After Being Marked by the Popular Female Lead O (GL) - Chapter 4

Water slowly slid down her skin, bringing a wave of coolness. Zhou Que exhaled, finally feeling a little better. Looking closely at the depths of her eyes, one could see a hint of suppressed scarlet surging, but by the time she opened them again, it was difficult to find.

Zhou Que came out after showering. As expected, Xie Qingshu hadn’t stayed for an extra second. Apart from the lingering scent of milk candy in the air, nothing was left.

Zhou Que was momentarily dazed. The door suddenly knocked twice, and her pheromones abruptly changed, smoothing out.

“You’re welcome, Miss,” the waiter was an Omega, his attitude respectful. He inexplicably caught a whiff of the pheromone scent inside and felt dizzy for a moment, but the feeling quickly disappeared, like an illusion.

“Thank you,” Zhou Que replied, smiling innocently, and took the inhibitor from the waiter.

The waiter was stunned for a few seconds, feeling a little flushed, and by the time she recovered, the door was already closed.

The surroundings fell silent. The smile on Zhou Que’s face immediately vanished. In her hand was the unopened syringe, with crystal liquid flowing inside, dazzling under the light.

Zhou Que’s expression didn’t change as she tossed it into the trash can.

This kind of hotel usually didn’t have very good facilities. Even though Xie Qingshu booked the best room, it still couldn’t conceal the old-fashioned scent. Zhou Que wanted to leave without looking back, but her steps suddenly paused.

The television might have been left on by the previous guest or turned on by Xie Qingshu when she left. Due to its age, the sound quality was somewhat distorted.

But Zhou Que recognized immediately what was playing inside. It could be said that this was her only form of entertainment in the past.

The screen was showing a scene, and just listening to the dialogue made it intensely melodramatic. No one watched it anymore.

If Xie Qingshu were still here, she might recognize it as the first drama she filmed when she was seventeen. Though green, it was enough to imagine how stunning she would be in the future.

While the young Xie Qingshu on the screen was reciting her lines earnestly, what Zhou Que thought of was the look of disgust she saw in her eyes the first time she saw her.

Did she hate her that much?

But so what?

Her phone suddenly rang. Zhou Que turned off the TV before answering. The voice on the other end was very anxious.

“Oh my ancestor! I just found out that dog Bai Ting would actually use such tactics; it’s too disgusting.”

When Deng Yue found out about this, cold sweat broke out. If Zhou Que’s identity were exposed now, with the big picture still uncertain, it wouldn’t be easy to resolve.

“It’s fine,” Zhou Que’s eyes were icy.

“That’s good, that’s good. But with Bai Ting’s mind, he probably wouldn’t have thought of such a probing method. The mastermind behind it…”

“Who else could it be? Only my beloved stepmother,” Zhou Que said lightly.

She had used a stimulant for the Alpha rut. This type of substance was harmless to an Omega but was a strong drug for an Alpha. Fortunately, she noticed it in time and didn’t consume too much, or she might genuinely have lost control and possibly marked Xie Qingshu.

Zhou Que subconsciously licked her two teeth. They should have been slightly sharp, capable of easily piercing an Omega’s scent gland, but they were now filed smooth.

Deng Yue breathed a sigh of relief and didn’t think much further. The Bai family’s nastiness was nothing new. “By the way, I’ve finalized my new movie, and I’m just short a female lead…”

He truly felt the role was suitable for Zhou Que and had already decided on her a long time ago. Afraid of being rejected, he added, “Xie Qingshu has also agreed to act in it.”

That was a box office guarantee; it wouldn’t be a loss no matter what.

Zhou Que raised an eyebrow, her bright features instantly coming alive. “Good.”

Didn’t she hate her?

Then she’d be in her sight every single day.

Deng Yue was overjoyed. Having Xie Qingshu alone was eye-catching enough, but adding Zhou Que—the effect, tsk tsk—would be phenomenal.

“Remember to prepare an inhibitor for me, one for Alphas,” Zhou Que said, gently pursing her red lips as she thought of something. “…Make it two.”

When Xie Qingshu arrived home, she realized she was covered in Zhou Que’s pheromone scent. It was as if she was enveloped by a blue water lily, yet it carried a sense of aggression, just like that sudden embrace in the restroom.

Even though Xie Qingshu knew Zhou Que was an Omega and couldn’t possibly mark her, she couldn’t ignore the momentary panic when she bit her scent gland.

It truly felt like she was going to bite it off.

Her mother’s nose was keen and immediately smelled a scent that didn’t belong to Xie Qingshu. Her brows furrowed. Although she didn’t speak, her gaze was full of condemnation, as if she was looking at a scumbag.

“Qingshu, why do you smell like an Alpha?” Xie’s father also faintly sensed something was wrong and subconsciously asked.

Before Xie Qingshu could speak, her mother shot her father a glare, and he immediately lowered his head, falling silent.

“It smells so good, I can tell it’s an Omega’s scent…”

Xie Qingshu said, “I accidentally brushed against someone.”

Xie’s father and mother didn’t point out the loophole in her words.

Her mother thought of something and asked, “Has Qingshu’s fangs and rut still not arrived?”

Xie Qingshu nodded. She wasn’t worried. Perhaps due to scratching her scent gland when she was young, her Alpha traits were not prominent. Even her pheromones weren’t like a typical Alpha’s.

“…Milk candy flavored.”

Zhou Que’s voice was still ringing in her ears.

A hint of regret rose in Xie Qingshu. How did she let her know about that…?

Xie’s father, however, didn’t seem concerned. “Old Doctor said Qingshu’s differentiation is incomplete and won’t be complete until she’s twenty-four. That’s only three more months; it should be fine. Don’t worry.”

Her mother sighed in relief and pulled Xie Qingshu aside. “If you have an Omega you like, bring her home. We don’t care too much about her background. Like the owner of this pheromone scent…”

Xie Qingshu gave a forced laugh. Bring the protagonist Omega home? She must be crazy. She couldn’t get away fast enough.

Using the excuse of reading the script, she finally managed to escape. Although she had strict time control when at home outside of filming, Xie Qingshu couldn’t fall asleep. The heat on the back of her neck had long disappeared, but that itching sensation was impossible to ignore.

However, this feeling was completely different from when she first differentiated into an Alpha.

Xie Qingshu took a photo with her phone and realized her scent gland was slightly red, looking like it had been… bitten.

As expected of the protagonist Omega, truly unexpected. She was quite vicious with her… mouth.

Xie Qingshu narrowed her eyes. Finding the reason meant she no longer worried.

A friend request verification message popped up on her phone. Sure enough, it was Zhou Que.

Xie Qingshu’s eyelids twitched. She intended to hit ‘reject,’ but her operation was too fast, and she clicked ‘accept’ instead. When she tried to delete it, the other party quickly sent a message.

[I’m truly sorry, Sister Qingshu. Your scent gland is fine, right?]

[I didn’t mean it this time. I’ll apologize in person next time we meet.]

Zhou Que’s explanation didn’t mention she had been drugged.

[No need.]

Xie Qingshu was relieved that Zhou Que was tactful enough not to reply afterward, and she didn’t send anything else for the next few days.

It was as if that day had never happened.

Gradually, Xie Qingshu forgot that she had a contact named Zhou Que on her account.

Song Mei heard from the company that Xie Qingshu had gotten an audition chance for the role of Ju Zhan and immediately rushed over to take her to the audition.

Xie Qingshu was her only artist. Her popularity had plummeted recently because of an Alpha, and the company’s resources were even shifted to a B-list artist who was inferior to Xie Qingshu. It was truly a headache, so securing an S-class resource now was already a great outcome.