I Heard I’m the Scumbag Alpha of a Top-Tier Leading Actress? - Chapter 21

The sky was dark and gloomy. Rain fell by the ton as if the curtain of heaven had sprung a leak, splashing up countless shattered flowers of rain, soaking even the memories of the past along with it. Different versions of Yan Shuangshuang replayed before Gu Xin’s eyes, and countless emotions flowed thunderously with the rain.

In that haze, Yan Shuangshuang and Gu Xin looked at each other, one standing in the rain, the other beneath the eaves.

Time seemed to subtly slow at this moment, slow enough that Gu Xin could clearly see the droplets clinging to each of the other woman’s lashes, her rain-drenched clothes, and the conspicuous red marks on her arm.

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

Gu Xin stiffly lowered her hand and hid it behind her back. She did not know whether she had lost composure just now, nor what expression she had shown, but right now, she could not 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 still wanted to say something, but she could not find anything suitable for small talk.

She wanted to ask: Have you been doing well lately? Has filming been smooth? Weren’t you doing theater? How did you end up here? Are you hurt?

Questions surged up all at once, each one desperate to leave her mouth.

But Gu Xin merely led everyone inside. When she passed Yan Shuangshuang, she said a faint, insignificant thank you.

Yan Shuangshuang said, “You’re welcome. This side can’t fit so many people. You can go next door.”

Gu Xin said, “I’ll go over.”

The room abruptly fell silent.

Yan Shuangshuang was quiet for two seconds. “Mm.”

In her heart, Gu Xin slapped herself across the face, but the words that came out of her mouth remained calm. “After all, I’m an Alpha. A lot of things aren’t very appropriate. It’s that building next door, right? I’ll head over now.”

At this moment, Gu Xin deeply realized the truth that the more one said, the more mistakes one made. She wished she could take a time machine back and poison herself from two minutes ago mute. Then there would not be so much trouble.

Listen to what she was saying. It made her sound as if she cared so much about avoiding suspicion.

But Gu Xin’s inherent skill activated steadily—the more flustered she was, the calmer she looked.

Yan Shuangshuang gave another mm, no expression visible on her face.

Now, even the slowest person could sense there was something fishy between them, but no one dared make a sound.

Gu Xin could not stay here for another second. She hurriedly said thank you, then ran through the rain to the small two-story building next door.

Among the crowd, the doctoral student froze for a moment, then gritted her teeth. “I’ll go with Teacher Gu.”

She ran away too.

Watching the two of them leave, Yan Shuangshuang acted as if nothing had happened and arranged for people to go upstairs to the empty rooms.

Fortunately, the crew had many props, and the rented house was large enough. With more than twenty people squeezed together, every room was assigned a small space heater.

The team leader was still in Yan Shuangshuang and He Xin’s room checking the instruments. Yan Shuangshuang did not disturb her. Instead, she lifted her clothes slightly, sat down on the threshold, and stared blankly at the scenery outside.

After a while, He Xin came over. The two of them sat shoulder to shoulder, listening to the sound of rain.

“I never imagined I would one day see you sitting here with no regard for your image,” He Xin suddenly said.

Hearing this, Yan Shuangshuang turned her head to look at her. “Does that count as praise?”

“Mm.” He Xin expressionlessly became a praise machine. “You’re very dedicated. For the sake of filming, you can do even things that completely destroy your image.”

Yan Shuangshuang’s eyes remained fixed on the muddy ground. In her heart, she silently looked over the messy surface, trying to tell which footprint Gu Xin had stepped in just now. Her voice was faint. “I’m actually not that good. If Director Ying hadn’t been the only one willing to ask me to film, I probably wouldn’t have been able to persist either. You’re the impressive one. From beginning to end, you never complained once.”

He Xin suddenly turned her head and looked at her with burning eyes. “I’ve always believed in seeing is believing. My eyes tell me you aren’t the kind of person written about in the news. Someone framed you, right?”

Yan Shuangshuang was startled. She quickly glanced around and, after discovering no one was nearby, leaned closer to He Xin and said quietly, “Why are you suddenly saying this?”

“Tell me first. Did someone write nonsense about you? Who’s trying to mess with you?”

Yan Shuangshuang and He Xin faced off for a long while. In the end, Yan Shuangshuang lost to this stubborn child. She said, “So what if it’s true? So what if it’s false? I only want to film Director Ying’s movie well.”

“So it really is false.” He Xin said, “If you need a lawyer, I can introduce one to you. The entertainment companies and marketing accounts he’s screwed—cough, sued—number eight hundred even if not a thousand.”

Yan Shuangshuang pretended to joke, “Then I’m finished. For such a good lawyer, I can’t afford to hire him right now.”

“No money needed. If I say the word, he’ll definitely agree.”

Yan Shuangshuang was silent for a moment. She touched He Xin’s head and said softly, “People are very complicated, He Xin. What you see right now is only one side of me. There are still many sides you haven’t seen. We haven’t even spent a month together. You don’t understand me at all. What if everything written in the news is true? What if I’m only this approachable because I’ve fallen from grace?”

“Don’t be deceived by surface gentleness. If the words you said today get out, once you become popular in the future, they will turn into arrows shot at you.”

He Xin thought about it and said, “It’s fine. Only you heard them. If they get out, I’ll settle accounts with you.”

Yan Shuangshuang froze. Then she smiled helplessly. “I really don’t know what to say about you.”

“So will you lie to me?”

Yan Shuangshuang almost sighed as she said, “I will. I’m lying to you right now.”

Without blinking, He Xin said, “You’re lying to me that all the gossip news is true.”

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

“What?”

“I was married.”

“…Ah?”

“But I’m single now.”

“…”

Yan Shuangshuang chuckled softly. “Keep it a secret for me, okay?”

“Why are you here?” Ying Lu lifted her dripping wet pants and was startled the moment she entered the house.

Gu Xin stood in the living room like a mud sculpture, not daring to sit down, because there were no stools on Ying Lu’s side, only a sofa.

Gu Xin smiled bitterly. “It’s a long story.”

Ying Lu had been running up and down. Now she felt both cold and hot. She found some water and drank it heroically, gulping down two large mouthfuls. Only after wiping her mouth did she say, “Judging from your state, don’t tell me those cars down the slope are yours.”

“They were rented by our institute.”

“Then you’re truly unlucky.” Ying Lu had no scruples at all. Covered in mud, she directly sat down on the sofa and still had time to greet Gu Xin and the doctoral student. “Sit. Is this your student?”

Gu Xin said, “Colleague. How would I be qualified to take on students?”

“Her face looks so tender, like a university student.” Ying Lu said, “I don’t get it. What kind of research are you doing that you have to come to a mountain ditch like this? Shouldn’t you be doing it in a big city?”

The doctoral student had clearly fallen into the dilemma of a socially anxious person facing a social butterfly. She did not know whether she should answer, nor which sentence she should answer. While she was stuck between choices, Gu Xin simply sat down as told and pulled her down with her, saying calmly, “Only this place is suitable.”

Ying Lu raised her hand and interrupted, “Forget it, better not say more. I wouldn’t understand your stuff anyway. Be honest with me. Did you know that… mm, that person was here?”

Gu Xin thought for a moment, then slowly said, “If I’d known before coming, I would have chosen to withdraw from this research trip.”

Ying Lu’s eyes immediately widened. “Are you serious?”

Gu Xin lowered her eyes. Her back was held very straight, as if she were undergoing some kind of inspection. Her voice was very low. “I can’t cause trouble for other people.”

Ying Lu’s expression struggled. She wanted to say something, but in the end, she still did not. Instead, she turned to ask the doctoral student, “Little sister, you’re a Beta, right? Later, do you want to stay with our crew’s prop master? She’s a female Beta too.”

The doctoral student was overwhelmed by the favor. “N-No need to trouble yourself. Whatever is convenient for you is fine.”

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

“Our team leader is here. She’s responsible for that.”

Ying Lu asked curiously, “Team leader? Who can be your team leader?”

“Naturally, someone more impressive than me.”

Ying Lu was the type who feared the world would not be chaotic enough. The moment she heard this, she immediately declared that she absolutely had to go see this team leader who was more impressive than Gu Xin. No one could persuade her otherwise.

Gu Xin refused no matter what to go back to the other side. In the end, the doctoral student was grabbed as forced labor and followed Ying Lu excitedly next door to identify the team leader.

Two minutes later, before the sofa had even warmed beneath her and before Gu Xin’s emotions had recovered, she saw Ying Lu return with the doctoral student, wearing a strange expression.

The moment Ying Lu entered, she first let out a heavy sigh. After sitting down, she looked Gu Xin up and down with a bizarre gaze and continued sighing again and again.

Gu Xin could not help looking at the doctoral student. After discovering that the doctoral student looked as confused as she did, Gu Xin finally asked, “What’s wrong?”

Ying Lu sighed deeply again and stared at Gu Xin with great seriousness. She said, “Have you ever felt that your team leader looks a lot like someone?”