A Scummy Alpha and An Award-Winning Omega Actress Fell in Love After an Arranged Marriage - Chapter 31.2

Lu Xueyin was well-behaved, avoiding social media and opening the notes app to type:

[Then behave. Don’t cross any lines. I’m really tired and sleepy.]

Sheng Lan nodded.

So Lu Xueyin agreed aloud, “Let go first.”

Sheng Lan released her.

Lu Xueyin had initially planned to lie on her back.

But lying face-up would leave her too exposed if Sheng Lan massaged more areas, so she turned onto her stomach instead.

Throughout the massage, Sheng Lan remained perfectly proper.

Lu Xueyin had previously hired a masseuse for in-home services with Jiang Ling, so she was familiar with the process and knew which areas should not be touched.

But because it was Sheng Lan giving the massage, her entire body tensed up, unable to relax.

Sheng Lan reminded her several times to loosen up, and though Lu Xueyin verbally agreed, the moment Sheng Lan touched her again, she stiffened once more.

Because this happened repeatedly, she seemed particularly uncooperative, her entire body flushing red, radiating an alluring aura from within.

Her body temperature rose, and even the scent of her pheromones became erratic.

Lu Xueyin clutched a pillow, burying her face in it without fear of suffocating.

Even as Sheng Lan kneaded her calf through her sleep pants, she felt the thin fabric had become an accomplice in stirring desire.

Normally, the pajamas were soft and comfortable against her skin, but now, every bit of roughness in the material seemed magnified.

Each kneading motion carried varying degrees of friction, making her skin tingle.

Sheng Lan asked if the pressure was too much.

Lu Xueyin answered with a nasal hum, “Mhm.”

Though her face was hidden, her limbs were still visible.

The exposed skin was tinged with a delicate pink, a hue that deepened under Sheng Lan’s gaze.

If there were no recording devices, if this were a private moment between them Sheng Lan would have teased her, calling her sensitive, playfully provoking the beautiful woman.

But since Lu Xueyin was exhausted and there were recording devices present, Sheng Lan pretended not to notice.

She lightened her touch again and again, yet Lu Xueyin’s state didn’t improve in the slightest.

Too light, and it felt more like a caress.

She could feel Sheng Lan’s hands moving inch by inch from her ankle upward, stopping near her knee.

A few stray fingers occasionally brushed against her thigh, never crossing the boundary further up.

Lu Xueyin mentally counted the time, determined to endure at least ten minutes, gritting her teeth through it.

Sensing her excessive tension, Sheng Lan stopped touching her legs and knelt beside her, massaging her hands instead.

Starting from the palms, Sheng Lan assumed this area wouldn’t be overly sensitive.

But Lu Xueyin stubbornly kept her face buried in the pillow, making Sheng Lan worry she’d suffocate.

“Jiejie.”

Lu Xueyin responded vaguely.

She was exhausted, and the moment she touched the pillow, overwhelming drowsiness set in.

Yet Sheng Lan’s touch kept her from relaxing.

Her mind waged an internal battle.

Because Sheng Lan hadn’t taken advantage of the situation, Lu Xueyin became even more convinced that Sheng Lan had no such intentions toward her.

Logically, she should have been able to relax completely, surrendering to the massage and falling asleep peacefully in Sheng Lan’s care.

But another part of her struggled, insisting that if Sheng Lan truly had no interest, she wouldn’t have kissed her so intensely that afternoon.

Her delayed reaction finally caught up.

Only now did she realize how much it bothered her.

Sheng Lan let go of her hands, wrapped an arm around Lu Xueyin’s waist, and leaned close to whisper in her ear, “Don’t make a sound.”

Then she manually turned Lu Xueyin over.

Even with the air conditioning set to a comfortable temperature, Lu Xueyin had sweated profusely from being buried in the pillow.

Her face bore irregular crease marks from the fabric and an unnatural flush.

Her eyes were slightly narrowed, and through the slits, a hint of vulnerability and softness shimmered in her green irises.

Tiny teardrops clung to her lashes perhaps from holding her breath, or maybe just from exhaustion.

Sheng Lan poked her cheek. “What were you thinking about just now?”

Lu Xueyin would never confess her true thoughts, so she mumbled that she wanted to sleep.

Sheng Lan grabbed a tissue and wiped the sweat from her face.

Helpless, she sighed. “Fine, if you’re tired, go to sleep.”

The massage in the dark was quite suggestive. Lu Xueyin’s voice, weakened and naturally hoarse, made Sheng Lan’s teeth itch with desire enough to lure anyone in.

She lay down beside Lu Xueyin, squeezing onto her pillow after turning off the lights, insisting on sharing the same one.

The distance was too close. When Lu Xueyin tried to push her away but failed, she retreated instead.

Sheng Lan wrapped an arm around her waist. “Stop squirming.”

Lu Xueyin was utterly exhausted.

Perhaps the two Markings had made her Pheromones trust Sheng Lan completely.

As she was pulled into an embrace, a strong, warm heat spread from the nape of her neck.

Dominant yet gentle, it quickly enveloped her entire body.

The warmth made her even sleepier, her limbs melting into comfort.

The Inhibitor couldn’t completely mask the scent of Pheromones beyond a certain distance, they became impossible to hide.

Their current proximity had clearly crossed the line of intimacy. Lu Xueyin caught the intoxicating fragrance of Tequila.

Like someone dousing roses with strong liquor.

She wasn’t surrendering to sleepiness, she was getting drunk in Sheng Lan’s arms.

In her drowsy haze, Lu Xueyin faintly sensed Sheng Lan’s lips brushing against her cheek before pressing a soft kiss to her ear.

She slept deeply. When she woke, Sheng Lan had already freshened up, changed, and was sitting by the small table near the window, eating breakfast.

She wore earbuds, one hand holding her phone as she took sips of congee between typing clearly busy.

Today, she wasn’t wearing colored contacts and had dressed in a denim A-line skirt with a plain white blouse.

She looked like a student or more accurately, an aloof underclassman.

Lu Xueyin shook her head.

She lay back down, taking a full three minutes to fully wake up before sitting up again.

She made no mention of her shameless reaction to last night’s massage, pretended they hadn’t shared a bed, and certainly didn’t ask Sheng Lan if she’d stolen a kiss.

Like sleepwalking, she freshened up in the bathroom and changed into her own outfit.

A refined, mature look.

A khaki maxi skirt covered her calves, paired with a mid-sleeve pleated blouse. Her hair was left loose, cascading over her shoulders.

Sheng Lan brought up the adjusted schedule. “Did Jiang Ling already tell you?”

Given Lu Xueyin’s condition, Jiang Ling would undoubtedly secure her a spot in the first round of breaks.

Coincidentally, they had a commercial offer.

The brand was capitalizing on the popularity of Trial Love and would increase sponsorship fees something the show’s production team had agreed to.

Given their status, with Liang Jiao and Jiang Ling both pushing for it, securing the deal wouldn’t be difficult. It was scheduled for tomorrow.

Since the show began, their performances had stood out, far surpassing the other two pairs in popularity.

In just a few days, they’d racked up dozens of trending topics, any keyword related to them could climb the charts.

Their massive existing fanbase played a role, but with no unexpected setbacks and stellar performances, they’d also attracted a wave of casual viewers.

Regardless of the real reasons, a brief break would let the hype cool slightly, avoiding backlash from the broader audience.

It also gave them a chance to rest and clear their heads.

“The estate is pretty big. We can wander around later. We both know how to cook maybe livestream making desserts.”

Sweet interactions fit the show’s theme.

Lu Xueyin didn’t feel like going out either. Her head still throbbed, clearly not fully recovered.

She glanced at the recording equipment. Sheng Lan said it was off.

Only then did Lu Xueyin ask, “Did we do well yesterday?”

Trending topics changed by the minute. Having woken up late, catching up would take at least half an hour of scrolling through the charts and reading discussions asking Sheng Lan directly was faster.

Discussing work matters normally, without any hint of ambiguity.

When Lu Xueyin heard Sheng Lan speak, her gaze wavered slightly, and she instinctively touched her ear.

It must have been an illusion.

Lowering her eyes, she didn’t notice the dimming light in Sheng Lan’s gaze.

The sleeping task had the added benefit of a massage, and their conversation didn’t cross any boundaries, maintaining a basic level of warmth just enough to pass.

The bigger backlash came from their decision not to let the horseback riding scenario escalate into scripted drama to avoid upsetting fans, which left some casual viewers feeling deceived.

This wasn’t a major issue. No one could please everyone, and as long as the positive feedback outweighed the negative, they had succeeded yesterday.

Lu Xueyin’s final question was, “Did you get any hate?”

Sheng Lan chuckled. “Teacher Lu, aren’t you angry?”

“About me hiding the fact that I can ride, making you waste the whole day, don’t you have any feelings about that?”

Lu Xueyin pressed her lips together.

For some reason, she disliked the title “Teacher Lu.”

But the cameras were off, and the recording devices were shut down.

Sheng Lan’s “politeness,” which had started in the morning, only made her more aware.

This was all for show.

Without the pretense, this was the real Sheng Lan.

Lu Xueyin rubbed her temples, not wanting milk or soy milk, and went to make herself coffee.

She politely asked Sheng Lan, “Do you want some?”

Sheng Lan declined.

So Lu Xueyin only made one cup.

The coffee perked her up.

Before leaving, she said to Sheng Lan, “There’s nothing to be angry about. It was all for the hype.”

She had benefited from it too.

They started their morning routine late, busy in the kitchen preparing ingredients.

After lunch, they continued making cakes as usual.

Not only were the fans confused, but even Director Cheng had to check in with them off-camera.

“What’s going on with you two? Did you fight last night?”

She thought the live reactions had been good.

Meng Qing also chimed in, “You two suddenly going quiet makes the show feel dead.”

Forced by Director Cheng, she and Ji Xinlan were given a task card to complete an ambiguous poolside interaction that afternoon.

Meng Qing: “…”

She was done.

Sheng Lan smoothly replied, “I said I wanted cake, but we can’t order delivery here, so my sister offered to make it for me.”

Making a cake from scratch naturally took time.

While waiting for it to rise, they didn’t just sit around, they also completed the fishing task. It wasn’t like they were slacking off.

After successfully getting through the day, by 5:30 p.m., during the dinner game, they could leave early and enter their rest period.

Lu Xueyin hadn’t bought a house yet, and her previous address had been exposed. With the hype from Trial Love, it wasn’t suitable for her to return there.

After getting in the car, she received a message from Sheng Lan.

[Shan Feng]: You can keep staying at my place. I have another house.

Lu Xueyin told Jiang Ling, who turned on the navigation and asked, “What happened between you and Sheng Lan yesterday? That atmosphere if it weren’t for fans being used to Fake Recommendations, your CP fanbase would be too weak to sustain this kind of performance.”

Lu Xueyin repeated the explanation she and Sheng Lan had silently agreed upon.

Jiang Ling was baffled. “You believe that?”

Lu Xueyin blinked.

She didn’t see anything wrong with it.

As an actress, she didn’t carry her character’s emotions off-screen.

Naturally, she couldn’t expect Sheng Lan to maintain absolute enthusiasm outside the variety show filming.

This feeling became even stronger and more direct once she got home.

She and Sheng Lan were a married couple by force and Sheng Lan still wanted a divorce.

Her repeated attempts at probing left Sheng Lan uninterested.

He even installed a password lock on his room.

Who the lock was meant to keep out, she knew all too well.

So, it was only natural that Sheng Lan suddenly became less active in his dealings.

Probably after being intimate and ambiguous with a woman he disliked for several days, even sharing a bed, he had exhausted all his patience and found it utterly repulsive.

Support