After Becoming the Scummy Alpha in a Substitute Romance - Chapter 28

Jian Ya didn’t notice the small shift in Shen Shuyi’s expression.

When she heard Shen Shuyi say she would continue taking her medicine, Jian Ya frowned slightly.

She knew Shen Shuyi well enough to understand that once she made up her mind, it would be very hard to change it.

At least for now, a few words from her wouldn’t be enough to convince her otherwise.

So Jian Ya didn’t press the issue. She didn’t want to risk annoying Shen Shuyi by pushing too hard.

She simply nodded and added gently, “Alright. If you ever need anything, I’m always here to help.”

Shen Shuyi lowered her eyes and didn’t respond.

The next morning, after a full night of monitoring, they confirmed that Shen Shuyi’s condition was stable. Soon after, they completed the discharge procedures.

Jian Ya took a taxi with her and accompanied her back to the lab.

When they reached the entrance and were about to go inside, Jian Ya suddenly stopped walking.

Shen Shuyi turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow slightly, clearly asking why she had stopped.

Jian Ya gave her a cautious smile and asked carefully, “Professor Shen, could I take a day off? Or… actually, just half a day?”

After she spoke, she looked at her with hopeful eyes, waiting for an answer.

Shen Shuyi had been expecting something more serious, but it turned out Jian Ya only wanted some time off.

Come to think of it, that wasn’t surprising. Just a few days ago, Shen Shuyi had been wondering how long Jian Ya could tolerate the dull and repetitive work in the lab.

The fact that she had lasted this long was already unexpected.

So she wasn’t surprised that Jian Ya would ask for leave one day—or even resign altogether.

“What for?” Shen Shuyi asked casually.

“Hmm… just to rest a bit,” Jian Ya answered, not revealing her real reason.

Shen Shuyi remembered that during her time in the hospital, Jian Ya had barely left her side.

Even last night, though it had already been confirmed that there was no serious problem, Jian Ya still insisted on staying with her.

At the same time, she had kept a respectful distance. Whenever Shen Shuyi needed rest, Jian Ya would quietly leave the room.

Shen Shuyi had assumed Jian Ya went home afterward to get some sleep.

But early this morning, when she opened her eyes, she found Jian Ya asleep on a bench just outside the hospital room.

That image came back to her now—Jian Ya curled up slightly, resting with her arms folded, sleeping lightly in an uncomfortable position.

She had been resting so quietly on that bench. Her long, slightly curled eyelashes cast faint shadows on her cheeks. As she slept, she looked peaceful—completely different from her usual bold and outspoken self.

This side of Jian Ya wasn’t aggressive at all, nor did she give off any sense of threat.

It was in that moment that Shen Shuyi finally took a good, long look at her. And then, she suddenly understood why almost everyone in the lab had accepted Jian Ya in such a short time.

It was because of that face. If it weren’t for their unpleasant past, Shen Shuyi believed that even at first glance, she wouldn’t have thought Jian Ya was someone with a mean or malicious nature.

She had tried to control herself, tried not to get too emotionally involved with Jian Ya.

But she couldn’t deny that seeing Jian Ya resting like that on the bench—clearly tired, yet staying just to wait with her—stirred something small in her heart. A faint ripple of emotion.

Now, hearing Jian Ya say she just wanted to go home and rest, a flicker of guilt passed through Shen Shuyi’s lowered eyes.

“Alright,” she said, agreeing to Jian Ya’s leave request.

But then, for some reason, a thought surfaced in her mind. She asked another question without thinking, “Will you come back?”

Jian Ya’s eyes widened immediately. “Are you firing me just for taking a day off?”

Shen Shuyi saw the shock and confusion in her eyes, and couldn’t help but smile slightly. “Hmm? Still want to ask for leave?”

Jian Ya’s face became even more conflicted.

Seeing her struggle like that, Shen Shuyi suddenly felt her mood lighten.

“I—” Jian Ya had just opened her mouth to say she wouldn’t take the leave anymore, when Shen Shuyi interrupted, “Alright, I was only joking. You can take the time off.”

Jian Ya paused, stunned for a second. Then, when she noticed the faint smile still lingering on Shen Shuyi’s face, she suddenly realized.

“Oh… you were teasing me,” she said, blinking. “But Shen Shuyi—you actually smiled.”

At that, Shen Shuyi quickly wiped the expression from her face and denied it without much sincerity. “No, I didn’t.”

“You did. I saw it,” Jian Ya insisted.

Shen Shuyi didn’t want to keep going back and forth with her about it, so she didn’t reply. She simply picked up her pace and walked into the lab.

But Jian Ya wasn’t about to let such a rare moment go. She chased after her, calling out, “I swear I saw it! You smile really nicely.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Yes, you did!”

Their back-and-forth sounded almost like two kids bickering on a playground.

Eventually, Shen Shuyi came to a sudden stop, turned around, and looked at Jian Ya. “Weren’t you going home to rest? Not taking leave anymore?”

“I am! I am!” Jian Ya finally remembered the reason she stopped in the first place. She didn’t keep following and instead waved from the lab entrance. “See you tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Shen Shuyi replied softly.

And with that, the two of them went their separate ways.

Once Shen Shuyi was completely out of sight, the sunny, relaxed smile that had been on Jian Ya’s face faded away.

What replaced it was something cold—indifferent, with a faint chill hidden beneath.

She returned to the hotel where she was temporarily staying. After taking a quick shower and resting briefly, she changed her clothes and drove to the Raven Group headquarters.

By the time Jian Ya arrived, it was already after work hours.

Groups of employees were leaving the building in twos and threes. Jian Ya had contacted Jian Du in advance, so by the time she got there, her sister was still in her office.

Honestly, Jian Ya didn’t want to have too much interaction with the Jian family if she could avoid it. After all, she wasn’t the real Jian Ya.

But this matter…

A sharp glint briefly flashed in her eyes.

Yesterday, right after Shen Shuyi met with Li Jinlei in the reception room, she had suffered a pheromone episode.

There was no way Jian Ya believed that had nothing to do with him.

Especially since the room still reeked of Li Jinlei’s strong, alcohol-heavy pheromones afterward.

Jian Ya had never been someone who just quietly accepted being mistreated.

Led by an assistant, she soon arrived at Jian Du’s office.

Everything she saw inside Raven Group felt unfamiliar. It was obvious the original Jian Ya had rarely, if ever, come here.

As she pushed open the door and stepped inside, the first thing she saw was her sister in this world—Jian Du—sitting at her desk.

In the original novel, there wasn’t much written about this older sister. All Jian Ya knew was that Jian Du was highly capable, with a strong sense of responsibility and clear moral values.

But in reality, Jian Ya hadn’t had much personal contact with her.

Aside from calling Jian Du once to ask for help getting into Shen Shuyi’s lab, they hadn’t spoken since.

Jian Ya didn’t know what kind of person Jian Du really was, and the original owner’s memories didn’t help.

In those memories, Jian Du had been completely misunderstood.

Because she had taken on the role of disciplining her younger sister, the original Jian Ya had seen her as cold, unfeeling, and unreasonable—almost like a heartless authoritarian.

But now, standing face-to-face, Jian Ya could immediately tell that impression had been unfair.

Jian Du sat at her desk with an elegant posture. She was tall, graceful, and her facial features were delicate. Every movement exuded calm strength and refined confidence.

If Jian Ya’s appearance was bold and striking, then her sister—who shared around seventy percent of her facial features—gave off a completely different feeling: cold, reserved, and distant.

At that moment, without even looking up, Jian Du spoke in a calm voice, “What trouble have you caused this time? Just say it.”

Jian Ya understood. Her sister’s first reaction came from the poor impression the original Jian Ya had left.

There was no need to explain or make excuses. She got straight to the point.

“What’s the main operating model of the Andromeda Lab?” Jian Ya asked.

She instinctively felt that someone like Jian Du would never allow someone like Li Jinlei to be in charge of a project like this.

Of course, Jian Du already knew that Jian Ya had been involved in the lab work recently.

She hadn’t bothered to look into the details. As long as Jian Ya wasn’t getting into trouble that required her to make regular trips to the police station, Jian Du considered it a good thing.

Now, hearing Jian Ya’s question, Jian Du finally looked up. Her gaze rested on Jian Ya’s face as she replied calmly, “This part of the project has already been fully delegated. I’m no longer managing it directly. If you have any additional needs, follow the proper procedures to request funding. As long as the requests are reasonable, the company will approve them.”

Upon hearing this, Jian Ya narrowed her eyes slightly, her voice turning noticeably cold.

“And is it also considered reasonable for someone to threaten or interfere with the lab’s progress for personal reasons?”

Hearing her words, Jian Du paused what she was doing and looked up at her.

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