After My Fiancée Failed to Pretend to Be an Alpha - Chapter 27

Two years ago. Always two years ago.

“What did Axin say to you?”

“Nothing much. Just words of trust, really. At that time, I was struggling to make ends meet. I had no choice but to return.”

Recalling that period, Tang Cheng could see the sorrow in Yu Xia’an’s eyes. That failure had silenced her for four years, erasing her name from the field of mechanics until she finally dared to return. The wound was likely far deeper than she admitted.

“Relax,” Tang Cheng said, resting a hand on her shoulder. “What else did Axin say?”

“She asked if you had been involved in that experiment.”

Tang Cheng: “…”

“Two years ago?”

“Yes.”

Lu Xinxue had the right to ask. But why then? Two years ago was when she had considered breaking off her engagement with Tang Cheng. It was also when Lu Corporation rose by stepping over Tang Corporation. Four years had already passed since that disastrous presentation.

So, had she been thinking of it since then?

“What did you say?”

“I said I didn’t know.”

Tang Cheng lowered her gaze. She didn’t know what she should feel—disappointment, sadness, anger? But no emotion came. Her mind absorbed it all numbly, mixing past events into a tangled mess with no clear thread.

“Did she say anything else?” Tang Cheng asked, hoping for more answers.

“No.”

“Alright. Thank you.” Her voice was small, tinged with disappointment.

Yu Xia’an studied her. “Don’t you have anything else to ask?”

Tang Cheng frowned. “Like what?”

“For example, why I believe you were wronged. Why I sought you out. Or why you don’t explain what happened back then.”

Yu Xia’an exhaled smoke, the white wisps drifting out through the window crack.

“I don’t care about that.”

“Is your world only President Lu?”

“I know it’s pathetic. But as you can see, yes.”

Her world was indeed only Lu Xinxue. Her goddess. Her only one. Tang Cheng had never stopped loving her. She was her everything. Since childhood, Tang Cheng had known she had only Lu Xinxue. But Lu Xinxue had choices—many choices. So, Tang Cheng chased her footsteps, yielded to her every demand, all for that single piece of sweetness.

She had been running for twenty years. How could she stop now?

Yu Xia’an sighed. “Fine. When you’ve figured things out, we’ll talk again.”

She finished her cigarette, preparing to leave. But Tang Cheng grabbed her arm. “What do you mean?”

“No rush. First, get familiar with the equipment.”

With that, Yu Xia’an walked away, leaving Tang Cheng bewildered.

Get familiar with the equipment? Who does she think she’s looking down on?

But when Tang Cheng entered the lab, she froze.

She had never seen tools like these.

“This section uses brainwave output. That part is for mechanical arm operation. Over there is manual work. The printer’s in the corner, use it if needed.”

Yuan Jie, the shy Beta, explained patiently.

So, her old research methods were already obsolete. Technology hadn’t stopped advancing, it had leapt forward in tools. No wonder Yu Xia’an had told her to start with the basics.

Determined, Tang Cheng sat down and worked the entire day. With manuals and Yuan Jie’s guidance, she managed to reach ten percent progress.

Yu Xia’an appeared at the door. “Time to go. Don’t rush. Take it slow.”

Her first day had crushed Tang Cheng’s confidence.

“Relax. Iterations have been fast these years. And Lu Corporation has the best equipment. You won’t master it overnight.”

It didn’t sound like comfort. More like a jab.

Tang Cheng shot her a look, but swallowed her pride. Better to stay low-key.

She left work on time, waited in Sun Qiang’s car for Lu Xinxue, then went home to cook.

Lu Xinxue finished her phone tasks and spoke casually. “How was work today?”

Tang Cheng: “Still trying to get used to the equipment.”

Lu Xinxue: “I told you, many things change. Tools update quickly. To do good work, you must first master your tools.”

Tang Cheng’s voice trembled. “Yesterday, you meant this?”

Lu Xinxue glanced at her phone, momentarily confused. Then she looked up, meeting Tang Cheng’s eyes.

Last night’s words: Everything changes. I hope you can adapt quickly.

So, Tang Cheng had twisted them all day, tormenting herself with needless doubts.

“What else did you think I meant?” Lu Xinxue asked seriously.

Tang Cheng forced a smile. “I thought you didn’t want me anymore. Anyway, dinner’s ready.”

It was the answer Lu Xinxue had expected. She looked away.

Sometimes, she didn’t want to be alone with Tang Cheng. Her exposed vulnerability threatened her rationality. The beliefs she had built could collapse in an instant.

“You’re doing well. That’s why I keep you.”

She said it quickly, with no follow-up.

Silence settled between them. Tang Cheng reached for her hand. Lu Xinxue didn’t resist. They sat quietly until the car reached home.

Inside, Tang Cheng noticed an extra pair of shoes at the door.

On the sofa, a red-haired woman tinkered with a mechanical arm. She jumped up. “Axin! You’re finally back!”

But when she saw Tang Cheng, her smile froze.

“What are you doing here!”

“What are you doing here!”

Neither had expected Zhong Rou to show up uninvited. Tang Cheng remembered the mid-year gala, when she had been with Tang Qinggu. The thought was unbearable. Worse, only Tang Cheng knew of it. Awkward. Disastrous.

Lu Xinxue closed the door, seeing the two locked in a stare. “You upstairs. You cook.”

Tang Cheng rolled up her sleeves and went to the kitchen.

No need to guess who each “you” referred to.

Zhong Rou edged closer to Lu Xinxue. “You really let her live here? Aren’t you afraid of inviting trouble?”

Lu Xinxue didn’t answer. She went upstairs.

“Wait for me!” Zhong Rou followed.

Their voices faded on the stairs. Lu Xinxue led her into the study, shutting out the cook downstairs.

“Explain.”

Lu Xinxue sat on the sofa, eyes glinting with mockery.

Zhong Rou froze mid-step. “What?”

“The mid-year gala. Tang Qinggu. Hotel room. Do I need to go on?”

“Stop!”

Zhong Rou’s face flushed crimson, nothing like her carefree look downstairs. “How do you know!”

“I was across from you.”

She hadn’t expected Lu Xinxue to know. The report she had planned to deliver vanished from her mind. She was left fumbling for words.

Lu Xinxue pressed further. “Was it you or her who made the move?”

“Both, I suppose.”

“Have you thought it through?”

“Mutual needs, that’s all.”

“BO relationships aren’t unusual. But still.”

Lu Xinxue pondered, as though she truly needed to consider the matter between them.

“Get lost! That opportunist, that fence-sitter. I’d never like her!”

Zhong Rou’s tone was firm, her certainty absolute.

She added, “Even if every woman in the world died, I still wouldn’t like her.”

It was the only thing that made Lu Xinxue smile that day. Tang Qinggu—deep-minded, a smiling tiger, no matter how strong her rivals, she always managed to bite off a piece of flesh. That ruthless strategy of harming herself to harm others had kept the Tang family undefeated in the internet industry.

But the Tang family’s chaotic internal struggles prevented Tang Qinggu from consolidating power. With endless challengers vying for control, she had no time to expand outward, and so the family never truly grew.

In recent years, Tang Qinggu had been cultivating her own network, needing a strong force to break the deadlock.

If one day the Tang family appointed this Beta as head of the clan, Lu Xinxue would have to think carefully about how to become her ally.

Zhong Rou broke the thought. “Enough of that. Tell me, why did you let her move in?”

She meant Tang Cheng.

Lu Xinxue asked, “Did you find the people from United?”

“Not that simple. The Gu family hides their tracks too well, almost flawless.”

“So, if what they’re after gets disrupted by Tang Cheng, what then?”

“That’s what I thought. But these past few days, I’ve approached them, and the Gu family hasn’t made a move.”

Lu Xinxue considered. “If the enemy doesn’t move, neither do we.”

Still, she was unsettled. The Gu family was clearly brewing something. Such a vast clan, with a master as cunning as a venomous snake—poisonous enough to wound but not kill, leaving you to regret in pain. Even her grandmother avoided provoking them.

Lu Corporation had secured Jenny for foreign trade, but their wings were not yet strong. They still couldn’t match the deep roots of an old family.

If the Gu family hadn’t tried to steal the key from United, she wouldn’t have cut off their funds in Star City. Business was a game of moves and countermoves. Lu Xinxue had prepared for a long war.

Yet the Gu family, strangely, hadn’t responded.

It looked like Lu Xinxue had won.

She feared such victory. From the drawer, she pulled out a box of slim cigarettes, lit one, and placed it lightly between her lips.

Lu Xinxue exhaled. “This is the perfect time to draw in the people we need.”

“That won’t be hard. She’s more ambitious than we thought,” Zhong Rou said confidently. She was Lu Xinxue’s blade, fearless in battle.

“We can bait further. If necessary, I’ll help build her momentum.”

Smoke curled around Lu Xinxue, veiling her emotions. Her eyes were heavy, still deep in thought.

Zhong Rou noticed. “What’s wrong? You don’t look well.”

Lu Xinxue shook her head. “It’s fine. I need you to do something.”

“Say it.”

“Tell Tang Qinggu, if she needs it, I’m willing to help her rebuild the Tang family.”

“You’re insane!”

Zhong Rou couldn’t fathom it. The struggle with the Gu family wasn’t over, and now she wanted to involve the Tang family?

“With the engagement, we’re tied together. Without it, she’s still Tang Cheng’s strongest support.”

Zhong Rou: “…”

“Rou, just deliver the message.”

Zhong Rou was displeased. “She’s only approaching you with that in mind. How can you give her what she wants?”

“This is a retreat.”

“It’s a retreat for Tang Cheng, not for you.” Zhong Rou crossed her arms, disdain in her eyes.

Lu Xinxue shook her head. “I’ve had no retreat for a long time. At least she’s a trustworthy businesswoman.”

Zhong Rou said no more. Her silence was agreement.

Lu Xinxue added, “No need to look for Star City’s general manager. Anyone working for the Gu family is likely already dead.”

Zhong Rou nodded. She understood.

A knock sounded at the door. “Axin, Sister Rou, dinner’s ready.”

Zhong Rou rose, following Lu Xinxue downstairs.

Tang Cheng cooks? Let’s see what this silly girl can actually do.

“Delicious, delicious—Axin, try this,” Zhong Rou said, her chopsticks busy.

Tang Cheng had made four dishes: fiery red chili chicken, plain jade tofu, a soup, and Zhong Rou’s favorite—fried shrimp.

Years ago, Lu Xinxue had mentioned Zhong Rou’s fondness for A City’s fried shrimp—tiny thumb-sized shrimp, fried crisp, seasoned to perfection.

Zhong Rou ate without restraint, treating Tang Cheng like a mouse before a cat. Tang Cheng could only smile along.

“Not bad. You’ve got skill,” Zhong Rou admitted after finishing her shrimp.

“It’s an honor. I still have much to improve,” Tang Cheng replied, relieved. At least she hadn’t been criticized on their first meeting. If Zhong Rou badmouthed her to Lu Xinxue, she’d never recover.

Lu Xinxue ate quietly. The chili burned her throat, reddened her face, sweat beading on her forehead. She paused, taking bites of other dishes to ease the heat.

Tang Cheng noticed, went to the kitchen, poured a glass of cool water, and placed it before her.

Lu Xinxue accepted calmly.

“Couple mugs,” Zhong Rou remarked, staring at the cup in Lu Xinxue’s hand, then at Tang Cheng’s matching one in a different color. “Is this your little romance?”

Lu Xinxue’s face stayed composed. “No. Coincidence.”

Tang Cheng smiled lightly. “Coincidence.”

Zhong Rou didn’t believe it. She finished quickly, leaving in haste—unwilling to watch their intimacy. Before going, she demanded Tang Cheng send her the recipe.

Finally rid of her, Tang Cheng cleaned the table and asked casually, “What did she come for?”

“Company matters.”

Lu Xinxue didn’t hide it. She sat on the sofa, flipping through Tang Cheng’s thick notebook.

“United’s business?”

“Yes.” Lu Xinxue looked up. “Two nights ago, I had dinner with Director Huang of United. Lu Corporation is pulling out. Some details needed confirmation.”

It was an explanation for those vague words from the other night.

“They won’t let go of control?”

“Yes and no. The culprit at United hasn’t been caught. Some contracts involve compensation.”

“Do you suspect anyone?”

“Not yet.”

It was a lie. Lu Xinxue knew Tang Cheng would press endlessly, so she chose silence.

Tang Cheng didn’t ask further.

“You.”

“You.”

They spoke at once. Tang Cheng yielded. “You first.”

Lu Xinxue turned to her. Beside her, the tulips bloomed brightly.