After Being Bitten By Top-Tier O, Flop A Went Viral - Chapter 52

52: The Hungry Wolf Pack

The two stared at each other, Qin Que’s face full of bewilderment, while Yan Qing looked quite amused as she held up the plushie and asked the stall owner, “The design is great. Are these the only two characters available?”

“For now, we only have merchandise for these two characters. There wasn’t enough time,” the stall owner replied, delighted by her interest. For some reason, she felt a strong fondness for this witch lady. “But if you don’t mind real-person pairings, I can give you an extra badge.” She took a round badge from her bag and handed it over.

Yan Qing reached out to take it, and Qin Que leaned in to look.

The small badge rested in the center of the woman’s pale palm. Its main color was a soft blue, featuring two chibi characters in blue-and-white school uniforms. One had chestnut hair and blue eyes, with long hair cascading down her back, while the other had black hair and eyes, tied into a ponytail. The two little figures floated hand-in-hand in the middle of the badge, smiling at each other. Despite their chubby, round faces, they were strikingly expressive in their simplicity.

Was this her and Yan Qing?

Qin Que carefully picked up the badge from Yan Qing’s hand and examined it closely several times.

It was really cute.

She had never imagined she would appear on an item alongside Yan Qing like this.

Only now did she begin to grasp the meaning behind the phrase, “You have no idea how popular the Qin-Qing pairing is right now.”

Did this mean a lot of people liked seeing her and Yan Qing together?

Including this stall owner.

The stall owner watched as the strikingly dressed warrior stared at her and smiled sweetly.

Hmm.

That smile looked so familiar.

“I’ll buy this badge. How much do I owe you?”

That voice sounded familiar too.

In the moment she hesitated, the warrior had already pulled out her phone to scan the payment code.

Why did this phone also look so familiar?

Just as the stall owner was about to connect the dots in her mind—

“Ahhh, Xiao Ke, give me some water! I’m dying of thirst!”

A girl with pink hair, dressed in an elaborate short skirt, stumbled over and nearly knocked over the stall.

“Careful!” Yan Qing quickly reached out to steady her, while Qin Que and the stall owner swiftly stabilized the wobbling stall, preventing both the girl and the merchandise from tumbling to the ground.

“Ah, sorry, sorry! I’ve been running around the venue taking photos with people, and my feet are killing me,” the girl apologized, smiling at Yan Qing. “Thank you, Witch Sister!”

“No problem,” Yan Qing replied, waving her broomstick in acknowledgment before letting go. The stall owner handed her a bottle of water from under the stall, scolding, “Honestly, even if it’s rare for you to attend, you don’t have to go this hard. I told you not to wear high heels.”

The pink-haired girl gulped down half the bottle before answering, “I’m just staying true to the character, okay?”

She glanced at Qin Que and Yan Qing. “These two sisters nailed their cosplay. Can I take a photo with them?”

The three hastily took a photo in front of the stall. The stall owner introduced, “This is my friend. You can call her Honghong. She’s a fan of Yan Qing—she designed the plushie of Qing Zhong. The one of Li Zhe was something I begged her to add later.”

Qin Que: “…”

So she was only included because of Yan Qing.

Honghong snorted. “If it weren’t for you asking, I wouldn’t have made merch for that guy’s character.”

Was she talking about her?

So most of Yan Qing’s fans didn’t like her.

Qin Que felt disheartened but forced herself to rally.

This was an expected outcome. Instead of wallowing, she should figure out whether she had genuinely done something wrong—correct it if she had, and stay vigilant if she hadn’t.

Preparing herself was always the right move.

Yan Qing’s hand, hidden under her black robe, was suddenly grasped by a larger, warmer one trembling slightly.

She turned to see Qin Que’s tense expression, the alpha’s voice hoarse as she asked, “Do you really hate Qin Que that much?”

Yan Qing raised an eyebrow. She hadn’t expected Qin Que to ask such a question outright. She never bothered asking people why they disliked her—after all, if there was a problem, it was theirs, not hers.

But she still squeezed Qin Que’s hand gently, hoping to offer some comfort.

“Hate… I wouldn’t go that far,” Honghong said, oblivious to the sudden shift in atmosphere. She frowned, thinking hard. “She hasn’t really done anything bad. In fact, she’s been pretty considerate toward Qingqing on the show.”

That’s a relief.

The lump in Qin Que’s throat loosened slightly—until Honghong continued, “It’s just that she’s too much of a nobody. I’ve been a fan of Qingqing for three years, and some people would milk even the briefest encounter with her for clout. It’s so annoying. Qin Que might be okay now, but her popularity is entirely built on her pairing with Qingqing. She doesn’t have any notable works of her own. Who knows if she’ll start exploiting Qingqing to stay relevant once the dating show ends?”

Even with her mental preparation, Qin Que was struck hard by the blunt criticism and skepticism.

I would never do anything to hurt Yan Qing.

She wanted to defend herself but felt guilty. Maybe, from a fan’s perspective, being paired with someone as unknown as her was already a disservice to Yan Qing.

“She won’t.”

A calm, firm voice spoke beside her.

Qin Que turned sharply to see Yan Qing’s composed profile.

“Huh? How can you be so sure?” Honghong laughed. “You must not follow celebrities much, Witch Sister. The entertainment industry is all about trends—today’s best friends are tomorrow’s rivals. Most of it’s for clout; genuine connections are rare.”

“I don’t follow celebrities, but I’ve watched that show,” Yan Qing said lightly. “From what I saw, Yan Qing was the one causing trouble for Qin Que most of the time. She seems pretty spoiled.”

Wait, you didn’t cause me any trouble.

Before Qin Que could refute, the devoted fan Honghong jumped in. “That’s not true! Yan Qing is just—just—” She groaned in frustration. “She’s not usually like that. Maybe she’s more relaxed on Fated, but Witch Sister, you can’t expect anyone to be perfect all the time, right?”

“Of course not,” Yan Qing agreed with a smile. “But I’m only relaxed around people I trust. So if Yan Qing is comfortable around Qin Que, doesn’t that mean she trusts her? If she trusts Qin Que, then Qin Que must be sincere. And if she’s sincere, why would she exploit Yan Qing for clout?”

“Uh… well, I guess you have a point,” Honghong mumbled, scratching her head in confusion. Just then, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and bolted upright. “Oh no! I totally forgot—I promised to take photos with someone! Gotta go!”

The girl dashed off, her high heels doing nothing to slow her down.

The three left behind exchanged amused glances.

“We’ll take these two plushies, the standee, and the badge. We’ll pay for everything together,” Yan Qing told the stall owner.

“No need.” The stall owner pulled out a bag and packed one of each item from the stall, filling it to the brim before handing it to Yan Qing. “Consider it a gift.”

“We can’t accept that.” Yan Qing suspected the stall owner had already guessed their identities and said meaningfully, “Meeting you is a happy occasion. We can’t let you lose money over it.”

“Really, it’s fine.” The stall owner shook her head firmly, wringing her hands nervously. “Just meeting you two has made my day. Think of it as fulfilling a dream for me. Please take them.”

“Alright then, thank you. I love them.” Yan Qing didn’t insist further, grabbing Qin Que’s hand and leaving.

She could see the stall owner’s forehead twitching—she was clearly about to lose her composure.

With a serene smile, the stall owner watched the two walk away before crouching down behind her stall, mouthing a silent scream.

Mom, I just met my OTP!

They fed me sugar right in front of me!

Ahhhhhhh! How did I get so lucky?!

—

After walking for a while, Qin Que gazed at the flowing black robes of the woman ahead and finally spoke softly, “Thank you.”

Thank you for standing up for me when I couldn’t even defend myself.

Thank you for using yourself as an example to explain things to others for my sake.

Thank you for trusting me.

She was still a little sad about the issues she couldn’t yet resolve, but that sadness was now tinged with brightness.

Yan Qing didn’t seem to care about those things as much as she—or others—did.

Yan Qing glanced over and saw the alpha’s slightly bowed head, her bangs casting shadows over her already pale, makeup-enhanced face.

Like a patch of sunlight that had been overlooked.

Qin Que cared too much about these things.

But this was something she had to face. As much as Yan Qing’s heart ached for her, she couldn’t coddle her like an overindulgent mother.

She sighed and ruffled Qin Que’s hair vigorously, turning the neat high ponytail into a wild mess. “What’s there to thank me for? I was just telling the truth. And you’re too honest—if someone points out your flaws, just counter with your strengths. Everyone starts out as a nobody at some point.”

Qin Que laughed at Yan Qing’s teasing tone, but she couldn’t help wanting more praise. Shyly, she asked, “What are my strengths?”

Tsk, pushing your luck, huh?

Yan Qing kicked her lightly. “Behave. Don’t take advantage of me.”

The alpha let out a soft “oh” and lowered her head again, her hair looking dejected. “I really do want to know…”

Fine. She was doomed to spoil this kid.

Comforting a sulking child didn’t count as being taken advantage of, right?

Yan Qing marched forward, muttering under her breath, “You’re good-looking, good-tempered, healthy, and good to me…”

Qin Que listened to the half-hearted compliments, but the gloom in her heart melted away like ice under the sun.

Hearing the alpha’s quiet laughter behind her, Yan Qing couldn’t help smiling too.

Qin Que wasn’t as mature as she’d thought.

The alpha could throw tantrums and have silly little thoughts too.

But at least she was easy to coax.

—

After wandering around a bit longer, they realized their four-hour time slot was almost up. To avoid being mobbed by live-stream viewers at the venue, they decided to meet up with Yan Yuzhen and Jin Shuo at the entrance and make a quick exit.

“Let go of me!”

A girl’s sharp cry rang out just as they stepped out of the crowded area.

That voice sounded familiar.

Qin Que turned toward the sound and saw a burly guy with a camera around his neck gripping a girl’s arm, cursing at her.

“You dressed like this just to get attention, didn’t you? Stop pretending to be innocent!”

The girl had pink hair and wore a short skirt—it was Honghong, whom they’d just parted ways with earlier.

“Hey, that’s enough. She didn’t even call you out for sneaking photos, and you’re still harassing her?”

Someone stepped forward to intervene, but the guy—towering at over 1.9 meters and built like a tank—shoved them away effortlessly. “Mind your own business! I’m a photographer! I’ll shoot however I want!”

With the first intervener knocked down, others hesitated to step in. Some ran to find security, while others called the police, but help wouldn’t arrive anytime soon.

Emboldened by the lack of resistance, the guy raised his hand to slap the girl. “I’ll teach you to scream!”

Just as his hand was about to strike, someone grabbed his wrist with an iron grip, freezing his movement.

“Ahh!” The guy howled in pain, glaring at his assailant. “Who the hell are you?!”

The person before him wore a red outfit, their face cold and bloodstained like a vengeful ghost. Their voice was low and threatening. “Let her go first.”

“Tch, fine!” The guy struggled but couldn’t break free. With a vicious grin, he shoved Honghong away and swung his free fist at the stranger.

“See how you like meddling!”

A red blur flashed past him as his punch met empty air. Then, a sharp kick to the back of his knee sent him crashing to the ground. Before he could get up, a cold, metallic object pressed against his neck.

“Don’t move.”

Was that a real knife?

The guy froze instantly, sweat pouring down his face.

Had he just messed with the wrong person?

Of course, it wasn’t a real knife.

Qin Que frowned at the guy on the ground. While she could overpower him, controlling someone that massive wasn’t easy. He was only subdued now because of the “knife”—but it was a prop that couldn’t even be unsheathed. Once he realized, he’d probably try to flee.

Knocking him out was an option, but she wasn’t sure she could gauge the force properly. Accidentally injuring him would only cause more trouble.

As Qin Que hesitated, the guy cautiously turned his head and realized the “knife” at his throat was just a prop.

Perfect!

With the crowd growing, he no longer dared to escalate. He scrambled up and bolted like a wild boar, charging straight for what he thought was the weakest point in the crowd—the two slender women, one dressed as a witch, standing nearby. If he plowed into them, they’d go flying.

“Watch out! Move!”

Qin Que had already started chasing him the moment he took off. Seeing him heading straight for Yan Qing, she panicked and hurled her prop sword like a projectile.

The sword landed at the guy’s feet, tripping him and buying Yan Qing and Honghong a few precious seconds.

But Yan Qing only pushed Honghong aside, standing her ground and gripping her broomstick tightly.

Honghong stared blankly at the witch’s obscured profile.

This was the same witch sister who had caught her when she was shoved earlier.

“Are you okay?”

The voice was different from before—softer, yet so familiar.

Tears welled up in her eyes without warning.

Thwack!

Qin Que grabbed the guy’s jacket, but the fabric tore as he lunged forward recklessly.

The sudden loss of resistance made Qin Que stumble back, unable to stop him in time.

“Yan Qing!”

She watched as the guy barreled toward the much smaller woman, heard his frenzied roar.

She saw Yan Qing’s black-and-red lips curl downward as she reversed her grip on the broomstick and swung it hard against the guy’s face.

The strike was so precise that Qin Que could see the ripple of fat on his cheek as it connected.

The guy spun in place like a drunkard before collapsing to the ground.

Thud.

Silence fell over the scene.

“Are you okay?” Qin Que asked as she approached Yan Qing, who was crouched beside the unconscious guy. The question was unnecessary, but she asked it anyway.

“I’m fine. He didn’t even touch me.” Yan Qing retrieved the camera from the guy’s neck.

Qin Que glanced at the motionless lump on the ground. “Is he okay?”

Not that she cared, but if he was seriously hurt, Yan Qing might have to deal with the police.

“Tch, let me check.” Yan Qing had been about to stand up but reluctantly examined the guy at Qin Que’s prompting, checking his pupils and the bruise on his face. “He’s fine. The force was just right—he’ll probably wake up by the time he reaches the police station.”

She stood, wiping her hands disdainfully before handing the camera to Honghong. “I took a quick look. There are photos of you, and the angles aren’t great. You can either give this to the police as evidence or delete them yourself. Either way, this guy isn’t getting away with harassing you.”

Honghong stared at her, tears still streaming down her face.

“Hey, don’t cry. You’ll ruin your makeup.” Yan Qing reached for a handkerchief but noticed a fallen mask on the ground.

It looked familiar… Wait a minute!

She touched her face—and felt skin.

Every eye in the vicinity locked onto her.

In that instant, Yan Qing felt like she was in the wilderness, surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves.