After Transmigrating as a Scumbag Alpha, I Marked the Crazy Hotshot – Chapter 22

Staying Up Late Isn’t Good

Cheng Jiqing returned to her room and closed the door.

Even though she had just come in after drinking water, her throat felt dry again now.

Bai Xin’s words surfaced in her mind. She turned her head and gently pushed the lock on the doorknob. Although things in the private room today could be considered discussed and negotiated, with both parties clear-headed.

But she knew that she had also found it hard to bear at the time, acting on impulse.

She really wasn’t someone who could maintain composure¹.

Cheng Jiqing flopped onto the bed face down, opened her tablet, and resumed the paused movie. Turning off the lights, the world fell into silence. She was actually very sleepy, but her brain was unusually clear.

The consequence was tossing and turning in bed; the two-hour movie didn’t exhaust her spirit until the very end.

Even when asleep, Cheng Jiqing slept restlessly.

She dreamed she was in some kind of fire scene. She saw orange-yellow flames all around, and the thick smoke made her feel suffocated.

She was hot.

So hot she felt like she was melting.

The scene shifted, and an image of skin like a segment of snow-white lotus root appeared in her mind. She forced her eyes open… It was Bai Xin, standing in milky-scented water, the corners of her peach blossom eyes slightly lifted. She looked over, soft dimples appearing on her cheeks.

Bai Xin reached out, draping her arms around her neck: “What are you waiting for?”

She found herself entangled, looking down to see Bai Xin’s cat tail wrapped around her leg. The cat tail had soft fur, resilient yet seemingly boneless and supple.

It tapped against her intermittently.

The force wasn’t strong, just that the cat fur tickled unbearably…

Cheng Jiqing woke up with a racing heart. She clutched her chest and opened her eyes.

Checking the time, only half an hour had actually passed.

But she felt like she had lived through three days and nights in that half-hour dream.

Cheng Jiqing sat up in bed, drenched in sweat. It would be uncomfortable to go back to sleep like this. She found a clean set of pajamas. The master bedroom was adjacent to the guest room; opening the door, she heard the sound of a hairdryer from next door.

Still not asleep this late?

Cheng Jiqing rubbed her eyes and walked towards the bathroom. Before even entering, she could already smell the familiar milky fragrance. It was still the scent of shower gel; the dry area of the bathroom retained some moisture.

Clearly, someone had just finished showering.

Cheng Jiqing’s already restless gland started throbbing. She took a deep breath and locked the bathroom door.

Standing before the mirror, she tossed the dirty clothes into the basket… and paused.

She thought she knew what Bai Xin had been blow-drying.

In the guest room.

Silk pajama pants lay draped over the foot of the bed. Bai Xin sat cross-legged on the bed, the hairdryer on its lowest setting, head down, drying the soft fabric in her hands.

There was a small bag on the table, the one Cheng Jiqing had given her. She hadn’t worn them.

A few minutes later, she turned off the hairdryer.

She glanced at the time on her phone.

The phone had been shattered badly in the private room; Cheng Jiqing had managed to tinker with it so it could barely turn on and make calls.

It was already close to 4 AM; she had barely slept.

She suddenly remembered sleeping quite well in Cheng Jiqing’s car.

Bai Xin stood up and put on the item she had been holding.

Then she opened the first-aid kit on the table. After showering, she needed to reapply some ointment to her gland.

Soft fingertips dipped in cool ointment, dabbing it onto the gland. She took a small breath, touching the teeth marks. Bai Xin could almost recall the Alpha’s slender yet strong forearm holding her firmly.

Their heated breaths, rapid fluctuations.

Filling that small, dim private room.

And the feeling of the Alpha biting her…

Bai Xin lowered her gaze, a somewhat absurd and self-mocking smile curving her lips. She really did feel like going to Cheng Jiqing’s room.

At the very least, if she could touch Cheng Jiqing now, even just a hug, perhaps she could sleep a little better tonight.

Bai Xin put the ointment back. Her fingers were slightly oily from the ointment. She stood up and pulled on her pajama pants.

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The moment the door opened.

“Hiss.”

Cheng Jiqing happened to be passing Bai Xin’s door and was startled by the sudden opening. She clutched her chest, saw Bai Xin, and inexplicably thought of that clinging tail.

“…Still awake?”

“Aren’t you?”

“Yeah. Well, hurry up and go to sleep then.”

Perhaps because they had both just showered, there was a hint of milky scent in their pheromones. This shared scent created an atmosphere that inexplicably made hearts race.

Although Cheng Jiqing felt agitated, her gland wasn’t reacting too strongly. It was just that she always felt unsafe, afraid her pheromones would suddenly escape from her neck.

It couldn’t be helped in the private room, but if things got messy now, it would be complicated.

Bai Xin glanced at Cheng Jiqing’s newly changed clothes, then observed Cheng Jiqing’s anxious reaction to run off. After a moment’s thought, she said calmly, “You took a shower?”

Cheng Jiqing answered automatically, “Didn’t you?”

Realizing her slip, she quickly added, “Is the air conditioning in your room not working well either? Mine has some issues, so it’s a bit hot.”

“Is that so?”

Bai Xin stepped out of the room, taking a few steps towards Cheng Jiqing’s room. The slightly ajar door revealed plenty of cold air conditioning: “Are you sure the AC isn’t working well?”

Cheng Jiqing: “…”

What was wrong with this Bai-jie? Although she had no proof, only suspicion, who would shower late at night for no reason and then blow-dry that thing?

Now seeing that she had also come out to shower—one in a temporary agitation period, the other with an unstable heat—they were fellow sufferers², with a tacit understanding³. Why bring it up… Her ears felt a little hot.

“What about you then? Miss Bai.” Cheng Jiqing decided to just go for it, acting openly.

“I was thinking about tonight’s events.”

She didn’t fall for her bait.

Cheng Jiqing: “…Thinking about what?”

“About how you pinched me too hard in the bathroom.”

Cheng Jiqing thought she meant the private room incident. She breathed a sigh of relief and added, “I didn’t do it on purpose. Weren’t you trying to snatch my phone then? Besides, didn’t I apologize?”

Her tone was very gentle, just with a hoarseness from staying up late.

In the dead of night, it sounded unexpectedly sexy.

Bai Xin asked quietly, “You said then that I could pinch you back, right?”

“…So?” Cheng Jiqing looked at Bai Xin’s eyes, which didn’t seem to be joking. “You don’t want to pinch me back right now, do you?”

“Are you thinking of going back on your word?”

…Not really.

Cheng Jiqing fell silent for a moment, then asked again, “Now?”

After confirming it from Bai Xin’s expression.

She slowly extended her hand, revealing half of her fair wrist.

“Go ahead.”

Bai Xin lowered her eyes, her gaze pausing for two seconds.

Then her palm covered it, landing gently on the slender white wrist. In that instant, she clearly felt the bones and tendons shift powerfully beneath her palm.

Initially, her gland prickled—the most natural reaction to a high compatibility rate—but after a few seconds, it became much more comfortable.

Her plan for Cheng Jiqing hadn’t even been implemented yet, but she was already starting to wonder if she should get Cheng Jiqing used to this kind of thing.

The pain Cheng Jiqing had imagined didn’t come.

It was called pinching, but it was actually just a gentle grip, completely painless.

Bai Xin’s palm was very warm, tinting even her hand with warmth.

Cheng Jiqing touched the tip of her nose with her other hand. She couldn’t help but feel that this request, at 4 AM, in the dead of night, with a lone Alpha, single Omega.

Pinching hands.

Something felt a bit strange about it. Besides that, there was also a bit of… inexplicable shyness.

“I’m not retaliating against you; I’m just not feeling well.” Due to the height difference, Bai Xin needed to tilt her head up slightly. “I still have the aftereffects of the inducer and the first marking you gave me.”

She said this while looking at the small mole on Cheng Jiqing’s throat. When Cheng Jiqing spoke, the mole would move slightly.

Cheng Jiqing paused. This was one of the rare times Bai Xin had explained things to her.

She admitted that Bai Xin’s face was very deceptive; no matter how cold she had been the second before, as long as she was willing to soften up now, it was easy to fall for it.

But at this moment, Cheng Jiqing didn’t have much time to stay clear-headed.

Because Cheng Jiqing remembered what Tang Jia had said—her proximity and contact could alleviate Bai Xin’s discomfort.

Cheng Jiqing asked, “Are you feeling better now then?”

Bai Xin looked at her and said, “A little longer.”

This was a line that really broke the rules, especially for someone who had just broken their abstinence.

Cheng Jiqing’s throat moved. She nodded. “No rush. Take your time holding it. I’ll leave whenever you feel comfortable.”

Cheng Jiqing instantly snapped back to reality. That statement was actually quite casual. She didn’t know if Bai Xin’s previous sentence was intentional, but hers wasn’t.

It seemed she was always prone to acting without thinking in front of Bai Xin.

Unlike with others, like Cheng Jing, she wouldn’t be like this.

Bai Xin’s usually cool expression loosened slightly. “Little CEO Cheng is truly generous.”

Cheng Jiqing shrugged. “Miss Bai, you flatter me.”

After holding for a while.

Bai Xin released her hand. She just didn’t want to go too far today. Having had a temporary marking, and not being at the peak of her heat, she already felt much better—though not as good as being held.

Cheng Jiqing asked, “Better?”

“Yeah.”

“Then hurry up and go sleep.” Cheng Jiqing’s wrist still felt warm; she resisted the urge to touch it.

But Bai Xin asked, “Do you have a computer?”

Cheng Jiqing: “What do you need a computer for at this hour? Aren’t you going to sleep?”

“Might not be able to sleep. I’ll check some emails.”

She had some work from the daytime left unfinished anyway. Since she couldn’t sleep, might as well see if she could get something done.

Cheng Jiqing didn’t say much, just handed her the laptop from her room. “Password is still six sevens… But staying up late isn’t good.”

It damages the skin too—although Bai Xin’s skin was still as supple as water.

Cheng Jiqing said, “You should still sleep early.”

“Can you sleep?”

A very calm counter-question. Cheng Jiqing met her gaze for a few seconds, then looked away from those eyes that inadvertently revealed a captivating charm. “Why wouldn’t I be able to sleep? I’m going to sleep. Bye.”

Bai Xin watched the figure walk back to her room in a few steps and close the door. She stood quietly for a few seconds, rubbed her fingertips together, then turned and went back to her room too.

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The next day.

Bai Xin woke up to see light filtering through the sheer curtains. She squinted, reached for her phone, and turned off airplane mode.

Various texts and WeChat messages popped up.

Tang Jia asked when she was going to the hospital. Looking at the time, she could only go in the afternoon now.

There were also some work messages. Anything related to the Bai Corporation other than the Y2 Project was skipped over.

She then opened one person’s WeChat chat.

Shu⁴: 【Are you okay? When are you free to meet?】

Shu: 【Here’s the latest operating statement for the subsidiary companies, please take a look.】

Shu: 【There’s a talent agency in there I think we can increase investment in, recruit some new talent to expand the project. If you have no objections, I need your signature.】

Bai Xin had only fallen asleep at six, so she wasn’t fully awake yet, just skimmed through it.

【Will reply later.】

Bai Zhaoliang had also sent a message. She didn’t look at it, afraid it would ruin her morning mood.

As she returned to the WeChat main page, she saw the red dot for text messages.

She paused, then tapped into it.

【Awake?】

The message was from ten minutes ago.

Cheng Jiqing leaned against the kitchen counter waiting for the water to boil. The integrated stove had no open flame. She stared at the pot for a while, then heard the guest room door open.

Cheng Jiqing turned around. “Awake? Just getting ready to cook something.”

“Yeah.”

“Your gown from last time is on the sofa, and there’s another dress. See what you prefer,” Cheng Jiqing said. “Is it okay if I cook dumplings? Do you have any dietary restrictions?”

She had originally thought of making some congee, but there weren’t many side dishes. Dumplings were more convenient.

Bai Xin shook her head, then paused. “Don’t like spicy food.”

Cheng Jiqing looked at Bai Xin’s hair and smiled. “Okay, no chili sauce for you.”

“What are you smiling at?”

Cheng Jiqing said, “Nothing. I eat spicy food.”

Bai Xin: “…”

Bai Xin gave her a puzzled look.

She needed to go to the hospital later, so the gown wasn’t suitable. Walking to the sofa, she picked up the other outfit: a gradient blue slip dress with a very thin short jacket.

Taking the clothes to the bathroom, she saw her messy hair in the mirror.

Was Cheng Jiqing laughing because of her messy hair?

She realized Cheng Jiqing had a rather low threshold for amusement.

She went into the bathroom and changed. Everything else was fine, just that her chest still felt a bit tight.

Coming out of the bathroom, she looked towards the kitchen.

Cheng Jiqing was facing sideways, still wearing the same grey pajamas from last night, her hair tied up casually, the line of her jaw exceptionally clear.

Steam rose from the pot as Cheng Jiqing used a slotted spoon to transfer dumplings onto a plate, bit by bit.

What a strange scene.

Just like seeing Cheng Jiqing make the bed for her yesterday, here she was, in Cheng Jiqing’s home, watching Cheng Jiqing cook dumplings in the kitchen…

Bai Xin walked over.

Cheng Jiqing: “Have a seat, I’ll bring it over.”

Bai Xin didn’t speak. Before she got close, the doorbell suddenly rang. The kitchen wasn’t far from the door. Bai Xin walked to the entryway and looked through the video doorbell.

Her gaze froze, narrowing slightly.

Cheng Jiqing walked over carrying a plate of dumplings and a small dish of vinegar. “Who— Mmph?”

Her voice wasn’t actually loud, but Bai Xin moved extremely quickly, raising a hand to cover Cheng Jiqing’s mouth.

Cheng Jiqing, focused on the things in her hands, instinctively stumbled backward.

Perhaps Bai Xin hadn’t expected her to retreat so quickly. Following the momentum, her body also fell forward with Cheng Jiqing…

Luckily, the wall was right behind them.

Cheng Jiqing’s back hit the wall, and the two finally stopped.

A patch of warmth spread across Cheng Jiqing’s chest, and her lips felt hot too. Bai Xin’s fingers felt like they were about to press through her lips.

Her lips moved unconsciously.

Bai Xin hadn’t initially felt her own temperature was high, but Cheng Jiqing’s lips were cool, making hers feel hot by comparison. She had meant to pull her hand back, but the way Cheng Jiqing pursed her lips gave her a strange sensation.

So, in her daze, she forgot to retract her hand, and her fingertips even curled slightly downward unconsciously.

Cheng Jiqing reacted, reaching to grab Bai Xin’s hand, but forgot about the things she was holding—

‘Crash—’

The vinegar dish shattered on the floor.

Then she heard Cheng Jing’s voice from outside the door.

“Chengcheng?”

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The author has something to say:

Bai-jie: You’d better get used to how to appease me.

Chengcheng: You’d better prepare for the crematorium⁵ in advance.

Bai-jie is starting to prepare her offensive. She’s already unconsciously developing feelings for Chengcheng in various ways…

Bai-jie’s stamina isn’t great, but her abilities are excellent.

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