Failed to Pretend to Be an Alpha and Got Marked by the Enemy (ABO, GL) - Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Yu Jing yawned as she stepped off the plane.

The morning sun streamed through the glass corridor, but it didn’t wake her. Drowsily, she pulled out her phone, unlocked it, and opened a ride-hailing app to book a car. As she searched for her location, her phone suddenly rang.

Seeing an unfamiliar B City number without a contact name, Yu Jing thought it was a spam call. The ringing persisted, so she reluctantly answered, “Hello?”

“Little rascal…”

Yu Jing vaguely heard the first three words, but the rest was drowned out by the noisy chatter of other tourists rushing by.

She dragged her weary legs to a quieter spot. Her sleep-deprived brain buzzed, registering only that it was a woman’s voice but not who. “Sorry, who is this?”

The other side paused, seemingly caught off guard by her question. Then, a familiar, cool voice laced with helplessness came through, “It’s Ming Zhu.”

The four words sounded forced, soft yet clear. Yu Jing finally registered them, glanced at her phone screen, and put it back to her ear. She let out an absentminded “Oh,” saying slowly, “It’s you.”

Ming Zhu almost thought she’d dialed the wrong number. Hearing the surprise in Yu Jing’s soft voice, she quickly asked, “You didn’t save my number?”

“No.”

“…”

“…”

Yu Jing only realized today that, despite filming three episodes of the show together and preparing for the fourth, she had exchanged contact details with the other four teammates but not Ming Zhu’s phone number.

But it wasn’t entirely her fault, right?

Hearing the faint breathing on the other end, Yu Jing felt a twinge of guilt. She looked down at her toes and mumbled, “I didn’t know your number… and you never called me, so how could I save it?”

Her reasoning was sound. Ming Zhu couldn’t find a counterargument and fell silent for a moment before saying, “My oversight. I’ll call you more from now on.”

Her deliberately softened voice brushed Yu Jing’s ear like a gentle breeze, making her feel a bit lightheaded. Suddenly realizing something was off, she snapped out of it, stiffening her neck and saying, “That’s not what I meant! Who asked you to call more? Don’t twist my words!”

Across the call, they couldn’t see each other, but Ming Zhu could picture Yu Jing blushing and explaining frantically. She chuckled softly, her tone three parts indulgent, seven parts coaxing, “Okay, I just want to call you. Is that alright?”

“…” The sun blazed, but Yu Jing stood in the shade, her face burning. She touched the mask covering most of her face, her tired voice sounding sticky and awkward, “Whatever.”

It wasn’t a clear yes, but getting the little rascal to relent was no small feat. Ming Zhu’s smile widened, her heart easing a bit.

But then she remembered Yu Jing leaving early without a word, and her heart tensed again. Carefully choosing her words, she asked cautiously, “You left in such a hurry. Are you avoiding me?”

That was the real purpose of her call.

Yu Jing’s trip to M City was planned days ago because tomorrow was her father’s memorial day, and she had time to pay respects.

There were many flights from A City to M City daily, but Yu Jing picked the earliest one, as it was the only discounted fare.

To save money, she bought the cheap ticket. She left the hotel before dawn, too early to wake Xiao Ye, not intentionally sneaking away to avoid Ming Zhu. She hadn’t expected Ming Zhu to misunderstand.

The other end went silent, as if Ming Zhu was holding her breath.

Was Ming Zhu nervous?

Yu Jing had never seen her nervous and wanted to explain, but a sudden whim changed her mind.

“Yeah, I’m avoiding you,” Yu Jing said crisply, switching the phone to her other ear.

Ming Zhu was stunned, “You promised you wouldn’t avoid me.”

“Did I?” Yu Jing watched passing tourists, idly tapping her foot, blatantly lying, “I don’t remember.”

“You…” Ming Zhu, caught off guard by her response, paused, sighed, and said with a hint of grievance, “How can you go back on your word?”

“I’m going back on it. What can you do about it?”

Yu Jing shouted gleefully, not waiting for Ming Zhu’s reaction, and hung up, feeling refreshed and energized.

Last night, Ming Zhu’s teasing kept her awake. She wanted Ming Zhu to feel that same loss of control.

Her prank succeeded. Ming Zhu didn’t call back but sent a flustered WeChat message.

MZ: “You’re teasing me on purpose, right?”

Yu Jing rubbed her dry eyes, replying mischievously, “Guess.”

The chat showed “typing” at the top, as if Ming Zhu was carefully choosing her words.

The airport announcement reminded passengers to claim luggage. Yu Jing, too busy to wait for a reply, stuffed her phone into her bag.

Suddenly, a woman’s voice came from behind a pillar, “Squat down to shoot, make sure my legs look long.”

Another woman replied, “Got it. It’s too sunny back there, a bit overexposed. Move closer to the pillar.”

High heels clicked on the floor as two sets of footsteps approached.

“Alright, here’s good. Pretend to look at the floor, walk slowly, don’t pose too stiffly, or it’ll look staged.”

“Ugh, you’re so annoying. Hurry up, someone’s coming.”

“Click, click—”

Yu Jing found the voices familiar, especially one, but couldn’t place it.

She paused, couldn’t resist looking back, and was dumbfounded.

A woman in a sexy camisole and ultra-short shorts walked back and forth, holding her phone, while a casually dressed woman crouched, snapping photos with a DSLR.

They seemed to be staging a shoot.

Airport photoshoots were common, but Yu Jing hadn’t expected to run into Liang Tian and her assistant here.

Meeting a crew in M City? Recalling the messages Ming Zhu showed her last night, Yu Jing wasn’t too surprised.

Though she found staged airport shoots pretentious and wouldn’t do it herself, they were colleagues, and she didn’t want to expose them and cause embarrassment.

“Ding-dong—” Her phone pinged with a new message.

Ming Zhu, after much deliberation, finally replied.

MZ: “[Xiao Ming sighs].gif”

“Pfft—” Yu Jing covered her mouth, snickering.

Ming Zhu used a fan-made meme of herself, showing disheveled hair, sweaty face, innocent eyes, and a sulky sigh with puffed cheeks.

Yu Jing couldn’t believe fans captured such moments. It was incredible.

She couldn’t reconcile the pitiful figure in the meme with the cool Ming Zhu, finding it more amusing and wanting to tease her more.

The two behind the pillar continued their engrossed shoot, Liang Tian’s and her assistant’s voices faintly drifting over.

Yu Jing quickly typed, “Guess who I ran into at M City airport?”

MZ: “Who?”

Yu Jing turned, snapped a photo of Liang Tian posing to show off her legs, and sent it.

Yu Jing: “Your dearest junior sister [image]”

MZ: “Don’t know her.”

The messages were less than a second apart. Yu Jing doubted she even opened the photo.

Bright sunlight lit up her pretty peach-blossom eyes, their corners tinged with gold and amusement. Yu Jing’s delicate fingers brushed the three words on the screen, her lips curving uncontrollably.

She always thought Ming Zhu wasn’t good with words, but she was not only flirty but also skilled at coaxing.

Successfully cheered up, Yu Jing didn’t continue bantering with Ming Zhu, leaving before Liang Tian and her assistant noticed her.

In the taxi, she remembered to call Zhou Qi. Hearing Yu Jing was back, Zhou Qi excitedly offered to pick her up at the airport.

“No need,” Yu Jing said, watching the scenery pass by, her good mood dimming, her tone flat as if speaking to a stranger, “I’m already in the car.”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Zhou Qi sounded regretful, then laughed to herself, saying, “I’ll go to the market later. What do you want to eat? Mom will cook for you.”

Yu Jing couldn’t recall Zhou Qi’s signature dishes. After so many years, they no longer suited her taste, “Anything, you decide.”

Sensing the coldness in her words, Zhou Qi didn’t continue the small talk, awkwardly chatting a bit more before hanging up.

The call ended, the screen staying on her contacts. Yu Jing stared blankly, then remembered something, switched to “Recent Calls,” opened the second number, added it as a contact, edited the name, and saved it.

M City was a slow-paced small city. Yu Jing, back after a year, felt no nostalgia. She didn’t want to return so soon, but the smooth traffic got her there in half an hour.

Dragging her suitcase, she hadn’t reached the neighborhood entrance when a middle-aged woman holding a parasol walked straight toward her.

“Jingjing!” The woman waved enthusiastically.

Yu Jing shielded her eyes from the glaring sun, taking a moment to recognize Zhou Qi.

After a year, Zhou Qi rushed down to personally greet her.

Yu Jing felt no excitement. As Zhou Qi reached her, she paused, her throat dry, calling out stiffly, “Mom.”

“Yes!” Zhou Qi, with long, curled hair, bore the marks of time from neglected self-care, but her youthful beauty was still evident. Dressed meticulously and made up to welcome her daughter, she looked formal.

This formality made Yu Jing feel distant.

She subtly stepped aside. Zhou Qi’s attempt to hug her only brushed her sleeve, her eager smile stiffening.

Despite their bl00d tie, the mother and daughter acted like strangers.

The atmosphere grew tense. Yu Jing realized her coldness, removed her stuffy mask, took a breath of hot air, and said, “I’m thirsty.”

Zhou Qi’s fingers pinched her sleeve, awkwardly retracting her hand, forcing a smile, “Come home, Mom prepared iced watermelon and mung bean soup.”

“Okay.”

The small umbrella barely fit two. Afraid of saying the wrong thing, Zhou Qi stayed silent.

Yu Jing couldn’t stand the silent tension. Looking at their shadows on the ground, she made small talk, “Is Uncle home?”

Zhou Qi’s face lit up at her initiative, “He’s not, he’s at the company.”

“Oh.”

Her seemingly neutral tone made Zhou Qi worry she’d upset her, quickly adding, “But he knows you’re back. And Xiao Jie, after our call, he’s been clamoring to see his sister.”

Yu Jing gave a vague chuckle, glancing at Zhou Qi ambiguously.

Zhou Qi’s grip on the umbrella tightened, her lipsticked lips pressing together.

Yu Jing looked away lightly, lifting her chin to the high-rise ahead, counting to the seventh floor, smiling coolly, “I didn’t buy him any toys.”

“No need, no need,” Zhou Qi said, “He has enough toys. We’re all just happy you’re back.”

Everyone’s happy? Yu Jing glanced at Zhou Qi, who couldn’t even lie well, saying nothing.

They took the elevator to the seventh floor.

Four units per floor, all doors locked. Yu Jing followed, watching Zhou Qi open the door and step aside to let her in, feeling like a guest.

She should’ve bought some fruit or drinks on the way.

Yu Jing entered empty-handed, standing at the entrance as Zhou Qi fetched slippers.

“Bang—” A loud noise came from inside.

“Xiao Jie!”

Before Yu Jing could process, Zhou Qi, in high heels, sprinted into a room like a 100-meter dash.

The standing AC blew cold air toward her, chilling Yu Jing’s heart.

The room echoed with clattering, drowning out voices.

Yu Jing looked up at the crystal chandelier, smirking thinly, pulling out the forgotten keys from the lock and tossing them onto the shoe cabinet.

She suddenly didn’t care if her dirty soles would soil the spotless floor. She dashed to the room, seeing a scene of maternal affection.

Zhou Qi held Yu Jie, who had smashed a toy, grasping his chubby hands, saying worriedly, “Be careful next time, okay? What if you hurt your hand?”

“Hmph!” Yu Jie ungratefully pushed her away, stomping on the broken toy, hands on hips, demanding, “This isn’t fun. Buy me a new one!”

“Okay, okay,” Zhou Qi, not blaming his destruction, pulled out her phone, coaxing, “Mom will call Dad now to get you a new one.”

“No Dad, I want you to buy it! Go now!” Yu Jie, a hefty nine-year-old, pushed the crouching Zhou Qi over.

Zhou Qi fell, her palm cut by sharp plastic shards, wincing in pain.

“Get up!” Yu Jie, annoyed at her slowness, went to push again. His chubby hand was grabbed by a slender one, “Ah—”

Yu Jing tossed the bratty kid into a pool of toy balls. Amid Zhou Qi’s fearful gasp, she roughly pulled her up, growling in frustration, “Can’t you be tougher?”

Zhou Qi, two decades older, lips trembling, stayed meekly silent.

“You pushed me! I’ll tell my dad to spank you!” Yu Jie thrashed in the toy balls, yelling.

“Shut up,” Yu Jing shot him a glare.

The bully, scared of the strong, Yu Jie’s chubby face quivered under her cold stare, too intimidated to speak.

Zhou Qi covered her mouth, equally cowed into silence.

Yu Jing never imagined a warm homecoming, but she hadn’t expected such chaos on her first day back.

Yu Jie, unrelated by bl00d in this blended family, with a ten-year age gap, made peaceful coexistence impossible. Unlike Zhou Qi, who indulged him, Yu Jing stared coldly.

Yu Jie was a bit afraid of her.

Yu Jing checked Zhou Qi’s hand, seeing only a minor scrape, and let go, saying expressionlessly, “I’m tired. Is there a place to rest?”

Zhou Qi glanced at her sulking stepson in the toy balls, then at her unlike-her daughter, nodding timidly, leading her to a room, saying, “I cleaned your room already.”

Yu Jing pushed the door open, seeing familiar furnishings but feeling estranged.

It was the smallest room, barely fitting a 1.2-meter single bed, a desk, and a wardrobe. She’d slept there for three years, yet it felt unfamiliar now.

The room was clearly cleaned by Zhou Qi, with fresh bedding and a faint fragrance in the air.

Fine, it’ll do for now.

“Jingjing…” Zhou Qi saw her drag her suitcase in and start to close the door, her thin fingers touching the doorframe, “Still want the watermelon and mung bean soup?”

Yu Jing shook her head, too tired to talk, “I want to sleep.”

Zhou Qi noticed the dark circles under her eyes. Her hand slid from the doorframe, fumbling to the handle, saying softly, “Sleep then.”

“Okay.”

Zhou Qi closed the door for her.

Yu Jing locked it, pushed her suitcase against the wall, and collapsed onto the single bed, exhausted.

Yu Jie started shouting, “I want watermelon!”

“Shh—” Zhou Qi hushed him, “Mom will cut it for you, but keep it down, okay? Your sister’s sleeping.”

“I want watermelon!” Yu Jie yelled louder.

Yu Jing’s body sank into the soft bed, too lazy to discipline the brat again. She pulled out her phone and earphones, noticing unread WeChat messages.

Xiao Ye: “We’re at the airport. You home yet?”

Yu Jing realized she hadn’t updated her itinerary, typing back, “Just got here.”

Xiao Ye: “You left so fast. You didn’t know Sister Ming Zhu looked so stunning this morning.”

Yu Jie’s yelling at Zhou Qi outside faded as Yu Jing propped herself up on the headboard, typing faster unconsciously, “Send a pic.”

Xiao Ye: “[image]”

Yu Jing eagerly zoomed in—Ming Zhu, in a light blue top and straight white capris, stood out in the crowd, even from behind.

But how could you tell she was stunning from this???

Yu Jing: “That’s it? Not even her face.”

Xiao Ye switched to voice, “Too many people, I was shy to shoot from the front. Earlier at the hotel, she wore a dress, really gorgeous, I’m telling you! No exaggeration, like a goddess descended! I was stunned! But after your call, she seemed down and changed into casual clothes.”

Yu Jing understood each word but was confused by the whole.

She hadn’t seen Ming Zhu’s earlier outfit and couldn’t picture it from Xiao Ye’s vague description. Why dress up so beautifully, then change after their call?

Was Ming Zhu dressing up for her???

Yu Jing closed Xiao Ye’s chat, inexplicably opening the white cat avatar.

Maybe she was too bored and wanted to tease someone, to confirm it herself.

Her fingers slowly tapped the keyboard, typing and deleting, unable to form a complete sentence.

A message popped up suddenly.

Yu Jing blinked, focusing.

MZ: “[image]”

Zooming in, she was unprepared for the stunning selfie, her eyelids twitching, hand shaking, accidentally shrinking the photo.

She clutched her pounding heart, glanced at the retracted selfie, took a deep breath, and typed steadily, “Why’d you send me your photo out of nowhere?”

MZ: “Xiao Ye said you wanted to see my face.”

Yu Jing: …

MZ: “Want more? My first selfie, forgot a filter, didn’t come out well.”

Yu Jing: “No!!!”

MZ: “Alright.”

Chatting made her sweat.

Yu Jing wiped her sweaty hands on her clothes, got up, found the remote, turned on the AC, put on earphones, opened the music player, and cranked the volume to drown out the noise outside.

Lying back down, she couldn’t resist opening the white cat avatar again.

Yu Jing wasn’t sure what she was feeling, secretly admiring Ming Zhu’s selfie.

It was clearly an amateur shot, no filter, with others in the background. She didn’t even pick an angle, just faced the camera. Her enviable long, thick lashes were distinct, amber eyes gazing softly, lips slightly parted, as if speaking to her.

She got away with it because she was so good-looking.

Yu Jing poked Ming Zhu’s face on the screen, muttering to herself, “How didn’t I notice you were so vain before?”

The photo couldn’t reply, but it felt like eyes were watching her. Another message popped up.

MZ: “If you want to see me, just tell me. I can do any style, no need for Xiao Ye to sneak shots.”

…Who wants to see you, shameless!