The Five Heartless Scumbag Alphas Turned Against Each Other Because Of Me - Chapter 22

Lu Huaixu raised her head, her face expressionless, her gaze drifting over the Omega’s beautiful, restless face.

She began to reflect—had she been too lenient with Tan Hua lately? So much so that Tan Hua now dared to act so brazenly in front of her, even boldly bringing an Alpha, who had absolutely nothing to do with her stand-in work, right into her home—her home.

A chill swept over Lu Huaixu’s cold, sharp features, and the air around her dropped noticeably. Without restraint, her powerful pheromones flooded the room.

Wen Chuan’s face subtly changed.

Out of instinct, she wanted to pull Tan Hua away, but with just one casual glance from Lu Huaixu, her entire body froze. She was rooted in place, unable to move.

This Alpha is strong. Wen Chuan felt a surge of alarm.

She didn’t look like much—just a seemingly average, slightly well-off middle-aged woman. Who would’ve thought her presence would rival, no—exceed—that of the Alpha from Shengyuan Group?

Wen Chuan’s mood soured. Where exactly does Tan Hua keep finding these high-level employers?

Had she somehow recruited every S-Class Alpha in the country?

Tan Hua had always been highly sensitive to emotional shifts, especially now that Lu Huaixu’s anger was practically written across her face. She was taken aback—she hadn’t expected Lu Huaixu to get angry over something like this.

Still, she reacted quickly, immediately softening her tone and coaxing sweetly, “President Lu, don’t be mad, I was only joking.”

As she spoke, she quickly turned and started winking at Wen Chuan.

“Xiao Chuan, go wait for me outside, okay?”

When she saw that Wen Chuan had no intention of moving, Tan Hua’s eyelid twitched. She couldn’t help but raise her voice slightly.

“I need to talk to President Lu about something.”

She narrowed her eyes, her expression filled with warning. You little brat, stop standing there ruining my deal.

Grinding her teeth, Tan Hua locked her glimmering eyes onto Wen Chuan.

Wen Chuan knew exactly what Tan Hua was trying to do. She wanted her out of the room so she could apologize and try to keep Lu Huaixu as a client.

But for some reason, Wen Chuan didn’t feel like making it that easy for her.

In front of Lu Huaixu, Tan Hua had no pride or dignity. That Alpha saw her as nothing more than a pet—to be teased when amused, and kicked aside when bored.

Wen Chuan didn’t understand. What’s so special about this Alpha that Tan Hua would cling to her like this?

Was it because she was generous with money? But even Wen Chuan had offered Tan Hua the highest pay she’d ever given anyone.

And yet, seeing the anxious frustration on Tan Hua’s face, Wen Chuan only felt more confused.

Tan Hua kept winking, her face practically twitching from effort, but the brat still wouldn’t budge.

Exasperated, Tan Hua grumbled at the system, “Can’t you zap her or something?”

The system replied silently: “…” Do you think I’m some lightning god who zaps whoever you tell me to?

Then, coldly, it rejected her: “Host, I cannot.”

After a pause, it added, “The only person I can ever zap—past, present, or future—is you. Only you.”

Tan Hua’s eye twitched. Wow, thanks a lot.

The pressure radiating from Lu Huaixu grew even heavier. Tan Hua was starting to lose her patience.

She glared at the spaced-out Wen Chuan and silently mouthed a warning: “If you don’t move, I’m not leaving with you today.”

That got through. Wen Chuan finally snapped out of it. Her expression turned conflicted, tinged with frustration.

She glanced cautiously at Lu Huaixu, then quickly stepped out.

But she didn’t go far—just stopped right at the door.

As soon as she left, Tan Hua spun around and threw herself at Lu Huaixu, beginning her tearful plea.

“President Lu, I’m so sorry! Today was a complete accident—I don’t know how she found this place. I swear I never told her where you live.”

Lu Huaixu watched her quietly, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.

“Oh? Is that so?”

“Yes! Absolutely.” Tan Hua nodded quickly. “And actually, I’m not even her mother.”

She lowered her voice and leaned closer, whispering, “Her family went through some trouble when she was little, and the environment wasn’t very nurturing. So ever since then, she’s been longing for that kind of unconditional, gentle love only a mother could give.”

“It just so happens I look a bit like her mom, so her family asked me to keep an eye on her—to help manage her emotions and avoid triggering her.”

Tan Hua lifted her chin slightly, giving a you get what I mean, right? look.

“You know how kids her age can be—super rebellious. Her family just didn’t want her to get into trouble, so they…”

“So they let you be her mother without the labor pains?” Lu Huaixu cut in coolly.

Tan Hua froze. That… wasn’t wrong, but hearing it from Lu Huaixu made it sound so strange and uncomfortable.

“Yes… that’s basically it.” She ignored her unease and answered with a thick-skinned smile.

Lu Huaixu didn’t say whether she believed her or not. She was silent for a while, then let out a low, mocking laugh.

“Heh.”

Tan Hua didn’t really want to know what that laugh meant. What she did know was that if she didn’t smooth things over today, Lu Huaixu might just leave and find another Omega to spoil.

“So, you see, President Lu, I really didn’t have much of a choice. I’ve got elders constantly reminding me, and that kid is always pestering me… What can a weak, helpless Omega like me do? How could I possibly say no?”

“Her family holds a lot of power in society. If I refused…” She paused, then added pitifully, “I still have to survive. If I don’t know how to keep my head down, one day I might starve under a bridge and no one would even notice I was gone.”

Just as Lu Huaixu was about to ask about her family situation, she suddenly remembered the background check she’d run before signing the contract with Tan Hua.

An alcoholic father, a gambling-addicted mother—the two of them had racked up debts and driven the family into complete ruin.

Tan Hua had only managed to escape when they weren’t paying attention. She had fled from home and endured great hardship to make it all the way here.

Lu Huaixu understood all too well just how hard it was for a powerless, unconnected, yet stunningly beautiful Omega to survive in this society.

Because of that understanding, her expression softened slightly.

“Let her go,” Lu Huaixu said. “I’ll handle the rest.”

After a moment, she added, “And in the future, if anything comes up, you can come to me directly.”

“Really?” Tan Hua hadn’t expected her sob story to actually stir some sympathy in Lu Huaixu. Overjoyed, she threw herself into the Alpha’s arms and nuzzled against her like a spoiled kitten.

“Thank you, President Lu. You’re the best. I want to stay with you forever!”

The Omega’s sudden pounce brought her soft, delicate body close, carrying the scent of sweet vanilla cake—irresistibly inviting.

Lu Huaixu looked down, her long lashes casting shadows over her eyes. Her gaze, hidden beneath them, lingered on Tan Hua’s slender waist—so dainty and graceful, tempting beyond words.

Her figure was perfectly proportioned, exactly the kind that appealed to Lu Huaixu’s tastes.

Tan Hua had a way of casually triggering Lu Huaixu’s long-suppressed desires—reminding her, without warning, of her physical and biological cravings.

She couldn’t help but recall the other night when Tan Hua had tried to run away. The moment she’d shown those little fangs and bitten into Lu Huaixu’s gland without hesitation, her boldness and sharp tongue…

Lu Huaixu’s gaze deepened with something unreadable.

Tan Hua leaned in closer and took a deep, greedy breath of her scent—then nearly choked from the overwhelming pheromones.

“Damn, that’s strong,” she muttered.

She clung to Lu Huaixu and refused to let go. The system twitched in irritation and gave her a little zap. Still not letting go?

Seeing its host with a blissed-out expression, clinging to Lu Huaixu like some sleazy playboy, the system lost its patience and zapped her twice more.

But no matter how many times it shocked her, Tan Hua didn’t seem to react. The system began to worry—Is something wrong with me?

So while it continued zapping her, it also ran a self-check. It didn’t really regulate the frequency too well, and before long, Tan Hua was completely numb. She finally lifted her head and said faintly,

“Alright, that’s enough.”

The system froze. Wait—I’m fine?

A moment later, it muttered, “Host, you’ve got some serious nerve. All this just to take advantage of Lu Huaixu?”

Tan Hua blinked her numbed eyes and sighed, “It’s not that I’m good at enduring. Haven’t you noticed? You shocked me so much I’m basically paralyzed. I couldn’t move even if I wanted to.”

The system: “!”

It was horrified. How could I make such a rookie mistake? I just handed her a perfect excuse to flirt openly with Lu Huaixu?!

Tan Hua glanced at the dumbfounded system. Her face had gone pale from the shocks, and she could barely resist rolling her eyes.

She pushed herself up slowly, trying to get away from Lu Huaixu. The Alpha’s pheromones, after all, were becoming hard to tolerate.

In fact, the scent was practically like an aphrodisiac at this point—tugging at her heartstrings, messing with her thoughts, making her want to do things she definitely shouldn’t be thinking about.

But just as she started to move, Lu Huaixu casually wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back in.

“When is she leaving?” she asked lazily.

It took Tan Hua a second to realize that the “she” Lu Huaixu was referring to was Xiao Chuan.

Tan Hua fell silent. I’d like her to leave too, but she won’t—and she offered me such a high price.

“Well…” Tan Hua started slowly, then lowered her tone in a pleading gesture.

“President Lu, could you just let her stay for a little while? If we close the door, she won’t disturb us at all.”

The system: “…” Us? Who exactly is she disturbing—Lu Huaixu’s business or yours?

Host, you truly are shameless.

Of course, Lu Huaixu rejected the ridiculous request without a second thought. She let go and leaned back on the sofa, her tone lazy and calm.

“Pick her, or pick me. Take your time.”

Tan Hua was completely baffled. She didn’t understand at all. I’m just a stand-in—why is this suddenly a choose-one scenario?

She glanced at her phone. A flood of messages from Zheng Jinyu filled the screen.

She corrected herself: No, not two. It’s a choose-one-out-of-three.

When Zheng Jinyu received Tan Hua’s reply, she was momentarily confused.

“What do you mean, ‘name your price and I’m yours today’? Are there others trying to win her over too?”

Zheng Jinyu clasped her hands in front of her lips, lost in thought.

She could sense something different about Tan Hua lately. And yet, that very difference was what made her all the more irresistible—her curiosity was utterly piqued.

Zheng Jinyu wanted to know what had caused this shift in Tan Hua.

She suspected it had something to do with the divorce, but she wasn’t entirely sure.

So, without hesitation, she replied:

“Alright. Where are you now? I’ll come and pick you up.”

Where am I? Tan Hua stared blankly at Zheng Jinyu’s message. Where else could I be? She was currently nestled in Lu Huaixu’s arms.

Since Zheng Jinyu hadn’t even bothered to name a price, Tan Hua felt zero guilt as she promptly kicked her out of the running.

“No need, really. Don’t trouble yourself.”

She rejected Zheng Jinyu politely, but Zheng wasn’t ready to give up.

“It’s no trouble. Send me your location—I’ll come pick you up right away.”

Tan Hua: “!”

If Zheng Jinyu shows up now, everything will fall apart!

Without a second thought, Tan Hua began typing:
“I’m busy with something right now…”

Before she could even finish the sentence or hit send, her phone was swiftly taken from her hands—by Lu Huaixu.

The Alpha looked at her with a half-smile, eyes glinting with amusement.

“Who are you chatting with?”

She didn’t glance at the screen, but the way she stared at Tan Hua made the Omega feel inexplicably guilty—as if she already knew everything.

Without missing a beat, Tan Hua denied it.

“No one—just spam messages.”

Lu Huaixu’s gaze deepened.

“Is that so?” She reached as if to flip the phone screen around.

Startled, Tan Hua lunged forward and snatched the phone back, flashing a sheepish grin.

Lu Huaixu looked at her now-empty palm, then glanced at the clingy Omega beside her. Her smile widened—there was even a trace of warmth and amusement in it.

“Have you made up your mind yet?”

Tan Hua shook her head.

“Not yet, President Lu. Please give me a little more time.”

Lu Huaixu cast a glance at Xiao Chuan, who still stood stubbornly outside the door. Then she smiled.

“Alright. Take your time.”

Tan Hua finally let out a long breath of relief.

She was genuinely torn—both Lu Huaixu and Xiao Chuan were offering extremely generous payments today. How could she possibly choose?

Why did everyone have to show up today like walking treasure chests?

She was still lost in her dilemma when her phone rang again—this time it was Sheng Yiheng calling.

Covering her phone, she looked at Lu Huaixu apologetically.

“Sorry, President Lu, I need to take this call.”

Without waiting for permission, she stood up and stepped into the corner of the room, lowering her voice as she answered:

“Hello, President Sheng? What’s the matter?”

Sheng Yiheng’s cool, calm voice flowed through the line—pleasant and refreshing.

After juggling Lu Huaixu and Xiao Chuan all morning, hearing her voice was like a breath of fresh air.

“Did you go to the hospital for a checkup?”

Tan Hua answered honestly.

“No. I wasn’t in too much pain after I woke up, so I didn’t think it was necessary.”

“Your foot’s fine now?” Sheng Yiheng sounded surprised. Then, without missing a beat, she changed the subject:

“If that’s the case, come back to the office this afternoon.”

Tan Hua was stunned—Seriously? I’m in this state and she still wants me to go to work?

Before she could protest, Sheng Yiheng explained:

“There’s a banquet tonight. You’re coming with me.”

Tan Hua blinked.

“Is that really a good idea?”

“I’m just a lowly stand-in. I don’t know the etiquette—I might embarrass you.”

“Maybe you should take someone else?”

Sheng Yiheng raised an eyebrow.

“Are you telling me how to do my job?”

Tan Hua: “…” Well, no. But between Lu Huaixu and Xiao Chuan—two walking gold mines—why should she ditch them for a banquet with no cash and no perks? She wasn’t that naive.

“That’s not what I meant, President Sheng,” she said carefully.

“I’m just looking out for you. If I mess something up, I really can’t afford to pay for the consequences.”

“You won’t need to.” Sheng Yiheng’s tone was blunt and decisive.

But Tan Hua still hesitated.

“It’s just… I already made other appointments. If I break those, I’ll owe a huge penalty fee…”

“How much is the penalty? I’ll cover it.”

Sheng Yiheng wasn’t slow to catch on—Tan Hua’s intentions were obvious by now. Seizing the initiative, she added calmly, “And in addition to that, I’ll pay you an extra fee.”

Tan Hua’s plan had worked, and her heart was pounding with excitement.

“Then—” she asked carefully, “How much is President Sheng willing to offer?”

This was the deciding factor in who would ultimately win the honor of being the day’s “fortunate fool.”

At that, Sheng Yiheng paused her work and leaned leisurely back in her chair.

“How much do you want?”

She had noticed—this Omega seemed particularly sensitive when it came to money.

That was a good thing. If she was only in it for the money and not for any emotional attachment, then once Cheng Yuan returned, Sheng Yiheng could easily pay her off and cut ties—no drama, no clinging.

“Five hundred thousand. Is that enough?” she asked, testing the waters.

But before the words had even fully left her lips, Tan Hua had already turned her down without hesitation.

“That might not be convenient, President Sheng.”

Even Xiao Chuan—a little brat—had offered her four times that amount.

Sheng Yiheng: “?”

Was she hearing things? Tan Hua had just flatly rejected her offer? Did she think 500K was too little?

Sheng Yiheng was stunned into silence.

Tan Hua, however, had already lost her patience.

“President Sheng, I have something to deal with here. Let’s talk another time.”

And before Sheng Yiheng could reply, the call was ended.

She sat there holding her phone, staring at the now-black screen for several long seconds.

What the hell? She was offering 500K just to attend a banquet with her—and Tan Hua refused? Did she think money was that easy to come by?

Sheng Yiheng herself barely had time to breathe between meetings.

Her thoughts abruptly stopped. She called Tan Hua back.

“Two million,” she said as soon as the call connected.

“Or 2.5 million. That’s my final offer.”

Tan Hua smiled slightly. Now that’s more like it.

A CEO worth billions, acting like a cheapskate—how ridiculous. You’re out here hiring a stand-in to relieve your boredom, and you’re still pretending to be stingy?

“Let me think about it, President Sheng,” she replied, pretending to hesitate.

“The other party isn’t easy to deal with. I’m not sure if they’ll agree to let me walk away from our arrangement.”

“But don’t worry—I’ll do my best to convince them with my silver tongue.”

Tan Hua beamed. She was in such a good mood that her entire body felt light.

“Let’s leave it at that for now. Once I’ve handled things here, I’ll get back to you.”

The call ended again.

Sheng Yiheng stared at her phone.

Wait—who’s the stand-in here again? Me or her?

A lowly stand-in, now calling the shots, playing hard to get… how arrogant.

After hanging up, Tan Hua turned and glanced at Lu Huaixu, still calm and unbothered.

Then she looked at Xiao Chuan, still outside the door, her eyes full of quiet pleading.

“This is getting intense,” Tan Hua murmured.

As expected, the system zapped her again. She only laughed brighter.

“System darling, who do you think I should choose?”

The system was silent. Frankly, you should’ve just stayed with Zheng Jinyu today.

If only she had, none of this chaos would be happening.

The system sighed internally, utterly drained.

“Follow your heart, Host.”

Tan Hua raised an eyebrow, surprised.

“You’re not trying to stop me?”

“Since you put it that way…”

The system tensed.

Tan Hua’s smile turned sly as she glanced at Lu Huaixu’s powerful aura, her lips curling in a meaningful grin.

“I guess I’ll just have to play a little grown-up game with the big sister.”

At first, the system didn’t get it.

Then it saw her cast a reassuring glance at Xiao Chuan, and thought, She really can’t resist the charm of a mature woman.

But in the next second, it watched her walk gracefully toward Lu Huaixu, expression full of guilt and sincerity.

“President Lu, I’m really sorry.”

“Xiao Chuan is still young, just a student after all.”

Tan Hua’s eyes shimmered with tears.

“Her parents entrusted her to me, and I can’t let them down. So today… I’m afraid I can’t stay with you.”

She even sniffled convincingly.

“Maybe another day? I’ll come to you then—free of charge.”

She emphasized:

“That time, you can do whatever you want to me. I won’t charge a single cent.”

Her cheeks flushed lightly. In that moment, she looked stunning—fragile and enchanting.

“Is that okay, President Lu?” she asked sweetly, hoping her soft, pitiful look would win Lu Huaixu over.

But Lu Huaixu didn’t even blink. Not a flicker of emotion crossed her face.

Her voice was cold.

“Even if she were a stray animal, it wouldn’t matter. She still can’t stay.”

Tan Hua: Huh?

That’s… a bit harsh, isn’t it?

She froze.

Lu Huaixu slowly lifted her cool gaze and asked,

“Do you really care about her that much?”

There was no emotion in her eyes, and yet Tan Hua felt her heart skip a beat.

Lu Huaixu continued, unrelenting:

“You’re willing to give up millions just for her?”

“Am I worth less to you than a barely-of-age child?”

Her tone was light, but every word was sharp and direct.

“Tan Hua, didn’t you say you wanted to be my obedient, loyal stand-in?”

Suddenly, Lu Huaixu leaned in.

Her powerful pheromones enveloped Tan Hua, and her voice fell like thunder on Tan Hua’s usually shameless, unfazed heart:

“You lied to me.”

Tan Hua, unfazed: Yes, yes yes. So now please do something terrible to me to make yourself feel better!

Meanwhile, the late-to-realize Xiao Chuan outside: Excuse me, ma’am, have you no shame?