After Being Marked by the Popular Female Lead O (GL) - Chapter 30

It is a well-known and deeply trusted fact that Xie Qingshu is not the type of person to mess around on a film set.

If it weren’t for her own persistence and pinpointing the right moments, Xie Qingshu could have lived a life cleaner than anyone else, rather than the state she was in now.

However, a certain unvented emotion deep within Zhou Que was firmly controlling her thoughts; she was so deeply entangled in this feeling that she could not extricate herself.

She wanted to possess her, yet she was afraid of tainting her.

Instability was engraved in Zhou Que’s very bones. Her ears buzzed. Even though no one knew Xie Qingshu’s soft-hearted nature better than she did, this bit of sweetness had been hard-won; if she loosened her grip even slightly, it would slip away to someone else.

Xie Qingshu was so good; she didn’t want to share her with anyone… No… if the other woman found out her true face, there probably wouldn’t be a “later.”

Zhou Que’s heart hammered against her ribs, and her breathing quickened. She knew her current emotional state was wrong, but she couldn’t suppress it. A terrifying thought surfaced in her mind: she wanted to stuff the “candy” into her pocket and hide it away, so it would belong only to her.

But the thought was snapped as soon as it poked its head out. No, she couldn’t; she didn’t have the heart to.

Her pheromones showed signs of a looming riot.

Zhou Que finally gathered her courage to peer through that tiny crack in the door, wanting to see the answer she sought.

The atmosphere inside bore no resemblance to what the staff had suggested. On the contrary, it was frozen; even the sound of breathing was distinct. It clearly did not look like a scene of passion and affection.

Su Hui moved her lips, somewhat at a loss for words. The shock was likely too great for her. “Sister Qingshu, you don’t have to lie to me like that. Differentiation is a serious matter; I won’t believe what you’re saying.”

Although she understood Xie Qingshu wasn’t that kind of person, the news made it difficult for her to react.

Xie Qingshu knew she wouldn’t believe it. After a moment of silence, the scent of milk candy pheromones drifted through the space, the milky fragrance permeating every corner, so sweet it made the heart tremble.

This was not the soothing aura an Alpha could possess.

Despite the sweetness, Xie Qingshu’s face remained indifferent. The cold glint in her eyes was impossible to ignore. The two elements, which should have been incompatible, did not feel discordant together; they provided an unspeakable impact, mixed with an imperceptible attraction.

“Do you believe me now?” Xie Qingshu rarely released her pheromones in front of outsiders. She felt as though a secret was being pulled into the sunlight, making her feel inexplicably uncomfortable. As soon as she felt she had sufficiently proven she was an Omega, she quickly retracted them.

Suddenly, she thought of the time her pheromones had been exposed in front of Zhou Que. Back then, she hadn’t felt this way; it had been more a sense of unease.

“I indeed differentiated into an Omega not long ago.”

As Xie Qingshu said the words, she felt a wave of relief.

Su Hui, however, found it impossible to accept. Her steps faltered, and the words caught in her throat. “This… how could this be? Didn’t they say back then you differentiated into an Alpha?”

At first, she had wondered if this was just an excuse to reject her, but the moment she smelled the pheromones, the thought vanished. It was too sweet—sweeter even than her own.

Xie Qingshu moved her lips. Retracting her pheromones with pinpoint precision, she explained, “The doctor said the previous differentiation was incomplete…”

Subconsciously, Xie Qingshu did not want to tell Su Hui about the high compatibility rate or the fact that Zhou Que had almost marked her.

And Su Hui wasn’t the only one shocked beyond recovery.

Su Hui didn’t know which was harder to accept: that Xie Qingshu had become an Omega, or that the other woman’s pheromones actually smelled better than hers. She took a deep breath and walked straight out.

Su Hui was in such a hurry that she didn’t notice Zhou Que standing at the top of the stairs.

Inside the room, a light breeze blew past. the milk candy pheromones drifted out with it and quickly dissipated into the air. It was so brief it almost seemed like a hallucination; no matter how hard one tried to catch it, not a wisp could be grasped. Yet, it wafted over again indistinctly, pressing against the nerves deep in the heart. One couldn’t catch it, yet longed to possess it, stepping further and further into the abyss.

Zhou Que’s fingertips trembled slightly. Finally, she obeyed her body’s instinct. Even though she knew it might lead nowhere, the pheromones that had been on the verge of collapse were instantly calmed.

But she quickly realized that all the abnormalities on Xie Qingshu’s scent gland now had an explanation. Going to the hospital was likely for this reason as well. And since no one had been told of her Omega status, she clearly didn’t want anyone to know. If she revealed it now, it wouldn’t be settled easily.

A thought occurred to Zhou Que, and a smile curved her lips. For the first time, she felt a slight willingness to accept her status as an Alpha.

In the dressing room, Xie Qingshu was completely unaware of these hidden struggles. She rubbed her brow, hoping the remaining pheromones weren’t too strong; otherwise, it would be impossible to explain. Other people’s opinions didn’t matter, but… Zhou Que. Thinking that she might misunderstand made her heart skip a beat.

Before she could think further, Song Mei called. It wasn’t hard to judge from her voice that her emotions were off.

“What’s wrong?” Xie Qingshu grew slightly nervous at her reaction. She thought her Omega status had been exposed.

Song Mei’s face was clouded with a looming storm. Her footsteps on the floor were so heavy she nearly crushed the ground. “Have you seen the trending searches? Go look immediately. Don’t post anything yet; the team is already thinking of a way.”

To have such a massive incident right out of the gate! She should have nipped it in the bud when she saw the signs. Yet, when the “blade” finally fell, she wasn’t as surprised as she imagined, as if a fact had simply been revealed.

Xie Qingshu frowned. Only matters concerning Zhou Que could make Song Mei react this way. As she skillfully opened the trending list, she asked, “Did something happen to Zhou Que?”

Song Mei let out a cold snort, the meaning unclear.

Xie Qingshu didn’t even have to search; she saw it at the very top. Just looking at the headline made her scalp tingle. No wonder Song Mei was so angry.

—Zhou Que repeatedly visits Xie Qingshu’s room late at night.

The post hadn’t been up long, yet it had already hit number one. Clicking in revealed several grainy photos. The angles were particularly tricky, making it hard to notice they were taken surreptitiously. The image quality had been blurred, and the faces were only shown in profile, making them hard to see clearly. However, just looking at the lines of the back, it was obvious it was Zhou Que—there was no one else it could be. And the person being blocked from view was Xie Qingshu.

The dim lighting made the entire atmosphere look ambiguous and lingering, with an unspeakable sense of distance. Judging by the movements and reactions, this clearly wasn’t the first time.

[To whichever sister said the backer might be Xie Qingshu, come out and speak up, I’ll apologize.]

[The circle is too messy. And doesn’t Zhou Que have relationships with many Alphas? How could Xie Qingshu even go through with this? My filters have shattered into dust.]

[Taking my Sister away from this mess. The official account hasn’t confirmed anything yet; waiting for an explanation. Also, Zhou Que is clearly leaning into a ‘virtuous and soft’ persona now.]

[How many times do we have to explain? Zhou Que’s messy private life is the work of people stirring up trouble!]

[I actually see a bit of CP chemistry. Suddenly realized it might not be such a bad thing…]

[Me too. Even if I get flamed, I have to say: Que-Shu shippers! I can handle this!]

[Cold Movie Queen A & Alluring Starlet O, I live for this!]

[I disagree. It would clearly be more exciting the other way around. Xie Qingshu is too incredible; she truly is the A I want to mark most.]

[They match so well I have nothing to say, but Zhou Que, get out of the way. I’m the only one who will mark Xie Qingshu.]

The subsequent tide of opinion was completely unexpected. Even Song Mei, who had prepared for a hard battle, found it unbelievable. Crucially, before she even had time to intervene, she could tell whether it was bot-controlled or genuine fans.

…That’s it?

Of course, the people controlling this narrative behind the scenes were also caught off guard. This was a trump card, intended for use only as a last resort. Zhou Que’s recent trajectory had been too good, and her past controversies were almost cleared. They decided to strike to cool her down, but they didn’t expect the opponent to effortlessly use the opportunity to light a massive fire.

They had helped Zhou Que for nothing.

Xie Qingshu scrolled through a few more pages, simultaneously guessing the deeper meaning behind it. She felt a bit of self-blame; perhaps it would have been better to take things step-by-step after all.

However, upon exiting, she discovered a topic at the very bottom: Bai family in turmoil, suspected of a major reshuffle.

The Bai family’s business.