Transmigrated as a Scum Alpha Cannon Fodder, Sweetly Pampering the Heroine - Chapter 32

Shen Shu’s lips parted slightly, but before she could speak, Cai Ying emerged from the bathroom and saw the two women standing so close. Cai Ying shot them a knowing look.

 

“Tsk, tsk.”

 

Xu Jinman: “……”

 

Xu Jinman’s gaze shifted from Cai Ying to the guest room next door, and a compromise suddenly occurred to her.

 

She casually picked up a glass, walked to the kitchen island, filled it with water, and said, “Since you rarely visit, why don’t you two sleep here tonight? I’ll take the guest room.”

 

Cai Ying: “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

 

Cai Ying grabbed Shen Shu’s arm and huffed softly, “Don’t worry, I’m not that clueless.”

 

“……” Her sincerity was beyond reproach.

 

She genuinely wanted to sleep in the guest room.

 

Shen Shu glanced at Xu Jinman, sensing something odd in her tone. Yesterday, she had been delirious with fever, only vaguely remembering Xu Jinman helping her into bed, giving her medicine, and then she had drifted off to sleep.

 

After that, Xu Jinman seemed to have taken a shower. All Shen Shu knew was that her body felt terribly uncomfortable. She tried to get up but couldn’t manage it, feeling as if she were trapped in a burning cage… When she finally regained consciousness, it was already morning.

 

Looking at Xu Jinman’s demeanor, Cai Ying couldn’t shake the feeling that something else had happened during that missing memory from the previous day.

 

It was a little after five o’clock.

 

Cai Ying, having been pampered since childhood, had never learned to cook, her parents always taking care of her every need. She sat on the edge of the kitchen island, scrolling through her phone while watching Shen Shu and Xu Jinman.

 

The summer sun lingered late, casting faint orange rays across the white porcelain surface of the peninsula-shaped island. Shen Shu was washing vegetables, while Xu Jinman expertly diced carrots.

 

As Cai Ying watched, she opened her camera and snapped a photo.

 

After taking the picture, she observed Xu Jinman’s precise knife work and asked curiously, “Xu Jinman, be honest—are you secretly a fake heiress?”

 

Xu Jinman didn’t look up, her knife moving with steady rhythm. “What do you mean?”

 

“Your knife skills are almost as good as my family’s chef!”

 

Xu Jinman had considered this question herself when she first started cooking.

 

Growing up in the Xu Family, especially under Lu Yun’s doting care, her hands—renowned for their delicate touch—hadn’t earned their reputation by chance.

 

Moreover, Xu Jinman carried an aura forged from a lifetime of being showered with wealth and privilege.

 

Xu Jinman’s cooking was remarkably skilled, the kind of practiced ease that comes from preparing meals daily. She moved with a familiarity that belied her upbringing as a pampered heiress who supposedly never lifted a finger.

 

Shen Shu glanced sideways at her.

 

Xu Jinman paused, then said, “What’s so surprising? I’m just naturally talented.”

 

Cai Ying rolled her eyes and muttered to Shen Shu, “She’s so shameless.”

 

Shen Shu observed Xu Jinman’s reaction. Instead of getting angry, Xu Jinman simply smiled, taking Cai Ying’s teasing in stride.

 

Shen Shu lowered her gaze to wash the small green vegetables, meticulously cleaning each leaf. The rhythmic chopping of vegetables filled the air, punctuated by Cai Ying’s jokes and gossip.

 

For a moment, Shen Shu found herself enjoying this easy camaraderie.

 

A strand of Shen Shu’s hair slipped down, sticking to her damp cheek. She tried tucking it behind her ear with her pinky, but the soft, loose strands kept falling back, clinging together in wet clumps.

 

Just as she was about to ask Cai Ying for a hairpin, Xu Jinman stopped what she was doing. She reached over and tucked the stray strand behind Shen Shu’s ear, then clipped her own hairpin into Shen Shu’s hair.

 

Shen Shu froze momentarily. By the time she registered what had happened, Xu Jinman had already resumed chopping vegetables, acting as if nothing had occurred.

 

Cai Ying’s gaze swept back and forth between their faces. Her expression darkened as she turned on her heel, slippers slapping against the floor. “Ugh, lovey-dovey couple!”

 

Xu Jinman looked up, utterly bewildered. “?”

 

What’s wrong with giving her a hairpin?

 

She glanced sideways at Shen Shu, whose expression remained as placid as ever. “Her last breakup was… messy. She can’t handle seeing romantic gestures.”

 

If she’s still heartbroken, that makes sense.

 

Xu Jinman casually asked, “When did they break up?”

 

“Last year,” Shen Shu replied.

 

Xu Jinman: “……”

 

“She’s the type who holds onto things.”

 

“……Okay.”

 

After washing the vegetables and placing them in the drainer, Xu Jinman said, “Go keep her company. I can manage on my own.”

 

Shen Shu watched Xu Jinman plate the carrots before moving to the shrimp tank on the other side, preparing to clean them.

 

With fluid motions, Xu Jinman peeled the shells and removed the veins, each movement precise and practiced.

 

Shen Shu averted her gaze, went to the living room to chat with Cai Ying for a while, then checked the time and changed the bedsheets in the guest room before moving on to the master bedroom.

 

Lifting the quilt, her hand brushed against something soft and yielding.

 

Shen Shu picked up the small, round object. It was a deep pink silicone n1pple cover.

 

Shen Shu: “……?”

 

Her eyelashes fluttered violently as an image flashed through her mind: a woman’s sweat-drenched body. She glanced down at her palm.

 

Last night… it wasn’t a dream?

 

Half an hour later.

 

Salt and pepper prawns, fish-fragrant shredded pork, stir-fried vegetables, and a mixed soup.

 

Despite Shen Shu’s earlier assurances, Cai Ying had harbored no illusions about the taste. Yet when she put a bite of the fish-fragrant shredded pork in her mouth, she was genuinely surprised.

 

“I can’t believe my taste buds are actually telling me your cooking is pretty good,” Cai Ying said, reaching for another prawn.

 

One thing Cai Ying couldn’t be faulted for was her blunt honesty.

 

Xu Jinman’s lips twitched into a faint smile as she glanced at Shen Shu. “Is it okay?”

 

The prawns were freshly bought by Shen Shu on her way back, their flesh tender and springy. Xu Jinman’s seasoning was perfectly balanced, leaving no room for complaint.

 

Shen Shu paused, then nodded. “It’s okay.”

 

After the meal, Shen Shu carried her bowl to the sink.

 

Xu Jinman followed her, repeating, “Just make up an excuse later and tell her you two are sleeping together tonight. I’ll take the guest room.”

 

Shen Shu remained silent for a moment.

 

“Not tonight.”

 

“…?”

 

Shen Shu glanced at Cai Ying, who was scrolling through her phone in the living room. “I need to ask you something.”

 

Xu Jinman: “?”

 

Here we go again…

 

Xu Jinman was starting to develop a complex. Every time Shen Shu said she needed to “talk” or “ask something,” it was never good news.

 

Xu Jinman thought back to yesterday… Shen Shu clearly didn’t remember what had happened late last night. Shen Shu was a highly sensitive person, and bringing up the guest room a third time would seem deliberate.

 

She might even think Xu Jinman was intentionally avoiding something.

 

Fine, I’ll just sleep on the floor.

 

Cai Ying lay on the sofa, playing on her phone for a while before wailing, “Help! I just drove one tutor away, and now my dad’s found me another one! I don’t want to study! Ugh, why does a Chinese person like me have to learn Russian?!”

 

“Your dad’s just looking out for you. Every business your family runs requires foreign language skills,” Shen Shu said, taking a carton of ice cream from the fridge and handing it to Cai Ying. “Learning it well will only help you when you take over the company.”

 

“But I don’t really want to do this. I want to write novels, be a writer!”

 

Xu Jinman, legs crossed, glanced at Zhou Pei’s report on her phone and chuckled. “Then you better be careful,” she said casually. “Lots of novelists starve to death.”

 

It was a joke she’d heard before.

 

Cai Ying: “Starving to death is better than online classes.”

 

She scooped a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth and turned to Shen Shu. “Besides, I’m not as smart as you. It’s too hard. These teachers are so boring, and they’re not even good-looking. There’s nothing interesting about them at all.”

 

“Xu Jinman, you must understand this, right?”

 

Xu Jinman, suddenly called out, raised an eyebrow.

 

Cai Ying: “A beautiful teacher or a regular teacher? Which would you choose?”

 

Xu Jinman: “Beautiful.”

 

Cai Ying: “See?!”

 

Cai Ying seemed to have found a kindred spirit. “Do you have any experience with this? How can I convince my dad to hire a beautiful teacher for me?”

 

“With your attitude?” Shen Shu sighed. “No wonder your dad worries about you getting distracted. Besides, even a beautiful teacher might not make the lessons interesting.”

 

Cai Ying shook her head earnestly, her light-colored, mixed-heritage eyes gleaming. “As long as she’s beautiful, even the dictionary smells sweet to me.”

 

Shen Shu: “……”

 

“Xu Jinman, do you agree with me?”

 

Shen Shu suddenly glanced at her, and Xu Jinman met her gaze. “I guess so…”

 

Xu Jinman felt it was best not to linger here. She noticed that Shen Shu sometimes treated Cai Ying more like a younger sister than a friend, guiding her from an elder sister’s perspective.

 

It was better to leave when someone was looking after a child.

 

She wasn’t suited to teaching children; she’d likely lead them astray.

 

After a quick shower, she changed out of the black long-sleeved shirt she’d worn earlier that afternoon, which had already dried, and hurriedly removed the lingering powder.

 

Returning to Shen Shu’s bedroom, she settled into the armchair near the floor-to-ceiling window.

 

Outside, occasional conversations and soft laughter drifted in.

 

Checking her phone, she saw that Song Ronghui had indeed visited the Rongcheng Special Management Office last night, but the results were unremarkable.

 

However, when deciding to take this action, she had to consider one possibility: Yin Xue undoubtedly held some leverage over the original owner of this body. After this incident, Yin Xue might resort to more drastic measures.

 

The first time she spared Yin Xue at the hospital was for this very reason.

 

The second time, at the Imperial Grand, she had prepared for Yin Xue to use her leverage, but for some reason, Yin Xue didn’t.

 

Now, for the third time, Yin Xue had only Song Ronghui left to exploit. If Song Ronghui fell, Yin Xue would lose all hope, and her actions would become unpredictable.

 

In truth, if Yin Xue hadn’t been pushing her so relentlessly, Xu Jinman wouldn’t have wanted to go to such extremes. Yin Xue’s emotions belonged to the original owner of this body. Even before Xu Jinman arrived, their twisted relationship, though unbalanced, had maintained a fragile equilibrium.

 

Yet pity didn’t excuse Yin Xue’s malice.

 

Xu Jinman understood clearly: whatever Yin Xue held, she couldn’t run from it, nor could she afford to be as indifferent as before.

 

Because she was Xu Jinman now, and to the outside world, she was indistinguishable from the original owner of this body.

 

Her leniency would only embolden their repeated attacks.

 

Around eight o’clock that evening, Cai Ying, in a fit of madness, retreated to the guest room.

 

Only then did Xu Jinman realize Cai Ying still had online classes to attend. She watched as Shen Shu entered the room and closed the door behind her.

 

Shen Shu seemed to hesitate for a moment before approaching Xu Jinman and lowering her gaze.

 

Xu Jinman tilted her head. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Yesterday… I was delirious with fever. Did I do anything?”

 

“No,” Xu Jinman replied, rubbing her fingertips together. “You slept soundly.”

 

Shen Shu studied her expression intently. “Really?”

 

Under Shen Shu’s scrutinizing gaze, Xu Jinman couldn’t bring herself to nod. She held her ground, enduring the intense stare in silence.

 

Xu Jinman: “……”

 

Unsure if Shen Shu was starting to remember something, Xu Jinman forced a laugh. “Why are you asking all of a sudden? Trying to take responsibility for me?”

 

Shen Shu remained silent. She still wasn’t certain whether Xu Jinman was an Alpha or an Omega, but based on her fragmented memories from the previous night, it seemed she had indeed… taken advantage of Xu Jinman.

 

Though the thought felt absurd.

 

Shen Shu felt a sudden urge to facepalm.

 

Seeing Shen Shu’s earnest contemplation, Xu Jinman’s smile faded. She stood up and cleared her throat. “Don’t overthink it. It was just a… brief hug.”

 

Shen Shu: “……”

 

Xu Jinman stood up, her height advantage immediately becoming apparent.

 

Shen Shu instinctively wanted to retreat, but she restrained herself, meeting Xu Jinman’s gaze directly.

 

Shen Shu: “Who hugged whom?”

 

Had Shen Shu forgotten what she’d asked first? Or was she forcing Xu Jinman to spell it out? What was this about? Did she really want to take responsibility?

 

Xu Jinman suddenly found her endearing and lowered her head slightly. “If I had hugged you, would I even tell you?”

 

Shen Shu: “……”

 

“Shu Shu Shu Shu! Lend me a pencil!” Cai Ying suddenly burst through the door from outside. From her angle, it looked like Xu Jinman was about to lean in and kiss Shen Shu.

 

“Ah! You damn lovey-dovey couple!”

 

Bang! The door slammed shut.

 

Xu Jinman: “……”

 

Shen Shu: “……”

 

Shen Shu pursed her lips.

 

Xu Jinman’s gaze involuntarily drifted to her lips. Their shape was exquisite, the cupid’s bow full and rounded, the curve smooth and graceful, their color like red roses diluted with water.

 

Xu Jinman’s glands began to tingle slightly.

 

Realizing they were standing too close, Xu Jinman lifted her head slightly. Unwilling to lie to Shen Shu, and fearing further questioning about details, she said, “It’s nothing much. You had a high fever and nearly rolled off the bed, so I carried you back.”

 

That was the gist of it, anyway.

 

“Then how did this end up on my bed?” Shen Shu asked, holding up the delicate pink object.

 

Xu Jinman stared at the little thing in her hand, speechless.

 

No wonder I couldn’t find it on the floor. It must have fallen onto the bed when I carried Shen Shu last night.

 

But how could she answer this question?

 

Say I touched you here and there, then tugged at your clothes and stripped them off?

 

She feared Shen Shu couldn’t handle that version of herself.

 

“I don’t know. Maybe it accidentally fell off when you were changing,” Xu Jinman said casually, averting her gaze to check her phone. “What are you thinking? Someone as proper as you would never do anything to me.”

 

Shen Shu studied her for a long moment, then dropped the matter.

 

She placed the pink object on Xu Jinman’s lap, returning it to her, then took a pencil from the drawer and left the room.

 

It seemed she truly believed her.

 

As soon as she entered, Cai Ying saw an English online class video playing on the screen. She deliberately covered her eyes and clicked her tongue. “Tsk tsk tsk, I didn’t mean to! I didn’t realize you guys started so early.”

 

Shen Shu: “…Do you still want the pencil?”

 

“Yes, yes, yes!” Cai Ying snatched it and tapped another link on her tablet.

 

Shen Shu stayed with Cai Ying for a while. The Cai family had only one daughter, and their expectations for her were high. But Cai Ying was still young, at the age when playing was her priority, and she couldn’t focus on anything.

 

Her greatest interests were reading and writing novels.

 

One day, Shen Shu glanced over Cai Ying’s shoulder as she was reading. The title was something like “Transmigrated as the Scummy Alpha Who Marries the Female Lead by Agreement.” The name alone sounded utterly ridiculous.

 

A quick glance at the page made Shen Shu think it was some kind of smutty novel.

 

Cai Ying had to explain the plot points to her: the one on top was an Omega, and the one on the bottom was an Alpha. This kind of “O-over-A” dynamic was supposedly very exciting, and they were about to start casting for a TV drama adaptation.

 

“Shu Shu?”

 

Shen Shu snapped out of her daze and answered Cai Ying’s question. She took a deep breath, still unsure what had just happened. The “plot point” Cai Ying had mentioned earlier had inexplicably conjured that suggestive image in her mind, even though reality and fiction were completely different.

 

She knew Xu Jinman hadn’t told her the whole story, but she could guess which parts were true.

 

Shen Shu sighed inwardly, feeling a vague sense of guilt for taking advantage of someone who was still trying to comfort her. Xu Jinman had even stayed up all night caring for her on the floor. Morally, she couldn’t treat her too poorly.

 

Twenty minutes later, Cai Ying’s online class ended. She flopped onto the bed and noticed the payment screen on Shen Shu’s phone. “What did you buy?”

 

“Pajamas.”

 

“Oh, let me see.”

 

Cai Ying stared at the black dress on the screen. “These pajamas are cute! The color is so sleek.”

 

Shen Shu turned off her phone. “They’re not for me.”