A Heartthrob Transmigrated as the Scumbag Alpha's Ex-Wife - Chapter 4

Meanwhile, at the Mu residence in Jing City.

The woman in the dance floor had a sultry figure, her eyes like silk casting seductive glances toward the person on the swivel chair in rhythm with the music. Normally, Mu Qing loved watching her perform dances full of suggestive undertones, but today she remained indifferent, her eyes glued to her phone.

The prolonged physical exertion made the woman feel tired. Seeing Mu Qing’s frost-cold expression, she couldn’t help but feel a bit aggrieved, stepping gracefully out of the dance floor to Mu Qing’s side. The fresh, elegant scent of an Omega’s body drifted through the room, carrying a natural allure that wafted over Mu Qing’s face.

In the past, Mu Qing would have unceremoniously pulled her into her lap to toy with her. Now, she simply frowned. The oblivious Omega tried to lean against her, but the moment her boneless hand touched Mu Qing’s shoulder, Mu Qing slapped her away as if she had been burned.

“Get out!”

Mu Qing was in a foul mood, especially after seeing the year-end performance review for her branch office. She actually backhanded the woman across the face, showing no trace of pity for the “tender jade.”

Old Man Mu was a tycoon in the real estate industry. He had three children, all three of whom were Betas. Among his grandchildren, there were two boys and three girls. Aside from the youngest grandson, who was barely ten and unable to compete, the others were all formidable characters.

The ABO world isn’t divided by male and female, and there’s no concept of favoring sons over daughters. If there is a “discrimination chain” in great families, the hierarchy is generally Alpha > Omega > Beta. Since one of the two grandsons was a Beta, he naturally had no right to fight for the family inheritance.

Mu Qing, Mu Yu, and the eldest grandson Mu Zhiyi were all Alphas. There was also a third sister who was an Omega. The relationship between the three Alphas could hardly be called good; they were in constant internal strife, and Old Man Mu simply turned a blind eye to it.

Although Old Man Mu’s focus for the succession had skipped a generation, he didn’t actually care which industry they developed in. Even if Mu Yu ran off to play in the entertainment industry, as long as she made a name for her self, she was still useful to the Mu family.

Initially, Old Man Mu was extremely dissatisfied with the news that Mu Yu had suddenly taken a minor supporting role in this drama. He could tolerate his granddaughter going out to “play,” but this “play” certainly couldn’t be the play of a socialite/party-girl; at the very least, he couldn’t let it be seen on the surface before she had an established career.

Mu Qing was an expert at fanning the flames. She had already provoked the old man’s anger to a boiling point, but then news reached his ears that Mu Yu was auditioning for the female lead, which extinguished much of the fire she had carefully stoked. Old Man Mu was no longer fuming, but Mu Qing certainly was. She didn’t know which nerve in that girl’s brain had suddenly snapped into the right place. Perhaps it was because the manager by her side was clear-headed—if she had known, she should have spent a fortune to poach that manager earlier—

“Sister Qing, look!”

The Omega who had been slapped didn’t lose her temper or act aggrieved. Knowing Mu Qing’s personality well, the woman suddenly spoke in a low voice, interrupting Mu Qing’s thoughts. She hurriedly handed over her phone before Mu Qing could lash out.

Once her gaze fell on the rising hot search trends, Mu Qing’s previously furious expression softened slightly. She whispered a few instructions into her assistant’s ear and let out a light laugh.

“Her? Acting opposite that person? Is she looking for a death warrant or what?”

“Before I differentiated, Mu Qing had been unhappy with me for a long time. At that time, if I had come out with the report of an ordinary Alpha, she would have torn it to shreds just to establish her dominance. Moreover, if an ordinary Alpha were allowed to inherit the position of family head, how could the others—especially my eldest brother and Mu Qing, two powerful Alphas—ever be convinced?”

Facing Gu Qiyou’s questioning, Mu Yu’s answer was that she was a “weak Alpha” and that was why she was “conquered” by her. This reason sounded perfectly righteous.

In the sparse memories she had of the original host’s family, even though their relationships were poor, the original host always called the eldest grandson Mu Zhiyi “Eldest Brother,” while she called Mu Qing directly by name.

The original host’s grudge with Mu Qing started in childhood; it was the irreconcilable kind where they couldn’t stand the sight of each other. Mu Qing didn’t have much talent, but she was a master at playing mind games and had whispered countless poisonous things into Old Man Mu’s ear.

Actually, Mu Yu felt nothing toward inheriting the Mu family estate. Real Estate was not a field she was good at. But the current struggle was already at a point where she couldn’t back down. Once power fell into the hands of Mu Qing or Mu Zhiyi—especially Mu Qing—she would definitely not have a good time unless she left this world before the dust settled.

She should… be able to leave, right?

The Headquarters, which usually handled things quickly and efficiently, hadn’t given her a specific answer on how much time was needed. Mu Yu had nudged them once on the way here, and they only said there was a minor glitch. They told her that even after she finished her mission, she should be prepared to wait here for “a period of time.”

Mu Yu didn’t know how long this “period of time” actually was, but fortunately, there were only six months left until her marriage contract with the female lead expired.

Gu Qiyou seemed to be calculating seriously. Mu Yu’s behavior yesterday was very strange—strange enough that she had even begun to doubt some details of the past, but her face remained impassive. At least to Mu Yu, the other woman appeared to be merely asking out of concern:

“Then, if they discover the true results of your testing report, will there be trouble?”

“It’s fine. As long as I don’t get into a physical conflict with them, it doesn’t matter.” Mu Yu then smiled and intimately pinched the other’s earlobe. “You-You, you should know what can be said and what cannot be said out loud.”

Gu Qiyou froze slightly.

They had been married for nearly three years. Aside from that encounter last night, they only held hands in public for the sake of the act. Mu Yu never proactively touched her, and she naturally wouldn’t touch Mu Yu. However, Gu Qiyou didn’t feel repulsed by this intimate gesture that wasn’t too over-the-line. Her gaze toward Mu Yu quietly gained another layer of inquiry.

The ear that had been touched felt a faint, lingering heat.

What she actually didn’t know was that the original host was indeed an Alpha. Gu Qiyou, who was originally a Beta, had her genes triggered under the host’s forced catalysis; she was meant to differentiate into a high-level Omega and then be forcibly marked.

Mu Yu was actually an Omega, so of course, she couldn’t do anything like that to her.

When Mu Yu changed her clothes, Gu Qiyou still stepped out.

The two met again inside the audition room.

Because it was Gu Qiyou who had recommended Mu Yu, Director Liu naturally gave her some face. If anyone else had brought it up, he likely would have rejected it outright. It was public knowledge in the circle that this young miss was just playing around. Her previous dramas didn’t show acting that was particularly good or bad—it was mediocre. It was mainly that the scripts were trash, all dog-blood third-rate idol dramas.

For an actor, even if they are professionally trained, the scripts they usually receive can cause their acting skills to vary wildly. Constantly acting in dog-blood idol dramas that require no skill is vastly different from acting in serious dramas. The scripts Mu Yu usually took made Director Liu shake his head; naturally, he didn’t have high expectations for her acting.

Furthermore, most people knew Mu Yu had only entered the industry to “experience life.” Before this, the young miss had even been a streamer for a month.

The audition scene was the one where the second female lead, He Xunxun, rescues the first female lead, Jiang Pan, from a brothel. He Xunxun is a righteous female constable from the Six Panels, while Jiang Pan is a courtesan raised in a brothel since childhood, born seductive and enchanting.

Mu Yu’s own looks belonged to the sweet and gentle category, but her versatility was strong. The makeup artist gave her a simple, seductive fox-style look, and it was unexpectedly fitting. This scene was actually harder for Mu Yu than for others; she was pretending to be an Alpha on the outside, and here she was playing the “attacker” (Seme/Top). First, she had to ensure her aura wasn’t suppressed.

Unlike the finished film products audiences see, many TV show shoots use green screens and composite scenes later. An actor’s ability to empathize without a real setting must be higher.

Mu Yu strode across the level ground over a pile of cluttered props. As she stepped onto the three-foot empty stage, her pace changed fluently. Initially casual, the moment she entered the character, her gait became the elegant, mincing steps of a courtesan. The crisp sound of high heels echoed in the quiet room. Her long hair, which she had casually untied, danced and flew as a cold wind entered through the window.

Mu Yu had specifically asked someone to open the window when she went up. The stage was near the window, and a few flakes of the swirling goose-feather snow outside were blown into the room. They quickly melted in the warmth of the air conditioner, and the glistening droplets shook off her long, dark lashes, making the woman’s face look both seductive and faintly fragile.

“On such a snowy night, for you constable brothers to visit my Zuixiang Pavilion… could it be you also want a few cups of flower-wine to warm yourselves up?”

With no one in front of her, Mu Yu let out a light laugh facing the empty floor, though her eyes were filled with deep wariness, forming a sharp contrast with her soft tone.

The plot described the Six Panels receiving word that Zuixiang Pavilion was suspected of harboring a wanted fugitive, and they had come to search by imperial decree.

The “intent” of the Six Panels was not in the wine, but rather in using the pretext of the Emperor’s decree to find a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard (Jinyiwei). Beneath the Emperor, the “left and right arms” had been at odds for a thousand years. If the Jinyiwei had the chance, they would certainly slander the Six Panels before the Emperor; the Six Panels were no saints either—given the opportunity, they wouldn’t stop until they had bitten a chunk of flesh and blood out of the Jinyiwei.

Zuixiang Pavilion had always been close with the Jinyiwei, and Jiang Pan was the pavilion’s top courtesan. If the Six Panels didn’t get the result they wanted but couldn’t touch the people behind the scenes, it wasn’t impossible for them to let a powerless courtesan’s blood spill on the spot.

Jiang Pan appeared to be smiling, but in reality, her hand was hidden in her sleeve, gripping her undergarment into a tight fist.

She naturally knew exactly where that Lord from the Jinyiwei was hiding. But it wasn’t just her life at stake—the lives of all the sisters and servants in Zuixiang Pavilion, over a hundred souls, were all hanging on her lips. If she moved her lips to betray that man, today the Six Panels’ blades would see blood, and tomorrow her head would be hung at the vegetable market with no one to collect it.

Under the other party’s increasingly impatient gaze, Jiang Pan’s eyes showed a hint of “shame.” Her slender finger reached out to touch a man’s shoulder, her smile growing even more radiant as the man’s gaze became slightly suggestive and sticky.

Men—they all fell for this. Even if she didn’t want to submit, at such a critical juncture, whether she wanted to or not was not up to her.

Jiang Pan leaned in slightly. The specially made “Dew Fragrance” of Zuixiang Pavilion made her body feel warm and crisp—a rare “gentle land” in the vast winter night, enticing one into intoxication. Just as the lead man began to lose himself, reaching out to stroke her wrist through her clothes, a loud boom abruptly ruined the mood.

With a bang, the closed door was kicked open. A slightly shorter youth carrying a medallion burst in like the wind, a raging fire in her handsome eyes.

“Zhang Yi, how dare you!” The newcomer wore the uniform of the Six Panels, her robe loose, her voice deepened by anger. “Not only did you let the person escape, but you’re now conducting ‘official business’ on a young lady? Are you looking to use your head to give the Lord an explanation?”

The man named Zhang Yi was a subordinate of this person. He must have suffered plenty under her; the moment he saw that medallion, he violently let go of Jiang Pan’s hand. He bowed his head and hurriedly led the others out.

The youth snorted. Using the folding fan in her hand, she tapped Jiang Pan’s chin with an extremely light motion—part warning, part reminder.

The short audition script should have ended here. The few people on the panel, including Director Liu, nodded slightly, quite satisfied with Mu Yu’s well-controlled eye acting.

Just a moment before Director Liu was about to shout “Cut,” he saw Gu Qiyou—who was supposed to have already turned to leave—suddenly turn around. She looked down at Mu Yu sitting on the stool, her eyes revealing a playful, ambiguous smile that was hard to read.

“If not for me just now, Miss Jiang would have either been taken away or forced into a compromising situation.” Gu Qiyou’s sudden improvisation stunned everyone. Proper ad-libbing is common during official filming, but it was almost unheard of during an audition. “So, how do you plan to repay me?”

The air went silent for a moment.

But only for a fleeting second.

As the smile in Gu Qiyou’s eyes deepened, she saw the woman rise and suddenly hook her arm around her waist, leaning in as they both tumbled toward the floor. There was no bed here, no padding of any kind. Mu Yu slowed the movement, but she ruthlessly pressed her entire body weight against the other, her slender fingers easily hooking into Gu Qiyou’s collar.

“I was born with a fate inside this Zuixiang Pavilion; what I learned is more than just serving men.” Her fingertip scraped across the smooth, soft jawline. Under the other’s increasingly dangerous gaze, Mu Yu continued upward, gently pinching that rounded, small earlobe unique to women, watching as a thin blush spread. “How is this for repayment?”

“Miss He best not make a sound. Otherwise, if that Zhang Yi suddenly returns and sees such a scene, I wonder what he would think.”

“You!”

“Cut!”

The instant Director Liu shouted “Cut,” Mu Yu raised her eyebrows with a pleasant mood and pulled Gu Qiyou up from the floor.

Being flirted with by the woman who had been beneath her just last night made Gu Qiyou’s face flush. As they stepped off the stage, Mu Yu noticed the other woman casting her a deep, searching look—her gaze swept over her skin, though it wasn’t sharp.

Director Liu didn’t notice the undercurrents between the two. Even if he did, he only took it as a bit of “flirting” between a married couple, thinking to himself that they truly were the model couple of the industry—their chemistry during the scene was effortless. It seemed his perspective had been narrow; though Mu Yu used to always act in bad dramas, her acting skills were actually quite commendable.

At this thought, Director Liu’s gaze toward Mu Yu gained a few more layers of appreciation.

But there were still a few people waiting, so they had to follow the process. Director Liu waved his hand, indicating that Mu Yu could head down first and wait for the news. When she pushed the door open, her manager Zheng Lin was already waiting at the door with a down jacket. Everyone assumed Mu Yu had the constitution of an Alpha, so they hadn’t prepared any warming tools like heat packs.

Alphas have better physical constitutions than Omegas and Betas; they are rarely so fragile as to need heat packs even in winter. Mu Yu was a bit cold in this bitter chill, but she gritted her teeth and endured it. Then she saw her manager pick up a phone call.

“The night after next? Bring Miss Gu along too? Okay, Miss is free. Miss Gu should be…”

“A family gathering in two days. She wouldn’t be unable to even bring her wife out to play, would she?” The mocking voice was obviously Mu Qing’s. “Give the phone to Mu Yu. You agree, don’t you?”