After Becoming an Alpha, I Marked My Nemesis - Chapter 3

In the night, the car sped along the elevated highway, offering Zhou Qian a dazzling view of the city’s vibrant nightscape through the window. Yet her mood remained dark and stormy.

The mere thought of two days ago—when she had surrendered her first and second kisses—filled Zhou Qian with fury. What made it worse was that she had kissed a woman who looked exactly like her arch-nemesis.

Zhou Qian pressed her hands to her face and let out a deep sigh.

The driver steered ahead while Ning Xiao, sitting beside her, observed Zhou Qian. “Qianqian, you’ve been so gloomy since meeting Song Yinghou the other day. Did you two have a fight?”

Zhou Qian shook her head. “No.”

Ning Xiao breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. You know, Qianqian, the director of that Immortal Idol Drama you’re starring in kept you on the project because of Song Luoxue’s influence. He said he was worried about you getting hit on the head and your appearance being affected on camera. Thank heavens you weren’t injured! Otherwise, your entire career as a star would have been over.”

“Alright, I get it. Stop talking, you’re driving me crazy.”

Hearing this, Ning Xiao quickly replied, “Okay, okay. You just got out of the hospital, so I won’t bother you too much. But Qianqian, this is your last chance with Song Luoxue. You absolutely have to seize it.”

Zhou Qian nodded. “I will.”

This was likely the original owner’s last chance as well. Unfortunately, she squandered it in the novel, obsessed only with draining Song Luoxue’s bl00d and failing to secure a backup plan. After filming this drama, she rode the wave of publicity for a while before her career began its downward spiral—a classic case of the villain’s IQ plummeting in the story.

Zhou Qian thought carefully. Apart from deceiving Song Luoxue into believing she was her “White Moonlight,” she hadn’t truly wronged her. If she seized this opportunity now, there might still be a glimmer of hope.

The original owner had been a minor actress who starred in a few terrible films. Her former company had severely exploited her, paying her so little that she couldn’t afford an apartment in this major city. If Song Luoxue hadn’t intervened in time, she would have been drained dry by the company and left to starve.

A normal person would have focused on improving themselves and escaping that wretched company as soon as possible. But the original owner spent her days creating scandals, collaborating with the company to feud with male and female celebrities of all levels to generate buzz. She believed this would boost her popularity, leading to endorsement deals and film offers pouring in. Instead, one misstep after another led to her career fading into obscurity.

Out of her two million Weibo followers, she’d be lucky if even ten thousand were genuine fans. Yet she still dared to pick fights with A-list stars who commanded massive fan bases. Who else would fade into obscurity but her?

Because Zhou Qian didn’t own a home and meeting Song Luoxue at her rented apartment was inconvenient, Song Luoxue bought her a penthouse in the city center.

This was a high-end residential complex with excellent security and a prime location. The two-story penthouse occupied the 13th and 14th floors, offering Zhou Qian her own private space. Song Luoxue had been discharged from the hospital half a day earlier than Zhou Qian, and as a Best Actress, she had countless matters to attend to. As a result, Zhou Qian hadn’t seen her since their brief encounter in the hospital room.

After dropping Zhou Qian off at her doorstep, Ning Xiao returned home.

Zhou Qian entered the unfamiliar house and looked around. The place was nicely decorated, though the two-story structure couldn’t compare to the villa she’d lived in her previous world. After familiarizing herself with the rooms, bathrooms, and kitchen, she decided to take a shower.

As she showered, she suddenly caught a whiff of a floral scent she strongly disliked. It was then that she realized this was the original Zhou Qian’s home, and the towels, bathrobes, and shower gel all belonged to her predecessor.

Zhou Qian had a touch of germophobia. Though she was still in the same body, she couldn’t bring herself to use someone else’s towel. She stepped into the bathroom, then immediately turned around and walked out.

If only she’d left the hospital earlier like Song Luoxue, she could have gone to the supermarket to buy new ones. Now it was so late, even delivery services were probably closed… But the thought of not showering made her feel deeply uncomfortable.

It was early June, and the summer heat was already stifling. Even in the dead of night, Zhou Qian felt suffocated. The air conditioner was set to 22°C, but she was still battling her obsessive-compulsive tendencies. She desperately wanted to shower, but the thought of using the original owner’s belongings made her uneasy.

To shower or not to shower?

Zhou Qian sat on the sofa, torn. She opened her phone and checked the contacts the original owner had frequently interacted with. One was her agent, Ning Xiao, and the other, surprisingly, wasn’t Song Luoxue but someone named Nan Xien.

Based on Nan Xien’s WeChat posts, which only remained visible for three days, Zhou Qian deduced she was a female Omega. Their chat history was filled with flirtatious and explicit messages. Zhou Qian felt a chill run down her spine as she read these words, which would be considered blatant infidelity if Song Luoxue ever saw them.

I have to delete this immediately, or I’m dead.

Just as Zhou Qian pressed the “Select All” button to delete the chat history, a message suddenly popped up in the notification bar: Darling, I heard you’re out of the hospital. Come over tomorrow night?

Two or three more messages popped up immediately after:

I heard you were hospitalized and wanted to visit, but I was afraid of Song Luoxue. By the way, when are you marrying her? Then you’ll get half of her assets.

I’m sorry, I know you’re injured, so I’ve been restless these past few days. I saw the Weibo post from your company—I’m so glad you’re okay! Can you meet me this Saturday?

Zhou Qian’s hand trembled slightly as she read these messages. She hadn’t realized the original owner was such a prolific “fishing” player, with so many people obsessed with her. Besides the Omegas, there were even one or two Betas—it was practically a small fishpond!

Zhou Qian knew the original owner loved to play around and only enjoyed hooking others without any genuine feelings. But this was too much!

Forget it, I can’t keep this phone number. I’ll cancel it tomorrow. Just as she thought this, the doorbell rang. Startled like a guilty thief, Zhou Qian dropped her phone with a thud.

By sheer coincidence, the phone landed on the corner of the table, causing a web of fine cracks to spider across the upper right corner of the screen.

“Ah… who could it be?”

Zhou Qian walked to the door, slightly annoyed, and peered through the peephole. Her pupils constricted sharply when she saw the person standing outside.

It was Song Luoxue. Song Luoxue!

What should she do?

Zhou Qian gasped inwardly. She had just been reading the original owner’s messages with those Omegas. How could she possibly act nonchalant now? But it was Song Luoxue outside—the owner of this very house, after all. She couldn’t possibly leave her standing there.

As she was thinking this, a series of insistent knocks echoed through the apartment.

Zhou Qian sighed helplessly and opened the door. “Coming.”

Song Luoxue stood at the entrance, wearing a blue dress patterned with snowflakes that felt refreshingly cool against the summer heat. The dress was lovely, and the figure beneath it was even more striking. It was a pity she had the exact same face as Zhou Qian’s mortal enemy.

Song Luoxue stood at the door, her hands full of bags. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

Zhou Qian paused briefly, then swung the door wide open and stepped back behind the handle. “Please, come in.”

Song Luoxue entered, carrying her belongings. Zhou Qian took a deep breath, gently closed the door, and walked over to Song Luoxue. As Song Luoxue was about to open her travel bag, Zhou Qian asked, “Luoxue, why are you here so late, and with so much luggage? What’s all this?”

Song Luoxue unzipped the bag, revealing what looked like towels—no, they were towels, still new and unopened in their packaging. Another bag contained bottles and jars, likely shampoo, shower gel, and similar toiletries.

After unpacking, Song Luoxue turned to Zhou Qian. “What? Can’t I visit you just because I feel like it?”

Zhou Qian quickly denied, “No, no, no! I just didn’t expect you so late. Ning Xiao mentioned you’d have a lot to handle after being discharged.”

Song Luoxue chuckled. “My injuries weren’t as severe as yours. A couple of days in the hospital was enough. Besides, meeting in the hospital felt awkward. I came as soon as I finished my tasks. I’m staying here tonight.”

Zhou Qian paused, momentarily stunned. That’s right, this is Song Luoxue’s house. It’s only natural for her to stay here.

Just then, Zhou Qian noticed the matching bath towels in Song Luoxue’s bag. Before she could ask, Song Luoxue smiled and said, “I bought new bath towels and shower gel. I was planning to stay here tonight anyway, so I had the housekeeper change all the bedding.”

A spark lit up in Zhou Qian’s eyes. “Really?”

Song Luoxue nodded.

Zhou Qian felt a surge of happiness. She hadn’t expected Song Luoxue to be so thoughtful, having already prepared everything in advance. At least she could get a good night’s sleep tonight. If Song Luoxue hadn’t arrived in time, she might have had to stay in a hotel.

Meanwhile, the woman, her gaze softening as she looked at Zhou Qian’s strikingly similar face, felt an overwhelming disgust for every object in the house. Her chances of returning were slim, and even if she had to live in this godforsaken place for the rest of her life, she would make sure to live comfortably, both physically and mentally.

Why is this woman acting so pleased? I’m replacing everything because I’m disgusted by the dirty people you used to bring here. I think you’re filthy.

If it weren’t for this face, I’d have killed myself already.

Zhou Qian remained completely oblivious to Song Luoxue’s true intentions, still basking in the joy of being able to take a bath. It wasn’t that she couldn’t accept a perfectly clean towel, but the thought of using something someone else had touched made her uneasy. She knew this was a bad habit and had been trying to correct it, but habits aren’t so easily broken.

Just like her gentle and considerate girlfriend. When she learned that Li Nuanyuan actually liked her arch-rival, she suddenly felt an overwhelming disgust for that person. Perhaps she hadn’t truly loved the young star; she was just resentful…

Why, from childhood onward, has Song Luoxue always tried to take what’s mine, always opposed me at every turn? Li Nuanyuan choosing that person meant I’d lost, which is why I lost my composure and got so angry that day.

“How about we shower together?” the woman asked, drawing closer and speaking in a soft, gentle tone.