After the Scumbag Alpha Accidentally Marked the Blackened Villain - Chapter 29

The soft scent of camellias no longer lingered for her the way it once had. What used to envelop and soothe her frayed nerves now merely brushed past her—its breath icy cold.

Lin Bie stood frozen in place, staring blankly as the scent—and its owner—drifted farther away. Her steps were unhurried, steady, showing no intention of stopping for her.

Leng Jinxi’s demeanor was distant and cold, as if she hadn’t even seen Lin Bie. She didn’t spare her the slightest glance. And yet, whenever she passed a staff member, she would politely nod and smile.

Only toward Lin Bie was there not even a flicker of acknowledgment.

Lin Bie watched her chat and laugh with others. Her own expression shifted between cloudy and clear. The tension and hopeful imaginings she had just moments ago now felt laughable.

Leng Jinxi didn’t treat her like someone important at all. And yet, Lin Bie had gone through so much mental gymnastics to justify why Leng Jinxi hadn’t replied to her messages. She even imagined scenarios where

Leng Xiuming might’ve forbidden her to respond.

She knew full well her words had caused a misunderstanding—and likely even hurt Leng Jinxi. She had been planning to apologize and explain everything, to clarify that her comment hadn’t been directed at her.

But now…

Her hand clenched tightly around her sleeve, a very different feeling now burning in her chest—one of growing frustration.

She was sure of it—Leng Jinxi was deliberately ignoring her.

She acted normal toward everyone else but was distant and indifferent with her. Didn’t she also ignore all of Lin Bie’s WeChat messages?

Lin Bie turned her head and let out a bitter laugh. Seriously? How old was she? Was Leng Jinxi really this childish?

She furrowed her brows. Despite her irritation, her eyes remained fixed on Leng Jinxi. Seeing her smile so gently and warmly made Lin Bie’s chest tighten. She finally turned away and walked off.

So immature. She wasn’t going to play these childish games with Leng Jinxi.

Footsteps echoed behind her, angry and firm. As Leng Jinxi chatted with staff, she suddenly looked back. Her dark, clear eyes flickered with unreadable emotion as she watched Lin Bie’s retreating figure.

A staff member followed her gaze and asked, “Was that Miss Lin? She looked really upset. Didn’t Shan Yi already drop out of the industry?”

Leng Jinxi watched Lin Bie walk away, then gently shook her head and turned back. She pressed her lips together, a barely noticeable smile ghosting across her face.

Meanwhile, though Lin Bie was furious with Leng Jinxi, she still had a mission to complete. The system had tasked her with building rapport with Su Nian.

As the cold wind hit her face on the way to find Su Nian, Lin Bie sobered up.

She was, after all, the novel’s toxic and selfish protagonist. Leng Jinxi was the tragic antagonist whom she had once deeply hurt. Naturally, she was guarded and sensitive, not to mention dangerously close to turning dark. When Lin Bie had drafted a prenuptial agreement, Leng Jinxi didn’t even trust her version and had insisted on hiring her own lawyer to rewrite it.

The original Lin Bie had never gotten along with her either. It was no surprise that Leng Jinxi treated her with such suspicion now.

Still, even understanding that, Lin Bie felt bitter. It seemed like Leng Jinxi wanted to be close when she felt like it and could just discard her otherwise.

She had told Leng Jinxi she wasn’t that kind of person. She had signed the prenup. She had done everything to prove her sincerity. And yet… Leng Jinxi still didn’t trust her. No matter what she said, Leng Jinxi remained convinced she hadn’t changed.

Lin Bie sighed deeply.

Fine. She will try to avoid contact from now on—for her own sake, and for Leng Jinxi’s peace of mind.

“Lin Bie, are you okay?” Su Nian, sitting across from her, asked with concern after watching her frown for several minutes.

Lin Bie snapped out of her thoughts. “I’m fine. Let’s go over the script.”

“You’re clearly off today,” Xie Yushu added, rolling up the script and tapping her lightly on the back of her hand. “You can’t act well in this state.”

Lin Bie smiled apologetically. “Sorry, Director.”

She didn’t know why, but every time she came to see Su Nian, Su Nian was either asking Director Xie for acting advice or observing other actors beside her. As a result, every time Lin Bie sought out Su Nian, it turned into a three-person discussion.

But since Su Nian’s favorability rating kept rising, Lin Bie didn’t overthink it. Still, being around Xie Yushu always made her feel like a student stuck next to the strict dean.

This time was no different. She had come to bond with Su Nian, and somehow ended up rehearsing again. Still, the favorability did go up by one point.

Lin Bie sighed again and forced a smile. “I’ll do my best, Director. I’ll put in extra effort for the remaining scenes.”

“It’s more than just a few scenes,” Xie Yushu raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t hear? Before Shan Yi quit, she said she wanted you to take over her role—called it ‘returning the role to its rightful owner.’”

This character had originally been won by the original Lin Bie through financial backing. Later, Shan Yi had taken it from her. At the time, Lin Bie hadn’t cared much about acting and didn’t fight back, especially since their families were working together.

But things were different now. The role was essentially the second female lead—just behind the protagonist.

Playing Yu Qiao was no easy task. Xie Yushu had been planning to hold new auditions, but after seeing Lin Bie’s recent dramatic improvement, she believed no one would associate her with the trainwreck who had shown up at the initial interview.

Lin Bie paused. “She said that herself?”

Shan Yi actually did something decent for once.

“Of course,” Xie Yushu said. “But whether the role actually goes to you depends on what your agency says.”

Lin Bie froze. “Agency?”

She had an agency?

“Yeah, your agency chooses all your roles. I’ve already spoken to your manager. You should talk with them too.”

Lin Bie: …

She had a manager?

[Ding! Plot trigger detected. Setting unlocked: The original Lin Bie had joined the agency in order to get close to Love Interest #2. She paid her way in and landed the audition through their connections.]

Lin Bie laughed bitterly to herself. The original really was… devoted, in her own twisted way.

Who knew someone from her background even needed an agency? And ever since she transmigrated, no one claiming to be her manager or assistant had contacted her.

Clearly, the agency was just taking the money and doing nothing.

“Alright,” Lin Bie nodded. “I’ll discuss it with them.”

She hadn’t expected Shan Yi to do something like this. Lin Bie did like the role, but not enough to accept it just because Shan Yi quit. She was confident she could earn the role on her own.

Xie Yushu didn’t press the issue. “It’s a big decision. Think it over. I think you will be great in the role.”

Xie Yushu had to leave soon after for filming, leaving Lin Bie alone with Su Nian.

Su Nian grinned, gripping her script. “That’s great, Lin Bie! This means we’ll still see each other on set and get to rehearse together!”

Entertainment circles moved fast. Once a project wrapped, friendships often faded under industry pressure. Real friends were rare.

Lin Bie forced a smile. Su Nian was right—taking the second lead role would extend their time together. Su Nian’s current favorability rating was 23. With more time on set and a few upcoming variety shows, Lin

Bie could complete her mission here soon.

But…

Taking the role would also mean spending more time with Leng Jinxi. The second lead had many scenes opposite the protagonist—played by none other than Leng Jinxi. It went against her decision to keep her distance.

Lin Bie hesitated.

The more she thought about how Leng Jinxi had ignored her messages and presence, the more helpless she felt.

Seeing Lin Bie deep in thought, Su Nian wisely stopped pushing and joined her in silence, propping her chin in her hand.

Su Nian, barely twenty, didn’t understand what Lin Bie was contemplating. Bored, she stood up to look for Xie Yushu. But after staying in one position too long, she lost her balance and stumbled forward.

Startled, Lin Bie reached out to catch her. But before her fingers could close around Su Nian’s sleeve, the girl twisted mid-air and landed gracefully.

Lin Bie awkwardly pulled her hand back and turned to sit down.

Just then, Su Nian spoke.

“Miss Leng.”

Lin Bie’s entire body tensed. Her spine went rigid as she held her script in her hand, pretending to read. But her ears perked up, listening intently.

A few seconds passed before she realized—why was she so nervous? Leng Jinxi was the one ignoring her, not the other way around.

Just because she was the big bad antagonist didn’t mean she could treat people however she liked.

Lin Bie calmly raised her head and looked straight ahead—only to see empty space.

“…?”

“Where did she go?”

She turned to Su Nian in confusion. Su Nian pointed casually down the path. “She has been gone a while now. She left before you even looked up.”

Lin Bie: “…”

She stared coldly in the direction Leng Jinxi had gone, dropped her script, and marched after her.