After Being Bitten By Top-Tier O, Flop A Went Viral - Chapter 49
49: Affecting the Shoot
“I, I…” Qin Que stammered for a long time but couldn’t articulate a complete answer.
Even she understood that Wu Zihan wasn’t asking about a platonic kind of liking.
She even felt a hint of absurdity.
Because just a week ago, before this variety show started, Yan Qing was still as distant and unattainable to her as the moon in the sky.
She wanted to deny it.
But her mind flashed through countless moments of her recent interactions with Yan Qing like a movie reel.
The Yan Qing who teased her, the Yan Qing who comforted her gently, the Yan Qing who stood up to protect her when she was at a loss…
So many versions of Yan Qing, each one a beautiful memory she would treasure forever.
That simple word “no” stuck in her throat like a fishbone, refusing to roll off her tongue no matter how hard she tried.
But she couldn’t nod either.
She had never been in love before, so she couldn’t be sure whether the increasingly intense fire in her heart was genuine or just the result of that accidental mark.
After all, at the very beginning, all her improper thoughts about Yan Qing had been driven by pheromones.
And just a few hours ago, she had been contemplating parting ways with Yan Qing after the show ended.
Their status and positions were so vastly different. She hadn’t even spent a single day with Yan Qing outside the show.
How could she dare to hope for anything more?
Romantic love was a serious matter.
Qin Que didn’t want to hastily draw conclusions when her feelings were still muddled with uncertainty.
She could only remain silent.
Wu Zihan stared at her, her sharp gaze seeming to slice through Qin Que’s timid heart, but her tone remained kind, like a teacher addressing a slow but earnest student. “Is this question so hard to answer?”
“It is,” Qin Que replied quickly this time. She wanted to smile but found her lips unbearably heavy, unable to lift at all. “I… I’ve never thought about this before.”
Just as she had initially imagined, she had treated this variety show as a beautiful dream.
By not considering the future, she could avoid confronting the stark differences between them.
Only now, with someone posing this pointed question, did she feel a pang of regret.
Was she really this cowardly?
“Then you should think about it. If you don’t like her, let her know sooner rather than later,” Wu Zihan didn’t press further, turning her gaze back to the distance. “I’ve never seen her trust someone so much before. And often, trust is the beginning of heartbreak.”
The trust Wu Zihan spoke of was the kind where one willingly handed over control.
For someone like Yan Qing, this was exceptionally rare.
Yan Qing might trust Xu Li, trust Ai Jia, trust herself.
But that trust was built on understanding and control.
This confidence—and loneliness—in relying solely on oneself was intrinsic to Yan Qing’s nature.
It was also the foundation of her invincibility.
Wu Zihan had never worried about Yan Qing because she had seen her at her lowest.
Back then, Yan Qing had just enrolled at Meng University and became her student.
At first, Wu Zihan didn’t know where this plainly dressed girl, so out of place among the glittering future stars, came from. She only found her familiar.
Until one day, several tall security guards barged into her classroom.
They politely but firmly approached Yan Qing, asking her to return to her family.
Only then did Wu Zihan learn that Yan Qing was a child of the Li family, and she finally remembered why the girl seemed familiar.
She had once taught Yan Qing’s mother piano for a while. That young lady from the Song family was around her age, always smiling gently, as if she never got angry.
Miss Song was extremely intelligent and diligent, mastering everything she was taught effortlessly. She made delicious pastries, and even a strict teacher like Wu Zihan couldn’t find fault with her.
They quickly became friends.
During their last lesson, Miss Song’s eyes were swollen, and she said she was getting married—to the young master of the Li family, someone she had never met.
This was the fate of most omegas in wealthy families. At the time, Wu Zihan was merely a lucky beta who had escaped a similar fate due to her identity and reclusive personality. She had no power to help anyone.
But even so, she decided to go all out, telling Miss Song she could help her escape.
The girl only looked at her sadly and shook her head.
I can’t drag you into this. I can’t betray my family.
That was the first time Wu Zihan noticed Miss Song’s flaw.
She was too gentle—gentle to the point of cowardice, gentle enough to become firewood for the stove.
Watching a flame extinguish before her eyes was deeply regrettable. That regret stayed with her for a long time, driving her to fight for power and influence, and spurring her to teach more people.
She never considered herself a savior because she couldn’t even save that first flame.
All she hoped was to make people recognize their own worth, to understand they could do so much more than become sacrifices.
Yan Qing resembled her mother in appearance by about eighty percent. Wu Zihan should have recognized her sooner, but she didn’t.
Because their temperaments were too different. If Miss Song was a beautiful but fragile flower, Yan Qing was resilient like reeds.
Yan Qing also liked to smile, but unlike Miss Song, her smiles always carried a hint of detachment and nonchalance.
As if she didn’t care how the world treated her.
She remained consistent.
That day was no exception. As the security guards closed in on her, she simply smiled and pulled out a small pair of scissors from her pocket, pressing them against her face.
Her skin was so delicate that even the slightest pressure drew bl00d.
The guards hesitated, stopping in their tracks.
The young girl smirked coldly. “Take one more step, and all you’ll bring back is a broken vase. I’m in the middle of class. Could you please get out?”
In that moment, Wu Zihan felt as though the flame she had watched extinguish years ago had reignited, blazing with the potential to set the world on fire.
Fortunately, this time, she wasn’t powerless.
The line about being in class should have come from the teacher.
She threw a fit, called the police to arrest the guards, and phoned the head of the Li family, warning him that if his people dared to harass her student again, the next ones in custody wouldn’t just be underlings following orders.
She bandaged Yan Qing’s wound and took her home, telling her she could stay until the Li family stopped harassing her.
But the girl didn’t burst into tears of gratitude. She only smiled and said, “Thank you, teacher. I won’t let them succeed.”
As if she had a way to handle it even without Wu Zihan’s help.
Wu Zihan wasn’t disappointed. Instead, she felt an unprecedented sense of relief.
This was how it should be.
Only by placing hope in oneself could one remain unyielding and indestructible.
As Wu Zihan expected, Yan Qing quickly made a name for herself after graduation, rising meteorically to become a key player in the power struggle at Bosen.
She no longer had to fear the Li family. Now, it was the Li family who feared her.
But this Yan Qing had chosen to yield when Qin Que embraced her.
Wu Zihan could see the flicker of panic in the woman’s eyes. She couldn’t be entirely sure what Qin Que intended to do.
Yet Yan Qing did nothing, leaving the choice to Qin Que.
If Qin Que had been more decisive, she could have used that trust to do many things.
This was dangerous—like an animal exposing its soft underbelly, leaving itself vulnerable to harm.
Having watched the show, Wu Zihan believed Qin Que deserved such trust. The woman’s indulgence toward Yan Qing bordered on unconditional. Even the best actor couldn’t maintain such a flawless facade under the constant gaze of live cameras.
But as a teacher, she couldn’t help worrying for her student.
“Whatever the outcome, don’t make her sad for you. Don’t betray her trust,” she said solemnly, even warningly.
Qin Que felt the weight in Wu Zihan’s words. She didn’t nod immediately but instead pondered seriously.
The more she thought, the less confident she became.
Compared to Yan Qing, she was too insignificant.
Could she really do it?
Yan Qing’s smiling face flashed before her eyes again. Qin Que clenched her fists.
But at least one thing was certain.
She wanted to try.
Finally, she nodded. “I don’t know if I can do it, but I’ll try my best.”
“Not just your best,” Wu Zihan said sternly but not unkindly, patting her shoulder. “You must do it. Unless you want to lose her.”
Such precious trust, once broken, would likely never be given to anyone else again.
“Carrying everything alone is exhausting. I hope you can stay by her side,” Wu Zihan said all she needed to say and left without hesitation.
Leaving the young alpha alone, lost in thought as she watched her retreating figure.
—
“Why that expression?” Yan Qing, having composed herself, stepped out of the classroom and saw Qin Que standing at the door.
The woman stood rigidly, her face uncharacteristically solemn. When she saw Yan Qing, her eyes lit up, but her lips remained downturned.
She suddenly seemed much more mature.
“Did she scold you?” Yan Qing asked worriedly, reaching out to touch Qin Que’s face while scanning the area for Wu Zihan.
What on earth had Wu Zihan said to her? She looked like her tail was dragging on the ground.
She didn’t see Wu Zihan, but Qin Que took her hand, smiling as she squeezed it gently and shook her head. “No, Teacher Wu just told me to take good care of you. She’s already left.”
“Really?” Qin Que’s smile dispelled the heavy gloom, and Yan Qing couldn’t detect anything amiss for the moment. She frowned skeptically.
“Really.” Qin Que gazed at Yan Qing’s concerned face, exerting immense effort to stop herself from blurting out the questions burning in her heart.
Do you like me?
Can I like you?
What do you want me to do?
I’ll do my best to achieve it.
As long as you keep looking at me like this.
But in the end, she said nothing.
She knew this was her own challenge. She couldn’t ask the referee for the answer outright.
She had already awakened from her beautiful dream. Now, she needed to think and act on her own until she could see the answer clearly.
Her only fear was that Yan Qing wouldn’t wait for her.
“Alright, then.” Yan Qing didn’t press further, pulling her toward the stairs. “Let’s go eat.”
—
Meanwhile, in Livestream Room #2.
Comment 1: “Wait, where is everyone? It’s been over an hour.”
Comment 2: “Good news: The two disappeared in the same restroom. Bad news: Wu Zihan, Xiao Yan, and Jin Shuo also disappeared earlier.”
Comment 3: “Jun Jun: ‘You’re having a tea party in the restroom without me?’”
Comment 4: “Jun Jun’s exhausted. Today’s been a rollercoaster. All Jun Jun wants is to go back to the dorm and sleep.”
Comment 5: “Hey, hey! They’re back! Are they going to eat?”
Comment 6: “Update: Wu Zihan has left! Livestream #1 is back online!”
Comment 7: “Why are Xiao Yan’s eyes red like a rabbit’s? Did she and Jin Shuo get divorced again?”
Comment 8: “Qin and Yan seem fine, but why does Que Que look so serious?”
Comment 9: “So what actually happened in the restroom?”
Comment 10: “Today’s unsolved mystery—What the five of them were doing in the restroom.”
—
On the morning of the seventh day, when the livestream was supposed to start, viewers waiting in front of their screens were met with an announcement instead of the expected broadcast.
Dear viewers, to ensure the smooth running of the livestream, today’s broadcast will be delayed by five hours.
The contestants, awakened by the announcement in their dorms, also received their task for the day.
Main Task #7: List three things you wanted to do as a child but never got to experience. Complete them with your teammate.
Note: Today, contestants may leave the campus but must use the phones provided by the production team and refrain from activities unrelated to the show’s theme. The campus currency you’ve accumulated will be converted to Z-country currency at a 1:100 exchange rate for today’s expenses. Spend wisely and return to the school by 8 PM. Additional note: It is recommended that contestants disguise themselves when going out to avoid causing disruptions and affecting filming.