Failed to Pretend to Be an Alpha and Got Marked by the Enemy (ABO, GL) - Chapter 48

Chapter 48

In the sweltering heat of over thirty degrees, Liang Tian felt as if someone had doused her with cold water. The chill seeped from the outside in, only to be replaced by a burning wave of embarrassment.

When Ming Zhu called Yu Jing a “rogue,” it carried a sweet undertone others couldn’t grasp. But the words “a bit noisy” were a blatant rejection of Liang Tian.

Ming Zhu didn’t hide her attitude. Liang Tian wasn’t naive. Ming Zhu’s coldness hit her hard. She hunched her shoulders, her lips trembled with grievance, but Ming Zhu showed no pity or intent to comfort her. Liang Tian closed her mouth awkwardly, too ashamed to lift her head.

Before coming, Liang Tian was excited and hopeful. Her manager had bought a slew of paid commenters to flood the live stream with “Luo-Ning” CP hype. She did intend to use this trending reality show to ride Ming Zhu’s popularity and stir some CP buzz. But now, she didn’t dare act on it and felt too humiliated to face the camera.

The show was live-streamed. Liang Tian couldn’t see the comments, but after that suffocating moment, she could imagine how people were tearing into her.

[Ming Zhu finally said what I’m thinking! This girl’s so noisy. Her mouth hasn’t stopped since the start—louder than Brother Chen!]

[Anyone can see Ming Zhu doesn’t want to deal with her, yet she kept pushing for a comment. Tsk tsk, talk about a slap in the face.]

[I’m cringing so hard for her. I can’t watch this Liang anymore. Switching to the other teams.]

[Stars shouldn’t just jump on reality shows. One slip, and their true colors show. I liked Ning Qiu in the drama, but the actress is so fake. Unfollowing.]

[Compared to Liang Tian, Peng Ze feels way cuter now. Come back, Peng Ze!]

[Why’s everyone bashing Liang Tian? Isn’t it Ming Zhu’s fault? An Alpha saying that to an Omega—so classless.]

[Rumors about Ming Zhu’s bad people skills aren’t baseless. Her EQ is a mess.]

[Sure, Liang Tian’s a bit much, but don’t you think Ming Zhu’s words were harsh? They’re teammates. Why make it so awkward? How do they keep filming?]

[Those defending Liang Tian are probably paid bots. Ming Zhu’s comments about others showed plenty of EQ—she didn’t offend anyone else. She only called out Liang Tian because she’s just that annoying.]

[As a sweet Omega, even I can’t stand Liang. Her sucking up to Ming Zhu is too obvious.]

[No issue with Ming Zhu’s EQ. She feels real. Liang’s too fake.]

[So, Luo-Ning CP’s dead on arrival? Haha, love to see it. Ming Zhu, ditch this Liang and go find your wife, Yu Jing!]

[Luo-Ning’s fake. Ming-Yu’s the real deal. Let’s go, Ming-Yu!]

Liang Tian went quiet as a mouse.

Without her chatter, Ming Zhu still felt uneasy. They’d strayed too far from the others. The two cameramen following them stayed silent. She wanted to hear that clear, bright voice and see that face—sly one moment, lively the next.

She glanced at Liang Tian, who walked silently with her head down. Ignoring whether Liang Tian had recovered from the awkwardness, Ming Zhu said, “Let’s go find them.”

Liang Tian quickly looked up.

Ming Zhu had spoken to her first and used “we”!

Liang Tian’s heart stirred again, but seeing Ming Zhu’s still-cold expression, she feared another rejection. She composed herself, gave a reserved “mm,” and followed obediently.

Ming Zhu’s pace quickened unconsciously. Tall and long-legged, she took big strides. The hot breeze brushed her cheeks. She looked ahead, her calm eyes holding a trace of eager anticipation.

Liang Tian was confused. Just moments ago, Ming Zhu seemed leisurely, unbothered by winning or losing. Why the sudden urgency? At only 162 cm, Liang Tian had to jog to keep up, panting but not daring to complain.

“Hahaha—” Loud laughter rang out ahead.

Ming Zhu stopped abruptly.

Liang Tian, caught off guard, nearly crashed into her back. A quick-handed cameraman pulled her aside, saving her from falling.

Staring at Ming Zhu’s figure, still shapely in her sportswear, Liang Tian’s heart itched with a hint of regret.

If only she’d bumped into her—imagine the close contact with Ming Zhu.

But recalling Ming Zhu’s cold, dismissive look when she called her noisy, Liang Tian shivered, suppressed those risky thoughts, raised her flushed face, and smiled sweetly at the cameraman, “Thank you.”

The cameraman let go quickly.

Her teammate nearly fell, but Ming Zhu didn’t notice. Her eyes fixed ahead, her steps halted.

Liang Tian found it odd and followed her gaze.

About ten meters away, Chen Chen sat on the bike, laughing wildly. Yu Jing, hugging the treasure chest on the back seat, pounded his back, “Brother Chen, you’re really good at making enemies. When Brother Chao catches us, he’ll kill you.”

“Ding-ling—” Chen Chen rang the bike bell, smirked at Xiao Yihuan and Xie Haichao, who were struggling with their skateboards, and boasted, “With Brother Chao falling every step, he won’t catch me by the end of filming. I’m not scared.”

“Thud—” As he spoke, Xie Haichao fell off his skateboard again. Furious, he threw it five meters away and roared at the camera, “I’m done with this crap!”

Xiao Yihuan, equally disheveled, her hair messy and face sweaty, mimicked him, tossing her skateboard aside in a huff.

The skateboard flew far and landed at Ming Zhu’s feet.

The group ahead looked over.

Ming Zhu picked up the skateboard and placed it on a nearby flowerbed.

“Ming Zhu, Liang Tian,” Xie Haichao called, spotting them catching up. He hurried over, “Let’s team up and take down Little Chen first.”

Ming Zhu glanced at Chen Chen on the bike, then at Yu Jing on the back seat, lingered for a few seconds, and turned to the fuming Xie Haichao, asking carefully, “How do we split the chest if we steal it?”

Xie Haichao patted his chest and said readily, “If we get it, you take it first. Just help me deal with Little Chen.”

Before Ming Zhu could respond, Chen Chen shouted, “Hey, Ming Zhu, isn’t Jingjing your CP? How can you side with Brother Chao against us? If we’re teaming up, it should be our two groups, right?”

Yu Jing, on the back seat, stiffened, looked at Ming Zhu, and felt a spark of anticipation.

Before the grouping, Ming Zhu had asked who she wanted to team with. Though they couldn’t be together, Ming Zhu wouldn’t go hard on her, right?

Yu Jing’s fingers fidgeted with the chest’s edge, waiting for Ming Zhu’s answer.

Sensing her gaze, Ming Zhu looked back quietly.

Ten meters apart, Yu Jing couldn’t read her expression clearly. The sun scorched her skin, making the wait feel endless. She unconsciously gripped Chen Chen’s shirt tighter.

Ming Zhu noticed her small movement, saw her slender hand clutching Chen Chen’s shirt, and her eyes flickered. Under everyone’s expectant gazes, she parted her lips and said simply, “Sure.”

Yu Jing’s heart leaped, her fingers curling with excitement.

She was right—Ming Zhu couldn’t bear to hurt her.

A sweet feeling bubbled up. Yu Jing’s lips curved, her smile reaching her eyes, but Ming Zhu looked away.

“Let’s team up to take down Chen Chen,” Ming Zhu said to the disappointed Xie Haichao and Xiao Yihuan.

Yu Jing’s smile froze, her racing heart sank.

The twist caught her off guard. It took her a moment to realize Ming Zhu was targeting her.

So much for not wanting to hurt her.

She’d been fooling herself again.

It was a show, after all. Everyone wanted to win. The rules were about competition and stealing. Ming Zhu’s choice of alliance was reasonable. Yu Jing understood after thinking it over, but a tiny bit of discomfort lingered.

Liang Tian, still catching her breath, froze. She looked at Ming Zhu’s blank face, then at Yu Jing’s slightly crestfallen expression, and perked up.

She’d thought Ming Zhu would favor Yu Jing, but she was just as cold to everyone!

Liang Tian’s defeated eyes lit up again.

She hadn’t managed to spark Luo-Ning CP hype with Ming Zhu, which was a pity. But seeing this, she felt Ming-Yu CP wouldn’t take off either. Her heart balanced out.

When Yu Jing met Liang Tian’s smug gaze, her discomfort seemed to grow.

But with cameras rolling and the live stream ongoing, she had no time to dwell on Liang Tian’s microexpression. She adjusted quickly, put on a nonchalant front, patted the loud Chen Chen, and reassured him, “It’s fine, Brother Chen. We’ve got the bike. They can’t catch us even if they team up.”

Chen Chen, who’d been trying to win Ming Zhu over, lit up at Yu Jing’s words. He rang the bell gleefully and taunted, “Exactly! You could break all eight legs and still not catch us. Who’s scared of who?”

Xie Haichao, seeing Chen Chen’s smug face, got mad, grabbed the skateboard, and hurled it at them.

Chen Chen pedaled away fast, waving back and shouting, “Brother Chao, better run! We’ll find a rest spot up ahead and wait for you. Bye!”

This time, Yu Jing didn’t stop Chen Chen’s taunting. The bike sped off, her bangs blew into her eyes, and she tilted her head to dodge. Her glance caught Ming Zhu and the others growing distant, and she lowered her head, a bit glum.

Ming Zhu watched the fading black dot, pursed her lips, and stayed silent.

Xie Haichao, now allied, cheered up and said, “Let’s go catch Little Chen.”

To match the bike’s speed, they had to run. The four scattered and jogged forward.

Yu Jing and Chen Chen had ridden far ahead.

Besides rides, the amusement park had food stalls. The heat made biking tiring. Passing an ice cream cart, the creamy scent tempted them, and they stopped.

The ice cream vendor recognized them, knew they were filming, and said warmly, “Brother Chen, want some ice cream?”

Chen Chen didn’t hold back, wiped his sweat, scanned the freezer, and said, “Give me a chocolate one.”

The vendor scooped a big chocolate ice cream ball, put it in a paper cup, handed it to him, and asked Yu Jing with a smile, “What about you, pretty lady?”

Yu Jing wasn’t as forward as Chen Chen. She touched her empty pockets, embarrassed, and said, “I didn’t bring money.”

“No problem, no problem,” the vendor said generously. “It’s on me.”

Yu Jing felt awkward.

“Go on, Jingjing. The production team will pay later,” Chen Chen, the variety show veteran, said, patting her shoulder. He turned to the camera, “Don’t forget to pay. I know you’ve got the budget.”

Yang Ming, monitoring remotely, sighed.

Hearing the production team would cover it, Yu Jing didn’t hesitate. The yogurt earlier left her thirsty. She pointed at a freezer and said, “I’ll take a vanilla one, thanks.”

The vendor skillfully scooped ice cream. Seeing Yu Jing’s beauty, he dug deep for an extra-large scoop.

“That’s enough,” Yu Jing said, her mouth watering from the scent. She held the chest with one hand and reached for the cup with the other.

Just then, a commotion erupted behind, “Grab them!”

Yu Jing’s hand shook. She turned, saw Xie Haichao and the other three step off a park shuttle, eyes wide, and froze.

“Sh1t!” Chen Chen, halfway through his ice cream, gaped, incredulous, and yelled at the camera, “Director, why do they get a shuttle?!”

Yang Ming, off-camera, rubbed his aching temples and sighed.

Per the rules, the losing teams could only use skateboards or walk. But Xie Haichao, short-tempered, lost patience after a few minutes, hijacked a shuttle, broke the rules, ignored staff protests, and dragged his three allies aboard, ditching their four cameramen.

As the four charged forward, Yu Jing’s breath caught. She grabbed Chen Chen and ran.

“Your ice cream, lady!” the vendor called, holding the vanilla cup.

Yu Jing had no time for ice cream. Afraid of being caught, they didn’t even turn back for the bike. One held a half-eaten ice cream, the other clutched the chest, and they bolted.

Xie Haichao’s group didn’t chase immediately.

Noticing the ice cream cart, Xie Haichao asked the three girls politely, “Want some?”

“Yes!” Xiao Yihuan raised her hand first.

Liang Tian glanced at Ming Zhu, saw no reaction, then at the tempting ice cream, swallowed, and nodded with a smile.

Xiao Yihuan ran over eagerly, smiled sweetly at the vendor, and asked, “Can I get a strawberry one?”

“Sure, sure,” the vendor said, setting down the unclaimed vanilla cup and scooping a strawberry one for her.

“Thanks,” Xiao Yihuan said, taking a big bite, squinting happily, and exclaiming, “So good!”

Liang Tian moved to the cart, smiled, and said, “I’d like a strawberry one too.”

The vendor scooped her a strawberry one.

Xie Haichao didn’t like sweets and, hearing no response from Ming Zhu, assumed she didn’t want any either. He was about to call the girls to leave when Ming Zhu moved.

Ming Zhu hesitated, then walked to the cart.

The vendor asked enthusiastically, “Strawberry for you too?”

Ming Zhu didn’t answer right away, staring at the pink strawberry ice cream, lost in thought.

Out of place, she recalled Yu Jing’s pheromone scent—rich milk mixed with sweet strawberries, alluringly sweet.

Ming Zhu’s throat bobbed slightly. She pushed down the odd flutter in her chest, looked away, and noticed the paper cup the vendor had set aside.

That cup seemed to be the one meant for Yu Jing.

The cup was tightly sealed. Ming Zhu didn’t know if it was strawberry too, only that Yu Jing wanted it.

“I’ll take that one,” she said, pointing at the cup.

The vendor, worried about wasting the vanilla ice cream, was delighted, handed it to her without asking why, and said, “Here you go.”

Ming Zhu said, “Thank you.”

Xie Haichao teased, “Guess all you girls love sweets.”

Ming Zhu didn’t respond, held the cup carefully, stared at it, and didn’t move.

Xie Haichao and Xiao Yihuan didn’t notice she wasn’t eating. Liang Tian, always watching Ming Zhu, felt something odd.

During their drama filming, Liang Tian had observed Ming Zhu closely and knew she didn’t like sweets. So why take this ice cream?

Liang Tian had a shaky guess but didn’t dare ask. Seeing Ming Zhu treasure the cup, her own ice cream suddenly lost its appeal. She held the stick, feeling sour.

[That’s the one Yu Jing ordered, right?]

[Yep, Yu Jing’s! Ming Zhu’s not eating it—she’s saving it for Yu Jing!]

[When Ming Zhu refused to ally with Yu Jing, I thought Ming-Yu was done. But the sweetness is here. I’m shipping, I’m shipping!]

[Her wife didn’t get her ice cream, so she’s bringing it to her. What kind of idol drama is this? So doting!]

[I’m so jealous. I want a girlfriend like Ming Zhu.]

[Calling her wife a rogue but secretly getting her ice cream. What kind of fairy CP is this? I’m dead.]

[Look at Liang Tian’s face—she’s green. Hilarious!]

[Liang Tian must know Ming Zhu’s saving it for Yu Jing. Jealous, haha!]

[Ming Zhu’s so biased. ‘Noisy’ for Liang Tian, but sneaky pampering for Yu Jing. Liang Tian’s pitiful.]

[Liang Tian: Shutting down, don’t cue me.]

[Yu Jing, don’t run so fast! The ice cream’s gonna melt!]

Yu Jing dragged Chen Chen, running nonstop.

But after less than ten minutes, her strength was nearly gone. Her Omega body was weak, and she didn’t want anyone to notice. Thinking fast, she said to Chen Chen, “Let’s find a place to hide.”

Chen Chen, an Alpha with fine stamina, didn’t want to stay in the sun and agreed, “Good idea. Let’s hide.”

They started looking for a hiding spot.

At a haunted house, Yu Jing’s eyes lit up. She pointed and said, “Brother Chen, let’s go in there.”

Chen Chen saw “haunted house,” paled, and shook his head frantically, “No way, let’s find somewhere else.”

Yu Jing, pulled back by him, noticed his face and asked in surprise, “You’re scared of ghosts?”

The word “surprisingly” was quite telling.

She didn’t mean much by it, but Chen Chen took it as a challenge. Feeling provoked, he straightened up, composed himself, and stammered, “Joking! I’m a full-fledged Alpha. How could I be scared of ghosts? They’d be scared of me!”

“Good if you’re not scared,” Yu Jing said, too rushed to dwell. She twisted her wrist and pulled him toward the haunted house.

Chen Chen’s expression turned indescribable. Despite controlling his face, a close look showed his muscles twitching.

Yu Jing walked forward without looking back, reached the entrance, and stopped.

Chen Chen thought she’d changed her mind and looked relieved.

But the next second, Yu Jing faced the camera seriously and said, “Friendly reminder: this part might be scary. If you’re faint-hearted, switch to another team.”

Before Chen Chen could process her move, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him inside.

The haunted house was pitch black.

Yu Jing’s voice echoed in the dark, “Brother Chen, want to go first?”

Chen Chen’s heart screamed no, but as a tall man, how could he show fear in front of Yu Jing, an unpresented Alpha?

He forced down his fear. At 190 cm, he trembled like a leaf, eyes wide with terror in the endless dark, and stammered, “S-sure, I’ll lead.”

Yu Jing felt his arm, moved behind him, noticed he hadn’t budged, and urged, “Go in a bit more. The entrance is easy to find.”

Chen Chen was too nervous to speak, his teeth chattered, and he shuffled two steps forward.

“Brother Chen, are you actually scared?” Yu Jing asked, suspicious, feeling his arm shake.

“Haha, no way,” Chen Chen said, wiping cold sweat from his forehead, clearing his throat, and pretending to be calm, “It’s just too dark, I—ah!!!”

In a flash, a disheveled female ghost appeared ahead. The flashlight lit her pale face, sunken eyes, bl00d dripping from her eyes and mouth, sharp teeth bared in a creepy smile.

“Aaahhh!” Chen Chen, hit head-on, couldn’t pretend anymore. He shook off Yu Jing’s hand, screamed, and ran out.

Left alone, Yu Jing stared at the sudden ghost, swallowed hard, and froze.

Chen Chen stumbled outside, running into Xie Haichao’s group. Forgetting to flee, his legs gave out, and he collapsed with a thud.

“Haha, got you, kid!” Xie Haichao pinned him down. Chen Chen didn’t resist.

Xie Haichao hit him a few times, sensed something off, let go, saw his pale face and dazed look, and asked, “Did I hit you stupid?”

Chen Chen stared blankly at the four opponents, then wailed, hugged Xie Haichao, and cried, “So scary, so scary! I’m terrified, Brother Chao, save me!”

Xie Haichao pushed him away, annoyed at his clinginess, ignored his nonsense, noticed someone missing, and asked, “Where’s Jingjing? The chest?”

Chen Chen, clearly scared silly, pointed a trembling finger at the haunted house entrance, “J-Jingjing’s still inside.”

Xiao Yihuan, with ice cream in her mouth, blinked and asked, “Brother Chen, you guys went in the haunted house?”

Chen Chen, ignoring his image, clung to Xie Haichao’s leg, nodded tearfully, and shivered, “That female ghost was so scary!”

“Tch, an Alpha acting this gross,” Xie Haichao said, prying him off, skeptical, “This kid’s full of tricks. Probably another scheme to lure us in.”

Xiao Yihuan, hearing Xie Haichao’s analysis, agreed and glared at Chen Chen, “Brother Chen, you’re too sneaky.”

Chen Chen cried injustice, “I’m not lying! There’s really a ghost! Jingjing dragged me in, said it’s a good hiding spot.”

The live stream audience was in hysterics. Who’d have thought Chen Chen, who mocked Xiao Yihuan and Liang Tian’s fear, would be reduced to a trembling mess by a female ghost?

As the MCs hesitated, debating Chen Chen’s true motives, a tall figure charged fearlessly into the dark haunted house.

“Senior Sister!”