After Becoming an Alpha, I Marked My Nemesis - Chapter 38

Li Pianpian smiled. “I suddenly don’t feel like coffee anymore. This bar makes excellent Scotch whisky cocktails. How about we have a drink here?”

Zhou Qian shook her head. “No, thank you. I don’t drink outside.”

Zhou Qian’s refusal left Li Pianpian visibly embarrassed. She forced a smile. “In that case, Miss Zhou, would you at least keep me company for a drink? I know you’re henpecked, but please, just one drink for your biggest fan? If you really can’t drink alcohol, they have non-alcoholic options too.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qian knew she wouldn’t be able to leave today.

Fine, she thought. Li Pianpian’s right. It’s just one drink. It’s not a big deal.

With that, Zhou Qian nodded in agreement.

Perhaps overjoyed, Li Pianpian grabbed Zhou Qian’s arm to lead her forward, but Zhou Qian quickly pulled away, murmuring, “Thank you.”

Zhou Qian’s blatantly disdainful gesture made Li Pianpian even more embarrassed. She had long heard that Zhou Qian was a top-tier Alpha, and even without her acting skills or current fame and status, countless Omegas would still line up to be with her. But Li Pianpian refused to believe this, determined to make Zhou Qian willingly come to her bed.

Zhou Qian asked Song Luoxue for a private room, then summoned a waiter and ordered the bar’s finest Scotch whisky. After ordering drinks and desserts, she handed the menu to Zhou Qian. “Miss Zhou, what would you like to drink?”

Zhou Qian glanced at the menu and noticed a juice called “Rainbow Bubble Burst” in the “Juices” section. She looked up at the waiter. “Excuse me, is this juice alcohol-free?”

The waiter immediately smiled. “Yes, this juice is our bar’s newest offering, perfect for cooling down and quenching your thirst.”

Zhou Qian nodded in satisfaction. “Alright, I’ll have that, and a molten chocolate cake as well.”

“Certainly, ladies. Please wait a moment,” the server said before leaving to instruct the bartender to prepare their drinks.

Just then, Zhou Qian realized she hadn’t been wearing a mask when she arrived. Fearing someone might have recognized her, she frantically searched her pockets for one.

Li Pianpian seemed to read her mind. “This is a private room,” she said. “No one will notice you. Besides, I’m a regular here. Even if they see your face, they won’t spread it around. You don’t need to worry about fans rushing in for autographs.”

Zhou Qian’s face flushed with embarrassment. “Oh… right.”

Thank you!

Soon, a female server with a mask and a strikingly slender figure entered the room. Zhou Qian couldn’t help but glance at her twice, admiring her delicate curves and hourglass figure.

Zhou Qian suddenly remembered Ning Xiao’s words from earlier that morning: “Your chest is too small.” The comment had been circling in her mind like a curse ever since.

As Zhou Qian continued to observe the server, she realized the woman looked familiar. Why does her figure resemble Song Luoxue’s so much?

The server carried a tray with two drinks: a Scotch whisky for Li Pianpian and a “Rainbow Bubble Delight” for Zhou Qian.

The server spoke in an oddly strained voice, “Your drinks are here. The cake will take a bit longer to bake. Please wait a moment.”

Zhou Qian took the sparkling drink and placed it in front of her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her with cold, resentful eyes. She looked up at the server’s face. Though the server wore a mask and her hair was pinned up under a sommelier’s hat, Zhou Qian recognized her instantly: it was Song Luoxue.

Zhou Qian stared, speechless, her mind racing. What’s going on? How did Song Luoxue end up here? Has her influence infiltrated the bar now?

Zhou Qian took a sip of her sparkling water to calm her nerves. Li Pianpian, noticing her agitation, smiled and asked, “Miss Zhou, what’s wrong? You seem quite unsettled.”

Zhou Qian snapped out of her daze. “Ah? That… I’m fine.”

After serving the drinks, the waitress left the private room, but lingered outside, secretly observing the occupants through the door crack.

Li Pianpian took a sip of her drink, then smiled at Zhou Qian. “Are you sure you won’t have any? The cocktails here are exceptionally well-made.”

Zhou Qian shook her head. “No, thank you. I have things to take care of tonight, so I’ll pass.”

Li Pianpian paused, then said with a teasing tone, “Are you avoiding alcohol because you need to explain to Best Actress Song where you’ve been today?”

Her words struck a nerve. Zhou Qian had just caught Song Luoxue giving her a resentful look, and the memory still made her uneasy.

Could Song Luoxue have been deliberately following me?

Seeing Zhou Qian’s silence, Li Pianpian smiled again. “You’re being too controlled by Song Luoxue. Your schedule is your own private matter. She doesn’t tell you everything, yet you feel obligated to tell her everything. It breaks my heart to see you like this, Miss Zhou. Do you truly enjoy living like this?”

Zhou Qian froze at her words. She had considered this question before, but did she truly resent Song Luoxue’s constant involvement in her affairs?

She had only wanted to avoid the tragic fate of having her legs broken. As for Song Luoxue’s constant concern, that was something she had willingly accepted. Over time, Zhou Qian had developed a dependence on Song Luoxue, a dependence that wouldn’t vanish overnight.

Zhou Qian suddenly looked up at Li Pianpian. “Miss Li, I appreciate your support and affection, but as I’ve said before, I have a girlfriend. You know this. I don’t want my girlfriend to misunderstand our relationship, so I’ll need to maintain a certain distance from you in the future.”

Li Pianpian chuckled, picked up her wine glass, took a sip, and said, “Isn’t there already enough distance between us? You’ve been avoiding my invitations for drinks all day. I doubt we could grow any further apart.”

For some reason, Zhou Qian felt a pang of guilt when she heard Li Pianpian’s words.

“I only wanted to get closer to you,” Li Pianpian said. “I never asked you to be with me. I just wished I could see you once a week.”

Zhou Qian shook her head. “That’s precisely why I can’t get close to you. I already have Song Luoxue. I’m not worthy of you. You deserve someone better.”

At that moment, Zhou Qian caught a whiff of jasmine pheromones. Even with her dull sense of smell, she recognized the unmistakable scent of an Omega in heat. She stared at Li Pianpian in shock. “Miss Li, you…”

Li Pianpian replied calmly, “My heat cycle has started, and I didn’t bring my inhibitor. Miss Zhou, if something happens between us, who do you think would be held responsible?”

Zhou Qian’s shock deepened. “You’d go this far just to be with me? Snap out of it! This is a public place. Suppress your pheromones immediately!”

Li Pianpian chuckled and moved closer to Zhou Qian, draining the whiskey on the table in one gulp. “Yes, I’m willing to risk my body to have you, Zhou Qian. Do you realize there’s a pack of Alpha wolves waiting outside? If I walk out there now, radiating my pheromones, what do you think will happen to me?”

Zhou Qian’s eyes widened in shock. “Are you insane?” she shouted. “Would anyone really go this far for some unrealistic notion of love?”

Li Pianpian strolled toward Zhou Qian with an air of effortless control, while Zhou Qian retreated step by step.

“We’re not so different,” Li Pianpian said with a smile. “Didn’t you sell your body to Song Luoxue for her money and influence? I’m betting you won’t let anything happen to me—or let all the fame, fortune, and status you’ve worked so hard for slip away.”

“I…” Zhou Qian couldn’t bear to lose her hard-won status and wealth.

But she never imagined Li Pianpian would be this reckless.

Seeing Zhou Qian unable to answer, Li Pianpian smiled and said, “I’ve given you the choice. Now it’s up to you to decide what to do.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhou Qian suddenly noticed a strong scent of milky camellias in the air. Even someone as oblivious as her couldn’t miss it—that was Song Luoxue’s pheromone, currently being used to suppress Li Pianpian’s own.

Just as Zhou Qian was at a loss for what to do, the waitress who had brought their drinks earlier suddenly entered the room.

Li Pianpian glared at her angrily. “Hey, who are you? What are you doing here?”

Before she could finish, Song Luoxue removed her mask, revealing her face. Li Pianpian’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at Song Luoxue, her composure crumbling. “You… how long have you been eavesdropping?”

Song Luoxue slammed her hands on the table, leaning forward with a polite yet cutting smile. “You’re the one shamelessly seducing my Alpha. How dare you accuse me of eavesdropping?”

Li Pianpian’s face flushed crimson with shame and fury. She pointed a trembling finger at Song Luoxue. “You…”