The Scummy Alpha and the Fallen Movie Queen Got Married in a Flash - Chapter 4

Heartbeat Speed is a large-scale dating and social reality show renowned for its survival challenges. The production team selects four couples and places them in various harsh environments to experience living together.

With no script and broadcast entirely live, the show has been dubbed “The Eye of Truth” by viewers.

The more extreme the environment, the greater the test of human nature. Faced with scarce resources and a complete lack of entertainment, every facet of the contestants’ personalities is amplified to the extreme.

Many once-popular couples who joined the show saw their reputations collapse after their darker sides were exposed on camera. Conversely, ordinary couples who displayed genuine affection became overnight sensations.

True to its name, Heartbeat Speed offers a thrilling experience of living life at the edge.

Lu Shuangjiang was thrilled with the show because it offered the highest appearance fee.

Yu Ningqi was equally pleased, seeing the harsh environment as the perfect excuse to get close to Lu Shuangjiang.

Though their motives differed, the outcome was the same: they were both determined to join the show!

********

The next day, when Heartbeat Speed released the cast list for its latest season, the news instantly went viral.

[Is this list real? Am I seeing things? Lu Shuangjiang and Yu Ningqi are on it?!]

[The hype is so blatant. Can’t they at least try to be less obvious?]

[They just got married yesterday, and now they’re already on a wifey-wifey reality show? This whole thing reeks of fake PR.]

[Putting my head on the chopping block here, but these two are seriously stunning…]

[Agreed! The promotional photos are absolutely breathtaking. You can criticize other things, but denying their beauty would be a blatant lie.]

When the official Heartbeat Speed Weibo account announced the cast list, they also posted promotional photos of each guest. Lu Shuangjiang and Yu Ningqi’s photo immediately drew the most attention.

In the photo, the Omega, wearing a snow-white gown, was lifted onto a table by the Alpha. Due to the table’s height, the Alpha had to tilt her head slightly upward to look at her, their faces so close they seemed about to kiss—only to be blocked by the rose held in the Omega’s hand.

Scattered petals drifted down, enveloping them in an atmosphere thick with romance.

[So, so, so beautiful! I could stare at this photo a hundred times.]

[Who wouldn’t love seeing two gorgeous women getting cozy? sobs]

[Okay, these two are undeniably gorgeous, but you can’t just look at their faces! It’s so obvious they’re hyping this up, and you simps are rushing to give them clicks. Can’t you use your brains?]

Fueled by these comments, the two factions instantly erupted into a heated argument.

Meanwhile, the two subjects of the online drama remained completely oblivious, each riding in separate cars to the hotel prepared by the production team.

Lu Shuangjiang had initially wanted to ride with Yu Ningqi, but the production team insisted they travel separately.

…

If they couldn’t ride together, so be it. They’d be sharing a room later anyway.

Before arriving, Lu Shuangjiang’s manager had compiled dossiers on the other three couples and sent them to her.

As the pinnacle of wifey-wifey reality shows, Heartbeat Speed had attracted a lineup of guests with considerable star power this season. Even the least prominent celebrity was a third-tier star.

The first couple was the wildly popular “Sugar” duo. In the photo, Lin Han, with her flamboyant blue hair, grinned at the camera, flashing a peace sign. Beside her stood Jiang Tang, her obedient black hair reaching her waist, standing shyly.

The most unexpected twist was that Lin Han, who appeared fiercely independent, was actually an Omega, while the seemingly innocent Jiang Tang was an Alpha.

This stark contrast made them the reigning champions of the CP supertopic.

The second pair of guests had unique backgrounds. One was Wen Jiao, the Omega princess of the Wen Family, notorious for her fiery temper. The other was Jiang Lianqing, a newly risen Alpha tycoon.

In their promotional photo, the two stood far apart. Wen Jiao glared sideways, her cheeks puffed out in a pout, while Jiang Lianqing, his long hair loosely tied back, wore rimless glasses and smiled politely at the camera.

Rumor had it that their families had arranged a marriage, but due to their mutual animosity, they were forced into a dating show to foster affection.

The third pair of guests were the female leads from a recent hit drama. Having played lovers on screen, they immediately joined the dating show after filming wrapped, fueling speculation that their on-screen romance had spilled into real life.

Compared to the previous two pairs, Gu Ruyun and Qin Yuan simply leaned close together, gazing at each other with warm smiles. Their pose and expressions were perfectly polished, leaving no room for criticism.

By the time Lu Shuangjiang finished reviewing all the profiles, she had arrived at the hotel prepared by the production team.

The official live broadcast wouldn’t begin until tomorrow. To maintain the mystery surrounding each group of guests, they were all resting in separate locations today, awaiting the helicopter transport to the deserted island the following day. After all, their initial reactions upon meeting would be a major highlight.

Unlike other scripted dating shows, Heartbeat Speed was genuinely unscripted.

A slip of the tongue? An unexpected accident?

The guests’ bewildered reactions were precisely what the show needed. Viewers craved this kind of unpredictable excitement.

Upon her arrival, a staff member who had been waiting in the hotel approached her with a room key.

Lu Shuangjiang glanced at the key in her hand.

According to the room key provided by the production team, this was a single room on the second floor, meaning she and Yu Ningqi wouldn’t be sharing a room.
The small spark of excitement she’d felt before arriving shattered with a snap.

Legal wives, and we can’t even get a double bed room?

The staff member explained that this arrangement was for the sake of the live broadcast’s appeal, with each couple staying in separate rooms tonight.

Lu Shuangjiang stared at him intently.

The staff member: ……

#Question: What’s it like to encounter a troublemaker before the broadcast even starts?#

Seeing that the staff member wouldn’t budge, Lu Shuangjiang nodded and feigned compliance as she entered her room.

She set down the guest information packet and her small suitcase. Ever since that fateful night with Yu Ningqi, the entire storyline had veered off course.

She hadn’t prepared for this dating reality show at all, as it wasn’t part of the original plot.

But given it was a survival-themed dating show, the living conditions would likely be harsh.

Judging by the confiscation of phones, they probably wouldn’t allow any personal belongings.

So large items were out of the question.

Lu Shuangjiang had no intention of arriving completely empty-handed. She decided to secretly stash some lightweight essentials on her person:

Band-aids, small bags of cookies, gummy candies, various seasoning packets…

These were what she’d packed in her suitcase. Bringing the suitcase openly would undoubtedly lead to confiscation, but taping the items to the inside of her clothes was a different matter. After a moment’s thought, Lu Shuangjiang added a small knife.

Hmm, just in case.

After taping everything, her clothes felt at least a kilogram heavier.

Just as she finished, her phone buzzed.

Lu Shuangjiang picked it up and saw a WeChat message from Yu Ningqi:

[Little Lemon: I’m in Room 6 on the third floor. Wanna come over?]

[Little Lemon: Don’t use the main entrance—there are staff there. I tried to find you earlier and got stopped 😭]

Seeing the final emoticon, Lu Shuangjiang imagined Yu Ningqi’s frustrated expression and couldn’t help but chuckle.

She typed back: [ Heading up now. ]

She casually slung her packed clothes over her shoulder. Since the front door was off-limits, she’d have to climb out the window.

Just as she’d hoped.

Besides, practice makes perfect.

Yu Ningqi’s room was right upstairs. Lu Shuangjiang nimbly gripped the railing and swung herself from the second-floor balcony to the third-floor one.

She moved so quickly that Yu Ningqi was still processing what she was seeing when Lu Shuangjiang appeared.

One moment Yu Ningqi had just sent the WeChat message; the next, Lu Shuangjiang was already climbing over the railing.

The Alpha leaned against the balcony railing, a smile playing on her lips. Moonlight bathed Lu Shuangjiang in its glow, and Yu Ningqi felt her heart race.

Thump, thump, thump….

Beat after beat.

Yu Ningqi walked over and opened the balcony door, her eyes unconsciously curving into a smile. Her peach blossom eyes sparkled with amusement. “You’re here fast.”

“To see you, of course,” Lu Shuangjiang said, brushing dust from her hands after gripping the railing, unfazed by her speed. “The sooner, the better.”

Her gaze drifted to Yu Ningqi’s slightly damp hair. “Just finished showering?” she paused.

Before Yu Ningqi could answer, Lu Shuangjiang had already taken off her jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

“Let’s go inside. It’s chilly out here.”

The two walked back into the room side by side, unaware that their entire exchange had been captured by a drone camera hovering overhead.

*******

The next morning, the production team sent staff to escort the guest pairs to the airport.

This season of Heartbeat Speed was being filmed live on an abandoned, uninhabited island.

The island was covered in towering trees, their dense canopies nearly blotting out the sky. Azure waters surrounded the island, and seabirds circled overhead, lending the place an air of primeval mystery.

Three guest pairs had already arrived on the beach. As the roar of the departing plane faded, Lu Shuangjiang and Yu Ningqi appeared.

The approaching pair was striking. The Alpha wore a black backless dress, her raven hair and crimson lips radiating a fiercely alluring beauty. The Omega, in a white slit-hem gown, maintained a cool composure, her features both icy and captivating.

The sea breeze billowed their skirts, creating a striking contrast of black and white against the backdrop of the ocean.

Unlike the previous three pairs who had arrived separately, Lu Shuangjiang and Yu Ningqi had come together.

While the other guests looked on in confusion and shock, the hashtag #MeetingHerUnderTheMoonlight surged in popularity on Weibo, quickly trending to the top of the search rankings.

Clicking on the hashtag revealed a clip of Lu Shuangjiang climbing through Yu Ningqi’s window the previous night.

Before each live broadcast of Heartbeat Speed, the production team would record a short behind-the-scenes clip. After the drone captured this particular scene yesterday, they worked through the night to edit it together with clips of the other guests and upload it to Weibo. The team never anticipated Lu Shuangjiang and Yu Ningqi’s sudden display of affection, which created an explosive reaction online.

The clip went viral, especially after being shared by several major entertainment influencers. Even casual viewers and haters alike were drawn into the hype.
******

[I really don’t like this couple, but this clip is… strangely compelling?]

[Lu Shuangjiang is so cool! I wonder if Yu Ningqi’s heart raced when she saw her climb through the window. Mine certainly did!]

[Absolutely stunning! This scene under the moonlight is breathtaking. They didn’t say much, but it felt like they said everything. I’m literally screaming!]

The official Weibo post’s likes skyrocketed, and a massive influx of viewers flooded the live broadcast, causing the viewership count to surge wildly.

Especially after Lu Shuangjiang and Yu Ningqi appeared, the number of viewers reached an astonishing peak.

As the two women drew closer, the live broadcast fell silent for a moment. Then, the screen erupted with a dense barrage of colorful comments.

[Ahhhh, Sister, kill me!!!]

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