Acting as the Powerful Background Character in a Scummy Alpha Novel - Chapter 22
Finally, the doors of the main building slowly opened. After two days of waiting, the crowd finally saw Xiao He.
She was dressed in her usual simple clothes, without any extra adornment or makeup, and her face remained slightly pale.
Jing Shen followed closely by her side. Facing so many gazes, she was still nervous, but as long as she looked at Xiao He’s back in front of her, her heart settled. She managed a poised, perfectly measured smile.
A small portion of the guests had already seen Jing Shen at the company or had heard the rumors; seeing Xiao He appear with only her by her side further convinced them that this girl was someone special.
Sun Mei looked at Jing Shen, then nudged Xiao Shuyuan. “Go to your aunt’s side.”
Xiao Shuyuan clenched her hands and looked back at her mother. To run to Xiao He’s side in front of everyone—wasn’t that a bit too blatant?
“Hurry up,” Sun Mei urged in a low voice, giving her another push.
Xiao Shuyuan couldn’t refuse. She spotted Chu Yuelan and Xie Qingyu nearby and quickly called them to join her; having company made it feel less like a desperate power grab.
The three approached Xiao He and wished her a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival. Xiao He took the opportunity to keep them by her side.
“Sorry to keep you all waiting. Today is just a family dinner, so please make yourselves at home. No need for formalities,” Xiao He said politely. After formally introducing Jing Shen to the crowd, a wave of people swarmed forward to exchange pleasantries. Most of those who couldn’t wait were distant relatives or social climbers; they chatted for a few minutes and, seeing they wouldn’t get much more, tactfully withdrew.
The next few to approach were of a different caliber—people with actual power or status. What they wanted to discuss with Xiao He wasn’t meant for casual outdoor eavesdropping.
Xiao He turned to Jing Shen and the others. “You kids go play on your own. We’re going over there for some tea.”
The others were fine, but Jing Shen felt a bit lost seeing Xiao He prepare to leave. Xiao He caught her eye and felt a twinge of guilt, as if she were throwing a lamb into a wolf’s den.
“If you’re not comfortable, you can go back to the main building to rest,” Xiao He whispered, giving her an escape route before departing.
The moment Xiao He was gone, the others turned as one toward Jing Shen. Xie Qingyu, the fastest talker, asked immediately, “Jing Shen, what did Auntie just say to you?”
Feeling a bit more confident because of Xiao He’s last words, Jing Shen looked at Xie Qingyu and decided not to tell the truth. “She told me to get some juice. We aren’t allowed to drink alcohol.”
“That’s it?” Xie Qingyu had expected something monumental. “Auntie doesn’t know yet, but we’ve all had alcohol before. Only little kids drink juice.”
“Oh? I’ll be sure to mention that to President Xiao then,” Jing Shen said, raising an eyebrow.
“You wouldn’t dare!” Xie Qingyu realized he had self-destructed. He didn’t dare let Xiao He know, so he tried to threaten Jing Shen. But any typical threat sounded pathetic when used against an Omega. After a long pause, he sputtered, “You… if you say anything, you’re a snitch!”
Jing Shen hadn’t heard that since kindergarten. She gave him a look of utter disbelief and ignored him.
“Anyway, you’re not allowed to tell! Silence is consent! If you snitch, you’re a liar!” Xie Qingyu didn’t give her a chance to speak; he turned and ran, Xiao He’s deterrent power clearly being absolute in his mind.
Once the useless Xie Qingyu had left, Xiao Shuyuan gave Jing Shen a cool look and turned away as well, leaving Chu Yuelan and Jing Shen alone.
However, the former best friends stood together with nothing to say. Just as Jing Shen was about to find a quiet corner, Chu Yuelan spoke first.
“Your dress is beautiful today. You’re performing very well.”
Chu Yuelan’s gaze stayed fixed on Jing Shen’s custom gown. Seeing Xiao He lead Jing Shen out to introduce her reminded Chu Yuelan of the time she was first brought into the estate—the first time she stood before everyone, introduced alongside Xiao Linchu and the others.
Compared to Jing Shen’s calm and poised performance, her past self had felt like an ugly duckling—cramped, awkward, and a source of silent laughter. Those mocking gazes had felt like needles in her heart, a pain that still throbbed.
“Thank you. President Xiao has great taste; she picked it for me.”
Even though Chu Yuelan was trying to mend the relationship, Jing Shen looked at this now-stranger and wasn’t sure if things could ever go back to the way they were. At the very least, she didn’t want to talk much.
“President Xiao picked it herself?” Chu Yuelan repeated. She reached out and touched a camellia on the hem of the dress, then looked at the gemstone necklace. “She really is good to you.”
A six-figure dress, seven-figure jewelry—she had completely eclipsed Xiao Shuyuan. Combined with the exclusive introduction, Xiao He’s favoritism was public and envy-inducing.
Jing Shen didn’t deny it but didn’t elaborate. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but Chu Yuelan’s tone made her feel uncomfortable. Finding nothing to say, Jing Shen prepared to walk away, but Chu Yuelan called out.
“Jing Shen, I know I said a lot of wrong things that day. You have every right to be angry. I’ve wanted to apologize, but I couldn’t find the chance. Can you give me a moment?”
The shift in attitude caught Jing Shen off guard. She wasn’t like this a second ago.
Her brow furrowed; she understood Chu Yuelan less and less. “You don’t need to apologize to me.”
“Then can we just act like that matter is over?” Chu Yuelan reached out. She couldn’t believe Jing Shen could be so cold. She had lowered herself this much, yet Jing Shen remained unmoved. The old Jing Shen had been so soft-hearted.
Jing Shen avoided her hand. Looking at Chu Yuelan’s hurt expression, she couldn’t tell if it was real or an act. “That matter is over. But you know? I feel like I don’t recognize you anymore.”
“You—”
Chu Yuelan wanted to say more, but Jing Shen had already turned and left. A cocktail of emotions nearly drowned Chu Yuelan, and a sliver of resentment toward Jing Shen began to take root.
Jing Shen breathed a sigh of relief after getting away. She had wavered for a moment—Chu Yuelan was her only friend, after all—but that persistent feeling of unease won out.
Before she could catch her breath, others noticed her alone. There was no shortage of people curious about why Xiao He favored her so much.
In the meeting room, Xiao He listened to the business discussion while her eyes wandered over the crowd below. She quickly spotted Jing Shen being cornered by several guests. Taking a sip of tea, she waited to see how the girl would extricate herself.
“The bidding for the south side of the city is starting soon. Who does President Xiao plan to put in charge?”
The topic was thrown to Xiao He. She withdrew her gaze and tapped the rim of her teacup. “I don’t plan to participate in this bid.”
“You don’t?” The people in the room looked at each other. One of the Group’s bids had just failed; to give up on this one seemed unwise.
“Correct.” Xiao He didn’t hide the fact that she was about to perform radical surgery on the Group. The Xiao and Xie families weren’t just composed of corporate schemers; some members had their own careers and status outside the Group, forming a tight-knit network of mutual benefit. The people in this room were exactly that, and Xiao He was their center.
Once business talk wound down, someone couldn’t help but ask about the succession plan. The sudden inclusion of an outsider like Jing Shen had everyone puzzled.
“The position will go to the most capable,” Xiao He said, refusing to voice a preference. Seeing that her health seemed to have improved, the others stopped prying. If she were healthy, someone of her age wouldn’t even need to consider an heir yet.
After some more small talk, the meeting ended. Xiao He looked down again; Jing Shen was nowhere to be seen. Only a few sky lanterns drifted slowly into the air, released by someone in the garden.
When Xiao He returned to the garden with the group, she saw Butler Lin and the staff frantically searching for something.
“President Xiao,” Butler Lin hurried over. “While the young masters and mistresses were releasing lanterns, there was a bit of unpleasantness between Miss Linchu and Miss Xie Fang. Miss Xie Fang’s diamond earring is missing, and we are looking for it.”
Butler Lin was helpless. Too much had happened while Xiao He was away.
Xiao Linchu had told him earlier she didn’t want to attend the banquet, and Xiao He hadn’t forced her. But after Xiao He left, several “elders” went to pester Jing Shen, creating an awkward situation. Before Butler Lin could intervene, Linchu had appeared out of nowhere and pulled Jing Shen away.
That was fine, but then a group of children went to the other side of the garden to release lanterns. Aside from the five from the estate, there were many others—the oldest around eighteen, the youngest around ten. Something had sparked a conflict.
“Did they fight?” Xiao He asked calmly, raising an eyebrow.
“No, no, it didn’t come to that. Just a verbal spat. Miss Xie Fang lost her earring while she was crying.” Butler Lin wiped away cold sweat.
“Let’s go have a look.” Xiao He figured she’d rather settle a playground dispute than continue making polite small talk with the adults.
As she approached, she could hear shouting and crying from a distance. She rubbed her ears. “Kids these days have quite the set of lungs.”
Butler Lin hurried ahead to quiet the crowd. When they settled, Xiao He surveyed the scene. Xiao Linchu had a dark expression. Jing Shen was beside her, holding her arm as if to keep her from lashing out. On the other side, Xie Fang was still sobbing, surrounded by a crowd. She was only about fifteen or sixteen; Xiao He had no memory of her.
“Shuyuan, you tell me what happened.” Xiao He didn’t want to ask the main parties; a bystander was more objective.
Xiao Shuyuan was caught off guard but stepped forward, calculating how to phrase it. “Auntie, it’s like this. At first, it was just us. Then Cousin Xie Fang and her friends came over. She wanted to release a lantern too and commanded Jing Shen to go get one. Linchu wouldn’t let Jing Shen do it, so… they started arguing.”
Following the principle of “less said, less made wrong,” Shuyuan gave a neutral summary. She wasn’t stupid enough to target Linchu in public and embarrass Xiao He.
“Xiao Shuyuan, watch your mouth! Fangfang wasn’t ‘commanding’ her; she just asked Jing Shen to help. Don’t make it sound so ugly,” Xie Qingyu interjected. As Xie Fang’s brother, he was naturally protective.
“You know very well whether I’m telling the truth. You dare to do it but not admit it? Wasn’t it her earlier who told Jing Shen to go put away the empty cups?” Shuyuan wasn’t about to swallow her words just because Xie Qingyu was being brainless.
“You—”
“Xie Fang,” Xiao He interrupted, looking at the girl who was still crying. “You tell me. Is that what happened?”
Xie Fang gave Xiao He a cautious glance. She didn’t dare speak; her sobbing just grew louder, but not a single word came out of her mouth.
The parents had also gathered. Xiao He didn’t have the patience for this. Since Xie Fang had picked on Jing Shen, the fault was hers. She looked at Xie Fang’s parents. “Have Xie Fang apologize to Jing Shen, and we’ll call it a day.”
The onlookers were stunned. They had never seen a parent so blatantly favor their own child, especially when the other child was crying so piteously. Xie Qingyu’s family was surprised as well, but they couldn’t afford to offend Xiao He. They told Xie Fang to apologize.
Xie Fang, who had never been treated this way, refused to apologize and ran away crying. As her parents stood there awkwardly, Xiao He waved a hand magnanimously. “It’s fine. Let’s eat first. She can apologize after dinner.”
That gave everyone a way out.
As the guests moved to dinner, Jing Shen and the other candidates sat at a separate table. Jing Shen sat next to Linchu, with Shuyuan and others nearby.
Xie Qingyu was still fuming. He was furious with Shuyuan and Linchu. He messaged Xie Fang, then glared at the two girls. “Fangfang better be okay.”
“No one is obligated to spoil her. If you don’t like it, take your sister home,” Shuyuan snapped back.
Xie Qingyu was about to retort when he received a reply from Xie Fang. After reading it, he didn’t even bother to snap at Shuyuan; he stood up and ran out.
“Did something actually happen?” Shuyuan muttered, followed by a surge of uncertainty. She went out to check.
Jing Shen, seeing them both leave, felt uneasy since the trouble had started because of her. She stood up and told Linchu, “I’m going to check too.”
Chu Yuelan stood up immediately. “Jing Shen, I’ll go with you.”
Before Jing Shen could say no, Linchu also stood up. Fine, let’s all go.
Xie Fang had run quite far, all the way to an artificial lake on the other side of the estate. The group searched for a long time. Just as they were considering going back to tell the adults, someone jumped out from behind a tree and struck Xiao Linchu on the back of the head with a baseball bat.
“How dare you call me ‘nothing’! Who do you think you are?!”
Xie Fang walked out with a group. The one holding the bat was actually Xiao Shuyuan’s younger male cousin; the two were clearly close. The others were unknown, but obviously on their side.
Even Xie Qingyu was stunned. “Xie Fang, what are you doing?!!”
Jing Shen couldn’t catch the collapsing Linchu and fell to the ground with her. She tried to shield Linchu as the group closed in.
“Have you all lost your minds?!” Shuyuan shouted, grabbing the bat from her cousin. She looked at Xie Qingyu. “Are you stupid? Control your sister!”
“Stay out of this, move!” Xie Fang said, pointing at Jing Shen. “If you want this settled, have her come over and wipe my shoes clean. I want to see if I can ‘command’ her or not. Once I hit her a few times to vent, we’ll be even.”
Xie Fang looked practiced in her arrogance. Before anyone else could react, Xie Qingyu stepped forward and slapped Xie Fang on the back of her head.
“Is this what you do at school? Are you a bully?! Do you pick on people like this?!” He struck her head with every question. Xie Fang tried to duck, but Xie Qingyu grabbed her by the collar. “You’re hitting people! Making them wipe shoes! Do you even know about ‘Intentional Injury’? Do you know about ‘Provocation and Trouble’? Even minors have legal responsibilities, do you understand?!”
He hadn’t forgotten a single thing Xiao He had made him memorize. He educated her while he hit her.
“Let go of Fangfang!” Shuyuan’s cousin tried to intervene, but he forgot Shuyuan was standing right there.
She swung the bat into the back of his knees, making him drop to the ground. She leaned over and smacked the back of his head. “Still have the heart to worry about others? You better pray Xiao Linchu is okay, or you’re the one taking full responsibility! Trying to be a hero? I’ll give you hero!”
Shuyuan was angrier than Xie Qingyu. She had come to watch the fun, only to find her own idiot cousin was the primary culprit. If something happened, she would be dragged down too.
Her cousin was still defiant. “So what if we hit her? We’ll just pay some money, no big deal. Why are you guys so cowardly?!”
Xie Fang chimed in, “You guys weren’t any better before! Why are you bossing us around now!”
Xie Qingyu and Xiao Shuyuan paused. They had a momentary realization: Were we really that brainless before?
The self-reflection lasted only a second. Looking at the defiant younger kids, they realized they hadn’t hit them hard enough.
“What crap are you spewing? That’s against the law, you idiot!”
“Do you even have a brain in that head?!”
“If you ever do this again, I’ll break your legs when we get home!”
…
The underlings who had come along backed away, not daring to step in. This wasn’t the plan. Xie Fang and the Xiao cousin had said their older siblings would definitely help them. Why was it the other way around?
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