Failed to Pretend to Be an Alpha and Got Marked by the Enemy (ABO, GL) - Chapter 25

Chapter 25

In the end, Yu Jing didn’t use the blocker. It felt too risky, like it might betray her secret if Ming Zhu saw it again. She locked it in her suitcase and didn’t touch it.

She quickly hung her clothes in the wardrobe, arranged her skincare and makeup on the nightstand, and carried her toiletries to the bathroom.

The bathroom was spacious, with a shower area and a large bathtub.

Looking at the shower, Yu Jing felt uneasy about sharing it with Ming Zhu.

She hoped no more accidents would happen.

After setting her things down, she left the bathroom and saw Ming Zhu making her bed.

Ming Zhu had removed the guesthouse’s white sheets, blanket, and pillowcase, setting them aside, and was methodically replacing them with her own slightly worn set.

Watching her practiced movements, Yu Jing thought this wasn’t her first time. She pursed her lips, thinking: Such a clean freak. No wonder she wouldn’t even shake my hand at last year’s red carpet misunderstanding.

Her bed was near the bathroom. Yu Jing leaned casually against the doorframe, staring openly for a while until Ming Zhu sensed it and looked up.

Their eyes met.

Ming Zhu’s gaze was calm, as if saying: What are you looking at?

Yu Jing wondered why she was staring—never seen someone change sheets before?

She straightened, glanced at the setting sun outside, and silently walked past the bed.

They had little to talk about, and staying in the room together was awkward. Yu Jing left, wandering the hallway, where she ran into Xiao Yihuan peeking downstairs.

“What’s up?” Yu Jing asked, approaching.

Xiao Yihuan rubbed her flat stomach. “I’m hungry. I asked Xiao Fang, and he said the rest of the crew hasn’t arrived, so no group dinner tonight. We’re on our own for food.”

Yu Jing recalled the guesthouse owner mentioning a downstairs kitchen where they could cook or have meals prepared.

She thought for a moment. “Let’s ask Brother Chao and the others what they want to eat.” They were seniors, after all.

Xiao Yihuan agreed happily.

They went to Xie Haichao and Chen Chen’s room for opinions. The two male Alphas said they were fine with anything.

They were about to ask Peng Ze.

Peng Ze had finished unpacking and, seeing them fret over dinner, had an idea. “If you don’t mind, want to eat at my place?”

Yu Jing and Xiao Yihuan exchanged glances.

Xiao Yihuan: “That’s too much trouble.”

Yu Jing: “Isn’t that a bother?”

Though they knew Peng Ze’s family was local, they weren’t that close yet, and visiting felt a bit forward.

Peng Ze, slightly embarrassed, clarified, “No, I mean my family’s restaurant. My parents run a skewer stall, open for over twenty years. Since you’re here, I want to show some hospitality… but if you don’t want to, that’s fine. It’s not anything special…”

Peng Ze was reserved, a bit self-conscious, and rarely spoke. His voice trailed off, ears red, fearing his offer would be rejected.

Yu Jing’s eyes lit up. “Your family sells skewers? I heard the snacks here are famous. Ze-ge, twenty years? The taste must be amazing!”

Xiao Yihuan swallowed, like a curious kitten. “What’s a skewer? I’ve never had one. I want to try!”

Peng Ze, surprised by their enthusiasm, relaxed, shyly explaining skewers to Xiao Yihuan and modestly saying the taste was decent.

“What about Brother Chao and Brother Chen…?”

“Free dinner? Count me in!” Chen Chen, overhearing from afar, clapped Peng Ze’s shoulder, grinning. “But Xiao Ze, I eat a lot. You sure I won’t bankrupt your place?”

Peng Ze, knowing it was a joke, grinned. “Brother Chen, eat all you want. We’ve got plenty.”

Xie Haichao, the oldest and most prominent, was easygoing and gave face to Peng Ze’s offer, waving grandly. “Let’s go!”

It wasn’t dinner time yet, but the bus ride had drained them, and Peng Ze’s restaurant was a ten-minute walk. The five decided to head out immediately.

Just before leaving, Peng Ze remembered, “Did we forget Ming Zhu?”

They looked at each other, realizing they had.

It wasn’t entirely their fault—Ming Zhu was so aloof, always staying out of sight, whether off-camera or during filming.

Everyone hesitated, eyes eventually landing on Yu Jing.

“…Why me?” Yu Jing sensed they wanted her to fetch Ming Zhu. She stiffened. “I’m not close to her.”

Xie Haichao, Chen Chen, Xiao Yihuan: Funny, neither are we.

No one wanted to approach the ice queen. As the host, Peng Ze volunteered. “I’ll tell her.”

He knocked on the door.

It opened in less than five seconds.

Ming Zhu, expecting Yu Jing, saw Peng Ze and her relaxed expression tightened, coolly asking, “Something up?”

Peng Ze, who’d partnered with her before but rarely talked, was chilled by her demeanor. He glanced at the group by the stairs, gave a dry laugh, and explained they were going to his family’s restaurant for skewers, asking if she’d join.

Following his gaze, Ming Zhu saw the group—Xie Haichao calm, Chen Chen joking, Xiao Yihuan gossiping, Yu Jing’s eyes flickering, avoiding hers.

Her slender fingers gripped the door, eyes lowering. After a moment, she told the expectant Peng Ze, “I’d probably ruin your appetite if I came.”

“Uh…” Peng Ze was stumped by her bluntness.

The group at the stairs exchanged glances.

The air froze with her words.

Ming Zhu reconsidered, softening her tone. “I don’t usually eat dinner. You guys go. Say hi to your parents for me.”

With that, Peng Ze couldn’t insist. He waved goodbye.

The electronic door clicked shut, her tall figure vanishing, leaving a cold air in the hallway.

Yu Jing stared at the door, a strange feeling stirring.

Three years in the industry, she’d met all kinds—nobodies like her, big names like Xie Haichao—but none like Ming Zhu, so out of place in this world.

What a weirdo.

She seemed to care about nothing.

Yu Jing couldn’t understand: If she was so “above it all,” why enter the messy entertainment industry?

Pure passion for acting?

Yu Jing knew nothing about her skills.

They’d never gotten along, so she’d avoided Ming Zhu’s wildly popular dramas. Now, she was a bit curious.

“Let’s go eat skewers at Xiao Ze’s!” Chen Chen’s lively voice snapped her back.

Yu Jing looked away from the door, glanced at the steps, steadied herself, and walked down.

Peng Ze said they’d eat at his restaurant, but the group felt it was rude to show up empty-handed. Passing a supermarket, they bought gifts, an assistant carrying a big bag, making Peng Ze feel awkward.

Xiao Ye had stayed back with an upset stomach, so Yu Jing carried her own—light tea leaves.

It wasn’t peak tourist season, so few outsiders were around. Locals lounged at their doorsteps, eyeing the stylish group but not recognizing them.

Yu Jing wasn’t disappointed; the serene setting made worldly fame feel irrelevant.

Peng Ze’s parents were a hardworking, kind couple. Knowing guests were coming, they’d prepared food and cleared a storage room for them to eat in.

Chen Chen scanned the carefully cleaned room, teasing, “Uncle and Auntie are so nice, giving us a VIP room.”

Peng’s dad gave a shy smile.

Peng’s mom, more outgoing, said, “Sorry if it’s not perfect.”

Xie Haichao ate a skewer, satisfied. “Auntie—no, I should call you Big Sis. You’re too kind. These skewers are so good I could eat the stick. You’re giving us all this amazing food—what more could we want?”

The couple smiled at each other.

With business to tend to and not wanting to disturb the youngsters, they chatted briefly and left.

Xie Haichao wasn’t exaggerating—the skewers were delicious, fresh, with a fragrant, non-greasy broth, unique in flavor, no wonder the shop thrived for over twenty years.

Before coming, Xiao Yihuan whispered to Yu Jing about watching her weight, but she caved to the tasty skewers, eating one while holding another.

Yu Jing, restricted from greasy food due to training, ate sparingly. Seeing Xiao Yihuan’s unladylike eating, she teased, “You’re an idol. Is eating like this okay?”

Xiao Yihuan, mouth stuffed, mumbled, “I can’t help it. Growing up, my parents banned street food. I had to sneak it. These skewers are heavenly!”

Yu Jing found her dramatic, wiping red oil from her mouth, laughing. “Your family’s strict.”

Xiao Yihuan’s tongue numbed by flavor, she rambled, “I was controlled my whole life. Once, I bought a pancake at a stall. Our driver saw and told my mom. She cut my allowance for a month—”

She stopped, tongue slipping.

Yu Jing, holding the used tissue, squinted. “Your driver?”

Xiao Yihuan: “Uh…”

Yu Jing reassessed the girl her age—fair, smooth skin, bubbly personality, plain clothes, no obvious signs.

But her words revealed much: chauffeured to school, strict upbringing—not an ordinary family.

Xiao Yihuan, realizing her slip, glanced at the three guys across, who weren’t listening, and relaxed, stammering to Yu Jing, “Well…”

Sensing she didn’t want to elaborate, Yu Jing changed tack. “My family was strict too. Now I’m free to do what I want.”

Xiao Yihuan smiled gratefully.

Yu Jing winked.

Everyone had secrets; not everything needed to be pried open.

Xie Haichao, unaware of their quiet exchange, raised a disposable cup. “This mulberry wine’s good. Want to try?”

The deep red wine smelled faintly of alcohol, sweet. Peng Ze said his dad brewed it, natural and pure. With no filming for two days, Yu Jing and Xiao Yihuan each poured a cup.

Xie Haichao thought his wife would love it, planning to make some himself, and told Peng Ze, “Ask your dad how he makes it.”

“Why not ask him now?” Peng Ze fetched his dad.

Peng’s dad, like his son, wasn’t talkative. After explaining, he started to leave but returned.

Everyone thought he had more to say.

He wiped his hands on his apron, picked up a cup, filled it, and raised it solemnly, looking at each person. “Last time you filmed in A City, my wife and I watched the livestream. Thanks for looking after Xiao Ze. This drink’s for you.”

Before they could stand or raise their cups, he downed it, patted Peng Ze’s shoulder, and left.

Peng Ze watched his dad’s slightly stooped back, wiping his eyes. After a moment, he turned, voice hoarse. “I haven’t been home in a year. They’ve aged so much.”

His words hit hard. Everyone stared at their mulberry wine, silent.

Yu Jing gripped her cup, some wine spilling. She stared, then drank it slowly.

Peng Ze, recovering, noticed the quiet table and felt bad. “Why aren’t you eating?”

Chen Chen, good at lightening moods, grabbed long-cooked skewers and shared them. “Eat, eat! The meat’s tough when it’s old.”

The table livened up.

Yu Jing bit into overcooked beef, choking on the spicy oil. Reaching for her cup, she found it empty, poured another full cup of mulberry wine, and drank.

Then another.

Xiao Yihuan, beside her, gaped. “Why’re you drinking so much?”

Yu Jing raised her cup, the colored plastic hiding her reddish eyes, smiling sadly. “It’s good.”

“Not that much!” Xiao Yihuan worried. “Your stomach okay?”

Yu Jing didn’t feel full, just dizzy.

Peng Ze, noticing her nonstop drinking, warned, “It’s sweet, but it’s still alcohol. Slow down, or you’ll get drunk.”

And then Yu Jing did get drunk.

Night crept over the charming town.

The high sky sparkled with stars, twinkling alongside the town’s lights reflecting on the lake. The climate was mild; though summer, the evening wasn’t stifling. A cool breeze carried an unknown floral scent, soothing the heat.

Yu Jing, head on Xiao Yihuan’s shoulder, hummed comfortably.

Her mind foggy, she forgot whether she was Alpha or Omega. Instinct told her Xiao Yihuan was like her, so she ignored propriety, slumping softly against her.

Xiao Yihuan felt awkward, thinking Alpha-Omega boundaries should push her away, but seeing Yu Jing’s dazed, flushed face, she held back.

Why fuss with a drunk person? Besides, Yu Jing was just leaning, doing nothing else.

Peng Ze shook his head. “Told you not to drink so fast.”

Yu Jing peeked at him, smiling.

Chen Chen teased, “You’ll be my teammate this episode, right?”

Yu Jing frowned. “You got that backward.”

Chen Chen tsked. “Such a sharp memory. Pretending to be drunk?”

Yu Jing, dead serious: “I’m not drunk.”

Xie Haichao cut in sharply, “Drunk people never admit they’re drunk.”

Yu Jing just smiled.

…

In a second-floor guesthouse room, the window was wide open, a graceful figure by it.

The night breeze slipped in, stirring the curtains and the pages of an open book on the round table.

Ming Zhu’s slender fingers held the page’s edge, her usually impassive eyes focused on the text. She read slowly, word by word, turning pages infrequently.

Voices outside disrupted the quiet.

“She’s so drunk. Should we tell her assistant?”

—Peng Ze’s voice.

Ming Zhu’s gaze left the book, rubbing her brow, looking toward the sound.

The guesthouse’s warm yellow lamplight cast vague shadows below.

Who was drunk?

Ming Zhu’s narrow eyes squinted, unable to tell.

Then Xiao Yihuan said, “Her assistant’s not feeling well.”

Peng Ze: “What now?”

Xie Haichao: “She seems calm, not rowdy. Let’s get her to her room. She’ll be fine after sleeping.”

They helped an unsteady figure into the guesthouse, then disappeared.

Downstairs grew noisy—voices, footsteps climbing, nearing, stopping at the door.

*Knock, knock, knock—*

A polite knock. Ming Zhu set her half-read book face-down, walking over.

She’d changed the room’s code and hadn’t told Yu Jing, thinking she was knocking because she couldn’t get in. Opening the door, she found three people.

Her gaze swept calmly over Xiao Yihuan and Chen Chen, landing on the girl between them, face hidden by hair. From her clothes and hair color, Ming Zhu recognized her roommate, her eyes narrowing. Recalling their words, she asked, “She’s drunk?”

“Yeah.” Xiao Yihuan, supporting Yu Jing’s arm, glanced at the unconscious girl, exasperated.

Chen Chen, who’d teased Yu Jing about faking, saw her now half-asleep and got serious. “We didn’t know she’d get drunk so easily, or we wouldn’t have let her drink so much.”

Ming Zhu’s brow furrowed slightly, stepping aside to let them in, pointing to Yu Jing’s bed.

Mindful of gender, Chen Chen set her down and left.

Xiao Yihuan stood by the bed, watching Yu Jing, brows knit, eyes closed, seemingly asleep. After a few minutes with no movement, she sighed and turned.

Ming Zhu, in a black dress, pale skin glowing, stood straight by the door, as if seeing them off.

Passing her, Xiao Yihuan hesitated, looked up, met her cool gaze, and faltered.

Ming Zhu: “Anything else?”

No impatience, but Xiao Yihuan felt uneasy, puffing her cheeks, voicing her worry. “You wouldn’t take advantage of her being drunk, would you?”

Ming Zhu’s brow creased, her tone colder. “Do I look like a villain?”

Xiao Yihuan faltered, realizing her question was awkward, and rubbed her nose. “Her assistant’s unwell, so we didn’t call her. If something happens tonight, you…”

She wanted to say, “Can you look after her?” but felt it was inappropriate.

After the hot search rumors, Xiao Yihuan had imagined things about them, but their past tension made her worry.

Would someone as aloof as Ming Zhu care for Yu Jing?

Xiao Yihuan bit her lip, glancing at Yu Jing, feeling stuck.

She wanted to help, but Alpha-Omega boundaries made it tricky.

Ming Zhu glanced at the small figure on the bed, reading Xiao Yihuan’s concern, and sighed softly. “Since we’re sharing a room, I won’t stand by.”

Xiao Yihuan looked back, surprised.

Ming Zhu’s eyes were open, honest.

After a five-second stare, Xiao Yihuan’s worries miraculously vanished!

She didn’t know their conflict, but Ming Zhu’s demeanor and tone felt reliable.

Like in the last episode, when asked to yield, Ming Zhu did so without fuss.

Though baseless, Xiao Yihuan trusted she’d follow through, her eyes curving as she smiled. “Then Jingjing’s in your hands!”

Ming Zhu nodded slightly.

Xiao Yihuan bounced back to her room.

Ming Zhu closed the door.

The air slowed, and she caught a faint, sweet alcohol scent.

Standing at the bed’s foot, she looked at the girl lying quietly.

Her fluffy hair spread messily over the pillow, her flushed face buried in her arm, hugging the blanket, body curled like an insecure kitten.

Her breathing was soft, chest rising slightly—she was asleep.

So calm, she probably didn’t need care.

Ming Zhu gathered her hair over her shoulder, turning to shower, feeling at ease.

“It hurts…”

A faint, dreamlike murmur came from behind, soft as a kitten’s whimper.

Ming Zhu’s steps froze, turning to see the girl awake.

“…”

One glance, and Ming Zhu knew she was drunk. Sober, she’d never look at her so unguarded.

Her claws retracted, she nestled obediently in the blanket, her hazy eyes pitiful, lips moving silently.

Unable to read her lips, Ming Zhu tilted her head, asking softly, “Want water?”

Yu Jing neither nodded nor shook her head, just stared, lips murmuring again.

Ming Zhu, at a loss, approached, squatting by the bed, leaning in. “What did you say?”

Her words barely out, the hand resting on the bed was gripped by a small, soft one.

Ming Zhu’s eyes shook, instinctively pulling back.

The girl’s fingers tightened, her voice weak. “It hurts so much.”

Ming Zhu froze, thinking she’d hurt her by pulling. She stopped moving. “Where does it hurt?”

“Hand, foot, neck, head—it hurts, hurts…” Drunk, the girl babbled, pulling Ming Zhu’s hand to various spots, as if wanting her to soothe the “pain.”

Ming Zhu’s eyes widened, flustered by her unguarded actions. Each time she tried to pull back, Yu Jing whimpered in pain.

It was hard to bear.

Ming Zhu softened, giving up resistance, staring at her pained face, voice gentler. “Yu Jing, what’s wrong?”

Yu Jing’s head thrashed on the pillow, like she’d found a savior, gripping her hand tightly, rambling, “No… don’t jump… I’m scared… it hurts… save me…”

Her cries, like a dying animal’s, made Ming Zhu’s heart clench.

Was she having a nightmare?

Or reliving some past trauma?

Ming Zhu felt this wasn’t right.

A drunk person might not know what they’re doing or saying, but she didn’t want to pry into her privacy.

Never facing such a tricky situation, Ming Zhu looked at her anguished face, hesitating before asking, “What should I do to stop the pain?”

The girl’s eyes brightened, guiding her hand to her forehead. “Blow on it.”

“…What?” Ming Zhu wasn’t sure she heard right.

The girl smiled sweetly, whining, “Blow on it, and it won’t hurt.”