After Becoming a Scummy Alpha, I Met the Reborn Omega (GL) - Chapter 29

At long last, the show officially began filming.
After a round of self-introductions, the participants moved into their first CP (couple pairing) selection.
This round was a completely blind draw: five balls numbered one through five.
One would pair with two, three would pair with four, and the person who drew five would be the observer — with no CP partner.

While it seemed completely random to outsiders, Gu Ximeng, the true manipulator behind the scenes, had everything under control.
Lin Changsheng felt very reassured — as long as there were no accidents, she was certain she would be paired with Mo Zhaoyan.

Of course, accidents always happen when least expected.

As the backstage staff prepared to bring out the box containing the balls, they noticed there were two identical boxes.
While they were still hesitating over which one to pick, the director hurried them, and they randomly grabbed one without thinking.

According to Gu Ximeng’s plan, the tampered box had two layers.
From the outside, it looked perfectly normal.
When Lin Changsheng and Mo Zhaoyan reached into the box, they would only be able to access the top layer, which contained just two balls — numbered one and two.
Thus, they would inevitably be paired together.
Afterward, when the other three participants reached in, the empty first layer would open up to the second layer, allowing them to draw randomly.

Lin Changsheng was the first to draw.
Before reaching in, she looked at her brother-in-law Gu Ximeng for confirmation.
Gu Ximeng gave her a firm, confident nod.
Feeling reassured, Lin Changsheng reached into the box.

The moment her hand touched the contents, she felt five balls.

Panic gripped her mind — this wasn’t what they had agreed on!

Frantically, she tried feeling each ball, hoping to find some hidden clue.

Her brows furrowed deeply, her expression as serious as if she were conducting an experiment.
Though it was just a simple ball draw, she stood there frozen for an awkwardly long time.

Gu Ximeng, watching from the sidelines, inwardly admired Lin Changsheng’s acting skills — she really looked like she was struggling to choose — and was just about to tell her to wrap it up when—

Lin Changsheng gritted her teeth and pulled out a ball.
“Four!” she announced.

A giant four stared back at everyone.

Gu Ximeng nearly fell out of his wheelchair.

Now he understood why Lin Changsheng had been so hesitant.
He shot a sharp, questioning look at the staff, as if asking silently:
Where’s my rigged box?!

The backstage staff could only offer helpless expressions.
How could they have known there were two identical boxes?
How could they have picked the wrong one?

But there was no fixing it now.
If they redid the draw, it would clearly expose that Gu Ximeng had rigged it in favor of his own people.

All they could do now was pray Mo Zhaoyan would draw a three.

Mo Zhaoyan stepped up next.

Lin Changsheng watched her anxiously, her eyes practically sparkling with hope.

Mo Zhaoyan, however, drew her ball swiftly and decisively, unlike Lin Changsheng’s long hesitation.

She held up a ball marked with a bold two — exactly the number that had been intended.
But Lin Changsheng wasn’t one.

Lin Changsheng’s hand holding the ball fell weakly to her side.
She looked utterly deflated.

Before she could recover, she heard someone from the production team gasp.

She looked up — only to see Hua Miaomiao holding up a one.

Lin Changsheng took a deep breath, staring daggers at Hua Miaomiao.

Now, Mo Zhaoyan and Hua Miaomiao would be paired together.

Lin Changsheng was filled with overwhelming grief and regret, feeling like she had been utterly foolish to agree to join this show.

Hua Miaomiao could feel Lin Changsheng’s murderous glare and felt a chill down her spine.
Honestly, she didn’t care much who she paired with — she had only come on the show for fun.
But being paired with Mo Zhaoyan, while simultaneously having to bear the pressure from Lin Changsheng’s gaze, wasn’t exactly pleasant.

“Can I pick another ball?” Hua Miaomiao asked, clearly unwilling.

But Gu Ximeng firmly rejected the idea — if she switched, it would ruin the supposed randomness of the draw.

Seeing the production team’s refusal, Hua Miaomiao could only reluctantly accept her pairing.

In the end, the final pairings were:

• • Bai Qin and Lin Changsheng

• • Mo Zhaoyan and Hua Miaomiao

• • Gu Ruoyun as the observer

From the moment Lin Changsheng was separated from Mo Zhaoyan, her spirits visibly plummeted.
Her whole demeanor screamed disappointment and dissatisfaction.

Even Bai Qin noticed her gloominess.

“Is being paired with me that unbearable?” Bai Qin asked during a break while the cameras weren’t rolling.

“No, it’s not because of you,” Lin Changsheng replied quickly. “It’s because of Hua Miaomiao.”

“You might have misunderstood President Hua,” Bai Qin said kindly. “She’s actually a good person.”

Lin Changsheng couldn’t exactly say that Hua Miaomiao was terrible.
The truth was — she was simply jealous.

Her own wife was now paired with someone else.
And worst of all, the internet was already filled with fans shipping them together.

Mo Zhaoyan, on the other hand, appeared completely indifferent, which only made Lin Changsheng even more upset.
Mo Zhaoyan truly didn’t care who she was paired with — because in the end, her only wife would always be Lin Changsheng.
Moreover, being paired with Hua Miaomiao was a perfect opportunity to pry some information from her: Hua Yang Group’s future plans and details about Tang Ying’s connection with her.

Although Lin Changsheng tried to stay motivated, her excitement for the show had clearly faded.
She had lost all confidence in it now.

Gu Ximeng, observing her dejected and lost expression, knew that it was his staff who had messed things up.
Feeling guilty, he decided to make amends.

Originally, once the CPs were set, they were supposed to remain fixed for an entire episode.
But to take care of Lin Changsheng, Gu Ximeng made a last-minute adjustment to the script: if a team won the day’s game, they would earn the right to change their CP partner that evening.

The three teams would compete, and the winners would have the option to switch partners.
As the designated observer, Gu Ruoyun’s tasks were simpler, and she was even allowed to seek outside assistance.

The first mission was relatively simple.

Since this was a romance variety show, the goal was to build intimacy between CPs.
Thus, they needed opportunities to be alone together and get to know each other.

Gu Ximeng explained the story behind the challenge:

“On this island, there is a beautiful legend.
Long ago, when strict social hierarchies still existed here, the daughter of the island’s lord fell in love with a slave — a relationship forbidden by all.
When the lord found out, he locked his daughter away, separating them.
Yet the slave refused to give up.
The lord then told him: ‘If you can pluck a star from the sky, I will allow you to marry her.’

Of course, it’s impossible to reach the stars.
But the slave found a ‘star’ on the ground — and, through his determination, the lord finally agreed to their union.”

“Now, you must find the most dazzling ‘star’ hidden somewhere on this island.”

As a scientific researcher, Lin Changsheng couldn’t help mentally scoffing.
There was no such thing as a star on the ground.
Stars shine because they reflect sunlight — planets themselves do not emit light.

And even if they did, they certainly couldn’t be “plucked.”

In the face of science, fairy tales crumble into pieces.

Gu Ximeng continued:

“The clues to the ‘star’ are held by the islanders. This is the latest translation device. Once you put it on, you’ll be able to communicate with them.”

Upon hearing that there was a chance to switch partners, Lin Changsheng’s fighting spirit reignited.
The three teams would split up to search for clues.

Bai Qin, however, wasn’t very focused on the task itself.
Instead, she kept stealing worried glances at Gu Ruoyun — clearly concerned whether Gu Ruoyun’s body could withstand the intense physical activity.

Lin Changsheng easily caught those glances.

She knew very well what that kind of look meant.
She herself often gazed at Mo Zhaoyan the same way.

Seizing a moment when the cameras weren’t rolling, Lin Changsheng clapped Bai Qin lightly on the shoulder and whispered:
“I know you want to team up with Gu Ruoyun. I want to be with my wife, too. Let’s work hard and find that star together!”

Bai Qin swatted her hand away, stammering awkwardly: “Wh-who said… I wanted to team up with… Gu Ruoyun?
I hate her the most!”

Meanwhile, as the observer, Gu Ruoyun received an extra hint:

“If you seek where the star lies, Look into the mirror for the prize.”

“Are we supposed to find a mirror?” Gu Ruoyun muttered in confusion.
She couldn’t quite understand how a star could appear inside a mirror.

While she puzzled over it, she noticed that Lin Changsheng and Bai Qin had already set off towards the village to start asking around.

Gu Ruoyun, wanting to spend more time with Bai Qin, quickly stepped forward to express her desire to team up.

“I’m alone… Why don’t you two take me along? I’ll even share the clue I got.”

Bai Qin, walking at the front, acted as if she hadn’t heard her.
Gu Ruoyun kept staring at Bai Qin’s back, unwilling to give up.

Seeing this, Lin Changsheng decided to play matchmaker.
“Of course!” she said enthusiastically. “Let’s all go together — it’s good to have company, right, Bai Qin?”

Bai Qin, still facing forward, responded irritably,
“Whatever,”
making it clear she didn’t want to agree — but crucially, she didn’t actually refuse.

Gu Ruoyun, seeing Bai Qin’s awkward reaction, knew she couldn’t rush things.
She decided she would quietly approach her later tonight when the cameras weren’t rolling.

Gu Ruoyun shared the clue she had received with Lin Changsheng.

Lin Changsheng mulled over the two lines carefully.

“Mirror… mirror…” she murmured, trying to decipher their meaning.

Failing to come up with an immediate answer, the three of them headed into the village first.

The village’s development was indeed backward, and language was a major barrier.
Thankfully, with the translator devices provided by the production team, communication was possible.

It seemed the villagers had been informed beforehand, as they welcomed them warmly without any trace of fear.

The village chief brought out a pile of tropical fruits for them.
Bai Qin immediately helped herself, grabbing a coconut and drinking thirstily — after all, it had been a long walk to the village, and she was parched.

Gu Ruoyun, seeing Bai Qin drenched in sweat, quietly picked up a large banana leaf from the table and began fanning her.

Feeling the cool breeze, Bai Qin relaxed, unaware that it was Gu Ruoyun who was tending to her.

Meanwhile, Lin Changsheng was questioning the village chief about the legend of the star.
Interestingly, the story the chief told was different from the one they had heard from the production team.

In this version, even after obtaining the star, the island lord still refused to let his daughter marry the slave.
Instead, he sent men to drown the young man, and the star mysteriously disappeared.

Lin Changsheng then asked if there was a mirror in the village.
After much gesturing and explanation, the village chief remained confused and gave no clear answer.

Lin Changsheng circled the entire village but found no sign of any mirrors.

Meanwhile, Bai Qin and Gu Ruoyun had found a shady spot under a tree and were quietly resting side by side.
They said nothing, yet the atmosphere between them was surprisingly peaceful.

Elsewhere, Mo Zhaoyan and Hua Miaomiao were not bothering with the village at all.
Instead, they wandered leisurely along the beach.

“Why aren’t you going into the village? Why not find Lin Changsheng?” Hua Miaomiao asked, walking barefoot, feeling the waves wash over her feet.

“The village doesn’t have the star,” Mo Zhaoyan said simply.

“How do you know?”

Hua Miaomiao spread her arms wide, letting the salty, slightly bitter sea breeze embrace her.

Mo Zhaoyan answered calmly:

“This island’s civilization has never advanced.
I checked — they lack the technological development to create something like mirrors.
Especially considering it’s based on an ancient legend — there’s no way mirrors would have existed.”

Lin Changsheng had also shared Gu Ruoyun’s clue with Mo Zhaoyan — but Mo Zhaoyan had chosen not to pursue the “mirror” lead.

She firmly believed that in order to win, one must understand the enemy completely.
Only by knowing everything could one find the real solution.

The villagers wouldn’t know about mirrors.
And Lin Changsheng would likely not discover anything meaningful there.

“So, what are we waiting for?” Hua Miaomiao asked curiously.

“We wait for nightfall.
The stars will reveal themselves naturally,” Mo Zhaoyan said, her tone full of confidence.

There was something about Mo Zhaoyan’s calm certainty that made Hua Miaomiao momentarily admire her.

“What do you mean?”

Mo Zhaoyan smiled faintly.

“A mirror of water reflects the face; A mirror of people reveals fortune and doom.”

“???”

Hua Miaomiao was completely lost.

Mo Zhaoyan explained, “A mirror is not just a mirror.”