The Scumbag Alpha Movie Queen Pampers Her Wife - Chapter 51

Ignoring Shen Xu’s mortified expression, Gu Muchu left the office.

A group of employees huddled together, whispering. As she emerged, they scattered to their desks, their faces still flushed with the afterglow of gossip.

Knowing that rumors were inevitable, Gu Muchu calmly walked to the elevator. The metal doors slid open to reveal a tall, relaxed figure standing inside.

Shen Yiyan was in good spirits, humming a cheerful tune as she stood in a light-colored wool coat. When their eyes met, she offered a casual greeting.

Gu Muchu stepped into the elevator and, sensing Shen Yiyan had no intention of leaving, pressed the button for the first floor. She glanced at the Beta through the wall’s reflection.

“Here to see me?”

“What kind of person would miss out on a good show?” Shen Yiyan replied teasingly, though her expression remained indifferent. Sensing the other woman’s foul mood, she added, “This company is a hotbed of gossip. I came to help you clean up this mess.”

She hadn’t anticipated Gu Muchu’s audacity in coming directly to the Shen Corporation. With so many mouths wagging, how could the rumors possibly be contained?

It made sense, though. The rumors would inevitably reach Gu Yiqiong’s ears, and their already strained relationship would likely shatter completely.

A faint scent of tobacco clung to the Beta, lingering in the air. Gu Muchu frowned slightly as the view outside the elevator shifted from towering skyscrapers to the windows of office buildings at eye level. She suddenly spoke.

“You can’t stop it.”

Gossip spreads like wildfire, especially in the entertainment industry.

The person behind her remained silent for a long moment before chuckling softly. “You’re right.”

Still, the trip wasn’t a complete waste. As they parted downstairs, Gu Muchu felt something being slipped into her arms.

She took a steady grip and examined it closely: a fashion magazine.

The person on the cover was unmistakably familiar. They had spent every day together recently, and the Omega’s face was practically etched into her mind.

“It’s an unreleased issue,” Shen Yiyan explained, lighting a cigarette and taking a drag. The orange-red ember flickered brightly against the cold air. “A friend asked me to find a model, and I happened to run into Xiao Ji, so I recommended him.”

She was offering an explanation, but Gu Muchu had long stopped caring.

She wasn’t naturally suspicious, and even if Ji Yuran chose to associate with someone else, that was his right.

On the magazine cover, Ji Yuran wore a black dress that revealed her slender ankles. She leaned against a genuine leather sofa, her hand propping up her chin, which rested on a snake-shaped sculpture. The profile of her face was strikingly defined and elegant.

Her gaze shifted slightly, as if piercing through the magazine to look directly at the viewer. Her peach blossom eyes held a captivating coldness, exuding a dark and enigmatic aura.

Gu Muchu rarely saw Ji Yuran like this. She stared at the cover for a long time, her throat feeling dry.

“Hey, Xiao Ji and I are just friends. Don’t go spreading rumors, okay?” Shen Yiyan clicked her tongue and drew circles on the ground with the heel of her boot.

Her tone was noticeably different from usual.

Gu Muchu’s gaze moved from the cover to Shen Yiyan’s face, puzzled. “Who would I even tell?”

To be honest, besides Ji Yuran and Shen Yiyan, she didn’t have any particularly close friends. Ling Xin and Lan Jing could also be considered acquaintances.

“Alright then.” Relieved by this answer, Shen Yiyan pulled out her car keys, gave them a twirl, and said goodbye.

Back home, Gu Muchu called the housekeeper to prepare dinner. While waiting, she couldn’t resist sitting down to flip through the magazine again.

The thin magazine reflected the light, its cover gleaming under the lamplight.

Although this issue hadn’t been released yet, Gu Muchu had heard of the magazine. Unlike Serhang’s high-end brand, Ji Island was more flamboyant and individualistic, catering to a niche audience.

With effective marketing, it could potentially attract a loyal fanbase. However, its narrow focus could easily pigeonhole its style, and given Ji Yuran’s role as a villainous supporting character in the drama, she would need to work extra hard to transition to different roles later.

Gu Muchu glanced at the time and called Ji Yuran precisely at noon.

It was lunchtime, and the film crew was breaking for lunch. Today, they had moved up Ji Yuran’s scenes with the male lead, keeping her busy. She had just received her lunchbox when someone told her her phone was ringing on the table.

She lifted the lid of the wooden lunchbox, revealing a partitioned interior with a balanced mix of meat and vegetables that made her mouth water. After snapping apart the disposable chopsticks, she finally glanced at the phone screen.

It was Gu Muchu.

Her expression tightened momentarily. She set down the chopsticks, glanced around to ensure no one was paying attention, and then answered the call.

“Eating lunch?” Gu Muchu asked, sinking into the plush sofa. Her thumb flicked at the corner of the magazine as she listened intently to the sounds on the other end.

“Hmm,” Ji Yuran replied with a single syllable, stirring her food with her chopsticks. “What about you?”

Gu Muchu had initially called to inquire about the magazine, but she didn’t mind a bit of small talk. “I’m fine. Auntie’s coming over later.”

The bento box in her hands suddenly lost its appeal. The temporary rest area on set had low wooden tables, making it uncomfortable to eat while bending over. The outdoor temperature was below freezing, and even the heating was only available in the hotel area.

“Eating so well…” Ji Yuran’s situation stood in stark contrast to Gu Muchu’s, fueling her resentment. She jabbed at the oily, yellow potato shreds with her chopsticks until they were half-mashed.

Gu Muchu rested the magazine on her knees, flipping through the pages one by one. The crisp text and exquisite photos were captivating.

Her fingertip hovered, brushing against Ji Yuran’s mesmerizing peach blossom eyes before recoiling as if shocked, her heart pounding.

It was hard to imagine that the person on this page—an Omega clutching the hem of her floor-sweeping gown, gazing upward from the endless spiral staircase—was the same woman. Her jet-black pupils were soul-piercing, casting even the surrounding scenery into shadow.

After a long silence, Ji Yuran’s voice, tinged with impatience, broke through: “Gu Muchu, why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Should I call Auntie and tell her not to come?” Gu Muchu asked.

Ji Yuran, feeling guilty and at a loss for words, could only murmur, “Never mind. You’re still on the phone with me…”

Gu Muchu chuckled dismissively. “Oh, by the way, Shen Yiyan gave me a fashion magazine today.”

An awkward silence hung in the air. Just as Gu Muchu feared she had accidentally hung up, a clear, feminine voice came through the receiver.

“What magazine?”

“What do you think?”

Ji Yuran suddenly remembered and grumbled indignantly, “I haven’t even seen it yet.”

Hearing this complaint, Gu Muchu chuckled softly. “How about a video call now? I can share it with you.”

The words were out before she could stop herself, and she immediately regretted the impulsive invitation, knowing it would easily reveal her ulterior motives. She wondered if she had overstepped.

After a moment’s hesitation, Ji Yuran slowly replied, “Never mind.”

With so many people around, it wasn’t convenient.

Though this was the outcome Gu Muchu had hoped for, she couldn’t hide the disappointment that washed over her when Ji Yuran rejected the offer.

“Can I call you tonight?”

The Omega’s voice was soft, like melted syrup, seeping into Gu Muchu’s heart and illuminating her dark mood once more.

The cautious tone felt like she was coaxing herself, and Gu Muchu realized she was being treated like a child.

She had always been the one taking care of others, and few people had ever spoken to her this way. The rare times it had happened, it was always Ji Yuran who had left her with those memories.

An indescribable emotion welled up in her heart.

Gu Muchu’s voice was hoarse. “Okay.”

As soon as she agreed, the Omega across the line muttered softly, “I wonder if I look really stupid…”

When Ji Yuran agreed to shoot for the fashion magazine, she knew she couldn’t hide it from Gu Muchu.

She had envisioned a scene where Gu Muchu would be walking down a crowded street, passing a newsstand, and catching a glimpse of her on the cover.

At least, that’s how it was always portrayed in dramas.

But Gu Muchu had seen the magazine even faster than she had, while Ji Yuran was tearing her hair out on the phone.

During the shoot, her movements had been stiff, and her facial expressions seemed out of control…

Even in front of the photographer, Ji Yuran had never scrutinized her performance so meticulously. She was terrified of embarrassing herself in front of the person she liked and leaving a bad impression.

“You don’t,” Gu Muchu replied.

“So cool,” she murmured. Warm sunlight streamed through the glass door, casting a golden glow on the sofa where she lay, her body pressed against the cushions.

She squinted, watching tiny dust motes dance in the air. The Alpha seemed like an old memory etched in a photograph, bathed in golden light.

If Ji Yuran were here beside her right now, it would undoubtedly be a perfect, cozy day.

Gu Muchu had never imagined that such a brief separation could make her feel so restless and uneasy, to the point of hallucinating—as if she could smell the crisp scent of Lemon pheromone.

“Really?” Ji Yuran asked, her voice skeptical but mollified by Gu Muchu’s words.

Gu Muchu smiled faintly. “Just a rather unprofessional suggestion.”

“What is it?” Ji Yuran’s tone was stiff, her wooden chopsticks laid beside her bento box, her back ramrod straight.

“I like seeing you smile.”

The suggestion was hardly practical. Ji Yuran’s warm, gentle demeanor clashed with the magazine’s edgy style. Moreover, her cold, aloof beauty and tight-lipped silence often exerted an intimidating pressure.

Gu Muchu suddenly recalled their first encounter.

The Omega had retreated to the window, her eyes brimming with fear, yet she stubbornly refused to lower her head.

Even now, she still resembled a small cat, arching its back and wary of strangers, only curling up to lick its wounds in the presence of those she trusted.

“But things are good now,” she mused again.

At least she looked less vulnerable.

Drawn into unpleasant memories, Gu Muchu changed the subject. “Has anyone on set said you’re intimidating?”

“I’m playing the villain. If I get too friendly with the leads, it’ll break the immersion,” Ji Yuran mumbled between mouthfuls, her cheeks puffing out.

Fortunately, Gu Muchu couldn’t see her like this, or she might have been tempted to tease her.

The unspoken implication was clear: Ji Yuran would revert to her old solitary ways.

Sometimes Gu Muchu felt like an elder, hoping Ji Yuran would open up to others. Other times, she harbored selfish desires, wanting Ji Yuran to think of her first when facing difficulties.

Just then, Ji Yuran suddenly remembered something and exclaimed, “Ah!”

“Oh, yesterday a crew member came by and gave me a recording,” she said, finishing her last bite and wiping her hands with a wet wipe.

“A recording?” Gu Muchu repeated, her brow furrowing slightly.

Ji Yuran stood up to pack away her lunchbox, tying the plastic bag into a tight knot before tossing it into the trash. Her voice grew distant as she moved away from the receiver. “Yeah, it was from an older man, I think. He said he was confessing something.”

The staff member’s hat brim was pulled low, obscuring her face. Since she rarely interacted with the crew, Ji Yuran found her unfamiliar.

Later, when the Director urged her to get back to filming, Ji Yuran dismissed the recording as odd and set it aside, not listening to it again.

She didn’t give it much thought, but on the other end of the line, Gu Muchu’s hand froze mid-page turn. A sudden realization seemed to strike her, and her expression darkened instantly.

An ominous feeling began to grow in her chest.