After Being Marked by the Popular Female Lead O (GL) - Chapter 18

The human figures swayed under the lamplight, casting exceptionally long shadows. The air was thick with the scent of extravagance, various high-end perfumes lingering to mask the underlying pheromones.

Zhou Que sniffed the wine in her hand; it was the same generic intensity as always. She swirled it slightly, forming a beautiful, shimmering halo of reflected light.

“Who let you in?” A sharp voice came from behind. Zhou Que didn’t need to turn around to know it was Bai Siran.

Bai Siran couldn’t stand Zhou Que’s indifferent attitude, as if she didn’t care about anything or anyone.

Zhou Que narrowed her eyes. “Miss Bai, why do you look so surprised to see me?”

Bai Siran wasn’t truly curious about how she got in. Thinking of the many scandal-linked partners of Zhou Que who were present, she suddenly thought of something amusing, her eyes filling with smugness. “Didn’t you recently hook up with a new Alpha? Name’s Xie Qingshu, right?”

Zhou Que silently swirled her wine glass. The ripples paused for a moment, but the movement went unnoticed.

“I just saw her—she’s with another Omega,” Bai Siran raised her eyebrows. She had only seen Xie Qingshu and a silhouette from behind, so she didn’t know it was Zhong Shan. “I suppose her ‘affection’ is only worth that much…”

The next second, Bai Siran was rendered speechless. Her face contorted with rage, and her wrist throbbed with intense pain. She hadn’t expected Zhou Que to suddenly turn on her like this. Just as she was about to snap a reprimand, she met Zhou Que’s eyes, and the words died in her throat.

By the time she regained her composure, her legs felt weak. Zhou Que had already released her grip, her tone cold. “Miss Bai, you’d better mind your own business.”

Several people approached from a distance looking for Bai Siran, forcing her to put on a smile and go deal with them.

Zhou Que drained the wine in her glass in one gulp, her expression unchanged. She had, of course, seen Zhong Shan by Xie Qingshu’s side, but the girl looked even more like the “ordinary Omega” Bai Siran had described.

Perhaps she was beautiful, perhaps she was charming—whatever it was, it didn’t matter.

Zhou Que stared blankly at the dregs of the wine. She knew Xie Qingshu’s personality all too well; she looked icy on the outside, but in reality, she was softer-hearted than most. And Zhong Shan fit every criteria for pity.

She even had what Zhou Que lacked.

At the banquet, men were in suits and women in gowns—a dizzying array of elegance. Zhong Shan followed Xie Qingshu closely like a little tail. Only by escaping the judgmental gazes of others could she truly feel the charm of such a place.

No wonder people outside were like moths to a flame, breaking their necks just to get inside.

Zhong Shan watched her surroundings with a sense of longing for a while before noticing someone approaching Xie Qingshu. When she recognized the person, her breathing quickened.

It was Old Mr. Jin! An absolute titan in the world of painting.

“Hello, Grandpa Jin.” A small smile appeared on Xie Qingshu’s face—the maximum expression of warmth she usually showed.

Old Mr. Jin stroked his beard, his usual sternness softening into affection. “Xiao Shu is here too. Have a good look around.”

Xie Qingshu nodded and asked a few polite questions about his health; she had effectively grown up under the old man’s gaze.

Old Mr. Jin narrowed his eyes. “And this is…?”

An Omega following an Alpha usually invited assumptions. Although Xie Qingshu maintained her distance, Zhong Shan was following her too closely.

Zhong Shan looked at Xie Qingshu abruptly, her face flushing deeper.

“No, she’s a painting student. I wanted you to take a look at her work.” Xie Qingshu handed over the paintings Zhong Shan had sent her previously.

However, after looking at them, Old Mr. Jin didn’t seem surprised at all. His expression grew more serious. “Someone has already shown me these. I’ll address this during the event.”

With Old Mr. Jin’s support, even the Bai family wouldn’t be able to react in time.

Zhong Shan swallowed hard. She truly hadn’t expected Xie Qingshu to actually help her.

This was Old Mr. Jin! And he was actually willing to stand up for her.

Just as Xie Qingshu was about to say something, a crisp sound echoed from not far away—it seemed a guest had shattered a glass. She followed the sound, and her pupils dilated slightly.

A red silhouette quickly vanished into the crowd. Only a glimpse of a profile was left, but she was certain it was Zhou Que.

Old Mr. Jin frowned; he had clearly recognized her as well. “Why is that child here?”

Xie Qingshu paused, a sense of curiosity rising in her heart. “Grandpa Jin, you know Zhou Que?”

“Met her twice. An excessively clever child; she’s talented at whatever she does,” Old Mr. Jin sighed, then added, “But she’s too obsessive, not at all like she appears on the surface.”

Such a dual-sided evaluation was something she had never heard from Old Mr. Jin before.

“Please excuse me for a moment.”

Old Mr. Jin nodded. He was quite interested in Zhong Shan’s paintings and had planned to find a time to chat anyway.

Zhong Shan blinked. She saw Xie Qingshu looking hurried, seemingly searching for someone, and in the blink of an eye, she was gone.

A light breeze on the rooftop stirred Zhou Que’s lazy curls, revealing her long, fair neck. Her bright red qipao was alluring without being gaudy, the fabric hugging her curves and emphasizing her slender, willow-like waist.

Her eyes were dazed as she stared off into the distance.

The steady, crisp clack-clack of high heels approached from behind.

“Sister is here?” Zhou Que turned around, her red lips curving upward.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming…?”

Before Xie Qingshu could finish her question, she frowned. Zhou Que’s long, slender fingers—the kind that looked suited for holding books—were expertly holding a cigarette. Her nails were plain and trimmed short to the quick, clean enough to make a school dean nod in approval.

She subconsciously tried to make excuses for the girl, her intuition telling her Zhou Que wasn’t that kind of person.

But the cigarette was half-burnt, with smoke slowly rising.

Could someone have forced it on her?

But Zhou Que shattered Xie Qingshu’s theory in the next second. She brought the cigarette to her lips and took a puff without any discomfort. This wasn’t her first time; at least, no one was forcing her.

“Who… who taught you this?” Xie Qingshu’s voice was heavy as she let out a long breath.

Zhou Que raised her eyebrows, her eyes sparkling with a sharpness unusual for her age. It was like a calm water surface suddenly erupting into a violent storm. “I learned it myself. Who would teach me?”

The good and the bad were all the same.

“It’s bad for your health,” Xie Qingshu said blankly, her expression deadly serious.

Zhou Que was like a different person here. With the rooftop quiet and free from the noise of the set, she was willing to peel back a corner of herself. She knew she was being impulsive, but for once she couldn’t control it. A thought struck her, and her eyes suddenly lit up.

“With Sister’s personality, you’ve probably never touched something like this, have you? Since you’ve taught me so much, I should return the favor…”

Before Xie Qingshu could even get a “What?” out, her waist felt a sudden heat. She was pulled forward, forced to look directly into Zhou Que’s eyes.

Their faces were clearly reflected in each other’s pupils.

Xie Qingshu could clearly smell the faint scent of alcohol on Zhou Que. Her heart fluttered for a moment. “You’re drunk. Let go.”

The rooftop was protected only by glass. High above, the sky was full of shimmering stars; below, the city lights glowed, a world of eternal brightness.

Zhou Que chuckled softly, her elegance undeniable. She tightened her grip slightly, then raised her hand to take another puff of the cigarette, exhaling through her slightly parted red lips.

The smoke swirled around them, carrying a chaotic and fatal attraction.

They were inches apart. If Zhou Que lowered her gaze just slightly, she could see Xie Qingshu’s trembling eyelashes.

It felt as if only this thin veil of smoke stood between them.

And it would scatter as soon as the wind blew.