After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, I Met the Reborn Omega - Chapter 45

Bai Qin, imitating Lin Changsheng, also raised a cup of wine. As she looked over the crowd below, her gaze immediately found Gu Ruoyun. Even though Gu Ruoyun was simply dressed as a modest scholar — far less glamorous compared to the dazzling figures around her — Bai Qin spotted her at once.

In Bai Qin’s heart, Gu Ruoyun had always been a daughter of the heavens, lofty and untouchable. Wherever she went, she would radiate a unique brilliance, untouched by dust — pure and untainted.

And Bai Qin saw herself as Gu Ruoyun’s stain, a blemish that had tried to cling to her purity.

The money Bai Qin had earned over the years was hardly clean. Having long sold information for a living, she had grown accustomed to playing both sides. As long as she was paid enough, there was no secret she couldn’t uncover. Yet what did it matter how much money she had now?

Bai Qin had always felt unworthy of Gu Ruoyun. Once, she was nothing more than a canary kept in a gilded cage by her. And as a canary, she should have known better than to harbor dreams — dreams of one day standing openly at her side.

Back then, Bai Qin had investigated much of what happened and understood Gu Ruoyun’s helplessness. She had forgiven Gu Ruoyun’s concealment long ago. But what she could never forgive was the fact that, when faced with that crisis, Gu Ruoyun’s first instinct had been to hide it from her.

Did Gu Ruoyun think she would make a scene? Or was it because Bai Qin’s status was too shameful to ever see the light of day, leading Gu Ruoyun to prefer a sham marriage — a marriage that the whole world would know about, while Bai Qin, the one who shared her bed, remained blissfully unaware?

The gulf between them — as vast as clouds and mud — was something Bai Qin had always been keenly aware of. Just like now: Bai Qin was a courtesan from a brothel, belonging to the lowest of the low, while Gu Ruoyun was a newly appointed scholar, a talent recognized by the Empress herself, destined for a bright official career.

Perhaps because her own reality weighed heavily on her mind, Bai Qin showed a sorrow she shouldn’t have revealed. Or perhaps, surrounded by nothing but actors feigning emotion, she finally allowed herself to drop her mask and express her sadness freely. After all, no one would be able to tell whether she was acting or if this was the real her.

Meanwhile, Bai Qin’s fans, glued to her livestream, closely followed her every move. The camera dedicated solely to her was broadcasting even her subtlest expressions in vivid detail.

“Little Bai Bai looks so sorrowful!”

“I didn’t know Little Bai Bai could act like this! Her sadness looks so real. She’s truly a courtesan of a thousand charms now.”

Gu Ximeng glanced at the real-time comments flying across the screen. She thought to herself: I didn’t arrange this part of the script. But everything she could do for her aunt had already been set into motion. Whether her aunt could win back her true love now was up to her. Gu Ximeng could no longer interfere.

She recalled how, a few days ago, Gu Ruoyun had suddenly sought her out, asking her to arrange for her and Bai Qin to meet. For someone as meticulous and rule-abiding as Gu Ruoyun, it was shocking — she had always despised bending the rules, yet here she was, breaking them without hesitation.

“I’m not getting any younger. She’s the only one I care about. My return to the country was entirely for her. Auntie hopes you can help me. I can’t afford to lose her again,” Gu Ruoyun had said.

Gu Ximeng didn’t know exactly what had happened between them, but at that moment, Gu Ruoyun’s sorrow was too real to be an act. It moved her deeply. She had originally assumed that Gu Ruoyun’s return was to revive her career in entertainment — but maybe that was just an excuse, a means to reclaim the one she had lost.

Gu Ruoyun was soon pushed onto the stage. Facing Hua Miaomiao, who was decked out in dazzling finery, Gu Ruoyun respectfully saluted her. Hua Miaomiao, delighted, hadn’t expected to be treated so grandly just for participating in a variety show. Seeing Mo Zhaoyan’s cold face turn slightly pleased and Tang Ying’s obvious deference made her feel the show was more than worth it.

Tang Ying, however, quietly reminded Hua Miaomiao, “Know when to stop.”

**Perhaps because they were standing too close, Hua Miaomiao felt her ears go soft. Her dependence on Tang Ying was growing deeper and deeper. With a playful glare, she threw Tang Ying a flirtatious glance. Only then did she notice that Gu Ruoyun was still maintaining the same posture — bowing in a respectful salute.

As expected of a Best Actress; she was completely immersed in her role, far beyond their league.
“There’s no need to salute,” Hua Miaomiao said cheerfully. “I’m traveling incognito — we don’t want to scare the common folk.”

Although everyone around them was an actor, and they were all well aware of Hua Miaomiao’s true identity, so there was no risk of being exposed, Hua Miaomiao still said it for effect. Hearing this, Gu Ruoyun finally straightened up and lifted her head to glance in Bai Qin’s direction.

She had long known Bai Qin was there but could only watch her from a distance.

However, the person who was supposed to be there was now gone. Gu Ruoyun’s heart sank, leaving an empty ache inside her.

Hua Miaomiao continued walking upstairs, with Mo Zhaoyan and Gu Ruoyun leading the way and Tang Ying following behind, her treatment reaching the highest level. It was probably the most glamorous moment of her life, even if it was all just an act.

When the four of them reached the upper floor and pushed open the door to Lin Changsheng’s room, they were surprised to find Bai Qin already there. Now, everyone was present.

Lin Changsheng and Mo Zhaoyan exchanged a glance and shared a small smile before the six of them took their seats.

Suddenly, the wristbands they wore emitted a soft glow. This was a new piece of technology — an evolution of the smartphone — called the Optical Brain. It had all the functions of a computer and also supported communications. Pressing the button on the band projected a transparent screen filled with dense, detailed text.

This was the script Gu Ximeng had distributed to them. Each person had their own unique version. The Optical Brain was a product of collaboration: initially developed by Lin Changsheng under Mo Corporation and completed with the partnership of Huayang Group. This marked the first cooperation between the two companies — a major step for future technology.

“Whoa, what kind of high-tech gadget is that?”

“Haven’t you heard? It’s the Optical Brain, jointly developed by Mo Corporation and Huayang Group. It’s like a next-gen computer!”

“What?! My wife collaborated with my other wife!”

“Wait, which one’s your wife exactly?”

The decision to use the Optical Brain was made by Mo Zhaoyan. She planned to promote it freely through the show before its official launch.

The Optical Brain prototype had been developed by Lin Changsheng, but it was Huayang Group that provided the missing experimental data to complete it. Without Hua Miaomiao’s willingness to collaborate, it would have taken Lin Changsheng several more years to finish it alone.

The emergence of the Optical Brain would have a massive impact on the future of technology. Eventually, it would become as essential to daily life as smartphones are today.

Lin Changsheng quickly flipped through her personal script. She could read ten lines at a glance and still remember every detail clearly.

Although the Lin and Mo families were mortal enemies, Lin Changsheng had known Mo Zhaoyan since childhood. As the only daughter of the Grand Chancellor, Mo Zhaoyan had undergone rigorous training from a very young age. Still, like any child, she had occasionally tried to skip lessons.

It was during one of those attempts that she first encountered Lin Changsheng — someone entirely different from herself. From then on, the two would often meet secretly, and an unspoken bond quietly grew between them.

However, after the Lin family fell from power and Mo Zhaoyan successfully passed the imperial examinations and entered government service, their relationship gradually cooled.

Hua Miaomiao was designated as the successor to the current Empress — the Crown Princess.

Back when the Empress herself was still a princess, she had a consort. Unfortunately, the consort was short-lived and passed away early, leaving behind only this daughter.

Since the death of her consort, the Empress never bore another child. Thus, Hua Miaomiao was her only precious treasure. Yet, Hua Miaomiao was seen as frivolous and unstudious, earning little respect from the civil and military officials. The already unstable political situation worsened as the Empress’s health began to decline.

Seizing the opportunity, the Lin faction put forward the legitimate son of a prince from the former dynasty as the new Crown Prince, attempting to depose Hua Miaomiao. However, having fought hard to seize her empire, the Empress would never willingly hand it back.

Thus, the factional struggles that had barely settled erupted once more.

Reading through her script, Hua Miaomiao realized that, despite being the Crown Princess, she held no real power. Above her, the Empress reigned supreme; below, opponents constantly plotted to pull her down from the Eastern Palace.

The only person she could truly trust was Tang Ying — her personal guard who had grown up alongside her.

Hua Miaomiao was thoroughly dissatisfied with this script. How could I be portrayed as someone so useless? she thought indignantly. Even my imperial mother doesn’t like me? Am I not her only daughter?

When Hua Miaomiao was young, she had been kidnapped due to her playful nature. The consort, already frail, suffered a fatal heart attack from the shock and grief, passing away soon after.

The Empress, who had been deeply in love with her husband, inadvertently projected her resentment onto her child.

Tang Ying had also been among the kidnapped children. Because they were of similar age and Tang Ying had comforted her during that ordeal, the two had become close friends. After the rescue, Tang Ying remained at her side as her personal bodyguard.

Tang Ying, silently reading her own script, said nothing. She quietly closed her Optical Brain without a word. At that moment, she appeared even colder than Mo Zhaoyan — whether it was just part of her role or due to deeper reasons was unclear.

Bai Qin’s script was simpler. It mostly revolved around Lin Changsheng, who frequently visited her — yet only to listen to her play music without engaging in anything improper.

Then there was Gu Ruoyun.

Despite having little money, Gu Ruoyun would spend her entire fortune just to reserve Bai Qin’s company. But she did nothing improper either: only drinking, talking, reciting poetry, playing chess, appreciating paintings — the refined arts.

In truth, Gu Ruoyun was a complete bookworm. She never should have set foot in a place like a brothel.

Yet Gu Ruoyun didn’t care. Though reputation was something scholars valued most, she fell in love with Bai Qin at first sight. She longed to redeem Bai Qin’s freedom and bring her home, but lacking the funds, she could only visit often to ease her longing.

Recently, Gu Ruoyun finally achieved first place in the imperial examinations, bringing a glimmer of hope. But when she joyfully shared the news with Bai Qin, Bai Qin stopped seeing her altogether.

Everyone had finished reading their individual scripts. However, the story’s actual progression would depend entirely on the players’ choices, allowing for endless twists and surprises. Each person had hidden missions — this was what made the game truly exciting.

Once inside the story, it would be impossible to leave until it reached its conclusion.

The people in the story could be them — or they could be you, watching from the other side of the screen.

This was the groundbreaking variety show created by Gu Ximeng. When the Optical Brain officially launched, it would allow an unprecedented new immersive experience through technology.

The people in the story could be me — or they could be you.

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