Transmigrated into a Classic Dog-Blood Drama as the Scummy Alpha - Chapter 18

Even though Shen Xian had drunk a little the night before, her ingrained habits remained unshakable. After her morning jog, she returned home to prepare cheese sandwiches and warm milk for Tiantian and Lin Qinghan. The aroma wafted through the house and lured little Shen Tian out of sleep, still groggy but clearly enticed. Having not seen Shen Xian the previous night, she immediately started fussing to find her.

“Mama, Mommy made breakfast! It smells so good! Tiantian wants to see Mommy,” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes with her little fists, her babyish voice soft and sticky with sleep. Her bed hair was a mess, a few tufts sticking up adorably on top of her head.

Lin Qinghan, ever gentle with Tiantian, reached out and smoothed down the tufts with a small smile. “Okay, let’s brush our teeth and wash our face first, then we’ll go see Mommy, alright?”

“No, no!” Tiantian protested. “I haven’t seen Mommy in so long! I want to see her first!” Without waiting for a response, she clambered down the bed with her stubby legs, slipped on her slippers, and toddled straight toward the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Shen Xian was busy cooking when she suddenly felt a weight cling to her leg. She looked down and found a tiny attachment wrapped tightly around her thigh.

“Mommy! Why didn’t you tell me when you came home yesterday? Tiantian missed you! I want cuddles~” the little one whined as she rubbed her face against Shen Xian’s leg.

Shen Xian had no resistance to this kind of soft, sticky affection. She immediately surrendered, scooping Tiantian up into her arms. “Mommy came home after you were already asleep, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to not tell you. I promise it won’t happen again, okay? Next time I’ll be back early to stay with Tiantian.”

Tiantian looped her arms around Shen Xian’s neck and spoke like a little grown-up, her milk-sweet voice serious: “Okay~ But Mommy has to be a good girl and come home early. Otherwise, both Mama and I will worry about you.”

“Alright, Mommy promises,” Shen Xian said, gently ruffling her little bun.

From the hallway, Lin Qinghan stood leaning against the wall, watching the tender scene unfold. Shen Xian’s affection toward Tiantian didn’t seem fake. Tiantian had clearly grown attached too. But Lin Qinghan wasn’t sure whether this was a good thing or not. Would Shen Xian’s current goodness last? If Tiantian grew used to it only to lose it again, the blow might be even greater. Even Lin Qinghan herself had started getting used to waking up to Shen Xian’s home-cooked breakfast every morning.

Pushing those thoughts aside, she called out, “Tiantian, come brush your teeth or you’ll turn into a little stink bug.”

Tiantian’s eyes widened. “No! I’m not stinky! I’m a fragrant baby!” She wriggled in Shen Xian’s arms. “Mommy, put me down. I’ll go wash up!”

Shen Xian chuckled. “Alright, let Mommy smell you first.” She lifted Tiantian slightly and sniffed exaggeratedly at her neck.

Tiantian stared expectantly.
“Mmm… definitely not stinky,” Shen Xian concluded. “Tiantian smells the best.”

Lin Qinghan’s lips twitched into a smile. “Alright, no more messing around, or we’ll be late.”

Shen Xian finally set Tiantian down. The little girl skipped over and hugged Lin Qinghan’s leg tightly.

Lin Qinghan smiled and pinched her cheek. “You little rascal, always acting cute.”

Together, they headed to the bathroom. Lin Qinghan brought over Tiantian’s little stool and squeezed toothpaste onto her brush. Tiantian brushed her tiny white teeth seriously, while Lin Qinghan stood nearby, guarding against any falls.

By the time the two finished washing up, breakfast was ready. As soon as Tiantian saw the spread on the table, her eyes lit up. She took a big bite and grinned with delight. “Mommy, this is so yummy!”

Shen Xian, seeing her daughter so happy, smiled too. “If you like it, Mommy will make it again tomorrow.”

Tiantian nodded eagerly, her twin buns bouncing with excitement. “Okay!”

After dropping Tiantian off, Shen Xian returned home to monitor the stocks she had invested in.

Meanwhile, Lin Qinghan was back at the hospital. It was a busy private hospital with a high patient volume, and her schedule was always full. Just before lunchtime, she finally got a break. Her colleague Han Rui came over.

“Qinghan, Dr. Zhao—our new director—is treating everyone to dinner tonight. He asked me to let you know.”

Lin Qinghan sighed. She hated these after-hours dinners—nothing but a waste of time. Plus, she needed to look after Tiantian. She usually didn’t attend these kinds of gatherings, which had sparked a lot of gossip in the hospital. Some said she was stingy, others that she was antisocial—especially after that messy incident with Lin Zhixin.

“I’ve got to take care of Tiantian tonight, so I’m skipping it,” she said as she tidied up her things.

“Lin-jie, if you don’t go, people are going to talk again. He’s our superior—just go and show some respect,” Han Rui persuaded. She didn’t like the gossipers either, but in a place like a hospital, it was impossible to avoid them all.

Lin Qinghan knew some people didn’t like her, but she wasn’t about to change just to fit in. Was it really necessary to cozy up to every backbiting coworker just to be accepted?

Seeing her hesitate, Han Rui added, “It’s not just about the others. I don’t like those people either, but if you go, at least I’ll have someone to hang out with.”

Lin Qinghan appreciated her kindness and finally nodded. “Okay, we’ll go together.”

Later that afternoon, just before getting off work, Lin Qinghan called Shen Xian.

“Shen Xian, can you pick Tiantian up this afternoon? I’ve got a dinner with the new director, so I’ll be home late.”

“Sure. Just send me the location on Feixin. I’ll come pick you up afterward,” Shen Xian offered.

“No need. It’s just a casual dinner with coworkers. Just take care of Tiantian.”

“Alright, just be careful on your way back,” Shen Xian reminded her before hanging up.

Considering Lin Qinghan’s current favorability toward her, Shen Xian understood why she didn’t want to trouble her. Still uneasy, she pulled up her system interface.

“Qinghan is going to a dinner later. Can the system locate where she’s going?” Given the constant accidents around the female lead, Shen Xian couldn’t help but worry. Even if Qinghan didn’t want her help, she’d still check on her, just in case.

“Yes, Host. This feature costs 1,000 yuan. Would you like to proceed?”

Without hesitation, Shen Xian tapped “Yes” in midair. Seconds later, she received a deduction notification from her Feixin Pay. Typical—this system never missed a chance to collect money.

“The system will send the location during the scheduled time. Please be on standby,” the mechanical voice added.

Just then, Tiantian came out of kindergarten, hand-in-hand with her buddy Li Mengmeng. As soon as she saw Shen Xian, she quickly said goodbye to her friend and ran full speed toward her, hugging her thigh with perfect aim.

Shen Xian ruffled her twin buns. “Tiantian, we’re going to Grandma’s house today. Mama has a dinner to attend, and Mommy might have to go pick her up later. If it gets too late, we’ll sleep at Grandma’s, okay?”

Tiantian nodded seriously. “Okay! Tiantian will be good. But Mommy, you have to protect Mama!”

Shen Xian laughed. “Of course, Mommy will protect Mama.” With that, she took Tiantian to the supermarket.

They started in the fruit section.

“What fruit do you want, Tiantian?” she asked, crouching down.

Tiantian blushed and squeezed Shen Xian’s hand. “Anything is okay?”

“Of course, anything you like.”

Tiantian rubbed her face against Shen Xian’s arm like a kitten. “But… but Tiantian only knows I like little crescent moons… I don’t know what else is yummy~”

Shen Xian pinched her cheek gently. “Then Mommy will pick some for you.”

“Mm-hmm!” Tiantian nodded hard, her little buns bobbing.

After choosing the fruit, they moved on to fresh produce. Knowing Tiantian was overwhelmed, Shen Xian decided for her—minced meat, shrimp, lotus root, snow peas. She carried a heavy bag in one hand and held Tiantian’s hand with the other as they walked to Fang Jinglan’s home.

As soon as Fang Jinglan opened the door, Tiantian launched herself forward. “Grandma, Grandma, Tiantian missed you!”

Fang Jinglan laughed out loud. “Aiya, Grandma missed you too! My sweet girl, come here and let Grandma give you a hug.”

She scooped up Tiantian and bounced her gently, then turned to Shen Xian. “Why didn’t you say Tiantian was coming? I would’ve bought some snacks.”

“No need, Mom. I already did—lychees, mangosteens, mangoes, and watermelon. Just slice up a few, and we’ll all share. I’ll get started on dinner.” Shen Xian handed over the fruit and carried the rest into the kitchen.

Though Shen Wenkang had limited mobility, he’d heard Tiantian’s voice and slowly shuffled out using his walker, his voice hoarse and unclear: “Tian… Tian, Tian…”

Due to a stroke, speaking was difficult for him, and his legs no longer worked well. It was hard to believe this frail old man had once been a sharp and capable doctor.

Tiantian beamed at him. “Grandpa! Tiantian missed you too~” She didn’t understand why Grandpa talked funny or why he had to use a little walker—but he was her grandpa, and that was all that mattered.

Fang Jinglan’s eyes turned red. After helping Shen Wenkang sit down, she gave Tiantian a cartoon to watch and began preparing the fruit.