Omega, Always Wants to Mark Me - Chapter 9

The next morning, as dawn’s first light streamed through the curtains, Lu Jinxi cautiously opened her bedroom door.

Unexpectedly, Ming Xiaoyue hadn’t changed the password. But when Lu Jinxi saw her sitting on the bed, she knew instantly that she hadn’t slept.

Lu Jinxi pressed her lips together, hesitating in place. For a moment, she didn’t know how to face her.

To her surprise, Ming Xiaoyue, who had rarely shown her kindness since her rebirth, offered a faint smile. But her face was pale and weary from a sleepless night.

Lu Jinxi’s heart clenched at the sight. She had always known Ming Xiaoyue was strong, but sometimes her resilience only made Lu Jinxi’s heart ache. Her lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to speak, but no words came.

It was Ming Xiaoyue who broke the silence. “How did it go with Luo Hong?”

“I got my family to intervene. He’s been granted bail for 24 hours to find a lawyer and prepare his defense. I also retrieved the camera’s memory card, but…”

At this point, Lu Jinxi glanced cautiously at Ming Xiaoyue, unsure how to proceed.

“Hmm? But what?”

When Lu Jinxi looked over, she realized Ming Xiaoyue’s gaze had been fixed on her the entire time. Her body instinctively straightened.

“But if these videos were leaked, it could severely damage your reputation. After all, you’re an Omega…”

Lu Jinxi trailed off, leaving the implication hanging in the air. Surprisingly, Ming Xiaoyue didn’t retort. Instead, the practiced, seductive smile she usually wore for outsiders faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression. Her gaze drifted through Lu Jinxi, as if looking at something beyond her.

Just as Lu Jinxi was pondering how to naturally steer the conversation toward Luo Hong’s punishment, Ming Xiaoyue suddenly spoke, setting alarm bells ringing in her mind.

“Lu Jinxi, do you believe in reincarnation?”

The moment Ming Xiaoyue’s words landed, Lu Jinxi’s heart clenched.

Was this a test? Or…

Lu Jinxi dared not dwell on the implications, but she refused to risk Ming Xiaoyue distancing herself again.

In the silence, Lu Jinxi’s breath came in short gasps, her throat bobbing slightly.

Humans are insatiable. In her previous life, Lu Jinxi had endured everything—living abroad and supporting Ming Xiaoyue solely through online interactions. But after learning of her death, Lu Jinxi regretted her cowardice for the first time.

Given a second chance, Lu Jinxi had initially resolved to remain in Ming Xiaoyue’s shadow, witnessing her step-by-step success while secretly protecting her. Now, however, she unconsciously bit her lower lip, realizing she longed to be by Ming Xiaoyue’s side, guarding her directly.

“Hmm? What is it?”

Fortunately, Lu Jinxi had been an internationally acclaimed Best Actress in her previous life. She knew exactly how to feign confusion, her expression perfectly conveying bewilderment, her eyes shifting with scrutiny and a hint of wariness.

Her performance was flawless.

Yet when she met Ming Xiaoyue’s gaze—a gaze that seemed to pierce through her facade and into her very soul—Lu Jinxi’s heart tightened involuntarily, her hands clenching unconsciously at her sides.

Fortunately, even if Lu Jinxi had denied her impending heat cycle yesterday, Ming Xiaoyue knew all too well that as an Alpha, their willpower was at its weakest during this time. Moreover, this life had already deviated far too much from its original course.

If you had asked Ming Xiaoyue before why she felt something was off about Lu Jinxi, she would have said it was because all the deviations stemmed from her. But now, Luo Hong had emerged as another factor.

Ming Xiaoyue had to admit that this life was the complete opposite of her previous one. But that was fine, she thought. In truth, she preferred singing anyway.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Ming Xiaoyue said, quickly changing the subject. The immediate priority was dealing with Luo Hong.

After some deep thought, she finally recalled him from the recesses of her memory. In her previous life, he had appeared as a guest on the girl group survival show.

During that time, because she had refused to film the music video, he had targeted her, even publicly questioning her musical taste as a guest. This added fuel to the already tumultuous fire of Ming Xiaoyue’s girl group journey.

Ming Xiaoyue had already been facing indiscriminate attacks from Lu Jinxi’s fans. With Luo Hong joining the fray, she had nearly been forced to withdraw from the variety show altogether.

Fortunately, Luo Hong, that utter fool, was caught stealing food during the 24-hour live broadcast. The subsequent exposure allowed Ming Xiaoyue a brief respite.

However, in the latest elimination round, her low vote count led to her elimination.

As Ming Xiaoyue reflected on this, a flicker of determination crossed her eyes. A plan was already forming in her mind.

“Regarding Luo Hong and Lu Jinxi,” she began, “I don’t believe this is the first time he’s done something like this. If you want to keep something secret, don’t do it in the first place. We should try to find other victims.”

As Ming Xiaoyue spoke, Lu Jinxi realized she had narrowly escaped disaster and let out a small sigh of relief.

“But we have the girl group photoshoot today,” Lu Jinxi pointed out.

This was indeed a major problem. Girl group photoshoots were notoriously strict. Beyond the 24-hour live broadcast, their communication devices would be confiscated.

Ming Xiaoyue pondered this. What truly puzzled her was how Luo Hong had obtained her room password. Had he used the same method to blackmail other victims?

No, Ming Xiaoyue thought, she had to expose this scumbag’s true nature to prevent him from preying on others.

“Lu Jinxi, do you have any ideas?” Ming Xiaoyue unconsciously considered Lu Jinxi as someone on her side.

At the very least, Lu Jinxi had stopped herself from forcibly marking Ming Xiaoyue at the last moment yesterday, when she was on the verge of losing control. This had genuinely softened Ming Xiaoyue’s opinion of her.

In truth, Lu Jinxi had already used her financial resources to investigate Luo Hong’s dirty secrets after his arrest yesterday. The information proved surprisingly easy to find; the Alpha only used his lower half to think, so he had little sense of caution.

Moreover, as a rising rap star recently promoted by his company to the point of arrogance, Luo Hong had become careless in covering his tracks.

However, Lu Jinxi had a gut feeling that if she revealed everything now, Ming Xiaoyue would suspect her again.

“We could send someone to investigate,” Lu Jinxi suggested, adopting the tone of an impartial observer.

“Hmm, that’s what I was thinking too. Do you know anyone in the entertainment industry’s paparazzi?” Ming Xiaoyue asked, already pulling out her phone.

Still testing me, Lu Jinxi realized immediately.

“I don’t know. My family’s in real estate, so I’m not familiar with the entertainment industry,” Lu Jinxi replied, knowing that the best lies contain a kernel of truth, making them difficult to refute.

“Hmm?” Ming Xiaoyue looked at Lu Jinxi with surprise. “So you have connections after all? I always thought you were just like me—a nobody with no power or influence.”

Ming Xiaoyue truly didn’t understand Lu Jinxi. Her memories of the woman were of someone who appeared earnest but had actually climbed to the top by stepping on her. Though her opinion of Lu Jinxi had softened recently, she remained wary of their past. After all, wasn’t there a famous saying?

There are no true friends, only eternal interests.

This time, Ming Xiaoyue knew that Lu Jinxi hadn’t had the chance to use her as a stepping stone to go solo because she had swallowed her pride and refused to quit the show. But she couldn’t be sure about next time.

Lu Jinxi’s presence felt like a ticking time bomb. Though Ming Xiaoyue was currently negotiating with her amicably, she knew it was all a facade.

Once the Luo Hong situation was resolved, she planned to distance herself from Lu Jinxi. At the very least, after returning to the girl group, she would quietly sever the CP bond that tied them together.

Lu Jinxi remained unaware of Ming Xiaoyue’s inner machinations. She simply replied, “No, my family wants me to inherit the family fortune, so they don’t support my career in the entertainment industry.”

“Oh,” Ming Xiaoyue responded, completely uninterested in the cliché of someone being forced to inherit a billion-dollar fortune if they didn’t pursue a career in entertainment. Yet, after hearing Lu Jinxi’s words, she still felt a slight twinge of resentment.

Tch, Ming Xiaoyue thought, unable to comprehend how someone like Lu Jinxi could have been born with such a privileged background. The unfairness only fueled her anger.

Ming Xiaoyue unconsciously ground her back teeth, regretting not having bitten Lu Jinxi harder when she had the chance.

Forget it, she thought. Whether in my past life or this one, I’ve already exacted my revenge. And she even saved me once, against all odds.

Ming Xiaoyue had always been clear about right and wrong. After the Luo Hong incident, she decided that her love-hate relationship with Lu Jinxi should end here. She wouldn’t dwell on past grievances or pursue future conflicts.

Lu Jinxi sensed the faint dissatisfaction in Ming Xiaoyue’s tone and quickly explained, “Actually, I chose to join the girl group because my mother’s dream when she was young was to debut as an idol.”

“Ah, may I ask who your mother is?” Ming Xiaoyue inquired.

“She’s passed away,” Lu Jinxi replied, her voice tinged with sadness. “She died in a car accident with my father. That’s why I want to fulfill her lifelong dream.”

“I’m so sorry,” Ming Xiaoyue said sincerely, suddenly feeling like she deserved to die for her insensitivity.

“It’s alright. It happened a long time ago.”

“Okay, then leave the Luo Hong scandal to me. I’ll do my best to resolve it,” Ming Xiaoyue said, already tapping away on her phone.

Destroying someone was easy. In her previous life, Ming Xiaoyue had navigated this industry, and the deeper she went, the clearer this principle became.

After all, a rising star like Luo Hong likely had plenty of enemies. And Ming Xiaoyue suspected that a pompous fool like him wouldn’t bother concealing his dark secrets—even if he tried.

A faint smile curled at the corner of Ming Xiaoyue’s lips. Didn’t I just witness one of his misdeeds firsthand?

“Where’s the camera?” Ming Xiaoyue asked.

“Huh?” Lu Jinxi stood frozen, still trying to figure out how to subtly reveal Luo Hong’s misdeeds without arousing Ming Xiaoyue’s suspicion.

Suddenly, Ming Xiaoyue reached out and asked Lu Jinxi a question.

A bold idea flashed through Lu Jinxi’s mind, and she told a small lie. “It’s in the next room.”

“Ah, perfect! Let’s go back to my room. I have a computer there. We can export the video in a bit, and I can freshen up while we’re at it.”

“Okay,” Lu Jinxi agreed.

Back in Ming Xiaoyue’s room, she instructed, “The computer on the desk—no password. Just export the video.”

Lu Jinxi, unusually compliant, replied, “Sure,” and walked over to the desk.

Ming Xiaoyue headed toward the bathroom, touching the back of her neck. Good thing my three-day heat cycle is almost over, she thought. Just in time for the group recording. Shouldn’t be any major issues.

The moment Ming Xiaoyue closed the bathroom door, Lu Jinxi’s composure vanished. She immediately pulled out her phone, uploading the dirt Ming Xiaoyue had sent her, while simultaneously inserting the camera’s memory card to import the video.

As the progress bar crawled forward, Lu Jinxi glanced toward the bathroom, feigning casualness.

Deep down, she hoped Ming Xiaoyue would take her time, her furtive glances and nervous energy making her look like she was up to no good.

But the heavens seemed deaf to Lu Jinxi’s prayers. After a quick wash, Ming Xiaoyue emerged from the bathroom. Lu Jinxi hastily averted her gaze, trying to appear nonchalant as she watched the progress bar inch toward completion.

She desperately wanted to intervene herself, but Ming Xiaoyue was already heading straight toward her. Lu Jinxi nervously intertwined her bony fingers, her legs trembling uncontrollably.

Sensing Ming Xiaoyue’s approach by the sound of her footsteps, Lu Jinxi blurted out in a panic, “Ming Xiaoyue.”

As expected, Ming Xiaoyue stopped and asked, “Hmm? What is it?”

“I…” A sudden inspiration struck Lu Jinxi. “The inhibitor is still next door. I think I’m going into heat. Could you get it for me?”

Ming Xiaoyue scrutinized Lu Jinxi with a piercing gaze. Just as Lu Jinxi began to fear she wasn’t buying the excuse and was about to offer another reason to distract her, Ming Xiaoyue suddenly smiled and said, “Sure.”

Relief washed over Lu Jinxi. Thank goodness. She wasn’t actually in heat; it was just the lingering effects of Ming Xiaoyue’s reverse marking over the past few days, combined with yesterday’s deliberate teasing.

Any normal Alpha would have been triggered into heat by such provocation. Fortunately, this induced heat wouldn’t last long. Lu Jinxi watched Ming Xiaoyue turn away, letting out a silent sigh of relief.

Shortly after Ming Xiaoyue left, the video finished uploading. Lu Jinxi deleted the video from her phone as a precaution, being extra cautious.

Soon, Ming Xiaoyue returned with the bag and handed it to Lu Jinxi. “Here you go. Oh, and thanks for giving me the inhibitor yesterday.”

The words were too intimate, leaving Lu Jinxi momentarily at a loss for words.

“Also, I’m sorry for threatening you like that yesterday,” Ming Xiaoyue added, awkwardly touching her nose.

“Mm, it’s fine. It’s normal. If I were an Omega, I’d be suspicious too. Being cautious is good, but don’t do that again.”

As Lu Jinxi spoke, she recalled the previous day’s events, still feeling lingering fear. It had been far too dangerous.

Ming Xiaoyue stared at Lu Jinxi. “Aren’t you in heat? Aren’t you going to take an inhibitor?”

Lu Jinxi hid where Ming Xiaoyue couldn’t see her. After Ming Xiaoyue spoke, Lu Jinxi’s fingertips trembled slightly. She wasn’t in heat at all. Frequent use of inhibitors by Alphas could disrupt their pheromone balance and destabilize their heat cycles.

Moreover, excessive suppression of Alpha pheromones could lead to severe side effects like headaches, nausea, and vomiting.

These common knowledge points flashed through Lu Jinxi’s mind, and for a moment, she hesitated to take the bag from Ming Xiaoyue.

“Hmm?” Ming Xiaoyue responded, already sitting down and rummaging through the bag for the inhibitor. She then offered with feigned concern, “Want me to help you?”

As she spoke, Ming Xiaoyue gazed earnestly at Lu Jinxi.

Lu Jinxi pressed her lips together slightly and accepted the inhibitor from Ming Xiaoyue’s hand, whispering with a lump in her throat, “No need, thank you.”

Well, actually, Ming Xiaoyue knew Lu Jinxi wasn’t in heat. Perhaps it was because she had reverse-marked Lu Jinxi, but she was unusually sensitive to her pheromones—at least when Lu Jinxi had just spoken.

Ming Xiaoyue was certain she hadn’t detected any fluctuation in Lu Jinxi’s pheromones. That’s when she knew Lu Jinxi was lying. But Ming Xiaoyue wanted to know why she was lying. There were no secrets on her computer, so what game was Lu Jinxi playing?

“Let me help you anyway,” Ming Xiaoyue insisted, noticing Lu Jinxi’s trembling fingertips. She decisively took the inhibitor and swiftly peeled off the suppression patch from the back of Lu Jinxi’s neck.

Instinctively, Lu Jinxi reached up to shield the gland on the back of her neck.