Omega, Always Wants to Mark Me - Chapter 4

The afternoon sun blazed brightly along the coastline, but thankfully, filming had already moved indoors.

The director had set up the studio without anyone noticing. By the time Lu Jinxi recovered, got ready, and arrived, the place was buzzing with activity. Ming Xiaoyue was helping out as if nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, the manager materialized like a ghost, his displeasure barely concealed. “Why are you so late again?! Lu Jinxi, don’t think…”

“Hey! You over there! Get in position! We’re waiting for you! What a diva! Seriously…” the director grumbled, but Lu Jinxi offered a small, apologetic nod and hurried over.

As she reached the edge of the bed, brushing past Ming Xiaoyue, Lu Jinxi pressed her lips together, gazing at the pristine white sheets, momentarily lost in thought.

The director, having adjusted the equipment, looked up and saw Lu Jinxi still standing there. “What are you waiting for?! Get in position!” he roared.

Lu Jinxi let out a silent sigh and quickly walked to the bathroom door.

“Alright! Everyone ready! Action!” the director barked.

Lu Jinxi took a deep breath, stepped out of the bathroom, and walked straight to the bed.

Under the warm covers, she immediately lifted a corner and slipped inside.

Click!

“Hey, actress! What’s the rush? What’s the hurry? Warmth! Do you even understand warmth?!”

“I’m sorry,” Lu Jinxi apologized sincerely.

Her apology made it difficult for the director to continue scolding her. He could only snap impatiently, “Again! Again!”

Lu Jinxi glanced at Ming Xiaoyue’s thin dress, which revealed a sliver of pale skin. With a swift movement, she adjusted Ming Xiaoyue’s collar before hurrying back to the bathroom.

“Second take! Action!”

This time, Lu Jinxi seemed to have unlocked her inner potential, perfectly capturing the rhythm. Under the covers, she braced herself, careful to avoid touching Ming Xiaoyue.

Then came the scripted mark. Hidden as much as possible by her long hair, Lu Jinxi’s hand hovered just above Ming Xiaoyue’s nape.

This scene was merely a flashback, requiring only a few shots.

“Alright, cut! That’s a wrap!” the director called out.

Lu Jinxi breathed a sigh of relief.

But just as they were about to finish filming, an unexpected guest arrived at the door.

Clap, clap, clap. The newcomer was dressed in hip-hop style, a thick gold chain around his neck, his square jaw visible beneath the high-brimmed hat. He wore sunglasses even indoors, obscuring his eyes, and stood leaning casually against the doorframe.

“Not bad, Xiao Wang,” Luo Hong said, slapping the director’s shoulder with familiar ease.

The director, seething inwardly but too afraid to speak out, nodded obsequiously, his voice dripping with flattery. “Brother Strong, what brings you here?”

As he spoke, he bowed deeply, as if lacking all spine.

“Just checking on your music video shoot. Not bad, not bad!” Luo Hong said, but his tone felt oddly forced, as if he were struggling to maintain a rhythm.

At that moment, Ming Xiaoyue swiftly got out of bed. Her thin clothing threatened to slip open, and Luo Hong’s gaze drifted toward her, seemingly by accident.

Ming Xiaoyue noticed but didn’t spare him a glance. Instead, Lu Jinxi suddenly stepped in front of her, shielding her from most of the unwelcome attention.

The manager, who had been about to approach Luo Hong, immediately sensed his displeasure. Even the air seemed to carry the faint scent of strong liquor pheromones.

The manager kept signaling Lu Jinxi with her eyes, but Lu Jinxi ignored her. Instead, she boldly took off her own jacket and draped it over Ming Xiaoyue’s shoulders, whispering, “Go change first.”

Ming Xiaoyue gave the director a polite nod and said, “Director, I’ll go change now.”

The director glanced at Luo Hong, gauging his reaction, and gave a noncommittal “Hmm.”

Luo Hong’s undisguised gaze followed Ming Xiaoyue’s retreating figure. With a roguish smirk, he adjusted his sunglasses with one hand, peering out from behind them with a lecherous glint in his eyes.

Lu Jinxi strode directly up to Luo Hong, standing tall and slightly lowering her head to look him in the eye. “Hello, Brother Strong,” she said. “I’m Lu Jinxi, a trainee from New Silver.”

She extended her hand for a handshake.

Luo Hong clicked his tongue in annoyance, then adjusted his sunglasses and looked at the headstrong Alpha before him with a dismissive “Oh.”

Lu Jinxi, being a trainee and already tall for her age, didn’t lower her head even slightly. She withdrew her hand and turned to the director, saying, “I’ll go change too, Director.”

Luo Hong, effectively ignored, watched her leave. The manager behind him was sweating profusely, while the director gave another awkward “Hmm.”

The smile gradually faded from Luo Hong’s face.

Lu Jinxi completely ignored him, brushing past him without a glance.

It was her manager who, like a persistent plaster, immediately sidled up to Lu Jinxi after she passed Luo Hong and hissed, “Lu Jinxi, what’s with the high-and-mighty act? That’s Luo Hong we’re talking about! Can’t you show some emotional intelligence?!”

Lu Jinxi ignored her manager’s words and strode to the dressing room, entering before her manager could follow and slamming the door shut without hesitation, leaving her manager locked out.

“What’s with an Alpha acting so reserved?!” the manager finally spat out, leaving in a huff.

Inside the room, Lu Jinxi’s cold facade crumbled into a look of deep worry.

With a soft sigh, Lu Jinxi recalled how, in her previous life, Ming Xiaoyue’s refusal to star in this music video had led to a replacement, preventing her from ever meeting Luo Hong.

However, after the replacement was cast, Luo Hong’s multiple-partner scandal had erupted, and someone had revealed that the MV’s protagonist—a seemingly innocent starlet—had also been one of his conquests.

Lu Jinxi vaguely remembered that Luo Hong’s scandal was about to break soon, likely after his guest appearance on the 24-hour girl group training program.

The 24-hour live broadcast recording exposed far too much of his true nature. Sharp-eyed netizens scrutinized every detail, inadvertently revealing his true character.

At the time, Lu Jinxi was abroad when she heard that Luo Hong had brazenly been using his position to exploit female trainees in the girl group. Ming Xiaoyue was still filming at the time.

The Luo Hong scandal exploded, and rumors spread like wildfire. Some fans even speculated that Ming Xiaoyue was part of his “game.”

Desperate, Lu Jinxi secretly returned to China that very night. Only after learning the rumors were false did she finally relax. Unfortunately, the girl group variety show was completely banned in the aftermath of the Luo Hong scandal.

From that day until Lu Jinxi left the country again, she never saw Ming Xiaoyue again. The next time they met, it was Ming Xiaoyue’s lifeless body.

Lu Jinxi’s fingertips trembled slightly, and the once-dry lake in her heart began to ripple with faint waves.

She clenched her fists tightly. No. In this life, I won’t let anyone hurt Ming Xiaoyue.

As she thought this, a resolute glint flashed in her eyes.

Knock, knock! The sound of knocking pulled her back to reality.

Assuming it was her manager at the door, Lu Jinxi hesitated to answer. But then a voice came from the other side—a voice she couldn’t refuse.

“Lu Jinxi, the Director said to change and head straight to the penthouse private room for the group dinner. Don’t forget.” Unlike Ming Xiaoyue’s usual sweet voice, her icy tone carried through the door. Lu Jinxi hurriedly opened it.

As expected, Ming Xiaoyue was already preparing to leave, showing no intention of waiting for Lu Jinxi.

Lu Jinxi’s eyes darkened. She had known from the start—ever since Ming Xiaoyue occasionally flashed her contemptuous glances—that Ming Xiaoyue must have been reborn as well.

Though Ming Xiaoyue maintained her youthful facade in public, she made no pretense of hiding her true self around Lu Jinxi.

Yet Lu Jinxi instinctively kept her distance, silently trailing behind Ming Xiaoyue. She couldn’t let Ming Xiaoyue know she had also been reborn; that would only worsen their already strained situation.

Suddenly, Ming Xiaoyue stopped ahead, turning her palm-sized face slightly. Her makeup was flawless, her cheeks flushed a delicate pink as she smiled back.

When Lu Jinxi met her clear, youthful gaze, she couldn’t help but stare, momentarily lost in the sight of the still-young Ming Xiaoyue.

“Lu Jinxi,” Ming Xiaoyue began, her voice soft. But in the shadows where Lu Jinxi couldn’t see, her eyes were filled with probing curiosity.

“Why did you accept my confession?”

Lu Jinxi heard the question and immediately felt alarm bells ringing in her mind.

Just like Ming Xiaoyue, Lu Jinxi had also been reborn. In this life, too many things had veered off course. Logically, in their previous life, Lu Jinxi should have rejected Ming Xiaoyue’s confession, leading Ming Xiaoyue to quit the group and Lu Jinxi to pursue a solo career.

Yet, against all expectations, Lu Jinxi, an Alpha, had not only failed to get angry after being reverse-marked by Ming Xiaoyue, an Omega, but had even accepted her confession.

This afternoon, Ming Xiaoyue had been consumed by thoughts of revenge in the restroom, still smarting from Lu Jinxi’s earlier transgression during rehearsal. But as she calmed down and reflected on all the signs that things were deviating from their original path, they all pointed to one unexpected person: Lu Jinxi.

Instinctively, Lu Jinxi tightened her grip on the hem of her pants. She was terrified—terrified of reliving the nightmare of losing Ming Xiaoyue again, without even knowing why.

Terrified of opening social media, as she always had, ready to stalk Ming Xiaoyue’s latest updates, only to find nothing.

Terrified of crossing thousands of miles back to their hometown, only to find Ming Xiaoyue’s cold, lifeless body.

Lu Jinxi desperately suppressed the overwhelming emotions of having Ming Xiaoyue back in her life. Her jaw clenched so tightly her molars ached, her mind racing.

How would my 21-year-old self have answered this question?

Having waited a long time for a response, Ming Xiaoyue turned impatiently and advanced on Lu Jinxi, her voice now as cold as a death sentence from hell.

“Lu Jinxi, so why exactly did you accept my confes—” The last word hung unfinished.

A stagehand rushed over, blurting out, “Teacher Ming, you’re here! The Director’s been looking for you everywhere.”

As the stagehand approached, he noticed Lu Jinxi behind Ming Xiaoyue and quickly added, “Teacher Lu’s here too! The wrap party’s about to start. The Director’s looking for both of you.”

“Mm-hmm,” Ming Xiaoyue replied, her face already plastered with a sweet smile. “Thank you for letting us know. We’ll head over right away.”

The stagehand, momentarily stunned by Ming Xiaoyue’s close-up beauty, stammered shyly, “Th-this way, please, Teacher Ming.”

“Thank you,” Ming Xiaoyue replied politely, her smile unwavering.

It wasn’t until Ming Xiaoyue had moved a safe distance away that Lu Jinxi finally exhaled, her breathing still slightly ragged…