After Being Marked by the Popular Female Lead O (GL) - Chapter 21

Xie Qingshu had no idea that in such a short amount of time, Zhou Que’s thoughts had spiraled to such a complex degree. After finishing their discussion, they headed onto the set.

“Ready? 3, 2, 1, action!” Deng Yue stared intently at the monitor.

The two women nodded, their demeanors shifting instantly. The other departments had long been fully prepared.

The frost and snow falling from the sky showed no signs of stopping; instead, it grew heavier by the second. In the blink of an eye, it covered the ground, enveloping the young girl lying there.

It was freezing. Her spiritual power had been completely stripped away. Wearing only a thin, tattered disciple’s robe, her skin was frozen a deep red. Cast onto the snow without any protection, one would think she was already dead if they didn’t look closely. Even if she wasn’t dead yet, there was likely no way to survive if this continued.

This was the place where disciples were imprisoned, covered in frost and snow year-round. There were no specific physical tortures here, but being locked up for two or three years with nothing to see but snow—not a living soul, not even a blade of grass—the sheer isolation was enough to kill anyone.

However, for Qin Yun, who had lived for thousands of years in the darkness fueled by her heart’s hatred for Ju Zhan, this was merely a change of environment. Though the hatred was now thicker, mingled with something else.

The figure before her was blurred, almost merging with the snow. Qin Yun moved slightly; she knew Ju Zhan had come.

“Do you know your wrongs?” Ju Zhan asked coldly.

Since she had been imprisoned, this was the first time Ju Zhan had come to see her.

Having been trapped for so long, Qin Yun struggled to speak properly, but she still shook her head with difficulty. “I… did not kill them.”

Disciples within Huan Lang Tian were dying mysteriously, their bodies filled with demonic energy, their deaths gruesome. Initially, Ju Zhan sent people to search the entire sect but found nothing. After things settled for a while and everyone had almost forgotten the incident, the Fourth Elder died.

It was exactly the same.

Panic spread throughout the sect; everyone felt they were in danger, fearing they would be next. Ju Zhan reacted quickly, her divine sense covering nearly the entire cultivation world, yet she couldn’t find a second person more suspicious than Qin Yun.

At the same time, Ju Zhan discovered a problem she had overlooked: Qin Yun had long ago turned to demonic cultivation.

All her years of diligent teaching had ultimately turned to ash.

The news that Qin Yun was the demonic star somehow spread everywhere. Various sects organized a joint hunt, and countless rumors emerged—the more absurd the story, the more people believed it.

The disciple of the world’s number one Immortal Sovereign was the demonic star. Everyone subconsciously grouped them together. Fortunately, Ju Zhan saw through these people clearly and personally executed Qin Yun before any major moves were made.

At least, that was how it appeared on the surface.

The cultivation world returned to its former tranquility, but there was now one more criminal disciple at the lowest level of Cold Mountain.

“I didn’t kill them,” Qin Yun repeated the words over and over, but a crimson glint hid in her eyes, looking as if she might pounce and bite Ju Zhan at any second.

She didn’t know what had happened to those people; unless there was a second demonic star, the one she cared about was Ju Zhan—who had judged her guilty without a single word of doubt.

She had had enough of these days in the dark. A look of finality flashed across Qin Yun’s expression.

A trace of pain appeared on Ju Zhan’s expressionless face. If she didn’t do this, Qin Yun’s fate would only be more miserable than it was now. In truth, Ju Zhan herself was beginning to lose her clarity; in the past, she might have turned a blind eye, but now she had made this decision.

A metallic sweetness rose in her throat. Her cultivation, recently stabilized after seclusion, showed signs of faltering, but she couldn’t care about that now.

“Tell me, how did you fall into the demonic path?” her voice was strained.

Qin Yun only had to look up slightly to see the glow of the sword. She still remembered the chill left behind when it pierced her chest in her past life. She clenched her palms, gathering a certain surging power.

“I didn’t. Master doesn’t believe me… are you going to kill me now?”

Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, yet it stirred a secret emotion deep within Ju Zhan.

“I want to know why you entered the demonic path,” Ju Zhan’s eyes held a hint of bewilderment, her hand holding the sword trembling slightly. “…Was I not good enough to you?”

The surroundings fell silent for a moment, save for the howling of the wind and snow. The ground began to crack, and the white was covered by darkness at a speed visible to the naked eye. Ju Zhan reacted quickly, but it was already too late; her face darkened completely.

Ju Zhan lost control of the area. A massive force pressed down on her, and she bore it head-on, blood beads seeping from her lips as she eventually fell to one knee.

The seemingly dying girl stood up from the ground, madness glinting in her eyes. She looked down and stared fixedly at Ju Zhan, savoring the expression on her face. “No, it’s because Master was too good to me.”

Ju Zhan’s eyelashes trembled, but she said nothing, as if she had already guessed this outcome.

Qin Yun didn’t see what she wanted to see on that face. She smiled slightly through the blood and dirt. “I almost forgot that Master is the best at divination.”

Qin Yun tilted Ju Zhan’s face up, forcing her to look at her. Her movements were somewhat rough, leaving a red mark on the other woman’s face. Her tone was not that of a disciple respecting a master, but more like the whisper of a lover.

“Does Master want to know why I fell into the demonic path again? I can tell you, but you’ll have to do me a favor…”

Ju Zhan could see nothing. She had never stayed in such an environment for long. She still trusted Qin Yun to some extent, subconsciously believing she wouldn’t truly harm her.

But when her outer robe was pulled away and warm lips lingered on her neck, their breaths intertwining, she felt an extreme sense of danger and panic.

A light chuckle escaped Qin Yun’s nose. She spoke polite words, but her hands didn’t stop for a second. “Then Master, help me break through my heart’s demon.”

…

Intense pheromones suddenly diffused through the air. Xie Qingshu couldn’t help but bite her lip, unable to control the leakage of her pheromones.

She felt a surge of regret; she should have stayed behind at the exhibition to let Doctor Gu take a look.

Zhou Que clearly smelled the scent of milk candy as well. She endured it with difficulty. It was strange—she could usually breeze through her own ruts easily, but facing the pheromones of a fellow Alpha, she felt as though she were losing her restraint.

“Sister, don’t…” She moved her lips, only to find her voice was terrifyingly hoarse.

Xie Qingshu looked up at her, feeling inexplicably irritable from the loss of pheromone control. Her voice carried a slight, unconscious whine. “I can’t take them back. What should I do?”

Zhou Que’s eyes held a hint of helplessness, but mostly amusement. “Then, Sister, don’t be angry.”

Xie Qingshu didn’t know what method Zhou Que intended to use. Unknowingly, a flush rose to her cheeks. From her debut until now, no one knew the scent of her pheromones. An Alpha with a milk candy scent—it felt excessively sweet no matter how you looked at it.

When she was young, Xie Qingshu felt it wasn’t “cool” enough and always hid it. As she grew up, she didn’t care as much, but she had grown accustomed to the secrecy. Coupled with the certain atmosphere of the entertainment industry, she was unwilling to display it before others.

“What… what are you doing?” Xie Qingshu asked with a hint of trepidation. Ever since that night on the rooftop, she had a faint feeling that Zhou Que wasn’t as she appeared on the surface.

At least, she wasn’t that obedient.

“It’s nothing, don’t worry.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a strong scent of blue water lily pheromones instantly surrounded Xie Qingshu. The faint milk candy scent was mixed within; the two merged until the milk candy was submerged under the strength and oppression of Zhou Que’s pheromones—imperceptible yet uniquely prominent.