A Heartthrob Transmigrated as the Scumbag Alpha's Ex-Wife - Chapter 3

Where to Seek by the Riverbank was a yuri period drama adapted from a popular IP. The original leads cast were an actress named Han Yashuang and Gu Qiyou.

Han Yashuang had debuted as an idol through a survival show before transitioning to acting after her temporary group disbanded. With her beautiful looks and refined aura, she was cast as the female lead, Jiang Pan—a charming, spiritual character whose allure was unconscious yet deadly. Gu Qiyou was cast as the second female lead, He Xunxun, a “sweet-cool” type beauty.

Both women fit their roles perfectly and had met briefly before. Typically, for actors playing a couple, production would arrange for them to spend time together to build chemistry, regardless of gender. However, because Gu Qiyou was married, the director had a change of heart.

As a result, Han Yashuang found herself with quite a bit of free time on the eve of filming. Her manager couldn’t keep her on a leash, so she went out to carouse at nightclubs. She encountered a beautiful Omega and, in a fit of playfulness, took her to bed. Han Yashuang intended to leave some money and walk away, but the Omega refused to play along. She secretly took scandalous photos and leaked them on Weibo.

Han Yashuang’s team attempted emergency PR, but it was futile. A single pebble stirred a thousand ripples; it turned out she had a history of misconduct dating back to her idol days—sleeping with fans regardless of gender or secondary sex (AO/mixed). The fans filed a joint report and blew the matter wide open. The scandal trended instantly, and no amount of money could suppress the public’s fury.

It was clearly a setup, but there was no helping it. The online backlash was too loud and too public to bury. Han Yashuang moved out of the production hotel yesterday with a face like thunder. Neither the director nor the producer would tolerate a single “rat dropping” spoiling the entire pot of soup.

With filming imminent, the only way to find someone familiar with the script who could adapt quickly was to look among the supporting cast.

The manager wanted Mu Yu to audition.

“My young miss, this IP is much better than those r… rubbish dramas you took before.” Seeing Mu Yu refuse, the manager wouldn’t give up. The word “rubbish” almost slipped out before she swallowed it back.

The original character came from a wealthy family. Though she lacked ability and her family situation was a mess, she entered the industry with a background that provided a protective escort. Her manager had also been specially hired.

Mu Yu had her own studio, and the people employed there naturally wouldn’t dare say “no” to her. They advised her gently on everything.

The manager couldn’t understand why Mu Yu refused this role, so she tried a “save the country through a curved path” strategy by invoking Gu Qiyou. To the public, the two appeared exceptionally loving, acting intimately even in front of the manager. The manager, Zheng Lin, painstakingly tried to explain:

“This drama has a lot of intimacy. You wouldn’t want your wife doing this and that with someone else, right? The opening scene is actually a bed scene…”

Somewhere the manager couldn’t see, Mu Yu’s mouth twitched.

I don’t want to go specifically because there’s a bed scene, okay!

Han Yashuang’s original character was the “1” (Top), and Gu Qiyou was the “0” (Bottom). This meant if she replaced Han Yashuang, she’d have to film a bed scene with Gu Qiyou that was the exact opposite of their reality. Mu Yu was absolutely unwilling to participate in such a “social death” event.

Besides, she and Gu Qiyou had no real feelings. Acting out a romance wouldn’t come naturally; instead, people might suspect they were faking it and break their public personas.

Just as Mu Yu was about to refuse, the manager suddenly hung up. A minute later, she called back and whispered dejectedly:

“Sorry, Sister Yu. Your wife recommended you to Director Liu.”

Mu Yu: “…………?”

After getting into her private car, Mu Yu swept a sharp glance over. Zheng Lin, sitting in the back, immediately checked her schadenfreude and stared intently at the sea of traffic ahead.

Jing City was nicknamed “Gridlock City.” Even outside of rush hour, travel was difficult. Once Mu Yu was inside, the driver skillfully steered the car toward a less crowded elevated highway.

Mu Yu glanced at her manager. Zheng Lin looked to be about twenty-four or twenty-five—very young for the industry. She had likely just graduated not long ago, which was why she dared to crack jokes with the young miss.

Zheng Lin was an ambitious manager. The plot Mu Yu had received barely mentioned her, but Mu Yu deduced that after the original character became increasingly unhinged, Zheng Lin had likely resigned and cut ties—a smart move.

Mu Yu found the script for this costume IP in her cloud drive. She had scanned it while waiting for the car, and it was indeed excellent.

Originally, her intended role was a minor guest appearance—the kind where you film two scenes and say goodbye. According to the plot, she was supposed to hook up with an 18th-tier extra who was a uniquely charming Omega, only to be caught red-handed by Gu Qiyou.

This was the turning point of the original plot and the beginning of the “torture the lead” arc.

Mu Yu had no intention of getting involved, but since Gu Qiyou had already recommended her, a sudden refusal of the director would be logically inconsistent. The only thing she couldn’t figure out was why Gu Qiyou would suddenly recommend her. The two of them had basically just had a one-night stand…

“Hiss—”

A car cut them off sharply. The driver slammed on the brakes, and Mu Yu was thrown back against the headrest. A stinging pain flared up at the back of her neck.

“What’s wrong?”

Zheng Lin asked with concern. Mu Yu quickly waved her off, indicating she was fine.

Even though Gu Qiyou hadn’t differentiated last night, she had inexplicably gnawed on Mu Yu’s gland like a wild animal. It was only because Mu Yu—who at least knew the theory even if she’d never “seen a pig run”—awkwardly took the lead that things didn’t go haywire.

Even so, the back of her neck had been bitten through, leaving behind that person’s teeth marks. It was fine as long as it wasn’t touched, but any contact brought a burning, throbbing pain.

Such a thing obviously couldn’t be told to her manager. Her task was to pretend to be an Alpha in public; otherwise, her persona would crumble into dust, and she wouldn’t have a shred of dignity left.

…

The car, speeding at the limit, soon arrived at the location. The door to the audition room was closed, but a few silhouettes were visible through the window. Soon, a woman wrapped in a down jacket emerged with a face full of tension. An assistant waiting at the door hurriedly asked about the situation, but the answer was a negative.

“No way. Looking at the second lead’s expression, it’s a no-go. I suspect the role is already fixed. Otherwise, how could Han Yashuang suddenly get hit with such a huge scandal out of nowhere?”

The actress who had just auditioned was named Huang Tu. A small fragment of memory surfaced the moment Mu Yu saw her. Huang Tu was a second-tier actress, famous in the circle for her sharp temper. The wind was high today, the weather dry and cold. Huang Tu whispered unhappily:

“She just landed a good wife and now she’s showing off. Putting on some ‘Alpha/Beta love’ show and rushing to play the part. Is Mu Yu even a good person? Just wait—she won’t even know when she’s been wearing a green hat.” (Note: Being cheated on).

Despite her words, Huang Tu was actually quite envious. After all, who wouldn’t want a beautiful, rich, and powerful Alpha as a wife? It was double the enjoyment, body and soul. She had heard rumors that Mu Yu and Gu Qiyou were already estranged; she was an Omega herself and felt a bit tempted.

“Alright, Sis, say less. Careful, the walls have—”

As Huang Tu’s assistant finished speaking, her eyes landed on Mu Yu, who had just stepped out of the car. Her face paled as if she’d seen a ghost. Fortunately, Mu Yu was far away; according to normal human hearing, she shouldn’t have been able to hear them.

Unfortunately, Mu Yu did not have “normal” hearing.

The assistant tugged on Huang Tu. Though Huang Tu had a big mouth and a foul temper, anyone who survived in the industry knew who they could and couldn’t provoke. She immediately put on a friendly smile and greeted Mu Yu politely as they passed.

Huang Tu smiled brightly; Mu Yu returned it with a smile that was gentle and magnanimous.

In the dead of winter, the audition room was heated. To look good, Huang Tu had worn a long period dress; even with her down jacket on afterward, she was shivering. In the spirit of “looking after her juniors,” Mu Yu kindly stopped her. When the two turned around, Mu Yu spoke solemnly to her manager:

“Sister Lin, order two milk teas for these ladies.” She paused. “Hot Crystal Milk Green Tea, add matcha jelly, and sprinkle extra green tea powder on top.”

“Green tea powder warms the heart and stomach. Plus, it’s green—looking at something so vibrant in winter makes you feel warm.” Mu Yu watched as the faces of the two, who had been waving her off politely, gradually changed. Her smile remained unchanged. “Make it an express order. Or why don’t you two come inside and sit for a bit? Leave after you finish drinking?”

Huang Tu wasn’t frozen stiff, but her smile was. After thanking Mu Yu repeatedly, she and her assistant fled. Mu Yu smiled as she watched them go. Turning to enter the dressing room, she nearly collided with a familiar figure.

Gu Qiyou was slightly taller than her, and as the one who had been “on top” last night, her presence before Mu Yu was even more imposing than before. Mu Yu was caught off guard by the gaze in those deep, dark eyes. Her neck and waist seemed to ache simultaneously.

Just as she instinctively tried to dodge, Gu Qiyou grabbed her wrist. Her expression and tone were nonchalant, as if asking what she’d eaten for lunch:

“You ran into Huang Tu?”

To be fair, Huang Tu was good-looking, belonging to the petite and cute category that many Alphas liked. According to the original character’s personality, she would have recruited her into her “reserve of flings.” While the original Mu Yu would have dodged Gu Qiyou’s question with vague words, this Mu Yu had zero interest in Omegas. Furthermore, she had to play the “scumbag Alpha” role in front of Gu Qiyou. She said lazily:

“Yeah. She said I was going to plant a whole Hulunbuir Grassland (a metaphor for cheating) for you to ride your horse on.”

Gu Qiyou: “…”

Mu Yu’s words were blunt and stinging. Zheng Lin, following behind, didn’t know how to handle it. She didn’t dare interfere in a couple’s domestic dispute and made an excuse to leave, signaling for Mu Yu to quickly change for the audition.

Only the two of them remained in the dressing room. Even though Mu Yu indicated she was going to change, Gu Qiyou showed no sign of leaving.

Leaning against the door, Mu Yu watched her manager leave and then looked up as the overhead lights hummed to life. The water-blue light hit her well-defined face, and half of the woman’s face was suddenly submerged in shadow.

Her eye makeup, traced with a deep black pencil, swept upward slightly. Her lips were full, giving the beauty’s smile a hint of aggression that contrasted with her naturally gentle features.

Mu Yu was indeed the type whose beauty sat on the border between Alpha and Omega—undefinable and hard to describe.

She had natural, mist-like long brows, skin as white and smooth as porcelain, bright eyes, and white teeth. Her exquisite features held a touch of elegant brilliance. Her lips, which wore no lipstick, were the color of semi-ripe sweet cherries. When she didn’t smile, she was cold; when she did, it was like spring blooming through melting snow. Her look was the perfect standard between a “light” and “heavy” aesthetic.

Compared to the more aggressively outward Alphas, Mu Yu looked more like an Omega. Yet, her figure was more curvaceous and alluring than most Omegas. With long legs and a slim waist, her shoulders—not exactly narrow—could pull off almost any clothing. Compared to an ordinary Alpha, she had a bit more soft charm and sweet elegance.

Initially, Gu Qiyou had always thought she was just a beautiful Alpha with little aggression, making her quite comfortable to be around. But from the moment she stepped into that hotel room last night, Gu Qiyou had sensed something was wrong.

A doubt had been planted in her heart since last night. As Mu Yu began to shed her coat with a strange, nervous expression, Gu Qiyou suddenly took a step forward, pinning her into a corner. This was the first time she had forcefully turned the tables. Sure enough, the woman’s expression was one of panic and uncertainty.

“Don’t worry, I just want to ask you a question,” Gu Qiyou’s voice was soft and gentle. “Are you really an Alpha… or are you an Omega pretending to be an Alpha to deceive me?”