After I Picked Up the Movie Queen Who Was Pretending to Be an Alpha - Chapter 21

Pei Suyuan whimpered piteously, her eyes completely bloodshot as she asked repeatedly and obsessively.

Even with the scent-blocking patch, Wei Jinzhi wasn’t entirely safe. The neutralizing agent she used worked on Mu Xinyi, but it was completely ineffective against Pei Suyuan. Likewise, Wei Jinzhi was exceptionally sensitive to the scent of cheese; she gripped Pei Suyuan’s arm, her gaze losing focus.

An Omega approaching thirty is indeed different; otherwise, Wei Jinzhi wouldn’t have been so desperate when she grabbed Pei Suyuan in that hallway back then. But now, fear began to creep in.

Being so close, Pei Suyuan naturally noticed Wei Jinzhi’s emotions. The Omega’s hand nervously tugged at her own sleeve, and tears hung at the corners of her eyes. She looked incredibly fragile. For a moment, Pei Suyuan was at a loss, but then her gaze softened. She stroked the Omega’s hair, her voice as gentle and soft as possible: “Don’t cry.”

Wei Jinzhi didn’t know why, but despite being prepared, her fear doubled at this moment. Past events flashed through her mind as she looked at Pei Suyuan with a pained, aggrieved expression. She had told Pei Suyuan that pretending to be an Alpha gave her a sense of security. That was because she hated Omegas—not just their perceived weakness, but specifically the way an Omega controlled by Alpha pheromones becomes like a mindless beast.

Last time, it was because she was in heat and influenced by Pei Suyuan’s pheromones. But now she wasn’t in heat; the influence wasn’t enough to suppress her fear. She struggled with all her might to leave. She regretted this.

An Alpha’s strength is far greater than hers, especially during a rut. Yet, Wei Jinzhi managed to break free from Pei Suyuan’s restraint with surprising ease. The aura of the Alpha changed instantly; in a heartbeat, she looked like a wounded cub, staring at her with wide, blinking eyes—eyes that were pure and clean, devoid of any lecherous intent.

She whimpered piteously, “Don’t be afraid of me…” The Alpha had turned back into a pitiful puppy. In an instant, Wei Jinzhi’s nose felt sharp with the urge to cry. Pei Suyuan, an Alpha in her rut, was actually more timid than she was.

Pei Suyuan’s mind began to clear. Her clothes, soaked from the shower, began to seep cold into her skin, making her shiver. She shook her head repeatedly, tears welling in her eyes. Wei Jinzhi’s heart softened; such an Alpha seemed completely harmless, touching the softest part of her heart.

She wrapped her arms around Pei Suyuan’s neck, looked at her red-eyed, aggrieved face, and patted her head. The Alpha leaned on her shoulder and cried out loud, her vulnerability in this state fully exposed.

It wasn’t until her clothes grew cold from being held by the soaking wet Pei Suyuan that the Alpha finally moved away from her shoulder. She sniffed and mumbled, “I’m sorry… I scared you just now…” Before she could finish, Wei Jinzhi stood on her tiptoes and sealed her lips with a kiss.

Wei Jinzhi was much warmer than her; her embrace was warm and intoxicating. It subconsciously reminded Pei of childhood images—a frail girl in a white dress merging with Wei Jinzhi. The same grass, the same swing. She sat on the ground watching, as the person on the swing swayed bit by bit into her heart.

When Wei Jinzhi woke up, she felt unwell and extremely tired. She brushed her hair aside and looked back at the sleeping Pei Suyuan. Long black hair covered half of her face, and her lips were slightly pouted, making her look obedient and lovely. Wei Jinzhi smiled and stroked her cheek, tucking her stray hairs behind her ear.

She suddenly began to blame the hair—Pei Suyuan with long, straight black hair looked calm and steady, which Wei Jinzhi liked, but the length caused trouble, as it got easily tangled with her own curls. But then she remembered how Pei Suyuan would carefully untangle their hair whenever Wei piteously cried out in pain, and her heart softened.

As she grew older, Wei Jinzhi felt that heartwarming moments were becoming rarer—especially actions, tones, and expressions that warmed her very core. Pei Suyuan was truly gentle and patient. However, this realization made Wei Jinzhi sensitive and suspicious, and also insatiable. The thought that this closeness might only exist in this moment made her dissatisfied, leaving her heart feeling sour and forlorn.

Ever since that hot pot dinner, she had intentionally reduced contact with Pei Suyuan, wondering if the “blockhead” would ever have an epiphany and contact her proactively. Clearly, she hadn’t. For nearly a month, she hadn’t received a single message. Even when they ran into each other, Pei’s words seemed reluctant.

Pei Suyuan was the only person in many years who had truly made her heart flutter. While it wasn’t “deep love” yet, it was rare for her. Therefore, flirtation was the limit of her courage. But the blockhead Pei Suyuan seemed completely unresponsive; only in moments like this did she feel the woman wasn’t a total piece of wood. But then she turned into a “big wolf-dog,” fierce and intense—so the gentleness and patience were conditional.

Pei Suyuan lay on the bed, her eyes vacant and her mind a painful blank. As the memories of last night returned, an expression of embarrassment gradually appeared on her face. She had entered a sudden rut last night and then… dragged Wei Jinzhi into the room???

She looked around; the sheets were a mess, a temporary marking… Pei Suyuan clutched the sheet in horror. Then, hearing the sound of water from the bathroom, she slowly turned her head and saw Wei Jinzhi coming out. Her cheeks flushed crimson instantly. Without a second thought, she turned back and buried herself in the quilt like an ostrich.

But she had seen it: because of the steam, Wei Jinzhi’s cheeks were flushed, and her wet eyelashes were fluttering. They were fluttering right into her heart. So, even hiding under the covers, the salty-sour cheese scent began to misbehave. Gradually, Pei Suyuan stopped being timid and blushing. Instead, she poked her head out and stared intently at Wei Jinzhi.

Wei Jinzhi had intended to tease the shy Alpha, but she suddenly noticed something was wrong. She gritted her teeth inwardly, complaining that people a few years younger really did recover fast.

In her rut, Pei Suyuan’s state alternated between that and deep sleep. In the afternoon, Wei Jinzhi washed up briefly and called Tong Lin with a weary body. Tong Lin told her everything was arranged and that Mu Xinyi had been taken back, which eased her mind. Wei Jinzhi instructed her to have Xiao Nan bring dinner, late-night snacks, and tomorrow’s meals.

Tong Lin agreed, finally teasing, “Isn’t it better to be young?” Tong Lin was a few years older than Wei Jinzhi and had spent the year nagging her to find a “little wolf-dog”—preferably one who was obedient and well-behaved normally. Wei Jinzhi glanced at Pei Suyuan and thought that Tong Lin had hit the nail on the head.

Blushing, Wei Jinzhi hung up and soon received a call from Xiao Nan; the food would arrive in half an hour. Pei Suyuan wasn’t awake yet. Wei Jinzhi went to the bedside and lightly patted her face: “Xiao Yuan, wake up.”

Pei Suyuan was in a daze, grumbling for a long time: “What are you doing!” Her tone was fierce, but her expression was “milky,” especially her round, cute eyes. It looked no different from acting spoiled. Wei Jinzhi smiled silently, just staring at her. Once Pei Suyuan’s vision focused, her face turned red, but she still looked unhappy as she pulled off the quilt, got out of bed, and went to the bathroom. Though she was awake, she was still muddled; she turned back to look at Wei Jinzhi piteously. Wei Jinzhi ignored her and kept walking.

By the time she came out again, Pei Suyuan looked listless and a bit unhappy. The clinginess of the Alpha was beyond Wei Jinzhi’s expectations. As soon as Wei Jinzhi walked over, Pei Suyuan scurried to the foot of the bed, watching Wei Jinzhi use her phone. This went on for ten minutes until Pei Suyuan’s stomach let out a loud growl.

Although Wei Jinzhi was looking at her phone, she was paying attention to her. The semi-lucid Pei Suyuan was still driven by Alpha instincts; she wanted to get close but was scared to death, doing many small, secretive movements. So cute. Even her neck turned red with shame after her stomach growled.

“Xiao Yuan-er, dinner is here. Put on some clothes and get it at the door.”

“!” Pei Suyuan blinked hard, her eyes getting brighter with every blink. Wei Jinzhi gave a helpless smile and urged her to hurry. Pei Suyuan gave a shallow, incredibly dorky smile, then flipped out of bed to get the delivery.

When she returned, Wei Jinzhi was already waiting at the table. Pei Suyuan set the boxes down and then, like a puppy, rested her chin on the edge of Wei Jinzhi’s table, blinking at her. The behavior was so weird that Wei Jinzhi frowned. These past two days had been a blur, but now she realized Pei Suyuan’s state was… very wrong! While she hadn’t spent a rut with other Alphas, she knew it changed people, but Pei Suyuan was over the top. She seemed to have completely abandoned her usual personality to follow her Alpha instincts. And she seemed to be enjoying the release?

Her psychiatrist had told her that Alphas and Omegas in their cycles expose their innermost states. Those who suppress too much emotion tend to expose it most thoroughly. For example, Wei Jinzhi cried a lot during her heat. Pei Suyuan was similar, showing extreme obedience and honesty, mixed with Alpha possessiveness and clinginess. As if to prove the theory, Pei Suyuan asked piteously, “Can I watch you eat?”

Wei Jinzhi didn’t agree, wanting to know why: “Why watch? Aren’t you hungry? Don’t you want to eat properly?” Wei Jinzhi didn’t realize her tone was serious. Pei Suyuan’s eyes turned red with sensitivity, feeling scolded. She hung her head, not saying a word, her long black hair almost touching the floor.

Wei Jinzhi felt Pei Suyuan’s behavior was like a needle to her heart—stabbing her with softness and guilt. “Alright, just eat obediently.” She stroked Pei’s hair. Pei Suyuan was the type to be satisfied with a tiny bit of sweetness; she squinted in enjoyment at the touch, a big smile on her face as she nodded vigorously.

Wei Jinzhi breathed a sigh of relief and opened the food. Tong Lin knew her well; she had ordered eel rice. Wei Jinzhi ate slowly. Seeing her eat, Pei Suyuan grew hungry too, pursed her lips, and sat opposite her. Her meal was the same, but she didn’t like it much. After frowning for a bit, she remembered her hunger and began to eat in large gulps.

Wei Jinzhi had a small appetite and finished half of her rice before standing up to head toward the door. Pei Suyuan had two bites left; seeing Wei move, she stuffed them into her mouth and blocked Wei Jinzhi before she could reach the door. She hadn’t finished chewing, so her voice was muffled: “Whe’ are you go-ing…”

“My assistant brought me some clothes.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Pei Suyuan reluctantly stepped aside, then added, “Can I go with you?” Wei Jinzhi glanced at her, thinking, She wants to cling to me for even this short a time? But she didn’t refuse, letting Pei follow behind her. Xiao Nan had messaged saying she was coming down; Wei Jinzhi told her to just leave the things at the door, as she didn’t want anyone to see her current state.

After getting the clothes, Wei Jinzhi went straight into the bathroom to change and locked the door. Not out of shyness, but out of fear. When she came out, she found Pei Suyuan by her suitcase, tidying the clothes. Wei Jinzhi’s face turned hot. She realized Pei Suyuan had a streak of cleanliness and obsessive-compulsion. She, on the other hand, loved beauty and cleanliness for herself, but was quite lazy about organization. She hadn’t wanted to wear dirty clothes yesterday, so she had rummaged through Pei’s suitcase and made a mess. The clothes in her hand suddenly felt like hot coals; since she had worn them, would Pei Suyuan want to wash them immediately?

Pei Suyuan didn’t know her thoughts. After tidying the suitcase, she let out a light breath, turned around, saw Wei Jinzhi holding her clothes, and naturally took them. She was still in yesterday’s clothes; seeing Wei had changed, she took a long T-shirt. As Wei Jinzhi suspected, Pei Suyuan went to wash the clothes.

Wei Jinzhi sat back on the sofa and messaged Xiao Nan. She was holding a grudge; she told Xiao Nan to buy braised prawns, spicy crawfish, and crabs for dinner. She was going to make Pei Suyuan peel every single one for her!

Pei Suyuan came out after washing the clothes. Wei Jinzhi called her over and poked her cheek; it was soft and bouncy, and she couldn’t help but poke it several times. Before dinner, Wei Jinzhi napped again. When she woke up, she found Pei Suyuan staring at her. Blushing, she got up silently and messaged Xiao Nan to bring the dinner.

Twenty minutes later, the food arrived. Wei Jinzhi ordered Pei Suyuan to get it. Though she had specified seafood, Xiao Nan had thoughtfully bought stir-fry and rice too. The aroma was mouth-watering. Wei Jinzhi, starving, swallowed her saliva. Pei Suyuan was the same. Once the boxes were open, Pei Suyuan kept staring at her. She looked at Wei Jinzhi dazed, opened her mouth, and closed it again.

Wei Jinzhi waved her over: “Come here, peel the shrimp for me.” Pei Suyuan nodded obediently and sat beside her, peeling them one by one. She was fast; Wei Jinzhi ate slowly, and soon a small mountain of shrimp appeared. Wei Jinzhi smiled, pointed at the shrimp, and then at Pei Suyuan’s juice-covered hands. “Mmm… you peel so fast.”

Pei Suyuan’s face turned red—who knows what she was thinking—and she shyly put a shrimp in Wei Jinzhi’s bowl. Wei Jinzhi didn’t pick it up; she commanded with smiling eyes: “Feed me~”

Pei Suyuan’s face grew redder. As the heat of the rut faded, her reckless confidence vanished, but she still wanted to be near Wei Jinzhi. She awkwardly picked up a shrimp and tremblingly put it in Wei Jinzhi’s mouth. Because of the temporary mark, everything felt exceptionally harmonious and intimate. Looking at Wei Jinzhi, Pei Suyuan felt she was sweet and soft. She felt guilty, so she fed several more pieces to Wei Jinzhi.

Perhaps being fed improved her appetite, as Wei Jinzhi ate more than half the shrimp. Finally, she pushed the rest back to Pei Suyuan. Pei liked them too, but feared Wei hadn’t had enough. She pushed them back: “You eat…”

“Just open your mouth, I don’t want anymore~” Wei Jinzhi’s voice was incredibly sweet, like she was acting spoiled. Pei Suyuan was at a loss, and Wei Jinzhi took the opportunity to put the shrimp meat into her mouth. The Omega giggled and bit into some shrimp meat herself.

The messy room made the newly awakened Pei Suyuan frown. She tried to get out of bed but found the back of her hand pinned down. Turning her head, the person under the quilt only showed tea-colored curls and a pale profile. Pei Suyuan’s dazed eyes widened as memories of the past few days flooded back. Her face turned blood-red. In the next second, she dove under the quilt.

Wei Jinzhi was woken by the movement. She rubbed her hair, looking sleepy. A few seconds later, she sat up. She was undressed but got out of bed without hesitation. Accustomed to Pei Suyuan’s “ostrich” behavior, she put on her clothes one by one, then found her phone to check messages.

Yawning, she said to Pei Suyuan: “I have to go first, I have things to handle.” She walked toward the door. Her footsteps weren’t loud, but they hammered against Pei Suyuan’s heart. It was her sudden rut. She was the one who dragged Wei Jinzhi inside. She was the one who cried for a mark. What does this mean now?

“Wei Jinzhi…!” Pei Suyuan flipped up and shouted at the departing woman.

Wei Jinzhi stopped and looked back lazily. “What’s wrong?”

“I… you… the two of us…” Pei Suyuan stammered, her face turning red.

Wei Jinzhi laughed and tilted her head. “Mhm, it’s like that.” Then she added: “What’s wrong? Last time you helped me, so… let’s call this a return of favor. Besides, it’s just a temporary mark; it’ll fade in a week. I have things to do, I really have to go. We’ll talk next time.” She waved her phone and left before Pei could respond.

Once the door was closed, Wei Jinzhi let out a light breath, a flash of confusion in her eyes. Then she smirked; in that scene, she really had acted like an Alpha, and a bit of a “scumbag” one at that.

Wei Jinzhi’s room was the highest grade in the guesthouse—a duplex suite. Inside, she threw her clothes on the sofa, went upstairs for fresh ones, and came back down to shower. Despite being the top tier, she hated the inconvenience of the stairs. After a hot shower, she felt alive again. She messaged Xiao Nan that she wanted wontons and asked her to buy some soothing ointment. The back of her neck was slightly red and swollen; she hadn’t noticed during the shower, but it was starting to hurt. Definitely Pei Suyuan’s fault.

While waiting for Xiao Nan, she counted Pei Suyuan’s “crimes.” When Xiao Nan arrived with two large bags, she saw Wei Jinzhi muttering with a cold face and swallowed nervously. “Sister Wei…”

Wei Jinzhi snapped out of it and told her to come over. Despite eating well, she was exhausted and starving. Xiao Nan had bought wontons at random, fearing the picky Wei wouldn’t like them, but seeing her eat with gusto, she started eating too.

“Sister Wei… Elder Hong called yesterday. He wants you to see him about a new movie.”

Wei Jinzhi nodded.

“President Song contacted you a few days ago. He said you didn’t answer or reply, he wants to…”

At the mention of President Song, Wei Jinzhi stopped her chopsticks, her face turning cold. “What does he want?”

“President Song said if you don’t call back, he’s coming to Linshan this afternoon.” Wei Jinzhi’s brow furrowed in extreme displeasure. Xiao Nan held her breath. Realizing her state, Wei Jinzhi smoothed her brow and resumed eating. “Anything else?”

Xiao Nan shook her head.

“Fine. Let’s eat, then head back to West Beijing.”

After eating, they packed and headed out. Wei Jinzhi closed her eyes as soon as they were in the car. Xiao Nan stayed quiet. Two hours later, as they neared West Beijing, the phone rang. Wei Jinzhi irritably handed it to Xiao Nan. “You answer it.”

Seeing it was “Song,” Xiao Nan answered. A frustrated male voice came through: “Where are you?”

“President Song, it’s Xiao Nan. Sister Wei is asleep…”

“Bullsh*t! Tell Wei Jinzhi she better be at the office this afternoon!” The voice practically roared before hanging up.

Xiao Nan put the phone back. Wei Jinzhi’s eyes remained closed, but her lips were pursed. She had definitely heard. “Xiao Nan, to the office. To Yuefeng.”

On the other side, Pei Suyuan irritably rubbed her hair after Wei Jinzhi left. She lay on the bed until her phone vibrated under the pillow. She answered without looking.

“Hello…” Her deep voice made the caller worry. “Suyuan, how are you? Not recovered yet?”

It was Mu Xinyi. Pei Suyuan sat up straight. She remembered Mu Xinyi had taken her back to the room. “I’m fine, how are you? That day…”

“After being suppressed by your pheromones, I ran into Sister Wei. Then I entered my own rut. Sister Tong told me Sister Wei took you to Linshan Hospital.”

Pei Suyuan realized Wei Jinzhi’s identity had to stay secret, especially those three days together. “It’s fine, I’ll be back this afternoon.” Then she realized what Mu Xinyi said—she had entered a rut too. For both to be triggered, there was definitely a problem.

“I’m calling because of that,” Mu Xinyi said. “I think something happened at the fan event…”

Pei Suyuan had a flash of insight. “Xinyi, do you remember that bottle of water?”

Mu Xinyi frowned. She remembered Pei Suyuan handing her a bottle a fan had given her! “I remember! I’ll go check.”

“I’m coming back to West Beijing too.”

“Wait, that water is in my car. I didn’t drive it back, it’s still at the guesthouse parking lot…”

“I’ll get it.”

Pei Suyuan bathed, tidied the room, and headed out. In Mu Xinyi’s car, she found the bottle. Using a tissue to avoid direct contact, she bagged it. An hour later, Mu Xinyi called again.

“I found it. The person is a fan of Li Xi… a local from Linshan. She’s posted a lot of hate about you online.”

Pei Suyuan had suspected as much. “I’ll be at the office in an hour.”

At the office, Mu Xinyi updated Tong Lin and Wei Jinzhi. Wei Jinzhi’s aura turned cold as they reviewed the footage of the fan. Mu Xinyi wondered why Wei Jinzhi was so concerned—more so than the manager herself. Was Pei Suyuan her… lover?

Tong Lin nodded at the unspoken question. “Good eye.”

Mu Xinyi was shocked. She had only guessed because there was no other reason for Wei Jinzhi to care so much.

“You’re so easy to fool~” Tong Lin smiled, leaning close to Mu Xinyi. She told Mu Xinyi not to tell Pei Suyuan and sent her back to her office.

Pei Suyuan arrived and placed the bottle on the desk. “How should we handle this?”

“I wanted to ask you,” Mu Xinyi said. “That girl didn’t just put a trigger in the water; she poked holes in the bottle… it wasn’t just an impulse.” Her face was grim.

“Is she Li Xi’s fan?” Pei asked.

“Yes.”

Pei Suyuan shook her head helplessly.

“We’ll follow legal procedures,” Mu Xinyi said. “Also, recording for the show might be delayed. Take a few days to rest.”

Mu Xinyi drove Pei Suyuan home before returning to see Tong Lin.