Failed to Pretend to Be an Alpha and Got Marked by the Enemy (ABO, GL) - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Her bl00d suddenly surged, her breathing quickened.

Yu Jing, as if bewitched, held the shirt, inhaling its maddening scent, momentarily forgetting where she was.

A slender hand grabbed the edge of the bag, swiftly pulling the shirt away.

The scent was taken with it. Yu Jing wanted to snatch it back, but seeing Ming Zhu’s cold, stunning face, she snapped awake.

…She had actually been seduced by Ming Zhu’s pheromones again!

Luckily, the pheromones weren’t too strong. Yu Jing hadn’t fallen too deep. She bit her tongue hard, the pain pulling her back to reality, her expression still a bit dazed.

“Your face…” Ming Zhu, initially annoyed by Yu Jing’s “perverted” behavior, noticed the strange flush on her face. Her amber eyes carried a hint of curiosity. “Why is it so red?”

Yu Jing hurriedly touched her face, startled by the heat, not wanting Ming Zhu to notice anything. She steadied herself, stiffening her neck, stammering, “B-because your shirt is toxic.”

It had to be toxic—otherwise, why would she lose control just from a single whiff?

Toxic? Ming Zhu clearly didn’t buy her nonsense. Her gaze swept over Yu Jing’s bl00d-red face and ears, her expression unreadable. “You…”

“I need to use the bathroom!” Yu Jing didn’t dare listen further, cutting her off, head down, and bolted.

“…”

Ming Zhu picked up the shirt, catching her own pheromones, her face unchanged.

Looking up at the figure retreating into the bathroom, recalling Yu Jing’s enraptured expression, Ming Zhu’s narrow eyes slightly squinted.

She smelled it too?

But hadn’t she not differentiated yet?

Even if she had, as an Alpha, she should feel repulsion or hostility toward Ming Zhu’s pheromones. Why would she show… an expression like she was in heat???

Ming Zhu glanced at the shirt again, utterly baffled.

Yu Jing leaned against the bathroom door, panting heavily.

A mirror was fixed above the sink. By turning her head, she could see her flushed face in it. Staring for a long time, she raised her hand, touching the unusually soft skin on the back of her neck, her expression blank.

Ming Zhu’s pheromones seemed to have a strong pull on her.

Was this the instinctual attraction between an Alpha and an Omega, or was it something else?

She didn’t know.

After all, she had only differentiated a few days ago. Besides Ming Zhu, Yu Jing hadn’t smelled another Alpha’s pheromones.

She wasn’t sure if her reaction was normal. Did other Omegas also lose control like her, wanting to throw themselves at an Alpha just from a whiff of their pheromones?

She couldn’t figure it out, and without her phone, she couldn’t even search online.

The strange heat still coursed through her. Yu Jing splashed cold water on her face, looking at the unfamiliar reaction in the mirror, feeling like she’d gone mad.

She was actually having those thoughts about Ming Zhu…

The filming set was chaotic, with limited space to rest. Yang Ming had the staff deliver the artists’ boxed lunches to the shared makeup room. Yu Jing followed to eat, sitting in a row at their makeup stations, chatting while eating.

During the meal, Chen Chen didn’t stop talking, coaxing and tricking to get information about another hint card from Peng Ze, who kept his mouth shut.

After pestering fruitlessly, Chen Chen switched tactics. “How about we trade information?”

Peng Ze seemed tempted, hesitating, and turned to his elegant, silent teammate across from him. “Ming Zhu, should we trade?”

Ming Zhu looked up, dabbing her lips with a napkin, and said, “No trade.”

“Why not?” Chen Chen said. “Knowing more information is better, right? Trading is fair.”

Ming Zhu set down the neatly folded napkin, her gaze passing over Chen Chen, then Xiao Yihuan in the middle, and casually glancing at Yu Jing, who was eating and listening intently. She said slowly, “Your hint card is already torn. I can’t trust what you say is true.”

Chen Chen was momentarily speechless, then said, “Ming Zhu, there should be more trust between people. How could we lie to you? Right, Jingjing?”

Yu Jing’s mouth was stuffed with food, like a little hamster. Catching Chen Chen’s suggestive glance, her eyes widened, nodding quickly, mumbling an “mmph” while sneaking a glance at Ming Zhu.

Seeing Ming Zhu still looking at her, Yu Jing’s eyes flickered, nearly choking.

Ming Zhu gazed at her calmly, her expression cool, her words cryptic. “Some tricks work once, but not twice. People won’t believe you again. So, no trade.”

Her eyes seemed hypnotic. Yu Jing didn’t dare meet them, feeling like Ming Zhu’s words carried hidden meaning.

“Ming Zhu, well done!” Xie Haichao gave her a thumbs-up, pointing at Yu Jing and Chen Chen. “See, that’s what you get for being so sneaky in the game. Now no one trusts you.”

“Yeah!” Peng Ze realized belatedly. “When we were popping balloons, Chen Chen, you tricked me, and Jingjing, you tried to pull at Ming Zhu’s clothes during your face-off!”

“Cough—” Hearing “pull at clothes,” Yu Jing instantly pictured some ambiguous scenes and actually choked this time.

Xiao Yihuan quickly handed her water.

Yu Jing gulped a few sips to recover, her face red from coughing and guilt, deepening the color. Under the pressure of several pairs of eyes, she weakly protested, “I didn’t pull at her clothes… Xiao Ze, don’t talk nonsense.”

She couldn’t help sneaking a glance at Ming Zhu.

Ming Zhu’s gaze hadn’t shifted, her eyes losing some coldness, gaining an unclear emotion—restraint or reproach—staring at Yu Jing’s flushed face, as if silently accusing: Liar.

“…” Yu Jing quickly looked away, guiltily sipping more water.

The next few games were said to be physically demanding, so Yang Ming gave them an hour to rest. After lunch, they rested in place. Chen Chen, the chatterbox, kept talking to everyone—except Ming Zhu and Yu Jing.

Ming Zhu, always quiet, sat in a corner, undisturbed. To conserve energy, Yu Jing found a quiet spot to close her eyes and rest.

When the break ended, Xiao Ya came to call them for filming.

The rain had stopped, and the filming moved outdoors. The equipment and live streaming platform started, and the millions of waiting viewers came alive.

[Morning games were so fun, can’t wait for what’s next.]

[This show is hilarious, it’s gonna blow up.]

[Chen Chen and Haichao are so funny lol.]

[Yu Jing and Ming Zhu, keep the drama going!]

The third game was “rowing.”

For the show’s effect, the “boat” was a large wooden basin, and the rowing tools were varied: paddles, ping-pong rackets, cooking spatulas, plastic ladles, small soup spoons, and even a slotted spoon for hotpot!

Chen Chen and Xie Haichao played with the props. Xie Haichao put a green plastic ladle on Chen Chen’s head, and Chen Chen, annoyed, chased him with a ping-pong racket to smack his butt.

Yang Ming didn’t stop them, letting them play before continuing. “Pick props based on the last game’s scores.”

Ming Zhu and Peng Ze chose first, picking the seemingly best paddles and ping-pong racket. Yu Jing and Chen Chen took the spatula and ladle. Xiao Yihuan and Xie Haichao got the small spoon and slotted spoon.

Logically, Ming Zhu and Peng Ze had the best tools to win, but they were too proper, rowing slowly. Yu Jing and Chen Chen, with great teamwork, won again.

Xie Haichao, in third, cursed them as cheaters.

The “cheater team” got a second hint card with two odd numbers: 300 and 3.

“What’s this mean?” Chen Chen was clueless.

Yu Jing paused, then snapped her fingers. “It’s DIO cocktail!”

[How’d she guess that? I don’t get it.]

[Yu Jing’s kinda smart, huh.]

[Bet the crew leaked it. First hint was rainbow, second is numbers—how could she guess? Script’s too obvious.]

[I think it’s scripted too.]

“Did I get it right?” Yu Jing asked the camera.

Off-camera, Yang Ming gave an approving smile and nodded.

“Holy crap!” Chen Chen, shocked, glanced at the DIO cocktail displayed for advertising, then at Yu Jing. “How’d you figure it out?”

Yu Jing gestured for him to lean in and whispered, “During the break, my assistant drank one. I glanced at the label—300 for 300ml, 3 for alcohol content, rainbow for the seven colors. It matches DIO cocktail.”

It wasn’t really a “glance.” When Xiao Ye drank it, Yu Jing recalled Ming Zhu mentioning the drink was only 3% alcohol, so she studied it and remembered the details.

Chen Chen was thrilled. “Jingjing, you’re amazing! With you as my genius teammate, we’re winning this episode!”

Yu Jing smiled without a word.

They played two more games: a high-pressure water gun relay and a floating water ball transport.

These games tested strength. Among the six, the burly Xie Haichao had the edge, winning both times, earning two hint cards: one saying “letter,” the other “on-site.” Xiao Yihuan, sharp-eyed, spotted the DIO cocktail on-site and guessed the treasure.

In the final treasure hunt, Ming Zhu and Peng Ze, with only one hint card, didn’t know the treasure. Peng Ze was too shy to ask the other teams, while Ming Zhu seemed unbothered.

The live stream chat criticized Ming Zhu’s lack of variety show charm, some even saying she shouldn’t return.

The treasure was on a ten-meter sloped platform, not too steep but constantly washed with water, making climbing tough. Besides the DIO cocktail, other items were placed to confuse. Only the first team to grab the correct treasure would win.

Yang Ming signaled the start, and the six scrambled up, not just climbing but blocking others.

Chen Chen and Xie Haichao, both male Alphas, started fighting. Xiao Yihuan and Peng Ze, the sweet Omegas, held each other back. Yu Jing instinctively looked for Ming Zhu, seeing her ahead, and thought, Not good.

Ignoring Chen Chen, she dodged the water, climbed up, grabbed Ming Zhu’s slim ankle, and yanked.

Ming Zhu didn’t even look back, pulled down by the force.

Yu Jing let go immediately, but Ming Zhu’s sliding body crashed into her. The momentum and slippery water made Yu Jing wobble. She flailed, grabbing Ming Zhu again.

Tangled together, they slid down the slope with a whoosh.

Thud—

To prevent injuries, the platform’s base had thick padding over a hollow layer. They hit the padding, but the force flipped it open, and they crashed into the hollow space with another thud.

Yu Jing felt dizzy, landing on a “soft cushion”—Ming Zhu’s body.

Ming Zhu let out a muffled groan.

In the dim light, Yu Jing met her gaze, dazed, not grasping the situation.

Noticing their tangled position, Ming Zhu frowned, trying to push her off.

Yu Jing, focused on the treasure, didn’t care. She grabbed Ming Zhu’s shoulders, pressing her down.

Ming Zhu, rarely riled, flipped her over with a bit of force.

Yu Jing, a frail Omega, was no match. Out of strength, she wrapped her arms and legs around Ming Zhu, and they rolled into a tangle.

The small space was wet and hot. After a few rolls, Yu Jing was sweaty, hair in her eyes. She tried to sit up to wipe it, but Ming Zhu grabbed her neck, pulling her down.

Caught off guard, Yu Jing’s chin hit Ming Zhu’s slim shoulder, pain making her want to curse. Struggling, her nose caught a familiar scent.

That cool, unique tea fragrance wafted subtly from the woman’s graceful, pale neck.

It was pheromones leaking after intense movement…

Both realized it quickly.

Ming Zhu tried to suppress her pheromones.

Yu Jing, hooked by the cool scent, wanted to smell more—

Ming Zhu, unsure of her intent, felt the girl’s warm breath on her sensitive neck. Her face changed, and she turned away instinctively.

Trying to dodge the closeness, her cheek accidentally brushed something soft. Ming Zhu froze.

Yu Jing, lost in the pheromones, flinched.

Pulling back slightly, in the dim light, she saw a lip print on Ming Zhu’s cheek. Her pupils shook.

She… kissed her?

Her gaze met Ming Zhu’s complex, unreadable eyes. Yu Jing swallowed, saying softly, “Why glare at me… You leaned in for me to kiss.”