Acting as the Powerful Background Character in a Scummy Alpha Novel - Chapter 7

Jing Shen’s tutors were quickly in place, adding two hours of study time from five to seven every day, though this wasn’t much of a burden for her.

Coincidentally, Xiao He had been in poor health the past few days and was resting at home. If Jing Shen had any questions after her lessons, she could ask Xiao He directly. Jing Shen had even begun to look forward to her daily tutoring sessions.

Chu Yuelan hadn’t seen Jing Shen at school for several days. Alphas and Omegas originally attended classes in separate areas, and they used to head to the library together after dinner following the final bell. However, since Jing Shen moved into the Xiao estate, she headed straight home every day after school, vanishing from sight.

By the time Friday arrived, everyone was set to return to the Xiao residence. In the past, Chu Yuelan didn’t want to trouble Xiao He by having someone pick her up and usually took a taxi. This time, however, she arrived just as Jing Shen was walking out of the school gates.

“Mind if I hitch a ride?”

Jing Shen was startled by Chu Yuelan’s sudden appearance, but she naturally wouldn’t refuse. “President Xiao sent the car for all of us anyway.”

“Is that so?” Chu Yuelan merely smiled. “Though it should just be the two of us. Xiao Lincu and the other two always drive themselves back.”

Alphas can apply for a driver’s license at sixteen, and all three had their own cars. Chu Yuelan had one as well, but she found it too flashy and had never driven it.

Jing Shen believed Chu Yuelan, of course, but she still had to check with the driver. They couldn’t just get in and leave immediately.

Before they could reach the car, a black supercar roared out from the school, braking hard right in front of them and blocking their path.

Chu Yuelan instinctively pulled Jing Shen behind her, her brow furrowed as she glared at the person in the car.

This was the first time Jing Shen had seen Chu Yuelan drop her gentle facade. Just as she was about to say it was fine, the driver stepped out.

Xiao Lincu glanced at Chu Yuelan and spoke past her to Jing Shen. “Get in.”

“Xiao Lincu, what do you think you’re doing?” While there wasn’t a direct conflict between Chu Yuelan and Xiao Lincu like there was with Xie Qingyu or Xiao Shuyuan, the two of them actually disliked each other the most. Facing Xiao Lincu, Chu Yuelan showed no intention of stepping aside.

“None of your business.”

Xiao Lincu clearly lacked patience. She stepped forward and grabbed Jing Shen’s arm. Just as Chu Yuelan tried to intervene, the metallic scent of rust—resembling fresh blood—began to spread.

As an Alpha highly sensitive to her own kind’s pheromones, Chu Yuelan felt an immediate wave of discomfort. The feeling of being naturally suppressed was not pleasant.

“Yuelan, you go on ahead. It’s fine,” Jing Shen said, patting Chu Yuelan’s arm to soothe her. A faint, elegant scent of camellia subtly neutralized the spreading scent of rust.

“Fine. I’ll head back first. I’ll let President Xiao know you’re riding with Xiao Lincu.”

Faced with someone as impossible to communicate with as Xiao Lincu, Chu Yuelan could only yield, but she made sure to warn Lincu not to act too recklessly.

Xiao Lincu ignored her completely. Once Jing Shen was inside, the supercar roared and vanished in a cloud of dust at the end of the road.

Watching them leave, Chu Yuelan clenched her fists. What right does Xiao Lincu have to be so arrogant?!

Jing Shen sat in Xiao Lincu’s car as it hugged the speed limit, heading toward the outskirts of the city.

“Did you lose control again?”

Shortly after Jing Shen transferred to Heistan, the two had accidentally discovered that Jing Shen’s pheromones had a unique soothing effect on Xiao Lincu. Despite some initial friction, they reached a basic consensus: every so often, Jing Shen would help soothe Xiao Lincu’s pheromones when they teetered on the edge of instability.

However, no one else knew about this. On the surface, the two had no interaction. The previous incident was an accident; as Xiao Lincu approached adulthood, her pheromones were maturing rapidly, and a glitch during a session led to a total blowout. This had alerted everyone else, who assumed Jing Shen had simply been caught in the crossfire.

Since then, there had been zero communication between them. Usually, after a major release, it would be over a month before Xiao Lincu risked losing control again. The fact that Lincu had sought her out in public made Jing Shen think the situation was urgent.

Xiao Lincu’s thin lips were pressed tight. She glanced at Jing Shen while driving but said nothing.

Jing Shen observed her closely. She didn’t look like she was losing control, but Xiao Lincu’s endurance was freakish; she might just be enduring it.

To prevent an actual blowout that might end their short lives, Jing Shen tentatively released a soft wave of soothing pheromones. A faint floral scent filled the cabin, bringing a sense of calm.

“I didn’t lose control,” Xiao Lincu finally spoke, looking ahead. She seemed awkward, making her voice sound cold and stiff. “I wanted to apologize to you for last time.”

Jing Shen finally understood Lincu’s intent. Still, she felt that what was past was past. “It’s okay. I wasn’t hurt, and you didn’t do it on purpose.”

Hearing this, Xiao Lincu glanced at her and quickly looked away, giving a soft, “Mhm.”

The car kept driving until they were almost out of the city. When Xiao Lincu didn’t follow up, Jing Shen had to ask: “So, where are we going exactly?”

“I’m going to see a doctor. I need your help.”

Xiao Lincu couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t lose control without Jing Shen present, which could lead to severe consequences.

“Didn’t you go to the hospital last time? Did they miss something?”

“Stop asking. Don’t tell President Xiao about this.”

Xiao Lincu clearly had no intention of being honest with Jing Shen.

That sentence made Jing Shen feel something was wrong, but she knew she wouldn’t get answers out of Lincu. She could only wait and see.

Meanwhile, after Chu Yuelan returned home, the first thing she did was ask if Jing Shen and Xiao Lincu were back. The answer was no.

The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became. As an hour passed, she finally couldn’t wait any longer and went to the main building to see Xiao He.

Xiao He had been home these past few days. Hearing Chu Yuelan say the two were out, she merely paused while drinking her tea. “Lincu and Jing Shen called earlier. They’re eating out, so they’ll be back a bit late.”

“But President Xiao…”

Chu Yuelan wanted to say more, but the tutor for the day happened to arrive.

“Today’s lesson is canceled. Move it to tomorrow.”

After Xiao He dismissed the tutor, she was visibly tired. Seeing this, Chu Yuelan couldn’t push further and had to leave the main building.

However, that tutor made her feel strange. Who exactly is taking lessons? And what kind of lessons?

After everyone left, Xiao He returned to her room. Just as Guan Shanyue had said, she was becoming more fatigued and listless by the day. Even though she had handed most company affairs to a proxy, she still felt overextended.

Back in her room, she reclined on a soft chair on the balcony. From here, she would be able to see when Jing Shen and the others returned. Though they had called to say they’d be late, they were still minors after all, and she was somewhat worried.

As she waited, her consciousness grew foggy, and she drifted into sleep. When Xiao He opened her eyes again, the sky outside was completely dark. The room was unlit, with only a bit of light from the courtyard filtering in.

Just as Xiao He was about to call Butler Lin to ask if they were back, a flash of piercing headlights swept across the yard. She looked down; it was Xiao Lincu’s car.

Xiao Lincu and Jing Shen stepped out from opposite sides and stood together, talking.

In a daze, Xiao He recalled the description in the original novel: in the end, among the four candidates, Jing Shen chose Xiao Lincu.

It seemed that after all this circling, some things wouldn’t change. Xiao He had no interest in wrestling with a fixed plot. As long as it wasn’t anything illegal, a consensual relationship was not for an outsider to judge. She might as well let nature take its course.

Withdrawing her gaze, Xiao He began walking toward the bed. Without the lights on, her vision was somewhat obstructed. Combined with her physical weakness, she accidentally tripped on the carpet. Losing her balance, she fell heavily to the floor.

Fortunately, the carpet was thick. Though it hurt, it wasn’t critical. Xiao He lay there for a moment to recover, but as she did, she wasn’t sure if she drifted into sleep or simply lost consciousness.

Jing Shen had accompanied Xiao Lincu to a private clinic on the outskirts for an examination. Between the two-hour wait for results and the long drive, it was completely dark by the time they got home. She wanted to see Xiao He quickly, but Xiao Lincu called out to her as she stepped out of the car.

“Jing Shen, there are empty rooms in the side wing. You could tell President Xiao you want to move over here.”

Jing Shen looked at the distance between the side wing and the main building and shook her head. “You’re all Alphas. It’s not convenient.”

While she didn’t see why distance and privacy would make it inconvenient, it sounded logical enough. Xiao Lincu nodded and didn’t insist, but she didn’t forget to remind Jing Shen one more time: “We went to eat on the west side today. Don’t get the story wrong.”

“Mhm.”

Finally finished with Xiao Lincu, Jing Shen hurried toward the main building. She glanced toward Xiao He’s room; it was pitch black. She wasn’t sure if Xiao He hadn’t returned to her room yet or if she was already asleep.

Because Jing Shen had said she would eat out, the household staff had finished their work early. The main building was silent. Since Xiao He usually disliked being disturbed, there wasn’t a soul in sight, only the lights left on for Jing Shen.

Skipping dinner didn’t matter. Jing Shen walked upstairs step by step and stood before Xiao He’s door. She raised her hand but hesitated. It was so late; Sister Xiao was probably already resting, wasn’t she?