Transmigrated as the Black-Bellied Film Empress's Live-in Alpha (GL) - Chapter 11

The sweet, cloying scent of milk tea wafted from the straw’s steam. Bai Nian held the cup carefully, taking a small sip, her expression joyful as she stared at the message Chen Qingying had just sent.

It was like crossing into a novel about an overbearing CEO and a delicate flower. She, who once prided herself on being the most miserable live-in A, could finally experience the feeling of being supported.

Although she wouldn’t shamelessly ask for money, the other party’s words were enough. No wonder everyone scrambled to get into the Chen family; it was now easy to understand why.

Bai Nian: [No need, I’m not lacking anything here.]

Reluctantly giving up the tens of thousands that were within reach, she carefully typed this message into the chat box, aiming to project an image of “I don’t love your money, only you.”

Meanwhile, in the lounge at the film set.

Chen Qingying was tilting her face for makeup. From the corner of her eye, she glimpsed the lit screen on the table, vaguely discerning the message. She lowered her eyes in silence.

Her makeup artist was a long-time friend, and their relationship wasn’t bad. When Chen Qingying had proposed finding someone for a fake marriage to avoid an arranged one, her friend had supported the idea.

Seeing Chen Qingying frequently checking her phone, the makeup artist, Zhou Qingzhi, subtly shifted her body to give her a clearer view.

“Always looking at your phone. What’s so captivating that you’re distracted?” The moment she spoke, she couldn’t believe it herself.

In this industry, no one was more career-driven than the person in front of her. While other rich second-generation heirs held the philosophy of “coast through life, not owing money to the family is a virtue,” this one already had both her passion and career in hand.

Chen Qingying’s long eyelashes rested lazily on her eyes. She pursed her lips, saying nothing. Seeing her expression, Zhou Qingzhi reacted, her sweeping motion with the powder brush pausing.

“Oh… the one from the fake marriage?”

“Mm.” The short word revealed no emotion, but anyone could sense Chen Qingying’s faint impatience.

The humble and gentle film empress on screen was not so approachable in private. Zhou Qingzhi knew that Chen Qingying was eager to marry at the time and had almost no requirements for her partner.

Clean family background, decent appearance, and no outrageous behavior. Even these simple requirements filtered out a large number of people.

Luckily, Bai Nian, who had volunteered, was decent enough, not perfectly skilled in social graces but acceptable.

As long as she quietly remained a mere ornament, the Chen family naturally wouldn’t mistreat her. Unfortunately, Bai Nian was not an ideal partner, and in places Zhou Qingzhi couldn’t see, she almost caused Chen Qingying a great fall.

Mentioning the troublesome one, the film empress’s bright face furrowed slightly. She placed her phone face down on the table and said coldly, “Malicious intentions.”

The pleasant pretense towards Bai Nian had faded. The four-character derogatory comment was enough to show her disdain for the person. Zhou Qingzhi hesitated, then sighed deeply.

It seemed she would have to hope for two or three years to pass before they could get rid of such a person.

Hearing about the business trip to N City, Bai Nian returned home after work and brought out the suitcase she had just seen recently, spreading it open on the floor.

In the spacious room, her busy figure moved through the walk-in closet. She checked the local weather and packed suitable short-sleeved shirts, quickly filling the suitcase to the brim.

Just as she was about to zip it up, a familiar white shirt caught her attention. Bai Nian paused her actions. The light, transparent, moon-white shirt was sheer, revealing faint hints of blue.

The chest pocket showed a palm-sized bulge. She reached in and pulled out the divorce agreement from before.

She hadn’t noticed it when she sent her clothes to be washed, and the laundry staff had put it back in. The wrinkled paper had uneven edges. Bai Nian thought for a while and put the item in a drawer.

Just in case it might be useful later.

The floor in the guest bedroom was spotless. She sat on the floor, her hand touching the soft fabric in the suitcase, and let out a sigh of wistful regret.

She was about to go to N City and see Chen Qingying. She couldn’t describe her feelings. She hadn’t done anything, yet she always inexplicably ran into the other party.

It was the same for eating out, and it was the same for business trips. Transmigrating into the book wasn’t like taking the blame for the original owner; it was more like… atonement.

When she read the novel, she admired this female lead the most. Being disliked by a character she liked made her feel complicated for a while.

Fortunately, the other party’s attitude had softened, so her efforts weren’t in vain. After some self-comfort, Bai Nian was filled with motivation and started packing her luggage.

No more internal strife.

A small corner of the bedding on the bed was turned over. The Alpha, who had just showered, had her legs dangling over the edge of the bed, typing rapidly on her phone.

It was nothing more than asking the fan site manager about Chen Qingying’s upcoming schedule. Unfortunately, except for the day of filming and airport pick-up, Chen Qingying practically lived at the film set.

She couldn’t get in either.

Bai Nian scratched her head, feeling quite annoyed these past few days. Her heart felt as if countless ants were gnawing at it, uncomfortable and unable to stop the bleeding.

She hadn’t been this irritable before.

Hesitating for a moment, she brushed back her damp hair, revealing her fair neck. As it came into contact with the cold air, her neck felt a chill.

Her fingertip touched the pinkish protrusion of her scent gland, almost making Bai Nian jump up in surprise, like a cold can of soda pressed against her cheek in summer.

This area was too sensitive. Except when showering, Bai Nian would deliberately avoid it at other times. As far as she knew, women in this world didn’t have menstrual periods. As for the interaction between Alphas and Omegas, it all relied on scent gland marking.

She had researched online for a long time but hadn’t smelled her own pheromones, which made her feel frustrated.

Her thoughts drifted. Bai Nian recalled that every time Chen Qingying passed by her, her every gesture, even strands of her hair, exuded a slightly bitter, intoxicating rosemary scent.

Perhaps after prolonged immersion in a certain scent, a person would automatically become immune.

Bai Nian attributed her inability to smell her pheromones to this.

A single leaf heralds autumn; yellowing leaves whirled in the wind, falling beside the small mound of leaves at the drain. The green of the vegetation on both sides of the road was tinged with a refreshing crispness by the autumn wind. Autumn arrived earlier in N City than in S City.

Bai Nian dragged her heavy suitcase off the plane, took a taxi all the way to her booked hotel, unpacked her things, first reported to her editor, and then conveniently sent a message to Chen Qingying.

The two hadn’t been in contact for nearly a week and truly had no common topics. To make sure the other party remembered her, Bai Nian racked her brains, so bored that she would even report if a leaf fell in the courtyard.

In the early stages of a relationship, trivial matters become romantic. But their relationship was far from romantic; it was all her wishful thinking.

It was annoying, but Chen Qingying wouldn’t say anything. There was no need. Silence would avoid a lot of trouble.

Knowing nothing about her attitude, Bai Nian finished her preparations for the interview and lay on the comfortable hotel bed, still happily inquiring about the other party’s news.

This time, it wasn’t just uniform filming for the crew. According to gossip, Chen Qingying was scheduled for a fashion magazine photoshoot tomorrow morning at 8 AM.

Although the rumors in the group chat weren’t necessarily accurate, she still planned to try her luck.

Adding this to her schedule, she sat half-upright against the upholstered headboard, suddenly noticing that among the closely packed squares, many were late-night filming sessions.

No wonder Chen Qingying rarely went to bed early before; she was adjusting her routine. Bai Nian sighed, lamenting the difficulties actors faced, and then grew worried.

Even with a “biological mother” author who maxed out the protagonist’s skills, her body still couldn’t withstand high-intensity work. Naturally, she didn’t want the other party to faint from low bl00d sugar like in the book.

However, after late-night filming ended at two or three in the morning, she would have to wake up early the next day for styling and a magazine shoot, with less than three hours of rest in between.

Since she was now beholden to the other party, Bai Nian naturally had to take good care of Chen Qingying’s health, living up to her aunt’s trust.

Thinking of this, she climbed out of bed, walked to the wardrobe, casually grabbed a coat to put on, and went to the kitchen.

Since business trip expenses were reimbursable, Bai Nian certainly wouldn’t shortchange herself. The unwrapped milky-white island counter had no water stains. Pots, bowls, and kitchen utensils were all available. She opened the refrigerator; half of the fridge was filled with fresh vegetables and meat she had just bought from the supermarket.

She tore open the cling film. The tender green Shanghai bok choy was fresh, covered with a thin layer of light frost. Bai Nian put it in a draining basket to wash carefully, picking out the heart of the vegetable.

When traveling, her cooking skills had improved by leaps and bounds. Although not universally praised, she could at least make delicious and healthy food.

Last time, she wanted to cook frozen wontons, but before the surprise was ready, Chen Qingying had already returned. Facing the person herself, Bai Nian’s enthusiasm was instantly doused.

She was afraid the other party wouldn’t appreciate it, but observing her reaction, she didn’t seem to reject her.

This gave Bai Nian renewed confidence. She sliced the meat on the cutting board into thin pieces, seasoned it to remove the smell, then cooked it, skimming off the foam with a spoon, and added the Shanghai bok choy.

She remembered her aunt saying at the dinner table that Chen Qingying liked spicy food, but unfortunately, due to years of self-maintenance, she was disciplined in her eating habits.

Bai Nian had no particular attachments, but she was very particular about food.

After preparing two dishes and a soup, she ran to the mall downstairs to buy an insulated lunchbox. She carefully packed the food inside and simultaneously sent a message to Chen Qingying.

Bai Nian: [Ms. Chen, have you had dinner?]

Thinking that the other party might be busy, she grabbed the insulated box and excitedly took a taxi, navigating to the film studio where Chen Qingying was.

The night wind rustled. At one in the morning, N City was brightly lit, its roads bustling with traffic. Bai Nian sat in the back seat, rolling down the window to feel the wind rushing past, suddenly feeling unsure.

Regret surged in her heart. She held the insulated box, her forehead resting against the half-open window, leaving a round imprint, convincing herself in her mind.

If Chen Qingying didn’t appreciate it, she would just keep it and eat it herself.

Just thinking about the other party’s intention to support her a few days ago, Bai Nian’s bit of grievance and impulsive self-blame vanished instantly.

Be thicker-skinned to please your wife!

The large lights on the set were extinguished. In the empty corridor, the footsteps of staff moving props could be heard occasionally. From a half-open door, a warm light, distinctly different from the corridor’s fluorescent lights, spilled out.

In the makeup room, Chen Qingying sat in front of the mirror. The fill light illuminated her face flawlessly. As she looked at her bright reflection, her assistant helped her remove the hairpins from her head.

“It’s been night shoots every time these past few days, and tomorrow you have a fashion magazine shoot. Even a person made of iron couldn’t handle this.”

The assistant complained softly, not noticing she had tugged Chen Qingying’s hair. The Omega let out a cry of pain, covering the sore spot.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, I really didn’t notice…” The assistant apologized repeatedly. “I’m sorry, Sister Chen, I was just too busy talking.”

Facing the hand offered to help her, Chen Qingying subtly pushed it away, smiling sweetly: “I’ll do it myself.”

As she spoke, her phone screen lit up, and Bai Nian’s message popped up abruptly.

Bai Nian: [Ms. Chen, have you had dinner?]