The Heartless Alpha Just Wants to Follow the Plot - Chapter 70

Observing Qiu Fu’s captivation, Su Mo asked casually, “You like it?”

Qiu Fu reluctantly pulled herself away from the character’s world. “This role is incredible.”

“If you like it, you should audition.”

In Su Mo’s eyes, the script was a standard period drama centered on female martial artists from Earth’s history. While the emotional beats were nuanced and compelling, she could see through the narrative structure with ease; for her, the script held little novelty. However, for the people of the Interstellar Era who had never encountered such themes, it was fresh, exotic, and thrilling.

This was to be expected. It was the same way she felt fascinated by mecha-themed scripts, whereas for Interstellar citizens, those stories were overplayed and stagnant, merely the same tropes with a different cast. This was the cultural divide.

Though Qiu Fu adored the role, she hesitated. “But you said the director brought this specifically to you. What would it look like if I took it? It’s not right.”

“No, you should do it,” she said, looking down. In truth, the thought of giving it up pained her, but this belonged to Su Mo. She couldn’t snatch it. Su Mo had helped her so much; stealing her scripts would be beneath contempt.

Putting the script back, she looked at the other one. Remedy was also set in the Ancient Earth Era and was equally excellent. While the character wasn’t as heroic or spirited as the young general, it possessed its own unique charm.

Su Mo tossed the script for the young general into Qiu Fu’s lap. “If you like it, why not try? It’s not like I’m lacking for roles.” Besides, it wasn’t a project that particularly interested her. If she gave it away, so be it.

“If you want to play the young general, go for it. If you don’t fight for what you want and always wait for handouts, how do you expect to stand on your own two feet in this cutthroat industry?”

Su Mo rested her arm on the back of the sofa, leaning back languidly as she stifled a yawn. A faint tear pricked the corner of her eye. “If you keep this up, you’ll never step out of my shadow. You’ll spend your whole life under my name. If the day comes when I’m no longer in the industry, how will you survive?”

“One day, I will leave this circle. I can’t be your benefactor forever.”

Qiu Fu gripped the script tightly. After a long silence, she said, “I’ll do it. I’ll audition.”

Su Mo gave a lazy nod. “Mhm. That’s the spirit I expect from someone I’ve taken an interest in.”

Qiu Fu pursed her lips, her ears turning a quiet shade of red. “Do you, do you say things like that to everyone?”

Deep down, Qiu Fu already knew the answer, but she had to ask. Everything she had witnessed thus far was enough to make the truth clear.

Su Mo thought for a moment. “Not exactly. There are subtle differences.”

“Oh,” Qiu Fu murmured, feeling dejected.

“But you are the most special.”

Qiu Fu: “?”

It was a cryptic statement, yet it carried an unexpectedly honest, “scumbag” quality to it.

“You’ll understand later.”

Su Mo never hid her intentions; she was here to play out the plot, and once it was done, she was going home. However, approaching Qiu Fu had been her own choice. She was a scumbag, plain and simple.

Qiu Fu didn’t really want to understand. She began to suspect that Su Mo’s kindness was purely motivated by their contract, and that her “scumbag-esque” sweet talk was merely a means of manipulation. She got up and walked away, not wanting to hear any more.

“Why do you keep saying such strange things? You don’t actually believe them in your heart.”

Pu Ying approached, holding a cup of coffee. Her gaze followed Qiu Fu’s dejected figure, and she let out a sigh. “If you keep this up, you really will drive her away.”

“Not just her. If you get too close to me, it’ll be dangerous for you, too.”

Su Mo gave her a lukewarm glance, her eyes filled with a knowing clarity, it was as if she could see through all of Pu Ying’s struggles and pain. That single look shattered Pu Ying’s composure. For a moment, she was confused; for a moment, she was dazed.

“You.” She wanted to ask why. She wanted an answer.

Su Mo kept it brief. “You said it yourself, the Su family needs an heir.”

Pu Ying: “…”

So, she had lost. But perhaps, for a fleeting moment, Su Mo had considered her?

The thought made her grip her coffee cup tighter. She didn’t even notice the heat of the cup burning her hand. At this moment, the meaning of everything in the past seemed to shift. Su Mo had known all along; she had seen everything clearly, yet she had simply stood by, watching her struggle and suffer.

For a split second, Pu Ying’s heart skipped a beat—a beat so agonizingly painful that her body seemed to skip it entirely to protect her from the sensation. Her hand shook, spilling coffee over her skin. She set the cup down and stood up, her voice sounding unnaturally calm. “Excuse me. I need to go clean this up.”

Su Mo didn’t look at her. “Mhm,” she replied.

The System emerged cautiously. It didn’t understand why Su Mo had suddenly chosen to be so blunt with both of them. If she hadn’t said anything, she could have continued to use their devotion to her advantage.

【Host.】

【Mhm.】

【Are you angry?】

The System couldn’t grasp Su Mo’s mindset. Everything had been fine until she suddenly turned cold. If she continued down this path, wouldn’t she end up with the same tragic fate as the original character? Hadn’t the host been trying to avoid the original character’s miserable ending? Why was she following that script now?

【I’ve suddenly realized that perhaps not changing anything is the only way to be ‘normal.’】

Su Mo’s tone was frigid, bearing no resemblance to the host the System had originally bound. It was as if the original character had possessed her. Terrified, the System immediately checked for bugs to see if the original soul had returned.

However, after a thorough scan, there was no trace of the original character. It was still the same host, but something within her had quietly shifted.

Her perspective had changed.

【Host.】

The System was terrified; it truly feared that Su Mo was on the verge of some desperate breakdown.

Su Mo pinched the bridge of her nose. 【It’s nothing.】

【You were the one constantly urging me to stick to the script and stop deviating from the plot’s trajectory. Now that I’m listening to you, why are you suddenly worried? Isn’t this exactly what you wanted?】

Previously, the System had chased her every single day, pleading for her to behave, stop causing trouble, and focus on the storyline. Why the sudden change of heart?

The System didn’t know what was wrong with itself. Seeing Su Mo lose interest in everything—acting like a heartless, mission-grinding machine just to clear the plot made its programming spiral into chaos. Its already simple-minded logic began to glitch and freeze.

Su Mo: 【Stop thinking about it. That calculator program of yours doesn’t exactly look like the latest version. Don’t let your system crash before you’ve even crunched the numbers.】

System: 【?】

It was a painful truth, even if it was the reality. Hearing it made the System feel genuinely dejected.

【Are you truly sure about this? Once you decide, there’s no turning back.】

【Mhm.】

Su Mo looked over at Qiu Fu, who was standing beside Raya. Her gaze was calm, tinged with a lingering reluctance, but dominated by clarity. She was fully conscious and understood exactly what she needed to do. Not a single day here could she truly let her guard down, so she had to retreat and allow everything to return to its original track. It was better for everyone that way. Or at least, that was what she told herself.

In the restroom, Pu Ying stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was pale and haggard; without her lipstick, her lips would likely look as bloodless as a corpse’s.

So, Su Mo had known all along.

She understood everything. She had already made her choices in her heart. Only Pu Ying had been a fool, believing she had hidden her feelings so well that no one had noticed.

“Heh, hehe.”

She let out a self-deprecating laugh. Of course, Su Mo was an actress. No matter how poor her reputation for acting might be, she had played countless roles. How could she not see through it? Pu Ying had been the idiot, played like a fiddle while believing Su Mo was oblivious. Su Mo had simply treated her as a pastime, someone to summon and dismiss at will, enjoying the sense of achievement gained from her devotion.

“Pu Ying, oh Pu Ying. You pride yourself on being a calm and rational person. How did you stumble so badly over this?”

When it came to Su Mo, she had never been rational once. Yet Su Mo had never made a single sacrifice for her. The girl hadn’t even shown a moment of hesitation in the face of Pu Ying’s affection; she simply continued doing exactly what she wanted, regardless of the pain it caused her.

In Su Mo’s heart, she was essentially nothing. This realization drained the last bit of strength from her already pale frame. Recalling the emotions she had wasted on Su Mo, she felt she no longer had the dignity to face her. Perhaps it was time to leave. She had occupied the space by Su Mo’s side for so long; it was time to step aside for someone else.

She turned on the faucet, watching the coffee stains wash away stroke by stroke. This time, she didn’t cry, though the deep redness at the corners of her eyes betrayed her fragility. She rinsed her hands for a long time, as if the water could wash away her feelings along with the dirt.

By the time she composed herself and stepped back out, she had regained her calm. Although her spirit seemed largely extinguished, she sat back down in her seat with composure.

Su Mo glanced at her and felt as if something had been lost. It wasn’t her own feeling, but a lingering sensation from this body. Perhaps, before her arrival, the consciousness that occupied this shell had truly been moved by Pu Ying.

Even if the original host never admitted it, she had never denied it either. However, as the current consciousness, Su Mo remained unmoved.

【Host, Pu Ying’s affection level for you is plummeting.】