After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, I Met the Reborn Omega (GL) - Chapter 25.3

At first, she thought it was just a benefactor’s arrangement, but somewhere along the way, feelings blurred the line.

Neither could say who fell for whom first, but the relationship lasted for years.

In the end, what she got in return was news—publicly announced that Gu Ruoyun was getting married. Not only that, but she was retiring from the entertainment industry as well.

Bai Qin, who thought herself closest to Gu Ruoyun, had been the last to find out.

She never listened to Gu Ruoyun’s explanation. She simply packed up, left the country, deleted every trace of contact, and started working undercover as a paparazzo.

Recently, Bai Qin had figured out how Gu Ruoyun managed to get her new contact information—but she had coldly blocked her without hesitation.

Back then, Bai Qin had sold herself for ten thousand yuan per month. Gu Ruoyun, clearly inexperienced herself, slowly wormed her way into Bai Qin’s vulnerable heart, offering her help just when Bai Qin needed it most.

Bai Qin had always been painfully aware of the gap between them.
She never dared to hope for anything more—until Gu Ruoyun’s gentle promises made her greedy, made her believe she was special.

And then the public news of Gu Ruoyun’s engagement shattered that illusion, leaving Bai Qin feeling like a fool, utterly humiliated.

After playing enough games, Hua Miaomiao finally contacted Gu Ximeng.

“I want to join the show you’re organizing,” she said.

Lately, Gu Ximeng had indeed been flooded with messages. Thanks to Mo Zhaoyan’s involvement, countless people were eager to jump on the bandwagon, hoping to get close to her.

After all, Mo Zhaoyan was notoriously difficult to approach, almost never attending social events unless absolutely necessary. Outside of work, she was practically a recluse.

Naturally, Gu Ximeng couldn’t just accept anyone randomly—she cared deeply about the quality and impact of the program.

However, she hadn’t expected that even the president of Huayang Group would want to join.

From what she had heard from Lin Xiaoyou, Huayang and Mo Corporation had always been rivals.
That made her suspicious of Hua Miaomiao’s true intentions.

“Our little show really isn’t worthy of your attention, President Hua,” Gu Ximeng said carefully.

“What’s the matter?” Hua Miaomiao replied with a chuckle. “You can accommodate Mo Zhaoyan but not me?”

The playful threat sent a chill down Gu Ximeng’s spine. Why was her show attracting so many calamities lately?

But refusing Hua Miaomiao outright would mean openly offending Huayang Group.

“No, no, of course not!” Gu Ximeng quickly said. “It would be our honor to have you.”

That was exactly the answer Hua Miaomiao wanted.
“Good,” she said. “I’ll also bring someone with me. It’s a dating show, right? I’ll bring my own CP partner.”

“Of course, of course! That’s fine!” Gu Ximeng could only agree, unable to voice any objections.

And so, not only did her show now feature one terrifying figure—there would soon be two.
Gu Ximeng could only pray her aunt would be understanding.

Still uneasy, she asked Hua Miaomiao who her partner would be.

Hua Miaomiao, as if deliberately teasing her, spilled everything about Bai Qin’s background.

Gu Ximeng, worried that her aunt might object, immediately reported everything to Gu Ruoyun.

To her astonishment, Gu Ruoyun froze for a moment upon hearing Bai Qin’s name. After double-checking the information, she actually agreed.

Even after hanging up the call, Gu Ximeng was in disbelief. She quickly searched for Bai Qin online.
All she found was that Bai Qin was an entertainment journalist.
There was nothing about her real, murky past—after all, Bai Qin’s activities had always been hidden from the public eye.

Gu Ximeng had no choice but to accept reality.
With Hua Miaomiao’s insistence and her aunt’s unexpected approval, she couldn’t refuse anymore.

Soon, the final cast list for Let’s Fall in Love! was officially released online:

Lin Changsheng, Mo Zhaoyan, Hua Miaomiao, Gu Ruoyun, and Bai Qin.

The announcement shocked the entire internet.
Two top business executives participating in a dating show—this alone was explosive enough.
But the last name—Bai Qin—left people utterly confused.

Who the hell was Bai Qin?! How did she end up on such a list?

Speculation ran wild, but strangely, this time no one managed to dig up anything substantial about her.

Many netizens immediately thought of a certain user who had previously revealed inside information, and soon, countless people were tagging “I’m Not a Paparazzo.”

“Big Boss, quick! Check who this Bai Qin is!”

Watching herself being tagged repeatedly online, Bai Qin fell into deep thought.
In the end, she chose not to respond to any of the mentions.

Her silence only fueled the speculation—
If even a top paparazzo couldn’t dig up anything on her, then Bai Qin must have a powerful background.

Soon, sharp-eyed netizens spotted another anomaly:
Why were there only five participants in a dating show?
Wouldn’t that mean one person would inevitably be left without a CP?

Gu Ximeng quickly offered an explanation:
In this show, couples would be decided by completing tasks.
The pairings would change every episode, and whoever remained unmatched would become an observer for that round.

In short, it was going to be chaotic CP shuffling.
However, to ensure a strong opening, Gu Ximeng had already planned for the first episode—
The five participants would draw lots to form pairs, but there would be secret manipulation to ensure Lin Changsheng and Mo Zhaoyan ended up together.

Soon, the day of the first recording arrived.

According to the plan, they would start by live-streaming each participant preparing their luggage at home, since each episode required the guests to live together for three days and two nights.

This initial exposure would serve to draw in the participants’ fans, revealing their rarely-seen everyday lives.

However, there was a complication:
Lin Changsheng and Mo Zhaoyan lived together, so their preparation scenes would naturally be filmed together as well.

The production team had introduced a cutting-edge real-time broadcast technology.
Before the actual program aired, they would first release a live stream showing the guests’ daily lives to generate buzz.

This time, everything was broadcasted live without delay.
Gu Ximeng, daringly confident, had informed all five participants ahead of time to avoid filming any inappropriate private matters.

Meanwhile, the live chat was streaming comments in real-time.
Gu Ximeng planned to monitor audience reactions before finalizing future CP pairings.

The production crew knocked on Mo Zhaoyan’s door.
When she appeared on camera, the internet erupted.

Perhaps because she was at home, Mo Zhaoyan wasn’t wearing makeup, yet her flawless features seemed entirely unaffected.

Though her demeanor remained a little cool, she still led the production team into her room—
A pristine, impersonal space that perfectly matched her style.

“My wife’s room!”

“My wife is so beautiful even without makeup!”

“She’s at home and still wearing a white shirt? I love this cold, abstinent vibe!”

The comment section was filled with people expressing their admiration for Mo Zhaoyan.
However, inevitably, a discordant voice emerged:

“There’s no sign of a second person living here. Looks like she and Lin Changsheng are really divorced!”

This comment immediately reignited the flames in the live chat.
Lin Changsheng’s fans, naturally unwilling to stay silent, jumped into the fray to defend her.

Gu Ximeng watched the arguing anxiously.
This isn’t good. How do these people always manage to stir up conflict?

Just then, while Mo Zhaoyan was packing, she realized she was missing a few things.
There was a knock at the door—
And in walked Lin Changsheng.

The moment Mo Zhaoyan saw her, a faint smile appeared on her normally cold face.
It was as if an iceberg had been gently melted by the sun.

The comment section, previously ablaze with arguments, fell into a stunned silence.

“My wife smiled?!”

“The ice queen just melted?!”

“Who is it? Who made her smile like that?!”

Lin Changsheng entered the camera’s view, holding sunscreen and some cosmetics in her hand.

“You left these at my place,” she said.

Mo Zhaoyan gently accepted the items.
“I forgot. Thank you,” she replied, her voice soft.

As she took the items, her fingers lightly brushed against Lin Changsheng’s hand—
A subtle, affectionate gesture that made Lin Changsheng’s heart skip.
She quickly withdrew her hand, trying to calm the sudden fluttering in her chest.

It was a natural movement, yet it struck a powerful chord with the CP fans.

Like bloodhounds catching the scent of sugar, they swarmed the chat:

“Did you see that? Mo Zhaoyan smiled at Lin Changsheng!”

“Look at that pampering gaze! That’s love!”

“They touched hands! They really touched hands!”

Unfortunately, the CP fans were still a minority.
Their cheers were soon drowned out by the larger mass of anti-fans:

“Please, it’s obvious they’re living separately! They’re only pretending to stay together for the show!”

“Exactly. If they were really in love, why would they sleep in separate rooms?”

Soon, the live broadcast for Mo Zhaoyan and Lin Changsheng concluded.
Meanwhile, their respective solo fans continued their fierce, irreconcilable bickering.

No one knew exactly when it had started.
Maybe when the rumors of Lin Changsheng’s alleged cheating first broke.

But the two fandoms now viewed each other as mortal enemies.