Transmigrated into a Classic Dog-Blood Drama as the Scummy Alpha - Chapter 5

Shen Xian smiled and said, “It’s nothing. Tiantian just said that once she grows up, she wants to protect you. These are some fruits I bought for you two—don’t forget to eat them.” As she spoke, she handed the bag of fruits over.

Lin Qinghan glanced at the bag of fruits, hesitating to speak. Shen Xian hadn’t accepted the red envelope she sent, and yet here she was, bringing snacks for Tiantian every day.

Sensing her hesitation, Shen Xian quickly added, “I really don’t mean anything by it. It’s just for the child, really—please don’t misunderstand. Can’t I at least do something nice for her?”

Lin Qinghan gave her a glance just as her phone rang. She picked up, replying, “Okay, I’ll head back in a bit.”

She then looked at Shen Tiantian, troubled. Lin Qinghan worked at a private hospital in radiology. The hospital director had just called to say an important acquaintance was coming in for imaging. She had no choice but to return immediately. But the hospital wasn’t the right place for a child, and she didn’t have time to make Tiantian lunch if she brought her along.

Shen Xian picked up on her dilemma and offered, “Why don’t I take Tiantian home with me for now? Don’t worry—I’ll just watch her, I won’t touch anything else.”

Lin Qinghan looked at her with skepticism. Her workplace was urging her to return, but she couldn’t bring herself to trust Shen Xian yet—not enough to hand over the keys. The things Shen Xian had done in the past were hard to forget. “I’ll just take you both back to my place first, then head to work,” she said.

Her electric scooter had a footboard for kids. She placed Tiantian standing on it in front, then gestured for Shen Xian to get on the back.

Shen Xian hadn’t ridden one of these in ages and didn’t know where to put her hands. Holding the seat felt unstable; holding Lin Qinghan would probably be unwelcome.

Lin Qinghan waited a moment, then shot a sideways glare. “You planning to fall off or what? Hold on.”

“Oh, oh—right. I just didn’t want to make you uncomfortable,” Shen Xian said, hastily grabbing the hem of Lin Qinghan’s jacket, careful not to really touch her. Lin Qinghan didn’t respond, just drove off. Jostled by the sudden start, Shen Xian lightly placed her hands around Lin Qinghan’s waist.

About ten minutes later, the three of them arrived at Lin Qinghan’s apartment, a rental on the second floor of an old complex. Lin Qinghan opened the door and said, “I’ll probably be gone a while. If Tiantian gets hungry, just fix her a little something.” With that, she left in a hurry.

Now it was just Shen Xian and Tiantian.

“Tiantian, go wash your hands and rest a bit. Mommy will cook for you,” Shen Xian said.

Tiantian obediently went off, washing her hands and then settling down with her drawing pad to doodle.

Shen Xian opened the fridge and found only a few vegetables and not much meat. She pulled out her phone and ordered more—some vegetables, chicken wings, and shrimp. While waiting for delivery, she sliced up a fruit platter and brought it to the living room.

“Tiantian, have some fruit first. Mommy will make lunch soon,” she said, ruffling the little girl’s hair with a smile.

Tiantian was still a bit shy around Shen Xian and softly nodded. “Okay, I’ll draw while I wait.”

Once Shen Xian returned to the kitchen, Tiantian grew bolder. She picked up a spoon and scooped up some fruit. One piece, shaped like a crescent moon, was unfamiliar. It tasted sweet and tangy—delicious—but she didn’t dare ask what it was.

Soon, the delivery man arrived. Shen Xian opened the door and brought in a large bag of groceries. Curious, Tiantian toddled over. “Mommy, what is all this? Are you making it for me?”

Shen Xian smiled. “Of course. There are chicken wings and shrimp—Mommy’s going to cook for you. Be good and play by yourself for a bit. When your other mommy gets home, we’ll eat together.”

Tiantian nodded, her little dimples making her look even more adorable. This mommy felt totally different from the one who used to come around just to ask for money. She was starting to like this version. At just over three years old, she didn’t hold grudges. The number above her head—previously negative—had already risen to -20.

Tiantian beamed as she carefully walked up to Shen Xian and wrapped her chubby little arms around her leg. Looking up with sparkling eyes, she asked, “Mommy, what’s that crescent-shaped fruit? Tiantian’s never had it before.”

Shen Xian’s heart melted. She scooped the little girl into her arms and brought her to the fridge. Pulling out a mangosteen, she explained, “This is called mangosteen. When you peel it, the inside looks like little moons. Do you like it?”

Tiantian nodded vigorously, shyly replying, “I like it. It’s my first time eating it.”

Shen Xian gave her a playful bounce. “Okay, Mommy will remember. I’ll buy it for you again next time, okay?”

“Okay, thank you, Mommy.” Tiantian hugged her around the neck and replied sweetly.

Shen Xian gave her a gentle squeeze and carried her back to the living room. “Don’t fill up on fruit, okay? Leave some room—Mommy’s going to make shrimp with nuts and chicken wings later.”

Tiantian nodded. “Okay, I won’t eat too much. I’ll save some for Mama.”

Shen Xian sighed. She was only three, and already so thoughtful—trying to save the good stuff for her mom.

“Alright, Mommy’s going to cook now,” she said.

She unpacked the groceries, set aside what she needed, and stored the rest in the fridge before heading into the kitchen.

She’d spent nearly 200 yuan on ingredients today. She’d earned 600 from her housework jobs, leaving her with only 400 yuan in total savings.

Just then, the system’s mechanical voice sounded in her mind:

“Congratulations, Host! You’ve adapted quickly to your new environment—worthy of someone who was once a CEO. As you proactively took responsibility for caring for Shen Tiantian and preparing a meal today, the system rewards you with 1,000 yuan, which has been transferred to your Feixin account.”

A smile spread across Shen Xian’s face. In her previous life, a few million wouldn’t even make her blink. But now? Without money, she could do nothing.

She first called Fang Jinglan.

Seeing her daughter’s number on the screen made Fang Jinglan’s heart sink. Whenever Shen Xian called, it was rarely for anything good. And with her behaving unusually well these past few days, Fang Jinglan was starting to suspect something big was coming. She steadied her nerves before answering.

“Mom, I won’t be coming home this afternoon. You and Dad go ahead and eat without me. Tiantian’s mom had something come up at work, so I’m at their place watching her.”

Fang Jinglan was silent for a moment. It didn’t make sense. Lin Qinghan used to avoid Shen Xian like the plague—why would she let her stay at her house now? Her hope deflated. Her daughter was probably lying again.

“Alright then. Let me talk to Tiantian.”

Shen Xian froze. Thinking of the original body’s past actions, she immediately understood the suspicion. She walked into the living room, knelt down to meet Tiantian’s eyes, and said, “Grandma misses you and wants to talk.”

Tiantian’s face lit up. Her mommy used to be mean, but Grandma often took her out to play. She eagerly grabbed the phone. “Grandma! Tiantian misses you!”

Fang Jinglan melted instantly. The reason she let Lin Qinghan raise Tiantian in the first place was because she didn’t trust Shen Xian to be a proper mother, especially while still having to take care of Shen Wenkang. “Aww, Grandma misses you too. I’ll come visit in a few days. Be good for your mommy, okay?”

After a few sweet exchanges, Shen Xian took the phone back. “Mom, I really am at Lin Qinghan’s place. That’s all for now—I need to cook.”

After hanging up, she returned to the kitchen. She started by rinsing the rice and setting it to steam. Then she washed and chopped the vegetables, prepping everything. Thinking for a moment, she decided to call Lin Qinghan.

The call went through, and a wave of awkwardness hit her. That -130 favorability score was still looming over her head.

“Hey, just wondering—what time will you be back? So I can time the cooking.”

On the other end, Lin Qinghan’s cool voice came through. “I’m done here. Should be about half an hour. You can just cook for Tiantian first—I’ll be fine.”

“No need—I gave her some fruit. She’s not hungry. I’ll start cooking in ten minutes. Be careful on the way back, okay? That’s all. I’ll hang up now.”

Lin Qinghan stared at her phone, emotions in turmoil. There had been a time when she longed for a peaceful life like this. But Shen Xian had destroyed those hopes again and again. She still remembered the time creditors came knocking, how Shen Xian had vanished and left her and their six-month-old baby behind. The baby cried in terror, and those people tore through their home like vultures. She couldn’t do a thing. If her mother-in-law hadn’t sold the house to pay the debts, she had no idea how long that nightmare would’ve dragged on. She even feared that Shen Xian might one day sell their child.

Event by event, she came to see Shen Xian’s true nature. She stopped believing her. Shen Xian had lied about everything—from the family’s savings to her own jewelry, even small sums of money. Out of every ten things she said, eleven were lies. She had no honesty left for anyone in the family.

And yet, just now, because of one moment of what seemed like genuine concern, Lin Qinghan had felt a brief flicker of warmth.

She cursed herself for her softness. All the memories surged back, and soon she was back to being the guarded, untrusting woman she’d learned to be.