactory, she dismissed Zhou Pei and went to a café alone, flipping through magazines out of boredom.

“Long time no see, Manman.”

Xu Jinman looked up.

She didn’t recognize the woman at all and couldn’t place her. She gave a noncommittal hum.

The woman, however, sat down across from her as if they were old friends.

“Yin Xue’s situation was her own fault,” the woman said. “It has nothing to do with me, right? After all these years of friendship, why are you targeting me?”

The tone suggested it might be Song Ronghui.

Xu Jinman, who had a low opinion of her, replied coolly, “Can’t you tell I’m in a bad mood?”

“Hmm? Not getting along with your little plaything at home?”

Is she sick? Xu Jinman frowned slightly. “You can leave now.”

The woman sighed. “Looks like you’re in a bad mood. Fine, I’ll go. Don’t forget about the important date next month. You can bring your… wife along.”

As the woman turned to leave, Xu Jinman set down her magazine and narrowed her eyes sharply at the retreating figure.

Meanwhile, Song Ronghui stepped out of the café and immediately pulled out her phone.

“Xu Jinman is definitely acting strange. Tell Yin Xue I’ll look into it for her.”

The brief encounter had disrupted Xu Jinman’s leisurely mood.

Just as she was about to pay and leave, Tong Jia sent her a photo: several women in qipaos, standing or sitting in a white-walled fitting room.

Xu Jinman spotted Shen Shu instantly.

Her soft, dark hair was pinned up with a silver hairpin, and her emerald-green, high-slit qipao showcased her long, striking legs. With her head tilted slightly, her cold, elegant aura seemed to radiate off the screen.

Forty minutes later, Xu Jinman followed Tong Jia through a side entrance into the film studio.

“It’s almost her turn. Still not going to watch in person?” Tong Jia handed Xu Jinman a can of black tea.

Xu Jinman: “Can’t we see her from here?”

She stared at the opposite screen, where Shen Shu stood outside the filming area, her expression focused as she watched the actors auditioning.

Set in the Republican era, Shen Shu was auditioning for the role of Nightingale, a beautiful assassin.

The character’s backstory was roughly this: Nightingale had once been a noblewoman who embarked on a perilous journey to find her lover, who had abandoned her without a word. Along the way, she lost her reputation, dignity, and was even branded with the character “蕩” (promiscuous) on her leg by her tormentors.

By the time she found her lover, he had already married and started a family.

Driven mad, Nightingale slaughtered her former lover’s entire family, becoming a cold-blooded assassin who used her beauty to lure targets. The brand on her leg became her signature mark in the underworld.

“So complicated?”

“It’s just three scenes,” Tong Jia said. “It’s just an audition. She might not even get the part. Why are you so anxious?”

Xu Jinman wasn’t pleased.

Shen Shu wasn’t the type to be blindly confident. Her coming to audition meant she was prepared.

Tong Jia walked over to her. “It is a challenging role, though. Even with just three appearances, the character’s emotions are incredibly complex. But if she plays it well, she might become even more popular than the supporting actress or even the lead.”

Xu Jinman wasn’t familiar with the industry, but she trusted Tong Jia’s expertise in the field.

“It’s starting,” Tong Jia said. Xu Jinman watched Shen Shu walk onto the set, feeling an involuntary surge of nervousness.

This was Nightingale’s first time seeing her lover after many years. Dressed in a cheongsam, she stood across the street, watching her lover embrace the woman beside her, whispering and laughing. Then their eyes met.

According to conventional logic, the emotional progression should have been joy, disappointment, despair…

But Shen Shu remained cold. All her emotions were concentrated in her eyes. In the final thirty seconds, her eyes slowly curved into a crescent-moon smile.

A chill ran down Xu Jinman’s spine as she inexplicably recalled the original owner’s fate in the novel. After all, Shen Shu had personally carved out the original owner’s glands, piece by piece.

Xu Jinman: “……”

Tong Jia clicked her tongue. “She’s got this.”

Sure enough, as soon as Shen Shu finished her audition, the director called for a halt and dismissed everyone else.

Xu Jinman popped open a water bottle and took a sip.

“I underestimated her,” Tong Jia said. “But why didn’t you just start a company for her? Why sneak around here like this, hiding it from your wife?”

Xu Jinman: “……”

Xu Jinman thought Tong Jia’s mouth was quite annoying at times.

At their first meeting, Tong Jia had projected a noble image of “I have a girlfriend.” Now, it was clear she was just full of empty talk.

“My wife is ambitious. What can I do?” Xu Jinman said casually.

Tong Jia: “……” Did that sound like she was being fed dog food?

Xu Jinman watched Shen Shu’s retreating figure.

If Shen Shu knew she was watching from behind, she might not have agreed to the audition so readily. The Shen Family’s situation suggested she might be under pressure.

Since company shareholders’ identities would become public, Xu Jinman had routed the funds through Tong Jia.

“I have to say, your wife has an incredible figure,” Tong Jia remarked, dropping a letter. “At least a D-cup, right?”

“……” Xu Jinman: “Is it appropriate for an Omega like you to be discussing this with an Alpha like me?”

Tong Jia shrugged. “Sorry, I accidentally let my true colors slip again.”

Novels are so misleading, Xu Jinman thought. In the books, Tong Jia always seemed so proper. How did she suddenly become so flirty around me?

As Xu Jinman turned to leave, Tong Jia stabbed her in the back with a parting shot:

“Go chase after her already! You’re practically drooling over your wife.”

Xu Jinman: “……”

Just after six o’clock, Xu Jinman arrived at Shen Shu’s apartment complex.

When Shen Shu handed her the pair of white rabbit slippers, her gaze lingered for a fleeting moment.

The light-colored floral sundress, with its figure-hugging design and subtly plunging neckline, hinted at what lay beneath. Paired with Xu Jinman’s refined features and cascading light brown curls, the effect was breathtaking.

She seems to really like wearing dresses, Shen Shu thought.

After changing into the slippers, Xu Jinman noticed Shen Shu turning toward the balcony and followed her.

Several potted plants—pothos and succulents—lined the balcony. Shen Shu, dressed in a casual house dress, bent down to mist their leaves. Xu Jinman, recalling the stunning qipao Shen Shu had worn earlier, averted her gaze from the woman’s graceful curves and asked, “Why don’t you grow flowers?”

“They’re too difficult to care for,” Shen Shu replied.

Xu Jinman’s gaze shifted from the water droplets on the pothos leaves to Shen Shu herself, finally settling on her slender, alabaster neck.

A faint tickle rose in Xu Jinman’s throat.

What she had spent a week trying to forget came rushing back in an instant—at that moment, she had almost touched that place.

“The box is on the table.”

Shen Shu suddenly turned around, meeting Xu Jinman’s unreadable gaze. Xu Jinman’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly replied, “Okay.”

Xu Jinman didn’t leave. “What are your plans for the future?” she asked.

After a moment’s thought, Shen Shu replied slowly, “I want to do things I’ve always wanted to do.”

These were the words Xu Jinman had once said to her.

Xu Jinman smiled faintly. “Whatever you choose, I’m sure you’ll excel at it.”

Hearing this, Shen Shu set down the watering can and looked up again. The sunlight was intense, making Xu Jinman’s fair skin and clothes glow white.

Believe?

Even Shen Shu herself wasn’t sure she believed it.

Heaven knew how nervous she had been during today’s audition.

Her expression softened. “I have something to tell you later… I still owe you a meal. Let’s make up for it today.”

Xu Jinman readily agreed, her mood lifted.

She turned back toward the living room and headed straight for the password box on the coffee table.

A small stack of A4 papers caught her eye before the box did. Five bold characters stood out clearly on the cover — Divorce Agreement.

Oh, a farewell dinner then.