A Scummy Alpha and An Award-Winning Omega Actress Fell in Love After an Arranged Marriage (GL , ABO) - Chapter 5

Sheng Lan didn’t like listening to voice messages.

If the relationship was good, she could tolerate the first few seconds.
If it wasn’t, she would simply ignore them.

Yu Cheng belonged to the “good relationship” category.

Sheng Lan tapped to listen from beginning to end. It was all loud cursing.

Only then did she remember, she had left the friend who brought her phone at the hospital.

Still salvageable.

Sheng Lan cleared her throat and cautiously sent a single text among the flood of voice messages.

Weren’t you just sightseeing?

Yu Cheng exploded.

Sheng Lan vanished from chat.

Her current residence was close to Xinghai Entertainment, a high-rise luxury apartment with river views. The price per square meter was higher than many villas in Jinhe City. Security was top-tier.

No stalkers. No hidden cameras. No obsessive fans.

It was the perfect place to catch up on sleep.

She would have slept through the entire day if Jiang Ling hadn’t called her repeatedly the moment she stepped out of the elevator.

Jiang Ling reported that reporters had swarmed outside Lu Xueyin’s apartment.

Lu Xueyin had two places she could stay. One was a commercial apartment she bought herself. The other was a company-provided dorm.

The dorm was shared with trainees, and random people kept slipping “business cards” under the door. Lu Xueyin had enough of that and moved out as soon as she could afford to.

The apartment she bought was decent, located in a mid- to upper-tier residential complex. Security wasn’t too tight, but not too loose either. Just average.

Sheng Lan frowned.
“Did she say she wanted to come to my place?”

Judging by how little Lu Xueyin trusted her, she probably would rather be surrounded by reporters than show up here.

“And what about your place? She can’t stay there?”

Jiang Ling ignored the question and asked for Sheng Lan’s address.

“Hurry. I’ve been parked here too long. People are starting to notice.”

Sheng Lan gave her the address, and the call ended.

She scratched her head full of pale pink hair.

If her mood had a color, her hair would be shifting into a full rainbow of Mary Sue chaos.

This was so complicated.

Before Lu Xueyin arrived, Sheng Lan moved all her personal things from the living room into her bedroom.

She also cleaned out a guest room.

And ordered some more takeout.

This marriage really turned her into a full-time live-in nanny who didn’t even know what she was guilty of.

Since she didn’t know when they’d arrive, Sheng Lan opened a carton of yogurt, curled up on the sofa, and drank slowly through a straw.

Her phone didn’t seem fun anymore. She opened Lu Xueyin’s social media page out of boredom.

Boring. Really boring.

Her page looked like a carefully curated public account. All work posts. Not a single reply to the dozens of comments and likes, even from mutual friends.

Untouchable.

Her latest post read: Three-day leave. Do not disturb.

Three days. Just long enough for a marriage break.

Day one: meet the parents.
Day two: get the marriage license.
Day three: spend quality time with the wife.

Sheng Lan suddenly remembered that she had three days off too. She sent her manager, Liang Jiao, a photo as proof.

It showed her thermometer reading at 39.2 degrees. Clear evidence that she deserved the time off.

She couldn’t push for a divorce right now. More importantly, she couldn’t force Lu Xueyin either.

So maybe it was best to keep their distance for now. Handle the marriage quietly and off the grid. No signs. No scandals. No internet clues.

Liang Jiao sent back a voice message.

“So you want to avoid Lu Xueyin? Great. Start work early.”

Sheng Lan replied, “Yes, Jiao Jiao. You’re the boss.”

Since she had opened the door, Liang Jiao didn’t hold back. She sent over a document immediately, telling Sheng Lan to review it and reply soon.

“Your rival wants to join this variety show. The PR team already started teasing it. I intercepted it for you. I need your decision by noon tomorrow.”

Sheng Lan had been in the industry for three years, and her only serious rival was Ji Xinlan.

They came from the same survival show and had been fighting for roles since day one.

It wasn’t a big deal. Competition was everywhere in the entertainment industry.

What made it worse was that Ji Xinlan had tried to pair them up as a romantic duo, a powerful Alpha and a soft, sweet Omega.

When Sheng Lan rejected the idea, Ji Xinlan threatened to expose her, claiming Sheng Lan had tried to forcibly mark her.

Too bad.

Sheng Lan was extremely cautious.

She never believed someone who had just failed to pitch a fake romance suddenly wanted a heartfelt late-night talk in private.

She started a livestream right then and there.

Their grudge had lasted years.

Ji Xinlan, not one to lose face, turned the tables and acted like she had been secretly in love with Sheng Lan. That farce went on for more than two years.

Finally, earlier this year, she found another Alpha to flaunt her love life with and took every chance to compare them publicly.

Sheng Lan’s favorite revenge was stealing her roles.

If Liang Jiao was offering a variety spot, there was no downside.

And it just so happened that Sheng Lan needed a reason to stay away from Lu Xueyin for a while.

She agreed without hesitation.

“Thank you for feeding me, Jiao Jiao.”

She didn’t even bother to check what kind of show it was.

Since food delivery couldn’t enter the complex, Sheng Lan told the courier to leave it at the security booth.

She also called security to let them know she had friends arriving and asked them to bring everything up together.

When Jiang Ling showed up, she was already annoyed.

“You didn’t come down to pick us up.”

Sheng Lan stayed calm.

“If I went downstairs, the reporters who followed you would be snapping photos nonstop.”

Jiang Ling put down their things and helped Lu Xueyin to the sofa.

Now that they were temporarily relying on someone else, her tone softened a little.

“Didn’t you say the PR team was handling things?”

Sheng Lan unboxed the food and spread it on the coffee table.

“Let the PR girls breathe a little. They’re human too.”

Jiang Ling had no response.

Sheng Lan passed Lu Xueyin a pair of chopsticks.

Lu Xueyin glanced at them. Her eyes seemed to say, “Alphas really are pigs. Already eating a second breakfast?”

Sheng Lan grabbed her own chopsticks.

The food at the hospital had been plain. She didn’t know Lu Xueyin’s eating habits. If she ordered too much and Lu Xueyin was the type who didn’t like wasting food, she might force herself to eat and risk feeling sick.

So Sheng Lan had ordered small bowls of porridge.

It was just right for someone recovering from illness like Lu Xueyin.

But for someone like Sheng Lan, who was physically and mentally drained, it was barely anything.

She pointed to the kitchen.

“There’s rice, noodles, meat, and vegetables. You can cook if you want.”

That wasn’t going to happen.

Jiang Ling gently encouraged Lu Xueyin.

“Eat a little more before resting. It’ll be worse if you wake up starving.”

She handed over identical wooden disposable chopsticks. Lu Xueyin took them without complaint.

That stung a little.

So Sheng Lan got up and scooped a bowl of winter melon and pork rib soup for her.

She didn’t just place it on the table. She handed it to her.

Lu Xueyin’s skin was a clear, snowy white, like a patch of untouched snow on a mountain peak. No color ever seemed to stain her.

The faint blue veins beneath her skin looked like strings on an instrument, waiting to be played.

Tiny bl00d spots remained on the back of her hand where the IV had been.

It reminded Sheng Lan of last night, when Lu Xueyin brushed against her hand with the sleeve of her hospital gown, during that strange, tense moment of “provocation.”

Her fingertips began to itch again.

Sheng Lan had the sudden urge to pick at the tiny scab on the back of Lu Xueyin’s hand, to see if a bead of bl00d would rise—red like the petals of a rose.

The thought itself made her back down in their silent standoff.

She drank the soup instead. That was her final act of defiance.

As the warm broth slid down, she thought she heard Lu Xueyin chuckle softly.

Sheng Lan glanced over, but maybe it was just her imagination.

Jiang Ling stepped out onto the balcony to take a call.

Sheng Lan asked, “Why did you come here? My place probably wasn’t your first choice.”

If all else failed, booking a hotel would have been better than showing up here.

Lu Xueyin clearly hadn’t let go of the “fake Alpha” comment.

She replied, “You’re a fake Alpha. That gave me a strong sense of safety.”

There was real resentment behind her words.

She had already come to Sheng Lan’s home. She could have softened her tone, said she trusted her, made her feel at ease.

But instead, she chose to press the sore spot. Her gaze skimmed over Sheng Lan, light and mocking, as if pitying the fact that a top-tier Alpha, blessed with stunning looks, turned out to be defective.

Sheng Lan took another sip of soup.

“Be honest. Are you staying just for the day, planning to stay regularly, or moving in for good?”

Lu Xueyin said it depended on the situation but for now could be considered regular.

“Don’t your family care how our marriage is going?”

Sheng Lan finally saw a chance to get in a jab.

“You are the most beautiful Omega in the industry. My family has no idea I’m… incapable.”

Lu Xueyin answered calmly, “I can help inform them.”

Sheng Lan didn’t want to continue the conversation. She focused on her food.

Jiang Ling returned from her call and noticed how cold the atmosphere had become. She was clearly uneasy about Lu Xueyin staying here.

She had never approved of Lu Xueyin moving in.

After all, no matter how you looked at it, a wife ending up in the hospital on the first night of marriage after being dosed with inducers made the other party look deeply irresponsible.

Lu Xueyin insisted on staying.

She even helped explain on Sheng Lan’s behalf.

Ironically, her honesty only made Jiang Ling angrier.

Not trusting Sheng Lan to be alone with her, she declared that she would also be staying.

Sheng Lan didn’t object.

“Do as you like. I start work tomorrow.”

If they ended up staying long-term, she would just buy another apartment.

She did have her pride. After dinner, she showed them the guest room and explained they could use everything except her own bedroom. Then she went back to her room and shut the door.

After washing up, she played a few rounds of mobile games before finally opening the file Liang Jiao had sent her.

It was for a variety show called “Trial Love.”

All the guests were single celebrities. They would draw cards to randomly form couples and begin a one-month “relationship trial.” There would be livestreams as well as edited episodes.

The last variety show Sheng Lan joined was a reality show.

It had wrecked her public image.

She had always been seen as the “cool sister” type.

But on the show, she became the walking punchline.

She had tried very hard to act proper.

And it backfired.

There were still countless meme compilations floating around, and the sticker packs—well, those were better left unmentioned.

If it was another livestream variety show, there would be no way to hide her goofiness.

Romance would become the least of her concerns.

Who would even fall in love with someone so ridiculous?

She would probably turn it into a heartfelt sisterhood by day three.

But if she joined a romance show, she wouldn’t just be stealing Ji Xinlan’s spotlight. She might even steal the spotlight from Ji Xinlan’s Alpha girlfriend.

What if Ji Xinlan also joined, and they ended up matched together?

Yikes.

Sheng Lan nervously poked Liang Jiao’s chat window and tried to subtly express her desire to remain a cool, mysterious figure. She emphasized that there was no way she could do a “trial love” with Ji Xinlan.

Liang Jiao immediately shut her down.

“Your real personality is more likable than your label. I already confirmed your name with the production team.”

She also tried to sell it to her.

“If you really want to hide your connection with Lu Xueyin, this is perfect. No one would suspect a thing if you’re appearing on a romance show with someone else.”

She added some reassurance.

“I’m friends with the director. I’ll make sure you get the right match.”

Sheng Lan felt at ease and quickly replied with ten thumbs-up emojis.

[Shan Feng]: Jiao Jiao, you’re the best.

She tossed the phone aside and finally fell asleep.

Outside, Jiang Ling checked every corner of the apartment to make sure Sheng Lan hadn’t tampered with anything.

No hidden cameras. No bugs. No weird tricks with toiletries.

She even inspected all the suppressants, one by one. Everything looked normal.

Only then did she call Lu Xueyin back to rest.

After wrapping her last film, Lu Xueyin had taken time off to handle the marriage.

She still had a few jobs lined up, but no need to return to set anytime soon. Things were relatively quiet.

But staying at Sheng Lan’s house was not ideal.

Jiang Ling reminded her that she had already turned down too many offers. Getting good roles now would be more difficult.

“All that’s left are some canceled endorsement deals and low-quality scripts. Your acting style is immersive. Every time you finish a shoot, you need time to recover. Jumping into a new project right away would drain you mentally.”

She filtered through emails as she spoke, automatically discarding offers from companies too small to name.

“Earlier this year, you even turned down a variety show. Everyone thinks you don’t accept anything. No one bothers asking anymore.”

Then she paused.

“Trial Love?”

Lu Xueyin looked up.

She didn’t join variety shows, but she still kept track of what was trending.

This one was the hottest romance show of the moment.

In the entertainment industry, almost every celebrity had some kind of “shipped” pairing.

Lu Xueyin had been in both dramas and films. She had acted with many male leads. Fans had edited endless videos pairing her with all kinds of characters.

Her fan page had two major pairings trending at all times.

The biggest draw of this show was that the production team was bold enough to invite actual fan-favorite pairings onto the show.

The fans had gone wild.

Lu Xueyin asked how long the filming would last.

Three days from now, it would start and run for a month.

She looked at Jiang Ling and said, “Let’s go with this one.”

Jiang Ling frowned.

“It’s a livestream. You’ve never done a show like that before.”

Lu Xueyin said it was fine.

“I know exactly how I’m supposed to act in front of the camera.”

Jiang Ling wasn’t convinced.

“This might be harder than just picking a good script. Either way, it’s acting.”

She finished reading the emails and began messaging contacts in the industry.

Besides this one, the only other offer was from an extreme survival show.

Not ideal for Omegas.

Viewers were split. Half wanted to see strong Alphas succeed effortlessly. The other half just wanted to watch delicate Omega’s cry.

“Trial Love” would finalize its cast list by noon tomorrow.

The show would film locally, meaning no travel issues. It was also the perfect excuse to avoid Sheng Lan for a month.

Jiang Ling emailed the production team her confirmation.

Neither newlywed had any idea they were both about to appear on the same show.

That afternoon, when the police called to conduct an interview, Sheng Lan got up and went with Lu Xueyin.

While they waited, Sheng Lan held back a smile and jokingly mimicked Lu Xueyin’s tone.

“I really wanted to stay home and take care of you, but Jiao Jiao got me a job. I’ll be heading out in a few days.”

Lu Xueyin didn’t care where she was going or what kind of job it was.

She said, “Don’t worry. I won’t stay at your place much longer.”

Just a few more days.

Sheng Lan could hear the subtle cheerfulness in her voice.

Clearly, even for Lu Xueyin, staying at her place was far from pleasant.