A Scummy Alpha and An Award-Winning Omega Actress Fell in Love After an Arranged Marriage - Chapter 55

Sheng Lan accepted Lu Xueyin’s challenge and came up with something quite playful.

At noon, when Director Cheng tagged everyone in the group chat to discuss their individual livestream plans privately, Sheng Lan told Lu Xueyin to handle it. “It’s your plan, you go explain it.”

Even a short, designed plot needs a core. With “Hunting” as the theme, the purpose of the hunt was paramount. Lu Xueyin’s plan, titled “To Catch a Heart Thief,” fit perfectly with the show’s romantic standards, it was a game of heartbeats.

For their personas, they leaned into trending keywords like yandere and obsessive to mask their true natures, though in reality, both were essentially playing versions of themselves. For instance, Sheng Lan’s streak of mischief and her unpredictable sense of distance remained intact. She blended “wickedness” with a gentlemanly grace into a personality that people loved and hated in equal measure. Her shifting attitude made others question if they were truly close, only to have them fall for her the moment she suddenly leaned in.

Lu Xueyin’s plan involved an “interrogation” after the capture, one thick with the atmosphere of forced affection. No matter how Sheng Lan answered, it wouldn’t stop Lu Xueyin from “tasting” her prey and enjoying the spoils of war.

Director Cheng replied with a thumbs-up: [You guys are working too hard. It’s a pity it’s all fake.]

Lu Xueyin: […]

Director Cheng: [Hahaha! Only the fake ones spend all day thinking about scripts. Hard work, hard work! I’ll push the editors to get the footage out fast and high-quality for the finale.]

On the other side, Sheng Lan sent her own plan to the Director.

Director Cheng: [?] Director Cheng: [Did you two break up? Disagreement on the vision?] Sheng Lan: [Don’t you understand the concept of a “Hunter”?]

Sheng Lan’s plan was “The Person in the Mirror.” She intended to use the most terrifying mirrors in the venue as props, hiding behind them to conduct her stream. On the surface, Lu Xueyin was the hunter roaming the halls to catch her; in the hidden sub-plot, Sheng Lan would be the one stalking Lu Xueyin from behind.

This chase was like circling a tree—always seeing the other’s back, waiting to see who would turn around first. Sheng Lan’s ultimate goal was to let Lu Xueyin tighten the net, forcing her into a corner, only to strike back after being “restrained” by ropes or handcuffs.

What looked like victory for Lu Xueyin would actually be her falling into Sheng Lan’s home court. Once Lu Xueyin was done being the “Alpha,” it would be Sheng Lan’s turn to prove who the real hunter was.

Lu Xueyin was determined to make sure Sheng Lan had fun. When Sheng Lan mentioned having a “Plan B,” Lu Xueyin didn’t even want to hear it.

“May the best hunter win.”

Knowing Lu Xueyin’s plan gave Sheng Lan an unfair advantage from the start. Lu Xueyin, however, was magnanimous. “Consider it a handicap I’m giving you.”

When she let her aura fully out, she was incredibly charming, making people instinctively want to bow to her. A dark, Alpha-like desire for conquest flickered in Sheng Lan’s eyes, but she quickly looked down and smiled. “Then I shall ask for Sister’s guidance.”

The haunted house activity took place at night. Since viewers usually tuned in then, daytime livestreams often felt a bit flat. But they didn’t slack off. After their nap, they did their usual pastoral stream and even visited the pool.

Lu Xueyin’s injury had healed, so she could finally enter the water. Thinking of the Director’s message, she pointed at the pool and told Sheng Lan bluntly: “We can check in here on the final day.”

Sheng Lan, equally competitive, gave a two-word response: “Thrilling.”

The bullet comments erupted: [Sobbing… they are lying to me so convincingly!] [Is this really just industrial-grade sweetener? I don’t believe it!] [Please tag the other guests here. Start competing, thank you!]

While the other guests spent the afternoon frantically planning, Sheng Lan and Lu Xueyin fished and picked vegetables. They had already finished cooking and eating dinner by the time the others finished their discussions. According to the fans, even the “plastic CPs” were working hard today, keepings their mics off so fans had to guess their plans by lip-reading.

Sheng Lan asked Meng Qing about her plan. “Getting married?”

“Impossible,” Meng Qing, a close friend, whispered back. “We’re going as Black and White Guards (Heibai Wuchang).”

Sheng Lan: [?] “Maybe consider being Black and White Moonlight instead?”

“The show is ending,” Meng Qing said, “why keep up the act?”

When the time came, the host entered. The process had become second nature to them now. They handed over their phones, and the “Hiders” left first.

Meng Qing wasn’t acting at all. She told her partner, Ji Xinlan: “I’ll definitely capture more NPCs than you.”

Ji Xinlan shot back: “Better watch your tongue before you trip over it.”

Sheng Lan couldn’t be like them. She looked at Lu Xueyin and said: “I’ll be waiting for you to catch me.”

Lu Xueyin was in great form today. Even as they prepared to start, she showed no fear. “Wait for me to settle things with you.”

Sheng Lan smiled, her eyes practically asking: Oh, so we’re not using the word “discipline” anymore? Lu Xueyin simply ignored her.

The “Hiders” today were Sheng Lan and Meng Qing. Sitting in the car, Sheng Lan couldn’t ignore the effect the ghost mansion might have on Lu Xueyin, despite her brave front.

The length of the initial chase depended on how long Lu Xueyin could hold out alone. Livestreams had time limits; while the “tasting the prey” phase was what viewers wanted to see, it couldn’t last forever. There were only so many places you could touch on a body before it got awkward. Therefore, the chase had to be extended.

In the shadows, Sheng Lan couldn’t make too much noise, and her ability to clear obstacles for Lu Xueyin was limited. Pulling Meng Qing in to help was the answer—and if she could trick Ji Xinlan into “free labor” too, even better.

“What’s in it for me?” Meng Qing asked, calling her out for being “wicked.”

“I’ll sleep with you tonight,” Sheng Lan joked.

Meng Qing immediately moved to the opposite side of the car. “Give me something practical.”

Sheng Lan looked at her seriously. “What do you want?”

Meng Qing sent a message: [Guest spot on my tour. You in?]

Given their friendship, Sheng Lan would have gone even without the livestream trade. But Meng Qing was asking because a spot had opened up due to a mishap, and replacing the original guest might spark a fan war. More importantly, Sheng Lan and Lu Xueyin were “sweet as honey” right now. To any outsider, this would look like breaking up the CP.

To Meng Qing’s surprise, Sheng Lan agreed quite readily.

[Mountain Wind]: After the show ends, she has a film to promote, then she’s joining a new film crew.

Meng Qing relaxed. She was only here to do Director Cheng a favor; the hype didn’t matter to her.

This time, the guests prepared their own outfits. Since Meng Qing and Ji Xinlan were going as the Black and White Guards, Sheng Lan was left to her own devices. Between deep blue and deep red, she chose the latter.

It was clear Director Cheng wanted to restrain her “destructive power”—the dress was a long, formal gown with a massive, voluminous skirt. It was a tube-top design, tight on top and loose at the bottom, with a very high waistline. Under the dark red satin, layers of light black gauze created shadows in the folds. With every movement, the fabric billowed like a blooming red rose.

It was seductive, intense, and impactful—a dangerously fatal beauty. Sheng Lan’s face suited heavy makeup, and she wore the dress well. Before entering, she pulled on her gloves.

As soon as the broadcast started, she looked at the camera and said: “Guess who will be the one to capture the rose tonight?”

While some viewers gasped at her beauty, others were laughing. The “Bing Tang” CP had started “sweating” today with a plan called “Invitation from the Castle Owner.” After being passive the first two days, they were finally being proactive, though they were still far behind.

Lu Xueyin and Ji Xinlan were the last to enter.

Drawn by a certain instinct and the scent lingering in the air, Lu Xueyin stepped into the living room. She ignored the sound of the heavy doors closing behind her and turned her head toward a mirror on the first-floor wall.

The scent of tequila pheromones was faint but dominant. Even a trace of it had a strong presence in the night. There was a natural instinctual attraction between an Alpha and an Omega; they hadn’t gone all the way, but multiple temporary markings had made their familiarity with each other’s scents explode.

Sheng Lan had designed a counter-attack script, but under the trail of pheromones, she had nowhere to hide.

Lu Xueyin’s heels clicked against the floor with every step. She stood before the mirror, tracing the frame with her fingers. Her downcast eyes seemed to hide a paranoid, surging emotion. When a mechanism clicked and the mirror shifted, she reached in to pull the handle, a faint smile playing on her lips.

It was as if she were saying to the person hiding inside: I found you.

Meanwhile, in the center of the living room, Sheng Lan draped in a white tablecloth on the long dining table rested her chin on one hand. Seeing Lu Xueyin enter the hidden passage, she picked up a glass of red wine and drained it, as if celebrating the capture of the rose in advance.

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