The Alpha’s Hidden Marriage, Public Obsession - Chapter 35

Ye Jing hadn’t expected Ming Zelan to be so furious. She cast a pleading glance toward Lin Yulan, but Lin Yulan seemed oblivious, her head lowered as if lost in thought. Ye Jing could only shrink back awkwardly into her previous spot, not daring to utter another word.

But even if she stayed silent, Ming Zelan had plenty to say.

Originally, if Ye Jing had just remained quiet and refrained from her sly, manipulative remarks, Ming Zelan would have spared her some dignity out of consideration for their shared status as Omegas. But the moment those words left Ye Jing’s mouth, Ming Zelan knew exactly what game she was playing.

“As someone who frequently spends time with my daughter, you must be well aware that she’s already married to someone else,” Ming Zelan paused, her eyes filled with disgust as she glared at Ye Jing. “So, whatever schemes you’re harboring in that head of yours, I advise you to abandon them. The paths I’ve walked, the people I’ve met, the things I’ve experienced, they far surpass the salt you’ve consumed in your short life.”

The moment Ye Jing heard this, she realized Ming Zelan had no intention of acknowledging responsibility. Instantly, tears of grievance welled up in her eyes. “Aunt Ming, I don’t understand what you mean! Yes, I knew Sister Lan was married to another Omega, but ever since I found out, I’ve kept my distance. I hardly even dared to seek her out anymore, afraid her Omega might misunderstand our relationship. Aunt Ming, you can’t just slander my innocence because of this… this accident! No one wishes this had happened more than I do, but it did. What else do you want me to do? Should I kill myself to atone for it?!”

The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she became, her sobs growing louder. “I know Aunt Ming is worried about how this will affect the Lin family, but has Aunt Ming ever considered, what about me? What am I supposed to do now? Just pretend nothing happened? I can’t do that. And I’m sure Sister Lan can’t either.”

Ming Zelan nearly laughed in exasperation. Suppressing her temper, she asked, “So, if I understand correctly, you want my daughter to divorce Xiaoxue and marry you instead, is that it?”

Ye Jing immediately shook her head. “That’s not what I meant! I know Jiang Xue is the young madam of the Lin family, handpicked by you, Aunt Ming. I also know I’m not worthy of that position, I wouldn’t dare dream of it. All I want is to ask Sister Lan… what does she think about what happened today?”

She turned to look at Lin Yulan beside her, her face streaked with tears, delicate and pitiful, as if she might shatter at any moment. It was hard not to feel sympathy for her.

But in Ming Zelan’s eyes, this was nothing more than a laughably transparent act. Still, she wanted to see how her daughter would handle the situation. So, following Ye Jing’s lead, she also pressed, “Well, since you’ve already slept together, and as the Omega, you’re undoubtedly the victim in this, you do deserve an explanation. Yulan, speak up. How do you plan to resolve this?”

The searing pain in her face had finally dulled somewhat. Lin Yulan lowered the hand she’d been pressing to her cheek and slowly raised her head. “Mom, I—”

“‘I’ what? Why are you looking at me? You’re the one who slept with her, so you’re the one who has to deal with the consequences. What, did you expect me to clean up your disgraceful mess for you?!”

Ye Jing was overjoyed to see Ming Zelan truly believed she had slept with Lin Yulan, but she maintained a pitiful and aggrieved expression on the surface. With a tearful voice, she said, “Sister Lan, what should we do now?”

What else could be done in such a situation?

Lin Yulan had no idea either. She didn’t want to divorce Jiang Xue, especially not over something like this. She hadn’t even earned Jiang Xue’s forgiveness yet.

Seeing Lin Yulan’s silence, Ye Jing guessed she couldn’t bring herself to make a harsh decision. Without waiting for Lin Yulan’s reply, she pressed on, “Sister Lan, I know you won’t just pretend nothing happened, right? If you act like it never occurred, I might as well just die!”

Finally, Lin Yulan turned her head toward Ye Jing’s tearful voice. “Ye Jing, you know I’m married to Jiang Xue. It’s barely been two weeks. I can’t divorce her.”

“Wh-what?”

“I know this is my fault. I’ve wronged you. Whatever compensation you want, as long as I can give it, I will.”

Ye Jing shook her head, laughing bitterly through her tears. “Sister Lan, this was my first time. You were my first Alpha…”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

“I don’t want to hear apologies!”

Ming Zelan, watching from the side, was so infuriated by her foolish daughter that her stomach ached. She couldn’t help but interject, “If you don’t want apologies, then what do you want to hear? That she’ll divorce Jiang Xue and marry you instead?”

Ye Jing immediately fell silent. She was instinctively afraid of Ming Zelan after all, she was the vice-chairwoman of the Lin Group. The more she spoke, the more flaws would show, and the easier it would be for Ming Zelan to see through her act.

“You said it yourself earlier, Xiaoxue is my chosen young madam of the Lin family. So you should know that even if my daughter agreed to divorce Jiang Xue for you, I would never allow it.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?” Ye Jing’s tears began streaming down again. “My first time was with Sister Lan. Auntie Ming, you know how Omegas naturally develop dependence on their first Alpha. How am I supposed to move on from this?”

“It wasn’t a full mark. It’s not that serious.”

Ming Zelan’s words were undeniably harsh, but she had already seen through this Omega’s true intentions. In a way, what she said was still restrained far worse insults had been held back out of respect for Ye Jing’s status as an Omega.

Ye Jing’s goal had always been to marry into the Lin family. She didn’t care about any so-called compensation short-term benefits paled in comparison to long-term gains. Only a fool wouldn’t know which to choose.

“Sister Lan!” Seeing no opening with Ming Zelan, Ye Jing turned back to Lin Yulan. “Sister Lan, is this really how you feel too?”

Lin Yulan gritted her teeth and nodded under Ye Jing’s gaze. “I’m sorry, but I can’t divorce Jiang Xue. I’m sorry!”

Ye Jing seethed with hatred for Ming Zelan. She had been the one to call the paparazzi first, yet Ming Zelan had arrived even faster than they did. If not for that, given Lin Yulan’s personality, she would have surely agreed to her demands.

But Ming Zelan had already taken the conversation this far. If she continued to press the issue, Ming Zelan would likely drag her to the hospital for a check-up, and then she’d definitely be exposed.

“What are you still doing sitting on the bed? After doing something so shameful, shouldn’t you hurry up and get dressed? Or are you waiting for the paparazzi to come snap photos of your little ‘passionate scene’ with her?!” Ming Zelan grabbed the clothes thrown on the sofa and flung them at her without an ounce of mercy. “Later, I’ll call Xiaoxue. You’re going straight home to reflect on what you’ve done. You’re not stepping out of the Lin family until Xiaoxue forgives you!”

Lin Yulan had been in the middle of getting dressed when she heard Ming Zelan was going to tell Jiang Xue about this. Her heart immediately sank, Jiang Xue had already been utterly disappointed in her before. If Jiang Xue found out she’d slept with Ye Jing because she blacked out from drinking, she’d undoubtedly file for divorce without hesitation.

But this was entirely her own fault. As her Omega, Jiang Xue had every right to know. There was no way around it.

Once she was mostly dressed, Lin Yulan got up from the bed and was about to leave when she hesitated. Turning back, she said, “Mom… about this… could I be the one to tell Jiang Xue?”

Ming Zelan thought to herself that at least her usual lectures hadn’t gone to waste this worthless thing actually knew she should confess to her wife. “You want to tell Xiaoxue yourself? Don’t even think about it! Who knows what nonsense you’d spin to her? I’m telling Xiaoxue myself!”

Left with no choice, Lin Yulan could only slink out of the hotel room in frustration.

Ye Jing had also finished dressing and was about to follow when Ming Zelan stopped her.

“Auntie Ming, what… do you mean by this?”

Ming Zelan hooked a nearby chair with her foot and sat down, smiling. “Now that she’s gone, why don’t the two of us have a little chat?”

Ye Jing’s heart skipped a beat. “Auntie Ming, what do you want to talk about?”

Ming Zelan knew she was playing dumb but didn’t rush to expose her. She wanted to give Ye Jing a chance to back down on her own. “What else could we talk about? After what happened between you and my daughter, what do you think I’d want to discuss? Go on, what kind of compensation do you want to stay away from my daughter from now on?”

With Lin Yulan gone, Ye Jing had no reason to hold back. “Madam Ming, you’re an Omega too. Do you really think an Omega’s purity is worth less than material things?”

Ming Zelan laughed at her words. “The only reason it seems that way is because the material things you truly desire are on a completely different level than what I’m offering. Little girl, I know exactly what you’re thinking. Like I said earlier, the roads I’ve walked, the people I’ve met, and the things I’ve experienced far surpass what you’ve ever known. Don’t play the innocent act with me. My daughter is foolish because her father and I spoiled her too much, always cleaning up her messes. That’s why she grew up naive, thinking there are no bad people in the world that no Omega could ever be wicked in her eyes.”

“If I were you, I should have just stated my compensation demands earlier. That way, you could have secured some benefits for yourself without being exposed. But human nature is greedy, always wanting more. I can understand that. It’s like the snake trying to swallow an elephant; reaching for what isn’t yours will only leave you bursting at the seams.”

No matter how much Ye Jing pretended to be clueless, she still grasped the meaning behind Ming Zelan’s words.

Understanding in her heart was one thing, but admitting it aloud was another.

“I don’t understand what you mean, Mrs. Ming. Are you trying to excuse your daughter for sleeping with her Omega friend?”

Ming Zelan didn’t waste words with her. People like this, who refused to face reality until the bitter end, wouldn’t be swayed by mere talk. She stood up and said, “In that case, there’s nothing left to discuss between us. Today, I’ll condescend to take Miss Ye to the hospital for a check-up.”

Ye Jing panicked instantly, if they went to the hospital, her deception would be exposed. “I refuse!”

Ming Zelan slowly walked up to her and said coldly, “That’s not for you to decide.”

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