After Transmigrating into the Book, I Bent the Heroine O - Chapter 8

【Host! Your current character collapse is at 70%. When it reaches 90%, most of your authority will be revoked. At 100%, the mission will fail!】

In her mind, the System’s urgent voice reported the rules of this world. Although it was on He Lingxing’s side, it had no choice but to follow these rigid protocols.

The automatic penalty was still causing a dull throb in her head. He Lingxing took several deep breaths to steady herself. When she looked up, she met the concerned gazes of her friends. Especially Qiao Muxi—she had only been half-joking, and hadn’t expected He Lingxing to have such a violent reaction.

“I promise not to chase Shu Minglan! I’ll stay far away from her, okay? Xingxing, don’t scare me like that!”

He Lingxing exhaled. “It’s not that…” She rubbed her temples as she caught her breath. “Just don’t chase her for now. If you take her away, how am I supposed to deal with her? Shu Minglan has given me so much grief; I have to ‘handle’ her properly, don’t I?”

“Alright, Xixi. It’s just a little hobby of CEO He’s. Let her ‘handle’ her in peace.”

Wu Luoluo gave her a meaningful, ambiguous look. Qiao Muxi also winked playfully, then slung her arm over the shoulder of the young man, Rong Chen, and led him out after the nurse signaled them.

The more I explain, the worse it gets. He Lingxing gave up on clarifying things in frustration.

Actually, when she heard Qiao Muxi say she wanted to chase Shu Minglan, her emotions hadn’t fluctuated much. That instinctive rejection was likely just a lingering unease about the original host’s friends getting involved with the heroine—it just felt wrong.

She wasn’t into women, and Shu Minglan was as “straight” as a ruler in both the original book and reality. Their interactions so far hadn’t felt remotely ambiguous to He Lingxing, so where did this talk of “together” or “handling” even come from?

As for that hazy dream from before, she dismissed it as a mere side effect of the pheromones. She didn’t dwell on it.

Receiving a new plot progress alert, He Lingxing pushed open the door of the VIP lounge and walked toward her friend’s ward.

In the original book, the host had four close friends: the outspoken heiress Qiao Muxi, the gentle and steady Wu Luoluo, the quiet Rong Chen, and the newly differentiated Omega, Zhan Minglu.

The sterile white VIP ward was filled with the fresh scent of sedative perfume. The nurses had cleared the room of any stray pheromones before allowing the Alphas to enter.

Zhan Minglu had a small, delicate “v-shaped” face that looked very much like a typical Omega’s. She was considered a beauty even among her kind, though He Lingxing personally couldn’t appreciate this overly fragile aesthetic.

She had a small frame and was currently pale, curled up on the hospital bed under a large sheet that made her look even tinier. When she saw her friends’ familiar faces, a faint smile appeared in her watery eyes.

“Xiao Lu,” He Lingxing called out, using the original host’s memory.

The System had told her that Zhan Minglu was also one of the male lead’s harem members in the original setting, albeit a minor one. Although she was beautiful and would become a minor celebrity, the male lead didn’t particularly care for her pheromones. After playing with her a few times, he discarded her. Zhan Minglu eventually became obsessed, leading the annoyed male lead to blackball her from the industry.

He Lingxing had been given another “inhumane” task: push this girl toward the male lead.

However, it seemed she didn’t even need to try. The “male lead” in this script acted like a magnet, constantly pulling these people toward him.

“A-Xing.”

Small talk with the others clearly wasn’t what Zhan Minglu wanted. After a few half-hearted responses, her deer-like eyes fixed on He Lingxing.

“I heard Murong Feng plans to collaborate on an ad with an artist from your company. If the ad does well, will they be considered for King of the Jungle? I remember that project requires an Omega and an Alpha lead.”

That part of the plot was still a ways off; He Lingxing hadn’t expected her to find out so soon. “There is such a plan, but that script is actually a ‘Light GL’ (Girls’ Love) story.”

The script was about two women in a love-hate rivalry. The romance wasn’t explicit, but the ambiguous tension was high. There was a second male lead who liked the heroine early on, acting as a catalyst for her to realize her true orientation.

Since Zhan Minglu had asked, she clearly knew the details. She nodded slightly.

“I heard the Omega director likes Shu Minglan, but I was thinking…” Zhan Minglu looked a bit embarrassed to be asking to pull strings to steal a role. “A-Xing, can you switch her to another role or project? I want to play the lead.”

He Lingxing’s refusal was immediate: “No.”

Seeing Zhan Minglu’s surprise and disappointment, He Lingxing worried the System would flag her for breaking character again, so she quickly added:

“First of all, that script has emotional scenes. You’d have to do intimate scenes with an Alpha. If things go smoothly, filming starts soon, but your differentiation hasn’t stabilized yet. It’s best not to have such close contact with an Alpha. You’re straight, right? What if something happens after you’re exposed to a female Alpha’s pheromones?”

“Besides, the director liking Shu Minglan is old news. The word is already out. Given Shu Minglan’s personality, if you steal her role, she won’t let it go easily.” Before Zhan Minglu could argue, He Lingxing continued calmly, “Xiao Lu, I know you want to bully Shu Minglan to help me get revenge, but we can’t ignore public opinion. That woman is very calculating, and marketing accounts love manipulating the narrative. I’m afraid it would hurt your reputation.”

He Lingxing’s explanation made it impossible for Zhan Minglu to press the issue. Since He Lingxing was supposed to still “like” Murong Feng, Zhan Minglu felt awkward about stealing her friend’s man’s attention in front of her.

The System’s reminder arrived on cue: 【Sister Xing, remember to push the plot.】

To be honest, He Lingxing hated using her connections to snatch resources, and she certainly didn’t want these girls throwing themselves at the male lead like moths to a flame. If he were a high-quality man, that would be one thing, but a guy like him—whom she wouldn’t even look at twice—was being treated like a prize just because the author covered him in a layer of “gold.”

Are his pheromones magnets or superglue?

For the first time, He Lingxing felt a deep wave of impatience with this mission. She even started to regret taking on this “easy” job. For years, she had worked according to her conscience. Framing Shu Minglan and pushing girls toward a scumbag went against her values.

“However, if you want, you can have the ad slot. I’ll discuss it with your CEO Li.”

Murong Feng had just finished a Xianxia drama and was a popular character; his career was on the rise. Free resources were always welcome, and the other company would surely agree.

With that, she considered the task done.

“Thank you, A-Xing darling!” Zhan Minglu beamed. She didn’t actually want the movie role; she just wanted to be near Murong Feng, who was the second lead in the other project. Now that she had a chance to spend time with him during the ad shoot, her face flushed with excitement.

Truthfully, He Lingxing didn’t like Omegas like Zhan Minglu. When the girl acted spoiled toward her, she felt a slight chill. In comparison, Shu Minglan felt better. Even as an Omega, Shu Minglan’s poise was much more natural.

And Shu Minglan had a great figure.

Beauty is in the bones, not just the skin. To He Lingxing’s aesthetic, being “waif-like” wasn’t the ideal state for an Omega. A frame that’s too thin might look good on camera, but it’s not particularly attractive in person.

Shu Minglan was well-proportioned, neither garish nor fake. Her purity was just right—far more natural than Zhan Minglu’s “forced cute” act. For some reason, after being away for a while, He Lingxing actually missed the Shu Minglan who had a bit of a temper with her. Perhaps it was a “Mission Agent’s” natural concern for her heroine.

“I’m leaving if there’s nothing else. I have a project to negotiate; I’m quite busy.”

He Lingxing had no interest in being friends with someone like Zhan Minglu. The moment the girl asked her to steal resources, her initial impression points plummeted. There was indeed work at the company, and if she had to waste time, increasing the heroine’s friendship points was more valuable.

Only after the crisp sound of heels hitting the hospital floor faded did Zhan Minglu look up at her remaining friends.

“Xingxing wasn’t like this before.”

The old “He Lingxing” had a great relationship with her and was practically at her beck and call. Stealing a resource was something she wouldn’t have hesitated for a second. But now, she had used such high-sounding excuses to challenge her. If she hadn’t offered the compensation at the end, Zhan Minglu wouldn’t have been able to keep her smile.

“Did Shu Minglan do something?”

Zhan Minglu wasn’t a fool. She could tell whether He Lingxing’s words were favoring her or Shu Minglan. That’s why it felt so unbelievable.

The others were mutual friends of her and He Lingxing. To them, Shu Minglan was an outsider—an outsider He Lingxing used to loathe. The priority was clear. Wu Luoluo looked at Zhan Minglu, who was clutching the sheet, and felt a touch of pity. She said softly:

“Their pheromone compatibility is 100%. I’ve lived for twenty years, and this is the first case I’ve ever seen.”

【Host, please listen to orders. A new wave of plot is arriving.】

【The heroine’s film is moving to a new location. When she returns to the city, it will trigger the important plot point of the [Temporary Marking] with the male lead. To restore your villainous persona, please complete three tasks to humiliate the heroine!】

Finally. He Lingxing, who was processing emails, slowed her movements.

She had been thinking on the way back to the office. Her persona collapsing repeatedly was a rare and embarrassing failure in her career history. Her colleagues would laugh at her when she returned. Therefore, she had to harden her heart toward the heroine and stop being so indecisive. Most likely, the heroine would fall for the male lead regardless of her meddling, so why should she worry?

For the first time since reading the script, He Lingxing was proactive: “Speak!”

【First: Have an indirect kiss with the heroine, and make sure she knows.】

【Second: Make the heroine wear a bunny girl outfit and take photos.】

【Third: Soak in a hot spring with the heroine, touch her gland, and when she has a physical reaction, say: “Bitches are just so melodramatic.”】