The Alpha’s Hidden Marriage, Public Obsession (GL) - Chapter 15
The atmosphere in the photography room became extremely awkward in an instant.
But the one who felt most embarrassed was Jiang Xue. She wished she could disappear on the spot. Thankfully, no one she knew was around. Otherwise, she might never be able to show her face again.
“I already said I wasn’t looking at anything.”
Lin Yulan refused to believe her. There was no way Jiang Xue would stare at her without a reason, and she would never believe it no matter what.
“Fine, if you won’t explain, then you clearly feel guilty.”
Jiang Xue couldn’t help but question herself silently. What had she ever seen in this strange and irrational Alpha?
She looked up and examined Lin Yulan from head to toe. From her face to her figure, everything was quite attractive. In the end, Jiang Xue convinced herself with one conclusion. It was her weakness for good looks.
“So are we taking this photo or not? The photographer has been standing there for a long time. We’re not the only couple here for a marriage certificate. Can you think about someone else’s time for once? We can argue about this later, alright, Miss Lin?”
Lin Yulan replied with a mocking tone.
“So, Teacher Jiang is admitting she feels guilty, correct?”
“I…”
Jiang Xue gave up trying to reason with her. This Alpha’s thinking made no sense, so she decided to surrender for now.
“Fine, I admit it. I was feeling guilty. I shouldn’t have stared at Miss Lin, since she’s the future heir of the Lin family. Her face must be worth billions. I promise that next time I want to look at her, I will first ask for her permission. Only after getting her approval will I dare to glance at her. Will that be good enough for you?”
That was just about acceptable.
Lin Yulan felt quite satisfied with that answer. Seeing Jiang Xue being polite and submissive made her mood much better.
“Alright, now we can take the photo.”
Jiang Xue said nothing.
The photographer remained silent. This Alpha clearly had issues.
Still, it was her job to take pictures, not to judge clients. The sooner she finished, the sooner she could leave. Spending more time with someone like this could affect her own state of mind.
She signaled for them to sit on the stools and asked them to adjust their hair a little. Everything seemed fine, and she was just about to press the shutter when Lin Yulan suddenly stopped her.
The photographer almost rolled her eyes out of frustration. She had never met someone this difficult. She tried to keep calm and asked politely,
“Excuse me, is there a problem?”
Lin Yulan stood up and pointed at the chairs where they had just sat.
“I’m the Alpha and the future head of the household. Why is she sitting on the left? I should be the one on the left. Don’t you think that looks wrong? I seriously doubt your professionalism. Missing such an obvious mistake makes me think you were just pulled in to fill a spot.”
The photographer was speechless. She began to wonder if getting paid today was even worth the trouble. Regular clients were fine, but ones like this made the job feel unbearable.
“If you have any doubts about my experience, you’re welcome to check with the staff outside. There is no official rule about who sits on the left in a marriage photo. Either person can sit there. Being an Alpha does not automatically mean sitting on the left. Some Alphas are completely under their partner’s control. This is just a formal photo for your certificate.”
Lin Yulan understood all of this. She was being difficult on purpose. If she gave in now, once Jiang Xue entered the Lin family, she would lose all her authority.
Just like her father, who was completely submissive to her mother. Whenever her mother raised her voice, her father would go silent.
She refused to let Jiang Xue treat her that way in the future.
Even if that ever did happen, it would be later. There was still a chance that she could divorce this calculating woman and marry the Omega she truly loved, Qu Mengxin.
Until then, she would not allow herself to lose to Jiang Xue in anything, even something so small.
This was her last bit of pride, and she would never give it up.
“I don’t care what you say. Everyone knows the left side shows importance. Tell her to move to the right.”
Jiang Xue stayed quiet.
The photographer also said nothing. She wondered why Lin Yulan did not ask her own wife to move. Why ask someone else? What was the point?
By now, the photographer no longer cared whether the Alpha had issues. She was more puzzled about how a beautiful Omega like Jiang Xue ended up with someone like this. It was not like there were no other Alphas in the world. Choosing this one seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. Was she not afraid that this behavior might be passed on to the next generation?
Jiang Xue found the situation both ridiculous and frustrating. She had no idea why Lin Yulan was so obsessed with this seating issue. Did status in the household really need to be proven in this way? She had no background and no powerful family. Marrying into the Lin family meant she could never be as confident as someone like Ming Zelan.
So what exactly was Lin Yulan trying to prove?
“The photographer’s job is just to take a picture. Can you stop making her job harder?” Jiang Xue said calmly, but she still made no move to change seats. “If you waste her time, are you planning to pay her extra for it?”
Lin Yulan saw that Jiang Xue had no intention of getting up and realized she was doing it on purpose. She clearly understood everything but still refused to move. She was making things difficult just to annoy her.
Jiang Xue spoke so nicely, yet clearly still cared about winning.
“If you really care about the photographer’s time, then get up and move to the other seat. That will solve everything. I will follow all the instructions after that.”
Jiang Xue answered, “The photographer already explained. This seating arrangement means nothing. Lin Yulan, you are just being unreasonable.”
The photographer watched them go back and forth and finally understood how these two ended up together.
They were both a perfect match. A pair of troublemakers.
These two, with such equally strange and stubborn mindsets, were clearly meant for each other. If they did not end up together, it would almost feel like the universe was being unfair.
“Maybe,” the photographer suggested gently, “there’s an empty room next door. Why don’t the two of you go there to talk things out about the seating issue? Once you decide, you can come back for the photo.”
Lin Yulan immediately said, “No.”
Jiang Xue also said firmly, “No.”
The word echoed loudly through the room as both women shouted it at the same time. Their sharp voices filled the entire space. The photographer stared at them, speechless, then quietly stepped aside and decided to let them work it out on their own. She wanted to see how long they could possibly argue over a simple chair.
Eventually, Lin Yulan realized that Jiang Xue was not going to give in. If they kept going like this, she might not even get the marriage certificate today. And if she returned home empty-handed, Ming Zelan would scold her endlessly and possibly throw her out of the house altogether. She had no choice but to back down.
“Fine. You win.”
She moved over and sat on the right-hand chair.
The photographer raised an eyebrow. Was that it? No more arguing?
With a teasing tone, she asked, “So, have you two come to an agreement? You are sure now? Once I press the shutter, you will not be able to change it later.”
Lin Yulan glared at the photographer with irritation and snapped, “Did you not just witness the whole thing? Why are you still asking? Just take the photo already.”
The photographer almost laughed. Over the years, she had taken countless marriage photos and had seen her fair share of quirky couples. But usually, the strange moments happened while filling out the paperwork. She had never seen anyone argue so fiercely over where to sit for the photo.
The world was full of all kinds of people. Some were simply stranger than others.
“Alright, please fix your hair a little and straighten your clothes. Yes, like that,” the photographer said as she adjusted the camera lens. She paused and looked at them again. Something still seemed off. She looked at Lin Yulan and said, “Miss Alpha, could you smile a bit more? Try to remember that today you are here with the Omega you love, registering your marriage. This is not a divorce photo. Please do not look so upset. That is better. Think of it like this. After the photo, you will have a wedding banquet, a honeymoon, and a beautiful life together. Isn’t that something to smile about?”
Lin Yulan was already frustrated from being forced to register this marriage. She just wanted to take the photo and leave as soon as possible. Now the photographer was talking nonstop, poking right at her sensitive spots. It was like she was doing it on purpose.
“You could have just told me to smile. I can understand basic instructions. Why do you have to go on and on like that?” Lin Yulan muttered. She truly wanted to tape the photographer’s mouth shut. If you do not know how to speak properly, maybe say nothing at all.
Was her expression still not clear enough?
Could they not see how impatient and annoyed she already was? Did they really not realize she was being forced to do this?
The photographer, still unaware of the real situation between them, assumed they were just the typical bickering couple. She explained with a kind tone, “I am only saying this to help you look better in the photo. If you frown, the picture will not turn out well. Don’t you think that is true?”
“I get what you are saying, but still…”
“You see? You agree with me. So let’s stop there. Please sit back down, show me a smile, and let me take the photo.”
She was not wrong. If Lin Yulan kept arguing at this point, she would really seem unreasonable. In the end, she sighed and sat back down. She forced a polite smile that could at least pass for a happy one.
Click.
The camera shutter snapped and then went silent. With a red background behind them, the lens captured their official marriage photo.
“Alright. You are both finished. You can go wait outside now,” the photographer said.