After Becoming an Alpha, I Marked My Nemesis - Chapter 35

Zhou Qian was surprised by Director Li’s words, her expression one of disbelief. “Really? That’s… that’s amazing! You and your wife must be very close.”

Director Li seemed pleased by her comment. “Just average, I suppose.”

He gestured for Zhou Qian to sit down. “Miss Zhou, let’s talk inside.”

Zhou Qian nodded and followed Li Maoshan into the office. As she entered the room and saw the two cameras and thick black curtains, she remembered that she had once shot a fashion magazine spread here—the space served as a makeshift photography studio.

Li Maoshan sat across from her, smiling. “Miss Zhou, I’ve read your seven-thousand-word analysis of Le Yi’s character in Dreaming of a Murder. You’ve captured every nuanced emotion the character experiences throughout the film.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qian quickly replied, “I cherish this opportunity, so I read the script thoroughly before coming. There are still some areas I could improve on, Director Li. I hope you’ll forgive my shortcomings!”

Li Maoshan chuckled. “You received my reply just yesterday, yet you’ve already written over seven thousand words of insights. This shows you’ve been tirelessly studying the script and crafting character analyses since returning home. Miss Zhou, you’re truly remarkable.”

Zhou Qian suddenly couldn’t grasp Li Maoshan’s meaning. She could only force a smile and continue, “Yes, this opportunity is so rare that I felt I should work twice as hard.”

Li Maoshan smiled again. “Many things can’t be obtained through sheer effort.”

A chill ran through Zhou Qian’s heart. It’s over. I’ve definitely failed now.

Wait, didn’t Song Luoxue once star in a film by this director? Director Li has notoriously discerning tastes and an eagle eye for selecting leading ladies. How did Song Luoxue overcome his rigorous scrutiny before? Or, if Song Luoxue were here now, what would she do?

As Zhou Qian pondered this, Li Maoshan noticed her distracted demeanor. He continued, “It seems Miss Zhou isn’t fully prepared for this discussion. Perhaps we should reschedule for another day?”

Zhou Qian snapped back to reality. She had painstakingly fished this piece of fatty meat out of the pot—how could she let it slip away now, when it was nearly cooked?

Regaining her composure, Zhou Qian turned to Li Maoshan. “Director Li, I agree with you. Some things can’t be achieved through mere effort. My understanding of these seven thousand characters came entirely from my reflections while reading the script yesterday. This wasn’t a perfunctory exercise; I looked up and realized it was already dark, and I had written so much. I believe your decision to recruit the lead actress from outside wasn’t dictated by capital interests. I trust you have your own valid reasons.”

Li Maoshan had never heard anyone speak to him like this before. It seemed he had underestimated this previously unknown actress.

He continued, “I heard you’re in a relationship with Song Luoxue. Hasn’t the Best Actress ever warned you against being so aggressive?”

Zhou Qian showed no signs of intimidation. Instead, she replied with even greater conviction, “Yes, Song Luoxue and I are lovers. But Luo Xue always taught me that when people are pushed to the brink, they must fight back and seize hard-won opportunities.”

Li Maoshan had never encountered an actress who dared to speak to him with such barbed words. Yet her strong personality and earnest demeanor were undeniably captivating.

He sat stunned for a long moment before snapping out of his daze. “Very well,” he said. “I’ll contact your agent. Come to New Jia Film and Television City in three days for a screen test. I’ll assess your live performance and decide whether to cast you.”

Zhou Qian’s face lit up instantly. This was far better than hearing, “Alright, go home and wait for news,” wasn’t it?

She stood up and bowed deeply to Li Maoshan before heading for the door. “Then I’ll see you in three days.”

With that, she left.

Li Maoshan now turned his attention to the character insights Zhou Qian had sent him. He called out her name, a hint of confusion in his voice.

Zhou Qian… wasn’t she that actress with terrible acting skills and a bad reputation? She had recently gained popularity through an ancient idol drama, and her fame was indeed on the rise again. But movies and television were different beasts entirely. Moreover, the drama she had starred in was riddled with logical flaws and had undergone numerous script revisions.

Forget it. If Zhou Qian doesn’t perform well at the audition in three days, we’ll just eliminate her.

Back home, Zhou Qian collapsed onto her bed, exhausted. She had worked until 1 a.m. the previous night to fully grasp the script for Dreaming of a Murder. Still, it was worth it—at least she had earned an audition.

Zhou Qian opened her phone, her eyes glued to Song Luoxue’s message thread. But Song Luoxue hadn’t replied all day. Even if she was busy, she needed rest, right? It was impossible for her not to have seen Zhou Qian’s messages by now.

Zhou Qian had already resigned herself to the fact that Song Luoxue didn’t want to talk to her. But there was something she absolutely needed to discuss with her. Gathering her courage, she typed: Are you there? I have something very important to discuss with you.

Even after sending the message, Song Luoxue didn’t reply immediately. Zhou Qian lay flat on her bed, staring at the ceiling, her breathing quickening with anxiety. Just then, her phone vibrated with a notification. She snatched it up and checked Song Luoxue’s message thread.

Song Luoxue messaged her: Just finished up. What’s up?

Zhou Qian immediately typed back: I have something really important to discuss with you, but Mo Zhen said you won’t be back until next week. If it’s not convenient, I can wait until then.

??? Song Luoxue sent back three question marks immediately after Zhou Qian sent her message.

Wait, if you knew I wouldn’t be back until next week, why bring it up now? This will just make me think about it every day!

Zhou Qian froze, stunned by Song Luoxue’s reproachful words. She hadn’t considered that at all. She’d been poring over scripts until dawn the night before, then rushed to meet Director Li after just a few hours of sleep. Now that she finally had a moment to breathe, she’d been eager to share her decision with Song Luoxue—she truly hadn’t thought about the implications.

Seeing Zhou Qian’s prolonged silence, Song Luoxue typed: What exactly happened?

After seeing Song Luoxue’s message, Zhou Qian continued typing: Hmm… This matter isn’t exactly difficult, but it’s not simple either. It’s hard to explain in a phone call. How about I wait until you get back to discuss it?

Song Luoxue had just finished showering and wrapped her hair in a shower cap when she saw Zhou Qian’s message. She wanted to ask Zhou Qian if she didn’t find her own words contradictory.

Forget it. Since you have something going on, I’ll head back tomorrow. You stay put at my place and wait for me.

Zhou Qian: “……”

She wanted to say something, but she was afraid Song Luoxue would grill her again like before. She really didn’t want to face such a harsh interrogation.

After a long pause, Zhou Qian finally typed a single word: Okay.

After replying to Song Luoxue, Zhou Qian put her phone on silent mode. She was exhausted and just wanted to rest. She sprawled out on the bed like a starfish, her eyes still staring blankly at the ceiling.

She didn’t know why, but lately she kept getting this feeling.

Song Luoxue was becoming increasingly similar to her arch-rival from that other world. It wasn’t just her demeanor and tone of voice; even her habits and verbal tics were eerily alike.

Could it be possible that the Song Luoxue from that world had also transmigrated?

Pfft— Zhou Qian chuckled at her own ridiculous thought, finding it so absurd it made her laugh.

She’d had this idea before, but the Song Luoxue in this world had shown no signs of being different. If it were truly the Song Luoxue from the real world, she would never willingly hug Zhou Qian, let alone allow herself to be marked, right?

Perhaps Zhou Qian was overthinking things. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that such coincidences couldn’t exist in this world. Maybe she should test Song Luoxue, probe whether another soul might be residing within her body. That would be far better than taking her to a mental hospital, wouldn’t it?

As Zhou Qian pondered this, she drifted off to sleep.

But before that, she had forgotten something crucial… Only Song Luoxue and she knew what had truly happened between them in that world. Every time they met, it was in public places, and they immediately clashed, neither willing to yield an inch. Everyone knew about these encounters. So what exactly was it that only the two of them knew?

The next day, Zhou Qian arrived at Song Luoxue’s villa dressed in a black tracksuit. When she arrived, the maids were cleaning the house, preparing for Song Luoxue’s return that evening.

Song Luoxue was notoriously fastidious about cleanliness, absolutely refusing to tolerate even a speck of dust in her living space. She had arranged for the maids to come early to ensure everything was spotless.

“Hello, Sister Zhou Qian,” a short-haired girl greeted her with a nod.

Zhou Qian had come wearing sunglasses and a mask, but she was surprised to be recognized so quickly despite her disguise.

Perfect timing. Feeling stifled, Zhou Qian removed her mask and greeted the girl who often cleaned Song Luoxue’s villa: “Xiao Ying, hello! You’re here early today.”

Hearing this, Xiao Ying smiled and replied, “Sister Luoxue is coming home at noon today, so we need to finish cleaning before then. Oh, Miss Zhou, have you had breakfast yet? There are still some tuna sandwiches from this morning in the kitchen. I can heat one up for you if you’d like.”

At that moment, Zhou Qian suddenly realized her stomach was growling. She remembered she had indeed rushed out without eating breakfast.

She had skipped breakfast to avoid being late, but if she had known Song Luoxue wouldn’t be home until noon, she wouldn’t have had to wake up so early and rush over.

Xiao Ying heard Zhou Qian’s stomach rumbling and chuckled. “Miss Zhou, I’ll go heat up a sandwich for you right away.”

With that, she set down her cleaning supplies and headed to the kitchen.

Xiao Ying was a year younger than Zhou Qian but remarkably capable. She had been working as Song Luoxue’s maid since Zhou Qian transmigrated here. Perhaps because Xiao Ying had started working shortly before Zhou Qian’s arrival, she had a very positive impression of her, always greeting her warmly whenever they met.

Zhou Qian sat down in the living room, and Xiao Ying went to warm up a glass of milk and a sandwich for her. Wearing heat-resistant cooking gloves, she placed the items on the long white marble table.

Seeing this, Zhou Qian quickly said, “Thank you!”

Xiao Ying smiled and replied, “No need to thank me, Sister Zhou Qian! By the way, the drama you starred in seemed to have its finale last week. I cried for ages because I didn’t understand the ending. Oh, did your character, Feng Nanzhi, end up with Meng Yan, the one Madam Song played?”

Zhou Qian had just raised the glass of milk to her lips when Xiao Ying’s words nearly made her spit it out.

What the hell?!

She was the female lead of Phoenix Perches on the Wutong Tree, while Song Luoxue was the female lead of Three Lifetimes of Snow. How could their characters possibly end up together?

Zhou Qian didn’t voice her confusion directly. Instead, she looked up at Xiao Ying with a slightly awkward expression and asked, “Xiao Ying, where did you hear about that plotline?”

Xiao Ying quickly responded, “Oh, I didn’t read any summaries before watching the drama. I watched every episode straight through, from the first to the last. Your portrayal of Feng Nanzhi was so beautiful and elegant! But I didn’t understand the part at the end where the Goddess arrived to help you ascend. Did the Goddess sacrifice herself to help you ascend, or did you both ascend together and end up together in the celestial realm?”

“What do you mean, they ascended to the heavens together and ended up together?”

Even Zhou Qian couldn’t understand the plot Xiao Ying was describing. The novel Phoenix Perches on the Wutong Tree had an open-ended conclusion, leaving Feng Nanzhi’s fate ambiguous—whether she died or successfully ascended remained unknown.

Moreover, the final scene had been rewritten by Song Luoxue in collaboration with the scriptwriting team. Even Zhou Qian herself didn’t understand the nonsensical ending they had filmed. Yet, this deliberately enigmatic plot, combined with her and Song Luoxue’s outstanding performances, had brought the drama to life.

In the end, their performances had moved countless viewers to tears.

Perhaps due to her limited life experience, Zhou Qian genuinely couldn’t grasp why the ending was so tear-jerking.

Since she didn’t understand the scene’s meaning herself, Zhou Qian could only reply vaguely to avoid disappointing Xiao Ying: “They probably… ended up together, right?”

Xiao Ying’s voice rose with excitement. “Really?! So, in the drama, you and Madam Song ascended together and ended up together, just like in real life!”

Feeling a pang of guilt, Zhou Qian replied hesitantly, “Probably… I guess so?”

Zhou Qian finished her tuna sandwich with milk. Seeing this, Xiao Ying stepped forward to clear the table. “Sister Zhou Qian, I’ll take care of this.”

Zhou Qian watched the servants bustling around Song Luoxue’s house, feeling a bit awkward just sitting there while everyone else was busy. Since she had nothing else to do, she figured tidying up the dishes would be a good way to pass the time while waiting for Song Luoxue to return.

Zhou Qian stood up. “I can handle this. You go attend to your other duties.”

Xiao Ying refused. “No, Sister Zhou Qian. You’re just as much a mistress of this house as Sister Luoxue. If you do this yourself, Sister Luoxue will punish us.”

As she spoke, Xiao Ying gathered the plate and milk glass.

Alright then.

Zhou Qian decided to wait patiently for Song Luoxue.

Xiao Ying, a chatterbox, sensed Zhou Qian’s approachable nature and continued talking as she wiped the stair railing. “Sister Zhou Qian, not to be rude, but I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you in my entire life. If I could be even half as beautiful as you, I’d gladly die right now.”

Zhou Qian felt a pang of anxiety at her words. “Don’t… Being pretty doesn’t put food on the table. Besides, you haven’t even seen the outside world yet. There are countless people out there who are more beautiful than me.”

“How could that be? Sister Zhou Qian, you’re a huge star now! You’re famous because you’re so beautiful. Not everyone is as lucky as you.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qian felt as if a thick wall had risen between her and Xiao Ying. Perhaps she couldn’t truly understand Xiao Ying’s world, just as Xiao Ying couldn’t grasp her current situation.

Just as Xiao Ying was about to speak again, Zhou Qian suddenly heard a familiar voice: “Finished your work already? Why are you chatting here?”

Zhou Qian and Xiao Ying both turned toward the doorway at the same moment. Song Luoxue stood in the entryway, having removed her sunglasses. She walked over and said, “Alright, you’re dismissed. Go attend to your other duties.”

Seeing Song Luoxue, Zhou Qian immediately stood up from her seat, feeling self-conscious because the cleaning staff was still present. Noticing her awkwardness, Song Luoxue teased, “It’s only been two days since we last met, and you’re already this afraid of me?”

“N-no… that’s not it,” Zhou Qian stammered.

Song Luoxue saw through her thoughts. Smiling, she said, “I dismissed all the staff earlier. It’s just the two of us now. You can tell me anything.”

Zhou Qian breathed a sigh of relief and followed Song Luoxue to the sofa. As they sat down, she asked, “Weren’t you supposed to be back at noon? Why are you here so early?”

Song Luoxue’s tone carried a hint of reproach. “Whose urgent message made me rush back? You said you had something important to discuss, so I hurried back without even getting a proper night’s sleep.”

Zhou Qian paused, then lowered her head in apology. “I’m so sorry. If I’d known it would worry you so much, I wouldn’t have sent the message.”

Song Luoxue shook her head. “There’s no use regretting things now. Since I’m already here, don’t blame yourself too much. This was my choice.”

Zhou Qian stared at her, then said, “Didn’t you used to say I only cared about money?”

Wasn’t that the truth?

Song Luoxue responded with a sarcastic tone, “When did I ever say that?”

Zhou Qian continued, “You may not have said those exact words, but that’s what you implied, wasn’t it?”

Perhaps Zhou Qian’s words struck a nerve. Song Luoxue slammed her hand on the table and stood up, her face flushed with anger and embarrassment. “Zhou Qian, what exactly are you implying?!”

Zhou Qian stated plainly, “Let me reiterate: I didn’t approach you for money. If you still don’t trust me, I’ve come up with a solution that will put both our minds at ease—let’s get our assets notarized. And you should cancel the will you wrote before. I don’t need it anymore.”

Zhou Qian’s sudden declaration left Song Luoxue at a loss for words. She had never imagined that this notoriously greedy and malicious supporting character would ever say such a thing.

“What do you mean you don’t need it anymore? Weren’t you the one who insisted I write the will in the first place? The inheritance was only included with your consent. Now you want to get our assets notarized and cut ties completely? Tell me honestly, is there someone else?”

What is this nonsense?

How could Song Luoxue even think such a thing?

To prove her innocence, Zhou Qian shook her head vehemently. “No… Luo Xue. I believe you should have full control over your assets. Perhaps you should revise your will first, or even better, simply not have one at all. Everything I’m doing is for your own good. If there’s any future misunderstanding between us, I fear it might lead to something harmful happening to you…”

Hearing this, Song Luoxue let out an angry laugh. She lifted her head and glared at Zhou Qian. “Harmful to me? If you were truly devoted to me, how could anything harmful ever come my way? The fact that you’re already worrying about future events affecting me means you’re already plotting how to manipulate me later. If our bond were truly unbreakable, you wouldn’t be saying any of this.”

Indeed, their relationship had been built on a foundation of lies, like a glass jar riddled with cracks. Even the slightest tremor could shatter it completely.

If they didn’t bring these issues out into the open, Zhou Qian and Song Luoxue would continue to appear as a perfectly sweet couple on the surface.

But Zhou Qian no longer wanted to be controlled by Song Luoxue. She had had enough of this charade.

Zhou Qian continued, “I think if we’re going to continue dating, we need to notarize our assets. If you don’t change or delete your will, I won’t accept your inheritance if anything happens to you. All your assets will be donated to welfare centers. As for whether I’m just making empty threats, I can go to the notary office and prove it.”

Song Luoxue’s eyes filled with confusion. She genuinely couldn’t understand what Zhou Qian was saying.

Snap out of it! You’re the villainess! How could you possibly return all the money you’ve already gotten your hands on?

Song Luoxue suddenly found herself reluctant to take back the money. She had been looking forward to seeing how the villainess would try to kill her for it. But now…

“Then who do you think should get my money if I really die?”

Zhou Qian’s gaze flickered away as she replied, “To… your closest friends or family.”

Song Luoxue chuckled bitterly. “After being with me for so long, you must know I have no family left. And you’re the only person I’m close to. Are you suggesting I give my entire fortune to complete strangers?”

Zhou Qian lowered her head, avoiding her gaze.

Song Luoxue continued, “I’m not that noble. I’m selfish. So, rather than donating my money to some so-called welfare centers, I’d rather give it to you—whether your feelings are genuine or not.”

At this, Zhou Qian’s eyes snapped up to meet hers.

After a long pause, Zhou Qian finally said, “Luo Xue, please believe me. I didn’t bring up the property notarization because I wanted to break up with you. I just want what’s best for you.”

Song Luoxue finished her sentence, “If you truly care about me, then drop this matter entirely.”

No, the property notarization must proceed. This way, she wouldn’t be constantly controlled by Song Luoxue. She didn’t want Song Luoxue’s money; she wanted her freedom.

Song Luoxue felt she understood Zhou Qian less and less. What was the purpose behind this demand? Was it simply because Song Luoxue had often used money to morally blackmail her, and she couldn’t take it anymore?

“Luo Xue, if you refuse to have our assets notarized, there’s only one path left for us.”

When Song Luoxue heard this, she felt a pang of reluctance. But she knew exactly what Zhou Qian was about to say, and she hated nothing more than being threatened.

Song Luoxue let out a cold laugh. “Heh, are you breaking up with me now?”

Zhou Qian shook her head. “That’s not what I mean. But, Luo Xue… if you refuse to notarize our assets, I think we might actually end up breaking up. I don’t want any future mistakes of mine to drag you down with me.”

Zhou Qian’s voice grew urgent. In her heart, she couldn’t help but plead: Please, just agree!

Hearing Zhou Qian threaten to end their relationship over this, Song Luoxue’s face twisted into a meaningful smile. “Are you sure you want to break up with me?”

Zhou Qian, still feeling somewhat guilty, slowly began, “If…”

Song Luoxue cut her off. “When your career was in shambles, I stood by you, providing you with countless resources—things that can’t be measured in money. Now that you’ve finally gained some traction, I’m announcing my retirement, and you want to break up with me? Aren’t you afraid people will call you ungrateful if this gets out?”

Zhou Qian’s eyes widened in disbelief at Song Luoxue’s words. She couldn’t believe Song Luoxue would use such a thing to threaten her. She stood frozen, unable to process what she had just heard.

Song Luoxue’s mind was in chaos. She hadn’t even realized what she was saying. But her only thought was that she couldn’t let Zhou Qian threaten her.

After a long silence, Zhou Qian finally spoke, her voice strained. “Luo Xue, are you really going to push me this far?”

Song Luoxue met her gaze. “You’re the one who pushed me first.”

She continued, “I truly don’t understand. You’ve gained so much wealth for no reason, yet you still refuse? You’re using this to force a breakup? Haven’t I been good enough to you? What else do you want from me?”

Zhou Qian’s pent-up resentment finally reached its breaking point. She suddenly looked up, her eyes blazing with fury. “Because I don’t want it! I’ve never wanted anything from you, so Luo Xue…”

Song Luoxue was stunned to hear Zhou Qian’s low sobs.

Zhou Qian lowered her head, tears falling like broken strings of pearls. “So please, just let me go.”

Either do the property notarization, or let me leave.

Zhou Qian believed that if she could distance herself from the novel’s female lead—even to the point of severing ties completely—she could escape her current crisis.

Song Luoxue didn’t understand why, but the sight of Zhou Qian’s tears pierced her heart like needles. She instinctively stood up and moved to Zhou Qian’s side, turning her face to rest against her chest. “Alright, I agree. So please, stop crying.”

Zhou Qian froze, stunned.

Did I hear that right? Did Song Luoxue just agree to my terms?

After all their time together, Zhou Qian had rarely seen Song Luoxue yield. Yet here she was, compromising simply because Zhou Qian had cried.

It was that simple? All it took was crying?

Song Luoxue’s sudden agreement caught Zhou Qian off guard. Fearing she might change her mind later, Zhou Qian immediately rushed Song Luoxue to the notary office before closing time.

Property notarization required extensive documentation, but Song Luoxue’s efficiency streamlined the process. She gathered her materials and completed the notarization within two days.

Though the matter wasn’t fully resolved, Song Luoxue’s agreement brought Zhou Qian a sense of relief as they walked home together.

Meanwhile, Song Luoxue pondered the situation.

Why would Zhou Qian suddenly propose this? If she were truly the money-grubbing villain from the original novel—the one who swindled the original female lead out of both her money and her dignity—why would she now voluntarily relinquish the wealth originally reserved for her?

Song Luoxue glanced at Zhou Qian’s face. Her expression was gentle, a faint smile playing on her lips. There wasn’t a trace of greed or malice on her pure, beautiful features.

The villa’s staff had already cleaned the house before Song Luoxue and Zhou Qian returned. Now, the vast mansion was empty save for the two of them.

After Song Luoxue and Zhou Qian returned home, Zhou Qian suddenly noticed a milky camellia fragrance permeating the air. She glanced at Song Luoxue and saw her cheeks flushed crimson, as if she had just finished drinking wine.

When Song Luoxue saw Zhou Qian staring at her with disbelief, she asked, “Didn’t I already agree to get the property notarized? Why are you still looking at me like that?”

Zhou Qian shook her head. “No… Luo Xue, I need to ask you something. Is your heat cycle coming soon?”

Song Luoxue looked at her in surprise. “How could it be? Isn’t it still a few days away?” Her voice trailed off at the end. While her heat cycle was indeed still a few days away, she had recently had a heated argument with Zhou Qian, and anger was a known trigger for early onset.

Having just argued with Zhou Qian and even made her cry, Song Luoxue felt deeply uncomfortable with the idea of suddenly initiating intimacy.

Perhaps it was Song Luoxue’s irresistibly alluring pheromones, but Zhou Qian could now detect the intertwined scent of her rose green tea pheromones lingering in the air.

Song Luoxue slowly approached Zhou Qian, then leaned seductively against her shoulder, whispering in her ear, “Do you still want to break up with me now?”

Zhou Qian froze slightly at her words, her gaze completely drawn to Song Luoxue. Song Luoxue’s cheeks were flushed, as if she had just finished a drink and was slightly tipsy.

“I…”

Actually, I wanted to get rid of you quickly, to escape this predicament. But now that you’ve said this, how am I supposed to answer?

At that moment, Zhou Qian had no desire to leave Song Luoxue, deeply captivated by her pheromones. In this ABO alternate world, Song Luoxue was like a cigarette to her—addictive. Once she accepted Song Luoxue’s pheromones, she knew she would find it nearly impossible to escape the cage woven by them.

Seeing Zhou Qian’s stunned silence, Song Luoxue gently placed a slender, pale finger on her lips. “Don’t say anything yet. If you don’t want to answer now, I won’t force you.”

Song Luoxue seemed to have become more understanding than before.

Zhou Qian stared at her, unable to snap out of her daze. Just then, Song Luoxue took Zhou Qian’s hand and led her toward the stairs. Zhou Qian, for reasons she couldn’t explain, found herself unconsciously following her upstairs.

Bang! Song Luoxue slammed the door shut, then grabbed Zhou Qian’s hand and pushed her onto the bed. Zhou Qian stared into Song Luoxue’s eyes. “What do you want?”

Song Luoxue froze, taken aback. “Don’t you know my heat cycle has started? Are you trying to embarrass me with that question?”

While Song Luoxue’s words were technically true, Zhou Qian had never intended to embarrass her.

“So, you really do have someone else outside, just like I said… Mmph…” Zhou Qian didn’t let her finish the sentence.

Zhou Qian kissed her fiercely, even biting Song Luoxue’s lower lip hard enough to draw bl00d. Song Luoxue tasted the faint, metallic sweetness of bl00d.

Visibly furious, Zhou Qian flipped them over, pinning Song Luoxue to the bed. “How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t have anyone else! Why won’t you believe me? Why do you get so suspicious even when I’m just talking to another girl? Is our relationship really so fragile that you can’t trust me?”

Song Luoxue stared, momentarily stunned by Zhou Qian’s fiery anger.

It’s not that I don’t want to believe you, she thought. It’s just that your character in the novel makes it impossible to trust you.