After Being Marked by the Popular Female Lead O (GL) - Chapter 31.1

Regarding the affairs of wealthy families, whether they be scandals or otherwise, the media maintains a certain boundary, knowing what to report and what to avoid. However, due to the immense initial popularity and the large number of people following Zhou Que, reports that were briefly taken down have resurfaced.

The shares held by Old Master Bai have been transferred, though it remains unknown who received them or how they managed to make him concede. What is certain, however, is that this giant is about to change hands.

Xie Qingshu’s brow furrowed slightly. This matter was clearly more serious than the scandal. Previous turmoils within the Bai family had caused little stir, but this was the first time it had reached such a level; there was bound to be an unknown reason behind it.

Could it be that Bai Ting couldn’t hold back anymore?

The thought lasted only a moment before being suppressed. The structure of the Bai family is complex; unless someone at a higher level gives the nod, it is difficult to access the core assets. At least for now, the opponent didn’t have the courage to do so. Following this logic, it could only be someone else.

Bai Siran was clearly not within Xie Qingshu’s consideration.

The original book had mentioned a point, if Xie Qingshu remembered correctly, though the description was very vague—a single, casual sentence as background, and then nothing. She hadn’t read past that point, so she couldn’t think of who exactly was in control.

Xie Qingshu vaguely had some clues, but they dissipated before she could grasp them. She worried that Zhou Que would be affected.

“What’s wrong? Actually, judging by the fans’ reactions, they seem quite accepting. After all… you two still have the script, and it’s not impossible for genuine feelings to develop, so there’s no need to overthink it.”

Song Mei hadn’t heard a voice from the other end for a long time. Her tongue almost slipped into saying they were “a good match,” and she felt a mix of shock and relief.

Fan acceptance was far better than imagined; it would be much easier when things are officially announced in the future.

Song Mei suddenly realized what she was thinking and shook her head vigorously. A joke is one thing, but how could it be possible?

“By the way, Doctor Gu contacted me saying it’s best to come in for a check-up on your scent gland soon. We need to control the dosage of inhibitors to avoid pheromone disorder.”

“Okay.”

Song Mei’s sudden voice made Xie Qingshu jump. She said filming was about to start and hung up.

“What’s going on?”

Song Mei murmured to herself. Just as she was about to check the fan comments again, she accidentally saw one at the bottom, and her expression instantly froze.

She wished she were blind.

After reading the trending topics, Xie Qingshu’s pace showed an uncharacteristic urgency.

When she arrived at the set, she found that the small corner where Zhou Que always stayed was empty. That angle made it difficult for others to notice her, but allowed her to observe everyone’s reactions.

“Sister Qingshu, why are you here?” Xiao Zhu’s tone was confused. “Sister Que was just looking for you.”

Xie Qingshu’s heart skipped a beat. “What is it?”

She subconsciously touched her scent gland. It couldn’t have been heard, right?

“It’s nothing, she just wanted you to go for a close-up reshoot, and how to deal with the rumors; the whole crew is talking about it,” Xiao Zhu said. To be honest, she was shipping them a bit, but was somewhat afraid of Song Mei.

For some reason, Xie Qingshu felt a sense of relief mixed with disappointment. She looked around but couldn’t find her, and asked as if casually, “Where is she?”

Xiao Zhu shook her head. “Not with the crew. She went back just now, looking very rushed. She didn’t pack anything. Probably only the director knows. She told me to tell you she’s just going back to check on things and will be back in two days.”

It was clear that whatever happened was urgent, yet she hadn’t forgotten to leave a message for her.

Xie Qingshu gave a faint “oh,” her tone betraying no special emotion. No specific details were mentioned, but it wasn’t hard to guess—it could only be about the Bai family.

Her phone was open to her chat with Zhou Que. She wanted to send something but didn’t know what to say. In her hesitation, she suddenly realized that since they added each other, Zhou Que had always been the one to initiate contact. Her own replies were pitifully few; anyone else would likely feel disrespected.

Xie Qingshu bit her lip and typed a few words to send, but unexpectedly, the other side was much faster.

[Is there something Sister wants to say?]

The message startled Xie Qingshu so much she almost dropped her phone.

[No, nothing.]

At the airport, a quick smile flashed in the corner of Zhou Que’s eye. She saw the “typing…” notification at the top left, but she pretended not to notice, not intending to expose Sister Xie’s pride.

[I’ll be back in two days and won’t delay the progress. Don’t worry about the trending topics, Sister.]

The assistant responsible for accompanying her had a look on her face as if she had seen a ghost, feeling inexplicably curious about who was on the other end. This big shot actually had such an expression.

But before she could guess, the conversation ended. Zhou Que’s expression turned icy cold, and her tone dropped several degrees.

“Let’s go.”

Her slender silhouette vanished into the crowd. The assistant dared not delay and followed her immediately.

[Zhong Shan contacted me.]

After sending the message, Xie Qingshu waited for a while but saw no reply from Zhou Que. She hadn’t said much, so it should be within the normal range—she was likely heading through security.

Xie Qingshu hadn’t lied to Zhou Que; Zhong Shan had indeed contacted her.

“Sister Qingshu!” Zhong Shan’s voice was full of happiness and excitement.

Moved by her mood, Xie Qingshu gave a hum of affirmation.

Zhong Shan didn’t find it difficult; rather, the fact that she could answer the phone was already enough of a joy. “I’m preparing an art exhibition with pieces I painted under my teacher’s guidance. He said they are very good, so I wanted to ask you, are you free next week?”

Remembering something, her tone became somewhat anxious, and she added, “I know you are filming now. If you don’t have time, you don’t have to come.”

Her voice grew weaker toward the end. Actually, she didn’t necessarily need Xie Qingshu to come, but if she didn’t, she always felt like something was missing.

Xie Qingshu asked for the address. It was very close to Doctor Gu’s hospital. After her scent gland check-up, she could go to the exhibition; the timing didn’t conflict.

But she hesitated for a moment and only said, “I’ll see how the schedule looks then.”

It would be bad if she agreed rashly and then couldn’t make it.

Zhong Shan was slightly dazed by this response. She bit her lip and couldn’t help but think of Zhou Que. If she asked for something, Sister Xie probably wouldn’t refuse, right?

“Okay, it’s fine. Sister Qingshu, I’ll wait for you.”

Her voice was persistent.

Xie Qingshu gave a hum of affirmation, feeling an inexplicable sense of unease, as if something was about to happen.

Does Zhou Que’s departure affect her this much?

Xie Qingshu sighed and looked into the exhibition. Nominally organized by Zhong Shan, the number of reporters and celebrities attending was more than at some galas.

The published list was very long, with names more familiar than the last. Xie Qingshu was somewhat surprised.

An art exhibition, to put it bluntly, even with a master’s endorsement, wouldn’t normally attract such people.

However, the replies below seemed to answer her confusion.

[I heard several other partners of the Bai family are also going.]

[It’s an art exhibition in name, but everyone is going for those big shots.]

[Is the Bai family about to stage a comeback? Will the new controlling shareholder make an appearance at the exhibition?]

[Probably. If it fails, there’s no helping it. Maybe it’s Bai Ting or someone else.]

Xie Qingshu’s heart raced, her unease becoming more apparent. So she found someone who knew more about these matters; the things online were only twenty percent believable at most.

She sought out someone within the industry she met while filming. The explanation she received was very ambiguous, as if they were guarding against something, but they were certain that this would not settle quickly.

Xie Qingshu was thoughtful.

The trending topics about the Bai family were taken down within two minutes, so the public didn’t see much. However, the first one remained high, and the comments grew more intense. Even with Song Mei’s PR, it wouldn’t go down anytime soon. In addition to fan works, some edits appeared that looked quite convincing.

Unfortunately, Xie Qingshu had no intimate scenes, and Zhou Que’s roles were all small; although stunning, there were too few.

[Don’t be afraid, sisters, I heard there’s something we want to see in this drama! Rumored to be very erotic!]

[Really? I’m going for it!]

[Everyone, let’s go!]

Xie Qingshu’s face turned red, attracting some inquisitive looks from those around her. As for Su Hui, who caused her such a headache, she stayed in her room after filming, her eyes radiating an ambiguous emotion.

In Deng Yue’s eyes, it was a different story. He couldn’t help but worry for Zhou Que. “How did you manage to talk sense into Su Hui? She looks like you’ve let her down.”

He had thought Xie Qingshu was different from others in the circle, but now it seemed she was far beyond Zhou Que’s level. He feared the one who would be heartbroken would be that big shot.

Dangerous.

Deng Yue smiled with ill intent.

Xie Qingshu’s eyelid twitched violently. “…”