A Scummy Alpha and An Award-Winning Omega Actress Fell in Love After an Arranged Marriage - Chapter 29

Acting coquettish was too difficult for Lu Xueyin.

If she had a script, she could reluctantly play along.

But to perform naturally with Sheng Lan without a script was almost impossible for her.

Exchanging cards wasn’t an option either.

No matter how interactive biting a chocolate bar might be, she had to consider Sheng Lan’s dislike for Ji Xinlan.

If Sheng Lan ended up vomiting, it would be a total loss.

That left only sleeping.

Coincidentally, Sheng Lan had zero interest in her.

At night when the cameras were off, leaving only audio equipment, she and Sheng Lan could just chat under the covers.

And since Sheng Lan wasn’t interested in her, she’d probably bring another blanket, ensuring they wouldn’t even touch each other’s hair.

Under the gaze of multiple cameras and the crew’s watchful eyes that might as well have been cameras, Lu Xueyin chose the sleep card.

Sheng Lan couldn’t help but laugh. “Sister, you really ‘trust’ me a lot.”

Trusting her Marking incompetence.

Lu Xueyin responded with a polite smile, making it clear to Sheng Lan: “Don’t fight me for the blanket.”

Sheng Lan understood then.

Lu Xueyin hadn’t considered the “fake Alpha” scenario.

So she played along, “I can share half my blanket with you.”

After drawing cards, it was time for the afternoon activity.

The Bing-Tang couple was going swimming.

The swimsuits were provided by the production team bikinis with large scarves over them to pass censorship.

If swimming footage was needed, they’d have to choose conservative swimwear: short-sleeved tops and shorts that covered the thighs.

Since they were going in the water today, they opted for the conservative style.

Sheng Lan wanted to observe and learn from them.

Lu Xueyin pulled her away.

Literally pulled.

Sheng Lan rather enjoyed it, maintaining her usual provocative tone, “Sister, you didn’t even warn me before holding my hand. I might get shy.”

Lu Xueyin was merciless: “Tell me when your face actually turns red.”

Sheng Lan’s fingers itched.

She tested Lu Xueyin, “There’s an easy way to make me blush. Want to try?”

Lu Xueyin refused.

So Sheng Lan did it herself.

She stopped walking, making it impossible for Lu Xueyin to lead her forward.

With her other hand, Sheng Lan lightly touched Lu Xueyin’s lips, picking up some lip tint, then smeared a red streak on her own cheek.

Taking advantage of her good looks to mess around.

Her face was physically red.

Lu Xueyin’s blush was natural.

With thin skin, she was at a disadvantage in a dating show.

If she resisted being flirted with without reacting, the heat wouldn’t be good, and too much fan pressure could backfire.

If she couldn’t resist, like now, every slight emotion showed on her face, making her seem passive in interactions and weakening her standout moments.

Sheng Lan’s brows furrowed slightly, her tone peculiar, “Sister, do you blush this easily when paired with others?”

For some reason, Lu Xueyin’s first response was: “Your jealousy is showing.”

Suppressing a laugh, Sheng Lan played along, “Yeah, I’m jealous. This question is very important to me. Will you tell me?”

Lu Xueyin didn’t answer directly, “Can’t you do your own research?”

This was as good as saying it outright.

Lu Xueyin had been paired with over a dozen people, but the strong ones topping the Super topics were all character pairings.

Sheng Lan had also seen the real-person pairings, and without conceit, she could honestly say the others were all trash.

Because Lu Xueyin’s gaze was uniformly icy toward everyone, devoid of any affection.

Of course, she didn’t show any affection toward Sheng Lan either.

Just with her ever-changing moods and the tendency to blush, this treatment was already something no one else could compare to.

Sheng Lan suddenly felt happy and hummed a little tune all the way.

Lu Xueyin found the melody familiar and realized it was the theme song of a TV drama she had filmed two years ago.

She gave Sheng Lan a slightly odd look. She wasn’t narcissistic enough to think Sheng Lan had actually watched the show and learned the song she just assumed Sheng Lan was very dedicated to her work.

Unlike herself, who still hadn’t watched the full version of Sheng Lan’s last reality show episode.

Maybe she could invite Sheng Lan to watch it together tonight before bed.

She wondered if playing another reality show in the Trial Love livestream would be considered a violation of the rules.

She led Sheng Lan to the horse stable.

“This afternoon, we’ll feed and wash the horses. It might be a bit tiring, but you need to bond with them. Just in case, later on, you really have to ride alone so the horse won’t throw you off.”

Even if they could only manage a slow walk, it would count as passing.

Safety came first, no slacking off here.

She was being overly serious and overly kind.

If it were Lu Xueyin who couldn’t ride today, Sheng Lan would have already made her beg for mercy at least ten times.

Teaching was necessary, but taking advantage was also part of the deal.

And after teaching, there’d be no solo riding, no such luck.

If she wanted first place, she’d have to ride together obediently.

She’d even have to take the initiative, say some sweet words, act a little spoiled, best if she could nestle into someone’s arms.

Nothing like Lu Xueyin, who clearly cared about winning but still fussed and muttered to herself, insisting on sticking to this dull and tedious livestream.

Running a livestream without being able to see the Scrolling Comments or the viewership stats, with vague task cards and no script to follow, just relying on the guests’ improvisation was way too unstable.

It also demanded strong control over the flow. Without being able to adjust the jokes in time or interact with the audience, the longer it went on, the more their forced chemistry would be magnified in screenshots.

No matter how beautiful they were, it would still feel like chewing wax.

Like chewing gum, sweet at first, but the more you chewed, the blander it got, until finally, you just spat it into the trash.

She absolutely refused to end up in the trash.

As for Lu Xueyin… well, considering how kind and adorable she was, maybe she’d lend her a hand.

Just as she was about to speak, Lu Xueyin turned slightly, avoiding the camera, and slipped a crumpled paper ball into Sheng Lan’s palm before letting go.

“Washing the horses will get your clothes wet. See if you want to change.”

Nice.

Still competitive, huh?

Sheng Lan said she’d go check the changing room, and Lu Xueyin agreed, “I’ll wait for you.”

The paper ball contained Lu Xueyin’s storyboard sketches her “homework corrections.”

She hadn’t seen the actual video and didn’t believe Yan Bing would actively kiss Tang Yingyue’s ear.

She guessed it was just ambiguous horse-riding maybe whispering, or a glance downward, with the horse’s movement creating the illusion of an “ear kiss” that Sheng Lan had seen.

Despite the time crunch, she had even taken the effort to add explanatory notes beside the sketches for Sheng Lan.

Sheng Lan chuckled softly.

What coincidence? It was all premeditated.

The rest of the sketches outlined their main interactions for the afternoon.

Lu Xueyin’s attempt to boost the livestream’s appeal manually crafting some Artificial Sweetness.

With no dating experience and little usual interest in romance, she had crammed by watching short videos, picking up a few flirty scenes. Plus, with her professional background, she had watched plenty of TV and movies, so her grasp of framing was solid.

She knew how to play to her strengths since she wasn’t good at flirtatious banter, she made up for it with eye contact, gestures, and atmosphere.

After reading this simple storyboard, Sheng Lan understood where Lu Xueyin’s earlier attempts had come from.

No wonder she could score a passing grade despite being so amateurish.

Turns out she knew how to leverage her strengths.

So she deliberately brushed against the back of Sheng Lan’s hand, let the hem of her skirt graze her calf, and in the early morning, wore a backless nightgown, completely unguarded in front of her.

Sheng Lan looked down at her own outfit.

It was hot outside, so she had opted for a chiffon top paired with shorts.

The shorts were fine, but the top wasn’t suitable for today’s performance, so Sheng Lan changed into riding attire instead.

The design was restrictive, but the sponsor had been generous ten identical sets were provided, making it easy to swap.

Lu Xueyin was ready before Sheng Lan, having prepared the fodder before sitting down on a bench outside.

She knew this kind of livestream content wouldn’t be popular, so she pretended it was just a normal work session, not wanting to appear overly invested.

Cold expression, few words.

A simple greeting Lu Xueyin thought it was fine.

But when Sheng Lan came out and overheard a few murmurs, she asked what she was muttering about.

Lu Xueyin ignored her.

Once inside the stable, however, she asked, “Did I really sound like I was muttering just now?”

Sheng Lan countered seriously, “Would you break character for the sake of popularity?”

Lu Xueyin didn’t even consider it.

She had no close friends, and too many people around her harbored ill intentions. She was used to retreating into her safe zone, armoring herself in ice.

Her persona was her protective shell without it, she couldn’t interact normally with others, and the trouble that would bring far outweighed any temporary boost in popularity.

Sheng Lan turned off her mic, then Lu Xueyin’s as well. “Then just stay aloof. You’re an actress, don’t you know how a cool beauty should behave on camera? You care about popularity, but would you force a smile just for it?”

The trick was to ignore the audience. The fewer responses they got, the more precious each occasional word would seem.

“People don’t appreciate what’s handed to them on a platter.”

Lu Xueyin couldn’t help asking, “How are you so cunning?”

Sheng Lan snorted. “Please praise me for being smart. Thank you.”

She turned her mic back on.

Lu Xueyin did the same, her first words dripping with sarcasm: “You’re sooo smart.”

Sheng Lan reached out and flicked her ponytail, making it sway.

“Let’s get to work.”

Starting with feeding the horses, they had to follow Lu Xueyin’s storyboard.

The paper version was sparse, relying entirely on interpretation and improvisation in a way, it also showed how much Lu Xueyin trusted Sheng Lan’s professionalism.

Even though Sheng Lan wasn’t a trained actress, Lu Xueyin believed she could bring this rough script to life.

The feeding segment was just the prelude.

Subtle brushes and lingering glances would be ideal, but if not, they could move straight to the next step.

Sheng Lan chose the latter no need for flashy theatrics while feeding horses.

Even when manufacturing Artificial Sweetness, there should be some professionalism.

It had to be high-grade, indistinguishable from the real thing.

The real highlight was washing the horses.

To coordinate, Lu Xueyin had also changed into riding gear.

The two of them circled the horse with hoses, and no matter how careful they were, a “wet and wild” scene was inevitable.

The riding suits clung tightly, getting wet hardly made a difference.

Their figures were already outlined; damp or not didn’t matter.

But Lu Xueyin played the “upright” role, avoiding looking at Sheng Lan’s body.

When she did glance over, her gaze traveled upward, landing on Sheng Lan’s face.

With a hint of evasion, it drifted from her brows to her lips, then settled on the unnatural flush on her cheeks.

Sheng Lan had smudged her lipstick there earlier she hadn’t even bothered to wipe it off when changing into the riding suit.

It had an instructional nature, and she would also observe Sheng Lan’s movements to correct her.

Her hands were beautiful slender and straight fingers holding the horse brush with casual ease.

With her strength, the up-and-down brushing motions appeared effortless.

In the exchange of glances, one could see she was wearing light pink colored contacts again, her eyes brimming with liveliness and charm.

Her makeup was light, a rare no-makeup look.

The faint red on her lips was close to her natural lip color.

Lu Xueyin subtly pursed her lips and swallowed at just the right moment. As she held the hose to rinse the horse’s back, her hand tightened slightly in the camera’s view, her fingertips rubbing almost imperceptibly against the hose.

One would have to trust the eagle-eyed viewers, if this made the final cut, it would look like she was savoring the memory of Sheng Lan’s lips.

This was the kind of interaction Lu Xueyin had designed.

Using her expertise in expressive eyes and subtle movements, she turned this laborious horse-washing task into something ambiguous and entangled.

The gazes had to be lingering and charged, yet restrained and proper.

The instructional aspect naturally carried a hint of forbidden tension.

As if she were an unprofessional riding instructor harboring inappropriate thoughts toward her young student.

Sheng Lan matched her energy perfectly. Even with only a rough outline, she delivered a “natural performance,” showcasing the dominant side of her personality.

In stark contrast to Lu Xueyin, her gaze was bold and unrestrained.

When she looked at Lu Xueyin’s back, it was as if her eyes were tracing the spine, vertebra by vertebra, sending shivers along the way.

When she faced her directly, the undisguised interest in her eyes was unmistakable, a possessiveness even the pink contacts couldn’t suppress, seamlessly switching between youthful innocence and the allure of a seasoned seductress.

If looks could undress someone, Lu Xueyin’s clothes would have been stripped off a thousand times over.

There was something strangely natural about it. Lu Xueyin added a line first, telling Sheng Lan to focus on washing the horse.

Sheng Lan replied, “I am washing it.”

“But I have to see how you teach. I can’t just wash the horse.”

Lu Xueyin said there was no need.

“Really no need?”

In the shaded corner of the stable, she also hid the sun in her eyes.

With one glance at Lu Xueyin, she cast her shadow, dark and slender, struggling to escape.

A beauty with fragile bones, broken to the point of irresistible temptation.

Let her run, then catch her again, listening to her desperate yet nightingale-soft pleas for mercy.

“But I still haven’t learned.”

“How about you teach me hands-on?”

A fine sheen of sweat had formed on Lu Xueyin’s forehead, delicate and sparse.

Hit by stray droplets, it quickly gathered into larger beads, trailing down her temples to her chin, hanging there, teetering on the edge of falling.

Fully aware she was unsettling Lu Xueyin, Sheng Lan deliberately called her out.

Lu Xueyin would never admit it. “Focus.”

Sheng Lan twisted her words. “Does looking at you make you lose focus?”

She took a step toward Lu Xueyin.

Lu Xueyin instinctively sidestepped away.

After a few rounds of this, they had strayed beyond the horse’s vicinity.

The hose sprayed diagonally at the ground, leaving erratic water trails uncontrolled in force but deliberate in direction.

When Sheng Lan turned off the water, the hose tilted upward slightly, leaving droplets on Lu Xueyin’s face.

In one sudden move, she closed the remaining distance, pinning Lu Xueyin against the wall. As she wiped the water away with her thumb, she added a shameless remark: “Would’ve been better if this water came from somewhere else.”

She turned off her own mic, deliberately leaning in as if to kiss Lu Xueyin.

When their noses touched, Sheng Lan caught a glimpse of faint annoyance in Lu Xueyin’s eyes. With a slight curl of her lips, Sheng Lan teased, “Sister, wasn’t I good enough?”

“Give me some reaction.”

Without warning, she pinched Lu Xueyin’s waist.

Lu Xueyin let out a very brief “Ah.”

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