The Five Heartless Scumbag Alphas Turned Against Each Other Because Of Me - Chapter 61

In Love? With Someone Fickle? Which One?

Tan Hua’s confused eyes turned to Tang Yanrou, her mind going completely blank for a moment. Although Tang Yanrou clearly meant well and was looking out for her, Tan Hua couldn’t help but think at the wrong moment—If we’re talking about being fickle, who could possibly outdo me?

The Omega’s puzzled expression and dazed eyes immediately led Tang Yanrou to a serious misunderstanding.

Tang Yanrou thought that Tan Hua had no idea about Cheng Yuan at all. She assumed that Sheng Yiheng had hidden the truth completely—that everyone knew about Cheng Yuan and Tan Hua’s stand-in situation, except Tan Hua herself.

In her eyes, Tan Hua looked like a well-behaved, pitiful little pet, completely kept in the dark by those around her, buried beneath layers of cruelty and secrecy. No one seemed to care about how she felt or what she might be going through.

After all, to people like them, an Omega without a powerful family, background, or influence didn’t deserve a say in anything.

To them, Tan Hua was nothing more than a cheap, insignificant toy.

Tang Yanrou’s face stayed calm and distant, but a flash of pity crossed her eyes—brief, but unmistakable. She hesitated, weighing whether telling Tan Hua the truth right now would be too much for her to handle. In the end, she let go of the idea of exposing everything all at once.

She would tell her—just not yet.

At the very least, she needed to prepare Tan Hua first. She had to make sure the truth wouldn’t hurt her more than it already had.

“It’s nothing,” Tang Yanrou said quickly, changing her tone with a soft smile. “I was just teasing President Sheng.” Her words turned so suddenly that even Sheng Yiheng, who had been tense just moments ago, was caught off guard and looked up at her in confusion.

Wasn’t she just about to blow my cover? Why the sudden change?

Sheng Yiheng gave Tang Yanrou a baffled glance. Although she looked young and gentle, she clearly had the same calculating mind as Lu Huaixu or Zheng Jinyu—just as sharp and dangerous underneath the surface.

But then again, Sheng couldn’t help but mock herself—Is there even a single Alpha in this world who’s easy to deal with?

Once someone carries that title—Alpha—it doesn’t matter if they’re kind or gentle on the outside. Deep down, they’re wired to dominate. There’s no such thing as harmless.

“Yes, Miss Tang’s joke was… hilarious,” Sheng Yiheng chimed in with a smile when she noticed Tan Hua glancing over, unsure whether to believe her or not. “I haven’t heard anything that funny in ages.”

Hearing Sheng Yiheng’s overly flattering tone, a line suddenly popped into Tan Hua’s head—“Madam, this old servant hasn’t seen the young master smile like that in years…”

“…” Tan Hua felt like her brain had short-circuited. She quickly pushed the ridiculous thought away and steadied herself. “Is that so.”

“Yes, very funny,” she replied, playing along. Then, as if casually, she added, “I thought Miss Tang was the only person in this world who truly understood me.”

That one soft sentence made both Alphas shudder involuntarily.

Tang Yanrou looked up in shock, her heartbeat racing, her thoughts spinning. Is that what she meant? She knows Sheng Yiheng isn’t a good person, but she’s under too much pressure—trapped by life, by Sheng herself—so she stays clear-headed and just lets it all happen, unable to resist?

Is she punishing herself knowingly?

Tang Yanrou pressed her lips together, and for a moment, something strange and bright flashed in her eyes. She stared straight at Tan Hua, completely focused—as if, if the timing were just a little better, she might take her away on the spot, run far away with her.

Sheng Yiheng’s face darkened slightly. What nonsense is she coming up with now?

If she kept this up, Tang Yanrou was going to fall completely for her act. And seriously—what does she mean by “I thought Miss Tang was the only one who understood me”?

Don’t I understand her? Don’t I know what she’s feeling? I’ve been treating her well, making sure she has everything she wants, spending money left and right—isn’t that enough?

Sheng Yiheng gave a cold, bitter smile. “Your compliments are really getting more creative, Tan Hua. You’re much more skilled than before.”

Tan Hua? Tan Hua nearly flinched. She glared at her in annoyance. What are you calling me that for?

It’s Tan Hua or Secretary Tan—not “Hua Hua” or anything else. Copying the way others talk doesn’t make it any less weird.

Tan Hua forced a polite smile. “I’ve just learned from the best, President Sheng.”

Both of them kept smiling with the same fake politeness. Tang Yanrou narrowed her eyes slightly. After glancing back and forth between them for a moment, she finally broke their strange little staring contest.

“Let’s eat before the food gets cold,” she said firmly.

Tan Hua finally pulled her attention back and, after sitting upright, continued eating the large pork knuckle in front of her with focused determination.

Sheng Yiheng’s mouth twitched a few times. She tried signaling Tan Hua with her eyes, but Tan Hua didn’t even look up. Sheng couldn’t help raising her hand to cover her face—Why is she eating like she hasn’t eaten in days? Anyone watching might think she’s been starving her.

Come to think of it, she didn’t remember Tan Hua ever being able to eat an entire pork knuckle by herself before… But it did look pretty delicious.

Sheng Yiheng, despite herself, swallowed hard.

To Tang Yanrou, however, Tan Hua’s half-graceful, half-ravenous eating style took on a different meaning. She imagined that Tan Hua, as an Omega trying to maintain her figure to better please Sheng Yiheng, probably hadn’t dared to eat much in the past—

Or maybe she didn’t even get one full meal a day.

But Tan Hua was already so beautiful, already so slim—like a delicate willow in the wind, as if a breeze could knock her over. Tang Yanrou’s heart ached a little as she looked at her. That sharp, fragile chin didn’t make Sheng Yiheng look any better by bringing her out in public—it only made people feel sorry for Tan Hua.

Tang Yanrou didn’t entirely understand, but at the same time, she did understand why Tan Hua might treat herself this way.

The way society imposes its ideals—like a torrential rain—falls hardest on those with no shelter. The gazes of others, the helplessness of life, all those casual yet deliberate expectations force every Omega to conform to standards made by people who don’t even care about them.

But it shouldn’t have to be this way.

In life, what should matter most is having your own thoughts, a healthy body, and—so long as you’re not breaking the law or violating morality—pursuing the kind of happiness that feels true to you.

Not… this.

Without realizing it, Tang Yanrou found herself watching Tan Hua for a long time. A quiet thought rose in her heart: If Tan Hua were my Omega, I would accept her no matter what she looked like.

Even if she gained weight or tanned from the sun—if she was happy, if she felt good—then that would be enough for her, and Tang Yanrou would love her all the same.

Unlike Sheng Yiheng, who seemed determined to mold Tan Hua into the shadow of someone else she admired, using cold and demanding expectations to force her into that shape.

The pity on Tang Yanrou’s face became so obvious that Sheng Yiheng opened her mouth to explain herself, but when Tang Yanrou looked at her with a quiet, weighing stare, she suddenly didn’t know where to begin.

But still—she really wanted to clarify one thing: She hadn’t mistreated her Omega!

She turned her head and looked at Tan Hua, who was still eating enthusiastically, and suddenly felt more wronged than ever.

Tan Hua, only just realizing that the other two had barely touched their food and had instead been watching her eat this whole time, paused awkwardly.
“Am I… being too loud?”

“I’ll try to chew more quietly…” But before she could finish, Tang Yanrou smiled gently and shook her head.
“No, it’s fine. Eat as much as you want.”

She kindly reached over and placed another pork knuckle into Tan Hua’s bowl. Tan Hua stared in alarm as Tang Yanrou calmly reassured her,
“It’s okay. You’re still young—you’re growing. It’s good to eat more.”

“Young people digest well. You won’t gain weight.”

Tan Hua looked down at her bowl, now overflowing with food.
“…” Me, eating two whole pork knuckles by myself? That’s… horrifying to even say out loud.

But Tang Yanrou meant well, and she didn’t want to reject her kindness, so she hesitantly murmured, “Thank you.”

The smile on Tang Yanrou’s face deepened at Tan Hua’s quiet gratitude. She replied softly, “You’re welcome.”

Watching Tan Hua lower her head and get back to eating, Tang Yanrou felt even more convinced she’d guessed right. She wasn’t trying to criticize Sheng Yiheng anymore—just regretting that she hadn’t appeared in Tan Hua’s life sooner, when she could have protected her better.

The atmosphere at the table took on a strange tension.

One person was busily serving food.
One was silently trying to keep up with eating it.
And one sat holding a teacup, eyes fixed on the other two, occasionally letting out a cold, bitter laugh in her heart.

Even someone totally oblivious should have sensed something from Sheng Yiheng’s icy stare.

But Tan Hua? She didn’t notice a thing.

In Sheng Yiheng’s eyes, Tan Hua looked completely lost in the warmth and attentiveness of her lovely companion. Her delicately made-up face was lit up with a smile so bright, it was almost irritating.

Absolutely annoying.

Sheng Yiheng clenched her jaw and suddenly bit the rim of her teacup, the sound of porcelain clicking echoing clearly through the room.

Both Tan Hua and Tang Yanrou looked up at her. Sheng Yiheng put the cup down with a smile that barely hid her clenched teeth. “I’m just about done. You two go ahead—don’t mind me.”

“I’m done too,” Tan Hua quickly echoed, setting down her chopsticks.

Tang Yanrou’s eyes dimmed slightly. She didn’t push Tan Hua to eat more, merely nodded and followed suit.

Sheng Yiheng had been dying for this awkward lunch to end. The original goal of building a friendly relationship with Tang Yanrou for the sake of future cooperation had completely fallen apart. Instead, she had spent the entire afternoon watching the two of them act like a sweet, affectionate couple. The frustration in her heart could practically bring an evil villain back to life.

“Well, if everyone’s finished, let’s wrap things up,” Sheng Yiheng said, blinking rapidly as she forced a wide, insincere smile.

She couldn’t wait to break up this little duo. Watching them sit close together, acting so comfortable and intimate, made her feel physically ill.

Tan Hua had no objections. Even if Tang Yanrou had any, her schedule didn’t allow for more time.

As soon as Sheng Yiheng managed to politely send Tang Yanrou off, she immediately spun around with a sharp motion, fixing Tan Hua with a piercing glare.

Startled, Tan Hua instinctively took half a step back. “?”

“Was lunch good?” Sheng Yiheng asked with a fake smile, her voice laced with suppressed annoyance.

Tan Hua blinked, not sure what was going on, but still answered honestly, “Yes, it was delicious. Honestly, I’ve never had food that good in my whole life.”

“Hmph.” Sheng Yiheng let out a loud snort through her nose and turned away sharply, looking like she’d been deeply offended. “If it was that good, then go eat with her from now on.”

She stormed off, her voice trailing behind with unmistakable sarcasm. “Must be nice—having a sweet, gentle Alpha to keep you company at meals. Unlike me, eating alone, unloved, completely forgotten. Honestly, I’m full from the sheer amount of jealousy.”

Tan Hua’s eyelid twitched. “…Okay then.”

Although she had no idea why Sheng Yiheng was suddenly jealous out of nowhere, Tan Hua still ran after her like a loyal little assistant and said sweetly, “But wasn’t I doing it all for your benefit, President Sheng?”

“Think about it. Miss Tang only trusts me. If I didn’t act a little warmer, a little friendlier, why would she choose to work with two total strangers like us? She could’ve picked anyone.”

“So if I didn’t flatter her a bit, go along with her a little—how else could we land such a lucrative deal? Don’t you think?”

Every word Tan Hua spoke was filled with sincerity, and Sheng Yiheng came to a sudden stop, feeling a complex wave of frustration rise in her chest.

Was that just being friendly? Just polite? The two of you were this close to openly flirting right in front of me!

Sheng Yiheng fumed. She clenched her jaw, wanting to turn around and argue with Tan Hua, but in the end, she closed her eyes and forced herself to calm down. She didn’t want to cross that last line.

What would Tan Hua think of her if she did? Would she think she was crazy—throwing tantrums for no reason?

The bitterness stuck in Sheng Yiheng’s throat, unspoken and impossible to swallow. Her expression darkened, her voice colder than before. “Go. Don’t follow me.”

With that, she pushed open the company’s front door and walked out.

Behind her, there were no footsteps.

Sheng Yiheng’s face stiffened. She couldn’t help but glance back. “?” She really didn’t follow?

Seriously? You’re not even going to try and coax me a little?

She told her to leave and she actually left? When did Tan Hua ever listen so well before?

Sheng Yiheng couldn’t make sense of it. She turned right back around, marched to the door, flung it open, and called out with full force:

“Tan Hua!”

Tan Hua perked up. “What?”

“Hurry up and follow me,” Sheng Yiheng said flatly, her deep eyes gleaming with icy coldness.

Tan Hua blinked. What? This is giving “confused grandpa looking at his phone on the subway” energy.

She slowly stepped toward Sheng Yiheng, hesitated for a long moment, then couldn’t help but say, “President Sheng… maybe you should go get checked at a hospital? I feel like your emotions have been all over the place lately. Could be a hormone imbalance or something—”

The rest of the sentence was swallowed when Sheng Yiheng shot her a glare sharp enough to kill.

So hard to deal with, Tan Hua thought silently.

Sheng Yiheng was fuming after that lunch. As soon as she returned to her office, she slammed the door shut and locked it. No one was allowed in—even employees trying to report work matters were turned away.

Leaning against the doorframe, Tan Hua cracked open a bag of sunflower seeds from who-knows-where and asked, “What’s her problem? Did she get too excited hearing that the female lead’s coming back?”

The system fell silent. “…Does she look excited to you?”

“No,” Tan Hua answered honestly, shaking her head. “Then I guess she’s anxious.” She nodded seriously. “People get nervous when something big is about to happen—especially when they haven’t seen someone important for a long time.”

“So pitiful,” Tan Hua sighed. “Good thing I don’t have some special white moonlight I’m still hung up on.”

The system muttered under its breath, Honestly, I wish you did—someone who could keep your wandering heart in check. Maybe then the original storyline wouldn’t have fallen apart so spectacularly.

Since Sheng Yiheng was in a bad mood, Tan Hua wisely lowered her presence and avoided provoking her.

While waiting for a response from Tang Yanrou, she happily immersed herself in designing her private vacation island. Life was, in her opinion, going just fine.

Meanwhile, Sheng Yiheng sat in her office, watching the surveillance feed of Tan Hua lounging around without a care in the world. Her molars were practically grinding together. Here I am, burned out—juggling work, emotions, contracts—and she’s planning her vacation with Tang Yanrou like she’s got not a worry in the universe.

Absolutely infuriating.

Sheng Yiheng let out a dramatic laugh, then stopped abruptly and grabbed her phone. “Director Zheng? Let’s go ahead and finalize the contract, shall we?”

Zheng Jinyu raised an eyebrow on the other end of the call, voice as gentle as ever. “Sure. How about this afternoon? I’ll come by.”

“That works,” Sheng Yiheng replied with forced cheer. “Looking forward to it.”

The moment the call ended, Sheng muttered under her breath, “Two-faced snake.” Always putting on that warm, harmless act—meanwhile, no one’s more ruthless behind the scenes.

She didn’t tell Tan Hua about Zheng Jinyu’s visit, still holding a grudge over the island-planning fiasco.

As for Zheng Jinyu, she’d been thinking about Tan Hua since that morning and made sure to clear her schedule to drive over early. When she arrived and met with Sheng Yiheng, she casually asked, “Where’s Hua Hua?”

“Her?” Sheng Yiheng’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Busy. Once she’s done, I’m sure she’ll show up.”

Her tone hinted at something more, and Zheng Jinyu, ever perceptive, wisely didn’t press further.

After reviewing and confirming the draft contract sent over by the assistant, Zheng Jinyu returned it for printing. Sheng Yiheng made half-hearted small talk in the meantime, clearly distracted. “You’re not planning to backstab me again this time, are you?”

“Of course not,” Zheng Jinyu replied with the same calm smile. “We’re partners now—naturally we should support each other.”

She extended her hand. “Here’s to a successful collaboration.”

Sheng Yiheng eyed her hand for a long moment before quickly shaking it and pulling away. “Alright, I’ll trust you one more time.”

Zheng Jinyu smiled faintly. “Time will prove my sincerity.”

“And besides, you and I… let’s just say we didn’t start off on the best terms, but at least we understand each other now.” Knowing Sheng Yiheng had serious trust issues, she threw in a few soft words to ease the tension.

The final version of the contract was brought in, and with signatures, fingerprints, and official stamps in place, the process was complete. Sheng Yiheng casually wiped the ink off her thumb with a wet wipe and asked, “Would you like a quick tour of the company?”

“I’d love to,” Zheng Jinyu replied instantly, without the slightest hesitation. “It would be an honor.”

Sheng Yiheng suddenly felt her breath catch. She knew exactly why Zheng Jinyu wanted to stick around. Tang Yanrou had just left after lunch, and now Zheng Jinyu shows up in the afternoon. And I was the one who invited both of them… “…”

She was speechless for a moment.

But since the invitation had been made, she couldn’t exactly take it back. She led Zheng Jinyu on a company tour, though neither of them really cared about the scenery. Their minds were clearly elsewhere.

After the tour, Sheng hesitated for a moment before asking, “Would you… like to stop by my office for a bit?”

“With such a warm invitation, how could I say no?”

“…Seriously?” Sheng Yiheng thought. Could she try to be a little more polite?

As she led Zheng Jinyu through the building, she couldn’t help but wonder how Tan Hua would react to running into Zheng out of the blue. Would she panic? Would she feel guilty?

She couldn’t wait to find out.

Meanwhile, Tan Hua was still finalizing paperwork online. Once that was done, she began contacting a professional interior design team to draw up the basic layout for the island.

Since typing was inconvenient, she opted for a voice call instead.

Sitting with her back to the office door, she faced the large floor-to-ceiling window, completely unaware that two tall figures had silently entered behind her.

Sheng Yiheng was about to call out to her when Zheng Jinyu gently stopped her. “She looks busy. Let’s not interrupt.”

“…Fine.” Sheng agreed reluctantly, though she couldn’t shake the feeling that Zheng’s “politeness” was suspicious. Still, it was rude to interrupt someone’s call, so she waited.

The office door had been left wide open, and from their position, they could hear everything Tan Hua was saying inside.

“I want the island to feel romantic—perfect for honeymoons,” Tan Hua told the contractor. “Don’t worry about the budget. Anything that exists online, get it. Anything wild and over-the-top? Find a way to make it happen.”

After thinking for a second, she added, “Oh, and I’ll be inviting a lot of women to come party with me, so make sure there are enough guest rooms. If space is tight, just make the beds bigger.”

“The master bedroom bed needs to be at least four meters wide.”

Heh.

Sheng Yiheng had no idea what the contractor’s reaction was, but she herself was absolutely stunned.

A four-meter-wide bed? What are you planning to do—drive a truck on it? She scoffed internally, then turned to check Zheng Jinyu’s reaction. The woman’s face remained calm, her usual faint smile in place—gentle and harmless.

But then Zheng Jinyu spoke with a soft, apologetic tone, “Oh dear. Seems we accidentally overheard some of Hua Hua’s private bedroom plans.”

“So sorry.”

She said sorry, but her face didn’t look the least bit apologetic. In fact, her elegant eyes had darkened ever so slightly, as if she were already planning how to use this little secret against the Omega later.

Sheng Yiheng: “…”

So fake.

President Sheng, bitter and annoyed: All the world’s Alphas are scheming snakes. Only I am truly pure and kind.

Tan Hua, who just got caught oversharing: …Please. You’re all the same. None of you can talk.

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