The Reborn Scummy A and the Sickly O Got Together - Chapter 31

The Lu family’s banquet, ostensibly held for Feng Baiming, ended with Lu Jia’s “indecent photos.”

The event was clearly no longer viable. Many onlookers pointed their phones at Qin Yan and Lu Jia, capturing the scene. Qin Yan remained unfazed, though visibly exhausted, allowing the cameras to focus on him without resistance.

Lu Jia let out a sharp cry, “Stop filming!” before covering her face and fleeing the hall in a flustered, humiliated rush.

After reviewing the photos Lu Ping handed her, Luo Mingyue felt a twinge of disappointment, they were merely suggestive. In an era that champions freedom in attire, the images only showed a low-cut tank top and a white shirt barely covering her thighs.

The lines were all subtly hinted at, with the only notable point being that Lu Jia was a socialite well-known in the upper circles of the capital.

Ironically, her public persona was that of an innocent, pure-hearted girl. After tonight, she would likely be recast from a sweet ingénue to a cunning seductress.

Still not enough.

Amid the murmuring crowd, Luo Mingyue followed Lu Ping indifferently. Compared to the slander she had endured in her past life, what was this?

She had been falsely accused of assaulting an underage omega. Known for her kindness, self-discipline, and gentle demeanor toward everyone, she had built a reputation as a genuinely good person.

Yet all it took was an unverified accusation from a minor online, amplified by paid trolls and loud voices, to drag countless netizens into the fray. Convinced they were champions of justice, they rallied behind a premeditated scheme.

Who said words couldn’t kill?

Every compliment Luo Mingyue had ever received her generosity, her kindness, her gentle nature became evidence of her hypocrisy.

So this was the price of being good.

A good person could do a hundred virtuous deeds, but one accusation of ulterior motives was enough. Before the truth could surface, countless people would rush to proclaim their own cleverness:

“I always knew this person was faking their kindness. Those who seem the most honest are often the best actors.”

Yet when a wrongdoer committed countless misdeeds, a single good act would earn them leniency. “A prodigal’s return is priceless,” they’d say. “See? They’re not so bad after all. There’s still goodness in them.”

Harsh judgment for the kind, leniency for the wicked.

“A prodigal’s return is priceless.” “Lay down the butcher’s knife, and become a Buddha.” These were the most absurd, infuriating lies Luo Mingyue had ever heard in both her past and present life.

In her previous life, her company’s stock plummeted. Her foundation was cursed and protested, donors withdrew their support, and countless children relying on her aid for living expenses and tuition received notices of suspended funding.

Under the flickering lights, amidst the shifting shadows, Feng Baiming easily spotted the tall, striking alpha walking behind the Lu family’s spoiled heir, her head bowed, her expression unreadable.

Feng Baiming exhaled in relief and stepped forward. After seeing Lu Jia’s photos, the Lu family matriarch had been left gasping for breath, unsteady on her feet, and was quickly escorted away from the scene.

She felt an unmistakable tinge of awkwardness. Honestly, the person making a fool of themselves had nothing to do with her, yet she couldn’t help remembering that she was nominally the protagonist of this banquet…

Life truly delivers surprises everywhere, Feng Baiming thought. This was something she’d remember for the rest of her life. If she ever married and had children, she could recount this incident to her descendants in her old age, passing it down through generations.

Thus, when Feng Baiming awkwardly tried to ask Luo Mingyue if she was alright, she’d actually harbored some suspicion was Luo Mingyue’s feelings for Lu Jia perhaps exceeding familial affection?

Just as she approached Luo Mingyue, she saw the girl’s dark curls cascading over her shoulders. In the interplay of light and shadow, the lowered face bore a smile that was both exhilarated and twisted.

It sent a chill down Feng Baiming’s spine. She stood frozen beside this person as the beautiful young girl brushed past her amidst the bustling crowd.

Luo Mingyue didn’t even see her. Yet in that moment, all of Feng Baiming’s questions were answered.

Lu Jia, Qin Yan, Luo Mingyue, it turned out everything had been orchestrated by this seemingly innocent, delicate, sensitive young alpha girl with deliberate manipulation.

Those words spoken to Qin Yan had been intentional provocations. She had indeed been repeatedly hinting to Qin Yan to use those photos for revenge against Lu Jia.

Luo Mingyue wanted to destroy Lu Jia. There was no familial love, much less romantic affection, only an utterly twisted, meticulously cultivated hatred.

Feng Baiming watched the pale girl disappear into the crowd, as if seeing the beautiful white epiphyllum’s roots nourished by layers of decaying filth.

She was even reminded of that classic line from martial arts dramas: the more beautiful the woman, the better she lies.

Luo Mingyue was a poisonous moonflower.

That beautiful child who once made sincere wishes in the mountain temple during April rains, praying for the happiness and health of all deities…

With complex emotions, Feng Baiming wondered, did that child still exist in this world?

The aftermath of Lu Jia and Qin Yan’s incident extended far beyond that night.

Qin Yan returned home his subsequent circumstances unknown while the Lu family saw off their guests by just past eight in the evening.

The living room still bore remnants of antique-themed decorations. The exquisite food served remained largely untouched. Now with the revelry gone, the scene carried an inexplicable air of desolation.

The Lu matriarch sat rigidly in the study’s executive chair, her stern countenance resembling a battle-hardened warrior fresh from slaughter, blood still warm on her hands.

The six children of the Lu family stood in a line. The third daughter massaged her mother’s shoulders with sycophantic diligence.

Lu Jia looked near death, breathing erratically, her face so pale her lips lost all color. That paper-white complexion suggested she might faint at any moment.

Luo Mingyue considerately supported Lu Jia’s arm. Most of the family’s second generation had been dispatched to develop provincial markets this year, leaving only the incompetent third daughter at the ancestral home. That she refrained from kicking Lu Jia while she was down already counted as rare benevolence.

But clearly, Third Miss Lu couldn’t be bothered to play the nice person: “What a disgrace to our family tonight! I’ve always said that while Luxi and Lule might be too lively and lack refinement, people should be more outgoing. Those who go around all day with pitiful, victimized expressions, who knows what wicked schemes they’re hiding in their hearts?”

“Lu Jia, don’t you agree?” Third Miss Lu called out with a smirk.

Lu Jia burst into tears again: “Auntie, why must you… why must you keep mocking me like this…”

Lu An chimed in: “Stop crying. There’s no alpha sweetheart here to pity you, so what’s the point?”

Third Miss Lu snorted: “Are you going to blame me, your elder, for speaking bluntly?”

Luxi and Lule quickly joined in:

“Lu Jia, you’ve utterly humiliated our family!”

“Because of you, my sister and I will be ashamed to show our faces outside. From now on, you’re forbidden from attending any events with us!”

Only Lu Ping was different, thoughtfully remarking: “You’d better hurry and find some gullible alpha or beta to marry while you’re still young. In the capital’s social circles, I doubt any respectable family will want you after this.”

Lu Jia sobbed even harder.

Luo Mingyue inwardly sneered but lowered her head and spoke kindly: “Jiajia, it’s never too late to turn over a new leaf. Be a good girl from now on. Given time, when everyone sees how you’ve changed, they’ll forget about this incident.”

“All of you, shut your mouths!”

Old Madam Lu’s voice was icy. Lu Jia opened her mouth to speak, whimpering pitifully at her grandmother: “Grandmother, it was all Qin Yan’s fault!”

Old Madam Lu replied with sinister calm: “If you could actually marry Qin Yan, that would be some achievement. But cleverness overreached itself. Some people never learn contentment, grasp all, lose all. Don’t you understand even this basic principle?”

With Old Madam Lu’s intervention her authority in the household too deeply entrenched, no one dared to continue making snide remarks at Lu Jia. Though the old woman’s words were even harsher, striking Lu Jia’s face like an open slap.

Luo Mingyue, supporting Lu Jia, felt the girl’s body grow heavier, truly unable to stand any longer. Tears streamed down her face as she bit her lower lip, looking as if the pain and humiliation might make her faint at any moment.

“Go apologize to Qin Yan,” Old Madam Lu said coldly. “On your knees, with a written confession, and make a public display of contrition. Show your sincerity.”

Lu Jia took a deep breath, staring at Old Madam Lu in disbelief: “I’m an omega!”

“Jiajia,” Luo Mingyue said gently, “Grandmother only wants what’s best for you. This isn’t just about apologizing to Qin Yan, but to the Qin family, and showing others your determination to reform. Only then can your reputation be salvaged.”

Lu Xuefeng was displeased by Luo Mingyue’s interference, but hearing this, he nodded with a stern expression: “You could learn from your sister’s clarity.”

“Do you really think you’re so clever? I’ve seen countless self-proclaimed geniuses make fools of themselves, Lu Jia, you’re just one of them.”

Lu Jia could bear it no longer. Pushing Luo Mingyue away, she collapsed to the floor and cried out:

“Grandmother, do you take me for a fool? This isn’t about saving my face, it’s about saving the Lu family’s face! You’re willing to sacrifice me just to avoid antagonizing the Qins!”

“Sister Mingyue,” Lu Jia looked up miserably at the beautiful young woman in the black evening gown, her smile bleak, “If they can sacrifice me today, how do you know you won’t be next?!”

“Do you think you understand? No! You’re clearly the most clueless person in the world!”

Luo Mingyue was astonished to discover that the eighteen-year-old Lu Jia wasn’t as scheming as she’d thought. If she were in Lu Jia’s shoes tonight, she wouldn’t have lost her composure to this extent. Who knew a single incident could break Lu Jia’s defenses and leave her utterly crushed?

Old Madam Lu was so enraged by Lu Jia’s words that her blood pressure skyrocketed. She slammed the table hard: “Lu Jia! How dare you defy the heavens!”

The next second, her body swayed dangerously. The third young miss of the Lu family screamed: “Mother!”

Lu An, quite experienced in such situations, immediately called 120 on her phone, while Lu Xi and Lu Le rushed out to find emergency heart medicine and blood pressure medication.

Lu Ping approached but still found time to snarl at Lu Jia: “Just you wait! You’re finished!”

Lu Jia sat petrified, her mind completely blank.

Luo Mingyue stood with her hands behind her back amidst the chaos. No one paid her any attention, and she felt so exhilarated she wanted to celebrate with a drink. All the frustration and resentment since her rebirth suddenly found an outlet.

How fascinating human nature is everyone thinks they can manipulate others’ emotions and control everything.

Yet just a little resistance, a slight act of defiance, is enough to make them lose their composure. Old Madam Lu, advanced in years, couldn’t tolerate disobedience from the younger generation, a sign that her authority and dignity were slipping away.

That night, Old Madam Lu was hospitalized due to a sudden spike in blood pressure from rage. She was stabilized after emergency treatment.

Lu Jia was confined to her room, forced to write daily letters of repentance. So-called “tutors” were hired to strictly instruct her in respecting elders and loving juniors.

The original plan to send Lu Jia to the Qin family to apologize was temporarily abandoned, because the aftermath of this banquet was just beginning to unfold.

That very night, someone uploaded processed footage with background noise removed to various platforms.

It didn’t immediately go viral on mainstream platforms. The first ripple came from a personal influencer in the relationship niche who posted:

“As an upper-class Beijing beauty, I specially wore custom hanfu to attend a wealthy family’s ancient-style banquet tonight. Imagine my shock when I arrived, I was the only one in hanfu! Everyone else wore qipao or embroidered outfits!

“Feeling completely out of place, I planned to just camp by the buffet all night. Little did I know I’d witness an epic showdown between a cold, pure-hearted third-generation rich alpha and a playboy socialite omega up close!”

The blogger’s video was crystal clear since she was right by the table, capturing Qin Yan’s words perfectly.

The post immediately garnered hundreds of replies. She then compiled screenshots of the chat records and thoughtfully censored Lu Jia’s suggestive photos before posting them together.

Ironically, the uncensored photos had some artistic merit, but after censorship, they looked like advertisements for third-rate products or covers for adult videos…

The public loves drama. A playboy omega versus a cold, pure alpha before watching, everyone assumed the alpha being played by an omega would be satisfying justice.

But after viewing the video and Qin Yan’s chat records, the netizens who’d commented things like “here for the tea” and “tonight I am but a melon-eating rodent” fell silent.

One comment quickly rose to the top of the trending list:

Holy shit, I actually teared up reading this alpha’s love confession! Who knew such sappy, childish words could make my eyes sting like this!

Top comment reply:

“You’re not alone, I got so emotional too. And when that alpha threw down the roses at the end, hoarsely saying ‘Thank you for making me realize pursuing love is ridiculous’, I completely broke down crying [sobbing]”

Second top comment:

“Because in this world, genuine feelings always touch the heart.”

Luo Mingyue quietly liked this comment. She was currently waiting outside the hospital emergency room for news about her grandmother.

After exiting the platform, she opened her chat app. Her fingers scrolled to the pinned contact whose profile picture was a black-and-white landscape photo.

In her past life, she’d zoomed in on this image countless times, a lake surrounded by lush reeds, stretching endlessly toward the horizon.

The photo was profoundly serene and artistic, like a taciturn person quietly waiting at the other end of the internet connection.

Though pinned, there had been zero communication to date.

Luo Mingyue hesitated. She should greet Miss Feng. Tonight, all the Lu family members had descended upon the hospital, even Lu Jia being forced to stand guard outside the emergency room.

Their collective murderous aura as if ready to demand Lu Jia’s life should the old matriarch not survive made passing doctors, nurses, and patients shrink back nervously.

When Old Lady Lu emerged unharmed shortly after, Lu Jia sighed in relief.

The next day, the Weibo post Luo Mingyue had liked trended on hot search.

It started at the bottom of the trending list, but many banquet attendees emerged as “insiders” flooding the comments with revelations.

Then came crystal-clear videos exposing Lu Jia’s manipulative “tea-sipping” remarks, circulated widely among netizens.

Internet users live for three things: drama, giveaway reposts, and playing righteous crusaders (never mind the aftermath).

With countless leakers providing multi-angle footage, photos, and dossiers on the involved parties, one blogger went all out for clout with a 10,000-word exposé titled “The Untold Story of Beijing’s Two ‘Aristocratic’ Families.”

Both the Qin and Lu families built their fortunes during the Republic era, maintaining their wealth for a century amid generational feuds… One could talk for days and barely scratch the surface.

The post used Qin Yan and Lu Jia’s scandal as a springboard to dissect their family backgrounds.

Most netizens instinctively side against mistresses, viewing illegitimate children as inherently sinful. Combined with Qin Yan’s heartbreakingly sincere confession…

Some dismissed it as teenage melodrama, pretentious, emo middle-schooler cringe.

But no one could deny how Lu Jia’s calculated “tea-artist” persona looked increasingly vile against such naive sincerity.

More influencers joined the fray, feasting on this ABO drama between an icy prince and a player.

When an 80-million-follower gossip account reposted the video, it exploded.

Their caption read:

“Against true devotion, her delicate beauty now looks utterly repulsive.”

Under the marketing posts, countless people recalled their own experiences of having their sincerity betrayed, with comments flooding in to over 300,000.

Eventually, even official media weighed in, publishing an editorial with pointed implications:

“When Sincerity Meets Falsehood, the Difference is Clear.”

The writer’s prose was sharp and witty. Though the lengthy 3,000-word article never mentioned Qin Yan or Lu Jia by name, every word unmistakably alluded to them.

The author maintained a relatively neutral stance not siding with Qin Yan, even criticizing his narrow-mindedness, pointing out how young people often get lost in their own worlds, blind to the broader horizons.

Lu Jia’s youthful vanity was also addressed acknowledging that such small desires are common, but emphasizing the importance of moderation, self-respect, and basic moral principles.

Soon, celebrities began reposting the official media’s article. Some, unaware that this was a gossip-worthy Alpha-Omega romance drama within Beijing’s wealthy circles, simply shared it with captions like:

“Cherish everyone’s sincerity [Support].”

Fans immediately jumped in, boosting engagement until the topic, once languishing at the bottom of trending lists, rocketed to the top and stayed there for a full day.

From this platform, the scandal spread like wildfire to other social media and personal networks, effectively exposing Lu Jia and Qin Yan to the entire nation.

The Third Miss Lu was worried her mother might find out and end up back in the emergency room, but at this point, hiding the truth was impossible.

The Lu matriarch set down her phone, her expression dark as an approaching storm. The Third Miss asked nervously, “When should we arrange for Lu Jia to go and apologize in person?”

Lu Ping chimed in, “We’ve got thorny branches ready at home, but for a proper ‘bearing thorns to seek punishment’ apology, she’d have to go shirtless. That might be… awkward for Lu Jia?”

The Lu matriarch snapped, “You fools! Showing up now would just give the reporters more fodder. Forget the Qin family, Lu Jia isn’t to leave her room for the rest of the month!”

Luo Mingyue, sitting nearby, peeled an apple and offered it to the old lady, who barked, “Who has the appetite to eat at a time like this?!”

Unfazed, Luo Mingyue took a crisp bite of the apple under her grandmother’s glare, chewed, and swallowed.

The Lu matriarch nearly fumed into the afterlife. “Get out!”

Luo Mingyue left. Lu Ping followed. Seconds later, the Third Miss was also shooed away apparently, the household had too many fools, and none currently in sight met the matriarch’s standards.

The matter finally reached its conclusion when the Qin family paid a visit. Qin Yan’s parents spoke with grave expressions, apologizing for troubling the Lu family while subtly lamenting their own parental failures neglecting their child’s feelings.

Surprisingly, they didn’t blame the Lu family. Before leaving, Qin Yan’s mother said, “Lu Jia is still young. This isn’t an unforgivable mistake. In a way, if not for her, we might never have realized how we’ve failed as parents.”

Qin Yan’s father added, “Parenting isn’t just about providing food, clothes, and shelter. We chose to bring our child into this world not the other way around. We’re also at fault here. But—”

“We won’t forgive Lu Jia, and we hope she stays away from our son from now on.”

What else could Old Mrs. Lu do but force a smile and mediate, politely seeing the guests out? Lu Jia didn’t even show her face, because the parents didn’t want to see her.

Luo Mingyue didn’t know the exact details of the conversation, but hearing the sound of a glass shattering from the study, she hummed a cheerful little tune as she went to the dining room to get some juice.

There, she ran into Miss Feng, who was also getting carrot juice.

Luo Mingyue beamed brightly and greeted her sweetly, “Miss Feng.”

Miss Feng sighed. “Are you really this happy after hurting two people?”

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