The Scummy Alpha Who Transmigrated Into a Book Was Tricked by the Actress Omega - Chapter 48

All the wishes she once dared not hope for were gradually coming true with this person’s help. She could now film the movies she wanted, protect her younger sister and mother-in-law, and perhaps before long, reclaim what her stepmother and father had taken from her.

Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, the ache in her heart growing heavier. She felt Yan Xunzhen’s hand gently patting her back, as if afraid she might break, not daring to hold her too tightly.

Yan Xunzhen, seeing her pale face and the tear streaks that made her look even more fragile like a porcelain doll that might shatter at the slightest touch didn’t dare ask Du Zuilan what was wrong.

Heart aching, she patted Du Zuilan’s slender back and couldn’t help but recall the original novel. In it, Du Zuilan’s birthday was only mentioned in passing: she had fought with the scumbag Alpha that day, the argument so intense that Du Zuilan ran out of the manor despite her still-healing fractured ankle, only for the scumbag to chase after her later.

There was no mention of why Du Zuilan had been so upset on her birthday.

Yan Xunzhen had made her longevity noodles simply out of a desire to treat her well, never expecting her to cry so bitterly.

After a long silence, it was Du Zuilan in her arms who finally spoke: “I’ve never wanted to celebrate my birthday today.”

She looked up, forcing her voice to sound light: “My mother passed away on this day years ago, lying in her hospital bed. She said she was sorry for making my birthday so painful.”

Yan Xunzhen couldn’t help but stare in shock.

So that was why?

Her brows furrowed involuntarily, a sharp pang of sorrow striking her heart, as if she too had been pulled back to that day years ago. She could almost see a young, unsteady Du Zuilan pretending to be strong, leaning over her mother’s sickbed, crying helplessly, begging her not to leave.

Yan Xunzhen’s movements and tone were gentle as she took a wet wipe from the table to dry Du Zuilan’s tears, her cool fingers pressing against the burning corners of her eyes, pulling her back from the depths of grief: “Don’t cry anymore, okay? Your mother wouldn’t want to see you like this. This afternoon, I’ll take you to visit her, alright?”

Du Zuilan’s entire body trembled uncontrollably.

Yan Xunzhen knew she had always been strong so strong that she must have already understood that wallowing in pain on this day wouldn’t change anything. She needed to wipe her tears, stand tall, and tell her mother she was doing well, to put her heart at ease.

Du Zuilan gave a small nod, stifling her kitten-like sniffles, then turned her gaze to the bowl of noodles Yan Xunzhen had made for her. She picked up her chopsticks again, ready to eat, but Yan Xunzhen stopped her: “The noodles might be cold by now. Should I reheat them?”

As Yan Xunzhen moved to fetch the soup from the kitchen, Du Zuilan tugged at her sleeve. Uncontrollable teardrops rolled like pearls into the bowl as Du Zuilan shook her head, her voice muffled with a stuffy nose: “They’re delicious.”

Yan Xunzhen froze for a moment.

Then, she stopped insisting and sat down beside Du Zuilan, quietly watching her eat.

Her table manners were always elegant and refined, but today she ate faster than usual, as if afraid someone might snatch the food away if she slowed down. Her eyes were red, her lips glistening from the warmth of the broth, and the smooth black hair tucked behind her ear had slipped free, cascading against her cheek.

Reaching out, Yan Xunzhen gently tucked back the stray strand of hair for her. Without a word, she nudged the glass of warm water closer.

Only when Du Zuilang had finished the entire large bowl of noodles did Yan Xunzhen stop her instinctive move to wash the dishes in the kitchen, saying softly, “Leave it for Aunt Li to clean.”

She knew Du Zuilang usually had the appetite of a kitten, unable to eat much. Seeing her finish everything in one go, Yan Xunzhen couldn’t help but worry if she might be overfull.

Loving someone means worrying endlessly. She glanced at Du Zuilang’s still-flat stomach, though it was slightly fuller than before when it had seemed so slender it might snap with a touch. Realizing she had nearly placed her hand there, she quickly composed herself and asked, “Do you feel stuffed? Do you need some digestive tablets?”

Seeing her expression, Du Zuilang finally seemed on the verge of laughter, shaking her head softly. Then, she placed her warm hand over Yan Xunzhen’s, guiding her slender fingers to rest on her belly, her voice sweet: “Not stuffed, even though I ate it all.”

Through the smooth, comfortable fabric, Yan Xunzhen could almost feel Du Zuilang’s body warmth.

Gazing at Du Zuilang’s tender pink lips, hearing her soft, sweet words, and feeling her fingers held against her stomach, Yan Xunzhen couldn’t help but feel dizzy for a moment.

“Mhm… mhm.” Yan Xunzhen quickly shook off the distracting thoughts. “Alright, do you want to rest for a bit, or should we go talk things out with your stepmother?”

Yan Xunzhen had already politely withdrawn her hand, but their fingertips still brushed against each other, inexplicably giving both of them a deep sense of security.

Du Zuilang checked the time and glanced hesitantly upstairs. “I don’t know when Ye Qing will wake up.”

“Even though she’s still young, she’s already very sensitive to family matters.” Du Zuilang lowered her head, chuckling lightly with a hint of helplessness. “But I don’t want her exposed to these things so early.”

After a moment’s thought, Yan Xunzhen suggested, “How about we go out first? I’ll ask Aunt Li to stay with her. We can take your sister out after we come back at noon?”

They were a little worried the younger sister might grow anxious looking for Du Zuilang, but confronting the stepmother wasn’t exactly a pleasant task. Who knew what harsh words might come out of her mouth? It wouldn’t be good for a child to hear.

After explaining the situation to Aunt Li, the two prepared to leave.

To face Du Zuilang’s difficult parents, Yan Xunzhen decided against taking the usual comfortable luxury car with its starry roof. Instead, she chose a rather flashy sports car and took the wheel herself.

The sports car’s design was vastly different from the car Yan Xunzhen had used to pick up Du Zuilang earlier. Sinking into the seat, Du Zuilang found it quite unfamiliar.

Yan Xunzhen had simply tied up her hair. As a CEO, her natural air of authority was especially pronounced when she pursed her lips seriously, making her appear strikingly cold and beautiful intimidating enough to keep others at a distance.

Yet, this same woman first removed her sunglasses and carefully fastened Du Zuilang’s seatbelt.

“Is this seat position comfortable for you?”

Du Zuilang smiled. “Mhm.”

Yan Xunzhen didn’t particularly enjoy driving, but in her original world, social obligations had forced her to buy a few cars. The original owner of this body, a wastrel loved flashy things and had amassed a whole collection. Fortunately, these supercars were indeed useful for showing off.

She curved her lips slightly and was about to start the car when Du Zuilan stopped her.

Pulling out a tube of lipstick from her bag, Du Zuilan twisted it open and said to Yan Xunzhen, “Your lip color has faded a bit. It’s too light.”

Yan Xunzhen let out a belated “Oh” and reached out to take the lipstick, but Du Zuilan gently cupped her chin instead.

Almost instantly, Yan Xunzhen’s ears burned.

Her guilty conscience made her freeze even though Du Zuilan’s fingers barely exerted any pressure on her jaw, she couldn’t bring herself to pull away.

It was as if, the moment she encountered Du Zuilan, all her usual composure and sharpness evaporated. She became like a German Shepherd who, upon seeing its owner, instantly abandons its aloof, intimidating demeanor in favor of wagging its tail and whimpering.

Du Zuilan’s gaze was focused, as if she were simply reapplying lipstick for her. Her touch was featherlight against Yan Xunzhen’s soft lips. After smoothing on the color, Du Zuilan’s fingertip lingered for a moment, gently blurring the edges of her full lower lip.

“There. This shade suits you.” Du Zuilan’s eyes curved slightly, the faint redness at their corners glistening, making her look breathtakingly beautiful. “Thanks for driving.”

If this were a fare Yan Xunzhen would’ve immediately fired her family’s chauffeur and happily taken over the job herself.

She cleared her throat. “Mm.”

As she adjusted the GPS route to the stepmother’s house, Yan Xunzhen couldn’t help but click her tongue in disdain.

A conglomerate like Junyan had deep roots, which was why Yan Xunzhen lived in an estate. Meanwhile, the stepmother resided in a neighborhood infamous among the elite, a gathering place for the nouveau riche.

Most of its residents were either kept lovers of wealthy heirs or unfortunate tycoons who’d been swindled into moving there. But as for the stepmother, she and her family had gotten their hands on this prime downtown property by exploiting Du Zuilan. They were a hundred times more disgusting than the others, and the thought of them made Yan Xunzhen feel tainted.

She couldn’t resist asking Du Zuilan, “How exactly did they take money from you?”

The original scumbag Alpha’s transactions with the stepmother had all been reclaimed by Yan Xunzhen. After reviewing them, she knew the sum though substantial still wasn’t enough to buy an apartment in that area.

Du Zuilan lowered her gaze and took a deep breath. “At first, they drained the money I’d set aside for my sister and mother-in-law. After that, they just stole my cards outright.”

Yan Xunzhen gave a quiet “Mm” to show she was listening.

She could easily imagine how awful they’d been. The original Du Zuilan must have trusted them completely. Even after realizing her stepmother mistreated her, she likely still believed her father would never deceive her only to watch as he, too, changed, taking more and more from her until her disappointment hardened into resignation.

Du Zuilan spoke calmly, as if recounting someone else’s story. “They took all my mother’s insurance money, kicked me out of the house, and then demanded I keep giving them money. When I refused, they threatened to expose me as a public figure. When I still refused, they took out loans in my name.”

Yan Xunzhen tightened her grip on the steering wheel.

Du Zuilan continued calmly, “I had no choice but to repay it. My university major had nothing to do with my current job. Without connections, I couldn’t earn much money, and all I knew was acting, I didn’t know any professionals who could help me solve my problems.”

Her words were spoken with quiet composure, yet each one struck deep, making it impossible to imagine or perhaps only those outside the pages of the book could sum it up with a single word like “miserable” that these were the experiences that had filled the short span of her life so far.

By this point, she even wore a faint smile: “But things are much better now. I hope we can resolve everything today.”

Yan Xunyi’s throat felt dry.

For a moment, her mind went blank, and she said with quiet anguish, “I’m sorry I came so late.”

With a snap, the last thread of composure in Du Zuilan’s mind broke.

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