I Heard I’m the Scumbag Alpha of a Top-Tier Leading Actress? - Chapter 20

The rain was truly pouring. Yan Shuangshuang grabbed an umbrella and walked out, and before she had even taken two steps, the hems of her pants were already wet.

The wind howled against the umbrella canopy. Without some strength in one’s hands, it would be impossible to hold it steady.

Yan Shuangshuang struggled her way over to the person who had come and loudly asked, “Where’s the car? What’s the situation?”

Standing at the doorway was the village Party secretary she had met once before. She had only seen him on the day they entered the village. Originally, he had looked like a delicate scholar, but at this moment, he was wearing a thin raincoat and exposed to the curtain of rain. His glasses and hair were both plastered into a mess, making him look rather miserable.

He wiped his face, his expression anxious. “A few days ago, the village received news that a scientific expedition team was coming. But when they entered the mountain this morning, they ran into the storm. The driver in front couldn’t see the road clearly and drove straight into the field. The cars behind didn’t dare follow any farther. Who would’ve thought the rain would be so heavy? The car sank straight into the ground.”

Yan Shuangshuang’s expression sharpened. “Have the people in the car that fell into the field been rescued?”

“They’ve all been rescued. It’s the two cars behind that suffered instead. There are more than twenty people in those two cars altogether, and the vehicles are already more than halfway sunk. I heard they’re all scientists.”

“I’ll go with you.” Yan Shuangshuang made a prompt decision. She ran back inside, grabbed a towel, changed into rain boots, and before leaving, also brought along a window-breaking hammer.

He Xin heard the movement and changed clothes inside. Without another word, she followed along too.

The village Party secretary quickly thanked them. “If your place wasn’t the closest, I wouldn’t have come over. I heard you’re a big film crew here to shoot a movie.”

“Saving people is more important. No need to separate what anyone does right now.”

The village Party secretary thanked them again and again, constantly wiping his face. He said, “As soon as we received the news, we called people over to help, but in this weather, anyone who comes can only walk. Your place is the nearest. Thank you for being willing to help. Really, thank you so much.”

He Xin said, “There are still people from our crew in the buildings nearby. If there still aren’t enough people, you can go call them. And if you see our director, tell her that we came over here to help rescue people.”

The village Party secretary thanked them repeatedly again. After the three of them walked together for only about five minutes and turned a few corners, Yan Shuangshuang saw three cars on the muddy road. “Is it that one?”

The village Party secretary said, “Yes, yes!”

From far away, they could already see people busy all around, circling back and forth around the cars to rescue those inside.

The rain fell even harder, striking painfully against people’s bodies. He Xin stepped out from under the umbrella and said, “The two of us will go first. You go call more people.”

“Okay.”

Yan Shuangshuang followed behind He Xin. This place was a downhill slope, and the moment she stepped onto the muddy ground, her feet suddenly slipped. Fortunately, the rain boots were of good quality. Yan Shuangshuang steadied herself in time, carefully folded the umbrella, and walked to the first car.

Yan Shuangshuang banged on the car door twice. “Is there still anyone inside?”

“Yes!” A Beta who looked female was straining to pull open the car door. Her arms and legs were thin, and she looked like someone who sat in an office all year without exercising. At this moment, her face was covered in mud, making her look extremely wretched. “Our team leader is still inside! In the passenger seat! She’s stuck!”

Yan Shuangshuang lifted the window-breaking hammer. “Do you mind if I smash the car?”

“Uh, eh?!”

A woman’s calm voice came from inside the car. “It’s fine. I bought insurance.”

“Watch out for the glass.” Yan Shuangshuang decisively smashed the car window several times. With a crash, the glass shattered directly.

The female Beta immediately reached in to grab the “team leader.” Yan Shuangshuang worked with the female Beta to pull the person out. The car swayed a few times in the field, nearly two-thirds sunk.

Even if it was dragged out, it would need major repairs.

“Thank you.” The person who came out tidied her clothes. Only then did Yan Shuangshuang clearly see the team leader’s true appearance. She wore gold-rimmed glasses, her hair tied into a ponytail, her expression cold. Her looks were so outstanding they did not lose to any newcomer in the entertainment industry.

Even though she was filthy from head to toe, her aura was very composed, and she had been directing the rescue the entire time.

Yan Shuangshuang kept feeling that this person’s temperament was very familiar. She also replied, “No need to thank me. Didn’t your car have a window-breaking hammer?”

The team leader said, “It’s an old car borrowed from a local. It’s been around for some years.”

“Ah…”

“No need. I’ll compensate them.”

“That’s not really what I meant.” Yan Shuangshuang said, “I only brought one tool. If any of you are out of strength, you can act as porters and go to where we’re staying to bring some tools over. It might be faster.”

The team leader immediately agreed. She quickly instructed two people to go up the slope to get tools. Immediately after, she turned and shouted, “Gu Xin! Do you still have strength?”

From the rear of the second car, someone’s voice came from far away. “Of course I do! I exercise every day!”

“Then stay here. I’ll leave this place fully in your hands. I’ll take the instruments up first!”

The person behind the car waved from a distance, meaning OK.

The team leader turned back and asked, “May I borrow your place for a bit? I need to check whether our instruments got water inside first.”

Ever since she heard the two words “Gu Xin,” Yan Shuangshuang seemed to have been put under a freezing spell. After the team leader waited for a long time without a reply, she hesitantly pushed up her glasses. “Hello?”

Yan Shuangshuang woke as if from a dream. “Mm? Instruments? What was it you wanted to do?”

“I want to borrow your place and check whether our instruments have taken in water,” the team leader repeated. “If it’s inconvenient, could I trouble you to take me somewhere out of the rain?”

“It’s convenient, convenient. I’ll go tell my friend first.” Yan Shuangshuang responded messily, her gaze searching everywhere, though even she did not know who she was looking for. After looking around three or four times, she finally discovered He Xin helping them lift a car. She hurried over and said quietly, “I’m taking people to the house. The rain is too heavy right now. Let them take shelter first.”

He Xin said okay, and Yan Shuangshuang gave her the window-breaking hammer.

Yan Shuangshuang’s steps were very fast, as if someone were chasing her from behind. “Follow me.”

Gu Xin had never imagined she would encounter something like a car sinking into the ground halfway through a drive in this lifetime.

Their flight had been yesterday. By the time they arrived in W City, it was barely afternoon. But since they had arrived on someone else’s territory, they could not exactly skip greeting them. Hua Ran went out to eat with the leaders, while the others played cards in the room and did not include her.

Gu Xin had nothing to do alone, so she went wandering around the night market and even bought a safety talisman.

Then this morning, the safety talisman fell into the mud.

Fuck. If she had known, she should not have saved those ten-plus yuan on the consecration fee.

Gu Xin followed the others and helped lift the cars for a long time. Panting, she only felt that she was doing useless work.

Mud mixed with rainwater streamed down her body. And between the two cars, there were still around twenty people trapped inside. If she rested, what would the others do?

Gu Xin wiped her face. She was just about to ask whether there was anything destructive they could use when a tall Omega came over carrying a window-breaking hammer. “Are you the one in charge here?”

Gu Xin said yes. “Are you here to help? Can this be used?”

He Xin said, “If the doors can’t be pulled open, then we can only smash.”

Gu Xin’s eyes lit up. “Quick, quick, quick. Give it to me. I was just worried we didn’t have tools.”

Gu Xin took the window-breaking hammer. Without another word, she smashed several times, first breaking the first window. Inside, the group of doctoral and graduate students trembled like quails. Seeing Gu Xin smash the window expressionlessly, they should have felt, as before, that she was arrogant and difficult to get along with. But at this moment, everyone felt that her arrogance was so handsome.

“What are you standing there for? Come out!”

As she spoke, Gu Xin smashed the second window, followed immediately by the third car. Her momentum was unstoppable, making her look very much like a professional destroyer.

In the end, everyone held hands and climbed out one after another. Every one of them was shivering from the cold rain, their legs trembling.

Gu Xin, destroyer of cars, looked toward the meteorological station at the top of the mountain, then looked at the cars halfway up the mountain. Behind her was a flock of scientific researchers as lost and helpless as lambs. Finally, she looked at He Xin.

“Is your place far from here?”

He Xin said, “It’s just up the slope. You can shelter there first.”

“That’s so embarrassing.” Gu Xin called for everyone to follow. “Since it’s an emergency, then we won’t be polite. Ask our team leader for the lodging fee. The one who just went up.”

He Xin did not say much and led the grand procession of dozens of people up the slope.

Gu Xin said, “You’re not locals, are you? Your house is this big?”

He Xin said, “The house is rented. We’re only temporarily staying here for a few months.”

“Same line of work?”

He Xin thought about the difference between filming and scientific research, then nodded with certainty. “More or less.”

They were all working on projects. Close enough.

Gu Xin gave her a thumbs-up. “Fate. To run into each other in this kind of godforsaken place—this really is fate.”

“If you still have clean clothes to change into, you can go to the bathroom and change. If you don’t, we have small space heaters here. Warm up first.” He Xin said, “Ah, we’re here. I see our leader. I’ll go over for a moment.”

After thanking her, Gu Xin stepped into the courtyard. The door was wide open, and the people inside had just gone in.

Gu Xin was actually already very tired. When the car had driven into the field, she had been the first to react and jump out of the car in time. For the rest of the time, she had been exerting herself rescuing people. Now, even the hand gripping the hammer was trembling.

She blinked and used her other hand, half dirty and half clean, to wipe away the rainwater constantly washing over her face. She also wiped away the faint fatigue she had leaked out. But when she lifted her eyes again, she discovered someone standing at the doorway.

…And it was someone familiar.