Failed to Pretend to Be an Alpha and Got Marked by the Enemy (ABO, GL) - Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Yu Jing had never been so close to a woman of a different attribute while fully awake…

So close that she could hear slightly rapid breathing and heartbeats pounding like drums, intertwining chaotically, indistinguishable as to which was hers and which was Ming Zhu’s.

She thought she had fully immersed herself in the role, but when she met Ming Zhu’s desire-filled eyes, her fiercely beating heart suddenly skipped half a beat.

Click—the shutter sound was like a warning bell.

Yu Jing remembered they were still shooting. She steadied her mind, summoning every ounce of her professionalism to perfectly manage her facial expression without letting it collapse.

She continued to obediently lie in Ming Zhu’s arms, smiling freely on her face, like a little villain trying to tempt someone into crime.

She was clearly very successful.

Ming Zhu’s eyes grew darker. Those usually cold, indifferent eyes now seemed as deep as the ocean, quietly gazing at her. The hand on her waist slowly tightened, as if wanting to meld her into her body, to become one. But mindful of others present, she had to restrain that intense emotion.

Reckless or restrained, Ming Zhu conveyed both conflicting emotions perfectly with just one look.

Yang Fan had once praised Ming Zhu, saying she was a natural-born actress. So she could deceive everyone with her facade, and no one could tell whether she was acting or revealing her true emotions.

Lu Han was very satisfied with their performance.

Before the official shoot, he had only briefly described the state he wanted, worrying that since both were Alphas, they couldn’t achieve the effect he desired. Unexpectedly, the lens captured such strong chemistry between them!

One was bold and unrestrained, the other restrained and enduring—a clash of youth and maturity, perfectly harmonious.

“Good, don’t move.” Lu Han’s slightly trembling fingers as he pressed the shutter revealed his excitement. Holding the DSLR, he circled the bed, capturing them from every angle.

After taking dozens of shots, Lu Han lowered the camera and said to the two posing on the bed, “OK, this version is done.”

As soon as Lu Han spoke, Yu Jing slipped out of Ming Zhu’s embrace like an eel.

Ming Zhu’s hands remained outstretched, her expression blank for a moment as she watched the girl nimbly dart away.

The bed creaked loudly, making Yu Jing’s heart race. After retreating, she didn’t dare move, sitting quietly half a meter from Ming Zhu, sneaking a glance at her.

Ming Zhu lowered her empty arms, the darkness in her eyes fading instantly. She looked at Yu Jing calmly, as if nothing had happened.

Seeing how quickly Ming Zhu regained her composure, Yu Jing was utterly impressed.

In and out of character in a second—actors like them were amazing!

Yu Jing’s heart, however, was a jumbled mess. Compared to Ming Zhu, she felt so weak. She reached back to gather her half-open shirt, shifting her gaze to Lu Han.

They were shooting two versions: one for the cover, one for the back. Yu Jing wasn’t sure which they had just shot, but based on the “homework” she studied last night, the scale of that shoot was only average.

The next one might be even more intense…

This shoot was definitely the most challenging task Yu Jing had faced in her three years in the industry. Suppressing her inner unease, she saw Lu Han take a thin white blanket from a staff member, and her nerves immediately tensed.

Lu Han shook out the blanket and pointed at them. “Next, shoot lying down. Yu Jing on the bottom, Ming Zhu on top.”

“…”

“…”

Lying on the hard iron bed, Yu Jing was still dazed.

The magnesium lights were too strong, shining directly into her eyes. She shielded them with her hand and, through her fingers, saw Ming Zhu slowly leaning down toward her. Her heart started pounding.

Ming Zhu didn’t fully press down on her, propping herself up with both hands on the bed, leaving an arm’s gap between their bodies.

Ming Zhu blocked the harsh light, but Yu Jing felt even more uncomfortable.

This ambiguous position was pushing her limits. Her heart was in a frenzy, yet Ming Zhu seemed completely unaffected, still so calm, her eyes serene as water. She gently pressed down Yu Jing’s raised hand.

Yu Jing held her breath, afraid Ming Zhu would hear her irregular heartbeat.

Lu Han draped the thin blanket over Ming Zhu and looked down at them. “Yu Jing, pull your shirt down a bit to fully expose your collarbone and shoulders.”

“Okay…” Yu Jing grabbed the white shirt and tugged it downward.

With three buttons undone at the back, pulling it below her collarbone was no issue, but her back was pressed against the bed, making the fabric hard to move. After tugging for a while, she only exposed her collarbone, not meeting Lu Han’s requirements.

Lu Han clicked his tongue. “Ming Zhu, don’t just watch. Help her.”

Yu Jing could easily lift her upper body to adjust, and she instinctively wanted to refuse. But seeing Lu Han’s impatient look, she gave up. She looked at Ming Zhu.

Ming Zhu lowered her gaze, her lips moving slightly. Her slender fingers hooked onto the collar of Yu Jing’s shirt.

Yu Jing suppressed her embarrassment and arched her back to cooperate.

She was very slim, with delicate, beautiful collarbones. Her flat shoulders gradually emerged, her milky skin glowing enticingly under the strong light.

Following Lu Han’s instructions, Ming Zhu pulled downward, but seemed to touch something she shouldn’t have. Her fingertips trembled, and she quickly pulled back.

Yu Jing’s eyelashes fluttered.

Ming Zhu looked at her flustered eyes and silently mouthed, “Sorry.”

“…” Yu Jing was too embarrassed to speak.

Lu Han didn’t ask her to pull further, as it would have been too revealing.

This version was bolder than the first. Lu Han wanted to capture photos that wouldn’t pass review, but to stay safe, he only had Yu Jing expose her shoulders and collarbone.

The girl’s wavy hair spread out like seaweed, her milky skin nearly blending with the bedsheet. Her eyes held shyness, her cheeks flushed pink, like the first peach blossom of early spring—innocent yet unexpectedly captivating.

Ming Zhu gazed deeply at her, leaning closer, holding her slender hand gently and pressing it into her spread-out hair.

Their delicate fingers interlocked, entwined with a colorful red ribbon.

Ming Zhu’s throat felt dry. She pursed her lips, her burning gaze sweeping over Yu Jing’s lips to her eyes, lingering for a few seconds. She leaned down, about to kiss the rhinestone—

“Yu Jing, don’t close your eyes!” Lu Han, holding the DSLR, sounded impatient. “This version depends on your expressiveness. If you close your eyes, what am I shooting?”

Ming Zhu suddenly found him annoying and closed her eyes briefly.

Yu Jing’s other hand, hidden under the blanket, clenched into a fist. She glanced apologetically at Lu Han but didn’t dare look at Ming Zhu. Tilting her fair neck, she readjusted her state.

Ming Zhu watched her expression unblinkingly, knowing she was ready. Her gaze darkened slightly, and she leaned down again.

Her cool lips touched the rhinestone.

Yu Jing’s heart trembled, but this time she controlled herself and didn’t close her eyes. Ming Zhu’s hot breath grazed her face, and she didn’t dare move.

…This should be fine, right?

“Your eyes aren’t right.” Lu Han was still unsatisfied, his sharp eyes behind his glasses staring at her. He said seriously, “I need to see desire in your eyes. You’re only showing shyness, no desire—soulless.”

Yu Jing’s heart collapsed. She’d never been in love or liked anyone—how was she supposed to know what “desire” was?

This was genuinely tough for her.

Blushing, she said softly, “I don’t know how…”

Lu Han saw her clear eyes and didn’t know how to teach her. Irritated, he scratched his hair, his glasses reflecting light. An idea struck him, and he pointed at Ming Zhu. “You did well just now. Tell her how to show it.”

Ming Zhu glanced coldly at Lu Han, then turned back to Yu Jing, pinned beneath her like prey. Her gaze wavered, her mouth opened, but no words came out.

It was a physiological instinct—Ming Zhu couldn’t teach it.

But Lu Han didn’t care. He only cared about the shoot. If the models didn’t perform well, he’d get mad and start cursing.

The girl’s eyes looked at her shyly.

Ming Zhu seemed not to hear Lu Han, saying nothing, only staring at Yu Jing’s bl00d-red ears.

Was that spot sensitive?

No, that wasn’t appropriate.

Ming Zhu suddenly thought of a method but wasn’t sure if it was right.

What if it worked?

She’d try it.

Yu Jing lay there anxiously, unable to read Ming Zhu’s gaze, her heart in a panic. She felt if this continued, Lu Han would scold them both. She wanted to urge Ming Zhu, but before she could speak, a familiar cool tea scent hit her nose.

The scent was faint, detectable only by her and Ming Zhu, who had released it intentionally.

Yu Jing’s body stiffened.

In an instant, Ming Zhu noticed the girl beneath her change. Her eyes sparkled, shimmering like stars.

Ming Zhu’s heart stirred. She tightened her grip on Yu Jing’s hand, placing a soft kiss on her trembling eyelid.

The shift from purity to desire needed only a hint of pheromone.

The two sets of photos took two hours.

Yu Jing didn’t know how she survived those two hours. Her mind blank, she walked out of the studio and ran into Xiao Ye and Zhou Qi waiting at the door.

“Why’s your face so red?” Xiao Ye asked, looking at her flushed cheeks.

Yu Jing glanced at Zhou Qi beside Xiao Ye, fanning herself dramatically. “It was too hot in there.”

Xiao Ye didn’t suspect anything and handed her the skirt she’d worn earlier. “Change into this first.”

Yu Jing took the skirt, heard footsteps behind her, and turned to look.

Ming Zhu had come out too.

Yu Jing’s burning face heated up again. She quickly turned back, pretending not to see, and ran off with the skirt.

She didn’t return to the makeup room but went to the public restroom at the end of the hallway. She was about to close the door when she paused, seeing Ming Zhu approach.

Ming Zhu was also holding her clothes, clearly there to change too.

But the restroom had only one space with no partitions. Yu Jing couldn’t change with her there. Seeing her walk in, her heart panicked. “Can you go out first? I’ll call you when I’m done.”

Ming Zhu ignored her, closed the door, and locked it.

What was she doing? Yu Jing warily stepped back.

Ming Zhu turned and saw her retreat, her expression pausing. She sighed softly, “Sorry.”

“?” Yu Jing didn’t understand why she suddenly apologized.

Ming Zhu looked straight at her, saying softly, “I did it on purpose just now.”

“…Did what on purpose?”

“Released my pheromone intentionally.”

Yu Jing froze.

During the second shoot, Yu Jing had smelled Ming Zhu’s pheromone. She thought it was an accidental leak, and unprepared, her body instinctively reacted to it, drawn in and dazed, finishing the shoot in a haze.

Lu Han was very pleased with her performance afterward, saying her eyes were both pure and full of desire…

Yu Jing didn’t know how to show desire, but when she smelled Ming Zhu’s pheromone, her body, as always, reacted honestly.

She had known for a while that Ming Zhu’s pheromone could stir desire in her body. So when Lu Han praised her, she felt no joy, only shame.

It was such a serious shoot, yet she got excited by Ming Zhu’s pheromone…

She thought Ming Zhu didn’t know and, too embarrassed to face her, slipped away after the shoot.

But Ming Zhu’s reaction showed she clearly knew!

Her eyes widened, stammering, “Y-you… how did you know I…” felt desire for you?

She couldn’t say the rest, but Ming Zhu understood.

“I guessed.” A hint of unease flashed across Ming Zhu’s pale face, her voice low and slightly hoarse. “Last time at the Champs Hotel, you asked to smell my pheromone. Your expression then… was very emotional.”

“…”

“So I wondered if my pheromone had some unique attraction for you.”

“…” Yu Jing had almost forgotten that day, but now those ambiguous moments flooded her mind. Recalling her near-hooligan behavior, she was mortified, biting her lip and squeezing out, “Don’t say it.”

She covered her face with the skirt, unable to hide her intense shame.

Ming Zhu knew she was embarrassed, but some things needed to be clarified. Clearing her throat, she said, “I only did it to finish the shoot smoothly. I won’t use that tactic on you again, so you can rest assured.”

If another Alpha said this, Yu Jing wouldn’t believe it, but Ming Zhu’s character had been proven trustworthy several times. She didn’t doubt her at all.

She uncovered her face, cheeks still red, and looked at Ming Zhu timidly.

Seeing her slowly let down her guard, Ming Zhu felt relieved too. “Then… you change here. I’ll go somewhere else.”

Yu Jing bit her lip and murmured, “Okay.”

Ming Zhu stepped out, standing at the door for a few seconds until she heard the lock click, then left reassured.

Her high heels tapped the floor slowly as Ming Zhu walked absentmindedly.

She had just lied to her.

It wasn’t entirely for the shoot. Ming Zhu had used her pheromone to test a suspicion she’d had.

She suspected her pheromone had some attraction for Yu Jing, and today’s test proved it true.

An Alpha’s pheromone at a certain concentration could induce an Omega’s heat, but Ming Zhu hadn’t expected that just a small amount could make Yu Jing so enthralled.

What did this mean?

Unlike Yu Jing, who lacked physiological knowledge, Ming Zhu knew there was only one explanation—their genetic compatibility was extremely high.

Higher compatibility meant they were more suited as partners.

Her steps faltered, and she looked back at the restroom door.

Could Yu Jing be her destined other half?