A Scummy Alpha and An Award-Winning Omega Actress Fell in Love After an Arranged Marriage - Chapter 42

Good things shouldn’t be given too generously, and going overboard isn’t suitable under the camera’s gaze.

Sheng Lan knew when to stop, but didn’t let Lu Xueyin leave.

“Sister, don’t move, you’ll be seen.”

The camera was fixed in a corner of the room. With the layout identical, two people sensitive to cameras could avoid detection for a few minutes.

Hidden by the curtains and hair, this was just a scripted fake kiss.

But prolonging it would risk exposure.

Lu Xueyin was annoyed that despite taking the initiative, Sheng Lan had turned the tables and seized control. Her retort came out sharp: “You don’t move either. What’s wrong with a kiss?”

Sheng Lan felt it necessary to take Lu Xueyin to the Cat Cafe to show her some ill-tempered cats.

Because with her beauty and sweet voice, even her fiercest snarls couldn’t scare anyone.

It only made her seem cuter, tempting others to tease her more.

“You’re not afraid of me at all today.”

Lu Xueyin’s intelligence was intact; she didn’t fall into the trap.

“I was never afraid of you.”

It was the reconciliation after yesterday’s argument, and Lu Xueyin had untangled a knot in her heart.

If Sheng Lan didn’t dislike her, then many of her actions weren’t just performances as she’d assumed. The cautiousness in their interactions could be set aside.

Without that caution, her competitive spirit emerged.

Lu Xueyin retaliated for the hickey Sheng Lan had left during the ad shoot, resuming her unfinished motion pushing Sheng Lan’s shirt off her shoulder.

Still not as bold, she lowered her head and left a faint lipstick mark near Sheng Lan’s collarbone.

Then she slid off her lap.

Standing there, she blocked most of the camera’s view. Her dress was slightly wrinkled, her hair a little disheveled.

Unconcerned, she picked up the glass of red wine Sheng Lan had been drinking and took a sip before leaning in again.

This time, it was a feint.

She drank it herself.

But the way she circled back to her seat made it seem like she’d shared the wine with Sheng Lan, her eyes brimming with allure.

Sheng Lan pushed aside the curtain, playing along, wiping her lips with her hand leaving a mark on her knuckles.

“Lesson learned.”

Lu Xueyin picked up a pen, ignoring the remark.

Sheng Lan casually signed two sheets and said, “I’ve learned. I’ll come to you another day to submit my homework.”

Lu Xueyin’s pen paused briefly, pretending not to understand. “Oh, whatever.”

It was a flawless replay. Keeping up the conversation and hitting the right comedic beats would wrap things up nicely.

They proceeded to the dinner game as usual.

Just because the kitchen ingredients were available to them now didn’t mean they always would be.

If they feasted every meal while the other guests went hungry, it would easily draw criticism. Using points to exchange for ingredients was the solution.

Today, Lu Xueyin put in extra effort. Seeing her enthusiasm, Sheng Lan didn’t compete, letting her shine.

But their interaction couldn’t lapse, so Sheng Lan became the commentator, picking up jokes Lu Xueyin ignored and showering her with relentless praise for half an hour.

After wrapping up, Lu Xueyin showed no joy in her victory.

Sheng Lan didn’t mind. “What’s for dinner?”

The heat was unbearable; even a little activity made them sweat.

Lu Xueyin wanted soup, but the thought reminded her of the little mishap at noon, making her slightly reluctant.

Sheng Lan suggested, “How about noodle soup?”

Sheng Lan’s noodle soup had plenty of toppings and broth, with only a few strands of noodles.

Most people wouldn’t feel full, but for Lu Xueyin, it was just right.

They didn’t cook any side dishes that evening. Meng Qing couldn’t mooch off them, settling for just a bowl of soup, and brought Sheng Lan some unwelcome news.

“I went to talk to them this afternoon about voting out the haunted house, but no one agreed.”

Ji Xinlan was a given, she was set against Meng Qing now.

The one who’s afraid of ghosts is Sheng Lan, and she’s even less likely to give up.

As for the “Bingtang CP” (Yan Bing and Tang Yingyue)… their promotional efforts have been exhausting, but they’ve already planned a themed livestream.

The manor has many activity areas, but the haunted house is their top choice.

Because between them, while Yan Bing appears indifferent, she’ll follow closely to protect Tang Yingyue when the latter recklessly charges ahead. The haunted house is the perfect setting.

Sheng Lan fell silent upon hearing this.

Whether Meng Qing went to talk to them or Sheng Lan went herself, it made no difference.

Because the Bingtang CP voluntarily engages in fan service for the sake of popularity.

Unless Sheng Lan could offer them better resources and higher popularity than their current CP status, they wouldn’t slack off during “Trial Love Period.”

Sheng Lan said, “It’s fine. I’ll have Xiao Tao buy me the Ghostbusting Combo Pack.”

Meng Qing hesitated, “But aren’t you afraid of ghosts…?”

Who goes ghost hunting when they’re scared of ghosts?

“Get an evil-warding set instead. Defense first.”

Sheng Lan snorted, “Whatever I fear, I’ll destroy.”

Meng Qing: “…”

You don’t seem afraid at all.

There were no evening activities. Since Sheng Lan and Lu Xueyin performed well in the afternoon, the production team didn’t give them any task cards.

Considering there would be no more breaks later, they both held back, making emotional triggers less frequent than during the initial stages.

That night, Sheng Lan took out her laptop and personally edited fan videos while Lu Xueyin served as artistic director, offering critiques from the side.

The scrolling comments were filled with question marks.

[Are we not working hard enough?]

{This is clearly a reward! They see our efforts!}

{Imperial grain which CP can compete with ours? /thumbs up}

Previously known as “no-CP,” Sheng Lan was still catching up on fandom culture and found the term “imperial grain” amusingly novel.

“Where should I post this video?”

Her main platform was Weibo, while accounts on other platforms were managed by Liang Jiao.

Unless collaborating with a platform or for essential promotions, her accounts usually only reposted content.

The question was leading her true fans knew Weibo was her main stage.

But Weibo was for official promotions. Posting a CP video edited by Sheng Lan herself during the show would be inappropriate.

Wouldn’t it be awkward after the show ended?

Sheng Lan intended to test the waters, but the fans’ reactions surprised her.

[Since it’s your creation, you should post it, in the CP super topic!]

{Yes, for the clout!}

[Will Sister Lu repost it? /timid]

It was as if there were no solo fans at all.

Sheng Lan didn’t dare test Lu Xueyin’s fans, but the comments continued on their own.

The consensus was approval, and Sheng Lan spotted the reason in the flood of comments.

Since everyone assumed their partnership would end after 30 days, and both had a top-ranking obsession, fans were willing to help them win the popularity crown.

Currently, the leading CP super topics all involved some level of fan service.

Being the only ones producing “imperial grain,” they could enjoy the hype first and set the trend for others to follow.

Sheng Lan found this reasonable and decided to work overtime.

After bidding Lu Xueyin goodnight, she returned to her room with her laptop and kept editing.

In the dead of night, she posted seven short videos in a row, what fans called “going berserk.”

{Damn, I just finished scrolling am I supposed to sleep now?}

[Same, I just got off work and was about to sleep…]

{As the reigning night owl champion, I can repost~ but only if LanLan gives me an autograph /hint}

Sheng Lan finished work and saw these comments, giving each one a virtual pat on the shoulder and a head rub. “No rush, I’m just reserving a spot. We’ll talk after I wake up.”

The fans collectively fell silent.

Three minutes later, someone asked her, “Interview question: Are you afraid someone might copy you first, so you’re fighting to be number one? Is that why you’re pushing so hard?”

An Alpha’s hopelessly competitive nature.

[We were just casually mentioning it!]

[So what if you’re not the first to produce Imperial grain? Popularity is king!]

[Hurry up and sleep! My heart aches for you!]

Sheng Lan stretched, grabbed her change of clothes, and headed for the shower.

Once in the bathroom, she set her clothes aside and glanced up, catching sight of her own smiling reflection in the mirror. Casually, she typed a reply, “Stop it, you’re gonna make me cry.”

The fans: “…”

What else could they do? Of course, they had to spoil her.

After exchanging goodnights, Sheng Lan set her phone aside and started undressing.

In the hustle and bustle, she’d forgotten. By the time she stepped under the shower, she hadn’t looked in the mirror again. It wasn’t until she was lathering up that she noticed the smudged lipstick mark near her collarbone.

Sweat and water had blurred it beyond recognition as a lip print.

There was no embarrassment or annoyance.

But she did understand, just a little, how Lu Xueyin must have felt when she left marks on her.

Sheng Lan continued her shower nonchalantly and managed to catch two hours of sleep before dawn.

Horseback riding was an activity that ran throughout the entire program, best done in the morning when the sun wasn’t too strong.

After breakfast, they headed to the stables together.

The “Bing Tang” CP had the same idea.

Meng Qing and Ji Xinlan, once they had the option to visit the haunted house, started slacking off again.

To maintain normal interactions among the guests, Yan Bing took the initiative to talk to Lu Xueyin, while Sheng Lan handled Tang Yingyue’s side.

They got off to a bad start, the first topic was the haunted house.

Meng Qing didn’t avoid Lu Xueyin when she brought it up. While diverting Lu Xueyin’s attention, Sheng Lan deliberately spoke loudly a couple of times, wanting Lu Xueyin to know it was her who was afraid of the haunted house. The plan was to use this as a reason to veto the haunted house as a group activity card.

When she found out at night that there was no chance of vetoing it, Sheng Lan didn’t tell Lu Xueyin, hoping she’d sleep well.

But first thing in the morning, her plan was intercepted.

Yan Bing told Lu Xueyin that the haunted house was great for interaction, subtly hinting that it was even better if Sheng Lan was scared.

There wouldn’t be any real ghosts, of course just the atmosphere inside and the rumors outside. With a group going together, any incidents would bring them closer, so it wasn’t a big deal.

It was even better if Sheng Lan was scared, and Yan Bing wasn’t just making it up. Sheng Lan had always had such strong control over situations that seeing her in a fearful environment would create an adorable contrast.

A whimpering Alpha is much rarer than a fierce Omega.

There was also some self-interest involved. If Sheng Lan couldn’t act Alpha, the platform’s traffic could stabilize into thirds.

Like before, when they were on break, the Bing Tang CP’s popularity had skyrocketed. After the initial awkward phase, they’d hit their stride.

But as soon as Sheng Lan and Lu Xueyin arrived yesterday, they stole most of the spotlight.

It wasn’t exactly jealousy, but they had to find a way to adjust.

Lu Xueyin lowered her eyes. “Do you really have to go there?”

She wouldn’t even say the name “haunted house.”

Once the location was confirmed, Lu Xueyin had known there was a haunted house nearby and had mentally prepared herself.

When Meng Qing brought it up, it was too sudden, so she’d shown weakness.

By the time Yan Bing asked, she could respond naturally.

Let Sheng Lan take the blame, Lu Xueyin didn’t think Sheng Lan was afraid.

“The estate has plenty of activities and space. We could organize our own card games.”

There are horror-themed card games too.

Yan Bing shook her head. “Tabletop games have too little interaction.”

Tang Yingyue also said to Sheng Lan, “If you’re scared, you can stick with us then.”

Sheng Lan understood.

Group shots had high engagement.

But she didn’t want that.

“I’m not scared. I want to catch ghosts. I’ve already placed an order if it’s good, I’ll recommend it to you guys.”

She glanced back at Lu Xueyin. Better than yesterday, no signs of fear.

Sheng Lan said with a double meaning, “Sister, you’d better stick close to me then.”

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