Forced to Pretend to Be an A and Marry the Best Actress Omega - Chapter 23

“Jiang Lingyu, don’t go over there. That’s just a small path.” Lin Su, who was following behind Jiang Lingyu, noticed the photographer’s strange expression. Although she hadn’t heard what Jiang Lingyu heard through the earpiece, that area looked completely deserted.

This was a deserted island—they needed to be cautious about everything.

As the photographer had mentioned, it had rained here not long ago, leaving many areas muddy and potentially dangerous.

Jiang Lingyu was about to say something but stopped when she met Lin Su’s gaze.

“I think Wen Yue and the others should be finishing up soon. Should we head back now?” Lin Su suggested.

Jiang Lingyu could only nod and follow Lin Su back to the main path marked on the map. The previously tense photographer finally relaxed and hurried after the two guests.

On the way back, Lin Su chatted casually with Jiang Lingyu. “It’s strange today—I haven’t seen Xu Mifei around at all.”

“Yesterday she followed the whole session. Could she be too tired?” Last night, Jiang Lingyu had slept outside. Since the two had just gotten married, it would be easy for them to… well, do certain things.

Young people, after all, tend to have fiery tempers—it’s understandable.

Jiang Lingyu had no idea what Lin Su was thinking. Walking under the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees, she seemed distracted. “I’m not sure either.”

Xu Mifei had always done whatever she wanted. From the beginning, Jiang Lingyu never expected her to stay long with the props team.

And now, Yu Wei had come looking for her.

Jiang Lingyu lowered her gaze to her shoes, already stained with mud, and frowned. The sun today felt unusually harsh, even this early.

——

Meanwhile, outside the temporary base camp, Xu Mifei emerged from the water, dripping wet.

She removed the white fox headpiece used for testing and untied the safety rope around her waist, letting out a long sigh of relief.

If not for the pre-fastened rescue rope, even with her excellent swimming skills, she would have had no choice but to scream for help.

Hu Yigui, her expression still tense and grim, strode over, her eyes dark with suppressed anger. “These people have a death wish—how dare they tamper with the props like this!”

She had already identified the four people involved in the morning’s test.

“We need to run one more test, the final check on the modified costume,” Xu Mifei reassured her, shaking her head slightly as she stared at the section of water cordoned off by the props team. “At least we caught it in time. There’s still room for adjustments.”

Just then, a voice crackled through her earpiece.

It was one of her colleagues, sounding excited, reporting that Jiang Lingyu’s camera was in position.

Xu Mifei recognized the voice—it belonged to the young photographer assigned to follow Jiang Lingyu today.

At the same time, her gaze shifted to the sky and froze.

A flyer descended, landing nearby. A familiar woman was helped down, her delicate frame buffeted by the strong wind, her expression tinged with grievance, looking utterly pitiable.

“…A-Fei.”

But the moment she stepped down, Xu Mifei instinctively took a step back, remembering how Yu Wei’s pheromones had tormented her before.

The woman descending from the flyer looked even more pitiful, one hand immediately resting on her stomach.

“A-Fei, you have to take responsibility.”

Xu Mifei was utterly baffled. The original novel hadn’t mentioned this scene at all? What responsibility was there to take?

These damn misleading lines.

Only Hu Yigui and a trusted aide brought along to fetch items were nearby. Xu Mifei noticed Hu Yigui’s expression shift to one of shock and subtle understanding—clearly she’d jumped to some outrageous conclusions.

“Team Leader Hu, stop her! It’s not what you’re thinking.” Xu Mifei didn’t have time to waste with Yu Wei here. She needed to complete the prop testing.

Since Hu Yigui and another were responsible for monitoring and observation, all testing tasks fell on her shoulders.

Ignoring Yu Wei approaching her, she dragged her dripping body into the temporary partition, changed quickly, and emerged wearing a fresh prop suit, silently leaving Yu Wei behind as she walked away.

“Hey! A-Fei! Why are you taking this show so seriously?”

“Miss Yu, you can’t go any further.” Hu Yigui recognized Yu Wei—this beautiful omega had decent resources among the new generation of starlets and plenty of screen time. She blocked Yu Wei but was roughly shoved aside.

“Do you know I’m pregnant?!”

Hu Yigui’s hand froze: “…” Her gaze involuntarily shifted to Xu Mifei, who had already climbed onto the diving platform and leaped precisely into the water.

You can’t just rely on your professional skills and family wealth to act so recklessly, can you?

“…What are you all standing around for? Don’t let her jump!” Yu Wei angrily grabbed Hu Yigui’s arm, but there was no way she could move her. Hu Yigui remained immobile, her tone turning cold as she spoke again:

“Miss Yu, we’re testing props here.”

Whether Yu Wei was actually pregnant was beside the point—the show’s guests would arrive soon, and there wasn’t a second to waste.

On the platform, the figure in white jumped without hesitation but didn’t sink, floating on the water’s surface instead. Excitedly waving at Hu Yigui, she called out, “Team Leader Hu, it’s working!”

The previously stern alpha finally allowed a hint of a smile, saying to Yu Wei, “Miss Yu, please rest for a while.”

Yu Wei: “…” You dare ignore me the entire time?

What’s so important about that prop? More important than the child in my belly?

Only when Xu Mifei finally glanced her way did Yu Wei perk up and run over. From afar, she seemed to hear Xu Mifei mentioning Jiang Lingyu’s name through the earpiece.

Jiang Lingyu.

Just thinking about that person made her furious.

What top-tier omega? What good did marrying into that family do? Still couldn’t compare to her. Now, as long as she used this child to tie Xu Mifei down, she could have anything she wanted.

With this in mind, Yu Wei flashed Xu Mifei a sweet smile. “Come on, A-Fei! How could you be so careless with your health? What if you catch a cold or choke on water?”

Xu Mifei removed the prop suit, shook it out, and handed it to a colleague before finally looking at Yu Wei. “This area was specially cordoned off by the props team. At its deepest, the water wouldn’t even reach the neck of a woman who’s 1.5 meters tall. Only someone with ulterior motives would try to make someone choke here.”

“I… I was just worried about you.” Yu Wei awkwardly averted her gaze, taking Xu Mifei’s hand and pressing it shyly against her abdomen. “A-Fei, I’m pregnant. It’s yours.”

Xu Mifei jerked her hand back as if electrocuted.

She stood up and only then noticed that there were people inside Yu Wei’s flyer taking photos.

Premeditated? Xu Mifei quickly turned to exchange a glance with Hu Yigui, who nodded in understanding and whispered, “Handle your personal matters first, but try not to delay work.”

There were still thirty minutes left.

Xu Mifei’s gaze fell on Yu Wei’s flat stomach. Her tone was completely different from her earlier excitement, nothing like the response Yu Wei had imagined. “Come with me.”

Yu Wei nervously twisted the hem of her skirt with her fingers but soon relaxed. Xu Mifei couldn’t possibly know… The bite mark Xu Mifei had left on her neck was still there, clear as day.

With that thought, she followed Xu Mifei into a nearby tent.

But as soon as they entered, the tall, long-legged Alpha casually took a seat on a camping chair, her legs clad in combat boots crossed at ease.

Though she was seated, her scrutinizing gaze swept over Yu Wei, sending a chill down her spine.

“Speak. What do you want?” Xu Mifei cut straight to the point. “I never injected you with pheromones. How could you be pregnant? If you’re looking for a scapegoat, don’t come to me, Miss Yu.”

The distant address made Yu Wei’s face pale.

Xu Mifei glanced at the time on her watch and interrupted just as Yu Wei parted her lips to speak. “I only have ten minutes. Don’t waste my time with nonsense.”

“A-Fei, how can you say that to me… After that night, are you just going to pretend nothing happened?” Yu Wei pouted, feigning grievance. To bolster her credibility, she added, “Besides, you were the one who said you liked someone like me because Jiang Lingyu is boring in bed—no fun at all, couldn’t even spark your interest.”

Seriously? Did anyone actually believe such an absurd excuse from the original host?

Leaning in, the woman whispered seductively into Xu Mifei’s ear, “I asked my friends, and they said after the first three stable months, we can… I’ll satisfy you then.”

The old Xu Mifei would’ve been unable to resist such temptation. Yu Wei had even heard some Alphas had strange fetishes—that pregnant omegas could stimulate their desires even more.

Slap.

Something cold pressed against her skin, making Yu Wei shiver before an irresistible force shoved her away.

Just as she was about to release pheromones to seduce Xu Mifei, not only was a scent blocker slapped onto her, but— She stared in disbelief at the firewood pressed against her shoulder, the black grime staining her designer outfit!

“Are you deaf? I told you this isn’t mine. Lucky for you, I don’t hit pregnant women.” Xu Mifei sneezed—Yu Wei’s perfume was suffocating. She’d nearly drowned testing props in water earlier, and now she was about to choke to death in front of Yu Wei.

She held the other end of the firewood, which she’d casually picked up from the ground.

“Pack up and leave. Don’t waste my time here.”

Yu Wei hadn’t expected Xu Mifei to be so heartless, even denying her own child! Frustration flared, and she forgot all about her ruined outfit. The moment she tried to step forward again, Xu Mifei jabbed the stick at her.

“It’s really yours, look at the conception date!” Yu Wei pulled out the pregnancy test results she had prepared in advance, but Xu Mifei didn’t even glance at them. The paper fluttered lightly to the ground.

“Not mine.” Xu Mifei knew that no matter how much the original owner had sinned, a beta could never get an omega pregnant.

“Get out now, and I might pretend today never happened,” Xu Mifei said, realizing that Yu Wei had received many resources from the original owner in the past. After the original owner married Jiang Lingyu, Yu Wei naturally felt her position was threatened.

And now, conveniently pregnant, she decided to seize the opportunity.

That night, she had deliberately played wild and intense with the original owner, but the original owner was a beta—how could she have injected pheromones? Yu Wei, however, assumed the original owner simply refused, so she drugged her when she let her guard down, knocking her unconscious.

This indirectly led to the original owner’s death.

“I’m not leaving. Don’t you want to bond with your baby?” Yu Wei refused to back down. She wouldn’t leave without an answer today—otherwise, she’d drag Xu Mifei down with her!

“I said get away! Are you deaf?” Xu Mifei grabbed Yu Wei’s wrist and shoved her aside.

She hated this kind of scheming touch, and she especially despised the floral perfume that mimicked pheromones. From the moment she discovered the props had been switched until now, Xu Mifei’s nerves had been on edge, her usual gentle expression long gone.

She had too much to do and didn’t want to waste time here. Besides, Yu Wei’s claims made no sense—what a waste of ten minutes.

Yu Wei stumbled from the push, the force too much for her, and collapsed onto a chair.

“You’re so cruel, denying your own child. Are you still delusional enough to think you could have one with Jiang Lingyu?” Yu Wei clutched her stomach and screamed, a flash of malice in her eyes. “Stop dreaming! You know damn well you could never mark a top-tier omega like Jiang Lingyu!”

Xu Mifei paused mid-step as she headed toward the tent entrance. When she turned back, the faint curve of her lips carried mockery. “You should also know that I never injected any pheromones that night.”

Though she wanted to distance herself from the original owner’s reckless behavior, she was grateful now that the original owner had been a beta—otherwise, she’d have no way to argue her case.

The original owner did enjoy biting scent glands, but that was all it ever was—just biting. A beta had no ability to inject pheromones.

The original owner had never even gone all the way, preferring only to watch omegas writhe in pleasure before her.

It seemed she achieved some kind of mental climax through observation and biting. Knowing she was a beta, she never fully undressed with her partners.

Clothes stayed on, or tools were used. The original owner and Yu Wei had played dirty, but the original owner’s clothes had remained intact—until Yu Wei drugged her, waited for her to pass out, and then stripped her completely to create the illusion of a wild night.

Yu Wei’s mistake was not tearing off the original owner’s suppressant patch—otherwise, she would’ve seen there was no raised scent gland beneath it at all.

Yu Wei was provoked. What she had always detested was the difference in how Xu Mifei treated her compared to Jiang Lingyu. Xu Mifei was always eager to approach Jiang Lingyu, yet why couldn’t she do the same in front of her?

Then she was no different from those omegas who had once stayed by Xu Mifei’s side, been pampered for a while, and then discarded.

She was determined to be the exception.

Even though Xu Mifei seemed a little different today, Yu Wei didn’t take it seriously.

She believed everything was under her control.

“You can’t leave. If you want everyone to know how irresponsible you are tomorrow, then go ahead and walk out.” Yu Wei decided to throw caution to the wind. “The Xu family never cared about you in the first place. Once this scandal breaks out, do you think you’ll still have a place in the Xu family? Once you’re kicked out, Jiang Lingyu won’t stay by your side either.”

As if struck by a nerve, the tall woman stiffened slightly. Yu Wei watched with satisfaction as Xu Mifei took two steps back, but when she saw the cold expression on Xu Mifei’s face as she turned around, Yu Wei’s own expression froze.

“You won’t do it,” Xu Mifei said with a mocking smile. “Without me, where would you find another sucker like me? Would you really expose me and ruin me? Besides, I never marked you in the first place.”

Xu Mifei was merely stating the facts, but Yu Wei took it as a grave provocation. Her face flushed red with anger as she glared at Xu Mifei. To prevent Xu Mifei from leaving, she resorted to shouting:

“That’s because of your own problem! What are you acting so high and mighty for? I’ve asked you so many times to mark me, but you refused. It’s just that you’re incapable of marking. Even if you managed to snatch Jiang Lingyu, it wouldn’t last.” Yu Wei’s expression twisted into undisguised disdain:

“Don’t forget, even if you think you only bit me once.” Yu Wei unbuttoned her top, pushed aside her hair, and revealed the still-fresh bite mark on her neck. “You should at least know basic biology, right? It’s common for an excited alpha to lose control and inject pheromones, even if she herself thinks she didn’t.”

“If you can’t mark a top-tier omega, then this is destined to be your only child.” Yu Wei forced a smile. “That night you came to me, you said it yourself—you’re impotent in front of Jiang Lingyu and needed me to comfort you.”

Comfort my ass. The more she talked, the more outrageous it became.

In any case, as a beta, Xu Mifei couldn’t inject pheromones, and that was unchangeable.

Xu Mifei had no patience left for Yu Wei’s nonsense. She pulled open the tent flap—only for her expression to freeze completely.

Standing outside was Jiang Lingyu, watching her quietly. It was impossible to tell how long she had been there or how much she had heard.

Xu Mifei’s mind exploded with a “boom,” a feeling entirely different from the irritation she’d felt with Yu Wei.

“How did you—” Hadn’t she specifically told the photographer colleague over the earpiece to keep Jiang Lingyu away?

Jiang Lingyu walked straight in, firmly closing the tent flap behind her. Her gaze didn’t linger on Xu Mifei, who followed behind her like a guilty child, restless and uneasy.

Jiang Lingyu was slowly approaching Yu Wei.

She saw Yu Wei’s face turn pale in an instant, beads of cold sweat forming on her forehead. Her pale fingers gripped the armrests of the chair tightly, and even her harshest words came out as barely a whisper:

“How could you use pheromones…” Yu Wei gasped, unable to move, gritting her teeth as she spoke, “For her? An Alpha who’s impotent to you? You know what? I’m carrying her child.”

It wasn’t for nothing that Jiang Lingyu was called a top-tier omega. Just a trace of her pheromones was enough to suppress other omegas. Yu Wei was clearly already affected, yet Jiang Lingyu actually laughed.

“Whether she’s incapable of marking or not is for me to decide—it’s none of your business.”

Jiang Lingyu turned, her hand already resting on Xu Mifei’s wrist: “Still standing there? Come with me.”

Yu Wei shouted from behind: “I’ll expose you both! I’ll ruin Xu Mifei’s reputation!”

“Perfect timing. I’m quite curious about the child in your belly.” Jiang Lingyu suddenly turned back, her gaze lightly falling on the prenatal checkup report from some unknown hospital lying on the ground. “I have a doctor friend who can arrange an examination for you.”

“All we need is to draw some bl00d, and we’ll naturally know if the child is hers.”

“No! You can’t do this! I’m still in the early stages—this could harm my baby.” Yu Wei immediately refused. “You know how precious an omega’s child is. I can’t take any risks. Jiang Lingyu, you’re only offering to find me a doctor because you have ulterior motives. Who knows if you’re just trying to use this as an excuse to get rid of my child?”

The woman in front of her gave her a mocking look, as if she’d heard something ridiculous.

Yu Wei realized in horror that Jiang Lingyu at this moment bore an uncanny resemblance to the cold and indifferent Xu Mifei from earlier.

A thought suddenly struck her—had she made a mistake coming here?

Ignoring whatever Yu Wei might do next, Jiang Lingyu led Xu Mifei out of the tent where Yu Wei was.

Not far away, on the flyer, Hu Yigui was pressing down on the photographer’s equipment, deleting the original photos one by one.

Hearing the commotion from the tent, she looked over and made a gesture to Xu Mifei, mouthing silently: You’re on your own.

Xu Mifei: “…”

It wasn’t even her fault, yet now she really did feel like she’d been caught in an affair. She knew Jiang Lingyu must understand that there was no way she could have gotten Yu Wei pregnant, but she didn’t want Jiang Lingyu to misunderstand that there was something between her and Yu Wei.

Ever since that time Yu Wei had sought her out to vent her anger after she transmigrated, she really hadn’t seen Yu Wei again.

Though she was still following Jiang Lingyu, Xu Mifei couldn’t help but hold her breath, secretly observing Jiang Lingyu’s expression. Her fingers tensed at her sides, a far cry from the composed demeanor she’d shown when facing Yu Wei earlier.

Jiang Lingyu suddenly stopped, and Xu Mifei’s footsteps halted abruptly, her heart leaping into her throat.

“I didn’t—”

“You don’t need to explain.”

They spoke at the same time.

Xu Mifei was stunned for a moment, staring at Jiang Lingyu, only to realize after a pause that the other woman was actually waiting for her to speak. She quickly said:

“You go first.”

“I’ve seen yours, so you don’t need to explain.” As Jiang Lingyu spoke, Xu Mifei felt her gaze sweep briefly over the back of her neck.

Though the gaze was intangible, she felt as if a fingertip had lightly brushed against it, the faint tickle making her involuntarily cover the spot with her hand.

Before Xu Mifei could shake off this peculiar and unsettling sensation, Jiang Lingyu’s voice turned colder. “But we need to add another clause to our agreement.”

Almost instantly, Xu Mifei snapped back to attention, the slight warmth that had risen within her vanishing in an instant.

So, it was because of Yu Wei coming to find her that she was disappointed, right? Still didn’t trust her.

It wasn’t unreasonable for her… to want to add some terms more favorable to herself in the agreement.

But then, she heard Jiang Lingyu speak in a cold tone: “From now on, we’ll add another clause to the agreement. You’ll need to provide me with comfort when necessary—not just during my heat, preferably once a day.”

“…What?” It was like a thunderclap exploding beside her ear. Her heartbeat was erratic—could it even affect her hearing?

“Don’t overthink it. It’s all for the sake of better cooperation.” Jiang Lingyu paused briefly, her gaze lingering on the other’s lips before quickly looking away. “My heat has become unstable, and that’s partly due to what you did before. We’ll keep it like this until it stabilizes.”

This was tantamount to admitting that Xu Mifei could soothe this omega just by sucking lightly.

Though Jiang Lingyu was reluctant to admit it, that was the truth.

Xu Mifei’s fingers clutched the hem of her clothes nervously, turning slightly white.

Didn’t she realize how intimate this was? And once a day, like fulfilling spousal duties…

But Jiang Lingyu made such an ambiguous thing sound like a job. It took a long while for Xu Mifei’s racing heart to finally calm down.

“In return, if there’s anything you need help with, I’ll assist you—like with Miss Yu’s little stunt today. Of course, if in the future you find someone you like more—”

She paused, then continued with a hint of mockery: “—someone who can stir your desires more, you can terminate the contract with me anytime.”

She actually heard it.

Xu Mifei closed her eyes in despair. Yu Wei’s words—”You said it yourself, you’re impotent in front of Jiang Lingyu”—flashed through her mind.

How could she not?

If it was about stirring desire, Jiang Lingyu was more than capable.

Just a mere whiff of her pheromones, and she’d go mad.

But she couldn’t tell Jiang Lingyu that she reacted to her—after all, Jiang Lingyu had chosen her as a marriage partner precisely because she was a beta, someone who wouldn’t harm her out of uncontrollable biological urges.

“No, that won’t be necessary,” Xu Mifei suddenly remembered that before the original owner of this body died, it was because she had grown tired of Jiang Lingyu that, at the suggestion of a new lover, she had sent the battered omega into a room full of Alpha pheromones.

With this contract, she could at least stay alive—this year would be a good one. Without it, Jiang Lingyu could easily dispose of her—

“It won’t happen, really.” Xu Mifei shook her head urgently, her tone anxious as she took a few deep breaths. “I won’t overthink it. Things are fine as they are now.”

Jiang Lingyu watched her quietly. Xu Mifei felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles. Under Jiang Lingyu’s silent gaze, it was as if her innermost thoughts could be laid bare in an instant.

“Then… what about today’s session…” Xu Mifei asked cautiously, “Why did you come here so suddenly?”

“This is a marked task point on the map. They’ll be here soon—I should go now.” Jiang Lingyu took a step forward, her voice as light as a feather brushing against her ear: “We’ll talk about the comfort session after tonight’s recording.”

Xu Mifei had thought Jiang Lingyu came to her just needing comfort.

The fox brooch on her chest glimmered brightly before quickly moving away from Xu Mifei, rejoining the approaching group.

Staff members, summoned by Hu Yigui, had somehow managed to escort Yu Wei onto the Flyer before the guests arrived, leaving no trace behind.

“What are you standing around for? Get to the rope bridge. They’ll be securing the safety gear soon—you need to supervise.” Hu Yigui came over and patted Xu Mifei’s shoulder. “You didn’t just argue, did you?”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Don’t stress. Couples bicker outside sometimes—just apologize properly when you get back, be sincere, and kneel on a durian shell if you have to. Remember to buy one yourself.” Seeing Xu Mifei’s dazed expression, Hu Yigui urged, “Hurry up! If you move fast, you might still make it in time to help Jiang Lingyu put on her life vest.”

After these past two days, Hu Yigui had figured out the dynamic between this married couple.

One spoiled the other, while the other remained aloof—and Xu Mifei was the spoiler.

To make such a spectacle out of an engagement, who knew how deep her feelings ran? She’d even ruined her reputation just to claim Jiang Lingyu.

Hu Yigui admired Xu Mifei’s work ethic and hoped she wouldn’t let personal matters interfere with her job. She also wanted Xu Mifei to stay in top form.

An Alpha sharing a show with her Omega would naturally need the Omega to be at ease—both physically and emotionally.

That was just common sense.

Xu Mifei shook off her thoughts and rushed over, coordinating with the arriving team to confirm the conditions—water depth, obstacle setup—before taking her position behind the cameraman.

“Welcome, everyone, to the crucial challenge—the seesaw rope bridge! Based on your brooches, you’ll need to change into corresponding costumes, then cross this bridge to proceed toward the ballroom.”

“For this task, you’ll form teams of three. Follow the hints on the back of your brooches to navigate the bridge. One of you will be designated as the VIP—your team must loyally escort and obey her.”

“Now, please choose your teammates.”

Above the river stood two rope bridges, each wide enough for two people, swaying slightly. Neither had guardrails at the ends. Thick cylindrical pillars anchored them firmly in place.

One bridge was plain, natural wood, while the other was painted in vibrant colors.

Jiang Lingyu noticed bearings atop the pillars—the bridges could move.

This wouldn’t be simple.

With teams of three, one pair would have to split up. After discussion, Lin Su and He Yanzhen volunteered to separate, forming two groups.

Nearby, temporary tents had been set up for costume changes. One by one, the guests entered to pick their outfits.

Jiang Lingyu was the last to go in.

She spotted the figure behind the cameraman, who didn’t avoid her gaze. Instead, Xu Mifei offered a soft, shy smile, her lips and eyes curving gently, her entire face lighting up.

Jiang Lingyu averted her eyes and stepped into the tent.

How could the word “shy” suit Xu Mifei so perfectly?

Inside, only one costume remained—a white fox set. Hers.

When she took off the costume and unzipped it, the fluffy white fur brushed against her fingers with an impossibly soft texture. She changed quickly, though the oversized costume hung loosely on her slender frame, and the massive headpiece was almost too heavy for her to lift.

She thought of Xu Mifei—with Xu Mifei’s hands, could she effortlessly lift this costume, this headpiece, or perhaps—

Effortlessly lift an omega, control her, just like that day in the greenhouse when she had gripped her chin from behind.

Under the dual stimulation of floral scent and pheromones, she now vaguely recalled that Xu Mifei had carried a crisp, pleasant fragrance that day.

It drifted faintly through her uniform, a scent that could only be fully appreciated by undoing the topmost button, peeling back the layers.

Her breath hitched slightly. She didn’t understand why she was thinking of this person while changing—it was just a costume.

Jiang Lingyu couldn’t find an answer, but she knew it was wrong to keep recalling Xu Mifei’s redeeming qualities. Her impression of Xu Mifei was slowly shifting.

This wasn’t a good thing.

When she stepped out, Xu Mifei was still by the tent.

With just one glance at Jiang Lingyu’s slow steps, she immediately understood and walked over.

“The zipper at the back isn’t fastened properly.” Xu Mifei reached out to help but paused midway to ask, “Do you need assistance?”

“…” Jiang Lingyu had thought her meaningful look upon exiting the tent was clear enough. “No need.”

Xu Wanzhi was already approaching from a distance.

Xu Mifei glanced at the approaching figure, then at Jiang Lingyu’s slender back, barely visible beneath her hair—the slight protrusion of her bones like butterflies about to take flight.

Beautiful. She didn’t particularly want Xu Wanzhi to see it, to give the cameras more material.

She quickly closed the distance and pinched the small zipper between her fingers.

“Let me help you,” Xu Mifei lied smoothly, taking advantage of Jiang Lingyu’s turned back. “I’m from the props team—I know how to adjust this costume properly.”

Even if it was just a tiny zipper.

As if she’d let Xu Wanzhi accidentally tug Jiang Lingyu’s hair!

Seeing that the person before her didn’t move, Xu Mifei took it as silent permission and gently swept aside Jiang Lingyu’s thick, silky hair.

The lower end of the zipper rested at Jiang Lingyu’s waistline, and her gaze followed its path upward until she spotted the scent blocker on Jiang Lingyu’s nape.

Done.

The hard zipper pull lightly settled into place, but she felt Jiang Lingyu’s body tremble. Realizing something, Xu Mifei immediately shifted the pull—which had just brushed against her scent gland—to the outside.

“Sorry, that was careless of me…” She withdrew her hand at once, no longer touching Jiang Lingyu. She hadn’t expected Jiang Lingyu to be so sensitive—even through the scent blocker, such a light touch could—

Jiang Lingyu pressed her lips together, tilting her head slightly to reveal the faint reddening of her ear.

“I can’t wait until tonight,” she said, reaching back blindly to seize one of Xu Mifei’s buttons. With a tight breath, she tugged. “Come find me after the mission.”