The Five Heartless Scumbag Alphas Turned Against Each Other Because Of Me - Chapter 77

It felt like a trail of ants gently nibbling along her bones—tingling, electric, spreading from nerve to nerve. Ning Xi’s whole body seemed to melt under the sensation. At the same time, a strange rush of blood surged upward, nearly clouding her mind.

For a moment, her brain blanked out. Then, as if snapping awake, she suddenly jerked back, her body trembling uncontrollably. Like a triggered reflex, she forcefully flung away Tan Hua’s criminally seductive hand.

Ning Xi’s expression turned pitch-black, like the bottom of a scorched pan. She fixed her glare on Tan Hua, eyes burning with suppressed fury.

“Is this how you seduced the others?” she asked through gritted teeth, face emotionless, gaze cold as a still lake. “With these cheap tricks?”

“Miss Ning, what are you talking about?” Tan Hua blinked innocently, pretending not to understand. After being brushed off and rejected, a hint of hurt flickered across her features. Her eyes lowered just a fraction, her tone soft and wounded. “I just wanted to be friends with you, that’s all.”

Friends? Ning Xi pressed her lips into a thin line. Yeah right. Who are you trying to fool?

Is this how you make friends—touching people like that? Ning Xi clenched her molars. She must have seriously pissed off some deity before leaving the house today—luck just wasn’t on her side.

Between this sly, scheming fox spirit in front of her and that deranged, twisted Alpha behind her, Ning Xi felt utterly helpless. And the worst part? There was no one she could even turn to for help.

A heavy gloom settled over her mood.

Tan Hua blinked at her, watching for a moment, then slowly stepped back and said gently, “Don’t be angry. If you don’t like it, I won’t come near you again.”

Now she wants to act all respectful and considerate? Ning Xi rolled her eyes internally. Where was this attitude just now when she had her hands all over me like some shameless rogue?

Ning Xi gave a cold laugh. “You’d better keep it that way.”

She bared her teeth in a mocking grin, lips curling into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Otherwise, I won’t be so polite later. You’re lucky you’re an Omega—I’m letting you off easy.”

Tan Hua had heard this kind of tough talk so many times today, her ears were practically calloused. She gave a lazy wave of her hand. “Yeah, yeah, I got it.”

All bark and no bite—that’s what Ning Xi was. A paper tiger pretending to be fierce. Tan Hua calmly picked up her drink and asked casually, “Do you always threaten people like this?”

Ning Xi paused, her brows knitting unconsciously. “What?”

“Just saying,” Tan Hua took a sip through her straw and glanced sideways at her, lips curling in a playful smile. “All your tough talk has zero effect. If you want to scare someone, you’ve got to act on it. You know that, right?”

Act on it how? Ning Xi instinctively wondered.

“As in…” Tan Hua leaned in, purposefully pausing half a beat, just enough to hook her curiosity. Seeing Ning Xi’s eyes narrow, clearly drawn in, she finished in a leisurely tone:

“Come to my room tonight, and I’ll tell you.”

Ning Xi’s eye twitched violently. “…”

“You wish,” she replied with a tight smile, the words squeezed out between clenched teeth. For a moment, she even questioned herself. Why had I thought, even for a second, that this vixen would speak plainly and not play games?

A woman like Tan Hua—who flirted with everyone and kept people dancing on strings—lived for mind games and manipulation. That was her real talent.

Ning Xi was thoroughly exasperated by Tan Hua. She simply turned her back on her, clearly done with the conversation. No longer intending to engage, she faced away in silence.

Tan Hua propped her chin up in a show of innocence. After several failed attempts to soften Ning Xi’s attitude, she sighed and shifted her attention to Sheng Yiheng instead.

Sheng Yiheng shivered inexplicably, a chill creeping up her spine. When she glanced over, she found herself staring straight into Tan Hua’s eyes—eyes filled with unmistakable boredom and mischief.

She hesitated, then asked, “Tired?”

“No,” Tan Hua shook her head and set down her chopsticks. “Just full.”

Sheng Yiheng glanced at her plate. For someone with such a petite frame, she’d eaten quite a lot. “Want to stay here for a bit longer? Or should I have someone escort you back to your room to rest?”

“I’ll stay a bit longer,” Tan Hua replied with a half-smile. “Miss Tang went out of her way to invite me to this concert. How could I bear to offend such hospitality?”

At the mention of Tang Yanrou, a faint smile tugged at Sheng Yiheng’s lips—but her mood quickly soured again. Why does she always know the exact sore spot to press? She really had a gift for getting under someone’s skin.

Sheng Yiheng let out a cold laugh she couldn’t suppress. “If Tang Yanrou is that important to you, then go find her right now.” She reached out and grabbed Tan Hua by the wrist, trying to pull her to her feet. “Come on, I’ll take you to her myself.”

But before she could even stand up with Tan Hua, she noticed something—Tan Hua’s other wrist was already being held by Ning Xi.

Sheng Yiheng’s expression immediately darkened as she turned her sharp gaze on Ning Xi. What’s your problem?

Ning Xi had no idea what Sheng Yiheng was planning to do with Tan Hua, but her instincts screamed at her to intervene. She acted before she even fully understood why, reflexively reaching out to grab Tan Hua’s hand.

She can’t go. No way.

In a setting like this, where everyone had at least three glasses of champagne by default, Ning Xi wasn’t sure if Tan Hua had been drinking—but Sheng Yiheng definitely had.

An Alpha without restraint was already dangerous when sober. Add alcohol to the mix, and Ning Xi didn’t even want to imagine the consequences—especially with Tan Hua actively throwing fuel on the fire.

She could already see it clearly in her mind: under Tan Hua’s relentless seduction, combined with the influence of alcohol, Sheng Yiheng would completely lose control and make a serious mistake.

And Ning Xi absolutely couldn’t let that happen.

Cheng Yuan hadn’t returned to the country yet. Things between her and Sheng Yiheng were still unresolved. For Yuan Yuan’s sake, Ning Xi had to prevent any further complications—and now was the perfect opportunity.

So, she held Tan Hua’s wrist firmly, refusing to let her go. Her eyes were calm but steely as she looked at Sheng Yiheng and said flatly, “She’s not going anywhere.”

Sheng Yiheng frowned. “She’s going back to her room to rest.”

She didn’t understand what Ning Xi was up to this time. All she felt was irritation at being constantly blocked. Her business with Tan Hua didn’t require interference from anyone else—certainly not from an outsider like Ning Xi.

Ning Xi paused, then couldn’t help but let out a bitter chuckle. The banquet was only halfway through—what “rest” was Tan Hua supposedly going back for?

At least come up with a believable excuse, she thought. This is just lazy.

A mocking smile played at the corners of Ning Xi’s lips, but she didn’t call them out. Her eyes swept slowly between Sheng Yiheng and Tan Hua before she said, unhurriedly, “Then I’ll come with you.”

She curved her lips into a soft smile. “I’ll accompany you both.”

I’d love to see just what the hell you two sneaky lesbians are planning behind everyone’s backs.

Accompany my ass. Sheng Yiheng nearly cursed aloud. You’re clearly up to no good. But since Ning Xi refused to let go, and Sheng Yiheng was worried that Tan Hua’s departure might draw unwanted attention from Zheng Jinyu or Lu Huaixu, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and reluctantly accept Ning Xi’s outrageous demand.

“If we’re going, then hurry up,” she snapped, her tone cold and impatient.

Sheng Yiheng tried to rush her, and only then did Ning Xi slowly release Tan Hua’s hand, following closely behind her. Her gaze was so intense, it was practically burning into the back of Tan Hua’s neck.

Feeling her scent gland being locked onto so aggressively, Tan Hua involuntarily shivered. She turned and said to Ning Xi, “Why are you staring at me like that? It’s not like you can mark me.”

She tilted her head slightly, and then—as if something had suddenly occurred to her—her expression changed into something unreadable, tinged with ambiguity. The look instantly put Ning Xi on high alert.

Ning Xi instinctively came to a halt and deliberately dropped back by half a meter, silently putting some distance between them.

You’re both Omegas—so why is Tan Hua the only one who’s so completely unhinged? Ning Xi really couldn’t figure it out. But that didn’t stop her from sticking to her decision: she was going to keep a close eye on Tan Hua no matter what.

And who knows when Yuan Yuan is coming back…

Just as she thought of Cheng Yuan, speak of the devil—her phone lit up with a call from her.

“Hello? Yuan Yuan, what’s up?”

The moment Ning Xi said the name “Yuan Yuan,” both Sheng Yiheng and Tan Hua noticeably slowed their steps and perked up their ears. The way they subtly leaned in, it was like they wanted to plaster themselves to Ning Xi’s phone.

Ning Xi couldn’t help but smirk coldly before refocusing on her call. After a few seconds of listening, her eyes lit up with surprise.

“What? You’re coming back tomorrow?!”

She was so thrilled that her voice rose without her realizing. “Really?!”

Apparently, she got a firm answer from the other side, because her face immediately broke into a delighted grin. “Great! Okay, I’ll definitely come pick you up tomorrow morning!”

As she hung up, she gave Tan Hua a smug look, full of triumph.

Now that the real one’s coming back, let’s see how long you can keep playing your little game.

Tan Hua’s face showed no obvious emotion, but inside she was every bit as excited as Ning Xi.

The original white moonlight of all these scumbag Alphas! The legit rich, pale, beautiful, soft-and-proud heiress heroine of the novel!

She’s finally coming back!

After all the hard work she’d put into winning over these flaky Alphas, after playing the role of a stand-in for so long—she was finally about to meet the real deal!

Tan Hua was so overjoyed that even her cheeks were slightly flushed.

The system, staring at its host’s blushing, flower-like face, suddenly felt a heavy thud of foreboding in its circuits.

It could swear on its motherboard: there was absolutely no way the host was up to anything good right now.

For a moment, the system didn’t know whether to feel sorry for the clueless scumbag Alphas, or for the kind and innocent heroine—who had no idea what kind of storm she was walking into upon returning to the country.

All it could hope for was that, when the time came, its host would show some restraint—and not turn the whole situation into a bloodbath.

Meanwhile, Sheng Yiheng was feeling… complicated. Truth be told, she wasn’t exactly thrilled about Cheng Yuan returning—especially not this soon. The sudden news didn’t fill her with joy, but with panic and guilt.

She still hadn’t figured out how to face Cheng Yuan.

Even though she had a rough idea of what to say, the thought of being face-to-face with her made Sheng Yiheng doubt she’d have the courage to say any of it out loud.

After all, she had been the one at fault. She’d been the one who let Cheng Yuan down. She wasn’t trying to deny it—she just… Sheng Yiheng pressed her lips tightly together. Maybe it was the old saying: the closer you are to home, the more afraid you become. The news had caught her so off-guard that she genuinely didn’t know what to do.

She sighed inwardly. Her head was starting to ache.

Ning Xi, curious to see their reactions, deliberately sped up her pace to walk alongside Sheng Yiheng and Tan Hua. She shifted her gaze discreetly between them—only to realize that Tan Hua wasn’t acting guilty or afraid like she’d expected. In fact… she seemed excited?

Am I hallucinating? Ning Xi stared at her a few seconds longer, just to be sure. But Tan Hua’s glowing expression was unmistakable.

“?” Ning Xi was baffled.

What exactly are you so excited about?
Are you seriously telling me that Cheng Yuan coming back to scold you is just part of your twisted roleplay?

Disgusted by her own imagination, Ning Xi quickly looked away and raised her voice slightly into the phone, saying with bright enthusiasm: “I’ll be waiting for you.”

She and Cheng Yuan exchanged a few more words before hanging up. Just as she lowered her phone, she felt a soft, fragrant presence lean close beside her. Tan Hua’s eyes sparkled slightly as she asked, “Yuan Yuan’s coming back tomorrow?”

“What’s it to you?” Ning Xi shot her a cold look, and then immediately corrected her, “And who said you could call her Yuan Yuan?”

“Why shouldn’t I be allowed to call her that?” Tan Hua replied shamelessly, raising both her wrists toward Ning Xi. “If you think calling her Yuan Yuan is a crime, then go ahead—slap on the cuffs.”

Ning Xi: “…”
No. Absolutely not. I’m not giving you the satisfaction.

She met Tan Hua’s gaze, stone-faced. “I’m afraid you’d enjoy that too much.”

The system nearly burst out laughing but managed to hold it in just in time.

Ning Xi slapped her hands away. “Stop using me for your amusement. I’ve seen through all your little tricks.”

Tan Hua abruptly stopped in her tracks, standing just outside the room. She stared at Ning Xi wordlessly for a long moment, her eyes unreadable.

Ning Xi instantly grew wary, her whole body on high alert.

Sheng Yiheng walked up, swiped the keycard with visible irritation, and opened the door. Without even glancing at Ning Xi, she tugged Tan Hua inside.

“Come on.”

She followed right behind, staying close to Tan Hua, practically orbiting her. “The bedroom’s over there. If you’re tired, just wash up and get some rest.”

“I won’t stay with you tonight,” Sheng Yiheng added. “There are still other events, and I need to use this time to connect with potential clients.”

Tan Hua nodded in understanding, then added with a feigned tone of concern, “Take care of yourself—and don’t drink too much.”

It was just a casual remark, but Sheng Yiheng’s face immediately lit up with joy. Right in front of Ning Xi, she pulled Tan Hua into a tight hug and held her there for several seconds before finally letting go. “Don’t run off.”

Ning Xi: “!”
Wow. Not even pretending I’m here anymore, huh?

Her anger flared instantly. Internally, she scoffed coldly, cursing the two shameless women under her breath at least five times: Disgusting. Just… disgusting.

Broad daylight, in front of everyone—do you two have no shame at all?!

It seemed Sheng Yiheng truly had other matters to attend to. She reached out and gently patted the back of Tan Hua’s head, then strode off with long, purposeful steps—none of her usual hesitation or reluctance in sight.

Tan Hua watched her retreating figure with interest for a moment, only to be yanked back to the present by Ning Xi’s intense, almost physical glare.

Calmly, Tan Hua turned and closed the door. With Ning Xi watching her like a hawk, she slowly and deliberately locked it. At first, Ning Xi didn’t react—but the moment she heard the soft click of the smart lock engaging, it hit her.

Her heart skipped a beat—then pounded violently. Panic bubbled up in her chest as Tan Hua turned around with a serene expression, and she instinctively took a step back.

“W-What are you doing?” she stammered.

“Tan Hua, I’m warning you—my parents are nearby! If you dare lay a hand on me, I swear—”

She didn’t even get to finish her threat. In a flash, the petite figure—at least a head shorter than her—darted forward with surprising agility. Tan Hua reached out, placed a slender, porcelain-white finger against Ning Xi’s lips, and silenced her.

“Shhh—” she whispered, smiling slowly. “They can’t hear you.”

Hua-bao: Even if you scream your throat out today, no one’s coming to save you.

Ning Xi: Auntie Guo!! — using magic to fight magic… I want to disappear.

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