A Scummy Alpha and An Award-Winning Omega Actress Fell in Love After an Arranged Marriage - Chapter 37

It was a clear statement.

So, Sheng Lan instantly understood Lu Xueyin’s meaning.

This was also the starting point of her cheerful mood.

When people are happy, they hum songs, and their steps become light and lively.

Perhaps because she was at home, in her own territory, a familiar place.

Sheng Lan didn’t rush out to find Lu Xueyin, leaving her alone in the living room, forcing herself not to retreat, her thoughts twisting in ninety-nine loops. Only when Sheng Lan went out to get the takeout did Lu Xueyin finally relax.

She didn’t want to show weakness by hiding in her room.

Nor did she want Sheng Lan to suddenly double back and catch her “fleeing in panic,” so Lu Xueyin stayed curled up on the sofa.

Her posture was lazy and casual.

But when Sheng Lan returned home, the slightest tension in her made it seem like she could spring up at any moment, ready to dodge or block.

For a fleeting moment, Sheng Lan almost thought she really had adopted a cat.

Because of something she’d done, the cat’s trust in her had diminished.

It retained a basic level of fondness, allowing Sheng Lan to move within a safe distance, but she couldn’t recklessly pet or smooth its fur.

Even when offering food, she’d be watched closely, sniffed at.

Only after repeated confirmation that it was truly harmless would the cat eat half-trusting, half-doubting.

If nothing happened afterward, a tiny bit of trust would be restored.

But that bit of trust wasn’t enough to let her do as she pleased.

Sheng Lan set the takeout on the dining table. Lu Xueyin instinctively got up to approach, but Sheng Lan stopped her.

“You’re eating something else.”

Lu Xueyin frowned.

Sheng Lan: “You’re eating what I make for you.”

She had bought groceries and restocked a few seasonings cooking was her job anyway.

But saying it out loud like this added another layer of meaning.

Suddenly, Lu Xueyin felt rebellious.

Why?

It was her takeout. If she wanted to eat it, she would.

Sheng Lan hit her weak spot with one sentence: “It’s all spicy. What are you eating? Want to get an infection?”

Lu Xueyin bristled instantly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

She had never argued with anyone red-faced and furious her image wouldn’t allow it. She hadn’t even acted in scenes requiring explosive anger.

At her angriest, she only laced her words with a hint of sarcasm.

“You have the nerve to say that.”

Sheng Lan washed vegetables.

By the sink, water rushed noisily.

Her pale fingers brushed over fresh green leaves, gently scrubbing them clean.

Her tone was unhurried. “I’m just stating facts.”

Lu Xueyin tore her gaze away from the contrast of white and green.

Stunned by Sheng Lan’s audacity.

And stifled by her reaction and reply.

Lu Xueyin stated a fact of her own.

“If you hadn’t crossed the line and kissed me recklessly, I wouldn’t have.”

Stating facts required some thickening of the skin first.

At least, the current Lu Xueyin couldn’t say it as casually and leisurely as Sheng Lan.

When Sheng Lan glanced back at her, she repeated “wouldn’t have” twice, only for Sheng Lan to press: “Wouldn’t have what?”

Lu Xueyin had no escape. She closed her eyes and spat out four words: “Wouldn’t have gotten infected.”

Her emotions were like an undercurrent this was the fiercest surge of anger, yet it hid the deepest resentment.

As if she hadn’t realized that, given her usual demeanor, this emotion was a loss of control.

Or perhaps she had realized, but something in her heart had loosened, allowing this outburst to fall within the “safe zone,” giving her the urge to pick a fight.

Sheng Lan turned off the faucet and asked another question that stabbed straight at Lu Xueyin’s heart, throwing her off rhythm.

“Jiejie, you don’t seem afraid I’d refuse to cooperate with you because of this.”

Lu Xueyin fell silent.

When reminded by Sheng Lan, her first reaction was denial.

Denying Sheng Lan’s words, believing that Sheng Lan would cooperate with her.

Even if there was tension between them.

This thought had sprung up in the heat of the moment, leaving her no room for reflection, a subconscious sense of security that terrified Lu Xueyin.

She took a step back.

Sheng Lan frowned, instinctively disliking the gesture.

Abandoning the cooking, she flicked the water droplets from her fingertips and turned to reason with Lu Xueyin.

“I kissed you three days ago, right?”

Lu Xueyin averted her gaze.

Avoidance would weaken her presence.

Unwilling to admit it, she gave the faintest nod.

Sheng Lan continued stating facts, “We haven’t seen each other since then.”

She wouldn’t proceed unless Lu Xueyin responded.

With the sharp dominance of an Alpha and unshakable confidence, she wasn’t worried Lu Xueyin would flee.

One inside, one outside two meters apart yet their gazes encircled Lu Xueyin, carving out a space for conversation.

No leaving until things were clear.

Lu Xueyin stubbornly took another step back.

Sheng Lan stepped on her landmine: “The checkup was today.”

Lu Xueyin bristled again.

Her breathing grew uneven; the tightly wrapped fabric could block sight but not the soft undulations beneath.

Sheng Lan raised her eyes, locking onto Lu Xueyin’s. “The lipstick I used that day was easy to smudge and remove.”

“So I really want to know, do you hate me touching you, or do you hate me looking at you?”

Touching was from before.

Looking was today.

By Lu Xueyin’s logic, no kiss meant no inflammation. Filling in the gaps: after the kiss, she wiped off the lipstick, causing injury meaning she disliked Sheng Lan’s touch.

Yet her actions were silent permissions, lowering her guard again and again.

Lu Xueyin had no retort.

If she hated it, why didn’t she refuse?

Unwilling to dwell on it, she shifted the pressure onto Sheng Lan. “Obviously, you hate me.”

Sheng Lan paused, then shook her head with a quiet laugh.

Not a word spoken, yet it felt like an accusation of Lu Xueyin’s unreasonableness.

And clearly, Lu Xueyin realized her own words both phrasing and tone were off.

It carried the coquettish grievance of lovers.

Her eyes widened slightly.

Sheng Lan gave her an out, gesturing toward her room. “We start work tomorrow. Go pack first, I’ll call you for dinner later.”

Even if she wanted to run, she couldn’t keep breaking character.

Lu Xueyin nodded calmly, playing along to shelve the matter for now.

“Alright. Thanks for your hard work.”

Sheng Lan turned away first.

While heating oil in the pan, her shoulders shook.

Clearly stifling laughter!

Twenty minutes later, they reconvened at the dining table.

Sheng Lan ate two portions of now-lukewarm rabbit meat alone, while Lu Xueyin held a small bowl of greens and scrambled eggs with tomatoes, specially prepared for her.

The sudden tranquility allowed them to chat normally.

For both, it was an unfamiliar feeling.

Sheng Lan was independent, she’d played in bands since middle school, roaming freely.

In college, she lived alone, buying property wherever she stayed.

Now, no matter where she went in the city, she always had a place.

Lu Xueyin, due to her family background and upbringing, had grown accustomed to solitude.

Even after debut, with Jiang Ling by her side and assistants tending to her, she often found herself alone at home.

Now sitting face to face, eating home-cooked dishes while chatting about tastes and work, they both felt something unusual in their hearts.

It was also the tangible reality of being married.

If not for a certain beauty having a mouth, this dinner would have had the romance of everyday life.

Lu Xueyin was extremely displeased watching Sheng Lan eat rabbit.

She held it in again and again, feeling a burning sensation on her chest.

She asked Sheng Lan if it was intentional.

She also wanted to tell Sheng Lan not to go too far, if it happened again, she would really get angry.

Sheng Lan picked at her food, chewing slowly, then took a sip of the red wine that didn’t quite match the meal but carried a sense of ceremony before replying, “As long as you understand my hint.”

It was indeed subtle.

Because she was already eating rabbit.

Lu Xueyin couldn’t bring herself to ask whether Sheng Lan wanted to eat another kind of rabbit.

Seeing her about to become restless again, Sheng Lan tapped the table with her fingertip. “Did you not apply the ointment?”

Lu Xueyin lowered her eyes and ate plain rice. “I did.”

Sheng Lan told her to look up. “Look at me.”

Lu Xueyin obediently raised her head.

Impressive sober and without external interference, she could suppress her emotions in a second.

Sheng Lan asked, “Do you see the words ‘stupid and gullible’ written on my face?”

Lu Xueyin: “…”

Just say I’m treating you like a fool.

Half-flattering, half-sarcastic, she said, “No one is more shrewd than you.”

Sheng Lan accepted the compliment and concluded, “So you didn’t apply the ointment.”

Due to her personality, Lu Xueyin wouldn’t ask for help unless absolutely necessary.

It was summer, and her clothes were light. The visible areas weren’t injured, and that particular spot was too embarrassing to mention. She hadn’t felt comfortable telling Jiang Ling and found it inconvenient to buy the ointment herself.

The first-aid kit at home had been placed in the bedroom by Sheng Lan before Lu Xueyin moved in. Considering herself a temporary guest, Lu Xueyin wouldn’t rummage through things, wouldn’t rashly disturb Sheng Lan as the homeowner, and certainly wouldn’t proactively bring this up to Sheng Lan, it would only add to the awkwardness.

Perhaps if Sheng Lan hadn’t acted up today, she would have asked Meng Chan to get her the ointment after receiving the examination results.

Sheng Lan dropped hints, both subtle and obvious, continuing to eat rabbit while dancing all over Lu Xueyin’s triggers.

“Do you need my help?”

Lu Xueyin didn’t.

Sheng Lan said, “Oh, but I don’t believe you’ll apply it properly. I’ll leave only after you’re done.”

Their long-term interactions had given Lu Xueyin a sense of trust in Sheng Lan’s “word is bond” attitude.

Not wanting to drag it out with Sheng Lan, she returned to her room after dinner.

Only after showering did she take out a cotton swab to apply the ointment.

It felt cool, with a slight itch.

The best way to convince Sheng Lan she had applied it was to show her directly.

Lu Xueyin frowned, unwilling to do so.

Half an hour passed, and she was already sleepy, but Sheng Lan hadn’t pressed her.

Not a single message on her phone everything was quiet.

Lu Xueyin draped a thin coat over her nightgown and cracked the door open slightly.

She recalled the time she had gone out to shower in the middle of the night and run straight into Sheng Lan.

Without checking outside, she closed the door again.

Her movements were quick, without restraint.

If Sheng Lan was in the living room, she would definitely have noticed.

But another ten minutes passed, and Lu Xueyin still heard nothing.

If she hadn’t misseen, the lights outside had been off when she opened the door.

Had Sheng Lan left?

She sent a message to ask.

Sheng Lan caught her red-handed.

[Shan Feng]: Sister, you’ve been hiding in your room for an hour.

Lu Xueyin expressionlessly recalled the message.

Two seconds later, she deleted Sheng Lan’s message as well.

Sheng Lan had already arrived at her residence, her gaze as sharp as if she could see a thousand miles away, keeping tabs on Lu Xueyin’s movements through the live stream across the internet.

She sent her a voice message, “Burn after reading.”

After this message, there was a prolonged “typing…” status.

Sheng Lan thought Lu Xueyin was about to scold her, but after waiting for what felt like ages, not a single word came through.

The status lasted so long it seemed like a nickname placeholder.

Distracted, Sheng Lan picked up her backup phone to browse Weibo, repeatedly clicking into Lu Xueyin’s profile to check the nickname field.

Confirming it was indeed Lu Xueyin typing in real time, Sheng Lan quickly guessed the reason.

Right on cue with her speculation, Lu Xueyin sent a brief, seemingly abrupt message.

[Lu Xueyin]: I don’t dislike you.

Those words struck a tender chord in Sheng Lan’s heart.

Yet she still felt Lu Xueyin was far too kind.

Theirs was a relationship of mutual restraint, much like when they were initially forced into a marriage certificate each had their own vulnerabilities.

Lu Xueyin needed her to play along, putting on a show of marital bliss in front of Wei Wan. Likewise, Sheng Lan feared Lu Xueyin might expose details of their marriage or discord within it, hindering her career.

But Lu Xueyin had never chosen the path of mutual threats and exploitation. From the start, she had placed herself in a vulnerable position.

Her choice stemmed mostly from not wanting her mother to face even the slightest mishap.

Yet at its core, it was because she couldn’t bring herself to act against her nature.

This kind of temperament was irresistible to Alphas.

Especially those with inherently wicked tendencies.

They’d want to push her boundaries repeatedly, eager to see what expression she’d wear and how she’d react when cornered with no retreat.

Now, Sheng Lan couldn’t bear to test her anymore.

Her fingers tapped out a few words before hitting send.

[Mountain Wind]: If you don’t dislike me, does that mean you like me?

On the other end, Lu Xueyin’s status briefly showed “typing…” before freezing again.

Sheng Lan was a hundred times more confident than her.

[Mountain Wind]: Don’t hide. Silence means yes.

And just like that, she earned herself a scolding.

[Lu Xueyin]: Have you no shame?

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