After Transmigrating as a Scumbag Alpha, I Marked the Crazy Hotshot – Chapter 88

A Fight with No Retreat¹

The sounds of movement could still be heard from outside the room, and even faint conversations.

Bai Xin stood at the door, leaning against its back, her body holding a pliant posture. Like water.

“Bai Xin,” Cheng Jiqing reminded her.

This was the production set, and there were still cameras in the room.

Hearing this, Bai Xin’s eyes flickered. “What are you afraid of?”

Cheng Jiqing: “…”

She was afraid?

Bai Xin walked slowly inside, her soft white slippers making only a faint scuffing sound on the floor.

Having taken off her black boots, her fair, firm calves were revealed beneath the knitted wool dress.

Under Cheng Jiqing’s gaze, Bai Xin walked over to the camera in the room, took the prepared black cloth from the side, and covered the lens.

She turned back to face Cheng Jiqing and switched off the microphone on her clothes…

Their eyes met for a moment.

Bai Xin’s red lips parted slightly. “Want me to turn yours off for you?”

“…”

Cheng Jiqing looked at her for a while before raising a hand to switch off her own mic.

Fine.

If they were going to talk, then they would talk.

In that instant, the room truly seemed to be sealed off from the outside world.

They stood two meters apart.

The restrained expression on Bai Xin’s face loosened. She stared at Cheng Jiqing. “You wanted to room with Lu Xi just now. You didn’t want to choose me, did you?”

Without waiting for Cheng Jiqing to answer, Bai Xin took a step closer. “You’re afraid of living in the same room as me, aren’t you?”

Cheng Jiqing’s heart skipped a beat, then she let out a small laugh. “Afraid? Why would I be?”

Bai Xin had already walked right up to her. Her eyes lifted, staring directly at Cheng Jiqing. “You’re afraid you… won’t be able to hold back.”

Bai Xin’s certainty stirred a sense of agitation in Cheng Jiqing. “Miss Bai, are you perhaps a bit too confident?”

Cheng Jiqing’s tone reminded Bai Xin of how they used to be at the very beginning. They would have moments like this, too. At loggerheads, questioning each other.

Neither was willing to take a step back.

Bai Xin moved another step closer. Any further, and the softest part of her would press against Cheng Jiqing.

Her voice was slow, her gaze shifting from Cheng Jiqing’s eyes to her lips. “Is it that I’m confident, or that you don’t dare to admit it?”

Since their breakup, this was the first time Bai Xin had faced Cheng Jiqing in a state that was almost ‘coercive’.

She had no other choice; she had overestimated herself.

Cheng Jiqing’s heart suddenly thumped.

“Your body feels nothing for me? Your heart feels nothing for me?” Bai Xin’s breath was scorching. “Do you dare to swear it?”

Her scarf was already off. Her cool fingers landed directly on Cheng Jiqing’s gland, and in that instant, Cheng Jiqing’s back stiffened.

Cheng Jiqing felt Bai Xin’s gentle caress.

Bai Xin said, “Look, how excited it is.”

The sensation from her fingertip was extremely direct—the throbbing of the gland was frantic.

The tips of Cheng Jiqing’s ears turned red uncontrollably. She blocked Bai Xin’s hand with the back of her own. “Do you know where we are?”

The moment Bai Xin had drawn near, the moment she smelled that scent of de.sire, Cheng Jiqing’s breathing had become ragged.

Just like on the airplane, she could mask it on her face, but her body was the most honest.

Bai Xin didn’t get angry. She lifted her chin slightly, and the pear dimples on her cheeks appeared softly. “Chengcheng, mine is too. My gland, my body, is always ready for you. Even… in front of you, there’s no need for foreplay.”

She spoke slowly, her gaze even drifting down to look at Cheng Jiqing’s fingers.

Her words and her gaze were so ex.plicit they bordered on shameful, yet so alluring that it was easy to become lost in them.

But the cold, dangerous feeling remained.

Cheng Jiqing could sense Bai Xin’s resentment and chilliness.

“My constitution is special, so I’m inevitably sensitive. But it’s only in front of you, only when I think of you, that it can truly be released. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Cheng Jiqing, I was in the wrong first. It was my fault. But… my body and my heart only recognize you. You can’t just deny all of my feelings… So, can you find another way to torture me?”

A moment ago, Bai Xin had been exuding passion, sensuality, and charm, mixed with a gloomy, cold aura. But as she spoke these words, her mood seemed to suddenly deepen.

It was tinged with a thin layer of melancholy and desolation.

Cheng Jiqing listened quietly, forcing the heat and itchiness inside her deep down.

“Getting close with Qin Yufu in front of me, going to the backyard with her right before my eyes. Distancing yourself from me, angering me—does doing all this make you happy? Your body, your heart, they’re clearly not comfortable either.”

The window on the second-floor balcony was evidently not shut tight, and a cold wind blew in.

It mingled with Bai Xin’s voice.

At this point, Cheng Jiqing deliberately slowed her speech. She said, “Why does it have to be intentional?”

On the verge of being seen through, people always grow inexplicably anxious, developing a resistant and rebellious posture. “Can’t it be that I just wanted to talk to her? That I wanted to go to the backyard with her?”

It was as if she was looking for trouble, knowing full well it would escalate the conflict.

She just had to say it, even though it didn’t feel good.

Only after calming down would she realize how childish it was.

Bai Xin’s brow furrowed sharply, her gaze locked on Cheng Jiqing. “What did you say?”

Meeting Bai Xin’s insistent, slightly reddened eyes, Cheng Jiqing took a quiet breath, forcefully suppressing the emotions in her heart. The suffering I endured in the past, which time wasn’t the result of a soft heart?

She said, “Bai Xin, not everything is within your expectations. And you may not truly be able to see through me.”

After she finished speaking, Cheng Jiqing felt her fists clench slightly and knew deep down that she didn’t feel good.

If Bai Xin had removed her lipstick at that moment, her lips would surely have been pale.

Bai Xin bit her lip, the pain intertwining with her emotions. “Cheng Jiqing, do you hate me this much now?”

To be able to say such heartless things.

Bai Xin gritted her teeth, her breath trembling slightly. She sneered, “Then are you happy? You must have been very happy when Qin Yufu confessed to you?”

Bai Xin knew she shouldn’t have said it. Those words were bound to displease Cheng Jiqing, but amidst her anger and grievance, faced with Cheng Jiqing’s cruel attitude…

When a person is enraged, their rationality may diminish, but the knives they throw at their loved one can be extremely accurate.

Because they understand them, they know exactly where their weak spots are, know exactly where to stick the needle to provoke an overreaction.

Cheng Jiqing froze.

Her clear brow furrowed instinctively.

The atmosphere had nearly hit rock bottom.

In the past, Cheng Jiqing would have probably tried to reason with Bai Xin, but right now, she didn’t.

She said, “Yes.”

The word ‘happy’ that was supposed to follow never came out. She couldn’t say it.

But after saying that ‘yes’, she still saw Bai Xin’s eyes become even redder than before. Cheng Jiqing forced herself to look away.

“Say that again.”

Bai Xin spoke, one word at a time.

Her slender fingers gripped Cheng Jiqing’s collar. Her cool hand landed on the short V-neck, and the skin on Cheng Jiqing’s collarbone instantly broke out in tiny goosebumps.

“Cheng Jiqing, I’ve hurt you before, and you know very well how to dig out my heart.”

Bai Xin could taste the metallic tang of blood on her lips. She suppressed the emotions on the verge of erupting from within her, and just as she was about to lose control, she suddenly let go of Cheng Jiqing.

She bent down to grab her luggage. “Fine. You don’t want to see me. I’ll leave.”

Cheng Jiqing watched as Bai Xin pulled up her suitcase and turned toward the door. Staring at her back, Cheng Jiqing was suddenly overcome with agitation. “Where are you going?”

Even if she were to leave, she couldn’t possibly let her go out alone just like that.

In such a huge city, a stranger in a strange land.

“There are only two rooms, where else can I go? I’ll go to Lu Xi’s room.”

“…”

Cheng Jiqing laughed in anger.

But Bai Xin didn’t seem to be joking. The woman didn’t hesitate for a second. She unlocked the door, turned the handle, and pulled it open.

The air from the door and the balcony began to circulate.

Cheng Jiqing strode forward in a few steps, grabbed Bai Xin’s wrist, and yanked her to the side. Then, she slammed her palm against the door. BANG—

The door slammed shut again.

The flowing air came to an abrupt halt.

Cheng Jiqing took a breath, about to say something, but when she turned her head, she was met with Bai Xin’s red-rimmed, tear-filled eyes. Then, a single teardrop fell from her right eye.

It smashed right into Cheng Jiqing’s heart.

For a moment, she was rendered speechless.

Bai Xin just looked at her, all the malice and coldness gone. Her eyes held nothing but endless grievance, fragile and soft, yet like a chain that tightened painfully around her internal organs.

Cheng Jiqing suddenly felt like a weightlifter who had lost all strength, a chef who had lost their sense of taste.

She was suddenly no longer in control of herself.

“Didn’t you say you could take it? Why are you crying again?” Cheng Jiqing’s voice softened, the anger from before gone. She even regretted the words she had just said.

Bai Xin’s eyelashes trembled.

A tear rolled down from her other eye as well. She said, “Cheng Jiqing, I’m going crazy.”

She couldn’t take it anymore, couldn’t bear it any longer.

Cheng Jiqing’s fingertips were warm. She curled them by her leg, lifting a finger halfway before letting it fall again.

After a long moment, she said, “Bai Xin, go back. Don’t you know that by coming here, those cameras will let everyone see you? Don’t you know how dangerous that is?”

The things that previously exposed 3S Omegas had gone through… Bai Xin wouldn’t be able to bear it.

The moisture on Bai Xin’s eyelashes glistened like fallen stars. Her cheeks were red, her eyes were red, and her dark tea-colored hair fell softly on her shoulders. She was ethereally beautiful, with a look of indifference in her eyes.

Bai Xin said, “Then do you know that compared to losing you, none of that matters to me anymore?”

It was like an earthquake had struck Cheng Jiqing’s heart.

She had heard many sweet nothings from Bai Xin.

Bai Xin was never stingy in this regard, but she never overused them either.

One could say every word was a blade that drew blood, every move a fatal strike.

Just like the first time she said ‘I miss you’, and just like the ‘I love you’ at their breakup.

And now, this sentence.

Bai Xin, having pushed and endured to her absolute limit, had stopped crying. The tears had not yet dried, hanging forlornly on her eyelashes.

She was telling Cheng Jiqing that she had once deceived her to hide herself, to protect herself.

But now, she had made her last stand, coming here regardless of the consequences, hoping her lover could see her sincerity and earnestness.

“Chengcheng, I’m sorry.”

Bai Xin raised her hand. Her cold fingers traveled from Cheng Jiqing’s chin slowly upward, finally covering half of Cheng Jiqing’s cheek.

“Come back to my side.” Bai Xin’s thumb caressed that smooth skin. The owner of that tender skin did not resist. She remained cautious, as if afraid of being pushed away.

Her gaze was like that of a disciple, making a pious promise. “I’ll cherish you from now on. I’ll give you the rest of my life, I’ll give you everything.”

“I swear, this is the last time. Don’t abandon me…”

Cheng Jiqing’s mind was filled with nothing but the buzz of white noise.

Bai Xin looked into her eyes. The way she gripped the towel at Cheng Jiqing’s waist betrayed a hint of her nervousness and anticipation. She coaxed in a low voice, “Okay?”

That pair of beautiful eyes was so full of affection at this moment that Cheng Jiqing’s heart burned.

An uncontrollable heat rose in Cheng Jiqing’s eyes. She knew that one more step, and her fortress would fall once more.

But she couldn’t push her away.

It was crazy, but she found herself craving this display of vulnerability.

And then she was stuck, unable to move forward or back.

Even speaking felt dry. She was like a mute, unable to form words, as if she had fallen into a deep state of confusion. It was like being hit with a weak poison, her body numb, her consciousness muddled.

She wanted to sort through her thoughts and give herself an answer, but she couldn’t come up with one.

However, for Bai Xin, silence was the best answer.

Joy, excitement, and passion bloomed in her heart.

She said, “Chengcheng, let me kiss you, okay?”

It was a direct and explicit question, yet it held the shadow of true and sincere affection.

Cheng Jiqing’s throat moved. She lowered her gaze, only to see the person whose chest was rising and falling with her breaths, using those peach blossom eyes to stir up thunder.

Suddenly, she felt a little thirsty.

Cheng Jiqing, can you withstand this one more time? Are you really prepared?

Bai Xin cupped her face and slowly brought her lips closer, her eyes fixed on hers the entire time, hooking her, leading her.

They were inches apart.

One more inch, and their lips and teeth would meld.

“Chengcheng, Bai Xin, do you guys have a water kettle in your room?”

Suddenly, a knock on the door, accompanied by Lu Xi’s voice, sounded from outside.

Cheng Jiqing awoke from her dazed, chaotic emotions.

She took a step back, gripping Bai Xin’s shoulders to move her slightly aside. She turned her head, swallowed discreetly, and scanned the room.

Then she answered Lu Xi, “No.”

“Then come out and get one. I have two in my room. They probably put them in the wrong place.”

“Okay, we’ll be right there.”

With the interruption, the intoxicating atmosphere dissipated like smoke and clouds, leaving only sweet, wine-like molecules floating in the air, invisible to the naked eye.

Cheng Jiqing gazed at Bai Xin. After a moment, looking at the faint tear tracks, she said, “Go wash your face. Someone will see it in a bit.”

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When Cheng Jiqing re-entered the room with the kettle, the director had asked her about the mics and cameras at the door. She had simply said the two of them had something to discuss.

Since it was the lunch break, the director didn’t say anything more.

As the door opened, the sound of rushing water, shuuuaaa, came from the bathroom.

Cheng Jiqing stood at the entrance, her hand stroking the White Jade Bodhi on her wrist, calming her heart.

To be sharing a room again after such a long separation, no one could understand the complex emotions.

Even less could anyone understand how Bai Xin’s speech just now had left her heart and mind still racing.

There were two single beds.

She walked to her suitcase, crouched down, and took out her necessities, placing them on the bed closer to the door.

Her phone buzzed on the bed. She reached out an arm and picked it up.

A WeChat message.

Zhou Qing: 【Cheng’er, did you offend someone? The recent trending topics have all been so negative.】

Cheng Jiqing sat on the bed: 【It’s hard to say. But I’m sorry for dragging you and Teacher Lanlan into this.】

In that submitted post, it was implied that both Li Yunlan and Zhou Qing were being ‘coerced’ by capital, which was why they interacted with her.

Although most people wouldn’t believe it, their names had been mentioned, and it wasn’t positive news.

Zhou Qing: 【Dragged into what? It’s nothing. I already posted on Weibo to clap back. It’s fine, I was just asking. Anyway, just think about who you might have offended and stay away from people like that in the future. You might not understand this stuff since you just entered the entertainment industry, but you’ll learn.】

A warmth spread through Cheng Jiqing’s heart.

【Okay, thanks.】

Zhou Qing: 【Why be so polite? Lanlan posted even earlier than I did, but her agency is stricter so she can’t say much. Director Tong was the first one to clap back. Other people don’t know you, but time reveals a person’s heart. Once the show airs, these people will see your talent.】

Zhou Qing: 【Just focus on your acting and slap them in the face with it.】

Cheng Jiqing smiled at the message and replied with an ‘okay’.

They chatted briefly for two more lines.

She then went to her Weibo messages.

As Zhou Qing had said, Tong Yanxi and Li Yunlan had also posted on Weibo.

Tong Yanxi: ‘A word of advice to some people: mind your own business and your own mouth.’

Li Yunlan hadn’t said anything, but she had posted a movie poster for 《Cat and Mint》.

Zhou Qing: ‘@ChengJiqing baby interaction.’

Baby, wasn’t that ‘bèi bī’? To think Teacher Zhou even used a pun².

Seeing this, the corners of Cheng Jiqing’s mouth curved up. Indifference could be found everywhere in this world, but the warmth in this world could erase it all.

All these Weibo posts were trending.

Her private messages were impossible to look at; they had completely exploded.

She replied to each of Tong Yanxi and the others’ posts.

After a brief moment of thought, she posted a response of her own.

Cheng Jiqing: ‘There’s no benefit in saying more. An actor should speak with their work.’

She had originally wanted to clarify things, but she realized there were too many issues to explain. There was no need to explain this kind of ‘disaster from the heavens’.

Besides, even if she explained some things herself, outsiders wouldn’t necessarily believe her. It might even come off as attention-seeking.

After posting, she put her phone away.

Cheng Jiqing crouched down again to organize the things in her suitcase.

At that moment, a sound came from the bathroom.

Bai Xin walked out. She hadn’t taken a shower.

With her makeup removed, without the rouge and lipstick, her face returned to its natural fairness. It lacked that bewitching aura, yet possessed a different kind of stunning beauty.

Cheng Jiqing lowered her gaze and said, “Have your people at XM handle the news about you. The internet is a mess, don’t let them find anything. Also… if you’re not feeling well, say so early.”

“You’re not kicking me out anymore?”

The end of Bai Xin’s sentence curled up, the dissatisfaction from being interrupted earlier melting away in her words.

Cheng Jiqing took out a towel and placed it on the neatly made single bed. In a gentle voice, she said, “You wouldn’t listen even if I told you to.”

Bai Xin took two steps forward. There were still two undried drops of water on her snow-white calves. The air was a bit chilly, and she bent down to wipe them away. “It’s not that I wouldn’t listen. If I left, how would I get so many chances to see you?”

Cheng Jiqing’s movements paused.

Who wouldn’t like the feeling of being cherished and valued?

“Cheng Jiqing.”

Cheng Jiqing looked up.

Bai Xin took the initiative to say, “What I said just now was in anger.”

Cheng Jiqing immediately understood she was referring to the comment about Qin Yufu’s confession.

Who wasn’t speaking out of anger?

Before, she hadn’t avoided talking with Qin Yufu in front of Bai Xin. There was both frankness and deliberateness in that.

There was nothing between her and Qin Yufu, so why should she be concerned? That was the frankness.

She knew Bai Xin minded her getting close to Qin Yufu. That was the deliberateness.

In the end, if one were to really get down to it, her own intentions weren’t entirely pure either.

As for why… only she knew in her heart.

And because she knew, she felt she was being rather pretentious.

Cheng Jiqing was quiet for a moment, but finally said, “Me too.”

She did indeed have a thousand threads of connection with Qin Yufu. Because of the cat, they had become familiar. The occasional concern and encouragement—she admitted that Qin Yufu was a good person.

But it was only a friendship.

She had never thought of anything more.

Hearing that confession, she had only been astonished, because in the original novel, Qin Yufu had an official pairing³. It was just that due to the female lead’s storyline, the official pairing only appeared in the middle and later stages.

It seemed his surname was Tang, but she didn’t know anything more.

Hearing this, Bai Xin’s gaze swept back and forth between the two beds.

“One for each of us?”

Cheng Jiqing came back to her senses. “…What else? You sleep on the one on the inside.”

Bai Xin was silent for a moment. “Oh.”

She looked as if she was obediently following the arrangement.

Seeing that she had agreed and was now bending down to open her own suitcase, Cheng Jiqing didn’t say anything more.

Soon, she picked up her prepared toiletries and headed for the bathroom.

The door opened, and a faint fragrance wafted out.

In the next second, her gaze froze in mid-air.

On the rack above the glass shower door hung a pair of pink shorts. They had just been washed, and a single, transparent drop of water was dangling precariously from the fabric, about to fall.

In a state of utter confusion, Cheng Jiqing’s mind recalled what Bai Xin had said earlier—even… in front of you, there’s no need for…

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The author has something to say:

Bai-jie: Damn you, Lu Xi!

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