Becoming a Scum A in an Old-School Melodramatic Novel - Chapter 32

After dinner, the family of three sat in the living room watching TV. Shen Xian glanced at Lin Qinghan beside her and said, “Qinghan, I have something to take care of tomorrow night, I might be home a bit late. You and Tian Tian don’t need to wait for me.”

Lin Qinghan paused, holding a piece of fruit, and looked at Shen Xian with some doubt, thinking, Could it really be that much of a coincidence? “I also have something to do tomorrow, how about we send Tian Tian to Mom’s place?”

Shen Xian nodded, “Alright, I’ll let Mom know and ask her to pick Tian Tian up tomorrow.” Shen Xian was curious about where Lin Qinghan was going, but considering their relationship hadn’t gotten that close yet, she didn’t ask further.

The next day, Shen Xian first transferred 50,000 yuan to Fang Jinglan. Over the years, the original Shen Xian hadn’t given a single cent to her parents, except for scamming money from them. Now that she finally had money, apart from keeping some for daily expenses, Shen Xian immediately sent some to her mother.

As expected, it wasn’t long before Fang Jinglan called back. “Shen Xian, where did this money come from? Did you get yourself in trouble again?”

“No, Mom, I earned that money recently. You and Dad have taken care of me all these years, it’s time I took care of you two. Don’t worry, it’s all legitimate money. Just take it, alright?” Shen Xian chuckled as she spoke.

“Alright then, Mom will accept it. When are you coming back? I’ll prepare food for you.” Fang Jinglan’s joy was obvious, even through the phone.

“When Qinghan has a day off in a few days. Oh right, Mom, both Qinghan and I have things to do tonight, can you pick Tian Tian up?”

“Of course, you two go handle your business, don’t worry about Tian Tian.”

After chatting with Fang Jinglan a bit more, Shen Xian hung up. Later that evening, Jiang Xi came to pick her up to try on clothes.

This high-end custom clothing store was owned by Jiang Xi’s family, so of course Jiang Xi had free rein to choose outfits. Shen Xian didn’t hold back either, selecting a black dress to try on. When Shen Xian walked out of the fitting room, Jiang Xi was momentarily stunned — she thought Shen Xian would choose a women’s suit since she rarely saw Shen Xian in dresses.

Shen Xian glanced at herself in the mirror, fairly satisfied with the outfit. The fitted waist hugged her figure, the exposed collarbone area added a touch of sexiness without losing elegance.

From the corner of her eye, Shen Xian noticed Jiang Xi watching her through the mirror. With a smile, she teased, “So, President Jiang, are you satisfied?”

Jiang Xi nodded enthusiastically, “Sis, I thought you’d wear a women’s suit to accompany me, but you look amazing in a dress too!”

Shen Xian chuckled, “It’s alright, with some makeup it’ll be perfect. That way, those annoying people hanging around you won’t dare get close.”

“No problem, Sis, I’ve got endless makeup at home. We’re running out of time though, let’s do our makeup and head over.”

Jiang Xi picked a white dress and went back with Shen Xian to get ready.

Shen Xian chose a deep red lip gloss and did simple makeup. Her originally straight, black hair was lightly curled at the ends, giving her both a sexy and striking aura. She looked at herself in the mirror, quite pleased with the final result.

Around 8 PM, the banquet started. As soon as Shen Xian and Jiang Xi stepped out of the car, they attracted plenty of attention — partly due to Jiang Xi’s prominent family background, but also because Shen Xian was simply eye-catching tonight. Thanks to Jiang Xi, even the waitstaff at the entrance were especially attentive.

Jiang Xi felt bringing Shen Xian was definitely the right move — Shen Xian’s presence tonight was practically on par with Sister Mu.

But naturally, plenty of people still wanted to cozy up to Jiang Xi, so many came over to greet them, with others quietly trying to figure out Shen Xian’s background.

“Miss Jiang, who is this? I don’t think I’ve seen her before. Is she one of Linhai City’s new elites?” An alpha with feelings for Jiang Xi approached and asked.

Jiang Xi held onto Shen Xian’s arm and looked at Li Jie, replying, “This is Shen Xian, my business partner.”

“Miss Shen, nice to meet you. May I ask which famous domestic company your family runs?”

Although Li Jie’s background didn’t compare to Jiang Xi’s, he was still well-known in Linhai City. Shen Xian immediately understood his implication — he wanted to embarrass her.

“My family doesn’t run any famous company. Isn’t building from scratch much more exciting?” Shen Xian replied with a light smile, then turned to Jiang Xi with a caring tone, “Xiao Xi, do you want to take a break?”

“Sure.” Jiang Xi had already wanted to get away from Li Jie, who clung to her like a leech every time they met.

Shen Xian nodded politely to Li Jie and led Jiang Xi to sit on an empty sofa nearby.

“Didn’t expect it, huh? President Jiang is really popular. Look how many eyes are on you,” Shen Xian teased with a smile.

“Sis, stop teasing me. I don’t want this kind of attention. People only cozy up to me because they want to get to my dad or my brother. It’s so boring,” Jiang Xi pouted.

“Alright, I’ll stop teasing. But look to your left, more people are coming over,” Shen Xian said, glancing up.

“So annoying, it’s Uncle Zhou’s daughter again,” Jiang Xi whispered to Shen Xian.

Shen Xian chuckled, “It’s fine, we’ll just send them away.”

While they were talking, the girls had already approached, led by Zhou Manling — exactly who Jiang Xi had mentioned.

“Hey, Xiao Xi, where’d you find this alpha? Looks pretty good. Aren’t you going to introduce her to your sisters?” Zhou Manling smirked.

Jiang Xi frowned, “She’s my business partner. Watch your mouth.”

“What’s wrong? You don’t like people saying she’s your little lover? If your dad finds out you casually brought someone along, won’t he be furious?”

“Don’t meddle in the affairs of beautiful women,” Jiang Xi glared and didn’t bother with her anymore.

While Zhou Manling spoke to Jiang Xi, her gaze frequently drifted to Shen Xian. She had never seen someone with Shen Xian’s mix of dominance and elegance before. Trying to strike up a conversation, she turned to Shen Xian, “Miss, mind if we get acquainted? I’m Zhou Manling. If you ever need anything, feel free to find me.”

Shen Xian glanced at her indifferently and covered her nose with her hand, “Miss Zhou, could you step back a little? Your perfume’s too strong, I feel nauseous.”

“You — how dare you say that to me!” Zhou Manling was livid.

Jiang Xi, on the other hand, was delighted. “Exactly, Sis, I think it smells bad too. Let’s go somewhere else.”

Zhou Manling clenched her fists tightly. For an alpha to insult an omega’s scent was practically calling her ugly. She had even thought about seducing Shen Xian earlier, but after that one sentence, all interest was gone.

The banquet venue was very large. Jiang Xi and Shen Xian were making their way from the east side to the west side, planning to stay a little longer before leaving. Just as they were looking for a sofa to sit down and rest, a small commotion broke out in the distance, drawing many people’s attention in that direction.

At first, Shen Xian didn’t pay much attention and leaned back on the sofa, casually chatting with Jiang Xi. Her relaxed demeanor discouraged several people who were thinking of coming over to strike up a conversation. But when she glanced toward the commotion, Shen Xian noticed that the person standing there looked somewhat like Lin Qinghan. Thinking about how the female lead always tends to attract trouble, Shen Xian immediately stood up.

Jiang Xi was startled by Shen Xian’s sudden movement and asked, “Sis, what’s wrong?”

Shen Xian glanced down at her and quickly replied, “That looks like my ex-wife over there. I’m going to check it out.” With that, she walked over swiftly.

Lin Qinghan hadn’t wanted to come in the first place. She had only agreed to help Lu Jianbai this time, thinking that they wouldn’t have further contact after this. But unexpectedly, not long after entering the venue, Lu Jianbai introduced her to his mother, leading to the current situation.

Lu Jianbai’s mother had long known that her son liked an Omega from the same hospital — an Omega who already had a three-and-a-half-year-old child. The moment she saw Lin Qinghan, her expression turned ugly, and she immediately began to humiliate her,

“Lin Qinghan, right? I’ve already investigated you. Let me give you some advice, give up any ideas of seducing my son. Our Lu family will never accept you. Besides, your child is almost four years old. Don’t think I don’t know that.”

“Mom, what nonsense are you spouting? I’m serious about Qinghan. If you won’t let me marry her, then I won’t marry any other Omega,” Lu Jianbai retorted.

Anyone with a brain would know that the last thing you should do at a high-profile banquet is cause a scene. Even if there’s an issue, it should be handled privately. But the Lu family was attending such a prestigious event for the first time. Lu’s mother, arrogant and self-important, believed their family had truly made it into high society, which only made her even more overbearing.

Lin Qinghan was speechless. She was just here to help, and now it had turned into this mess. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding. Dr. Lu, when you asked me to come today, it was just to help you. I don’t like you, and I have no intention of marrying into your family. Your mother is overthinking things,” Lin Qinghan replied calmly.

But her words didn’t comfort Lu Jianbai. Instead, they made him believe his mother’s insults had upset Lin Qinghan, causing her to say she didn’t like him. Furious, he argued with his mother, “Mom, what are you doing? It took me so long to get Qinghan to agree!”

By this time, Shen Xian had already arrived but stood quietly behind Lin Qinghan. Neither Lin Qinghan nor Lu Jianbai noticed her presence. Shen Xian frowned slightly — What exactly did Lu Jianbai get Qinghan to agree to?

Lu’s mother was even more enraged. “You’re arguing with me over a divorced Omega with a child?” She picked up her wine glass, intending to throw the drink in Lin Qinghan’s face.

But Shen Xian, standing behind Lin Qinghan, reacted faster. She reached out, grabbed the wine glass from Lu’s mother, and with a swift motion, splashed the wine onto Lu’s mother’s face instead.

Lu’s mother was stunned and shouted, “Who are you? How dare you splash me!” She moved as if to strike Shen Xian.

Shen Xian gave her a cold, warning glance and calmly spoke, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. This outfit I’m wearing costs seven figures. It’s not something your small, third-rate company could afford to compensate for.”

Shen Xian’s slightly parted red lips and the sharp, refined aura in her eyes were qualities honed over the years. Lu’s mother was intimidated by Shen Xian’s presence and immediately backed down.

Lin Qinghan hadn’t expected Shen Xian to appear here either. Her eyes were involuntarily drawn to Shen Xian — the delicate makeup, the natural elegance between her brows, the black gown outlining her slender figure. For a moment, Lin Qinghan found it hard to look away.

The brief silence was broken by Lu Jianbai’s voice. “Shen Xian, you’re nothing but a broke loser who borrows money every day — what nonsense are you spouting here? Apologize to my mother right now. And that outfit? You couldn’t afford it in ten lifetimes. I’m only letting you off this once because of Qinghan.”

Shen Xian chuckled at his words. “Dr. Lu, you really know how to twist the facts. Your mother tried to assault my wife — I was just defending myself. And besides, Qinghan doesn’t like you. Please stop harassing her.”

“And who the hell do you think you are? Qinghan likes me! Qinghan, say something!” Lu Jianbai exclaimed, reaching out to grab Lin Qinghan’s wrist.

But Shen Xian was faster, pulling Lin Qinghan into her embrace and shielding her. “Talk if you want to, but keep your hands to yourself,” Shen Xian said coldly, glaring at Lu Jianbai.

As the crowd around them grew larger, Lu Jianbai became increasingly flustered. He reached out again, saying, “Lin Qinghan, come with me.”

But Lin Qinghan made no move to push Shen Xian away. Her stance was clear.

“Dr. Lu, I think you’ve misunderstood. I only came because you once helped me, and I didn’t know what your intentions were. I don’t like you, and frankly, I find your behavior confusing. From now on, we should keep our distance,” Lin Qinghan stated bluntly.

Surrounded by so many watchful eyes, Lu Jianbai’s face burned with embarrassment. His eyes reddened with frustration as he pointed at Shen Xian, shouting, “Shen Xian, this is all your fault! Qinghan, don’t believe her — she’s a liar, a con artist! Come with me!” He tried to grab Lin Qinghan again.

At that moment, Jiang Xi arrived with security. The event organizers were well aware of the backgrounds of their guests. Jiang Xi’s family was not one to offend, while the Lu family’s company was a small, insignificant business. The fact that they even got invited to this event was already a stroke of luck — and now they had the nerve to cause trouble?

“These two ladies are my friends. Please escort these lunatics out,” Jiang Xi instructed the banquet manager beside her.

“Alright, Miss Jiang, I truly apologize. We failed to thoroughly vet the guest list for the banquet, allowing these people to disturb your peace.” The floor manager apologized to Jiang Xi with a respectful nod while instructing the security guards to escort Lu Jianbai’s family out.

Lu Jianbai’s father had just been shamelessly going around trying to curry favor with the upper-class attendees. He never expected to witness this scene upon returning, and his face turned green with anger!

As a small-time company owner at the bottom of the ladder, how could he possibly know who Jiang Xi was? Pointing at her, he snapped, “Who do you think you are, talking to my wife and son like that? And you security guards, let them go right now!”

“I suggest you little girls apologize to my wife and son immediately, or this matter won’t end here.” Seeing that the other party consisted of three young women, Lu Jianbai’s father assumed they would be easy to intimidate.

Jiang Xi almost burst out laughing. Although she didn’t often go to the company, she frequently attended high-society banquets. Everyone in those circles knew she was the heiress of Jiang Group — who would dare disrespect her? This was the first time someone openly challenged her like this.

At that moment, a lazy female voice called out from not far away, “Oh? I’d like to see who dares to insult the Jiang Group heiress like that.”

Following the voice, Shen Xian turned and saw the newcomer — Mu Siyu, the president of Mu Group.

Lu Jianbai’s father might not recognize Jiang Xi, but he certainly knew Mu Siyu — the financial prodigy of Linhai City and head of Mu Group, who had already made a name for herself in international business at such a young age.

“M-Miss Mu? Are you saying she’s President Jiang’s daughter?” Lu Jianbai’s father’s face turned pale.

Mu Siyu chuckled softly, nodded, and then shot a glare at the floor manager. “Why are you letting just any stray dog in? Get them out of here.”

As soon as Mu Siyu finished speaking, six security guards seized the Lu family and began dragging them out. Even when they were nearly out the door, Lu Jianbai’s father’s voice could still be heard apologizing,

“President Mu, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I truly didn’t know!”

But no one cared what he had to say. After today, the smart businesses would all cut ties with Lu Jianbai’s company. It was as good as being blacklisted by the entire circle.

With the disturbance gone, the bystanders, though curious, didn’t dare provoke Mu Siyu. They quietly dispersed, leaving only Shen Xian and the other three staring at one another.

Mu Siyu’s gaze toward Shen Xian was particularly unfriendly. “Miss Shen, wasn’t expecting to run into you again. So, you have a wife yet you’re here with Xiao Xi?”

“Ex-wife. Sister Shen is already divorced,” Jiang Xi quickly explained for Shen Xian, though she completely missed the point, earning herself a glare from Mu Siyu. Lin Qinghan, meanwhile, gave Shen Xian a thoughtful look.

Seeing Lin Qinghan’s expression, Shen Xian sensed trouble and hurriedly clarified, “Miss Mu, you’ve misunderstood. Xiao Xi only asked me to come because you’ve been busy overseas lately. There’s nothing going on — I’m just here as her shield.”

Shen Xian assumed Mu Siyu was jealous that Jiang Xi hadn’t asked her to be her companion and had chosen Shen Xian instead. Well, that’s what close sisterly bonds are for — even friends get jealous sometimes.

“Hmph, is that so? Well then, I guess I’ll have to trouble you, Miss Shen,” Mu Siyu replied, then turned to leave without so much as glancing at Jiang Xi.

“Sister Mu, wait for me!” Jiang Xi hurried after her, turning back to say to Shen Xian, “Sister Shen, I’m going ahead.”

Shen Xian nodded. “Alright, go quickly,” she replied in amusement — any slower and your dear sister will be even more jealous.

Shen Xian smiled and turned to Lin Qinghan. “Qinghan, let’s head home too.”

Lin Qinghan snorted coldly at her. “Oh? Don’t you need to stay and accompany your precious Xiao Xi?”