The Scummy Alpha Is Deliberately Marked by the Femme Fatale - Chapter 5

Li Cen glanced up at Yan Qi, catching a flicker of anger in her gaze. She honestly had no idea what she’d done to set her off.

Bad attitude, short fuse, way too fierce.

“Li Cen, were you even listening to me?”

No.

“Of course I was.”

Even though Li Cen had just roasted Yan Qi in her head, she still forced a smile and handed her the vinegar. Yan Qi took it with a polite smile, tried twisting the cap—once, twice—and still couldn’t open it.

“I can’t open this. You do it.”

Inwardly, Li Cen was dripping with sarcastic commentary, but she still twisted the cap open and handed it back, immediately stepping back to put some space between them.

Why does her pheromone smell so strong? It’s all vinegar.

“You were just cursing me in your head, weren’t you?”

Yan Qi gave her a sharp, knowing look, brushing aside a stray lock of hair and meeting Li Cen’s gaze with a half-smile that wasn’t really a smile.

Caught red-handed, Li Cen quickly shook her head. “Why would you think that? I’m just really hungry.”

“You’re hungry, sure—but don’t go eating everything in sight.”

Li Cen’s lips twitched, but she didn’t respond. She turned back to her cooking, though her eyes couldn’t help drifting toward Yan Qi, completely ignoring the vinegar in her hand. Seriously, how can anyone’s pheromones smell like vinegar?

Fu Ting, looking uneasy, slowly got up and edged closer to Li Cen.

Although she had already taken a suppressant, the heat and haziness from her estrus left her unsteady. Her left foot caught her right, and she stumbled—falling right into Li Cen’s back.

[Comment Section Live Chat]

【Why is Fu Ting acting so tea-like? Playing the delicate card.】

【What are you talking about? Estrus is miserable. Do you even know what you’re saying?】

【She’s just fishing for attention. Looks all pure and innocent to lure people in.】

【Gross. Stop spewing garbage.】

Li Cen immediately caught her, looking down in concern. “Are you okay? Do you want to rest in your room? Don’t push yourself.”

The scent hit her immediately—faint daisies.

The pheromones seeped in, tugging at her instincts. Li Cen covered her face and shoved Fu Ting gently away, feeling the telltale stirrings of her own susceptibility period being triggered.

Fu Ting’s manager rushed in to help her out of the livestream room. Li Cen, still reeling from the interference, turned and met Yan Qi’s concerned gaze.

Yan Qi reached out to steady her, but Li Cen sidestepped, murmured something to her agent He-jie, and left the set entirely.

Yan Qi glanced at her retreating back, then withdrew her hand, staring blankly at the cabbage on the cutting board.

【Director, get out here right now. This is ridiculous. I can’t take it anymore.】

【Did Qi Qi just try to help Li Cen up? Babe, don’t help Strong-jie.】

【It’s just steadying someone—are you made of glass? One touch and you shatter?】

【Shut up, you lot without brains.】

【If this was a novel, the comment section would have exploded already. Who writes scripts this dog-blooded?】

…

Back in her room, Li Cen rummaged for suppressants. A quick glance at her phone reminded her—her susceptibility period was due today. She sighed.

No wonder the scent hit me so hard… my brain’s a mess.

Having an Alpha and Omega in the same room was dangerous enough. Add a crowd, and a pheromone flare could easily drag innocents into the mess.

Before it fully hit, she injected the suppressant and took a pill to keep her pheromones in check.

She opened the window, letting the cool breeze carry away the scent of lychee and roses clinging to her. The chill cleared her head.

When she went downstairs again, dinner was already ready. She was about to check on her own dish when Yan Qi caught her wrist.

“No need. I already finished it for you.”

“Oh. Thanks.”

When they all sat down, Li Cen noticed that aside from the soup she’d made earlier, every other dish in front of her was Yan Qi’s handiwork. She swallowed.

“Cen-jie, could you get me a piece of sweet-and-sour rib?”

Sitting side by side, Fu Ting’s eyes shimmered red at the corners as she murmured the request low enough for only Li Cen to hear.

Li Cen nodded, stood, and used the communal chopsticks to put a few pieces in her bowl.

A faint chill prickled her skin. She turned stiffly—Yan Qi was smiling gracefully, chewing slowly. Li Cen exhaled, chalking it up to her own susceptibility-induced discomfort.

What she didn’t see was Yan Qi’s cold, fleeting glare at Fu Ting before turning back to her food.

【Li Cen feeding her “daughter”? What?】

【Who’s making the official announcement on Weibo?】

【Strong-jie giving the Pure Girl food? Lock it in. Stop breaking them up.】

【Why’s Qi Qi so quiet? Is she hurt? We’ll fight for you!】

【The Pure Girl must’ve bewitched Strong-jie. Why else go public at noon and flirt with someone else by afternoon?】

…

Assistant Ze An noticed the negative comments about Yan Qi and immediately mobilized the PR team, posting a stern warning:

[Official Statement]

“Please refrain from spreading rumors. Our artist has not engaged in any inappropriate behavior. Do not engage in personal attacks or moral coercion.”

Yan Qi sipped her soup, eyes drifting to Li Cen—who deliberately avoided her gaze, leaning ever so slightly toward Fu Ting.

Yan Qi ate little. Li Cen, on the other hand, ate and drank freely, occasionally adding food to Fu Ting’s bowl.

【Tsk, can Pure Girl stop clinging to someone else’s wife? White lotus much?】

【Was your brain kicked by a donkey?】

【It’s clearly genuine teammate care. Don’t twist it into something dirty.】

【Thanks for nothing. Is no one going to care about Qi Qi? Damn.】

【Is Li Cen playing dumb or actually dumb? She’s clearly involved with Yan Qi, yet she’s teasing Fu Ting too.】

…

“Since everyone’s here, let’s explain tonight’s game.”

Tacit Understanding Challenge — three rounds.

Round one: Draw and Guess. The top three who guess the most in five minutes will get 3, 2, and 1 points respectively.

Seriously? With me and Fu Ting? What tacit understanding? If this ruins my meals tomorrow, I’ll chew through the director’s equipment.

When it was their turn, Li Cen patted Fu Ting’s shoulder. “I draw, you guess. Trust me.”

First card: Quenching Thirst by Thinking of Plums.

Li Cen froze for a moment, then sketched quickly—riders on horseback, a leader pointing into the distance, a thought bubble filled with green plums hanging from branches.

【She’s actually good at drawing. This is obviously Quenching Thirst by Thinking of Plums.】

【Isn’t she supposed to be useless?】

【She’s just low-key. Not like some people who can only spew insults.】

“Quenching Thirst by Thinking of Plums.”

“Correct! Next one.”

Li Cen froze again at the new card.

【Doesn’t her stunned face look like that meme with the pulled jaw?】

【Maybe she’s not the cool type at all—she’s comedy gold.】

She hesitated, then drew two faceless figures kissing, one in a wedding dress, with a wedding scene in the background. Musical notes floated above.

She turned and pointed to the notes.

Fu Ting, hesitant, guessed, “We’re married?”

The room went silent. No one dared speak. Yan Qi’s face darkened, the air around her heavy.

The staff quickly broke the tension. “Correct!”

【I nearly thought Fu Ting and Li Cen were the real couple.】

【Director, where’s Qi Qi in all this?】

【Doesn’t Li Cen’s drawing style look like that reclusive artist’s?】

【Coincidence. That artist stopped taking commissions five years ago.】

【And Li Cen was brought back to the Li family five years ago… Remember the trending topic? #HeiressLiCenWasOnceTheSchoolBullyOfXXXHigh】