After Being Bitten By Top-Tier O, Flop A Went Viral - Chapter 5

5: She’s Not Familiar with That Omega

“Huh?”

Qin Que rubbed her face vigorously, opened Weibo, and before she could even check the trending list, she was stunned by the astonishing number of notifications at the bottom of the app.

The total number of messages she had received since creating her Weibo account paled in comparison to this.

What on earth was going on?

She quickly opened the notifications tab and found that most of the messages were concentrated under the @mentions.

Comment 1: @ActorQinQue, still not responding? Not hiding under the covers crying little pearls, are you?

Comment 2: Hahahahaha, let me laugh first because I’m wicked. As expected of Destined, the entertainment value is off the charts.

Comment 3: @ActorQinQue, not being directly blocked by your CP counts as success!

Comment 4: I’d love to know which brave soul has the time to go on a dating show with such a blockhead.

Comment 5: @ActorQinQue, your chance to get a partner is here, hurry up and say yes—I need my entertainment!

Qin Que: “…”

She had just taken a nap, and suddenly the world made no sense to her.

Amid Bai Tuantuan’s excited and incoherent explanation, she finally found the culprit.

Destined, a nationally popular dating show under Bosen Entertainment, primarily broadcasted live, emphasizing authenticity and the unpredictability of CP chemistry. Each season, six guests were invited to form three pairs and participate as CPs. Most were celebrities—some already married, some in ambiguous relationships with intense fan wars, and some complete strangers. The production team would set up scenarios and challenges to test the guests, and most relationships would evolve during the process.

Some CPs would implode, leading to irreparable rifts; some marriages would collapse, ending in divorce right after filming; and some who had never met before would end up walking down the aisle.

The audience went from being shocked to addicted to the drama, and finally, they became obsessed with the CPs. After all, even the fights and breakups on this show felt more real than those staged for clout through editing.

If it was a happy ending, they’d ship them for eternity; if it was a bad ending, they’d ship the lingering emotions. Even if the two publicly dragged each other, it was always, “Why aren’t you dragging anyone else? It’s because you still care!”

So far, Destined had aired two seasons, each more popular than the last, dominating the trending lists every time and propelling several participants to fame.

And then, in the early hours of this morning, the Destined production team’s long-dormant Weibo account suddenly came back to life.

@ActorQinQue, interested in joining our show to learn how to date?

The well-known up who had previously mocked Qin Que’s terrible romantic acting skills—perhaps paid off by the production team—was the first to repost the Weibo and add fuel to the fire.

@ActorQinQue, sis, maybe you should go. Lately, people keep saying I’m bullying single dogs.

Just like that, Qin Que, whose previous buzz hadn’t even died down, topped the trending list again—this time staying for half an hour longer than before.

#TenThousandPeoplePetitionForQinQueToJoinTheDatingShow#

After understanding the whole situation, Qin Que was both amused and exasperated.

Was this really necessary?

At that moment, her phone rang again. She glanced at the screen—it was her agent, Wu Feng.

Wu Feng had been Qin Que’s agent since her debut, a seasoned professional who had stuck with her through thick and thin, even as Qin Que went from a rising star to a washed-up thirty-eightth-tier celebrity. Unfortunately, Wu Feng had been unlucky in love—her college sweetheart and husband had cheated on her while she was pregnant. She had immediately filed for divorce and kicked him out, but by then, the baby was too far along to terminate, so she became a single mother.

Recently, her daughter had been unwell, so Qin Que had urged her to go home and take care of her. After all, there wasn’t much work on Qin Que’s end anyway.

Now there was.

Qin Que told Bai Tuantuan she’d call her back and answered Wu Feng’s call. “Sister Feng…”

Before she could even exchange pleasantries, Wu Feng fired off a rapid series of questions: “What have you been up to these past few days? Why would Destined suddenly reach out to you?”

Wu Feng had just sent her recovered daughter back to school when she opened Weibo and saw her artist topping the trending list. Her first thought was that Qin Que had been set up, but then she realized—Qin Que was practically a nobody now. Who would bother?

After piecing together what had happened, she felt like she’d been struck by gold while walking down the street.

Given Qin Que’s current status, Destined was practically doing charity work. Even if she performed terribly, at the very least, she’d gain some infamy.

If she didn’t know Qin Que’s character, she’d suspect her of selling herself behind her back.

“Uh, Sister Feng, calm down. I’d like to know why too.” Qin Que said, vaguely suspecting something but not daring to assume. Besides, she couldn’t mention Yan Qing to Wu Feng.

“Tch, whatever!” On the other end of the line, Wu Feng made an executive decision. “Reply to them right now—we’re in. This is a golden opportunity to make a comeback. Even if it’s the eighteenth layer of hell, we’re going!”

Was it really that serious?

Qin Que shrank her neck and agreed.

She didn’t really care. She’d never been in a relationship, and she was so obscure that she didn’t even have any CPs. Going on the show would just mean pretending to be in a relationship with another celebrity. As an actor, she had the professionalism for that.

If she performed poorly and got roasted again…

Well, accepting criticism was also part of an actor’s job.

After giving her a few more instructions, Wu Feng hung up, presumably to contact the Destined production team.

Qin Que typed and deleted several drafts before settling on simplicity.

@ActorQinQue: Okay.

She added a default smiley face for good measure.

After sending it, she set her phone aside and took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

The bedsheets, warmed by her body heat, carried a rich, intoxicating wine fragrance—soothing and lingering.

It was almost as if Yan Qing had slept there.

Qin Que slapped a hand over her face, cutting off that absurd train of thought, and rolled out of bed.

Her legs immediately gave way, nearly sending her crashing to the floor.

She barely caught herself on the bedframe and finally realized something was wrong with her body.

She was drenched in cold sweat, her clothes sticking uncomfortably to her skin, sending chills down her spine with every slight movement.

Her limbs were weak, her throat burned with thirst, and every muscle ached dully.

She hadn’t felt like this in a long time.

After steadying herself, she fished out a thermometer with trembling hands.

37.8°C.

Had she been running a fever all night?

Qin Que smiled bitterly and pulled open the curtains. Sunlight streamed in, the sky outside a clear, endless blue.

It was already afternoon the next day.

She’d slept for over twelve hours straight.

After hastily swallowing two fever-reducing pills, Qin Que headed for the shower.

The warm water washed away the discomfort of the night before, soothing her exhausted body.

Feeling somewhat renewed, Qin Que stood in front of the bathroom mirror, tilting her head to inspect the gland on the back of her neck.

It didn’t hurt as much now, and the swelling had gone down compared to last night.

But it was still tirelessly emitting that alluring wine fragrance, almost completely masking her faint milky scent.

Her fever was probably related to the marking, and that dream…

Her mind flashed with some blush-inducing images, and Qin Que’s cheeks burned with embarrassment.

Most dreams faded upon waking, but she remembered this one vividly.

She felt ashamed. After all, she and Yan Qing had only met once, and the other woman was someone she deeply respected. Having such a dream felt like… like she was some kind of pervert coveting another person’s—

The newly minted pervert Qin Que slapped a scent blocker over her gland, stripped the bed, and tossed the sheets into the washing machine. After collapsing onto the couch and staring blankly at the ceiling for half an hour, she decided to consult a professional.

She opened WeChat and found the doctor who treated her degeneration syndrome.

Qin Que: Dr. Zhao, do you have a moment? I have some questions about degeneration syndrome.

Dr. Zhao: Shoot.

Qin Que: Well, I have a friend who also has degeneration syndrome, with symptoms similar to mine. She was marked by an omega a couple of days ago and came down with a fever afterward. She also had a rather… intense dream. I wanted to ask if that’s normal and if she needs medication.

There was no reply for several minutes. Just as Qin Que was considering going to the hospital in person, Dr. Zhao sent a voice message.

Qin Que tapped it open, only to hear the gossipy voice of Dr. Wang from the psychological counseling department: “First, describe exactly how intense it was—ow!”

The latter half of the message was a scuffle, likely the two doctors fighting over the phone.

Qin Que: “…”

It was probably their break time, though she had no idea why these two doctors, who supposedly didn’t get along, were together.

A few minutes later, Dr. Zhao replied.

Dr. Zhao: Sorry, the phone was snatched by a dog. Don’t mind that. Based on your description, your friend likely experienced a pseudo-heat due to a sudden overload of pheromones. Pseudo-heats usually last one to three days, accompanied by a low-grade fever and the expulsion of the marker’s pheromones. Having erotic dreams during this time is normal. To end it early, she’d need to bond with the marker.

At the words “erotic dreams,” Qin Que managed to keep a straight face. But the mention of “bonding” nearly made her throw her phone.

Qin Que: That’s probably not possible. She’s not familiar with that omega.

Dr. Zhao: If they’re not familiar, why did she let them mark her?

Qin Que: …

How am I supposed to explain that?

Dr. Zhao: If bonding isn’t an option, treat it like a regular heat—inhibitors can alleviate symptoms but probably won’t reduce the fever. Rest and let it pass naturally. Also, even after the pseudo-heat ends, your friend will remain highly sensitive to the marker’s pheromones until the mark fades. Personally, I recommend she stay close to the marker during this time—bonding would be ideal. Cases of alphas developing pseudo-heats after being marked are rare, especially for degeneration syndrome patients. If this happened, it means their pheromones are highly compatible, which could significantly help treat the degeneration syndrome.

Qin Que stared at the lengthy message with a headache, mentally declining Dr. Zhao’s well-intentioned advice.

Qin Que: Got it. I’ll let her know. Thank you, Dr. Zhao.

Dr. Zhao: I have a question.

Qin Que: Go ahead.

Dr. Zhao: Is this “friend” of yours actually you?

The young alpha slammed her phone onto the coffee table, curled her long limbs into a pitiful ball, and buried her face into a couch cushion. Her fair earlobes flushed crimson as she let out a few muffled, incoherent whimpers.