After My Fiancée Failed to Pretend to Be an Alpha - Chapter 10

Tang Cheng was the first to call the police. She then checked the bedroom—her pot of lucky bamboo had been smashed, soil scattered everywhere. She carefully placed the plant into a glass cup to keep it alive.

The entire apartment was a wreck. On the shattered coffee table, she finally found her notebook, pinned beneath a sheet of paper.

A lawyer’s letter.

“Tang Cheng, we will not settle. Prepare for litigation.”

Zhang He?

She remembered. That incident had happened a month ago. She thought it was over. Apparently not.

Her anger ebbed, replaced by another thought: If I end up homeless, surely Lu Xinxue wouldn’t let me sleep on the streets.

Tentatively, she dialed Lu Xinxue’s number. No answer. She tried again—still silence.

By the time Officer Fang Jing knocked on her door, there was still no word from Lu Xinxue.

Strange. She shouldn’t have gone this long without a message.

Closing her phone, Tang Cheng felt unsettled. Fang Jing examined the scene, asked if she had lost anything valuable. Tang Cheng glanced at the notebook in her hand, shook her head, and followed her to the station to file a report.

Throughout, her calls and messages to Lu Xinxue vanished into the void.

At eleven, she left the station on time. Still no reply. Tang Cheng decided to check on Lu Xinxue in person.

Her trunk held all her belongings: two hoodies, an outfit borrowed from Lu Xinxue, a potted plant, a set of mechanical equipment, and a mechanical arm awaiting repair.

Would showing up at Lu Xinxue’s home like this be too abrupt?

Passing a flower shop, she bought a bouquet of tulips—Lu Xinxue’s favorite.

The lights were on upstairs. She was home. Tang Cheng rang the doorbell, heart pounding nervously.

Footsteps descended.

But it wasn’t Lu Xinxue.

The door opened to reveal an Omega with red wavy hair, high heels bringing her eye level with Tang Cheng. A tight leather outfit hugged her frame, her delicate features sharpened by impatience. Her gaze held arrogance and disdain.

Tang Cheng recognized her immediately—Zhong Rou, one of Lu Xinxue’s close friends. The Zhong family was a scholarly household in A City, both parents intellectuals. As their only daughter, Zhong Rou had shown remarkable artistic talent from childhood. She differentiated as an Omega at seventeen, later studied abroad. The last time Tang Cheng had seen her was at the engagement banquet, where she had appeared briefly.

Zhong Rou blocked the doorway, but the scent of thyme still spilled from inside. Lu Xinxue was in heat again.

Tang Cheng tried to look past her, but Zhong Rou barred the way.

Seeing Tang Cheng silent, Zhong Rou’s tone was sharp. “What are you doing here?”

Hands on her hips, chin raised like a proud peacock.

Tang Cheng said quietly, “I called Axin, but she didn’t answer. I was worried.”

Seeing her again didn’t stir joy in Tang Cheng—only hesitation. She knew she had wronged Lu Xinxue before. Judging by Zhong Rou’s hostility, she had clearly offended her too. And offending this vindictive young lady was never wise.

Zhong Rou narrowed her eyes. “Why are you calling her in the middle of the night?”

“My home was trashed,” Tang Cheng explained. “I wanted to tell her.”

“Trashed? You don’t even bother to make your lies convincing.” Zhong Rou’s disbelief was obvious. She glanced at Tang Cheng’s car, then shot her a glare.

“It’s true,” Tang Cheng insisted. “How is Axin?”

At the mention of Lu Xinxue, Zhong Rou stepped closer, blocking her view again. “If not for you, she wouldn’t be like this. Stop trying to make yourself relevant. Her Alpha will be here soon. Leave.”

She moved to shut the door.

But Tang Cheng stopped it with surprising strength. Zhong Rou’s eyes widened. “What are you doing?”

Tang Cheng’s voice trembled. “She has an Alpha?”

To Zhong Rou, Tang Cheng was nothing but a reckless madwoman. She didn’t want to argue further. She pitied Lu Xinxue’s years of waiting, and despised Tang Cheng as the face of the Tang family.

Just as she was about to speak, footsteps sounded. Lu Xinxue appeared at the corner, wrapped in a coat.

Tang Cheng wanted to rush forward and support her, but Zhong Rou blocked the way. She couldn’t push past her.

How could she have an Alpha? Tang Cheng thought bitterly. If someone truly cared, would they leave her to go to the hospital alone? Would they let her suffer through heat without relief?

“Arou, let her go.”

Lu Xinxue’s voice was soft, weak. It pierced Tang Cheng’s heart like waterlogged cotton, heavy and suffocating.

Tang Cheng said nothing. Her eyes reddened, her throat tight. She stepped back silently.

Lu Xinxue turned her gaze away, refusing to look at her.

The door closed.

Much later, the sound of a car engine drifted up. Only then did Lu Xinxue collapse against the railing, drained.

If Tang Cheng had forced her way in, neither of them could have stopped her. An Alpha’s strength could easily overpower two Omegas. Thankfully, she had left.

Zhong Rou approached. “Why not ask her to help you? She’s the same person, after all.”

Lu Xinxue suppressed the agitation in her glands, lifted her eyes to Zhong Rou. “It’s not the same. I only want her back.”

Zhong Rou shook her head, supporting her upstairs. “I’ll never understand you two. Look at me—free of love, free of burdens.”

Lu Xinxue’s steps faltered. Without Zhong Rou, she would have fallen.

“Love, to me,” she whispered, “is not a burden.”

Today wasn’t supposed to be her heat period. But last month, triggered by another Omega, her cycle had been thrown off. And now, after coming into contact with Tang Cheng, the scent of sweet basil seeped into her skin the moment she drew near—utterly impossible to suppress.

Thankfully, Lu Xinxue had endured the first wave, regained her senses, and gone downstairs herself to drive Tang Cheng away. Otherwise, tonight would have been sleepless.

Lu Xinxue had known Zhong Rou since the age of ten, only a few years after meeting Tang Cheng. As one of her few close friends, Zhong Rou had always been by her side, witnessing the youthful bond between Lu Xinxue and Tang Cheng.

She left to study abroad the year she differentiated, returned briefly for the wedding, and only last year came back to settle in the country.

Upon her return, shocked by Tang Cheng’s changes, Zhong Rou had sought her out to cause trouble—only to be teased in return. That incident soured her impression of Tang Cheng completely. Later, she clashed with the Tang family’s eldest daughter, leaving her with little patience for Tang Cheng ever since.

Back in the room, Zhong Rou warned, “Tomorrow that social climber will probably try to cozy up to you again. Keep your distance.” She injected herself with a suppressant before continuing, “My mother’s dragging me to meet an Alpha tomorrow, so I’ll be late. Maybe you should ask Uncle Sun to bring you later too.”

The “social climber” she referred to was Tang Qinggu, the Tang family’s eldest daughter. Aside from Tang Cheng, she was likely the person Zhong Rou despised most.

Lu Xinxue shook her head. “No. I have a project to discuss tomorrow. I can manage.”

Zhong Rou relented. “Fine. Just don’t push yourself too hard. Once this deal is done, will you finally rest?”

For years, Lu Xinxue had poured herself into her career, expanding the company while her body grew weaker. And at the root of it all—Tang Cheng, that damned Alpha.

“Almost. Just waiting on this batch from overseas,” Lu Xinxue murmured. Then, after a pause: “Why did she come here?”

“She said her home was trashed.” Zhong Rou scoffed at the excuse.

Lu Xinxue: “…”

“Really? After all these years cleaning up her messes, now she wants to cling to you again,” Zhong Rou said bitterly.

“I know,” Lu Xinxue replied.

“You know what? That whenever it involves Tang Cheng, you hesitate.”

Lu Xinxue fell silent.

Her pheromones surged, flooding the room with intensity. If Zhong Rou hadn’t just taken a suppressant, she would have been pulled into heat herself.

On the bed, Lu Xinxue bit her lip, nails digging into her palms. The unbearable ache of heat spread through her body, turning into pain that reached every limb. Sweat beaded at her temples, her throat forced out ragged breaths.

The thyme grew stronger, and Zhong Rou had no choice but to leave the room. She couldn’t help her, and the agitation in her own body made it worse.

Upstairs, the lights stayed on. Tang Cheng hadn’t left. Her car rolled into the nearest parking lot. She waited below, unwilling to risk being absent if Lu Xinxue needed her.

And perhaps, she thought, she’d see this so-called Alpha for herself.

Tomorrow’s banquet would bring them together anyway. She had no side jobs, no distractions. Her only concern was inside that villa.

She hadn’t reported her day to Lu Xinxue yet. With fifty percent battery left, Tang Cheng hesitated.

Thyme spreads. I knew you might need me.

But Lu Xinxue needs no one. She erases obstacles with composure. I am lucky to witness it.

As long as you lower your head, I will always be here.

Her phone screen flickered. With the last of her battery, Tang Cheng carefully composed and sent her daily report to Lu Xinxue.

She would see it. Tang Cheng was certain.

The night was silent, save for a dog’s restless barking.

Tang Cheng crouched by the door, even able to catch the faint scent of thyme seeping through the cracks. Lu Xinxue was forcing herself through another heat alone.

Footsteps sounded inside. Tang Cheng had no time to move before the door opened—Zhong Rou stepped out with trash, colliding with her.

Zhong Rou hadn’t expected anyone waiting outside. Her clothes were unchanged, dark circles under her eyes. Had Tang Cheng really stayed here all night? It was exactly the kind of foolish thing she would do.

Tang Cheng silently stepped aside. Zhong Rou shut the door behind her and walked down the path to throw the trash away.

Standing a short distance from the villa, she ensured Lu Xinxue wouldn’t overhear.

Tang Cheng approached cautiously. “Sister Rou, how is Axin?”

The respectful address softened Zhong Rou’s expression slightly. Arms crossed, she asked, “Do you remember what happened at the KTV last year?”

Tang Cheng shook her head blankly. She had no memory of it at all—like a blank space in her life, no recollection, no trace.

Fortunately, Zhong Rou didn’t press further. “You’d better keep up this obedient act. Otherwise, we’ll see.”

She glanced upward. “320909.” Then she walked away.

Following her gaze, Tang Cheng turned back. Through the floor-to-ceiling window, she met a pair of beautiful, fragile eyes.