I Heard I Was the Scumbag Alpha of a Top-Tier Celebrity (GL) - Chapter 21

The sky was gloomy, and the rain fell in sheets, as if the heavens had leaked, creating countless tiny splashes and dampening past memories. Different images of Yan Shuangshuang flashed before Gu Xin’s eyes. Countless emotions flowed out with the rain’s roar.

In the haze, Yan Shuangshuang and Gu Xin met eyes, one in the rain, the other under the eaves.

Time seemed to slow down subtly at this moment, slow enough for Gu Xin to clearly see the raindrops on the other person’s eyelashes, her drenched clothes, and the noticeable red marks on her arm.

The PhD student behind Gu Xin quietly asked: “Teacher Gu, do you know each other?”

Gu Xin stiffly put her hand down, placing it behind her back. She didn’t know if she had lost her composure just now or what her expression was, but now she couldn’t cause the other person any trouble.

Gu Xin put on a relaxed expression: “Long time no see.”

Yan Shuangshuang also said, “Long time no see.”

Gu Xin wanted to say something else, but couldn’t find anything suitable for small talk.

She wanted to ask, Are you doing well recently? Is acting smooth? Why are you here, not doing plays? Are you hurt?

Questions flooded her mind, each one desperate to be spoken.

But Gu Xin only led the group inside. As she passed Yan Shuangshuang, she said a simple, understated thank you.

Yan Shuangshuang said, “You’re welcome. This place can’t accommodate that many people. You can go next door.”

Gu Xin said, “I’ll go there.”

The room suddenly fell silent.

Yan Shuangshuang was silent for two seconds: “Mhm.”

Gu Xin mentally slapped herself, but the words that came out were still calm: “After all, I’m an Alpha. Many things aren’t appropriate. It’s the building next door, right? I’ll go over now.”

At this moment, Gu Xin profoundly realized the truth that the more she talked, the more mistakes she made. She wished she could take a time machine back and silence the version of herself from two minutes ago; then none of this would have happened.

What was she even saying? It sounded as if she were trying to avoid suspicion.

But Gu Xin’s inherent skill kicked in—the more flustered she was, the calmer she appeared.

Yan Shuangshuang hummed another mhm, her face expressionless.

By now, even the dullest person could sense the tension between them, but no one dared to speak up.

Gu Xin couldn’t stand being there for another second. She quickly said thank you and ran through the rain to the small two-story building next door.

The PhD student in the crowd paused, then gritted her teeth: “I’ll go with Teacher Gu.”

She, too, ran off.

Watching the two leave, Yan Shuangshuang acted as if nothing had happened, arranging for people to go up to the empty rooms on the second floor.

Thanks to the crew’s extensive props and the large size of the rented houses, the twenty-something people could squeeze in, and each room was provided with a small portable heater.

The team leader was still checking instruments in Yan Shuangshuang’s room. Yan Shuangshuang didn’t disturb her. Instead, she lifted her clothes, sat on the threshold, and stared blankly at the scenery outside.

A little later, He Xin arrived. The two sat shoulder-to-shoulder, listening to the sound of the rain.

“I never thought I’d see you sitting here without any pretense,” He Xin suddenly spoke.

Hearing this, Yan Shuangshuang turned her head to look at her: “Is that a compliment?”

“Mhm.” He Xin was an expressionless compliment-machine. “You are very dedicated. You’ll do anything to ruin your image for acting.”

Yan Shuangshuang stared at the mud, mentally tracing which footprint was Gu Xin’s, and said faintly: “Actually, I’m not that good. If not for the fact that Director Ying is the only one who hired me to film, I probably wouldn’t have kept going. You’re the impressive one; you haven’t complained once.”

He Xin suddenly turned, looking at her intently: “I’ve always believed that seeing is believing. My eyes tell me you’re not the person described in the news. Someone is trying to sabotage you, right?”

Yan Shuangshuang was startled. She quickly looked around. Finding no one, she leaned closer to He Xin and whispered, “Why are you suddenly bringing this up?”

“You tell me first. Is someone writing false things? Who is trying to take you down?”

Yan Shuangshuang and He Xin stared at each other for a long time. Eventually, Yan Shuangshuang gave in to the stubborn young woman. She said, “What if it’s true, and what if it’s false? I just want to film Director Ying’s play well.”

“It’s false, of course.” He Xin said. “If you need a lawyer, I can introduce one to you. He’s handled… cough, he’s sued countless entertainment companies and marketing accounts. There are at least eight hundred, if not a thousand.”

Yan Shuangshuang played it off as a joke: “Well, then I’m out of luck. A lawyer that good, I can’t afford right now.”

“You don’t need money. The moment I mention it, he’ll agree.”

Yan Shuangshuang was silent for a moment. She gently stroked He Xin’s head and whispered, “People are very complicated, He Xin. What you see now is just one side of me. There are many sides you haven’t seen. We’ve known each other for less than a month. You don’t know me at all. What if everything in the news is true? What if I’m only this approachable because I’m down on my luck?”

“Don’t be deceived by superficial gentleness. If you repeat what you said today, once you become famous, it will become an arrow aimed at you.”

He Xin thought for a moment and said: “It’s fine. Only you heard it. If it gets out, I’ll hold you responsible.”

Yan Shuangshuang was startled. She smiled helplessly: “I don’t know what to say to you.”

“So, would you lie to me?”

Yan Shuangshuang almost sighed: “Yes, I’m lying to you right now.”

He Xin didn’t blink: “You’re lying to me that the gossip news is all true.”

Yan Shuangshuang paused before saying, “Actually, one thing in there is true.”

“What?”

“I was married.”

“… Ah?”

“But I’m single now.”

“…”

Yan Shuangshuang chuckled lightly: “Will you keep it a secret for me?”

*

“What are you doing here?” Ying Lu, holding up her drenched pants, was startled when she entered the house.

Gu Xin was standing in the living room like a mud sculpture, not daring to sit because Ying Lu’s house only had a sofa, no chairs.

Gu Xin gave a wry smile: “It’s a long story.”

Ying Lu had run up and down, feeling both cold and hot. She found water, drank two huge gulps, wiped her mouth, and said: “Looking at you, those cars stuck on the slope aren’t yours, are they?”

“They are rented by our institute.”

“Then you’re really unlucky.” Ying Lu was unreserved. She sat directly on the sofa with mud all over her, and even had time to greet Gu Xin and the PhD student: “Sit down. Is this your student?”

Gu Xin said, “Colleague. I don’t have the qualifications to supervise students.”

“Your face is so young; you look like a university student,” Ying Lu said. “I can’t understand why your research requires you to come to a remote place like this. Shouldn’t you be doing things in the big cities?”

The PhD student was clearly stuck in a dilemma—a person with social anxiety facing a social butterfly. She didn’t know if she should speak or what to say. In her confusion, Gu Xin simply sat down as instructed, pulling the student with her, and said frankly, “Only here is suitable.”

Ying Lu waved her hand, cutting her off: “Never mind. I wouldn’t understand your stuff anyway. Just be honest. Do you know… um, that person is here?”

Gu Xin thought for a moment and slowly said: “If I had known before I came, I would have chosen to withdraw from this research.”

Ying Lu’s eyes widened instantly: “Are you serious?”

Gu Xin lowered her eyes, her back straight as if undergoing some inspection. Her voice was very low: “I can’t just cause trouble for others.”

Ying Lu’s expression was conflicted. She wanted to say something, but ultimately didn’t. Instead, she turned to the PhD student: “Little sister, you’re a Beta, right? Do you want to stay with our set designer later? She’s also a female Beta.”

The PhD student was frightened: “N-no need to trouble her. Whatever is convenient for you.”

Ying Lu said casually, “Then it’s settled. The villagers will definitely come over later. Will you handle them, Gu Xin?”

“We have our team leader. She is in charge.”

Ying Lu was intrigued: “Team leader? Who could be your team leader?”

“Naturally, someone more capable than me.”

Ying Lu was someone who feared nothing more than peace. Hearing this, she immediately insisted she had to meet the team leader who was more capable than Gu Xin. No matter how much Gu Xin tried to persuade her, she wouldn’t back down.

Gu Xin flatly refused to go back to the other house. In the end, the PhD student was roped in to guide the excited Ying Lu next door to identify the team leader.

Two minutes later, before she had even warmed up the sofa and recovered her emotions, Gu Xin saw Ying Lu return with a strange look on her face, dragging the PhD student behind her.

She entered the door with a heavy sigh. After sitting down, she stared at Gu Xin with an odd look, sighing repeatedly.

Gu Xin couldn’t help but look at the PhD student. Seeing that the student was just as bewildered as she was, she finally asked, “What is it?”

Ying Lu let out another huge sigh, staring profoundly at Gu Xin. She said: “Do you feel that your team leader looks very much like a certain person?”