Not a Scummy Alpha, But a Sweet Puppy (Transmigration Into A Novel) - Chapter 29

The Gu Family Head, who loved to issue commands, had collapsed and been hospitalized. When he finally regained consciousness, his condition was far from good. Not only was his lower body completely paralyzed, but his mind was also clouded. He was excessively drowsy, his speech slurred, and his memory loss had worsened significantly. He would often forget what he was talking about mid-conversation.

With the Gu Family Head incapacitated, Gu Zhibai was free from his meddling. She quickly clarified the rumors with Xue Yi, but another rumor soon began to circulate.

This time, it was said that Gu Zhibai had found a replacement for Song Qingmiao, a mentally unstable lunatic.

Their past affair had been a major scandal, known to everyone in the younger generation. Moreover, Gu Zhibai had remained celibate for years, never dating anyone else. Now, having found a “stand-in,” everyone naturally assumed she still harbored lingering feelings for Song Qingmiao.

As the new month arrived, Jiang Zhenmian regained her freedom, or rather, became a freelance worker with the freedom to work from home.

To be honest, her current life was far more wonderful than she had ever imagined.

This cohabitating, kept-woman lifestyle was truly decadent.

Jiang Zhenmian had no worries about food or clothing, nor did she need to do any housework. Even if she felt like cooking on a whim, all sorts of kitchen gadgets were at her disposal. Dirty dishes went straight into the dishwasher, saving her the trouble of washing them herself.

All she had to do each day was paint, doing what she loved and enjoyed. It was practically a life fit for the gods.

Jiang Zhenmian bought a notebook, decorated the cover with flowers and plants, and hung it on the wall.

It was too difficult for her to voice her true feelings, but writing them down was much easier.

So Jiang Zhenmian came up with this method: if something upsetting happened during the day that she couldn’t bring herself to talk about, she would write it down in the notebook.

If the entire day went well, she would write a word of praise or encouragement.
Jiang Zhenmian was a very self-aware person. She understood herself well and knew perfectly well that she had many flaws. She was simply too lazy to change them, unwilling to change them.

People should choose to live in ways that they enjoy and find comfortable, acknowledging their shortcomings and mediocrity. This is what it means to make peace with oneself.

Jiang Zhenmian had made peace to the point of borderline complacency.

However, when she saw Gu Zhibai, she suddenly understood what the saying “love makes you a better person” truly meant.

Gu Zhibai’s family situation was no better than Jiang Zhenmian’s own; neither had it easy. Naturally, Gu Zhibai also carried her share of heartbreaking burdens.

If Jiang Zhenmian were to unleash her sharp tongue without restraint, she would inevitably wound Gu Zhibai. Therefore, she resolved to temper her words.

She wanted to fundamentally change herself, willingly striving to become a better person, to love Gu Zhibai more fully.

Normally, the housekeeper delivered Gu Zhibai’s meals. The woman, in her forties, drove a compact car with practiced skill. Jiang Zhenmian, in her twenties, didn’t even have a driver’s license.

It was a bit embarrassing, really. Jiang Zhenmian’s sense of direction was abysmal; she relied entirely on GPS navigation and couldn’t distinguish east from west.

In her previous life, she had lived close enough to work to walk. For longer trips, she used the subway, and for intermediate distances, shared bikes were readily available. With so many cars clogging the roads during rush hour, she had simply avoided the hassle and never bothered getting a license.

At noon, Jiang Zhenmian rode with the housekeeper to Gu Corporation.

Upon arrival, she sent the housekeeper home and carried the lunchbox upstairs. The receptionist, already briefed by Gu Zhibai, didn’t stop her. Instead, they surreptitiously snapped a photo of her retreating figure and sent it to the office group chat.

“She’s here with lunch again!”

“That lunchbox is the same one CEO Gu’s housekeeper used to bring. Do you think they’re living together?”

“I’m so jealous! She’s jumped straight to the top, skipping twenty years of hard work…”

“Don’t be jealous. With your looks, you’re lucky CEO Gu hasn’t fired you yet.”

“Says you! We’re both in the same boat. Neither of us is anything special.”

Gu Zhibai wore her hair in a high ponytail today, pairing a beige cashmere sweater with a dark green midi skirt. Her head was bent in concentration as she reviewed documents, radiating an air of intellectual elegance.

The pure black pen she held between her slender fingers still retained a faint warmth from her touch when Jiang Zhenmian took it.

Jiang Zhenmian: I wish I could be that pen…

She set the lunchbox on the nearby table. “Sister, let’s eat first. I’m starving!”

The System rolled its eyes. “As if you didn’t just devour a giant apple before coming here.”

Ever since the System had become more humanized, its verbal sparring with Jiang Zhenmian had intensified. Now that it understood her sarcasm and teasing, the two couldn’t go a day without exchanging a few jabs.

“My stomach is as straightforward as your narrow-mindedness,” Jiang Zhenmian retorted. “It’s already digested everything.”

Gu Zhibai’s eyes sparkled as she smiled, her lips curving into a playful grin. She beckoned Jiang Zhenmian closer with a flick of her finger and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Thank you, darling. I’ll wash my hands and be right back. I promise I won’t let you starve.”

After all, someone who had just filled their stomach wouldn’t get hungry so quickly.

The insulated lunchbox worked perfectly, keeping the dishes as warm and fragrant as when they were first packed.

Two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a soup.

Jiang Zhenmian divided the rice and utensils. “Guess which dish I made today!”

Gu Zhibai tasted each dish carefully, savoring the flavors. “Hmm… is it this one?” she asked, pointing to the chicken wings closest to her.

Jiang Zhenmian was stunned. “How did you know?”
“Because Auntie doesn’t make this dish quite so sweet,” Gu Zhibai replied with a smile. “So… can I know what the prize is?”

“You’ll have to wait until we get home,” Jiang Zhenmian said, unmoved by Gu Zhibai’s charms.

The two of them finished their lunch at a leisurely pace. Gu Zhibai packed the dishes back into the lunchbox, rested for a while, and then resumed her afternoon work.

Jiang Zhenmian also had her own workstation. The area that had once housed the surveillance monitors was now her domain.

The two women remained quietly in the same space, each absorbed in her own work, yet a tranquil sense of companionship blossomed between them.

Jiang Zhenmian, however, couldn’t resist stealing glances at Gu Zhibai. Her affection for Gu Zhibai made it natural for her to want to observe her closely. Jiang Zhenmian didn’t find her actions problematic; what puzzled her were her own thoughts.

Ever since that day she had caught a whiff of Gu Zhibai’s pheromones, Gu Zhibai had acquired a new scent in her perception, like a walking, sweet-smelling tangerine, yet with an inexplicable allure.

She found herself constantly staring at Gu Zhibai’s exposed skin: the smooth curve of her ear, the delicate softness of her earlobe, her slender neck, her pale, slender fingers, the slight prominence of her wrist bones. She couldn’t suppress the urge to lick and kiss them.

Fantasizing about and longing for one’s partner was normal, but Jiang Zhenmian’s frequency felt excessive, even to herself.

Though she felt desire, she certainly wasn’t some kind of lust machine! There was no need to want her all the time, the moment she saw her, as if she were some kind of pervert.

Jiang Zhenmian: I really thought I was a pure-love type.

To Jiang Zhenmian, Gu Zhibai was like an oasis in the desert, a campfire in the wilderness, so striking, so irresistibly alluring.

She had to exhaust every ounce of her self-control to maintain the facade of a normal person, rather than a lovesick girl desperately clinging to Gu Zhibai.

This hidden transformation deeply troubled Jiang Zhenmian. She didn’t want Gu Zhibai to think she was a lustful person, so she always maintained proper decorum, never overstepping boundaries.

Their most intimate interactions were limited to kisses and hugs.

Lost in thought, Jiang Zhenmian absently dragged her stylus across the digital tablet. The draft on the canvas resembled a tangled ball of yarn clawed by a cat, filled with incomprehensible, bizarre patterns.

When she finally snapped out of her reverie and glanced up, she exclaimed, “Huh? What’s this?”

Sighing, Jiang Zhenmian started a new draft. She had taken on a private commission to draw an original character. The client clearly adored the character and was willing to spend generously, sending her a mountain of reference materials: chibi style, thick paint, flat shading, even pixel art, all meticulously rendered and obviously expensive.

Jiang Zhenmian’s current rates were quite high, but the client didn’t even blink, immediately transferring the deposit.

Such generosity and ease! This is an angel client!

In Jiang Zhenmian’s mind, the client instantly became a VIP. Naturally, she would complete this commission with utmost care. After sketching a rough draft that afternoon, she sent it over for the client’s review, asking if any revisions were needed.

Immersed in her work, Jiang Zhenmian finally regained some focus, no longer constantly glancing at Gu Zhibai.

But the moment she stopped working, her old habits resurfaced. She clung to Gu Zhibai like a stubborn piece of gum, impossible to peel off.

Gu Zhibai was already accustomed to these affectionate gestures and didn’t mind them.

She picked up a scarf and wrapped it around Jiang Zhenmian’s neck. Just as she was about to withdraw her hand, a sudden tug pulled her back.

Jiang Zhenmian grasped her fingers, her dry fingertips slowly stroking the back of Gu Zhibai’s hand. She lowered her head and pressed a kiss there.

Without lipstick, her lips were soft and dry, her warm breath brushing against Gu Zhibai’s cool hand.

“I love you so much, Sister,” she murmured.

Her gaze held an indescribable intensity, as if it contained a torrent of passionate desire. Yet her actions remained gentle and restrained.
Gu Zhibai suddenly felt her face flush.

She didn’t pull her hand away, letting Jiang Zhenmian unreasonably pry open her fingers and slip her own between them, kneading her knuckles with a restless touch.

In the car, Jiang Zhenmian reluctantly withdrew her hand, knowing she couldn’t distract Gu Zhibai while she was driving.

The moment they stepped out of the car, Jiang Zhenmian immediately clung to her again, as if she couldn’t wait another moment.

“So, are you going to tell me what the prize is?” Gu Zhibai asked, her gaze darting away from Jiang Zhenmian’s overly intense stare.

“I bought a collar,” Jiang Zhenmian said.

She pulled open a drawer beneath the coffee table and retrieved a neatly packaged black box. Inside lay a black leather collar.

She lifted the collar, cradling it in her palm. “What do you think? Isn’t it beautiful?”

Gu Zhibai’s face instantly turned crimson.

Just two days ago, Jiang Zhenmian had mentioned wanting a necklace because her neck felt bare. She hadn’t expected it to be a collar.

Well, it’s not like it’s a bad thing…

She asked, her voice strained with a mix of apprehension and anticipation, “You’re going to wear this?”

At the same moment, Jiang Zhenmian said, “The dog can wear it when it comes.”

They both fell silent.

Jiang Zhenmian lowered her head to examine the collar, then glanced at Gu Zhibai, who was speechless. She murmured, “So Sister likes playing these kinds of games…”

“No!” Gu Zhibai protested urgently, but before she could say more, she watched in disbelief as Jiang Zhenmian calmly unfastened the collar, placed it around her own neck, and turned to her. “Sister, could you help me fasten it?”

Gu Zhibai extended a slightly trembling hand and adjusted the fit.
Jiang Zhenmian tilted her head, adjusted the position, and suddenly pounced on Gu Zhibai. The latter let out a half-choked gasp before Jiang Zhenmian clamped a hand over her lips.

Slowly, Jiang Zhenmian removed her hand, replacing it with her own lips, which hovered lightly over Gu Zhibai’s. She chuckled softly, “Woof woof…”

Support Not a Scummy Alpha, But a Sweet Puppy (Transmigration Into A Novel)