After Being Bound to the Scummy Alpha System, I Became Famous Thanks to My Face Blindness - Chapter 2

Early the next morning,

In the bathroom, Tang Ling stood in front of the mirror, staring blankly at her reflection.

Hickeys. Scratches. Nail marks.

All over her skin—angry, crimson traces that painted a story far too intense for her liking.

Anyone who didn’t know better would think she’d been through a war.

Worst of all—her once-vanished abs were back.

And this time, they came with a bonus: a pair of powerful, sculpted pecs.

Tang Ling shut her eyes in despair.

Everything that had happened last night was something she could hardly bear to recall.

She’d underestimated the power of pheromones. She thought a light bite to the gland would solve the problem—quick, clinical, efficient.

Who could have guessed that Tan Shiyi’s scent would be that intoxicating—sweet and maddening, dizzying enough to unravel her reason?

And on top of that, Tan Shiyi had been so active.

Things had spiraled out of control, veering dangerously close to a point of no return.

If not for the system’s constant, infuriating interruptions ringing in her head,

“Detected: Scum-A Value +2.”

“Detected: Scum-A Value +3.”

“Congratulations, Host! Current Scum-A Value: 60!”

“Wonderful! You’re truly scum! Mission reward unlocked—eight-pack abs!”

Tang Ling had finally lost it.

Throwing her head back, she shouted toward the ceiling, “Can you shut up already? Maybe turn off the damn cameras? Ever heard of privacy?”

Beneath her, Tan Shiyi had been gasping for breath, eyes wide and clear as glass, her disbelief piercing:

“You—you actually had the camera on?”

The next second, the chipper voice of Xiao Nan echoed again in Tang Ling’s mind:

“Fantastic! Host, you’ve just gained 20 Scum-A points in one go! Congratulations—reward unlocked: Impressive Chest Muscles! Earn 20 more to receive Incredible Arm Strength! Keep up the good work!”

Tang Ling: “…”

Oh, please. Like my arm strength isn’t terrifying enough already.

After dressing, she didn’t know how to face Tan Shiyi.

The girl was still fast asleep, completely exhausted from last night.

Her long lashes cast faint shadows over her cheeks, her skin soft and flushed with the faintest pink.

Her small frame was curled up tightly under the covers, as if she was trying to make herself smaller—to feel safe.

Tang Ling knew Tan Shiyi’s story.

She’d been an orphan—parents gone early, raised in a poorly funded orphanage.

Her life had been hard, yet she’d never let it break her spirit.

Bright, kind, and talented in every way—until one day, a photo from a school performance had gone viral online.

A scout had discovered her and brought her into the Beidou Star Training Program.

And that was exactly why the original Tang Ling had dared to target her—

easy prey, she’d thought, someone soft enough to crush.

Now, looking at her, Tang Ling felt her chest twist painfully.

Such a good girl.

Such a bright future—ruined by her.

All she could do now was try her best to fix what she could, maybe regain a sliver of goodwill—enough to keep herself from ending up sweeping the streets someday.

She called her assistant, Ah Tong, explaining the situation and asking her to find someone to unlock the door.

In the original story, Ah Tong was the one person Tang Ling could truly trust—a competent, level-headed agent personally arranged by Tang Ling’s father.

She was sharp, honest, and had always been the one cleaning up Tang Ling’s messes while lecturing her with exasperated affection.

Sure enough, Ah Tong’s voice rose in horror the moment she heard what had happened.

“My little ancestor! Do you even know what kind of place the training camp is? How could you do something like this?

Where did you even get that suppressant? You’re lucky nothing worse happened last night—what if it had gone wrong? Could you handle that?”

Tang Ling’s tone was full of guilt.

“Sis Tong, I really know I was wrong. I swear, it won’t happen again. Please just send someone to unlock the door—and maybe bring some breakfast? Something easy on the stomach. Shiyi hasn’t eaten, and I’m afraid she won’t feel well when she wakes.”

When Tang Ling stepped out of the bathroom, she froze.

Tan Shiyi was already awake.

She’d put on her wrinkled, sweat-soaked training uniform from last night and sat quietly on the bed, her gaze fixed somewhere far away.

Tang Ling cursed herself silently.

You idiot—how could you let her wear those filthy clothes? Why didn’t you think to wash them last night?

“I’ll get you something clean to wear,” she offered quickly, opening the closet.

“No need,” Tan Shiyi said hoarsely.

Tang Ling hesitated, guilt twisting in her chest.

“Then at least let me pour you some water.”

Tan Shiyi’s lips curved faintly, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

“Do you really think I’d dare drink anything you hand me?”

Tang Ling: “…”

Tan Shiyi’s next words were calm but sharp as a blade.

“When’s the locksmith getting here?”

“They’ll be here soon. I also asked for breakfast.” Tang Ling’s voice dropped, careful and small. “Maybe you could eat something before you go?”

Tan Shiyi didn’t answer. She stood, walked into the bathroom, and locked the door behind her.

A moment later, the sound of running water filled the silence.

When she emerged again, her damp hair clung to her skin, tiny droplets glinting along her hairline.

She looked fragile—like something made of glass, transparent and breakable.

Tang Ling’s throat tightened. “You don’t feel unwell anywhere, do you?”

Tan Shiyi gave a low laugh.

“What kind of answer do you expect? You forcibly marked me—and I’m supposed to say it felt good?”

Tang Ling had no words.

It had been an emergency. There really hadn’t been any other way at the time.

But she couldn’t say that. She couldn’t even meet Tan Shiyi’s eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“No need to apologize,” Tan Shiyi said evenly, glancing at her.

“I wasn’t planning on forgiving you anyway.”

Tang Ling: “…”

No point in talking anymore—better just keep quiet.

Before long, Ah Tong arrived with someone to unlock the dorm door. Even though the windows had been opened for ventilation and the air-conditioning’s circulation mode was on, the mixed scent of two pheromones still lingered faintly in the air. The locksmith gave the two of them a meaningful look, only to be glared back into silence by Tang Ling.

Tan Shiyi grabbed her bag and headed for the door.

“I’ll walk you back,” Tang Ling said, catching up to her.

The training camp had three separate dorm buildings divided by gender. The Omega dorms were a good ten-minute walk from here, and Tang Ling wasn’t about to let Tan Shiyi go back alone.

But Tan Shiyi ignored her and kept walking straight out.

“Wait for me.” Tang Ling reached out to grab her hand.

“Don’t touch me!” Tan Shiyi’s voice suddenly rose as she jerked her hand away with force.

Only then did Tang Ling notice that, despite Tan Shiyi’s seemingly calm expression, her eyes were already shimmering with tears.

Tang Ling froze for a moment, and in that instant, Tan Shiyi wrenched free and stormed out of her dorm without looking back.

For a long while, Tang Ling just stood there before cursing under her breath, “Scumbag A.”

The Labor Day break passed in a blink.

For the next two days, Tang Ling made a point of avoiding the cafeteria—just in case she ran into Tan Shiyi.

It wasn’t a big deal to her. After all, Tan Shiyi wouldn’t even recognize her now. But still, she didn’t want to see those red, tearful eyes again.

On the final day of the holiday, the trainees began trickling back in, and the training camp once again filled with noise and energy.

The Beidou Star Training Program was huge—120 trainees across all three genders. Among them, 24 were Alphas, sharing two-person dorms in the Alpha-exclusive building.

Tang Ling’s roommate, Jiang Manli, had been her friend even before they entered the camp—a true partner in crime. When those two got together, no good ever came of it.

The moment Jiang Manli returned, she was bursting with gossip. “Hey, Ling-jie, didn’t you say you were going to bag that little O surnamed Tan? Did you? Bet she tastes pretty sweet, huh?”

Tang Ling’s face flushed. Good grief, could this girl be any more uncouth?

Not wanting Jiang Manli to find out she had marked Tan Shiyi, she played dumb. “Which little O? Can’t seem to recall.”

Jiang Manli grinned slyly. “Oh, come on. You totally did it, didn’t you? Trying to hide it from your sister here?”

Tang Ling sighed. “Didn’t have time. My dad gave me a final warning. The first round of performances is coming up soon, and he said if I don’t do well and get eliminated, he’s cutting off my allowance. I’ve been too busy training to think about anything else.”

That part was true. With the Tang family’s influence, there was never any real need for their daughter to enter a talent show. But Tang’s father had strict expectations. He couldn’t stand her pampered, reckless behavior, so he sent her here to “toughen up.”

According to the original book’s setting, the original Tang Ling had always been terrified of her father. While Mrs. Tang doted on her endlessly, Mr. Tang was different—when he got angry, it really was a “break-your-leg” kind of situation.

That was also why, when her identity as a fake heiress was exposed, her father had kicked her straight out of the house—left to pick trash on the streets.

The true heiress of the Tang family, of course, was none other than Tan Shiyi’s destined true Alpha—Pu Xiaoyu.

Absolutely soap-opera levels of dog-blood drama.

Jiang Manli burst out laughing. “That bad, huh? Guess you’re worse off than me. Remember when my nightclub photos got leaked last month? My mom was so furious she grounded me for days. But hey, at least I still had good food and a soft bed, hahaha.”

Tang Ling froze for a moment, recalling the novel’s plot. As the friend of a side villain, Jiang Manli didn’t meet a good end either—she was framed and became addicted to drugs, eventually destroyed beyond recognition.

“You shouldn’t go to that club again,” Tang Ling said seriously. “I heard there’s something shady about that place. Don’t let anyone set you up.”

Jiang Manli just waved it off with a laugh. “Come on, it’s a nightclub—none of them are clean. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. Nothing’s gonna happen.”

Tang Ling cursed silently. Know what you’re doing, my ass. No one in the book had it worse than her. But she couldn’t say that aloud, so she just muttered, “Alright then.”

What else could she do? She’d just have to keep an eye on her later.

Jiang Manli might not have had the best morals, but she was one of the few people in this world who had genuinely cared for the original Tang Ling. Tang Ling didn’t want to betray that friendship—she’d find a way to save her.

But first, she had to figure out how to make sure she could recognize Jiang Manli later.

Tang Ling studied her carefully.

As an Alpha, Jiang Manli was taller than Tan Shiyi, with sharper facial lines and a distinctive purple short haircut—unmistakably punk, with that unmistakable shamatte vibe (bold and flamboyant fashion). Definitely recognizable.

Still, in a girl group training camp, hairstyles and makeup changed almost daily. You couldn’t rely on looks alone to tell people apart.

Completely unaware that her friend’s soul had been swapped, Jiang Manli rummaged through her luggage and pulled out a sleek black gift box. “Ling-jie, look what I got you! Didn’t you say you wanted that Harry Winston necklace? My friend went abroad and picked up two—one for you, one for me. I swear, we’re the only ones in the whole camp with matching ones!”

Tang Ling’s eyes lit up. Ah, she suddenly knew exactly what to do.