Becoming a Scum A in an Old-School Melodramatic Novel - Chapter 54

After spending the entire morning shopping, Shen Xian was feeling sleepy. She lay down beside her little one and soon drifted off. Lin Qinghan, however, couldn’t fall asleep. She glanced at Shen Xian, who was already asleep, unable to figure out what exactly Shen Xian meant by her earlier words.

It was impossible for Lin Qinghan to truly say she didn’t mind Shen Xian’s past with Yu Qingwan, even now, just thinking about it made her chest ache a little.

Around three in the afternoon, the little one woke up. Seeing Shen Xian sleeping beside her, she immediately broke into a sweet smile, rolled over, and snuggled into Shen Xian’s arms. She really was starting to like her mommy more and more.

Shen Xian stirred when the little one’s soft hair brushed against her neck, scratching the spot that tickled before opening her eyes. The first thing she saw was her daughter’s little face beaming up at her.

Pinching her cheek, Shen Xian chuckled. “Well, who do we have here? Oh, it’s Tian Tian, the little rascal.”

Giggling, the little girl hugged her. “Tian Tian’s not a rascal! Tian Tian’s a good girl. Tian Tian’s waking Mommy up!”

Shen Xian lifted the little one high into the air, then brought her back down into her arms, making Tian Tian’s dimpled cheeks bloom with laughter.

“Alright, alright. Tian Tian’s the best. You even know how to wake Mommy up.”

Hearing the sounds of laughter coming from the bedroom, Lin Qinghan got up from the living room sofa and gently pushed open the door. Inside, Shen Xian and their daughter were playing together, Shen Xian lying on the bed, lifting Tian Tian high in the air.

Watching the two of them, Lin Qinghan couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. She cleared her throat lightly and said, “I’ve cut up some fruit. You two come out and eat. Honestly, how old are you both, still playing like children?”
Her tone sounded scolding, but the smile on her face never faded.

“Alright, we’re coming,” Shen Xian replied cheerfully. She held Tian Tian in her arms, gently removed the loose hair ties from her messy pigtails, then redid her hair into two neat little buns before letting her down.

As soon as her feet touched the floor, Tian Tian ran off, her tiny steps pattering toward Lin Qinghan for the fruit. Shen Xian laughed softly at the sight of her hurrying away and muttered with a grin, “Wow, you little heartless thing. Not even going to wait for your mommy?”

When Shen Xian joined them in the living room, Tian Tian was already munching happily on several mangosteen pieces, her cheeks puffed out adorably. Shen Xian couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Lin Qinghan, sitting beside her, softly called, “Shen Xian, here,” and handed over a small plate of fruit salad.

Shen Xian smiled at her. “Thanks, Qinghan. I knew you were the best to me.” As she spoke, she deliberately leaned a bit closer.

Lin Qinghan hadn’t expected Shen Xian to move so suddenly. The rich scent of sweet orange surrounded her, making her flustered. She quickly scooped up a piece of orange from her own plate and popped it into her mouth. As she chewed, the fresh sweetness burst across her tongue, but somehow, it felt like something was missing.

The orange fragrance around her only grew stronger, and Lin Qinghan felt her heart itch slightly. She took a few more bites of the fruit, trying to calm the flutter in her chest. But Shen Xian, sitting beside her, just smiled as if nothing was happening.

A flicker of annoyance rose in Lin Qinghan. Her glands weren’t even touching Shen Xian, so why didn’t Shen Xian seem affected like she was? Frustrated, she released more of her pheromones, the scent of osmanthus and Longjing tea filling the air.

At first, Shen Xian found the fragrance soothing, but soon she began to feel a faint heat spreading through her body. She glanced at Lin Qinghan, puzzled, wondering why her pheromones had suddenly intensified. Seeing Lin Qinghan calmly eating fruit, she didn’t ask, only murmured, “Qinghan, don’t you think it’s kind of hot in here?”

Lin Qinghan tried to act composed despite her racing heart. “Hot? Not really. I think it’s just right, isn’t it, Tian Tian?”

The little one, busy eating, nodded absentmindedly before returning to her plate. Children before their differentiation at fourteen couldn’t perceive pheromone scents.

Shen Xian sighed, picked up a glass of water, and drank more than half of it in one go. The burning feeling in her chest eased slightly. Lin Qinghan quietly restrained her pheromone output and returned to eating her fruit.

By around eight in the evening, Shen Xian and Lin Qinghan were sitting at the coffee table in the living room, helping Tian Tian with a puzzle they’d bought at the mall that morning, a pink unicorn design about 1.5 meters across.

Tian Tian stared at the huge puzzle like it was a great challenge, holding a small piece in her hand with no idea where to place it.

Shen Xian and Lin Qinghan, one on each side, couldn’t help but laugh at her serious little expression. Shen Xian kindly picked out several edge pieces from the pile and handed them to her.

“When you do puzzles,” Shen Xian explained gently, “you start from the edges, piece by piece. That way, you’ll slowly see the unicorn take shape. It’s like when we face something difficult, you don’t need to panic. Just take it one step at a time, and you’ll figure it out.”

Lin Qinghan watched with a warm smile as Shen Xian played with their daughter while also teaching her life lessons. Tian Tian might be too young to fully understand now, but it would surely have a good influence over time.

Handing her a corner piece, Shen Xian pointed to the reference picture. “Tian Tian, look, where in the picture does this one fit?”

Tian Tian compared the piece in her hand with the image, then, gathering her courage, placed it (a bit crookedly) in the upper left corner. She looked up at Shen Xian expectantly.

Shen Xian rubbed her daughter’s twin buns and praised, “That’s right, Tian Tian! You found the right spot. Let’s keep going, Mommy and Mom will help you.”

Blushing at the praise, Tian Tian shyly snuggled into Shen Xian’s arms, making Shen Xian’s heart melt completely. Lin Qinghan continued working on the top half of the puzzle, while Shen Xian and Tian Tian worked on the bottom half.

Though Tian Tian was slow, each correct piece filled her with pride. Having both Mom and Mommy by her side made everything feel fun.

Just as Shen Xian was about to hand Tian Tian another piece, her phone suddenly rang. Seeing the caller ID, she frowned slightly before answering.

It was Zhao Qiang on the other end.
“Sister Shen, it’s been ages since we’ve seen you! The guys and I are at a bar on Dongyang Street, come join us! Don’t worry, someone’s treating tonight. We just really wanted you to come hang out!”

Shen Xian grew a little irritated by the deafening voice coming from the other end of the phone and said coolly,
“I don’t have time. I’m coaxing the child.”

“Hahaha, Sister Shen, that’s not like you at all. Besides, coaxing a kid is something women or omegas do. Since when does an alpha stay home every day taking care of a kid?” Zhao Qiang said dismissively.

Shen Xian’s tone turned colder.
“Raising a child is something both parents should do. You can’t just dump it all on one person because of gender. That’s bad for the child’s development and shows a lack of respect for your partner. I don’t think we have much in common, so there’s no need to stay friends.”

With that, Shen Xian hung up the phone.

Hearing Shen Xian’s words, Lin Qinghan felt a warm wave in her heart. She actually knew Shen Xian wouldn’t go out with some shady people at this hour, but because of past incidents, she couldn’t help feeling uneasy. Now that Shen Xian had said that, she finally felt reassured.

The little one hugged Shen Xian’s waist and rubbed against her, whining softly,
“Mommy, don’t go out and play with bad people so late. Stay and play with Tian Tian.”

Shen Xian chuckled and pinched the child’s chubby cheek.
“Alright, I’m not going anywhere. We still have to finish our puzzle, don’t we? Those bad people don’t matter at all, right?”

“Mhm!” The little one nodded happily and handed another puzzle piece to Shen Xian.

Meanwhile, Zhao Qiang hadn’t expected that Shen Xian would not only lecture him but also hang up on him. Furious, he nearly smashed his phone.

Yu Qingwan quickly asked, “What happened?”

After taking two sips of alcohol, Zhao Qiang said,
“Shen Xian said she’s busy with the kid and won’t come over. Then she gave me a whole moral lecture and said she’s not gonna be friends with us anymore.”

Yu Qingwan hurried to comfort him,
“Don’t be mad. I’ll call her again. Maybe her ex-wife’s clinging to her or something, and she can’t get away.”

Zhao Qiang gave Yu Qingwan a look and said,
“Fine, go ahead and call. After all, you’re the one who invited us to the bar tonight.”

Yu Qingwan dialed Shen Xian’s number. Shen Xian’s phone rang again, but her child was still waiting eagerly for her to help find a missing puzzle piece.

Shen Xian glanced at her phone, picked it up quickly, and Yu Qingwan’s voice came through,
“Shen Xian, do you want to come out for a drink? The other day we met too briefly, I have so much I want to say, and I also want to explain why I went to Beijing…”

Shen Xian’s cold voice interrupted her,
“I told you not to come looking for me again, and don’t call me anymore. Whoever you’ve been with, whoever you like, it has nothing to do with me. Miss Yu, to me, you’re not even a passerby. You’re just a cup of green tea with foam on top, if you want a backup guy, find someone else. Don’t make yourself disgusting by clinging to me.”

Then Shen Xian hung up again.

Handing over a puzzle piece to the child, Shen Xian smiled at Lin Qinghan,
“She’s just a green tea type. After what I said, I doubt she’ll have the face to call me again.”

Lin Qinghan snorted lightly.
“You’d better behave yourself.”

Shen Xian quickly smiled.
“Of course I’ll behave. Don’t worry, Qinghan.”

On the other side, Yu Qingwan put down her phone, her face almost turning green with anger. She had originally planned to lure Shen Xian out, get her to pay the bill, and secure herself a “meal ticket” for the next few months. Who would’ve thought Shen Xian wouldn’t come, and even called her a “green tea”? Now she’d have to pay for tonight’s drinks herself. She was so angry she nearly ground her teeth to dust.

Zhao Qiang asked,
“So, Miss Yu, what happened? She’s not coming?”

Yu Qingwan forced a smile.
“She said she’s busy and won’t come, but it’s fine. You guys enjoy yourselves, tonight’s on me.”

“Great, thanks, Miss Yu.” Zhao Qiang had been waiting for that. None of them could afford the tab anyway.

Around nine o’clock, the little one was holding the puzzle pieces but could barely keep her eyes open. Shen Xian laughed, picked her up, and set the puzzle aside.
“We’ll finish the rest tomorrow, alright? Time for bed.”

The little one snuggled into her arms and murmured,
“Okay, bedtime.”

Shen Xian carried her back to the bedroom and gently handed her to Lin Qinghan. Lin placed the child in the middle of the bed and lay down on one side.

Seeing that there was still space on the right side, Shen Xian’s lips curved slightly. Was that spot left for her?

Smiling, she lay down on the other side of the child. Once the little one was sound asleep, Shen Xian turned slightly toward Lin Qinghan and said,
“Thanks for saving me a spot, Qinghan.”

Lin Qinghan shot her a glare, refusing to admit it.
“It wasn’t for you. I just forgot to move the big teddy bear.”

Shen Xian, still smiling, replied,
“Even so, thank you, Qinghan.”

Ever since Shen Xian had slept in this room a few times, her own room had started to feel empty and lonely. Now that she could stay here with Qinghan and the little one, she felt genuinely happy, though since the child slept early, she had to talk to Qinghan in whispers.

Shen Xian sighed softly and smiled as she looked at the sleeping little one nestled between them.

In her mind, she was already planning that it was about time to give Zhao Qiang and his bunch a warning, so they’d stop pestering her in the future.

TL note: Not really sure if this is accurate but the phrase “You’re just a cup of green tea with foam on top”, combines two insults in one. With “green tea” meaning someone who pretends to be pure and innocent but is actually manipulative and fake. And “foam on top” intensifies the insult, basically implying the person is not only pretending but blatantly fake and over-the-top. So in short, Shen Xian is calling Yu Qingwan an obviously two-faced faker whose sweetness is all an act.