A Scummy Alpha and An Award-Winning Omega Actress Fell in Love After an Arranged Marriage - Chapter 32

It was already past nine in the evening when she got home. No work tonight, just rest.

Lu Xueyin shook off all other emotions. She didn’t need Jiang Ling to stay with her. After a quick shower, she went straight to bed.

When the body is exhausted to a certain point, sleep comes as soon as the head hits the pillow, but worries are harder to shake.

Meanwhile.

As a top-tier Alpha, Sheng Lan had boundless energy when not in her Susceptibility Period.

After leaving the manor, she drove straight to the Jade Lion Club.

It was a high-end club owned by Yu Cheng’s family, operating on a strict VIP system ordinary customers weren’t entertained.

New guests had to be introduced by existing members, and entry was granted solely based on card ID, ensuring the highest level of privacy.

The main reason for her visit today was to inquire about Feng Zhitong.

Some things were hard to discuss during filming, but a face-to-face conversation could clarify a lot.

Yu Cheng had already prepared a thick stack of documents for her, which Sheng Lan had to review herself.

“Seems like she’s hooked up with some mysterious big shot.”

Sheng Lan scoffed.

“Does she really think she can escape?”

Lu Xueyin might be a kind-hearted “female lead,” but her fans and admirers certainly weren’t.

Sheng Lan didn’t even need to recall the original novel’s plot just the basic tropes of any typical story to know Feng Zhitong wouldn’t end well.

This matter didn’t even require her intervention. Fate would ensure retribution.

But Sheng Lan couldn’t just stand by.

Even setting aside the blame unfairly placed on her, she owed Lu Xueyin an explanation.

After all, they weren’t divorced yet. Lu Xueyin was still her wife in name.

And while most Alphas were rotten to the core, the people she could toy with at will were off-limits to others.

The documents were extensive, compiled urgently by Yu Cheng at Sheng Lan’s request. They covered every interpersonal relationship Feng Zhitong had formed since birth.

The social network was annotated with small notes, and key figures in Feng Zhitong’s life even had separate briefs.

Yu Cheng practiced mixing drinks nearby, the ice cubes clinking loudly in the shaker.

When she glanced up at Sheng Lan, her eyes were full of confusion. “You’ve dug way too deep into her. And you’ve known her since childhood. When my people were investigating, my mom caught wind of it and asked if I had a thing for Feng Zhitong.”

Sheng Lan said, “It’s mainly because her behavior was sudden and bizarre.”

Their past relationship hadn’t been particularly close. When maintaining superficial social ties, Sheng Lan didn’t pay much attention to others.

As a result, even though she’d known Feng Zhitong for a long time, she had no idea when or why Feng Zhitong had become capable of such a deranged act right after her wedding.

Even when Sheng Lan called to confront her, Feng Zhitong had laughed, saying she could have a dozen men on top of Lu Xueyin.

Their social circles had diverged, especially since Sheng Lan’s career path was different from her wealthy second-generation friends.

While they chased after celebrities and pampered minor stars, Sheng Lan had debuted herself and thrived.

Since her debut, her social life outside the industry had dwindled, limited to occasional gatherings with a few close friends. She’d paid even less attention to these matters.

After quickly flipping through the documents, she spotted a blind spot.

“Feng Zhitong went to M Country?”

Yu Cheng nodded. “We talked about it the other day. She left the next day, just the day before yesterday, I think.”

Sheng Lan found the timing suspicious.

She took out her phone and texted her eldest sister, Sheng Chu, asking her to keep an eye on Feng Zhitong.

Very few people knew about Sheng Chu’s overseas studies. At the time, it was rumored she’d left heartbroken, traveling abroad to heal.

At first, she had detoured to another small country due to personal matters. Since time wasn’t pressing, she took a brief vacation along the way, making the illusion even more convincing.

No one in the family bothered to clarify the rumors. In fact, they thought the situation was quite “playing dumb to outsmart others,” simply waiting for Sheng Chu to complete her studies and return to inherit the family business.

So Feng Zhitong probably never expected to run into an acquaintance even after fleeing abroad.

It was also quite an unfortunate situation. Asking her elder sister for help meant the family would inevitably find out, requiring some reassurance.

That was all for today. Sheng Lan asked Yu Cheng if she had been following any celebrities lately, “Want me to get you an autographed photo?”

Yu Cheng waved her hand dismissively, “I’ve leveled up now. What’s the point of autographed photos? I’m going straight to sleeping with them.”

Sheng Lan: ?

Yu Cheng was annoyed, “What’s with that look? I got inspired by your variety show antics. You play way too wild. I scoured through my photo albums and already found my target. Just you wait.”

Sheng Lan: “…I’d advise against reckless behavior. Watch out for karma.”

After gaining self-awareness, Sheng Lan knew she was living inside a novel and had lost some faith in this world’s rules.

As her close friend, Yu Cheng was bound to have some cannon fodder traits.

Previously, her celebrity obsession was limited to throwing money around, inviting idols out for meals, and playful banter during chats. But actually sleeping with someone? What if she ended up with someone untouchable? Would she even survive?

Unfortunately, Alphas were inherently self-centered and never listened to advice.

They wouldn’t stop until they hit a wall or saw their own coffin.

Yu Cheng dismissed Sheng Lan’s warning with an eye roll, “If they’re really someone I can’t afford to mess with, I’ll let them sleep with me in return.”

Sheng Lan closed her eyes briefly.

Out of a lifesaving instinct saving one life was worth building a seven-story pagoda she asked Yu Cheng, “Who is it? Do I know them? Give me a name.”

She needed to recall whether this person existed in the original novel.

Yu Cheng gave her a look that said “eyes on your own plate” and scoffed, “Enough already. The entertainment industry’s most beautiful Omega is already your wife. Stop eyeing my delicate little flower. Go home. Drinks are on me tonight.”

After leaving Yu Shi, Sheng Lan couldn’t stop wondering which celebrity in the industry fit the “delicate little flower” description.

Baffled, she texted Liang Jiao and received a spreadsheet listing everyone from A-listers to the 38th-tier over a hundred names.

Glancing at the thick stack of materials on the passenger seat, Sheng Lan acknowledged Yu Cheng’s effort in collecting them.

But filtering for “delicate little flowers” wouldn’t take long she could finish in an hour.

Having known Yu Cheng for years and even helped her get autographed photos before, Sheng Lan was familiar with her taste.

She liked sultry, glamorous divas as much as innocent, petite girls. A quick photo scan would eliminate most candidates.

By the time she got home and finished washing up, it was past 1 a.m.

Two large unopened packages sat in the living room.

After a moment’s thought, Sheng Lan realized they were the acting books she’d ordered earlier.

She opened them first, picked out a few well-known titles, arranged them neatly, and filmed an unboxing video to post on Weibo.

[Sheng Lan: @Lu Xueyin, thank you for the book recommendations, sis. I’ll study hard these next few days /fighting/heart]

Even in the dead of night, fans were quick to respond.

[Why’d you change your username? I thought this was a fake account at first.]

[Why acting books? Planning to act for us?]

[If you can keep up with Sister Lu’s acting, switching careers could at least land you a Best Newcomer Award.]

[Are all you Artificial Sweetness shippers this dedicated?]

Sheng Lan picked a popular comment to reply to.

[I’ve spotted something, what time did she buy this if she’s unpacking it now?]

Sheng Lan: [Just bought it.]

Nested replies:

[If you’re bored, go sleep with your sister. Why spout nonsense on your phone?]

[You won’t even tell me the truth now, will you?]

[Guess the love’s gone cold, huh? The spark’s faded, huh?]

Sheng Lan didn’t linger on replies, instead searching precisely for today’s live-stream topics.

Viewers accustomed to the charged, flirtatious streams of recent days found today’s lackluster only two hashtags trended:

#What’s up with Sheng Lan and Lu Xueyin?

#Is it over?

Under the main hashtag for Trial Love Period, excluding the top fan-driven Comment Control copy-pastes, the remaining reactions to today’s interactions were positive.

Sweet, on-theme exchanges with occasional eye contact evoked a serene, timeless vibe.

Sheng Lan had her own take: today was about winning back casual viewers.

During the break, she and Lu Xueyin could revert to their former detached dynamic, leaving fans anxious were they fighting? Was the partnership dissolving?

Such speculation would sustain hype. Come broadcast day, they’d need a gripping hook to deliver the payoff fans craved.

Sheng Lan outlined a few plans on her phone and sent them to Lu Xueyin to choose from.

It was late; Lu Xueyin was asleep. Sheng Lan didn’t wait for a reply.

Switching to a backup phone, she scoured Weibo for posts about the actresses on her list.

After reviewing photos and clips, she narrowed it down to a few in the film industry Lu Xueyin’s world.

If there was a formidable player or expendable pawn here, Lu Xueyin would know.

She texted:

[Mountain Wind]: Sis, got intel on these people? Know them? How’s their character and background?

Attached: eight photos.

Lu Xueyin woke to a barrage of Sheng Lan’s messages.

Opening them: a woman’s photo.

Scrolling up: another woman.

Further up: yet another.

Lu Xueyin: ??

Well-rested, her irritation was muted. She patiently scrolled to the top.

Sheng Lan’s proposed collaboration ideas were screenshotted. Then she read the rest.

Asking about character and background usually meant making new friends, right?

Lu Xueyin gripped her phone, silent for a long moment.

Sheng Lan wanted to know about other women and texted her about it.

Sheng Lan really didn’t see her as a wife.

Suppressing her temper, she replied to each photo individually.

One was two-faced.

One slept her way up.

One was a high-class “socialite.”

Another excelled at smearing others.

A mixed bag.

The remaining four got praise.

One was naive, easily fooled.

One was career-obsessed, near-fanatical about fame Lu Xueyin called this “ambition.”

Another earned the label “wolf in sheep’s clothing” with just three words: Not to be trifled with.

The last one didn’t concern Sheng Lan.

Lu Xueyin called her the girl next door adorable.

Sheng Lan was up early for a schedule.

Reviewing these assessments, she got a new message:

[Lu Xueyin]: Need me to introduce you?

Sheng Lan stared at the period at the end of the message and inexplicably smelled something sour.

She really wanted to laugh, and indeed, she did.

She called Lu Xueyin, but Lu Xueyin hung up on her.

After three consecutive calls, Sheng Lan obediently switched to texting.

【Mountain Wind】: Sister, are you angry?

Of course, Lu Xueyin denied it.

So, Sheng Lan turned the tables.

“But you’re being so generous, it makes me a little angry.”

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