A Scummy Alpha and An Award-Winning Omega Actress Fell in Love After an Arranged Marriage - Chapter 13

Sheng Lan’s words were too bold, drawing surprised glances from everyone present.

Meng Qing bluntly called her shameless.

Tang Yingyue smiled sweetly, “Teacher Sheng seems quite fond of Teacher Lu.”

Yan Bing kept a straight face, “This part shouldn’t be aired, right?”

In reality, Director Cheng asked Sheng Lan through the earpiece, “Are you really considering pursuing Teacher Lu during an AA relationship? That’s pretty spicy.”

Of course, Sheng Lan wasn’t considering it.

She and Lu Xueyin already had a marriage certificate, what kind of affair would that be?

Everyone else thought they were just test-dating, but they had actually gotten married long ago.

Wasn’t that spicy?

According to the rules, tapping the table once meant agreement, twice meant confirmation.

Sheng Lan’s hand was already on the table, almost about to tap.

She laughed, not caring if they were still live, and directly asked, “Director Cheng, this is interesting, why can’t I refuse?”

Director Cheng, disappointed she didn’t take the bait, relented, “Alright, alright, let’s keep it harmonious.”

It was obvious she had been talking to the director, and everyone shot Sheng Lan curious looks.

Sheng Lan turned to observe Lu Xueyin’s reaction.

Lu Xueyin was thin-skinned, her face flushed red.

Was she flustered by Sheng Lan’s words, or embarrassed by the lipstick mark left on the edge of her bowl?

Sheng Lan also remembered how, last time at the hospital, faint red marks had appeared on Lu Xueyin’s shoulders after changing into the patient gown left behind by the straps of her nightgown.

She wondered how many marks today’s outfit would leave.

Compared to the color of her lipstick, which would stand out more?

Lu Xueyin refused to meet her gaze, so Sheng Lan didn’t tease her further and quietly ate her meal.

They had to wait for Ji Xinlan to finish before grouping up. Her cooking skills were nonexistent, she needed outside help just to turn on the gas stove. When the flames flared up, she panicked and ended up eating instant noodles for lunch.

By the time the host arrived, Ji Xinlan was shooting Sheng Lan a resentful look, she had heard about Sheng Lan’s bold declaration.

She planned to “cheat” with Sheng Lan.

Sheng Lan nudged Meng Qing’s arm, “I’ll have Xiao Tao buy some hair dye want me to turn your hair green?”

Lu Xueyin, standing beside her: “…”

The group draw held no surprises, the “Rock Sugar” couple stayed together, Sheng Lan was paired with Lu Xueyin, and Meng Qing with Ji Xinlan.

Meng Qing seriously considered Sheng Lan’s suggestion and invited her to dye their hair together, “Maybe I’ll go after Teacher Lu and cuckold you.”

Lu Xueyin silently took a step to the side.

Sheng Lan: “…”

Alright.

That’s spicy.

Since it was a 24-hour live stream, they wouldn’t be left entirely to their own devices segments would be assigned.

The first stage was horseback riding.

The early phase focused on couple coordination teaching, riding together to build rapport, all opportunities for plenty of intimate contact.

The later stages would be adjusted based on each group’s progress, though specifics weren’t shared yet.

After the rules were explained, the six followed the host to check out the venue and horses.

Sheng Lan walked beside Lu Xueyin, urging her to slow down, “Let’s see how close the other couples are and learn from them.”

Shipping was all about digging for your own sugar having it spoon-fed just made it less sweet and enjoyable.

The “Rock Sugar” couple wasn’t even standing that close.

As for Meng Qing and Ji Xinlan? You could fit two meters between them.

Lu Xueyin took the hint and told Sheng Lan to keep her distance.

Sheng Lan spun some nonsense to convince her, “You know fans love digging for sugar, but do you not know they also love seeing pretty girls stick close together?”

Lu Xueyin paused.

She had been catching up on research lately aside from various couple compilations, she’d also watched past episodes of the show.

The sugar was truly extracted many moments she hadn’t noticed at the time, scenes that felt ordinary while filming, became inexplicably sweet after editing and post-production effects.

The common thread was obvious too: ambiguous, intimate interactions. The view counts on those clips were downright embarrassing to look at.

Lu Xueyin was competitive, she had to be first.

She considered that appearing on-screen with Sheng Lan in a dating show meant her mother would likely watch it.

With that in mind, her resistance lessened significantly.

When Sheng Lan made an obvious joke, Lu Xueyin played along seriously, reaching out to grab her wrist.

Sheng Lan: ?

“What’s up with you?”

Lu Xueyin forced a meme-worthy response, “Trying out some Artificial Sweetness.”

This interaction left the two fanbases, who had been on the verge of clashing off-screen, momentarily speechless.

Sheng Lan’s fans said: We told you it’s just wholesome sisterly affection! Isn’t this just manufacturing Artificial Sweetness? No one with real ulterior motives would start off with hugs right away!

Lu Xueyin’s fans countered: Actually, pairing with Sheng Lan isn’t bad at least our sister won’t get taken advantage of. Sheng Lan seems so goofy, she probably can’t even appreciate our sister’s charm.

Truce declared.

And for the sake of hype, they began promoting their “fake” ship everywhere.

Liang Jiao and Jiang Ling, who knew the truth, also fell silent.

No wonder in the entertainment industry, those who openly sling arms and walk hand-in-hand are seen as besties, while those sneaking around trying to hide things end up exposed as lovers.

Not satisfied with the current intensity, Sheng Lan grinned and asked, “Sister, have you heard the term ‘fake it till you make it’?”

When it came to acting, Lu Xueyin was in her element. “Depends on who can’t separate fiction from reality.”

Their gazes locked, Sheng Lan saw no affection or shyness in Lu Xueyin’s eyes, only a spark of challenge.

But that didn’t matter.

After editing, this would become a sizzling, tension-filled stare-down.

Without even checking the live feed, Sheng Lan called out to her fans, “Did anyone screenshot or record that just now? Get me an edit, since everyone else has CP compilations, I want one too.”

The fans’ reactions aside, Lu Xueyin’s expression remained decidedly unimpressed.

The venue and horses were just formalities; the afternoon stroll was mainly to familiarize themselves with the estate’s layout.

By the time they circled back to the main house, it was nearly 5 PM.

A painfully dull interactive segment followed, where the winners got to pick ingredients after a competition.

Given that none of the participants could cook, Sheng Lan and Lu Xueyin won by default.

Ji Xinlan refused to cook for them, but since Meng Qing was willing to share half her portion, no objections were raised.

On the first day, Meng Qing and Ji Xinlan behaved themselves, avoiding any attempts to “third-wheel” the pair.

The evening featured only a voting session, open until 10:30 PM, where fans could vote on the official website to determine the next day’s riding gear selection order based on rankings.

The protective gear was identical, the real stakes were aesthetics.

Confident in her and Lu Xueyin’s popularity and shameless enough to openly request CP edits, Sheng Lan knew their ranking wouldn’t be low.

But she was curious whether Lu Xueyin’s lipstick choice today was a coincidence or intentional, so she decided to tease the little rose.

Considering Lu Xueyin had blushed frequently during the livestream and even initiated hugs and hand-holding, Sheng Lan wanted to return the favor while preserving her dignity. Using the show’s official pretext, she knocked on Lu Xueyin’s door.

On camera, Lu Xueyin mostly maintained her icy demeanor.

But in the ten minutes since returning to her room, she’d already cringed a hundred times.

Not knowing what to say to her fans, she wasn’t much of a talker. Forcing conversation would just ruin her image.

Completely ignoring the camera wasn’t an option either. Hiding in the bathroom wouldn’t buy her more than a few minutes otherwise, she’d be accused of constipation or something. At that point, it’d be better to just drop the act and embrace being an awkward chatterbox.

When Sheng Lan knocked, she actually felt a sense of relief at being rescued.

But as soon as Sheng Lan entered, she immediately went for the camera, pulling a baseball cap over it to block the view entirely.

Lu Xueyin didn’t quite understand the move.

Sheng Lan smirked mischievously. “Sister, we’re about to do something that shouldn’t be aired.”

“Like you coming over here to kiss me yourself.”

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