After the Scumbag Alpha Accidentally Marked the Blackened Villain - Chapter 24

Lin Bie had originally been quietly nestled inside a cabinet, listening to Leng Jinxi talking to others outside while burying her face deep into the soft belly of a small cat, her hands vigorously petting it.

Honestly, who could blame her? A kitten’s tummy was the softest thing in the world—how could anyone resist resting their face against such comforting fluff?

But she hadn’t expected her aggressive petting to offend the little furball. Even soft-tempered kittens had limits. With a gentle swipe of its paw, the cat pushed at her face and squirmed, trying to escape her embrace. Startled, Lin Bie flinched backward—and thunk!—her head slammed into the cabinet wall.

The world fell instantly silent.

Stars danced before her eyes. Dazed, she clutched her head but dared not make a sound. She pressed a hand over her mouth to muffle her cry, her face contorting in silent agony. A bump was already forming where she’d hit herself.

The now-liberated kitten sat elegantly nearby, licking its ruffled fur back into place. It completely ignored Lin Bie’s glare of indignation and calmly switched to grooming with its other paw.

Lin Bie: “…”

It felt like she had truly shot herself in the foot. There was no time to punish this brat of a cat, either—voices from outside had drifted into the room. The host had started speaking. Her heart seized like a vice gripping it, her breathing shaky.

This is it. I’m doomed.

She was still in her bathrobe, with an unmistakable bite mark on the back of her neck—courtesy of Leng Jinxi. Her lips were slightly swollen, and the corner was visibly torn. Sure, she’d bitten herself, but who would believe that?

And those people outside? They were livestreaming to the entire internet. If they caught even a hint of her, it wouldn’t take a minute before a trending topic would explode:

【Mystery Woman Spotted in Leng Jinxi’s Rest Area】

She wanted to cry. She and Leng Jinxi might be engaged now, but they were still keeping it private. And here she was, dressed like this—disheveled, hiding in a cabinet in Leng Jinxi’s lounge. If that’s not a scandal, what is?

Clutching her lips, bracing herself against the silence, Lin Bie’s brain frantically drafted the headlines that would soon follow:

【Best Actress Surprise: Mystery Girlfriend Appears in Hotel Room】

【Leng Jinxi Hides Lover On Set – The Real Reason Behind Her Seamless Role Transition】

【Leng Jinxi, 28, Is Secretly Married with a Daughter】

She shut her eyes in despair.

She hadn’t even completed her mission and was already facing total collapse. Regret hit her hard. Why hadn’t she left earlier—when Leng Jinxi was in the shower, or even before that? She should’ve slipped out the moment she helped Leng Jinxi back. Then she wouldn’t be suffering through this absurd, humiliating ordeal.

Even if ditching the mission meant failure, and possibly jeopardizing her task, at least Leng Jinxi’s career wouldn’t be at risk because of her. Now, this mess could trigger a chain reaction of unpredictable consequences. Lin Bie honestly felt like dying.

Her heart pounded furiously, cold sweat beading on her forehead. She didn’t even dare breathe too loudly. Instead, she clung to every tiny sound outside, terrified of being discovered.

Then, just as she was spiraling into panic, she heard Leng Jinxi’s calm and composed voice.

“Sorry about that. It’s my kitten—I brought her to the set.”

Her tone carried a trace of apology. She turned slightly toward the lounge and called out, “Xiao Guai.”

The kitten in Lin Bie’s lap immediately responded with a soft, obedient meow.

Startled once again, Lin Bie seized the chance to reposition, slipping the cat off her lap and setting it neatly beside her.

Thank goodness, everyone outside seemed to accept the explanation. Leng Jinxi often posted photos of her kitten on Weibo, and her fans all knew she had a Maine Coon. Most importantly, no one would’ve guessed she was hiding a person in her lounge.

The staff glanced around the tidy room, then at Leng Jinxi, who remained composed and unfazed. One smiled and turned to the livestream audience, saying, “I’m sure many of you know—Miss Leng has a very cute Maine Coon.”

Picking up the cue, Leng Jinxi added with a soft smile, “Her name’s Xiao Guai. She’s a light silver tabby Maine Coon. I thought she’d be lonely at home, so I brought her here with me. Sorry if she startled you all just now.”

Her voice was gentle, laced with just the right amount of embarrassment—completely disarming. The incident was smoothly glossed over without raising any suspicion.

The viewers simply took it as a cute moment. Bullet comments flooded in:

【So jealous of Xiao Guai!】

【Leng Jinxi really is a cat mom!】

Not one person doubted her.

Since Leng Jinxi’s lounge was small, only a few staff members and the host went in for the interview, setting up the equipment as quietly as possible.

Inside the cabinet, Lin Bie finally allowed herself to relax. Her heart, which had been lodged in her throat, slowly sank back to its rightful place. She glanced down at Xiao Guai with lingering frustration and gave her a firm but gentle pat on the head.

“Bad cat,” she muttered.

“This is all your fault.”

Her lips pouted in silent reprimand as she kept stroking the cat’s head, trying to release the embarrassment and fear that had nearly overwhelmed her earlier.

The kitten didn’t understand, of course. It wriggled free like a slippery eel and curled up on her robe, grooming itself elegantly.

Lin Bie: “…”

Just like your mom—always poised and aloof no matter what.

Outside, the crew had finished prepping. The interview began.

The voices came through the cabinet loud and clear—just three or four meters away. Lin Bie’s nerves returned. The only thing separating her from them was a single wooden panel.

She curled up tighter, sitting cross-legged with the kitten on her knees, gently stroking it to keep it quiet while listening intently in case anything went wrong.

Her robe, disheveled from earlier movements, had come loose and now hung open like a coat. She hastily pulled it closed again—no way was she letting herself be caught on camera like this and broadcast to hundreds of thousands of people.

Most of the voices outside were unfamiliar. Shan Yi wasn’t there, which confirmed her hunch. No one had caught footage of her and Leng Jinxi in the utility room. Shan Yi had set her up, but he clearly sensed trouble was coming and bailed.

Cowardly, selfish, and spiteful. Lin Bie let out a silent scoff, calculating when the paparazzi would likely leak the story.

The interview seemed to be going smoothly. She heard Leng Jinxi laugh a few times and couldn’t help feeling curious. She was tempted to sneak a peek but ultimately resisted.

Better to stay obedient and wait it out. Things already looked like a secret tryst—no need for her actions to match.

The interview itself was dull, identical to the one she had done before—scripted, repetitive Q&A. Her ears were numb from hearing it.

Maybe it was the aftermath of the panic, but her mind drifted. Her thoughts replayed the last thing Leng Jinxi had said before shutting the cabinet door. Her face flushed again.

Leng Jinxi’s voice was undeniably captivating—like mountain spring water striking jade, gentle yet crisp. That last sentence had carried a hint of possessiveness, soft and silken as it wrapped around her.

Confined spaces like this always sparked certain memories.

Her mind replayed everything that had happened in the storage room earlier.

The way Leng Jinxi had spoken—voice low and teasing, tinged with desire—luring her into that spiral of intimacy. Even now, she could hear it.

She buried her face in the kitten’s belly, cheeks burning.

She didn’t know why, but whenever Leng Jinxi used that commanding yet indulgent tone with her, something deep inside stirred—a strange compulsion to obey.

Like something whispered:

Don’t disobey her. Be good.

A smile tugged at her lips, even as a faint ache bloomed deep in her mind. It felt like something unfamiliar was trying to break free—fractured memories clawing their way to the surface.

Pain shot through her temple. Suddenly, it was like she wasn’t in a cabinet anymore, but in some dreamlike void. The world was shrouded in mist, blurry and intangible. Still, she could see the silhouette of a graceful woman walking toward her.

In the haze, Leng Jinxi gripped her chin—not gently, but with an air of fierce possession.

“You said you liked me yesterday, and today you’re in someone else’s arms. I’m disgusted by that kind of fickle love.”

“Didn’t I tell you… not to get close to anyone else?”

“You turned a deaf ear to me, Lin Bie. Didn’t you say I could deal with you however I wanted? Then I will.”

In the final instant before consciousness faded, Lin Bie smashed her phone against the ground. The shattered screen reflected her twisted expression. As if that weren’t enough to vent her fury, she doused it in alcohol—and set it ablaze.

Lin Bie jolted awake, her entire body trembling. The kitten she had been petting yelped in pain at her sudden grip and now was gnawing on her hand with mock ferocity.

She pulled her hand back with a frown. That last image from the original host’s memory—contorted and furious—was still burned into her mind.

Were those scenes from the original Lin Bie’s interactions with Leng Jinxi? The ones glossed over in the novel’s original plot? The ambiguous, unspoken encounters left unwritten?

But the tone of Leng Jinxi’s voice and the way the original host had destroyed her phone—none of it seemed like the behavior of two people in a flirtatious phase.

The original had clearly angered Leng Jinxi with her flirtations. And Leng Jinxi… must have done something to enrage her enough to smash her phone.

The memories—fragmented like shards of broken glass—didn’t feel romantic at all. They felt more like hostility. Like the two of them were enemies.

Lin Bie suddenly recalled the original host’s nickname for Leng Jinxi in her phone—”Lunatic.”

Thinking back to those cold, biting voices in her mind, Lin Bie’s heart skipped a beat. Maybe that nickname wasn’t baseless after all.

But still, the Leng Jinxi in those scattered memories was completely different from the one in front of her now. That past version had been icy—so cold it sent chills through her bones. There was a recklessness to her, a sense of desperation in every word and action. Every move, every glance had been steeped in obsession and hate.

Whereas the present-day Leng Jinxi, while still a little cool in demeanor, was gentle—cool and refined, like her pheromones: crisp, soothing, and all-encompassing.

Leng Jinxi loved the scent of her pheromones. Every time she smelled them, she seemed to calm instantly, like ripples on a lake being smoothed by a breeze.

Lin Bie wondered if, in this world, pheromones did more than trigger heat and sensitivity—maybe they could soothe and comfort the person who had marked them.

At least in her experience, no one else’s scent had made her feel that way. It must be specific to certain people.

She thought: Once I’m back in the real world, I should buy a perfume with a camellia fragrance.

Unconsciously, her thoughts drifted back to that room filled with shifting scents. Lin Bie quickly shook her head to scatter the thoughts and focused on stroking the kitten while listening to the sounds outside.

The interview seemed to be wrapping up. She heard the host’s cheerful voice warming up the atmosphere, asking light questions about Leng Jinxi’s daily life and work.

Since everything had been planned ahead of time, Leng Jinxi answered smoothly and calmly. Though the content wasn’t particularly exciting, the live viewer count remained constant.

Lin Bie listened closely, mentally taking notes on the little details: what Leng Jinxi liked to eat, her hobbies, how she spent her time off.

But then, just as Leng Jinxi casually said, “My daily life is pretty simple—reading, playing with my cat…” — the kitten in Lin Bie’s arms suddenly started to squirm violently. It meowed loudly, trying with all its strength to wriggle free and go find its mother.

Lin Bie nearly dropped to her knees in panic.

Please, Ancestor, she mentally pleaded. The recording is almost over, they’re already giving closing remarks—why are you suddenly acting like a tadpole desperate to find its mom?!

Her heart pounded wildly. She lunged to grab the kitten, but it was agile and slippery as an eel. The more she tried to restrain it, the louder the noises from the wardrobe became—enough to make anyone think a fight was breaking out inside.

A wave of dread swept over her like a tide. Lin Bie gripped the kitten’s paw in despair, while the little creature continued protesting with soft, angry meows in her arms.

That’s it. I’m done for.

Suddenly, the world outside the wardrobe went completely silent. Every sound—every voice, every compliment—vanished. Even through the wooden panel, Lin Bie could feel the weight of everyone’s attention shifting toward her. Cold sweat broke out across her back. The stillness was too quiet—like the deceptive calm before a storm.

“…What was that noise?” someone finally asked.

“Was it Miss Leng’s kitten? What a cute sound,” someone else said, their eyes fixed on the wardrobe where the noise had come from.

But… could a kitten really make that much noise? It sounded like the whole wardrobe was about to tip over.

“Is the kitten inside the wardrobe? Why won’t it come out?” a confused crew member asked.

Leng Jinxi curled her fingers slightly. “Xiao Guai can be a bit mischievous. I didn’t want it interrupting the interview, so I let it nap in the wardrobe.”

She didn’t actually know when the kitten had gotten in—probably when she opened the closet earlier to fetch clothes for Lin Bie.

Especially, the host, relaxed upon hearing this explanation. Seeing the livestream chat flooded with [Show us the kitten!], she followed up naturally:

“Well, since we’re nearly finished, and everyone really wants to see Xiao Guai… Miss Leng, would you mind bringing it out? I remember the photos you posted—Xiao Guai is adorable.”

Though the host kept her tone friendly, Leng Jinxi could tell from her voice that she wouldn’t rest until she’d seen the cat. These people were clearly cat-lovers; they wouldn’t let it go.

She sighed inwardly. Once the wardrobe door opened, the closet would block part of the camera’s view. As long as she was careful, Lin Bie wouldn’t be caught on film.

Although, a small part of her did want the camera to capture Lin Bie—but when she remembered that Lin Bie was still wearing a robe, and imagined her flustered yet protective expression, she smiled faintly.

There will be other chances. Taking advantage of her now would only drive her away.

She lowered her lashes and said in a calm, cool voice, “Alright, I’ll go get Xiao Guai.”

Inside the wardrobe, Lin Bie’s heart leapt into her throat at the sound of that voice. But then she realized what Leng Jinxi meant—she would come and retrieve the kitten herself.

She must have a plan, Lin Bie reassured herself. She always does.

With that thought, she relaxed a little. Realizing her robe had come undone during the scuffle, she quickly adjusted it, shifted from kneeling to sitting on her heels, and raised the kitten’s paws in front of her face like a guilty child presenting a peace offering.

She had made such a racket—Leng Jinxi would never let her off easy, even if they managed to escape this unscathed.

Just imagining Leng Jinxi speaking to her in that cold, detached tone from the original memories made Lin Bie’s heart ache.

They had come so far… she didn’t want their relationship to go back to what it once was.

The sound of footsteps grew louder.

Lin Bie lowered her head, burying her face behind the kitten. One hand held it firmly, while the other lifted its paw. The kitten, perhaps understanding the gravity of the moment, had stopped struggling and let her do as she pleased.

Lin Bie, half-nervous and half-amused, wondered: Why did Leng Jinxi even change her shoes just to come get the cat? She really is meticulous—like a true villainess.

The footsteps stopped just in front of the wardrobe.

Startled, Lin Bie raised the kitten’s paw just as a sliver of light poured in from the opening, making it wave like a beckoning lucky cat. She wobbled the kitten a little, hoping its cuteness would help melt Leng Jinxi’s temper.

Surprisingly, there was no reaction from outside. The sudden brightness blurred Lin Bie’s vision. She blinked, confused, and slowly lifted her head to see the woman standing at the wardrobe door.

And her heart stopped.

Lin Qingsi?