After Becoming an Alpha, I Marked My Nemesis - Chapter 11

Zhou Qian had long anticipated Song Luoxue’s response, yet she still felt a flicker of surprise.

She chuckled awkwardly. “Um… Luo Xue, you just got out of the shower, and I haven’t showered yet. Wouldn’t it be a bit awkward to lie on you like this?”

Song Luoxue’s bright eyes seemed to pierce through Zhou Qian’s facade. “Don’t worry, I don’t mind. Are you saying you’re the one who’s uncomfortable?”

Zhou Qian’s smile nearly vanished at those words. Any explanation would only sound like an excuse. Song Luoxue was proving far more difficult to handle than she’d imagined. She remained seated beside Song Luoxue, gently brushing her long, silky black hair aside before casually resting her head on Song Luoxue’s lap.

The most important thing now is to win over Song Luoxue. Nothing else matters. You can do this, Zhou Qian!

Zhou Qian feigned great enthusiasm. “This is such a rare chance for us to be close! How could I possibly miss it?”

Song Luoxue reached out to stroke Zhou Qian’s shoulder. “Exactly. How could we let such a perfect opportunity slip away?”

Song Luoxue’s hands were cool as Zhou Qian lay with her head resting on her lap. There seemed to be an invisible aura about Song Luoxue that drew Zhou Qian closer. She couldn’t explain why, but she loved the scent emanating from Song Luoxue and longed to be even closer.

What exactly is this scent? Zhou Qian thought. Wait a minute! Wasn’t “The White Moonlight’s Revenge” originally an ABO-setting novel? So the scent Song Luoxue is emitting must be…

At that moment, Zhou Qian felt Song Luoxue’s cool fingers touch her cheek. Song Luoxue smiled, gazing at Zhou Qian like a timid fawn. “What are you afraid of?”

Zhou Qian snapped out of her reverie at the sound of her voice. “N-nothing.”

Song Luoxue couldn’t shake the feeling that Zhou Qian always seemed afraid of her. Of course, con artists often felt a pang of guilt when deceiving others, but that was usually only true for novices. A villainous supporting character like the one in the novel shouldn’t feel any remorse, right?

Zhou Qian had overheard Song Luoxue’s phone call earlier. She spoke with a hint of gratitude, “Thank you for handling the Zheng Wenyuan situation. Without you, my reputation would have been ruined beyond repair.”

Song Luoxue paused slightly. “Oh, so you heard everything earlier. You don’t need to worry about it. I just couldn’t stand seeing a good script being ruined. Those personal attacks against you online are probably from Zheng Wenyuan’s fans, right? Since he’s already taken the money, he should handle this properly.”

After speaking, Song Luoxue picked up her wine glass and took a sip of red wine. “After all, no one in this world would turn down money.”

True enough, Zhou Qian thought. Didn’t the Zhou Qian in the novel approach Song Luoxue for money too?

Hearing this, Zhou Qian stood up and looked at her. “But… I still need to thank you for this. Without your help, Luo Xue, I really wouldn’t know what to do.”

Seeing Zhou Qian’s sincere expression of gratitude, a playful smile tugged at Song Luoxue’s lips. Is this all an act? If so, it’s remarkably convincing. It seems I’m not suited for acting in front of cameras, but rather for acting alongside fools like the original female lead.

Song Luoxue set down her wine glass and leaned close to Zhou Qian. But as she stood up, her loosely draped bath towel suddenly slipped off, leaving Zhou Qian with a full view of her naked body.

They had bathed and slept together countless times, but Zhou Qian had never dared to look directly at this woman who looked exactly like her mortal enemy.

Though the woman’s personality was grating, Zhou Qian had to admit her figure was stunning. She was like an addictive cigarette or fine wine—once you’d seen her, you couldn’t look away. That’s why Zhou Qian often avoided focusing on Song Luoxue’s appearance.

Seeing Zhou Qian lost in thought, Song Luoxue asked, “Why do you always space out like this when you look at me? Am I really that distracting?”

Zhou Qian snapped out of her reverie at the sound of her voice. She hurriedly picked up the fallen towel and wrapped it around Song Luoxue. “Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing? There’s a clear glass window right in front of you!”

Song Luoxue couldn’t help but chuckle as she watched Zhou Qian frantically wrap the towel around herself. “So, you’re afraid the people across the street might see me naked?”

Zhou Qian looked up, her voice sharp. “Idiot! Anyone would be embarrassed if others saw them like that!”

At that moment, Song Luoxue froze, staring at Zhou Qian’s face. Her cheeks were flushed crimson, as if she had been drinking strong liquor, even though it was Song Luoxue who had been drinking. The blush slowly spread from her cheeks to the tips of her ears.

What is she doing? If this is acting, it’s… too much.

Zhou Qian walked to the window and drew the floor-to-ceiling curtains closed. Turning to face Song Luoxue, she looked her in the eye and said earnestly, “From now on, when I’m not here, you need to protect your privacy. Promise me you won’t do this again, okay?”

Song Luoxue snapped out of her daze. “Our windows are one-way mirrors. Even with the curtains open, no one outside can see what we’re doing inside.”

Zhou Qian froze, her expression blank.

Right, how long had the original owner been dating Song Luoxue? If she often visited Song Luoxue’s home, she should have known about the special glass, right? Would Song Luoxue notice anything strange about her behavior?

Though Zhou Qian maintained a calm facade, a thin layer of cold sweat had already broken out on her forehead. Song Luoxue, finding her dazed expression rather endearing, leaned closer and gently pecked Zhou Qian’s soft, flushed cheek.

The cool touch of Song Luoxue’s lips snapped Zhou Qian out of her reverie.

After the kiss, Song Luoxue smiled at her. “Still, thank you for thinking of me. I’ll head back to the bedroom upstairs and wait for you. Hurry up and finish your shower!”

With a smile, she turned and ascended the stairs.

Zhou Qian remained frozen in place for about three minutes before finally reacting. She instinctively reached up to touch her cheek—the spot where Song Luoxue had just kissed her.

Thump-thump, thump-thump—

What’s happening? Why is my heart racing? I kissed Song Luoxue on our first meeting, even on the lips. It was my first kiss, but I didn’t feel like this then.

This was wrong, terribly wrong! She couldn’t possibly feel this way about Song Luoxue!

Zhou Qian slapped her cheeks with both hands to snap herself out of it. After regaining her composure, she stepped into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

Instead of immediately washing, she leaned against the tiled wall, head bowed, lost in thought. That’s it! The suspension bridge effect! Seeing Song Luoxue’s body earlier had triggered this reaction when Song Luoxue kissed her. It was a perfectly normal human psychological response. If she had kissed Song Luoxue in that situation, Song Luoxue would have reacted the same way.

No, wait. Song Luoxue already likes Zhou Qian. Even without the kiss, she would have felt this way.

Zhou Qian shook her head under the shower stream, feeling like she was having a mental breakdown. She had been obsessing over the kiss the entire time she showered, only snapping out of it after ten minutes of hot water had soaked her completely.

Yes, this is a normal reaction, both physically and psychologically. Anyone would feel the same. Regaining her composure, Zhou Qian quickly finished her shower.

Song Luoxue’s bathroom was spacious and perfectly designed with separate wet and dry areas. As Zhou Qian walked from the shower to the vanity to grab a towel and hair-drying cap, she noticed a neatly folded beige bath towel with a hair-drying cap placed on top.

A sticky note was attached to the striped wooden shelf beside the towel: New bath towel, specially bought for you.

Zhou Qian stared at the new towel on the shelf, puzzled. Since the original owner of her body had been a frequent visitor to Song Luoxue’s home, Song Luoxue must have had bath products the original owner used regularly. Why would she go out of her way to buy a new set just for her?

Despite her lingering questions, Zhou Qian picked up the new pure cotton towel and began drying herself. The towel seemed to carry Song Luoxue’s signature scent—a faint, sweet fragrance that was almost intoxicating.

After showering and drying her hair, Zhou Qian went upstairs to Song Luoxue’s bedroom. The house was vast, and the bedroom occupied the central room on the third floor. The room was bathed in natural light and decorated in a distinctly British style.

Perhaps Zhou Qian had taken too long in the shower. By the time she reached the bedroom, she found Song Luoxue already asleep on her side, the bath towel she had draped over herself earlier carelessly discarded beside the bed.

Zhou Qian sighed inwardly. Honestly, even if you’re exhausted, you shouldn’t just toss the towel like that. She picked up Song Luoxue’s used towel and tossed it into the washing machine along with her own.

As she carefully slipped under the covers, Song Luoxue, still lying on her side, spoke in a slightly raspy voice, as if she had just woken up: “You take forever in the shower. I was almost about to wake up.”

Zhou Qian felt a pang of guilt. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

Song Luoxue turned to face her. “No, it’s more like I’ve been waiting for you. But you made me wait too long.”

When Zhou Qian picked up the bath towel earlier, Song Luoxue was still asleep, which meant she must have been truly exhausted. Zhou Qian figured she might have woken Song Luoxue by getting into bed too loudly. After turning off her bedside lamp, she reached over and switched off Song Luoxue’s lamp as well.

Pulling the covers over them, Zhou Qian gently patted Song Luoxue’s arm.

“I’m so sorry! As an apology, let me lull you back to sleep now.”

Zhou Qian’s freshly showered body smelled wonderful, the only drawback being her pajamas. In her arms, Song Luoxue felt warmth but no skin-to-skin contact.

Still, this was quite nice. After all, she’d discovered that this little substitute kitten wasn’t just affectionate—she was also remarkably understanding.

A smile played on Song Luoxue’s lips as she murmured, “Good night, my little kitten.”