After Becoming an Alpha, I Marked My Nemesis - Chapter 31

After attending the awards ceremony for newly crowned “Traffic Little Flowers,” Zhou Qian was about to head back when a familiar voice called out to her just as she reached the elevator: “Qianqian.”

Zhou Qian frowned at the nickname and turned around. At that moment, she spotted the elegant Miss Li Pianpian.

Li Pianpian wore a red dress identical to those worn by the ceremony’s hostesses, her expression tinged with resentment. “I was watching you from the side when you presented the award.”

Zhou Qian stared blankly for a moment before finally reacting with a confused, “Huh?”

Li Pianpian stepped closer and repeated her earlier statement: “I was watching you from the side when you presented the award. It’s a pity you didn’t notice me.”

Li Pianpian was actually there?!

Zhou Qian hadn’t seen her at all. She forced an awkward smile. “Really? I’m so sorry.”

Li Pianpian smiled back. “There’s no need to apologize. I know your heart has no room for anyone but Song Luoxue. It’s perfectly natural you didn’t see me.”

Zhou Qian remembered the last time Song Luoxue and Li Pianpian had met, they had been at each other’s throats. Now, their words still carried a sharp edge toward Song Luoxue. Zhou Qian recalled that Li Pianpian had once written something about unrequited love on the flowers she’d given her, making her suspect Li Pianpian might have feelings for her.

Zhou Qian stared blankly for a long moment before finally reacting. She looked at Li Pianpian and asked, “Ah, what exactly do you mean by that?”

Li Pianpian seemed surprised by her reaction. Covering her mouth, she said half-jokingly, “I thought you’d understand. I didn’t expect even you to be clueless.”

Zhou Qian understood Li Pianpian’s meaning perfectly well. She had deliberately asked the question to end the conversation quickly. But Li Pianpian’s response left her confused. She met Li Pianpian’s gaze and said, “I’m sorry.”

She had intended to apologize and leave immediately, but Li Pianpian looked at her with intense sincerity and said, “It’s only natural, isn’t it? I like you, but you’re with someone you love. I won’t force you directly, but I’ll keep watching you from afar.”

Zhou Qian froze again, stunned by Li Pianpian’s directness.

Isn’t saying it so bluntly just another form of coercion?

Despite this, Zhou Qian admired Li Pianpian’s straightforwardness. At least she brought her feelings into the open.

However, one question lingered in Zhou Qian’s mind. She frowned deeply, studying Li Pianpian. “May I ask… when did you start liking me?”

Li Pianpian looked at her with surprise, then replied in the same teasing tone as before, “Miss Zhou, are you asking because you’re planning to cheat on your partner?”

Zhou Qian’s face darkened at Li Pianpian’s words. Even if she was joking, it felt like she had crossed a line.

Perhaps sensing Zhou Qian’s shift in mood, Li Pianpian chuckled. “My apologies, I was just teasing. As for when I started liking you… it was probably the first time I saw you on TV. You were on a variety show, and your face instantly captivated me.”

Ah, so she’s one of those people who was drawn to the original owner’s looks.

Hearing this, Zhou Qian felt considerably more relieved than before. She let out a sigh of relief and asked, “Then you don’t know about all the scandals from my past?”

Her unspoken meaning was: I wasn’t a good person back then. You should give up on me now.

Li Pianpian, however, simply smiled nonchalantly. “Of course I know.”

Zhou Qian’s eyes widened in shock. She paused, stunned. “If you know all that, then why…?”

Before she could finish, Li Pianpian cut in, “When you truly love someone, you don’t dwell on their past. As you can see, I genuinely love you, which is why I dare to be so direct. Whether the rumors about you online were true or false doesn’t matter to me. All I care about is you.”

If this hadn’t been only their second meeting, Zhou Qian might have thought she was Li Pianpian’s savior.

“But I already have a girlfriend,” Zhou Qian protested.

Li Pianpian shook her head. “I don’t care. If you agree, I’m even willing to have a secret relationship with you.”

Zhou Qian was startled by Li Pianpian’s obsessive fervor. She quickly said, “Miss Li, let me reiterate: I already have a girlfriend. Given your feelings for me, it’s best we don’t meet again. I appreciate your affection over the years, but my girlfriend is quite jealous. For her sake, I can’t see you anymore. Please understand.”

With that, Zhou Qian hurried past Li Pianpian.

Li Pianpian watched Zhou Qian’s retreating figure, unable to utter a word. She hadn’t truly wanted a secret affair; she simply longed to see Zhou Qian every day. But now, even that modest wish seemed to have been abruptly cut short.

Despite this setback, a scheming smile crept across Li Pianpian’s lips.

Yes, things have already deteriorated this far. I no longer care about maintaining my dignity. She loved Zhou Qian and would snatch her back from Song Luoxue. Throughout her life, she had never failed to obtain anything she desired, and Zhou Qian would be no exception.

Zhou Qian walked into the parking lot and found the car that had brought her here. She opened the passenger door and sat down, but the car was empty.

That’s strange, she thought. Ning Xiao said she’d be waiting in the car. Where did she go?

Puzzled, Zhou Qian pulled out her phone to text Ning Xiao. Just then, she heard a familiar voice: “Don’t bother looking for her. I sent her away.”

Zhou Qian’s heart skipped a beat at the sound. She slowly turned around to face the speaker.

Song Luoxue sat in the back seat, arms crossed, her expression dark.

To be honest, Zhou Qian was startled. She stammered, “Luo… Luo Xue, didn’t you say you were busy lately? What are you doing here?”

Hearing this, Song Luoxue pouted, a hint of hurt in her voice. “You never come to see me, even though I miss you. Can’t I come to see you?”

That’s not…

“It’s just that you’re so busy every day, I can never find you when I come looking.” Song Luoxue has been acting like a ghost lately, never telling Zhou Qian where she’s going. Yet Zhou Qian is expected to share every detail of her life with her. How could Zhou Qian not feel wronged?

She even felt their relationship was becoming increasingly unbalanced, her own weight diminishing until she was worth less than a sesame seed.

Before Zhou Qian could speak again, Song Luoxue cut her off: “If I hadn’t come here with you today, I wouldn’t have known you were having a secret rendezvous with your old flame.”

Zhou Qian paused, taken aback by Song Luoxue’s jealous tone. Then she realized: “You’re spying on me?”

Hearing the accusatory tone in Zhou Qian’s voice, Song Luoxue leaned over and pressed the button to recline the passenger seat. Zhou Qian, caught off guard by the sudden movement, was forced to lie back.

Even now, Song Luoxue remained breathtakingly beautiful and aloof. When she wasn’t smiling or crying, Zhou Qian could never guess what she was thinking.

Song Luoxue reached out with her cool hand and stroked Zhou Qian’s cheek. “I don’t like being suspected. So let me make this clear: I wouldn’t bother spying on you. Everything about you is already in my hands.”

Zhou Qian was about to retort when Song Luoxue pressed her hands firmly onto Zhou Qian’s shoulders. “Besides,” Song Luoxue continued, “everything you have now is thanks to me. So what if I were monitoring you? Are you really going to turn on me like this? Don’t you fear being called an ingrate?”

Does she even realize what she’s saying?

Zhou Qian suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to call the mental hospital. She sensed that Song Luoxue was having an episode.

Zhou Qian had wanted to ask if she had taken her medication today, but the words that came out instead were: “Yes, everything I have is thanks to you. So my heart belongs to you too. If you’re worried, just chain me to your side. Chain me tight and never let go. Then I’ll be completely yours, and I won’t sneak off to meet other women.”

Song Luoxue’s heart skipped a beat at Zhou Qian’s sinister smile. Realizing she had gone too far, she hastily released Zhou Qian’s arm and adjusted the passenger seat back to its original position.

The two women sat in silence.

After about five minutes, Song Luoxue cleared her throat, her tone softening as if conceding. “I understand your feelings now. I heard everything you said to that woman earlier.”

Zhou Qian scoffed. “Then aren’t you afraid I’ll go meet other women?”

Song Luoxue hated being questioned with a threatening tone. She had thought that by backing down, both of them could save face and put the matter to rest. But Zhou Qian’s continued pressure surprised her. She simply laughed and said, “No. Because none of them are as rich as me.”

Though Song Luoxue delivered the line with a joking tone, Zhou Qian saw through it immediately.

She was genuinely furious now. She no longer cared about the original plot of the novel or the consequences of upsetting Song Luoxue. All she knew was that Song Luoxue had infuriated her, and she didn’t want to stay with her any longer, lest she do something rash.

Without a word, Zhou Qian opened the car door and slammed it shut with a resounding bang!

Clearly, she was angry again.

Song Luoxue truly didn’t understand. Was telling the truth really such a blow to the female supporting character’s ego? They had already done everything together—was this unspoken reality not fit to be acknowledged openly?

Song Luoxue reached out and murmured a word so soft she could barely hear it herself: “You…”

Then she withdrew her hand.

Given her temperament, she would never chase after Zhou Qian.