After Getting Pregnant, I Fought for a Divorce from My Alpha - Chapter 5
When An Xiangdi came out after getting his makeup done, he saw Liang Yao surrounded by a crowd. She stood at the center, smiling brightly, her lunchbox already empty.
He thought, A gentle and pretty Omega really is popular wherever they go.
“What are you looking at?” Shen Xiao came out a moment later and saw An Xiangdi staring straight at Liang Yao. There was a hint of deliberate curiosity in his tone.
“Looking at how charming you are,” An Xiangdi said with a smirk. His striking looks paired with those seductive peach blossom eyes made Shen Xiao’s heart race.
“Not as charming as you,” Shen Xiao replied. He knew the best way to please An Xiangdi was by complimenting him.
An Xiangdi clearly appreciated it and chuckled softly.
Immediately, some nearby people turned to look at them. Two handsome Alphas standing together was a sight to behold, especially with Shen Xiao’s intoxicating brandy-scented pheromones filling the air.
Director Cao Xuan came over, grinning from ear to ear. She looked An Xiangdi up and down with great satisfaction. “Ah, I’m so glad I got you for the role. Just your appearance alone is perfect!”
An Xiangdi glanced at the white lab coat on himself. “Thank you, Director Cao, for the opportunity.”
Cao Xuan then pulled both of them aside to discuss the scene a bit more before clapping her hands and calling everyone over to prepare for filming.
“Eyes Hidden in the Corner” tells the story of a series of serial murders in Hangnan City. The killer is clean and precise, leaving no traces behind. The young and capable head of the Major Crimes Unit, Zheng Jun, personally leads the investigation, only to discover that the case is deeply connected to his first love from police academy—now a chemistry researcher named Qian Xin.
The ending of the drama is open-ended. An Xiangdi had taken advantage of the New Year holidays to carefully study the script multiple times, and had gotten a good grasp of the case’s core to better fit into his role.
Since the research building was being rented from an actual institute, filming time there was limited. All scenes set in the lab had to be finished within the month. Playing Qian Xin meant An Xiangdi had to stay fully focused during that time.
Once the equipment check was completed, filming officially began.
An Xiangdi was in great shape—he entered character even before Cao Xuan yelled “action.”
Soon, Cao Xuan realized not only was he quick-witted, but his acting skills were strong. Even in places where he slightly missed the mark, a small note from her was enough for him to immediately grasp the essence. That kind of intuition couldn’t be taught—it was something many hardworking actors would envy.
After filming three consecutive solo scenes of Qian Xin in the lab, An Xiangdi stepped out to wait as the crew reset the lab for the next take.
“Next is your first scene together. If one of you is clearly overpowering the other, I’ll call it,” Cao Xuan warned.
Shen Xiao had always been an actor—he’d won countless awards over the years. Compared to An Xiangdi, who had only recently made a name for himself in acting after pursuing a dual career, Shen Xiao still had the edge. Cao Xuan wasn’t expecting too much from this pairing but hoped for good chemistry.
“Mm,” they both responded. It was their first time officially acting together. Though they’d rehearsed many scenes in private, shooting was still a different beast.
An Xiangdi was eager to test himself, curious how he’d perform in a real face-off with Shen Xiao.
“Damn, why am I getting nervous all of a sudden?”
“Me too. I can’t even picture these two acting together.”
“Why?” Just as the staff were whispering, Liang Yao walked past. “I think it’s pretty exciting, honestly.”
“Haha, true. Both actors are really skilled.”
“Still… it’s strange.” One staffer leaned in. “I always thought they didn’t get along.”
“Didn’t they just agree to work together?” another person nudged him. “Stop gossiping and get to work.”
Liang Yao just smiled and kept quiet. After being rebuffed twice by Shen Xiao that day, even if she still had doubts, she wouldn’t dare speak up now.
Once the set was ready, Cao Xuan signaled An Xiangdi and Shen Xiao to take their positions.
“Scene 7, Take 9. Action!”
Inside the chemistry research lab on the fifth floor—
Light blue liquid in a flask occasionally bubbled and popped. The lab equipment on the table was meticulously arranged; even the test tubes in the rack were perfectly aligned.
Qian Xin, dressed in a white lab coat, held a test tube delicately between his fingers. Just as he was about to set it aside, the silence was broken by a knock on the door.
Expressionless, Qian Xin looked up but didn’t move.
The person outside kept knocking, certain Qian Xin was in there.
Half a minute later, Qian Xin opened the door. Standing there was Zheng Jun in full police uniform, looking like he’d just wrapped up a mission. A gun was holstered at his waist.
“What are you doing?” Zheng Jun asked as he walked right past Qian Xin into the dimly lit lab, eyeing the bottles and flasks on the table. “Doing experiments, huh.”
“What do you want?” Qian Xin looked at his old classmate coldly. In the poor lighting, his beautiful face looked almost ghostly pale.
Zheng Jun crossed his arms. “Come eat with me?”
“Not hungry.” Qian Xin rejected him flatly.
Zheng Jun raised an eyebrow, stepped closer, and cornered him against the wall. “Come eat with me,” he insisted.
Qian Xin frowned in annoyance. “No.”
“It’s about that recent murder case. I want to hear your thoughts.” Zheng Jun’s gaze was intense, and his presence commanding.
Qian Xin’s hand clenched at his side. After a long pause, he relaxed his fingers, revealing nail marks in his palm. “You’re paying.”
With that, Qian Xin ducked under Zheng Jun’s arm and walked out, hanging his lab coat on the rack by the door.
Zheng Jun’s smile faded, but his voice stayed light. “Sure.”
…
“Holy crap, what was that?! That was scary!”
“I’ve got goosebumps! Shen Xiao’s expression at the end was terrifying!”
“That’s what Alpha presence feels like?”
“An Xiangdi’s subtle movements were incredible too!”
As soon as the assistant director called cut, the crew erupted into discussion. At first, only a few were whispering, but the excitement quickly spread. Everyone was shocked by the short performance.
Cao Xuan frowned, staring at the playback monitor, rewinding several times. She could barely contain her excitement, already wanting to teleport them to the next scene.
An Xiangdi heard all of it. He knew his acting had improved, but compared to Shen Xiao, he still felt a bit inferior. His competitiveness made him unwilling to admit it, but deep down, he knew—it was the truth. A strong actor was always charismatic, and Shen Xiao was both.
Of course, he would never say that out loud. If Shen Xiao found out, where would his pride go?
With that thought, An Xiangdi put the lab coat back on and silently shoved his hands into his pockets.
“You two are in great form today. How about we move tomorrow’s scene up and shoot it now?” Cao Xuan was thrilled—she didn’t want to waste this momentum.
Just as An Xiangdi was about to agree, Shen Xiao stepped in front of him, grabbing his wrist. As if expecting him to resist, Shen Xiao used a bit of force to pull his hand out of the pocket.
He opened An Xiangdi’s clenched fist and saw that his palm was marked with nail imprints—one spot even bleeding a little.
“…Let go.” An Xiangdi had gripped too hard while acting, accidentally hurting himself. He had planned to hide it, but now Shen Xiao had seen it.
Cao Xuan spotted the injury and quickly called for the first aid kit. “Ah! He’s hurt, quick, treat it!”
Shen Xiao pulled An Xiangdi to sit down and gently cleaned the wound with an alcohol swab.
Among the staff was a fan of An Xiangdi, who leaned in wanting to help—but seeing the protective way Shen Xiao handled him, she quietly backed off.
An Xiangdi pursed his lips. He hated being watched like this, as if his vulnerability was being exposed and his secrets were on the verge of spilling out. But Shen Xiao was too focused—he couldn’t bring himself to protest.
Though this minor incident occurred, as long as there were no close-up shots of his hands, it didn’t affect filming. So everything went on as planned in the afternoon.
That evening, the crew wrapped early. Liang Yao seized the chance and rushed over to Shen Xiao.
“Teacher Shen, I have some scar ointment. I’ll bring it to you later so you can give it to Teacher An.”
“No need,” Shen Xiao rejected her outright.
Liang Yao had now struck out twice in one day. She forced an awkward smile. “Well, if you ever need it, just let me know.” Then she hurried off without waiting for a response.
At that moment, An Xiangdi was in the lab-turned-rest area, looking for his earbuds. He’d dropped his wireless earphones earlier, and one had rolled into a corner behind some equipment. No matter how hard he searched, he couldn’t find it.
Outside the half-open door, some staff walked by. Maybe they thought An Xiangdi had already left, because they started gossiping about what happened earlier.
“So who started the rumor that they don’t get along?”
“I know, right? They seem just fine to me.”
“But there was that interview years ago…”
“Interview?” Shen Xiao’s voice suddenly cut in.
An Xiangdi, still crouched inside, froze and stood up quietly to listen. He was also curious—he’d always thought the rumors about their bad relationship stemmed from the lack of collaboration. But apparently, there was a root cause?
“Teacher Shen…” The person being questioned looked a bit embarrassed. “It was an interview from years ago. Teacher An said… that you were really annoying.”
Shen Xiao thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled in realization. “Isn’t that just relationship banter?”
Everyone went speechless for a second, then laughed and agreed.
Inside, An Xiangdi leaned against the table, trying to remember which interview it was.
Shen Xiao pushed the door open and walked in. “You done?”
“Did you do that on purpose this morning?” An Xiangdi asked, referring to Shen Xiao’s act of showing their good relationship.
“What do you think?” Shen Xiao shot back.
“You’re really something.” An Xiangdi straightened up.
Shen Xiao walked over, wrapped an arm around his waist, and kissed him.
An Xiangdi gripped his arm tightly. The scent of brandy enveloped him, and he gasped, scolding, “You’re so annoying! Don’t think just because you’re an Alpha you can pressure me with pheromones!”