After Being Marked by the Popular Female Lead O (GL) - Chapter 9
[I heard she gets along well with some Alphas. It seems she really doesn’t have any Omega friends.]
[Ah, doesn’t her manager care about this?]
[He’s a Beta. Zhou Que’s magnitude isn’t worth his worry.]
[Oh, don’t you guys know? He’s gone. I heard his hands weren’t clean, and someone took him down completely.]
Xie Qingshu’s eyes darkened slightly. “Is Zhou Que’s manager a Beta named Li Yi?”
The company had a strict separation policy for their artists. Even within the same company, one might not be aware of another artist’s private affairs. This rule was suggested by an anonymous shareholder two years ago, aiming to prevent infighting. Now, it largely eliminated such possibilities at the root, reducing incidents, as people had to think twice before acting.
Therefore, Song Mei didn’t fully understand the intricate rumors online, but as a professional, she understood this much.
A clear look of disgust crossed her face, and her tone became scornful. “I didn’t bother you while you were reading the script. Something big happened at the company. That Li Yi was so disgusting that he drove a female Omega to suicide. I don’t know who he offended for this to be exposed now…”
Omegas are already rare. Protection laws lean heavily in their favor. Given such a significant incident, regardless of the hidden party’s motive for exposing this, she felt it was an excellent move, even admirable.
“Is that so?” Although Xie Qingshu knew a lot about the plot’s direction, she was also clear about who Li Yi was. Zhou Que had been following him since her debut, and with her beauty, it was hard to guarantee Li Yi hadn’t harbored some malicious thoughts.
Good, good…. He deserved it.
The book detailed much about Li Yi, including his constant sneering at Zhou Que. Because she wasn’t compliant, he wantonly suppressed her resources. For an actress, having no body of work and only a pretty face was fatal.
Her life and death were effectively in the hands of others, and she could only obey.
Perhaps if she hadn’t landed this new drama, Zhou Que’s fate might have been no better than that poor Omega’s. It was no wonder the online atmosphere was so harsh, filled with visible negative comments, and yet Zhou Que hadn’t tried to control them, instead deliberately letting them continue.
“Later, Li Yi left, and Zhou Que, without anyone to manage her, was randomly signed to a newcomer. I didn’t expect her to land such a big role so soon after.”
Her luck was surprisingly good. Many newcomers never even see the camera. Following this trajectory, fame was inevitable.
Xie Qingshu’s heart skipped a beat, and an indescribable emotion rose within her. Song Mei opened up, knowing Xie Qingshu wasn’t fond of Zhou Que, so she spoke without much reservation. “From my years of experience, Zhou Que is definitely not simple. At least not on the surface.”
She was being direct, almost blunt.
Xie Qingshu, however, misinterpreted her meaning. She frowned in thought. The situation was still at the very beginning. Zhou Que was still that little pitiful figure—disliked by the Bai family and barely starting her career.
Crucially, she had not yet been physically and emotionally abused, forcibly seized, or had her scent gland removed by those scum Alphas. Nor had she faced massive cyberbullying that led to irreparable consequences.
This meant there was still a chance to salvage everything, and the Xie family would not be retaliated against by the scum Alphas.
Xie Qingshu unexpectedly thought of Zhou Que’s tear-filled phoenix eyes, so beautiful they made one think of the moon in the sky. She seemed to have made up her mind about something.
“What’s wrong with you? Why are you suddenly so concerned about her?”
“A potential collaborator, I need to understand her,” Xie Qingshu said.
Song Mei pouted, not believing a word. When did she ever care about a collaborator after filming was over? And this was only a potential one.
Xie Qingshu ignored her and continued to look at the highest-replied comments. Her expression immediately became unpredictable.
[She has a great face. She’s a status symbol anywhere. This drama chose the right person this time.]
[Yeah, I’d love to see Xie Qingshu collaborate with her. These two are incredible! One aloof, one alluring. But I still want to see Xie Qingshu’s Ju Zhan severely dominated, hehehe.]
[I’m staff. I watched the audition live. I almost wanted to force them together right there.]
[Just an overly attractive vase.]
[?]
[Zhou Que is just an Omega. In two years, won’t she retire and get married? Given her attitude, I don’t know how many Alphas have marked her. Don’t want her sent to me!]
[What is she wearing every day? And you can’t even comment on it? Aren’t Omegas supposed to serve us Alphas?!]
[Who knows how many pheromones she releases every day just to get Alphas to notice her! She hooks them, then rejects them. I’ve seen too many Omegas like this. Aren’t all you Omegas like this?]
Xie Qingshu’s eyelids twitched twice. For a portion of Omegas or Alphas, if their heat or rut is particularly strong, pheromones will leak out no matter how much they try to contain them. That’s why they wear barrier patches. Although these don’t stop pheromones, they absolutely do not induce others’ heat.
This was common sense.
It was taught in junior high school physiology class.
Little Xie Qingshu didn’t need to learn it. Even without the class, her upbringing had subtly taught her to respect Omegas.
Xie Qingshu took a deep breath. She appeared aloof and easygoing only because her bottom line hadn’t been crossed.
The plot hadn’t even reached the later stages, and there were already so many people criticizing Zhou Que. It was easy to imagine the scale in the future, and it was no surprise that it would lead to irreparable consequences.
Xie Qingshu had been watching as an outsider, unable to truly empathize with many scenes in the original book. Now, she was beginning to understand.
She looked up, noting that the ID of the person who posted the comment was Xun Yang.
The car fell silent for a while. No one spoke. Song Mei was arranging Xie Qingshu’s schedule. There were many announcements after this drama. She had been planning a career transition, and now was the perfect time to proceed.
When she finished planning and was about to show Xie Qingshu, she saw the other person’s fingers flying rapidly across the keyboard. She didn’t know how long this had been going on, but she caught a glimpse of the screen from the corner of her eye.
It seemed she was commenting somewhere.
Song Mei was very familiar with that page, but she was surprised. She had managed Xie Qingshu for so long, and even when she was most criticized over whether her Movie Queen award was deserved, she never personally intervened…
What did the fans say?
“Be careful…” Song Mei couldn’t help but say.
“I’m using a small account.”
Xie Qingshu didn’t even look up.
After a long silence, she finally let out a breath.
However, Xie Qingshu had no idea that what she had just posted was immediately noticed by others.
1st Floor: [This ‘Quebao is the Best’ post is too sharp! Although I’m a Beta, just reading the words made me feel strongly. My mother is an Omega too. I can’t imagine she endured all that.]
2nd Floor: [‘Quebao is the Best’ is clearly a Zhou Que fan. I didn’t expect my sister to have such a brilliant fan! I’m so touched!]
3rd Floor: [Full disclosure, I’m not her fan, but what logic is it for certain Alphas to rely on their gender to randomly insult Omegas? I’m quoting ‘Quebao is the Best.’ I’m her fan now.]
4th Floor: [Xun Yang is obviously a straight A. Her words are too aggressive toward Omegas. It’s no wonder she’s criticized when she doesn’t even know basic common sense.]
5th Floor: [So ‘Quebao is the Best’ made ‘Xun Yang’ log off. Satisfying!]
6th Floor: [Logic is sound, wording is sharp…]
Omegas are generally weaker than the other two genders. Although society is more tolerant now, many deeply ingrained stereotypes remain. Many Alphas, when their own conditions fall short of an Omega’s, resort to attacking them from various angles.
Xie Qingshu merely rephrased the opponent’s words. The core argument remained the same—she returned the original words, and ‘Xun Yang’ initially tried to argue but then completely went silent.
Xie Qingshu’s phone lit up repeatedly. She realized it was private messages in the background.
Some were fans, some were Alphas supporting the opponent, and one was particularly special.
[Thank you for your liking.]
Clicking on the profile, it was actually Zhou Que, and she even followed the alternative account. She just meant that she was just…
Xie Qingshu was momentarily stunned. She just couldn’t stand it and posted a couple of comments; there was absolutely no need for this reaction. But then she remembered how few people were kind to Zhou Que, so it wasn’t strange for the girl to do this.
“Alright, take a look at the schedule. If there are no issues, it’s confirmed.”
Xie Qingshu took the papers and glanced at them. The schedule was dense but well-organized. She paused. “An exhibition?”
It was clearly a highly commercial event. Inviting her wasn’t unreasonable, but she hadn’t made a public appearance in a long time.
Song Mei nodded, not finding it strange. “You still have an endorsement for jewelry that hasn’t expired. They gave you the opportunity, and you’re technically required to attend.”
Xie Qingshu mumbled a response.
“Did Bai Siran visit?”
A big issue had occurred on the set. When Deng Yue found out, he anxiously wanted to find Zhou Que, but remembering her instructions and unable to locate her, he could only call her.
The woman hummed faintly, completely unconcerned about the person he mentioned.
The rearview mirror in the car reflected the alluring charm in her eyes. Her perfectly curved red lips were impeccable, but her expression was not the usual forced compliance, gentleness, or hidden tolerance. A sharp cold light flickered in her eyes, through which one could glimpse the demeanor appropriate for her age.
It was almost impossible to look away.
“She… sigh, if she didn’t have the Bai family behind her, I don’t know how she would survive.”
Deng Yue was too aware of the moral conduct of some people in the Bai family. If it weren’t for them, Zhou Que wouldn’t have become the person she was today. He sighed softly. “You, you just need to know what you’re doing.”
Zhou Que’s delicate white fingers tapped the window glass. Her eyelashes were slightly lowered. Outside, the lights flickered. The scattered, chaotic light hit her face, creating a mysterious beauty—an unknown danger that made one unable to resist probing further.
The phone screen remained on the reply page. The conversation continued.
Deng Yue’s voice was regretful. “When are you going to clarify those rumors? Are you really planning to live your whole life under groundless accusations?”
He couldn’t stand reading those comments even once and never looked again. Yet, Zhou Que had silently endured them for two years. With the Bai family in front and public opinion behind, she looked back to nothingness. She owned nothing.
Deng Yue was a Beta. He had promised Zhou Que’s mother on her deathbed to look after her, but he couldn’t constantly watch over her. By the time he realized something was wrong, Zhou Que had already broken away from her original path, growing wantonly into a person no one could truly see.
Zhou Que’s expression was complex, seeming sad but deeper than sadness. Her tone paused. “The messier, the better.”
The current situation was ideal. The Bai family wasn’t as stable as they appeared on the surface. The more chaotic things were, the less they would pay attention to her.
“You can’t be doing this for the Bai family…” Deng Yue glanced at the people around him and didn’t continue. “You seem to have a good relationship with Xie Qingshu. It’s rare to see you willing to be close to an Alpha.”
Keeping her distance from Omegas was understandable, but he had never seen Zhou Que approach any Alpha or Beta. She seemed popular, but she had no truly close friends.
“It’s alright,” Zhou Que raised an eyebrow, her eyes playful. She intertwined two fingers, making a motion as if curling a strand of hair, rubbing gently, as if a lock of hair had magically appeared in the air for her to play with.
Deng Yue blinked, not understanding what she meant, but he offered the comfort of an elder. “Get along well. You should make friends your own age. Xie Qingshu is like an old cadre in the industry; she’s different from those other people.”
Zhou Que gave a couple of acknowledgments, a hint of irony curling her lips as she recalled the look of disgust in the other woman’s eyes when she looked at her.
Yes, she is indeed different.
Deng Yue badly wanted Zhou Que to let go of the past, at least not to carry the burden alone. He suddenly thought of something and burst out laughing.
“I remember when you were little, you absolutely loved watching Xie Qingshu’s dramas. You clung to the TV all day long. You hadn’t even differentiated then, and you said you wanted to mark Xie Qingshu when you grew up!”
Zhou Que, “…”
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