After the Scumbag Alpha Accidentally Marked the Blackened Villain - Chapter 4

For a moment, no one spoke.

Lin Bie stared blankly as Leng Jinxi slowly approached. Beside her, Lin Qingsi leaned in and whispered,
“This whole mess was ultimately the Lin family’s fault. And since she was the one who found you last night, whether it’s to apologize or to thank her, we owe her some formal courtesy.”

She rolled down the window and gave a polite smile.
“Miss Leng, please get in.”

Leng Jinxi’s eyes swept across Lin Bie through the glass. “Thank you,” she said coolly.

As the car pulled out of the villa district, Lin Bie found herself seated in the dead center of the backseat. To her left was Lin Qingsi—the mission target she needed to win over—and to her right was Leng Jinxi, the villainess with whom she had just shared a wild, chaotic night.

The air in the car was thick with awkwardness. Every breath felt constricted. Thankfully, the backseat was spacious enough that she could at least breathe without suffocating.

Leng Jinxi sat gazing out the window. She wore a flowing white dress. Her slightly wavy black hair framed a complexion that looked far better than it had that morning—probably thanks to the medication. The more conspicuous marks on her skin were hidden beneath strands of hair, and a suppressant patch was faintly visible behind her neck. Her whole presence was cool and detached, like a fairy untouched by the mortal world.

She really was the cold, frosty villainess described in the book—the one with just as much narrative weight as the original protagonist. And just then, Leng Jinxi turned, seemingly sensing Lin Bie’s gaze, and their eyes met.

“Does your head still hurt?” Lin Bie blurted out, trying to cover her fluster, and quickly averted her gaze.

Leng Jinxi glanced at her sideways and then looked away again, her tone flat.
“Much better now. Thank you for your concern, Miss Lin.”

“…Don’t mention it.” Lin Bie breathed a small sigh of relief. Though her tone was neutral, at least her eyes no longer held that murderous gleam. That alone was progress.

“So… where are we going?” Lin Bie asked.

Lin Qingsi pulled herself out of her thoughts. “We’re going to the Leng estate together to offer our apologies—and then discuss the upcoming banquet arrangements.”

She turned her head. “What do you think, Miss Leng?”

Leng Jinxi’s gaze, previously fixed on the window, stilled. She slowly turned and looked past Lin Bie to meet Lin Qingsi’s eyes. After a moment’s thought, she nodded.

“Something like this should be resolved as soon as possible.”

Due to the incident, the Lin-Leng business partnership was under intense scrutiny. Many industry players were waiting for it to collapse. A public meeting between the two families now, especially if word leaked to the right circles, could calm the speculation even more effectively than the banquet two days later.

Having worked in the entertainment industry for years, Lin Bie understood the political value of timing and wisely said nothing further.

The rest of the car ride passed in silence. Eventually, they arrived at a high-end restaurant on the outskirts of the city. One after another, the three of them got out and entered the private dining room. They’d agreed to eat before discussing business.

Only once the last dish had been served and the private room was truly sealed off did Lin Bie start to feel uneasy again.

There was conversation at the table—mostly between Lin Qingsi and Leng Jinxi as they discussed the aftermath of the Lin-Leng collaboration—but something felt off.

It was the atmosphere between Lin Qingsi and Leng Jinxi. Lin Bie couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

She called on the system silently.

“System, since the Lin and Leng families are entering a marriage alliance, shouldn’t it logically be between Leng Jinxi and Lin Qingsi, given their age and status? Why was the original host chosen instead? And if

Lin Qingsi likes the original host, why would she agree to the engagement?”

The system fell into rare silence for a few seconds.

【Host… are you really trying to apply logic to a restricted-rated web novel?】

“…I see,” Lin Bie muttered. “It’s all in service of the author’s kinks. Got it. Haha.”

She let out a bitter laugh and dropped the subject. Just then, her phone vibrated on the table, drawing all three women’s attention.

The screen displayed: [Assistant Director]

Lin Bie couldn’t afford to miss even a sliver of useful information. She nodded politely to the others.

“Excuse me, I’ll take this call outside.”
She stood, stepped out, and closed the door firmly behind her.
—

In the quiet hallway, Lin Bie answered the call. A male voice came through.
“Hello, is this Miss Lin? I’m the assistant director of Willing Heart. You’ve been vague about this afternoon’s shoot—I’m calling to confirm whether you’re still planning to come?”

As he spoke, Lin Bie’s mind automatically recalled a storyline.

Her second mission target, Su Nian, was a sweet-faced young idol currently at a career crossroads. Her group was disbanding, and her agency had given her a small third-female-role in the indie film Willing Heart as a trial run.

The original host had stumbled across one of Su Nian’s dance videos and become interested, eventually finding out which set she was on and planning to invest in the project just to get close to her. But due to other events, she had delayed for several days. Today was her final chance to join the crew.

【Host, this is your opportunity to approach Target No. 2. Please don’t waste it.】the system reminded her.

As an actress in her original world, Lin Bie had been considering getting back into the industry here. She hadn’t expected the chance to come so soon, and certainly wasn’t going to let it pass.

She readily agreed, apologizing for the earlier delay. The call ended smoothly, leaving her feeling relieved. She checked the time and began to head back—only to suddenly hear Leng Jinxi’s name mentioned at a nearby table.

She froze and turned toward the voices.

“Lin Bie trashed the whole engagement banquet and ran off, leaving Leng Jinxi standing there like a complete joke,” sneered a girl at the table, laughing loudly enough to draw annoyed glances from nearby diners.

“Keep your voice down,” her friend whispered. “What happened to Lin Bie? After all that drama, her sister must be humiliated.”

“Afraid of being exposed? Please. She’s probably sobbing in her sister’s arms. Everyone knows Lin Qingsi always cleans up her messes. I’m telling you—Lin Bie’s a walking disaster. Everyone she touches gets unlucky. She and Leng Jinxi are a perfect match. Forced marriage for the Lin family’s benefit… they’re like a trash couple made in hell…”

“That’s enough.” Lin Bie’s voice dropped like a hammer on their table. The two girls froze.

The one called Shan Yi stood, grabbing her pale-faced friend by the arm. “What are you so scared of?” she muttered.

She looked at Lin Bie with mocking eyes, entirely unrepentant.
“Well, well, if it isn’t our blushing bride. What, not crying in your sister’s arms anymore?”

Her gaze swept over the love bites still visible on Lin Bie’s neck. She smirked.
“Oh, I see. You went off to have some fun with your Omega sweetheart. Ignored that fine specimen Leng Jinxi to fool around with someone else, huh? Her technique must really suck. Want to lend her to me? I’ll train her properly…”

“Apologize.”

“…What?”

“I said—apologize to Leng Jinxi.” Lin Bie’s voice turned dark, cold. She enunciated each word clearly.

“What goes on between me and my fiancée is none of your business. Who the hell do you think you are?” She stepped forward, unleashing just enough Alpha pheromones to make Shan Yi flinch—despite being an

Alpha herself.

“She’s not even here, and I’m not lying,” Shan Yi growled. “Think you can scare me just because no one’s called you out yet?”

They locked eyes. Beads of sweat formed on Shan Yi’s brow.

After a long second, Shan Yi chuckled.
“A scumbag like you defending Leng Jinxi—now I’ve seen everything. Go cry to your little fiancée then. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

She turned to leave—only to let out a sharp gasp.

Lin Bie had gripped her wrist tightly, and pain shot through her arm.
“Apologize,” Lin Bie said again, voice unyielding. “I’ve changed. Those marks are from my fiancée. I won’t let you talk about her like that again. Say it.”

“You—what the hell! Let go, you psycho!” Shan Yi was sweating and pale. She nearly buckled under the pressure.

“Fine, fine—I’m sorry! I’m sorry, okay? Let go—my hand’s going to break!”

Lin Bie finally released her. Her expression remained cold. Shan Yi shivered.

A waiter came over to defuse the situation, and Shan Yi’s friend quickly dragged her away. At the door, she hissed one last threat.
“Lin Bie, just you wait. I won’t let this go!” Then she bolted as if afraid Lin Bie might follow.

Lin Bie watched her disappear. Their argument had caused a stir, but the restaurant staff had already stopped anyone from recording, so she wasn’t worried about gossip spreading. Still, she frowned.

Just then, the system whispered:
【That woman’s name is Shan Yi—youngest daughter of the Shan family. She’s the best friend of one of the original host’s ex-lovers. That Omega fell hard for the host, and after a month of dating, got dumped via silent treatment. She ended up in the hospital from heartbreak. Shan Yi, who secretly liked her, blamed the host ever since—and she was there last night too, saw the whole mess unfold.】

Honestly, Lin Bie thought, the original host did deserve that tongue-lashing. Even she wanted to call her a walking hazard.

But insulting Leng Jinxi—that had crossed a line.

She sighed, forced a smile for the waiter, and turned to go back—only to see someone waiting in the corridor.

Leng Jinxi.

Lin Bie froze, caught mid-expression, anger still lingering in her eyes.

She walked over stiffly, trying not to show her awkwardness.
“…You heard all that?”

Leng Jinxi gave her a glance. “I did.”

Lin Bie’s heart lit up like fireworks. She heard it. She heard me defending her. Did that mean… her opinion of Lin Bie had improved?

Even if she didn’t want to manipulate Leng Jinxi through morality, her own life was at stake. A corruption value of 70% was dangerous—even without choosing Mission Two. She had to at least try to clear the air and befriend her.

“System, quick! How much did her corruption value drop?”

【Host, you didn’t choose Mission Two. Why are you even checking?】

“Just do it!”

【Checking… Leng Jinxi’s corruption value has increased to 75%. That’s a 5% jump in just one hour.】

【Congratulations, Host. You’re incredibly talented at triggering Mission Two without even choosing it.】