Failed to Pretend to Be an Alpha and Got Marked by the Enemy (ABO, GL) - Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Yu Jing thought that someone like Ming Zhu would never lie, but she didn’t expect her to say such words in front of so many people without batting an eye.

—“My cat at home bit me.”

Others might not have thought much of it, but Yu Jing, who knew the truth, felt utterly embarrassed.

While feeling embarrassed, she wondered what Ming Zhu meant by it.

Did she say it on purpose to make her misunderstand?

It was clearly Yu Jing who bit her, yet Ming Zhu deliberately said it was a cat, even adding the word “home,” which felt ambiguous no matter how she thought about it.

Could it be that Ming Zhu had feelings for her…?

Before Yu Jing could sort out these complicated thoughts, she suddenly heard the editor-in-chief ask, “Teacher Ming Zhu, you keep a cat?”

Yu Jing quickly looked back.

Everyone’s eyes were on Ming Zhu. Ming Zhu’s expression remained unchanged, gazing at the girl’s wide eyes. Noticing the slightly pink tips of her ears hidden in her soft hair, Ming Zhu felt a stir in her heart. She turned her head, looked at the editor-in-chief who asked the question, and said calmly, “Yes, I have a white cat at home.”

“I see.” The editor-in-chief glanced at the faint pink mark on her neck and sighed, “That cat seems a bit fierce, biting people like that.”

Ming Zhu didn’t respond, her gaze casually sweeping over Yu Jing’s face.

Yu Jing avoided her eyes, feeling a bit awkward.

The editor-in-chief’s words gave Yu Jing an important hint. She suddenly remembered that Ming Zhu’s WeChat profile picture was a cute white cat. So, it was really Ming Zhu’s pet.

So, the cat Ming Zhu mentioned actually existed, and wasn’t referring to her…

Yu Jing realized she had been overthinking again. She scratched her hair to cover it up, not daring to look at Ming Zhu. She pulled her head back, stood straight, and didn’t dare move around anymore.

Lu Han seemed very interested in the mark on Ming Zhu’s neck. He propped his chin, stared at it for a long time with curiosity, then wandered between Yu Jing and Ming Zhu. A subtle expression appeared on his thoughtful face.

The editor-in-chief, always attentive to Lu Han’s reactions, hurriedly asked, “Teacher Lü, do you have an idea?”

Lu Han smirked mysteriously, not answering directly. He strolled to the clothing rack and started picking out clothes.

The flashy outfits didn’t seem to catch his eye. Lu Han flipped through them with disdain for a while, finally picking out two thin shirts, one black and one white.

Holding one in each hand, he walked over slowly, held the white one up to Yu Jing, then the black one to Ming Zhu, nodded with satisfaction, and said, “Let them change into these first.”

Lu Han was too vague, so the editor-in-chief couldn’t help asking, “Teacher Lü, is there anything specific about the clothes?”

Lu Han gave Yu Jing and Ming Zhu another sharp look, squinting slightly, and said casually, “Black suits Ming Zhu, and it matches her pants today, so no need to change those. Find her a black camisole to wear underneath. For Yu Jing… get her some invisible underwear. This shirt is long enough, no need for pants.”

The editor-in-chief nodded in understanding.

Lu Han didn’t want to say more. He tossed the two shirts to an assistant nearby, put his hands in his pockets, and left.

The editor-in-chief immediately followed Lu Han’s instructions, getting a black camisole and invisible underwear, then took the two shirts from the assistant. Smiling at Yu Jing and Ming Zhu, she said, “Teachers, please change first. We’ll do makeup after.”

Yu Jing curved her lips, very cooperative, “Okay.”

Ming Zhu nodded.

Four makeup artists were still in the room. The editor-in-chief signaled them to leave first, clearing the space for Yu Jing and Ming Zhu to change.

In the end, only the two of them remained in the dressing room.

Yu Jing picked up the white shirt she needed to change into, looked around, and after a while, realized there wasn’t a separate changing area. She froze, “How do we change?”

Ming Zhu also noticed the issue, her delicate brows slightly furrowing.

The editor-in-chief probably assumed they were both Alphas, so she thought it wasn’t a problem for them to change in the same space. But the reality was, Yu Jing was an Omega.

Yu Jing realized this too. She couldn’t go out and tell the editor-in-chief that they were different genders and ask for another place. So, to avoid revealing anything, she had to change with Ming Zhu in the room.

But there were no partitions, which made it tricky. Yu Jing’s expression was quite conflicted.

Of course, Ming Zhu wouldn’t take advantage of Yu Jing. Seeing her holding the clothes with a helpless look, Ming Zhu paused for a moment, quickly turned her head, and spotted the rows of hanging clothes, getting an idea.

“You change over there,” Ming Zhu pointed at the clothes for Yu Jing to see.

Yu Jing followed her gesture, hesitating as she considered it.

Those clothes were the only cover in the room, but the rack’s height could barely cover her chest. One wrong move could expose her, and it wasn’t completely safe… She sneaked a glance at Ming Zhu, who was half a head taller than her.

Sensing her gaze, Ming Zhu looked over, meeting Yu Jing’s slightly guarded eyes. Guessing her concern, Ming Zhu’s lips moved slightly, and she silently turned her back.

Yu Jing still felt uneasy, staring at Ming Zhu’s back, hesitating as she said, “Don’t turn around unless I say so, okay?”

“…” Ming Zhu’s tone was helpless, “Do you really trust me that little?”

Yu Jing was at a loss for words.

She suddenly remembered that in Bishui Town, Ming Zhu didn’t do anything to her even during her heat. How could she possibly peek while she changed?

Yu Jing felt ashamed of her petty thoughts for a second, stopped hesitating, grabbed the white shirt, went behind the rows of clothes, and started undressing.

She was wearing a light yellow dress today. Luckily, the zipper was on the side. If it had been on the back, it would’ve been troublesome—she couldn’t exactly ask Ming Zhu to help.

The dressing room wasn’t big, and the rustling sound of fabric rubbing was clear.

Ming Zhu suddenly realized that not seeing didn’t make her a saint. She couldn’t see what was happening behind her, but her ears amplified the sounds several times. Hearing the sound of the zipper, her mind instantly pictured the girl reaching to unzip her dress…

Her breathing faltered.

Knowing it was inappropriate, Ming Zhu quickly shook off the unwanted images, focused her mind, raised her hands, and covered her ears.

Unable to see or hear, Ming Zhu slowly steadied her breathing, calming down.

After some time passed.

Yu Jing finished changing, hurriedly adjusted her clothes, stood up straight, and looked up to see Ming Zhu’s slim, upright back. She couldn’t help but want to laugh, feeling a warmth inside.

Ming Zhu’s character was really trustworthy—she said she wouldn’t turn, and she didn’t.

“I’m done,” Yu Jing called out to her.

Ming Zhu seemed not to hear.

Yu Jing had to walk around the clothes rack to her side, noticing Ming Zhu’s head slightly lowered, hands still covering her ears. No wonder she couldn’t hear.

But why cover her ears?

Yu Jing didn’t understand. Before she could figure it out, she saw Ming Zhu’s shadow on the floor move, and Ming Zhu suddenly turned around. Their eyes met.

Yu Jing smiled at her.

Ming Zhu’s expression was calm at first, but when her gaze landed on Yu Jing’s odd outfit, she frowned, “Didn’t you change?”

Yu Jing’s expression turned awkward. She had changed into the white shirt but realized it was a back-button design, and she couldn’t fasten it. Too shy to ask Ming Zhu for help, she wrapped her dress around herself, planning to ask the editor’s assistant, who was also an Omega, to help later.

She stammered an explanation.

Ming Zhu understood, aware of the Alpha-Omega difference, and didn’t offer to help. She picked up the black shirt and walked toward the clothes rack.

Yu Jing, like Ming Zhu earlier, consciously turned her back.

The dress wrapped around her looked awkward no matter how you saw it. Yu Jing had just thrown it on casually. Spotting a mirror nearby, she wanted to tidy up in front of it.

She turned slightly, and in the mirror, she saw a stunning, slender bare back. Her eyes widened.

After staring for a full five seconds, Yu Jing realized it was Ming Zhu changing. Her mind buzzed, and she instinctively stepped back.

Not paying attention, her heel hit a chair by the makeup table, making a sharp screech as the chair legs scraped the floor, causing Ming Zhu to look over.

!!!

Their eyes unintentionally met in the mirror—one calm, the other panicked.

Yu Jing hadn’t expected to be caught. Trying to cover it up, she shielded her eyes, so embarrassed she wished she could disappear into the floor.

A flicker of surprise crossed Ming Zhu’s composed face. From a distance, she saw the girl’s ears gradually turning red. Pressing her lips, she steadied herself, shook out the thin camisole, and put it on.

After the camisole, she put on the shirt, moving faster than Yu Jing.

Hearing footsteps behind her, Yu Jing’s heart still pounded. Too shy to turn around, she lowered her hands, hunched her shoulders, and mumbled through clenched teeth, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

She really hadn’t meant to peek; she just wanted to look in the mirror. How could she have known it would show such a provocative scene…

Ming Zhu believed it wasn’t intentional. Seeing Yu Jing’s ears growing redder, she zoned out for a moment, recalling something from long ago.

During their first shoot in City A, Yu Jing had accidentally seen her bare back the same way.

This was the second time Yu Jing had gotten the upper hand.

Ming Zhu hadn’t done anything to her, yet she’d been thoroughly seen.

Feeling an indescribable mix of emotions, Ming Zhu sighed inwardly, not wanting to blame her or dwell on it. Clearing her throat, she changed the subject, “I’m going to open the door.”

Yu Jing nodded meekly, watching her walk to unlock it, taking deep breaths to quickly calm herself before the others returned.

Amid the crowd’s chaos, Yu Jing hurried to the editor’s assistant, asking her to fasten the back buttons. The soft-spoken assistant didn’t ask why she didn’t have Ming Zhu help and quickly fastened them.

Lu Han walked in with an unlit cigarette in his mouth. Seeing they’d both changed, he didn’t say much, waved his hand, and signaled the makeup artists to start.

Yu Jing and Ming Zhu sat on opposite sides of the mirror, with two makeup artists behind them. Lu Han directed, “Keep the makeup natural. Don’t let the powders hide their features’ strengths.”

His words were subtle, but anyone with ears could tell he was praising their good looks.

The two makeup artists were experienced, having done makeup for many celebrities, but none had features as stunning as Yu Jing and Ming Zhu, leaving them unsure where to start.

Lu Han studied Yu Jing’s beautiful peach-blossom eyes, noticing a faint mole at the corner of her right eye. Inspired, he told the makeup artist, “Put a rhinestone there.”

The makeup artist gave an “OK” gesture.

“For her lips,” Lu Han stared at Yu Jing’s diamond-shaped lips like he was admiring art, instructing the makeup artist, “Don’t cover them fully. Use lipstick or pigment to make them look bloodthirsty.”

“Bloodthirsty?” The makeup artist didn’t quite understand.

Lu Han clicked his tongue, annoyed, “Like a vampire, got it?”

The makeup artist nodded quickly.

No one knew Lu Han’s true intentions. Yu Jing was also confused but stayed quiet, sitting obediently as they worked on her.

After directing Yu Jing’s side, Lu Han moved to Ming Zhu.

Ming Zhu’s features were exceptional. Unlike Yu Jing’s lively charm, Ming Zhu had a mature allure, with deep, defined features, a cool and ethereal aura, strikingly beautiful and flawless.

But Lu Han was eccentric—the more perfect something was, the more he wanted to disrupt it. He stopped the makeup artist from powdering Ming Zhu’s face, grinned wickedly, and said, “No makeup for her.”

The makeup artist was stunned, “None at all?”

“Right,” Lu Han said confidently, “Her skin texture is great, no need for foundation. Just smear some lipstick on her left cheek, like spilled paint, to make it look messy.”

The makeup artist doubted whether such minimal makeup would look good on camera.

But no one dared question Lu Han, so the makeup artist followed his instructions.

Ming Zhu remained unfazed throughout, eyes lowered as if in a daze.

Until Lu Han pointed at the faint mark on her neck and said, “Make that wound look bloody.”

Ming Zhu lifted her eyelids, watching the makeup artist dip a brush in red pigment and carefully apply it to her neck. Her emotions stirred slightly.

She seemed to grasp Lu Han’s idea.

Since Lu Han felt both artists didn’t need heavy makeup, the process took less than an hour from start to finish. Satisfied with Yu Jing and Ming Zhu’s completed looks, he said cheerfully to the editor-in-chief, “It’s done. To the studio.”

The editor-in-chief hurriedly led the way.

Yu Jing and Ming Zhu, who’d been sitting for a while, could only see their own makeup. When they left the makeup table and saw each other’s looks, their eyes lit up with amazement.

Yu Jing wore a pure white shirt with light makeup. The artist focused on her eyes and lips: a rhinestone at her eye corner sparkled under the lights, making her peach-blossom eyes lively and captivating; her full lips parted slightly, a touch of red bl00d spreading from them, like an elf who’d just fed.

Ming Zhu was dressed in deep black, her skin pale as porcelain, with a smear of red on her cheek, like bl00d from a prank or a stolen kiss.

Yu Jing stared blankly at the red on Ming Zhu’s face, her mind flashing back to their first shoot’s accidental kiss: she’d kissed Ming Zhu’s cheek by mistake, tried to wipe it off in the dim light, but instead smeared it further.

This scene perfectly mirrored that one!

Recalling that moment, Yu Jing’s face burned, and she hurriedly looked away, only to see the bloody wound on Ming Zhu’s neck, her pupils widening.

The bl00d spread, teeth marks clear, as if… Yu Jing had just bitten her.

The wound looked so real, it made her bl00d race, urging her to pounce and lick it clean.

Yu Jing swallowed hard.

“Stop staring, let’s go,” a cool voice said softly.

Yu Jing quickly pulled back her step forward, looked up, and met Ming Zhu’s unreadable gaze, instantly snapping out of it.

Feeling caught, she awkwardly turned her head, shifted her steps, and followed the group out of the dressing room.

The group marched to the studio.

The studio was a closed space, with blinding magnesium lights focused on the shooting area, making it stuffy and hot.

Lu Han wasn’t satisfied with the lighting and went to adjust it himself. A new staff member fumbled, unable to get it right, and Lu Han snapped, “I said dim it, not turn it off! Can’t you understand?”

The newbie cowered, nearly in tears.

Lu Han wasn’t just unhappy with the lighting; he also disliked the props, cursing as he demanded they be replaced.

The editor-in-chief, head spinning, knew this photography master was tough. Smiling apologetically at Yu Jing and Ming Zhu, she said, “Sorry, teachers, rest for a bit. I’ll check what else Teacher Lü needs.”

Yu Jing grinned, “Okay.”

The editor’s assistant quickly brought them two chairs.

As Yu Jing sat down, a loud “crash” rang out. She looked over.

The newbie, rattled by Lu Han’s scolding, had accidentally knocked over a decorative vase while moving props. Shards scattered on the floor. Shocked and scared, she squatted down, crying.

Lu Han, irritated, pointed at the sobbing newbie and told the editor-in-chief, “Is your magazine’s hiring bar this low? Why hire someone so useless?”

Not daring to upset Lu Han, the editor-in-chief pulled the newbie up, sighing, “Go outside. We don’t need you here for now.”

The newbie, sniffling and wiping tears, ran out.

As she passed, Yu Jing saw the cut on her hand from the shards, frowned, and stood up abruptly.

Before Ming Zhu could react, she saw Yu Jing chase after the newbie.

What was going on?

Ming Zhu hesitated for a moment, then stood and followed.

Outside the studio, the dazzling girl in white stood beside the crying newbie, speaking gently, “It’s okay. Just be more careful next time. Don’t be sad.”

Tears streamed down the newbie’s face as she said pitifully, “I’m not upset about being scolded. I just can’t stand him saying I’m useless. Am I really that useless?”

Seeing her tear-streaked face, Yu Jing’s expression softened. She said, somewhat off-topic, “When the editor-in-chief pulled you up, I saw you push a shard away with your hand because you were worried she’d step on it, right?”

The newbie stared at her, nodding repeatedly.

Yu Jing’s gaze swept over the cut on the newbie’s finger from moving the shard. Frowning slightly, she said softly, “You reacted quickly, you’re attentive, and so kind. Those are your strengths. Everyone has value. Don’t let someone’s harsh words make you doubt yourself.”

Moved by her words, the newbie’s tears stopped. She wiped her eyes, sniffed hard, and said, “I understand!”

Yu Jing smiled easily, patted her shoulder, and said, “Be confident. Believe in yourself.”

“Yes, yes!” The newbie nodded vigorously, her crying face turning into a smile. Looking at the person before her with wet eyes, she suddenly noticed how beautiful she was, with such stunning makeup. This actress was named Yu Jing, right? The newbie silently memorized her name, her face flushing slightly as she said shyly, “Thank you.”

Yu Jing smiled warmly, worried about delaying the shoot. As she turned, she saw Ming Zhu standing not far behind her.

Ming Zhu leaned against the wall. When Yu Jing looked over, she slowly straightened, her eyes showing curiosity. She hadn’t expected Yu Jing to run out to comfort the newbie.

Yu Jing wasn’t surprised to see her, walking over calmly and tilting her head, “Why’d you come out too?”

Ming Zhu looked down at her, feeling an odd sensation, her tone softening, “You’re quite kind.”

Yu Jing knew she meant the comforting. Shrugging, she said, “I just think a couple of criticisms for a mistake is fine. Personal attacks are too much. That Lu Han, who does he think he is… mmph?”

Before she could finish, a hand covered her mouth. She widened her eyes at Ming Zhu.

Ming Zhu’s cool palm pressed against her lips, only realizing what she’d done when she felt the softness. She quickly let go.

Yu Jing’s mouth parted slightly.

Meeting her confused gaze, Ming Zhu’s expression shifted, and she explained quietly, “That guy has a bad temper. Be careful he doesn’t hear and scold you.”

Yu Jing blinked, realizing she’d almost said something reckless.

Ming Zhu was right—she was a nobody, while Lu Han was an internationally renowned photographer. Their statuses weren’t equal, so she should be cautious.

Ming Zhu was trying to stop her from getting into trouble.

Yu Jing gave Ming Zhu a grateful look, then noticed her palm covered in red, her heart tightening, “Are you hurt?”

Hurt? Ming Zhu didn’t understand.

In a panic, Yu Jing grabbed her hand, looked closely, and saw no wound. The “bl00d” wasn’t bl00d—it was lipstick, rubbed off when Ming Zhu covered her mouth!

Realizing something, Yu Jing asked, “Is my lip makeup messed up?”

Ming Zhu looked at her “bloody” palm, then at Yu Jing’s noticeably faded lips, paused, and nodded.

Yu Jing clicked her tongue, wrinkled her nose, and huffed, “He’s definitely going to scold me.”

The girl looked fearless, as if she wasn’t scared at all.

Ming Zhu stared at her for a few seconds, flipped her wrist, gently squeezed her palm, and said softly, “If he dares scold you, I’ll definitely scold him back.”