After My Fiancée Failed to Pretend to Be an Alpha - Chapter 6

Clearly, Tang Cheng hadn’t expected such a question. She quickly shook her head, indicating there was nothing wrong.

Lu Xinxue said evenly, “Uncle Sun is busy today. You’ll drive me home.”

If Tang Cheng had ever seen a woodpecker, she would know she was no different from one right now.

Lu Xinxue asked, “What are you here to get checked for?”

Tang Cheng replied, “I told you about my condition before. I’m here to get my brain examined—just in case something happens again.”

It was obvious what she meant. Lu Xinxue paused, unsure whether to believe her or simply let it pass, then nodded. “I’ll wait here for you.”

Lu Xinxue found a chair and sat down. Her phone screen lit up with a notification—Tang Cheng’s expenses for the day. As she had claimed, Tang Cheng had indeed resumed her old line of work. Lu Xinxue’s gaze returned to her.

Tang Cheng stood nearby, visibly uneasy. There were still bruises on her knuckles from yesterday’s fight. When had this all started? That night?

And why now?

Lu Xinxue lowered her eyes. On the medical form in her hands, the words stood out starkly: Critical Condition.

Her gaze deepened.

When Tang Cheng finally received the results—perfectly healthy—she breathed a sigh of relief. Her steps were light as she caught up to Lu Xinxue. “Shall we go?”

She looked like a girl who couldn’t keep her secrets for long, her smile growing brighter and brighter, nothing like the dejection she’d worn that day she’d been rejected.

Lu Xinxue simply nodded, letting Tang Cheng lead her to the car.

Tang Cheng personally opened the passenger door for her. Once Lu Xinxue was seated, she hurried to the driver’s side. But just as she started the engine, she noticed the black brocade box in Lu Xinxue’s hands.

Gu family?

When Lu Xinxue opened it, it revealed an expensive pocket mirror. Tang Cheng remembered she had gone to a Gu-owned optical shop earlier that day for repairs.

The crisp click as the box snapped shut made Tang Cheng sense that something was wrong.

“This was a gift from a client this afternoon. I—”

“You knew she was from the Gu family, so why did you still go?”

The accusation was clear. When Lu Xinxue set the box down between them, the easy atmosphere began to tighten.

Tang Cheng said, “A-Xin, I don’t know her.”

Lu Xinxue’s tone was cool. “You know perfectly well.”

Tang Cheng didn’t argue further. She knew her former reputation was so deeply ingrained that no amount of explanation would be enough for now.

The car was just pulling away when Tang Cheng’s phone—left in the middle console—rang.

“Check for me,” she said, openly handing the phone over.

Lu Xinxue didn’t hesitate. She unlocked it and saw a message from Officer Fang.

Opening it revealed their chat history from the past two days.

“She says she’s available anytime.”

Tang Cheng nodded. “I didn’t have any extra cash yesterday, so I pawned my watch to her in exchange for paying my fine.”

Lu Xinxue made a quiet sound of acknowledgment.

Seeing the chance to keep talking, Tang Cheng added, “I’m broke, so luckily I got that job from Gu Simiao today. But I’ve also got a company interview coming up. I won’t be in contact with her again.”

“… ”

Tang Cheng hesitated, then said, “The day I woke up, I saw marks on your neck…”

The temperature in the car seemed to drop. Tang Cheng shut her mouth at once.

“Oh, right,” she said after a beat, “yesterday at the station, I saw Zhang He’s sister. She told me you’re planning to call off the engagement.”

Lu Xinxue finally turned her head, meeting Tang Cheng’s earnest eyes—and for some reason, felt a flicker of guilt. “Yes. I’ve been considering it.”

It was as if someone had gripped Tang Cheng’s heart. Seeing no trace of humor in Lu Xinxue’s eyes, she said softly, “That wasn’t me.”

It sounded exactly like a little girl pouting for a piece of candy.

Lu Xinxue looked away toward the window. “It’s not important.”

A strange silence filled the car. Whether or not this Tang Cheng was the one from before, the engagement was ending.

“When did you decide this?” Tang Cheng asked.

Her hands on the steering wheel began to tremble. She forced a deep breath, trying to hide it.

“Two years ago,” Lu Xinxue said, “maybe even earlier.”

Earlier—perhaps even the moment their engagement was set. So then… which one of them had been overestimating this relationship?

“And after that?”

“What about after?”

“Your glands…”

“When the right person comes along, I’ll choose her.”

Every word was a blade, slicing away at the few scraps of Tang Cheng’s soul that were left.

“Can we not end it?” Tang Cheng asked quietly. “I’ll behave. I understand you. I’m the right choice too.”

Lu Xinxue didn’t even look at her. “Drive.”

The rest of the trip was wordless. Lu Xinxue’s eyes were cold, like she was staring at a filthy rat in the street, forcing Tang Cheng to retreat.

________________________________________

After dropping her off, Tang Cheng turned back toward the station to retrieve her watch from Fang Jing.

The fine had already been transferred, but Fang seemed busy—she hadn’t replied beyond that one message. The money was untouched.

Tang Cheng replayed Lu Xinxue’s words in her mind. “It’s not important.” Was it the engagement that didn’t matter… or her?

For the first time, Tang Cheng—who had always been able to read her—felt panic.

What if she was wrong?

Two years ago… that was when she had cut ties with the Tang family. After that, the Lu Corporation went public, becoming an industry leader—helped in no small part by the Tang family. Looking back, Lu Xinxue never needed an engagement. Her own value far outstripped what marriage could bring.

Which meant… whether she was the Tang Cheng who had been with her for twenty years or not, it didn’t matter. She wanted to end it because she simply didn’t care anymore.

No feelings left.

There was no other explanation Tang Cheng could find.

In twenty years, she had never met anyone more rational than Lu Xinxue—calm, ruthless, weighing every gain and loss, always making the optimal choice. She was like a high-precision supercomputer, never wrong. And Tang Cheng… was her anomaly.

Even she herself could barely believe Lu Xinxue had ever loved her. Maybe she never had. Maybe it had always been about using her—and the Tang family—to reach her goals. Just like a WF456 machine… once it served its purpose, it was discarded.

The first emotion that hit Tang Cheng after realizing this was disgust—at herself, for disrupting Lu Xinxue’s plans.

She was a sunflower in the dark, and Lu Xinxue was her only light. She couldn’t survive without her. She wouldn’t survive without her.

She had to get closer. Do everything she could. Even if it ended in hatred, she had to chase her.

She was Lu Xinxue’s most devoted believer. Even if Lu Xinxue was nothing but a profit-driven machine, Tang Cheng was willing to shatter herself into the tiniest cog in its gears.

A faint red glimmer passed through her eyes. She pressed down on the accelerator, heading straight for the station.

________________________________________

Before she even got there, she saw a row of police cars. That probably explained why Fang Jing was busy. As she got closer, the sharp reek of gasoline hit her nose. She covered her face and looked for Fang Jing.

She roughly remembered where her desk was. After sending a quick message, she obediently sat on a metal bench to wait.

She had just finished clearing out her spam texts when she looked up—and saw a familiar face.

That blinding yellow hair was hard to miss.

There was blood on him, and behind him were several hulking men she’d seen the other day, all being escorted inside. Among the officers was a neat, composed young Alpha—Fang Jing. She exchanged a few words with a colleague, signed something, and came over to Tang Cheng.

The yellow-haired man had noticed her too, his eyes filled with contempt for her cleaned-up appearance. Their gazes met briefly before he was led away, and Tang Cheng’s attention returned to Fang Jing.

“Who were they?” she asked.

“Disturbing the peace, group fighting—slightly worse than you.” Fang Jing held up two fingers with a narrow gap between them. “Their bail’s twice yours. They’ll probably be in for a while.”

She went to her desk, dug out a set of keys, then opened another drawer and took out a watch wrapped in tissue.

“Here,” she said, handing it over. “My mentor bet you wouldn’t show up. I’ve read some of the news about you—truth or lies, I think you’re still a decent person.”

Fang Jing was about twenty, not far from Tang Cheng in age. The warmth of the watch in her hand made Tang Cheng feel… unexpectedly touched.

“Can I see them?” she asked.

After a moment’s thought, Fang Jing nodded.

Tang Cheng went to find the yellow-haired man.

No one had bailed them out—they were just muscle. And as long as the money was right, they’d talk.

From what she’d learned over the past two days, the person occupying her body before had been useless—hardly capable of scheming to use Lu Xinxue for an external loan.

No one would bother to ruin Tang Cheng for money; she wasn’t worth it. This wasn’t about money—it was about reputation. Someone had been quietly eroding Lu Xinxue’s from the shadows.

Tang Cheng suspected Lu Xinxue had seen this coming and had cut ties early.

This yellow-haired man… might be the breakthrough.

He recognized her instantly and lounged in his chair, feigning disinterest.

“Let’s make a deal,” Tang Cheng said bluntly.

“An honor,” he replied with a smirk.

People like him rarely turned down business.

“How much did you get from the casino for collecting my debt?”

“Only one percent. Not much for someone like you.”

“You work directly for the casino, or…?”

He chuckled. “We’re just grunts. And now we’ve got to pay for today’s work injuries ourselves.” He spat on the floor.

That was all she needed to know. Tang Cheng pulled up his WeChat—she’d added him when repaying her debt a few days ago—and transferred a third of her day’s earnings.

“Thanks.”

He looked at her in surprise, not understanding why she’d pay him at all.

“Suit yourself.”

She turned and left. It stung to part with that much money, but the information was worth far more.

The debt had come from the casino, not directly from him. He was just a pawn. The real mastermind would be someone high enough to control large sums and rig her losses.

If she got the chance, she’d go there herself.