After Becoming an Alpha, I Marked My Nemesis - Chapter 34

Ning Xiao paused for a long moment on the phone, clearly finding Zhou Qian’s question difficult to answer. After a long silence, she finally replied, “Um… Sister Qianqian, let’s not rush. It might take some time for the directors to see your emails, so we should be patient and wait…”

Before she could finish, an email notification popped up on her computer. The reply read: “Dear Miss Zhou, I’m Li Maoshan, the director of Dreaming of a Murder. I’m honored to receive your self-recommendation letter. I believe you share similarities with Le Yi, the female lead in the film. Would you be available to visit my studio soon to discuss your interpretation of the character? The address is…”

After reading the email, Ning Xiao nearly jumped up in excitement. She stammered into the phone to Song Luoxue, “Qian… Qianqian! Qianqian! There’s a reply! Director Li, who’s preparing to film Dreaming of a Murder, has replied! He’s asking if you’re available to visit his studio soon!”

No wonder Ning Xiao was so excited. If Zhou Qian were in her shoes, she would have reacted the same way.

Director Li Maoshan had previously directed critically acclaimed literary films like Born Towards the Sun and To My Dearest You. Born Towards the Sun was Song Luoxue’s most famous representative work. Zhou Qian had only read the description of the female lead’s appearance in Dreaming of a Murder and felt she fit the part quite well, so she emailed Director Li.

Zhou Qian was so overjoyed that she froze for a moment before snapping back to reality. “Okay, tell Director Li I’ll be there promptly at 10 a.m. tomorrow.”

Ning Xiao nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes, I’ll message Director Li right away. I’ll send you the address later.”

With that, Zhou Qian hung up.

Shortly after ending the call, Zhou Qian received the interview address from Ning Xiao. She jotted it down in her notes: “Hmm… Hai Xing Building International Building, 15th Floor, Room 201.”

Hai Xing Building? Why did that name sound so familiar?

Zhou Qian simply brushed off the feeling of familiarity and decided to read the original script for Dreaming of a Murder from beginning to end.

A steaming cup of milk coffee, a quiet room, and a computer. Zhou Qian sat on the sun-drenched balcony, meticulously studying the script. As the sun shifted, her shadow slowly lengthened, then shortened, before finally returning to its morning-long form.

The script for Dreaming of a Murder revolved around Le Yi, a young female office worker who one night had a terrifying dream about a murder. The next morning, she discovered that the girl living upstairs had gone missing. Two weeks later, neighbors noticed an indescribable, fishy stench emanating from the upstairs apartment. When police investigated, they found only the girl’s decaying legs, nearly reduced to bone, in her room. The walls were splattered with copious amounts of bl00d.

The police immediately classified the case as a heinous murder.

During their investigation, the police contacted Le Yi and showed her crime scene photos. Upon seeing the images, Le Yi was struck speechless with shock—the scenes in the photos were identical to the crime scene she had dreamed of.

Although Le Yi claimed to have dreamed of the killer, the police dismissed her words as a joke. However, out of caution, they still sketched a likeness of the person she described. Little did they know, Le Yi had already been targeted.

Director Li Maoshan, known for high-brow art films like Born Towards the Sun, also had a penchant for crime thrillers and mysteries. As long as he wasn’t making commercial films, his directorial efforts invariably achieved both critical acclaim and box office success.

Zhou Qian cherished this opportunity. She spent the entire day on the balcony, nursing several cups of coffee. She disliked iced Americanos—even with ice, the black coffee remained unbearably bitter. So she made herself caramel lattes, deliberately adding extra sugar and creamer.

Though she loved the aroma of coffee, she detested its bitterness. She always compensated with generous amounts of creamer and sugar.

Zhou Qian was blessed with a metabolism that defied weight gain, allowing her to indulge her sweet tooth without worry.

Sitting on the balcony, she spent the day studying the script and refining her delivery, determined to make a strong impression on Director Li tomorrow.

Although Song Luoxue had successfully ascended to fame with her role in the popular drama Phoenix Perches on the Wutong Tree, her reputation for poor acting remained unchanged. Even if her performance in the drama was exceptional, it was ultimately just another historical romance. This collaboration with Amry was her only chance to redeem her image.

Song Luoxue’s business partner was Li Yunxiu, a renowned wedding dress designer also known as Amry, who had risen to prominence in the industry in recent years. Over the past few months, Song Luoxue had launched two fashion brands in Paris and New York, establishing boutiques for high-end, luxury, and niche cosmetics. After two months of trial operation, any stores that failed to meet performance targets were shut down.

Of course, a store’s revenue depended on factors like location, foot traffic, and whether it was a holiday or weekday. After careful consideration, Song Luoxue decided to convert some underperforming but strategically located stores into original design wedding dress boutiques, and she had hired Amry as the designer for this venture.

While Li Yunxiu’s name might not be widely known in China, mentioning Amry immediately conjured images of a famous wedding dress designer.

Song Luoxue stood up and shook hands with Li Yunxiu. “Amry, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m looking forward to our collaboration.”

Li Yunxiu smiled at her words. “Me too. I never imagined that the Best Actress who once captivated the entire nation would consider starting a bridal business. And you’ve managed your brand so well. I believe that with time, Qianxue will become a leading domestic brand.”

Song Luoxue seemed pleased by this. “With Miss Amry’s determination, our collaboration will be twice as effective.”

Li Yunxiu nodded. “Miss Song, please call me Yunxiu. I’m not used to being addressed by my old nickname in China.”

A hint of awkwardness crossed Song Luoxue’s face. “I apologize, Miss Li. I’m not accustomed to using first names. Would you mind if I addressed you as Miss Li?”

Li Yunxiu paused slightly, then said meaningfully, “Is it because you have a girlfriend and want to avoid any misunderstandings?”

She had expected Song Luoxue to be more tactful, but the woman replied directly, “Yes, my girlfriend is a bit jealous. Even when she’s not around, I need to maintain my distance from others.”

Li Yunxiu chuckled. “Zhou Qian is so lucky to have you as her girlfriend.”

Song Luoxue shook her head. “No, I’m the lucky one to have her.”

After their casual conversation, Li Yunxiu left Song Luoxue’s office.

As soon as Li Yunxiu was gone, Song Luoxue immediately turned on her phone. The only message she saw was Zhou Qian’s “Are you there?” sent at 10 a.m. It was almost dark now, and Zhou Qian hadn’t sent another message.

Song Luoxue wondered if Zhou Qian was still angry about their last argument.

But what right did a woman who only wanted her money have to be angry? All she needed to do was give Zhou Qian enough money. Shouldn’t Zhou Qian be free to spend it as she pleased?

She genuinely couldn’t understand what else Zhou Qian might want. Had Zhou Qian been acting for so long that she’d started to believe she actually liked her?

Song Luoxue stared at Zhou Qian’s message thread for a long time. Finally, she changed Zhou Qian’s nickname from “Sly Little Kitten” to “Inscrutable Little Kitten.”

She desperately wanted to ask Zhou Qian what she needed, but she was afraid that if she opened her mouth, they’d end up arguing again, just like before.

It’s better to say nothing at all.

The next day, Zhou Qian dressed neatly and hurried to Li Maoshan’s office. Following the navigation, she nearly got lost upon arriving at the Sea Star Building. Fortunately, a kind young woman gave her directions.

Zhou Qian took the elevator to the 15th floor. As soon as she entered the lobby, someone spotted her. “Are you Miss Zhou?”

The man was middle-aged, wearing a hat that concealed his graying hair. He wore glasses, had a slightly plump build, and radiated a friendly demeanor.

Surprised by the greeting, Zhou Qian paused briefly before asking, “May I ask who you are?”

The man chuckled. “I’m Li Maoshan.”

Zhou Qian froze again, then quickly bowed. “I’m so sorry! I saw your photo online, but you look completely different in person. I didn’t recognize you at all. I’m truly sorry!”

Seeing the young woman’s repeated apologies, Li Maoshan quickly reassured her. “It’s quite alright. I’ve lost about 30 pounds recently, so it’s understandable you wouldn’t recognize me from those older photos.”

Zhou Qian was taken aback again. She gave an awkward smile. “So that’s how it is.”

Director Li chuckled, as if showing off his affection. “Yeah, my weight was starting to affect my health, so my wife forced me to lose weight. Under her devilish training, I’ve already shed over 30 pounds.”