After the Scummy Alpha Marked the Crazy Beautiful Heroine (GL) - Chapter 7

Pei Jiuyao drove back to her usual apartment in the city.

It was located in a wealthy district, only a 20-minute drive from Chi Yang’s place. The neighborhood had high-level security and was one of the properties under the original host’s name.

Apparently, the original host had a fondness for real estate. Maybe it stemmed from growing up in an unstable home, where love was scarce. Buying houses later in life was her way of seeking security.

The apartment building had a two-units-per-floor design.

As Pei Jiuyao got upstairs, she happened to run into her neighbor—a perpetually serious Alpha who rarely smiled.

Pei Jiuyao remembered she was a lawyer. As she passed by, she greeted her politely.

“Heading out this late, Miss Shen?”

“Left some files at the office. Just going to grab them.” Shen Xinyi adjusted the gold-rimmed glasses on her nose.

Pei Jiuyao entered her passcode, and the door unlocked with a crisp “click.”

Just as she turned the doorknob, Shen Xinyi suddenly said, “Miss Pei, you look a bit down tonight. Got your heart broken?”

Pei Jiuyao froze for a second before smiling back. “Confession failed—never even got the chance to start dating.”

Shen Xinyi chuckled. “With someone like you, I’m sure you’ll have a new one in no time.”

As the elevator dinged and opened, she stepped inside and disappeared from view.

Pei Jiuyao stood there in the quiet hallway, her smile stiffening before she quickly slipped inside and shut the door.

Getting stepped on whenever she encountered someone—she’d gotten used to it by now.

She took a long bath. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, Pei Jiuyao stared at her own reflection in a daze.

Since transmigrating into this world, this was the first time she’d really taken a good look at herself.

Her face was identical to her real one—same bone structure, same features. But her eyes now held less softness and more ruthlessness.

In her original world, she had entered the film industry by chance due to her looks.

But what earned her the Grand Slam of Best Actress was her strength, not her face.

She never took TV dramas, never joined variety shows or reality programs. In her spare time, she performed in stage plays to hone her skills.

In the seven years since her debut, she’d only done a handful of films—yet each one earned her a Best Actress award.

But in this book, “Pei Jiuyao” was painted as a mere pretty face.

An SSS-Level Alpha, young and seductive, with a bewitching older-woman aura.

One crooked smile and she have a swarm of Omegas falling at her feet.

It was child’s play for her to rise to the top of the entertainment industry.

Unfortunately, she had nothing beyond her looks—bad temper, worse attitude, scandals everywhere.

In contrast to Chi Yang, her reputation was an absolute disaster.

Pei Jiuyao sighed quietly at her reflection and went to the kitchen. All she found were instant meals.

She grabbed a cup of noodles and set the kettle to boil.

Only a dim nightlight was on in the living room. She sat on the couch, one hand eating noodles, the other repeatedly picking up and putting down her phone.

She had nothing to check, and she knew Chi Yang wouldn’t be calling her at this hour. Still, she couldn’t help herself.

Her state of mind was all over the place. Chi Yang had taken up residence in her thoughts, and she couldn’t find a moment of peace.

Strangely enough, she only felt somewhat normal when she was with Chi Yang.

The rest of the time, Pei Jiuyao felt like there was something wrong with her—like she was sick.

It had to be a sickness.

Falling for a stranger without rhyme or reason—completely unhinged.

That wasn’t her style. Not the real Pei Jiuyao.

Unless… could the original host’s consciousness be seeping into hers?

Pei Jiuyao shook her head violently and finally scrolled through her chat app, stopping at Chi Yang’s name. She sent a [puppy daydreaming] sticker and a message:

[I’m home now. Are you doing okay?]

After cleaning up the dining table, she turned off the light and returned to her bedroom.

She didn’t receive a reply before falling asleep.

Lying on her bed, she stared out at the ink-black sky beyond the window, idly flipping through her friends list.

At some point, she stumbled upon a group labeled [Available Anytime]—filled with various gorgeous Omegas.

Pei Jiuyao’s mouth twitched. One click, and she deleted the entire group.

—

In the early morning, sunlight filtered through the mist and spilled across the windowsill.

Pei Jiuyao turned over, covering her forehead with her hand as she slowly opened her eyes, dazed on the bed.

She hadn’t yet figured out where she was when a flood of memories surged all at once:

Chi Yang is mine. Not yours.

I was with Chi Yang last night.

Because I like you!

I, Pei Jiuyao, will protect you from now on.

…

Pei Jiuyao lay there, eyes widening as her face turned red. She suddenly buried her head under the pillow and let out a guttural scream:

“What kind of manic episode was I having?!”

Sitting up with her hair a tangled mess, she groaned, “I’m doomed. Chi Yang probably thinks I’m crazy.”

How had things spiraled this far…

Yes, Chi Yang was totally her type—but wasn’t she a bit too enthusiastic right out of the gate?

What was that behavior yesterday?

Why did she blurt out “I like you” to someone who was practically a stranger?

And then there was that contract…

How did she agree to something that basically amounted to selling herself?

Suddenly, a sharp buzzing sounded in her head, followed by a mechanical voice:

[System 7023 loading—]

[Detected strong host consciousness. Binding initiated… Binding successful.]

“What the hell?” Pei Jiuyao sat up, rubbing her temples. “Who’s talking?”

[Host, I’m System 7023, the top agent of the Time-Space Authority. I’m the one who brought you to this world.]

Pei Jiuyao instinctively took two steps forward, as if actually holding a conversation with someone invisible. “Why?”

[Because back in your original world, after winning the Grand Slam, you got drunk and danced around your house all night. Unfortunately… you got smacked in the head by a falling chandelier.]

Pei Jiuyao: “….”

So her first-ever hangover in 23 years ended in death?

No wonder the back of her head hurt so badly when she woke up—it was like she’d been hit.

“So if I go back now… I’ll die?”

[Bingo! You really are an actress—quick on the uptake.]

Pei Jiuyao cursed silently.

How could such an absurd, anti-scientific thing happen to her of all people?

“What do I need to do to… survive?”

[Successfully complete the romance arc with the female lead. Then you can choose to either return to your world or stay here.]

“Well obviously I’d go ba—”

She paused mid-sentence, thinking of Chi Yang.

An inexplicable heaviness settled in her chest.

Pei Jiuyao’s expression darkened. “So it’s you. You made me fall for her the moment I arrived just to force me into staying and completing the romance arc!”

7023 actually chuckled:

[Isn’t she your ideal type though?]

Pei Jiuyao fell silent.

After a moment, she bit her lip. “Even so, you had no right—”

[I didn’t force you to like her. You’re being affected by amplified instincts—specifically, this world’s pheromone system.]

“Pheromones?”

[You already had a crush on her. The pheromones just magnified your desire, that’s all.]

“What if I refuse?” Pei Jiuyao asked coldly. “What if I don’t want to pursue the female lead?”

[Then you’ll follow the original arc: the female lead will hate and despise you. You’ll eventually die.]

Pei Jiuyao wanted to argue but finally deflated.

She’d barely started this new life—she wasn’t ready to vanish just yet.

Survival came first.

—

Ring ring ring—

A shrill ringtone pulled her back to reality.

She grabbed the phone. It wasn’t Chi Yang.

It was Chu Si—the same contact who had called repeatedly yesterday.

Chu Si was in the same company as Pei Jiuyao and shared the same agent.

Also one of the original host’s “party friends.”

Pei Jiuyao had no desire to associate with them, but for courtesy’s sake, she picked up.

Loud music blasted from the other end—Chu Si was at a bar first thing in the morning.

Or maybe she had stayed overnight and never left.

Over the roar of rock music, Chu Si shouted, “Holy sh*t, you finally answered. I thought you were dead!”

Pei Jiuyao walked to the bathroom, brushing her teeth as she asked, “What do you want?”

Chu Si’s tone turned teasing. “So, how was it with that Omega, Song Mo? So good you forgot what day it was? I called you 800 times yesterday!”

Pei Jiuyao froze and turned on speaker. It was now clear—Chu Si had something to do with the drugging incident.

She calmly rinsed her face and didn’t respond.

Chu Si continued laughing: “Though I heard you went to the hospital with Chi Yang instead? No way—she was the one in your bed?”

Pei Jiuyao’s brows furrowed. “Who told you that?”

“So it was her,” Chu Si snorted. “Alpha-on-Alpha. How was it?”

“We didn’t sleep together,” Pei Jiuyao said coldly. “We just bumped into each other.”

“Well yeah, Chi Yang’s the frigid type. Definitely not your style.” Chu Si said.

Chu Si laughed again. “The X2-9 compound really is something else. Shame it went to waste.”

So it was her.

And if Song Mo had been the original target… how did Chi Yang end up in that bed?

Something wasn’t right. Chu Si had to know more than she was letting on—

She’d brought up Chi Yang too quickly.

“Where are you? I want to see you.” Pei Jiuyao grabbed a towel and wiped her face.

Chu Si’s voice deepened, dripping with playful charm: “So eager? I just left the bar. Let’s meet tonight. Same old place.”

She hung up right after.

Pei Jiuyao walked out with her phone in hand. Chi Yang still hadn’t replied to the message she sent last night.

Icy, beautiful, and clearly uninterested.

—

That night, Pei Jiuyao put on deep red lipstick, wore a hat and mask, and drove to Chu Si’s so-called “old place.”

A sign read [Wu You Xiang]—a private underground bar owned by Chu Si.

She handed off her keys to the valet and walked down the stairs, through a twisting hallway, and pushed open the door.

Inside was a den of “vipers.”

Electric guitar blasted from the stage. The air reeked of pheromones, thick with smoke and noise.

Weaving through the crowd, Pei Jiuyao spotted a short-haired woman in a black suit lounging on a sofa, draped lazily over an Omega’s lap.

The Omega whispered in her ear. Chu Si flipped her hair with one hand and bit the Omega’s lips with a grin.

The Omega giggled, head bowed.

Chu Si adjusted her jacket and looked up, draping an arm over the backrest. “Xiao Pei, over here!”

Pei Jiuyao approached without expression and sat beside her.

Other Alphas and Omegas were seated nearby, but the lighting was too dim to make out their faces.

Chu Si threw an arm around Pei Jiuyao’s shoulders, whispering, “Want another round tonight? Don’t worry, this time there won’t be any accidents.”

Pei Jiuyao frowned and pushed her off. “Too strong a smell.”

Chu Si sniffed her jacket and smirked. “You’re getting picky.”

She pulled out a cigarette and lit it, offering one to Pei Jiuyao.

Pei Jiuyao had acted in many indie films. Directors often insisted female leads smoke—for “atmosphere” and “backstory.” So she’d learned, though she never smoked off-set.

But in this kind of crowd, refusing a cigarette might seem too uptight.

If she wanted to figure out how Chi Yang ended up in her villa, she needed to play along.

Pei Jiuyao casually tied up her long hair, took the cigarette but didn’t light it.

Red lips holding the cigarette, she leaned back against the couch, jet-black eyes gleaming in the dark chaos of the bar.

Heads turned.

But everyone here knew—Pei Jiuyao wasn’t prey.

She was the hunter.

Chu Si raised an eyebrow. “Tsk. Someone’s learned how to play the diva.”

She leaned in and lit the cigarette for her.

Pei Jiuyao exhaled a slow puff of smoke, the haze curling in the neon light.

She was gentle by nature—but anyone in showbiz knew: gentleness had its edges.

She could be soft with Chi Yang, but not with just anyone.

Pei Jiuyao turned slightly, leaned closer to Chu Si, and curled her lips in a smile, eyes sharp: “I was drugged that night too.”

“What?” Chu Si frowned.

So this wasn’t part of the original host’s plan.

Pei Jiuyao followed up, “How many people knew about it?”

“Not many,” Chu Si said. “Just you, me, and a couple of friends. After all, Song Mo is Chi Yang’s fiancée. Can’t risk this getting out.”

“Can you help me look into who was present that night?”

This was Chu Si’s turf—she was the best person to ask.

Chu Si laughed. “I’ll do you one better—I’ll find out who dared drug our little Pei. They must have a death wish!”

“Then while you’re at it,” Pei Jiuyao’s eyes turned black as ink, calm as a dead sea, “figure out why Song Mo never ended up in my bed.”

Chu Si froze—just for a moment—before regaining her casual tone. “Relax. Your business is my business. I’ll take care of it.”

But in that brief pause, Pei Jiuyao was sure: Chu Si knew something.

Later, Chu Si tried to pull her into more wild antics, but Pei Jiuyao made an excuse and left early.

Outside, the night had completely fallen. Sitting in her car, she typed in her home address on the GPS when her phone suddenly rang.

She thought it was Chu Si again—but when she looked, it was Chi Yang.

Her fingers trembled as she answered. “Hello, Chi Yang? What’s wrong?”

There was a long silence on the other end. It made her chest tighten painfully.

Then suddenly, Chi Yang let out a faint whimper. Her fingertips scraped lightly across the screen. Her voice tried to sound cold, but it was laced with softness:

“Pei Jiuyao… I think I’m going into heat. Can you come be with me?”

Before Pei Jiuyao could reply—

Click.

Chi Yang had already hung up.