Failed to Pretend to Be an Alpha and Got Marked by the Enemy (ABO, GL) - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

“Hahahaha—”

A girl’s crisp, bright laughter spilled from the opposite room, piercing through the door, smug and unrestrained.

Zhou Qi, holding the room key, paused, turned, and glanced at the door shaken by the laughter. Her gaze returned to her artist, whose face was taut, betraying no hint of emotion. She smirked, “That kid’s pretty cocky.”

The laughter kept assaulting their ears. Ming Zhu’s smooth brow furrowed slightly, then relaxed. She took the key, swiped it, and pushed the door open without looking back. “Maybe she’s got someone backing her. Being cocky’s normal.”

Zhou Qi cautiously glanced around, ensuring no one overheard, then followed, closing and locking the door. Out of nowhere, she said, “I heard Jiacheng’s also invested in this show.”

Ming Zhu, changing shoes, hummed, “Mm.”

“So she and that Jiacheng guy…”

“That’s her business.” Ming Zhu cut her off coolly. “I don’t care to know.”

Seeing no ripple in Ming Zhu’s eyes, Zhou Qi dropped her gossip, switching tactics. “I know you don’t like her, so I’m worried about tomorrow’s shoot.”

Ming Zhu neatly arranged her shoes, straightened, and looked at her seriously. “Nothing to worry about. I’ll follow the director’s lead and won’t let personal feelings affect work.”

“I’m not doubting your professionalism. I just wonder if Yu Jing will deliberately make things hard for you,” Zhou Qi said. “Her fans are fierce. I’m afraid you’ll get dragged again.”

Ming Zhu gave a tepid laugh. “Let them drag me. I don’t see it.”

Her nonchalant tone was as casual as talking about what to eat.

Recalling Ming Zhu’s years-long indifference to public opinion, Zhou Qi realized her worry was pointless.

Before leaving, Xiao Ya had given them a filming schedule. Zhou Qi studied it, then looked at Ming Zhu’s profile—rarely showing personal emotion outside acting. After a quiet moment, she said, “Making you do a reality show, that’s tough on you.”

Ming Zhu, pushing her suitcase inside, finally showed a flicker of emotion at the words, eyes half-lowered. “Teacher Yang Fan gave me my big break. This is his first time asking for a favor. I couldn’t say no.”

Zhou Qi knew she’d taken this show reluctantly, a done deal. No point saying more. She just patted her shoulder encouragingly.

The artist’s room was a single with a king bed. After discussing the schedule, Zhou Qi left, closing the door. She glanced at 1504 across the hall.

Behind that door, Yu Jing was laughing so hard she shook, pounding the wall, gloating, “Did you see? I called her old, and her face went dark! Hahahaha, too funny, laugh with me!”

Xiao Ye couldn’t laugh, still rattled by their earlier standoff. “You provoked her like that, and she released pheromones. I bet she wanted to suppress you with them!”

Yu Jing’s grin, stretching ear to ear, vanished. Stunned, she said, “She released pheromones?”

Xiao Ye nodded rapidly. “Just a little. Maybe she realized you haven’t differentiated, so you couldn’t smell or be affected, and pulled back.”

Yu Jing’s mouth went from an “o” to a wide “O.”

Caught up in watching Ming Zhu’s reaction to her jab, Yu Jing hadn’t noticed anything else.

Pheromones are deeply private. Except during an Alpha’s susceptible period or an Omega’s heat, when control is tough, they’re usually restrained. Alphas and Omegas might leak pheromones after intense exercise, emotional spikes, or alcohol, but to avoid trouble, they use suppressants or blockers to mask them.

As a Beta, Xiao Ye could smell pheromones but wasn’t affected. As an undifferentiated soon-to-be Alpha, Yu Jing couldn’t smell them at all.

Unable to smell, she couldn’t tell if Ming Zhu’s pheromones slipped out from emotional turmoil or were an instinctive counter to her provocation.

Curious, she asked, “What’s her pheromone smell like?”

Xiao Ye thought back. “Dunno… Her Alpha manager released pheromones too. The scents mixed, and I couldn’t tell which was Ming Zhu’s.”

Betas aren’t very sensitive to pheromones. Yu Jing didn’t get the answer she wanted and didn’t press.

She was glad she couldn’t smell, figuring Ming Zhu’s pheromones were probably as annoying as her—maybe durian or armpit stench.

Ew, gross.

Yu Jing gagged again, hand on her chest, suddenly feeling down.

Among the three genders, Alphas differentiate latest, usually by eighteen. But Yu Jing, months from twenty, still hadn’t.

She’d gotten checkups the past two years. The doctor’s feedback was consistent: malnutrition caused low differentiation hormones, delaying it.

Not differentiating didn’t disrupt her life, but knowing Ming Zhu was a mature Alpha made her feel outdone, fueling an urgent need to differentiate.

After this shoot, she’d get a full checkup.

“Weird, why’s Ming Zhu doing a reality show?” Xiao Ye suddenly questioned.

Yu Jing’s drifting thoughts snapped back. She looked at Xiao Ye, puzzled by the same question, thinking it over.

She couldn’t answer it, as she too couldn’t fathom why Ming Zhu was here.

The interruption killed her smug vibe. Maybe laughing too hard starved her brain of oxygen—she felt dizzy again, swaying against the wall.

Seeing this, Xiao Ye dropped the topic. “Lie down for a bit. I’ll wake you when it’s time.”

Yu Jing nodded.

Sticky and with Ming Zhu’s faint perfume in her hair—somehow picked up—she didn’t dwell on it. She showered in fifteen minutes, and her head barely hit the pillow before she was out.

When Xiao Ye woke her, she felt she hadn’t slept enough.

Like a wilted eggplant, she clung limply to the bed, unmoving.

Carsickness aftereffects were brutal. Two naps, and she was still exhausted, never wanting to feel this again.

Xiao Ye tugged at her, but she wouldn’t budge. Rarely seeing her so stubborn, she griped, “This isn’t Alpha at all. You’re like a frail Omega.”

!

Yu Jing shot up like a wild cat with its tail stepped on.

Seeing the taunt worked, Xiao Ye darted back before Yu Jing could swing, grinning. “Xiao Ya’s picking us up in half an hour. Go freshen up.”

Yu Jing glared, mustered all her energy, and got up to wash and change.

Looking pale, she reached for her powder, but Shen Jiayu called. She put it on speaker. “Jiayu-jie.”

Shen Jiayu, delayed by other matters, couldn’t join them. Hearing from Xiao Ye that Ming Zhu was the surprise guest, she called, worried, warning Yu Jing not to clash with Ming Zhu on the show and risk bad press.

Yu Jing, though new to the industry, knew the drill, agreeing and taking it to heart.

Shen Jiayu covered everything, then, remembering something, added, “Don’t respond to the Weibo controversies. Just focus on filming.”

Yu Jing hadn’t checked Weibo all day and didn’t know what was up. “What controversies?”

Shen Jiayu didn’t want to tell her, stressing sternly, “Just don’t bother with it. No responding, got it?”

Yu Jing’s curiosity flared, but she said she understood. The second the call ended, she opened Weibo.

On her homepage, her latest post had over 50,000 comments. She thought she’d logged into some A-lister’s account by mistake.

The post, sent before boarding to update fans, was five words:

Yu Jing V: “City A, I’m here!”

Opening the comments, she was floored.

[Heard Ming Zhu’s the surprise guest. Oh boy, two rivals on the same show—I can already see the carnage.]

[If it’s Ming Zhu, it’ll be a spectacle. Feels like the show’s stirring drama with their bad bl00d for hype.]

[Ming Zhu’s been low-key forever, doing stage plays quietly before dramas. Why’s she in the news so much lately? Trying to piggyback Yu Jing for fame?]

[It’s Yu Jing, the flop, shamelessly latching onto Ming Zhu. If Ming Zhu wanted fame, she wouldn’t have waited this long.]

[The show hasn’t even named the guest, and you’re all speculating. What if it’s not Ming Zhu? No need to pit them against each other. Yu Jing’s a flop, sure, but she hasn’t done anything shady in three years. Some rabid fans keep biting her, claiming she’s leeching Ming Zhu’s clout. I don’t see it.]

[Still denying it? If she’s not leeching, why’re her flop fans spamming Ming Zhu’s fan forum? Have some shame!]

[I bet a pack of spicy snacks it’s Ming Zhu. Can’t wait for two Alphas to duke it out on the show!]

[Two Alphas? That flop hasn’t differentiated yet. Probably an Omega hiding it, too scared to admit!]

[Mock all you want, but saying Yu Jing’s an Omega is brainless hate. She posted her genetic test on Weibo last year—99% chance she’s Alpha.]

[99% isn’t 100%. Maybe she’s that 1%. If she’s an Omega, Ming Zhu’d crush her in seconds, lol.]

Yu Jing admitted she was a nobody, less famous than Ming Zhu. She could tolerate claims of leeching off Ming Zhu’s clout.

But someone questioning if she was an Omega???

Bl00d rushing to her head, Yu Jing lost her cool, clutching her phone, ready to dive into the fray.

Knock, knock, knock—

The knock on the door halted her fiery impulse.

Xiao Ye ran to open it.

It was Xiao Ya, peeking in politely. “Is Teacher Yu Jing ready?”

Before Xiao Ye opened the door, Yu Jing had swiftly doused her anger. Her makeup wasn’t done, but it didn’t stop her from flashing a flawless smile, calmly saying, “Almost, can I finish my makeup?”

Xiao Ya smiled kindly. “Take your time, we’ve got a bit. Once you’re done, we’ll head out first.”

Yu Jing didn’t initially get what “first” meant until she left the room and noticed Xiao Ya wasn’t planning to knock on the opposite door. It clicked.

Probably didn’t want her and Ming Zhu leaving together to avoid awkwardness, so she’d go first?

Yu Jing was convinced Xiao Ya was a true fan, grateful for her thoughtfulness, sincerely saying, “You’re really…” nice.

Before the last word, her peripheral vision caught the opposite door opening. Yu Jing stopped short, looking up.

Seeing Zhou Qi and Ming Zhu step out, she froze.

Xiao Ya also saw them, her face shifting slightly, forcing a smile. “Teacher Ming Zhu, I hadn’t called you yet, how…”

Ming Zhu had changed into casual clothes—slim waist, long legs, hair loose. Bare-faced, yet striking.

Yu Jing couldn’t help glancing down at her own slightly overdone outfit, mentally comparing.

Before she could decide who won, that cool, unhurried voice said, “It’s 7:30. I figured we’d be late, so I was about to find you.”

Xiao Ya let out a flustered “ah,” shooting Yu Jing an apologetic look.

Yu Jing didn’t want her to feel bad, returning an understanding smile.

In the end, she left with Ming Zhu.

Waiting for the elevator, they stood on either side of Xiao Ya, a clear divide, neither speaking. The awkwardness could’ve carved out Mount Everest on the spot.

As the artist coordinator, Xiao Ya had to ease the tension. She glanced at Ming Zhu, staring coldly at the floor numbers, then at Yu Jing, lazily scrolling her phone. After weighing her options, she picked the more approachable Yu Jing, making small talk. “Teacher Yu Jing, you know the other guests’ names, right?”

Yu Jing liked this Omega coordinator and was happy to chat. Pocketing her phone, she smiled. “Yeah, I’ve filmed with Xiao Yihuan before. Only two Omegas among the six guests, right?”

“Yep.” Xiao Ya followed her lead. “Besides Xiao Yihuan and Peng Ze, one female, one male Omega, the other four are Alphas.”

That included Yu Jing, naturally.

True fans were different. Yu Jing was pleased Xiao Ya affirmed her as an Alpha, her lips curving into a smile.

But before the smile reached her eyes, a cool, skeptical voice cut in, “Undifferentiated doesn’t count as Alpha, does it?”

The light remark sliced into their lively chat, freezing Yu Jing and Xiao Ya.

Yu Jing’s gaze shot straight to Ming Zhu, seeing that impassive face that sparked conflict yet acted uninvolved. Her first thought: Is this her first time initiating a conversation?

Kind of rare.

But the novelty lasted a second before the anger she’d been suppressing flared up.

She was talking to Xiao Ya—why was Ming Zhu butting in?!

And what did she mean, undifferentiated doesn’t count???

Clear provocation!

Because Yu Jing had called her old, she was now retaliating out of spite?

Fine.

Clinging to the principle of never breaking character in front of fans, Yu Jing fought to contain her erupting rage, took a deep breath, and kept her tone restrained. “I got a genetic test at three, and two more in the last two years. All say I’m Alpha. Are you questioning the hospital’s authority?”

Most would sense Yu Jing’s suppressed frustration, but Ming Zhu clearly wasn’t most people.

She didn’t take the bait, as if she only meant to correct Xiao Ya’s loose wording. Her expression didn’t shift, nor did she argue. Her cold gaze swept over Yu Jing’s face, then drifted away lightly.

Ding— The elevator doors opened.

While others stood stunned, Ming Zhu stepped in first.

Fuming with nowhere to vent, Yu Jing stayed outside, gripping her phone tightly. Across the shallow gap of the elevator doors, her eyes locked on that impassive face, teeth clenched, silently conveying her resentment.

Just you wait.

Once she differentiated into a top-tier Alpha, she’d crush this annoying woman and those doubting haters into the ground!