The Scummy Alpha Who Transmigrated Into a Book Was Tricked by the Actress Omega - Chapter 30

The well-behaved dog, Yan Xunzhen, remained utterly oblivious.

She emerged from the kitchen carrying soup, her hands clad in oven mitts, fingertips still reddened from the heat. Yet she paid it little mind as she lifted the lid, letting the steam curl upward in fragrant swirls, the rich aroma making one’s mouth water.

Setting it on the table, she casually fetched a clean bowl, ladled some soup into it, and handed it to Du Zuilan.

But the next moment, spotting the insulated lunchbox in front of Du Zuilan, her movements faltered slightly. She smiled somewhat awkwardly. “You’re about to eat, do you still want this?”

The mung bean soup had been simmered to perfection, the beans nearly dissolved into a velvety texture, with all the tough skins skimmed off. The remaining broth was sweetened with rock sugar and chilled with ice refreshingly cool and sweet, the perfect summer thirst-quencher.

Earlier, during a livestream, Du Zuilan had mentioned in passing that she liked seafood and preferred light, refreshing drinks.

Unconsciously, Yan Xunzhen’s eyes sparkled like stars, her heart bubbling with delight.

It was as if a dejected puppy, its tail fur drooping, had been instantly cheered up by a simple compliment, wagging its tail happily once more:

“So, how is it? Does it taste good?”

Du Zuilan’s pale pink lips glistened with the sweet soup, looking irresistibly soft and kissable. She even flicked out a kitten-like tongue to lightly lick her upper lip.

Then she looked up, her eyes curved into crescents:

“It’s delicious. I really like it.”

The heart that had been abruptly lifted and then dropped earlier now floated weightlessly, as if cradled by a feather-soft cloud, leaving Yan Xunzhen dizzy with joy, lost in the moment.

Even if Du Zuilan didn’t know she had made the soup herself, she had still tasted it.

“I’m glad you like it,” Yan Xunzhen chuckled before sitting down across from her. “Are you almost done with work these days?”

Du Zuilan set down her bowl of mung bean soup and smiled faintly. “Mm, almost. Once we finish filming the bottleneck scenes today, I’ll probably have less than a week left before wrapping up.”

From her tone, Yan Xunzhen detected a hint of reluctance she was, after all, a true acting enthusiast. “Don’t worry, there’ll be new projects suited for you soon.”

This wasn’t just empty reassurance. In the original story, after finishing this drama, Du Zuilan had received an invitation from a renowned director for a film role. And now, with Yan Xunzhen’s resources as the CEO, getting her scripts and auditions would be a breeze.

“It’s great that you love your work,” Yan Xunzhen teased, a rare playful tone in her voice. “Unlike me, a corporate drone who hates working.”

Du Zuilan burst into laughter, her eyes shimmering with amusement. “CEO Yan, a corporate drone?”

Yan Xunzhen chuckled softly too.

Her heart felt much lighter, though her words weren’t entirely humble-bragging. After all, she was about to go abroad for a business trip soon, handling the coordination between overseas and domestic operations. Just thinking about the upcoming workload gave her a headache, no matter how seasoned she was, the endless negotiations still wore her out.

Their lunch didn’t last long.

Du Zuilan was still on set and dared not eat too much, afraid even a slight weight fluctuation might affect her character’s appearance.

She stood for a moment, clutching her script, picking it up and putting it down restlessly. Finally, she looked up, her eyes carrying a mix of amusement and hesitation. “By the way, could you check under the inhibitor patch for me? How’s the mark looking?”

Yan Xunzhen nearly sent out the half-edited message in her hand by mistake.

She quickly turned off the screen, her slightly sweaty fingers leaving a smudge on the display jarringly obvious. Blinking, she hesitated as if doubting she had heard correctly. “Me? I should look?”

Du Zuilan replied candidly, “Why not?”

“Becauseonly you and I know what this mark is like, right?”

Yan Xunzhen froze for a moment. “Mm.”

She inwardly berated herself countless times for letting her mind wander to inappropriate thoughts.

Du Zuilan wore a lightweight outer garment over her sleeveless top. To expose the mark on the back of her neck, she slipped one side off, tilting her head slightly forward, revealing the pristine, alluring nape to Yan Xunzhen.

Fingers curled and uncurled in the air before finally, with burning fingertips, Yan Xunzhen carefully lifted the edge of the inhibitor patch.

In that brief instant, the faint scent of orange wine wafted over not cloying or fermented, but a teasingly fragrant aroma, as fresh as a morning after rain, tempting one to inhale deeply.

She’s my good friend. She trusts me so much. She’s so kind to me. She even stood up for me, called me ‘sister’

And yet, I want to bite her!

You’re done for, Yan Xunzhen. How could you sink to this level?!

Her mind flooded with self-reproach like a barrage of subtitles, each line a tiny angel jabbing her head with a pitchfork, urging her to snap out of it.

Her pheromones were impeccably controlled; unless someone pressed close to her neck, no one would detect the fragrance of Longjing tea. Her movements were equally restrained, only lifting the patch just enough to see how much the original swollen bite mark had faded.

Yan Xunzhen cleared her throat. “It’s almost gone, I think.”

Yet inexplicably, her mood dipped, making her the perfect target for the righteous little angel’s relentless poking.

Du Zuilan responded indifferently, her tone unreadable, though Yan Xunzhen guessed she was probably pleased.

With an almost imperceptible sigh, Yan Xunzhen was about to pull Du Zuilan’s outer garment back up when she noticed the lingering red mark between her shoulder blades still vivid and unhealed.

“What’s this on your back? Should you see a doctor?”

The mark didn’t resemble an allergic reaction no rash, and Du Zuilan showed no signs of nausea or fever. Yan Xunzhen stole another glance, puzzling over what could have caused it before hazarding a guess. “Could it be from your costume? Maybe it was too stuffy?”

Even as she spoke, she realized how unlikely that was, why would only that one spot be affected?

“Then, maybe an insect bit.”

In a flash, fragmented memories flickered through her mind like a slideshow, abruptly cutting off her words.

The soft figure on the silk sheets, even softer. The sweeter scent. The even paler, smoother back.

The swollen bite mark on the nape, lingering lips brushing over the wound, then trailing lower, between the delicate wings of her shoulder blades kissing and nipping unconsciously, yet tenderly.

Turns out, the ‘insect’ was me.

Du Zuilan seemed oblivious to her hesitation, turning naturally with a faint smile. “It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt.”

Her gaze drifted from Yan Xunzhen’s face to the empty floor, slightly unfocused, tinged with worry and concern. “What troubles me the most is something about the play.”

Yan Xunzhen perked up, eager to make amends, quickly offering, “Then, can you tell me the specifics? Though I might not be the best at this, I’ll try my best to help you analyze it.”

The stunning woman parted her crimson lips, her brows furrowed with worry like misty rain.

Du Zuilan curled her lips into a faint smile. “Sure. Maybe I’ll even ask for your help with something else.”

Du Zuilan briefly summarized the plot:

“‘I’ was taken by the demonic sect. A part of the Heavenly Demon has possessed ‘me,’ threatening to bring harm to the world and has already pushed some people to the brink of death. The other part of ‘me’ the part that despises the Heavenly Demon’s actions wants to die. The two personas within ‘me’ are locked in a struggle.”

After a pause, Yan Xunzhen tentatively asked, “So, your dilemma lies in this internal conflict.”

Du Zuilan shook her head. She had always been adept at handling such dramatic roles; what puzzled her was the next part.

After a moment of silence, Du Zuilan said, “I can’t truly grasp the nature of Yun Xian’s ‘love’ for her sister. What does her love look like?”

“Reluctance and acceptance?” Du Zuilan murmured, almost to herself. “But why?”

Seeing her immersed in the role, Yan Xunzhen took the opportunity to glance at the script in her hands.

After a while, she suggested, “How about you try acting it out first?”

Du Zuilan rubbed her temples as if pained. “I have rehearsed this part with Sister Tang Ying a few times. She and I share the same thoughts we both recognize my shortcomings here, and we know the gap is subtle but…”

Her words trailed off as she lifted her gaze to Yan Xunzhen, her request unexpectedly direct:

“If could you rehearse it with me?”

Yan Xunzhen was taken aback.

Helping Du Zuilan was no issue.

But acting was definitely not her forte.

“I can, of course,” Yan Xunzhen worried about her own clumsy performance, “but I might only be able to read the lines.”

Her skills were worlds apart from Tang Ying’s.

Du Zuilan shook her head. “It’s fine. Just standing here is enough.”

Yan Xunzhen nodded lightly.

When Du Zuilan looked up again, her expression had already shifted. Yan Xunzhen felt a jolt in her chest, an indescribable sensation rising within her.

“I know I’ve always lived in the shadows, that my sins have punished me, leaving me unfulfilled and in pain causing you pain too. But.”

Du Zuilan’s expression carried traces of longing, reluctance, and a liberating sense of relief.

“But you are warm, like the sun.”

Yan Xunzhen was inexplicably drawn into the profound emotions of the scene. Hearing those words, her heart ached, and she instinctively reached out her hand.

Du Zuilan murmured, “Relief?”

No relief.

I won’t let go. I won’t let you leave.

Suddenly, she winced in pain, her steps faltering unsteadily. When she lifted her head, her delicate face was etched with unbearable discomfort for some reason, Yan Xunzhen felt this wasn’t an act, but that she was genuinely in pain.

Her outstretched hand caught Du Zuilan precisely, pulling her close. Seeing her expression, Yan Xunzhen asked anxiously, “What’s wrong?”

Du Zuilan’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

Softly collapsing into her embrace, she murmured:

“Sister help me.”

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