A Scummy Alpha and An Award-Winning Omega Actress Fell in Love After an Arranged Marriage - Chapter 5

Sheng Lan wouldn’t go looking for trouble.

Today, she was accompanying Lu Xueyin to visit someone in the hospital. After exchanging a few more words with Liang Jiao, Sheng Lan got out of bed.

By the time she finished getting ready and stepped out, Jiang Ling had already left for work, and Lu Xueyin was waiting for her in the living room.

The two had an unspoken understanding, what happened at night stayed at night.

As if there had been no chance encounters, no crossing of boundaries, and no childish bickering.

Breakfast was already set on the table. The moment Sheng Lan glanced up, Lu Xueyin quickly clarified, “Jiang Ling made it.”

The speed at which she distanced herself was suspicious.

Sheng Lan found it odd. “Ling-jie is okay leaving you alone with me?”

Lu Xueyin’s eyes spoke volumes, silencing Sheng Lan without a word.

Since Sheng Lan was the only one left to eat, she finished quickly and took Lu Xueyin downstairs.

After getting the address in the car, she turned on the navigation and drove them over.

Today, Lu Xueyin was the one asking for a favor, so her attitude was surprisingly agreeable.

She even fussed over Sheng Lan, saying driving was tiring and offering to take over.

Sheng Lan smirked. “There’s still time to admit you made breakfast.”

Lu Xueyin replied without missing a beat, “I made it.”

Sheng Lan nearly choked.

Who would’ve thought that behind that icy exterior, she could bend so easily?

Lu Xueyin’s mother, Wei Wan, lived in a private rehabilitation center. Beyond top-tier medical care, the environment and security were impeccable far better than Lu Xueyin’s own residence, and not just anyone could enter.

Once they reached the inpatient ward, Sheng Lan held out her hand to Lu Xueyin.

Lu Xueyin tried to loop her arm through, but Sheng Lan refused.

After a brief standoff, Sheng Lan grabbed her hand and lightly scratched her palm a few times.

Lu Xueyin: “…”

The strange pride of an Alpha.

If she couldn’t mark her, she’d find other ways to tease.

“Behave,” Lu Xueyin warned, “or you’ll be the one suffering.”

Sheng Lan had experienced Lu Xueyin’s flirting before.

If she had to rate it, technique-wise, it barely scored a two.

But with her looks and pheromones carrying the weight, the atmosphere was a perfect ten.

Intrigued by the idea of “suffering,” Sheng Lan scratched her palm twice more.

Lu Xueyin had a delicate, almost fragile beauty, yet her palm was unexpectedly soft, as if boneless.

Rather than scratching, Sheng Lan’s movements were more like gentle squeezes, as if testing the shape of Lu Xueyin’s hand.

Noticing Lu Xueyin’s expression turning frosty, Sheng Lan wisely stopped.

By the time they reached the hospital room, she was on her best behavior.

Before opening the door, Lu Xueyin reminded her again not to say anything reckless. “You can even play the part of a cold, silent statue.”

Before their marriage, the two had barely interacted, and Wei Wan had only met Sheng Lan as a child.

Now, she was catching up on Sheng Lan’s variety shows and performances, buying every album since her debut and watching interviews like a newly devoted fan.

She’d even praised Sheng Lan to Lu Xueyin a few times, mostly for her good character.

As if repeating the compliments enough would turn this sudden arranged marriage into a blessed union.

So the moment the door opened.

Sheng Lan was greeted by the familiar melody of her latest single, “Provocation,” the lead track from her new album.

Wei Wan was enthusiastically singing her praises to the nurse.

Under this double assault, Sheng Lan pressed her lips together, instinctively slipping into idol mode becoming the aloof, silent statue Lu Xueyin had requested.

When Lu Xueyin called her mother, Sheng Lan did the same.

When Lu Xueyin poured tea, Sheng Lan peeled an apple.

It had been a few days since their last visit, and with Lu Xueyin leaving for a variety show soon, their chat with Wei Wan stretched longer than usual.

While Lu Xueyin wanted mother-daughter time, Wei Wan didn’t want to neglect Sheng Lan, worried it might strain their relationship.

Lu Xueyin quickly slapped a label on her. “It’s fine. She’s quiet and awkward, she’ll just listen.”

Shen Lan promptly chimed in, “Right, I’m not much of a talker and pretty clumsy with words. I’ll just listen to you all.”

Since she spoke up, Wei Wan didn’t care whether she was actually bad with words and immediately steered the conversation toward her, asking, “What do you think of Xueyin?”

This question was far too complex for Shen Lan.

She instinctively looked at Lu Xueyin with wary, guarded eyes and chuckled lightly.

“Quite awkward.”

This wasn’t a compliment in Lu Xueyin’s book.

But Wei Wan’s smile suddenly relaxed, she hadn’t been this at ease even after chatting about trivial matters with Lu Xueyin all morning.

So Lu Xueyin understood. Her mother interpreted her restraining Shen Lan and not letting her speak as a sign of marital discord, and now Shen Lan was only reluctantly accompanying her here.

Thus, she also redirected the conversation toward Shen Lan.

Wei Wan sent Lu Xueyin to the doctor’s office. “They ran some new tests these past couple of days. Go take a look.”

It was a ploy to get Lu Xueyin out of the room.

Shen Lan met her gaze with a smile, her eyes clear and untainted.

After hesitating briefly, Lu Xueyin thought about their recent interactions and Shen Lan’s proactive cooperation with the police investigation, then nodded in agreement.

She could always repay her later when they got home.

For instance, by letting go of Shen Lan’s earlier rudeness.

Of course, if Shen Lan said anything inappropriate in front of her mother, she’d have to find a way to deal with her.

Driven by that lingering distrust, Lu Xueyin gripped the door handle as she left. She pretended to close it but didn’t let go, leaving it slightly ajar so she could still hear bits of the conversation inside.

Wei Wan’s mental state wasn’t comparable to a healthy person’s, she was still undergoing chemotherapy and grew weak after too much talking.

Normally, if Lu Xueyin said she was coming to visit, Wei Wan wouldn’t chat with the nurses, conserving her energy for her daughter.

Even the praise she’d lavished on Shen Lan earlier, though something she might usually say, carried a strong performative tone today.

Through the door, Lu Xueyin could no longer make out what her mother was saying.

She only heard Shen Lan remark, “She’s quite adorable. This morning, she even made breakfast fried the egg into a heart shape.”

There hadn’t been any fried eggs for breakfast.

Lu Xueyin gently released the handle, and the latch made an almost imperceptible click.

Shen Lan glanced toward the door, it stood perfectly still, and beyond the vertical strip of one-way glass, only a nurse passed by.

She told Wei Wan, “Her personality’s quite interesting, like a cat.”

Wary yet probing, provocative yet aloof, proud yet undeniably cute.

Lu Xueyin returned as quickly as she could. When she opened the door, the atmosphere between Shen Lan and her mother was warm.

This improved her impression of Shen Lan considerably.

After lunch, they headed home.

Lu Xueyin hadn’t yet found a suitable place to move to, and Shen Lan happened to have a variety show filming scheduled, allowing her to stay a while longer.

Once they left the sanatorium, Shen Lan took her to pack her things.

Shen Lan’s pinkish-brown curls were far too distinctive. Even with a cap and mask, her figure and aura stood out.

Lu Xueyin wouldn’t have felt comfortable letting her go alone anyway, so she suggested they go together.

“Fresh off the trending list, a sisterly bond that moves heaven and earth.”

Lu Xueyin: “There’s no sisterly bond between an Omega and an Alpha.”

Shen Lan insisted, “We have one.”

Fine, whatever.

Lu Xueyin stepped out of the car first.

Shen Lan followed close behind.

They’d already arranged for the property management to handle things, so their return to the residence went smoothly.

Lu Xueyin had only ever treated this place as somewhere to sleep, it still looked like a showroom, with few traces of actual living.

The closet, however, was packed full.

Lu Xueyin had watched a few episodes of variety shows. Aside from indoor interactions, there were also outdoor games to foster camaraderie.

Some were from the countryside, and some enjoyed cycling wearing skirts wouldn’t be convenient for these activities. When packing her clothes, she didn’t bring a single sexy dress that matched her usual style, opting instead for casual wear.

Just before leaving, she remembered something and went back to her room to grab two sets of long-sleeved pajamas, packing them into her suitcase.

Sheng Lan raised an eyebrow.

Her competitive spirit flared up again. “Don’t worry, incidents like that midnight encounter won’t happen again for a long time. I’m heading out for work.”

Lu Xueyin didn’t admit that changing into pajamas was to guard against Sheng Lan, replying calmly, “I’m going out too.”

With their relationship easing and returning home early, Sheng Lan was in the mood to indulge her little princess.

In the car, she invited Lu Xueyin to go grocery shopping. “The supermarket in our complex is very safe, and the produce is fresh. Let’s cook dinner ourselves tonight.”

Lu Xueyin was taken aback. “You can cook?”

Sheng Lan’s kitchen was fully stocked with all kinds of utensils, seasonings, and staples. The fridge even had fresh meat, eggs, and vegetables. Since only a cleaning service came by, it made sense that she could cook.

Lu Xueyin couldn’t help but wonder why, if she could cook, she still ordered takeout three times a day.

Hesitating, she met Sheng Lan’s frank gaze and decided not to ask.

Their relationship wasn’t at that level yet why should Sheng Lan cook for her?

With things just beginning to thaw and Lu Xueyin still recovering, there were many foods she couldn’t eat.

Sheng Lan suggested they buy some ribs, a pigeon, or a chicken to make soup at home and help her recuperate.

Lu Xueyin had to watch her weight and avoid greasy food.

Sheng Lan’s eyes lingered on her slender waist before patting her own stomach. “No problem. We have oil-absorbing paper at home, and I even prepared straws.”

That settled it.

Perhaps the two of them were just inherently incompatible.

Between the female lead and a cannon fodder character, there shouldn’t be something like “favorability points.”

Just as Sheng Lan finished stir-frying the ribs and set them to simmer in a clay pot, their phones rang almost simultaneously.

It was a call from the police station.

An update on the investigation into the “poisoned house.”

After being taken in for questioning, Feng Zhitong had been released.

The person who confessed was a housekeeper.

He claimed to be an anti-fan of Lu Xueyin. While working at the suburban villa, he overheard Feng Zhitong on the phone mentioning that Lu Xueyin would be staying there. That’s why he sprayed large amounts of an inducing agent in the house.

When asked if he understood the consequences, he said a woman like Lu Xueyin, a vase who slept her way to the top, a dirty woman trading her body for resources deserved whatever he did to her.

This extreme attitude persisted even after the police intervened twice.

He even insulted the officers, insisting Lu Xueyin must have had shady dealings with them too.

A simple anti-fan’s motive wouldn’t hold up, but an extremist’s would.

However, Sheng Lan, who knew the original plot, was certain it was Feng Zhitong.

Lu Xueyin had been threatened face-to-face by Feng Zhitong, even having her phone taken to cut off her escape. She knew Feng Zhitong couldn’t be innocent.

Sheng Lan’s mood plummeted.

She turned to look at Lu Xueyin.

Her view was framed by the kitchen doorway, revealing Lu Xueyin slumped on the sofa.

She was still in the long dress she’d worn out, a fitted, off-the-shoulder style with puffed sleeves, blending sensuality with cuteness and elegance.

Now, leaning there, beyond exhaustion, she seemed encased in an invisible layer of frost, a barrier of detachment.

Noticing Sheng Lan’s gaze, she didn’t look away, meeting it directly.

All the teasing, ambiguity, provocation, and joy from the past two days had vanished without a trace.

It felt like returning to the day of their first encounter.

Sheng Lan wasn’t involved in the matter, yet her heart clenched violently, as if she too had been caught like a misbehaving child.

She didn’t avert her gaze and instead asked Lu Xueyin, “Would you like yam and pork rib soup or winter melon and pork rib soup?”

Lu Xueyin’s response was to stand up and return to her room.

On the coffee table, a half-arranged fruit platter remained.

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