The Scumbag Who Bowed for Money - Chapter 28

“President Le, we’ve already identified the person who leaked the photo. It was—”

The assistant immediately stepped forward to report the situation as soon as Le Shi arrived, but she raised her hand to stop him. The omega’s face was calm, as though none of this had affected her. She sat down in her chair, looked up at her assistant, and said firmly, “Handle it however it needs to be handled. Whoever took the photo can pack up and leave.”

“As for my relationship with Xie Yuanwei,” Le Shi took a deep breath and clasped her hands gently in front of her stomach, a completely relaxed posture, “just tell them the truth.”

The assistant hesitated briefly but said nothing more and quietly exited the office.

On the way to work, Le Shi had done a lot of thinking. At first, she had been angry when she saw the photo. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that they hadn’t done anything wrong. Xie Yuanwei was a good person. Why should she feel guilty about something she willingly participated in?

There was no reason to be tangled up in judgment or gossip.

Le Shi leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath, letting out a small laugh. She decided to ask Xie Yuanwei to dinner tonight.

She picked up her phone. After sorting through her thoughts, she finally sent a message to Xie Yuanwei:

Don’t worry. I can handle it.

Xie Yuanwei responded almost instantly:

Okay.

Just as Le Shi was about to type another message, her assistant returned to report on work matters. She had to put her phone aside and shift her focus back to business.

Meanwhile, Xie Yuanwei had no idea what Le Shi was thinking. Nervously waiting at home, she had already showered and changed clothes. She sat in the garden, lost in thought.

Le Shi had clearly put effort into her living space. Though she might not be great with food and drink, the little garden was filled with beautifully cared-for flowers. Xie Yuanwei sat on the steps feeling dejected. She didn’t know what to do. When it came to problems like this, she couldn’t help Le Shi at all.

She was just a burden.

Her mind had been clouded. When Yan Yu reached out and wanted to talk to her, even offered friendship, it had made Xie Yuanwei feel grounded for the first time in a long while. That sense of genuine connection had been missing from her life.

“Do you think Le Shi is mad at me?” she murmured, burying her face in her arms. “Maybe I should just stay home and not go to the company.”

She was dressed lightly, and her fingers were pale from the cold wind. She clenched them slightly and stood up, walking back inside.

After some hesitation, she finally sent a message to Le Shi:

Is there anything you’d like to eat for lunch? I’ll make it and bring it to you.

But Le Shi didn’t respond right away. Xie Yuanwei anxiously waited, her palms starting to sweat. She kept moving her fingers restlessly. After more than an hour, a reply finally came:

Anything is fine. I just finished some work.

Xie Yuanwei let out a breath of relief. It felt like there was still hope. She quickly replied:

Got it. I’ll head over soon.

She smiled softly to herself, feeling alive again. She opened the fridge and began preparing, trying not to let Le Shi wait too long.

By the time she arrived at the company, it was almost two in the afternoon. Xie Yuanwei hesitated outside the building. Wearing a mask and a hat, she tried her best to keep a low profile.

She worried that it might be too late, that maybe Le Shi had already eaten. But after a moment’s hesitation, she walked in anyway.

It was worth a try. If she had already eaten, then she would just eat it herself.

“Hello, miss. Who are you here to see?”

The receptionist didn’t recognize her due to the heavy disguise. Xie Yuanwei gently pulled down her mask and offered a small smile.

“It’s me. Xie Yuanwei.”

The receptionist blinked in surprise, then quickly composed herself and nodded to let her through.

Xie Yuanwei walked faster but still caught a faint remark behind her.

“She’s lucky, isn’t she? Even managed to win over President Le.”

Her gaze dropped, and the brim of her hat hid the flicker of emotion in her eyes. Her grip on the lunch box tightened unconsciously.

It’s fine. Let it go.

She pressed her lips together and quietly entered the elevator. She avoided eye contact with everyone and walked straight into Le Shi’s office. She was so nervous and flustered that she forgot to knock. As she pushed the door open, she saw Le Shi speaking with Bai Zhiqu.

Xie Yuanwei immediately apologized and quickly shut the door behind her, stepping aside. She lowered her head and removed her mask, unsure of what to do.

“Xie Yuanwei.”

Le Shi opened the door a little wider and turned to look at her.

“Come in. Why are you hiding?”

Xie Yuanwei bit her lip, took a deep breath, and raised her head. She followed Le Shi into the room, trying to sound casual.

“I made some lunch. Want to eat?”

“Of course. Did you eat yet?” Le Shi was in a good mood. She accepted the lunch with a smile.

“I already resolved the issue. Don’t worry.”

Xie Yuanwei sat on the couch, rubbing her palms against her knees. She nodded at the reassurance.

“I’m glad it’s been handled. I didn’t know we were being photographed. I’m really sorry. I promise I won’t drink again.”

Le Shi chuckled, her mouth full of food.

“You shouldn’t have been drinking in the first place. Didn’t your stomach hurt last time too?”

“I know.”

Xie Yuanwei gave a small laugh and hesitated before asking.

“I’ve been thinking. Maybe I should resign.”

Le Shi had just lifted her chopsticks to feed Bai Zhiqu. She paused and looked over in confusion.

“Why?”

“I’m worried people will talk. It might hurt your reputation.”

Xie Yuanwei explained softly.

“I don’t think I’m suited for work. Maybe I’m better off staying at home.”

Le Shi put down her chopsticks and spoke seriously.

“Your team leader just praised you today. Said your attitude is great and your work is consistently completed well. Besides, I don’t care what people say. Didn’t PR already announce our engagement? What are you so afraid of?”

“What?”

Xie Yuanwei had not dared to look at the news. She quickly took out her phone to check.

“I haven’t looked at anything all morning. I’ll check now.”

Bai Zhiqu tactfully stood up.

“Looks like I won’t be getting that love-filled lunch after all. See you both later.”

Le Shi got up to see her out of the office. With one hand on the doorknob, she looked down and asked seriously,

“What are you so afraid of? Is the engagement really that hard for you to accept?”

Xie Yuanwei had just finished reading the announcement and was finally starting to feel better. But Le Shi’s words hit her hard. She blinked and said,

“It’s not that I can’t accept it. I’m just afraid I’ll drag you down.”

“What could you possibly drag me down with?” Le Shi let out a laugh, equal parts frustrated and amused. She turned back around and looked at Xie Yuanwei.

“I’m the one who wanted the engagement. You agreed. Let me handle everything that comes after, alright? No matter what the impact is, it’s my responsibility. Do you understand?”

Xie Yuanwei froze completely.

Her hand clutched the edge of the sofa as she lowered her head in silence. In that moment of quiet, she suddenly remembered what Le Shi had said to her at the villa.

Maybe she really was overthinking everything, unable to pull herself out of self-doubt. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that this was indeed Le Shi’s issue to handle. No matter what she did, she couldn’t help.

“I understand, I really do.”

Xie Yuanwei turned her head and looked at Le Shi again. Her voice was more serious than ever.

“I get it now. I won’t bring up the engagement again.”

Le Shi realized her tone earlier might have been too harsh. She softened her voice and sat beside her.

“Do you really not want to keep working?”

The alpha tilted her lips into a playful smile.

“If I quit, will my sugar mommy take care of me?”

Le Shi let out a small laugh.

“That depends on your performance.”

“I’ll do whatever you want. Cook, warm the bed, full-service, no problem.”

“Like a little canary kept by her patron.”

But the joke didn’t make Le Shi smile. After watching her for a while, she stood up in frustration, clearly a little annoyed.

“Why don’t you have any ambition?”

Xie Yuanwei remained calm.

“I prefer a peaceful life.”

Le Shi was speechless.

“Fine. If you don’t want to work, then don’t. Just sit here with me.”

Xie Yuanwei had just started to get up but quickly sat back down. She sat up properly, looking surprisingly obedient.

Le Shi rushed to finish the rest of her lunch, packed up the food box, and stood up.

“Let’s go.”

“Where? I thought you weren’t going to work.”

Xie Yuanwei followed behind. Le Shi glanced over her shoulder.

“You know nothing. The boss is skipping work today. I’m taking you out.”

She turned her head proudly.

“My little canary looks so sad. If I don’t take care of her, she’ll wither away.”

Xie Yuanwei followed behind her, letting out a quiet breath.

It was Le Shi who drove. She went straight to their destination, a pet store.

Xie Yuanwei held the food box and leaned over to peek through the window.

“Are you getting a pet?”

Le Shi nodded.

“I thought it might be too quiet at home. What do you want to get?”

“I don’t know,” Xie Yuanwei replied honestly. “I don’t have any experience with pets.”

Le Shi gave a short laugh.

“Well, what have you always wanted?”

“A cat.”

“A cat?”

Le Shi looked at her again.

“Why? Do you like them?”

Xie Yuanwei shook her head. A faint smile touched her lips, and her tone was calm.

“I used to feed a stray cat. I didn’t take care of it properly, didn’t bring it home, and it was hit by a car.”

“Since then, I’ve always wanted to raise one. But I never had the chance.”

Her jobs had always been unstable. She was constantly being let go, and she barely had enough to support herself, let alone take care of an animal. Sometimes, she would buy a little cat food with whatever money she had left, but before the bag was even half-empty, the cat was gone.

After that, she didn’t have the energy or courage to try again.

Le Shi looked at her in silence for a few seconds, then decided without hesitation.

“Alright. Let’s get a cat.”

“Really?”

Le Shi nodded.

“Why would I lie? I’ll ask a vet for advice and sort out everything we need to know. We’ll raise it together, take good care of it. How does that sound?”

A warm smile spread across Xie Yuanwei’s face.

“Okay. Actually, I’ve already done a lot of research.”

Both of them were people of action. Once they made the decision, they got out of the car and went straight into the pet store.

They looked around for a while but didn’t find any kittens that felt right. Just as they were about to try another store, they noticed a calico cat in an adoption cage.

Xie Yuanwei paused in her steps. Her eyes settled on the little calico, and then she turned to Le Shi.

“Can I adopt this one?”

Le Shi came over and took a look. She had no objections.

“Sure. I’ll go ask about the adoption process. Wait here.”

“Okay.”

Xie Yuanwei crouched in front of the cage and locked eyes with the little calico cat inside. She tilted her head and reached out her hand toward it. A soft smile formed on her lips, and she held back the tears welling in her eyes.

It felt like she was finally giving closure to a part of her past.

As if another version of herself, hidden deep inside her spirit, had finally found a way to build a life she could call her own.

A small glimpse into the life our dear Yuanwei never got to live in her past.
You can probably feel how deeply sensitive and self-conscious she is at her core.

But even so, she’s still our little ray of sunshine.

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