Forced to Pretend to Be an A and Marry the Best Actress Omega - Chapter 38

“You’re… you’re really insane.”

Song Nian tried to pull Jiang Lingyu away but found her immovable, stubbornly standing by the bedside, staring at the other person.

As if waiting for a reaction.

“I know, I get it. What kind of mess is this… Anyway, when you dig your heels in, no one can stop you.” Song Nian had seen enough shocking things tonight.

As close friends, she understood Jiang Lingyu’s intentions perfectly—she wanted Song Nian to let go of her prejudice against Xu Mifei from now on.

But why? Just because Xu Mifei was about to differentiate into a high-level alpha, did that erase all the terrible things she’d done before?

All Song Nian could say was that Xu Mifei had ridiculously good luck—even jumping off a flyer last time hadn’t killed her. Others might not know, but Song Nian did, those glass shards Jiang Lingyu mentioned were something else entirely.

Back then, trapped in the octagon cage, Jiang Lingyu had been promised what she wanted in exchange for putting on a spectacular performance.

Zhou Siwu was notorious for his ruthlessness—he never made deals that didn’t benefit him.

Jiang Lingyu had been locked in the arena with an alpha in the middle of a susceptible period, while the path behind her leading to the exit was strewn with broken glass.

Whoever came up with that vile idea—survival meant crawling through a path of agony, leaving flesh and bl00d behind.

After that day, those shards had embedded themselves deep in Jiang Lingyu’s heart, taking with them all her warmth and vitality.

Song Nian’s expression turned inscrutable. When she noticed Xu Mifei’s gaze lingering on her hand, Xu Mifei instinctively pulled it back, embarrassed. “This wound healed well thanks to Dr. Song’s bandaging. It’s fine now.”

Song Nian let out a cold chuckle. Xu Mifei rubbed her nose awkwardly with her other hand and glanced at Jiang Lingyu.

Her wrist was still held firmly in Jiang Lingyu’s grip.

Jiang Lingyu seemed to snap out of it and released her.

“I wasn’t joking. We… we just got married,” Xu Mifei murmured, swallowing hard. The sudden chill on her wrist made her clench her fingers, pressing the scar in her palm.

“It’s not too late to get a divorce.”

Her words struck like a hammer against Jiang Lingyu’s heart.

This might have been what Xu Mifei had meant earlier by setting her free, but Jiang Lingyu felt no joy—only an inexplicable, suffocating ache.

The room fell silent again until Hu Huaimeng, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke up. “It’s not like you’ve reached the point of divorce, right?”

Jiang Lingyu looked up at her. Hu Huaimeng smiled. “Weren’t you just engaged? You haven’t even registered the marriage. A simple statement about mutual disagreement to part ways would suffice.”

Hearing this, Song Nian immediately understood why Hu Huaimeng had become Jiang Lingyu’s manager at such a critical time—she was brutally straightforward!

Oh. Right.

Xu Mifei flushed with embarrassment. How had she misspoken so carelessly? Technically, she and Jiang Lingyu weren’t officially married yet.

Ending things would be easy. The thought made her sneak a glance at Jiang Lingyu—but her furtive look was far from subtle, caught immediately by Jiang Lingyu mid-air.

Song Nian: “…” Witnessing this scene, she genuinely felt that both their IQs seemed to have gone offline during this marking process. Xu Mifei’s behavior bore no resemblance to the former spoiled, troublesome scion—now she just looked like a complete fool.

Had any of her ex-girlfriends ever described Xu Mifei like this? Those who ranked Xu Mifei on those “playboy alpha trash” lists must have been blind.

“You want to break off our engagement?” Jiang Lingyu asked.

“No! That’s not what I meant!” Xu Mifei immediately explained. She would give anything to keep holding onto this engagement with Jiang Lingyu. If they announced a separation right after getting engaged, it would deviate from the original novel’s timeline, and some uncontrollable force might push Jiang Lingyu back toward Xu Wanzhi—wouldn’t that mean her death?

But she never expected she’d become an alpha. This wasn’t in the original story at all.

From what she gathered earlier, it seemed Jiang Lingyu’s pheromones had triggered this change. The original host had only interacted with Jiang Lingyu once—nothing like her frequent encounters—so no changes were noticeable then.

Even as a beta, she had already reacted to Jiang Lingyu’s pheromones. What would happen once she became an alpha? Would she end up keeping Jiang Lingyu in bed all day?

The thought was horrifying. She didn’t want that, nor did she want to treat Jiang Lingyu like that under pheromone influence.

Like Jiang Lingyu, she despised the idea of being completely controlled by pheromones. Coming from a world without them, she believed she should maintain rational control under normal circumstances.

Even though the sensation was intoxicating—addictive after just one taste.

Xu Mifei continued, “I just don’t want you to hate me more. Didn’t you say the reason you chose me in the end was because I was a beta?”

Hu Huaimeng resisted the urge to pinch her temples.

Though she was great at keeping secrets, she wasn’t particularly close to these people. Yet, Young Master Xu trusted her enough to reveal so many secrets.

Young Master Xu being a beta, turning into an alpha, pheromone compatibility—any one of these could set off a media frenzy if leaked.

Despite mentally preparing herself, the revelations were still shocking. Hu Huaimeng pieced together half the story and decided then and there to become a mute.

Jiang Lingyu stared deeply at Xu Mifei, her gaze piercing as if trying to see through to someone else.

Under that gaze, Xu Mifei’s mind went blank. She murmured, “Jiang Lingyu, there’s another way… I’ve thought of something…”

“Dr. Song, you said my accelerated differentiation only happens when I’m stimulated by Lingyu’s pheromones, right? And by ‘receiving pheromones,’ you mean biting her?”

Xu Mifei’s fangs flickered in and out of sight, irritating Song Nian, who still answered normally, “Yes, and then what?”

“If I just avoid her pheromone stimulation—if we never repeat tonight’s comforting session—then it won’t happen!” Xu Mifei’s eyes lit up as she looked hopefully at Jiang Lingyu.

“Only your pheromones affect me, and I don’t react to any other omega—I can’t even smell them. As long as we maintain the status quo, I won’t become an alpha. At least for this past year, I’ve remained a beta.”

Xu Mifei knew that if she became an alpha, she would lose the biggest advantage in this marriage she had fought for. Then, Jiang Lingyu wouldn’t just be cooperating with her anymore.

Thinking this, Xu Mifei unconsciously touched the corner of her lips. Her sharp canines were… oddly too effective. Normally, they looked like ordinary fangs, but during the marking, they had pierced through effortlessly, sharp as a honed blade, without encountering the slightest resistance.

She needed to find a way to grind these teeth back to their original flat shape. That would at least help her stay clear-headed when she lost control.

If she couldn’t bite down, it would at least give Jiang Lingyu a moment to escape.

Song Nian first felt disbelief, then found the whole thing absurd, momentarily unsure how to react. “Xu Mifei, what do you mean by this? Are you saying Lingyu should just take suppressants during her heat from now on? Don’t you know—”

Jiang Lingyu suddenly stood up, cutting Song Nian off.

Xu Mifei was startled.

“Your proposal is quite good, Xu Mifei.” Her tone made Xu Mifei feel shut out—cold and sharp, as if they had reverted to their first meeting after Xu Mifei had transmigrated here.

Xu Mifei thought, had all her efforts been in vain? Had Jiang Lingyu actually decided to separate from her after all?

The next moment, Jiang Lingyu said, “So after we finish the show, let’s go get our marriage certificate. Tomorrow.”

A thud—like the sound of a verdict.

Xu Mifei hadn’t expected such emotional highs and lows in a single night.

Jiang Lingyu seemed to believe her, yet not entirely.

Song Nian’s expression looked like she wanted to tear Xu Mifei apart, while Hu Huaimeng appeared numb from sheer shock.

Xu Mifei could only nod. “…Alright, as you say.”

“Lingyu, you still need to return to the show now.” Hu Huaimeng checked her phone—it was almost 3:30 a.m. Her overtime shift wasn’t over yet, and Jin Chiyu was still wailing in the group chat, asking when Hu Huaimeng would bring them back.

At this rate, she wouldn’t be able to bring both of them back—Xu Mifei was still lying in a hospital bed.

Unexpectedly, Xu Mifei threw off the covers. “I’ll go back with you. I’m fine now.”

Jiang Lingyu looked at Song Nian.

“…Why look at me? If she wants to be discharged, let her. As long as the family agrees.” Aside from the possibility of differentiating into an alpha, it wasn’t a serious condition—just fainting from overstimulation during the calming process.

Xu Mifei adopted a businesslike tone. “I’m going back with Lingyu. Even though it’s the last night, given the show’s habits, there might be a surprise check tomorrow morning. Director Jin won’t miss any chance to create a dramatic moment.”

She was right. Jin Chiyu wasn’t completely heartless—at least she had tipped off Hu Huaimeng in advance, reminding her to bring both of them back together.

Xu Mifei simply felt that as long as Xu Wanzhi and the others remained, they couldn’t let their guard down. She didn’t want anyone in the production team to find any leverage against Jiang Lingyu.

Song Nian gave her a few perfunctory reminders as she left—rest well, avoid exhaustion, and stay warm—before pausing to add, “Avoid any marking behavior that might stimulate either of you. And you, Jiang Lingyu, cut back on the suppressants.”

Xu Mifei’s attention was caught by the mention of “marking behavior,” so she didn’t dwell on Song Nian’s advice about reducing suppressants.

They boarded the flyer from the hospital building and returned to Tuo Island by nearly four in the morning.

Xu Mifei still escorted Jiang Lingyu to her room, double-checking that the cameras hadn’t been tampered with or activated. Just as she was about to leave, she noticed Jiang Lingyu staring at her, unmoving.

“Where are you going?”

For a moment, Xu Mifei was at a loss. “To… to the dorm in the props department to sleep.”

“Are the accommodations good?”

“It’s the same workspace environment you’ve seen before—not exactly comfortable.” Though unsure of Jiang Lingyu’s intent, Xu Mifei answered honestly.

“Didn’t you hear Dr. Song say to avoid getting cold?” Jiang Lingyu glanced at the time. “I’m not so rigid that I’d make a patient sleep in discomfort.”

“…” Xu Mifei couldn’t believe Jiang Lingyu was actually suggesting she sleep in this room.

“I thought you wouldn’t want to see me tonight.” Xu Mifei stiffly removed her hand from the doorknob. “I didn’t bring anything with me…”

“I have spares. There’s not much time left to rest—hurry up. I’ll shower first.”

There was still a set of Xu Mifei’s clothes that Jiang Lingyu had used before.

“And sleep on the bed. It’s big enough.” Sensing Xu Mifei’s awkwardness, Jiang Lingyu grabbed her clothes and headed into the bathroom first.

She was also avoiding her own discomfort. Making this request felt absurd even to herself, yet she had voiced it.

Only she knew that her claim of not being rigid was just a flimsy excuse.

Jiang Lingyu braced her hands against the bathroom wall. The suppressant patch on the back of her neck had been removed, and the warm water stream hitting her scent gland sent her nerves into overdrive, as if reliving the moment she had been bitten.

Beyond the infusion of pheromones, it had been a complete temporary mark—she could hardly believe she had accepted Xu Mifei’s “marking,” let alone that, in that moment, she had lost all reason, craving only to be bitten deeper.

The steam was suffocating. She turned down the water temperature, but it did nothing to ease the heat or her restlessness.

Before stepping out, she turned the heat back up. When she emerged, she found Xu Mifei already asleep.

Curled stiffly on the far edge of the bed, Xu Mifei had apparently succumbed to exhaustion while waiting. The blanket was trapped beneath her, and a rolled-up towel lay between them like a boundary dividing the large bed—though Xu Mifei’s side was noticeably narrower.

Jiang Lingyu didn’t wake her. Instead, she turned off her own bedside lamp.

Jiang Lingyu had a slight case of mysophobia—she hated sharing a bed with others. But as she headed toward the sofa, her mind exploded with memories of what she and Xu Mifei had done earlier.

She doubted she could sleep a single second on the sofa, maybe not even close her eyes.

Left with no choice, she returned to the bed and lay down. She picked up the rolled-up blanket and gently draped it over Xu Mifei.

Jiang Lingyu had always been a proper sleeper, and she assumed Xu Mifei was the same. Besides, they were so far apart that two more people could easily fit between them.

When she regained consciousness, she felt a weight on her waist and a ticklish sensation on her neck, as if something soft was brushing against her.

Rumors said this island was teeming with venomous insects—had she forgotten to close the window last night, allowing one to crawl into bed?

Jiang Lingyu jolted awake, her heart leaping into her throat.

But when she opened her eyes, she found Xu Mifei… and her hair.

Their positions had completely changed. Xu Mifei had buried her face in the crook of Jiang Lingyu’s neck, unconsciously nuzzling against her, while her leg draped over Jiang Lingyu’s torso, as if using her as a human-sized body pillow.

Outside, the sky was just beginning to lighten—they hadn’t slept long. Jiang Lingyu realized half her body had gone numb.

Since the hospital check-up, Jiang Lingyu hadn’t gotten another look at the spot where her scent gland was.

And now, Xu Mifei was completely exposed, utterly defenseless.

Would a developing scent gland also become sensitive to the touch of fingertips? Jiang Lingyu was curious.

She decided to reach out, sliding her arm over and quietly approaching the back of Xu Mifei’s neck.

Suddenly, the tips of Xu Mifei’s eyelashes fluttered. Jiang Lingyu froze mid-motion, unsure whether to proceed or retreat.

Was she about to wake up right at this moment?!

The instant she sensed Xu Mifei’s eyes opening, Jiang Lingyu’s heart skipped two beats, her fingers stiffening. Left with no other choice—

She squeezed her eyes shut unnaturally, mustering all her acting skills to feign deep sleep.