Acting as the Powerful Background Character in a Scummy Alpha Novel - Chapter 13

With the sky turning dark, Guan Shanyue stood by the window of the main building watching them. She had to admit, these four were resilient; they had been running for so long without a single one dropping out. There was even a sense of subtle competition between them—even Xie Qingyu was gritting his teeth to keep up.

“Youth is wonderful. Your place is so big; I’d be flat on my face after three or four laps.”

It wasn’t that Guan Shanyue’s physical fitness was poor, but Xiao He’s estate included the main building, the side wing, the security dorms, and two massive gardens. One lap was over two thousand meters. Even with an Alpha’s constitution, twenty laps was a feat not just anyone could manage.

Xiao He was reading. Hearing this, she calmly turned a page without concern. These four were the protagonists described in the original novel. Though their character was questionable—”scummy Alphas,” all of them—it was undeniable that their attributes were top-tier. Their physical fitness was the least of her worries.

Just then, a knock came from the door. Guan Shanyue looked away from the window to open it. Jing Shen was standing there, her cheeks flushed bright red and looking somewhat off. Seeing Guan Shanyue open the door, she was startled and immediately took a step back, whispering, “I’m here to see President Xiao.”

“What’s wrong?”

From the back of the room, Xiao He heard the commotion and asked.

Guan Shanyue’s medical skills were genuinely reliable; she diagnosed the issue at a glance.

“Student Jing Shen is likely suffering from an adverse reaction due to being caught in the crossfire of several Alphas’ pheromones today. It’s not a major issue, though it’s uncomfortable. It’ll just take some time to settle down.”

Jing Shen looked at Guan Shanyue and covered her nose in distress. “Dr. Guan, can you step away from me?”

Guan Shanyue almost forgot she was an Alpha herself. She moved a bit further away. “Sorry. You’re safer being alone right now. If this triggers a full pheromone disorder, you’d have to take adult suppressants prematurely, which would affect your health.”

Jing Shen looked at Xiao He again. Usually obedient and sensible, she wanted to be selfish just this once. “Can I stay here? I… I feel a bit unwell.”

Rarely hearing a request from Jing Shen, and seeing the thin, pitiful figure at the door, Xiao He felt a surge of compassion.

“You can. I’m not an Alpha, so it should be fine.”

Guan Shanyue looked at the two of them and shrugged. “Fine. I’ll make myself scarce.”

Guan Shanyue left and closed the door behind her, leaving only Jing Shen and Xiao He in the room.

Xiao He pointed to a table nearby. “You can sit there and read for a bit.”

“Sister Xiao, I’m dizzy.” Jing Shen tried to walk toward her, but her steps were unsteady as if she were drunk. Walking on the carpet felt like stepping on cotton; she had no leverage. Her legs gave way, and she slumped onto the floor.

Xiao He reached out to help her, and Jing Shen caught her hand. She looked up at Xiao He, the corners of her eyes red from the pheromone torment, her eyes watery as if she had suffered a great grievance.

Feeling Jing Shen tighten her grip, Xiao He assumed she was in too much pain. “Is it that bad? I’ll call Guan Shanyue back to see if there’s another way.”

“No, it’s okay. I can endure it.”

To Jing Shen, Xiao He’s perpetually cool hand was the only solace in her burning state. She pulled Xiao He’s hand and pressed it against her cheek, feeling as though she had briefly come back to life.

Xiao He’s fingertips curled slightly at the heat from Jing Shen’s skin, but she didn’t pull away. She used her other hand to continue reading, yet the warmth and texture from her hand were impossible to ignore; the words on the page no longer registered.

With Xiao He’s silent indulgence, Jing Shen watched her, her body inching closer until she was leaning lightly against Xiao He’s legs.

Because of her chronic illness, Xiao He’s body temperature was lower than average, especially in her extremities. Through the thin fabric of her clothes, she could feel the heat radiating from Jing Shen.

This intimate contact was unfamiliar to her, but not unpleasant—just unsettling. Her focus was completely fractured.

Jing Shen was suffering even more. She had thought leaning against Xiao He would provide relief, but at such close proximity, she could see the slight flutter of Xiao He’s eyelashes as she read. She hungered for more closeness but didn’t dare move further. Dark thoughts buried deep in her heart began to stir. She bit the inside of her lip until it bled, using the pain to keep herself conscious.

Xiao He tried to ignore her and forced herself to keep reading. It worked for a moment; she became so engrossed that her fingers moved unconsciously, lightly stroking the object in her palm—forgetting that what was pressed against her hand was Jing Shen’s face.

Jing Shen, struggling to stay calm, felt her heart nearly leap out of her chest at the movement. She looked up in surprise; even though Xiao He wasn’t looking at her, it didn’t diminish her joy.

With her heart drumming, she grew bolder and moved forward, resting her head fully on Xiao He’s lap. The intimacy between them deepened.

Just as something was beginning to sprout in the cracks of this suppressed world, a flash of lightning split the sky outside.

Xiao He put down her book and let go of Jing Shen, standing up to walk to the window. The thunder followed, a world-shaking roar, and another flash of lightning illuminated the night.

A storm was coming. The branches in the garden were swaying violently; the rain was imminent.

Looking down at the four figures still running, Xiao He wasn’t heartless enough to make them finish twenty laps in a thunderstorm.

She called Butler Lin. “It’s going to rain. Let them stop. Note down the remaining laps and have them make them up when the weather clears.”

After hanging up, Xiao He looked back at Jing Shen on the floor. Jing Shen was now curled into a ball, her skin as red as a cooked shrimp, enduring great agony.

She couldn’t leave her lying on the floor. Xiao He went over to help her up, but she had overestimated her own strength. When the disoriented Jing Shen pulled on her, Xiao He nearly stumbled and fell, only just managing to steady herself.

Butler Lin, who had been about to call for instructions, breathed a sigh of relief and trotted out to stop the four runners.

“Misses, Masters! President Xiao just called. That’s enough for today. It’s about to rain, head back inside.”

Hearing this, Xie Qingyu, who was running on pure stubbornness, finally let out a breath. His anger was gone; he just wanted to collapse and play dead.

Xiao Shuyuan and Chu Yuelan also prepared to stop, but Xiao Lincu turned a deaf ear. She didn’t even slow down; she kept running forward.

“Miss Linchu, we can go back now!” Butler Lin shouted, thinking she hadn’t heard.

“I said twenty laps, so it’s twenty laps. Five more to go.”

Linchu responded while breathing heavily, though she wasn’t wheezing like a broken bellows like Xie Qingyu.

Xiao Shuyuan and Chu Yuelan wanted to keep up mentally, but their physical strength was at its limit. Having stopped for a moment, they found they lacked the will to start again and could only concede defeat unwillingly.

As the three headed back, the rain began to pelt down. Watching Linchu’s unyielding pace in the rain, Butler Lin decided he had better report this to Xiao He immediately.