After Being Bound to the Scummy Alpha System, I Became Famous Thanks to My Face Blindness - Chapter 39

Xiao Nan said, “Quantitative change leads to qualitative change. You’ve accumulated so much power—I feel like your Scummy Alpha value is about to skyrocket!”

Tang Ling found her confidence a bit dubious. “No need to go sky-high. Just send me flawless skin, and I’ll be satisfied.”

Xiao Nan pumped her up: “You can always trust the system! The system will never let down any hardworking Scummy Alpha!”

Tang Ling muttered, “Let’s hope your words bring luck.”

Jiang Family Villa

After Tang Ling and Su Mengzhi went to the hospital, the girls’ excitement for the beach activities had clearly faded. With a teammate sent to the hospital, no one could focus wholeheartedly on filming the show.

The production team noticed their distracted mood, but since they had already captured enough footage, they organized for the girls to return.

At noon, the girls prepared the meal themselves.

Most of the seafood they had brought back were clams, various conches, shellfish, and razor clams. These ingredients weren’t difficult to handle, and there were plenty of tutorials online. The girls worked together in the kitchen, producing a seafood feast rivaling last night’s.

Compared to the others, Tan Shiyi had more cooking experience, so she took the lead. To cater to everyone’s tastes, the lunch was kept light—a relief for Jiang Manli, who couldn’t cook and didn’t enjoy salty food.

Jiang Manli raved about Tan Shiyi’s seafood dumpling soup: “In my opinion, seafood dumpling soup should taste exactly like this. Restaurant versions are always too salty—so forced. Isn’t the saltiness of the sea supposed to be natural?

Sigh, too bad Ling-jie isn’t here, or she’d get to taste this.”

Recalling the heaps of chili she had seen at Tang Ling’s home, Tan Shiyi casually asked, “Isn’t Tang Ling’s taste usually quite strong?”

Jiang Manli explained, “Ling-jie loves spicy food, but she actually can’t handle too much salt. On the other hand, she likes sweet flavors. So, Sister-in-law, are you satisfied with the info I’ve provided?”

Tan Shiyi didn’t respond, but she silently took note of the details.

After lunch, it was time to work on the official composition. Although Jiang Manli knew nothing about musical instruments, she liked to appear cultured. She had placed an imported piano in a prominent spot on the first floor, conveniently available for everyone.

Tan Shiyi sat at the piano with lyrics and a pencil, integrating everyone’s ideas.

“Do you guys have any ideas? Speak up. You can hum a tune, and I’ll transcribe it and adjust it as we go along. This is our song together.”

Fu Xin said, “I have an idea. Based on the lyrics, this song feels lively, like the sweet excitement of a girl’s crush. So the melody can’t be too heavy. Listen to what I’ve hummed and see if it works.”

She quietly sang, following the lyrics: “Opening a bottle of summer-limited soda, through the prism you used in class.”

The other girls propped their chins in their hands, listening attentively while Tan Shiyi quickly made notes above the lyrics.

Fu Xin stopped at the chorus and shyly asked, “That’s roughly it, do you think it works?”

The girls clapped enthusiastically:

“Of course, you’re a professional singer—amazing!”

“So good! It really brings out the fresh vibe of the lyrics!”

Tan Shiyi said, “It sounds nice, though a few beats are off. I’ve made some slight adjustments—listen.”

She played the piano and sang along: “Opening a bottle of summer-limited soda, through the prism you used in class.”

With Tan Shiyi’s tweaks, the melody flowed more smoothly and became cuter and livelier.

The girls clapped automatically when she finished playing.

Fu Xin admired her: “Shiyi, you’re incredible. I just sang it once, and you already remembered it and can play it!”

Tan Shiyi smiled: “It’s your melody that’s so catchy. Any other ideas? Don’t be shy—just share. This is our song.”

Xiao Rong was eager to try: “Then I’ll hum a part too. See if it works.”

The girls took turns, discussing and refining the melody. After hours of careful adjustments, they finalized the first section.

Once the first section was done, the second section was much easier, requiring only minor tweaks.

The girls were thrilled and surprised that their beginner-level skills could result in such a smooth and pleasing composition.

He Junnian suggested, “Let’s leave the chorus for Tang Ling and Mengzhi when they return. It doesn’t feel right to take full control while they’re gone.”

Tan Shiyi agreed: “Sounds good. We want everyone to participate.”

As evening approached, Fu Xin worried, “I hope Mengzhi is okay. It’s been a while, and we haven’t heard anything. If she was fine, she should’ve returned by now.”

Her words mirrored Tan Shiyi’s thoughts. She had assumed the girls would be back soon, but the day was nearly over with no sign of them, making her anxious.

Jiang Manli reassured them: “They probably needed extra tests. We don’t know exactly what stung her. They should be back soon. Don’t worry—they’ll be fine. If something serious happened, wouldn’t we have been notified? By the way, do you guys want to check out the night market? There are a few lively streets here. It’s a rare chance to visit—you should go.”

After an afternoon of work, the girls were eager to relax. Excited by the idea of a night market, they rushed to their rooms to change and do their makeup.

Only Tan Shiyi remained at the piano.

Jiang Manli curiously asked, “Sister-in-law, aren’t you coming with them?”

Tang Ling wasn’t around, and Tan Shiyi had no mood for sightseeing. She only wanted to stay in the villa and wait for Tang Ling to come back. Her gaze lowered as she said softly, “I’ll pass. There’s nothing I want to buy. I’ll just stay here and think about how to arrange the composition.”

Jiang Manli smirked mischievously. “Sister-in-law, don’t tell me you’re worried about my Ling-jie and can’t focus on having fun? Come on, she’s not the one who got hurt—what’s there to worry about?”

Tan Shiyi’s thoughts were immediately exposed. Her face flushed. “Don’t talk nonsense.”

Jiang Manli egged her on. “Oh dear, sister-in-law, your face is red! Don’t worry, I’ll always be on your side. What’s so great about that little Su Mengzhi anyway? She’s nothing compared to Tang Shi CP!”

Tan Shiyi blinked. “Why are you bringing up Su Mengzhi?”

Realizing she’d said too much, Jiang Manli scrambled to cover it up with a nervous laugh. “Oh, that? I was just talking randomly, haha. Don’t take it seriously!”

Tan Shiyi frowned. She recalled that morning when Tang Ling had rejected her, saying she had to discuss something with Jiang Manli. “What did you two talk about this morning?”

Jiang Manli tried to think back. Actually, they hadn’t talked about much—she’d only teased Tang Ling about flirting with Su Mengzhi, and Tang Ling had even admitted it. Though Jiang Manli was good at bluffing and banter, she was a terrible liar. Her nervous face immediately gave her away as she let out an awkward chuckle.

“Heh, nothing much, really. Haha.”

Tan Shiyi’s heart sank little by little. She wasn’t stupid—she could clearly sense the shift. Ever since this trip began, Tang Ling’s enthusiasm toward Su Mengzhi had been obvious. “So what, did Tang Ling tell you she’s planning to pursue Su Mengzhi?”

Jiang Manli’s smile froze. What was she supposed to do now—admit it or deny it? If she admitted it, she’d be betraying Tang Ling. If she didn’t, she had no idea how to face Tan Shiyi’s serious expression.

For the first time, she hated her own big mouth. Of all the things she could have talked about, she just had to bring this up. Truly, a disaster born from words.

Tan Shiyi saw her expression and understood immediately. Her heart turned cold.

She hadn’t expected Tang Ling to suddenly fall for her, but she’d at least harbored a faint hope—that maybe, with time and closeness, something new could blossom between them. Yet Tang Ling had chosen Su Mengzhi instead, unwilling even to spare her an extra glance.

Realizing the trouble she’d caused, Jiang Manli hurried to coax her. “Sister-in-law, I swear, my Ling-jie’s just momentarily blinded by wildflowers. She’ll come back to you in the end!”

Tan Shiyi’s expression was cold and unreadable. She didn’t say a word.

Jiang Manli continued, trying to placate her. “I mean it! Don’t let her past fool you. Sure, she’s had a lot of exes, but those were all just meaningless flings. You’re her bai yueguang, her one and only! She joined this show because of you—come on, have a little faith in her!”

So many exes.

All just meaningless flings.

Tan Shiyi stared at Jiang Manli, speechless. She couldn’t believe someone could be this terrible at comforting people. She even suspected Jiang Manli was doing it on purpose, deliberately using the most hurtful words she could find.

Jiang Manli, oblivious, blurted, “Don’t be mad, okay? When she comes back, I’ll scold her for you! How could she go chasing after some other girl when she’s got such a perfect sister-in-law? Come on, I’ll treat you to a nice meal—let’s forget that scummy woman!”

Tan Shiyi had no appetite at all. All she wanted was to hide somewhere quiet and drive those awful words out of her head. Without thinking, she asked, “Do you have any alcohol?”

Jiang Manli blinked. “You want to drink? There’s none here, but we can go out—nothing like a good drink to drown your sorrows! I know a little bar nearby with amazing atmosphere. Let’s go!”

When Tang Ling returned to the Jiang villa, she was surprised to find the entire place empty.

The lights were still on downstairs. On the piano sat a half-finished piece of sheet music—in Tan Shiyi’s handwriting. She hummed a few notes to herself; the melody was unexpectedly beautiful.

The girls must have gone out to relax after work. Tang Ling didn’t think much of it. After running around the hospital all day, she was exhausted and just wanted to rest.

She went back to her room, washed up, and lay down in bed.

A while later, she heard someone come in downstairs—singing loudly and off-key. It sounded like Jiang Manli had gotten herself drunk again.

To avoid being disturbed, Tang Ling put in her earplugs and prepared to sleep.

The noise downstairs quieted for a while. Then came a knock at her door.

She figured Jiang Manli had come upstairs looking for attention and pretended not to hear.

The knocking came again, firmer this time—and to her surprise, it wasn’t Jiang Manli’s loud, brash voice that followed, but Tan Shiyi’s clear and gentle one.

“Tang Ling, are you in there?”

Tang Ling immediately got up. She’d never treat Tan Shiyi with the same indifference. She hurried to the door—and the moment she opened it, she was hit by a wave of sweet osmanthus scent mixed with a faint trace of milk, strong enough to make her instinctively step back.

To her astonishment, Tan Shiyi was in heat.

Her face was flushed, her breathing unsteady, and her eyes were filled with a sorrowful haze.

Tang Ling froze, then frowned. “Did you drink?”

Tan Shiyi rubbed her eyes. “Just a little.”

Tang Ling sighed helplessly. “Didn’t I tell you? Drinking triggers your heat—why were you drinking outside?”

Tan Shiyi tilted her head, her lips curving faintly. “But being in heat, isn’t that a good thing?”

“What’s good about that?” Tang Ling had seen her drunk before and knew she was no better than Jiang Manli when tipsy. “I’ll check downstairs for an inhibitor. You should go back to your room and lie down, okay? I’ll be right back.”

But before she could turn away, Tan Shiyi suddenly wrapped her arms around her from behind. “I don’t want the inhibitor.”

Definitely drunk. Tang Ling sighed, keeping her tone patient. “Your pheromones are spreading like crazy. You need the medicine. Be good, let go of me—I’ll be right back, I promise, okay?”

Tan Shiyi’s voice came softly from behind her ear, trembling but distinct:

“Why do I need medicine? You could just mark me instead. Haven’t you always wanted to mark me?”