Transmigrated into a Classic Dog-Blood Drama as the Scummy Alpha - Chapter 19

Shen Xian started by prepping the shrimp—cleaning and deveining them—then rinsed the snow peas and set them aside. She seasoned the ground meat with various spices, sliced the lotus root into thin rounds, and sandwiched the meat between two slices. After dipping them in egg wash, she fried them in hot oil until both sides turned a crisp golden brown. In no time, the kitchen was filled with the rich aroma of fried lotus root patties.

With the lotus root patties done, Shen Xian moved on to stir-frying the shrimp and snow peas together. The delicious scent soon drifted out of the kitchen and caught Shen Tian’s attention. She trotted over and, spotting the dish in Shen Xian’s hands, eagerly pointed and asked with a wag of her tiny pigtails, “Mommy, what’s that? It looks sooo yummy!”

Shen Xian chuckled and explained, “This is lotus root patties. There’s meat stuffed between the slices. Do you want to try one and see if you like it?”

She picked up a piece and gently placed it on Shen Tian’s plate. “Eat slowly, sweetheart. It’s still hot.”

“Okay!” Shen Tian nodded, took a tiny bite, and immediately beamed. The crisp lotus root and savory meat melted in her mouth, and she couldn’t help kicking her legs happily. “Mommy, it’s delicious! I love it!”

“I’m glad you do. Eat up, there’s more,” Shen Xian said, ruffling the girl’s hair before returning to the kitchen to bring out the rest of the food.

Meanwhile, Lin Qinghan had arrived at the reserved private room in the restaurant with Han Rui. The space was large enough for two tables. Han Rui helped Lin Qinghan find a seat, and as soon as she sat down, many heads turned.

“Well, well, Lin-jie actually came. What a surprise. If Director Zhao hadn’t invited you, I doubt we’d have gotten you to join,” Liu Wenwen said, half-joking and half-sarcastic.

The newly appointed Director Zhao was an ordinary Beta. While this world operated under ABO dynamics, Betas—people unaffected by pheromones—still made up the majority. At their hospital, only six staff were

Alphas or Omegas; the rest were Betas.

“I’m really happy to see Qinghan here tonight,” Director Zhao, a Beta woman in her forties, chimed in warmly, helping ease the awkward atmosphere. “We all work under the same roof—no need to be formal. Eat, drink, enjoy yourselves.”

Zhao Qing, seated next to Liu Wenwen, pursed her lips but held her tongue out of respect.

Soon after, Lu Jianbai entered. He was one of the hospital’s few male Alphas—handsome and well-liked, often the subject of daydreams among nurses and doctors alike, particularly Liu Wenwen and Zhao Qing.

“Dr. Lu, we saved you a seat over here!” they called out, waving enthusiastically.

Lu Jianbai smiled at them but instead noticed the empty seat next to Lin Qinghan. “I’ll just sit here,” he said, settling beside her.

Liu Wenwen and Zhao Qing’s smiles froze immediately.

“What’s so great about being an Omega?” Liu Wenwen muttered under her breath. “All she does is use her pheromones to seduce people. Her kid’s already so big, and she’s still trying to hook up with Dr. Lu?”

“Exactly. And wasn’t that woman outside the hospital last time her ex-wife?” Zhao Qing added.

“And don’t forget her brother—that’s a whole mess in itself. Who would want to marry into that bottomless pit?” They both snickered.

Lin Qinghan, uninterested in this petty gathering, found her mind wandering back to how Shen Tian was doing at home.

Beside her, Lu Jianbai poured her and Han Rui some hot water. “Here, Qinghan, drink some warm water.”

“Thanks,” Lin Qinghan nodded politely.

She wasn’t oblivious to Lu Jianbai’s feelings for her, but after the divorce, she had no plans to start over. She just wanted to raise Shen Tian on her own and give her daughter a happy, stable life. Love was something she no longer dared to consider.

Lu Jianbai, however, didn’t seem to mind her indifference. He had grown used to her professional, detached demeanor at work.

Across the table, Liu Wenwen couldn’t help but gripe, “Dr. Lu is even pouring her water? Look at her smug face. If it wasn’t for her pheromones, you really think he’d be interested?”

“I mean, we can’t smell them, but you can just tell—she’s probably shameless,” Zhao Qing sneered, her grip tightening on her glass, wishing she could eavesdrop on every word between Lu Jianbai and Lin Qinghan.

In reality, it was mostly Lu Jianbai talking, with Lin Qinghan occasionally responding out of courtesy. The whole thing felt exhausting, like performing emotional labor.

Soon, everyone had arrived, and as expected, drinking began.

At first, Lin Qinghan stuck to orange juice. But as the meal wound down, people started making rounds with their drinks—especially nurses close to Liu Wenwen who had clearly been waiting for this moment.

Liu Wenwen led the charge. “Lin-jie, it’s such a rare occasion to see you out with us. Come on, just one drink?”

To refuse in front of everyone would mean openly falling out with them—and Lin Qinghan still needed this job. Reluctantly, she picked up the full glass of beer and downed it. “Sure, let’s drink.”

Once she’d started, more and more came to toast her. Lin Qinghan wasn’t a regular drinker, and after four beers, she was visibly uncomfortable.

“No more,” she said, waving them off.

But her refusals were met with jeers. “Aw, come on, Lin-jie, you haven’t even toasted us yet!”

Seeing this, Lu Jianbai stood up with his own glass and said, “Qinghan can’t drink anymore. I’ll drink for her.”

Zhao Qing laughed mockingly. “Dr. Lu, we’re toasting Lin-jie, not you. Isn’t that missing the point?”

Lu Jianbai froze awkwardly. Accepting would be weird; refusing would be worse. Thankfully, Director Zhao walked over, breaking the tension with a lighthearted joke. “Everyone’s eating and drinking, but let’s not go overboard. Have fun, sure—but I don’t want to be driving all of you home later.”

Everyone laughed it off, and the crowd gradually dispersed into smaller groups.

Lin Qinghan, however, felt her stomach churning and her head spinning. She leaned over the table, unable to stay upright.

Han Rui poured her some tea. “Qinghan, have some tea to sober up. You’ll feel better.”

She sipped, but the dizziness only worsened. She gave up and laid her head on the table.

“If you need to leave, I can take Qinghan home,” Lu Jianbai offered.

“No need,” Han Rui replied firmly. “I’m going home alone anyway. And I don’t feel safe letting her go with just anyone—especially since you’re an Alpha.”

Lu Jianbai quickly tried to clarify, “No, no, I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant I’d make sure you both get home safely. Let me drop you off together.”

Han Rui didn’t argue. With how unsteady Lin Qinghan was, an extra pair of hands wouldn’t hurt.

Back at home, Shen Tian was already nodding off by 8 p.m. Her tiny head kept bobbing, eyes struggling to stay open.

Shen Xian scooped her into her arms. “Sweetheart, let’s go to bed now, okay?”

“But I want to wait for Mama…” Shen Tian murmured, barely awake, clinging to Shen Xian’s shoulder.

“Mommy will go pick her up soon, promise. But if you don’t sleep, she’ll worry, okay?” Shen Xian gently rocked her.

That did the trick. Shen Tian mumbled, “Okay… I’ll be good,” and promptly drifted off on Shen Xian’s shoulder.

Shen Xian laid her beside Fang Jinglan and whispered, “Mom, you and Tiantian go ahead and sleep. It’s already nine—she should be wrapping up soon. I’ll go get Qinghan.”

“Alright, be careful out there. Don’t worry about Tiantian—I’ve got her,” Fang Jinglan replied.

Shen Xian smiled, nodded, and softly shut the bedroom door. She grabbed a jacket, slung it over her arm, and headed out.

She hailed a cab and went straight to the restaurant. The hotel lobby was mostly empty—clearly the gathering hadn’t ended yet. Spotting a nearby pharmacy still open, she popped in and bought a box of anti-hangover powder.

By the time she returned, more people had started trickling out of the restaurant. Scanning the crowd, Shen Xian quickly spotted Lin Qinghan being supported by a woman, with a man helping hold her arm—Lu Jianbai, the male lead of the original novel.

Without missing a beat, Shen Xian stepped forward and smoothly took over supporting Lin Qinghan’s arm. Lu Jianbai faltered for a moment, visibly awkward, but ultimately said nothing.