After the Scumbag Alpha Accidentally Marked the Blackened Villain - Chapter 10

Lin Qingsi stared at the message Lin Bie had sent her, frowning in confusion.

[The engagement’s almost here—just behave yourself.]

[I told you, I’m not who I used to be. Don’t worry, Sis, you’ll see soon enough!] Lin Bie added that she was heading to work, then went quiet.

Lin Qingsi studied that final line for a few seconds, then turned off her phone and pushed open the door to the lounge.

Inside, Leng Jinxi and Leng Xiuming were seated on opposite ends of a sofa. Seeing her enter, Leng Xiuming—his black hair streaked with gray—immediately stood up with an ingratiating smile.

“President Lin.”

Lin Qingsi glanced at him and gave a polite nod. “Please, Uncle Leng, have a seat.”

She sat down and turned to Leng Jinxi, who had been silent since the beginning. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”

Leng Jinxi had been lost in thought. Hearing her voice, she looked up to reply, but Leng Xiuming quickly cut in.

“Not at all, President Lin. You’re too kind. We’re grateful you’re still willing to go through with the engagement.”

Lin Qingsi let out a soft laugh. “We’re family now, Uncle Leng. No need to be so formal. I had a meeting yesterday and couldn’t visit you, so I invited you here today to discuss the details of the engagement party.”

Leng Jinxi sat on the couch in a crimson gown, gazing out the window at drifting clouds while the two spoke beside her. Her mind was elsewhere.

…

The discussion ended smoothly. The arrangements Lin Qingsi proposed greatly satisfied Leng Xiuming, who left beaming. As he and Leng Jinxi entered the elevator, the moment the doors closed, the fake smile vanished from his face.

“She just happened to be born into a better family—how dare she act so high and mighty!” he muttered, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it right there in the elevator.

“Tomorrow’s engagement must go perfectly, I don’t care how. If anything else goes wrong, I’ll lose all face.”

Standing behind him, Leng Jinxi wrinkled her nose at the pungent smoke. “Is Father really that worried the wedding will fall through?”

Leng Xiuming paused, then took a long drag and crushed the cigarette underfoot. He turned to glare at her reflected in the elevator doors.

“You refused to marry into the Gu family back then, and now you find someone just like Gu Ban. When things go south, I still have to clean up after you.”

Leng Jinxi gave a cold laugh. Just like Gu Ban?

At the time, Gu Ban had gotten pregnant abroad while unmarried—a huge scandal for the Gu family. Leng Xiuming had tried to latch onto them anyway, even offering Leng Jinxi in marriage. If she hadn’t discovered his plans and vehemently refused, he really would’ve traded her away like a bargaining chip.

Compared to Lin Bie, Gu Ban wasn’t even worth mentioning.

Leng Jinxi remained silent, recalling how Lin Bie had furiously scolded Gu Ban the previous night. A smile tugged at her lips. “Father has such a good memory.”

Leng Xiuming seemed to recall that incident as well. He sighed and looked at her.

“You have to understand, I only did it for your sake. Getting your marriage settled would make me happy too. I just want what’s best for you.”

Just then, the elevator reached the ground floor. Before stepping out, Leng Xiuming gave a final reminder.

“Anyway, tomorrow’s engagement must go off without a hitch—beg, cry, whatever it takes. Once you’re married, the company’s crisis will be over. And don’t forget to say a few good words about your brother in front of the Lin family.”

With his grin back on, Leng Xiuming stepped out of the elevator first.

Leng Jinxi didn’t follow. She stood there, watching him walk away and get into his car. Behind her, someone entering the elevator was muttering:

“Who smokes in a lift like that? So inconsiderate. It stinks!”

Her phone buzzed. It was a message from Xie Yushu, asking if she’d recovered from her cold. She replied that she’d be fine to return to work in the afternoon and was about to leave when she spotted Assistant Xiao Wang at the front desk, holding a stunning bouquet of roses.

Xiao Wang spotted her too and greeted her cheerfully, “Miss Leng, hello!”

Leng Jinxi’s expression didn’t change. “That bouquet is…”

“Oh, it’s from Miss Lin Bie, sent to President Lin. Such a beautiful arrangement—Miss Lin really put thought into it! Seems the sisters are back to being close again,” Xiao Wang said with a bright smile. Though she didn’t understand what caused their rift, she didn’t believe any grudge between sisters could be that deep.

But unlike Xiao Wang’s excitement, a deep shadow flickered across Jeng Jinxi’s face.

Sisters, close?

She smiled. “Why don’t you let me take it to her? I was just going to see Lin Qingsi anyway.”

Xiao Wang hesitated. “But… Miss Lin Bei asked me to handle it personally, and I—”

“It’s alright, go on with your work. Besides, President Lin’s in a meeting—you just have to wait anyway.” Leng Jinxi’s smile was cool, her eyes sparkling like shards of ice.

Xiao Wang was momentarily stunned by the visual impact of the film star before her and, dazed, handed over the bouquet without a second thought. By the time she snapped out of it, Leng Jinxi had already stepped into another elevator, leaving only the lingering scent of roses behind.

She scratched her head. What just happened…?

—

It had been almost two hours since Lin Bie’s message by the time Lin Qingsi emerged from her meeting. She recalled the call she received about the flower delivery and gave a small, bitter smile.

When she opened the lounge door, the scent of roses hit her before she even saw the bouquet. Her nose twitched and she sneezed.

Putting on a mask, she looked up—and saw Leng Jinxi sitting in the lounge, staring at the bouquet.

“You’re back?”

Leng Jinxi turned to her. “I came to deliver your flowers.”

Lin Qingsi’s gaze dropped to the roses. A faint smile touched her lips as she picked up the vivid red bouquet. Nestled among the petals was a small card with delicate handwriting:

[Good luck at work, Sis!]

Lin Qingsi chuckled softly. “That girl…”

“She’s sweet, isn’t she?” Leng Jinxi smiled too, but it wasn’t a joyful smile.

Lin Qingsi’s smile faded slightly. She looked at her, then set the flowers a bit farther away.

“Alright, what are you here for? I don’t think there’s anything left for us to discuss.”

Leng Jinxi met her eyes, her dark gaze turbulent. “Let’s talk about our deal.”

—

The car sped along the wide asphalt road. Tree shadows flickered past the windows. Leng Jinxi stared out at the changing scenery, her mind heavy with turmoil.

She turned to look at the vibrant red bouquet beside her, heart rising and sinking like it had been tossed into the ocean.

Lin Qingsi’s parting words still echoed in her ears.

Their agreement had been simple: Leng Jinxi would keep Lin Bie under control, and Lin Qingsi would help her seize the Leng family shares. It was supposed to benefit them both. But now, Lin Bie’s strange behavior had thrown everything into uncertainty.

She’d only planned to keep Lin Bie from running off—not to actually marry her. But then Lin Bie proposed out of the blue and even signed a prenuptial agreement.

She claimed she wanted to turn over a new leaf, to make up for her past mistakes. She asked Leng Jinxi to treat her like someone new.

But that excuse was far too thin. Unless something major had happened, someone like her wouldn’t change. Especially after everything Leng Jinxi had done to force her into submission—things so extreme Lin Bie had once blocked her completely.

But now? Lin Bie acted like none of it had ever happened.

Leng Jinxi stared at the rose petals, dewdrops still clinging to their vivid red edges, scattering light like shattered glass.

She’d just called her “cute” yesterday, and now she was back to sending flowers again. Lin Bie was impossible to read.

That rainy night blurred by alcohol and heat had wiped much of her memory. But one thing remained—the clarity of Lin Bie’s eyes in the storm-lit dark. That image was etched into her mind.

Fingers brushing the petals, Leng Jinxi sighed.

Please don’t let it be just my imagination.

—

The car sped toward Hengdian in the western part of the city. Once they arrived, Leng Jinxi tucked the flowers away and got out.

She didn’t let Xiao Li accompany her—she went in alone.

Turning from the main road into a side path, she suddenly spotted a woman leaning against the wall, smoking.

Gu Ban.

Leng Jinxi’s expression hardened. Gu Ban noticed her too, snuffing out her cigarette with a smirk.

“Well, if it isn’t our superstar. What a surprise, running into you here,” she rasped, her voice rough from smoke.

“What are you doing here?” Leng Jinxi subtly stepped away, hand tightening around a retractable baton hidden in her pocket.

Noticing the shift, Gu Ban laughed. “Don’t be so uptight. We were almost fiancées, remember? That didn’t work out, but we could still be friends.” She stepped forward and subtly released her pheromones.

Leng Jinxi’s eyes narrowed, her disgust plain. “Get lost.”

Gu Ban paused, then burst out laughing. “Touchy, aren’t we? So you really like playing house with Lin Bie now? Not even gonna give your ex-fiancée a shred of dignity?”

“What is it about her? Is her technique that good? You’re all the same trash, but she gets you and I don’t?”

Leng Jinxi glared at her. “I don’t need you. Don’t push your luck. This is a filming location.”

“So? I’m not part of the shoot. How about we pick up where we left off? You’re marrying someone anyway—does it really matter who?” Her pheromones suddenly intensified.

“Relax, I won’t touch a married woman. I’m just curious how the famously aloof Leng Jinxi acts during heat. Must’ve been something, for Lin Bie to drop everything and run to you.” Gu Ban grinned, tongue pressing against her cheek.

Alpha pheromones surged forward. Leng Jinxi’s glands flared up with searing pain. She stared at Gu Ban, fingers tightening around the baton—

Then her gaze flicked to a figure sprinting toward them in the distance.

Her brows lifted slightly. In the next second, she loosened her grip and stepped back, body going limp.

Instead of hitting the concrete, her back landed in a firm, warm embrace—shielding her completely.

And with it came a clean, sharp scent: tequila and lime.