Transmigrated as a Scum Alpha Cannon Fodder, Sweetly Pampering the Heroine - Chapter 6

Xu Jinman felt a twinge of awkwardness.

Shen Shu clearly didn’t want to see her, otherwise she wouldn’t have pretended to be asleep.

And she was doing a pretty convincing job. Xu Jinman figured her earlier words must have startled Shen Shu, making her think Xu Jinman was about to do something.

She really has a talent for acting.

Xu Jinman suddenly realized: Shen Shu is an actress, after all.

She had been the lead in the university drama club and even joined a film crew. For some reason, the project never aired, and Shen Shu seemed to have abandoned that path after her grandmother’s death.

Ha— Xu Jinman covered her mouth, feigning a yawn as she turned away, determined to pretend she hadn’t seen anything. But as she was about to leave, her gaze drifted to the documents on the table, and she stopped in her tracks.

A bid proposal for urban development projects.

Xu Jinman mentally noted the details, then glanced at the ‘sleeping’ figure on the bed. Shen Shu’s breathing was steady, her posture resolute in feigning slumber.

A silent smile tugged at Xu Jinman’s lips. This version of Shen Shu is almost… endearing.

A basket of grapes sat on the corner of the table. An idea sparked in Xu Jinman’s mind, and she suddenly didn’t want to leave.

In reality, Shen Shu had woken the moment Xu Jinman entered the room.

It was the instinctive tension that arises when facing an abuser. She knew Xu Jinman’s assurances of not harming her were just empty words, part of her manipulative tactics.

Sensing Xu Jinman rise from the bed, Shen Shu tensed, ready to react.

She must have realized I was pretending to be asleep and decided not to do anything, Shen Shu thought.

She heard the Alpha yawn, place something on the table, and then fall silent. Soon after, she picked something up, and footsteps retreated from the bedside…

Shen Shu’s hand tightened beneath the blanket. After a few seconds, she cautiously opened her eyes a crack, just in time to see Xu Jinman’s retreating figure disappear into the bathroom.

Xu Jinman was also wearing a light blue hospital gown, her light brown curly hair tied into a bun at the back of her head. She held something in her hand, her arm slightly raised, the thin fabric of the gown pressed against her slender waist, revealing its contours.

As she stepped through the doorway, a glimpse of her pale ankle showed beneath the hem of her pants.

Finally, the sound of running water echoed from the bathroom.

What is she doing?

The ringing of her phone jolted Shen Shu back to reality.

The call came at an inopportune moment, but seeing the caller ID, she answered.

The tone on the other end was sharp. “Why are you still in the hospital?”

Clutching the phone, Shen Shu glanced at the bathroom and said, “Mom, I’ll call you back later.”

“Tell the nurse to let me in. She said I can’t see you without your permission.”

Shen Shu froze, suspecting Cai Ying had arranged this. Since her mother was already at the door, there was nothing she could do.

After hanging up, Shen Shu stared at the bathroom, took a deep breath, and called out, “Xu Jinman.”

Though they were married in name, Shen Shu had no desire for Xu Jinman to ever meet her parents again. Xu Jinman had forced her into this compromise by threatening to cut off their funding.

“Awake?” Xu Jinman’s voice cut through the sound of running water, crisp and clear.

Am I imagining things, or is there a faint hint of a smile in her tone? Shen Shu wondered.

Shen Shu remained silent.

Then, a tall, slender figure emerged from the bathroom, leaning against the doorframe with one hand. In her other hand, she held a deep purple grape, which she waved at Shen Shu.

“Washing grapes,” she explained.

This harmless demeanor would have been convincing if Shen Shu hadn’t witnessed Xu Jinman’s true, ruthless nature firsthand.

Without waiting for Shen Shu to respond, Xu Jinman turned and reentered the bathroom.

She placed the washed grapes into a bowl, her smile fading slightly. If anyone else had come, she wouldn’t have minded.

But it was Shen Shu’s adoptive mother, Wei Wuqing.

This woman had inflicted as much harm on Shen Shu as the original owner of this body.

Wei Wuqing’s voice soon echoed from outside. She seemed displeased from the moment she entered, slamming the door shut with unnecessary force.

Xu Jinman turned off the faucet and casually popped a grape into her mouth.

Wei Wuqing sat down on a stool, crossing her arms as she scrutinized Shen Shu. “What exactly happened? How did a perfectly good wedding end with you in the hospital?”

“Just feeling a bit unwell,” Shen Shu said, wanting to warn her that Xu Jinman was in the room.

Wei Wuqing immediately retorted, “Xu Jinman’s hospitalized too? Did you hurt her because you didn’t want to go through with it?”

Shen Shu was momentarily speechless, a heated balloon swelling in her chest, while beneath it lay a block of ice as thick as a city wall.

She averted her gaze, her tone turning icy. “I couldn’t hurt her.” I was the one who nearly died.

“Then why are you acting like this? Has Xu Jinman said anything? How do you expect to keep an Alpha looking like this? If you lose her, the Shen Family’s funding will collapse! Do you even realize that?”

Shen Shu pressed her lips into a thin line. She had naively believed Wei Wuqing had come for her sake.

When Wei Wuqing asked about Xu Jinman’s condition and learned Shen Shu hadn’t even bothered to check on her, her face darkened. “If you’d put even a fraction of your heart into the Shen Family, your father and I wouldn’t have to endure such humiliation. The homecoming banquet was already set, and now it’s canceled at the last minute. Everyone’s saying the Xu Family looks down on us…”

Wei Wuqing’s tirade continued unabated, but Shen Shu listened in silence. Wasn’t she trying hard enough? For the Shen Family, she had jumped into Xu Jinman’s hellish lair. Yet not once had anyone asked her: Where does it hurt? How are you feeling now?

Not even a perfunctory word of concern.

Shen Shu felt utterly drained, both physically and mentally, and had no desire to speak further.

Suddenly, a soft thud echoed from the bathroom, like something being dropped on the floor.

“Madam Wei has arrived,” a calm voice announced.

Xu Jinman emerged from the bathroom, carrying a plate of freshly washed grapes, a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Wei Wuqing immediately looked up, forcing a smile through her panic. “Miss Xu, you’re here.” She paused, realizing the title seemed inappropriate given their age difference.

Xu Jinman shifted her gaze away from Wei Wuqing and walked directly to Shen Shu, sitting beside her. She set down the plate, picked up a grape, and offered it to Shen Shu, whispering, “Eat.”

Wei Wuqing’s expression flickered with surprise. This was another astonishing development—Xu Jinman personally washing grapes for Shen Shu.

Recalling her earlier complaints about Shen Shu, Wei Wuqing felt a mix of regret and annoyance. Why didn’t she warn me sooner? she thought. At least I didn’t say anything too outrageous.

Still, if she could truly win over Xu Jinman, the Tyrant, none of this would matter.

Shen Shu lowered her gaze to the plump grape, glistening like a purple crystal on Xu Jinman’s jade-like fingertips. She didn’t want to accept it, but Xu Jinman held it out persistently, showing no intention of withdrawing.

With both gazes fixed on her, Shen Shu had no choice but to reach out and take the grapes.

Her fingertips brushed against Xu Jinman’s hand—cool and smooth, with water droplets clinging to her slender, well-defined fingers.

Only after Shen Shu had taken the grapes did Xu Jinman lift her head to speak. “I misspoke. Shu Shu and I are married now. I should call you ‘Mother’ instead.”

The hand Shen Shu held the grapes with trembled.

Wei Wuqing’s eyes narrowed into slits as she smiled. “Such a good child. Our Shu Shu has been spoiled since she was little. Please be patient with her if she acts immaturely.”

Xu Jinman turned to Shen Shu, gently draping an arm around her shoulders, her eyes soft with tenderness. “She needs to be pampered. Her health isn’t good. I want her to rest quietly for a while. We can discuss the homecoming visit later. What do you think?”

A chill surged from the soles of Shen Shu’s feet to the crown of her head, making her scalp tingle.

Wei Wuqing naturally agreed, then asked a few perfunctory questions about Shen Shu’s condition and when she might recover. Sensing Xu Jinman’s waning patience, she exchanged a few more pleasantries before taking her leave.

As soon as Wei Wuqing was gone, Xu Jinman withdrew her arm and stood up, maintaining a half-meter distance from Shen Shu.

“I apologize for what happened just now. There was a reason for it.”

Shen Shu looked up and met Xu Jinman’s gaze. She could tell that Xu Jinman had been trying to protect her earlier, but this realization only made her feel more uneasy.

Everything happens for a reason. This applied equally to Xu Jinman’s actions.

Why would she do this? She must have her own motives.

“What are you doing here?!”

Cai Ying burst through the door, shopping bags in hand, and positioned herself between Xu Jinman and Shen Shu. She glared at Xu Jinman. “Get out of here! You’re not welcome here, and Shu Shu doesn’t want to see you either!”

Xu Jinman’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.

She considered herself to have a good temper, but being repeatedly insulted to her face still made her extremely… annoyed.

Especially by this young girl—a 19-year-old in the prime of her youth, whose arrogance and rudeness, while perhaps endearing to some, had always grated on Xu Jinman’s nerves.

Almost the instant she sensed the shift in Xu Jinman’s mood, Shen Shu stood up.

“Cai Ying,” she said, pulling Cai Ying back a step. “Go outside first. I need to talk to her about something.”

Cai Ying refused to leave Shen Shu to face the danger alone, but Shen Shu eventually forced her out.

“Xu Jinman.”

“Hmm?”

Xu Jinman stood her ground, genuinely curious about what Shen Shu wanted to say, given her unprecedented decision to keep her behind.

Divorce?

It wasn’t entirely impossible.

Shen Shu’s personality was one of decisive action, someone who could let go as easily as she could take hold. Wei Wuqing’s outburst today might have chilled Shen Shu’s heart, making her realize the Shen Family held little significance.

Divorce was a plausible outcome.

“Don’t hold Cai Ying’s actions against her,” Shen Shu said. “She’s only nineteen, young and immature.”

I’m not holding anything against her, Xu Jinman thought.

But as she replayed the second half of Shen Shu’s words, she understood their true meaning.

The original Xu Jinman’s twisted obsession with tormenting Shen Shu stemmed not primarily from her beauty, but from Shen Shu’s repeated offenses against her.

Cai Ying, a striking mixed-race Omega—young, beautiful, and distinctive—was precisely the type to captivate Alphas.

Combined with Cai Ying’s recent behavior toward her…

Shen Shu feared Xu Jinman would turn Cai Ying into a second Shen Shu.

Xu Jinman felt a mix of exasperation and helplessness, utterly weary of this “scum” reputation that clung to her like a curse.

With Cai Ying waiting outside, she couldn’t reveal her Omega status now—exposing that secret would only create more trouble for herself.

Xu Jinman had been suppressing her anger for days, but she couldn’t vent it on Shen Shu. She nodded curtly. “I understand. Get some rest.”

After Xu Jinman left, Shen Shu reached out and cracked the window open a bit. The humid, summer-scented breeze drifted in.

Cai Ying sat in a chair, watching her. She wondered what Xu Jinman had said to make Shen Shu so pensive.

The expression Xu Jinman had worn as she left lingered in Shen Shu’s mind: anger, frustration, and something else she couldn’t quite decipher. Though she didn’t understand why her words had provoked such a strong reaction, she knew it was genuine, not feigned.

It was a raw, unfiltered emotion that the Xu Jinman she knew would never normally display.

No matter how well Xu Jinman masked her true feelings or how skillfully she manipulated others, when her anger or emotions reached their breaking point, she struggled to contain herself.

“Why?” Cai Ying asked.

“Xu Jinman has a mental illness,” Shen Shu replied, gazing at the blazing sun. “To be precise, when she starts feeling like this, it’s the beginning of an episode.”

Xu Jinman would become abnormally irritable, even losing control of herself.

Shen Shu had witnessed this several times. Twice, after Shen Shu had offended someone, Xu Jinman had descended into a frenzy, smashing things and resorting to violence. Even after calming down, she would inevitably seek ruthless revenge.

Just like how she had forced Shen Shu into marriage, tormenting her by slowly destroying the things she valued most.

But now, reflecting on it, Shen Shu realized she had seen this expression before—ever since the night Xu Jinman had spared her. She hadn’t noticed it then, but today, standing right in front of her, Xu Jinman’s struggle to restrain herself was unmistakable.

“Miss Shen, your medicine is on the table,” the nurse said with a smile as she entered the room.

Shen Shu turned to thank her. The nurse continued, “Miss Xu cares about you so much. She asks about your health every day and even refused to let a young nurse apply your ointment, saying she’s a married woman.”

Shen Shu paused, startled. Cai Ying, remembering the bruises on Shen Shu’s body, snapped, “What kind of injury does she have?”

“Probably from a collision,” the nurse replied. “Her entire back is covered in bruises.”

Shen Shu suddenly recalled the moment when she had fallen, and Xu Jinman had rushed to catch her, shielding her as they crashed to the ground together… Xu Jinman hadn’t cared about hurting her own hand, so how could she possibly fear Shen Shu falling?

At the same time, her memories blurred, returning to the scene of Xu Jinman dragging her into the room at the beginning.

Shen Shu shivered violently.

Calming down, she compared the two scenarios and arrived at an absurd conclusion.

“Shu Shu, what are you thinking about?”

“Xu Jinman.”

Cai Ying was shocked.

Shen Shu closed the window, her body temperature gradually returning to normal. Her voice, clear and calm, said, “I suspect she has dissociative identity disorder.”