The Alpha’s Hidden Marriage, Public Obsession - Chapter 37

Jiang Xue froze upon hearing this. When Ming Zelan had called her last night to explain the situation, she hadn’t reacted much. Whether Lin Yulan had actually slept with that Omega or not didn’t concern her. After all, their marital relationship was nothing more than a facade, she was merely holding this position for someone else. Sooner or later, she would divorce Lin Yulan, so it didn’t matter to her if Lin Yulan sought out other people.

In fact, when Ming Zelan had gone on to explain over the phone that Lin Yulan was also a victim in this matter, Jiang Xue had almost laughed. So even if Lin Yulan cheated, as long as that Omega genuinely loved her, Ming Zelan would still unhesitatingly defend her daughter. Jiang Xue, the so-called handpicked young madam, was ultimately just a joke.

But then Ming Zelan had told her that Lin Yulan didn’t want to divorce her and that she wasn’t making excuses for Lin Yulan. She had even taken that Omega, Ye Jing, to the hospital for an examination, which proved that nothing had happened between them. The whole thing was a scheme by that Omega to force Lin Yulan into divorcing Jiang Xue so she could marry into the Lin family.

Jiang Xue suspected the report was fabricated by the hospital at Ming Zelan’s request to cover up Lin Yulan’s foolishness, but she had come today anyway. She just wanted to confirm one thing whether Lin Yulan truly didn’t want to divorce her, as Ming Zelan had claimed.

Even though she had lost all hope, she still wanted to know what place she held in Lin Yulan’s heart.

“Little President Lin, did I hear you correctly?” Jiang Xue slowly turned around. “I remember you once told me that I was just a stand-in, someone keeping the seat of the Lin family’s young madam warm for another. Oh, I see now that Omega was just a one-night stand to help you pass the lonely nights. But as for the position of the Lin family’s young madam, you must think that Omega isn’t worthy of it, right? After all, marrying a bedwarmer is far less secure than keeping a decorative wife like me, isn’t it?”

“That’s not it!”

“How is it not?”

At this moment, Lin Yulan truly understood what it meant to be unable to speak of one’s bitterness, no matter how bitter it was. “No, it’s not like that! Jiang Xue, let me explain! It’s really not like that!”

Jiang Xue couldn’t help but laugh. “Little President Lin, at this point, what’s left to explain? Or do you think I’m so foolish that I’ll believe whatever you say? Lin Yulan, you’re only making me disgusted by you.”

Lin Yulan froze, lowering her head in silence.

Indeed, some words, once spoken too harshly, would come back to haunt you.

Before, she had always believed Jiang Xue had schemed her way into this marriage, so she had never held back in her words. She just hadn’t expected the boomerang of “You disgust me” to come back and strike her so quickly.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” Lin Yulan’s voice trembled slightly. “I never meant to hurt you like this, I really, never wanted to.”

No matter how terrible or despicable she was, she could never have done something so utterly inhuman.

But now, if she tried to explain, if she said that Ye Jing had deliberately framed her, what evidence did she have? What proof could she offer that this was all a trap set by Ye Jing?

Without evidence, all her explanations would sound feeble, nothing more than excuses for her outrageous behavior.

“You didn’t mean to do this?” Jiang Xue tried to pull her hand back, but Lin Yulan’s grip was too tight, she couldn’t break free and had to give up. “Young Master Lin specifically had someone prepare that postnuptial agreement, wasn’t it all for today? Why not just admit it? After all, you never saw me as your wife to begin with. Since we’ll be divorcing eventually anyway, isn’t that right, Young Master Lin?”

Lin Yulan lifted her head again, though she still didn’t dare meet Jiang Xue’s eyes. Her gaze remained lowered. “I know that no matter what I say now, you won’t believe me. But I swear to heaven, I never once thought of forcing you into a divorce like this! I really. I was just drunk.”

“Young Master Lin, everyone who cheats says they were drunk.”

“I…”

Jiang Xue felt there was no point in dragging this out any longer. Things had already reached this point, and there was only one possible outcome for her and Lin Yulan. No actually, there had only ever been one outcome for them from the start. It was just happening a little faster than expected.

It was inevitable.

“If you have nothing else to say, Young Master Lin, you can let go. I have things to do, so I’ll take my leave.”

Jiang Xue tried again to wrench her hand free, but the harder she struggled, the tighter Lin Yulan held on, until the pain made her frown. “Lin Yulan, let go!”

But Lin Yulan refused. She knew that if she let go now, once Jiang Xue walked out that door, she would never turn back to her again in this lifetime.

“I don’t like her, and I never wanted to sleep with her. These past few days, I’ve been trying to reach you, but you blocked me. I had the butler call you, but as soon as you heard my voice, you hung up. So these past few days, I’ve been frustrated, restless, and uncomfortable, that’s why I went out with friends to blow off steam.”

If the calls weren’t going through, couldn’t she have just gone to Jiang Xue’s school to find her?

Oh, right she’d forgotten. The postnuptial agreement had spelled it out clearly: their relationship couldn’t be known by anyone. Not family, not relatives, not friends no one.

Their relationship was like some shameful secret, something that could only exist in the shadows.

No.

Even secret affairs were better than this. At least in those, both parties liked each other. And even if they didn’t, at least their relationship was amicable. But what did Lin Yulan have with her? Not even as good as a secret lover.

Jiang Xue laughed at herself mockingly. “Young Master Lin, I’m not some naive teenager or a fresh-out-of-college graduate who’s still ‘pure and foolish,’ easily fooled by a few sweet words. Besides, don’t you find your own explanations ridiculous? I remember how just hearing my voice used to disgust you. So how is it that after sleeping with another Omega, you suddenly wanted to call me these past few days? Young Master Lin, you can lie to others, but don’t lie to yourself. Anyone who didn’t know better might think you were some… paragon of an Alpha.”

Lin Yulan didn’t explain immediately but continued from where she left off: “The day we argued, Xia Ran called me after I got back. She said she ran into you on the street and gave you a ride back to school. I was still angry at the time and ended up arguing with Xia Ran too. Then, she told me you asked her a question in the car.”

Hearing this, Jiang Xue closed her eyes and turned her head away. If possible, she wanted to pull out the earplugs from her bag, plug them into her ears, and turn the music up loud enough to drown out Lin Yulan’s voice completely.

But Lin Yulan was gripping her hand, and her bag was left by the entrance, there was no way to reach it. She had no choice but to listen as Lin Yulan continued.

“She told me you asked her whether I helped you back then because of Qu Mengxin. She answered you, saying that was indeed part of the reason.” Lin Yulan paused before adding, “I told Xia Ran that yes, it was one of the reasons, but not the only one. But she didn’t believe me. She knows me too well, so she tore into me, saying I was just making excuses and didn’t even have the courage to tell you the truth.”

Wasn’t that the case?

Jiang Xue had always thought Lin Yulan was different from other Alphas. Because Lin Yulan was the only one who didn’t look at her with ill intentions, she had walked straight up to Lin Yulan back in college without hesitation.

She had even prepared her confession speech. But then she found out Lin Yulan already had someone she liked. Even after Qu Mengxin went abroad, Jiang Xue never considered crossing that line or using her resemblance to Qu Mengxin to worm her way into Lin Yulan’s heart. She believed someone as devoted as Lin Yulan would never resort to finding a substitute.

Besides, taking advantage of the situation might only make Lin Yulan resent her. If they couldn’t be lovers, Jiang Xue thought, being lifelong friends would be enough.

But she had idealized Lin Yulan too much and overestimated her own choices. She had naively believed that even if Lin Yulan didn’t love her, as long as they got married and she tried her best, maybe with time, Lin Yulan would come to see her worth and realize she wasn’t like Qu Mengxin at all.

But she had been wrong about everything.

It was her mistake.

She should have given up the moment Lin Yulan warned her not to entertain any inappropriate thoughts. Then none of this would have happened, and she wouldn’t be in so much pain now.

“So? What is Young Miss Lin trying to say?”

Only then did Lin Yulan dare to lift her gaze. Even though Jiang Xue wasn’t looking at her, she said, “Xia Ran told me you’re not the scheming Omega I thought you were. That you agreed to marry me because of my mother, not for the Lin family’s wealth or status…”

Jiang Xue didn’t turn her head back. She kept her face averted as she replied, “So? What did Young Miss Xia say my reason was, then? That I had no choice?”

“Xia Ran told me,” Lin Yulan stared straight at her, “Jiang Xue, you like me, don’t you?”

The words froze Jiang Xue in place. A bitter taste surged through her senses like a flood, making her heart twist in pain.

If she had heard this in the past, Jiang Xue would have been overjoyed. But now, it only made her grit her teeth in frustration.

“Editor-in-Chief Lin’s story was so convincing, even I almost believed it.”

“Jiang Xue.”

This time, Jiang Xue forcefully shook off Lin Yulan’s grip and said, “I won’t stay here listening to your stories, Editor-in-Chief Lin. Goodbye.”

She turned to leave.

But before she could take two steps, Lin Yulan wrapped his arms tightly around her from behind. Then, his voice whispered by her ear, “Don’t go, please?”

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