The Alpha’s Hidden Marriage, Public Obsession (GL) - Chapter 10

Lin Yulan sounded angry at first, but if you listened closely, there was something else in her tone. It carried a trace of hurt. Xia Ran felt conflicted.

She was right.

Everyone talked like Jiang Xue was the one being wronged in this marriage, but no one ever stopped to ask whether Lin Yulan wanted to go through with it or how she really felt.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought her up in front of you,” Xia Ran said, choosing to support her best friend. “What about Jiang Xue? She wouldn’t agree to something like that, right?”

The request was humiliating. From what Xia Ran knew, there was no way someone like Jiang Xue would say yes. And with Ming Zelan backing her up, there was even less reason for Jiang Xue to accept.

But Lin Yulan let out a cold laugh.

“You still don’t understand our dear Teacher Jiang. She’ll agree to anything if it means marrying into a wealthy family. Skipping the wedding doesn’t matter. She still gets to be called Mrs. Lin.”

That wasn’t what Xia Ran had expected. She had assumed that with Jiang Xue’s stubborn nature, she would at least push back or stand up for herself. Maybe not cause a scene, but she wouldn’t take it lying down.

But she had accepted it without argument. That meant Jiang Xue was tougher on herself than Xia Ran thought. All the concern she felt earlier was probably unnecessary.

“So that means Jiang Xue showing up at your house wasn’t some coincidence?”

“Take the word ‘coincidence’ out of it. She planned it from the beginning.”

Lin Yulan couldn’t believe how perfectly Jiang Xue had inserted herself into their lives. She had just happened to become her niece Lin Yujin’s mentor, and just happened to be the one who took her to the hospital when she fainted. Lin Yulan refused to believe all that was just luck.

She was reminded of the time right after Qu Mengxin left. Back then, she was heartbroken. She would go to the track alone, walking in circles just to feel something. She would watch other couples holding hands and get upset. Seeing other Alphas with their Omegas made her want to shout out loud, asking why single people were always looked down on.

And during those times, Jiang Xue was always nearby.

At the time, she hadn’t thought much of it. She figured it was normal for a top student to be around the track. After all, if she wasn’t in the library, she was likely reviewing her textbooks somewhere quiet. Other people might take walks to relax, but someone like Jiang Xue would walk while memorizing notes. Romance didn’t matter to her. Her focus was always on her studies. That level of dedication wasn’t something Lin Yulan, who had always struggled with school, could ever relate to.

But now, looking back, she realized that Jiang Xue had not been there to study. She had known that Lin Yulan would be there to deal with her sadness, and she had used that as a chance to create so-called chance encounters.

“Alright, alright. I get it. Our dear Miss Lin has been wronged,” Xia Ran said after a pause. “My sister just arrived. Let’s talk again tomorrow.”

“Your sister?” Lin Yulan paused. “Since when do you have a sister?”

They had gone to the same high school, the same university, the same department, and even the same class. How had she never heard of Xia Ran having a sister?

“Yeah, my sister. Why are you surprised?”

“When did you suddenly get a sister? Are you sure she’s really your sister and not someone you just call that?”

“She’s my real sister. I’m not making this up.”

“Then how come you never mentioned her before?”

Xia Ran thought for a second. She realized she really hadn’t told Lin Yulan about her.

“You never asked. My sister is an Alpha. She moved overseas with my mom when I was little. She’s been studying abroad ever since, and she only comes back during holidays. So when you visited my house, of course you didn’t see her. But now that my mom is coming back for good, my sister is moving back too.”

“I see,” Lin Yulan said casually. She didn’t think much of it. Xia Ran’s family had always been a bit complicated anyway. There was nothing surprising about that.

“Alright then. Talk to you tomorrow.”

After hanging up, Xia Ran stepped out of her room.

Xia Yin was taking off her coat. When she saw her come out, she smiled and asked gently, “Still chatting with your friend this late? What were you two talking about?”

Xia Ran poured her a glass of water, then let out a tired sigh. She began to complain.

“Nothing serious. Just my best friend. She’s under a lot of pressure lately. Her family is forcing her to get married, but the Omega they’ve picked isn’t someone she actually wants to be with. She doesn’t have anyone else to vent to, so she came to me.”

Xia Yin was curious. Maybe it was because she had grown up overseas, where everyone talked about freedom in relationships and personal choice. It was hard for her to believe that arranged or forced marriages still happened in today’s world.

She suspected that Xia Ran might be exaggerating.

“Her family is forcing her to marry someone?”

“Yes, and they’re making her register the marriage this week.”

“Why doesn’t she just say no? It’s her life. Her parents can’t force her if she doesn’t want to marry, can they?”

“You don’t understand. Her situation is different. Have you heard of the Lin Corporation? The really famous one? My best friend is their only heir. She doesn’t get to say no. Whether she wants to or not, she has to go through with it.”

Xia Yin understood now.

“You mean it’s a family alliance? That’s hard to avoid.”

“No, it’s not even that,” Xia Ran quickly clarified. “Her mom has always been against arranged marriages. This time, she’s making her marry an Omega from a very ordinary background. The family isn’t rich. The Omega is good-looking though. The only reason I can think of is that the Omega kind of looks like my best friend’s first love. And funny enough, that first love also happened to be my classmate.”

Xia Yin could hardly believe what she was hearing. It sounded like something straight out of a melodrama. She finished her glass of water, sat down beside Xia Ran, and smiled.

“So, your best friend is living out a real-life version of one of those stand-in love stories?”

“Not at all,” Xia Ran said firmly.

If Lin Yulan really wanted a stand-in, she would have accepted Jiang Xue back when Qu Mengxin first left. She had every chance to be with her then.

But the problem was exactly that.

“She doesn’t?” Xia Yin was puzzled. “If that’s the case, then why doesn’t she just refuse? You said the Omega comes from a regular background. And your friend is a wealthy heiress, the future successor of the Lin Corporation. Normally, they aren’t a good match. So if she doesn’t want to marry that Omega, it would be perfectly reasonable. Or maybe, she actually doesn’t dislike the Omega as much as she says. Maybe deep down, she feels something for her. She might be able to tell the difference between that Omega and her first love, but she just hasn’t realized it yet. Still, she doesn’t want to feel like she’s betraying her first love.”

Xia Yin continued, speaking thoughtfully.

“Because the Omega looks like her ex, it constantly reminds her of that person. If she marries her, and one day her first love returns, she’ll feel even more guilty. That’s where the real problem is.”

Xia Ran suddenly felt like everything clicked into place.

She had never thought about it from that angle. Lately, Lin Yulan had been so resistant, drinking constantly and looking miserable, that Xia Ran assumed it was simply because she couldn’t stand Jiang Xue and her scheming personality.

But back when Jiang Xue didn’t have to marry Lin Yulan, Lin Yulan had actually treated her quite well. Even if she kept her distance, the concern in her eyes had been obvious.

Xia Ran had seen it with her own eyes.

“So what you’re saying is, my best friend is rejecting that Omega not because she hates her, but because she feels guilty? And because the Omega looks like her first love?”

Xia Yin nodded slightly and smiled.

“That’s very likely. If that Omega were from a powerful family, then refusing to marry her would be out of her control. Families with status often form alliances to protect their interests. But the Omega comes from a modest background. Your friend could easily say no. Even if her parents are pressuring her, she still has the final say. And besides, she’s the only heir. If she firmly refuses, there’s no way her parents would cut her off just to protect an outsider. Don’t you think?”

Xia Ran completely agreed.

She was right.

Jiang Xue was still an outsider. She didn’t come from a strong or influential family. She had nothing to offer the Lin family in terms of power or wealth. If Lin Yulan really didn’t want to marry her, Ming Zelan and Lin He would never destroy their relationship with their own daughter just for the sake of someone like Jiang Xue.

So in the end, the problem really was with Lin Yulan.

“Then I’m calling her right now to explain all this.”

Xia Yin immediately stopped her and spoke calmly but seriously.

“That’s exactly what young people tend to do. You’re too eager to fix things. Think about it. Right now, she’s not listening to anyone. She’s rejecting the idea of marrying that Omega completely. If you, as her best friend, call her now and try to explain all this, she’ll think that Omega got to you or brainwashed you. She’ll end up directing all her anger at that Omega.”

She paused for a second before adding, “There’s a saying. When it comes to love and relationships, friends and family should only help break things up, not try to push people together. If you try to help someone stay in a relationship, you’ll often end up hurt yourself.”

Xia Ran had to admit that made a lot of sense.

It really wasn’t her place to bring this up with Lin Yulan. If Lin Yulan listened, that would be great. But if she didn’t, then everything would just get worse for both her and Jiang Xue.

Still, if she did nothing and let Lin Yulan stay in denial like this, what would happen if Qu Mengxin suddenly came back one day? What would Jiang Xue do then?

“So, what you’re saying is… I have to wait for her to figure it out on her own?”

Xia Ran suddenly thought of how stubborn Lin Yulan could be. At this rate, Jiang Xue might never get the chance to see her wake up to the truth.

Xia Yin paused for a moment. She actually wanted to tell Xia Ran to stay out of it completely, but for some reason, tonight she felt like sharing her opinion.

“What about that Omega? Does she like your friend?”

Xia Ran answered quickly.

“Of course she does. She fell for her at first sight.”

Xia Yin smiled.

“Then that makes everything a little easier.”