The Five Heartless Scumbag Alphas Turned Against Each Other Because Of Me - Chapter 38

Tan Hua couldn’t help but raise her eyes in surprise and asked the system, “Tongzi, did I just have an auditory hallucination?”

“No, you didn’t,” the system replied, somewhat cheerfully. “Host, you heard correctly—Zheng Jinyu chose you over the female secretary, without a doubt.”

How strange.

Tan Hua stared at Zheng Jinyu as if she had seen a ghost. Just moments ago, Zheng Jinyu still looked like a typical heartbreaker trying to juggle two people at once. How had she suddenly made up her mind so quickly?

Tan Hua immediately became wary, watching Zheng Jinyu with guarded eyes. Could this be a trap?

Zheng Jinyu noticed Tan Hua’s cautious expression, but she no longer had the energy to look into it. After making such a difficult decision, her mind had already begun racing to figure out who could replace her secretary.

They had to be someone with integrity, a reliable character, and exceptional ability—this wouldn’t be an easy search.

It might take Zheng Jinyu a month, two months, maybe even six months or a year to find the right person to help shoulder her burdens and manage the mundane details.

The company had been extremely busy lately. Zheng Jinyu had been running around non-stop, to the point where she barely had time to eat. Now, after firing her secretary for no practical reason, she could already foresee how overwhelming the upcoming chaos would be.

She suddenly felt exhausted.

That exhaustion came with a deep, stabbing pain in her head.

After a moment of calm thought, Tan Hua realized this was Zheng Jinyu’s way of yielding for her sake. For someone as ambitious and interest-driven as Zheng Jinyu to break her well-laid plans just to appease Tan Hua’s unreasonable demands—such sincerity was indeed rare.

After all, the original Tan Hua had argued with her for so long, even to the point of divorce, and yet Zheng Jinyu had refused to concede. But now, she was willing to drive away the beautiful and capable secretary she once treated as her right-hand.

Tan Hua’s lips curled into a faint smile. She didn’t look particularly triumphant—her tone was casual as she asked, “Have you really thought this through?”

Zheng Jinyu lifted her eyes, her demeanor once again returning to its usual calm elegance. For a moment, she didn’t quite understand why Tan Hua would ask that. After all, it was Tan Hua who demanded she dismiss the secretary, and now she was the one questioning her decision?

The confusion in Zheng Jinyu’s Alpha eyes was plain to see. Tan Hua let out a soft laugh and said, “I just wanted to remind you—once you agree to this, there’s no going back.”

She rested her cheek in one hand, her skin fair as snow, her delicate features enchanting. “If you go back on your word later—if you secretly bring her back or continue to stay entangled with her behind my back—”

Zheng Jinyu furrowed her brows, staring at her.

“Zheng Jinyu,” Tan Hua said with a calm smile, her tone light and breezy, as if she were talking about something utterly trivial, “I will make sure you never find me again—for the rest of your life.”

But looking into her eyes, Zheng Jinyu could see how serious she truly was. And she knew, deep down, that if she dared to break her promise, Tan Hua would absolutely follow through.

Zheng Jinyu’s mood was terrible. She pressed her lips together tightly and nodded. “I won’t.”

“That’s better,” Tan Hua tilted her head slightly, lifted her glass of cool boiled water and clinked it lightly in the air toward Zheng Jinyu. Her tone was casual as she said, “You should’ve done this a long time ago.”

“Otherwise, we wouldn’t have ended up like this.”

“Anyway, it won’t be long before Cheng Yuan returns to the country. You should be thanking me—I just helped her eliminate a romantic rival, and I’ve also increased your chances with her in front of her other suitors.”

What was that supposed to mean—bringing up Cheng Yuan out of nowhere?

Zheng Jinyu’s expression darkened. She fixed her gaze on Tan Hua, a wave of uncontrollable impulse rising within her. This Omega was too sharp-tongued—she made Zheng Jinyu want to shut her up completely, to drag her home and pin her beneath herself, punishing her thoroughly for that wicked mouth—

Zheng Jinyu’s thoughts froze, and she abruptly closed her eyes.

She felt like Tan Hua was pushing her further and further to the edge, as if she was on the verge of breaking down.

She wanted to lose control. For a brief moment, she just wanted to let go—stop caring about the consequences, no matter how messy or irreversible they might be.

Right now, all she wanted was to ‘retaliate’ against Tan Hua, savagely.

With her eyes still shut, Zheng Jinyu fought hard to suppress the dangerous thoughts clawing at her mind. When she finally opened them again after a long pause, she looked as composed as ever, back to her usual self.

Tan Hua, impressed by her emotional restraint, couldn’t help but grow even more eager to provoke her.

But Zheng Jinyu had already steeled herself. She wouldn’t lose control again, nor would she let Tan Hua’s words stir up wild, inappropriate fantasies in her mind.

Her tone remained calm, her voice gentle. “What’s between us has nothing to do with Cheng Yuan. Don’t drag her into it.”

Tan Hua didn’t argue. She simply lowered her lashes and took a slow sip of her water, as if she didn’t care at all. Her indifference made Zheng Jinyu feel as if she had thrown a punch into cotton—soft, yielding, and utterly unsatisfying.

She suddenly realized that from the very beginning, she had never truly been able to handle this person.

Tan Hua felt like her natural nemesis—no matter what she did or said, Tan Hua always managed to make her feel choked and helpless.

“Oh right, since you’ve already fired her, I suppose I’ll come over and help you out, just like I promised,” Tan Hua added, casually offering her support.

“No need,” Zheng Jinyu replied quickly, though even she wasn’t sure whether it was because she didn’t need a secretary like her or because she didn’t quite trust her abilities. “I’ll just hire two more.”

Two? Tan Hua narrowed her eyes at her immediately.

Zheng Jinyu went quiet, caught off guard. A smile involuntarily tugged at the corners of her lips, and her voice softened with a tenderness even she didn’t notice, “Two ordinary-looking but highly competent Betas.”

Now that’s more like it. Tan Hua was satisfied and withdrew her gaze.

She continued, “If you’d like, I can recommend a few people.”

Zheng Jinyu’s first instinct was to refuse, but just as the words reached her lips, she paused—realizing something.

Wasn’t this Omega’s way of offering help, indirectly?

To make sure she didn’t overwork herself and compromise her health.

Zheng Jinyu let out a soft laugh. “Alright.”

She didn’t even consider the possibility that Tan Hua might be sending over two spies to monitor her. All she felt was that, after accepting Tan Hua’s offer, their relationship had taken a real step forward.

Tan Hua was actually starting to care about her—reaching out those soft, delicate hands to offer comfort in her own quiet way.

That thought alone lifted Zheng Jinyu’s mood, making her feel light and a little giddy.

Just then, the waiter brought over their steaks. Sensing the tension, Tan Hua wisely ended the uncomfortable conversation and lowered her head to focus on eating.

Zheng Jinyu watched her for a moment, frowning slightly. “Have you been eating more than usual lately?”

She remembered the last time as well—Tan Hua had eaten far more than she ever used to.

Tan Hua froze mid-bite, then looked up at Zheng Jinyu in disbelief, her eyes wide. Did you just complain about a girl eating too much?

Her expression said it all, so clearly that Zheng Jinyu immediately shut her mouth. She quickly changed her tune. “That’s not what I meant. You’re still young—you need to eat more, it’s good for you.”

Trying to salvage it, she added, “You’re too thin anyway. That’s not healthy.”

Unfortunately, the more she tried to explain, the worse it sounded. Eventually, Zheng Jinyu gave up and went quiet, choosing to simply enjoy the rare moment of peace between them.

In the past, she and Tan Hua used to fight constantly, sometimes so intensely that they’d both end up red in the face. Neither of them was ever willing to back down or show weakness, which was how things had spiraled so badly.

Zheng Jinyu couldn’t even remember the last time they had sat down and eaten together peacefully like this.

Later on, Tan Hua had become suspicious, anxious, and even hysterical at times. Every little thing Zheng Jinyu did would set her off—she’d pick it apart and demand answers, often angrily. After a long day at work, coming home to that kind of tension left Zheng Jinyu feeling suffocated.

What she had wanted was a gentle, caring Omega—someone who would look after her, not someone so insecure and emotionally unstable.

Now, looking back, Zheng Jinyu realized she hadn’t done much to make Tan Hua feel secure. She hadn’t kept enough distance from other Omegas either.

She watched Tan Hua quietly. In the past, she had treated her as a substitute, so she didn’t pay much attention to her feelings. But at some point, something changed.

Was it after the divorce? Or when she saw Tan Hua getting closer to Lu Huaixu and Sheng Yiheng?

She wasn’t sure.

But what she was sure of now was that her feelings had shifted. She had started to care in a way she couldn’t quite explain. More accurately… she minded.

Yes, she minded everything—Tan Hua’s words, her actions, how she felt, and especially what she thought of her.

It was ridiculous, Zheng Jinyu thought silently.

She had always assumed that, with the way things had ended between them, they would just go their separate ways, never crossing paths again.

That once they broke up, it wouldn’t matter what Tan Hua did, who she was with, or whether she became someone else’s stand-in again—none of it would affect her.

But clearly, things weren’t going the way she had expected.

For a moment, Zheng Jinyu felt unsure. Maybe it was just a sense of responsibility—after all, Tan Hua was still an Omega, delicate and fragile, and they had once shared a life together. Maybe it was only natural to care a little.

Maybe she just didn’t want to see Tan Hua living a miserable life.

Yes… that must be it.

Later, Tan Hua had become increasingly sensitive and suspicious—prone to emotional outbursts. Even the smallest gesture from Zheng Jinyu would be scrutinized, magnified, and aggressively questioned, leaving Zheng Jinyu feeling completely suffocated after coming home from a long day at work.

What she had wanted was a caring, gentle Omega—someone who would understand her—not a woman constantly swinging between neediness and hysteria.

But now, in hindsight, Zheng Jinyu had to admit that she had her own share of faults too. She hadn’t given Tan Hua enough of a sense of security, nor had she kept an appropriate distance from other Omegas.

She glanced at Tan Hua quietly. Back then, she had only seen her as a stand-in, so naturally she hadn’t cared much about her feelings. But somewhere along the way, her emotions had shifted.

Was it after the divorce? Or when she saw her growing closer to Lu Huaixu and Sheng Yiheng?

Zheng Jinyu couldn’t say for sure.

But what she could clearly sense was that her feelings for the Tan Hua in front of her now were different—vague and hard to define, yet unmistakable. If she had to put a name to it… perhaps it was care?

Yes. She cared—about what Tan Hua did, how she felt, and most of all, what she thought of her.

It was absurd, Zheng Jinyu thought to herself.

She used to believe that after what had happened between them—such a messy and indescribable relationship—they would go their separate ways and never cross paths again.

She had thought that once they were apart, whatever Tan Hua did—who she dated, or even if she became someone else’s stand-in again—it wouldn’t affect her in the slightest.

But clearly, things hadn’t gone the way she expected.

For a brief moment, Zheng Jinyu felt confused. Maybe it was just a sense of responsibility—seeing a fragile Omega like Tan Hua again, and remembering the time they spent together, stirred something in her. Maybe it was just instinct to want to look after her.

Maybe she just couldn’t bear to see her living badly, Zheng Jinyu thought.

She didn’t fully understand her own feelings, but it was obvious that Tan Hua was truly hungry. A girl who used to barely eat was now finishing off an entire steak and eagerly starting on the plate of meat-sauce pasta beside her.

“Sheng Yiheng…” Zheng Jinyu watched her and couldn’t help asking, “Is she making you do too much at work?”

She couldn’t stop herself from thinking—maybe it would be better if Tan Hua came to work at her company. If needed, she could afford to support another idle employee. If Tan Hua stayed with Sheng Yiheng too long, who knew what kind of treatment she might end up facing?

She’d barely started working there for a few days and already looked like this.

“No,” Tan Hua replied without even lifting her head. “It’s probably because of my heat cycle. I get hungry easily—and crave food.” She picked up a napkin and wiped the corner of her mouth. “It’ll pass in a few days.”

Since she put it that way, Zheng Jinyu didn’t press further. Instead, she said, “If you want to, you can come work at my company. I’ll give you the same treatment Sheng Yiheng gives you.”

Tan Hua paused mid-twirl of her pasta, hesitating between Zheng Jinyu and Sheng Yiheng. After a moment, she politely declined, “Better not. You’re always so busy—I wouldn’t want to annoy you.”

“But Sheng Yiheng is busy too. And you’re fine bothering her?”

Tan Hua shook her head. “That’s different. I don’t really know her, and there’s no emotional connection. When she’s busy, she just ignores me entirely.”

But you’re not like that, Tan Hua thought silently. You’re close, and familiar. If I stayed by your side and you happened to be in a bad mood one day, I’d probably end up being your target.

Sheng Yiheng’s better—she pays me, introduces me to Alphas, and doesn’t ask for anything in return.

In a way, Sheng Yiheng was what you might call an ideal boss.

Zheng Jinyu didn’t pick up on the hidden meaning behind Tan Hua’s words. What caught her attention was the part about her and Sheng Yiheng having no emotional connection. She couldn’t help but wonder—did that mean that, in Tan Hua’s heart, she did care about her?

Did it mean that she still valued what they had once shared?

Zheng Jinyu was quietly delighted. Her expression softened, her voice warm and gentle. “Alright. If that’s what makes you happy, then let’s not change jobs. As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”

The sudden shift in Zheng Jinyu’s demeanor—gentle and calm like water—startled Tan Hua enough to pause mid-twirl with her fork. “?!”

“Tongzi,” Tan Hua whispered to the system, “why do I feel like she’s got a split personality?”

She frowned. “That smile of hers just now—it was so creepy. Honestly, kind of terrifying.”

The gentle, caring-wife tone she was using made Tan Hua’s skin crawl.

The system was speechless. “Host, you really ask for it sometimes. She talks to you nicely and you immediately think something’s wrong. So you’d rather she blow up, lose her temper, punish you or lash out—that’s what makes you feel comfortable, isn’t it?”

Wait. The system paused. That actually was the kind of person its host was.

The rougher people treated her, the more excited she got. The more intense it was, the more thrilled she became.

The system felt utterly defeated by its own conclusion. It could only gently caution her: “Host, maybe ease up a little. Don’t keep trying to stir the pot. If you push too far, you might end up losing more than you gain.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Tan Hua replied dismissively to the system’s nagging. But strangely, after a few more bites, she suddenly didn’t feel so hungry anymore.

She set down her fork. “I’m full. Thank you, President Zheng, for the meal.” Her tone was polite, her smile reserved. “But I have something on tomorrow, so I won’t be able to accompany you tonight.”

Zheng Jinyu hadn’t expected her to agree to dinner in the first place. Now that they’d made it through the meal peacefully—and she’d even gained some insight into how Tan Hua saw her—she felt surprisingly satisfied. So when Tan Hua said that, she didn’t react much, just replied, “I’ll drive you home, then.”

“No need.” Tan Hua shook her head. “You probably have a lot to deal with after firing that gorgeous secretary for my sake.”

She’d only meant to show a bit of concern, but Zheng Jinyu misunderstood immediately—assuming Tan Hua was reminding her, subtly, not to go back on her word.

Zheng Jinyu went quiet for a moment, then nodded. “Don’t worry. Starting tomorrow, someone like that won’t be working in my company again.”

Tan Hua stared at her for a few seconds, wide-eyed, then broke into a bright smile. “Good. I’m glad.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

“She should really be thanking me,” Tan Hua said to the system. “I helped her get rid of the most annoying love rival from the original storyline. Her chances of developing breast hyperplasia just went way down.”

The system twitched at her words and shot back, “…How do you know the heroine doesn’t enjoy this kind of twisted, mutually-destructive love story with Zheng Jinyu?”

Tan Hua fell silent. She had underestimated the genre.

“Let’s drop it for now,” she muttered, resting her chin on her palm as she stared at Zheng Jinyu. “But seriously… what got into her all of a sudden?” A beat later, she changed her mind. “Forget it.” Clearly, she didn’t feel like going any deeper.

The system stared at her in confusion. Her mood swings were so fast—what was she doing?

After dinner, Tan Hua returned to the parking garage alone and drove her sports car home. Since she had a formal event to attend the next day, she went straight into her beauty routine after returning to her room. It wasn’t until late at night that she finally noticed the assignments Wen Chuan had sent over.

She typed a quick reply—“Okay.” Then paused. That seemed too perfunctory.

So she added another line:
“Good job today. Keep up the hard work.”

Wen Chuan, who had been nervously clutching his phone, stared at the two bland lines of text in silence. “….”

He couldn’t help but ask,
“Are you still busy?”

Busy enough, apparently, that she couldn’t spare a few extra words?

“Mm,” Tan Hua replied without even blinking as she typed away on the keyboard. “I have to attend a major official event tomorrow. I’m preparing for it right now.”

“Be good, focus on your studies and get some rest. I’ll come see you after this event is over.”

All the questions Wen Chuan had been holding back immediately died in her throat. “…Okay.”

She lowered her head. Her hair had grown longer, having not been trimmed in a while. She stared at her phone, eyes fixed on that single word: Be good.

So rare, Wen Chuan thought to herself.

Tan Hua had never gone easy on her just because she was younger. She was rarely gentle, and often blunt—if she had something to say, she said it. If she was angry, she didn’t spare her words. But now, she had spoken to her in such a tender, intimate tone, using a word that felt like a caress.

Wen Chuan was momentarily dazed. Then, overwhelmed by the unexpected sweetness, a faint smile tugged at her lips.

The exhaustion from studying all day vanished in an instant. Wen Chuan even felt like she could tackle another ten sets of practice tests that night.

After wrapping up her brief exchange with Wen Chuan, Tan Hua returned to her skincare routine. Once everything was done, she collapsed into bed, determined to be in top form to face tomorrow’s Alpha—no, tomorrow’s event.

Since she’d gone to sleep early, Tan Hua woke up the next morning before her alarm went off. She got up, had breakfast, washed up, and started applying makeup.

Sheng Yiheng had already arranged the gown, so all Tan Hua had to do was touch up her look and head out early to meet her. From there, they would head to the venue together.

Sheng Yiheng also lived in a villa community—not unlike the area around Lu Huaixu’s place. As Tan Hua looked around, she couldn’t help but feel a bit tempted. “I kind of want to buy a place here too.”

“I just searched it for you,” the system said helpfully. “You’ll need to prepare at least 1.5 billion yuan.”

Tan Hua immediately pursed her lips. “Forget it. Suddenly, living in hotels every day seems pretty nice. Quiet when I want it, lively when I don’t. Convenient for having guests over. No utilities or internet bills. Honestly, kind of ideal, don’t you think?”

The system stared blankly. Host, whatever you say… as long as you’re happy.

Just like that, Tan Hua’s budding desire to buy property was instantly extinguished.

She hopped onto the patrol buggy and was soon dropped off in front of Sheng Yiheng. Sheng Yiheng looked her over, clearly wanting to comment that she looked like a walking butterfly—but in the end, she held back and simply said, “Go change first.”

“Okay!” Tan Hua beamed brightly.

Given the formal nature of the event, Sheng Yiheng hadn’t chosen a dress for her. Instead, she’d prepared a finely tailored suit—sleek, stylish, and clearly expensive.

Tan Hua picked up the outfit and gave it a once-over. She wasn’t entirely satisfied at first, but then she reminded herself—high-end prey never relies on seduction or appearance alone. So she cheerfully changed into the suit without further complaint.

As an Omega, Tan Hua had a naturally elegant figure—slim curves and graceful lines. Even a simple outfit on her looked stunning, exuding charm and allure.

Sheng Yiheng glanced at her and immediately began to regret her choice. Maybe the dress would’ve been better, she thought. At least that would’ve covered everything from the waist down.

“Let’s go,” she said abruptly, deciding it was best not to look any longer.

Tan Hua perked up and quickly followed after her. “Coming! Coming!”

Her overly enthusiastic tone made Sheng Yiheng glance back at her several times in the car. On the way, she gave Tan Hua a detailed rundown of what to do—and more importantly, what not to do—at the event.

Afraid Tan Hua might not take things seriously, Sheng Yiheng said bluntly, “If you mess this up, I’m not bringing you to any events like this again.”

“Don’t worry!” Tan Hua raised her hand in a mock pledge before Sheng Yiheng had even finished. “I promise I won’t stir up trouble or make a scene.”

Sheng Yiheng: …You better not.

The event itself was grand and formal—serious enough that Tan Hua felt a bit stifled. She followed Sheng Yiheng around as she networked and exchanged greetings, all the while waiting for her to introduce her to some Alpha ladies.

Just as she was about to ask when the introductions would happen, she suddenly spotted the heroine’s two mothers.

Dai Yueqing noticed Tan Hua as well. She walked over with a smile, but once she was up close, the Beta’s expression subtly shifted. She stared at Tan Hua for a moment, her face tinged with a hint of surprise—and suspicion. After a pause, she composed herself and said politely, “You look radiant lately.”

Hearing that, Cheng Shulan—standing nearby—whipped her head around with a sharp glare. The hostility and wariness in her eyes were plain to see.

Vixen.

Tan Hua: “…?” Come on, seriously? Don’t do this to me.

Tan Hua: Innocent bystander hit by stray fire.
The Heroine & Cheng Shulan: [Suspicion intensifies].jpg

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