Transmigrated Into a Scumbag Alpha In a Melodramatic Novel and Been Targeted by My Love Rival - Chapter 3

Shen Ruofei couldn’t shake the feeling that Xia Wu’s words were mocking her, but she couldn’t find any evidence.

The System was going crazy, asking if her head had been flooded with water. It had instructed her to quickly bring the Official Couple together, yet she’d gone and created a group chat for the Official Couple’s rivals, even saying she’d teach them how to pursue Fang Yu!

“My head isn’t flooded with water,” Shen Ruofei retorted, “but I do have you now, don’t I?”

The System fell silent. Are you mocking me? Huh?!

Shen Ruofei rested her chin in her hand, pondering. “If I want the Official Couple to get together quickly, I need to get these meddlers out of the Heroine’s sight. The Official Couple is official for a reason. She must have something exceptional about her. If I can keep these rivals busy, the Official Couple will have more chances to interact. Won’t that help them get together smoothly?”

[System: “Aren’t you afraid those rivals will figure out you’re messing with them and come after you?”]

“Of course I am! But that’s why I have you, right?”

[System: “What does this have to do with me?!”]

“Besides keeping me alive, you must have other uses, right? You can’t expect me to handle this alone. I’m just a clueless college student with no real-world experience!”

“……”

The System was undoubtedly useful, but many of its features required Shen Ruofei’s task progress to reach a certain threshold before unlocking. Currently, her progress stood at a mere 1%, making it impossible to access any additional functions.

Yet, who could have anticipated that she would figure it out on her own?

The System reviewed its interactions with Shen Ruofei, but it seemed it hadn’t revealed anything significant.

“Just focus on completing the task,” it had said.

With this simple instruction, the System vanished, leaving Shen Ruofei with heightened anticipation. Beyond mere survival, she now wondered what intriguing features she might unlock upon completing the task.

Though saddened by the thought of never returning to her original world, her friends would surely be shocked by her apparent death—escaping her hateful grandmother and the major she disliked, while continuing to live as “Shen Ruofei,” wasn’t entirely a bad fate for Shen Ruofei.

******

After two weeks of recovery in the hospital, Shen Ruofei finally returned to the Shen family residence.

To maintain her facade as Shen Ruofei without revealing any inconsistencies, she would feign memory loss whenever a doctor examined her.

The doctors conducted brain scans and concluded that the car accident might have caused her to lose some memories due to head trauma. They assured her that returning home and reengaging with familiar surroundings would help restore her memory.

Nanny Qi knew Shen Ruofei’s brain wasn’t functioning well and had specially prepared a pig brain soup for her, claiming it would nourish her brain through its similarity in form.

Shen Ruofei: “……”

She loved grilled brain, but the taste of brain soup was truly unbearable.

After politely declining Nanny Qi’s kindness, the soup she brought later was finally more palatable.

Once Shen Ruofei’s injuries had mostly healed, the doctor declared her ready for discharge.

However, there were still numerous precautions to follow. In short, until she was fully recovered, the doctor advised her to rest, avoid staying up late, drinking alcohol, or engaging in strenuous exercise, and to maintain distance from Omegas to prevent exposure during her Susceptibility Period.

Nanny Qi listened attentively, even jotting down each instruction with a pen. Shen Ruofei watched quietly from the side, her face radiating a warm smile.

The day of discharge, Shen Ruofei fully experienced the Shen Family’s grandeur.

The Shen Corporation was immensely wealthy and influential, maintaining thousands of bodyguards. Upon her release, a convoy of black luxury cars lined the street, as if determined to ensure no one missed the departure of a major figure.

Passersby stopped to stare, speculating which unfortunate wealthy family had finally retrieved their hospitalized member, making such a show of it.

Witnessing this spectacle, Shen Ruofei’s heart raced with anxiety, yet she maintained a proud, aloof demeanor, unconsciously quickening her pace.

Once they were in the car, Shen Ruofei turned to Shen Hong, who was sitting in the passenger seat, and asked, “Who arranged all of this?”

“Shen Qiyan,” Shen Hong replied. Shen Ruofei’s cousin.

Shen Ruofei searched her memory for any information about Shen Qiyan but came up empty. She asked the System if Shen Qiyan held a significant position within the Shen Family. The System responded, “You can’t unlock any additional plotlines beyond the original text yet. Focus on completing your tasks.”

In other words, Shen Ruofei wouldn’t be able to learn certain information about the Shen Family from the System until she completed her assigned tasks.

Shen Ruofei: “……”

She sat silently in the back seat. Shen Hong glanced at her through the rearview mirror.

*****

After more than a month of “house arrest” in the hospital, Shen Ruofei’s impulsive demeanor had mellowed considerably. Shen Hong rarely saw her so quietly absorbed in thought.

Normally, Shen Ruofei was chatty and boisterous, her endless stream of chatter keeping any gathering lively, even if it was all nonsense.

Could the car accident have damaged her brain, simultaneously tempering her personality?

Shen Hong was the Shen Family’s trusted housekeeper. Though she carried no Shen bloodline, her surname was a testament to the late Shen Ruofei’s mother’s deep trust and respect for her.

For this heir who had only recently taken over the family, Shen Hong felt a mix of frustration and disappointment, as if she were trying to forge iron that refused to harden. But regardless, Shen Ruofei was Shen Yuanqing’s only daughter. As a family servant, Shen Hong’s duty was to wholeheartedly assist her.

Shen Ruofei rarely involved herself in family matters, seemingly trusting Shen Hong completely to manage the Shen Family affairs. Instead, she spent her days socializing, fraternizing with Omegas, and lavishly spending the Shen family fortune.

During Shen Ruofei’s hospitalization, Shen Hong visited only twice: once to sign the critical condition notice, and again to approve her transfer from the ICU to a regular ward.

The Shen family was overwhelmed with matters. Shen Hong had to handle the stock price fluctuations caused by Shen Ruofei’s accident, manage the internal morale of the family, and deal with numerous other pressing issues. She simply didn’t have the time to constantly supervise Shen Ruofei.

As a result, outsiders perceived the relationship between Shen Hong and Shen Ruofei as strained. Whenever Shen Hong was around Shen Ruofei, she always wore that “I don’t feel like wasting my breath on you” expression.

The Shen family had abandoned their grandiose displays after the previous patriarch’s death. But Shen Ruofei’s accident was clearly no ordinary incident.

Shen Hong’s investigation revealed that the truck driver who collided with Shen Ruofei was neither drunk nor fatigued at the time of the accident. This strongly suggested the crash was intentional, implying there was a mastermind behind the incident.

However, the driver was already dead, and Shen Ruofei had miraculously survived her severe injuries. Pursuing the matter further seemed pointless.

Clearly, the perpetrator wanted the evidence to die with them.

Since someone was targeting the Shen family, they couldn’t simply sweep this under the rug.

The high-profile discharge of Shen Ruofei was a clear message to the world: the head of the Shen Corporation was still alive. Did anyone think they could bring down the Shen family so easily?

Not a chance.

As Shen Ruofei arrived at the Shen residence, she saw a row of glamorous female bodyguards stationed at the entrance and the opulent villa itself. Internally, she screamed at the System, “What do I do? I feel like a clueless monkey out of its element! So panicked! What if I slip up now?”

“Calm down. Trust yourself. After all, the original Shen Ruofei had a dark history. It’s not unreasonable to use this opportunity to reinvent yourself.”

The villa’s entrance was adorned with grand marble steps. As Shen Ruofei followed Shen Hong inside, the first thing she saw was the lavishly decorated main hall.

The ornate chandelier emitted a cold, dazzling light, illuminating a thick, patterned carpet spotless of dust. The walls were adorned with grand peony murals, and the moon-white furniture bore intricate golden carvings. Each piece appeared expensive, but together they gave off an air of ostentatious, outdated elegance.

At first glance, it seemed the former patriarch of the Shen family had a truly unique sense of style.

With this sarcastic thought, Shen Ruofei noticed the crowd of people gathered in the living room.

They held bouquets of flowers, their faces beaming with smiles as they offered their well-wishes for her successful recovery.

Ruofei didn’t immediately accept the flowers. Instead, she stood frozen, scanning the faces of the assembled crowd.

Shen Zhizhi sidled up to her. “Feifei, what’s wrong? Why are you just standing there staring at us? Are you feeling unwell after your discharge?”

“No, I’m just… surprised.”

Among the visitors were elders close to Shen Yuanqing, as well as cousins around Shen Ruofei’s age. These younger relatives, spurred on by their parents’ constant encouragement, strove to become indispensable elites of the Shen family, destined to join various enterprises under the family’s umbrella.

Compared to Shen Ruofei, they truly seemed far more accomplished.

Once people start comparing themselves to others, they inevitably develop a desire to win. Shen Ruofei, it seemed, had no virtues beyond being Shen Yuanqing’s daughter. Among her generation, she was practically useless for anything except indulging in wild parties.

During her hospitalization, the family had been plagued by constant interference from outsiders. If not for Shen Hong’s authority keeping them in check, the Shen family’s affairs would have been thrown into utter disarray.

Now, the elders smiled warmly at Shen Ruofei, asking after her health and showering her with praise. Her siblings sat motionless on the sofa, some avoiding her gaze altogether.

A classic power structure in a wealthy family.

As Shen Ruofei stepped forward, the elders instinctively stepped back to let her pass.

From her seat at the head of the sofa, Shen Qiyan showed no intention of yielding her position. She sat upright, clapping her hands lightly as she smiled. “Ruofei, those who survive great calamities are blessed with good fortune. Congratulations on your discharge from the hospital.”

“Aunt Hong, order a new sofa. This one looks a bit dirty.”

Shen Ruofei didn’t even glance at Shen Qiyan, instead turning to look at Shen Hong.

The young family matriarch was strikingly beautiful, her dark eyes piercing. Draped in a black coat, she radiated an imposing presence.

For some inexplicable reason, a sudden surge of fervor ignited in Shen Hong’s heart.

Her lips curved into a smile as she nodded. “Yes, Miss.”

Shen Ruofei had never been so sly before. In the past, if she disliked someone, she would confront them directly rather than let it fester. Her straightforwardness was refreshing, yet it also made her seem somewhat naive.

Now, Shen Ruofei still expressed her displeasure with Shen Qiyan, but in a more sophisticated manner.

Shen Qiyan’s expression showed her discomfort. Pretending nonchalance, she stood up and dusted nonexistent specks from her skirt. “It’s just a little seat, right? Are you really that bothered, Sister?”

“Of course not. This sofa is already Shen family trash. Since you like it so much, I’ll give it to you.”

Everyone sitting on the sofa quietly stood up.

Shen Ruofei glanced around calmly, then flashed a bright, cheerful smile. “Thank you all for coming to see me today. Would you like to stay for dinner tonight? It’s rare to have so many elders gathered like this—even New Year’s might not bring us all together like this. A good chat would be nice. Nanny Qi, have the chef prepare something.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Shen Zhizhi, Shen Qiyan’s Beta mother, watched Shen Qiyan lose ground to Shen Ruofei. Staying for dinner tonight would undoubtedly mean enduring Shen Ruofei’s mockery later.

“Oh, no, no,” she quickly said. “We have a business dinner to attend tonight. Feifei, you need to focus on recovering. The Shen family still relies on you!”

Although everyone present shared the Shen surname, only Shen Ruofei carried the true bloodline of the Shen family. The others were merely distant relatives who happened to share the same name.

While Shen Ruofei lacked the ability to manage the family affairs, her very identity as Shen Ruofei was enough to deter anyone from openly defying her.

Shen Ruofei didn’t allow Shen Zhizhi the luxury of escape. “Which is more important, the business dinner or the family gathering, Aunt? You need to think carefully.”

The air seemed to hold its breath.

No one dared defy the family head’s arrangements or commands.

After a moment of stunned silence, Shen Zhizhi’s face quickly smoothed into a subservient smile. “Of course, the family gathering is more important!”

“You go ahead and enjoy yourselves. I’ll go change.”

As she ascended the stairs, Shen Ruofei felt her breath tremble. She asked the System, “How was my performance? Did I pull it off?”

The System seemed equally excited. “Flawless! No mistakes detected!”

Shen Ruofei let out a long sigh of relief.

She didn’t know why, but she felt nothing as she said those words. It wasn’t until after she finished speaking that she realized she had been a bit too domineering.

******

But Shen Ruofei seemed to be exactly this type of person. Though she was considered a brainless heiress among her peers, her bloodline’s innate authority over other species remained unshaken, bolstered by her status. This made her incredibly intimidating.

With the servants’ help, Shen Ruofei enjoyed a luxurious bath. After changing, she effortlessly deciphered the relationships between the guests at the family banquet.

They were all half-baked.

Each had status and position but lacked real power, forced to cling to the Shen Family tree in hopes of gaining more. A few well-placed jabs would be enough to keep them in line.

Shen Ruofei found herself surprisingly at ease in this environment, like a fish in water. How novel.

After most of these distant relatives had left, Shen Ruofei remained seated at the head of the dining table, surrounded by leftovers, for half an hour.

Shen Hong stood silently in the shadows outside the dining room, observing.

A half-empty glass of water sat beside Shen Ruofei. Her fingers gently tapped the rim.

Her hands were slender and well-proportioned, the pale skin revealing faint blue veins. Even her hands alone exuded an aura of elegance and power, as if she were naturally destined to be a master of deception and intrigue.

When Shen Ruofei finally stood up, Shen Hong stepped forward with a smile. “Miss, you know the car accident wasn’t an accident, don’t you?”

Shen Ruofei paused, her gaze questioning Shen Hong’s purpose in bringing this up.

“Allowing you to be involved in that accident was my failure. Once we uncover the mastermind behind it, I will resign.”

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