Thank You for the Invitation, I Successfully Held Hands with the Best Actress - Chapter 23

Ning Yu swiped her card to enter, and as she turned on the lights, she saw Mu Qiuyan slumped weakly on the carpet, barely conscious, murmuring incoherently. The air was thick with a strange, overpowering fragrance—not the usual snow-pine scent of Mu Qiuyan’s omega pheromones, but something cheap and artificial.

 

 

Between breaths, pheromones leaked uncontrollably from the back of her neck, the suppressant patch rendered useless, its edges wrinkled from sweat.

 

 

Ning Yu hurried over and crouched beside Mu Qiuyan, but the moment she touched the other woman’s scorching body, her brows furrowed deeply. “Mu Qiuyan! Mu Qiuyan, can you hear me?!”

 

 

Mu Qiuyan whimpered softly, her eyes fluttering open, but her gaze was unfocused, drifting vaguely toward Ning Yu.

 

 

Without hesitation, Ning Yu scooped her up in a bridal carry and headed for the nearby bed. As she moved, the alpha’s potent whiskey pheromones grew even more pronounced—rich, heady, and aggressive, saturating the confined space with their intensity.

 

 

Yet, restrained by her conscious effort, they didn’t surge forward to conquer.

 

 

Still, Ning Yu’s arms trembled as she held Mu Qiuyan, the urge to crush her close, to claim her, burning relentlessly in her mind. The omega’s soft, enticing gasps echoed in her ears, amplified a thousandfold.

 

 

Ding—

 

System-triggered mission issued: Host, do what you desire to Mu Qiuyan—kiss her, hold her, mark her, make her your omega. Upon completion, the system will reward you with a generous prize package.

 

 

Damn it. Ning Yu mentally flipped off the scumbag alpha system. Are you even human?

 

 

Taking advantage of someone in this state was downright despicable! Oh, right—she was playing the role of a scumbag alpha, so technically, not human.

 

 

She bit her fingertip hard, forcing herself to stay calm, and fired back in her mind, What if I refuse to mark her?

 

 

The system oozed malice. Trigger missions are mandatory. If the host refuses to comply, there will be penalties for failure.

 

 

What kind of penalties?

 

 

System: Since punishments are randomized, even the system cannot predict them beforehand. However, the system strongly advises the host not to defy the mission. Penalties may range from mild to severe—in extreme cases, the host’s consciousness could be erased. Surely, Host doesn’t wish to revert to the tragic fate of the original Ning Yu?

 

 

Ning Yu nearly cursed aloud. In other stories, system bindings always brought benefits. Why was hers threatening her life?

 

 

Tch— Even a cornered rabbit will bite, let alone Ning Yu. Being threatened was a bitter pill to swallow, and she hated being backed into a corner.

 

 

Her eyes turned icy. If you know how the original Ning Yu met her tragic end, then you must also know how she got there. Right now, the female lead still loves Mu Qiuyan. If I mark her here, what do you think she’ll do?

 

 

She wouldn’t even make it to the later plot—she’d be finished right here.

 

 

If marking Mu Qiuyan would complete the scumbag alpha’s final mission, I’d do it right now and go straight home. But the problem is, marking isn’t the final task. There’s still tormenting her, abandoning her, breaking her beyond repair, isn’t there?

 

 

Ning Yu countered smoothly, If I die here, how are you going to complete your mission?

 

 

 

There was some truth to these words, and the system fell silent.

 

 

“As for that so-called punishment, don’t think you can threaten me. The original Ning Yu was a genuine scumbag Alpha, but you didn’t bind with her—instead, you dragged me here. That means she couldn’t complete the mission.”

 

 

“Of course, you’re free to bind with someone else.”

 

 

When the system remained silent for a long time, Ning Yu chuckled. She had never been one to obediently let others lead her by the nose, even with a knife pressed to her throat.

 

 

Mu Qiuyan was wearing a white dress, damp with sweat and slightly translucent, her graceful curves clearly visible. Her palms were burning hot as Ning Yu laid her on the bed and prepared to stand up, only to suddenly notice her cherry lips parting slightly, as if trying to say something.

 

 

Leaning down, Ning Yu pressed her ear close to Mu Qiuyan’s lips—only to feel them brush against her earlobe. The next second, Mu Qiuyan bit down on it.

 

 

Though weak, the bite still left a faint pink mark.

 

 

Breathing unevenly, Mu Qiuyan’s sharp gaze burned with accusation. “Was it… you? Was it you that night?”

 

 

At first, Ning Yu didn’t understand what she meant, but seeing the shock and anger in her expression, she suddenly raised a hand to cover the back of her neck.

 

 

Had… she been exposed?!

 

 

“Get away!” Mu Qiuyan clutched the sheets tightly, barely holding onto her last shred of rationality. “This time… was it also you…? Get out! Don’t… touch me.”

 

 

“You liar! You scoundrel! Get out!”

 

 

Her emotions were volatile, anger laced with hidden hurt and sorrow. Her soft lips were bitten until they bled, and Ning Yu suddenly felt an invisible barrier rise between them—Mu Qiuyan’s defenses against her.

 

 

Ning Yu sighed inwardly, knowing any explanation now would be useless.

 

 

She took a few steps back, opened the window for ventilation, then moved around the room, extinguishing the suspicious incense burning on the bedside and table with water. The cloying scent finally began to fade.

 

 

But Mu Qiuyan’s condition showed no improvement. She trembled in pain, her face pale, her gland throbbing violently as if draining her vitality. The crisp scent of snow-pine pheromones flooded the room, leaving Ning Yu dizzy.

 

 

Recognizing another flare-up of Mu Qiuyan’s gland sensitivity, Ning Yu urgently exchanged for a bottle of mint water from the system and brought it to Mu Qiuyan’s lips.

 

 

Mu Qiuyan frowned, turning her head away in refusal.

 

 

Ning Yu: “Trust me, this will help ease the pain. Last time, I gave you the same thing—it’s completely safe.”

 

 

Mu Qiuyan sneered. “Haven’t you deceived me enough, Miss Ning? Just because it was fine last time… how do I know you haven’t tampered with it now?”

 

 

Ning Yu: “If I wanted to do something, you wouldn’t be able to stop me in your current state.”

 

 

But Mu Qiuyan stubbornly curled into herself, refusing to touch the mint water. She had endured this pain for over a decade—she was used to it by now.

 

 

Gritting her teeth, Ning Yu realized Mu Qiuyan wouldn’t relent. Without hesitation, she drank the mint water herself, then gently pinched Mu Qiuyan’s chin and fed it to her mouth-to-mouth.

 

 

Just like in her memories, Mu Qiuyan’s lips were soft and fragrant. The cool mint melted between their tangled tongues, and Ning Yu couldn’t help deepening the kiss, her tongue sweeping through Mu Qiuyan’s mouth.

 

 

 

Mu Qiuyan was both shocked and furious, glaring at her with hostile eyes. As she struggled fiercely, droplets of water slipped from their pressed lips and disappeared into the back of her neck.

 

 

After forcing down an entire bottle of mint water, Ning Yu finally released Mu Qiuyan’s lips—now slightly swollen and glistening from the kiss. Licking her own lips with a wicked smirk, as if savoring the taste, she remarked, “As expected of the beloved Movie Queen Mu. What an exquisite flavor!”

 

 

A textbook line from a certified scoundrel.

 

 

Mu Qiuyan burned with humiliation. “Ning Yu, you—”

 

 

Ning Yu shrugged. “Me what? Since you’ve already labeled me as some scheming rogue, I might as well live up to the reputation. I never let myself be shortchanged.”

 

 

Then, she dragged a chair to the bedside and sat down leisurely. “Just in case something goes wrong after you drank my medicine, I’ll be right here to… dispose of the evidence.”

 

 

Mu Qiuyan was so furious she felt her chest tighten. Turning her back to Ning Yu, she refused to speak another word.

 

 

Ning Yu, having seized a rare opportunity, was in high spirits. She cheerfully addressed the system in her mind, “Kissing and hugging her—half the mission’s done. Can you at least give me half the reward package now?”

 

 

The system: “…”

 

 

Her demeanor now was a far cry from her earlier domineering arrogance, her tone almost gentle.

 

 

The system was stunned by her rapid shift in attitude, then inwardly cursed her shamelessness—thick as a fortress wall, utterly impenetrable.

 

 

Tch. The mission isn’t even complete, and the penalty’s still pending. Yet here she is, already demanding rewards.

 

 

Coldly, it replied, “No!”

 

 

Ning Yu smirked. “414, you sound so cold. Where’s the loli voice from before? This robotic tone is grating.”

 

 

The system: “No means no. Don’t try sweet-talking me. We AIs aren’t fooled by that. Half-completed missions count as failures. You still want rewards?”

 

 

Ning Yu: “Who said the mission failed? Tell me—was there a time limit for this task?”

 

 

The system hesitated. “Well… no.”

 

 

Ning Yu: “Then it’s settled. Just because I didn’t mark her this time doesn’t mean I won’t get another chance. The mission’s half-done—we can shelve it for now and finish it later.”

 

 

The system: “That’s sophistry! Who leaves a mission half-finished?”

 

 

Ning Yu: “Pfft. Shows how little you know. Ever heard of homework left half-done? No deadline means I finish it whenever I want.”

 

 

“Fine, if you won’t give half the reward, I’ll let it slide—out of respect for you,” Ning Yu said, as if making a grand concession. “But when it comes to reward points later, you better be generous. Don’t be stingy—they’re barely enough as it is.”

 

 

Mentioning points struck a nerve.

 

 

The system said darkly, “Do you even know how many ‘Scum Alpha’ points you have left? You blew them all on blue potions to treat Mu Qiuyan. So much for ‘never being shortchanged’—seems like you’re running a charity just for her.”

 

 

Ning Yu paused. She hadn’t paid attention to her Scum Alpha points. Given her notorious reputation, shouldn’t they be skyrocketing?

 

 

The system: What kind of nonsense are you spouting?

 

 

 

“Your points haven’t increased for two or three days. Do you know how netizens praised you after that heart-to-heart talk? They called you ‘the epitome of clarity in this world’.”

 

 

Its voice sounded utterly exasperated. “You’re clearly supposed to be a scumbag Alpha, yet netizens are praising you as the voice of reason. This is such a failure—your character setting is completely ruined.”

 

 

Ning Yu: “…”

 

 

This came as a surprise to Ning Yu. She had assumed her reputation among netizens was already thoroughly tarnished.

 

 

The system continued, “Are you doing this on purpose?! You reject the tasks I assign—I think you just don’t want to complete your scumbag Alpha mission. At this rate, you’ll never return to your original world.”

 

 

This time, Ning Yu genuinely felt wronged. “I merely spoke a few honest words and didn’t do anything else. Perhaps… my words resonated too deeply with people? Ah, such irrepressible charm.”