After a Metaphysics Master Transmigrates into a Scummy Alpha, She Ends Up with the Best Actress - Chapter 17

The water came to a boil. Ye Lin tipped the dumplings into the pot, using a ladle to push them clockwise in a few circles to keep them from sticking.

Shen Biejun played the dutiful assistant, arranging the dishes and setting out the bowls and chopsticks while waiting for the dumplings to be ready. Ming Fanshuang, still unable to keep quiet, fluttered around her idol, chatting incessantly.

“Film Queen Gu, you’re so strong! I can’t believe you could push that plow,” Ming Fanshuang said. Despite having just been fed, she still couldn’t stomach Ye Lin’s behavior. “But really, heavy labor like that should be left to an Alpha.”

“Why? Must an Omega always be a frail housewife?” Gu Li countered. “In the early days of our nation, Omegas were present in every industry. The first generation of tractor drivers included an Omega who was a mother of three. There were two Omegas among the original aerospace designers as well. I believe ability determines everything, not gender. Don’t you agree?”

This was true. Ming Fanshuang’s own great-grandmother had trained generation after generation of elite dancers after the founding of the country. She suddenly found herself without a leg to stand on.

This topic sparked a heated debate among the netizens:

【I think Film Queen Gu is right. Who says being an Omega means being frail and unable to care for yourself? They hold up half the sky, too. Didn’t an Omega basketball team just break into the world’s top ranks recently? They absolutely crushed the former number-one Alpha team!】

【You can’t put it that way. Alphas have natural physical and intellectual advantages. Why else would so many people in power be Alphas?】

【But most of the manual labor is done by Betas.】

(This comment was quickly buried by others)

【But the Prime Minister is an Omega!】

【Exactly, and the CEO of the country’s top IT firm is an Omega, too.】

【My mom says being born an Omega is a sin.】

【Is your mom okay? Are you sure you’re related? Maybe go get a DNA test.】

【Omegas are so cute, how can anyone discriminate against them?】

Shen Biejun scratched his head and added, “Alphas have the brawn so that Omegas can command them at will. Otherwise, that strength would just go to waste. Besides, only angels differentiate into Omegas!” His expression was so earnest it was hard to tell if he was flirting or stating a fact. As the only Alpha in his household, he was constantly bossed around by the Omegas and Betas in his family to do heavy lifting; he knew the feeling well. Plus, that last sentence was a philosophy his father hammered into him daily.

【This guy usually acts so dim, but he just said something profound. He suddenly looks so handsome!】

【Hahaha. I’m starting to think Big Shen is actually quite wise.】

【Big Guy isn’t wrong. Alphas should be put to work. Who told them to keep bragging about their ‘advantages’?】

【Uh, I find myself unable to refute this.】

“My, my mom told me that being an Omega is a blessing from heaven,” Ming Fanshuang said bashfully. “I didn’t mean that being an Omega was bad. I just felt that since Ye Lin wasn’t being considerate toward you, I, I just.” She toyed with the hem of her shirt with her small fingers. She really hadn’t meant it that way.

“I know.” Gu Li patted Ming Fanshuang’s head. “I understand what you mean. Ye Lin isn’t being inconsiderate. She treats me very well.”

In the distance, Ye Lin gave a shy little wiggle of her hips and covered her face with her hands. If I’m good to you, why do you have to say it out loud? Gosh! Being praised in front of others is so embarrassing.

The stove fire roared, and the steam in the pot surged upward, making the lid rattle and dance.

The conversation ended there as Ye Lin lifted the lid, releasing the savory aroma of dumplings. Shen Biejun briskly moved over with plates to serve them. There were three large platters in total. Finally, Gu Li’s round “unique” dumplings were scooped into a separate bowl.

The cameraman, who had been filming all morning, looked at the steaming dumplings on the table and then at his own lukewarm lunch box. He lost his appetite instantly.

Ye Lin caught Gu Li’s eye. Gu Li understood immediately and served a small bowl of dumplings to the camera crew. Then, the four of them sat around the table and began their lunch.

“Wow! What is this? It’s delicious!” Shen Biejun took a bite of the sautéed beef and bracken, so flavorful he almost swallowed his tongue.

“Bracken. It’s a wild mountain herb. It’s free and very nutritious, so eat up,” Ye Lin invited everyone.

Gu Li served a bowl of soup to everyone at the table. Her “Koi” luck meant she could afford to be generous with the servings.

Ye Lin bypassed the dumplings in front of her and reached for the cold-tossed fish mint. The flavor was excellent; the fresh spiciness masked the plant’s raw, fishy notes, highlighting its crisp texture. In her past life, though she was a Great Sect Leader, she had been a wanderer with no fixed home, often skipping meals. She had almost forgotten the last time she’d sat peacefully at a table like this to eat.

Film Queen Gu, accustomed to fine dining and delicacies, found the sudden change of pace refreshing and delicious. The dumplings were superb—the wrappers were thin and held the savory juices perfectly, the meat was springy, and every bite left a lingering fragrance. She ate several in quick succession, looking thoroughly satisfied.

“Ah! This is truly too good. Heavens, I’m ready to jump ship just for this lunch.” Setting aside Ye Lin’s “trash Alpha” reputation, this meal was heaven-sent. How could such ordinary ingredients taste this divine?

“Sister Ye,” Ming Fanshuang said, her subconscious already shifting her view of the Alpha. “When the show is over, can I learn how to cook from you? Your skills are just too good!” Winning or losing didn’t matter; she decided she would beg Ye Lin to cook every meal for the rest of the show. Her public persona wasn’t important—eating well was.

Shen Biejun, a professional glutton, said nothing and focused entirely on his food.

“That won’t work. She’s very busy,” Gu Li declined on Ye Lin’s behalf. Busy helping me change my fortune.

“Oh.” Ming Fanshuang felt a moment of disappointment, but then something struck her as odd. Why was it that every time a question involved Ye Lin, the Film Queen was the one answering? She was protecting her!

Before Ming Fanshuang could figure it out, she saw Gu Li place a large slice of beef into Ye Lin’s bowl, followed by one of those round dumplings. Those dumplings were so ugly you couldn’t bear to look at them—yet Ye Lin ate them with such gusto that it was equally impossible to look away.

A lightbulb went off in Ming Fanshuang’s head. She felt she had discovered something monumental. Ye Lin had been sticking to the cold vegetables until Gu Li gave her the meat? So, one of them was bold enough to seek favor, and the other was bold enough to actually spoil her?

Could this CP be real?

Looking at the meat and dumplings in her bowl, Ye Lin’s eyes lit up. Her mouth formed a little “O” of excitement, and she winked at Gu Li as if to say: You really know the way to my heart. Because of her constitution, she rarely got to enjoy good food safely, especially meat. The amount of meat she’d eaten with the “Koi” these past two days was more than she’d had in a year in her past life. She was dying of happiness!

She didn’t have many flaws, but when she ate something delicious, she tended to sway her head back and forth like she’d just gotten away with something wonderful.

Gu Li gave her another round dumpling. Watching the Alpha’s cheeks bulge adorably as she chewed, Gu Li subconsciously bit her lip, her gaze darkening. She really wanted to know what kind of scent this “cute” Alpha’s pheromones actually held.

Ming Fanshuang’s eyes darted between Gu Li and Ye Lin. She had found the truth! This CP was absolutely real! Heavens, was this something she could watch for free? The ambiguous atmosphere was practically bubbling with pink bubbles.

But that wasn’t the point. The point was—Ye Lin! How could you have zero self-awareness and only care about eating? Can’t you cooperate with my idol and give us some “sugar”? Ming Fanshuang beat her chest in frustration. Ye Lin was definitely the first CP lead in the history of dating shows to ruin a romance because of gluttony.

By the end of the meal, all the ugly round dumplings had been fed to Ye Lin. She didn’t mind at all, smacking her lips afterward and thinking to herself: My culinary skills truly are number one in the world.

“Film Queen Gu, I think you’re being incredibly down-to-earth today,” Shen Biejun said, striking up a conversation as he ladled himself a bowl of “dumpling water” (the cooking broth) after finishing the mushroom soup.

“You mean she feels real, right?” Ye Lin added, serving a bowl of the broth for Gu Li as well.

In the Gu household, dumpling water was usually thrown away, and she rarely ate dumplings at all. But since Ye Lin served it personally, she gave it a try out of respect. It was surprisingly good.

“Yeah, it’s like the filters have been removed. But I still super-admire you!” Ming Fanshuang said. She, too, had officially become a fan of this pairing.

Ye Lin raised an eyebrow: See? I told you it would work.

Gu Li remained noncommittal.

After lunch, Shen Biejun, having eaten the most, snatched up the dishwashing duty. Ming Fanshuang helped sweep the floor. Even though they were outdoors, they sorted the trash carefully for recycling.

The “freeloading duo” went back to continue their tasks. They were still short a few Little Red Flowers. Even though they knew they would lose, completing tasks seriously was a basic requirement for an artist.

Luo Quan’s group was still a bit short of their sales target. Only Gu Li’s group had successfully completed all their tasks first. However, the production crew wasn’t about to let them just relax.

“Reward delivery!” the director’s assistant arrived with a task card. “As the first team to complete your tasks, you two can head up the mountain early to search for dinner ingredient packs. There are large and small packs; it’s first-come, first-served, but you can only take one.”

Oh? Ye Lin had planned to check out the back of the mountain anyway. This was exactly what she needed. She threw on her jacket and signaled toward the treetops in the distance. Just as she was about to head out, she was blocked at the door.

Dijiu Li’s head had just popped out from the trees when she saw Gu Li walking toward Ye Lin’s room, holding something in her hand.

Gu Li waved a tube of ointment. “I’m here to help you apply your medicine.”

“Huh? Ah!” Ye Lin reflexively hid her arms behind her back. How could she have forgotten about this? She stammered, “I—I’m fine now.” Wait, which hand had the bites this morning?

“That won’t do. Mountain mosquitoes are venomous. You’ll suffer if you don’t use the ointment.” Gu Li took a step forward and reached for Ye Lin’s arm.

Her right arm was caught. Ye Lin pursed her lips, and a row of incredibly realistic-looking mosquito bites instantly appeared on her arm. Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Gu Li let go and turned to grab her left arm.

Another row of bites was promptly arranged on the left side.

“It’s so serious. They’re even bigger than this morning. You have to use the medicine.” With that, the Film Queen unscrewed the cap and gently applied the ointment to the red, swollen spots. Her fingertips smoothed the cream over the skin with a light, ticklish touch that made Ye Lin’s eyes narrow involuntarily.

Gu Li was incredibly patient with the application—a kind of patience that was foreign yet strangely soothing to Ye Lin. Watching Gu Li’s focused expression, Ye Lin felt a sudden sting in her nose and a wave of inexplicable grievance rose in her chest.

In her past life, she was a top-tier Celestial Master, born as the successor to the Sect. Since her earliest memories, she had undergone grueling, harsh training. No one had ever asked if she was tired or if it hurt. In the eyes of others, she was a flawless, invincible entity. An injury as minor as a mosquito bite was something to be ignored entirely. Yet here she was, being treated with such tenderness over something so trivial. The novelty of it moved her; the gentleness made her crave more.

After applying the medicine, Gu Li leaned down and blew gently on the spots. Ye Lin’s once-calm heart rippled with emotion. Her toes curled inside her shoes as she struggled to suppress the surge of feelings within her.