Failed to Pretend to Be an Alpha and Got Marked by the Enemy (ABO, GL) - Chapter 13

Chapter 13

A moment later, the live stream’s confusion reached the set.

After passionately praising his great teammate, Chen Chen caught on a beat late and asked Yu Jing, “Why did Ming Zhu crack when you said ‘black lace underwear’? What’s that about?”

The others perked up, curious.

A glint flashed in Yu Jing’s eyes. Looking at the woman across from her, nearly shaken by her jab, she suppressed a smug feeling, shrugged, and said innocently, “I just said it randomly. I don’t know why she couldn’t hold it together.”

She casually shifted the blame to Ming Zhu.

The camera zoomed in on Ming Zhu’s face—perfect features magnified in high definition, clear and flawless. Her captivating eyes were calm as water, the trace of emotion on her lips already tucked away.

Under countless eager gazes waiting for answers, Ming Zhu stood up unhurriedly. Her lashes lifted as she glanced at Yu Jing, lingering for a few seconds before looking away. Facing the camera, she dodged the question lightly, “I was worried the audience would get bored, so I just wanted to end the game quickly.”

Her vague response sparked a flurry of guesses in the live stream:

[Does that mean Ming Zhu didn’t want to face Yu Jing, so she cracked early to end it?]

[But that means her team lost to Yu Jing’s. Why would she want to end it early?]

[Lose and lose. Look at Ming Zhu’s icy vibe—does she seem like someone who cares about winning?]

[I know they don’t get along, but Ming Zhu’s passive attitude is so unprofessional. If you’re here, compete properly. Bringing personal grudges to work is ridiculous.]

[You didn’t call Chen Chen unprofessional for throwing the game for show effects. Ming Zhu held out for three rounds—where’s the lack of effort?]

[I still think ‘black lace underwear’ has some hidden meaning, like a code only they know.]

[What if Yu Jing stole Ming Zhu’s underwear, and that’s why they’re enemies???]

[Lmao, stealing underwear? Your imagination’s wild!]

Everyone in the entertainment biz is sharp. They could tell Ming Zhu didn’t want to talk, so they tactfully dropped the “black lace underwear” topic and moved on with a laugh.

As the camera panned away, Ming Zhu’s lowered lashes lifted again. She glanced at Yu Jing, who was casually joking with the others, her mood hard to pin down.

She’d thought she could hold out no matter what Yu Jing said, but she never expected those four words: “black lace underwear.”

It wasn’t a code, but it was a “secret” only the two of them understood.

The moment Yu Jing said it, feigning innocence but clearly sly, Ming Zhu’s mind flashed to that incident in the dressing room—she’d been wearing black.

Soaked, her upper body clad only in black lingerie, seen by Yu Jing.

She thought Yu Jing had forgotten, but to bring such a private matter up on the show felt like revenge, or maybe a veiled tease.

Recalling Yu Jing’s flirty words in the dressing room, wrapping her arms around her neck, tilting her chin, Ming Zhu’s usually controlled expression cracked bit by bit, out of the camera’s view.

Meanwhile, the other guests were hitting it off.

Chen Chen, the mood-maker, raised Yu Jing’s hand high, not humble at all: “Told you, we’re number one!”

Beating Ming Zhu made Yu Jing happy, but she wasn’t as hyped as him. She smiled reservedly, “Results aren’t out yet.”

“Director Yang, announce it!” Chen Chen urged.

Yang Ming took the stats from an assistant and read, “Yu Jing and Chen Chen’s team: 203 seconds. Xiao Yihuan and Xie Haichao’s team: 55 seconds. Ming Zhu and Peng Ze’s team: 95 seconds. Congrats to Yu Jing and Chen Chen for winning. Come get your clue card.”

“Yes!” Chen Chen, pumped like he’d been shot with adrenaline, ditched Yu Jing and ran over.

Yu Jing meant to wait for him, but Xiao Yihuan’s follow-cam suddenly got close. To avoid bumping, she stepped back quickly.

As they passed, she felt a cold gaze on her. Looking up, she met Ming Zhu’s eyes and froze.

Since filming started, aside from two unavoidable stares during the game, this was their first direct eye contact.

Yu Jing didn’t know how long Ming Zhu had been watching. Her eyes were cold as always, but beneath the icy surface, there was a flicker of something unclear, emotions Yu Jing couldn’t read.

Cameras were everywhere, and with the live stream on, Yu Jing didn’t want to dig deeper. As she turned away, she saw Ming Zhu’s tight lips move, silently forming two words.

Yu Jing couldn’t read lips but roughly made out the shape—did she say “shameless”?

Who’s shameless? What’s shameless???

“Jingjing, what’re you spacing out for? Come on!” Chen Chen’s voice snapped her out of it.

Yu Jing turned away, full of questions, and ran over.

The clue card was in an envelope with the show’s logo. Chen Chen, eager to open it, paused and handed it to her: “You do it.”

Seeing his impatient yet fake-gentlemanly act, Yu Jing stifled a laugh, opened the envelope, and pulled out the card.

“Rainbow?” Chen Chen read the clue softly, confused. “What’s that mean?”

Yu Jing thought hard. “The theme’s about water, so the treasure’s probably water-related.”

“Rainbow rain?” Chen Chen, ever simple, said, “Rainbows show up after rain. Are we supposed to find that?”

Yu Jing doubted it was that literal. She shook her head. “Rainbows are intangible. The show’s about grabbing a treasure, so it’s gotta be something real. Hang on… rainbows have seven colors, and the theme’s water… feels like it’s a drink or something.”

“A drink?” Chen Chen whispered to Yang Ming.

Yang Ming, arms crossed, didn’t answer.

A staff member flashed a card to the live stream camera, bold words clear: ‘Treasure: DIO Cocktail (Thanks, Sponsor Daddy)’

[It’s really a drink! Yu Jing’s so smart, nailed it!]

[Go Jingjing! You’re awesome, Mommy loves you!]

[Water theme, I could’ve guessed a drink. Smart, my ass.]

[She should’ve named the treasure then. Calling her smart? Probably paid trolls.]

[Just guessed a drink. Pure luck, no need to hype her.]

With so little info, Yu Jing and Chen Chen couldn’t pinpoint the treasure. As they whispered over the clue card, Yu Jing’s peripheral vision caught a sneaky figure approaching. On alert, she hid the card behind her back.

Chen Chen, confused by her move, turned and saw Xie Haichao, crouched and reaching like he was about to snatch something. Realizing, he yelled, “Damn, Haichao, you’re at it again!”

Xie Haichao stood up, playing innocent: “Just strolling, didn’t do anything.”

Chen Chen and Yu Jing exchanged a look, both thinking: Yeah, right.

[Haichao’s covering his tracks!]

[He plays tough, upright guys, but he’s such a goof lol.]

[When he sent Xiao Yihuan to flirt with Yu Jing, I knew he was a mess. Then he turned into a roaring beast shaking her shoulders. Hilarious. No tough guy here, just a comedian.]

[Yu Jing’s quick on her feet. Kinda liking her. Might stan.]

[Tch, trolls hyping Yu Jing again.]

Given Xie Haichao’s sneaky move, worried others might copy, Chen Chen grabbed the clue card from Yu Jing, tore it to shreds, and shoved the pieces into Xie Haichao’s hands with a cheeky grin: “Want the clue? Piece it together yourself.”

Fuming, Xie Haichao flung the scraps at him.

The bits fluttered onto Chen Chen’s head. Yu Jing, seeing his goofy look, exaggeratedly said, “Wow, it’s snowing.”

“Pfft—” Xiao Yihuan, Xie Haichao’s teammate, couldn’t hold back a laugh. Her big, glossy eyes sparkled as she said sweetly, “Jingjing’s so cute.”

Peng Ze chuckled, “They’re hilarious.”

Ming Zhu, watching like an outsider, glanced at the starry-eyed little Omega beside her. Suddenly recalling a conversation she’d overheard by the rest area chairs, her smooth brow furrowed slightly.

The camera missed this microexpression. Xiao Yihuan, unaware she was being watched, kept smiling at Yu Jing, her eyes so bright the sun might’ve popped out to compete.

“Want to piece it together, Yihuan?” Chen Chen teased with a mischievous grin.

“No way!” Xiao Yihuan shook her head.

After the banter, Yang Ming signaled them to return to the center.

Ming Zhu, as always, stood quietly at the end. She watched Yu Jing, who’d brazenly teased her hours ago, now beaming and chatting with Xiao Yihuan. When Xiao Yihuan reached up to pick a scrap from Yu Jing’s hair, their carefree interaction and shared smiles, oblivious to the cameras, deepened the creases in Ming Zhu’s brow.

[Does Xiao Yihuan have a thing for Yu Jing? That move was way too close.]

[Picking off a paper scrap is “close”? Can Yu Jing’s trolls chill? Done with Ming Zhu, now onto Xiao Yihuan?]

[They’ve known each other before, right? Just friends interacting. Y’all overanalyzing.]

[Anyone catch Ming Zhu’s look at Yu Jing? Why does it feel… kinda resentful???]