The Five Heartless Scumbag Alphas Turned Against Each Other Because Of Me - Chapter 27.2
But their closeness, their laughter, the playful way they bantered and teased each other… it was painfully obvious.
The atmosphere between them was light, flirtatious, almost intimate. Lu Huaixu wasn’t angry, and Tan Hua was laughing. It all looked so easy, so perfect.
But to Zheng Jinyu, it was blinding.
She knew she no longer had the right to control or criticize Tan Hua.
But watching her laugh and flirt with Lu Huaixu right in front of her—like her feelings didn’t matter at all—was unbearable.
Zheng Jinyu took a deep breath and closed her eyes, only regaining her composure after a long pause.
Tan Hua’s just after Lu Huaixu’s money, nothing more, Zheng Jinyu told herself quietly.
One day, when Lu Huaixu grew tired of her and cast her aside, Tan Hua would have nowhere to go. When that happened, the only person she could rely on… would be herself.
That thought brought Zheng Jinyu a faint sense of comfort.
She took a moment to compose her expression, making sure not to let Lu Huaixu catch even the slightest hint of her feelings.
Tan Hua, noisy as ever, dragged Lu Huaixu over to an empty seat. After they sat down, a server brought over a tray of drinks.
Just as Tan Hua reached out to grab a glass, Zheng Jinyu stopped her. “You can’t drink.”
“Why not?” Tan Hua glared at her. What, you think I can’t handle it?
“Your heat cycle’s due,” Zheng Jinyu replied flatly.
As she spoke, she leaned in to check the back of Tan Hua’s pale neck to see whether the suppressant patch was still in place.
Tan Hua instinctively shrank back. “It’s on, it’s on,” she muttered, repeating herself with growing irritation.
Zheng Jinyu’s eyes darkened slightly, but she backed off and simply said, “Just remember to get your suppressant injection on time. This isn’t something to mess around with.”
Lu Huaixu silently watched Zheng Jinyu, her expression unreadable.
Noticing her gaze, Zheng Jinyu looked up and smiled politely. “Young people can be reckless. If we don’t remind them often enough, they just brush things off.”
“True,” Lu Huaixu nodded.
But under Tan Hua’s gleeful ooh, are they going to fight? expression, she didn’t say anything else.
Tan Hua blinked in disappointment. That’s it?
She rolled her eyes. “Tsk.”
“They clearly don’t love me enough,” she muttered to the system. “If they really couldn’t stand each other—like I thought—wouldn’t they be fighting by now?”
She rested her cheek in her hand, feeling a little defeated. I wonder… if it were Cheng Yuan sitting here instead of me, would they still be so calm?
They’d probably have fought at least three hundred rounds already.
She sighed dramatically.
“In the end,” she said with mock self-pity, “I’m just a tiny, insignificant mosquito bite—easy to ignore, impossible to take seriously.”
The system twitched at the corners of its mouth. Well, at least you’re self-aware.
Still, afraid its host might spiral into some kind of emotional mess, it tried to offer a bit of comfort.
“The female lead has her strengths, and you have yours. You’re different—but both good in your own way.”
Tan Hua perked up immediately. “Oh? Then tell me—what’s good about me?”
The system thought for a moment.
“You’re… more provocative.”
When it came to that, the female lead couldn’t hold a candle to this host—of that, the system was certain.
Tan Hua: “…” Thanks. Really.
Her enthusiasm instantly deflated. She pulled back the hand that was reaching for the wine glass and started aimlessly scanning the room instead.
Tonight’s host clearly held some power and influence. Tan Hua didn’t recognize most of the guests, but she had a good pair of eyes—enough to tell that everyone here was attractive, refined, and carried themselves with poise.
Everyone invited tonight was either rich, powerful, or both.
If I can manage to meet a few useful— correction, interesting new friends, then when the female lead eventually comes back, I won’t be completely cornered.
With that in mind, Tan Hua began openly sizing up potential “targets” right in front of Lu Huaixu and Zheng Jinyu—completely unconcerned with what either of them might think.
Lu Huaixu had never been one to interfere in Tan Hua’s personal life. Though a bit displeased, she didn’t react much.
But Zheng Jinyu was clearly surprised by Lu Huaixu’s indifference. Her brows creased slightly. You’re not going to stop her?
Has Tan Hua really gained Lu Huaixu’s trust to that degree?
A flicker of unease crossed Zheng Jinyu’s face.
Her eyes trailed over to Tan Hua, who was now beaming brightly at another woman across the room. Her fingers—resting calmly on her abdomen—subtly tightened into a clenched grip.
She wanted not to care. Wanted to look away.
But she couldn’t.
She didn’t know exactly when it started—this intense awareness of Tan Hua.
Maybe it was that night at Lu Huaixu’s house.
Tan Hua had worn so little. She sat gracefully at the grand piano, her posture elegant and ethereal.
Her dress had been seductive and alluring, yet somehow, she exuded an untouchable air—more like a goddess than a temptress.
In that moment, Zheng Jinyu hadn’t been able to look away.
She’d been completely captivated.
She wouldn’t deny it: she liked that version of Tan Hua.
That night was the most beautiful she had ever seen her.
But that side of Tan Hua—so enchanting, so unforgettable—had never once been shown to her.
Tan Hua gave all her most beautiful, most seductive moments to Lu Huaixu—and not even a glimpse of that side had ever been shown to me.
Zheng Jinyu’s heart tightened unexpectedly, a sour feeling creeping in. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she silently wondered, Has the Omega truly never had any feelings for me?
All this time… was it all just an act?
Were all those moments when she seemed to like me just pretend?
Zheng Jinyu felt lost. That realization hit her with a strange mix of bitterness and helplessness she couldn’t quite describe.
Meanwhile, Tan Hua was practically itching to go around and add every beautiful woman at the party to her contacts list.
But when she sneaked a glance at Lu Huaixu… then another at Zheng Jinyu… she gave up on that idea.
Flirting with other women right in front of your sugar mommy? That’s suicide.
She let out a loud sigh, and Lu Huaixu immediately turned to her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Tan Hua muttered, rubbing at the skin beneath her eye. “I just haven’t seen my good friend in a while, and I’m worried about her. She’s a delicate, gorgeous Omega—and her husband isn’t here tonight. With a crowd like this… who knows what kind of people are lurking around? I just—”
“Go get her,” Lu Huaixu cut her off, clearly familiar with Tan Hua’s tendency to ramble.
“Yes, ma’am!” Tan Hua practically sprang from her seat, her eyes lighting up.
Lu Huaixu glanced at her eager expression—like a wolf that had just spotted a flock of sheep—and let out a soft laugh. “Ten minutes.”
Tan Hua: “…” Fine. That’s doable.
At least I get to breathe for a bit.
She dashed off, full of energy. If she had a tail, it’d be wagging.
Back at the table, Zheng Jinyu turned to Lu Huaixu and asked, “Aren’t you afraid she’ll grow bored and find someone new?”
Lu Huaixu raised an eyebrow, puzzled. “This is just mutual benefit. That’s all.”
A simple, calm answer—but it left Zheng Jinyu speechless.
Silence fell between them, heavy and cold.
The moment Tan Hua left the two of them behind, she turned into a wild horse off the reins. Even if she’d been given ten minutes, so what? What could Lu Huaixu do if she didn’t come back in time?
Besides, the estate was huge. Mu Wanyi wasn’t some lifeless doll who’d just stand in one place waiting to be found. She had legs—two, in fact—and was likely roaming around the whole villa.
Even with a hundred minutes, I might not find her, Tan Hua thought.
Clutching her phone, she scanned the room. Whenever she spotted a pretty woman, she’d rush up with a shy, flustered expression. “Hi, have you seen my friend?”
The women, seeing her harmless and anxious demeanor, softened quickly.
“And your friend is…?”
Tan Hua would instantly pull up a photo of Mu Wanyi, lowering her voice in faux worry. “We got separated. I’m really worried about her…”
Then, she’d blink her wide, innocent eyes and ask sweetly, “Can we exchange numbers? Just in case you spot her later?”
Few could resist her. One by one, they shared their contact info.
In no time, she’d added nearly every woman at the party.
Her once-bare contact list, previously filled with only a handful of “sponsors,” now buzzed with new names—densely packed, almost overflowing.
The system watched Tan Hua scroll through her phone, unable to even reach the bottom of her contact list. It was speechless.
Only this host could come up with something this shamelessly genius.
It couldn’t help but wonder what Mu Wanyi would do when she realized she’d been used as a decoy to help Tan Hua parade around and meet every high-status guest in the room. Would she be so furious she’d pounce on Tan Hua and bite her?
Tan Hua, completely satisfied with the night’s “harvest,” checked her phone one last time and nodded to herself. Time to head back.
She’d made some solid gains tonight. Now was the time to go back and flatter Lu Huaixu a little—if she wanted to be invited to future events, she had to keep the sugar flowing.
She couldn’t just burn bridges after one trip. Long-term planning was key.
Just as she was about to leave, she paused.
Her nose twitched. She caught the scent of a powerful, intoxicating Alpha pheromone—far stronger than any of the Alphas she’d just collected.
Her eyes lit up. She turned instinctively toward the source.
The sight that greeted her made Sheng Yiheng’s eye twitch in annoyance.
Tan Hua looked like a hungry wolf about to leap at fresh prey, her gaze practically glowing.
Sheng Yiheng quickly stepped back, expression flat. “What are you doing here?”
Her eyes dropped to Tan Hua’s phone screen, still lit up with the contact list full of Alphas.
She let out a cold laugh. “Looking for women behind my back?”
Tan Hua: Yep. And?
System: …Please stop breaking the fourth wall.