After Becoming an Alpha, I Marked My Nemesis - Chapter 22

Zhou Qian, a dedicated CP fan of Zhou Qian and Song Luoxue, suddenly felt her bl00d run cold when she heard Song Luoxue’s words. As someone with a “love-brain,” she shouldn’t have considered this possibility. When had Song Luoxue realized?

Zhou Qian froze for a long moment before snapping back to reality. She looked at Song Luoxue with feigned sincerity and said, “Luo Xue… what are you talking about? How could I ever think such a thing? You’re probably just tired from your cold these past few days. You’re overthinking it.”

Song Luoxue slowly lifted her head, her gaze lingering on Zhou Qian with a deliberately ambiguous look. “Am I overthinking it?”

Zhou Qian wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and forced a dry laugh. “Yes, overthinking is bad for your health! I’ll go warm you up a glass of milk right now!”

With that, she gently disengaged Song Luoxue’s arms from around her, threw back the covers, slipped into her slippers like a scurrying mouse, and vanished in a flash.

Song Luoxue slowly sat up and sprawled across the bed. She propped her cheek against her left hand, her right hand supporting her left elbow, and gazed in the direction Zhou Qian had just “escaped.”

Zhou Qian’s expression had undoubtedly revealed all her thoughts to Song Luoxue, even though Song Luoxue had long been aware of her schemes.

But what could she do?

Zhou Qian’s flustered escape just now had been so adorable.

Song Luoxue ran her right hand over the mark Zhou Qian had left on her neck the previous day. The spot still stung slightly, carrying the lingering scent of Zhou Qian’s green tea rose pheromone. She rolled twice across the large bed like a child who had discovered a hidden treasure.

After about five minutes, Zhou Qian placed a steaming cup of milk on the bedside table’s coaster. “Luo Xue, I’ve warmed your milk. My cold is almost gone. Ning Xiao said a fashion brand invited me to an event the day after tomorrow, so I need to get back to work.”

This time, Zhou Qian didn’t mince words. Song Luoxue frowned slightly at her words before picking up the cup and taking a sip. The milk was neither too hot nor too cold—just right.

Song Luoxue sighed. “I know you’re busy. Go get to work.”

Zhou Qian smiled slightly. “Alright. I’ll get to work then. Oh, I’ll be free after this week. Want me to come with you to the hospital?”

Song Luoxue had once mentioned she might have a mental illness. If she didn’t have multiple personalities, she was likely faking it.

Song Luoxue paused, surprised. “You’re so busy every day. Don’t worry about coming with me. I’ll schedule an appointment myself.”

“But…”

Just as Zhou Qian was about to protest, Song Luoxue set down her cup, got out of bed, and walked toward her. “Don’t you trust me? Or are you afraid that if I really do have a mental illness, I might threaten your safety?”

Zhou Qian frantically shook her head. “No, no, no! Luo Xue, you’re overthinking things again. I’m just worried about your health. That’s why I wanted to go with you.”

Song Luoxue gazed directly at Zhou Qian, her lips curving into a slight smile. “Since you’ve already marked me, it means keeping you around still serves a purpose. I certainly wouldn’t do anything to you.”

Ah… what is she even saying?

What does she mean by ‘keeping me around still serves a purpose’? It makes it sound like our relationship is just a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Though, to be fair, that’s not entirely wrong.

Zhou Qian snapped out of her daze, her face a picture of confusion. “Luo Xue… I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

Song Luoxue chuckled. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand. Just focus on your work.” With that, she stood on tiptoe and pressed a tender kiss to Zhou Qian’s cheek. “Go early and come back soon, darling.”

It took Zhou Qian a long moment to recover from the kiss. In that instant, she felt as though Song Luoxue knew everything, yet still treated her with such gentle affection.

After Song Luoxue publicly announced her relationship with Zhou Qian, she vanished from the public eye. In the days that followed, the topic of their relationship dominated the trending searches, almost making them permanent fixtures on the list.

Some criticized Song Luoxue for her recklessness, while others accused Zhou Qian of using manipulative tactics to seduce her. Even more astonishingly, within just a few days, they had already gained a dedicated fanbase.

In truth, Zhou Qian and Song Luoxue had a small following before, but most people dismissed the idea of a washed-up, 18th-tier celebrity with a tarnished reputation ending up with a renowned Best Actress. Their pairing was considered an obscure niche, and their CP fans were few and far between.

On a website dedicated to fan-created content, the popularity and search volume for their CP had consistently hovered between double and triple digits. However, since Song Luoxue publicly declared their relationship on camera, the buzz surrounding them had skyrocketed, rising in a sharp, vertical line.

Their CP fans weren’t drawn by Song Luoxue’s accolades; rather, they were captivated by the sheer beauty of both women. The stark contrast in their personalities and backgrounds provided fertile ground for fan speculation and imagination.

Clicking on the #LuoxueQianqian# CP tag on a certain website revealed a trove of fanfiction featuring the trope: “A pitiful star whose career and life have plummeted to rock bottom × A high-achieving, aloof Best Actress who only shows affection to one person.”

While these character dynamics could arguably fit Zhou Qian and Song Luoxue in real life, before their relationship was public, these CP fans had treated this fanfiction as a precious treasure to obsess over.

Before Song Luoxue’s relationship was revealed, fan art, stories, and sweet CP-themed video edits featuring the pair rarely exceeded double-digit views. But after their relationship went public, some CP stories skyrocketed to over 10,000 views, and the numbers continued to climb daily.

While Weibo was flooded with criticism of Zhou Qian, here, CP fans reveled in their vindication. To celebrate the couple’s one-year anniversary, dedicated fans even updated their stories daily for three days straight, each chapter a massive, sprawling 10,000 words.

 Luoxue Qianqian is REAL! : Aaaaaah—they’re finally together! I knew it! I spent over a thousand yuan on tarot readings for them, and the astrologer said their fates are complementary and they were destined to be together! I told you so!

If Luoxue Qianqian isn’t real, then I’m fake! Yes! Yes! I even came up with their CP name, “Luoxue Qianqian”! I knew they were meant to be together! Aaaah! Sisters, what was so special about last Friday? I’m still buzzing from it! You should have seen Xuexue holding Xiao Zhou’s hand—her face was practically overflowing with happiness! I’m going crazy! Aaaah! Completely—utterly insane! I’m going wild for Qianxue, I’m going mad for Qianxue, I’m banging my head against the wall for Qianxue! I’m going to draw a hundred illustrations of them together!

The bed my CP shares must be vibrating at level ten! @Luoxue Qianqian isn’t real, then I’m fake: Sisters! Qianxue is so lucky to have you!

What?! Qianxue officially announced it?! Aaaah… I’m going completely insane! I thought this was an Antarctic Circle CP, so niche it was practically frozen over, but turns out there are so many others shipping them too! I can’t wait any longer—I’m updating my fanfic today! I’ve been spotting hidden hints of their affection for ages!

Qianxue is locked down, and I’ve melted the key! It’s real! They’re so real! Even though only Xuexue spoke during the official announcement, Xiao Zhou’s deep, loving gaze doesn’t lie. They’ve definitely been secretly caressing each other countless times behind the scenes. My CP has become canon! I can die happy now!

 Just an Innocent Passerby:  Huh? I accidentally clicked on this comment section. Why do you all look like you’re preaching? It’s just two actresses making their relationship official—is there really any need to get so worked up?

 Take My Two Qianxue Daughters Away:  Who let that rabid dog upstairs out? Come claim it immediately! This comment section isn’t a trash can—we don’t want your garbage here!

 Qianxue Qianxue Forever:  When did the LH District’s comment section turn into this? If that filth who just barged in wants to bark, they can go do it in their own toilet! This is the LH District, dedicated to shipping couples—don’t you understand?

 I Can’t Change My Username Anymore, Waaah:  OP, please delete that comment. It’s an eyesore.

 Waving the Qianxue Flag High (OP):  OK! Comment restrictions have been set: accounts that haven’t been active in the #QianxueLuoXue# fandom for at least thirty days are now prohibited from commenting!

 Sweet Ice Cream Is My Love:  After setting the restrictions, all the filth disappeared!

 I Just Want to Give Them a Big Smooch:  Fellow Qianxue fans, let’s all set comment restrictions in our own sections—accounts that haven’t been active in #QianxueLuoXue# for at least seven days should be banned from commenting. This will effectively keep the filth out!

I scooped up Qianxue and sprinted a hundred meters: OK! It’s all set up.

The #QianxueLuoXue# CP topic had already been sparsely discussed back in the Antarctic Circle. Now that Song Luoxue and Zhou Qian had officially announced their relationship, their names were practically trending daily. This influx of attention drew in many anti-fans who opposed the pairing, leading them to flood the nation’s largest fanfiction platform, LH Creative, to clash with Zhou Qian and Song Luoxue’s CP fans.

However, these CP fans were only interested in shipping the couple and couldn’t care less about any negative rumors surrounding them. Moreover, they were well aware of Zhou Qian’s reputation for chasing clout, her poor acting skills, and her questionable character. They believed these flaws created a stark contrast with Song Luoxue’s “National White Moonlight” persona, making the pairing even more compelling.

To counter the influx of trolls, the #QianQianLuoXue# CP fans restricted commenting privileges to users who had been active in the CP topic for at least seven days. Enraged by this restriction, the anti-fans retaliated by posting screenshots of the CP-obsessed comments from the LH District on Weibo, accompanied by the hashtags #ZhouQian# and #SongLuoxue#: “Are their fans insane? What’s with this obsession? Isn’t anyone going to do something about this?”