After Transmigrating, I Bent the Female Lead O - Chapter 8

[Host! Your character deviation is currently at 70%. When it reaches 90%, most of your powers will be revoked. At 100%, the mission will fail!]

In her mind, the system’s urgent voice reported the rules of this world. Although it itself favored He Lingxing, it couldn’t violate these rules and act recklessly.

The automatic punishment in her head was still causing trouble. He Lingxing took a few deep breaths to compose herself, then met the concerned gazes of her friends. Especially Qiao Muxi, who had only been half-joking but was surprised by He Lingxing’s intense reaction.

“I promise I won’t pursue Shu Minglan. I’ll stay far away from her, alright? Xingxing, don’t scare me!”

He Lingxing said, “No…” She caught her breath, gently rubbing her forehead. “Don’t pursue her now. If you pursue her and she’s gone, how am I supposed to deal with her? Shu Minglan has given me so much grief; I have to really ‘deal’ with her, don’t I?”

“Alright, Xixi, CEO He’s just playing a little game. Let CEO He ‘deal’ with her properly.”

Wu Luoluo gave her an ambiguous look, implying she understood. Qiao Muxi also winked playfully, and upon hearing the nurse’s call, draped her arm over the shoulder of the male youth, Rong Chen, beside her and led him out.

The more she explained, the worse it got.

He Lingxing simply gave up on explaining in frustration.

Actually, when she heard Qiao Muxi say she wanted to pursue Shu Minglan, she didn’t have much emotional fluctuation. That instantaneous, subconscious rebuttal was simply because she didn’t want the original owner’s friends and Shu Minglan to be together; otherwise, it would feel strange.

She wasn’t into women. Shu Minglan, both in the original work and currently, seemed absolutely straight. Their interactions so far, in He Lingxing’s opinion, had no hint of ambiguity whatsoever. How could they be together and “deal with” each other?

As for that enchanting dream, she merely considered it the effect of pheromones and hadn’t really paid much attention to it at the time.

Upon receiving a new plot progress notification, He Lingxing pushed open the door of the VIP lounge and walked towards her friend’s hospital room.

In the original book, the original owner had four particularly close friends: the straightforward Miss Qiao Muxi, the gentle and steady Wu Luoluo, the quiet and reserved Rong Chen, and Zhan Minglu, who had just differentiated into an Omega.

The clean, white VIP single room was filled with the fresh scent of sedative perfume. Only after the nurses had completely cleared the air of all other scents were the Alphas allowed into the room.

Zhan Minglu had a small, delicate, oval face, very “Omega-like,” and was considered quite pretty among Omegas. However, He Lingxing couldn’t quite appreciate this overly delicate beauty.

Her frame was small. She was currently pale-faced and curled up on the hospital bed, her body appearing even more petite under the large blanket. Upon seeing the familiar, caring expressions on her friends’ faces, a faint smile appeared in her clear, watery eyes.

“Xiao Lu,” He Lingxing called out to her, drawing on the original owner’s memories.

The system had previously told her that Zhan Minglu was also one of the male lead’s “harem” in the original setting, though she was a minor cannon fodder who didn’t rank high. Although she was beautiful and would become a minor celebrity in the future, the male lead didn’t particularly like her pheromones. After playing with her a few times, he simply discarded her. Zhan Minglu later became desperate and was blacklisted by the male lead, who was annoyed by her persistence.

He Lingxing received another heartless mission: to push this girl toward the male lead.

However, it seemed she wouldn’t even need to say anything; the “male lead” in this script was like a magnet, constantly attracting people to him.

“Axing.”

Small talk with the others clearly wasn’t what Zhan Minglu wanted. After casually agreeing to a few remarks, her beautiful, doe-like eyes shifted to He Lingxing.

“I heard Murong Feng plans to collaborate with an artist from your company on an advertisement, right? If the ad’s promotion is good, will they consider casting them in ‘King of the Jungle’? I remember that one requires an Omega and an Alpha together.”

This part of the plot was still further down the line, so He Lingxing hadn’t expected her to know the news so quickly: “Yes, that’s the plan, but it’s actually a light yuri script.”

The script was about two women who loved and hated each other. The romantic element wasn’t very explicit, but the ambiguous tension was palpable. There was a male supporting character who developed feelings for the female lead in the early stages, which would drive the plot and make the female lead realize her true sexual orientation.

Since Zhan Minglu had inquired, she naturally knew the news and nodded gently at the remark.

“That Omega director is said to have favored Shu Minglan, but I—” After all, it was a request to use connections to snatch someone else’s role, and Zhan Minglu felt rather embarrassed saying it. “Axing, can you change her role or swap the script? I want to play the female lead.”

He Lingxing’s refusal once again blurted out: “No.”

Seeing Zhan Minglu’s surprise and disappointment, He Lingxing, fearing the system’s judgment of character deviation, quickly said:

“Firstly, that’s a script with romantic elements; you’d have intimate scenes with an Alpha. If things go smoothly, it’ll start soon, and your differentiation isn’t completely stable yet. It’s best not to have such close contact with an Alpha. You’re straight, aren’t you? What if something happens after contact with a female Alpha?”

“Besides, Shu Minglan being favored by the director was already known. This matter has long spread. Given her personality, if you dared to snatch her role, she wouldn’t let you off easily.” Without waiting for Zhan Minglu to retort, He Lingxing calmly continued, “Xiao Lu, I know you want to help me get revenge by bullying Shu Minglan, but we can’t ignore public opinion. That woman Shu Minglan is very cunning, and marketing accounts are very good at manipulating public opinion. I’m afraid it would be detrimental to you.”

He Lingxing’s words made it impossible for Zhan Minglu’s little scheme to be spoken out loud. After all, she seemingly still liked Murong Feng, and Zhan Minglu felt awkward taking someone else’s beloved in front of her good friend.

The system’s reminder came at the right time: [Sister Xing, remember to push the mission.]

Honestly, He Lingxing wasn’t fond of using connections to snatch others’ resources, and she absolutely didn’t want these girls to throw themselves at the male lead as if their lives depended on it.

If he were a truly high-quality man, fine, but he was the type she wouldn’t even bother to look at if offered. How did he become such a hot commodity after being gilded by the author?

Were his pheromones a magnet or superglue?

For the first time, He Lingxing felt a deep impatience with this mission, even beginning to regret taking on this seemingly simple task. For so many years, she had always completed tasks by following her heart. Activities like harming Shu Minglan and pushing girls towards the male lead clearly violated her values.

“However, if you want, the advertising shoot can be yours. I can discuss it with Director Li.”

Murong Feng had just finished filming a Xianxia drama and was a popular character in it. He was just starting to gain traction, so resources offered shouldn’t be wasted. The other party would definitely agree.

This way, she would have completed the mission.

“Thank you, darling Axing!”

Zhan Minglu, having achieved her true goal, beamed with joy. She hadn’t really wanted to participate in that drama; it was only because the male lead in it was Murong Feng. Now that the advertising shoot offered a chance for alone time, Zhan Minglu’s face flushed with excitement.

To be frank, He Lingxing didn’t particularly like Omegas like Zhan Minglu. When the other party acted cute, goosebumps subtly appeared on her skin. In comparison, Shu Minglan felt better; though also an Omega, Shu Minglan’s demeanor was much more natural.

And Shu Minglan had a great figure too.

Beauty lies in the bone, not just the skin. But for He Lingxing’s aesthetic, simply pursuing extreme slenderness wasn’t the best posture for an Omega. An overly thin frame might look good on camera, but it wasn’t particularly appealing in person.

Shu Minglan was well-proportioned, her figure even and appropriate. Her purity was just right, neither seductive nor pretentious, far more natural than Zhan Minglu’s forced cuteness. For some reason, after staying here for a long time, He Lingxing actually began to miss Shu Minglan, who used to throw small tantrums with her. Perhaps it was the task member’s instinctive concern for the female lead.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving now. I’m quite busy with a project I’m negotiating.”

He Lingxing wasn’t very interested in being friends with someone like Zhan Minglu. The moment she asked her to snatch someone else’s resources, her initial impression score immediately plummeted. There were indeed many things to handle at the company. If she had to waste time, it would be more valuable to gain favor with the female lead.

It wasn’t until the crisp sound of high heels tapping on the hospital floor gradually faded from earshot that Zhan Minglu, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly looked up at her companions standing around her.

“Xingxing wasn’t like this before.”

The “He Lingxing” from before had a particularly good relationship with her. Not to say she was completely subservient to her, but for small matters like getting a resource, she wouldn’t even hesitate. But now, she was making things difficult with such high-sounding reasons. If He Lingxing hadn’t compensated her in another way at the end, Zhan Minglu felt she might have lost her smile.

“Did Shu Minglan cause trouble?”

Zhan Minglu wasn’t stupid or a three-year-old child. She could, of course, discern whether He Lingxing’s words just now favored her or Shu Minglan. That’s precisely why she found it even more incredible.

The others present were all mutual friends of hers and He Lingxing. Shu Minglan was merely an outsider to them, and an outsider whom He Lingxing had previously detested. The priorities were immediately clear. Wu Luoluo looked at Zhan Minglu, who was lying in bed, clutching a corner of the bedsheet with her small hand, with a complex expression. She couldn’t help but feel a little pity and softly offered:

“Her and Shu Minglan’s pheromone compatibility is 100%. In my twenty-plus years, this is the first case I’ve seen.”

••••

[Host, please listen. A new wave of plot is coming.]

[The female lead’s drama will soon move to a new filming location. When she returns to the city, it will be time for the important plot point of her [temporary marking] with the male lead. To restore your vicious female supporting character persona, please complete three tasks to humiliate the female lead!]

Finally, it’s here. He Lingxing, who was processing emails, slowed her movements upon hearing the voice.

In fact, she had been thinking on her way back to the company today. Her repeated character deviations were a rare and embarrassing occurrence in her work history. When she returned, her colleagues might mock her.

Therefore, she had to harden her heart toward the female lead and stop being so wishy-washy. Anyway, without her intervention, the female lead would likely still fall for the male lead, so why bother worrying about it?

He Lingxing, after reading the script, was surprisingly enthusiastic for the first time: “Tell me!”

[First, indirectly kiss the female lead, and let her know.]

[Second, make the female lead wear a bunny girl outfit and take pictures.]

[Third, take a hot spring bath with the female lead, and caress her scent gland. When she has a reaction, say, “B1tch, you’re just being dramatic.”]