After Becoming an Alpha, I Marked My Nemesis - Chapter 4

She wasn’t herself.

Zhou Qian paused, then snapped back to reality. “Ah… why do we need to shower together?”

Song Luoxue curled her lip at the question. “We’re lovers now. What’s strange about showering together? Besides, it’s getting late. If you shower first and then I shower, we’ll be up even later.”

Zhou Qian shook her head. “That’s okay. You go ahead. I don’t mind going to bed late.”

Song Luoxue frowned slightly. “That won’t do at all! Your face is precious. Staying up late will make your skin look dull, cause breakouts, and give you dark circles and eye bags. If you get ugly because of staying up late, I’ll be upset.”

Zhou Qian froze again. Was Song Luoxue really concerned about her appearance?

Of course, she thought. As my White Moonlight, she’d naturally want me to look my best at all times. If she stubbornly refused now, it would definitely arouse Song Luoxue’s suspicion.

After a moment’s hesitation, Zhou Qian relented. “Alright.”

The bathtub in the bathroom was large enough for two people. Song Luoxue opened a bottle of essential oil and poured it into the tub. Zhou Qian stood beside her, watching as Song Luoxue tested the water temperature with her hand before stripping off her clothes and settling into the bath.

The woman’s figure was perfectly proportioned, and Zhou Qian’s face flushed crimson at the sight. She instinctively lowered her head, unable to meet Song Luoxue’s gaze.

Song Luoxue truly lived up to her title as Best Actress; her physique was flawless, seemingly a perfect replica of the Song Luoxue from the real world. Zhou Qian had always felt that Song Luoxue was her rival, constantly trying to outdo her in everything. Though Zhou Qian was a few centimeters taller, her figure lacked Song Luoxue’s refined elegance. For years, she had been hitting the gym relentlessly to catch up.

This body, while similar to her own, felt softer, as if it hadn’t been exercised in ages.

Song Luoxue had been in the tub for two minutes, but Zhou Qian remained rooted to the spot, staring blankly at the floor. With a sigh of exasperation, Song Luoxue beckoned Zhou Qian with a flick of her finger. “Come on in,” she said. “The water’s perfect now.”

Zhou Qian swallowed hard as she slowly approached Song Luoxue, then shyly stripped off her clothes. Even during her relationship with Li Nuanyuan, they had never gone this far. Perhaps Li Nuanyuan had always been in love with Song Luoxue, and her relationship with Zhou Qian had merely been a way to manipulate her and curry favor with Song Luoxue.

As Zhou Qian stepped into the bathtub, she detected the scent of camellias—a fragrance she loved. The aroma came from the essential oils Song Luoxue had just poured into the water. Seeing Zhou Qian huddled in the corner, Song Luoxue’s face softened with a smile. “Why are you acting so afraid of me? Come over here. I’ll scrub your back.”

Zhou Qian shook her head slightly. “No, no, no. I’ll wash myself. You enjoy your bath first.”

Song Luoxue’s expression darkened at her resistance. “Ever since you woke up in the hospital, you’ve been so cold to me. Is there someone else in your heart now?”

Faced with Song Luoxue’s accusation, Zhou Qian’s nerves tightened. She forced an awkward smile. “Luoxue, how could you think that?”

Song Luoxue stared directly into Zhou Qian’s eyes. “If you truly cared for me wholeheartedly, you wouldn’t treat me so coldly, let alone reject me.”

Zhou Qian felt like Song Luoxue’s intense gaze was like a predator gripping its prey by the throat, an unprecedented sense of oppression washing over her. That’s not right, she thought. In the novel, Song Luoxue was clearly an Omega. How could she exert such overwhelming pressure on me?

At that moment, Zhou Qian, still submerged in the water, crawled closer to Song Luoxue, gaining a clearer view.

When Song Luoxue reached out to touch her collarbone, Zhou Qian suddenly trembled. Song Luoxue pressed her hands firmly on Zhou Qian’s shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

Perhaps her eyes were clouded by the steamy mist, but Zhou Qian’s awkward yet bashful demeanor truly resembled that of a newborn fawn.

Zhou Qian seemed to choke on something, slowly lifting her head, her damp eyelashes trembling slightly. “It itches…”

Upon hearing this, the smile on Song Luoxue’s face deepened. Her hands slid down Zhou Qian’s shoulders. Her waist and bust seemed roughly the same size as that person’s, but this vicious, brainless supporting character clearly didn’t exercise, leaving the flesh around her waist soft and yielding. It seemed transforming her would take some time.

Zhou Qian couldn’t take it anymore. She grabbed Song Luoxue’s restless hands. “Didn’t you say you were going to scrub my back?”

Hearing this, Song Luoxue braced her hands on the bathtub’s edge, leaning over Zhou Qian to envelop her. “Can’t handle this? You’re my girlfriend now. Even if we did something more… intimate, what’s the big deal?”

Zhou Qian struggled to maintain her composure, forcing a seemingly gentle smile. “But… we still need to finish bathing, right?”

Song Luoxue stared intently into her eyes, finding no trace of that other person within them.

Fine, she thought. She’s just a little kitten kept by her master.

Song Luoxue stopped teasing Zhou Qian, but she didn’t scrub her back as promised. After soaking in the tub, she moved to the shower area to wash her body and hair. Zhou Qian remained alone in the bathtub, barely daring to breathe, wondering if her earlier actions had dampened Song Luoxue’s mood.

But… no, she had to reject Song Luoxue. She couldn’t do that with a woman she’d only met once. Zhou Qian had dated girlfriends before, but she’d still kept her first kiss. She thought the reason she’d dated girls was just to experience how romantic love differed from other kinds of affection. She never imagined she’d be played like a fool by her girlfriend and that arch-rival.

Zhou Qian had always believed her first kiss should be given to the person she loved most, but she hadn’t met anyone like that yet.

Oh, right, her first kiss was already gone, stolen by this world’s Song Luoxue.

By the time Zhou Qian finished showering, Song Luoxue was already in bed, still radiating the scent of milky camellias. Zhou Qian liked that fragrance; perhaps it was just a coincidence, but this world’s Song Luoxue also favored the same bath gel. After all, she’d encountered so many coincidences these past few days that even a mystical master would have to admit it was “bullshit.”

Zhou Qian gently lifted a corner of the blanket and slid in beside her. The bedding seemed to carry that faint scent as well. Song Luoxue was sleeping with her back turned, revealing the almost perfectly proportioned butterfly bones between her shoulder blades.

Since she looked exactly like Song Luoxue from that world, it meant every bone in her body was identical. Zhou Qian had never viewed Song Luoxue from this angle before, and now she realized the woman was indeed strikingly beautiful. Whether in that world or this one, Song Luoxue seemed destined to be the protagonist, never lacking for admirers.

Under the hypnotic influence of the fragrance, Zhou Qian quickly drifted off to sleep.

At the same moment, Song Luoxue heard Zhou Qian’s even breathing, confirming she was asleep. Only then did she dare slowly turn around to gaze at the sleeping figure before her.

The woman’s face was undeniably beautiful, but her soul was not that of Zhou Qian from the other world. In this novel world, Zhou Qian was a naturally malicious cannon fodder character, destined to pave the way for others. Song Luoxue wasn’t sure how much control she could exert over the plot, but before this villainous supporting character ended up in jail, she intended to have some fun with this seemingly naive little kitten. After all, she wasn’t the real Zhou Qian, and it would be a true waste not to fully experience this role.

The next day, an entertainment gossip account posted: “][Image] [Image] Top rising star and Three Golden Crowns Best Actress seen entering the hospital together. What secret could they be hiding?”

User 237880308: @ProtectSongLuoxue @SongLuoxueFanClub This Weibo is blatantly spreading rumors! Are you just going to let them get away with this?

Madly Wasting Others’ Energy: “Top rising star”? Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Does she really think starring in a few trashy dramas makes her famous? Stop riding Song Luoxue’s coattails already!

Creative Thinker: No way! Thirty-odd comments and it’s trending on the entertainment hot search? Are they selling hot search spots at 10% off now? Song Luoxue is a Three Golden Crowns Best Actress—stop dragging just anyone into her spotlight!

If I’m Guilty, Let the God of Pure Love Punish Me: I heard Zhou Qian landed the lead in the trending IP drama Phoenix Perches on the Wutong Tree. Of course she’d latch onto the Best Actress for publicity! Everyone knows she’s always been desperate for attention.

Zhou Qian switched off her phone. She had changed her number, keeping only Song Luoxue’s contact and a few essential work contacts. Everything else had been deleted. If Song Luoxue suspected her of cheating, she could show her the spotless evidence on this phone.

The makeup artist on set had run into some trouble and was going to be half an hour late, so Zhou Qian was still waiting in the dressing room. Ning Xiao rushed in with takeout, “Qianqian, your iced Americano.”

Zhou Qian took the coffee and said, “Thanks!”

After handing over the coffee, Ning Xiao noticed Zhou Qian’s phone lying on the corner of the makeup table. She frowned, “Qianqian, why are you looking at your phone again? I’ve told you, the internet is full of nasty comments about you. The more you read, the more anxious you’ll get. Just focus on work for now and stay off your phone.”

Zhou Qian nodded. “Okay, I understand.”

She took a sip of the iced coffee.

Ning Xiao watched her drink the iced Americano without flinching and asked, puzzled, “Qianqian, I thought you used to love milk tea? You never touched iced Americano before.”

Zhou Qian replied, “Iced Americano helps reduce swelling. It’s my first day of filming, and I want to be in my best condition.”

Ning Xiao stared in astonishment, her mouth agape. She genuinely wondered if Zhou Qian had hit her head in the fall. The old Zhou Qian had entered the entertainment industry solely on her looks and luck, never once considering “how to perform at her best.”