The Alpha’s Hidden Marriage, Public Obsession (GL) - Chapter 2
Even though Lin Yulan said all those things, Xia Ran knew that she wouldn’t be able to go against the marriage. Not unless she was willing to walk away from the entire Lin family fortune and live off her own two hands.
But that was impossible for Lin Yulan.
She was the only heir of the Lin family. Even if she wanted to leave it all behind, her family would never agree. In the end, she would still have to surrender to fate.
Xia Ran felt a sudden wave of sympathy.
“So what are you going to do now?”
Lin Yulan didn’t know either. She didn’t like Jiang Xue. Even though Jiang Xue looked so much like Qu Mengxin, she could never transfer her feelings just because of a similar face. Lin Yulan knew very clearly who she truly loved.
“Cold salad. Fried eggs.”
She mumbled nonsense before slumping forward onto the table, murmuring something incoherent under her breath.
Xia Ran nudged her but got no response. Looking at the drunk mess in front of her, Xia Ran felt an intense headache and wanted nothing more than to walk away. But out of loyalty and that last bit of conscience as her best friend, she went to the front desk and booked a room for Lin Yulan. She helped her upstairs, made sure she was stable, told the staff to keep an eye on her, and finally left the bar feeling exhausted.
Lin Yulan didn’t wake up until noon the next day.
The hangover hit her hard. Her head throbbed like it was going to split open. The pain drowned out all other sensations. She just lay there staring at the ceiling, completely dazed.
After the worst of the headache passed, Lin Yulan finally sat up and glanced around the room. She had no idea where she was. She couldn’t even remember how she had passed out last night. The last thing she recalled was Xia Ran calling her name over and over, but no matter how loud she called, Lin Yulan didn’t respond. After that, everything went black.
Thankfully, she had the sense to call Xia Ran last night. At least she hadn’t dragged a bunch of random people to drink with her out of impulse. Otherwise, she might have lost her lifelong single status then and there.
Naturally, she blamed this entire drunken disaster on Jiang Xue. If that woman hadn’t teamed up with her parents to force this marriage, how would she have ended up hungover like this?
That’s right.
It was all Jiang Xue’s fault.
Lin Yulan clenched her jaw and cursed silently, then dragged herself out of bed with her stomach growling.
She was about to call Xia Ran, but when she unlocked her phone, she saw dozens of WeChat messages from Lin He and Ming Zelan. The barrage of voice messages made her already aching head pound even harder.
All because of that manipulative woman.
She didn’t even bother listening to the messages. She simply swiped them away and called Xia Ran instead.
“President Lin finally sobered up?”
“Where the hell am I? So noisy.”
Xia Ran sighed.
“My noble Lady Lin, now you’re complaining? Do you even remember what you did last night? I was planning to take you home, but you were completely wasted and nearly threw up on me. I had no choice but to book you a room at the front desk. You should be grateful I didn’t leave you on the street. Oh right, your parents couldn’t reach you last night, so they called me.”
Lin Yulan didn’t want to hear another word about it and cut her off.
“Thanks.”
Xia Ran hesitated but decided not to push it. She let the subject of going home drop.
“By the way, I paid for the room. Make sure you pay me back. And if you ever get that drunk again, I’ll leave you to sleep on the sidewalk.”
“I know. I’ll send it in a bit.” Lin Yulan paused. She still wanted to know what her parents had said to Xia Ran. “What did my parents say when they called you?”
Xia Ran considered for a moment before answering.
“It wasn’t anything big. They were probably worried you might run away from the marriage. You didn’t come home all day, and they thought you might be serious about avoiding it. They even said they were going to send someone to bring you back. So, you better thank me. You’re only free right now because of me.”
After a pause, Xia Ran added, “Yulan, I know I probably shouldn’t say this, but since you’re getting married soon and I’m your best friend, I have to say something. I know Qu Mengxin was your first love. If her parents hadn’t interfered back then, you two would probably be together by now. But so many years have passed, and she still hasn’t come back. She hasn’t even sent you a message. I don’t know how she feels about you, but if things keep going like this, you can’t wait forever. I just think… even if you can’t accept Jiang Xue, maybe you could consider trying to meet someone new. Maybe another omega.”
The best way to move on from a past love was to start a new one.
Lin Yulan understood what Xia Ran meant. She had considered that path before, but every time she tried, she found that no other omega could make her feel the same spark she once had.
The only exception was Jiang Xue, and that was only because she looked so much like Qu Mengxin.
Still, that was just because she missed Qu Mengxin too much. There was no way she could ever be interested in someone as calculating as Jiang Xue.
“Try your sister,” Lin Yulan snapped. “Since you’re so noble and understanding, why don’t you just marry her for me?”
Xia Ran fell silent on the other end, clearly plotting a comeback. Then she replied calmly.
“First of all, I don’t have a sister. So I can’t. Second, if you want me to marry her for you, I don’t mind. Have your parents change my household registration, and I’ll marry Jiang Xue on the spot. I promise I won’t hesitate for a second.”
“You want to be my sister now?”
“Think about the benefits. Think long term.”
“You sure have guts.”
“Come on, just one chance, please? We’ve been besties forever.”
Lin Yulan could already sense that Xia Ran was about to say something outrageous, so she didn’t give her the chance. She hung up immediately.
She had planned to order food delivery. But just as she opened the app, a call from Ming Zelan came through.
Lin Yulan did not want to answer. She already knew exactly why Ming Zelan was calling. She thought about hanging up but hesitated. In the end, she accepted the call.
“Mom, what is it?”
The moment Ming Zelan heard her daughter’s impatient tone, her voice rose with frustration.
“I called Xia Ran last night. She said you got drunk and spent the night at her place. What now? Marrying Xiaoxue is such a blow to you that you had to go out drinking? Is it really that unbearable?”
“Can you not bring her up?”
“If I don’t bring up Xiaoxue, should I talk about Qu Mengxin instead? The girl who left you and went abroad without even saying goodbye?”
Lin Yulan sighed and rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming back.
“Mengxin didn’t dump me. She just…”
“She just what?” Ming Zelan interrupted sharply, not holding back at all. “She just had parents who looked down on our family. They thought their precious daughter deserved to marry a president or a prince, not the heir of some small-time company. Letting her marry you would have been a disgrace in their eyes.”
There was a reason Ming Zelan could not stand Qu Mengxin. When Lin Yulan first brought her home, the two had not openly admitted their relationship, but it was clear that Qu Mengxin accepted Lin Yulan’s feelings. She had never refused the gifts and never drew any clear boundaries. At the time, Ming Zelan had liked her. She thought Qu Mengxin was a beautiful and polite omega and even hoped Lin Yulan would marry her right away. She had already started dreaming about becoming a grandmother.
But not long after, Qu Mengxin left without a word and transferred overseas.
At first, Ming Zelan tried to brush it off. If they were not married yet, anything could happen. Maybe it just was not meant to be. But what truly made her angry was how heartbroken her daughter had been afterward. Lin Yulan had stopped eating properly, started drinking, and barely came home. She became a completely different person.
Even worse, Qu Mengxin’s parents did not think they had done anything wrong. They blamed Lin Yulan for being a bad influence.
That was something Ming Zelan could never forgive.
“Mom, Mengxin is an omega. Her situation was never the same as mine. What her parents did may have been wrong, but they were just trying to protect her. Why can’t you let it go?” Lin Yulan frowned. “And besides, it was her parents who made that decision. It had nothing to do with her.”
“How can it have nothing to do with her?” Ming Zelan snapped. “Sure, her parents were the ones who said those awful things, but she knew what was happening. What, do you think she was adopted and had no idea? If she really disagreed with them, if she really wanted to stay with you, why didn’t she say anything? Why didn’t she fight for you? Her silence makes her just as guilty.”
Lin Yulan knew her mother had never let go of her grudge against Qu Mengxin. Even now, with Mengxin living overseas, her name came up whenever they argued. But Lin Yulan refused to believe Qu Mengxin had left her willingly. They had been together since high school, spending nearly every moment side by side. She knew who Qu Mengxin truly was.
“Mom, did Jiang Xue say something to you?”
Her tone immediately turned sharp.
“I knew it. You were never the kind of person to talk behind someone’s back. But ever since Jiang Xue came to our house to tutor Xiaojin, you suddenly have something to say about Mengxin every few days. Have you even thought about it? If Mengxin’s parents were that controlling, even if she disagreed with them, even if she wanted to stand up for us, do you really think they would have listened? She’s their daughter, and she’s an omega. How much power do you think she had?”
Ming Zelan was beyond frustrated. She felt like her daughter was hopeless, and there was nothing more she could say. But since she could not go back in time and give birth to a different child, she could only try one last time to push her back on track.
“Fine. I won’t argue with you. I called to let you know that you are coming home tonight. I already asked Xiaoxue to come by the house. If you don’t show up, just try me and see what happens.”