Failed to Run Away After Transmigrating as the Scummy Alpha's Wife of the Villain - Chapter 5

The filming location for The Land of Peaches and Plums was on a private island surrounded by rivers. To reach it, one had to row a boat—a round trip of forty minutes—making transportation quite inconvenient. Yet this isolation lent it an otherworldly charm, like a hidden utopia.

By the time Chi Yuan arrived at the dock with her luggage, dusk was settling in.

The makeshift dock, constructed from narrow wooden planks, had a broken section near the shore that creaked and swayed in the evening breeze. It looked as crude as could be.

A black-canopied boat, painted entirely in red, was tied to a wooden post with a long rope. At the bow stood a boatman wearing a straw hat, a white cloth shirt, and black shorts.

Spotting Chi Yuan, he called out and untied the looped rope.

“You’re the last one! Hurry up and get on—this is the final trip today. Any later and we won’t set sail.” His eagerness to clock out was unmistakable.

Once aboard, Chi Yuan realized she wasn’t the only passenger.

A sweet-faced girl with pink-dyed hair, hugging her suitcase, was squeezed into the far end of the cabin. She greeted Chi Yuan enthusiastically.

And “squeezed” was no exaggeration. Despite four plastic stools lined up in a row, the space was barely enough to fit them—there wasn’t even room to plant one’s feet.

Chi Yuan stacked two stools to make space, then hugged her luggage and curled up her legs, squeezing in just like the pink-haired girl.

With some effort, the girl managed a slight bow and began gesturing animatedly. “Hello, teacher! I’m Wu Jiayi from iPink, but you can call me Momo. I’m honored to participate in The Land of Peaches and Plums, premiering on Zha Yu TV. Over the next three weeks, I’ll bring everyone a burst of energy every day!”

Her hand movements shifted rapidly with each phrase, finally settling into a heart-shaped pose, accompanied by a cute wink.

The dim cabin made it hard for Chi Yuan’s eyes to keep up, leaving her dazed and utterly bewildered.

This self-introduction was… extra, to say the least.

Still, since the girl had clearly put effort into it, Chi Yuan feigned amazement, clapping and smiling.

“Hi, I’m Chi Yuan.”

The girl nodded sweetly, blinking expectantly as if waiting for more. The two locked eyes for an awkwardly long moment before Momo finally asked politely, “That’s it?”

Chi Yuan smiled warmly. “That’s it.”

“Oh… okay.” Momo gave a thumbs-up, and the two lapsed into strained laughter.

Chi Yuan’s smile grew stiff, barely holding up. Dear god, why is this so awkward? She’d rather swim to the island than spend another second in this rickety boat.

Was my introduction too plain? But she didn’t have any flashy gimmicks to add.

The uncomfortable silence lasted until they finally disembarked.

A beautiful, refined three-story villa came into view, and after the shabby boat ride, both Chi Yuan and Momo gasped in admiration at the sight.

Momo: “This is so gorgeous! The production team really went all out!”

Chi Yuan: …Guess all the budget went here.

The two of them dragged their suitcases up to the small Western-style house, where they were greeted by a woman in a black qipao with an elegant, aloof demeanor. The faint wrinkles at the corners of her eyes suggested she was in her forties, but she was well-maintained with a curvaceous figure.

Momo grew visibly excited upon seeing the woman. “Teacher Zhao! Teacher Zhao, I’m your fan—I grew up watching your films!”

Her words weren’t exaggerated in the slightest. Zhao Zhenzhen had debuted in films as a teenager and won prestigious awards like the Golden Horse and Palme d’Or no fewer than five times—a true veteran actress.

Zhao Zhenzhen waved her hand modestly, a slight smile tugging at her lips, clearly pleased by Momo’s admiration.

“With you two here, all nine guests of ‘Peach and Plum Village’ have finally arrived.”

As Chi Yuan stepped into the living room, her gaze immediately caught on a woman and two men sitting closely together on the sofa, chatting animatedly.

Jiang Wan, in a pale yellow dress, wore her signature sweet smile as she covered her mouth with a delicate laugh at something the bespectacled man in casual wear beside her said.

Bespectacled Man: “I’ve seen Teacher Jiang’s film ‘Under the Skirt’ at least five times in theaters. That final shot of Yao Jing staring into the camera before closing her eyes in despair—wow, it gives me chills every time.”

Jiang Wan: “Really? Teacher Wang’s skit at the Spring Festival Gala was quite amusing too.”

Bespectacled Man: “I never imagined I’d get to appear on a variety show with Teacher Jiang. What wonderful serendipity.”

Jiang Wan: “Teacher Wang, you can just call me Xiao Wan. I don’t think I’m qualified to be called ‘teacher’ at my current level.”

“Don’t say that, Xiao Wan. You’re the hottest rising star right now—your future in the industry will surely be brilliant.”

“Thank you for your kind words. I’ll continue working hard.”

On the other side, the man in athletic wear watching their intimate exchange looked distinctly displeased. He seemed desperate to interject but couldn’t find common ground, nervously picking at his pant legs instead.

All in all, it was a full-blown battlefield of romantic tension.

Viewers were eating it up.

Those familiar with the show knew “Peach and Plum Village” was supposed to be a wholesome lifestyle program, while newcomers might mistake it for the neighboring station’s dating show “One Fine Day.”

Two men vying for one woman’s attention—this classic love triangle drama had somehow infiltrated a lifestyle show. Talk about competitive creep.

Chi Yuan had no intention of joining their little chat circle. Her eyes wandered further into the room and unexpectedly met a familiar pair of hazel eyes, sparkling with lively amusement as if their owner had just discovered an intriguing new toy.

Jiang Ci never expected to see Chi Yuan on this variety show. What was a wealthy heiress doing on “Peach and Plum Village”? Slumming it? Filming some modern-day “Metamorphosis”?

Or perhaps…

Jiang Ci’s gaze flickered between Chi Yuan and Jiang Wan, making the hairs on Chi Yuan’s neck stand up. She had no idea what schemes the antagonist was brewing now.

Jiang Wan had noticed Chi Yuan’s entrance but deliberately kept chatting animatedly with Wang Wen, waiting to see Chi Yuan’s jealous reaction.

After ruining her plans that night and not even bothering to text an apology, that b1tch Chi Yuan was really going to lose her if this kept up!

But after waiting in vain for Chi Yuan to approach her, Jiang Wan tilted her head slightly—only to see her making eyes at that Jiang Ci instead!

What the hell?! Had her irresistible charm stopped working again?

From the moment Chi Yuan entered, she should have been captivated by Jiang Wan all over again!

The so-called “charismatic allure” grows stronger with repeated use on the same target—starting with love at first sight, then deepening into profound affection over time.

But why was Chi Yuan deliberately ignoring her reactions now?!

Jiang Wan refused to believe it and decided to take the initiative.

She stood up, tossed her hair, and walked over to greet Chi Yuan. “Sister Chi, long time no see! I didn’t expect to run into you at ‘Peach and Plum Village.'”

As soon as Chi Yuan turned her head, she was hit by the overwhelming scent of gardenias from Jiang Wan. Her head spun for a few seconds before she shook it off and instinctively took a few steps back.

When she looked up again…

The world seemed different.

To be more precise, Jiang Wan in her eyes had transformed. Now, she was enveloped in a faint glow, shining like the brightest… lightbulb in the living room.

Her delicate, pretty face looked as if it had been filtered through ten layers of beauty effects—airbrushed to a radiant sheen, with softness maxed out to an almost unreal degree, giving Chi Yuan the illusion that her skin was flawless.

But the most ridiculous part was the ring of rose petals swirling around Jiang Wan’s upper body, sparkling with twinkling stars…

It nearly blinded Chi Yuan!

She rubbed her startled eyes and looked again—

Still the glow, the airbrushing, the roses, the stars.

God! What kind of retro shoujo manga nightmare was this?! Was this the so-called “charismatic allure” of the female lead? Save my eyes!

Just then, the system, which had been silent for days, suddenly activated like divine intervention.

System: “Female lead detected. Charisma field has been blocked. Host, resist temptation and do not succumb to her beauty.”

Chi Yuan: Succumb? Don’t worry, even if I stared at her for 24 hours straight, I wouldn’t fall for it. Still, thanks for the anti-addiction system—saving my perfect 20/20 vision.

Some people’s eyesight deteriorates suddenly, making nearby objects blur into pixelated messes.

As soon as the system finished speaking, everything returned to normal.

The bizarre special effects vanished from Chi Yuan’s sight, leaving only Jiang Wan, who was now batting her eyelashes shyly.

Jiang Wan: “Sister Chi, you’re staring so intensely… it’s making me a little embarrassed.”

Chi Yuan: …

“Miss Jiang, do you remember Xiao Fang?” Chi Yuan suddenly asked.

Jiang Wan froze, confusion flashing in her eyes.

Xiao Fang? Who was that?

“You don’t remember?” Chi Yuan pointed to her forehead, mimicking a red dot. “The one with the vermilion mark here.”

Jiang Wan suddenly recalled—Xiao Fang, Chi Yuan’s ex-girlfriend who had a beauty mark on her forehead.

She vaguely remembered her. When Chi Yuan first met Jiang Wan, Xiao Fang had been the model accompanying her. Later, Chi Yuan pursued Jiang Wan and dumped Xiao Fang.

But—why bring up an ex out of nowhere?

Chi Yuan: “Good, good that you remember. I just think you two would get along really well now.”

Jiang Wan’s smile stiffened. If she didn’t grasp the subtext, she’d be failing her “tea art” training.

“Sister Chi, you—”

Chi Yuan spun around in a flurry and quickly dodged behind Jiang Ci. “I never expected to run into Teacher Jiang on a show—what incredible luck! Teacher Jiang, I’m your fan. I grew up watching your movies!”

Jiang Ci, who had been standing by with arms crossed enjoying the show, didn’t anticipate the spotlight suddenly turning on him. The lemon water in his mouth nearly sprayed out, barely saved by a timely hand over his lips.

Swallowing hard, Jiang Ci grabbed a tissue to wipe his mouth and gave Chi Yuan a slightly disdainful look. “Sorry to disappoint, but I wasn’t a child star. When you say you grew up watching my movies… were you perhaps dreaming?”

Chi Yuan: Huh?!