Omega, Always Wants to Mark Me - Chapter 27

Even after Xi Ruoqiong’s figure disappeared down the corridor, the two remained locked in a silent confrontation—no, it was more like Ming Xiaoyue unilaterally exerting her dominance.

Lu Jinxi instinctively touched the suppression patch on the back of her neck. It was strange; her Alpha pheromones had been fluctuating wildly in the practice room earlier.

Yet, unexpectedly, the moment she entered the restroom stall, her glands calmed completely, as if the earlier turmoil had been nothing more than a mirage.

Puzzled but cautious, Lu Jinxi sprayed herself with pheromone-blocking spray.

As she sprayed, she inexplicably recalled Ming Xiaoyue’s words from their last encounter in the stairwell. This time, she applied only the normal amount.

On her way back to the practice room, she ran into Xi Ruoqiong. Remembering Ming Xiaoyue’s refusal to compete with her in the duo competition, Lu Jinxi hesitated. She didn’t trust leaving Ming Xiaoyue to the others, which led to her earlier request to Xi Ruoqiong: to invite Ming Xiaoyue to team up.

Unexpectedly, she had no idea how long Ming Xiaoyue had been there or how much she had overheard.

In the end, it was Lu Jinxi who lost her composure, probing cautiously, “You…”

She started speaking, but her voice wavered slightly. Sensing the danger, she avoided revealing too much, tightening her grip on her pants leg as she asked Ming Xiaoyue, “When did you get here?”

Before the words had even left her lips, Ming Xiaoyue let out a cold scoff, immediately following up with a sharp retort: “Hmph, does it matter, Lu Jinxi?”

Lu Jinxi didn’t know how to respond, but she vaguely sensed that Ming Xiaoyue had overheard her conversation with Xi Ruoqiong.

Staring at the silent woman before her, Ming Xiaoyue felt an inexplicable fury burning within her. Why is she always silent around me, yet laughs and chats freely with others?

It was the same with Xi Ruoqiong, and when she practiced the duet solo dance with Wu Yingyun. It seemed like she was always the exception, and an inexplicable irritation churned in Ming Xiaoyue’s heart—a rare occurrence in her two lifetimes.

Even during her first audition, she hadn’t felt this agitated.

After a tense, silent standoff, Ming Xiaoyue finally broke the silence with a cold command.

“Speak! Lu Jinxi.” Her patience had worn thin, and her tone carried an aggressive edge.

Instinctively, Lu Jinxi glanced at the camera, reaching out to tug at Ming Xiaoyue’s sleeve. “Let’s go…”

Before Lu Jinxi could touch her, Ming Xiaoyue swiftly raised her hand and slapped Lu Jinxi’s outstretched hand away.

The crisp snap echoed through the air. Lu Jinxi froze, her hand hanging motionless in mid-air, a stunned expression on her face.

“What? You dare to act but not admit it, Lu Jinxi! How many times have I told you not to make decisions for me?! Huh? What? You asked Xi Ruoqiong to partner with me in the doubles competition—was it to set us up?”

“I didn’t,” Lu Jinxi mumbled, her words rushing to fill the brief pause in Ming Xiaoyue’s tirade. Her head hung low, her gaze avoiding Ming Xiaoyue’s.

Ming Xiaoyue frowned slightly, took a deep breath to regain her composure, and realized this wasn’t the place to discuss such matters.

An awkward silence descended between them.

Suddenly, the practice room door swung open, revealing Song Wanwen. She glanced at the two figures standing motionless in the hallway and asked, “What are you two doing standing there? A-Yue, do you have a moment? Could you take a look at my dance routine and give me some feedback? Yifan just keeps saying it’s ‘perfect.'”

“Mm,” Ming Xiaoyue replied, her tone slightly cold. Then she murmured, “She’s here.”

Without hesitation, she turned and walked away. Lu Jinxi’s hand, which had been clenched at her side, finally relaxed as she watched Ming Xiaoyue’s retreating figure. But a moment later, her expression twisted with conflict, and she unconsciously pursed her lips.

Should I follow her inside?

Song Wanwen, belatedly sensing the strange tension between the two, asked, “A Jin, are you done practicing?”

“No,” Lu Jinxi replied in a muffled voice.

“Then let’s practice together. It’s almost time for dinner anyway, and we can give each other feedback.” Song Wanwen smiled, drawing on her experience as captain for two terms to defuse the tension between team members.

This was a subtle olive branch for Lu Jinxi, who understood Song Wanwen’s good intentions. “Okay,” she murmured. “I’ll come right now.”

Lu Jinxi followed Ming Xiaoyue into the training room, keeping a distance between them. Ming Xiaoyue’s expression remained frosty.

“Wen Yifan and I will dance first. You two can give us feedback,” Song Wanwen said, already starting the music. Lu Jinxi and Ming Xiaoyue stood far apart, with enough space between them for at least seven or eight people to squeeze through.

Lu Jinxi subtly glanced at Ming Xiaoyue, noticing her arms crossed defensively across her chest, her gaze fixed straight ahead.

Lu Jinxi stared at Ming Xiaoyue’s position, her lips pressed into a conflicted line. For a moment, she thought that if the cameras weren’t rolling, Ming Xiaoyue might have retreated to the farthest corner of the room.

Lu Jinxi sighed inwardly, utterly baffled by why Ming Xiaoyue always seemed to catch her in the act whenever she tried to do something like this.

Their recently thawed relationship now seemed to have been pushed even further apart by her own actions.

Lost in self-pitying thoughts, Lu Jinxi’s furtive glances at Ming Xiaoyue gradually evolved into a full, sideways stare.

This was only the second time Lu Jinxi had directly gazed at Ming Xiaoyue’s youthful face. It was as if this was how she had always looked in her memories, yet it was so different from the countless times she had seen her on her phone in her previous life.

Lu Jinxi couldn’t understand what was wrong with her today. Aside from her tendency to lose focus while dancing, she also found herself inexplicably reminiscing about her past life.

While Lu Jinxi was lost in thought, the music from Song Wanwen’s side had stopped without her noticing.

“How was it?” Song Wanwen’s voice startled Lu Jinxi, who quickly composed herself and looked over. Song Wanwen was already breathing heavily as she gazed at Ming Xiaoyue.

“Hmm, it’s good, but some of the movements feel unnecessarily… forceful. Listen—” Ming Xiaoyue suddenly clapped her hands.

“Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! This is the intensity of your movements. Do you understand what I mean? The force you’re using is like this. I understand you want to show you’re really putting in effort, but it ends up looking like you’re deliberately overemphasizing the movements. You know? Occasionally easing up doesn’t mean you’re slacking off.”

Ming Xiaoyue continued with a serious expression, “Listen again—”

She clapped her hands again: “Clap! Clap! Clap-Clap. Clap! Clap-Clap. Clap! See? Doesn’t that sound more rhythmic? You need to vary the force of your movements with the strong and weak beats of the music, making them flow more smoothly. Try it.”

Song Wanwen suddenly understood, her eyes shining with admiration. “I get it now! Thank you!”

Her sincere gratitude softened Ming Xiaoyue’s expression, who chuckled lightly. “No problem at all. I’m just glad I could help.”

“Mm-hmm!” Song Wanwen nodded enthusiastically, then turned to Lu Jinxi. “A Jin, what do you think? Is there anything else I could improve?”

Lu Jinxi stood awkwardly, having been lost in thought and not paying attention. But she couldn’t admit that. The words twisted and turned in her throat.

“No, I think it’s great overall. I don’t see any issues. But Xiaoyue’s suggestions make sense. You should try them first.”

“Alright,” Wen Yifan said, nudging the younger Wen Yifan beside her and giving her an encouraging pat on the shoulder. “Next up is Yifan. Good luck!”

Wen Yifan blushed slightly, her cheeks flushing pink, but she nodded shyly.

Song Wanwen knelt down to play the music for her.

It was only a short piece of music. By the time she finished dancing, Wen Yifan’s breathing was slightly ragged. Lu Jinxi didn’t space out this time; she simply looked at Wen Yifan with a hint of worry on her face.

It wasn’t just Lu Jinxi; Ming Xiaoyue and Song Wanwen also wore varied expressions.

“I’m sorry,” Wen Yifan said, knowing she hadn’t performed well.

“No worries, no worries!” Song Wanwen quickly reassured her. “To dance this well after just one morning of practice is already amazing! Seriously!”

Wen Yifan knew Song Wanwen was just trying to comfort her, but she still lowered her head in guilt, nervously tugging at the corner of her shirt.

She realized that apart from being the lead vocalist, she didn’t seem suited for a girl group. A sudden wave of self-doubt threatened to crush her spine.

Unexpectedly, a weight settled on her shoulder. Startled, she looked up and saw Ming Xiaoyue.

Ming Xiaoyue patted her shoulder again, reassuringly. “It’s okay. I know you were a bit nervous just now. Why is that?”

“I…” Wen Yifan hesitated, conflicted.

“It’s okay, we’re all your teammates. Just tell us what’s on your mind,” Ming Xiaoyue coaxed gently.

“I’m just… afraid I won’t dance well,” Wen Yifan murmured.

“You were amazing during practice earlier!” Ming Xiaoyue said sincerely.

“I don’t know,” Wen Yifan admitted honestly.

“Then what about your singing? Your breath control is so steady. I remember last time, when you collaborated with Song Wanwen, you hit that high note perfectly. Even the judges praised your talent, calling you a once-in-a-century genius.”

“It’s not that exaggerated,” Wen Yifan demurred. “My mom used to tell me that when I sing with my eyes closed, it’s like the whole world disappears, leaving only me. She told me not to be afraid.”

“Then why not try dancing with your eyes closed too? Give it a shot?” Ming Xiaoyue said, taking Wen Yifan’s hand. “Close your eyes.”

“Ah? Okay,” Wen Yifan said, closing her eyes.

Ming Xiaoyue glanced at Song Wanwen beside her and decided to step aside. “Wanwen, why don’t you lead?”

“Ah? Okay, I’ll take over,” Song Wanwen said, quickly taking Wen Yifan’s hand. Ming Xiaoyue crouched down to start the music.

“Raise your hand, foot, then your right shoulder. Yes, perfect. Half a step forward…”

Guided by Song Wanwen’s instructions, Wen Yifan completed the entire dance routine, hitting every beat perfectly.

By the end, both Wen Yifan and Song Wanwen were slightly breathless.

“Excellent, Yifan! You kept up with every beat this time,” Ming Xiaoyue said with a smile.

“Thank you,” Wen Yifan replied, still catching her breath. “Could I rest for a moment? I’d like to try it again.”

“Of course,” Song Wanwen and Ming Xiaoyue said in unison, exchanging a knowing smile.

Lu Jinxi stood on the periphery, watching the trio. An indescribable feeling stirred within her. Amidst the hazy scene of their harmonious interaction, a faint realization dawned:

It seems… even without me, Ming Xiaoyue can get along just fine with others…

Finally, Lu Jinxi’s gaze lingered on Ming Xiaoyue’s smile. Her eyes inexplicably narrowed, darkening as if…

As if Ming Xiaoyue had never smiled at me like that before…