After the Scumbag Alpha Accidentally Marked the Blackened Villain - Chapter 11

After finishing her chat with her sister, Lin Bie went off to find Su Nian to raise her Affection Value, but before she could locate her, someone from the crew came running over in a panic, saying a woman surnamed Gu was looking for her.

Among the people the original host knew, who else could that “Gu” possibly be?

Just thinking of the phone call from yesterday ignited a fire in Lin Bie’s chest. She felt utterly irritable.

Even the original host’s friends had been hostile toward Leng Jinxi—let alone the original host herself, who outright hated her.

The original host’s ending in the book had been far too lenient. She didn’t even die in that fire—just barely survived for a while longer. Just remembering that made Lin Bie resent even the author who wrote this damn book.

Worried the lunatic might stir up trouble again if she arrived too late, Lin Bie ran toward the scene—only to see someone she didn’t expect standing opposite Gu Ban:
—Leng Jinxi.

What was she doing here?

At this time, shouldn’t she be resting in the hospital? Why was she standing here, facing off with Gu Ban?

Noticing Leng Jinxi’s unsteady state, Lin Bie rushed forward and caught her just as she was about to collapse.

“You okay?” she whispered.

Leng Jinxi’s head was bowed, her body limp as she leaned heavily in Lin Bie’s arms. She gave a faint shake of the head.

But she was trembling, clearly struggling to suppress the effects of being overwhelmed by an Alpha’s pheromones. Her lips were tightly pressed together, and her hands clutched Lin Bie’s arm with such force that her nails nearly broke skin. Even through the suppression patch, the searing heat from her neck gland could still be felt.

Lin Bie could also smell Leng Jinxi’s pheromones—a faint scent of camellia, now tinged with something almost imperceptibly rose-like. Her brows knit tightly as she fished out a fresh suppression patch from her pocket.

“Well, well, aren’t we cozy,” Gu Ban jeered from the wall, smirking. “Already snuggling up, huh?”

“Lin Bie, what the hell is so special about Leng Jinxi? Look at you, all flustered. What—sleeping with my ex-fiancée is that good?”

Lin Bie was carefully opening the suppression patch, but at that moment, her temper snapped. Her glare locked on Gu Ban, fury crackling in her gaze.

“You’re mentally ill, aren’t you?” she snapped.

Gu Ban’s smirk faltered. “What did you say?”

Ignoring her, Lin Bie cupped Leng Jinxi’s jaw and gently pressed the patch onto her neck. The woman in her arms flinched slightly, and the camellia scent took on a bitter edge. Lin Bie felt a cold rage rising in her chest.

“I said—are you sick in the head?” Lin Bie’s voice was low, shaking with suppressed anger. Then she ripped off her own patch and unleashed her Alpha pheromones in full.

“Oh yeah, I’m crazy!” Gu Ban sneered. “But aren’t you even crazier? Weren’t you the one always surrounded by lovers? Who’s the biggest slut among us, huh? You cut ties with me like you’re some saint, but you think anyone’s forgotten the way you used to fool around? What a joke—just a bunch of trash pretending there’s some moral high ground!”

Their pheromones clashed in the air like blades, the tension thick with threat. Leng Jinxi, with the suppression patch in place, started to feel marginally better. She reached out and tugged gently on Lin Bie’s sleeve, her touch feather-light.

The gesture made Lin Bie’s heart jolt.

Right. Her priority was to get Leng Jinxi out of here.

“I remember… you have a kid, right?” Lin Bie retracted her pheromones to ease Leng Jinxi’s discomfort and looked back at Gu Ban, whose expression stiffened. Lin Bie’s lips curled.

“Didn’t your parents have to pull a lot of strings to keep that little scandal quiet? Guess what—want to bet I can drag it right back into the spotlight?”

In itself, a rich family’s hidden child wasn’t newsworthy. But the Omega involved with Gu Ban had been married, and her Alpha partner’s family had more power than the Gu family. When the affair came to light, it nearly bankrupted the Gu family. If not for their frantic behind-the-scenes maneuvering, they might never have recovered.

Gu Ban’s face went pale. “Lin Bie… we’ve known each other for years…”

“Screw your years of friendship!” Lin Bie snapped. “I already warned you to stay away. One more time—and you’ll see exactly how serious I am.”

She gave Gu Ban one last glare. “Get lost. Don’t ever let me see you again.”

Gu Ban stared after Lin Bie, who was now walking off with her arm wrapped protectively around Leng Jinxi. Her face twisted, and she let out a joyless, venomous laugh.

“Wow, Lin Bie. You’re really something.”

“You think no one knows about all the filthy crap you’ve done? You really believe you can just leave your past behind and start fresh?!”

Lin Bie paused mid-step. Gu Ban’s lips curled again—only for Lin Bie to reply calmly:

“At least now, I won’t be who I used to be.”

Gu Ban’s smile froze.

As the pair disappeared down the path, she spun and kicked the wall hard, her face dark with rage.

—

Lin Bie walked slowly with Leng Jinxi leaning against her, brain still buzzing from what she’d said earlier. Did she go too far? Did it work?

Suddenly, she felt a light touch on her wrist. Looking down, she met Leng Jinxi’s clear, focused gaze.

“You can let go of me now.”

Lin Bie was no longer feeling smug—now she was nervous. “You’re not feeling too bad anymore?”

Leng Jinxi shook her head. “I think right now… you’re the one who needs to calm down.”

Only then did Lin Bie realize her heart was pounding like crazy, nearly bursting from her chest.

“…Right,” she muttered, letting go and coughing lightly to mask her awkwardness. “Should we go to the hospital, just in case?”

Even though the suppression patch should’ve stabilized things, Lin Bie couldn’t help but worry. Gu Ban had been involved with so many people that even her pheromones felt… dirty.

Leng Jinxi shook her head lightly. “I want a shower.”

“Huh?” Lin Bie blinked.

“I don’t like her scent,” Leng Jinxi said, frowning. It felt like the pheromones still clung to her clothes, and even if the smell was gone, her psychological aversion remained.

Lin Bie raised her brows. “Great. I was thinking the same.”

—

Leng Jinxi had her own private rest area on set. Lin Bie shamelessly borrowed her space, took a hot shower, and changed into clean clothes.

Just as she stepped out, hair still dripping, she ran into Director Xie Yushu.

Seeing her exit from Leng Jinxi’s room so brazenly made Xie pause.

“Director, don’t misunderstand—I just used the room to shower.” Lin Bie quickly found a chair and sat down to let her hair air dry.

“Did you need something?”

Xie Yushu let go of any teasing and got straight to the point. “Actually, I wanted to ask if you’d be interested in a variety show.”

Before directing film and TV, Xie had been a major name in the variety scene. She’d created many hit national programs, including the explosively popular reality series Observation Tracks—a live-streamed, audience-driven show known for iconic drama, emotional reveals, and massive online buzz.

Just as Lin Bie was about to answer, her system chimed:

[Plot Triggered: Host must participate in the variety show Observation Tracks to improve Affection Value with the female lead and second lead.]

Lin Bie: “…So, Director Xie, are you inviting me to join?”

Xie Yushu smiled warmly. “Bingo. I’d like that very much.”

Lin Bie blinked. “But I’m just a small-time actress. Wouldn’t casting me hurt your show’s traffic?”

System (exasperated): [Host, come on.]

Xie was briefly surprised by the question, then smiled. “Acting in dramas and appearing on reality shows both test your performance skills. One has an obvious script; the other has a hidden one.”

Lin Bie chuckled. “You’re brutally honest, Director.”

Xie’s brow lifted. “So, are you in? I really believe in your abilities.”

With a smile, Lin Bie nodded. “Of course. With your faith in me, how could I possibly say no? Thank you, Director Xie.”

Xie stood and gave her shoulder a light pat. “Great. Then it’s settled—save some time in your schedule for me.” Humming a tune, she walked off.

Lin Bie couldn’t help but grin. So completing one plotline would unlock the next—nothing to fear, then.

Just as that thought passed through her mind, she heard the sound of a blow dryer from the rest room—Leng Jinxi was showering too.

Lin Bie reached into her pocket, pulled out the remaining suppression patches, and placed them on the flower pot outside the door. Then she messaged Leng Jinxi:

[I left the extra patches at your door. Don’t forget to grab them after you dry your hair.]

Inside, Leng Jinxi saw her phone screen light up. She read the message and paused for a moment before quietly locking the screen again.

Water dripped onto the floor from her wet hair, and after a while with the dryer, it was completely dry.

The scent of rose had long since faded, replaced by the clean blend of body wash and her own camellia pheromones. But the memory of that rose lingered faintly at her chest—unshakable and strange.

Leng Jinxi lowered her gaze, opened the door, and picked up the suppression patches Lin Bie had left behind. They still carried the faintest trace of tequila and lime.

She peeled one open and pressed it to the back of her neck. Looking up at her reflection in the mirror, her sculpted features were stark and beautiful—clean and cold.

The kiss marks had faded completely. Not a single trace of that night remained.

It was like a dream with golden bubbles, one that vanished the moment you touched it.

—

Lin Bie asked a crew member for hot water and returned to Leng Jinxi’s room. The patches were gone. She knocked lightly on the door.

“It’s me.”

She had come under the pretense of checking on Leng Jinxi’s cold, but really, she wanted to explain the incident with Gu Ban.

“I brought medicine, in case your cold got worse.”

Soon the door opened, revealing a fresh-faced Leng Jinxi with her hair dry and loose. “Say what you came to say.”

Lin Bie: “…”

So quick to see through her.

She clenched the warm cup in her hand. “Can I come in first?”

Once inside, she placed the cup on the table. “It’s about Gu Ban. She’s just a rabid dog. Whatever she said to you, don’t believe her. I’ll deal with her.”

She didn’t know exactly what Gu Ban had said to Leng Jinxi, but it was probably awful. She needed to cut all ties with that woman—she didn’t want Leng Jinxi to think they were the same.

So… she’s afraid I’d mind?

Leng Jinxi stared at the steam rising from the cup. A faint sweetness stirred in her heart. “I know.”

“You… know?” Lin Bie blinked.

Leng Jinxi nodded, then added softly, “Back when her family had their scandal, my father once tried to arrange a marriage between us.”