Failed to Pretend to Be an Alpha and Got Marked by the Enemy (ABO, GL) - Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Luckily, Ming Zhu didn’t say, “I want to team with you,” or ask, “Why didn’t you pick me?”—words that would have put Yu Jing on the spot. Otherwise, Yu Jing really wouldn’t have known what to do.

Yu Jing didn’t avoid teaming with Ming Zhu because she didn’t want to, but because she didn’t dare.

The aftereffects of their couple photoshoot hadn’t fully faded. If she teamed with Ming Zhu, she feared the inevitable close contact during the games. She worried she’d lose control and cause some awkward moments, so she cut off the chance to team up entirely.

The opportunity was clearly gone. Yu Jing felt a bit more at ease, but when she met Ming Zhu’s disappointed gaze, she felt a pang of guilt and surprise.

She was surprised that Ming Zhu actually wanted to team with her!

Was it because Ming Zhu needed money and wanted to play up their CP for hype?

But Ming Zhu hadn’t discussed anything with her before filming…

Yu Jing couldn’t gauge Ming Zhu’s attitude. Ming Zhu’s stare made her uneasy. She blinked, forced what she thought was a perfect smile, and explained awkwardly, “It’s the third episode, and I haven’t teamed with Brother Chao yet. I want to try a new partner.”

Ming Zhu’s jaw tightened. She looked straight at Yu Jing, as if trying to discern how much truth was in her words.

Yu Jing’s heart raced. Her toes curled against the floor. As she anxiously wondered how to diffuse the awkwardness, Xie Haichao’s loud laugh broke the tension: “That’s true. I haven’t teamed with Jingjing yet.”

Yu Jing silently sighed in relief, turned her head toward Xie Haichao, and eagerly waited for him to confirm their team.

Xiao Yihuan, standing beside her, wasn’t pleased and spoke up first, “No way! I don’t want to team with Brother Chen! Jingjing, we haven’t teamed up either. Why didn’t you pick me?”

Yu Jing froze and said, “Uh, well…”

“If you two team up, doesn’t that mean I’m stuck with Little Chen?” Xie Haichao realized the crisis and said firmly, “I don’t want Little Chen either.”

Chen Chen, completely rejected, looked stunned. He forgot he’d been vying for Liang Tian earlier, pulled Yu Jing over, and said seriously, “Jingjing, listen. Brother Chao has a bad temper and snaps when pushed. Yihuan’s weak at games and has no stamina. You’re better off with me. Remember how in sync we were in the first episode? Let’s team up again, take first place, and have a blast. Pick me, pick me.”

Xiao Yihuan grabbed Yu Jing’s other arm, whining and acting cute, “Jingjing, you’re the best. Team with me. Brother Chen’s too much, always holding you back. Don’t pick him.”

Yu Jing never expected to become the center of everyone’s attention. Chen Chen and Xiao Yihuan each held one of her arms, pulling her in opposite directions. She felt torn and couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time.

The scene grew chaotic. Yang Ming stepped in to restore order and said, “Since Brother Chao, Little Chen, and Yihuan all want Jingjing, you three can play rock-paper-scissors. The winner teams with Jingjing.”

Xie Haichao crossed his arms and refused, “Rock-paper-scissors? That’s childish. I’m not playing.”

“Brother Chao’s out. Come on, loser teams with Brother Chao,” Chen Chen said, dragging Xiao Yihuan into the game.

Xiao Yihuan’s luck was never great. She’d lost every rock-paper-scissors in the past two episodes. This time, she lost again and stomped her foot in frustration.

“Hahaha, you’re a rock-paper-scissors black hole!” Chen Chen mocked her mercilessly.

“Jingjing…” Xiao Yihuan looked at Yu Jing pleadingly.

Yu Jing patted her head and comforted her, saying, “It’s okay. We’ll have another chance later.”

In truth, Yang Ming had orchestrated this to keep Yu Jing and Ming Zhu apart, as a certain shady sponsor forbade them from teaming up. After the game, Yang Ming announced immediately, “That’s settled then. Yu Jing and Chen Chen, Yihuan and Brother Chao, Ming Zhu and Liang Tian.”

The first two teams had no objections to the arrangement. The last team’s atmosphere felt a bit strange.

Liang Tian thought she had no chance with Ming Zhu. Hearing the result, she was overjoyed. But when she turned, she saw Ming Zhu looking elsewhere with a resentful gaze. Following her line of sight, she saw Yu Jing, arm around Chen Chen’s shoulder, smiling brightly. A strange feeling stirred in Liang Tian’s heart.

Why did Ming Zhu keep looking at Yu Jing? Liang Tian couldn’t figure it out. She felt uneasy and said softly, “Senior Sister, do you not want to team with me?”

Ming Zhu silently watched Yu Jing, who seemed thrilled to be with Chen Chen. Hearing Liang Tian, she pulled her gaze back, looked at Liang Tian’s timid eyes, paused, and said, “I’m not great at games. Teaming with me might put you at a disadvantage.”

“That’s okay!” Though Ming Zhu didn’t answer directly, she didn’t refuse either. Liang Tian’s hope reignited, and she said sweetly, “I’m just happy to team with Senior Sister.”

Ming Zhu glanced again at Yu Jing’s bright smile, pursed her lips, and didn’t respond.

Chen Chen, arm around Yu Jing’s shoulder, bragged, “This time, Brother’s gonna carry you to victory.”

Yu Jing rolled her eyes and said, “You’ve never won.”

“Then you carry me,” Chen Chen said shamelessly, shoving his face into the camera and shouting, “I declare, from today, we’re the ‘Silent’ duo! Any fans in the live stream shipping me and Jingjing?”

The live stream’s CP fans nearly started a war.

[I’m sending the director a knife. What kind of garbage grouping is this? Yihuan and Brother Chao for three episodes, Yu Jing and Chen Chen for two. Can’t you be creative?]

[Ming-Yu’s so hot. Why split them up? Just say you want to torture fans.]

[Anyone can see Ming Zhu wanted to team with Yu Jing. Liang Tian’s so clueless, forcing her way in.]

[This Tian girl feels so fake, clinging to Ming Zhu. Saw Ming-Yu’s popularity and wants to ride Ming Zhu’s coattails, huh?]

[Ming-Yu fans, watch your mouths. It’s Tian’s first time, and she only knows Ming Zhu. Wanting to team with her is normal. You’re overanalyzing everything.]

[Yu Jing didn’t want to team with Ming Zhu either. Ming-Yu’s clearly just hype, yet so many idiots actually ship it.]

[Ming-Yu’s split, and as a Luo-Ning fan, I just want to say: Nice job, director!]

[Why didn’t Yu Jing pick Ming Zhu? I just wanted to see them together. I’m so mad!]

[This forced love triangle feels so scripted. Boring.]

[Split Ming-Yu, and what’s the point of watching? Trash show, I’m done.]

Despite many saying they’d stop watching, the live stream’s viewer count kept soaring. People flocked to see a three-way drama, but the scene didn’t actually erupt.

After grouping, Yang Ming held a cue card and read the game rules. He rambled on, but it boiled down to two words: “hide” and “steal.”

This episode was a chase game. The team that grabbed the treasure first could hide with it. The other two teams would search and steal. If the treasure was stolen, the new team hid, and the others kept chasing. This continued for six hours across the entire amusement park. The team holding the treasure at the end won.

When Yang Ming finished, Chen Chen asked eagerly, “What’s the treasure?”

Yang Ming took a safe from a staff member, opened it, and revealed two gleaming gold bars inside.

Xiao Yihuan gasped dramatically, “Are those gold bars real?”

Chen Chen touched them, weighed them, bit them, and said, “They’re real! Wow, the production team went all out. Director, does the winner get to keep these?”

“Dream on,” Yang Ming said, snatching the gold bars, putting them back in the safe, locking it, and signaling staff to bring game props.

Staff placed colorful balloons on three tables. Yang Ming continued, “This game is called Face-Popping Balloons. One person blows, the other pops the balloon with their face. The team that pops the most in three minutes gets the treasure first.”

As soon as Yang Ming spoke, Xiao Yihuan screamed, “No way! I can’t stand the sound of balloons popping. Do we really have to use our faces, Director? This game’s insane!”

Liang Tian touched her fair face and said weakly, “Popping with our faces sounds scary.”

“You girls are too timid,” Chen Chen said, pointing at the calm Yu Jing beside him and boasting, “Look at my fairy teammate. She’s not scared at all.”

Yu Jing smiled.

Liang Tian muttered, “She’s an Alpha. We’re Omegas. How can you compare us?”

Chen Chen seemed to realize this, stared at Yu Jing’s pretty face, and teased, “If Tian didn’t say it, I’d forget you’re an unpresented Alpha.”

Yu Jing smiled again, but it felt more forced. She glanced at Liang Tian, then met Ming Zhu’s gaze.

Except for Ming Zhu, no one knew Yu Jing was actually an Omega. Yu Jing didn’t know if she was imagining it, but she thought she saw concern in Ming Zhu’s eyes.

“Bang—bang—”

“Ah!”

“Ahh!”

Two sudden balloon pops rang out, followed by Xiao Yihuan and Liang Tian’s screams.

Yu Jing looked over and saw Chen Chen, who had blown two balloons and snuck behind Xiao Yihuan and Liang Tian, mischievously popping one for each, startling the two timid girls.

“Brother Chen!” Xiao Yihuan, still shaken, chased Chen Chen to hit him.

Chen Chen showed no shame and laughed heartily.

Yu Jing, his teammate, wanted to hit him too. But before she could, Xie Haichao shielded Xiao Yihuan and pummeled Chen Chen, saying, “You little sh1t, you’re too damn mean.”

“Ouch, ouch, Brother Chao, mercy!” Chen Chen yelped, dodging.

Yu Jing watched Chen Chen get beaten, then heard a soft gasp. She looked over.

Liang Tian, equally scared, hid behind Ming Zhu, warily watching Chen Chen run around. She looked up at Ming Zhu pitifully and said, “Senior Sister…”

Ming Zhu didn’t protect her like Xie Haichao did for Xiao Yihuan. She sidestepped Liang Tian’s attempt to grab her clothes and said flatly, “Chen Chen loves pranks. You need to stay alert.”

Both Omegas, yet Liang Tian didn’t understand why she and Xiao Yihuan were treated so differently. She lowered her head, embarrassed, withdrew her hand, and said awkwardly, “I understand.”

Liang Tian glanced up secretly, looked at Yu Jing two meters away, and thought: If Yu Jing said she was scared, would Senior Sister be this cold?

Yu Jing felt a gaze, turned, and met Liang Tian’s probing eyes, looking puzzled.

Liang Tian’s face shifted slightly after their eyes met, and she smiled at Yu Jing.

Yu Jing found the smile odd but couldn’t pinpoint why.

Yang Ming stopped Xie Haichao and Chen Chen’s antics and continued the process, saying, “Three minutes. Game starts now.”

The three teams played simultaneously. Yu Jing, Xiao Yihuan, and Liang Tian blew balloons, tied them, and handed them to their partners. The sound of balloons popping with faces echoed continuously.

Three minutes passed quickly. Staff tallied the results. Unsurprisingly, Yu Jing and Chen Chen popped the most balloons, followed by Xiao Yihuan and Xie Haichao, with Liang Tian and Ming Zhu last.

The game was tough on faces and mouths. Ming Zhu, Chen Chen, and Xie Haichao, who popped balloons, had red marks on their faces. Yu Jing, Xiao Yihuan, and Liang Tian, who blew balloons, were exhausted, their mouths sore and dry. Staff promptly handed out sponsor-provided drinks—chilled yogurt.

Yu Jing’s hands smelled of plastic from the balloons, a gross odor. She didn’t want to drink. Glancing aside, she saw Ming Zhu and Liang Tian.

Liang Tian struggled to open her yogurt bottle, her delicate face red from effort. She hurt her hand, winced, and looked pitiful.

Ming Zhu, seeing this, gave Liang Tian her already-opened yogurt.

Liang Tian’s face lit up, and she said sweetly, “Thank you, Senior Sister!”

Ming Zhu nodded expressionlessly, took Liang Tian’s bottle, opened it easily, and didn’t understand why Liang Tian struggled so long.

Suddenly thinking of something, Ming Zhu turned, met Yu Jing’s direct gaze, looked down, saw the unopened yogurt in Yu Jing’s hand, and, on impulse, offered her opened bottle.

Yu Jing was a bit surprised but not entirely. She looked at the yogurt Ming Zhu offered, then at Liang Tian happily drinking hers, felt a strange twinge, pursed her lips, and said softly, “No need. I have my own.”

She hadn’t wanted to drink, but seeing Liang Tian enjoy it, Yu Jing suddenly did. She opened her bottle easily, took a sip, and found it sour and unpleasant.

Ming Zhu saw Yu Jing turn away, not looking at her, gripped the yogurt tightly, and made no further move.

[Can’t open a bottle cap? This Liang Tian’s faking it.]

[She’s a sweet Omega, okay? It’s normal she can’t open it. Yu Jing fans don’t need to be shady.]

[Ming-Yu fans, see? Ming Zhu gave the opened bottle to Liang Tian first, not Yu Jing.]

[Ming-Yu’s just hype. Two Alphas—what’s to ship? Luo-Ning feels better.]

[Can’t you focus on your own? Why tear others down while shipping? Ridiculous.]

[Is Yu Jing mad?]

[Yu Jing’s jealous, right?]

[Ming Zhu, what’s wrong with you? Got a new love and forgot your wife?]

Yu Jing took one sip of yogurt and stopped. She licked the milk foam from her lips, wiped sweat from her forehead, and pretended not to notice Ming Zhu watching her.

Winning the game, Yu Jing and Chen Chen got the treasure chest. The production team gave them a bike to ride and hide first. Xiao Yihuan and Xie Haichao got skateboards. Ming Zhu and Liang Tian had to walk.

Chen Chen showed off, riding the bike around the other four, straddled it with his long legs, patted the back seat, and said to Yu Jing, “Come on, Jingjing. Brother’s taking you for a ride!”

Yu Jing hopped on the back seat with a grin and said, “Alright, Brother Chen.”

Chen Chen looked back, saw her holding the chest with one hand and the seat’s handle with the other, and said不满ly, “You won’t stay steady like that. Come on, hold my waist.”

Chen Chen grabbed Yu Jing’s hand and placed it around his waist.

Yu Jing felt his scorching body heat through the fabric and quickly pulled back.

Chen Chen didn’t know she was an Omega, but Yu Jing knew to keep distance. Too shy to hold him, she grabbed his shirt at the waist when he looked at her in surprise and gave him a small smile.

Chen Chen thought this was fine, pedaled forward, and shouted, “Silent duo, unstoppable!”

Yu Jing nearly died laughing, tugged his shirt, and said, “Brother Chen, can you not be so dramatic?”

Chen Chen didn’t back down and said, “Silent sounds cool. Don’t you want to form a CP with me?”

Yu Jing instinctively looked back, saw Ming Zhu’s unreadable gaze in the crowd, and felt inexplicably guilty.

Ming Zhu’s eyes swept over Yu Jing’s slender hand clutching Chen Chen’s shirt, landed on her face, and darkened slightly.

Yu Jing didn’t know why she felt guilty. She and Ming Zhu weren’t really… She quickly faced forward, thought, and answered Chen Chen, “You have so many girlfriend fans. Forming a CP with you might get me cursed out.”

Chen Chen laughed heartily and dropped the topic.

The other four couldn’t hear their conversation, only saw them ride off happily.

Xiao Yihuan and Xie Haichao studied their skateboards. Ming Zhu and Liang Tian’s side was overly quiet.

Liang Tian pressed the cold yogurt bottle to her sunburned cheeks and complained softly, “It’s so hot.”

Ming Zhu seemed not to hear, walking at a steady pace.

Liang Tian looked at her profile, saw her focused on Yu Jing and Chen Chen’s direction, recalled Chen Chen’s earlier words, and, as if making conversation or probing, said, “I think Jingjing and Brother Chen have some CP vibes. What do you think, Senior Sister?”

Ming Zhu paused slightly, turned, and gave her a fleeting glance.

The look was bland, calm, like she was a stranger of no importance.

But the sun was too harsh, and Liang Tian, squinting, couldn’t see the coldness in Ming Zhu’s eyes. She only saw Ming Zhu’s lips move and heard her neutral voice ask, “What are CP vibes?”

Liang Tian glanced at the two cameras following them like light bulbs, blushed, lowered her voice, and said shyly, “Like Luo Shen and Ning Qiu.”

Ming Zhu’s expression didn’t change, only her brow twitched. She said something unrelated, “If I recall, ‘Qinghu Legend’ finished airing the night before last, right?”

“Yes!” Liang Tian nodded eagerly. Struggling to find topics with Ming Zhu, she was thrilled Ming Zhu brought up the drama, opened her mouth, and prepared to chat.

But before she could, Ming Zhu said slowly, “Since it’s done airing, you don’t need to promote it so hard. The audience might get annoyed.”

Liang Tian froze, knew Ming Zhu misunderstood, but didn’t know how to argue. She closed her mouth awkwardly.

“Sister Ming Zhu, Tian Tian, we’re off!” Xiao Yihuan and Xie Haichao finally mastered their skateboards, glided past, and vanished in a blink.

Liang Tian smiled and waved, then walked quietly with Ming Zhu.

Compared to the other teams, theirs didn’t feel like they were filming a show.

Liang Tian knew Ming Zhu was aloof. During ‘Qinghu Legend,’ she was drawn to Ming Zhu’s unique aura. Unwilling to stay silent, she racked her brain and found a new topic, “Senior Sister, it’s my first time on this show, and I don’t know the others. Can you briefly describe the other MCs’ personalities?”

Ming Zhu knew Liang Tian was making conversation.

During ‘Qinghu Legend,’ they had many scenes together, but only in-character. Off-screen, they barely interacted, and their relationship was distant.

Ming Zhu hadn’t expected the production team to invite Liang Tian. Her eagerness and stiff smiles were clearly an attempt to please.

Ming Zhu didn’t like being pandered to, but since it was filming and Liang Tian’s first time, she thought and said slowly, “Brother Chao’s a bit hot-tempered but down-to-earth. Chen Chen’s the mood-maker, sometimes pranks, but means no harm. Yihuan loves to laugh and gossip. Little Ze’s not here; he’s shy but thoughtful.”

“As for Yu Jing…”

Ming Zhu’s evaluations of the others flowed smoothly, but she paused at Yu Jing, slowed her steps, looked ahead, and seemed lost in thought.

Why’d she stop? Liang Tian was dying to know, leaned closer, and asked, “What’s Yu Jing like?”

Ming Zhu lowered her lashes, thought, and said softly, “Yu Jing’s a bit of a rogue.”

Liang Tian was stunned.

“Rogue” didn’t sound like a good word, but when Ming Zhu said it, recalling something, a faint, indulgent smile curved her lips.

Seeing Ming Zhu’s meaningful smile, Liang Tian’s heart wavered.

Could… Ming-Yu be real?

But Yu Jing’s an Alpha too! How could two Alphas be together?

The cameras couldn’t catch Ming Zhu’s face, but Liang Tian saw it clearly. She felt Ming-Yu was impossible yet couldn’t help comparing herself to Yu Jing, asking sourly, “What do you think I’m like?”

Ming Zhu looked up, wiped the smile away, glanced at her lightly, and said, “A bit noisy.”

“…” Liang Tian shut down on the spot.