After the Scumbag Alpha Accidentally Marked the Blackened Villain - Chapter 8

Lin Bie really wanted to ask the system: why was it that every time Leng Jinxi was about to let go of her hatred, something always had to go wrong?

Staring at Leng Jinxi’s indifferent gaze and the half-hearted, performative smile at her lips, Lin Bie inhaled deeply and frowned at the phone lying on the table.

“Gu Ban, I’m engaged now.”

There was a clear pause on the other end of the line, cutting short the woman’s gleeful tone.

“What the—did I call the wrong number? Are you really Lin Bie? Saying that? Just the other day you were still talking about teaching the Leng family a lesson—”

“Gu Ban.” Lin Bie’s voice sharpened, brows knitting. Even the original host’s so-called friends had this attitude toward Leng Jinxi—it showed just how hostile the original Lin Bie had been.

She looked up at Leng Jinxi—only to see that she had already turned her head to gaze out the window, her eyes reflecting the darkness of the night, expression detached, as if none of this concerned her.

A dull ache twisted in Lin Bie’s chest. She turned back to the phone, her voice rising with frustration.

“You didn’t dial wrong. In fact, it’s good you called. I was going to tell you anyway—don’t ever call me again for this kind of thing. I’m done with all of it. I am not going to be a scumbag anymore!”

She blurted everything out in one breath, then glanced toward Leng Jinxi. The other woman was still looking outside, her expression unmoved. Lin Bie sighed silently.

On the other end of the call, Gu Ban was clearly stunned. “We’re all trash here, so why the act? Wasn’t it’s you who told me to find a bar to let off steam once this was over? Now you’re playing the good girl? Seriously?”

“And I don’t care if you’ve ‘changed’ or whatever—get over here now. Bei Ning’s here too. She showed up just because she knew you were coming— Hello? Hello?—”

Lin Bie hung up.

Frustrated, she stared at the screen. The phone rang again almost instantly—she declined it. Then again. She rejected it again, then finally blocked the number with a scowl.

From the side, Leng Jinxi’s gaze slid back to her. “The agreement doesn’t restrict who you can associate with,” she said coolly. “They went out of their way to set something up for you, and you’re not going?”

Lin Bie: “……”

You were just talking about how we’d handle scandals, and now you’re saying I can hang out with whoever I want? Do you really think I’m buying that?

She shook her head firmly. “I’m not going. And I won’t go in the future either. I really was sick in the head before.”

Leng Jinxi didn’t respond to that. Instead, she picked up the two copies of the prenuptial agreement and set them on the nightstand.

“Let’s hope you mean what you say. I doubt either of us wants to end up trending on gossip blogs.”

“I’ll have a lawyer draft a more comprehensive agreement. I’ll keep these two for now.”

Lin Bie had no objections. Then she remembered something else. “By the way, about what happened today—it was because of me. Shan Yi and I have bad bl00d. She was at the banquet last night and learned about us, so she took it out on you.”

“I confronted her—threatened her a bit. She won’t bother you again. But still, I’m sorry it put you in the hospital.”

“I’ll handle it. I promise it won’t affect your filming schedule.”

“I’m not particularly worried,” Leng Jinxi replied. “Shan Yi’s only weapon here was this. Since you’ve dealt with it, it’s over.”

She leaned wearily against the bedhead. Even after receiving fluids, her complexion was still pale—so pale it seemed she might never regain color. The loose hospital gown only made her thin frame look even more fragile.

“You staying here overnight?” Lin Bie asked.

Leng Jinxi nodded. “They need to monitor me.”

“Have you eaten?”

Leng Jinxi frowned. “Why do you ask?”

“You’ve got a cold,” Lin Bie replied, “and not eating will make it harder to recover. I haven’t eaten either—I’ll go grab some food and bring you some congee. Wait for me.”

She was just about to head out when Leng Jinxi called out.

“No need. I’m not hungry. Do you have anything planned tonight?”

Lin Bie turned back, confused but honest. “No. I already asked the director for leave.”

Leng Jinxi looked at her. “I won’t be home tonight, and the cat doesn’t have anyone to feed it. Can you stop by and feed her on your way back?”

Lin Bie immediately thought of the adorable silver Maine Coon she’d seen earlier and couldn’t help but feel a flutter of excitement. “Sure! What’s her name?”

“Xiao Guai.” (Little Sweetie)

—

Following the address Leng Jinxi provided, Lin Bie returned to the villa district. She had just left that morning, and now she was back again.

She punched in the code. The villa still carried the faint scent of camellias. The gland at the back of her neck tingled faintly in response to the lingering pheromones, but she forcefully suppressed the strange reaction.

Calling out “Xiao Guai,” it wasn’t long before a small cat padded down the stairs. She looked up at Lin Bie with round amber eyes and gave a soft meow.

Lin Bie’s heart nearly melted. She scooped the cat up and buried her face in the fluffy fur. The cat grumbled and lightly swatted her hand with a paw, making her look even cuter.

“Xiao Guai, you’re too adorable!”

She hadn’t expected someone as aloof as Leng Jinxi to name her cat something this sweet.

After getting her fill of cuddles, Lin Bie opened a can of wet food and poured out some kibble. She watched the cat eat slowly and contentedly, unable to resist snapping a photo to send to Leng Jinxi.

[Xiao Guai is eating now.]

Leng Jinxi responded quickly: [Mn.]

Just one word—mn—and still so icy. Lin Bie looked down at the fluffy cat, cradled her phone, and said with a laugh:

“Why can’t your owner be more like you?”

Xiao Guai didn’t understand. She simply looked up and let out a polite meow, as if to say “you’re welcome.”

Lin Bie couldn’t resist ruffling her head again.

After feeding the cat and preparing to leave, the landline in the living room suddenly rang. Lin Bie hesitated, then picked up.

“Hello?”

“Miss Leng, I couldn’t reach your cell, so I had to call the landline. Something came up at home—I might need two days off…”

“I’m not Leng Jinxi,” Lin Bie said, recognizing the voice as her assistant. “I’m her friend.”

“Oh—uh—hello,” the assistant stammered. “Is she there?”

“She’s in the hospital. Nothing serious. I’ll let her know. Don’t worry—I’m with her, she’ll be fine.”

…

After the call, Lin Bie glanced down at her chat with Leng Jinxi, which had abruptly ended on the topic of whether Xiao Guai shed fur. She thought for a moment, then headed into the kitchen.

By the time she returned to the hospital with a thermos of porridge, over an hour had passed. She gently pushed open the door. The woman on the bed stirred from light sleep, blinking slowly.

“You’re back?” her voice was thick with sleep and nasal congestion, sounding soft and drowsy—strangely reminiscent of the cat she kept at home.

Her skin had a faint pink flush, and she looked even more lethargic than before. A nap hadn’t helped—if anything, she seemed worse.

Lin Bie stepped closer. Before Leng Jinxi could react, she raised a hand and placed the back of it on her forehead.

The cool touch made Leng Jinxi freeze. She glanced at her, annoyed. “What are you doing?”

“Your have fever again.” Lin Bie was already used to her guard and calmly lifted the container beside her.

“You should eat something and then take the antipyretic. I got bored while feeding your cat, and since you had soaked red beans and rice at home, I made some porridge.”

Leng Jinxi followed her movements, eyes widening slightly when she saw the container’s contents. Something flickered in her expression.

“What kind of porridge is it?” she asked softly, head lowered. The harsh light cast shadows across her face, her long lashes blocking out all expression.

“Red bean, pumpkin, and rice balls,” Lin Bie said as she uncovered the thermos. “I wasn’t sure if you liked sweet things, so I only added a little sugar.”

The warm scent of red bean and pumpkin filled the room.

Steam curled between them. Lin Bie didn’t notice the change in Leng Jinxi’s gaze. She stirred the porridge with a spoon and pushed it toward her.

“It’s still hot. Eat it while it’s warm…”

“Why this porridge?” Leng Jinxi’s voice trembled slightly as she frowned at her.

The intensity of her gaze made Lin Bie flinch. “You only had those ingredients at home. The beans were already soaked, so I used them… Do you not like it?”

Leng Jinxi realized she was being too sharp and lowered her eyes, picking up the spoon.

“No—it’s fine. I like this porridge. I just didn’t expect you to know how to make it.”

Lin Bie scratched her head. “I can make a few kinds. I just never got the chance at home.” Back when she was an extra on set, she couldn’t afford takeout, so she’d learned to cook from tutorials. Now she barely ever ordered food anymore.

She didn’t mention that she actually liked this porridge too—lightly sweet, never cloying.

Leng Jinxi raised a spoonful to her lips, her eyes misted from the heat. Even her hand trembled a little.

Why did it have to be this porridge?

…

Watching Leng Jinxi eat slowly, spoonful by spoonful, Lin Bie suddenly realized that maybe she and Xiao Guai did have something in common—they both ate like dainty, picky little cats. If they were anthropomorphized, they definitely wear lace bibs.

The thought made her laugh. She covered her mouth, but when she looked up, she met Leng Jinxi’s eyes and quickly composed herself.

“Thanks for the porridge,” Leng Jinxi said after a pause. “It’s getting late. You should head back.”

“And leave you alone?”

“My assistant will be here soon.”

“She called while I was at your place,” Lin Bie replied. “Something urgent came up, and she can’t make it tonight. I’ll stay with you instead.”

Leng Jinxi didn’t look convinced.

“She called your phone too,” Lin Bie added. “You were sleeping, so you didn’t notice. You can check it yourself.”

Sure enough, Leng Jinxi opened her phone and saw the missed call and message from over an hour ago. She frowned. “I’ll find someone else. You don’t have to stay.”

Still guarded.

Lin Bie sighed. “At least take your medicine first. I already promised Xiao Li I’ll take over her shift. You don’t want me to break my promise, do you? I swore I’ve stop being the kind of person I used to be.”

Her tone was oddly aggrieved, as though blaming Leng Jinxi for trying to corrupt her into a promise-breaker.

Leng Jinxi frowned slightly. “Are you threatening me?”

Lin Bie only raised a brow and said nothing, pushing the medicine and warm water toward her.

“There’s a companion bed in the room. I’ll cover for Xiao Li tonight. Just put in a good word for me with Director Xie, and we’ll call it even.”

Leng Jinxi didn’t move. Her eyes scrutinized Lin Bie as steam curled through the air between them, blurring her silhouette. The more she looked, the less she could understand this woman.

Before, she could still vaguely guess her thoughts. But now…

“Lin Bie,” she asked softly, “what exactly is it that you want from me?”