After Becoming an Alpha, I Marked My Nemesis - Chapter 5

Zhou Qian paused, slightly taken aback but not particularly thrilled. Song Luoxue was clearly a hopeless romantic, even her grand gestures felt like leftovers from a cliché-ridden CEO drama. If the original Zhou Qian were here, she might have been deeply moved.

Ning Xiao, gazing at the massive floral display spelling out a message, chuckled. “Song Yinghou saw that your fan support today was less impressive than Zheng Wenyuan’s, so she ordered all these flowers this afternoon to boost your morale.”

Zhou Qian glanced around. “But if this is supposed to be fan support, shouldn’t there be an audience and photographers? Look around—is anyone even here?”

Before she could finish, a familiar voice echoed from the other end of the bridge. “This is a gift just for you. Of course, there’s no need for an audience or photographers.”

Hearing Song Luoxue’s voice, Ning Xiao tactfully stepped back and slipped away, leaving the two women alone.

Zhou Qian’s surprise at seeing Song Luoxue far surpassed her reaction to the flowers. “You… you had an interview today. What are you doing here?”

Song Luoxue smiled. “The interview’s over. I heard what you said earlier. If you like these flowers, I can take a photo of you with them.”

If Zhou Qian had shown no interest in the flowers, Song Luoxue would have pressed her, asking if she had changed her mind. To avoid that trouble, Zhou Qian forced an unprecedented smile. “Thank you so much! This is the best gift I’ve received all year!”

Hearing this, Song Luoxue laughed. “Don’t mention it. I just didn’t want to see you looking so pitiful. Your fanbase isn’t as large as Zheng Wenyuan’s, which is why he dared to speak to you like that on set.”

Why does she have to be so provocative? Zhou Qian thought, her smile still plastered on her face. “How did you find out?”

“Your manager told me,” Song Luoxue replied. “If you don’t like this project, I can get you a different one.”

Zhou Qian shook her head. “No, I’ve already committed to this role, and I’ll finish it no matter how it turns out. Besides, it would be difficult for you to fall out with the production company, wouldn’t it?”

Song Luoxue smiled approvingly at Zhou Qian’s surprisingly mature remark. “You really do care about me,” she said. “I’ll be staying at the same hotel as you tonight.”

Zhou Qian was taken aback. “What?”

“What, you don’t want me there?”

Zhou Qian quickly shook her head. “No, it’s just… this scenic area is a popular filming location. If paparazzi spot us staying together, it could cause trouble.”

Song Luoxue seemed even more pleased by this. “You’re being so considerate of me today, aren’t you?”

Zhou Qian continued, “Of course. You’re a highly acclaimed Best Actress. Being seen with someone like me, with my tarnished reputation, would only drag you down.”

So just stop clinging to me already. Give up.

Song Luoxue fell silent. She stepped closer to Zhou Qian and gently wrapped her fingers around the small braid near her collarbone. “I don’t care about any of that,” she said. “When you’re with me, you shouldn’t worry about what others think either. Besides, I’ve already arranged everything at the hotel. No one will disturb us.”

Song Luoxue’s intimate gesture made Zhou Qian’s heart race. Though there was no direct physical contact, she found the act of stroking her hair deeply intimate… because she absolutely hated strangers touching her hair, except for her closest friends and the person she loved.

Zhou Qian paused briefly, then slowly replied, “Okay…”

By the time Zhou Qian finished removing her makeup and returned to the hotel, it was already 8:30 PM. As Song Luoxue led her by the hand, she said, “I’ve already ordered your favorite dishes. You can eat them as soon as we get back to the room.”

Zhou Qian quickly responded, “I know this isn’t the best time to say this, Luo Xue, but I need to go to bed early after dinner. Otherwise, I won’t be able to wake up tomorrow.”

Song Luoxue chuckled at her anxious expression. “What are you so worried about? I won’t do anything to you tonight. Besides, I always wake up at the same time. I can be your mobile alarm clock.”

Ah, she saw right through me.

Zhou Qian forced a dry laugh. “Of course, I’m not worried about anything. Having you wake me up would be perfect.”

This Song Luoxue seemed quite different from her portrayal in the novel. In the original story, she was depicted as a naive, love-obsessed character who blindly followed the original host’s every whim. But the woman Zhou Qian now faced felt far more complex and difficult to handle. Her thoughts seemed to shift unpredictably, sometimes appearing simple and innocent, other times deep and unfathomable, like the ceaselessly surging ocean waves.

After returning to her room, Zhou Qian ate very little. Even after a long day of work, she strictly controlled her dinner portions. Following her meal, she performed a few basic Pilates exercises. Unsure of the original host’s body flexibility, she stuck to fundamental movements to avoid straining her ligaments.

Song Luoxue had ordered a lavish spread for Zhou Qian. She didn’t actually know what the novel’s villainous female lead liked to eat, nor did she particularly care. She simply ordered what she herself enjoyed, guessing at the other woman’s preferences.

As it turned out, her assumptions were correct. Zhou Qian seemed unimpressed with the food and, after taking a few bites and resting briefly, began performing simple exercises.

Just two minutes into her workout, Zhou Qian suddenly remembered something and turned to Song Luoxue. “Luo Xue, how good is the soundproofing in this hotel?”

Song Luoxue raised an eyebrow. “Are you suggesting we do something…?”

Zhou Qian froze for a moment, wondering if she had overreacted. After all, for Song Luoxue, who was completely love-obsessed, dating Zhou Qian was the only thing that mattered.

Zhou Qian shook her head helplessly. “No, I just wanted to do some Pilates, but I’m worried about making noise and disturbing the guests downstairs.”

The smile vanished from Song Luoxue’s face, replaced by a slightly awkward expression. “You’re really so considerate.”

“I just think it’s basic courtesy,” Zhou Qian replied.

Song Luoxue paused, surprised. This villainous supporting character seemed different from what she had imagined. Though she had only skimmed the novel, she knew the Zhou Qian in the story was rude and uncouth, a puppet driven by the author to play her role as a malicious tool at every plot point.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Song Luoxue smiled. “Don’t worry, this hotel has the best soundproofing. Even if you turned this place into a karaoke room, the guests downstairs wouldn’t hear a thing.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qian felt reassured and went to practice her Pilates. Since she had a shoot scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, she only warmed up for half an hour today.

As Zhou Qian stretched, Song Luoxue lay on the sofa, watching her with an admiring gaze. This person seemed different from the image of a vicious female supporting character she had in her mind.

No, perhaps she’s just deliberately acting this way.

Though her acting skills were poor, she could still deceive people in real life with these little tricks. Song Luoxue wondered if the original owner of this body had gradually become infatuated with the vicious female lead’s empty facade.

Of course, she knew this person wasn’t worth it, except for that face that bore an uncanny resemblance to him.

Splash, splash— The sound of Zhou Qian showering in the bathroom drifted into the bedroom. Song Luoxue lay on the bed, her hands clasped behind her head, staring blankly at the ceiling as if lost in thought.

She really regretted not having stolen that person’s first kiss when she was still alive in her original world. He would have been furious, and Song Luoxue couldn’t help but smile at the thought of him making that expression.

After showering, Zhou Qian felt a wave of exhaustion. Wrapped in a bath towel and wearing slippers, she entered the room. “Luo Xue, could you check if the hairdryer is in the drawer next to you?”

Hearing her voice, Song Luoxue snapped out of her daze. As she stood up, she realized her arm had gone numb from being used as a pillow. “You really know how to boss people around, don’t you?”

Zhou Qian knew she was joking and replied in a teasing, almost coquettish tone, “Song Yinghou, please? Just grab it for me.”

Song Luoxue froze again. She had been about to reach for the drawer, but she had never heard Zhou Qian use such a coquettish tone to ask her for anything.

The Zhou Qian before her looked and sounded exactly like that person. When Song Luoxue first met her, she had even wondered if that person had transmigrated to this world with her.

But that was impossible, right?

This Zhou Qian not only looked identical to that person, but her voice was also exactly the same. If they underwent voiceprint analysis, they might even be identified as the same person.

That person had long considered Song Luoxue her rival, and Song Luoxue had reciprocated the sentiment for years. Yet she harbored a desire to conquer, to see the person who had always competed with her one day admit defeat and beg her in that coquettish tone.

Song Luoxue had never witnessed this in the real world. Yet, in this illusory realm, her wish had come true so easily?

Seeing Song Luoxue standing frozen in place, Zhou Qian asked again, “What’s wrong?”

The sound snapped Song Luoxue out of her daze. A radiant smile bloomed on her face as she pulled open the drawer to her left. Sure enough, there was a hairdryer inside.

Song Luoxue took out the hairdryer and handed it to Zhou Qian. “I can’t be bothered. Go dry your hair outside.”

Zhou Qian accepted the hairdryer with a nod. “Okay, okay. There’s a wall-mounted hairdryer in the bathroom, but I’m not used to it. That’s why I asked you to get this one for me. Thanks!”

With that, she left the room.

Whoosh— The sound of Zhou Qian drying her hair filled the air, drowning out Song Luoxue’s laughter.

Song Luoxue couldn’t contain herself any longer. Clutching her stomach, she burst into joyous laughter.

She was truly ecstatic. Even though she knew the person she’d just spoken to was merely Zhou Qian’s substitute, the sheer satisfaction of seeing someone who looked exactly like Zhou Qian grovel before her was overwhelming. She nearly burst out laughing in front of the female supporting character.