The Five Heartless Scumbag Alphas Turned Against Each Other Because Of Me - Chapter 74

In Ning Xi’s mind, Cheng Yuan had always been calm, composed, and effortlessly in control. So the idea that Cheng Yuan had rushed back to China in a panic—because she was worried Tan Hua would steal away all her suitors—was something Ning Xi couldn’t even imagine.

In her world, others were the ones who panicked. Never Cheng Yuan.

If a suitor turned their affection elsewhere? Cheng Yuan would simply offer a faint smile and wish them well—never begging, never chasing. Certainly not desperate.

After all, they were just a few Alphas. Out with the old, in with the new—the new ones were often better anyway. Cheng Yuan was the last person who would stress over an Alpha’s fickle affections.

In fact, she’d made it clear she had no plans to date or marry any time soon. Even if every single one of her admirers vanished overnight, whisked away by some other Omega, Ning Xi was convinced she wouldn’t bat an eye.

So, based on all that, Ning Xi reached one inevitable conclusion—Cheng Yuan must’ve come rushing back not because she was afraid of losing Alphas, but because this vixen in front of her had also set her sights on Cheng Yuan herself.

The thought made Ning Xi’s chest tighten. When the hell did this Omega start making moves on my best friend?!

And Cheng Yuan—how could she keep something this huge from her? Were they even still friends?

Ning Xi was practically seething. And the angrier she got, the more unbearable Tan Hua looked. Her face turned cold, brows sharp, eyes filled with murderous intent—like she wanted to skin Tan Hua alive and swallow her whole.

Mu Wanyi was scared stiff. She subtly scooted her butt to the side, trying to sneak away unnoticed—only to be caught in Ning Xi’s death glare.

She froze on the spot, stiff as a statue. Why are all the women around Tan Hua so terrifying? Alphas were terrifying, sure—but even the Omegas were savages?! She bit her lip and turned to look at Tan Hua. How is she not afraid?

Tan Hua really wasn’t afraid.

What’s there to fear? Ning Xi is just an Omega—not some Alpha like Lu Huaixu who might forcefully mark me without warning.

Smiling politely, Tan Hua looked up at her and said in a gentle voice, “I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”

Ning Xi’s expression screamed “you have three seconds to explain yourself before I rip you in half.” But Tan Hua remained composed.

“I haven’t tried to seduce Cheng Yuan, as you seem to think,” she said calmly. “In fact, I haven’t even had a proper conversation with her. So if Cheng Yuan rushed back so suddenly… it’s probably not for the reason you’ve assumed.”

“Even if it’s not the reason I assumed,” Ning Xi cut in coldly, “it’s still because of you.”

Her phoenix eyes shimmered with undisguised disdain. “There’s no other explanation. Everything back home is fine. Sheng Yiheng and the rest are living just like always. You’re the only new variable in all of this. The only unpredictable one.”

Her tone was final, like a judge delivering a sentence. She looked one step away from grabbing Tan Hua by the collar and forcing her to confess to being a seductive homewrecker.

Tan Hua’s mouth twitched. She couldn’t help muttering to the system: “I mean, I’d love to say I successfully seduced the female lead and rescued her from her dumb, cliché storyline—full of car crashes, miscarriages, and dramatic falls—but this time, I honestly didn’t do anything.”

“Why won’t Ning Xi believe me?”

The system crossed its arms smugly. “Told you this would happen. I kept telling you to tone it down, but noooo. Now look—congrats, you’ve turned into the boy who cried wolf.”

Scanning the original plot data, the system added helpfully: “Heads up—Ning Xi has a temper. Very direct. You might want to prepare for a public beating.”

Tan Hua: “?? Are you serious, officer?”

This girl looks cool and just. You’re telling me she’d actually hit a delicate little Omega like me? That’s insane.

But… if the female lead wasn’t your typical crybaby white lotus, then her childhood best friend probably wasn’t any softer. Probably even more intense.

After a moment’s internal debate, Tan Hua immediately dropped to her knees in a dramatic slide and clutched Ning Xi’s hand, crying out with crocodile tears:

“Miss Ning, I’m begging you, please don’t humiliate me in public!”

“I know I was wrong! I swear I didn’t do it on purpose—I never thought things would spiral into this mess. I admit my mistake, I regret everything, please… I’m begging you, don’t humiliate me in front of everyone just for Cheng Yuan’s sake, okay?”

“My health has always been poor since I was a child—I get winded just walking. I finally broke away from my toxic family and stepped into the real world. After years of working hard, I finally got promoted and carved out a promising future for myself. It wasn’t easy. So please, have mercy. Don’t lower yourself to my level, alright?”

Tan Hua clung to Ning Xi, eyes glistening, voice trembling, utterly pitiful. “Miss Ning, I know you’re a good person. Please forgive me this once, okay? I promise, I’ll never do it again!”

Ning Xi stood there in complete shock, utterly thrown off by Tan Hua’s machine-gun-speed groveling.

Her brain had short-circuited. She could feel the Omega’s soft little hands clutching her wrist tightly, but Tan Hua’s non-stop babbling left her completely disoriented. She couldn’t decide whether to shake the girl off or just tell her to shut up already.

What even is this situation? She hadn’t done anything yet, and Tan Hua was already sobbing, groveling, and confessing like she was guilty of every crime under the sun.

Isn’t this a bit… spineless?

Mu Wanyi, watching nearby, glanced at Tan Hua’s perfectly dry eyes, then looked at the stunned and flustered Ning Xi. “…”

What a wildly unexpected counterattack.

Mu Wanyi couldn’t help feeling relieved. Thank god I got out while I could. If she had kept picking fights with Tan Hua, this public humiliation might’ve been her fate today.

Embarrassing.

Around them, more and more eyes were beginning to drift their way. Ning Xi, who’d always been treated like royalty thanks to her elite background, had never been in such an awkward, mortifying situation. Her porcelain cheeks flushed bright red.

Flustered and furious, Ning Xi was overwhelmed by the sheer secondhand embarrassment. She yanked her hand out of Tan Hua’s grasp and stammered slightly as she snapped, “Stop pretending to be some helpless damsel!”

“I’m not Sheng Yiheng—I won’t be moved just because you cry pretty tears!”

She was still young. A few of Tan Hua’s exaggerated theatrics had already thrown her off balance. Her fierce facade crumbled, replaced by an anxious expression—like she was terrified everyone would think she was bullying someone weaker, using her family name to throw her weight around.

Mu Wanyi sighed deeply. And then again. Thank god I’m not the one dealing with this today.

At that moment, Ning Xi started to regret approaching at all. Why the hell did I come over and volunteer to suffer like this? She instinctively took a step back, wanting to distance herself from the entire situation.

She raised her voice, trying to clarify things for the growing crowd. “I didn’t do anything to you! Don’t you dare make it sound like this is my fault.”

“I may not like you, but I’d never lay a hand on you.”

That sudden backpedal was a complete 180 from her earlier aggressive energy. Tan Hua couldn’t help but sigh to her system: “See? As long as you’re shameless enough and willing to go full drama queen, people will avoid you like the plague.”

System: …And you think this is a good thing?

If you keep this up, your reputation is going to spiral into something completely unrecognizable.

“I know.” Tan Hua finished her little monologue, then immediately jumped back into character with deep sincerity. “I know Miss Ning, just like Miss Cheng Yuan, is a kind and righteous person. Of course you’d never hit me. This is on me.”

She raised her hand dramatically. “I was blind. I stirred up trouble. I poked at you on purpose. It’s all my fault—it has nothing to do with you.”

“I’m sorry.” And with that, her fair palm began moving swiftly toward her own cheek.

Ning Xi nearly lost her mind on the spot.

What the hell is wrong with this girl?! Why is she apologizing and slapping herself in public? Is this some kind of vixen playbook tactic?!

Was she seriously trying to ruin Ning Xi’s reputation in public?

Just as Tan Hua’s delicate hand was about to land on her own face, Ning Xi moved on instinct—her body reacting before her brain could catch up. In a desperate attempt to salvage her image, she lunged forward and grabbed Tan Hua’s slender wrist with a death grip.

Ning Xi looked utterly defeated as she clutched the girl’s arm, shocked at how fragile it felt—like one wrong squeeze could shatter it. “…Tan Hua, if you have something to say, then say it properly.”

Please stop messing with me, okay?

All she’d done was scold Tan Hua a couple of times. How did things escalate so fast into this melodramatic, self-flagellating mess? Weren’t these the things she was supposed to do—embarrass Tan Hua in public, drag her down, and make her the butt of everyone’s gossip?

That was how the plot was supposed to go.

Now, standing here facing Tan Hua, Ning Xi felt like she’d thrown a punch only to hit cotton—frustrated, off-balance, and completely powerless.

It was a terrible feeling.

No wonder even someone as famously aloof as Sheng Yiheng had gotten entangled with her. This woman really does have something up her sleeve, Ning Xi thought darkly. She’d definitely underestimated her.

Still, maybe this humiliation was a blessing in disguise. At least now she had a clearer read on Tan Hua—and could report back to Cheng Yuan. When Cheng Yuan returned, she wouldn’t be totally in the dark.

Thinking that way, Ning Xi’s mood finally began to recover.

Lowering her gaze slightly, she looked at Tan Hua and said flatly, “I’m letting go now. No need to keep playing the victim.”

Then she leaned in, eyes cold, and whispered with a sneer, “You’d better quit while you’re ahead. You won’t always have someone around to protect you.”

It wasn’t the most direct threat, but Tan Hua understood perfectly. Still, she chose to go full drama queen, batting her eyes and looking heartbreakingly innocent. “Miss Ning, you really are such a kind person.”

“Thank you for forgiving me, for not holding it against me.” Then she flashed a dazzling, blinding smile that, for a moment, stunned Ning Xi speechless.

After a second, Ning Xi snapped out of it. Her expression turned sour as she released Tan Hua’s wrist and frowned in disgust. “Your seduction tricks don’t work on me.”

She narrowed her eyes and smirked. “I can’t stand your fake white lotus act.”

With that, Ning Xi decided she’d had enough. She didn’t want to risk further association—and definitely didn’t want Tan Hua’s scent clinging to her. Flipping her long hair over one shoulder, she turned with a haughty air and strutted away in her heels, every step like a peacock parading through court.

Tan Hua watched her go, eyes shining with interest. “Just like I imagined—a real firecracker.”

Mu Wanyi: “…” For the love of God, can you shut up already?

She didn’t understand where Tan Hua got the courage to tease people left and right every single day. Wasn’t she afraid that someone like Ning Xi might snap and humiliate her right then and there?

If Ning Xi had been even slightly more vicious, Tan Hua would’ve been publicly destroyed—reduced to a pitiful mess in front of all these high society elites, a laughingstock for the rest of the night.

If things really got to that point, never mind a mere rumor about her and Sheng Yiheng—even if she actually married Sheng Yiheng, she’d still never live down the public ridicule. She’d probably be mocked for the rest of her life.

Mu Wanyi looked at Tan Hua, a sudden wave of introspection washing over her. Why can’t I be as fearless as she is? What’s holding me back?

“What are you thinking about?” Tan Hua’s voice interrupted her musings. She looked at her with a soft, knowing gaze. “Is it Ning Xi?”

Mu Wanyi stiffened. “Of course not!” she blurted, clearly flustered. “Why would I think about her? She’s terrifying! I’m not like you—I don’t have a masochistic streak…”

But under Tan Hua’s gentle, amused stare, she quickly changed the subject. “Anyway, you used to avoid these banquets, barely knew anyone important. Since you’ve got the time today, let me introduce you around properly.”

“That way you won’t be completely clueless when you run into these people again.”

Mu Wanyi tried to sound casual, but what she really meant was: When Cheng Yuan gets back, I don’t want you walking blindly into her traps. She felt like she’d been worrying over Tan Hua nonstop lately.

She hadn’t even had kids yet, but somehow she’d already developed the heart of a mother. How… delightful, Mu Wanyi thought dryly, face blank.

Tan Hua didn’t protest. And so, the two Omegas linked arms and moved gracefully through the crowd of guests, like koi fish gliding effortlessly through a lotus pond.

Across the room, Zheng Jinyu stood silently, watching Tan Hua without stepping forward.

The Omega was smiling brightly—pure, radiant, full of life. It had been a long, long time since Zheng Jinyu had seen that kind of expression on her face. So long that she began to wonder if she had ever seen Tan Hua smile like that at all.

She could see it clearly now—Tan Hua really liked beautiful women. The moment one was near, she became rooted in place like her feet had grown into the floor.

Zheng Jinyu couldn’t help but laugh softly to herself. Then she told herself, generously: It’s fine.

Let her play. As long as she remembers to come back to me when she’s done—that’s all that matters. Of course, this was just self-deception.

In truth, she cared deeply. So deeply it was unbearable. She wanted nothing more than to march over and pull Tan Hua away from those pretty faces.

What she really wanted… was to lock her up in a gilded cage, where her whole world would revolve around only her.

Zheng Jinyu realized, with a mix of awe and horror, that she might actually be losing her mind. That such obsessive, possessive thoughts were coming from her—someone who had always prided herself on being cool and composed.

But somehow, the more Tan Hua mocked her, distanced herself, and ignored her, the deeper Zheng Jinyu fell. She was sinking, helpless and unmoored.

Even she couldn’t quite believe it.

Leaning lazily against the wall, a glass of red wine swirling in her hand, she watched from afar. The wine glinted seductively under the lights. But none of it mattered. Now that she understood what she truly wanted, there was only one thing left to do—pursue her relentlessly.

Just like Tan Hua had once done to her.

Tan Hua could feel Zheng Jinyu’s eyes glued to her, but she purposely didn’t look back. After a couple of minutes, she caught, from the corner of her eye, Zheng Jinyu straightening up, putting down her wine glass, and stepping toward her.

But before she could reach her, someone intercepted her halfway.

Thanks to Mu Wanyi’s introductions earlier, Tan Hua now recognized the person as someone of considerable social influence—so it was only natural that Zheng Jinyu stopped to engage in polite conversation.

Seeing the opportunity, Tan Hua immediately tugged Mu Wanyi’s arm and slipped away.

No way. If Zheng Jinyu latched onto her, forget making new connections—even a female fly wouldn’t dare get near her.

If not now, when?

Mu Wanyi, meanwhile, was having the time of her life. These beautiful Alphas were respectful toward women and Omegas alike, attractive, charming, and showered her with sincere, poetic compliments. It was a kind of admiration she had never truly experienced before.

She couldn’t help but feel a little giddy. In that moment, she silently vowed to stick close to Tan Hua from now on—very close.

As the thought crossed her mind, she casually picked up a small plate of desserts and handed it to Tan Hua. Tan Hua accepted without hesitation and sat down to enjoy it. The two of them sat facing each other, sipping wine and nibbling on pastries, completely relaxed.

But then, Tan Hua suddenly felt her stomach churn. A wave of nausea surged up out of nowhere.

She didn’t even have time to react—before she knew it, a loud retching sound escaped her lips: “Urgh!”

Mu Wanyi froze mid-sip, wine glass still in hand. She turned toward Tan Hua, utterly confused. “?”

The two stared at each other in silence for several seconds.

Tan Hua blinked. Then blinked again. “……??”

Ex-Wife Jinyu (in spirit): If you get used to the green hat, there’s always another one waiting. (just kidding)

Tan Hua: Chill. I just ate too much.

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