After Becoming an Alpha, I Marked My Nemesis - Chapter 40

Ever since Li Pianpian left Zhou Qian’s Big Fan Group, Zhou Qian’s fans had been buzzing with speculation, even spreading rumors that a major scandal was about to break.

The gossip-hungry masses couldn’t resist flocking to online forums to feast on the drama.

Greeny Cutie: I heard Zhou Qian’s personal life is a mess. Besides Song Luoxue, she’s been hooking up with people left and right. I bet her biggest fan quit because they had a falling out.

Don’t Be Angry, Don’t Be Angry @Greeny Cutie: “I heard, I heard”—that’s all you people ever say! Who exactly are you hearing this from?

Money Love Me, I Love Money, Money, Money, Come From All Directions: Zhou Qian’s biggest fan quit? Could there actually be some dirt?

Zhou Qian’s Favorite Little Darling: Show us the evidence or shut up! The internet isn’t above the law. Rumormongers will be reported!

One of Qianqian’s Little Fans: I was in Zhou Qian’s Big Fan Group. That VIP was supposedly super rich and had even met Zhou Qian in person. When she suddenly left all the group chats and transferred ownership to others, we were completely blindsided. We can’t even contact her now. What are we supposed to do?

The statement from Zhou Qian’s biggest fans gained increasing traction, eventually pushing the hashtag #ZhouQianBigFansDefect to the top of trending searches.

The first rays of dawn streamed through the gap in the curtains, illuminating Zhou Qian’s sleek, jet-black hair as she nestled in bed, sound asleep with Song Luoxue in her arms.

Actually… she mused, if I continued like this with Song Luoxue, wouldn’t that be nice? Even though this Song Luoxue looks exactly like the one who stole my ex-girlfriend, the Best Actress Song Luoxue is gentle and considerate. I like the Song Luoxue I have now.

Just as Zhou Qian was thinking this, her phone rang. Reluctantly, she stretched her pale arm out from under the covers. When she saw Ning Xiao’s name on the caller ID, she quickly hung up, intending to contact her via WeChat instead.

But as soon as she closed the call screen, a flood of messages popped up in her notification bar.

Ning Xiao: Hey, Sister Qianqian, are you awake? Have you checked Weibo? Something huge has happened! Your biggest fan, the one who spent millions on you, has defected! It’s causing a massive uproar online!

Sister Qianqian, are you awake yet?

Hello?

Sister Qianqian, I’m sorry to call you now.

Zhou Qian fell silent after reading the messages. She hadn’t expected Li Pianpian to act so quickly after returning. Seeing Ning Xiao’s frantic messages, she replied,  Mm, I’m awake.

Just then, Song Luoxue’s phone rang. Still half-asleep and lost in a pleasant dream, she angrily picked up the phone from the bedside table and answered, “Hello…?”

“President Song, we have a problem! The trending topic about Zhou Qian on Weibo has exploded. If we try to take down all the negative posts, we’ll exceed our budget.”

Song Luoxue frowned irritably. “So what if we exceed the budget? Didn’t I make it clear? All negative comments about Zhou Qian must disappear! If we need to, we’ll advance the funds. Don’t bother me with such trivial matters again!” With that, she hung up.

Still groggy from sleep, Song Luoxue didn’t notice that Zhou Qian was already awake and texting right in front of her. Zhou Qian, stunned by what she had overheard, sat frozen, unable to utter a word.

No wonder… No wonder the negative online chatter about her had vanished since last year. It turned out Song Luoxue had been secretly orchestrating it all.

Zhou Qian felt an overwhelming surge of gratitude toward Song Luoxue. Song Luoxue was still half-asleep, her eyes closed as she spoke on the phone. After hanging up, she slid back under the covers, her eyes still shut as she reached out to pull Zhou Qian into her arms again.

But her hand brushed against something that wasn’t Zhou Qian’s upper body. Sensing something was wrong, Song Luoxue jolted awake. When she opened her eyes, she saw Zhou Qian staring at her with a look of utter astonishment.

Song Luoxue slowly sat up, offering Zhou Qian a slightly embarrassed smile. “Darling, when did you wake up? You didn’t make a sound!”

Zhou Qian replied, “You were sleeping like a log. Ning Xiao called me earlier.”

Song Luoxue chuckled. “Really? I didn’t hear a thing. But I woke up instantly when I realized you weren’t beside me.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qian felt like Song Luoxue was deliberately changing the subject. She asked, “Did you buy all those negative comments about me online?”

Song Luoxue paused for a moment before feigning indifference. “Oh… is that all? I’ve done so much more for you. If you don’t like it, I won’t do it again.”

Zhou Qian’s expression suddenly darkened. “It’s not that I don’t like it. I just wish you’d tell me about these things beforehand.”

Song Luoxue chuckled. “What difference does it make whether I tell you or not? You wouldn’t understand the details anyway.”

A flicker of anger crossed Zhou Qian’s face. “How could I not understand? These things require money. You’ve always been so careful about me spending your money, so I’ve always been cautious. Now you’re telling me you’ve spent far more than I ever imagined. Of course I’m scared, because…”

“Because of what?” Song Luoxue interrupted her.

Because I’m afraid I won’t be able to repay you later!

Zhou Qian fell silent after Song Luoxue’s counter-question. She didn’t know how to explain herself. Rather than saying something that would upset Song Luoxue, she decided it was better to say nothing at all. After all, her eloquence was truly lacking.

At that moment, Song Luoxue seemed to see through her thoughts. “Because you’re afraid that if we break up, you won’t be able to repay the money I’ve spent on you, right?”

Zhou Qian’s eyes widened at these words. Staring at Song Luoxue, she stammered, “Luo Xue… what are you saying? Didn’t you promise you wouldn’t doubt me anymore? Why are you asking this? Between us, there’s nothing but pheromonal entanglement and lust, no real trust at all, is there?”

Song Luoxue hadn’t expected her words to provoke such a reaction. She simply smiled faintly, feigning indifference. “I was just joking earlier. Why are you taking it so seriously?”

Zhou Qian paused, slightly taken aback. “Who’s the one digging into things? Weren’t those your words just now?”

Song Luoxue let out a soft hum. “Fine… you’re digging into things, and so am I. We both suspect each other, so this whole matter is settled. I swear I won’t bring this up again, and I won’t ask you about money anymore. I know relationships cost money, and every penny I’ve spent on you was given willingly. You don’t need to feel guilty about it.”

Though Song Luoxue had just told Zhou Qian not to feel guilty, Zhou Qian still felt uneasy. She had always disliked owing favors, and Song Luoxue’s constant talk of “money” made her uncomfortable.

“I…”

Just as Zhou Qian was about to speak, Song Luoxue suddenly pressed a finger against her soft lips. “Don’t say anything. I don’t want to argue this early in the morning. The weather’s unusually nice today—let’s start this beautiful day with breakfast. We should go eat first.”

Zhou Qian didn’t say anything more after hearing that. Song Luoxue slipped into her red spaghetti-strap pajamas and went downstairs. Today, only she and Zhou Qian were at the villa. The refrigerator still held the sandwiches they’d made yesterday. Knowing Zhou Qian loved tuna sandwiches, she heated one up for her while making a ham sandwich for herself.

As Zhou Qian descended the stairs, she saw Song Luoxue heating the sandwiches and hurried over. “Is there anything I can help with?”

Song Luoxue smiled and shook her head as Zhou Qian approached. “Just wait over there. It’s rare for me to serve someone, so you’d better watch closely.”

With that, Song Luoxue retrieved the fresh milk from the refrigerator, poured it into the milk warmer, and waited for it to boil before pouring out two servings.

After waiting for over ten minutes, Zhou Qian watched as Song Luoxue brought over the meticulously arranged sandwiches. The sandwiches were garnished with vibrant red cherry tomatoes and broccoli florets, the contrasting colors whetting the appetite.

Zhou Qian glanced at Song Luoxue. Seeing that Song Luoxue wasn’t eating, she hesitated to start. Noticing her restraint, Song Luoxue chuckled lightly. “Why are you staring at me? The food’s ready—go ahead and eat!”

Zhou Qian nodded slowly. “Oh.” She reached for the tuna sandwich. As soon as she took a bite, her eyes lit up.

“Mmm… this is delicious!” Zhou Qian exclaimed involuntarily.

Song Luoxue’s smile deepened at her words.

Halfway through her sandwich, Zhou Qian looked up at Song Luoxue. “Did you make this yourself?”

Song Luoxue chuckled. “Yes, I made it yesterday and kept it fresh in the refrigerator. I sometimes make breakfast myself.”

Zhou Qian nodded again, took a sip of her warm milk, and added, “I never knew you could do things like this.”

Song Luoxue laughed softly. She picked up her own sandwich and took a bite, smiling as she chewed. “I have many talents. We’ll have plenty of time to discover them all.”

Just then, Zhou Qian noticed that Song Luoxue’s sandwich was different from hers. It seemed to be a ham sandwich, which reminded her of the Song Luoxue from her original world.

How did she know that Song Luoxue liked ham sandwiches? That story dated back to their high school days.