Transmigrated Into a Scumbag Alpha In a Melodramatic Novel and Been Targeted by My Love Rival - Chapter 20

“Bingo!” Shen Ruofei snapped her fingers.

As if amused by her own words, Shen Ruofei shook her head helplessly. “Humane? It’s more like we’re just copying the Song Family’s methods of delegating authority. We want absolute loyalty to Shen Corporation while maintaining the power to revoke it at any moment, all while cultivating a reputation for magnanimity. The Shen Family really gets to have its cake and eat it too.”

Xia Wu recalled Shen Ruofei’s words from the banquet earlier.

Although everyone present today shared the Shen surname and were long-acquainted relatives of Shen Ruofei, not a single person was actually related to her by blood.

Ever since Shen Ruofei’s grandmothers’ generation, the Shen Family had allowed those willing to serve them to adopt their surname, claiming it made them true members of the family.

Since you’ve taken the Shen surname, you naturally deserve the Shen Family’s protection.

Of course, this also meant you’d have to devote your entire life to serving the Shen Family.

The Shen Family boasted of this practice, even going so far as to flaunt it to the media during a period of great pride.

But this approach had consequences: everyone wanted to become a true member of the Shen Family.

If I’m giving you my surname, isn’t it reasonable to expect you to entrust me with your vast wealth?

As the web of deception grew wider, it became impossible to unravel.

Now, in this generation, only Shen Ruofei is a true member of the Shen Family; the others merely bear the surname in name.

Endowed with the Shen Family’s powerful lineage, Shen Ruofei had been a prodigy from childhood, absorbing knowledge with remarkable speed. Shen Yuanqing had placed great expectations on her.

Yet no one could have predicted that Shen Ruofei would begin to go astray at age fifteen, developing a wild and dissolute nature. Beyond her daily lack of propriety, her university grades consistently hovered around the minimum passing threshold.

Shen Yuanqing couldn’t understand why Shen Ruofei had become what she was, but he himself was like a clay idol trying to cross a river—hardly in a position to help.

After Shen Yuanqing’s passing, the Shen family fell into Shen Ruofei’s hands, and she continued her life of decadent indulgence.

It wasn’t until after that car accident that Shen Ruofei seemed to have an epiphany while convalescing. She settled down at home, rarely venturing out.

Those unaware of Shen Ruofei’s activities within the house naturally grew anxious. After all, only by leaving the Shen residence could Shen Ruofei be constantly monitored.

Yet the Shen household remained an impenetrable fortress, with Shen Hong keeping watch—no one could cause trouble under her gaze.

There was a reason Shen Ruofei revealed this web of relationships to Xia Wu.

After all, Xia Wu was the surgical knife hired by Shen Ruofei and Shen Hong.

Since none of these people were Shen Ruofei’s true relatives, Xia Wu didn’t need to hold back when excising the cancer.

Xia Wu understood this perfectly, which is why she didn’t rush to curry favor with those Shen relatives after Shen Ruofei left.

Since it was all destined to be cleared away eventually, who cared about the useless tumors’ thoughts?

Xia Wu understood the weight of her responsibility.

Seeing Shen Ruofei standing there, helpless and frustrated, Xia Wu picked up the bowl of hangover soup Shen Ruofei hadn’t finished and drained it in one gulp, her gesture remarkably nonchalant.

“If you’re tired, rest. I’ll go review the documents Aunt Hong gave me.”

“Wait.”

Before Xia Wu could leave, Shen Ruofei called out to her. “Xiao Yu is back from abroad.”

Xia Wu checked her phone for the time. “Even if I wanted to go pick her up, I wouldn’t make it in time. Let’s leave it for now.”

Perhaps because Xia Wu left so abruptly, Shen Ruofei stood rooted to the spot, stunned.

Is this woman a workaholic? Shen Ruofei wondered. How can she be so indifferent to the Heroine’s return?

After mentally roaring for a while, Shen Ruofei yawned and settled into her soft bed, asking the System how many mission points she had now.

Ever since the System restored Shen Ruofei’s memories that day, it had entered a prolonged state of dormancy. According to the System, since the Heroine was currently outside the mission area, it had to enter standby mode.

Shen Ruofei’s reaction was a mix of anger and exasperation. “I’d really like to thank you. You’re driving me insane! Even the life of the Official Couple’s rival counts, you know!”

“Ah, even though the heroine doesn’t belong to you, you still have your beloved career and the Shen Family!”

This System seemed completely different from the one that had forcibly bound itself to her when she first woke up in the hospital.

Shen Ruofei couldn’t understand why, after retrieving her sealed memories from the System, she instinctively began doing things that were absolutely beneficial to the Shen Family.

The Shen Ruofei navigating the treacherous waters of the Shen family was her, and the Shen Ruofei who fell from the mountain during Qingming Festival was clearly also her.

Exactly why she had become like this remained unanswered, even by the System.

Regardless, she had to help the heroine and her Official Couple get together quickly, and she also had to clean up the Shen family’s mess.

The System seemed to sense Shen Ruofei’s resentment and explained, “Progress is already at 83%. Keep working on your tasks. Once you complete them, all your memories will be unlocked.”

Being bound to the System, in a way, was Shen Ruofei’s own destiny.

Shen Ruofei sighed.

Originally, Shen Ruofei had thought completing the System tasks would grant her some kind of cheat ability.

Little did she know that her greatest advantage was herself.

The next day, the psychologist Shen Hong had arranged for Shen Ruofei arrived at the Shen household.

The psychologist, Mr. Cheng, was a male Beta wearing wire-rimmed glasses that lent him an air of refined elegance.

When he first met Shen Ruofei, he wore a warm, jade-like smile, as if they were no strangers.

Shen Ruofei, curious, remarked, “Your expression makes it seem like you know me quite well. Why is that?”

Cheng Ju’s smile remained gentle. “Of course we’ve met before. I used to frequent bars and often saw you there, Miss Shen. I even had the pleasure of drinking a few rounds you treated me to.”

In her wild past, Shen Ruofei would sometimes, in a moment of high spirits, declare, “I’ll buy everyone’s drinks tonight!” Cheng Ju had witnessed this from nearby, joining the crowd in toasting her.

Though aware of her past excesses, Shen Ruofei felt no embarrassment hearing them voiced by Cheng Ju. Instead, she laughed heartily and said, “Is that so? Well then, if Dr. Cheng can help me untangle my emotional knots, feel free to choose any wine from the Shen family cellar.”

“I must first thank you for your generosity, Miss Shen.”

“Don’t mention it.” Shen Ruofei casually waved her hand.

By chance, she turned her head and saw Xia Wu returning from outside.

Over the past few days, Xia Wu had been working with Shen Hong to gradually take over some of the Shen Family’s affairs.

It was clear that Shen Hong was wholeheartedly committed to nurturing Xia Wu into the next Shen Family Chief Steward—one whom Shen Ruofei could fully trust and who possessed the necessary capabilities.

It was only through Shen Hong’s utterly candid instruction of Xia Wu that she came to understand just how deeply entrenched Shen Corporation’s massive ship had become.

The man beside Shen Ruofei was someone Xia Wu recognized: a renowned psychologist from Baijin City, young yet exceptionally skilled in hypnosis.

After exchanging glances, Xia Wu excused herself to the study.

Cheng Ju clearly recognized Xia Wu. He smiled and said, “I thought reports of Xia Wu joining the Shen family were mere rumors. To think it’s actually true!”

“Of course it’s true,” Shen Ruofei replied, clearly pleased with herself. “Though I don’t particularly care for her, my housekeeper has taken a shine to her. We’re seeing if she has what it takes to succeed me as the Shen family’s steward.”

Cheng Ju chuckled along with Shen Ruofei, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

He lowered his head, pulled out a recorder and tablet, and said to Shen Ruofei, “Miss Shen, are you ready? Let’s begin today’s conversation.”

Shen Ruofei nodded lazily from her chair, her posture relaxed and carefree.

The sun shone brightly, and the floral greenhouse was surrounded by blooming flowers. Their fragrance was rich yet not overwhelming, creating an ideal environment for conversation.

Before arriving, Cheng Ju had already learned about Shen Ruofei’s current condition from Shen Hong.

Recently, Shen Ruofei had undergone a medical examination at the hospital. The doctor had reported that her recovery was excellent, with no lingering effects from the car accident.

Perhaps a significant part of Shen Ruofei’s headaches stemmed from the overwhelming trauma of the car accident, leaving her unable to escape the lingering psychological stress, which manifested as recurring head pain.

“Can you tell me in detail what you’re thinking about just before each headache starts?” Cheng Ju asked.

At his question, Shen Ruofei interlaced her fingers, her thumb circling thoughtfully as she pondered. “While I was unconscious in the hospital, I seem to have had a very long dream. In it, I was an orphan with nothing, barely scraping by with a grandmother who despised me. I was also in school, studying for some kind of certification exam, which was both stressful and overwhelming. Then, on the day we were visiting the ancestral graves, I slipped and fell down a mountain, and then… hiss.”

At this point, Shen Ruofei lowered her head, rubbing her temples as if in discomfort.

Cheng Ju asked with concern, “Are you alright? Is the headache back?”

Shen Ruofei nodded. “I don’t know why, but every time I think about this, I get a sharp, stabbing pain in my head, like a needle.”

Cheng Ju made some notes on his tablet. “Now, focus your attention on your breathing,” he instructed. “Don’t think about anything else. Breathe in when I say one, breathe out when I say two. One, two…”

After about two or three minutes, Shen Ruofei seemed to have recovered her composure.

When she looked up, her face was slightly pale. “Why am I feeling like this?”

“There could be many reasons,” Cheng Ju replied. “It might be because your psychological wounds weren’t properly healed, or perhaps the trauma from the dream realm was too overwhelming, creating a lingering obsession. If you’re willing, could I try hypnotizing you? If there’s something left unfinished in that dream, I might be able to help you reconstruct the dream realm so you can personally resolve your regrets.”

“Is hypnosis really that miraculous?”

“Absolutely.” Cheng Ju’s smile widened as he spoke of his specialty.

After learning the basics of hypnosis from Cheng Ju, Shen Ruofei pondered for a moment. “Alright, let’s find a good time for you to come over and try hypnotizing me. This headache is preventing me from doing anything right now.”

Cheng Ju put away his tablet, turned off the recorder, and packed it into his bag. “I’ll have my assistant prepare a detailed consent form for you to review and sign. Once that’s done, we can schedule a time.”

“Alright.”

After seeing Cheng Ju out, Shen Ruofei lingered in the floral room for a while before leaving.

Clutching a perfectly blooming pink bellflower, she strolled leisurely into the study.

Although the study was officially reserved for the Shen Corporation Family Head, Shen Ruofei, lacking ambition, casually handed over its usage rights to Xia Wu.

Understanding that she shouldn’t overstep her bounds, Xia Wu had her servants bring in a new desk and chair.

When Shen Ruofei swaggered into the study, Xia Wu was reviewing documents. Recognizing the footsteps, she didn’t bother to look up.

Unimpressed by Xia Wu’s calm demeanor, Shen Ruofei placed the flowers she was holding on the documents Xia Wu was reading.

“President Xia, stop working so hard and let’s chat.”

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