After Becoming a Scumbag Alpha, the Green Tea Omega is Reborn - Chapter 23.2

Their names were Fang Min and Cheng Yang. Before filming, they tried to chat with Tao Ran, but she looked at her script lazily. It wasn’t that she was holding a grudge; she just hadn’t fully recovered from the pheromone disorder and wanted to save her energy for the shoot.

But they both thought she was snubbing them on purpose and left in embarrassment.

The final large-scale scene took place in a factory. Tao Ran focused on her repetitive assembly line work, while the two “workers” beside her tried to provoke her.

“Careful there. Hurting your hand is a lifelong issue,” Fang Min said.

“Yeah, if I get hurt, no one will care.” Cheng Yang glanced at Tao Ran and said pointedly, “I don’t know how some people are so talented—one blink, one word, and they get chosen by the higher-ups.”

“Just good luck, I guess. People like us don’t have that fortune. If we did, we wouldn’t have to worry about food or clothes for the rest of our lives.”

Cheng Yang leaned toward Fang Min and whispered while looking at Tao Ran: “If you had the skill to open your legs for the boss, you could live without worries too!”

They burst into mocking laughter, which stung Tao Ran’s ears.

In the setting of the 1980s, the population of Alphas and Omegas was very small. Science hadn’t yet proven that AO pairings produced top-tier offspring, but because of their unique pheromones, they often suffered ridicule. A and O couples had to endure even more scorn.

Tao Ran sighed. She knew the authorities were strict about “moral conduct,” and she couldn’t let a fight break out and give them ammunition. But she didn’t understand—why was simply loving someone looked down upon like this?

Was it her fate to only love a Beta?

She was angry but couldn’t stop her work to settle the score, so she pretended not to hear. But the other two escalated.

“Being with the boss didn’t help much, did it? Those leather shoes are so old they look like they were dug out of a dirt pile.”

“Quiet down, don’t let her hear you.”

“So what if she hears? I bet the person at the top doesn’t intend to keep her; she’ll be dumped once they’re done playing.”

Tao Ran was fuming and about to snap back when a voice came from behind—”Baby, did you miss me?”

Tao Ran turned in surprise. Yu Li was walking toward her, carrying a gift box.

Tao Ran was about to run to her joyfully but remembered Fang Min and Cheng Yang were there, so she just gave a constrained smile and said, “Weren’t you on a business trip?”

“I wanted to come back early to see you.” Yu Li’s gaze swept across the room, noticing the two “light bulbs.” She didn’t care and shoved the gift box into Tao Ran’s hands.

“Wait… this…” Tao Ran signaled desperately with her eyes. The two women beside them were staring with looks of pure envy.

Yu Li froze for a moment, then smiled and wrapped her arm around Tao Ran’s shoulder. “What’s there to worry about? Next week, you’ll be my legally wedded wife.”

She nodded toward Cheng Yang and Fang Min. “Invitations go out next week. Remember to come to our wedding.”

“Huh? You guys…” Their faces turned pale instantly.

Yu Li said openly, “We are in a serious relationship, not messing around.” Recalling their reputation for gossip, she added, “If you don’t believe it, feel free to report us to the superiors.”

The two panicked and smiled, saying in unison, “No, no! We wish you a long and happy life together.”

Tao Ran felt as sweet as if she’d eaten honey. She couldn’t help but grip Yu Li’s hand tightly. Yu Li gave her a bright smile.

“It’s quitting time. Let’s go home.”

Tao Ran held the box. “What did you buy me?”

“A new pair of leather shoes. I saw the ones you’re wearing are getting old…”

As they walked away, the scene ended with the twisted, angry faces of Cheng Yang and Fang Min.

With the director’s shout of “Cut!”, the two actresses let out a sigh and went to their rest van to change.

Cheng Yang crumpled her costume and threw it on the floor. “So annoying. The way Tao Ran looked at us just now was like she was looking at monkeys.”

Fang Min sighed. “It’s just acting. Isn’t that how they are in the script?”

“But what was with her snubbing us earlier? Who does she think she is? She’s the same in real life—no real talent, just found a tall branch to fly onto.”

“I agree. I think she fits this role perfectly—just like her. A little bit of fame and she looks down on everyone!”

“Hey, did you see her shoes today?”

“What’s there to see about old leather shoes?”

“Tch, I mean her real shoes. Felina, the genuine ones.”

“For real? Felina shoes cost over a hundred thousand. Wasn’t she wearing knockoffs before? Married for a month and Yu Li is already buying her the real thing?”

“Absolutely. I’ve been saving for months and still can’t afford a pair.”

Fang Min nodded meaningfully. “I heard Yu Li is wealthy and generous. It seems she really is willing to spend on Tao Ran.”

“But it doesn’t mean Yu Li is truly good to her. Shoes are just toys. If she really cared, wouldn’t she be sending good resources her way? At least get her some decent commercials.”

Fang Min burst out laughing. “Right! I heard Tao Ran just took a commercial for spicy strips the other day.”

Cheng Yang laughed too. “How desperate for money can you be? Can’t even get a good ad. So what if she’s the lead? Her status is just average.”

They chatted for a bit, thinking they were done. But Director Wang said a few of their shots weren’t expressive enough and needed a retake. Furthermore, she had chosen Lin Shen, the top stylist from Yu Lang Entertainment, to touch up their makeup.

Speaking of Lin Shen, everyone knew she was a legendary “Scumbag Alpha.” With her idol-level looks and impeccable taste, countless Omegas drooled over her.

The two were invited to Lin Shen’s workspace. They were busy planning how to hook up with this Alpha, but when they entered, Tao Ran was there too.

Tao Ran gave them a polite smile; they gave back dry laughs.

“Line up. I’m doing Tao Ran’s touch-up first.” Lin Shen was busy with Tao Ran’s face, not even giving them a glance.

They sat and waited. Cheng Yang praised Tao Ran a few times, and Tao Ran gave a few replies. But when she tried to praise Lin Shen, Lin Shen gave no reaction.

They looked at their phones for a bit. Cheng Yang’s gaze shifted to the makeup bag behind Lin Shen. She nudged closer and saw a dozen Armani lip glazes inside. She found a topic to talk about.

“Lin Shen, you like Armani too?” As she spoke, she picked one up and twisted it open to play with it.

“Don’t touch!”

Lin Shen’s voice was sharp. Cheng Yang was startled; her hand slipped, and the lip glaze fell to the floor, rolling to Tao Ran’s feet. It smeared a deep red stain onto Tao Ran’s new autumn Felina heels.

Cheng Yang and Fang Min gasped in unison.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, Tao Ran!” Cheng Yang stood up hurriedly.

A pair of hundred-thousand-yuan heels… she could technically afford to pay for them, but it would hurt her wallet. It was better to try to apologize her way out of it.

Lin Shen was doing Tao Ran’s eye makeup, appearing as if she wouldn’t stop for a disaster. Tao Ran kept her eyes closed and said, “It’s fine, it’s fine. I have spare shoes.”

Lin Shen raised an eyebrow. “Why do you carry so many pairs?”

“Yu Li bought me a dozen pairs at once. I kept two in the trunk for backups.”

“A dozen pairs? All Felina?”

“Yeah,” Tao Ran said nonchalantly. “It’s fine. Just a pair of shoes.”

It’s fine… just a hundred-thousand-yuan pair of shoes? The air Cheng Yang and Fang Min had inhaled got stuck in their throats. Cheng Yang slumped back into her seat, both of them sitting stiffly.

“Dammit,” Cheng Yang whispered under her breath. “So what if she has a bit of money.”

“Don’t lose your nerve,” Fang Min hissed. “She can’t get any good ads. Let’s talk about that.”

Right. She still had an advantage over Tao Ran there.

Thinking this, Cheng Yang crossed her arms smugly and said loudly, “Ranran, I’ve been seeing you on TV a lot lately.”

“Oh?” Tao Ran didn’t even blink. “Do you watch ‘Little Sweetie’ too?”

“No, I mean I see your commercials often.”

Fang Min picked up the thread: “Instant noodles, spicy strips, dried sweet potatoes, ice cream… Ranran is everywhere.”

“Yeah, Ranran is practically an ‘Ad Queen’.”

Tao Ran’s lips twitched. In the industry, for serious actors, “Ad Queen” was a slap in the face—it implied you had no real talent and could only stay visible through cheap ads.

Lin Shen’s hand paused; she let out an imperceptible snort.

Anyone could see these two were looking for a fight. She wanted to see how Tao Ran would handle them.

“I’m so envious. My manager won’t let me take so many ads,” Fang Min said.

“Yeah, my manager says with my status, I should only take clothing brands or niche brands. Snacks and daily necessities are out of the question.”

“By the way, what’s the highest endorsement fee you’ve ever gotten? Mine was five million.”

“Then you need to work harder; my highest was eight million.”

“What about Ranran? How’s Ranran doing?”

Tao Ran didn’t answer. Fang Min and Cheng Yang wore triumphant smiles. They knew Tao Ran’s ads didn’t pay much; she couldn’t even save face.

But before she could be humiliated, Tao Ran’s phone rang. Lin Shen saw it was Sister Zhang calling and grew interested.

“Put it on speaker. I had a fight with her yesterday and want to hear her get chewed out,” Lin Shen said.

Tao Ran laughed. She used to think Lin Shen and the old Yu Li were of the same cloth—up to no good. But since Lin Shen helped her at the bar, her attitude toward her had changed.

She put it on speaker. Before Sister Zhang could speak, Lin Shen coughed twice. Sister Zhang was a firecracker; she couldn’t hold back her temper. “You little brat, you—”

Lin Shen acted confused. “Why are you yelling at Tao Ran? She just coughed twice. Is it that serious?”

“Lin Shen, you think I don’t know it was you? Just wait, I’ll settle the score with you later. Put Tao Ran on.”

Tao Ran took the phone. “Sister Zhang, what is it?”

Sister Zhang’s tone suddenly lifted. “Tao Ran! The Felina advertisers have finalized things with me. They’re willing to pay a 50-million-yuan endorsement fee for you and Yu Li to do a joint commercial.”

Silence fell over the room instantly.

Tao Ran gave a dignified smile. “Okay. Thank you, Sister Zhang.”

Fang Min began to stammer. “Fi… fifty million?”

“Felina?” Cheng Yang’s face was pale. “Why would Felina look for her…?”

Felina was a world-renowned luxury brand. It was also under the Yu Group, so everyone assumed Yu Li would be the spokesperson. No one expected Tao Ran to jump in and become a co-spokesperson with Yu Li.

Even Lin Shen, who grew up wealthy and had little concept of money, was stunned. She set down her brush, brushed her hair back, and said sincerely: “You and Yu Li together are actually worth fifty million.”

Tao Ran teased: “Being in this industry sometimes gives you the illusion that you’re very valuable. Do you want to try it?”

Lin Shen laughed. “I live by my technical skills.”

Tao Ran turned to look at the two pale “pagers.” “By the way, I can answer you now. My highest endorsement fee: fifty million.”

The two gave forced laughs, suddenly feeling as if they were sitting on needles.

Lin Shen let out a shallow sigh. “Some people just don’t know their place. I wonder why.”

“I… I have to go. My assistant has something for me.”

“Me too. I’ll come back to Lin-jie for my touch-up later.”

The two scrambled out of the van one after the other.

Once the extras were gone, Tao Ran couldn’t hide the joy in her eyes. Her hands instinctively began a “piano playing” motion on her pants.

“I guess Yu Li arranged it,” Lin Shen said.

“I don’t have to guess; I know.” Tao Ran’s grin was wide. “If it weren’t for her, no matter how much traffic I had, a spokesperson position like this wouldn’t land on my head.”

Tao Ran tried to suppress her rising smile. No one could understand the joy in her heart. Yu Li had promised her good resources, and she thought it would be a normal clothing or makeup brand. She hadn’t thought much of it. Only now did she realize how good Yu Li was to her—willing to share a resource as prestigious as Felina.

“Treat her better. She’s really put her heart into you.”

Tao Ran didn’t answer, but her heart was in turmoil.

The crew worked from morning to night. Director Wang’s voice was hoarse from shouting. The movie finally reached its last scene. The setting was by a lake in a park. The two leads sit together talking. As fireworks go off in the sky, the film ends with a kiss.

Tao Ran and Yu Li sat embraced by the lake. The water was like a mirror, and two swans swam slowly by, just like the two on the shore.

Tao Ran’s finger circled gently on Yu Li’s palm. She looked into the dark, ink-like night sky with a comfortable expression.

“I have some time off in a few days. Shall I take you home?”

“Home?” Tao Ran gripped her fingers secretly. “But your sister…”

“My parents already approved of us, let alone my sister.” Yu Li planted a tender kiss on her forehead, playing with a lock of her hair. “As long as you come home with me, you’ll be the rightful daughter-in-law of our family.”

Tao Ran gave a soft “Mm.” She embraced Yu Li’s waist and nuzzled her. “I never told you, but actually, for me… it was love at first sight.”

Yu Li lifted her chin, gazing longingly into eyes so clear they seemed to reflect the entire starry sky.

“Me too.”

As the mood deepened, their lips moved closer. However, the fireworks went off earlier than scripted. Before they could kiss, the lights bloomed in the night sky.

Both were stunned for half a second. Then, Yu Li gently held the back of Tao Ran’s head and leaned in, tracing the outline of her lips.

Tao Ran interlaced her fingers with Yu Li’s, holding her shoulders, and was gradually pressed down to the ground.

Tao Ran pushed lightly on Yu Li’s shoulders. Yu Li braced her hands on the grass, encircling her in her arms. The fireworks lit the sky. Yu Li’s face flickered between light and shadow—one side warm and soft in the firelight, the other buried in darkness.

It was like the two Yu Lis that existed in this world: one made her heart flutter, the other made her recoil.

Tao Ran couldn’t help but reach out to touch Yu Li’s brow. She liked her brows best—pale and faint, like two crescent moons hooking onto her heartstrings.

The kisses falling gently were like soft feathers brushing across Tao Ran’s face.

This was the first time Yu Li felt Tao Ran’s uncontrolled blushing and heartbeat. Throughout the short kiss, their fingers remained tightly interlaced, even though the camera might not have caught the detail.

In the final three seconds, Yu Li pressed her forehead against Tao Ran’s. Sitting on the grass, they both gave a faint smile.

Because the fireworks went off early, Director Wang initially wanted to reshoot. But seeing the brilliant performance, both she and the producer vetoed the idea. Some shots are only achieved in that specific moment and that specific state of the actors; they can never be replicated.

The two were used to this level of kissing, but Yu Li was still a bit uneasy as they separated, her gaze wandering. Tao Ran was no better; her heart wouldn’t stop thumping.

When they returned to the van, Lin Lin looked at the shy pair and thought: It really looks like they’re dating on public funds.

Director Wang came by in person to invite the leads and key cast members to a wrap dinner. Yu Li and Tao Ran accepted and chose a mid-priced restaurant—it didn’t slight the director but saved them some money.

The director, producer, Tao Ran, Yu Li, and key partners sat at one table; the rest sat at two nearby tables. During the meal, Tao Ran and Yu Li were dignified and generous, agreeing to photos with supporting cast members.

Tao Ran had her experience from her previous life, so she handled the occasion like a fish in water. Yu Li didn’t participate in such activities often and found it much more exhausting. On the surface she was calm, but looking at the phones and drinks being thrust toward her, she just wanted to wail—she was hungry and wanted to eat.

When the producer tried to pour Yu Li another drink, she was about to take it with a bitter smile when Tao Ran blocked it.

Tao Ran said with a smile, “I’m sorry, my partner isn’t feeling well. I’ll drink on her behalf.”

She tilted her head and downed the glass.

The producer beamed. “Miss Tao really has a great capacity for liquor.”

After that, people stopped trying to toast Yu Li, and she finally had a chance to eat. She nudged Tao Ran’s arm and said muffledly, “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” Tao Ran took a sip of tea and smiled ambiguously. “You’re my wife.”

Several Omegas at the table saw Yu Li sitting so close and couldn’t help but fantasize. Fang Min and Cheng Yang stole several glances. When Yu Li looked toward the door, they thought she was looking at them and began adjusting their clothes and jewelry.

“When I see Yu Li on set, she’s not this good-looking.”

“She wears those baggy blue uniforms in the movie; of course she doesn’t look as good.”

“I want a photo with her too. Posting that to Weibo would get me so much traffic tonight.”

“Think bigger. I heard Yu Li is a philanderer; she played hard before the marriage. She and Lin Shen haunt the night clubs. With our looks and pheromones, we shouldn’t lose to Tao Ran, right?”

“True. She’s so generous to Tao Ran; she won’t be stingy with other mistresses.”

Cheng Yang gave a cunning smile. “Then why don’t we… try?”