The Scummy Alpha Who Transmigrated Into a Book Was Tricked by the Actress Omega - Chapter 42

The bathroom was filled with damp steam, and when the door was suddenly flung open, a pale mist surged out, warm and ethereal.

The woman who emerged had a graceful and beautiful figure, her bare feet stepping onto the floor, her slightly flushed toes pausing in place for a long moment.

Yan Xunzhen froze for a second, staring at the white dress she had hastily grabbed in her panic layered skirts, fabric with intricate patterns that exuded a sense of design, cinching a lovely waistline, and a few soft, delicate ribbons scattered around the neckline.

It was the dress she had originally stuffed into her bag, the one she had brought with her to Rong Country, the one Du Zuilan had once worn.

Her fingers unconsciously traced the fabric for a moment.

A flush gradually crept up to the tips of her ears.

She thought back to the dinner earlier perhaps because she was happy, Du Zuilan had drunk quite a bit.

Director Wan and the variety show director had clearly gotten carried away too, trading stories and drinks, reminiscing about the unrestrained, bold days of filming in the past while lamenting the present. By the end, they were slinging arms over each other’s shoulders, silent and lost in thought.

Yan Xunzhen was the only one left sober partly because she feared getting drunk, and partly because no one pressured her to drink.

Methodically, she called for a driver to take Director Wan and the variety show director back to their lodgings, then phoned her own driver to take her and Du Zuilan back to the castle.

Du Zuilan was drunk, but she wasn’t crying or making a fuss just stubbornly and foolishly staying put, like a kitten curled up on the sofa.

Her eyes were reddened from the alcohol, her fair hands clutching a glass as she obediently shrank into the chair, her lips glossy, her gaze slightly dazed and uncertain.

Yan Xunzhen couldn’t get her to walk on her own, and even pulling her hand didn’t help, so she ended up half-supporting, half-carrying her into the car.

Going back to the hotel arranged by the crew while drunk? No way. Like a modern-day Liu Xiahui, Yan Xunzhen brought her back to the castle, wrung out a clean towel, and gently wiped her face.

Du Zuilan had drunk just enough her cheeks felt wonderful, soft and warm, her skin flawless, usually requiring only the lightest touch of foundation. Now, flushed with a faint rosy hue from the alcohol, she looked like a ripe peach, tender enough to bruise at the slightest touch.

Yan Xunzhen had just finished wiping the corners of her lips when Du Zuilan, seemingly unsatisfied, pressed her lips lightly against Yan Xunzhen’s palm.

Unlike the smoothness of her cheeks, Du Zuilan’s lips were damp and even softer.

Yan Xunzhen fell silent for a long moment before murmuring, “Be good, okay? Go to sleep in a bit?”

Du Zuilan let out a pitiful whimper, her voice tinged with a hint of grievance.

Yan Xunzhen sighed helplessly and crouched down, asking, “Then who do you like, really? Tell me, okay?”

Her eyes were full of hope.

But Du Zuilan didn’t react to this, just sat there quietly, staring at her.

Yan Xunzhen was at a loss.

A drunk person couldn’t shower, and thankfully, there was no work tomorrow she could just wipe her down and let her rinse off in the morning once she sobered up.

After taking a quick shower herself, Yan Xunzhen now stood before the white dress she had accidentally brought in. After a moment’s hesitation, she slipped it on anyway.

She couldn’t just be a shameless rogue in front of Du Zuilan, could she?

Her dress hung loosely on her frame as she walked toward the wardrobe, only to suddenly feel a warm, soft bundle pressing against her back.

Du Zuilan curved her eyes into crescents, pressing her entire body against hers in a clingy, sticky manner, her scorching breath fanning over her neck as she stood on tiptoe, murmuring, “I have a secret to tell you!”

Yan Xun Zhen was at a loss, but eventually, her long, fair hands settled on Du Zuilan’s back, lifting her up entirely.

“Then, tell me.”

Du Zuilan’s eyes shimmered with liquid light, making it impossible to tell whether she was drunk or sober. Her voice was soft and coaxing, like a siren ensnaring all of Yan Xun Zhen’s attention:

“It’s a lie. I don’t have someone I like.”

Yan Xun Zhen’s eyes brightened.

But then, her tone involuntarily carried a hint of disappointment perhaps even she wasn’t aware of it.

“That’s, that’s good. Don’t like anyone else.”

Don’t like anyone else, because I…

Yan Xun Zhen’s face suddenly flushed red. In that instant, Du Zuilan’s presence felt even more scorching, her heart pounding wildly.

What had she wanted to say?

Why had she been so frantic upon hearing Du Zuilan say she had someone she liked? Even if she could brush it off with excuses like “just wanting gossip,” the surge of emotion she felt when Du Zuilan admitted it was a lie was undeniably real.

In that moment, there was a faint sense of dashed hope perhaps, without realizing it, she had secretly wished that the person Du Zuilan liked was her.

And there was also a wave of relief, as if she had narrowly escaped disaster.

She liked Du Zuilan.

Thankfully, she had realized her feelings for Du Zuilan, and Du Zuilan didn’t have a crush on anyone yet.

She could pursue her.

Her face still burning, she half-carried, half-supported Du Zuilan to the edge of the bed, then knelt before her.

Secretly, she thought to herself: This was her little kitten.

How could there be such an obedient yet heart-stirring kitten? So pitifully adorable, unable to even lie properly confessing right after the “deceit.” Tipsy after just a bit of alcohol, yet happily following her home.

Wasn’t she afraid that Yan Xun Zhen might still be a scoundrel, a bad person?

At this thought, Yan Xun Zhen chuckled softly. The sudden realization of her feelings for Du Zuilan filled her with excitement, making her forget what she had originally intended to do.

Carefully helping Du Zuilan onto one side of the bed, she stiffly occupied a small space on the other half, her movements wooden.

If she and Du Zuilan got together, she would be her first love.

The thought struck Yan Xunzhen again, and she couldn’t help but press a hand below her collarbone, trying to calm her thunderous heartbeat.

Before realizing her feelings, sharing a bed with Du Zuilan had felt perfectly normal Du Zuilan never fussed, and they each kept to their own side. But now, even if she longed to be closer, she kept in mind the words Du Zuilan and Gu Yue Li had exchanged days prior.

Yan Xun Zhen’s hair carried a rich, comforting fragrance, mingling with the scent of tea. Yet her nose was filled with the faint, intoxicating aroma of orange wine emanating from Du Zuilan.

The more she tried to calm herself, the more the scent seemed to seep into her heart.

She tilted her head slightly, her lips flushed red without a trace of makeup, her eyes brimming with uncontainable joy.

It took quite a while before Du Zuilan, who had been overly energetic, finally quieted down and nestled softly into the blankets. Seizing the moment, she stealthily inched closer toward Du Zuilan’s direction.

Then, with a secret joy too immense to be shared, she closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.

By the time the moon hung high in the sky, the supposedly flushed and drunken kitten was wide awake, propping her chin on her hand as she gazed at the beautiful woman beside her.

A faint smile curled in Du Zuilan’s eyes as her slender, pale fingers tugged at the silk ribbon around Yan Xun Zhen’s neck like she was pulling on a leash.

Softly, she murmured with amusement, “Silly.”

When Yan Xun Zhen woke the next morning, she suddenly felt a slight weight on her body. Blinking drowsily, she lowered her head only to bump her delicate nose into the citrus-scented hair of the girl in her arms.

As her consciousness fully returned, she realized the girl was practically coiled around her slender waist nestled against Yan Xun Zhen’s arm, her smooth legs entwined with hers, their bodies pressed tightly together. Even her breath fanned against Yan Xun Zhen’s collarbone, emphasizing just how intimate and ambiguous their position was.

Yan Xun Zhen’s mind went blank.

Her own sleeping posture had always been impeccable, and Du Zuilan’s was even better. So, did this mean that after finally acknowledging her feelings yesterday, she had been so excited that she lost control in her sleep?!

“Mmm…”

Du Zuilan stirred awake. Though Yan Xun Zhen had done nothing wrong, she couldn’t help but feel guilty, carefully loosening her hold as if trying too hard to appear innocent.

“Morning.”

Yan Xun Zhen snapped out of her daze. The cool scent of citrus and wine lingered in her nose as she gently peeled Du Zuilan away from their sticky embrace. Then, lowering her head, her dark hair spilled over the white satin quilt.

Du Zuilan seemed bewildered. “Last night, I…”

Yan Xun Zhen cut in first. “You drank too much. It’s not good to bathe while drunk, so I just wiped you down a little. If you want to shower, you can do it later, alright?”

Du Zuilan nodded silently.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she glanced around before spotting the script Director Wan had left for her the day before.

Only after clutching it in her hands did she seem to relax, an involuntary smile blooming on her lips.

She turned to Yan Xun Zhen and said, “Thank you.”

Yan Xun Zhen’s ears were still tinged pink as she shook her head. Watching Du Zuilan’s delighted expression, she couldn’t help but ask what the story was about.

Without hesitation, Du Zuilan held the script out for them to read together.

This crime thriller told the following story: Li Ye Zi was a woman with a less-than-respectable profession who, one winter day, took in a homeless child named Wen Song and raised her. Along the way, she faced numerous obstacles and endured events laden with societal implications, ultimately deciding to guide Wen Song toward becoming a police officer. Yet, she never expected that on the eve of Wen Song’s college departure, someone would reveal to her that the massacre of her family years ago had been committed by Wen Song’s father.

The sister she had raised for so many years had, in an instant, become the daughter of her father’s killer, the very culprit who had condemned her to this life. It was impossible not to hate her. But Li Ye Zi chose to leave the city, determined to fulfill her own dream of becoming a police officer and uncovering the truth behind that tragic incident.

Four years later, the two met again this is where the movie begins, with both of them entangled in a major criminal case of significant social importance involving the authorities.

Former family, later enemies, now strangers, they had been through so much together. Yet, at least at this moment, they shared the same goal: to find the killer.

After surviving life-and-death adventures together, they uncovered the truth, which unexpectedly connected to the massacre of Li Yezi’s family years ago.

The film ends with an open conclusion. From the past to the present, their identities and statuses had shifted. During a casual conversation, their only mutual friend unintentionally asked Li Yezi who the person she loved most was.

And then, she fixed her gaze directly at the camera.

Yan Xunzhen found the story truly captivating. Moreover, unlike Du Zuilan’s previous films, Tang Ying’s work was a female-led production where the younger sister was just that, a sister. To be honest, this movie had a somewhat dual-female-lead dynamic.

The angel on Yan Xunzhen’s shoulder silently jabbed her twice: Damn it, how are you already jealous of someone else when you’re not even together with Du Zuilan yet?!

Support