After the Scumbag Alpha Accidentally Marked the Blackened Villain - Chapter 12

So that’s what happened.

Lin Bie stared at her in disbelief. “An arranged marriage? Your father suggested it?”

She had only known that Leng Jinxi’s father, Leng Xiuming, was a textbook opportunist. A “phoenix man” who had set his sights on the Leng family fortune back in college, he deliberately courted Madam Leng and changed his surname to prove his so-called devotion. But not long after the wedding, his true ambitions were revealed—pretending to be loyal while secretly embezzling company assets. After Leng Jinxi’s grandparents passed away, he seized control of the family business. Her mother, worn down and heartbroken, eventually died of grief.

He was also a dyed-in-the-wool patriarch. Even in an ABO world, he firmly believed that women should marry, bear children, and serve their husbands. He treated Leng Jinxi and her sister Leng Wenxia as pawns to gain more power. In the original novel, he married off Leng Jinxi to the abusive original host and offered her no support, pushing her to the edge of ruin. She was eventually left crippled and twisted—becoming the villainess of the story.

Lin Bie had only known that Leng Xiuming wanted to marry off Leng Jinxi early to cut off her inheritance rights to the Leng Corporation—but she hadn’t expected he’d gone so far as to try and marry her off to Gu Ban, that piece of human garbage, just for a little bit of leverage from the Gu family.

Maybe her being married to the original host had also been orchestrated by that man.

Disgusting. Absolutely rotten to the core.

Lin Bie clenched her fists and growled, “Then let’s keep our distance from him—avoid being tainted by that filth.”

Leng Jinxi chuckled softly. Her reaction was so intense it became amusing. She couldn’t help teasing, “How far can I stay from him? When we got married, he even sat at the main table as a family member.”

Lin Bie: “!”

Infuriating! That scumbag had even attended her wedding.

“If you don’t want him there, I’ll handle it,” Lin Bie said firmly. That kind of old-school fossil probably wouldn’t even care about his daughter’s wedding. With how arrogant the original host used to be, a few tricks might’ve been all it took to keep Leng Xiuming from showing up.

Just thinking about how helpless Leng Jinxi had been in the middle chapters of the novel—bullied by the original host, betrayed by her family—made Lin Bie’s bl00d boil. None of it was her fault. It was them who should’ve paid.

Lin Bie balled her fists tighter and declared, “It’s fine. You’ve got me now… and the Lin family. Leng Xiuming won’t dare lay a hand on you.”

Leng Jinxi hadn’t expected such a strong response. She glanced up, catching the gleam of conviction in Lin Bie’s dark eyes. Something seared through her chest. She quickly lowered her gaze, unable to suppress the question that had been lingering all day.

“So… is this why you came to see me?”

Lin Bie blinked, caught off guard. “Huh?”

Leng Jinxi picked up her cup and took a sip. “I thought you came to talk about something else.”

“Something else?” Lin Bie was puzzled. “I don’t think I’ve hidden anything from you.” She’d basically turned herself inside out trying to prove to Leng Jinxi that she wasn’t the same scumbag she used to be.

For a moment, the smile behind the steam on Leng Jinxi’s face stiffened. She set the cup down slowly, thick lashes casting a shadow over her eyes. “Never mind. I need to change and get back to filming. Please step out.”

They’d been having such a good conversation—why the sudden shift?

Lin Bie was confused but didn’t press. Having cleared the air, she left feeling unburdened.

Only Leng Jinxi remained, staring at the steam curling up from the cup until it finally vanished.

She let out a bitter laugh.

She’d actually allowed herself to hope—that Lin Bie had come to explain the rose bouquet from earlier.

Of course she hadn’t.

Leng Jinxi drained the cup in one go.

—

That night, Lin Bie returned home—for the first time since transmigrating into the original host’s life. She stepped into the villa and saw Lin Qingsi sitting on the couch. A vase on the nearby table held a few vivid roses—the only splash of color in the otherwise somber house.

Lin Qingsi had her laptop open on her knees. Hearing the door, she looked up and closed it.

“You’re back,” she said, taking off her glasses.

Lin Bie glanced at the clock in surprise—it was nearly midnight. Lin Qingsi had been waiting for her?

“Yeah. Did you get the flowers?” she asked.

Lin Qingsi blinked, then smiled faintly. “I did. They’re lovely. Thank you.”

Lin Bie returned a smile. “I’m glad you like them. I’ll head upstairs then.”

“Wait.” Lin Qingsi stopped her, her gaze steady. “Tomorrow’s the engagement party.”

Lin Bie didn’t understand the point. “I know. What about it?”

Lin Qingsi studied her for a long moment before exhaling and offering a small, reassured smile. “Nothing. As long as you remember. The Leng family contacted me today about the final arrangements. Just… don’t cause a scene like last time. Do what you want otherwise.”

“I won’t. I swear. Ever since that night, I’ve realized how awful I used to be. I won’t do anything like that again.”

Lin Bie still wasn’t sure what had caused such a deep rift between the original host and her sister. But the starting Affection Value of -20 said a lot about how badly Lin Qingsi viewed her.

Even today’s rose bouquet had only raised it by two points—just two. That was how deep her disappointment ran.

Lin Qingsi looked up at her from the foot of the stairs, a complicated light in her eyes.

That night.

The night you spent with Leng Jinxi.

What exactly happened between you two?

Her limbs suddenly felt heavy. Forcing a smile, she said, “Alright then. I’ll hold you to that.”

—

After saying goodnight downstairs, Lin Bie went to the room that belonged to the original host. It was neat to the point of sterile, everything placed just so. A pink plushie sat quietly at the head of the bed, watching her.

It didn’t look like the room of a delinquent at all. She’d imagined something messier—dirty clothes, tacky shoes, clutter.

A little confused, Lin Bie flopped onto the bed, hugged the plush, and let her thoughts drift… until she wandered back to the roses in the living room. And the camellia pheromone scent tinged with roses.

That woman’s usually composed nape had flushed pink, a faint sheen of sweat forming on her brow. Her usual cold poise had melted into something so vulnerable—it made you want to wrap her in your arms and shield her from everything.

Lin Bie shook her head violently. Stop imagining weird stuff!

So Leng Jinxi had visited Lin Qingsi today. That explained why she smelled faintly of roses.

Then a memory surfaced—back in the rest lounge, Leng Jinxi had looked like she wanted to say something but hadn’t. Had she been trying to ask if Lin Bie had sent the flowers to her sister?

…No. That was probably overthinking.

Leng Jinxi still didn’t trust her, and this was just a contract marriage. There were no real feelings involved. Why would Leng Jinxi care who got the roses?

She was probably counting the days until they could part ways.

Realizing this, Lin Bie chuckled at herself—how narcissistic could you be?

Sitting up, she decided to examine the room for clues. It was the best room in the villa, with a full view of the back garden. Through the window, the night veiled the lawn in deep shadow, only a few dim lights scattered across it.

Strangely empty. Like the villa itself—spacious, but hollow.

She snapped a photo of the garden out of habit. It actually came out quite artsy.

Pleased, she admired her impromptu composition before exiting the gallery—just as a message from Leng Jinxi came in. It was a document.

Opening it, she saw it was the plan for tomorrow’s engagement party: where to stand, what to say, how to act, even when to hold hands.

Lin Bie snorted and typed:

[Teacher Leng is impressively thorough.]

Leng Jinxi: [Just in case anything goes wrong. Follow the plan. Any objections?]

The “anything” herself: […None.]

Stung, Lin Bie wanted to exit the chat—when another message arrived.

[As for the prenup, I had a lawyer draft one based on what we discussed at the hospital.]

Fast work. Lin Bie raised an eyebrow: [Nice. I’ll review it tomorrow. If everything checks out, we’ll sign.]

Leng Jinxi: [Alright. It’s at my place. When are you free?]

Lin Bie thought for a moment: [After the party. I’ll come over.]

That way, they could leave together—solidifying their image as a loving couple and shutting up the gossips.

Leng Jinxi quickly agreed. After a few more polite exchanges, the chat ended.

Lin Bie scrolled through her contacts, found a certain girl’s name, and tapped.

[Bei Ning, can we meet tomorrow? There’s something I need to tell you face to face.]