Transmigrated as a Scum Alpha Cannon Fodder, Sweetly Pampering the Heroine - Chapter 36

Xu Jinman recalled the book’s precise descriptions. If I were to read this with Shen Shu… A shiver ran down her spine.

 

Looking at Shen Shu’s composed expression, Xu Jinman momentarily felt her own thoughts were truly impure.

 

In reality, this book was neither a cheap erotic novel nor a naive fairy tale.

 

It was a highly worthwhile work of art.

 

It depicted Victorian women crossing gender boundaries in their quest for independence and liberation. Set against the backdrop of the era’s upper-class society indulging in extreme hedonism and the simmering class struggle, the book possessed immense social value.

 

Xu Jinman tried to elevate her perspective, but she still faltered under Shen Shu’s candid gaze.

 

The book is respectable, but I’m not, Xu Jinman admitted to herself.

 

If she were to sit and read it with Shen Shu, she couldn’t guarantee her mind wouldn’t wander under the influence of Shen Shu’s pheromones.

 

She cleared her throat, took the book back, and settled on the sofa. “The page numbers are different. I’ll read it first.”

 

Shen Shu lowered her gaze, a faint smile curving her lips.

 

Xu Jinman appeared to be complex, but in reality, she was quite easy to read.

 

Shen Shu hadn’t actually intended for them to read together; she just wanted to gauge Xu Jinman’s reaction. Lately, she had noticed a pattern in Xu Jinman’s behavior around her: Xu Jinman would occasionally act playfully, but the moment Shen Shu made a move, Xu Jinman would back off as if afraid.

 

Especially after the banquet night, Xu Jinman had been avoiding physical contact with her.

 

As Shen Shu pondered this, the smile on her lips faded slightly.

 

Was Xu Jinman still acting this way because of that night? It was a pity she could only remember the assault scene; what else had she done to Xu Jinman that night?

 

Xu Jinman opened the book to her page and began discussing Cai Ying’s upcoming exam.

 

“She wants to find a tutor herself. I promised to go with her tomorrow to check some out,” Shen Shu said, settling into bed and picking up her phone.

 

Xu Jinman nodded. “I’m free tomorrow afternoon too. I can join you.”

 

Shen Shu paused. “Okay.”

 

Xu Jinman flipped through a couple of pages, then suddenly paused, trying to recall: Had she said “join you” or “join us”?

 

At 10:30 PM, Cai Ying sent a “good night” message in the group chat, while Xu Jinman began locking the doors and setting up her makeshift bed on the floor.

 

The whole routine took less than a minute.

 

“I’m practically a pro at this now,” Xu Jinman said.

 

Shen Shu chuckled at her tone.

 

Xu Jinman’s mood lifted with Shen Shu’s faint smile. Shen Shu rarely smiled, and Xu Jinman had never seen her laugh heartily.

 

Perhaps her gaze was too direct, because Shen Shu asked, “What are you looking at?”

 

“You should smile more,” Xu Jinman replied. “It suits you. I hope you’ll be happy like this for the rest of your life.”

 

“Xu Jinman,” Shen Shu said, “you’re really quite improper.”

 

Xu Jinman: “……?”

 

I’m being unfairly accused, Xu Jinman thought to herself.

 

Xu Jinman got up to use the bathroom. When she returned, her phone screen was lit up.

 

“Your phone rang,” Shen Shu said. “I put it on silent.”

 

Xu Jinman approached and picked it up, surprised to see ‘2B’ calling. Why was Xu Li calling her so late?

 

She answered the call.

 

Xu Li immediately launched into an accusation: “You knew my brother was coming back, didn’t you? That’s why you dared to make a scene at home!”

 

The moment Xu Jinman heard the word “scene,” her expression darkened.

 

“Do you even know what happened that day?”

 

“What? Do you want me to broadcast your tantrums, smashing things, and even raising your hand against Father?”

 

“Did Xu Tao tell you that?” Xu Jinman sneered.

 

The mention of Xu Tao’s name made Shen Shu’s heart tighten slightly. She straightened up and looked at Xu Jinman.

 

Xu Jinman stood near the bed, their gazes briefly meeting before she turned and walked onto the balcony.

 

She didn’t want to involve Shen Shu in this mess.

 

Xu Li’s voice crackled through the phone: “Xu Jinman, how dare you call Father by his name! You’re becoming increasingly insolent!”

 

The call devolved into a tirade, mostly accusations of disrespect toward Xu Tao.

 

Xu Jinman hung up. Clearly, Xu Li had no idea what had really happened that night, or perhaps she was even more ignorant of the devilish nature hidden behind the fatherly facade Xu Tao presented to her.

 

Even Xu Li, filled with resentment, had called to berate her. Yet Xu Tao, aside from a brief phone call a few days earlier, had remained completely silent.

 

She had expected Xu Tao to take some action, even if it was just to treat her like Old Master Song had treated Song Ronghui.

 

But these past few days had been eerily quiet, leaving her completely uncertain of Xu Tao’s intentions.

 

Lu Yun had sent several messages, all urging her not to overthink things, to take care of her health. If Xu Jinman hadn’t witnessed her actions firsthand, she might have genuinely believed Lu Yun was a good mother.

 

She then recalled Xu Li’s mention of her brother—Xu Yincheng, whom she had never met.

 

Xu Jinman had few impressions of this man; he hadn’t appeared much in the parts she’d read. However, the original Xu Jinman likely hadn’t disliked him.

 

The reason was simple: Xu Yincheng had a note attached to his name.

 

Xu Li’s opening remark had also struck her as odd, implying Xu Yincheng was some kind of patron for the original Xu Jinman. Xu Jinman scoffed inwardly. If the original Xu Jinman had truly had a patron, would she have ended up like this?

 

With the Xu Family being a house full of lunatics, Xu Jinman held little hope for this man either.

 

Xu Jinman pondered on the balcony for a while until the glass door slid open. Shen Shu stood in the doorway, asking, “What’s wrong?”

 

Xu Jinman looked at Shen Shu and smiled lightly. “Miss Shen, I’ve noticed you’ve been quite concerned about me lately.”

 

To be precise, it had only been these past two days.

 

Shen Shu: “……”

 

Seeing Xu Jinman deliberately changing the subject, Shen Shu calmly averted her gaze and said, “It’s almost eleven. We should turn off the lights and go to sleep.”

 

Xu Jinman: “……”

 

Back in their room, the cold-toned desk lamp illuminated the space.

 

The two women lay down separately. Xu Jinman muted her phone and prepared to check stock market news again.

 

Suddenly, Shen Shu asked, “What was my contact name before?”

 

Xu Jinman froze, remembering her original self’s… creative naming skills—especially since Shen Shu had almost caught her changing it before. Feeling a bit guilty, she stammered, “Just… your name. Why are you asking?”

 

Shen Shu: “I just saw your contact name for me and suddenly remembered…”

 

Xu Jinman’s heart skipped a beat.

 

“?”

 

Shen Shu: “It seems like it was more than just my name.”

 

As she spoke, she tilted her head slightly, realizing Xu Jinman was also lying down. She couldn’t see Xu Jinman’s expression.

 

Xu Jinman: “…It was just your name. You must have misread it.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Shen Shu hummed in acknowledgment. Xu Jinman waited a few seconds, and when Shen Shu didn’t say anything more, she finally let out a small sigh of relief.

 

Xu Jinman shifted restlessly on the floor. After a few turns, she sat up and glanced at her phone—it was past midnight.

 

She had insomnia.

 

Under the dim light, she carefully picked up the book from Shen Shu’s bedside table and slipped out of the bedroom.

 

She settled on the living room sofa.

 

The air conditioning wasn’t on, and after reading for a while, heat gradually seeped through her skin. Xu Jinman exhaled a hot breath, put down the book, and decided to take a shower before going back to bed.

 

Emerging from the bathroom, she saw Shen Shu wearing a light blue silk nightgown, her fair hand holding the book open to the bookmark.

 

“You’re still awake?”

 

Shen Shu glanced at Xu Jinman, whose cheeks were slightly flushed, with faint water droplets still clinging to her neck and collarbones. “Mm-hmm.”

 

She set down her book and started toward the bedroom, but stopped after a few steps. “No, you should read during the day. It’s bad for your health to read at night.”

 

Xu Jinman blinked in surprise. “Huh?”

 

Realizing her mistake, she stammered, “I… I wasn’t… I didn’t…”

 

I was just appreciating the literature, just like you.

 

Would you believe me?

 

Shen Shu certainly wouldn’t.

 

Considering my usual train of thought, never mind.

 

After Shen Shu left the room, Xu Jinman picked up the book from the sofa. She hadn’t been reading anything suggestive earlier. After a moment’s thought, she flipped to the page marked by the bookmark.

 

The bookmark had been placed haphazardly.

 

Xu Jinman had an excellent memory and never needed bookmarks; she could instantly recall the page she’d been on.

 

After rereading the marked passage, Xu Jinman pursed her parched lips. No wonder Shen Shu thought that.

 

The next morning, Shen Shu left early. Cai Ying had a driver, leaving Xu Jinman as the last to depart.

 

Originally planning to go to the office, Xu Jinman received a WeChat message just as she was leaving, prompting her to change course for a café.

 

At a window table, Xu Jinman immediately spotted a woman in a crisp business shirt, her short hair neatly styled and her appearance clean and refined.

 

Xu Jinman raised her hand in greeting.

 

It was Li Lan, the head of the Rongcheng Special Management Office.

 

Xu Jinman had discovered Li Lan’s name while organizing the original owner’s contacts. Since Li Lan had a relatively proper name, she paid particular attention to it.

 

Just recently, Li Lan had shared a promotional video from the Rongcheng Special Management Office’s training exercise on her social media, which led to Song Ronghui being caught in the act.

 

People working in such specialized fields tend to be highly perceptive. Xu Jinman wasn’t sure what connection the original owner had with Li Lan, so she waited for her to speak first.

 

To her surprise, Li Lan addressed her with a familiar tone.

 

“I have a meeting soon, so I won’t keep you long. Is Xu Yincheng coming back soon?”

 

As the waiter brought over two cups of coffee, Li Lan naturally slid the cappuccino in front of her to Xu Jinman. “If he contacts you, tell me immediately.”

 

Her tone sounded like she had committed some kind of crime.

 

Xu Jinman deliberately slowed her speech. “Well…”

 

Li Lan said coldly, “Even if he rejects me, I want to hear it from his own lips.”

 

Xu Jinman: “……”

 

Oh, the crime of love.

 

Xu Jinman nodded, completely unaware of whether Xu Yincheng would return. She hadn’t even heard where he was.

 

Why does everyone assume I should know?

 

Li Lan checked the time, took a sip of her coffee, and said, “I haven’t heard any scandalous news about you lately. Keep it up. Remember to behave yourself and stay within the law.”

 

Before Xu Jinman could reply, Li Lan straightened her collar and said sternly, “Most importantly, pay your taxes properly. If you dare break the law, neither your brother nor I will spare you.”

 

Xu Jinman: “……”

 

She nodded, watching Li Lan walk away in her high-heeled boots.

 

She felt a pang of emotion—not for any particular reason, but because she had encountered such an upright person in the original owner’s life.

 

Too bad I couldn’t get more information about Xu Yincheng. What exactly does he do?

 

Xu Jinman stood up to pay, but the waiter informed her that the bill had already been settled. She mentally gave a thumbs-up—as expected of someone working for the state.

 

It was just past one in the afternoon.

 

Shen Shu received Xu Jinman’s message and sent her location.

 

Xu Jinman: Why are you at the school?

 

Shen Shu: Heard there’s an event going on. She’s here to join the fun.

 

Xu Jinman: Did you see it?

 

Shen Shu: Almost there.

 

Cai Ying had hired several doctoral students with teaching certificates, all majoring in trade, as tutors. Eager to join the excitement, they arrived early only to discover it was just a lecture.

 

Since they were only twenty minutes ahead of schedule, they decided to grab milk tea at a nearby shop.

 

“Shu Shu, why don’t we take a walk around campus?”

 

Before Shen Shu could answer, her phone rang. It was a former colleague calling about workflow issues.

 

Cai Ying said she’d be right back and left with her milk tea.

 

The main road leading to the university was lined with plane trees on both sides. The late August heat still lingered as Cai Ying opened her crossbody bag under the shade of a tree, reaching for a tissue.

 

Her hand slipped, and the tissue fell to the ground.

 

As she bent down to pick it up, a slender, elegant hand appeared in her line of sight first. Cai Ying looked up, her eyes widening. “You’re the one from last time…”

 

“We meet again,” Han Wenling said with a smile, handing her the tissue. “Are you a student here?”

 

Cai Ying took the tissue, shook her head, and asked, “Are you a student?”

 

Han Wenling glanced at Cai Ying’s flushed cheeks, leaned in, and asked, “Do I look like her?”

 

“No…” Cai Ying replied, feeling inexplicably nervous. “You look like a teacher.”

 

When Cai Ying returned to Shen Shu’s side, Shen Shu was just about to call her.

 

“Let’s go home. I found a tutor,” Cai Ying said, hooking her arm through Shen Shu’s. “Is Xu Jinman coming over?”

 

“You met her?” Shen Shu asked.

 

“Yeah, but it’s not the original person. I met someone really amazing—a teacher from school.” And she’s incredibly beautiful.

 

Cai Ying didn’t voice the last part, but Shen Shu saw right through her.

 

“Did you check her credentials? Her qualifications, certifications, and whether her expertise matches the subject? Did you ask about any of that?”

 

“Don’t worry, I asked about everything,” Cai Ying assured her. “She even showed me photos of herself with the school principal and professors.”

 

“What’s her name? I’ll look her up.”

 

“She’s busy right now and said she’ll contact me later with more details. It’s not urgent anyway. Aiya, don’t worry—you think I’d fall for a scam?”

 

“It’s not that I’m worried,” Shen Shu said coldly. “I just think you’ve already been scammed.”

 

Cai Ying: “……”

 

Xu Jinman waited at the intersection for the traffic light to change. As she turned, she inadvertently glanced into the black Maybach and saw a woman smoking inside.

 

Han Wenling, noticing Xu Jinman’s gaze, met her eyes. In that brief exchange, both women instinctively understood the other’s nature.

 

Xu Jinman saw Han Wenling raise her cigarette hand slightly in a gesture that could be interpreted as a greeting.

 

Although the Han family had ultimately been cleared of involvement in the incident at the last banquet, Xu Jinman found it hard to believe that Han Wenling had been completely unaware. From Han Wenling’s subsequent glances, Xu Jinman could sense her deep cunning and recognized her as a dangerous woman.

 

In those fleeting seconds, the two cars passed each other.

 

After picking up her passengers, Xu Jinman overheard Shen Shu and Cai Ying’s conversation in the back seat.

 

“You know nothing about her, yet you gave her your contact information? How can anyone feel at ease?” Shen Shu’s voice quickened with anger.

 

Cornered, Cai Ying blurted out, “Fine, fine! I didn’t really want her as a tutor—I just wanted to flirt with her!”

 

Xu Jinman: “……From what I see, you’re more likely to be the one getting flirted with.”

 

Cai Ying: “……”

 

Finally, under Shen Shu’s stern gaze, Cai Ying repeatedly promised to be careful and to contact Shen Shu as soon as she heard anything.

 

Xu Jinman first took Cai Ying home, then dropped Shen Shu off downstairs.

 

“Still angry?” Xu Jinman asked, studying Shen Shu’s expression.

 

Shen Shu shook her head. “I’m just worried.”

 

Cai Ying is an adult now, she thought. As her friend, I shouldn’t be meddling so much.

 

Xu Jinman turned off the car and reassured her, “It’s not meddling too much. After all, she’s a bit naive.”

 

She understood that Shen Shu had lacked familial warmth throughout her life. Apart from her grandmother, Cai Ying was the only person she truly cared about.

 

I wonder where I rank in Shen Shu’s heart now? The thought flashed through her mind and vanished.

 

Shen Shu chuckled at her words. “She was spoiled growing up. The most malicious person she’s ever met was her ex-girlfriend.”

 

“I understand,” Xu Jinman replied.

 

Shen Shu wanted to protect the innocence in Cai Ying’s heart.

 

Having witnessed the ugliness of the world, they both hoped that this small spark of purity would never be tainted.

 

After a moment, just as Xu Jinman was about to suggest having dinner together before leaving, Shen Shu said, “Go upstairs.”

 

Xu Jinman paused, no prefix needed; she knew it meant “let’s go upstairs together.” Before heading up, they retrieved a package from downstairs.

 

It was 6:30 PM.

 

The refrigerator was nearly empty, containing only frozen shrimp, so they made a simple seafood noodle dish.

 

Shen Shu gazed at the shrimp in her bowl and asked, “Why are you giving me all of them?”

 

“You love shrimp, and there aren’t many left,” Xu Jinman replied, taking a bite of her egg. “How’s filming been going lately?”

 

Shen Shu flinched slightly. The gruesome photos and words, like indelible stains, stirred a pang of sorrow in her heart. Xu Jinman, now so kind and good, had also endured hell…

 

Lowering her lashes, Shen Shu answered, “We’ll finish filming tomorrow and the day after.”

 

With that, she transferred several shrimp to Xu Jinman’s bowl.

 

Shen Shu murmured, “Xu Jinman, I’ll be nicer to you from now on.”

 

Xu Jinman froze, then slowly replied, “You should have said so sooner. If a few shrimp can buy you off, I should open a shrimp farm.”

 

Shen Shu chuckled softly, her eyes crinkling as she looked up. Seeing her smile, Xu Jinman smiled back.

 

“Looks like I’ll have to open one, you’re so happy,” Shen Shu said, picking up a piece of pickled vegetable with a smile. “You’re such a tease.”

 

Xu Jinman could hear her heart pounding in her chest.

 

So Shen Shu has this side to her too.

 

The Omega’s coquettish tone brushed against her heart like a feather, tickling the seeds of flowers planted there, which were now itching slightly as they began to sprout.

 

Around seven o’clock, Xu Jinman suddenly remembered the password box and turned to go to the bedroom to retrieve it.

 

“Open the package I got earlier,” Shen Shu said.

 

Xu Jinman changed direction and went to grab the package by the door.

 

Inside was a black satin nightgown with delicate lace detailing just below the bust, cinching slightly at the waist. The fabric felt incredibly soft. Knowing it was meant to be worn close to Shen Shu’s skin made Xu Jinman’s hands feel warm.

 

“Where should I put this?” she asked.

 

“It’s for you. Go try it on,” Shen Shu replied, her back turned as she poured water at the counter.

 

“For me?” Xu Jinman asked, surprised.

 

Shen Shu didn’t turn around, her voice soft and lacking its usual coldness. “Mm-hmm. You can return it if you don’t like it.”

 

Xu Jinman went into the bathroom, staring at the nightgown for a long moment before smiling. Why is she so shy about giving a gift?

 

After undressing, she slipped on the dress.

 

A moment later, Xu Jinman’s helpless voice called out from the bathroom: “Shu Shu, you need to come help me.”

 

Shen Shu stood at the door. “Are you changed?”

 

“No,” Xu Jinman replied, opening the door from inside. She turned her back to Shen Shu, revealing half of her fair back down to her butterfly bones. “It’s stuck…”

 

Shen Shu: “……”

 

Shen Shu gripped the zipper and, without any technique, smoothly pulled it all the way up.

 

Xu Jinman met Shen Shu’s eyes in the mirror. “It really was stuck just now.”

 

After a cough, Xu Jinman gazed at her chest, which was pushed up by the tight dress, and asked, “Don’t you think the bust is a bit small?”

 

Shen Shu: “……I got the smallest size.”

 

Xu Jinman: “?”

 

Shen Shu calmly averted her gaze, unwilling to admit she couldn’t gauge bust sizes. She had observed that Xu Jinman was very slender. “It doesn’t look too small to me, so I didn’t ask.”

 

Xu Jinman: “?”

 

Why don’t you take another look?