After Becoming a Scumbag Alpha, the Green Tea Omega is Reborn - Chapter 3

Tao Ran woke up at five o’clock sharp to wash up and do her makeup. She made a point of using foundation to cover the conspicuous bruises on her body before putting on a coat and a mask to leave the room. She glanced at Yu Li’s tightly closed door and tiptoed down the stairs.

Just as she let out a sigh of relief, Yu Li appeared in the living room, similarly wrapped up from head to toe.

“Good morning. Where are you heading? I’ll drive you.”

Tao Ran’s face turned several shades paler. “I have an audition to attend.”

She didn’t dare explain exactly what kind of scene she was filming, fearing that Yu Li would disagree and lock her in the house as she had in the past. The lead role in the film Flower Branch was an opportunity she had waited three years for; with her acting skills, she could have won a film award with it, but it had been sabotaged by Yu Li’s possessiveness.

Unexpectedly, Yu Li didn’t press her further. Instead, she said softly, “Let’s go. I’ll take you.”

Yu Li felt lucky she had gotten her driver’s license back in university; she wouldn’t blow her cover. Following fragmented memories, she headed to the garage and, staying true to the original owner’s style, picked out a flashy Maserati. Tao Ran sat in the back, observing Yu Li meticulously through the rearview mirror.

Yu Li’s expression was normal, though her dark circles were heavy, suggesting she hadn’t slept well. Tao Ran curled her lip—what worries could a philandering scumbag born with a silver spoon in her mouth possibly have?

Yu Li drove in silence, her mind heavy with the conversations she had with various “friends” the night before.

First, Aubrey had told her that Tao Ran’s audition today involved a bed scene. Then, several of her fox friends had come to “check in” on Tao Ran’s business, which made her feel extremely uncomfortable. She had rebuffed them one by one, but they acted as if they didn’t see it, even asking if she was coming to the bar tonight—and if not, was it because she was “inadequate” in bed.

The biggest headache was Shi Yi. Flipping through old chat records, it seemed the original scumbag Alpha had hooked up with this 18th-tier influencer a week ago, even promising that she would keep supporting her at the bar after getting married.

Truly… a scumbag to the core.

Yu Li had wired Shi Yi a large sum of money last night and proposed a dignified breakup. Shi Yi had taken the money and deleted her, but unexpectedly sent a new friend request this morning, saying she couldn’t overcome her longing and refused to break up.

Yu Li felt her head throbbing. Not knowing what to do, she could only give her the cold shoulder for now.

The Maserati pulled up across from a luxury hotel. In her past life, Yu Li had been halfway into the entertainment industry; she knew many film and TV crews chose large hotels for auditions. Still, a flicker of doubt crossed her mind: Is this place really… safe?

Tao Ran looked both anxious and excited. She checked her reflection and said, “Honey, thanks for the ride. I’ll head in now. Wait for my good news.”

She practically fled the car, her high heels clicking as she jogged inside.

Will she be in danger going to an audition with that kind of content alone?

After a moment’s thought, Yu Li locked the car and followed her.

In the living room of a luxury suite, a dozen actresses waited anxiously. Every time the producer inside called out, one would enter in sequence.

Tao Ran took off her mask and hat and waited for a while. Producer Gao poked his head out, scanned the room, and narrowed his eyes when he spotted Tao Ran. He beckoned her over.

Producer Gao was a burly male Alpha. Flipping through a stack of files, he said nonchalantly, “Tao Ran, right? The one who got famous from that drama Little Sweetie recently?”

“Yes. I’ve been doing idol dramas, but I hope you and the director can give me a chance to prove I can handle literary films as well.”

“Easy enough. The director and I are looking forward to your performance.” Producer Gao grinned, reaching out with a grubby hand to wrap his arm around Tao Ran’s shoulder.

Tao Ran sidestepped to avoid him, gave a polite “thank you,” and ducked into the bedroom.

Since becoming a minor actress, she had seen this kind of look and smile far too often. In the past, she would have been terrified; now, she just returned a smile without bruising his ego.

Director Wang was a middle-aged female director famous in the industry. Unfortunately, in her previous life, Tao Ran had missed out on Flower Branch and never got to work with her again. Seeing her now, Tao Ran braced herself and gave a radiant smile.

“Hello, Director Wang. I’m Tao Ran. I graduated from the Beijing Film Academy and have two years of acting experience, including the lead in Little Sweetie.”

Tao Ran wore approachable, soft makeup today. Her smile was polite and her outfit was simple and artistic—she was much more to Director Wang’s liking than the heavily made-up actresses outside.

Director Wang nodded expressionlessly. “Miss Tao, we need you to perform the reunion scene on this bed. You’ve read the script, right? Let’s begin.”

Tao Ran took a breath and removed her coat.

She had loved the original novel of Flower Branch and had read it hundreds of times; she was intimately familiar with every character’s personality.

Flower Branch tells the story of two women breaking social taboos—their meeting, their forced separation, and their reunion years later. The script was ingeniously designed, with a deep analysis of both characters. When the movie was originally released, it was a box-office hit with a 9.6 rating on Douban. The only flaw was that the original leads’ acting wasn’t quite strong enough, occasionally pulling the audience out of the moment.

Tao Ran firmly believed that if she played the “0” (Omega) role, the effect would be much better. Now, the opportunity was right in front of her.

She nimbly took off her shoes and climbed into the bed, sliding under the covers. Just then, Producer Gao walked in and said with a smirk to Director Wang, “Director, Miss Tao is in a good state. I have a suggestion: why don’t I step in as the lead and play opposite her?”

Tao Ran froze. If he did that, wouldn’t he have to…

Director Wang’s shrewd eyes swept over Producer Gao. She hummed two words: “Fine. But keep it appropriate.”

Tao Ran’s expression souled for a moment, but she regained her composure in a blink. It’s just acting, she told herself. He wouldn’t dare do anything.

Producer Gao made no effort to hide his greedy gaze as he rubbed his hands, taking off his jacket and shoes.

“Start,” Director Wang said.

Producer Gao gave a wicked smile and reached his hand toward Tao Ran’s blanket.

Director Wang was about to cough to remind Producer Gao not to go too far when a sudden, sharp “thump, thump” sounded at the door.

Director Wang frowned in annoyance. “Didn’t I say everyone who hasn’t been called should wait outside?”

“Sorry, Director Wang. I came without an appointment, but I’d also like to audition.”

“Who are you?” Director Wang asked impatiently, flipping through her papers.

“My name is Yu Li.”

All three people in the room froze simultaneously.

Producer Gao was forced to pull his hand back. He sluggishly put on his shoes, got off the bed, and went to open the door.

Perhaps because Yu Li had happened to help her out of a jam, Tao Ran found that she didn’t feel as much disgust upon hearing Yu Li’s name.

The door opened, and Yu Li bowed to Director Wang.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you. I just hope Director Wang can give me a chance to audition as well.”

Director Wang raised an eyebrow, sizing Yu Li up. Yu Li had a handsome, androgynous look, a tall and slender frame, and well-proportioned legs. She wore only a bit of foundation and an extremely ordinary striped shirt, yet she was full of vitality.

She was indeed a top star who had been popular for three years; her visuals were undeniable. However, her appearance was quite different from the character—playing the role might be a thankless task.

Director Wang twirled her pen. “Your physical condition…”

“I have four years of acting experience and I’m a graduate of the Central Academy of Drama. However, the role I want to audition for is the Lead 1.”

“You want to audition for Lead 1?” Director Wang’s pen stopped.

If Yu Li played Lead 1 and Tao Ran played Lead 0—and considering they had just married yesterday—if they were both cast, the traffic would be explosive.

“That would be fantastic!” Producer Gao said joyfully. “Director Wang, I think Yu Li’s current look perfectly matches the style of Lead 1 in Flower Branch.”

“Wait,” Director Wang propped her chin on her hand, puzzled. “Since you have this idea, why did you refuse when we invited you to audition for Lead 1 before?”

Yu Li thought to herself: Sigh, another mistake made by the scumbag Alpha that I have to pay for.

“At the time, I didn’t understand the charm of this film and made a mistake in judgment. Please give me a chance, Director.” As she spoke, Yu Li bowed deeply again.

Director Wang looked at Yu Li with surprise. She had met Yu Li a few times before; Yu Li had always been arrogant and condescending. Today, she seemed like a different person—polite in every way.

In that case, she might as well give them a chance.

“Since you’re interested, I’ll let you and Tao Ran perform this scene together. Do you know which scene it is?”

Yu Li nodded. She had already memorized the script while waiting outside.

This was a vital scene in Flower Branch. The two leads miss each other due to a misunderstanding, only to reunite at a hotel entrance years later. Unable to let go, one leaves a key card and the other follows. Finally, in the room, they reconcile their years of love and hate while being intimate.

Erotic art and pornography are two completely different things. If handled well, this bed scene would perfectly capture the artistic and sensual essence of Flower Branch.

Yu Li took off her coat and boots, taking a deep breath. Since transmigrating, she felt strongly that she and the original scumbag Alpha were two people with completely different temperaments and experiences—but occasionally, they had similarities.

For example, they both really did graduate from the Central Academy of Drama. It was just that back then, Yu Li was worried the entertainment industry was too “deep” and she’d be crushed, so she ran off to take the civil service exam as soon as she graduated.

A hardworking little civil servant… she never expected to have the chance to step back into the entertainment industry one day.

Hearing Director Wang’s arrangement, Tao Ran closed her eyes in resignation.

Why did Yu Li come? And why appear before me to audition for Lead 1? Is she really interested in the role, or is this… just to control me?

“Are you ready?” Yu Li whispered.

Tao Ran kept her eyes closed, not bothering to answer.

“Action!”