Becoming a Scum A in an Old-School Melodramatic Novel - Chapter 30

Early in the morning, Lin Qinghan called Fang Jinglan. “Mom, can Tian Tian stay with you for a few days? Shen Xian and I are both busy these next few days.”

“Sure, you two take care of your work. Don’t worry about Tian Tian,” Fang Jinglan said over the phone.

Hearing someone talking, Shen Tian crawled out of bed, put on her little slippers, and toddled over to find Fang Jinglan. “Grandma, who is it?” Shen Tian asked as she climbed up beside Fang Jinglan, her little head leaning over.

“You really have sharp ears — it’s your mom,” Fang Jinglan said with a laugh, patting Shen Tian’s head.

“Grandma, Tian Tian wants to talk to Mom.”

“Okay, don’t be in such a rush. Here you go.” Fang Jinglan handed the phone to Shen Tian, who held it with her two chubby hands. “Mom, Tian Tian misses you. When are you coming to get Tian Tian?”

Lin Qinghan’s voice softened even more. “Mom and Mommy have a few things to take care of these days. We’ll come get Tian Tian in a few days, okay? Be a good girl and stay with Grandma. I’ll bring you some yummy treats in a few days.”

“Okay. Then what about Mommy? Why isn’t Mommy talking to Tian Tian?” Shen Tian asked in her soft, childish voice.

“Your Mommy worked very late last night and is still sleeping — she’s tired.”

“Okay then. Tian Tian won’t bother Mommy. Mom, don’t forget to come get Tian Tian in a few days. Tian Tian misses Mom and Mommy.”

“Okay, Mom misses Tian Tian too…” Lin Qinghan coaxed her daughter on the phone for a while before finally hanging up.

Lin Qinghan gently pushed open Shen Xian’s door and saw her lying obediently on the bed. Her brows were slightly furrowed — maybe from the pain in her back. The blanket had long been tossed aside, and her long legs were curled up on the bed. The hem of her skirt had ridden up, revealing a faint glimpse of skin.

After hesitating for a few seconds, Lin Qinghan picked up the blanket lying nearby and gently covered Shen Xian with it.

Although the pain in Shen Xian’s back had eased somewhat, she still didn’t sleep well. She had been woken up by pain several times during the night and had only just fallen asleep at dawn. When she felt something being placed on her back, she immediately woke up. Her eyes were still hazy from lack of sleep, and since she hadn’t had a blanket on all night, her voice came out a bit hoarse. “Qinghan? Morning. Why are you here?”

“I came to check on you. Why is your voice like that? Is your back still hurting badly?” Lin Qinghan asked in a gentler tone.

Shen Xian’s nose was a bit stuffy, and her voice sounded muffled. “I don’t know, maybe I caught a cold last night. It’s not too bad — I’ll be fine after a bit more sleep. My back’s a bit better too, but in this state, I probably can’t pick up Tian Tian for the next few days.”

“I already talked to my mom. Tian Tian will stay with her for now. We’ll bring her back when you’ve recovered a bit more,” Lin Qinghan said, glancing at Shen Xian. The corner of her lips was still swollen and red. Last night, she had been so focused on treating Shen Xian’s back that she had forgotten about her face.

Turning back to the living room, Lin Qinghan took an anti-inflammatory ointment from the medicine box and returned to Shen Xian’s room.

Hearing movement, Shen Xian looked toward the door, a bit puzzled as she saw Lin Qinghan returning. Lin Qinghan walked straight over and bent down to touch the corner of Shen Xian’s lips.

Shen Xian was stunned by the touch, her ears turning slightly red in embarrassment. Could good sisters really touch each other’s lips like this? Was she missing something?

Seeing the visible blush on Shen Xian’s ears, Lin Qinghan guessed she was overthinking and explained with a laugh, “Your lip is swollen. I’m just putting some ointment on it. What were you thinking?”

“Nothing,” Shen Xian said, tilting her head up to look at Lin Qinghan.

“Don’t move.” Lin Qinghan squeezed a bit of the ointment onto her fingertip, crouched down, used one hand to gently hold Shen Xian’s chin, and carefully applied the medicine to the corner of her lips.

The two were very close. Lin Qinghan focused on applying the ointment while Shen Xian just stared at her. Her Qinghan really was the kind of person who looked better the more you looked at her.

Feeling that burning gaze on her, Lin Qinghan couldn’t ignore it. She looked up and, sure enough, saw Shen Xian dazedly staring at her.

Seeing that Shen Xian didn’t even look away when caught, Lin Qinghan deliberately applied a bit more pressure. The sudden pain made Shen Xian suck in a sharp breath. “Hiss — Qinghan, be gentle, that hurts.”

Lin Qinghan shot her a look but her lips lifted into a faint smile. “All done. Breakfast is ready. Do you want to eat now or later?”

“I’ll sleep a bit more and eat later. Still a bit tired. Qinghan, go to work — it’s okay, I’m fine now.” Shen Xian lay on the bed, still groggy.

“Okay, I’ve taken out some cold medicine — it’s on the coffee table. Remember to eat something and take it later.”

“Mm-hmm, got it.” Shen Xian buried her face in the pillow and closed her eyes.

Lin Qinghan looked at her and smiled, shaking her head. Shen Xian had risked her life to help her — at least now she didn’t need to guard against her like before. Maybe because of Tian Tian, the two of them could really become friends.

After taking their statements last night, the police reviewed footage from several cameras near the hospital this morning and eventually identified a black minibus. By tracing footage along the way, they quickly located Wang Qi’s residence.

Wang Qi and his gang were frequent visitors at the local police station and public security bureau, but they were good at exploiting legal loopholes. Even when they broke the law, they rarely left evidence. Just like this time — Shen Xian wasn’t seriously injured, and Lin Qinghan hadn’t suffered substantial harm either. Even if the police found them, at most they’d be held for a few days.

Wang Qi seemed prepared. When the police arrived, the five men who had gone after Lin Qinghan the day before were all there and showed very good attitudes, admitting guilt. The police could only take them in for questioning and then called Lin Qinghan to come identify if these were the same people from the previous day.

So Lin Qinghan informed Director Zhao and went to the police station early. After confirming that these five men were the ones who had assaulted her and Shen Xian, she finished giving her statement and returned to the hospital.

What had happened to Lin Qinghan yesterday had already spread throughout the hospital. Rumors were flying, and as soon as she entered, several colleagues looked at her oddly.

Han Rui pulled Lin Qinghan into the locker room. “Qinghan, what exactly happened yesterday? Everyone at the hospital is talking — there are all kinds of rumors.”

“My brother owed money and sent those thugs to ask me for it. When I refused, they tried to kidnap me. Thankfully, Shen Xian came to pick me up yesterday — otherwise, I don’t know what would have happened.” Just thinking about it made Lin Qinghan feel uneasy. That her own brother would harm her — she never could have imagined it.

“So that’s how it is. Some of the things people are saying are really awful. They’re claiming you and Shen Xian exchanged pheromones in the hospital. Some are even saying worse things.” Han Rui hadn’t originally intended to tell her, but since Lin Qinghan would find out sooner or later anyway, she figured it was better to tell her now so she wouldn’t be kept in the dark.

“Yesterday, Shen Xian fought five men by herself and used up all her pheromones. I used mine to help her recover. That’s all that happened. I can’t control what others say — let them talk. Han Rui, thank you,” Lin Qinghan said, looking at Han Rui.

“There’s nothing to thank me for. I just wanted to let you know that those people love to gossip. Don’t take it to heart,” Han Rui said, worried that Lin Qinghan would be affected by the rumors.

“I understand. I won’t,” Lin Qinghan replied with a faint smile. The two of them returned to their respective departments.

Lu Jianbai had felt restless ever since he arrived at the hospital that morning. While eating breakfast in the cafeteria, he overheard Liu Wenwen and Zhao Qing gossiping about Lin Qinghan, which left him so angry he lost his appetite. He had already felt threatened by Shen Xian and Lin Qinghan living together, and now there were rumors about the two of them releasing pheromones in the hospital lounge? Lu Jianbai was about to explode with anger.

As soon as he heard that Lin Qinghan had arrived for work, he rushed over to find her. “Qinghan, what they’re saying can’t be true, right? How could you and Shen Xian be in the lounge…” He didn’t finish the sentence.

“She used up her pheromones saving me. I don’t want to explain it anymore. They can say whatever they want.” Lin Qinghan was flipping through some medical images in her hands, clearly unwilling to continue the conversation.

Seeing that she didn’t want to talk, Lu Jianbai had no choice but to leave. He gave her a frown before turning back to his office, irritably raking his fingers through his neat hair. He couldn’t shake the feeling that things weren’t supposed to turn out this way, but he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong. He even found himself missing the days when Shen Xian used to ask Lin Qinghan for money. Shen Xian’s sudden change had caught him completely off guard — especially the fact that Lin Qinghan had actually used her pheromones for Shen Xian again. It made Lu Jianbai feel extremely uncomfortable. He didn’t even understand what made him inferior to Shen Xian.

“Hey Wenwen, did you hear? Dr. Lu went to find Lin Qinghan, and he came back with a face green with rage,” Zhao Qing eagerly shared the news with Liu Wenwen.

“Of course I heard. He slammed the office door shut. Serves Lin Qinghan right. She’s still tangled up with her ex-wife and trying to seduce Dr. Lu?”

“Exactly. She should take a good look at herself. Acting all flirty just because she’s an Omega.”

“Now Dr. Lu will finally see her for who she really is. Always pretending to be so pure, and then doing that kind of thing with her ex-wife in the lounge.” Liu Wenwen was about to continue when a sudden cough behind them cut her off.

“Just chatting away here, are we? Is your department so free?” Director Zhao had noticed last time during a staff dinner that these two didn’t get along with Lin Qinghan. She hadn’t known much about the situation back then, but after observing for a while, she saw that Lin Qinghan worked diligently and completed her tasks, while these two nurses were lazy and fond of gossiping.

“Director Zhao, we’ll get back now. A patient needs a fluid change,” Zhao Qing quickly pulled Liu Wenwen away, making an excuse.

At noon, Lin Qinghan glanced at her phone several times before finally dialing Shen Xian’s number. The voice on the other end sounded a bit clearer than it had in the morning.

“Qinghan? What’s wrong?” Shen Xian, feeling much better after another nap, had just finished the meal Lin Qinghan had prepared that morning.

“Did you take your medicine? Is your throat feeling any better?” Lin Qinghan softened her tone and asked gently, remembering Shen Xian’s hoarse voice earlier that morning. Her lips curved slightly without her noticing.

“I’m just about to take it. Shouldn’t be anything serious. You go eat something too. Don’t worry about me,” Shen Xian replied, quite happy to receive her call. Was this what it meant when affection was reset to [0]? She loved this!

“Okay. After you take your cold medicine, sleep a little more. I’ll apply the ointment for you tonight when I get home.” Lin Qinghan gave a few more reminders before ending the call.

Han Rui observed Lin Qinghan’s thoughtful expression. Ever since Shen Xian had picked her up from the hotel, Han Rui had felt that their relationship wasn’t as simple as just “ex-wife.” Now, seeing how they interacted, she even found it kind of sweet.

After taking her cold medicine, Shen Xian set an alarm for herself. She didn’t feel at ease letting Lin Qinghan go home alone, so if she still felt okay after a nap, she planned to go pick her up.

Guessing that Lin Qinghan would be off work soon, Shen Xian took a cab to the hospital where she worked. As soon as she entered, she ran into the two nurses who had been on duty the night before.

“Oh, it’s you! Looking for Dr. Lin? Wait a sec, I’ll go get her,” one of the nurses said excitedly, running off toward the radiology department.

“Dr. Lin, your Alpha is waiting for you at the door,” the nurse said with a blushing face. She thought Dr. Lin and her Alpha looked pretty good together.

Lin Qinghan frowned when she heard that. She had already packed up and was ready to leave anyway, so she slung her bag over her shoulder and headed out. When she saw Shen Xian standing at the door, she felt annoyed that she was still wandering around before recovering and said with a slightly harsh tone, “Why are you here?”

Shen Xian had only been standing there a short while but had already felt many people’s eyes on her — some even with mockery. Thinking of what had happened the night before, she realized it must have caused trouble for Lin Qinghan after all.

When Shen Xian noticed that Lin Qinghan’s tone wasn’t very friendly, she thought it was because Lin Qinghan was upset that she came at this time and had further fueled the rumors. Her eyes flickered as she apologized, saying, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know my coming would cause this. I was just worried about you getting off work alone.”

Hearing Shen Xian say that, Lin Qinghan also softened her tone. She wasn’t angry about the rumors — she was upset that Shen Xian wasn’t at home resting properly. Her injury still hadn’t healed, and on top of that, she had a cold, yet she still came all the way here to see her. That thought did warm her heart a bit, and now, seeing Shen Xian apologizing so cautiously, she also felt a little uneasy.

“I’m not blaming you. I’m just worried about the injury on your back. Let’s go home,” Lin Qinghan said, taking Shen Xian’s wrist and walking out with her, not caring whether others were watching or not.

Given Shen Xian’s condition, she couldn’t ride the electric scooter, so the two of them had no choice but to take a taxi home. Once in the car, Shen Xian couldn’t lean back because of the injury on her back and could only sit upright, supporting herself.

Seeing her like this made Lin Qinghan feel a little distressed. Shen Xian’s injury hadn’t healed, yet she still insisted on coming to pick her up. She had probably come here in that same supported sitting position too, hadn’t she?

Thinking of this, Lin Qinghan pressed her lips together and, trying to keep her tone as natural as usual, asked, “Sitting like that must be uncomfortable. Do you want to lean sideways and lie on my lap for a bit?”

Shen Xian glanced at Lin Qinghan and nodded. Looks like Qinghan still cared about her after all. Besides, lying on a good friend’s lap for a while… that should be perfectly normal, right?

What she didn’t know was that after she leaned sideways and lay down, a faint blush crept up Lin Qinghan’s previously calm face.