Acting as the Powerful Background Character in a Scummy Alpha Novel - Chapter 8

Withdrawing her hand, Jing Shen whispered a soft “goodnight” at Xiao He’s door before returning to her own room.

As she washed up, her mind replayed the events of the day. She wondered if she should tell Xiao He about what happened; Xiao Lincu’s behavior today was clearly abnormal. But she didn’t know how to phrase it—after all, she didn’t even know what the girl had actually been tested for.

Was she supposed to just tell Xiao He that Xiao Lincu went for a medical check-up behind her back?

It sounded ridiculous.

After thinking it over without any clarity, it seemed there were no major issues for now. Jing Shen decided to drop it and wait until she discovered something new.

Just as she changed into her pajamas and prepared for bed, the pitter-patter of rain started outside. It had begun to pour without her noticing.

Though it was still late summer, the night rain carried the chill of early autumn. Jing Shen went to close her window, but as she stood on the balcony, she glanced at Xiao He’s room next door. She realized that Xiao He hadn’t closed her windows or even drawn her curtains. The wind, heavy with raindrops, was gusting into the room, making the light curtains flutter like ethereal dancers in the dark.

Jing Shen leaned her head out the window. Icy droplets hit her face. Xiao He was likely deep asleep; if she let the wind blow on her all night, how could her frail body handle it?

Looking at the distance between the two adjacent balconies, Jing Shen debated whether to climb over or go around to knock on the door and wake her.

Neither option seemed ideal.

In the end, Jing Shen chose the front door. Standing before the closed entrance, she hesitated to knock. Instead, she gripped the handle. I’m just going in to close a window; there’s no need to wake her, right?

With that thought, she gently turned the handle. With a light click, the door opened.

Treading softly, Jing Shen entered the room. It wasn’t her first time here. Using the faint light from the courtyard outside, she scanned the area, only to find the bedsheets perfectly smooth—Xiao He was nowhere to be seen.

Xiao He isn’t in the room?!

Panic flared, but then she realized something was wrong. She hurried forward, looking past the bed, and finally saw Xiao He collapsed on the carpet between the balcony and the bed.

The sound of wind and rain outside grew louder. Xiao He’s body was slightly sunk into the plush carpet. In the dim light, her pale, calm face looked as if she were merely sleeping.

For a moment, Jing Shen was almost afraid to move. But a gust of chilly wind snapped her back to reality. She rushed to Xiao He’s side.

“Sister Xiao? Sister Xiao!”

Shaking her shoulders gently, Jing Shen felt as if her heart were being squeezed by terror. Her fingers trembled as she touched the space beneath Xiao He’s nose. A faint breath brushed against her skin, finally allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief.

Sensing that Xiao He’s body temperature was dangerously low, Jing Shen didn’t delay. She knelt on the floor and gathered the woman into her arms to lift her onto the bed.

Weakened by chronic illness, Xiao He was very light, though her unconscious state made her somewhat difficult to hold. As Jing Shen stood up, she adjusted her grip so Xiao He leaned against her. Watching Xiao He’s head rest gently against her chest, the only thing Jing Shen could hear was the drum-like thundering of her own heart.

Butler Lin arrived quickly. Seeing Jing Shen keeping watch by the bed, he felt a wave of relief.

“Miss Jing Shen, the family doctor has been notified and will be here shortly. We have you to thank today.”

Xiao He had never liked having people around her and was indifferent to new monitoring technologies. Even though doctors had insisted someone should always be with her, she never took it to heart. She didn’t believe she had become an invalid who needed constant care. Yet today, something this dangerous had happened.

“No, it’s what I should have done. But what is actually wrong with President Xiao’s health?”

Ever since Xiao He claimed it was just a simple fever, Jing Shen had felt something was off. How could a simple fever require such a long recovery without any sign of improvement?

Butler Lin gave a small smile. “President Xiao’s health has been like this for years, especially during autumn and winter.”

Xiao He’s medical condition was a strictly guarded secret. Any leak could cause massive instability within the group. After all, she had yet to name a clear heir, and none of the candidates were currently capable of standing on their own. The entire burden still rested on her shoulders alone.

Jing Shen didn’t believe the butler’s words, but she understood the stakes involved. She stayed by the bed and stopped asking questions.

Outside, the rain had turned into a torrential downpour. Guan Shanyue arrived quickly, her clothes mostly soaked.

Ignoring her own state, Guan Shanyue shed her coat and rubbed her icy hands together before immediately examining Xiao He. Fortunately, she was familiar with the case. She made a quick judgment and started an IV.

“We’ll wait for her to come around on her own. It shouldn’t be a major issue, but I’ll stay here to watch her. If she doesn’t improve, we’ll need to move her to the hospital.”

Guan Shanyue spoke to Butler Lin, her gaze then drifting to Jing Shen. “And this is?”

“Thank you, Dr. Guan. This is Miss Jing Shen.”

Butler Lin, now at ease, gave a brief introduction. Guan Shanyue didn’t track all of Xiao He’s little heirs, so she didn’t press for details. She gave Jing Shen a smile. “Alright, little one. I’ll take it from here. Go back and get some rest.”

Jing Shen looked at the young doctor. Even though she looked a mess from the rain, she hadn’t lost any of her grace. She appeared to be roughly the same age as Xiao He.

“Can I stay here too?” Jing Shen couldn’t settle until she saw Xiao He wake up with her own eyes.

“Sure,” Guan Shanyue didn’t stop her. She turned to the butler. “Butler Lin, could someone brew some ginger soup? President Xiao caught a bit of a chill; it’ll be good for her to have something warm when she wakes. I’d like a bowl as well.”

“Of course. That was my oversight. I’ll have it prepared immediately.”

Jing Shen stopped the butler as he was about to call for the staff. She looked at Xiao He on the bed; sitting here, she wasn’t actually helping with anything. “I’ll do it. I know how to make it.”

At the very least, doing something within her power for Xiao He made her feel better. Butler Lin didn’t stop her and followed her downstairs to ensure she knew how to use the kitchen appliances.

Guan Shanyue closed the door. Turning around, she saw Xiao He slowly blinking her eyes open, looking at the room with confusion.

“Is it really that hard to listen to your doctor? Do you know that if that little girl hadn’t found you, you would have lied on the floor all night? You would have been a goner by morning.”

Nothing was more frustrating than a patient who ignored medical advice—especially one as wealthy and powerful as Xiao He, whom no one could control.

“I tripped. I was going to lie there for a second to catch my breath, but I didn’t expect to fall asleep.”

Xiao He didn’t feel any pain now; she honestly thought Guan Shanyue was exaggerating.

“You really are something.”

Tired of lecturing her, Guan Shanyue tugged at her damp clothes. “I don’t suppose I could borrow some clothes from you?”

“Be my guest.”

Since Guan Shanyue had gotten soaked for her sake, Xiao He didn’t mind. she told her to pick something out from the walk-in closet.

The closet connected to the bedroom was filled with Xiao He’s organized wardrobe. Guan Shanyue didn’t snoop; she picked out a basic shirt and trousers. They were brand new, and they didn’t look like something Xiao He would normally wear.

“This pattern is quite unique.”

Having changed in the bathroom, Guan Shanyue walked out while buttoning up. She touched the exquisite embroidery on the cuff—a crane standing with its head held high, stitched with lifelike detail.

“A personal emblem. Couldn’t you finish buttoning up before coming out?”

Xiao He glanced over and looked away. All her clothes were handmade, featuring exclusive patterns from her embroiderers.

“Sorry, I’ll keep it in mind next time.”

Guan Shanyue finished the third button and casually rolled up her sleeves. She sat by Xiao He’s bed, her expression turning serious. “As a doctor, I have to tell you: you absolutely cannot be alone anymore. This time was luck, but can you be lucky every time?”

Xiao He recognized the severity of the situation. “Is there no other way? Having people orbit me twenty-four hours a day is a form of torture.”

“There is one other option: a monitoring bracelet. It records your vitals in real-time. If anything goes wrong, it sends an immediate alert to a designated contact or emergency services.”

Guan Shanyue looked at her. The more she knew Xiao He, the more she realized that despite her youth, the woman lived like a total relic of the past.

“I’ll think about it.”

Xiao He liked neither option. She looked down, wondering if there was a third possibility.

“I happen to have one here. Try it on; it’s not that uncomfortable.”

Dealing with a patient like this could drive a doctor mad. Guan Shanyue took a black bracelet off her own wrist. It was lightweight and unobtrusive.

“No.”

Xiao He frowned and tried to refuse, but Guan Shanyue reached out and pulled her wrist over anyway.

“Just try it for a second. If you can handle it, you can order a custom one.”

While coaxing her, Guan Shanyue fastened the bracelet onto Xiao He’s left wrist.

It indeed felt like nothing, but Xiao He found it incredibly awkward. She lifted her wrist to look at it. “Take it off.”

Guan Shanyue: “…”

“I really…”

The employer always had the final say. Taking a deep breath, Guan Shanyue held Xiao He’s wrist and began to unfasten the bracelet.

As she did, there was a knock. Jing Shen entered with the ginger soup just in time to see the scene.

Xiao He was lying in bed while Guan Shanyue sat beside her. One of Xiao He’s hands was hooked to the IV, while the other was held by Guan Shanyue. They seemed to be in the middle of an intimate conversation that she had interrupted.

For some reason, Jing Shen felt a dull thud in her chest.

Xiao He saw Jing Shen at the door and didn’t think anything was amiss. Once Jing Shen set down the soup, Xiao He checked the time. “Jing Shen, it’s late. Go and get some rest.”

“Are you feeling better?” Jing Shen stood by the bed, watching as Guan Shanyue removed the bracelet from Xiao He’s wrist and slipped it back onto her own—a gesture so natural that Xiao He didn’t say a word.

Though she hadn’t noticed when the bracelet had appeared on Xiao He, that wasn’t important. What mattered was the casual, intimate familiarity between them. They didn’t look like a simple doctor and patient.

Guan Shanyue stood up to pour the soup, answering on Xiao He’s behalf. “Don’t worry, she’s fine. I’m telling you, President Xiao, you owe this little one today.”

Xiao He looked at Jing Shen. “Don’t worry. Go back to sleep.”

Jing Shen didn’t want to leave, but she had no reason to stay. She watched as Guan Shanyue poured a bowl of soup and, before Jing Shen could help, easily slipped an arm around Xiao He to prop her up. “Drink some of this. It’ll warm you up. The little one brewed it herself.”

Xiao He took the soup with a look of surprise and sipped it slowly. Guan Shanyue wasn’t shy either, pouring the rest for herself.

Watching Xiao He drink the soup she had made, Jing Shen felt a bit better and prepared to leave.

As she turned at the door to close it, she saw Guan Shanyue sitting back down on the edge of the bed.

“President Xiao, this must be that student you sponsor, right? You know, out of all those kids you’re raising, this one is definitely the most filial…”

The door clicked shut. The excellent soundproofing cut off the rest of the conversation, but the word “filial” felt like two heavy stones weighing down on Jing Shen’s chest. In an instant, an insurmountable chasm had appeared between her and Xiao He.