The Salted-Fish Alpha and the Actress Got Their Marriage Certificate - Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The variety show hadn’t even wrapped up filming when two of the six guests dropped out.

One had an urgent matter and fled overnight with a suitcase in tow, while the other inexplicably managed to bruise their face so badly they couldn’t go on camera. Fortunately, it was the final day of shooting, and the assigned tasks could just barely be completed.

After the last shot, Xi Ling bowed politely to thank the crew. Before leaving, she caught a glimpse of Meng Gujin lurking in the shadowy corner.

He was on the phone, his face full of irritation, his tone far from courteous.

The people around him went about their tasks, tacitly keeping their distance.

Not bothering to spare him another glance, Xi Ling turned and got into the car waiting for her.

The air-conditioned interior was comfortably cool. She squinted, stretching her limbs lazily, looking like a cat that could never quite wake up.

In the car sat a woman with black-framed glasses, her hair tied back in a simple ponytail, exuding crisp efficiency. She’d been typing furiously on her laptop from the start, her eyes glued to the screen.

She spoke up, “Your next schedule is a brand event in City A…”

“Hmm, got it,” Xi Ling replied.

Propping her head with her hand, Xi Ling leaned against the window to gaze at the passing scenery. Her delicate profile reflected on the glass, betraying no emotion.

The woman scrolled through a packed itinerary, her voice tinged with concern. “Xi Xi, don’t you think you should take a break?”

Since meeting Xi Ling, she’d never seen her rest for more than a week.

Running around year-round, Xi Ling could easily be called the hardest-working person in the entertainment industry.

Such a grueling schedule made her constantly worry that Xi Ling’s frail body wouldn’t hold up.

“Didn’t I just take a break?” Xi Ling leaned against the window, twirling her soft hair with her fingers, and said lazily, “Xiao Xiang, I know my limits.”

Xiao Xiang pushed up her glasses. To call filming a variety show a break left her speechless.

The car soon left the county town behind. Green hills and white clouds faded into the distance as concrete buildings came into view.

Xiao Xiang stole a glance at Xi Ling and noticed she wasn’t napping as usual. Instead, she was engrossed in her phone, staring at something.

Her screen showed a chat interface.

“Who’s got you so hooked?” Xiao Xiang asked casually.

Xi Ling stared at the glaring “unread” notification, pursing her lips. “Ye Cike.”

“Hmm? Didn’t you say you’d steer clear of Ye Cike?” Xiao Xiang’s ears perked up, her intuition screaming that something big had happened in the past few days.

Xi Ling’s eyes sparkled with clarity as she answered confidently, “But her pheromones smell so good.”

If the world’s most delicious food existed, its aroma would probably rival Ye Cike’s pheromones.

She really wanted a taste.

Xiao Xiang sighed helplessly. “Just promise you’ll tell me if you start dating.”

Having known Xi Ling for so long, she understood her temperament. She seemed easygoing but was stubborn as hell—once she made up her mind, no one could sway her.

Xiao Xiang was already mentally drafting PR statements when Xi Ling suddenly sat up straight, retorting earnestly, “Who said anything about dating?”

Xiao Xiang’s gaze flicked to the chat on Xi Ling’s phone, silently noting how long she’d been waiting for a reply.

But she knew better than to say that out loud, or Xi Ling would get embarrassed and sulk for three minutes straight.

“Then what’s your plan?”

Xi Ling’s pretty eyes blinked, a smile curling her lips. “I’m going to ask her for a temporary mark.”

The statement was so loaded that Xiao Xiang’s typing hands faltered, and a “what the hell” appeared in her text box. Her mouth twitched as she quickly deleted the mistake.

An alpha biting an omega’s gland and injecting pheromones creates a temporary mark, often used in emergencies to suppress an omega’s heat when they lack inhibitors.

For the next three or four days, the omega would be enveloped in the alpha’s pheromones, soothed temporarily.

Xiao Xiang was stunned by the bold declaration, but Xi Ling, unfazed, calmly laid out her plan.

“Once I’ve had my fill, I’ll leave. But do you think Ye Cike will get mad if she finds out I just want a taste of her pheromones?”

Her words carried a hint of worry, but her tone was unmistakably gleeful, as if she wasn’t remotely concerned about the consequences.

Recalling Ye Cike’s reputation in the industry, Xiao Xiang thought long and hard before advising earnestly, “Be careful not to crash and burn.”

“I know my limits,” Xi Ling said carelessly, even finding time to scroll through Ye Cike’s Weibo.

Seeing her brimming with confidence, Xiao Xiang didn’t have the heart to dampen her spirits.

After a moment’s silence, she closed her work file and opened a new one titled “Dating PR.”

After all, before love begins, someone always thinks they can walk away unscathed.

Unaware of her manager’s “betrayal,” Xi Ling casually instructed, “Oh, and clear my schedule for the second half of the month. I’ve got some things to handle.”

Xiao Xiang replied without looking up, “Got it.”

Xi Ling returned to Ye Cike’s chat, unsurprisingly still without a reply. Even the “unread” status hadn’t changed.

Uncertain of the situation on the other end, she could only wait patiently. But that wait stretched into two days.

Having weathered a turbulent susceptibility period, Ye Cike finally picked her phone up off the floor, responding to missed calls and messages one by one.

When she saw Xi Ling’s message, she frowned, hesitating before typing:

[All good, thanks.]

The reply came almost instantly.

[Glad to hear ^-^]

Ye Cike stared at the emoticon, suddenly covering her face. “Ugh, why am I hearing things?”

She stood for a moment, exhaling heavily as she surveyed the chaotic living room. Then, tying on her apron, she called her private doctor.

When Qin Cunxue arrived in her white coat, she raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Half the spacious living room was spotless, with decorations neatly arranged and glass polished to a shine.

The other half was a mess—a shattered vase, water pooling on the floor, drawers rifled through, and a white rug crumpled into a ball, as if a thief had ransacked the place.

At the dividing line between order and chaos stood Ye Cike, diligently cleaning.

She was picking up paper stars scattered across the floor, carefully placing them into a glass jar.

Only after finishing did she untie her apron and collapse onto the soft couch.

“Good grief, what did you do?” Qin Cunxue sat down, pulling bl00d-drawing tools from her medical kit.

Ye Cike, eyelids drooping, sat cross-legged, looking utterly drained. “Susceptibility period.”

“Huh?”

So, Ye Cike, an alpha without an omega, had gone wild during her susceptibility period and now had to clean up the mess alone. The mental image made Qin Cunxue burst out laughing.

Poor single alphas, so pitiful.

Her expression was too obvious, and Ye Cike glared at her coldly. “What’s so funny?”

“I’m not laughing,” Qin Cunxue said, suppressing her grin and changing the subject. “How’d you get that wound on your arm?”

Ye Cike lifted her arm, glancing at the scabbed injury. “Don’t remember.”

Her mind had been foggy then. The scarf that kept her marginally sane on the way home became a maddening catalyst once the susceptibility period fully hit.

The longing she couldn’t satisfy only deepened her torment.

“That bad?” Qin Cunxue’s playful demeanor vanished at the response. She said seriously, “Tell me exactly what happened these past few days.”

Ye Cike recounted the events listlessly.

Qin Cunxue listened patiently, jotting down key details meticulously. She underlined Xi Ling’s name several times.

“You said Xi Ling’s heat came early, so you downed an entire pack of suppressants?” She couldn’t hold back her laughter. “Unbelievable. Why do you even carry suppressants?”

Though she asked, Qin Cunxue knew full well this was exactly the kind of thing Ye Cike would do.

Ye Cike shot her a look, her face blank. “Don’t ask irrelevant questions.”

“Fine,” Qin Cunxue conceded, raising her hands. “Then describe the situation in detail.”

Ye Cike covered her face, looking mortified. “I can’t think about it now. She smelled so good, and remembering it makes me want to…”

Qin Cunxue jumped in, “Mark Xi Ling.”

“Just hug her.”

They spoke simultaneously, then froze, staring at each other in shock.

Qin Cunxue: ?

Ye Cike: ?

Qin Cunxue dropped her pen, exclaiming, “Ye Cike, are you broken? Did your pheromone imbalance make your alpha instincts regress?”

Ye Cike’s ears turned faintly red, her words stumbling. “Y-You’re the broken one! We’re just friends! How could I just go and m-mark her or whatever!”

Someone as lovely and refined as Xi Ling, who didn’t get mad even when affected by her pheromones, who sang “Little Jumping Frog” for her, and lent her a scarf—soft and kind.

How could she have such improper thoughts about her!