After the Cannon Fodder A Accidentally Marked the Paranoid Female Lead - Chapter 33

I can’t resist, I simply can’t resist.

Ming Sian was really annoyed with herself; she would have everything planned out perfectly, but the moment He Yining drew near, she lost all control.

Pheromones out of control, brain out of control—everything was spiraling.

Even knowing that He Yining wasn’t drunk, even knowing she was doing it on purpose, Ming Sian still couldn’t help but rest her hand on the woman’s waist, allowing the two of them to draw closer and closer.

A pinch of the Chu Palace waist, a posture even more enchanting.

Ming Sian disliked her lack of self-restraint. Strong self-discipline had been the key reason for her success, but now she felt like a marionette, changing according to He Yining’s control.

He Yining’s drunkenness, charm, and gentle closeness were all an act—a dream woven specifically for her. The scariest part was that even though she knew this, she couldn’t help but sink into it.

She was eager to relive the events of last night, that feeling of being imprisoned like an octopus.

At this moment, He Yining was to her like a stranded fish watching an approaching wave, desperately needing to return to the sea and let the warm, salty water envelop her.

He Yining leaned in, soft as if she had no bones. Ming Sian looked down and could see her eyelashes, like the fine down on a butterfly’s wing, trembling slightly; every time she glanced up, she looked even more seductive.

He Yining still held her wine glass steadily, but suddenly moved away. Ming Sian, the “fish,” briefly lost her chance to enter the sea and could only wait.

She watched He Yining take a small sip of the last of the wine, then casually drop the glass onto the expensive carpet; it didn’t break, and no harsh sound echoed.

Ming Sian instinctively wanted to follow the glass’s descent, but a sudden softness hit her lips. Her dry lips were moistened; what entered was a silky fruitiness wrapped in the coldness of cedar—as if early summer fruits had met winter pine needles covered in ice and snow. With a slight taste, the sweetness bloomed first, a beautiful enjoyment that was addictive. In the next second, the mouth was filled with the cold bitterness of cedar—a light aftertaste, bitter yet intoxicating, mellow and long-lasting. It felt like time itself was swirling on the taste buds; as much as she wanted to freeze time, she wanted to keep that taste.

Ming Sian’s eyes widened, unable to believe He Yining had actually kissed her. After all, last night she thought the Eldest Miss wouldn’t like it and had forced herself not to dare a kiss.

Pheromones began to stir—not a passive surge, but leaping like musical notes, dancing freely and happily around the two of them.

Suddenly, He Yining turned, creating distance between them, and walked away with a smile.

Leaving without a word—Ming Sian felt like she was being played with like a dog.

What did that mean? Lovey-dovey one second, cold and detached the next.

He Yining’s control over emotions was truly effortless; she could be ambiguous one moment and turn into an iceberg the next.

Training a dog—give her a little sweetness, let her get a taste for it.

Ming Sian bent down to pick up the wine glass, looking at the lipstick mark on it. Bad woman, running away after flirting.

She wasn’t particularly angry; rather, she felt a bit addicted.

She was the kite in the Eldest Miss’s hand, sometimes flying far, sometimes near, entirely at the Eldest Miss’s whim. She felt herself absurd—how was she so tightly held in the Eldest Miss’s grasp?

From the beginning until now, she had a strong feeling that even her resistance was within the Eldest Miss’s control.

She was now at a distance from the Eldest Miss that was neither far nor near—they had been in “negative distance” contact, yet their hearts were not together at all. But she felt herself slowly becoming addicted.

Developing feelings for a solitary powerhouse is a painful thing. Moreover, Ming Sian believed that any feelings lead to pain; she had always held an indifferent attitude toward emotions. Yet, the moment He Yining pulled away, she actually wanted to chase after her.

This was very wrong. In terms of intimacy, He Yining held absolute dominance, and she only needed to cooperate. Chasing after her wouldn’t do; as an Alpha, one must have “Alpha Virtue.” In both dating and marriage, the Omega holds absolute initiative in intimate acts—this is protection for the Omega, and Ming Sian fully agreed with it.

She placed the glass on the coffee table, staring at the residual wine and falling silent for a while. Perhaps she was just being influenced by pheromones.

He Yining likely was too. After being completely marked, an Omega needs frequent soothing from the Alpha. In truth, as long as it wasn’t the heat period, suppressants could handle sudden pheromone excitement.

It was also because their pheromones were such a high match; it caused her pheromones to affect He Yining whenever they met. She had researched it: Alphas were okay, the impact wasn’t huge, but Omegas were different—the moment they were close, they’d want to be closer.

Especially if the Omega hadn’t experienced the Alpha’s pheromones before, it was fine; but once they had, it was like an addiction, incredibly intoxicating. This was very unfair to the Omega, so she felt she should just let things take their course in these matters.

Wait, no—the “normal” kind of course. She couldn’t handle anything too intense.

Ming Sian’s pheromones had been stirred but couldn’t be released; she could only turn the water temperature down to cold to suppress the pheromones that hadn’t settled yet.

She wondered: Was He Yining really that calm? To pull away so quickly.

Ming Sian was right—He Yining was naturally not having it easy either. She was soaking in the bathtub with a flushed face, turning on the TV and clicking a channel at random, only to find a music show. The “Voice of Heaven” rang out, enchanting the listener.

When He Yining walked out of the bathroom, her expression was slightly weary, and there was an abnormal flush on her face. She stood before the mirror for a long time. Once the flush faded, a look of “determined to win” appeared on her lips.

Ming Sian just now had looked infatuated with her, her eyes full of her; this made her very satisfied.

She wouldn’t allow Ming Sian’s heart to wander; it had to be tied completely to her.

She looked at herself in the mirror, knowing this face was very beautiful. Since childhood, this face had brought her both good and bad things; fortunately, thanks to her high birth, most of the “bad things” came from within.

He Yining’s beautiful face was reflected in her eyes, but it was Ming Sian she was thinking about—restrained and reserved. As long as she took one step forward, she wouldn’t refuse; yet she just watched her leave. This was her biggest difference from others.

Many Alphas, with just one look from an Omega, think the Omega likes them. Female Alphas are much better, but not by much. Ming Sian, however, followed her thoughts completely; restraint is always more admirable than indulgence.

Ming Sian was seductive not just in her pheromones, but in her inner self as well.

He Yining lay on the bed, tapped a few times on her phone, and soothing music filled the room. Alcohol, music—logically, she should have been able to sleep normally an hour after lying down.

In fact, she lay there for two hours without falling asleep.

She just lay there, eyes closed and motionless, breathing steadily as if she were asleep. In reality, the discomfort of insomnia was ravaging her brain, making her mood gradually worsen.

He Yining suddenly snapped her eyes open and reached for the sleeping pills, but then thought that in the other room, Ming Sian was already fast asleep, and sleeping quite soundly at that.

She put down the pills and walked silently to Ming Sian’s door. By the time she realized it, she was already there.

Luckily she hadn’t pushed the door, otherwise she wouldn’t know how to explain her presence.

He Yining took a deep breath, turned to the water bar, and took a small sip of water; her throat was tightly parched.

Inside the room, Ming Sian was entirely unaware of the scene outside. She was tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Her body and mind felt like they were being burned by a fire, making it impossible for her to calm down.

The soft light in the room made it feel less dark. She reached out and checked her phone—it was already 1:00 AM. At this time, when she didn’t have work, she should have been in dreamland, but now she couldn’t fall asleep at all.

She could only think about what He Yining said today: future plans?

She certainly had plans—whether returning to the Mainland to be a lawyer or going abroad, she had no intention of staying in Hong Kong. She had only decided to take the PCLL to handle cases between the two regions in the future.

By not staying in Hong Kong, she and He Yining would be in a long-distance situation, and eventually, things would fade away. Separation was the inevitable end. She wouldn’t stay in Hong Kong for He Yining, and He Yining wouldn’t go to the Mainland for her; they weren’t destined to last.

She sighed slightly and decided to go out for a glass of water.

Ming Sian opened her door and walked out, seeing the faint light from the water bar. Who would be there?

Ali and Auntie Zhang had their own small living room with water; unless He Yining rang the bell, they wouldn’t appear. Could it be He Yining?

Wait, the Eldest Miss’s bedroom was a suite and likely had a water dispenser too; logically, she wouldn’t come out.

Could it be a thief?

She looked left and right, saw nothing, and could only return to the room, emerging with a thermos in hand. It was the hardest thing she could find that was easy to grip.

Ming Sian tried not to make a sound, walking step by step until she saw the slender figure leaning against the water bar.

He Yining?

She cleared her throat, catching He Yining’s attention. She saw the tapping finger on the table pause, and then the woman turned around.

“Lawyer He isn’t asleep yet?” Ming Sian asked while getting water.

“Mm,” He Yining replied coldly.

She stood in the shadows while Ming Sian stood in the light; her expression was hard to see.

He Yining wore a black silk spaghetti-strap nightgown, her long hair slightly curled. In the dimness, her exquisite face couldn’t be hidden. How much effort must the God who created humans have spent to carve such a stunning face?

The neckline of the gown was quite low, and the “career line” (cleavage) directly entered Ming Sian’s sight. As He Yining leaned sideways against the bar, Ming Sian could see the back of the dress; the obvious butterfly bones seemed ready to take flight. She felt that the dress didn’t cover much at all.

As a nightgown, it wasn’t loose; on the contrary, it highlighted her waist. The exquisite curves were impossible to look away from.

Ming Sian took small sips of water. She didn’t have the habit of eating or drinking at night, so she just took small sips, trying to trick her body into thinking it had been hydrated so it wouldn’t be thirsty anymore.

The two remained silent, both holding glasses, their minds turning a thousand times. Silence spoke louder than words at this moment.

In the silence, something was brewing. Ming Sian had some thoughts but was unwilling to think deeply.

Having finished the water, she placed the glass on the table. The “ding” of the glass against the marble broke the silence.

He Yining also put down her glass. Heat was boiling in the space.

They both knew the reason for their insomnia was the other person. That “battle” earlier seemed like a win for He Yining, but in fact, it was “killing a thousand and losing eight hundred.”

The two had been in conflict since their first meeting, and He Yining had almost completely won. This time, even though everything was under her control, it had unexpectedly become a match of equals.

Meeting He Yining’s gaze, Ming Sian gave a smile—a subconscious smile that was always very good-looking.

“Lawyer He, good night,” she said softly.

A formal address, an intimate relationship, living under the same roof, a relationship with absolutely no future.

Ming Sian didn’t believe they could last. Their relationship was like a house without a foundation, unable to withstand a storm of any magnitude.

She had always thought that despite her very clear refusal, He Yining had still signed the agreement with her, so the other wasn’t just doing it for show for the family. After learning their pheromones were a perfect match, she finally realized.

It turned out He Yining wanted more than just a surface relationship.

But this kind of relationship couldn’t be maintained for too long; time would wear down any feelings—besides, they didn’t even have feelings yet.

Ming Sian lowered her gaze, hiding her chaotic thoughts. She was shocked by her own anxiety—an anxiety about the future that came out of nowhere. But she had everything planned out, so why was she still anxious? Surely it couldn’t be because He Yining wasn’t in the plan.

Leaving the living room, the two would have to turn left and right to return to their own rooms. Having been unable to sleep at 1:00 or 2:00 AM, they might not necessarily fall asleep even if they returned to bed now.

“Ming Sian,” He Yining’s voice suddenly rang out from behind.

Before the voice arrived, the scent of the snowy forest did.

When she looked up, He Yining was already standing in front of her. “Pack your luggage. In three days, come back to the He family with me.”

The weekend would pass, and after a few more days of school, it would be New Year’s Eve. Ms. Chen had been messaging more frequently than usual. After all, Ming Sian had blacklisted Ms. Chen’s phone number; the woman couldn’t call through and could only use Jianxin (WeChat). Under “Do Not Disturb” mode, Ms. Chen’s messages wouldn’t trigger a notification, so naturally they didn’t disturb her.

He Yining didn’t give her much time to think. “I have already mentioned this to the family.”

“Will your family agree?” Ming Sian was surprised. How could the He family agree to her going? They’d more likely oppose it.

“They don’t.”

He Yining answered the question bluntly. Just as she thought, the He family didn’t accept her, even if things between them were a settled matter.

Once an Omega is completely marked, they almost have no choice. She didn’t understand why He Yining would put herself in such a position; after all, as long as she wanted to, she could release pheromones and control He Yining.

This was very unfair to Omegas, which is why Omegas need to be extremely cautious in choosing a partner. The laws protecting Omegas have been revised again and again to reach the currently relatively complete state.

Hearing He Yining’s blunt answer, Ming Sian was speechless for a while. That is to say, the He family wasn’t that easy to talk to.

“Then it wouldn’t be good for me to go, right?”

He Yining gave her a cold look. “Thinking of retreating?”

“But others don’t welcome me.”

“It’s enough that I welcome you.”

Hearing this, Ming Sian’s heart skipped a beat. She felt like she had heard some romantic declaration—the kind where even if the whole world didn’t welcome her, He Yining would.

Her ears grew hot; this was more lethal than their physical contact.

Ming Sian raised her hand, using her very short nails to scratch her ear. Her fingertips could feel the heat of her earlobe.

“Fine. I’ll pack.”

She gave an answer, and while thinking about going to the He family, she wondered what kind of clothes to wear so as not to embarrass He Yining.

Fortunately, He Yining had prepared many clothes for her; she just had to pick something suitable for the He family home.

He Yining suddenly took a step forward, their toes touching. “Why can’t you sleep?”

Waking up after sleeping brings weariness; being unable to sleep brings irritability to the eyes, even if just a little. But Ming Sian was standing in the light, and He Yining could clearly see the insomnia-driven anxiety in her eyes.

Ming Sian pursed her lips, not expecting the Eldest Miss to ask her this.

“Anxiety,” she answered vaguely, mentioning the anxiety but not the cause.

He Yining laughed. It turned out while she was suffering from insomnia, Ming Sian was also tossing and turning. “Don’t want to tell me?”

The clearly teasing words made Ming Sian raise an eyebrow. She felt the Eldest Miss was gloating, quite satisfied with her insomnia.

Moreover, in the middle of the night, a beautiful woman was almost pressing against her and speaking in a teasing tone. If she hadn’t been sober, she might have thought she was in a scene from A Chinese Ghost Story.

“Can’t say,” Ming Sian said with an unreadable tone, not backing down at all.

“Can’t say?”

“Mm.”

Of course she couldn’t say. Was Ming Sian going to say that after being teased by her, the woman had casually walked away, leaving her alone in an uncomfortable, hanging state?

In these matters, the brain always moves faster than reality; the brain is already in bed while the ambiguous atmosphere has just begun. Ming Sian had been “hooked,” but the other person wasn’t “eating” her at all; it was indeed very hateful.

He Yining let out a light laugh, in a rare good mood. “Aren’t you thinking about me?”

Ming Sian was startled and changed the subject. “Why hasn’t Lawyer He fallen asleep?”

“Thinking about you.”

The blunt words made her heart go numb for a second. She hurriedly pretended she hadn’t heard those three words.

She knew He Yining was doing it on purpose—purposely saying such things to trigger her emotions.

“Uhm, Lawyer He, I’m going to sleep first.”

Ming Sian was a bit cowardly. This cold Eldest Miss was actually being so blunt; if it wasn’t teasing, she wouldn’t believe it.

Unexpectedly, He Yining directly blocked her path and drew even closer, her lips forcefully crashing against Ming Sian’s.

In pain, Ming Sian tried to pull away, but He Yining gave her no chance. The kiss became more and more fierce—it wasn’t like a kiss, but more like a bite. The taste of rust (blood) spread in her mouth, and she hurriedly pushed He Yining away.

“He Yining!”

This was the first time Ming Sian had called her by her full name. “Are you sick?”

Who on earth kisses like they’re trying to eat someone?

He Yining raised an eyebrow, a satisfied smile on her lips. She seemed very pleased that Ming Sian had called her by her full name.

“Angry?”

Hearing the Eldest Miss’s question, Ming Sian suddenly lost her energy. What was she angry for? What right did she have to be angry?

During the day, He Yining was a restrained and dignified senior lawyer; at night, she was like a different person, more like a crazy and unrestrained Eldest Miss, even smiling much more and not being as icy as in the daytime.

Which one was the real He Yining? Perhaps both were.

Ming Sian huffed. “What? I can’t be angry? Are you part dog, He Yining?”

She discovered that the Eldest Miss’s full name wasn’t that hard to say; after the first time, the next was much easier.

Just as the Eldest Miss had been holding back, her lips tightly shut, not wanting to make a sound, yet the moment the notes played, a complete song was naturally composed.

He Yining’s lips held a playful smile, and she didn’t intend to speak, just staring at her like that.

The emotionless gaze made Ming Sian a bit guilty; she didn’t even know what she was guilty about. “Then may I ask Barrister He—can I go to sleep now?”

It was 2:00 AM, and she still had to film a video; she couldn’t go film with dark circles under her eyes.

He Yining stepped aside. She didn’t want to do anything; the first time she kissed Ming Sian was to tease, this time was just to punish.

Ming Sian was about to leave, then suddenly turned around. Something was wrong, very wrong. The Eldest Miss could always easily stir her heartstrings and do things with a “grand beginning and a small end.”

“He Yining.”

“Hmm?” He Yining hadn’t expected Ming Sian to call her.

“Are you training a dog?”

Ming Sian finally asked the question she had been thinking about for a long time. First, let the dog taste the deliciousness of a bone, then dangle the bone to make the dog obedient.

“?”

Training a dog? You could say that.

He Yining’s gaze fell on Ming Sian’s broken lip. She stepped toward the bedroom without giving an answer.

But from the woman’s half-smiling gaze, Ming Sian could see it—the woman was doing it on purpose.

Truly a “bad woman,” always capable of doing things that make one unable to stop.

Watching He Yining’s swaying figure, it was hard to look away. Ming Sian’s ears were slightly red; she hurriedly lowered her gaze, not daring to look again. Appreciation was one thing, but the more she looked, the more her heart moved, and that wasn’t good.

In a contract relationship, the biggest taboo is for someone to catch feelings.

Ming Sian sighed and returned to the room to pick up her phone. There were several unread messages in her inbox. She thought they were spam and just wanted to click “Mark all as read.”

She glanced at them and realized something was wrong.

[Ming Sian, you little white-eyed wolf. It’s almost New Year, and you haven’t even called home. Do you still have me as your mother in your heart, and do you still have your sister?]

[Others go traveling for the holidays, but your sister is at home painting one picture after another. Her hands have chilblains, and she doesn’t even dare to turn on the heater. You’re living it up in Hong Kong, ignoring our life and death, aren’t you?]

[Don’t think I don’t know—you’re interning at a big law firm, making 20,000 a month. You actually lied to me saying you have no money to send home. I should have drowned you the moment you were born, to save myself this anger.]

[Don’t think that just because you got into a good university and will be a big lawyer in the future, you’re no longer my daughter.]

[After you graduate, you must come back and take the civil service exam. There’s no negotiation on this. Otherwise, don’t blame me for disowning you.]

In a daze, Ming Sian heard another woman saying, “Ming Sian, who allowed you to stay at Huashen? Didn’t I tell you to come back to work after graduation? You’re a graduate student; with your degree, your starting point for the civil service is very high.”

Ming Sian clearly remembered what she said: “To go back and let you and my brother suck my blood for a lifetime?”

“That’s your brother. We’re getting old and are counting on you to buy your brother a car, a house, and a wife. Besides, it’s normal for a sister’s money to go to the brother; isn’t that how every family does it?”

“To hell with your ‘normal’.”

Ming Sian recalled this scene and cursed out loud.

The sound cleared the daze. Ming Sian came back to her senses and casually swiped the phone screen.

There were many more messages, all with similar wording—either scolding her or complaining about how pitiful they were.

Ming Sian narrowed her eyes, sensing something was wrong. The original host hadn’t told Ms. Chen about this number, so the woman shouldn’t know it. Moreover, she actually knew she was interning and accurately stated her monthly salary.

This phone number of Ms. Chen’s had made many calls during the day, but she had been on silent while writing and forgot to turn the sound back on, so she had missed them.

Who on earth had revealed her situation to Ms. Chen?

However, after this bout of message bombardment from Ms. Chen, she felt the mess in her head was much clearer. She was no longer constantly thinking about the ambiguous atmosphere between her and He Yining, and sleepiness gradually swept in.