A Scummy Alpha and An Award-Winning Omega Actress Fell in Love After an Arranged Marriage - Chapter 10

The live broadcast of the show was set to begin at 2 PM, with only this segment recorded on the way.

The next few hours would be spent editing the “Guess Who” segment for the guests, typically released in pairs.

This “pair” referred to rumored online couples.

If both parties nominated each other, it was a joyous occasion.

If one nominated the other while the other guessed someone else, the eventual meeting would be awkward.

If neither nominated the other, solo fans would rejoice while shippers would wail in despair.

Before seeing the actual recording content, the hosts in the production team’s internal group chat almost simultaneously reported names.

[Group A – Xiao Li]: Sheng Lan, Lu Xueyin.

[Group B – Xiao Wang]: Ji Xinlan, Sheng Lan.

[Group C – Xiao Zhao]: Lu Xueyin, Sheng Lan.

Ji Xinlan nominating Sheng Lan was easy to understand. After all, she had “liked” Sheng Lan for years, “deeply infatuated” since the talent show days. Only recently, after rumors with another male Alpha, Pei Xiao, did her association with Sheng Lan weaken.

The reason for the weakening was that she had been “healed” by Pei Xiao, moving on from past heartbreak.

This time, the two had proactively contacted the show, offering a low fee practically free compared to stars of the same caliber.

They planned to use Trial Love as a stepping stone. After the month-long live broadcast ended, they would stir up some buzz before officially announcing their relationship.

Sheng Lan’s participation had squeezed out Pei Xiao’s spot.

For the sake of hype and to spite Sheng Lan, Ji Xinlan nominating Sheng Lan was perfectly expected.

But what was the deal between Lu Xueyin and Sheng Lan.

Director Cheng immediately thought of the trending topic from two days ago, wondering if the two had met privately and already struck a deal.

After rewatching Lu Xueyin’s recording, she dismissed the idea.

Lu Xueyin’s appearance was flawless, her demeanor a perfect blend of gentleness and aloofness.

Whether she was cold or warm, she effortlessly tugged at people’s protective instincts.

Industry research on fan demographics showed that Lu Xueyin, an actress who mostly worked on films and rarely attended commercial events, had more hardcore Alpha fans than most pop stars.

Those familiar with her could tell her state of mind after watching a few interviews.

Always impeccable.

After all, she was an award-winning actress her acting skills spoke for themselves.

But today was different.

Before nominating Sheng Lan, Lu Xueyin had added a conspicuously deliberate introduction: My good sister.

Director Cheng listened to it several times.

Lu Xueyin’s voice wasn’t entirely steady, as if she had practiced privately before delivering it on camera to avoid revealing her intent.

If they had truly struck a deal, Lu Xueyin wouldn’t have acted this way.

Hype was never too much.

Two audio clips were released first on the official website.

One from Ji Xinlan: “If it’s about CPs, then definitely Sheng Lan. After all, I’ve liked her for years.”

Another from Lu Xueyin: “Then I’ll nominate my good sister Sheng Lan.”

The two clips were released one after the other.

The first guest officially announced on the show’s Weibo was Sheng Lan, with the comments section flooded with question marks.

After the confusion came a wave of memes completely unrelated to shipping.

[Is this the legendary CP-repellant Sheng Lan? @MountainBreeze]

[?? Did the person above tag the wrong account? Why does Sheng Lan’s Weibo handle sound like a troll’s? Let me try @MountainBreeze]

[Maybe she realized her true self couldn’t hide in a live variety show, so she just went full chaotic mode LOL]

[Wait, isn’t anyone guessing who those two audio clips belong to?]

Nested Reply: [Must’ve paid for it]

Sheng Lan’s die-hard fan here uninvited: [Paid for it + ID number]

Mountain breeze blows me: [Otherwise, why would two people pick her lololol]

Still on the road. Before arriving at the location, to maintain an air of mystery, guests could keep their phones but were instructed not to check any social apps to prevent spoilers about promotional content.

Sheng Lan treated this as a vacation and was completely relaxed, tossing her phone into her bag and watching past episodes downloaded on the crew’s iPad.

She always kept her phone on silent mode, not even allowing vibrations.

Unaware that an hour later, Liang Jiao would bombard her phone with calls.

On the other side, Lu Xueyin was surprisingly obedient.

As a first-time variety show participant, she followed the crew’s arrangements to the letter causing no trouble for others while minimizing her own mistakes.

So after finishing the guessing game segment, she also stashed her phone away.

Having slept poorly the night before, she took the chance to nap.

Before boarding the car, Jiang Ling had prepared a U-shaped pillow for her.

Lu Xueyin wasn’t used to wearing it, the pressure on the gland at the back of her neck made her uncomfortable.

No matter how light the mark, it still broke the skin.

Right now, it wasn’t pain or lingering sensations from that moment that bothered her.

But every time she closed her eyes, she remembered how Sheng Lan had backed away so far, afraid she’d fake an injury while she had been so “confident,” convinced Sheng Lan would take advantage of her.

Heat rose uncontrollably to her face.

She put on her mask and pulled the brim of her bucket hat low, covering her entire face.

Then she pretended to sleep, staying completely still. By the time they arrived, her shoulders and neck had stiffened.

This episode’s filming location was a manor in the suburbs.

Built according to the owner’s preferences, the manor featured vegetable gardens, fish ponds, and a horse ranch.

Beyond experiencing rural life, guests could also go horseback riding.

Nestled against the mountains, it had hot springs and a swimming pool.

A home theater was available, and not far from it stood a notorious “haunted house,” a popular spot for influencers in Jinhe City.

Because of that haunted house, the manor’s owner hadn’t stayed here in a long time.

Cameras covered the entire estate, except for bathrooms and toilets. Even bedrooms had cameras just angled away from the beds.

As a 24-hour live broadcast variety show, it was understood that cameras could be manually turned off at bedtime meaning covering them with clothes.

Due to different starting points, arrival times varied slightly.

Lu Xueyin, coming from her company, was actually the first to arrive.

Each episode featured six guests, divided into three CP pairs.

Every person who entered the living room and saw Lu Xueyin sitting on the sofa froze for a second.

The live broadcast would start at 2 PM. Before that, guest interactions in the living room would be edited into preview clips, the final teaser before the live stream.

Lu Xueyin wasn’t good at handling social situations. Seeing their expressions, she regretted coming here for the first time.

A whole month of filming? She’d have been better off forcing her way into a drama set.

Even a minor supporting role would’ve been preferable.

But teasers were still exposure.

With only three CP pairs, some had already met.

Before arriving, Lu Xueyin had browsed the top CP Super Topics except her own.

The pair in front of her now was “Crystal Sugar,” ranked seventh, Yan Bing and Tang Yingyue.

She discreetly observed their expressions.

Yan Bing’s demeanor was even colder than hers, while Tang Yingyue greeted her enthusiastically, “It’s really you! I guessed your name on the way here!”

Yan Bing gave a faint “Mm,” exuding a commanding presence even in flat shoes.

She casually chose a single sofa far from the crowd and sat down, right across from Lu Xueyin.

She was clearly more interested in Lu Xueyin. “I didn’t expect Teacher Lu to come.”

Even her interest came with awkward small talk.

Lu Xueyin responded with a simple “Hmm,” feeling as if a cartoon crow had flown over her head in post-production.

Ji Xinlan was also present. She was here for the random card-drawing CP pairing and wasn’t the least bit nervous, joining in the awkward conversation.

Naturally sociable, she started handing out fruits, biscuits, and yogurt as soon as she arrived, saying everyone should snack a bit to settle their stomachs and relax.

She also showed an excessive level of interest in Lu Xueyin. “Teacher Lu, is this your first variety show appearance? And you chose a dating show, is it to promote your movie?”

The yogurt Ji Xinlan handed out was Sheng Lan’s usual brand.

Lu Xueyin averted her gaze. “No.”

Ji Xinlan ignored her coldness or perhaps she simply thought this was Lu Xueyin’s default personality, meaning she had to take the initiative to dig for information.

She pressed on, “I saw you and Sheng Lan trending before, are you two here together for the show?”

Lu Xueyin had never considered this possibility.

In normal social settings, she wouldn’t even bother responding.

But under the cameras, she had to.

She didn’t want to end up like Sheng Lan, joining a Live Broadcast Variety Show and completely shattering her public persona.

She and Sheng Lan were different. If Sheng Lan acted silly, netizens loved it, and fans ate it up.

Her own nature wasn’t likable, if she broke character, it’d be over.

So she kept it short. “No.”

The moment she finished speaking, Sheng Lan walked in with the last guest, Meng Qing.

Both were Alphas, close enough to chat on Weibo, and they happened to meet at the door. Sheng Lan had even expressed sympathy for her.

“You might get paired with Ji Xinlan.”

Then she looked up and saw Lu Xueyin.

Sheng Lan rarely lost her composure on camera.

This time, her expression froze for two full seconds.

Almost simultaneously, she and Lu Xueyin asked, “What are you doing here?”

Then silence fell between them.

Lu Xueyin had a cold exterior but thin skin. Her expression didn’t change, but the temperature in her cheeks skyrocketed, turning her face bright red in an instant.

Sheng Lan couldn’t possibly let her lose face on camera.

She took the initiative to offer an out. “I’ve never done this type of show before, so I came to have some fun.”

She had honed a particular skill.

Being able to detect subtle emotions on Lu Xueyin’s icy face.

That blush definitely wasn’t from seeing her and having her heart race.

It was far more likely that Lu Xueyin had guessed her name in the opening guessing game and was now embarrassed.

Sheng Lan raised an eyebrow.

If she didn’t know the original novel’s plot, she’d almost think Lu Xueyin was seriously in love with her.

Just look at all these things she was doing, if it were any other Alpha, they’d already have a three-year-old child with Lu Xueyin by now.

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