Failed to Pretend to Be an Alpha and Got Marked by the Enemy (ABO, GL) - Chapter 46

Chapter 46

The feeling under her hand was as she imagined: full, soft, smooth, and delicate.

In just one second, Ming Zhu became addicted to this sensation.

But she knew her limits. She gently pinched Yu Jing’s cheek, then let go, looked directly into her bright, watery eyes, curved her lips, and said in a low, rich voice, “I have another drama called ‘The Ranger.’ It has a happy ending, and my character doesn’t die. If you’re bored, you can watch it.”

“…” Yu Jing seemed stunned by the pinch. She stared blankly at Ming Zhu and didn’t respond.

Ming Zhu thought she looked even cuter like this and wanted to pinch her again.

But she only thought about it. Pinching too much might make Yu Jing yell about being teased. Ming Zhu suppressed the itch in her heart and gazed at her gently without a word.

“…” Yu Jing still looked dazed.

“Ming Zhu,” Zhou Qi called as she approached. She saw Yu Jing and Xiao Ye, greeted them casually, and nodded.

Ming Zhu glanced one last time at the girl with the adorable, dazed expression. She waved at Xiao Ye, couldn’t resist ruffling Yu Jing’s cute head, and left with Zhou Qi before Yu Jing could react.

Noisy cicadas chirped endlessly under the trees. The nearly forty-degree heat rose from the ground, creeping up exposed ankles like a fiery snake.

A bead of sweat trickled down Yu Jing’s forehead, itching as it slid across her cheek. She forgot to wipe it, her mouth slightly open, staring blankly at the two figures walking away.

“It’s so hot. Let’s go,” Xiao Ye said, holding an umbrella in one hand and fanning herself with the other. She took a step forward, noticed Yu Jing didn’t follow, stepped back, and suddenly asked, “Jingjing, why didn’t you let me speak earlier?”

Yu Jing’s mind echoed with Ming Zhu’s gentle, smiling voice: “Why are you so cute?”

“…”

She ignored Xiao Ye’s question, slowly raised her hand, touched the pinched spot, tilted her head, and asked Xiao Ye, “Why did she pinch my face?”

“She?” Xiao Ye blinked, realized Yu Jing meant Ming Zhu, and answered matter-of-factly, “Because you’re cute.”

“I know I’m cute,” Yu Jing said quickly, affirming herself. Then doubt clouded her wide eyes, and she hesitated, “Didn’t you feel Ming Zhu was acting a bit strange?”

“…Strange how?” Xiao Ye looked confused by the question. She thought back to the moment, slapped her forehead, and exclaimed, “I get it! Sister Ming Zhu smiled!”

Yes, that smile! Yu Jing thought Xiao Ye understood and clenched her fist excitedly.

But Xiao Ye was on a different wavelength. She said with wonder, “So Sister Ming Zhu can smile! She always has a cold face. This is the first time I saw her smile. That’s so unusual!”

Yu Jing’s lips twitched. She rolled her eyes and gave up communicating with her clueless assistant.

“Let’s go.”

This time, she walked faster than Xiao Ye.

Xiao Ye jogged to catch up, noticed Yu Jing touching the pinched spot again, and saw her lost in thought. After racking her brain, Xiao Ye still couldn’t follow her logic and said glumly, “What are you worrying about?”

Yu Jing didn’t know what she was worrying about.

Ming Zhu was cold to everyone. Except for playing games together on the show or unavoidable physical contact during a couple’s shoot, Yu Jing had never seen her act close with anyone. Even when others shook her hand, Ming Zhu always looked distant and indifferent.

But just now, Ming Zhu had pinched her face!

And not just that—she smiled at her like that!

This wasn’t the first time Yu Jing saw Ming Zhu smile. What felt strange was that the smile held something she couldn’t understand—gentle, indulgent, affectionate…

She didn’t know if she misread it or overthought it.

A pebble lay underfoot. Yu Jing kicked it away, pursed her lips, and muttered softly, “She’s an Alpha. Why did she pinch my face?”

Xiao Ye overheard, quickly reassured her, and said, “Maybe Sister Ming Zhu feels close to you. Pinching your face is just friendly. I think it’s normal.”

Yu Jing tapped Xiao Ye’s forehead and said, “You’re still talking! It’s your fault.”

Xiao Ye looked innocent and asked, “What did I do?”

Yu Jing closed her eyes, too tired to speak.

She really shouldn’t have scrolled through Weibo when she was bored. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have seen the comment under her post: “Jingjing, go watch ‘Qinghu Legend.’ The finale is out, and it’s amazing! Your wife Ming Zhu’s acting is incredible. You’ll regret not watching!”

When she saw the word “wife,” Yu Jing’s heart raced, and her hands shook. She quickly deleted the comment.

After deleting it, she didn’t know what got into her. She, who hadn’t watched a drama in ages, suddenly downloaded a video app, found the trending ‘Qinghu Legend,’ and clicked the first episode.

Xiao Ye passed by, saw the ethereal, noble, and cold Ming Zhu on the screen, leaned over, and asked curiously, “Jingjing, didn’t you swear you’d never watch Sister Ming Zhu’s dramas?”

Yu Jing’s face stung. She mumbled, “I clicked it by mistake,” and tried to close it hurriedly.

“No, no, I want to watch,” Xiao Ye said, stopping her hand, grabbing the tablet, and watching eagerly.

With the mindset of “How good can Ming Zhu’s acting be,” Yu Jing sneaked a glance at the video and got hooked.

‘Qinghu Legend’ was a fantasy drama, but the plot wasn’t dragged out or padded. The story focused on the plot with romance as a side element, and the world-building was grand. Within minutes, Yu Jing was drawn in by Ming Zhu’s superb acting. When Ming Zhu’s character smiled, she smiled; when Ming Zhu’s character was angry, she felt angry. When Ming Zhu’s character “died,” she sobbed uncontrollably, her heart aching beyond words…

She cried her heart out, her eyelids swollen. She didn’t expect Ming Zhu to “mock” her and pinch her face to “tease” her.

That ‘The Ranger’ drama? She wouldn’t watch it.

Absolutely. Not. Watching!

At the amusement park entrance, Yu Jing saw the long-missed coordinator, Sister Xiao Ya. Xiao Ya led them to the meeting point. They needed to change and do makeup before filming.

Voices came from the temporary lounge. Yu Jing recognized Chen Chen and Xiao Yihuan’s voices, quickened her pace, pushed the door open, and, unsurprisingly, saw them bickering.

Chen Chen sprawled in a chair like he had no bones and said, “Yihuan, it’s only been ten days, and your face got chubbier. You can’t do that. You’re a female star. You need to watch your figure, you know? If you get fatter, your fans will run away. Tsk tsk, you’re still eating? You haven’t stopped since you got here.”

Xiao Yihuan threw her half-eaten corn at him and said angrily, “If you find a girlfriend before thirty, I’ll take your surname!”

Chen Chen laughed carelessly, broke off the part she’d eaten, and bit into it without hesitation.

Xiao Yihuan, furious, lunged to grab it back.

Chen Chen didn’t give it up and pinched her chubby cheek, saying, “Tsk tsk, you’ve really gained weight. Brother’s helping you out so you can slim down a bit.”

“Aaahhh!” Xiao Yihuan raged helplessly. She spotted Yu Jing coming in, raised her voice, and called, “Jingjing, save me!”

Yu Jing rushed in, shielded Xiao Yihuan, and said, “Brother Chen, you’re bullying Yihuan again.”

“How is this bullying?” Chen Chen grinned cheekily and said, “This is brotherly concern. Look at her round face. Wow, it’s so nice to pinch.”

Chen Chen pinched Xiao Yihuan’s other cheek while she wasn’t looking. Though Xiao Yihuan said, “So annoying,” she wasn’t truly angry. She didn’t feel shy or embarrassed about being pinched by Chen Chen, an Alpha. They were like close friends, joking freely without gender barriers.

Yu Jing stood between them, watched quietly for a moment, her gaze drifted, and found Ming Zhu observing silently in the corner.

Ming Zhu held a coffee, her eyes met Yu Jing’s, her expression perfectly calm and gentle, showing no trace of warmth or closeness.

Yu Jing felt a slight confusion in her heart, looked away first, and glanced at Xiao Yihuan and Chen Chen, who kept bickering.

They were both pinched, but Xiao Yihuan and Chen Chen were so natural. Why was she overthinking it?

Was she really overthinking?

Her tangled thoughts were interrupted by Chen Chen’s question: “Who’s the guest star this episode? Why haven’t we seen them?”

Peng Ze was auditioning and couldn’t make it back for filming. The production team added a temporary guest star. But even after the five regulars gathered, the new guest hadn’t appeared. Xiao Ya refused to reveal anything, saying it was a surprise.

The suspense was real. Not only did the five regulars rack their brains, but the live stream audience also made wild guesses.

At exactly nine a.m., the cameras started.

The live feed showed close-ups of the five artists in matching sportswear. The sparse comments exploded instantly, with fans of each artist flooding the screen. The fastest and most numerous were, unsurprisingly, the recently surging Ming-Yu CP fans.

[This uniform looks great! I don’t care, I’m calling it Ming-Yu couple outfits.]

[Look at their positions! Three episodes in, and they’re finally standing together. So hard-won.]

[I’m done. Now when I see them, my mind goes to those steamy couple shoot images…]

[Couple shoot forever!]

[I have a feeling the production team will pair them again.]

[Feeling +1. Ming-Yu’s so hot right now, they’ll definitely pair them to boost the buzz.]

[Let them pair up. I love watching them together. Last episode had so many sweet moments, but it wasn’t enough! Double it this time!]

[Look, Ming Zhu moved. Is she shielding Yu Jing from the sun?]

[She is! Yu Jing blocked her eyes earlier, and Ming Zhu quietly moved over. So sweet, oh my gosh.]

The sun was brutal today.

The makeup artist carefully covered Yu Jing’s swollen eyelids, but she couldn’t stand the glaring sunlight and instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes.

Ming Zhu, standing to her right, caught her small movement from the corner of her eye and subtly stepped forward half a step.

The heat on Yu Jing’s face lessened significantly. She didn’t know Ming Zhu had blocked the sun for her, lowered her hand, and focused on Yang Ming speaking ahead.

Yang Ming first explained to the audience why Peng Ze couldn’t attend, then paused when mentioning the guest star, looked at Ming Zhu, and teased, “Ming Zhu, you should know this person well. You acted together. Guess who it is?”

Everyone turned to Ming Zhu.

Ming Zhu said expressionlessly, “I can’t guess.”

Yu Jing almost laughed. With Ming Zhu’s cold personality, expecting her to guess was absurd!

Yang Ming knew he couldn’t get a response, shook his head helplessly, stopped teasing, turned to the staff standing in a human wall behind, and announced loudly, “A round of applause for our guest star!”

The five ‘Treasure Hunt’ MCs looked over eagerly.

A petite girl in the same uniform as them parted the staff and walked toward them. Her delicate face glowed in the sunlight, her smile shy and reserved, her voice soft, “Hello, everyone.”

“It’s really Little Sweet O!” Chen Chen strode forward, enthusiastically shook her hand, and said with a grin, “Hello, sister. I’m Chen Chen. You can call me Brother Chen or just Brother.”

Xie Haichao couldn’t stand his fawning, grabbed his neck, and pulled him back, saying, “Calling her sister on the first meeting? Have some shame.”

Chen Chen glanced at Xie Haichao resentfully and said, “Brother Chao, are you jealous of my charm?”

Xie Haichao raised his foot to kick him. Chen Chen dodged quickly.

Before the female guest could introduce herself, Xiao Yihuan seemed to recognize her and said, “Hey, isn’t this Sister Ming Zhu’s junior sister?”

“What junior sister?” Chen Chen asked, confused.

“The junior sister from ‘Qinghu Legend’!” Xiao Yihuan stomped her foot, leaned past Yu Jing, and looked at Ming Zhu.

Hearing “Qinghu Legend,” Yu Jing’s back stiffened. She followed Xiao Yihuan’s gaze, unintentionally meeting Ming Zhu’s eyes.

“…” Yu Jing casually looked away.

Ming Zhu thought of Yu Jing staying up to watch the drama but not wanting her to know, felt a strange emotion, glanced at her lively eyes under the makeup, then down at her slightly puffed cheeks, and slowly turned to the new female guest.

“Liang Tian,” Ming Zhu called the guest’s name in a neutral tone.

“Senior Sister!” Liang Tian’s face lit up, and she jogged over. She seemed to want to stand between Yu Jing and Ming Zhu, but there wasn’t enough space.

The guest was new, so Yu Jing stepped toward Xiao Yihuan to make room.

“Thanks,” Liang Tian said, smiling at her, and slipped between Yu Jing and Ming Zhu.

Yu Jing returned a perfect professional smile, feeling a subtle twinge in her heart.

She had just binged ‘Qinghu Legend’ last night but didn’t recognize Liang Tian at first—her modern look was too different from her ancient costume. Now, seeing her up close, Yu Jing slowly matched Liang Tian’s delicate face to the “Ning Qiu” from the drama.

In the drama, Ming Zhu’s “Luo Shen” and Liang Tian’s “Ning Qiu” had a close bond. Ning Qiu loved Luo Shen and even sacrificed herself for her.

Yu Jing had watched with the comments on. Whenever Luo Shen and Ning Qiu appeared together, the comments sped up.

In that drama, Luo-Ning CP fans were plentiful.

She didn’t know if the production team invited Liang Tian to pair her with Ming Zhu for CP hype. Yu Jing felt awkward. If the cameras weren’t on, she’d have swapped places with Xiao Yihuan.

With someone suddenly between them, Ming Zhu looked over Liang Tian’s head at Yu Jing, her brows faintly creasing.

[Guest star is Liang Tian! I love Ning Qiu so much. Her death made me cry so hard.]

[Liang Tian’s acting is good, but her modern look isn’t as striking as her ancient costume.]

[Any Luo-Ning CP fans? I love Luo Shen and Ning Qiu’s interactions in the drama. So sweet!]

[Yes, yes! Luo-Ning sisters are so shippable! Too bad Ning Qiu had so little screen time. Thank you, production team, for bringing her!]

[With two ‘Qinghu’ actors here, will Ming Zhu team up with Liang Tian this episode?]

[Liang Tian and Ming Zhu look good together. Cool Alpha with sweet Omega.]

[Hey, don’t say that. Ming Zhu is clearly Yu Jing’s!]

[You can ship Ming-Yu, but we can’t ship Luo-Ning? Why not?]

[Luo-Ning, Luo-Ning, let’s get the sisters together!]

[If the production team splits Ming-Yu, I’m done watching.]

[Ming-Yu is locked in. No one can break them.]

Somehow, the rhythm started, and the live stream’s two CP fan groups began arguing.

The on-site atmosphere seemed harmonious.

Chen Chen pointed at Ming Zhu and Liang Tian and asked, “So you two worked together?”

Ming Zhu nodded slightly.

Liang Tian nodded eagerly, glanced shyly at Ming Zhu, waved at the camera, and said, “Hello, everyone. I’m Liang Tian. I played Sister Ming Zhu’s junior sister, Ning Qiu, in ‘Qinghu Legend.’ It’s my first time here. Please take care of me.”

Both Liang Tian and Ming Zhu were from Beijing Film Academy. Liang Tian was two years junior, a small-time actor with few major works. But her role in the hit ‘Qinghu Legend’ was likable, earning her many fans. The production team invited her for this reason.

After greeting the audience, Liang Tian politely shook hands with the other MCs in order of seniority, saving Yu Jing for last, saying, “Hello.”

Yu Jing smiled and said, “Hello, I’m Yu Jing.”

Chen Chen, worried Liang Tian might feel out of place, prompted her, “Did you secretly talk to Ming Zhu before coming?” He pointed at Ming Zhu and said, “Ming Zhu, that’s not cool. Your junior sister’s the guest, and you didn’t tell us.”

Liang Tian knew Chen Chen was trying to give her screen time, but the question embarrassed her. She glanced at Ming Zhu’s cold expression and said softly, “I don’t have Senior Sister’s WeChat…”

No WeChat meant no private chats.

Yu Jing looked at Ming Zhu suspiciously. Luo Shen and Ning Qiu had many scenes together. They didn’t exchange WeChat after filming?

Ming Zhu seemed to sense her gaze, her lips moved slightly, as if wanting to say something but stopping.

[I’ll analyze this look. Yu Jing: Don’t add other women’s WeChat! Ming Zhu: Okay, wife.]

[I’m dying. No WeChat, clearly not close. Why are you shipping Luo-Ning?]

[Ming Zhu: My eyes are only for Jingjing.]

[Two CPs, three people. Production team, are you stirring drama?]

[Waiting for a Yu Jing-Liang Tian fight over Ming Zhu!]

Chen Chen realized he’d misstepped, ran a hand through his hair, laughed awkwardly, but couldn’t erase the tension.

Xie Haichao stepped in to smooth things over and said, “You can add it after filming.”

Liang Tian looked at Ming Zhu expectantly.

Ming Zhu paused, said flatly, “Let’s film first.”

Liang Tian smiled, nodded agreeably, and said, “Okay.”

Xie Haichao touched his overheating head and said impatiently, “Everyone’s here. Let’s draw lots for teams! This weather’s killing me.”

Yang Ming said, “No lots this episode.”

Xie Haichao asked, “Then how do we split?”

Yang Ming paused, thought, and said, “You can say who you want to team with. Haichao, you first.”

“Why me first?” Xie Haichao puffed out his chest, faced the camera, and said, “Shouldn’t they be fighting to pick me?”

Yang Ming choked, saw he wasn’t cooperating, and turned to Xiao Yihuan, asking, “Yihuan, you?”

“Emmm…” Xiao Yihuan scanned everyone, her gaze landing on Chen Chen.

Chen Chen beamed and asked, “Yihuan, sister, want to team with me?”

Xiao Yihuan huffed, turned her head proudly, and told Yang Ming, “Anyone but Brother Chen.”

“Pfft—” Chen Chen clutched his chest, mimed spitting bl00d, and looked hurt.

Everyone burst out laughing.

Since Xiao Yihuan didn’t pick him, Chen Chen teased her and said, “You’re not the only sweet Omega here. I pick Sister Liang Tian.”

The camera swung to Liang Tian.

Liang Tian covered her mouth, looking flattered, paused for a few seconds, bowed humbly, and said, “Thank you, Brother Chen, for choosing me.”

Chen Chen thought it was settled and reached for her.

Liang Tian dodged his hand, turned her head, stared at Ming Zhu on her right, and said, “But I want to team with Senior Sister.”

Ming Zhu said, “…”

Chen Chen dramatically collapsed, wailed to the sky, and said, “Why am I always the one hurt?”

Xie Haichao pulled him up and said, “They haven’t finished choosing. Stop overacting.”

Chen Chen’s eyes darted between Liang Tian and Ming Zhu, crossed his arms, and said with mock grievance, “Ming Zhu, you already have Jingjing. Don’t steal Sister Liang Tian from me.”

What did he mean, “you already have Jingjing”?! Yu Jing nearly bristled, but mindful of the cameras, she held back, her face flushing red.

“Hahaha—” Xiao Yihuan, a huge Ming-Yu CP fan, laughed gleefully.

Yu Jing’s scalp tingled. She glared at Xiao Yihuan warningly.

Xiao Yihuan shut up, stuck out her tongue, her eyes full of mischief.

Yu Jing said, “…”

After Chen Chen’s teasing, Liang Tian looked uncertainly at Yu Jing, then at Ming Zhu.

Liang Tian knew many online shipped Ming-Yu CP, but since both Ming Zhu and Yu Jing were Alphas, it was obviously fake. She wanted to team with Ming Zhu, but Ming Zhu’s expression was so cold. With so many eyes on her, she lacked the courage to ask if Ming Zhu was willing and bit her lip nervously.

Yang Ming saw the awkward atmosphere and continued the process, asking, “Ming Zhu, your turn.”

If Ming Zhu had any emotional intelligence, she’d go along and pick Liang Tian to avoid embarrassment.

But Ming Zhu subtly ignored Liang Tian’s hopeful gaze, looked at Yu Jing, whose face was slightly red, and asked.

Meeting her gaze, Yu Jing sensed trouble.

Ming Zhu’s eyes seemed to see only Yu Jing. She asked seriously, “Who do you want to team with?”

…The director asked you, not me!!!

Yu Jing suspected Ming Zhu was trying to sabotage her, straightened up with a jolt, and blurted out, “I’m with Brother Chao.”

Ming Zhu’s eyes flickered, her lips parted, and she said faintly, “Oh.”

A short word, yet it carried undisguised disappointment.