Failed to Run Away After Transmigrating as the Scummy Alpha's Wife of the Villain - Chapter 12

Hearing this, Chi Yuan looked up from the seafood feast and glanced in Jiang Ci’s direction, casually remarking, “Oh? That’s good—helps boost Teacher Jiang’s popularity.”

Jiang Ci’s dining etiquette seemed ingrained with innate elegance—every movement was deliberate, measured, and natural, exuding a refined grace that was pleasing to the eye.

Unlike others scrambling for meat and seafood, her bowl held only a small pile of green seaweed.

Though Chi Yuan understood actors needed strict weight management, this barely seemed enough to sustain daily energy.

Frowning, Chi Yuan placed a freshly peeled shrimp into Jiang Ci’s bowl. “You burned a lot of calories earlier—eating a bit more won’t hurt.”

Jiang Ci paused, meeting Chi Yuan’s gaze briefly before poking at the shrimp with her chopsticks. Her expression flickered with something unreadable, but she eventually picked it up and ate it.

Watching her cheeks puff up like a squirrel storing food, her grayish eyes blinking, Chi Yuan found the sight unbearably cute—enough to make her want to ruffle Jiang Ci’s hair.

Gu Meng hesitated before speaking up, “But Chi-jie, a lot of Jiang-laoshi’s fans on the trending list are… bashing you…”

Chi Yuan: ??? What’s going on?

Simultaneously, both Chi Yuan and Jiang Ci pulled out their phones.

At seventh place on the trending list was a rapidly climbing hashtag: “#JiangCiKissed.”

A bad feeling settled in Chi Yuan’s stomach. Clicking in, the top post was a clip from the preview—captured by an entertainment influencer—showing the accidental kiss between Jiang Ci and Chi Yuan.

The comments were a unified wave of vitriol:

“Who’s this big shot the production team hired? Throwing herself at our Jiang Jiang—clearly intentional!”

“Another no-name trying to leech off fame. Pathetic.”

“Never seen her before—must be bottom-tier irrelevant.”

“Bet she’s got ulterior motives. Did you see how she stared? @JiangCi Watch out for this trash!”

“Stay away from our Jiang-laoshi! Flop begone!”

“What are the directors and writers of Peach Blossom Hometown even doing? Scripting something this vile—taking advantage of Jiang’s kindness!”

“Jiang’s fans won’t take this lying down! Spread the word—expose how rotten this show is!”

“Who is this person? Any info? Pretty face, ugly intentions.”

“Probably aiming for hate-clout. Typical in the attention economy.”

…

Scrolling through, Chi Yuan’s chest tightened. Last night had been an accident, but to netizens, it was premeditated.

Noticing her expression, Gu Meng quickly added, “This is the production team’s fault. The preview only showed those two seconds of you falling into Jiang-laoshi—none of the context made the cut.”

He jerked his chin toward the crew across the table.

“Out of context, it’s easy to spin conspiracies. You know how netizens are—they’ll turn a breeze into a storm.”

The production team released a teaser trailer, deliberately editing only some climactic and intriguing snippets to generate buzz and pique curiosity. Only when the full episode aired later would people realize it was just a false alarm.

Chi Yuan scrolled through Weibo, pouting with a sullen mood.

She knew this was the show’s intentional editing for sensationalism. Once the first episode aired, she’d be “cleared of false charges.”

But seeing netizens accuse her of bullying Jiang Ci while shamelessly leeching off her fame made her inexplicably upset.

She’d come here to help Jiang Ci—how had she ended up being framed as the villain instead?

Her reputation had taken an unexpected hit.

Back in the day, Chi Yuan had been a model student in teachers’ eyes, a righteous ally to classmates—excellent grades, great social skills, effortlessly adapting anywhere and blending in with others. The epitome of a “child other parents compare theirs to.”

Now, not only had she transmigrated into the body of a notorious scumbag alpha, but she’d also inexplicably become a washed-up clout-chaser, bombarded online by strangers’ vitriol.

Just as Chi Yuan was feeling down, she felt a gentle tug on her sleeve. Turning, she saw Jiang Ci approaching with a guilty expression.

“I saw those comments online. I’m sorry.”

Chi Yuan flipped her phone face-down on the table and waved it off. “Not your fault. No need to apologize.”

Jiang Ci shook her head lightly. “Many of those attacking you are my fans. I’m apologizing on their behalf.”

Chi Yuan rubbed her nose. “Honestly, it’s understandable. Seeing their idol suddenly kissed by a stranger—of course they’d lose their cool.”

“But judging without knowing the full story is wrong. Once the new episode airs, I’ll post on Weibo demanding they apologize to you. No one gets to slander you for free.”

Jiang Ci laughed, the worry between her brows dissipating. She hadn’t expected Chi Yuan to take this so optimistically.

Seeing Jiang Ci smile again, the gloom in Chi Yuan’s heart instantly vanished.

Let them hate. The pretty sister was her roommate—the kind who shared a bed.

Try being jealous, losers.

The well-fed Red Team lingered on the restaurant’s rooftop terrace to enjoy the ocean view.

Wearing sunglasses with the sea breeze in her face, Chi Yuan temporarily forgot her fear of the production team’s manipulations, feeling the leisurely vibe of a seaside vacation.

“Chi Yuan, can we take a photo together?” Jiang Ci suddenly asked.

Nodding, Chi Yuan called Gu Meng over to help.

They stood shoulder-to-shoulder against the terrace railing, the vast horizon of sea and sky behind them. Chi Yuan’s taller frame made even the slender Jiang Ci seem petite by comparison.

Initially, Chi Yuan’s right hand rested on the railing between them—until Jiang Ci suddenly pulled it down.

Linking arms with Chi Yuan, Jiang Ci naturally rested her head against Chi Yuan’s shoulder, beaming at the camera.

Caught off guard by the sudden intimacy, Chi Yuan’s neck flushed crimson up to her ears, limbs stiffening awkwardly.

With each breath, that familiar lemon fragrance enveloped her senses, lingering around her nose.

The source seemed to be Jiang Ci beside her.

The scent left Chi Yuan’s mind utterly blank. By the time Gu Meng said “ready,” all she could do was stare dumbly at the camera.

After taking one shot, Gu Meng shielded her eyes from the light to check the photo, then suddenly chuckled. “Sister Chi, your expression looks totally dazed—your eyes are all unfocused, like a silly goose.”

Jiang Ci released her grip and walked over. “Really? Let me see.”

Gu Meng said, “I think I should take another one.”

Jiang Ci looked at the phone, her expression seemingly satisfied. “No need, you took it just fine.”

The scent of lemon accompanying Jiang Ci’s departure dissipated without a trace.

Chi Yuan felt an inexplicable emptiness in her chest, as if she had lost something.

She called out to the system: My reaction seems a bit off. Every time I smell that lemon scent, I feel dizzy. And I’m not even allergic to lemons.

System: …

System: Host, do you have some misunderstanding about pheromones?

Chi Yuan: Pheromones?

Chi Yuan froze for a moment, then began recalling the original novel’s plot. It seemed… she had overlooked something.

The Path to Becoming the Beloved Female Lead was apparently an ABO novel—her first time reading one with such a setting, so it was completely new territory for her.

Terms like pheromones, heat cycles, and even pregnancy in the book had felt entirely foreign, but they hadn’t hindered her reading, so she had accepted them without much thought.

But now…

Chi Yuan: So that really pleasant lemon scent is Jiang Ci’s pheromones?

System: Yes. Only alphas with high compatibility to an omega can detect it. The novel mentioned your compatibility with Jiang Ci is 80%, so it’s no surprise you can smell it.

Chi Yuan: Then the dizziness I feel is because…

System: Pheromone attraction. High-compatibility alphas and omegas easily draw each other in, inducing heat cycles. Mild symptoms include dizziness and feverishness.

Chi Yuan: Isn’t that dangerous? What if one day I…

System: There are suppressants, host! Get a grip! If you go into heat, the staff will immediately jab you with a shot—instant effect, guaranteed to kill the mood!

Chi Yuan: I wasn’t thinking that! If I ever react, I’ll definitely control myself!

System: Yeah, right. Consider this a preemptive warning.

Chi Yuan suddenly thought of something: By the way, what’s Jiang Wan’s pheromone?

System: You’ve smelled it before.

Chi Yuan: Gardenia? Is my compatibility with Jiang Wan also high?

System: The beloved female lead has high compatibility with every alpha. A whiff of her pheromones, and they’re instantly smitten.

Chi Yuan: …Are you sure her pheromones aren’t just roofies? This setting is ridiculous. No wonder she’s the female lead.

Chi Yuan: Wait, hold on—why haven’t I been affected by her then? I’ve smelled it too. Is it because of that blocker you turned on?

System: Before I activated the blocker, did you feel anything from her beauty?

Chi Yuan: Uh… no.

Who could possibly be moved by a face filtered with ten layers of beauty effects and rose-tinted overlays?

System: Exactly. It’s probably because you’re not the original host and don’t belong to this world, so the female lead’s pheromones and charm have no effect on you.

Well, that was a relief. She had no intention of falling for the female lead like the original host, willingly becoming a pawn in her schemes.

By evening, the day’s tasks were complete, and the Red and Blue teams finally reunited on the island.

As they faced each other, exhaustion was all that remained.

The TV in the living room flickered on again, and the familiar cloaked figure appeared on the screen.

“Both the Red and Blue teams performed exceptionally well in today’s mission, but among the villagers, some excelled while others fell short. I hereby announce that in the upcoming village chief election, villager momo will receive an additional vote as a bonus, while villager Gu Ning has been disqualified from running due to penalties.”

“The voting will be conducted anonymously. Each person should write the name of their chosen candidate on the slip of paper in front of them, fold it, and take turns placing it in the ballot box. Finally, Gu Ning will publicly count the votes.”

“Wait a minute,” Chi Yuan raised her hand and asked doubtfully, “The Red team’s bonus vote for village chief hasn’t been announced yet.”

The cloaked figure replied, “This vote will be announced after the counting is complete. Now, please begin voting.”

The small Western-style house fell into complete silence. Everyone held their breath, watching each other hesitantly, unable to decide.

In the end, who will become the village chief?