Transmigrated as a Scum Alpha Cannon Fodder, Sweetly Pampering the Heroine - Chapter 26

Xu Jinman asked her question and waited a few seconds, but Shen Shu simply stared back at her in silence.

 

Xu Jinman’s mind cleared slightly. Why would Shen Shu do something like this?

 

If she did, it must have been out of necessity.

 

She reasoned aloud, “Because I caused a bit of a scene yesterday, so…?”

 

Shen Shu glanced up and said flatly, “Then I should have locked you in the bathroom.”

 

“…” Instead of handcuffing us together, Xu Jinman finished the sentence in her mind.

 

Xu Jinman shook her head to clear her thoughts. “…Let me think.”

 

“You’re the one who put these on,” Shen Shu stated plainly, giving her no time to ponder.

 

“…?”

 

Seeing Xu Jinman’s surprised, even slightly shocked expression, Shen Shu’s stunning peach blossom eyes narrowed imperceptibly for a moment. “You really don’t remember?”

 

Unlike Xu Jinman’s naturally upturned eyes that exuded a natural pressure, Shen Shu’s eyes carried an inherent coldness. This was partly because she rarely smiled, which intensified the icy edge in her alluring gaze.

 

Especially now, under this scrutinizing gaze, the coldness was particularly sharp.

 

Xu Jinman stared at the space between Shen Shu’s eyebrows, subtly rotating her wrist beneath the table. “It was really me?”

 

Xu Jinman: “……”

 

When did my alcohol tolerance become this bad?

 

She hadn’t expected to drink so much yesterday. Logically speaking, the original owner of this body didn’t have such a low tolerance.

 

But her body was already quite complex, having undergone a secondary differentiation. It wasn’t surprising that her alcohol tolerance had changed.

 

Moreover, she still suffered from lingering effects of her original body, reacting strongly to things the original Xu Jinman had liked or hated.

 

Last night, after getting drunk and losing conscious control, seeing all that chaotic stuff might have triggered her to do something… out of line.

 

It wasn’t impossible.

 

A moment passed.

 

Xu Jinman shifted her gaze and asked, “…I didn’t do anything to you, did I?”

 

Shen Shu turned her face away, deliberately moving the metal object on her wrist, and replied coldly, “What else would you want to do?”

 

Xu Jinman lowered her gaze at Shen Shu’s movement. Around the handcuff’s edge, several faint bruises marked the Omega’s delicate wrist.

 

“…Sorry,” Xu Jinman said, realizing she had blacked out.

 

“Wait,” Xu Jinman’s thoughts cleared. “Where did this thing come from?”

 

Her hotel room certainly didn’t have anything like this.

 

As soon as she spoke, Shen Shu’s expression became enigmatic.

 

Xu Jinman followed Shen Shu’s gaze to a blue suitcase lying open on the carpet three meters away. Scattered around its edges were chains, leather restraints, and other disturbing items.

 

Xu Jinman rubbed her temples. Mom, you really outdid yourself this time.

 

Lu Yun had packed this suitcase for her yesterday. Xu Jinman had assumed it contained only clothes, but she never imagined Lu Yun would include these kinds of things.

 

Pale and weak, Xu Jinman truthfully said, “I didn’t pack this.”

 

“No need to explain,” Shen Shu replied. “I don’t interfere with people’s personal preferences.”

 

“……”

 

She… never mind.

 

With the evidence right there, no explanation would sound credible.

 

The immediate priority was finding the key.

 

The two women stood up, walked to the suitcase, and crouched down together.

 

When they couldn’t find it, they began taking items out one by one. Some clothes and utensils had seams or hidden compartments, so they had to shake each item to check.

 

Shen Shu’s expression remained dark throughout the search.

 

Xu Jinman, meanwhile, was experiencing the ultimate humiliation—even if it wasn’t her fault, being suspected by others meant she was already socially dead.

 

Unfortunately, after emptying the entire suitcase, there was no sign of the key.

 

“……” Xu Jinman said with difficulty, “Let’s just call a locksmith.”

 

“What did you say?” Shen Shu asked, her tone now laced with menace.

 

Xu Jinman realized it was a bad idea. Shen Shu was already putting on an act, and she had been trending on social media just days ago. If this got out, what would people think of her?

 

It might even end up as a social news story.

 

“Young lesbian couple’s playful handcuff game goes wrong, leading to an awkward morning plea for a locksmith…”

 

Xu Jinman stared at the headline. “I’ll call Zhou Pei.”

 

Shen Shu remained silent as Xu Jinman stood up. Forgetting she was still handcuffed, she tugged Shen Shu along with her.

 

After today, Shen Shu might block me, Xu Jinman thought.

 

After making the call, the two women sat side-by-side on the sofa. Xu Jinman draped a shawl over her shoulders and, to ease the tension, turned on the TV.

 

The movie channel was playing a film starring Xia Chun.

 

By sheer coincidence, the film was one of Xia Chun’s most acclaimed roles.

 

On the screen, Xia Chun’s features were slightly magnified. Her forehead rested against her co-star’s shoulder, her robe half-undone, as she delivered lines filled with tender, heartrending sorrow.

 

There was no denying her acting prowess.

 

Xia Chun’s dialogue effortlessly stirred emotions, and the scene was visually captivating, with the two women’s skin pressed together in graceful, intimate poses.

 

Even someone like Xu Jinman, who rarely watched movies, found herself drawn in.

 

“Xia Chun’s acting is really good,” Xu Jinman remarked.

 

“Mm-hmm,” Shen Shu replied.

 

Xu Jinman couldn’t help but recall Tong Jia’s words about Shen Shu struggling with a flirtatious scene with Xia Chun.

 

Watching the tender, alluring woman on screen, Xu Jinman imagined Shen Shu standing beside her—a vision of breathtaking beauty.

 

Her thoughts momentarily broke as she asked, “How was filming yesterday?”

 

Turning her head, she saw the soft morning light beginning to stream in, casting a hazy glow across Shen Shu’s profile.

 

Shen Shu gazed at the person on the screen, her features composed and cool. Xu Jinman sensed a faint undercurrent of emotion, so subtle it was difficult to discern its exact nature.

 

“The set was being adjusted,” Shen Shu said. “We’ll shoot tomorrow.”

 

Xu Jinman nodded.

 

Suddenly, Shen Shu turned her head, meeting Xu Jinman’s gaze. Both women paused slightly. “You used to have a higher alcohol tolerance,” Shen Shu remarked.

 

The abrupt change of topic caught Xu Jinman off guard. “Maybe I wasn’t feeling well yesterday,” she replied casually.

 

“Don’t push yourself next time if you’re not feeling well,” Shen Shu said slowly.

 

Does this mean she’s not angry anymore? Xu Jinman wondered.

 

A split second later, Shen Shu added, “You’ll only hurt yourself and others.”

 

Xu Jinman: “……” Tsk.

 

After half a minute of silence, Xu Jinman cleared her throat softly in the quiet living room. “Miss Shen, would you mind if we went to the restroom together?”

 

Shen Shu: “……”

 

Xu Jinman had hoped to ease the tension before bringing up the matter, but it seemed the atmosphere wasn’t going to lighten anytime soon. She couldn’t let Shen Shu keep holding it in.

 

“Hold it,” Shen Shu said.

 

Xu Jinman: “……?”

 

When an Omega holds a grudge, they truly go all out.

 

Fortunately, Shen Shu wasn’t completely heartless and relented before Zhou Pei arrived.

 

The process wasn’t smooth. The handcuffs were too short, and Shen Shu’s hands repeatedly brushed against Xu Jinman’s leg, making both women uncomfortable.

 

Zhou Pei arrived in just twenty minutes.

 

“Can you manage this?” Xu Jinman asked, watching Zhou Pei retrieve her tools.

 

“I unlocked these for you last time,” Zhou Pei replied. “No problem.”

 

Xu Jinman: “……” ???

 

She distinctly felt Shen Shu turn her head slightly—Oh, right, last time.

 

At that moment, Xu Jinman had no other thoughts except that Zhou Pei was a good assistant, always answering questions directly.

 

Once the handcuffs were removed, both women’s wrists were bruised, Shen Shu’s more severely.

 

After a quick cleanup in the restroom, Xu Jinman asked if Shen Shu wanted an ice pack, but Shen Shu shook her head.

 

Xu Jinman asked Zhou Pei to drive Shen Shu home, but just then Tong Jia called.

 

“No need,” Shen Shu said. “I have other plans.” With that, she headed for the door.

 

Zhou Pei turned to Xu Jinman, her eyes questioning whether she should follow and see Shen Shu home. Xu Jinman shook her head. After Shen Shu left, she said, “If she doesn’t want it, don’t force it. Let’s not make her uncomfortable.”

 

Zhou Pei paused, then nodded in agreement.

 

In the restroom, half of Xu Jinman’s dress strap had been torn. She slipped off the dress and stood before the mirror.

 

The woman reflected back had skin as white and smooth as a baby’s, flawless and without a single blemish.

 

She couldn’t help but be momentarily distracted.

 

After changing, Xu Jinman emerged to find Zhou Pei still waiting outside. On a whim, she said, “Could you look something up for me? I need the enrollment records from my kindergarten, specifically the student photos and rosters.”

 

Zhou Pei’s voice was calm and steady.

 

“Certainly. I’ll have them for you at the office.”

 

Xu Jinman paused.

 

Noticing her expression, Zhou Pei explained, “Anything you’ve researched that you didn’t instruct me to destroy is archived in my records.”

 

The original owner had been so fixated on her childhood that she would have investigated this herself—it fit her character perfectly.

 

That meant she must have researched Xia Shu as well.

 

Xu Jinman probed cautiously.

 

As expected, Zhou Pei showed no surprise. She shook her head. “You ordered me to destroy the files, but I believe there’s still one photo remaining.”

 

At the office, Zhou Pei sent Xia Shu’s photo to Xu Jinman.

 

Xu Jinman stared at the woman in the phone’s image. Her features still bore faint traces of her childhood appearance, though the resemblance had faded considerably.

 

As she scrutinized the unfamiliar face, a chill ran through her. Upon closer inspection, she realized this woman shared a striking resemblance to Shen Shu in her eyes and brows.

 

Xu Jinman pondered deeply, her thoughts gradually coalescing into clarity.

 

When she had first read about the original owner’s elaborate scheme to marry Shen Shu, she had briefly wondered if the original owner’s twisted motives—marrying someone solely to torment them—lacked sufficient intensity.

 

But if the original owner had projected Xia Shu onto Shen Shu, marrying her as an outlet for rage and revenge, perhaps even… to redirect that distorted affection, it all made sense.

 

Xia Shu.

 

Shen Shu.

 

Even their names shared a connection.

 

The kindergarten incident—a child clinging to such a memory for years, twisting it into obsession, ultimately using Shen Shu as a substitute for torment.

 

Xu Jinman’s heart clenched at the thought of Shen Shu.

 

Moreover, the original owner’s psyche had already been warped in childhood…

 

Xu Jinman’s gaze fell to her arm, where no scars remained.

 

Perhaps the injuries hadn’t been severe enough to leave marks, or perhaps they had been surgically repaired.

 

But she was almost certain that all the original owner’s pathologies stemmed from the Xu Family.

 

Or rather, from Xu Tao.

 

The family portrait served as further evidence.

 

Xu Tao must have done something to the original owner—most likely domestic violence.

 

But why hadn’t Lu Yun intervened?

 

And why was Lu Yun so adamant about preventing her from investigating the Qucheng incident?

 

Xu Jinman stood up and gazed down through the massive glass window. The pedestrians below appeared as tiny, moving dots. She knew these questions couldn’t be answered immediately.

 

But that wasn’t the most important thing.

 

Xu Jinman suddenly recalled Shen Shu’s captivating face from that morning.

 

She wanted to be kinder to Shen Shu.

 

An hour later, Tong Jia knocked on Xu Jinman’s office door. Seeing Xu Jinman, usually so composed, looking unusually distracted, she tossed her bag onto the desk and said, “I was bored at home. Why do you look like you’ve been through hell?”

 

Even hell wouldn’t be this chaotic, Xu Jinman thought.

 

In truth, she felt more heartache for Shen Shu than for the Xu Family’s affairs.

 

The original Xu Jinman had released Xia Shu but treated Shen Shu as a replacement, exploiting their marriage to torment her.

 

Shen Shu had done nothing wrong; she was entirely innocent.

 

“What is it?” Xu Jinman asked Tong Jia.

 

Tong Jia sat across from Xu Jinman and accepted the coffee Zhou Pei brought over. “I’m in a bad mood too.”

 

“What a coincidence,” Xu Jinman replied.

 

“Then you go first. What’s wrong?”

 

“Just say what you need. I don’t have time for your games today.”

 

Tong Jia, used to this, scoffed. “Tch, after all we’ve been through, I need a favor. Will you help me?”

 

“Speak.”

 

“My girlfriend’s away on a business trip,” Tong Jia said. “I want to surprise her, so I was hoping you could give me some advice.”

 

Xu Jinman looked at her, puzzled. “What kind of advice?”

 

“What positions do you and Shen Shu like in bed?” Tong Jia asked. “Something a little more… adventurous.”

 

Xu Jinman stared at her. “Are you out of your mind?”

 

“You’re the one who’s crazy,” Tong Jia retorted, pushing her coffee aside and leaning across the table, resting her chin on her hands. “I’m serious. Don’t let my teasing fool you—my girlfriend and I are actually pretty conservative in that department.”

 

Xu Jinman stared at her, genuinely surprised.

 

I never would have guessed.

 

Xu Jinman set down her documents, trying to treat Tong Jia like a vulnerable Omega.

 

She spoke calmly, “Could you please be more mindful of the conversation topics?”

 

Tong Jia immediately shook her head. “No way. You have no idea how pathetic I am. If I don’t take the initiative, my girlfriend and I could go half a month without any action.”

 

Xu Jinman stared at her. “What’s that got to do with me?”

 

“Well, you’re the expert, aren’t you? I’ve heard about your… creative techniques. Just think of me as your apprentice,” Tong Jia said, her face twisting into a grimace. “I’ll even give you Shen Shu’s news for free from now on.”

 

Xu Jinman: “……”

 

As Xu Jinman glanced at Tong Jia, a scene from earlier that morning inexplicably flashed through her mind.

 

Shen Shu had been sitting beside her, barely a fist’s distance away. A few strands of her black hair stood up, her white T-shirt was slightly wrinkled, and she wore a black skirt with silver thread. Handcuffs bound her cream-white wrists…

 

A chaotic, forbidden beauty.

 

Having just learned the true reason behind the original Xu Jinman’s abuse of Shen Shu, she shouldn’t be thinking about this.

 

This kind of lingering recollection felt somewhat bestial.

 

Apart from that, Xu Jinman didn’t feel ashamed of her thoughts.

 

She simply believed that Shen Shu, in that state, was undeniably beautiful.

 

After a moment of contemplation, Xu Jinman said, “Perhaps you should consider… buying some handcuffs?”

 

“?”

 

“Do you think it would work?” Tong Jia took a sip of her coffee, her eyes already gleaming with anticipation.

 

“I don’t know if it would work, but it should be pretty… stimulating.”

 

“Should be? You make it sound like you’ve never tried it yourself.”

 

Xu Jinman fell silent.

 

Her memories from the previous night were hazy. She remembered being on Shen Shu’s back, returning to the hotel, and then… everything went blank. She had no recollection of the handcuffs or the entire play session.

 

So she could only say, “Maybe we played with them.”

 

After Tong Jia left, satisfied, Zhou Pei entered the room and said, “Miss, Madam Lu called me earlier.”

 

“What did she say?”

 

“She asked if you’d eaten and how you were feeling.”

 

Xu Jinman paused. To be honest, the maternal love Lu Yun showed her was something she had never experienced before. But that kind of unconditional, boundless indulgence occasionally made her uncomfortable.

 

Suddenly, Zhou Pei said, “Madam Lu has had a really tough time.”

 

Zhou Pei rarely spoke like this in front of her. Xu Jinman replied, “I know.”

 

Lu Yun and Xu Tao had remarried. Xu Jinman didn’t visit often, and Xu Tao clearly favored his children from his previous marriage. Lu Yun’s position in that household was far from easy.

 

“Would you like to go back and see her?”

 

Xu Jinman shook her head. “Do you think I should?”

 

“The Xu Family has such a vast fortune. Madam Lu must want you to return.” The words carried a double meaning.

 

Xu Jinman rubbed her neck and leaned back in her chair. Perhaps the conversation had helped her relax a little.

 

“Actually, I don’t care at all about the Xu Family’s wealth,” she said. “I just want to live a comfortable and carefree life with the people around me.”

 

Perhaps Tong Jia was right. From childhood, Manman had never been particularly interested in money, and earning it had never been a challenge for her. This allowed her to live with both rationality and idealism, sometimes one dominating, sometimes the other.

 

“Did Manman really say that?”

 

“Yes, Madam.”

 

Lu Yun set down her pruning shears and looked at her hands. “How could she not care? Without the Xu Family’s support, how will she survive on her own with those small companies?”

 

“Madam, Miss is doing very well. At least everything she’s achieved is through her own efforts.”

 

“What do you know? Without the Xu Family’s backing, how could she have succeeded so smoothly? Even if she’s working hard now, it’s only temporary. What about the future? Who will guarantee her continued success?”

 

Lu Yun said, “I kept you by her side to care for and protect her. I don’t need your opinions on anything else.”

 

Zhou Pei paused for a moment. “Understood.”

 

Lu Yun fell silent. “She wasn’t always like this. No matter how much she used to play around and cause trouble, at least she had the ambition to fight for the family inheritance. Ever since she got married…”

 

She asked, “Didn’t you say last time that she and Shen Shu aren’t living together?”

 

“Yes,” Zhou Pei paused. “They stayed together last night.”

 

“And before that?”

 

“Only that time at the Shen Family’s residence. Not since,” Zhou Pei replied. “There used to be some misunderstandings between her and Miss Shen. Miss Shen might not be too willing.”

 

Lu Yun said, “Unwilling? And Manman just gave up? After Manman spoiled her so much?”

 

Zhou Pei confirmed.

 

Hanging up, Lu Yun’s coldness melted into anxiety. She would do anything to protect her Manman, letting her live however she pleased. No matter how wild her antics, as long as no one died, Lu Yun would clean up the mess.

 

But she was growing old, while Manman remained young. Without her protection in the future, Manman would have to rely on the Xu Family.

 

Lu Yun allowed her to indulge in her playful nature, but she couldn’t tolerate her lack of ambition, her indifference, her being so infatuated with some woman that she lost all drive.

 

Lu Yun resolved to see for herself.

 

On the way back to the hotel, Xu Jinman felt drowsy. She hadn’t slept well the night before and had woken up too early. Even though it was still bright outside, she was already feeling sleepy.

 

I wonder if the original owner of this body was always like this? I’ve been feeling so tired lately.

 

Lost in thought, Xu Jinman’s phone vibrated softly.

 

Shen Shu: Come over. Your mom’s at my place. She says she’s staying for a few days.