The Alpha’s Hidden Marriage, Public Obsession - Chapter 32

The butler covered the receiver and turned to ask Lin Yulan for her decision: “Miss, should I tell the young mistress that this was your idea?”

Lin Yulan wasn’t sure whether to claim it as her own. If what Xia Ran said was true, that Jiang Xue was already utterly disappointed in her then if she had the butler say it was her idea, Jiang Xue would surely hang up immediately.

But if she had the butler say it was Ming Zelan’s idea, what would Jiang Xue think when she later discovered the lie? Would she think Lin Yulan didn’t even dare to admit to such a small thing and grow to despise her for it?

“Hello? Butler Zhao, are you still there?”

“Yes! Young Mistress.” The butler inexplicably grew a little nervous, his eyes silently pleading with Lin Yulan for guidance.

After much deliberation, Lin Yulan finally took the phone from the butler and said, “Yes, it was my idea.”

Jiang Xue clearly froze. There was no sound on the other end of the line. Lin Yulan had already anticipated this reaction and stammered on, “I had the maids prepare some of your favorite dishes. You should come over and eat. You can bring your friends too. Otherwise, with so much food, there’s no way I can finish it all by myself. It’d be such a waste…”

Still, there was no response from the other side.

Lin Yulan’s uncharacteristic attitude didn’t just surprise Jiang Xue even the butler was taken aback. After all, his young mistress had always disliked that Omega, often speaking to her with sharp words. But tonight, not only were there no barbs in her tone, but even her voice lacked its usual confidence.

“Am I hearing this right? This was actually Young Miss Lin’s idea?” Jiang Xue’s icy, mocking voice came through the phone.

Knowing she was in the wrong, Lin Yulan didn’t argue back. “I… I can pick you up from school. Is… that okay?”

Jiang Xue couldn’t fathom the reason behind Lin Yulan’s sudden change in attitude, but she was certain it wasn’t because Lin Yulan had realized her own mistakes. If she had to guess, it was probably due to pressure from Ming Zelan that Lin Yulan was forced to soften her stance.

“How could I possibly trouble Young Miss Lin to act as my chauffeur? If I recall correctly, Young Miss Lin once said that the only person worthy of having you as a driver was Miss Qu.” Jiang Xue sneered. “I wonder if Young Miss Lin has forgotten those words? Or perhaps, at such a young age, you’re already suffering from dementia and can’t even remember what you’ve said?”

“I… I…”

Lin Yulan stammered for a long time but couldn’t get another word out. After all, while some of her past words had been spoken in anger, others had been genuine. Looking back now, she truly had been despicable.

Jiang Xue knew all too well she understood Lin Yulan better than anyone. Unless Qu Mengxin’s place in the Alpha’s heart was completely erased, Lin Yulan would never accept anyone else. And given that Lin Yulan had always believed Jiang Xue married her solely for the Lin family’s wealth and status, the chances of acceptance were even slimmer.

“If it’s about dinner, forget it. I remember Young Master Lin had an omega by your side before. If you’ve made too much food, you can always call that omega over. No matter what, they’re surely better than a scheming person like me.” Jiang Xue smiled bitterly. “Oh, right, I also recall Young Master Lin once said that looking at my face would ruin your appetite. So if I come over and you end up unable to eat, going hungry, it’d definitely be my fault. Therefore, Young Master Lin should find someone else. I won’t disturb you any further.”

“Jiang Xue, wait, I—”

Beep beep beep!

The call was ultimately hung up by Jiang Xue. Lin Yulan handed the phone back to the butler, feeling dejected.

“Young Mistress?”

Lin Yulan had completely lost her appetite. “Uncle Zhao, I’d like to be alone for a while. Don’t call me down for dinner, I’ll come when I feel like eating.”

The butler didn’t press further. Everyone experiences emotional struggles in their youth, it’s perfectly normal, and no one else can really help. These things take time to work through.

Still, he couldn’t help but ask, “Young Mistress, did something happen between you and the young madam today?”

“N-no, nothing!” Lin Yulan denied immediately. “Uncle Zhao, you have to keep today’s matter a secret. Don’t tell my mom. If she finds out, she’ll confront Jiang Xue again. I’ll handle my own relationship issues!”

The butler felt a surge of pride. The child he’d watched grow up had been maturing without him even realizing it. “Don’t worry, Young Mistress. I won’t say a word to Madam.”

Lin Yulan went upstairs.

But despite her confident words, she had no idea how to actually handle the situation. Jiang Xue had blocked her. When she called from the house phone, Jiang Xue would hang up the moment she recognized her voice, giving her no chance to explain.

She’d considered going to Jiang Xue’s school directly but was afraid of running into Jiang Xue’s ex. After all, Jiang Xue was still living on campus. If the ex got provoked, Jiang Xue’s safety could be compromised.

For the next few days, Lin Yulan wandered around in a daze, even turning down invitations from friends to go out for drinks. She simply couldn’t muster any interest.

A week later, Ye Jing called, saying she was feeling down and wanted to talk. Since Lin Yulan was also in low spirits, she felt a sense of camaraderie and agreed without hesitation.

–

At a bar.

Ye Jing had the bartender mix two strong drinks for them. Lin Yulan initially refused. She did drink, but only when Xia Ran was around she never indulged in hard liquor with others, especially not with omegas, even if they were friends.

But Ye Jing kept insisting, and Lin Yulan didn’t want to embarrass her friend, so she accepted the glass pushed toward her.

“Lan-jie, ever since you got married to that woman Jiang Xue, you’ve stopped coming to see me. Are you trying to avoid suspicion?” Ye Jing pouted. “But we’re just good friends! What’s there to avoid? It can’t be just because I’m an omega that she won’t let you see me, right?!”

“She’s not ‘that woman.’ She has a name.”

“What?”

Before Xia Ran laid things out clearly, Lin Yulan indeed didn’t like Jiang Xue, so she never had a problem with how Ye Jing referred to her. But now, hearing Jiang Xue constantly being called “that woman,” Lin Yulan grew increasingly uncomfortable. “Her name is Jiang Xue. Don’t keep calling her ‘that woman’ from now on. I don’t like it.”

Ye Jing remembered that when she used to refer to Jiang Xue this way, Lin Yulan never saw any issue with it and never criticized her for it. Yet now, after such a short time, Lin Yulan was already speaking up for that woman Jiang Xue!

Could it be that Lin Yulan had actually fallen for that bitch Jiang Xue?!

Ye Jing clenched her teeth hard but didn’t dare show her emotions too openly. She could only curse Jiang Xue inwardly, that fox spirit who clearly knew how to seduce an Alpha, while putting on a pitiful face. “Lan-jie, but I used to call her that before! You never had a problem with it then!”

Lin Yulan took a sip of wine and nearly choked, tears welling up in her eyes. Whether it was because of her mood or not, she suddenly realized just how harsh the alcohol tasted.

“Lan-jie!”

“What was before is before, and now is now. I’m saying it’s not allowed anymore, so it’s not allowed.”

Ye Jing, unwilling to back down, grew even more aggrieved. “Lan-jie, you’re actually scolding me because of her!”

In the past, Lin Yulan would have comforted Ye Jing a hundred times over at the sound of such a pitiful tone. But now was different this was Ye Jing’s fault to begin with. If she was in the wrong, she needed to correct it. Comforting her despite knowing she was wrong would be no different from enabling bad behavior.

“I’m not scolding you. I’m just telling you not to call her ‘that woman’ anymore. She has a name,” Lin Yulan explained impatiently. “Also, she’s my wife now. When you call her ‘that woman,’ it’s like you’re insulting me. Understand?”

“I’m not insulting you! Lan-jie!”

Ye Jing wanted to lash out but didn’t dare. After all, while Lin Yulan was usually easygoing, that came with conditions. As long as her bottom line wasn’t crossed, Ye Jing could act out as much as she wanted. But once that line was crossed, no matter how close their relationship had been, Lin Yulan wouldn’t hesitate to turn cold.

Because of this, Ye Jing didn’t dare say anything too offensive in front of Lin Yulan especially mentioning that Omega named Qu Mengxin. That was practically the biggest landmine of all.

In the past, Lin Yulan’s only sore spot had been that old flame Qu Mengxin. Aside from that, no matter what Ye Jing said, Lin Yulan never showed any displeasure. But now, that bitch Jiang Xue had been added to the list of taboos. How could Ye Jing not hate her?!

Qu Mengxin was one thing after all, she was Lin Yulan’s first love, and they’d known each other since high school. It made sense that bringing her up would upset Lin Yulan. But what right did that bitch Jiang Xue have?!

In looks or any other aspect, what did she lack compared to that bitch Jiang Xue?!

She was the one who came first, yet that bitch Jiang Xue stole her place. Why?!

“Lan Jie, what’s really going on with you today? You used to show nothing but disgust whenever she was mentioned.” Ye Jing grabbed her hand, putting on a pitiful act. “Did she say something to you? Lan Jie, you can’t trust a word that woman says. In fact, I suspect she might have been the one who persuaded Mengxin Jie to leave you!”

“Just think about it, Mengxin Jie had already agreed to be with you. You’ve known each other since high school. There’s no way she would suddenly abandon you to study abroad without a reason. If you ask me, she definitely had a hand in this. I’d never believe otherwise!”

Lin Yulan abruptly pulled her hand back. She turned to stare at Ye Jing, her eyes unreadable, but her tone clearly displeased. “Let me make this very clear to you, Qu Mengxin’s decision to study abroad has nothing to do with Jiang Xue. Ye Jing, I don’t want to hear these words from you again. Don’t make baseless accusations.”

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