The Salted-Fish Alpha and the Actress Got Their Marriage Certificate - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The room fell silent, not a sound to be heard.

It wasn’t unheard of for someone to clash with a reporter at a press conference, but Ye Cike’s sharp, sarcastic tone was truly something new.

Yet, with her aloof expression, her words didn’t feel out of place at all—they carried an overwhelming sense of authority.

The reporter, struck speechless by her rebuttal, didn’t know whether to stand or sit, awkwardly raising a hand to wipe nonexistent sweat from his face.

The host quickly stepped in to smooth things over, arranging a lucky draw and shifting the topic.

On the surface, everyone acted as if nothing had happened, but behind the scenes, they were likely already drafting their posts, ready to publish the moment they left.

Great, another trending topic.

Ye Cike leaned back in her chair, completely giving up on appearances, looking effortlessly cool.

She tilted her head slightly to the left, where Ning Lan was tearing up a prepared press release under the stage, looking as if she wanted to tear Ye Cike apart too.

Turning back to face forward, Ye Cike noticed the media below frequently glancing her way, eyeing her like she was a walking headline.

To her right was no good either—Xi Ling sat there.

Releasing pheromones and standing up for someone else? No matter how you looked at it, Xi Ling seemed to have ulterior motives. Ye Cike still didn’t dare check Xi Ling’s reaction.

She felt a faint gaze on her, its emotions unclear.

Ye Cike took a sharp breath, finding the moment almost unbearable.

When the press conference finally ended, Ye Cike kept her eyes forward, striding out with purpose, not sparing a glance for the reporters swarming her, heading straight for the lounge.

Her icy demeanor didn’t last long, though. The moment she saw Ning Lan, it crumbled completely.

Ning Lan’s fingers flew across her phone screen, tapping so fast you could see afterimages. She spared a glance at Ye Cike, who didn’t dare speak.

Ning Lan let out a wry laugh. “Ye Cike, you’ve really outdone yourself, haven’t you?”

“Xi Ling’s been in this game longer than you. She’s seen this kind of thing plenty of times. Didn’t you notice Director Song already grabbing the mic to cut that reporter off?”

Ye Cike didn’t argue, lowering her gaze and listening quietly, like a large dog who’d done something wrong. She stayed silent, but somehow gave off an air of being unfairly scolded.

Ning Lan sighed, pressing her temple. “Fine, that reporter was out of line, throwing shade at Omegas left and right. You were in the right. Handling this won’t be too hard.”

Hearing this, Ye Cike knew Ning Lan wasn’t truly mad. In an instant, a soft smile lit up her face. “Thanks for the hard work. I’ll treat you to afternoon tea sometime.”

When Ye Cike wasn’t smiling, she was genuinely cold, but her smile was warm, like a burst of sunlight pouring down, dazzling and bright.

Ning Lan looked away, feigning disdain. “Alright, all you know is how to grin like an idiot. There’s still a cocktail party. Go apologize to Director Song—it’s his movie press conference, after all. With this stunt, who knows where the audience’s attention will end up.”

Ye Cike, who’d been about to slip her hands into her pockets and leave, frowned, her reluctance written all over her.

“There’s a cocktail party too?” Her voice was low, her earlier confidence deflating. “Can I skip it? I’ll call Uncle Song and explain.”

From what Ning Lan knew, Ye Cike didn’t usually mind social events. This hesitation clearly meant something else was up.

Ning Lan raised an eyebrow, curious. “What’s this? Did you do something bad? Feeling guilty?”

The mention brought back the agonizing moments from the press conference.

Ye Cike was terrified of offending the delicate little princess beside her.

For her, losing control of her pheromones was a humiliating disgrace.

“My pheromones went haywire,” Ye Cike said, her voice heavy as she brushed her slightly wavy hair. “Luckily, it was just a little, so nothing happened.”

Ning Lan’s expression grew complicated. She knew Ye Cike had pheromone disorder syndrome but didn’t know the details—neither did Ye Cike herself, for that matter.

Before, it was unstable susceptible periods. Now, it was pheromone outbursts. What next?

The condition was rare, with symptoms varying from person to person. Some had pheromones that changed scent, others had prolonged special periods, and some even switched from Alpha to Omega. But they all shared one trait: it was extremely hard to cure.

“Once I finish my current work, I’m retiring to recuperate,” Ye Cike said seriously, no hint of joking.

Ning Lan sighed softly, tacitly agreeing with her plan.

“And about the schedule change for this press conference—someone who could alter my calendar and intercept my messages.” Ye Cike’s tone shifted, her expression turning cold.

It wasn’t hard to figure out. Only her personal assistant had that kind of access.

“I already talked to her,” Ning Lan nodded, pulling up the chat history on her phone and handing it to Ye Cike. “She said she was too busy to pass on the message and knows nothing about the schedule.”

Ye Cike scanned it quickly, summarizing it as vague denials. At the end, there was even a cute cat emoji.

She handed the phone back to Ning Lan, slipping her hands into her pockets and leaning casually against the wall. “Fire her then.”

Her tone was light, almost indifferent, as if the assistant was inconsequential.

“Alright, go on. I’ll handle the rest,” Ning Lan said, waving her off dismissively before diving back into her work.

Finally free to head home, Ye Cike sauntered out of the lounge, carefully taking a special passage to avoid the reporters.

Her ride hadn’t arrived yet, so she stood idly at the intersection, bored.

As dusk settled and the city lights flickered on, a few minutes passed with no sign of her car. Instead, she heard footsteps approaching.

Ye Cike turned slowly and immediately spotted Xi Ling, draped in a white trench coat.

Clearly, Xi Ling had skipped the cocktail party too, leaving early and running into her.

Xi Ling said a few words to someone beside her before walking toward Ye Cike alone.

She seemed to carry her own filter wherever she went. The hazy moonlight draped her in a soft veil, giving her an ethereal quality, like a cloud in the sky or the moon’s reflection in water—beautiful but untouchable.

Ye Cike didn’t know what expression to make. She confirmed no one else was around. Was Xi Ling here for her?

Xi Ling approached, flashing a small smile, her eyes shimmering like autumn waters.

“Thanks for helping me out.”

Her voice was as clear as a flowing stream.

“No problem. I just couldn’t stand him,” Ye Cike replied seriously, even a bit distant.

She was purely trying to hide her unease.

She kept a safe distance from Xi Ling, their shadows under the streetlamp far apart, not touching.

Xi Ling blinked playfully at her. “I know you.”

The words rippled through Ye Cike’s heart like a stone tossed into a pond.

She suddenly recalled the online rumors about herself, wondering how much Xi Ling knew. Just her name, or more from other sources?

Perhaps Ye Cike’s confusion was obvious, as Xi Ling smiled again. “I saw you on a magazine cover. You looked great. Later, I found out we were in the same crew, and I’ve been wanting to meet you in person. But our timing never quite lined up—we always missed each other.”

Her voice rose slightly at the end, tinged with genuine regret, like a little hook catching at Ye Cike’s heart, urging her to respond.

Ye Cike lowered her gaze to hide her emotions. “There’ll be chances in the future.”

She regretted it the moment she said it. She was planning to retire—what chances would there be? This was just a fleeting encounter.

They fell silent for a few seconds. Ye Cike was about to find an excuse to end the conversation when she noticed Xi Ling’s gaze seemed to falter.

Xi Ling raised a hand to her forehead, her trench coat slipping off.

“Miss Xi?” Ye Cike asked, puzzled. The next moment, Xi Ling swayed, collapsing uncontrollably.

Ye Cike’s heart leapt. She rushed forward, catching Xi Ling by the waist to keep her from falling.

Supporting Xi Ling’s body, soft and warm in her arms, Ye Cike’s first thought was how light she was, barely weighing anything.

She watched as the color drained from Xi Ling’s face, turning as pale as paper.

“Are you okay?” Ye Cike asked, concerned. “Do you need me to take you to the hospital?”

After a moment, Xi Ling shook her head slightly, slowly standing upright. “I’m fine. Probably low bl00d sugar. Sorry for scaring you.”

Ye Cike let go only after confirming Xi Ling could stand steadily. She knew many actors, rushing through schedules, ate irregularly and often had low bl00d sugar.

But this Omega was far too frail. Without the trench coat, her sharp collarbones and thin shoulders were starkly visible.

Xi Ling was still frowning, clearly uncomfortable.

So Ye Cike picked up the fallen trench coat, handed it back, and pulled a piece of candy from her pocket. “Have some sugar. It’ll help.”

A flicker of confusion passed through Xi Ling’s eyes. She took the candy, turning it over in her hand as if it held some mystery, making Ye Cike inexplicably nervous.

There was nothing wrong with it, yet Xi Ling’s actions made it seem like the candy hid some unspeakable secret.

“Lemon candy?” Xi Ling asked.

Ye Cike nodded instinctively, then suddenly remembered Xi Ling’s restrained reaction at the press conference. She hissed in regret.

“You don’t like lemon, do you? Should I get your assistant to buy some chocolate?”

“Hm? Who said I don’t like lemon?” Xi Ling looked up at Ye Cike, her gaze probing.

How could Ye Cike admit the truth? She made up an excuse, inventing a friend. “I have a friend who’s your fan. She said you don’t like lemon.”

Xi Ling smiled. “Your friend didn’t do her homework. I don’t dislike it.”

Now Ye Cike was confused. Then why had Xi Ling been avoiding her?

Logically, the amount of pheromones she’d released was so small it should’ve been like perfume to an Omega, barely noticeable.

A sharp “beep beep beep!” interrupted her thoughts. Xi Ling glanced at her phone, frowning apologetically. “My manager’s calling me.”

“No worries, go ahead.”

Xi Ling nodded lightly and turned to leave.

Perhaps still recovering from the low bl00d sugar, her heart was racing, and her limbs felt cold and stiff. Xi Ling thought for a moment, then unwrapped the candy.

As it touched her tongue, a rich lemon scent spread through her mouth—not too sweet, not too sour, just right.

It was just like the pheromones she’d sensed from Ye Cike today.

Omegas were indeed drawn to Alpha pheromones, but Ye Cike’s were far too enticing for her.

Just a trace had made her want to get closer, to be enveloped by that scent.

It was too dangerous. This was only a small amount. If Ye Cike released more, Xi Ling didn’t dare imagine the consequences.

She decided to repay this favor and then keep her distance. She wasn’t ready to lose control.

“What brand is this lemon candy…” Xi Ling muttered, planning to look it up later.