A Scummy Alpha and An Award-Winning Omega Actress Fell in Love After an Arranged Marriage - Chapter 49

Sheng Lan had a keen grasp of the show’s core appeal. A waltz that clashed with the haunted house atmosphere exploded on the trending charts, followed by a slew of related hashtags.

Dance-related ones included:

Are you sure this isn’t flirting?Haunted House Waltz

How did they even match the beats?

Show-related tags were:

No one understands dating shows better than me.

I’ll give you everything you want to see#

The treasure of Trial Romance Period

Her comment about “not focusing on the main task” was seized upon by anti-fans to stir up trouble, but the three pairs of guests actually agreed with her during their return trip.

They all said Sheng Lan was right: “There are plenty of horror shows out there. Viral check-in videos at the same location get thousands of views. Our production team didn’t take the side missions seriously either. We should focus on romance instead of fooling around.”

It didn’t matter much it was only the first day of activities, with several more to come. Plenty of time for romance.

Just as Sheng Lan was about to respond, Lu Xueyin’s phone blared out a loud “Sister!”

Her mind went blank for a moment, forgetting what she was going to say.

When she slowly turned to look at Lu Xueyin, the other woman was still fumbling to turn off her phone.

First, she locked the screen, but with the “listen to video” function enabled, the sound continued even with the screen off.

As she tried to lower the volume, someone called, interrupting the process. After hanging up, the video’s voice continued calling out “Sister!” Another attempt to lower the volume was thwarted by another incoming call.

Sheng Lan couldn’t help but laugh, reaching over to take the phone.

The caller, having been hung up on twice, probably assumed Lu Xueyin was unavailable and didn’t call again.

Perfect timing, Sheng Lan checked the video.

It was a compilation clip.

The creator had even tagged Sheng Lan, asking why she hadn’t made one herself.

The content was entirely Sheng Lan calling Lu Xueyin “Sister.”

Trial Romance Period had been airing for over twenty days, with 24/7 live streams.

“Sister” was Sheng Lan’s go-to address for Lu Xueyin so frequent it was practically countless.

Whoever made this had somehow found the time to compile every instance of Sheng Lan saying “Sister.”

The opening clip was from tonight when she found Lu Xueyin in the clock tower, shouting the word.

After that, a sweet BGM played as background music, followed by Sheng Lan’s various ways of saying “Sister.”

Even the person in question would blush listening to it.

Sheng Lan instinctively hit the like button.

Only after liking it did she realize it was Lu Xueyin’s phone, so she quickly unliked it.

With the haunted house live stream just ended, online discussions were at their peak. No matter how fast she was, someone had already screenshot it.

When returning the phone to Lu Xueyin, Sheng Lan owned up to it and swiftly logged into her own account to take responsibility: “I liked it. My bad.”

Fans immediately flooded the comments:

[@ShengLan, after hearing all those ‘Sisters,’ what are your thoughts?]

[@ShengLan, why were you using Lu-jiejie’s phone to browse Weibo?]

[@ShengLan, was today’s dance something you two drew earlier? No prior practice?]

As Sheng Lan typed her replies, Lu Xueyin liked her apology post.

Sheng Lan glanced at her sideways. “You’re being a little mischievous.”

Lu Xueyin ignored her and asked Meng Qing, “Will your role-play cards last until the end of the month?”

Meng Qing shook her head. “Director Cheng said we’ll draw new cards every day. I’m not sure about the specifics.”

Just the mention of new cards dampened Lu Xueyin’s mood, bringing back her fear of the unknown.

Sheng Lan raised her arm, resting it on the back of the seat as if casually draping it over Lu Xueyin’s shoulders.

With her other hand, she continued typing one-handed, switching from Weibo to WeChat.

【Mountain Breeze】：Didn’t you get familiar with the routine today? If you’re still scared, I’ll take you on a private escape then. /peeking cat

Lu Xueyin wasn’t sure about the feasibility.

Since the haunted house wasn’t the main filming area, there were camera blind spots, but they still had to stay within the live broadcast’s view.

Sheng Lan suggested going to the rooftop to stargaze.

【Mountain Breeze】：No one would dare come looking for us.

【Mountain Breeze】：Are you afraid of heights?

Lu Xueyin wasn’t.

Due to filming needs, she often worked with harnesses.

The height of the clock tower was nothing to her, she wouldn’t be scared.

Tentatively settled.

The two locations were close, and they arrived at the manor in just a few minutes.

Filming wrapped up at ten, followed by twenty minutes of wrap-up and assembly, then a final ten-minute joint live broadcast.

No more live streams tonight once they entered their rooms, they could turn off the cameras, wash up, and sleep.

Sheng Lan’s room was closer than Lu Xueyin’s. She grabbed Lu Xueyin’s wrist and brazenly lied without a care for the main live broadcast camera in the hallway, inviting Lu Xueyin to her room for a while.

“I got scared today. I need comfort.”

As if she was the one who needed comforting.

Meng Qing had already opened her door and loudly scolded, “Have you no shame?”

The “Bingtang CP” froze simultaneously, exchanging glances. Tang Yingyue had been about to copy the move but stopped when Yan Bing shook her head, asking Sheng Lan instead, “Are you two working overtime tonight?”

Ji Xinlan sneered sarcastically, “What overtime? Clearly, they’re burning with passion and looking for rewards tonight.”

Afraid of Sheng Lan’s retort, she ducked into her room after the remark.

Sheng Lan couldn’t be bothered with her.

She was clear about grudges past conflicts stood between them, making it impossible for her and Ji Xinlan to get along.

If it were just attitude and words, she could ignore it.

At least during this variety show, Ji Xinlan had been oddly well-behaved, not stirring up trouble or causing issues.

She shook Lu Xueyin’s wrist lightly. “Jiejie?”

Having just watched the edited footage, Lu Xueyin couldn’t bear hearing those two words. She nodded hastily and swatted Sheng Lan’s hand away before retreating to her own room.

Once inside, Sheng Lan texted her.

【Mountain Breeze】：You’ll be okay on your own?

Generally, most people could grit their teeth and push through a haunted house, finish a horror game, or half-cover their eyes through a scary movie.

It might seem like they’ve toughed it out, but once alone, the suppressed fear resurfaces.

The mind embellishes it, the more scared you are, the more you think about it, and the more you think, the scarier it gets.

At this stage, everything is done quickly, just to hurry into bed and curl up tightly.

Seeing the message, Lu Xueyin closed her eyes, recalling long-buried memories.

Though afraid, she had endured it all these years, she could handle it.

【Lu Xueyin】：I’m fine. I’ll come find you later.

Sheng Lan had only said that at the door for show. If they were sharing a room tonight, it’d be better for her to go to Lu Xueyin’s instead.

Her public image was goofy, with no romantic scandals.

Now, with her and Lu Xueyin being open and unapologetic, many believed their bond was purely sisterly.

Her past reputation, combined with her lack of guilt and absence of creepy behavior plus previous instances of staying in Lu Xueyin’s room helped minimize fan backlash.

Mostly, it was to give haters fewer avenues for attack.

Lu Xueyin’s reputation in the industry was poor, and haters often resorted to vile personal insults.

Currently, with the popularity of Trial Love Period still lingering, it’s manageable. But once filming ends and the hype gradually fades, this incident might be taken out of context with screenshots, paired with a headline like “Lu Xueyin Actively Seduces,” and spammed widely over time. It could quickly become a brainwashing narrative.

Even if fans can outfight antis, once such a narrative spreads, it would just add another “black mark” to Lu Xueyin’s reputation.

Sheng Lan finished getting ready quickly. After sending Lu Xueyin a message, she waited outside the door with a large towel to dry her hair while scrolling through updates one-handed.

Jiang Ling had sent her a bunch of thumbs-up, praising her for doing well today and asking about Lu Xueyin’s condition.

After replying, Sheng Lan switched screens to check with Liang Jiao about work matters.

When signing the contract for Trial Love Period, she had told Liang Jiao she wanted to tour elsewhere, preferably with a concert series, to avoid Lu Xueyin and meet again for the divorce a year later.

But fearing that cold violence was still violence, she scrapped the plan that same day.

Now, she was asking Liang Jiao about her post-Trial Love Period work schedule.

[Liang Jiao]: You’re already having new experiences, no inspiration for new songs?

Sheng Lan said she had jotted down ideas and notes in her memos and would organize them after filming to see if any could be expanded into full songs.

Since she hadn’t neglected her main job, Liang Jiao sent over several files, all invitations for variety shows.

Sheng Lan didn’t open a single one.

During variety shows, she’d compete for first place, and the hype would inevitably keep rising without cooling down.

As a result, her name would dominate trending lists too frequently which wasn’t ideal.

Overexposure would hurt her general appeal.

After scrolling a few times without finding what she wanted, Sheng Lan proactively asked why there were no scripts.

[Shan Feng]: Are they blind to my acting skills?

Liang Jiao concluded Sheng Lan was genuinely getting ahead of herself and told her to snap out of it.

Transitioning from a pop idol to acting had always been a challenge. Most who ventured into film and TV were criticized for terrible acting.

Insiders looked down on it; outsiders nitpicked. Once the work was released, some fans would be disappointed, others would force praise, and audiences would blame her for dragging the whole production down, claiming it could’ve been so much better without her.

Even more painfully, under such comments, netizens would genuinely ask: What? You actually watched XX’s stuff? Am I the only one who fast-forwarded?

Sheng Lan got Liang Jiao’s point.

She was just asking casually, no plans to pivot yet.

She mentioned wanting cameo roles to goof off with Lu Xueyin.

Liang Jiao told her to ask Lu Xueyin: Get your wife to mentor you.

Sheng Lan chuckled and switched to her livestream to chat with fans.

[Why are you squatting outside her door? Did she say she won’t keep you company? LOL]

[Betting time! Place your bets, I think Sis Lu will make Shan Feng sleep on the floor again, just like last time with that pink bedding.]

[I’ll bet on sharing the bed. You’re gonna lose.]

[Take me with you, sis!]

[Take my whole family LOLOL]

Sheng Lan: “What do you know? Waiting here means I get to see her the fastest.”

[Seeing her makes you wanna kiss her.]

[More than that your eyes are practically threaded together. Must’ve communed a thousand times already.]

[What’s communing? Sis, elaborate! /passes mic]

Sheng Lan explained, “Communing literally, mysterious exchanges, spiritual connections.”

[Got it. Mysterious spiritual connections.]

It was late, and with the explosive moments from earlier, the audience was relatively restrained, keeping the chat atmosphere light.

After three more minutes, Lu Xueyin finally opened the door.

“I just went to dry my hair, so I only saw your message now.”

Sheng Lan nodded, put away her phone, and followed her inside.

The camera in the room was on, but the audio equipment hadn’t been activated yet.

Lu Xueyin asked if she wanted to turn off the camera. “It’s almost the end of the month, and I have extra streaming hours. It’s fine to turn it off tonight.”

Shortly after the broadcast started, Lu Xueyin’s live stream had been running almost 24/7 since the reminder, with the camera and audio equipment rarely turned off simultaneously.

Sheng Lan had been keeping track of the hours and knew the situation.

She suggested turning it off for a while. “After all, I’m a tough alpha. Not many people should know I’m afraid of ghosts. This isn’t something they should hear. I’ll turn it off first.”

Lu Xueyin’s emotions were complicated.

There was fear and unease, the nervous tension of facing Sheng Lan alone, and the suppressed yet resurgent flutter of joy in her heart.

All these emotions were suddenly pushed aside when Sheng Lan blatantly lied, leaving her unexpectedly relaxed.

Sheng Lan covered the camera with a hat and turned off her phone. Lu Xueyin followed suit and turned hers off as well.

The two stood on the carpet, locking eyes for a moment, sparks flying between them.

Lu Xueyin averted her gaze, her eyes shifting between the bed and the wicker chair by the window, deciding to sit in the safer option, the chair.

Sheng Lan remarked, “Revisiting old memories, huh?”

They had shared several kisses on that wicker chair.

Once, Lu Xueyin had believed in the so-called “exchange” and forcefully kissed Sheng Lan by cupping her face.

Another time, during a live stream, her provocation succeeded, and Sheng Lan kissed her through the curtains.

It was a place full of stories.

Lu Xueyin, trying to save face, walked forward to the small table instead, picked up a half-drunk bottle of mineral water, then leisurely circled back, kicked off her slippers, and sat cross-legged at the head of the bed.

She unscrewed the cap and took small sips.

She wasn’t thirsty at all, just needed something to do.

Sheng Lan sat on the other side, causing the mattress to dip toward the middle. The two of them, seated on opposite edges, were pulled closer by gravity.

Lu Xueyin commented on the poor quality of the mattress. “With just our weight, it feels like it’s about to collapse.”

They had shared this bed before, earlier this month.

Though it had only happened recently, Lu Xueyin’s memory of that night was hazy.

She only remembered Sheng Lan giving her a massage, possibly holding her as they slept, and kissing her ear.

Lu Xueyin took another sip of water before Sheng Lan took the bottle from her, tilting her head back to gulp down the rest. “Watching you drink is agonizing.”

With nothing left in her hands, Lu Xueyin hugged a pillow and fiddled with the edge of the pillowcase.

Sheng Lan asked, “Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

Lu Xueyin didn’t know how to respond.

If she were purely a victim, swept up by the emotions of the day, she might have blurted it out in a moment of impulsiveness.

But as the old saying goes, once something happens, traces remain.

If Sheng Lan really wanted to know, she wouldn’t need to ask, she could find out on her own.

But Lu Xueyin wasn’t purely a victim. What she truly feared was her own weakness and helplessness.

From that day onward, whenever she thought about it, she was overwhelmed with regret.

She wished she could go back and do it all over again.

Even if it meant enduring the same hardships.

They say things should not be repeated more than twice.

Lu Xueyin didn’t want to talk about it, and if Sheng Lan pressed further, it would be inconsiderate and crossing boundaries.

So she changed the subject herself. “After Trial Love ends, how busy will you be until next month?”

Sheng Lan seemed completely at ease here. She casually towel-dried her hair and lay down.

As she asked the question, she patted the pillow, signaling for Lu Xueyin to lie down and talk.

Lu Xueyin stayed put. “I’ll be busy until the New Year. Once filming starts, there might be locations in other provinces.”

There’s a local film studio where most of the shooting can be done.

Sheng Lan calculated the schedule and realized she’d be busy until around February next year.

For someone of Lu Xueyin’s caliber, being this busy was completely normal.

She mentioned she’d visit the set then, “I wonder if you’d welcome me.”

Of course, she’d be welcome.

The reason Lu Xueyin didn’t accept visits from others was that her fanbase rivaled that of a top-tier celebrity. Though she had won numerous awards, her success was only superficially glamorous.

Most people who sought her out looked down on her, badmouthing her behind her back.

The few who genuinely respected her rarely kept in touch.

She wasn’t good at socializing, and maintaining relationships was even more unfamiliar to her.

After long separations, even those she had gotten along well with gradually drifted away.

Lu Xueyin suddenly remembered something, “After ‘Trial Love’ wraps up, let me treat you to a meal. Didn’t you say there were people you wanted to meet? I’ve already arranged to have dinner with them once filming ends.”

The people Sheng Lan wanted to meet through Lu Xueyin were meant to help screen “dangerous elements” for that silly girl Yu Cheng.

They would filter based on Yu Cheng’s preferred physical traits, and Yu Cheng herself would need to be present so Sheng Lan could observe her reactions and identify the right candidates.

There was no rush, they could discuss it after filming.

Sheng Lan steered the conversation toward topics familiar and comfortable for Lu Xueyin, chatting about the film industry.

Once they had talked enough, it was time to sleep.

Lu Xueyin was like a cat, she relaxed when those around her showed no signs of aggression or excessive attention.

This time, when she lay back down and the mattress’s weight pulled her closer to Sheng Lan, she didn’t flinch or move away from the contact with Sheng Lan’s arm.

There was a strange contradiction in her emotions.

When Sheng Lan asked, she didn’t want to say anything.

But when Sheng Lan didn’t press further, she felt a pang of regret.

Tonight, they hadn’t talked about the haunted house or the livestream just things she was familiar with. It worked better at distracting her than her own rambling.

Because her state of mind was different now, Lu Xueyin wasn’t as slow to react as before.

Or perhaps, because her state of mind had changed, she had regained her “sensitivity.”

She cared about this kindness and gentleness, but she was also more confident and resolute. No longer did she overanalyze every little gesture of goodwill, losing sleep if she couldn’t figure out the reason behind it.

Now, she didn’t have to scrutinize everything.

Sometimes, wanting to be good to someone truly didn’t need any reason.

She had to believe that someone coming into her life wasn’t there to take, but to love her.