After the Scumbag Alpha Accidentally Marked the Blackened Villain - Chapter 3

What?!

Lin Bie was holding a now-lukewarm cup of water when she nearly dropped it in shock.

“How is that even considered progress? Do your systems not treat people like actual human beings?” she snapped, frowning. Just thinking of all that Leng Jinxi had gone through in the plot made her feel the system was borderline psychotic.

【Host, this is just a novel—a restricted-rated one at that. All tasks are fictional. There’s no need to feel guilty.】

The cold, mechanical voice echoed in her mind, sending an icy chill straight through her skull.

【Friendly reminder: If you choose Mission One, you must raise the favorability of two targets to 100%. Their current scores are -20 and 0, respectively. If you choose Mission Two, Leng Jinxi’s current blackening level is at 70%. You only need to raise it by 30% to complete the mission.

This concludes the prompt. The rest is up to your discretion.】

Lin Bie’s expression darkened slightly as the mist rising from the cup blurred her vision. She fell into deep thought.

“Let me think about it,” she said, gripping the cup tighter.

The system didn’t understand. Her desire to return to her original world was so intense—why hesitate over such an obvious choice? But it still gave her some space.

【Understood. Please inform me of your choice by midnight tonight.】

With that, the system disappeared once more.

Lin Bie stared at the fading steam, her expression conflicted.

Before she transmigrated into this book, she was a rising actress in the entertainment industry. Her parents had passed away early, and the only family she had left was her grandmother—who had raised her alone.

But before she could ever repay her, her grandmother died of a heart attack—triggered by the massive wave of cyberbullying and slander targeted at Lin Bie. After the funeral, on her way back, Lin Bie was caught in a landslide. When she woke up, she was in this world.

No one wanted to go back more than she did. She wanted to personally take down those shameless media outlets and marketing accounts that had fabricated lies. She could tolerate being slandered herself. She could wait for the right time to fight back—but those people had dared to let her grandmother see it all.

Her grandmother… the only person she’d ever truly relied on.

Lin Bie’s eyes gradually reddened. She clenched her jaw tightly.

The system was right. This was just a fictional world, filled with fictional people. The fastest way to return was Mission Two. 30% was clearly quicker than 100%. She had to return quickly—had to make sure her grandmother could see her name cleared.

Besides, the target of Mission Two was just a villainess whose storyline followed the original plot. And that villainess already hated her to the bone. She’d played villains before—this was just another performance.

Nothing more.

Her gaze gradually steeled with resolve.

Right then, her phone buzzed sharply in her pocket, abruptly interrupting her thoughts. She picked it up—an unfamiliar number.

Lin Bie frowned but answered, not wanting to miss anything important from the original host’s plot.

“Xiao Bie, you finally picked up!” The voice on the other end sounded like it was on the verge of tears.

“I’m right outside the villa. Come home with me.”

The next second, the tone shifted—stern and forcibly composed, hiding suppressed fury.

The moment she heard the voice, a name popped into Lin Bie’s mind—Lin Qingsi.

The original host’s older sister. And one of the two targets in Mission One. She harbored… complicated feelings toward her adopted sister, Lin Bie.

Lin Bie fell silent for a few seconds, overwhelmed by the memories flooding her mind. But in that short pause, Lin Qingsi hung up, leaving no room for refusal.

Staring at the still-buzzing phone, Lin Bie silently put it down and glanced at herself—still dressed in pajamas. Her neck and collarbone were dotted with unmistakable love marks, vivid evidence of what had happened last night.

And there, just over her left chest, was an irregular birthmark.

She had physically transmigrated.

No wonder Leng Jinxi had been staring at her chest earlier. Lin Bie broke into a cold sweat. Thank god it had been both of their first times last night—otherwise, she would’ve been completely exposed.

Hurriedly tightening her pajamas, she carried the now-cooling cup of water to the bedroom door and knocked.

“I brought you some water. Take your fever meds.”

A few seconds passed.

“Get out.”

Lin Bie: “……”

She turned the knob and opened the door anyway.

Leng Jinxi was still sitting on the bed, just like before. Her nightgown was loosely tied, revealing a generous stretch of fever-reddened skin.

A pale silver Maine Coon was nestled in her arms, purring softly in sleep. She gently stroked the kitten, head lowered, long hair falling around her face. Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting her in a warm, glowing halo. She was smiling faintly, with a tenderness that was heartbreakingly gentle.

Lin Bie’s heart skipped a beat. Her breathing hitched.

Just then, Leng Jinxi lifted her head, locking eyes with her. The warmth in her eyes disappeared in an instant.

“Didn’t I tell you to leave?”

She barely spared Lin Bie a glance before lowering her head again to pet the cat. A fever patch clung to her forehead.

“I said I’d bring your medicine,” Lin Bie replied, clearing her throat.

She walked over and placed the water and pills on the nightstand. Noticing the suppressant patch she had left there was now gone, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly—then she forced the smile down.

No wonder the camellia fragrance in the room had mellowed.

“Where are my clothes?”

“In the closet.” Leng Jinxi’s voice trembled faintly. She was clearly struggling against the fever.

Lin Bie frowned slightly. A heat period overlapping with a fever—rough for any Omega, but for an S-Class Omega, it was brutal.

She paused, then took two steps back and looked at her.

“Take your meds first. I’ll get them after.”

Leng Jinxi froze. Her hand, stroking the kitten, paused mid-motion. She looked up, amused.

“Do you think I’d endanger my own health just to spite you?”

“Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing?” Lin Bie raised an eyebrow.

“You—” Leng Jinxi ground her teeth and, with a furious glare, grabbed the water and pills and swallowed them in one go.

“Happy now? Get out.” Her brows furrowed as she shot Lin Bie a look of utter disgust.

“Perfect.” Lin Bie ignored the last part entirely. As she turned toward the wardrobe, she couldn’t help letting the corner of her lips twitch upward again.

The memory of how she ended up here last night was already a blur—hazy under the fog of pheromones during the heat. But she remembered she was wearing a dress.

Opening the wardrobe, she found two neatly hung dresses—one red, one black—elaborate evening gowns, the kind she would only wear to high-society galas in her real world.

It had poured last night. The dresses should’ve been drenched. Somehow, Leng Jinxi had managed to get them completely clean and dry.

“Which one’s mine?”

“The black one.” Leng Jinxi’s voice was faint now, exhaustion lacing every word. The kitten meowed softly, nuzzling into her sleepily and tugging at her nightgown.

Lin Bie’s heart softened at the sight. She picked up the black dress and was about to untie her pajamas—then paused.

Hugging the dress to her chest, she turned to leave, intending to change in the living room. That’s when the woman’s voice rang out cold and sarcastic behind her:

“So Miss Lin does know what shame is, after all.”

Lin Bie: “……”

For the kitten’s sake, Lin Bie decided not to argue with the woman. Hugging the dress, she turned and left.

Just before closing the door, she glanced back at the woman lying on the bed.

“I’ll take full responsibility and apologize for what happened at the banquet last night.”

With that, she shut the door, cutting off the other woman’s gaze.

After changing into the black dress, Lin Bie clumsily applied a suppressant patch to the back of her neck. She tried to adjust the neckline to cover the love marks, but the dress was strapless—nothing could conceal the ones on her collarbone and neck. She gave up and walked out of the villa.

A black car was parked outside. A woman in a tailored black suit leaned against the vehicle, a slender cigarette held between her fingers. She stared blankly at the curling smoke. At the sound of footsteps, she turned. Emotion stirred in her usually impassive eyes. She stubbed out the cigarette and rushed over, pulling Lin Bie into a hug.

“Xiao Bie, do you know how worried I was?” her voice cracked as her shoulders sagged.

The faint scent of tobacco lingered in the air. Lin Bie slowly raised her arms and returned the embrace.

“I’m sorry… Jie.”

The woman’s body froze. She loosened her hold and looked at Lin Bie in disbelief—then her gaze landed on the marks on Lin Bie’s neck. Her pupils contracted sharply.

“You and Leng Jinxi…?”

Her chest heaved. Her brows furrowed deeply as she pressed her fingers to her temple, struggling with a pounding headache from lack of sleep and the blow of this discovery.

“Why last night? Were you trying to humiliate both the Lin and Leng families? You already slept with her—so why make a scene at the engagement banquet?”

“Xiao Bie, what were you thinking? Do you hate this engagement that much? Or do you just hate me that much?” Lin Qingsi’s usually elegant face twisted with anger.

“I don’t,” Lin Bie said quickly but calmly. “I really wasn’t in my right mind yesterday—I won’t ever do something like that again, I promise. I’ll do my best to minimize the damage. The engagement will proceed as planned, and I’ll personally apologize to the Leng family.”

The engagement had been scheduled during a critical business partnership between the Lin and Leng families. It was meant to solidify their alliance. But thanks to the original host’s outburst last night, all of

Liucheng’s elite were likely laughing at them. Worse, the collaboration might be terminated on the spot, meaning every bit of early investment would go to waste.

Lin Qingsi had only been CEO for three years since their mother’s passing, and now this scandal would surely lead to harsh criticism from the board. Lin Bie just wanted to clean up the original host’s mess as fast as possible.

Lin Qingsi stared at her for a long moment. Her eyes were hazy with emotion, unreadable. Lin Bie held her breath, nervous.

“Get in the car,” Lin Qingsi said at last, opening the rear door.

The car doors shut tight. They sat on opposite sides of the back seat. Lin Qingsi picked up her phone, frowning, while Lin Bie stared out the window at the villa, lost in thought.

All the plot details Lin Bie knew came from her late-night reading sessions. But she had only skimmed the story, skipping everything except the main villain and the scummy protagonist’s storyline—so now she wasn’t even sure whether the original host knew her older sister had romantic feelings for her. She didn’t dare act too differently, afraid Qingsi would notice.

“Xiao Bie,” Lin Qingsi said suddenly.

“Yes?” Lin Bie turned, trying to sound casual.

Leaning against the window, Qingsi closed her eyes. “There’s another banquet in two days. It’s to publicly clarify what happened yesterday. You and Leng Jinxi will attend together and announce that the engagement will proceed as planned.”

Originally, Qingsi had planned the event to give Lin Bie time to calm down, expecting more resistance. She hadn’t anticipated Lin Bie would sleep with Leng Jinxi—or that she’d voluntarily agree to carry on with the engagement.

With her eyes still closed, she dialed her phone, but as soon as she heard Leng Jinxi’s voice, that overwhelming sense of helplessness returned.

“…What? The Leng family agreed? After everything I’ve done…”

“They rely on us,” Qingsi replied softly, her voice ethereal. “They want this marriage even more than we do. Don’t stress yourself. I’ll be by your side.”

Lin Bie couldn’t say a word. She was stunned by how much the original host’s sister had done to clean up the mess for her. Despite everything, she still stood by her. She began to wonder if Lin Qingsi had long accepted the original host’s behavior and was simply covering for her out of love.

“…Thank you, Jie.”

All the contingency plans Lin Bie had prepared in her head were now pointless.

“The news from last night must be everywhere. Shouldn’t your PR team be handling the public backlash?” she asked.

Qingsi glanced at her. “It’s already under control. The general public doesn’t know much—most of it is confined to Liucheng’s upper circles. As long as we hold the leverage, no one will speak out. But how you explain it publicly is up to you. I can’t help with that.”

She shut her eyes again, gritting her teeth, silently reminding herself she needed to be this harsh—Lin Bie had to learn a lesson.

But Lin Bie only felt more guilty. Despite everything, this woman still shielded her. She could tell just how deeply Lin Qingsi cared for her.

So… why did the original host agree to the engagement if her sister had feelings for her?

She couldn’t make sense of it. After a soft thank-you, she glanced at her phone—now lighting up with message after message. Most were from Alphas just as scummy as the original host, inviting her out to “have fun.” Lin Bie replied with a scolding to each and blocked them all.

Except for one message that made her pause.

Bei Ning:

You’re getting engaged? So that’s why you dumped me.

You’re disgusting. I’m disgusting—for ever loving trash like you.

Why don’t you just die?

Lin Bie: “…”

Most likely another broken heart left behind by the original host. Now the consequences were hers to deal with. She didn’t even know how to respond—and didn’t have the right to ask for forgiveness from someone so deeply hurt.

She closed the chat without replying.

She had more urgent things to deal with first.

“System.”

【Here, Host. Have you made your decision? Please choose Mission One or Mission Two. Mission Two can be completed within a month!】

The system’s tone was chipper—it was obvious what any sane person would pick. It was already preparing to display the interface for Mission Two.

“I’ve decided.”

Lin Bie looked out the window at the clear daylight. And suddenly, the image of that gentle woman stroking a kitten on the bed filled her mind. Her gaze trembled slightly.

“I choose Mission One.”

________________________________________

Back at the villa, ever since Lin Bie left, Leng Jinxi had been sitting quietly by the bed, staring blankly out the window. The Maine Coon nestled in her arms purred contentedly, nuzzling her for more pets.

The distant hum of an engine rumbled. Leng Jinxi lowered her gaze and gently rubbed the kitten’s belly with her pale, slender fingers. It purred louder in her arms.

Was everything Lin Bie said earlier sincere regret—or just crocodile tears, afraid of the consequences?

“Hmm? What do you think, little one?”

The kitten didn’t understand her words, but it sensed her low mood and pressed its furry body against her, meowing softly.

Leng Jinxi couldn’t help but smile. She picked up a cat toy and teased it for a while, then grabbed her phone from the nightstand.

The only message was from Leng Xiuming—most likely scolding her about last night. She didn’t bother replying to his accusations and flipped the phone over, face-down on the bed.

The fever, combined with the heat period triggered by the marking, had left her in agony. Ever since she woke up, she had been overwhelmed by the need for release—but she had forcibly held back so Lin Bie wouldn’t notice. And yet… she’d noticed anyway.

The scent of tequila and lime was fading from the room. Her glands registered a dwindling Alpha pheromone presence, easing her discomfort a little.

She didn’t dare imagine what she might’ve said or done if Lin Bie had stayed.

Leng Jinxi sighed, curling up with the kitten. The drowsiness from the fever meds blurred her consciousness again. The next time she woke, it was to the sound of her phone buzzing.

She unlocked it, checked the message, and her pupils slowly constricted.

Downstairs, Lin Bie frowned at the unmoving car.

“Why aren’t we leaving?”

Lin Qingsi put her phone down. “Waiting for someone.”

As if on cue, Lin Bie turned her head—and through the car window, her eyes met Leng Jinxi’s, just as the woman stepped out of the villa.