After Being Marked by the Popular Female Lead O (GL) - Chapter 13

Deng Yue, sitting behind the monitor, looked puzzled, but just pursed his lips.

What was wrong with Xie Qingshu? That shouldn’t be happening. Wasn’t the filming going fine before?

Deng Yue reviewed the shooting results again. Apart from the last expression, everything else was impeccable. He attributed the issue to the fact that the two had cooperated too little, his expression thoughtful.

Xie Qingshu took a moment to recover, then finally let out a sigh of relief. “Xiao Zhu, please help me get the script.”

This action seemed more like a way to conceal her inner shock.

“Okay.” Xiao Zhu quickly ran off. When she returned, she noticed Xie Qingshu staring into a certain direction in a daze and instinctively looked over.

It was Zhou Que and the only assistant she had brought with her.

The assistant looked unfamiliar, likely not from the company, and her eyes were filled mostly with contempt. She formed a sharp contrast standing next to Zhou Que. Those around them were cautious and didn’t dare speak up, only stealing glances, treating it as a spectacle.

“Sister Que, do you really think you’re a big star?” The assistant’s face was full of disdain, and she deliberately emphasized the title, clearly dissatisfied with being Zhou Que’s assistant. Her attitude was aggressive.

Zhou Que lowered her head. Only her shoulders could be seen trembling slightly, making it impossible to discern her specific emotions. This stillness and lack of reaction made people feel pity for her.

Deng Yue, the only one who knew her true nature, saw this look and his eyelids twitched fiercely. Well, the big shot is putting on an act again.

Since the efficiency this time was much better than expected, he decided to ignore it, waving his hand to signal a short break for everyone.

The more Zhou Que behaved this way, the more energized Liang Nuo became, her heart burning with anger.

She was originally supposed to take over the previous manager’s position and rise quickly. She never expected the previous one to be so reckless, offending whoever he did, and being struck down so badly that he would never recover in this lifetime.

This dragged her down, leaving her as a mere assistant. Initially, she was resentful, but later she received a message from a mysterious person asking her to monitor Zhou Que’s every move, not missing a single detail. The payments were always generous.

Liang Nuo gradually figured out Zhou Que’s background and became more brazen, openly belittling her. Of course, she never found anything unusual. Over time, she dropped her guard, thinking Zhou Que was too easy to bully.

When she sent these reports to the mysterious person, the recipient seemed pleased and would send her tens of thousands more.

Liang Nuo, therefore, became tireless, and some of her actions, which were initially covert, were now performed openly.

“What kind of acting is that? It’s not good at all…” She couldn’t understand the performance, but she felt the emotional resonance and just didn’t want Zhou Que to have it too easy. Thinking of what that person sent her, she became even more excited.

“Sister is a good actor,” Zhou Que’s voice was muffled, laced with stubbornness.

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was just audible to Xie Qingshu, whose steps paused.

Liang Nuo naturally noticed this. If anyone present hated Zhou Que the most, it was probably Xie Qingshu, so she didn’t take it to heart. Her eyes darted around, as if she had thought of something.

A trace of pheromones silently diffused into the surroundings, carrying the scent of rust, assaulting the sense of smell.

This was an Alpha’s way. Generally, Alphas control this, and releasing it so brazenly can have unimaginable consequences, especially if an Omega smells it, which could easily trigger the latter’s heat.

For Zhou Que, if this were to get out, it would be a huge blow.

Liang Nuo’s action clearly intended to leave Zhou Que no room for maneuver.

Xie Qingshu’s aloof expression finally fractured. This scene had appeared in the original book and had succeeded. After that incident, Zhou Que became an extremely awkward presence in the entertainment circle.

No film crew dared to hire her, and the media spun the incident wildly. The most absurd narrative was that Zhou Que seduced an Alpha at work, causing her to enter heat, which eventually led to the appearance of a certain scum Alpha later in the plot.

Xie Qingshu didn’t care about the scum Alpha’s appearance, but she distinctly remembered that this plot point was supposed to be much later, not happening now, and not being witnessed by her.

There were no Alpha barrier devices on set. Her actions were faster than her thoughts. Xie Qingshu didn’t have time to overthink. She pulled Zhou Que towards her, covering her mouth and nose with her palm. The faint warmth of her breath fell onto the skin of her palm.

It wasn’t exactly itchy.

It just reminded Xie Qingshu of a cat she once had, placing food in her palm and letting the cat eat small bites. Afterward, the cat would carefully and gently brush its nose against the spot, purring contentedly.

That soft touch was completely different from now, not even soft, but far more profound.

With the lower half of her face covered, Zhou Que’s black-and-white eyes were particularly clear, her attractive, upturned eye corners filled with disbelief.

The pheromones, which had aggressively assaulted her chest just a moment ago, making her feel nauseous, were now covered by a cool scent—extremely faint, so much so that one had to search carefully to find a trace of it.

Zhou Que’s fingers curled tightly, almost turning white. The violent emotions surging within her, on the verge of breaking free, were instantly soothed, replaced by peace and quiet.

This emotion was an extreme luxury for her. Even if an Alpha had their claws pulled and all their traits forcibly erased, the blood flowing through their veins was still fundamentally one of possession and dominance. This was something that could not be hidden, no matter how much she restrained herself day and night.

The more she restrained it, the stronger the backlash became.

Even Deng Yue had said that continuing like this would eventually kill her.

Zhou Que felt a touch of irony. She didn’t have to wait for the future; she was already tasting the power of this backlash.

Zhou Que tried to sniff twice more. From her angle, she could only see Xie Qingshu’s cold jawline. Her lips were tightly pursed, devoid of emotion, making her feel as if getting close would freeze her.

Yet, her hands were warm.

“Take it back,” Xie Qingshu said to Liang Nuo, her tone calm but brooking no argument. “Your pheromones.”

Liang Nuo was stunned, her expression frozen in place. She hadn’t expected this intervention. Xie Qingshu was acting completely different from what she expected. Frightened, she immediately retracted the pheromones she had released, not allowing even a wisp to escape.

The air instantly became clean.

“Teacher Xie, I… I was just joking with Sister Que. Please don’t take it seriously.”

Liang Nuo let out a dry laugh. Xie Qingshu was different from Zhou Que; she wasn’t someone she could easily offend. Remembering something, she glanced at Zhou Que behind Xie Qingshu, signaling her to say something nice.

“Is that true?” Xie Qingshu turned her gaze to ask, forgetting that she was still covering Zhou Que’s face.

Zhou Que’s lips touched her palm, a soft, yielding sensation that seeped into her bones. Now, she truly resembled that little cat.

Xie Qingshu let go, her gaze fixed on her.

As air rushed back into her body, the already faint cool scent vanished completely without a trace.

“It’s fine, Sister. I… I really don’t mind.” Zhou Que’s voice was timid. Before finishing, she bit her lip, quickly glancing up and then lowering her head, looking very afraid.

Although she said nothing, it felt as though everything had been said.

Deng Yue was still worried that she would be taken advantage of, but seeing this scene, his mouth twitched. “…”

Liang Nuo’s pupils were wide with panic. She noticed the surrounding gazes lingering—exploring, disgusted, and everything in between. She immediately lost her composure, gritting her teeth. I never noticed before, but this little thing is quite clever at a time like this.

Well, I can’t clear my name now anyway!

She didn’t want a direct conflict with Xie Qingshu, nor did she want to give up such a good job. She gave in and apologized. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“Remember to control your pheromones,” Xie Qingshu said coldly.

If Alphas could act recklessly just by relying on their gender, what was the use of scent glands?

Liang Nuo thought the matter was over and let out a sigh of relief, scurrying away crestfallen.

But Xiao Zhu, who always followed Xie Qingshu, understood that she was genuinely angry this time and the issue wouldn’t be easily dropped.

Liang Nuo’s good days were over.

“Thank you, Sister.”

Xie Qingshu hummed an indifferent response. The first thought that crossed her mind was that the child was quite obedient.

Obedient and polite. No one would hate a person like that.

But she also realized something: Liang Nuo, a mere assistant, wouldn’t dare to cause this kind of trouble unless she was backed by someone.

It was because of the Bai family that these subsequent events happened. Without this suppression, those scum Alphas wouldn’t have been able to exploit her weakness. If Zhou Que was fine, the Xie family wouldn’t have been retaliated against.

Xie Qingshu felt enlightened and her expression subtly softened. Avoiding contact with the plot wouldn’t work, but personally mentoring the child—that she could do.

It doesn’t seem too difficult.

Xie Qingshu examined Zhou Que. A slight blush crept up behind her ear, making her look somewhat cute. Xie Qingshu quietly sighed. She’s still too obedient. No wonder she’s bullied like this. I just need to pay more attention to her.

She decided she would cultivate Zhou Que into a fierce Omega!

At least one who could kick the scum Alphas and champion Omega rights.

Zhou Que felt the gaze on her become inexplicably warmer. “…”

Given the situation, filming couldn’t continue. Deng Yue considered the budget and decided not to save money for the person who was going to add investment later. He checked the schedule for the next day and dismissed everyone.

[Was there any result from the last incident?]

As Liang Nuo was lost in thought, her phone suddenly rang. At this hour, it could only be that person.

The release of pheromones was at the other person’s instruction, seemingly a test of some kind. Liang Nuo didn’t understand it, but she still replied.

[I attempted it according to your instruction, but it was unsuccessful.]

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, stopping short of pressing send.

Liang Nuo felt a sharp gaze behind her. Her heart chilled. She slowly turned around and saw Zhou Que looking at her with a gentle smile, her aura nothing like the weakness she showed to the public.

“What are you typing? Hmm?”

Zhou Que’s voice was laced with a chilling amusement.

Liang Nuo was now completely speechless. The overwhelming surge of pheromones suffocated her. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and her face turned pale. She was barely able to lean against the wall to keep her legs from collapsing.

This, this is definitely not an Omega’s pheromones.

Her Alpha body instinctually screamed for her to run away. She’s much stronger than me. If this continues, my pheromones will be ruined!

“Why aren’t you answering my question?” Zhou Que’s eyes were completely blank. She naturally took the phone containing the unsent message. A faint smile curved her lips, finally lending her an air of authenticity.

Bai Siran’s widened pupils were filled with terror. She knew all along.