Transmigrated Into a Scumbag Alpha In a Melodramatic Novel and Been Targeted by My Love Rival - Chapter 7

After seeing off those “less intelligent” Alphas, Shen Ruofei finally had some free time.

As Shen Ruofei sat in the study, aimlessly flipping through the account books with her mind wandering, Shen Hong suddenly returned.

It was clear that Shen Hong had come to check on Shen Ruofei’s “homework.”

Seeing that only two books had been reviewed in a week, Shen Hong was visibly displeased.

Leaning back in the soft chair without a trace of guilt, Shen Ruofei casually repeated what the System had previously suggested, “My major in university was Business Administration. While we covered accounting, it only scratched the surface—basic debits and credits. Looking at these detailed records is already quite challenging for me.”

Shen Hong: “……”

Though she had anticipated this, Shen Hong was still somewhat taken aback by Shen Ruofei’s blunt admission of her incompetence—it took real courage.

However, Shen Hong’s prolonged silence seemed to stir a flicker of shame in Shen Ruofei. “Aunt Hong, I know you told me before that I could ask you if I didn’t understand something. But you’re already so busy with the Shen family affairs. How could I possibly bother you? Why don’t we hire a tutor to teach me privately? Once I’ve grasped the basics, reviewing these books will be much easier, won’t it?”

“You’re quite the schemer,” Shen Hong said. “But even if I bring a tutor, will you actually apply yourself to your studies?”

Shen Ruofei had pulled this trick before—inviting a tutor over, then ditching them at home while she went out clubbing, all while continuing to pay the tutor’s fee.

It seemed Shen Ruofei’s reputation with Shen Hong had sunk below zero.

Seeing her daughter’s stubborn refusal to budge, Shen Hong simply gave up. “If the Shen family has so many capable members, why not have them review these accounts instead? If they don’t want to, we can hire someone else.”

“You’ll stop saying such things once you actually understand these accounts,” Shen Hong sighed inwardly, shaking her head. She ordered the books to be returned to their original place.

Since Shen Ruofei couldn’t understand them and wouldn’t even look at them, there was no point in letting the books absorb moisture from the air. They’d only become damp and difficult to organize later.

Shen Ruofei sensed a deeper meaning in Shen Hong’s words. She felt it too.

Ever since returning to the Shen family, Shen Ruofei had been struck by a sense of impending danger from her relatives.

Judging by the dinner gathering that evening, these people didn’t seem to pose much of a threat to the Shen family. Shen Ruofei wondered what exactly these relatives, who shared the Shen name but lacked the family’s bloodline, had done in the plotlines she was unaware of.

“Since you haven’t reviewed the accounts, have you at least looked over the profiles of the candidates I shortlisted?”

“I skimmed through them.”

The five candidates Shen Hong had selected were all steady in character, shrewd, and ruthless in their dealings. Shen Ruofei could already imagine the misery of working alongside them.

The only reason Shen Hong hadn’t chewed her out yet was likely due to the protective instincts of an elder. If Shen Hong were to let the future steward go after her with full force…

Help me.

Though Shen Ruofei had already guessed the outline of Shen Hong’s resignation scheme, she had to admit she was utterly incompetent. She simply lacked the ability to steer the Shen family’s massive ship.

Ding— Congratulations! Plotline unlocked.

Before she could fully process it, Shen Ruofei’s memories suddenly flooded her mind. She frowned and instinctively pressed a hand to her forehead.

Even back when Shen Yuanqing first passed away, “Shen Ruofei” had sensed something amiss within the Shen family.

Shen Yuanqing’s death was far too suspicious. How could he have died so suddenly from just stepping out?

With the support of Shen Yuanqing’s former retainers, “Shen Ruofei” smoothly ascended to the position of Family Head. However, after becoming the Family Head, she showed no ambition whatsoever, spending her days indulging in pleasures and leisure.

Was she deliberately pretending to be a wastrel, or did she have another plan?

Seeing “Shen Ruofei’s” incompetence, the Shen Family’s former retainers gradually departed one after another.

Now, only Shen Hong remained in the Shen Family. Once even she left, the old generation of the Shen family would likely be completely gone.

To this day, Shen Ruofei didn’t have a single reliable person under her command.

The Shen family was far from the dazzling facade it presented to the world.

[Memory cut off.]

The System informed her that her mission progress had reached 10%, unlocking only a portion of the memory plot.

Yet this was more than enough for Shen Ruofei to ponder for a long time.

Shen Hong noticed Shen Ruofei suddenly clutching her head, as if in pain. She bent down to check on her, asking if she hadn’t fully recovered and if she needed a doctor.

“It’s nothing. I just need a moment to rest.”

Shen Ruofei lowered her hand, but when she looked up, her gaze remained unfocused and distant.

Unconvinced, Shen Hong still called for the family doctor.

The doctor came to examine Shen Ruofei, asking if she’d been experiencing frequent headaches since the car accident.

Lying on the bed, Shen Ruofei shook her head. “Not very often. Maybe once every two or three days.”

The doctor advised that she needed to continue resting and avoid overexerting herself mentally.

After the doctor and servants had left, Shen Hong turned to Shen Ruofei. “I heard they’ve been coming to the house every day these past few days, bringing you gifts. When did you become so sociable?”

In the past, Shen Ruofei rarely brought guests to the Shen family home, preferring to entertain them in hotels or bars.

“That’s not hospitality,” Shen Hong remarked. “It’s damage control.”

Shen Ruofei glanced up at her aunt with a weary smile, but instead of revealing Fang Yu’s situation, she pulled her blanket tighter and feigned exhaustion. “Aunt Hong, the doctor said I need plenty of rest. Since I can’t go out, I have to bring the fun home. I’m going back to sleep now. Whatever it is can wait until I wake up.”

Today, she finally had a chance to enjoy her afternoon nap undisturbed, and she intended to make the most of it.

In the past, Shen Ruofei had been constantly burdened by her studies and worries about the future. Now, she could finally relax and let things take their course.

Shen Hong watched Shen Ruofei drift off to sleep in mere moments, her eyes widening in disbelief. She approached the bed and stared at her for a long while.

Fine, she thought. Since she’s still recovering, I won’t push her too hard.

Shen Yuanqing had always doted on Shen Ruofei, wanting to give her the world. Now grown into a powerful Alpha like her father, Shen Ruofei had developed a difficult personality—a common trait among spoiled children shielded from life’s hardships and the suffering of others.

Shen Hong sighed, tucked Shen Ruofei’s blanket tightly around her, and left the bedroom.

That night, Shen Hong wasn’t home again, likely out on business.

Shen Ruofei thought Shen Hong was the epitome of an overbearing parent, the kind who would work herself to the bone. She had resigned from her position hoping to instill some sense of urgency in her daughter, motivating her to strive for the Shen family’s leadership. But who could have imagined her daughter was such hopeless clay, spending her days in a daze?

There was nothing to be done. Given Shen Ruofei’s current strength, she truly felt powerless to influence the Shen family’s fate.

The System’s tasks still needed to be carried out.

Ever since Shen Ruofei created a group chat for these girls, they seemed to have made pursuing Fang Yu their top priority. They had fully adjusted their mindsets, even coordinating daily who would approach Fang Yu and sharing the knowledge Shen Ruofei had taught them.

Shen Ruofei: “……”

How utterly absurd.

This kind of melodrama belonged in a trashy novel.

Still, Shen Ruofei didn’t hold much hope for these girls. She was just buying time, waiting for them to realize she was toying with them…

Shen Ruofei silently prayed that the Heroine would use her love to soften their hearts.

As the injuries from the car accident gradually healed, Shen Ruofei dutifully applied ointment to the scar on her forehead every day, thanks to her servants’ reminders. Overall, her recovery was progressing well.

Fang Yu’s experiments had entered another lengthy waiting period, so she invited Shen Ruofei out for a meal. Perhaps frustrated by the relentless pursuit of those crazed Alphas, Fang Yu sought solace from her White Moonlight.

They agreed to meet at a Sichuan hot pot restaurant.

Shen Ruofei didn’t know how to drive, but “Shen Ruofei” was secretly a speedster. To maintain her cover, she arranged for Shen Hong to hire a driver, claiming she still harbored fears about driving.

Shen Hong readily agreed.

The driver assigned to them was a beautiful female Beta, appearing calm and reserved, with a reserved demeanor and few words.

When they arrived at the private room in the hot pot restaurant, Fang Yu was already poring over the menu, placing orders. On the way, Shen Ruofei had seen the Official Couple’s rival group chatting in their chat group about Fang Yu’s planned meeting with her. Their hostility toward Shen Ruofei seemed to have diminished, but upon learning of the meeting, they promptly @mentioned her, asking her to gather intelligence from Fang Yu about who she’d been favoring lately, so they could refine their strategies and improve collectively.

Am I supposed to be your love spy now?! Shen Ruofei roared inwardly.

Fang Yu’s eyes lit up when she saw Shen Ruofei. She waved and called out, “Senior! You must be feeling better now, right? I was worried you might not be able to handle spicy food after recovering, so I ordered a half-spicy, half-mild hot pot!”

“A half-spicy, half-mild hot pot is an insult to hot pot. Just give me extra-spicy.”

Fang Yu smiled sweetly, her small, kitten-like lips curving adorably. “Senior, you’re always so stubborn! Just pretend I can’t handle spicy food. A half-spicy, half-mild hot pot is the way to go!”

Shen Ruofei had never been able to resist this kind of sweetly smiling beauty. She nodded in agreement, sat down next to Fang Yu, and handed her the gift she’d brought: three sunflowers freshly picked from the Shen family’s greenhouse, wrapped simply in newspaper.

Though Fang Yu was a practical person, she had always been powerless against these vibrant, flourishing blooms.

Shen Ruofei couldn’t risk sending roses, which might be misinterpreted. Sunflowers were perfect.

Fang Yu accepted the flowers, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled. “The flowers from your family’s greenhouse are truly the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. They last so long in a vase too.”

“You used to refuse when I had the servants deliver you flowers weekly, insisting on respecting the natural cycle. You’d rather let perfectly good flowers wilt than come to me yourself. Now I have to bring you flowers every time I see you just to make you happy.”

Fang Yu set the sunflower aside, lowering her gaze with a bashful smile. “I didn’t want to burden Senior with anything else. A bouquet of flowers is more than enough.”

This was a small, hidden romance in Fang Yu’s heart, a self-deception she willingly indulged in.

Seeing Fang Yu like this stirred a tender sympathy in Shen Ruofei. She wondered if Shen Ruofei’s reluctance to be too blunt with Fang Yu was because the younger girl’s vulnerable demeanor was simply too heartwarming.

The hot pot arrived quickly. Fang Yu usually ordered the spiciest level, but today, out of consideration for Shen Ruofei, she settled for medium spice.

Shen Ruofei hadn’t eaten spicy food in ages. Nanny Qi had been preparing nourishing stews for her at home, leaving her palate almost devoid of flavor. This outing was a true feast for her senses.

As the meal progressed to the vegetable-dipping stage, Fang Yu wiped her mouth with a napkin and remarked, “Senior, you seem to handle spicy food better than before.”

“You just went easy on me today.”

Once both women had finished eating and put down their chopsticks, the steamy aroma of the hot pot in the private room was quickly cleared away by the exhaust fan. Fang Yu finally voiced the main purpose of her meeting with Shen Ruofei today: 

“Senior, are you… helping Qin Rong and the others pursue me?”

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