A Scum Alpha Tool Character's Code of Conduct - Chapter 6

Even though An Lingqing had prepared herself mentally, she still felt somewhat lost at this moment. Before they set off, her manager had confidently assured her that things wouldn’t be this difficult.

“It’s a survival variety show. Most of them are just all bark and no bite. Look at the lineup the director picked—besides stirring up drama, what other purpose could there be?”

An Lingqing still remembered her manager’s certain and dismissive tone.

Letting out a sigh, she looked at her shadow under the sunlight, then at Zhang Lanyi, who was still sitting off to the side, before slowly making her way toward the edge of the forest.

Fortunately, worried about embarrassing herself on the show, she had done some homework beforehand. Even if she didn’t know whether fire-starting by friction would actually work, she at least couldn’t afford to sit around doing nothing.

When Wen Jiao appeared at the temporary campsite carrying a string of fish tied together with a rope she had woven from grass, the first thing she saw from afar was the slender figure standing at the forest’s edge.

She glanced at Zhang Lanyi, who was still lazily sunbathing, then changed direction and headed toward An Lingqing.

“I caught fish.”

Looking at the sun, Wen Jiao shifted positions, casting a patch of shade over An Lingqing.

Fortunately, the spring sunlight wasn’t too intense. Otherwise, the heroine’s fair, delicate skin would end up getting tanned.

Unconsciously staring at An Lingqing’s profile, Wen Jiao’s gaze held a focus she herself didn’t notice.

“Congratulations.”

An Lingqing replied softly without even lifting her head.

Right now, she didn’t want to see a single Alpha.

But was Wen Jiao the type to read the room?

Clearly not.

Finding a relatively clean spot, Wen Jiao set down the fish and removed her jacket, holding it out to An Lingqing.

“You’ve been standing in the sun for quite a while.”

An Lingqing paused her work.

Beneath her long lashes, her large almond-shaped eyes fixed on Wen Jiao with a scrutinizing look.

Meeting her gaze and noticing she had no intention of taking the jacket, Wen Jiao suddenly felt her heart soften.

“You don’t need to worry about me. I’ve always been this pale. I don’t tan.”

Without waiting for a response, Wen Jiao draped the jacket over An Lingqing’s shoulders, then looked down at what she had been working on.

The long, dry grass leaves had been woven into a bird’s nest-like shape.

Delicate and beautiful, it looked more like a work of art than survival equipment.

“You’re amazing!”

Picking up the bundle carefully with slender fingers and cradling it in her palms, Wen Jiao looked genuinely envious. She had never been good at this kind of delicate work.

“Fire-starting by friction!”

An Lingqing watched the person handling her things without permission and felt her irritation rise another level.

This time, Wen Jiao finally sensed the danger.

She looked at An Lingqing, then at the bundle in her hands, and awkwardly set it back down.

“Uh… fire-starting by friction. Is there anything I can help with?”

At moments like this, Wen Jiao deeply admired her own facial control.

No matter how awkward she felt, she could always maintain a cold expression.

“I’ve already finished most of it. The final ignition stage requires two people.”

An Lingqing picked up the dry grass Wen Jiao had set down and handed it back to her.

“This dry grass is for catching the spark once it appears. Also, we haven’t decided where we’re cooking yet. We need a pot at the very least, and we still need some dry branches.”

Holding the bundle again, Wen Jiao felt completely confused.

Was An Lingqing angry, or not angry?

After taking a few steps forward, An Lingqing noticed Wen Jiao still standing there.

Despite the cold expression on her face, she somehow looked a little absent-minded.

“Miss Wen, why aren’t you coming?”

An Lingqing asked curiously.

Zhang Lanyi was still lounging around doing nothing.

An Lingqing had to maintain her public image and couldn’t say certain things herself. But with Wen Jiao around, she didn’t need to.

After all, while this personality of Wen Jiao’s was still unlikeable, she was at least a useful fool.

Though An Lingqing’s smile over her shoulder was breathtakingly beautiful, Wen Jiao inexplicably shivered.

“I’m coming.”

She replied, inwardly sighing.

Looks like it was time for this tool person to do her job again.

One walked ahead, one followed behind.

Neither spoke.

Two distinct trails of footprints stretched across the beach.

“Lingqing, what were you doing just now? The spring sunshine is so pleasant—why did you go hide by the forest instead?”

Zhang Lanyi asked as An Lingqing approached.

“I was studying how to start a fire by friction.”

Dimples faintly appearing on her cheeks, An Lingqing held up the small sticks and wooden board toward the camera, carefully explaining how each was supposed to be used.

The tiny cut on her finger naturally came into full view of the camera as well.

An Lingqing wanted popularity.

She wanted a good reputation.

But she had also genuinely done the work.

The An Lingqing from the novel succeeded because outstanding Alphas constantly helped her.

But the An Lingqing standing before Wen Jiao now was real.

Hardworking.

Authentic.

Watching the slight, proud curve still lingering on her lips, Wen Jiao lowered her eyes.

The sound of her voice struck clearly against her heart.

“And these soft grass leaves become especially important when the first sparks appear…”

As she spoke, An Lingqing reached over and took the bundle of grass from Wen Jiao’s hands.

Perhaps because of the injury, her fingertips felt unusually warm.

Wen Jiao clasped her now-empty hand behind her back while holding the fish with the other until An Lingqing gestured toward her.

“Miss Wen is amazing too. She really caught fish using a sharpened bamboo spear. Come on, show everyone. We’ve got lunch sorted now.”

An Lingqing spoke cheerfully, pulling Wen Jiao directly in front of the camera before stepping back herself, leaving Zhang Lanyi no chance to interrupt.

Wen Jiao looked slightly uncomfortable.

Glancing at An Lingqing, she raised the fish she had caught, making sure every scale was clearly visible before lowering them again.

With a blank expression, she said:

“Lunch should be delicious.”

After standing stiffly in front of the camera for two seconds, she suddenly turned toward the production crew off-camera.

“In this kind of environment, shouldn’t wounds be disinfected immediately?”

While the staff were trying to spot an injury on her, Wen Jiao had already extended her hand.

“May I have some medicine, please?”

The director: Is this the confidence that comes from being backed by an investor?

Suppressing a headache, he instructed the staff to hand over some disinfectant supplies.

Wen Jiao then quietly stepped aside, looking as though she had no intention of treating any wound herself.

The moment Wen Jiao moved away, Zhang Lanyi, who had been waiting impatiently, immediately stepped into frame, making sure her flawless features were perfectly visible.

“My task today is pretty easy. I’m staying here to watch everyone’s luggage. Thank goodness the show isn’t filming during summer, or I’d be dried into a vegetable.”

After delivering her somewhat performative line, she moved closer to An Lingqing and Wen Jiao, creating the illusion that all three were working together harmoniously.

But when Wen Jiao saw her approach, she simply grabbed An Lingqing by the wrist and led her away, back toward the edge of the forest.

Watching them leave, Zhang Lanyi’s smile instantly vanished.

At the beginning, Wen Jiao hadn’t seemed particularly friendly toward An Lingqing either. Yet in just over an hour, they had become a little group of their own.

That white lotus really was skilled.

Grinding her teeth secretly, Zhang Lanyi asked casually:

“Huh? Lingqing and Miss Wen seem to have become close so quickly. Don’t tell me Lingqing captured an Alpha’s heart in such a short time?”

The staff outside the camera all understood exactly what she meant.

But they were only staff.

Even if they wanted to gossip, they could only remain silent.

At the edge of the forest, Wen Jiao found a dry spot with a tree stump and gestured for An Lingqing to sit down.

“I scraped my ankle on a rock while catching fish. Then I remembered your finger was injured too, so we might as well use the medicine together.”

Watching Wen Jiao seriously explain herself, the cameraman following them nearly laughed out loud.

Sure enough, amateurs on variety shows were unintentionally funny.

Even if Wen Jiao still looked cold and expressionless.

An Lingqing looked at the camera.

Then at Wen Jiao.

Her feelings became complicated.

She kept feeling that Wen Jiao had asked the crew for the medicine because of her.

People were always prone to imagining too much.

Silently disinfecting and bandaging her wound, she reminded herself not to soften her heart.

An Lingqing had always been rational and clear-headed.

As for Wen Jiao, she wasn’t thinking nearly that much.

She really had bumped her ankle on a rock, though it was only slightly red.

After casually applying some disinfectant, she began surveying the surroundings.

This was the forest they would cross after lunch.

At that point, only drones would follow them for filming.

All staff would remain outside.

“We should bring back some mosquito- and insect-repelling plants.”

After seeing An Lingqing finish treating her injury, Wen Jiao suggested.

“Okay.”

An Lingqing nodded, packed away the remaining disinfectant, and motioned for Wen Jiao to put it in her pocket.

“You carry it. I’ll ask you for it if I need it.”

Wen Jiao shook her head lightly.

A breeze lifted a few loose strands of hair across her forehead, making her look like a forest spirit.

If this woman really entered the entertainment industry, she could probably become famous based on her face alone.

An Lingqing couldn’t help thinking:

I never realized before that Wen Jiao was this outstandingly beautiful.

“Then let’s—”

Without any pretension, An Lingqing reached out, preparing to gather grass leaves together with her.

“You just applied medicine. Wait a bit first.”

Wen Jiao reached out to stop her.

The next second, she felt someone fall directly into her arms.

The familiar sweet scent surrounded her.

The sudden closeness left Wen Jiao completely stunned.

“S-Sorry. I didn’t notice there was an old tree root here.”

An Lingqing looked flustered as well.

A strong arm was wrapped around her waist, supporting her weight and preventing her from falling.

That restraint reminded her of memories she would rather forget.

And the source of those painful memories was the very person standing before her.

Those dark, clouded days felt as though they had happened only yesterday.

Blinking once, An Lingqing found herself hoping that Wen Jiao would keep this personality forever.

Gently pulling away Wen Jiao’s arm, she asked:

“Are you okay?”

Wen Jiao withdrew her arm and awkwardly hid her hands behind her back before rolling her shoulder slightly.

“I’m fine.”

After answering, she pressed her lips together and lowered her gaze to the tips of An Lingqing’s hair.

Then she said softly:

“Sorry. I startled you by stopping you so suddenly.”