After Becoming the Scummy Alpha in a Substitute Romance - Chapter 35

As soon as Jian Ya said the words “personal interests,” the room fell silent for three full seconds.

Everyone looked at Jian Ya with different expressions, but she remained calm. Her eyes were steady, her face composed, showing no sign of awkwardness or discomfort.

Even Shen Shuyi stared at her in disbelief.

The two of them had known each other for quite a while.

But even in the past, Jian Ya had never spoken like this, using such a serious and righteous tone to say something so unexpected.

The most surprising thing was that she said it as if it were absolutely true.

Looking at the reactions of the people around them, it was obvious that they actually believed her.

Shen Shuyi felt her composure beginning to crack, but at that moment, she didn’t know what to say.

After all, she understood Jian Ya was trying to help her out of a difficult situation. There was no way she could say anything to ruin that effort.

When Madam Shen, the elder in the family, heard what was said, her expression turned awkward as well. As someone from the older generation, she felt uncomfortable and chose not to ask further.

But Second Aunt Shen, whose interests were more directly involved, couldn’t let it go so easily. She asked Jian Ya, “This so-called interest… it’s not something that requires a divorce, is it?”

She clearly suspected that this talk about hobbies was just an excuse.

Jian Ya touched her nose, lowered her voice slightly, and replied, “Second Aunt, this is just something between young people. It’s probably best not to ask too much.”

Second Aunt Shen was left speechless.

The conversation ended there. Except for Jian Ya, everyone’s expression carried a trace of awkwardness.

Earlier, the small kitchen had been full of lively chatter. People had been happily talking while they worked. But after Jian Ya’s unexpected comment, the room fell into silence. For more than ten minutes, everyone quietly focused on preparing the meal. No one asked any more questions or brought up the situation again.

This was exactly what Jian Ya and Shen Shuyi had hoped for.

After a few more minutes of busy work, all the dishes were finally ready, and it was time to eat.

The core members of the Shen family sat together at a large table, each person pretending to be calm while hiding their true thoughts.

Everyone knew very well why they were really gathered that day, but no one mentioned it openly. Instead, they kept trying to get Jian Ya to reveal something through small talk.

But Jian Ya was no longer the same person she used to be.

The old Jian Ya might have easily fallen for it. Under all the hints and leading questions, she might have even revealed the entire financial status of her family.

But the current Jian Ya had experienced everything in her past life. She had faced all kinds of situations.

At the dining table, she smoothly avoided every trap they set. The experienced manipulators in the Shen family didn’t gain anything from her.

Shen Shuyi watched everything quietly from the side.

She could hear clearly how these people kept trying to corner Jian Ya with their words.

More than once, she wanted to speak up and stop them. But each time, Jian Ya handled it effortlessly.

Shen Shuyi knew very well how the Shen family viewed her. To them, she had always been just a tool, someone they could use to gain resources for the family.

Some things, Shen Shuyi had already accepted.

She treated it as repayment for the Shen family’s years of raising her.

But watching them now, shamelessly trying to squeeze benefits from Jian Ya, she felt a deep and growing disgust.

She had truly had enough of this kind of life.

She watched as Jian Ya was forced to drink one glass after another, until her eyes began to look hazy and unfocused.

Even her speech started to sound slurred.

Shen Shuyi didn’t hide the disgust that showed clearly in her eyes.

Just as she was about to speak up and put an end to this ridiculous dinner, Jian Ya quietly reached out and held her hand.

It looked like nothing more than a simple gesture between two wives.

But Shen Shuyi froze completely.

Jian Ya’s hand was soft, completely different from her personality. When it touched hers, Shen Shuyi could even feel the delicate structure of Jian Ya’s fingers.

This was the first time she realized something like that.

In fact, it might have been the first time they had ever truly held hands.

Even on their wedding day, they had never done anything so intimate.

Jian Ya’s movement was gentle. Her grip was light, so light that Shen Shuyi didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.

While Shen Shuyi was still in shock, Jian Ya lightly squeezed her palm.

Throughout the whole moment, they never made eye contact, yet Shen Shuyi somehow understood what Jian Ya was trying to say.

She stopped herself from speaking.

Jian Ya wasn’t drunk. She was still acting.

Even though she had no idea what Jian Ya’s goal was, Shen Shuyi chose to play along.

She remained silent.

Quietly, she watched Jian Ya put on the appearance of someone completely drunk, her words becoming more and more jumbled.

Out of everyone present, only Shen Shuyi knew that this was all an act.

But Second Uncle Shen and the others didn’t know. Seeing Jian Ya appear more and more intoxicated, they immediately began to feel tempted.

“Jian Ya, we’re all family here. We should help each other out more,” Second Uncle Shen said, trying to test the waters.

Jian Ya swallowed and leaned on the table with her right hand, pretending to barely keep herself upright.

“Of course,” she said, slurring slightly. “We’re family. No need to talk about helping each other. If you need anything, just say it. That’s how it should be.”

As soon as those words left her mouth, the eyes of the Shen family members lit up.

She must really be drunk. Otherwise, how could someone like her say something like that so casually?

Even if it was just a verbal promise, Jian Ya’s identity meant something. If they could take advantage of this moment to ask for a favor, surely the Jian family wouldn’t go back on it.

Shen Shuyi frowned deeply when she heard this. What was going on? Why would Jian Ya agree so easily?

Had she misjudged everything? Was Jian Ya actually drunk after all?

For a moment, Shen Shuyi truly couldn’t figure out what Jian Ya was thinking.

“We, the Shen family…” Second Uncle Shen had just started to speak when Jian Ya interrupted him.

“Second Uncle, what you said doesn’t sound quite right. Not ‘we, the Shen family.’ It’s me and her. We’re a family.”

Jian Ya looked completely drunk. She pointed to herself, then to Shen Shuyi.

“Our family. The Jian family,” she corrected, clearly.

Second Uncle Shen was at a loss for words.

He let out an awkward laugh and said, “Haha… it’s all the same, it’s all the same.”

“No, no, it’s not the same,” Jian Ya said, shaking her index finger with a serious look on her face. “I’m not close to you. Whether you’re part of our family or not isn’t something you can decide.”

Some things, when said directly, could sound too harsh.

They could also stir up tension.

But if said while pretending to be drunk, they came across as blunt truths—truths that everyone understood but couldn’t argue with.

Second Uncle Shen’s smile began to fade.

If he couldn’t decide whether they were family, then who could?

The answer wasn’t difficult to guess.

But Jian Ya wasn’t done. Taking advantage of her “drunkenness,” she kept talking without hesitation, saying everything she wanted to say.

“Second Uncle, I’ll be honest with you, and don’t take it the wrong way. It’s not that I don’t treat you like family. It’s just that there are plenty of people who want to be part of the Jian family. Why? Because there are benefits. Do you know what kind of benefits?” Her tone suddenly became mysterious.

Second Uncle Shen didn’t really want to respond, but since he had already started the conversation, ignoring her now would be too obvious.

So, forcing a smile, he played along. “What kind of benefits?”

Jian Ya leaned in a little, still acting drunk. “The Jian family is very protective of our own. If you’re truly one of us, and someone tries to hurt you, the Jian family won’t just sit by. We defend our people, no matter what.”

Second Uncle Shen said nothing.

He suddenly felt like she was warning him.

His forced smile became even stiffer, but Jian Ya kept going, completely caught up in her act. She started counting on her fingers as she gave an example.

“Let me explain it like this,” she said. “Take Shen Shuyi. She’s part of the Jian family now. If someone treats her well, the Jian family will return that kindness. But if someone dares to bully her… heh.”

She smiled brightly, but Second Uncle Shen felt a chill run down his spine.

“Of course,” he quickly added, trying to sound supportive. “If anyone bullies her, the Shen family won’t allow it either.”

Jian Ya nodded. “That’s right. No one should bully her. If anyone does, even if it’s the Shen family, then you’re going against the Jian family.”

Cough, cough, cough…

Old Master Shen, who had been silent at the head of the table, suddenly started coughing after hearing that.

“Alright, alright,” he said quickly, breaking the tension. “Maomao, I think Jian Ya’s had a little too much. Take her back to the room to rest.”

Shen Shuyi pressed her lips together, holding back a smile.

Inside, she was quietly amused.

From Jian Ya’s words, she was now completely certain—Jian Ya wasn’t drunk at all. She was pretending to be drunk, using it as an excuse to speak her mind. Her words sounded like drunken rambling, but they were actually sharp warnings aimed at certain people.

Things that were hard to say under normal circumstances had now been said without restraint.

And Shen Shuyi knew exactly why Jian Ya had done it.

She was protecting her.

The realization filled Shen Shuyi’s heart with a quiet warmth.

In a family where she had always been treated like a tool and rarely felt cared for, Shen Shuyi felt, for the first time, that she wasn’t completely alone.

Even if the one giving her that feeling… was Jian Ya.

Still, she knew things couldn’t continue like this. If they did, it would only become harder to end gracefully. So she decided to go along and ease the situation.

“Alright,” Shen Shuyi responded.

She gently took Jian Ya’s hand and said, “You’ve had too much to drink. Come rest with me.”

“I’m not drunk! I can still drink three more bottles!” Jian Ya argued.

But despite what she said, she quietly stood up and followed Shen Shuyi without resistance.

Shen Shuyi didn’t respond. Holding her hand, she led Jian Ya toward the stairs. As they walked, Jian Ya kept muttering under her breath, “I really didn’t drink that much.”

Just like that, Shen Shuyi brought her up to the second floor, to her own bedroom.

She closed the door behind them.

Downstairs, everyone stared at the empty space where the two had just been sitting. They exchanged confused glances.

What… was that?

What exactly was Jian Ya trying to do?

Second Uncle Shen, the one who had taken the brunt of Jian Ya’s sharp words, looked especially uncomfortable. His expression had completely darkened.

“What did she mean by all that? Was she trying to threaten us?”

No one answered him.

After a long silence, the usually quiet third brother finally spoke in a low, thoughtful voice.

“Maybe… it wasn’t a threat. The Jian family really is known for protecting their own. They don’t care about being reasonable when it comes to their people.”

Everyone fell silent.

Upstairs, in the bedroom.

Shen Shuyi helped Jian Ya into the room. As soon as she closed the door, she let go of her arm and stepped back a little, crossing her arms as she looked at her.

As expected, Jian Ya quickly dropped the act.

The way she had been leaning and stumbling before—gone. Her eyes, once dazed, were now completely clear.

She rubbed her nose a little awkwardly. Faced with the silence, she broke it herself.

“Actually… I wasn’t drunk.”

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