Omega, Always Wants to Mark Me - Chapter 25

The crowd dispersed, everyone eager to practice every last minute before the competition. Ming Xiaoyue, however, decided to wait until the other teams had left before returning. Just then, Yang Yuting strutted over, her nose in the air.

“Hmph, Ming Xiaoyue! Don’t think that just because your team gave up its special privileges, I’ll go easy on you. I’m warning you now: I’m choosing you as my opponent for the doubles match!”

Ming Xiaoyue remained completely unfazed by this childish taunt. Without even looking up, she simply murmured, “Oh.”

“You—!” Before Yang Yuting could finish, Xi Ruoqiong rushed over, threw an arm around her neck, and said with a smile, “Sorry, sorry! She probably didn’t sleep well last night and is sleepwalking and talking nonsense. If there’s nothing else, we’ll be going now.”

Hearing Xi Ruoqiong’s dismissive words, Yang Yuting secretly elbowed her in the side. As an Alpha, Yang Yuting’s full-force strike caused Xi Ruoqiong, a Beta, to groan in pain.

“I—” Yang Yuting belatedly realized she had overreacted. Her face twisted with conflict as she wanted to apologize, but her pride refused to let her bow her head.

In the end, Xi Ruoqiong, clutching her aching side, spoke to Ming Xiaoyue, “We’ll be going now.”

Ming Xiaoyue nodded slightly, acknowledging their departure.

After watching them walk a short distance, Ming Xiaoyue finally said, “Let’s head back too. Oh, I’ve finished choreographing the new dance. I’ll explain it in detail later.”

“Okay,” Song Wanwen replied first.

“Sure,” Wen Yifan followed closely behind.

Lu Jinxi, who had silently positioned herself behind Ming Xiaoyue, murmured, “Whatever works.”

“Let’s go back to the practice room first.”

As the four returned to the practice room, the sudden absence of one member created an inexplicable sense of unease among the others.

Lu Jinxi broke the silence first. “We should start discussing the dance now. The competition is just a few days away.”

“Right. Come closer, I have something to tell you,” Ming Xiaoyue said, moving to a spot slightly out of the camera’s view.

The other three instinctively gathered around her. Ming Xiaoyue lowered her voice conspiratorially. “The new choreography has easy formations and simple moves. Take a look first, and ask me if anything’s unclear.”

As Ming Xiaoyue spoke, she passed around the dance formation chart she had stayed up all night drawing. Song Wanwen was the first to finish reviewing it, her expression shifting to surprise.

Even the usually composed Wen Yifan showed a hint of astonishment. When the manuscript finally reached Lu Jinxi, she quickly scanned it.

It was decent, about what Lu Jinxi had expected. Modern girl group choreography prioritized visual appeal over perfect synchronization. But having been reborn, she recognized that Ming Xiaoyue’s new choreography drew heavily from a fleetingly popular girl group from her previous life.

Even when she was living abroad, Lu Jinxi had seen that group’s dances. They boldly abandoned uniformity, instead emphasizing each member’s unique charisma.

To put it another way, current girl group choreography focuses on a group of dancers performing synchronized movements. But that earlier group had achieved something different: each member expressed their individuality in an orderly way, without overshadowing the others, yet ensuring every audience member remembered each performer.

“Alright,” Ming Xiaoyue said, “besides the overall formations, I’ve also marked each member’s solo sections. Let’s start practicing soon. This way, we can avoid the pitfalls of re-choreographing the entire dance and struggling to achieve perfect synchronization.”

Seeing they had finished reviewing the notes, Ming Xiaoyue decided to assign tasks.

“Um, about that…” Song Wanwen couldn’t resist interrupting Ming Xiaoyue.

“Yes? What is it?”

“It’s about the duet solo in the middle, the original melody. According to your notes, are you planning to cut it? But that section—both the rhythm and the movements—fits the song perfectly. If we remove it, won’t we lose the song’s soul?”

Song Wanwen objectively stated her concerns.

“I understand your point. I’ve considered it too. That section is indeed good, so I didn’t delete it. I just didn’t mark it because I thought Lu Jinxi and I would be doing the solo. I’ll rehearse it with her later, so don’t worry.

“As for the choreography, it might be a bit challenging for Wen Yifan, who has less dance experience. You’ll need to guide her a bit more.”

Ming Xiaoyue laid out her entire plan.

“No problem, no problem! Since we’re paired up, we can check our progress at noon.”

“Alright.” By now, all four had stood up. Lu Jinxi, however, nervously tugged at her pant leg.

Song Wanwen led Wen Yifan to their usual practice corner, while Ming Xiaoyue naturally walked to another corner to stretch. Noticing Lu Jinxi hadn’t followed, she stopped and called out, “What are you thinking about? Let’s stretch.”

Lu Jinxi, aware of the team’s tight schedule and the urgency of the situation, decided to suppress her lingering questions and followed Ming Xiaoyue to the corner.

After completing their standard stretches, Ming Xiaoyue retrieved a magnetic disk, played the recording, and said, “You practiced all day yesterday, so you should be familiar with the moves. I haven’t had a chance to study it yet, so you can work on your solo part.”

“Okay,” Lu Jinxi replied obediently.

Fortunately, Ming Xiaoyue had a natural aptitude for this. After spending half an hour deciphering the finer details, she approached Lu Jinxi.

She watched in astonishment as Lu Jinxi, in just half an hour, had roughly mastered her entire solo routine. For the first time, Ming Xiaoyue felt the same sense of urgency she had experienced in her previous life.

After all, this place was never short of geniuses. Those who managed to enter this realm had merely touched the threshold of true genius.

Ming Xiaoyue instinctively grabbed a nearby towel and handed it to Lu Jinxi, who accepted it without noticing anything amiss. Lu Jinxi wiped the sweat from her face, their actions mirroring their interactions from their previous life.

“I’m ready. Should we try a synchronized jump?” Ming Xiaoyue asked, deferring to Lu Jinxi’s opinion.

This was perhaps the first time Ming Xiaoyue had spoken to her so gently and kindly. Lu Jinxi suddenly felt awkward, even apprehensive, about everything, including the towel she was using to wipe her sweat.

Only belatedly did she realize that Ming Xiaoyue had handed it to her.

“Okay,” she replied, her voice slightly hoarse.

Lu Jinxi took the music player and dragged the progress bar to the duet solo section before pausing. She glanced at Ming Xiaoyue, who was still standing several meters away, and waved her over with a hint of exasperation.

“Why are you still standing there like a dummy? Come here.”

“Mm,” Lu Jinxi mumbled, finally shuffling closer. As they drew near, they belatedly realized that the reverse marking had already caused their pheromones to intertwine before they even touched.

“Ahem,” Lu Jinxi coughed awkwardly, turning her head away. “I’m ready.”

“Alright, let’s start,” Ming Xiaoyue said, crouching down to press play. It was only then that Lu Jinxi lowered her gaze, finally looking directly at the young, vibrant Ming Xiaoyue for the first time.

The difference between the Ming Xiaoyue before her and the one in her memories was so striking that Lu Jinxi found herself lost in thought, missing the beat.

When Lu Jinxi met Ming Xiaoyue’s somewhat exasperated gaze, she quickly snapped back to attention.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I was a bit out of it just now. I’m sorry, I…”

“It’s fine,” Ming Xiaoyue said, already crouching down to rewind the music. Her emotionless voice drifted up from below, her head still lowered.

“Lu Jinxi, if you’re going to keep spacing out like this, I’m not sure you’ll be ready to stare at me blankly on stage in front of thousands of people in four days. Hmm? Suit yourself, but remember, you’ll be embarrassing both of us.”

Lu Jinxi pressed her lips together, knowing time was running out. She took a deep breath, suppressing the lingering warmth in her heart.

“I’m sorry. I’m really ready now.”

“Alright, I’ll play the music then,” Ming Xiaoyue said, standing up.

Fortunately, Lu Jinxi was focused this time. The two fell into the rhythm smoothly, though Lu Jinxi hesitated almost imperceptibly during the first movement.

Fortunately, Lu Jinxi reacted quickly, stepping forward to close the distance. Her left hand hovered near Ming Xiaoyue’s waist, occasionally brushing against her arm as Ming Xiaoyue moved. Lu Jinxi, mindful of propriety, subtly widened the gap again.

Distracted by her racing thoughts, Lu Jinxi lost focus. Before the second beat even began, Ming Xiaoyue’s expression turned icy. Lu Jinxi’s heart skipped a beat as she gazed at Ming Xiaoyue’s stern face, swallowing nervously.

“Lu Jinxi, what’s wrong with you?” Ming Xiaoyue didn’t pull away, the music still playing on the floor.

In the next moment, Ming Xiaoyue reversed their positions, wrapping her arm around Lu Jinxi’s waist. Their bodies pressed together, leaving no space between them. Lu Jinxi’s heart pounded like a drum, her eyes fixed solely on Ming Xiaoyue’s figure.

“Is this really so difficult? Hmm? Why are you keeping your hand so far away?” Ming Xiaoyue murmured, guiding Lu Jinxi’s hand to her shoulder. Then, with both hands on Lu Jinxi’s shoulders, Ming Xiaoyue’s hands slid downward, tracing the curve of her chest.

Lu Jinxi involuntarily held her breath, every inch of skin touched by Ming Xiaoyue tingling with inexplicable pleasure. The untouched skin, however, yearned for contact.

When Ming Xiaoyue’s slender fingers finally gripped Lu Jinxi’s waist, Lu Jinxi’s body instinctively shuddered.

“Is it that hard?” Ming Xiaoyue asked, her tone half-mocking.

“It’s a basic move. Can’t you even sway your hips? Hmm? Any young woman you grab from a karaoke bar or club would be more fluid than those two awkward wiggles you just did. What’s wrong? Is your body frozen? You’re so stiff, I’m starting to doubt you’ve ever danced in your life.”

As she spoke, Ming Xiaoyue began swaying her hips to the rhythm. Lu Jinxi, whether due to her own imagination or not, felt as if she could sense the heat radiating from Ming Xiaoyue’s skin, even through two layers of clothing.

Lu Jinxi’s throat went dry, and she swallowed repeatedly, her body gradually warming. Her usually expressionless face flushed crimson.

Fortunately, the song ended automatically, saving Lu Jinxi from further embarrassment. As soon as the music stopped, Ming Xiaoyue shoved Lu Jinxi aside and stared directly into her eyes.

“Lu Jinxi, can you even handle this? Hmm? Can you handle it?”

Ming Xiaoyue was being deliberately provocative. The phrase “can you handle it?” was a taboo among Alphas, but Lu Jinxi’s repeated awkward movements had become unbearable to watch.

What she said was true: anyone she grabbed off the street would probably dance better than Lu Jinxi had just done.

Yet, inexplicably, Ming Xiaoyue’s gaze remained fixed on Lu Jinxi, eager to see how she would respond.