Not a Scummy Alpha, But a Sweet Puppy (Transmigration Into A Novel) - Chapter 23.1

Gu Zhibai’s eyes widened slightly, her face cycling through shock, panic, and finally settling on a bewildered helplessness at her carefully laid plans unraveling.

Her polite refusal at the restaurant had been clear, and the subsequent distancing had unfolded exactly as she’d predicted. She’d intended to maintain the status quo, keeping their relationship just intimate enough without crossing any boundaries.

But Jiang Zhenmian’s sudden, assertive move shattered her carefully constructed facade.

Gone was the timid, melancholic girl. In her place stood someone almost aggressive, her dark eyes pressing down with an intensity that made Gu Zhibai feel cornered.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Jiang Zhenmian asked, leaning forward slightly, her gaze piercing.

“Is it really so hard to accept that I like you?” Jiang Zhenmian scoffed, a hint of amusement in her voice. “I thought you knew all along, Sister.”

The word “Sister” hung in the air, ambiguous and charged with a seductive undertone, as if coated in a succubus’s love-infused powder. Yet the tone carried a trace of mockery and knowing.

“If you’re just going to offer some empty platitudes, don’t bother,” Jiang Zhenmian cut in before Gu Zhibai could speak.

Jiang Zhenmian’s words forced Gu Zhibai to swallow the words she had been about to say.

Gu Zhibai had never realized how difficult it could be to speak. Jiang Zhenmian was like a medieval inquisitor, her gaze piercing and relentless, as if trying to force Gu Zhibai to confess all her hidden sins.

The difficulty of refusing her had suddenly intensified.

Gu Zhibai remained silent for a long time, her gaze darting away. The intensity in Jiang Zhenmian’s expression, whether it was pressure or mockery, gradually faded with the passing minutes, like fuel burning out. Only a faint ember remained, barely sustaining her. She eventually returned to her earlier listless state.

“I don’t understand,” she said. “Do you really not like me at all?”

“I…” Gu Zhibai sighed. “I do have feelings for you.”
“Then why?” Jiang Zhenmian lifted her gaze slightly, her expression still listless.

Because I’m a reborn person who, despite having feelings for you, still suspects your motives?

Because I don’t want to lose control of my emotions by getting lost in love and losing my rationality?

Both reasons were absurd, so Gu Zhibai fell silent again, her lips parting as if to speak, but no words came.

Jiang Zhenmian suddenly chuckled. She had been about to ask more, but now there was no need. The answer was clear, and pressing further would be impolite.

“You don’t have to say anything. I understand. But before I leave, there’s one more thing I need to tell you.”

Jiang Zhenmian looked away, focusing on the cup of cocoa on the coffee table, which still steamed gently. “Your brother, Gu Zhiyao, harbors deep hostility toward you because he wants to become the Family Head of the Gu Corporation. He sent people to approach you, and because I resemble Song Qingmiao, they chose me. The plan was to make you fall in love with me, then use me to… do something harmful to you. You must be wary of him in the future. He’ll undoubtedly try to harm you again.”

Not looking at Gu Zhibai, she continued, oblivious to the other woman’s expression. “I agreed to work with Gu Zhiyao only to get close to you through his methods. Otherwise, how could an ordinary person like me ever have crossed paths with the CEO of the Gu Corporation?”

“My feelings for you are genuine, whether you believe it or not. I won’t bother you again. You’ll never see me again.”

Jiang Zhenmian took a shallow breath and spoke her final words, “Thank you. The time I’ve spent with you has been the happiest in my life.”

With that, she stood up abruptly, refusing to cast one last glance at him.

Just as she turned to leave, her hand was caught.

Gu Zhibai’s voice came from behind her, “After rambling on like that, you think you can just walk away like nothing happened? I haven’t said a word yet.”

“Did I say I was rejecting your confession?”

Jiang Zhenmian whirled around, the composure on her face shattering to reveal a bewildered, incredulous expression. “Ah… ah?” she stammered.
Gu Zhibai tugged her hand downward, and she sank back into her seat, still looking like her CPU was overloaded, her eyes wide with shock.

“Explain yourself first. What’s going on with Gu Zhiyao?”

Gu Zhibai released her hand. As Jiang Zhenmian regained her composure, a tiny flame of hope flickered back to life amidst the dying embers.

Jiang Zhenmian steadied herself and recounted everything: how Gu Zhiyao had found her, the agreement they’d reached, and even opened her phone to show Gu Zhibai their chat history in the Executive Assistant app.

“I never imagined he’d try to harm me,” Gu Zhibai said, her face pale with shock. “If you hadn’t told me, I might never have known how I died.” A wave of lingering fear washed over her. “Actually, I should be thanking you.”

“Just believing me is enough,” Jiang Zhenmian replied.

“Future wife…” Gu Zhibai murmured, her gaze fixed on the contact name in the chat window. She slowly repeated the words.

Jiang Zhenmian forced an awkward smile and snatched her phone back, hastily pressing the lock screen button in a futile attempt to hide the evidence.

She swallowed nervously, her voice tight. “So… what did you mean by what you said earlier?”

“I’m actually terrified of committing to a close relationship,” Gu Zhibai confessed.

Since Gu Zhibai had revealed a secret, Jiang Zhenmian felt compelled to reciprocate, not out of some sense of equal exchange, but because she felt she owed Gu Zhibai an explanation and amends for her past actions.

In truth, the moment Gu Zhibai had mentioned Gu Zhiyao, Jiang Zhenmian had stopped doubting her.

Two deeply suspicious people, wanting to entrust their trust to each other, required one of them to take the first step. Jiang Zhenmian was the one who stepped forward.

Her sincerity was genuine.

“Intimate relationships are unknown and uncontrollable to me,” Gu Zhibai said. “They might bring good, or they might bring harm. I can’t be certain.”

“So, even though I like you, I’m afraid to take that step forward.”
“I’m truly sorry for hurting you. I apologize.” She softened her gaze and curved her lips into a gentle smile. “If you accept my apology and are willing to forgive me, then we can try.”

“You… you’re not lying to me, are you?” Jiang Zhenmian murmured softly, the sudden overwhelming joy seizing her heart like a giant hand, forcing it to beat to its own rhythm, completely beyond her control.

“It’s true,” Gu Zhibai said earnestly. “I accept your confession.”

“So… we’re a couple now?” Jiang Zhenmian restrained herself from leaping off the sofa and breaking into a breakdance, but her arched eyebrows, wide eyes, and upturned lips betrayed her overwhelming excitement.

She felt reborn, both mentally and physically.

Gu Zhibai nodded with a smile. At that moment, the invisible shackles that had bound her shattered, crumbling into dust. She resolved to try again, to be bold.

Even if the outcome wasn’t perfect, so what? It couldn’t be worse than her previous life, could it?

She was willing to trust Jiang Zhenmian, to believe she wasn’t that kind of person.

“Then… can I have a hug? Please?” Jiang Zhenmian asked tentatively, her arms rising slowly and awkwardly, like a malfunctioning robot. She leaned forward at a snail’s pace, gradually closing the distance between them.

This was a hug, a real hug.

Her arms wrapped around Gu Zhibai’s waist and back, her chin resting on Gu Zhibai’s shoulder. Their hearts pressed close, their chests touching. The warmth of Gu Zhibai’s body seeped through the soft cashmere sweater, invading Jiang Zhenmian’s space. Cool strands of hair brushed her cheek, and the faint floral scent of Gu Zhibai’s shampoo filled her nostrils.

She remembered this scent.

The room was as still as a deserted island floating on the sea, their heartbeats the only sound.

Jiang Zhenmian felt a surge of peace. She was undoubtedly excited and overjoyed, but this physical contact also brought her a sense of security.

It felt like returning to her own territory, nestled in a cozy nest of thick blankets. The soft, tranquil environment enveloped her, shielding her from the chaos of the outside world.

She leaned into the crook of Gu Zhibai’s neck, her arms tightening around the other woman’s body like a drowning person clinging to the only piece of driftwood in the river.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Her last memory of embracing someone was from childhood, if being held by a nurse while getting a shot even counted as an embrace.

Maybe I don’t dislike physical touch, Jiang Zhenmian thought. I just need to be with the right person.

Sweetness and warmth surged from her heart, spreading through her limbs until her bones felt soft, as if soaked in syrup.

She lost track of time. It could have been seconds or minutes; time seemed to vanish in her world. But when Gu Zhibai patted her back, a signal, Jiang Zhenmian reluctantly loosened her grip and pulled back.

It’s okay, she reassured herself. We’re officially a couple now. We can hug whenever we want, wherever we want.

The reluctance on Jiang Zhenmian’s face was so obvious that Gu Zhibai couldn’t help but smile, a mixture of helplessness and amusement in her eyes.

“I just remembered something I haven’t explained to you yet. It’s about Xue Yi.”

Jiang Zhenmian instantly recalled the man, the key figure who had driven her to despair, forcing her to take desperate risks, burn her bridges, and gamble everything on a single, desperate move. “…Your arranged marriage with him.”

“Here’s what happened. He came to me proposing a partnership,” Gu Zhibai said. She wasn’t one to keep secrets from her lover. Now that they were together, she wanted to avoid any misunderstandings between them. So she recounted the gist of her conversation with Xue Yi from earlier that afternoon at the restaurant.

“I decided to reject his proposal on the way back,” she concluded, “but I need to wait a few more days to make it clear.”

Seeing Jiang Zhenmian’s puzzled expression, Gu Zhibai sighed. “My father is using my position in the company to blackmail me into agreeing to this marriage. I need to find a way to resolve this. Otherwise, even if it’s not Xue Yi, it’ll be Xue Qing or Xue Hong.”

Jiang Zhenmian knew Gu Zhibai’s relationship with her father was strained. She wasn’t surprised he would resort to such tactics. If only we could get rid of that old man, she thought.
At the very least, we need to stop him from meddling and trying to control Gu Zhibai’s life.

Jiang Zhenmian, who had devoured countless novels, rolled her eyes, a spark of inspiration flashing through her mind. She lowered her voice and said, “I suddenly had an idea. Gu Zhiyao wants the Family Head position more than anything, right? He clearly has a major conflict with your father.”

“Gu Zhiyao also doesn’t want you to marry Xue Yi, so he’ll do everything he can to stop it. I can tell his Executive Assistant that you don’t want the marriage either, that your father is forcing you. If your father changes his mind, you’ll immediately break off the engagement with Xue Yi.”

“This way, we can shift the problem onto Gu Zhiyao and make him confront your father directly.”

She spoke with such conviction, convinced her plan had an eighty percent chance of success. She might not know others well, but she understood Gu Zhiyao, the domineering CEO, perfectly.

He saw himself as the most important person in the world, overflowing with arrogance and lacking in intelligence. He would undoubtedly try every trick in the book to make Father Gu change his mind.

“It’s not a bad idea,” Gu Zhibai said thoughtfully. She had originally planned to make Gu Zhiyao commit some blunder to buy herself time, but if they could truly get rid of Father Gu, it would be a permanent solution.

After a moment’s consideration, she nodded. “Alright, let’s proceed as you suggested.” But she would also need to take further action. By now, Gu Zhiyao and that Ye Wanwan must have grown quite close…

Seeing this, Jiang Zhenmian pulled out her phone, sent a message to her Executive Assistant, and then, right in front of Gu Zhibai, deleted the first three characters of “Future Wife.”

Gu Zhibai simply smiled.

“When does your semester end?”

“At the end of this month,” Jiang Zhenmian replied truthfully.

“Then how about spending winter break at my place?” Gu Zhibai asked casually, her tone light and inquiring.

To Jiang Zhenmian, this was like a bombshell.

What?! Are we moving in together already?!
She had actually been looking at apartments in her spare time, hoping to find a place close to both Gu Zhibai and the company, preferably somewhere in between. But she hadn’t found anything suitable yet.

“Wouldn’t that be… too soon?” Jiang Zhenmian suddenly grew flustered, quickly adding, “It’s not that I don’t want to live with you, it’s just… well…” Her face flushed crimson, her gaze darting around, clearly thinking of things she couldn’t quite articulate.

Gu Zhibai had made the suggestion purely out of convenience. Living together would make commuting to work easier, save Jiang Zhenmian from paying rent, and allow her to take care of her. She hadn’t considered any romantic implications at all.

Seeing Gu Zhibai’s flushed face and hesitant demeanor, Jiang Zhenmian instantly understood what she meant. The words caught in her throat. She wanted to explain, but that would only make her look more guilty.

An awkward silence settled over the room once more.

Jiang Zhenmian’s face grew even redder. Of course she had read the study materials, but as a proud and lifelong single woman, she had never even held hands, let alone engaged in anything deeper.

She had plenty of theoretical knowledge, but she had no idea how she would fare in practice.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Gu Zhibai’s embarrassed and flustered expression. Her hands were clasped in front of her, like two lotus leaves folded together.

Gu Zhibai’s skin was incredibly fair, a luminous, jade-like white. Jiang Zhenmian had touched her hand before, and the skin had felt smooth and supple, like fresh milk. She imagined the rest of her body must feel the same.

Gu Zhibai’s legs were long, and when she wore long skirts, only her slender ankles were visible. Even her anklebones were perfectly rounded. What would it feel like to hold them, to gently caress them with her palm?

During their recent embrace, Jiang Zhenmian had realized that Gu Zhibai’s waist was much slimmer than it appeared, yet not bony. Her arms could easily encircle it. The curve of her spine dipped slightly inward, and her shoulder blades protruded delicately. What would happen if she gently traced her fingers down her back, stopping at the small of her waist? Would Gu Zhibai tremble?

Jiang Zhenmian’s mind instantly went into overdrive, each bubbling thought bursting like a boiling pot, filled with unspeakable, tantalizing fantasies. For every thought that dissipated, a new fantasy surged to take its place.

The blush on her face deepened, spreading to her ears. It was hard to say whether embarrassment or shyness predominated. Jiang Zhenmian kept her head lowered, glancing left and right, but avoiding Gu Zhibai’s gaze.

Gu Zhibai had initially felt a bit awkward, but seeing Jiang Zhenmian’s flustered state, she couldn’t help but smile inwardly. She promptly tossed aside her own embarrassment, even teasing with amusement, “What’s this? So shy? Never had a girlfriend before?”

“I haven’t,” Jiang Zhenmian murmured, finally lifting her head. “Sister, you’re the first person I’ve ever liked. I have no experience with relationships and don’t know much. If I ever do something wrong, please tell me. I’ll definitely change.”

“Ah!” she suddenly exclaimed, waving her hands frantically. The words that slipped out were as sweet as honey, mirroring the rosy flush on her cheeks. “No, no, I didn’t mean that kind of… experience.”

“Aaaah, this is killing me! It makes me sound like a pervert!” Jiang Zhenmian wailed.

Gu Zhibai burst out laughing. “Okay, okay,” she said, her voice still tinged with amusement.

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