After the Scumbag Alpha Accidentally Marked the Blackened Villain - Chapter 21.1

Lin Bie stared at her intently, her mind involuntarily replaying every bit of Leng Jinxi’s tragic arc from the original novel.

Isolation. Neglect. Abuse. Descent into darkness…

Damn it. Leng Jinxi was the character she felt the most heartache for in the book. Why did these people keep pushing her further and further into the abyss?

“You’re insane!”

Gripping Shan Yi’s collar with enough force to almost choke her, Lin Bie’s eyes burned with rage. But then, through the flush of near-suffocation, she heard Shan Yi speak.

“The interviewers are already here. Director Xie is receiving them right now. Lin Bie, you don’t have much time left.”

The fire in Lin Bie’s eyes almost blazed. Reluctantly, she let go, shoving Shan Yi aside and dashing off in the other direction.

Shan Yi stumbled back a few steps, bracing herself against a nearby pillar, panting heavily. Cold sweat trickled down her forehead—she was sure that if she hadn’t pushed Lin Bie to leave, she would’ve gotten beaten up right then and there.

Catching her breath in the fresh air, Shan Yi frowned, then suddenly laughed as she watched Lin Bie’s anxious figure disappear in the distance.

Didn’t she want to show the world that she’d turned over a new leaf?

The stage today was set just for her—livestreamed across the entire internet. She should be pleased.

Why should a manipulative b1tch like her get everything she wants? Why should she get, so easily, the heart that Shan Yi had longed for and worked toward for over twenty years?

She couldn’t accept it!

Even now, Shan Yi refused to admit it was jealousy driving her. She convinced herself that once the scumbag (Lin Bie) was exposed, Bei Ning would finally see the truth—and fall for her instead.

Everything Lin Bie said last night had to be lies.

From the nearby shrubbery, a woman with a camera rushed over. “Sis, are you okay?”

Shan Yi lifted her eyes slightly. “Did you get it all?”

The woman nodded. “Yeah, but it’s a shame you two didn’t actually get into a fight. That way we wouldn’t even need the gossip accounts to spin it. When did she become so composed?”

Shan Yi touched her face, unsure whether to feel relieved or disappointed. “It’s fine. We can still use it. Back up all the photos and footage—I have other things to do.”

She was an actress, after all. Her face was still her livelihood.

Meanwhile, Lin Bie was racing toward the supply room in the direction Shan Yi had indicated. On the way, she saw unfamiliar crew members carrying livestream equipment, and a host speaking into the camera.

Her panic intensified.

They had already started broadcasting.

Faster. She had to be faster.

Lin Bie cursed this wretched world—and her past self—for ever wanting to get close to Leng Jinxi. Wouldn’t it has been better to just be a regular fiancée, to keep her distance? That way, Leng Jinxi wouldn’t have been targeted by Shan Yi.

But even as she thought that, her feet didn’t slow for a second.

Thankfully, the variety show staff were still interviewing Director Xie, buying her a little more time. She hurried down a narrow path toward the remote tool shed.

The door had been barricaded with a wooden plank. Whoever was inside couldn’t get out.

Standing outside, Lin Bie knocked. Dust rained down, making her sneeze several times—her cold wasn’t helping. Her shouting was muffled by the thick door, met only by silence. Not daring to wait, she lifted the plank and turned the doorknob.

Creeaak—

The old, neglected door groaned as it opened. A strange scent filled the dim room. Her eyes, adjusted to the sunlight, struggled to adapt to the dark interior.

Then a warm, soft body suddenly collapsed into her arms—followed by a wave of cloying, overwhelming pheromones.

Leng Jinxi’s once-cool scent had turned sickeningly sweet, like drowning in cream.

Within a second, Lin Bie felt a heated pulse ignite at the glands on the back of her neck—her body reacting to the Omega pheromones. The sensation burned. She clenched her teeth and exhaled sharply.

The woman in her arms burned like fire. Her familiar camellia scent was frantic, restless—like a boneless snake clinging tightly to Lin Bie, sniffling as she searched blindly for her neck.

“It hurts… help me…” Leng Jinxi’s voice trembled, her breath hot and erratic. She was completely disoriented, driven by raw instinct, drawn to Lin Bie like a moth to flame.

Unknowingly, the two of them had stumbled fully into the room.

“Leng Jinxi…” Lin Bie grabbed her flailing wrists and pinned her in place, reaching for a suppressant patch in her pocket—only to remember she’d changed outfits. The new jacket had nothing in its pockets.

Sh1t.

Scanning the small, under-10-square-meter room, she saw a glass bottle lying on the floor, its liquid contents spilled out and perfuming the air with that sinister scent.

Shan Yi’s words came back to her: aphrodisiac perfume.

Her brows furrowed so tightly they could crush a fly.

That perfume could trigger a heat cycle—or an Omega’s vulnerable susceptibility period. If she stayed here much longer, she too would succumb.

With no other choice, Lin Bie tightened her hold on Leng Jinxi—one hand restraining her wrists, the other supporting her waist to stop her from writhing—intending to get them out of there immediately.

The intoxicating scent of camellia clung to every breath, teasing Lin Bie’s already fraying self-control.

“We can’t stay here. Let’s go. I’ll take you to the hospital.” Step by step, she supported Leng Jinxi out of the room, all while struggling to keep her conscious mind intact.

Leng Jinxi could barely stand on her own, practically draped over Lin Bie.

Outside, the livestream crew waited. Inside, the air was laced with mind-numbing perfume.

This place was a trap.

Even if she had to rip off her own suppressant patch to help Leng Jinxi, it had to be outside.

Staying sane was already a challenge. If she lost it now, she’d lose everything.

But just as Lin Bie reached the door, steadying Leng Jinxi with one hand and reaching for the doorknob with the other—she froze.

Locked.

They were locked in.

“F**k!” she hissed, clenching her jaw so hard it hurt. In her mind, she was already tearing Shan Yi into pieces.

Once she got out—every bit of this would be paid back in full.

Leng Jinxi seemed to realize they couldn’t leave either. She looked up from Lin Bie’s arms, eyes glazed and sultry with heat, lips dry and trembling. Her voice was so sweet it practically dripped.

“We… can’t get out?” But it hurts… I need it…

The only cure for her agony was right in front of her—why wouldn’t she give it? She wanted it—desperately.

Taking advantage of Lin Bie’s distraction, Leng Jinxi pressed her dry lips forward, aiming for her neck. But her movement was clumsy, and her vision blurred—she misjudged and kissed Lin Bie’s jaw instead.

Thrown off balance, Lin Bie stumbled back and fell to the floor.

“Tch—” She gasped in pain, eyes welling up—but at least she was a little more awake now. Yet before she could react, Leng Jinxi collapsed on top of her, radiating heat.

The camellia scent grew overpowering, swarming Lin Bie like a venomous serpent, winding tighter and tighter—trying to brand her.

“Leng Jinxi—mmph…” She tried to speak, but Leng Jinxi’s lips had already found her neck. Her voice was sultry, every syllable dripping honey.

“Mark me, Ah-Bie… like you did before…”

Her words were incoherent now, like a kitten blindly pecking her neck—anxious, needy, messy.

Tequilla and camellia, tangled together, only dulled the pain slightly. She needed more.

Sensing Lin Bie’s restraint, Leng Jinxi frowned, unsatisfied. Her lips found Lin Bie’s collarbone, and she licked softly.

“Ah—” Lin Bie panted, her neck glands throbbing violently. Her skin burned, body shaking. The intoxicating scents wrapped around her, seducing her mind into chaos.

Ridiculously, even now, she thought—if she had known this would happen, she should’ve picked Mission 2 and let Leng Jinxi rip her glands out.

No one told her Omegas in heat could be so… alluring.

Leng Jinxi looked completely different now, her gaze shining with temptation.

“Didn’t you say you’d help me when I went into heat?” she murmured, trailing kisses along Lin Bie’s skin. Her pale hand gently cupped Lin Bie’s neck, fingers lightly caressing as if handling a treasured artifact.

She looked like a hunter admiring her catch—reluctant to devour, savoring the moment instead.

She was straddling Lin Bie, clearly in control, and yet her voice sounded so aggrieved and coquettish.

“Why won’t you help me? Are you already going back on your word?” One of her hands was locked in Lin Bie’s grip, so she used the other to gently stroke Lin Bie’s chin—her fingers sliding over lips, nose, eyelids, brows—before finally resting again on her lips.

The mixed scents filled Lin Bie’s head like cotton candy, and everything she touched was unbearably soft.

In Leng Jinxi’s ink-dark eyes, Lin Bie saw a desperate, starry yearning—and suddenly, she gave in.

Fine.

Didn’t she promise to help Leng Jinxi?

Then she would.

Even if, after helping her, she lost herself in the heat as well…

“Tag her—it’s fine. You’re only helping her relieve the symptoms. You’re suffering too, aren’t you? You know how damaging it would be if she had to endure this on her own.”

“Help her…”

“Director, I remember Miss Leng walked this way earlier,” Shan Yi’s voice drifted into Lin Bie’s ears just as Leng Jinxi let out a soft, breathy moan. Lin Bie’s eyes flew open in a jolt, as if struck by lightning, instantly snapping her back to reality. She looked down and saw that her clothes had already been half-stripped by Leng Jinxi.

Her brows furrowed as her awareness quickly returned. She forcefully pulled her fingers out from Leng Jinxi’s entwined grip and struggled to put some distance between them. Her chest heaved; her head pounded with a sharp pain—she was probably burning up with fever again.

“Someone’s coming—we need to hide,” she panted, trying hard to stay alert. But even as she spoke, the room was thick with camellia-scented perfume and her pheromones. Lust surged through her like crashing waves, drowning her thoughts inch by inch. Just standing up took twice the effort, let alone staying clear-headed.

The tempting scent of compatible pheromones was slipping away. Leng Jinxi, tormented by the heat of her rut, was already drenched in cold sweat and too weak to even stand when Lin Bie tried to help her up. Her whole body was burning up terrifyingly. She couldn’t think—she just wanted to get closer to the scent that could soothe her, even a little closer…

“But it hurts so much…” her voice trembled, on the verge of tears, wrenching Lin Bie’s heart with guilt.

“It’s okay. Let’s just hide for now. Just hang in there a bit longer. Once they’re gone, you can do whatever you want,” Lin Bie whispered softly, trying to comfort her. An Omega in heat had to endure far more agony than an Alpha—Leng Jinxi had already done her best just to stay somewhat conscious. Lin Bie didn’t want her to suffer any more.

She had no choice but to hold Leng Jinxi around the waist, careful not to let her touch her own gland. Her self-control was hanging by a thread, already teetering on the edge of collapse. If Leng Jinxi kissed the back of her neck now, it would all be over.

But the room was so small that a single glance could take in everything. Once the lights came on, there’d be nowhere to hide.

Then it hit her—the production team had people with live-streaming cameras.

The chaos of tangled pheromones was instantly interrupted by a surge of clarity. Lin Bie’s heart plummeted.

Their clothes were disheveled. Even in the dim room, pale skin was clearly visible. Leng Jinxi clung to her, gaze dazed and unfocused. Lin Bie, who had just barely clawed her way out of her own rut, could only keep herself grounded by biting her lips until they bled. Forget facing a live-streaming crew—she couldn’t even think straight.

They had to hide. Fast.
________________________________________

Shan Yi walked with the variety show crew, chatting with the livestream host as she led them along.

“I saw Miss Leng heading this way earlier—probably to grab a prop. She doesn’t know you’re here yet.”

The host’s eyes gleamed with interest. He turned toward the nearly hundred thousand viewers watching the livestream and said, “Since Miss Leng doesn’t know we’re looking for her yet, how about we give everyone a sneak peek into the everyday life of our newly crowned Best Actress, Leng Jinxi? Let’s quietly peek through the window first and then surprise her by opening the door. Sound good?”

Shan Yi was impressed by the host’s boldness. Just imagining the scene that would appear on camera made the corners of her lips curl with a smile that wasn’t quite sincere.

How convenient.

Lin Bie, Leng Jinxi… Let me enjoy the little drama you’re about to perform.

Suppressing the glee bubbling inside her, she took a large step forward and smiled at the camera, addressing the now million-strong livestream audience. Many were clearly fans of Leng Jinxi who had heard about the visit to the set and were eagerly awaiting her appearance.

Perfect.

Behind the crowd, Xie Yushu had been quietly pushed out of frame by Shan Yi’s eager chatter. She stood stone-faced behind the camera, watching Shan Yi’s bright smile with deep unease.

She hadn’t seen Leng Jinxi in quite a while—how could Shan Yi have such accurate information about her whereabouts? And where had Lin Bie gone?

Then she looked toward the small toolshed ahead and recalled Shan Yi’s strange smile earlier. A chilling thought surfaced in her mind, and her expression darkened.

Shan Yi reached for the handle.

Locked.

Lowering her head, a sly glint flashed through her eyes. So, they had followed her instructions after all.

Everything was going too smoothly. Her body radiated smugness, her lips curved in a satisfied smile.

But she failed to notice Xie Yushu behind her, watching her closely. The more Xie Yushu observed, the deeper her suspicion grew.

As the director, she hadn’t seen Leng Jinxi for a long time—how could Shan Yi know exactly where she was, and even guarantee she wouldn’t leave?

And Lin Bie was nowhere to be seen.

Just then, Shan Yi feigned surprise: “Oh no, the door’s locked!” She turned and looked innocently at the crew. “Why would it be locked? Is Miss Leng inside?”

She whispered this while winking at the host.

The host caught on quickly. “Let’s take a look through the window and see if she’s inside! If you agree, type YES in the comments!”

As the screen filled with “YES” messages, Xie Yushu’s expression grew increasingly grave. A creeping unease coiled tighter in her chest.

“This door’s locked. That probably means someone inside wants privacy. And Jinxi doesn’t like dusty places—she wouldn’t stay here long. She’s likely back in her lounge by now,” Xie Yushu said, stopping the camera crew from raising their equipment.

Everyone turned to her. The host furrowed his brow. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” she said firmly. “I know her well. She hates messy, dirty places. Shan Yi, you might’ve been mistaken.”

Something felt very wrong. Xie Yushu was certain—they shouldn’t open that door.

Shan Yi, still holding the doorknob, turned back casually, arms crossed. “But the livestream audience really wants to see what’s inside. Shouldn’t we check before assuming no one’s there, Director?”

Her smile seemed harmless, just a gentle suggestion. Xie Yushu pressed her lips together, unsure how to respond.

Around her, a few crew members chimed in support: “Yeah, we came all this way—it’d be a letdown to turn back now.”

“Exactly! And it’s weird that the door’s locked. I heard rumors someone’s been stealing from the set late at night. What if there’s a thief inside?”

That got everyone murmuring in agreement. The atmosphere turned tense.

The host awkwardly adjusted his glasses and glanced at the plunging viewer count—already down by 50,000. He sighed and said, “Director Xie, everyone’s already here. Let’s just take a quick look—the audience is really curious.”

Xie Yushu’s forehead creased. She didn’t say it aloud, but it was precisely because it was being livestreamed that she had a bad feeling.