The Five Heartless Scumbag Alphas Turned Against Each Other Because Of Me - Chapter 71

Tang Yanrou’s eyes were intense, her deep thoughts flickering briefly before vanishing.

She looked at Tan Hua gently, with no aggression in her expression—yet it felt like even if Tan Hua were to say “Go take out the heroine”, she’d nod and do it without hesitation.

That unsettling realization sent a chill down Tan Hua’s spine. She reflexively pressed her lips together to cover up her spiraling thoughts.

“Actually… whether it’s delayed or not doesn’t really matter,” she said.

After a moment’s thought, she realized: seducing Lu Huaixu wouldn’t be accomplished overnight anyway. And this slow-and-steady approach might not even be the right one for someone like her. If the heroine really did come back, the chaos that followed might just work in her favor—maybe even create some unexpected, useful opportunities.

So, in the end, Tan Hua gently declined Tang Yanrou’s offer.

“Miss Tang, I appreciate your concern—I know you’re just thinking of me. But there’s really no need. Miss Cheng Yuan and I have never had any conflict.”

“We’ve always stayed out of each other’s way. And with her upbringing, I doubt she’d lash out at me for no reason, don’t you think?”

Tang Yanrou looked at her for a long moment but ultimately didn’t press the issue.
“You’re right,” she said quietly.
“I’m just overthinking things.”

She let out a soft laugh—though she didn’t miss the subtle flash of fear Tan Hua had just shown.

Her thick lashes lowered, hiding the flicker of disappointment in her eyes.

Had she been too aggressive? Too forceful?
Was this how it would be from now on—Tan Hua quietly avoiding her, slowly backing away?

All she’d wanted was to protect her.

But now that she thought about it, if she had known things would end up like this, she never would have shown this darker, more assertive side in front of Tan Hua. Why had she even bothered asking for her opinion?

She should’ve just handled it behind the scenes. Kept Tan Hua safe without making her feel watched or pressured. And even if Tan Hua eventually found out and got angry, even if she resented her later… that still would’ve been better than her being afraid now.

Tang Yanrou was full of regret.

Tan Hua noticed she was still standing and quickly said,
“I still have a bit of work to finish. Why don’t you take a seat on the couch and have some water? Once I’m done, we can head over to see President Sheng together.”

Tang Yanrou returned from her thoughts and gave a small smile.
“Alright.”

Tan Hua didn’t have much left to do. It wouldn’t take long to wrap up. Meanwhile, Tang Yanrou sat on the sofa, stared blankly at her phone for a moment, then suddenly began typing rapidly—sending several messages in a row.

Moments later, she stood again and turned to Tan Hua.
“I’m going to step out and make a couple of calls.”

With a polite nod and an apologetic smile, she walked out under Tan Hua’s curious gaze.

Tan Hua watched her leave, fingers still flying across the keyboard. Something about Tang Yanrou’s mood felt off today, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

She scratched her head. Could it be because of the female lead?

But that didn’t make sense. The book clearly stated that the fifth “scumbag A” in the storyline was supposed to be an older, well-preserved, rich auntie.

And “Tang Yanrou” and “auntie”… didn’t quite fit together.

Before she could dwell on that any further, He Yi reached out to her.

The moment she answered the call, his voice came through with urgency:
“We’ve got a lead on your birth background.”

“Really?” Tan Hua’s heart jumped. “Tell me everything!”

But instead of answering, He Yi started complaining.

“You know your adoptive parents—tight-lipped and scheming. Took forever to get them to open up.”

“I had to use every trick in the book to get the truth out of them.”

Tan Hua’s eyelid twitched. She could feel a bad feeling creeping in.
“So?”

“So…” He Yi finally dropped the act and revealed his real agenda.
“Look, about the price—”

“Honestly, one million just isn’t enough.”

“You know I’ve got a whole team working under me—guys I have to pay, feed, and house. That tiny bit of money you gave us doesn’t even cover all the people we had to bribe and negotiate with along the way.”

After He Yi’s words fell, Tan Hua didn’t respond right away.

Feeling the silence and a little awkward, He Yi pressed on:
“So, we’ll need to increase the compensation—by at least five times…”

“Five times?!” Before he could finish, Tan Hua screeched into the phone,
“Big bro, are you trying to kill me?!”

“Even if you sold me for parts, I wouldn’t be worth that much!”

He Yi: “…”

Tan Hua’s voice turned sharp with grievance:
“You know I was separated from my biological parents since childhood and got stuck with those two leeches who drained me dry. I clawed my way up, barely surviving, and now I’ve finally landed a halfway-decent job—and I only just finished paying off my student loans!”

“The one million I promised you, I scraped together by running side jobs for rich folks after work every day. So come on, big bro—why make life harder for someone who’s already struggling?”

“What good is squeezing me going to do? Even if you push harder, I don’t have more to give you.”

Every word dripped with sorrow. He Yi nearly teared up just listening to her.

But then Tan Hua’s tone took a sudden turn:
“If I were you, I’d go after my real parents instead. They’re rich.”

“Whether you ask them for five million or fifty million—I won’t say a word.”

“And hey, if you do manage to squeeze fifty million out of them…” she hesitated, her tone sheepish,
“…Would you mind giving me a small cut?”

“You know, as a friendly gesture. And if I ever need something investigated again, I promise—you’ll be the first person I call.”

He Yi: “…………”

He was filled with mixed feelings… and an overwhelming desire to curse out loud.

Your birth parents are really going to be ‘honored to death’ by how filial you are.

But he had to admit—she wasn’t wrong.

There was no use bleeding the Omega dry. No matter how much pressure he applied, Tan Hua didn’t have more money. But her birth family? That was a whole different story…

He Yi began to waver.

“…Fine,” he finally agreed.

“Thank you, thank you!” Tan Hua’s grateful voice came through the receiver.
“You’re a good man, big bro. Really.”

He Yi was caught off guard by the praise and began to feel light-headed with pride.

But then Tan Hua’s sly, probing voice came again:
“So, about the investigation—what have you found out? Did my adoptive parents spill everything?”

Spill everything?
He’d practically had to resort to torture. If the couple hadn’t seen what happened to someone else who resisted, they might never have confessed.

“Still confirming some parts,” He Yi said vaguely, unwilling to reveal too much.
“I’ll let you know when everything is verified.”

But he added a small teaser, worried she’d get annoyed with the lack of detail:
“From the way your adoptive parents talked, your biological parents seem to have a pretty high status.”

Tan Hua’s eyes lit up instantly.
“Really? That’s amazing!”

Her joy and excitement were completely unfiltered, and hearing it made He Yi’s temple twitch. He couldn’t explain why—but he felt like he was working hard just to pave the way for someone else’s perfect life.

He shook his head, trying to calm himself. It’s fine. I’m being paid. It’s just business.

“Alright, that’s all for today. I’ll reach out once I confirm their identities.”

Tan Hua responded with another round of over-the-top flattery, launching a barrage of compliments that left He Yi so flustered, he felt like he was walking on clouds.

“System, turns out I really am a long-lost heiress,” Tan Hua murmured, eyes squinting in delight.
“Now the only question is—am I the real heiress?” She paused dramatically. “Or the real heiress?”

The system twitched.

If you’re not the real heiress… are you suggesting you’re the illegitimate child instead?

It froze.

That… wasn’t impossible.

The original story had barely touched on the original host’s background. There was hardly any detailed information on her life before the plot began. To the average reader, she was just the typical evil, ungrateful side character: poor background, abusive foster parents, gambling father, alcoholic mother—a complete disaster. The kind of person people booed off the page.

But now, by accident or fate, the host had uncovered a hidden storyline.

The system was both thrilled and terrified.

Thrilled that the host was genuinely doing her job.
Terrified that, at this rate, she might dig so deep that the entire world-building might collapse under the weight of her meddling.

Meanwhile, Tang Yanrou ended her call and opened a new email in her inbox.

Three minutes later, she shut the screen with a conflicted look, not sure what to feel.

The only thing she could think was:
The elite circle is way too small.

Even people who had never met or interacted were somehow bound together by invisible red threads—connected in fate, history, or secrets.

Her phone buzzed twice. She flipped it over and saw a new message:

“You’re not the only one investigating her.”

“The other party moved even faster than you. They’ve likely already found the answer.”

The Alpha furrowed her finely arched brows.

Could it be Sheng Yiheng? But the more Tang Yanrou thought about it, the less likely it seemed. Sheng Yiheng still carried a torch for Cheng Yuan—surely she had no interest in digging into Tan Hua’s personal affairs.

But if it’s not her… then who?

Tang Yanrou’s mood sank.

She still hadn’t returned when Tan Hua finished her emails. Worried, Tan Hua stood up to look for her, only to nearly bump straight into Tang Yanrou as she reached the door.

Startled, Tan Hua instinctively stepped back and looked up.
“You’ve been gone for a while. I was just about to come find you.”

“Sorry,” Tang Yanrou said with a soft laugh, her voice gentle, her presence as composed and elegant as ever. “I lost track of time while taking a call.”

“No worries,” Tan Hua smiled. “If you’re done now, let’s go see President Sheng together.”

She tucked the documents under one arm and gestured in the direction of the meeting room with her free hand.

Tang Yanrou nodded and asked, as if in passing:
“Hua Hua, you and President Sheng… are you very close?”

Tan Hua assumed she’d heard the gossip too and misunderstood the nature of her relationship with Sheng Yiheng. She quickly waved a hand dismissively.
“Oh, don’t listen to those rumors. There’s nothing going on between us.”

“All that stuff they’re saying is completely made up.”

But Tang Yanrou cut in softly, a smile tugging at her lips before Tan Hua could finish:
“I know.”

“You’re honest, upright, and sincere. There’s no way you’d do something like that.”

“Even if I did, you never would.”

Tan Hua blinked. That’s… kind of too flattering? She chuckled lightly, a bit caught off guard.

“Besides,” she added teasingly, “if people are going to spread fake gossip, wouldn’t it make more sense to pair me with you, Miss Tang?”

“After all, you’re the reason I even got this amazing promotion in the first place.”

Sheng Yiheng really caught a stray bullet there—being dragged into a scandal she didn’t even cause, over something she didn’t actually do.

Tang Yanrou laughed. “You’re right.”
The corners of her lips curled as a sudden thought struck her.

If people assumed she and the Omega were romantically involved… maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

At least then, others would know Tan Hua was under her protection—and they wouldn’t dare harass her or make her feel wronged again. If Tan Hua was seen as hers, no one would treat her carelessly.

In that moment, Tang Yanrou almost wished she could switch places with Sheng Yiheng.

Sheng had done nothing, still had a white moonlight in her heart, yet had earned Tan Hua’s trust and loyalty.

If it were me instead…
Tang Yanrou was certain she’d be a model Alpha—she wouldn’t let a single female mosquito come within half a meter of herself.

When the two of them arrived at the meeting room, Sheng Yiheng was already inside.

Seeing Tan Hua and Tang Yanrou Walk in side-by-side, laughing and chatting as if no one else in the world existed, a sour feeling bloomed in Sheng Yiheng’s chest.

If I had known they’d hit it off this well, she thought bitterly, I never would’ve introduced them in the first place.

She regretted it deeply. Why did I have to be so damn helpful that day?
Why did I open my mouth at all?

Because Tang Yanrou was a major client—one Sheng Yiheng still needed to rely on—she didn’t let her irritation show. Instead, she forced a polite, even warm smile as she stood up to greet her.

“Miss Tang, welcome.”

Tang Yanrou gave a small nod, her eyes flashing briefly with hostility before quickly returning to their usual calm.

“Good afternoon, President Sheng.”

The two women remained outwardly courteous, but the tension between them was palpable—like a pair of swords, sheathed yet drawn.

Tan Hua, still holding the contract documents, stepped forward and placed them neatly on the table.

“Miss Tang, please take a look.”

She handed a copy to Sheng Yiheng as well, then moved to sit beside her.

“If everything looks good to you, we can move forward with signing.”

The moment the Omega sat down, it was as if the very air around them grew sweeter.

Sheng Yiheng subtly leaned closer, discreetly inhaling—then sniffed herself for comparison—just to confirm that yes, the scent of Tan Hua was indeed sweet and soft. The realization left her feeling giddy, like she’d just taken a spoonful of honey.

No matter how close Tan Hua is to Tang Yanrou, Sheng Yiheng thought smugly, in a setting like this, a formal and important meeting—she still belongs by my side.

It wouldn’t just stop here. From now on, whether it was business events, networking galas, or high-society functions, Tan Hua would be at her side as her rightful companion.

Basically, Sheng Yiheng reasoned to herself, she’s no different from being mine already.

That thought made her eyes soften with satisfaction, and her expression relaxed. A faint smile played at her lips, one that did not go unnoticed—and deeply irritated—Tang Yanrou.

Honestly, if it weren’t for Tan Hua’s sake, she might have walked out without signing anything. But for the Omega’s future, Tang Yanrou took a deep breath, steadied herself, and finally picked up the pen.

With elegant strokes, she signed her name on the pristine contract.

After a few pleasantries, she smoothly transitioned to the real purpose of her visit.

“There’s a lot of project material Tan Manager will need to familiarize herself with at the early stage,” she said.
“So I suggest she temporarily move into our company’s employee housing. It will make things easier for collaboration.”

“No.”

Before she could finish, Sheng Yiheng cut her off with a firm tone.

Both Tang Yanrou and Tan Hua turned to look at her.

Unfazed, Sheng Yiheng calmly elaborated,
“She’s an Omega. I’m not comfortable with her staying there with other people.”

Tang Yanrou explained evenly,
“The employee units are private—one-bedroom apartments. She’ll have the entire space to herself. It’s no different from where she lives now.”

“Still no.” Sheng Yiheng remained unmoved.
“Even if she’s alone in the unit, she’d still be in a building full of strangers. People coming and going, all kinds of folks. She’s beautiful, vulnerable, unarmed—if an Alpha with bad intentions targeted her, who would protect her?”

She stared unblinkingly at Tang Yanrou, her tone resolute:

“I absolutely refuse to allow it.”

Tang Yanrou drew in a slow breath.
“The Alpha and Omega dorm buildings are separate.”

Sheng Yiheng was momentarily speechless. For a second, she couldn’t think of any logical reason to argue back.

But very quickly, she found a new excuse.

“Then I’d be more worried she might end up seducing every Omega in your company.” She clicked her tongue. “You know what she’s like—always flirting, eyeing people left and right—”

“Ow!”

The Alpha let out a yelp, her face twisting in pain.

Tan Hua calmly withdrew her foot from under the table and, while still smiling sweetly, shot her a sharp glare. Then she turned back to Tang Yanrou.

“Miss Tang, I know you’re doing this for my sake—and I truly appreciate your thoughtfulness.”

She politely declined, “But I’m a little particular about my sleeping environment. I’m used to my own bed.”

Tang Yanrou wasn’t sure if Tan Hua was simply trying to avoid causing friction with Sheng Yiheng, so her mood dipped slightly.

But she quickly composed herself again and didn’t push the matter.
“Alright, I understand.”

Then she seemed to remember something.
“By the way, my father’s birthday is in a few days. If I were to invite you, would you come?”

Her soft eyes carried a subtle hope.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to introduce you to some of the other project partners.”

Old Mr. Tang’s birthday? Sheng Yiheng’s eyes lit up. Catching a glimpse of Tang Yanrou’s obvious intent, she quickly jumped in.

“I’ll go too.”
“In fact, not just me—Lu Huaixu and Zheng Jinyu are attending as well.”

As she spoke, she shot Tan Hua a suggestive look.

Tang Yanrou noticed the flirty glances exchanged between them and paused. A rare flicker of hesitation crossed her face.

Lu Huaixu and Zheng Jinyu too…?

Could it be that they—like Sheng Yiheng—also have some unclear, complicated involvement with Tan Hua?

She frowned ever so slightly.

No… that couldn’t be.

Tang Yanrou quickly reassured herself. It must be Sheng Yiheng deliberately throwing out smoke bombs to confuse her.

Someone like Hua Hua—so pure, so innocent—how could she possibly be entangled with so many people at once?

And even if there were such entanglements, it wasn’t Tan Hua’s fault. It was because she was too beautiful, too gentle—impossible not to protect.

Even people like Lu Huaixu and Zheng Jinyu, who normally looked down on everyone, couldn’t help wanting to shield her.

Yes, Tang Yanrou nodded to herself, that must be it.

Love-struck logic activated:
Hua Hua really is the most lovable girl in the world.

Sheng Yiheng: …………

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