A Scummy Alpha and An Award-Winning Omega Actress Fell in Love After an Arranged Marriage - Chapter 48.3

Though until the very end, she would never know whether the person coming to her was there to pull her up or push her down.

Seeing her firm stance, the host didn’t press further. After leaving, they coordinated with Director Cheng to send Sheng Lan a mission card.

Sheng Lan had chosen rooms to enter, all three rooms above the main gate.

After checking the second floor, she went to the third. Her target was too obvious; clearly, she had discovered the key to solving the puzzle.

Director Cheng had prepared for this, the windows were welded shut, preventing Sheng Lan from opening them and seeing Lu Xueyin sitting on the high platform.

But Sheng Lan defied expectations with sheer strength, pushing upward until she was nearly at the attic.

The attic window wasn’t sealed. From here, she could reach the small balcony, which backed against the clock tower, offering an unobstructed, commanding view of the entire mansion grounds.

Just as she was about to push open the attic window, Director Cheng called for a stop.

The host was still on their way and asked her to wait.

“You haven’t found anyone in fifty minutes, triggering a side mission.”

The live audience joked about their “flexible missions” telling Lu Xueyin forty minutes and Sheng Lan fifty.

Sheng Lan knew nothing of this and told Director Cheng to wait as well. “Since your host isn’t here yet, what’s the harm in me taking a quick look outside?”

Then NPCs arrived, but Sheng Lan froze them all with one sentence.

“The attic window isn’t sealed, and this height is dangerous. I don’t recommend you come over and provoke me.”

NPCs: “…”

Who was provoking whom?!

A simple call couldn’t stop her, and the unusual demand for her to halt only made Sheng Lan more certain there was a secret outside the attic.

She opened the window, stuck her head out, scanned the surroundings, and then climbed out.

The clock tower had multiple layers of railings outside. As she emerged from the slanted roof, there was no real danger.

Unafraid of heights, she stood on the railing and looked down without issue.

Sheng Lan turned on her flashlight and shone it downward.

The water in the fountain reflected brightly, and Lu Xueyin, dressed in a white gown with long, wavy hair, sat silently on the high platform.

Beyond that, Sheng Lan couldn’t see much.

She turned off the flashlight and called Lu Xueyin’s name, “Can you hear me?”

Since they’d met, Sheng Lan had either not addressed her directly or called her “sister” or “Teacher Lu.” Hearing her full name spoken so abruptly felt unfamiliar to Lu Xueyin, who didn’t react at first until Sheng Lan added, “Sister.”

If this address were transcribed, Lu Xueyin felt it should have at least three exclamation marks.

She looked up. The massive clock face behind Sheng Lan cast a halo around her.

Even from this distance, her eyes seemed to glow, and her smile was infectious.

Lu Xueyin said she heard, but fearing her voice was too soft, she waved her hand again.

Sheng Lan told her to wait, “I’ll come down to get you right away.”

The clouds parted, revealing the moon.

Moonlight fell upon Lu Xueyin, tinting her white dress and making her look like a beam of silver moonlight tangible yet elusive.

The sheer fabric of her dress was light and soft, with multiple layers of lace creating an intricate and luxurious design, yet all of it paled in comparison to her porcelain-like, delicate beauty.

Finding her meant the host’s task card could be skipped.

On her way downstairs, Sheng Lan still encountered obstacles. She didn’t bother with puzzles, believing sheer force could work miracles.

Agile and strong, she dodged and leaped over hurdles, refusing to waste time standing still.

Even ordinary obstacles were no match for her bare hands or a well-placed kick if needed. Her demeanor was far from that of a typical female celebrity.

Reaching the first floor, she opened the main door and glanced back at the full-length mirror she had shattered, now riddled with cracks.

In it, reflections of her and Lu Xueyin flickered, the broken glass struggling to hold the image intact.

Just one step away.

As Sheng Lan stepped out of the mansion, the extras in the fountain pool began to move.

Their exaggerated, twisting movements cast elongated shadows under the red light, the rippling water distorting their forms.

Lu Xueyin resisted the urge to look away, focusing on the water to find a place to step.

Sheng Lan told her not to stare, “It’ll make you dizzy.”

Despite the unusual setting, this was still a dating show at its core.

Just as Sheng Lan was about to step into the water, the writhing extras laid down wooden planks for her.

Long benches, previously submerged, rose dripping from the water, a tacky touch from the production team, their surfaces carved with the words “Magpie Bridge” in hollow script.

Lu Xueyin found the script utterly ridiculous, almost too cringe to watch.

Sheng Lan stepped onto the bench, completely obscuring the words.

The platform was only a meter high. Standing on the bench, Sheng Lan could brace her hands on the sides and meet Lu Xueyin’s gaze.

Dressed in white, her makeup was minimal.

Lu Xueyin’s natural beauty shone through, even the tiny red mole under her right eye clearly visible.

Elegant, pure, clear-eyed, and innocent.

Joy shimmered in her jade-green eyes, impossible to hide. Meeting her gaze felt like watching delight slowly spread like ripples in water.

Sheng Lan felt an itch in her heart, instinctively leaning closer.

She wanted to ignore reason, forget restraint, and indulge recklessly, letting the desires buried deep within her surface.

Lu Xueyin was quicker, reaching out to press her palm against Sheng Lan’s hand damp, as if touched by dew.

Sheng Lan chuckled softly, “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Given the size of the haunted house and the density of tasks and NPCs in every room, finding Lu Xueyin in under an hour was impressively fast.

Besides, Lu Xueyin had entered slightly later. Even if fear made the wait feel longer, the actual time couldn’t be called excessive.

She shook her head, “No, I just got here.”

A blatant lie.

Sheng Lan didn’t call her out, stepping back to help Lu Xueyin down.

The extras in the water had already retreated, leaving the surface calm.

The bench was narrow, forcing both of them to watch their steps.

Looking down, they could see their reflections in the water.

Under the moonlight, their eyes met.

The urge to kiss her was overwhelming.

Lu Xueyin asked Sheng Lan, “What should we do with the remaining time?”

Sheng Lan: “Dance? I’ve given you the chance.”

Lu Xueyin glanced toward the haunted house and said earnestly, “I don’t think dancing fits the vibe of this livestream.”

Earlier, she hadn’t known the situation and needed clear instructions to steady herself.

Now they knew that while everyone else was busy grinding through the haunted house scenario, it wouldn’t be appropriate for them to waste time doing other things.

Sheng Lan said it was fine, “This is a dating show. We shouldn’t compare ourselves to those slackers who aren’t focusing on their main task.”

Putting aside the CP aspect, no matter how much hype it generates in the end, it’s just a fleeting moment.

Lu Xueyin listened to the strange noises coming from inside, along with the lingering dark background music, and thought that she didn’t have the ability to fight alongside Sheng Lan against all odds. So she nodded in agreement.

Having watched the opening livestream, she was somewhat familiar with the layout of the first floor.

But after being led inside and seeing the shattered glass scattered everywhere, she gained a clearer, deeper understanding of Sheng Lan’s destructive power.

She felt a pang of concern about the cost. “Do we have to pay for this?”

Sheng Lan was taken aback by her train of thought. “Why would you even think of that?”

Lu Xueyin responded with silence.

Why else?

Because she was broke, of course.

The glass was mostly concentrated near the walls, leaving the center area clear with plenty of space.

Sheng Lan turned off the overhead lights, leaving only the dim glow from the small lights along the ceiling seams.

The dimmer lighting made the atmosphere eerier than when the chandelier was on.

With someone by her side, Lu Xueyin wasn’t as scared.

The most terrifying part of the haunted house on the first floor was seeing one’s own face in the mirrors. But with the mirrors gone, no NPCs around, and only the lighting to contend with, it wasn’t a big deal.

She reached out to Sheng Lan, inviting her to dance, her gaze naturally shifting into one of deep affection and infatuation.

Sheng Lan was instantly drawn into the act or rather, she simply played herself, intense and passionate.

A performer’s emotional state directly affects the final impact of the dance.

Originally designed as a darkly romantic sequence, the choreography was meant to convey love hidden in the shadows, untouched by light.

The dance was intimate, with plenty of physical contact.

Front embraces, back hugs, deep leans with locked gazes, hand-holding, and waist-holding were just the basics.

Additional touches fleeting eye contact, subtle movements were too numerous to count.

To convey the original theme, the core of the choreography was unrequited love, one wanting to leave, the other trying to hold on, the departing one wavering, creating a push-and-pull that emphasized their inevitable separation.

But with the shift to deep affection and burning passion, the effect was completely reversed, turning it into a dance where two lovers tested each other’s feelings.

Moving and spinning gracefully, falling in love with every exchanged glance.

Allowing each other’s little advances, even reveling in them.

Teasing deliberately, taking the bait eagerly.

Nuzzling against the Gland through cascading hair, trailing fingertips down the curve of the waist, brushing against forbidden territory.

The emotions grew more intense, the love in their eyes impossible to hide.

What was supposed to be an inevitable, heart-wrenching separation in the original script became an uncontrollable blaze of passion between them.

Lu Xueyin had initiated the dance, but Sheng Lan took the lead, retreating only to advance further.

As desire surged, Sheng Lan’s usual restraint vanished, replaced by a mischievous playfulness.

She wanted to get closer, to go deeper but she held back, stopping suddenly, coaxing Lu Xueyin to step into her space, leaving no room for escape, before savoring every moment at her leisure.

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