After Becoming an Alpha, I Marked My Nemesis - Chapter 28

Song Luoxue pulled her car to the side of the road and rolled down the window, taking a deep breath. Though it was past midnight, the air still felt heavy with heat. Only when the occasional night breeze swept through did a brief coolness offer respite.

She glanced back at the road stretching behind her, then turned to gaze at the endless, winding highway ahead. There wasn’t even a gas station in sight, let alone a place to make a phone call.

Just as Song Luoxue was about to wait by the roadside for passing vehicles, she suddenly heard a familiar voice: “Song Luoxue!”

Startled, she whipped around to see Zhou Qian sprinting toward her, her face flushed and drenched in sweat.

Zhou Qian collapsed forward, panting heavily as she reached Song Luoxue. Surprised by her sudden appearance, Song Luoxue paused before asking, “What are you doing here…?”

Zhou Qian’s head snapped up at the sound of Song Luoxue’s voice. Grabbing her by the shoulders, she demanded, “Why did you run off like that? What did I do wrong? Tell me! Running off without a word—what if something had happened to you?!”

Zhou Qian was clearly furious, and Song Luoxue had never seen her this angry before. Having run for so long, Zhou Qian’s voice was still slightly breathless as she spoke.

“Why… why didn’t you tell me what happened? Why are you suddenly angry for no reason? Why did you run off without listening to me? Why didn’t you answer my calls? Song Luoxue, if you’re sick, go get treated, okay?”

Song Luoxue stood listening, surprised by Zhou Qian’s words.

This didn’t seem like an act.

For some reason, Song Luoxue’s conscience felt a pang. She stood frozen, unsure of what to say.

Zhou Qian finally caught her breath and continued, “Because… because I was genuinely scared. I was afraid you’d run off to the river again without saying a word, like last time. I was terrified something would happen to you.”

At this, Song Luoxue felt a flicker of warmth. She slowly began to explain, “I’m sorry. My phone died earlier. It’s been working fine, but suddenly it wouldn’t turn on. I thought I’d have to sleep on the street tonight.”

Zhou Qian’s anger subsided slightly after hearing Song Luoxue’s explanation.

So that’s what happened.

When Song Luoxue had previously mentioned she suspected she might have a mental illness, Zhou Qian had dismissed it as a joke, promising to take her to the hospital someday. But after that conversation, she hadn’t given it much thought.

Now, seeing Song Luoxue’s frequent mood swings, Zhou Qian wondered if she might genuinely have some mental health issues. Maybe I should take her to the hospital tomorrow.

Since Song Luoxue had a valid reason for her behavior, Zhou Qian stopped being angry. She asked Song Luoxue to use her phone for navigation, and they returned to Zhou Qian’s apartment.

For the past few months, whenever the two were together, Zhou Qian had always gone to Song Luoxue’s villa. Today marked the first time Song Luoxue had ever come to her place. Then again, the apartment Zhou Qian was living in had also been purchased by Song Luoxue. So, no matter which place Song Luoxue returned to, wasn’t it still her home?

Perhaps Song Luoxue had chosen to come here simply because it was closer.

In truth, Zhou Qian wasn’t wrong. Song Luoxue had indeed come because it was closer. She had rushed straight from a business meeting to the premiere of the TV drama, leaving her exhausted and in desperate need of rest.

Song Luoxue paused slightly as she entered the living room, noticing the changes since her last visit. Zhou Qian had apparently repainted the walls in a warm, muted orange-yellow hue that felt immediately comforting.

The furniture had also been replaced. The table and chairs now featured a bronze wood grain finish, while the tablecloth sported a cozy gray plaid pattern.

Zhou Qian, following behind Song Luoxue, noticed her friend’s lingering gaze and quickly explained, “I felt the old things were getting a bit worn, so I redecorated.”

The smile on Song Luoxue’s face vanished. The Zhou Qian she remembered wasn’t one to discard the old for the new. She still recalled Zhou Qian’s words: “Things are better when they’re worn in. They make you feel safe.”

Seeing Song Luoxue’s stunned expression, Zhou Qian hurried toward the bathroom. “Luo Xue, you must be exhausted after today. Let me run you a bath.”

Song Luoxue followed, “I’ll help.”

As soon as the words left her lips, Song Luoxue followed Zhou Qian into the bathroom.

Splash, splash—

Hot water gushed rapidly from the faucet. Zhou Qian finished running the bath and turned to leave, but Song Luoxue grabbed her hand. “Hey, aren’t you going to bathe with me?”

Zhou Qian’s face flushed with embarrassment. While running the bath, she had faintly caught Song Luoxue’s milk-and-camellia-scented pheromones. If they bathed together, her own pheromones would inevitably be drawn out by Song Luoxue’s.

“No, I’ll wait until you’re done,” Zhou Qian said, trying to pull away. But Song Luoxue refused to release her hand. “You’ve been working so late by yourself. Wouldn’t it save time if we bathed together? That way we can get to bed earlier.”

Zhou Qian desperately wanted to tell Song Luoxue the truth, but she didn’t want to create an awkward situation between them. The moment she caught a whiff of Song Luoxue’s pheromones, she couldn’t help but release her own. Ultimately, it was her own lack of self-control.

To dispel Song Luoxue’s suspicions, Zhou Qian could only nod in agreement. “Alright, let’s bathe together.”

With that, she and Song Luoxue undressed and slipped into the bathtub. The water slowly overflowed due to their combined weight. The bathroom’s exhaust fan and temperature-controlled air conditioning were running, creating a perfectly comfortable environment on this unusually muggy night.

In this soothing atmosphere, Song Luoxue slowly closed her eyes. Zhou Qian gazed at her closed eyelids… water droplets clung to her long, delicate lashes, evoking a sense of tenderness.

Song Luoxue had fallen asleep in the bathtub—she must have been truly exhausted today. Zhou Qian remembered Song Luoxue mentioning that she had rushed over as soon as she finished her work, which must have been incredibly tiring for her.

Zhou Qian gently scrubbed herself with a bath towel, still catching whiffs of Song Luoxue’s faint, lingering fragrance. This elusive scent was maddening, making it seem less like Song Luoxue’s pheromone and more like the fluttering of Zhou Qian’s own heart.

Resisting the urge to look at Song Luoxue, Zhou Qian quickly finished washing herself and prepared to leave to wash her hair. Just then, Song Luoxue murmured, “Qianqian… can I call you that?”

Of course you can. Haven’t you always called me that?

As Zhou Qian stepped out of the bathtub, her foot landing on the slipper below, something flashed through her mind like a lightning strike. Why does that phrase sound so familiar?

Zhou Qian had an excellent memory. She was certain she had heard Song Luoxue say that exact sentence before. She had heard it directly from someone, and it had been another girl who said it to her. But the incident was so long ago that she couldn’t recall who had said it or where she had heard it.

Zhou Qian was certain that no one had said that to her since she transmigrated into this world. Therefore, the person who had said it must have been from her original world.

Someone from her original world… and now Song Luoxue…

Song Luoxue?

That’s right! It was Song Luoxue! When she first met her arch-rival in high school, didn’t Song Luoxue say exactly that to her?

A car accident, a drastic personality change, unpredictable moods, mental illness… and the Song Luoxue from her original world.

As Zhou Qian connected these pieces, she felt like she had stumbled upon something extraordinary…

Could such a coincidence really exist in this world? Or could the Song Luoxue of this world and the Song Luoxue of her original world actually be the same person, split into two distinct personalities?

If that were truly the case, what was the world she had originally come from? Was she herself real or fake?

Zhou Qian pondered this question as she dried her hair. Because her movements slowed considerably when she was deep in thought, by the time her hair was completely dry, Song Luoxue had already finished her shower, dried her hair, and emerged from the bathroom.

When Song Luoxue entered the bedroom, she found Zhou Qian staring blankly into space. Zhou Qian didn’t even react to her presence. Seeing this, Song Luoxue slowly climbed onto the bed and then suddenly pounced on Zhou Qian, wrapping her arms around her from behind. “What’s wrong? You’ve been spacing out since I came in. Are you just too tired?”

Zhou Qian only snapped out of her daze when she felt Song Luoxue’s warmth. She slowly regained her senses and looked at Song Luoxue, who looked exactly like the Song Luoxue from her original world.

Though they looked identical, the Song Luoxue from her original world would never speak to her so gently, nor would she embrace her from behind and caress her like this.

Zhou Qian’s eyes flickered. “Ah, it’s nothing. I was just a bit tired earlier and spaced out.”

Hearing this, Song Luoxue smiled. “You’re about to go to sleep with your hair still wet? Since you’re too tired to blow-dry it yourself, I’ll do it for you this time. But remember to add it to the ledger—you’ll owe me one next time.”

Zhou Qian froze again, then a smile that seemed to transport her back to the real world spread across her face. “Okay.”

Seriously! What was I thinking just now? Since I’ve transmigrated into this novel, how could philosophical nonsense possibly become reality?