Omega, Always Wants to Mark Me - Chapter 24

When Ming Xiaoyue returned to the dormitory, all the other members turned to look at her with burning curiosity. The incident had occurred internally and caused quite a stir, with half-true rumors already circulating.

The Omega dormitory housed eight members. Song Wanwen and Wen Yifan had gone to shower together, leaving the others to focus their gossip-hungry gazes on Ming Xiaoyue—except for one person: Yang Yuting.

“A-Yue, what exactly happened with your team today? I heard Lu Jinxi leaked Alpha pheromones…” Dai Yingxue began, but Ming Xiaoyue interrupted her, unable to bear hearing them spread rumors about Lu Jinxi.

“No, Lu Jin—it wasn’t A Jin’s fault,” Ming Xiaoyue quickly corrected herself.

Everyone present knew Ming Xiaoyue and Lu Jinxi were a popular CP, so they didn’t pay much attention to her slip of the tongue.

“Then what did happen?” Dai Yingxue persisted, her curiosity still burning.

“Tch! What’s there to pry about?” Yang Yuting suddenly snapped, her voice cold and haughty. She glared at Ming Xiaoyue with disdain, her words dripping with venom.

“A perfectly good girl group competition, and you’ve turned it into a chaotic mess. It would have been better if…”

Before Yang Yuting could finish, Xi Ruoqiong hastily covered her mouth, her face filled with remorse. “No, that’s not it,” she said. “Today, I gave Lu Jinxi some candies and asked him to pass them on to A-Yue. They were just fruit candies, the same kind I gave to all of you.”

“I didn’t realize mangoes were Wu Yingyun’s trigger. This whole tragedy is my fault. I’m so sorry, Ming Xiaoyue.”

Xi Ruoqiong stepped forward to take responsibility for her actions.

“Hmph,” Yang Yuting scoffed, still unconvinced.

The others finally understood. “Then we really misunderstood A Jin,” one of them said.

In an instant, the tide of opinion shifted.

“Exactly! I knew Lu Jinxi wasn’t that kind of person! He even reminded me last time that my suppression patch wasn’t properly applied.”

“Right! I remember once during an event, when he was standing next to me and fans were pushing and shoving, he shielded me with such gentlemanly care.”

“Yeah, he’s so considerate! Last time I was about to go into heat and didn’t realize the time, he secretly warned me behind the camera’s back!”

The more Ming Xiaoyue listened, the deeper her frown grew. How had she never noticed before that Lu Jinxi and Xi Ruoqiong shared the same “central air conditioning” personality?

Perhaps Xi Ruoqiong’s Beta status allowed her to move freely between Omegas and Alphas. What surprised Ming Xiaoyue was how popular Lu Jinxi seemed to be among the Omegas.

Fortunately, Song Wanwen and Wen Yifan emerged from the shower. Song Wanwen said, “Alright, A-Yue, you can go now. There should be enough hot water.”

“Okay,” Ming Xiaoyue replied, her heart inexplicably heavy, a strange, indescribable feeling weighing down her steps.

After she entered, Song Wanwen decided it was best to clear the air to prevent rumors from spreading later. After all, good news travels slowly, but bad news spreads like wildfire.

“Actually, unless something unexpected happens, Wu Yingyun might be asked to withdraw from the competition,” Song Wanwen began, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.

“Huh? Being in heat shouldn’t be grounds for disqualification!” Dai Yingxue exclaimed in panic.

“It’s not about that. From now on, no one should ask A-Yue about Wu Yingyun anymore. Do you all remember what happened before our last performance, when A-Yue’s costume was suddenly ruined?” Song Wanwen decided to explain the whole story.

Everyone present was sharp-witted and had already suspected something. Dai Yingxue cautiously asked, “Yes, I remember. That was terrifying! So, this has something to do with Wu Yingyun?”

“Yes,” Song Wanwen confirmed. “A Jin saw her make an excuse about leaving something in the practice room, but she was actually there to sabotage A-Yue’s costume. Originally, A Jin thought, ‘We’re all teammates,’ and decided to let Wu Yingyun off with a warning. But then…”

Song Wanwen hesitated. The next part involved the team’s dance choreography, which was considered confidential until the performance.

“But then what?” Dai Yingxue pressed.

Song Wanwen sighed inwardly. Well, with Wu Yingyun gone, we might have to completely rework the choreography anyway. She decided to continue.

“Didn’t this all start because Wu Yingyun accidentally ate a candy that triggered her heat cycle?” Song Wanwen explained. “We were planning to push Ming Xiaoyue to take her place as the lead, but Wu Yingyun refused. That’s when Lu Jinxi stepped in to defend Ming Xiaoyue’s rights.”

“Wow, I never would have guessed Wu Yingyun was capable of such behavior!” Dai Yingxue exclaimed.

“We didn’t either,” Song Wanwen admitted, her voice tinged with frustration. “But A Jin provoked her, and she ended up confessing to all her behind-the-scenes manipulations.”

“What did the organizers say?” Dai Yingxue pressed.

“I don’t know. They might announce her punishment tomorrow,” Song Wanwen replied honestly.

Xi Ruoqiong voiced her concern: “Doesn’t that mean your team is down a member? What will you do?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Song Wanwen admitted, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Click!

The water had cooled enough for Ming Xiaoyue to finish her quick shower. As she emerged from the bathroom, the dormitory fell silent. Every eye turned toward her, creating an unnervingly tense atmosphere.

“Hmm? What’s wrong? Why is everyone staring at me?” Ming Xiaoyue asked, noticing their focused gazes.

“It’s nothing, nothing. We should all be getting to sleep soon anyway. Good night!” Xi Ruoqiong said with a smile.

The others quickly climbed into bed, pretending to be ready for sleep.

Ming Xiaoyue, after drying her hair, announced, “You guys go ahead and sleep. I need to go out and take care of something first.”

“What are you planning to do so late, A-Yue?” Xi Ruoqiong asked, her voice filled with concern.

“It’s nothing, just a small matter. You guys go ahead and sleep. Good night!” Ming Xiaoyue replied vaguely, grabbing her paper and pen before slipping out.

After she left, the dormitory remained eerily silent, as if everyone were truly asleep, each harboring their own secret thoughts.

Ming Xiaoyue tiptoed to the emergency exit at the end of the corridor. Fortunately, the corridor was lit by dim lights and the lonely moon. She stared blankly at the paper and pen, lost in thought.

As someone who had been reborn, she remembered the constant evolution and changes in the entertainment industry of her previous life. She wondered if there was a better formation, one more suitable for a group of four.

She was immensely grateful that she had at least been involved in the industry in her previous life. Though acting and being in a girl group were different, they were still part of the same world, and she had inevitably absorbed some knowledge through osmosis.

Moreover, the fact that she hadn’t debuted in her previous life might have left a lingering regret in her heart, causing her to pay extra attention to this opportunity.

Before long, she had an idea and buried herself in writing. Unbeknownst to her, a red light on a camera was blinking.

After the Wu Yingyun incident that afternoon, the production team dared not conserve power by turning off the cameras.

The production team had found the evidence Lu Jinxi mentioned, but the figure in the footage was too blurry to confirm it was Wu Yingyun. However, Wu Yingyun herself had confessed on camera, effectively sealing her fate.

Even at night, there were insomniacs with nothing to do. Seeing Ming Xiaoyue working so diligently, coupled with her status as a victim today, many felt a pang of sympathy for her.

“No way?! Someone more talented than me is still grinding away—how am I supposed to sleep now?! I feel so guilty!”

“Sigh, for some reason, seeing Ming Xiaoyue’s desolate silhouette makes me feel even more sorry for her.”

“Life is tough! Even though girl groups seem glamorous, they still have to pull all-nighters behind the scenes.”

“The comment above cracked me up! I was about to get all sentimental, and then you just ruined it with one sentence.”

By the time Ming Xiaoyue finished her work, it was already very late. Fortunately, she had managed to choreograph and organize all the dance routines, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

As she tiptoed back to the dormitory, most of her roommates were already fast asleep. Just as she was about to lie down, Xi Ruoqiong, who slept in the adjacent bed, spoke up: “A-Yue, I’m sorry about what happened today.”

Ming Xiaoyue froze for a moment, then suddenly felt a sense of release. She finally understood why some people liked being “central air conditioners”—those who spread warmth and kindness indiscriminately.

Whether it was Xi Ruoqiong or Lu Jinxi, though they might be “central air conditioners,” at least for that one moment, they had genuinely helped and warmed her heart.

In the darkness, she smiled and replied, “It’s okay. If it weren’t for you, I might never have seen Wu Yingyun’s true colors.”

As expected, Xi Ruoqiong let out a sigh of relief after hearing Ming Xiaoyue’s words. She murmured, “Yeah, good thing we found out in time.”

“Yeah, so don’t worry about it. Good night.”

“Good night.”

The night passed without dreams. When everyone woke up, the production team had gathered all the trainees in one practice room—a rare occurrence.

“Alright, everyone’s here, right? You’ve all likely heard about what happened with A2 Group yesterday. But the production team wants to clarify the facts impartially.

Wu Yingyun of A2 Group admitted to sabotaging her teammates’ costumes through underhanded means. As a result, she has been disqualified from the competition!

Let this serve as a warning to everyone: friendship comes first, competition second. Please adhere to the competition rules. Let your skills shine on the stage, and refrain from such selfish and harmful actions.

To compensate for this sudden disruption in A2 Group, the production team has decided to grant them the privilege of performing last in the competition four days from now. The other groups will determine their performance order through the usual lottery system.”

As soon as the production team finished speaking, a hotheaded trainee impulsively stood up and exclaimed angrily, “Wait, why?!”

It was none other than Yang Yuting—the emotionally clueless heiress with a fortune to her name.

“Their internal conflicts shouldn’t give them the right to perform last and steal the spotlight!”

The others present had their own thoughts, and some were indeed disadvantaged by the situation. However, under the cameras, none dared to speak out as directly as Yang Yuting.

The production team fell silent for a moment.

Then, a staff member rushed over and whispered something to the director. After a few clearing coughs, the director spoke up.

“Here’s the thing, A2 Group is down a member, and we don’t have anyone to fill in. They might have to completely rearrange their dance routine. Giving them extra time is only fair, otherwise it would be unfair to them.”

“And what about our fairness?” Yang Yuting retorted. “Doesn’t that count?”

The director eyed the spoiled heiress, finding her increasingly difficult to handle. He’d heard rumors of friction between her and Ming Xiaoyue, but he hadn’t expected her to cling so stubbornly to this issue.

The atmosphere grew awkward. Ming Xiaoyue subtly nudged Lu Jinxi, who glanced over. Ming Xiaoyue nodded slightly upward.

Lu Jinxi, sensing the cue, stood up and addressed the director. “Director, A2 Group doesn’t need special treatment. Let’s stick to the rules.”

“Alright, then,” the director said, seizing the opportunity to defuse the situation. “We’ll draw lots to determine the performance order. Everyone, back to practice!”