After Transmigrating as a Scumbag Alpha, I Marked the Crazy Hotshot – Chapter 93
by Little PandaTen Fingers Interlocked
The night was thick and heavy, the curtains all drawn shut.
Several hours had passed since she had helped Bai Xin blow-dry her hair and apply the second round of medicine.
How long exactly, Cheng Jiqing hadn’t counted.
She could only guess by feel that it was already the early hours of the morning.
Cheng Jiqing stared at the ceiling of the foreign room—unfamiliar, yet just as stark white.
The two single beds were no more than a meter apart. She smelled the faint scent of lilies in the air, unable to sleep for a long time.
Unconsciously, Bai Xin’s earnest words from that day echoed in her ears—From now on, I will dote on you. I’ll give you the rest of my life, I’ll give you everything.
And then, tonight’s words—I’ll wait for you.
Then, the images and sounds mixed in her mind: she had pushed Bai Xin into the bathroom, the water had showered down, and her body had been soaked through.
The Omega’s tenderness, pure and white.
Always waiting for her…
Cheng Jiqing’s throat bobbed, her larynx feeling as if it were full of sand, exceptionally dry.
Compared to the gradually steadying breaths from the person beside her, hers were far more disordered.
She felt the heat in her lower abdomen. If she were alone right now, she could get up and take care of it. But Bai Xin was also here.
Bai Xin had always been a light sleeper.
The slightest movement would wake her.
After an unknown amount of time, Cheng Jiqing endured the discomfort and drowsily drifted off to sleep.
Perhaps it was because of the different bed, but she didn’t sleep particularly well.
She was unable to enter a deep sleep, hovering between wakefulness and slumber.
After a while, she vaguely heard that on the single bed next to her, Bai Xin’s breathing seemed a bit erratic…
There was no clear partition between the balcony and the room. The balcony window was still left open a crack for ventilation, and a soft lamp glowed under the wall opposite the bed. When the wind rose outside, one glance was enough to see the light brown curtains sway gently.
Softly, like ripples under the moonlight.
After they swayed twice, she closed her eyes again.
In the silent room, the sound of skin rubbing against the quilt followed. She could even imagine the Omega’s movements and posture as she tossed and turned under the covers.
A few minutes later, Bai Xin lifted the quilt and sat up, her legs curled.
In the dimness, the delicate corners of her eyes were tinged with red, her pink lips slightly parted as she exhaled in small puffs.
She glanced sideways at Cheng Jiqing, who was breathing steadily next to her, and remained silent for several seconds. Then, as if enduring some great hardship, her brow furrowed deeply.
She wanted to cry out, but was afraid the sound would actually escape.
So, caught between desire and restraint, half caress and half ruthlessness, she pinched herself.
But the pain didn’t suppress the thoughts; instead, they grew heavier and heavier…
A crazy idea suddenly occurred to her.
Just a few hours later, the restraint she had shown in the bathroom was at risk of being repeated. Bai Xin closed her eyes and tilted her head back, her hard, white teeth biting down on her full lower lip until it was flushed with blood.
On her neck, a fine sheen of sweat had broken out.
She had reached her limit.
Bai Xin sat up straight. Without putting on shoes, she placed the soles of her feet on the floor, her bare, smooth feet treading on the wooden planks.
…
The sound of a bag’s zipper echoed in the room.
Soon, a woman’s light footsteps headed towards the bathroom.
…
The bathroom door closed.
Cheng Jiqing opened her eyes, their depths as profound as a deep and secluded valley, the tips of her ears flushing red.
Once the door was shut, the room plunged back into silence.
Not long after.
Sporadic, broken sounds, like the low warble of an oriole, drifted out.
Cheng Jiqing’s back was already soaked with sweat. She pulled the quilt away for air, her fingers clutching her Bodhi prayer beads.
Those smooth, lustrous beads had a slightly uneven texture due to the natural crazing on their surface.
She pushed them one by one, concentrating her full spirit with every movement.
She was terrified of drowning in those melodious, winding sounds.
According to the schedule originally set by the production team, the alarm was set for 8:30 in the morning. However, Director Yuwei had communicated the previous night that the recording would be suspended for the next two days.
She had forgotten to turn off the alarm.
When she woke up, she truly couldn’t even open her eyes—she had gone to bed too late last night.
After Bai Xin had gotten into bed, she had ‘suffered’ for a long time. It was likely just before the sky began to lighten that she was finally defeated by physical exhaustion and fell asleep.
It was simply killing her.
And it was Bai Xin who was killing her.
A dissatisfied murmur came from the next bed. Cheng Jiqing turned off the alarm quickly. When she looked over again, the person was sleeping peacefully.
She blinked her dry eyes, then twisted her neck and moved her legs. Every part of her body ached with discomfort.
Suppressing any noise, she got out of bed, slipped on her slippers, then glanced back at Bai Xin before bending down to get a change of clothes from her suitcase.
The mirror reflected the soft halo of light from the lamp above, and Cheng Jiqing squinted from the glare.
She turned off the faucet and stepped back, her gaze suddenly fixing on the trash can under the sink.
The transparent syringe needles glimmered with a faint, cold light inside.
Empty suppressant injectors.
More than one.
A rough glance revealed three of them, and who knew if there were more hidden under the face towel.
Cheng Jiqing’s brow furrowed tightly, a sinking feeling in her heart. She had thought that Bai Xin had just gone to the bathroom last night to…
There was no scent of pheromones leaking out; it wasn’t her heat period.
Was it caused by the dual glands? Before they separated, hadn’t Bai Xin’s condition become less severe? Or was this a symptom of her pre-heat period?
Cheng Jiqing’s temples began to throb uncomfortably. She was only now realizing that anything and everything could force her to fall back into memories.
Back in Nanjing, even if Bai Xin felt unwell in the middle of the night, she would come knocking on her door.
And climb into her bed.
At that time, while she had never been angry—to be honest, Bai Xin hadn’t been very considerate of her feelings.
But now, she was here.
Sharing a room, Bai Xin had gone to inject herself with suppressants on her own. Her quiet and well-behaved demeanor, without any fuss, made Cheng Jiqing’s heart ache.
Perhaps I’m sick, Cheng Jiqing thought.
Or maybe I have some sort of masochistic tendency.
She had used suppressants before; she knew what it felt like for the needle to pierce the skin.
And yet Bai Xin had injected herself several times, without a sound… Bai Xin had never been afraid of pain.
Even when she saw blood, it was as if she couldn’t feel it.
She had known before that Bai Xin would inject herself like this, but this time her heart felt exceptionally heavy, and she cared an exceptional amount.
After standing there in silence for a moment, a knock came from the door.
Cheng Jiqing snapped back to reality, placed the freshly washed undergarment in her hand into the lingerie dryer, and went to open the door.
Bai Xin stood outside, her face pale with fatigue. She glanced at Cheng Jiqing. “Is it time to go out?”
Cheng Jiqing said, “We’re taking a break for the next two days. You can go back to sleep.”
Their side of things was calm and tranquil, but the outside world was surely in an uproar. With XM and the Cheng Corporation getting involved, Qi Xiaoran’s affair was bound to have a chain reaction in the industry.
The production team’s work wouldn’t be easy either.
Adjustments were inevitable.
“Mm.”
“You can come in, I’m done,” Cheng Jiqing said, stepping aside.
Bai Xin walked in, not in a good mood from lack of sleep.
Cheng Jiqing asked again, “Does your neck still hurt?”
Bai Xin had almost forgotten about the injury on her neck, but Cheng Jiqing’s words brought her back to her senses. She turned her head slightly. “It hurts.”
There was hesitation, but not much.
Cheng Jiqing didn’t notice the pause and said, “Let me see.”
At her words, Bai Xin stood where she was and brushed her hair aside. Her fair neck, along with her collarbones, was smooth and snow-white, waiting for Cheng Jiqing to approach.
Cheng Jiqing pursed her lips and glanced at her, then took a step forward and lowered her head slightly. The wound had scabbed over a little, but the edges were still a bit red. “I’ll put some more medicine on it later to reduce the inflammation.”
“Will you help me?”
“…Mm.”
Cheng Jiqing’s gaze fell on the reddened area of the gland beside the wound.
Several needle marks.
She paused. “Is your heat period coming soon, or…”
“A bit of both.” As soon as the person got closer, Bai Xin’s voice turned somewhat lazy.
It was indeed almost time for her heat period, and the symptoms of her dual glands had been stronger than before recently. It should be said that after separating from Cheng Jiqing, she was trending back towards how she used to be.
Cheng Jiqing asked, “Weren’t you doing a bit better before?”
“Before, you were still here,” Bai Xin replied.
Cheng Jiqing’s line of conversation was cut short.
A few seconds of silence passed.
“Why don’t you just go back first?” This period was never very safe.
Hearing this, Bai Xin’s previously gentle expression faltered. She asked in a low voice, “Are you just waiting for my heat to arrive so you have an excuse for me to leave?”
Her tone wasn’t cold, and the question wasn’t heavy.
In reality, Bai Xin knew that Cheng Jiqing was mostly worried, but she didn’t want to keep hearing Cheng Jiqing tell her to leave.
Cheng Jiqing said, “You know that’s not what I mean.”
“I know what I’m doing. If I feel unwell, I’ll stay in my room… and I’ll inject myself with suppressants.” Bai Xin’s eyes were bloodshot. “But don’t tell me to go back again, okay? Cheng Jiqing.”
“…”
Cheng Jiqing didn’t know what else she could say.
She couldn’t bring herself to say it.
She couldn’t bear to say it again.
The internet was flooded with news.
Cheng Jiqing’s name had been on the hot search list for a whole night and still hadn’t come down.
That night, an endless stream1 of scandalous material about Qi Xiaoran was exposed. Besides being a kept woman and a homewrecker, there was the most serious offense: tax evasion.
Not just her, but also the company of the man behind her, was attacked from both sides by the Cheng Corporation and XM. Overnight, it was on the verge of bankruptcy.
It was afternoon in Denmark, but early morning in Beicheng.
Qi Xiaoran had secretly rushed back on an overnight flight. She knew the situation was irreversible, and regrets were useless. Fortunately, she had made backup plans long ago. She had a sum of cash in another rented apartment and planned to take the money and hide in the countryside for a while.
Wearing a mask and sunglasses, she exited the Beicheng airport.
She was still looking behind her for a taxi when she suddenly heard a low, powerful roar…
A red Ferrari pulled up in front of her.
The driver’s side door opened, and a short-haired woman in a black overcoat with a ramrod-straight posture got out. She walked a few steps to the passenger side, bent down, and opened the door.
Qi Xiaoran watched with suspicion. The woman who got out was wearing a short mink coat, her hair was pink and curly, and her face was round but beautiful.
That person propped her hand on the passenger door, lazily looked over at her, and jutted her chin. “Qi Xiaoran?”
Qi Xiaoran had a bad feeling. No one knew she was back now.
They didn’t look like people from the tax bureau.
Maybe they just recognized her… a fan? A passerby? Qi Xiaoran tried to reassure herself. “You have the wrong person.”
Song Ling sized her up from head to toe and sneered, “So you’re the b#tch who plotted against my Chengcheng?”
A fan of Cheng Jiqing’s?
That was Qi Xiaoran’s first reaction. Getting entangled was definitely not a good idea. She turned to leave. “What Chengcheng? You’ve got the wrong person.”
But she didn’t get two steps before the woman in the black coat took a step forward and blocked her path.
Qi Xiaoran was flustered and turned her head. “What are you doing? I’m calling the police!”
Song Ling shrugged. “Go ahead.”
How could Qi Xiaoran possibly be willing to call the police? “You psycho, move! You’re restricting my personal freedom.”
“Oh, still acting so tough.” Song Ling sneered, lightly kicking the car door open. She walked towards Qi Xiaoran, rolling up the fluffy sleeves of her coat as she went. “Do you have any idea how many days I’ve been holding this in? What kind of trash are you? How dare you cause trouble for Cheng Jiqing, why don’t you just go to hell?”
Seeing this, Qi Xiaoran tried to run again.
Song Ling: “Hold her.”
The bodyguard had already restrained her. Song Ling stepped forward, ripped off the mask, and slapped her across the face.
Qi Xiaoran shrieked. Before she could react, several more slaps followed. Song Ling was used to being domineering. In the circle of rich second-generation kids, besides Cheng Jiqing, there was no one she’d give face to.
The words “soft-hearted” didn’t exist in her vocabulary.
After a few slaps, Qi Xiaoran’s face turned purple, with a trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth.
“Help, someone’s hitting me!” Qi Xiaoran cried, her eyes welling with tears.
Song Ling rubbed her wrist, not caring in the least about the stares from the crowd.
The bodyguard said, “Miss, shall I?”
“No need.”
After speaking, Song Ling turned and waved at the car behind the Ferrari. The rear door immediately opened, and three women got out.
“You all handle it. Just don’t let anything serious happen. When you’re done, help her call the police. We live in a society governed by law,” Song Ling said. “If you need my cooperation, feel free to have the Special Management Office summon me from the Song Corporation.”
“You must be joking, Miss. Thank you for making the trip,” one of the women said sycophantically. “We’ve dealt with the scumbag at home, now we have to vent our anger on the vixen outside.”
When Qi Xiaoran saw the newcomers, her eyes widened and her legs went limp.
They were the legal wives of the two rich businessmen she had been seducing.
Song Ling waved her hand, took the wet wipe handed to her by the bodyguard, wiped her hands, and tossed it at Qi Xiaoran’s face. “Trash.”
She’d just see who dared to sling mud at Cheng Jiqing in the future.
Song Ling got back in the car, then suddenly remembered something. She rolled down the window and took out her phone, pointing it at the crowd. “Hey, hey, you all move aside for a second. Yes, let her face show.”
After taking the picture: “Alright, you can continue.”
With that, she rolled up the window and sped away.
The news of Qi Xiaoran being caught at the airport by the various legal wives spread across the entire internet.
Under the chain reaction, many of those who had previously insulted Cheng Jiqing, including many influential bloggers, even published public apologies.
Those who had worked with Cheng Jiqing, including but not limited to people like Li Yunlan and Zhou Qing, also voiced their support.
But it didn’t stop there. Someone posted a photo with Cheng Jiqing.
‘I was one of the extras in that web drama Qi Xiaoran starred in. I only met her once, but Cheng Jiqing is a really gentle person. At first, I thought she was just a nice person, but now it seems she’s just well-raised. She didn’t put on any airs at all. In the middle of summer, she would stand outside with us and would even earnestly ask for our experiences… It’s not that the director didn’t choose her; the director did choose her, but she was ultimately replaced by Qi Xiaoran, who secured her role by investing in the production2.’
And that wasn’t all.
On the hot search list, the hashtag #AngelBeautyChengJiqing# was also trending high.
The girl who had been rescued by Cheng Jiqing in the summer and had gone viral for crying and asking for her WeChat, had posted a video a few days prior.
‘Hello everyone, I’m the crybaby girl who was rescued by Sister Cheng Jiqing before. I’ve been busy with my studies and suddenly discovered that the sister who saved me is actually so amazing. I’m not here to ride on her coattails; I just want to say that after the fire, we injured victims who were seeking justice created a group chat, and we found out that someone donated a large sum of money to us. An auntie inquired, and the person who donated to us was also Sister. She’s not the kind of person you all say she is. I hope everyone can open their eyes and not believe everything you hear. I also wish Sister happiness every day.’
With one hot search topic after another, Cheng Jiqing’s popularity soared.
People started urging the variety show 《Let’s Go Together》 for its next livestream and its official broadcast date.
Some people even took previously aired videos and continuously edited and promoted them.
Across all the short video platforms on the internet, a quick browse would reveal Cheng Jiqing’s presence.
Before her show had even aired, Cheng Jiqing had gone viral.
The next day.
Beicheng time, 9:00 AM.
Cheng Jing had just finished an urgent, important meeting. When she returned to her office, Secretary Liu brought her a cup of black tea and concurrently reported on the current situation online.
“Let it be known, besides the news about Chengcheng… that Bai Xin, don’t let them edit her clips carelessly either.”
Secretary Liu: “Yes, understood.”
After a pause, she added, “Actually, even if we don’t say anything, XM would probably give them a heads-up.”
Cheng Jing sneered. That was true. From what Cheng Jiqing had said, XM and Bai Xin had a cooperative relationship, and a pretty good one at that.
That was why they were so protective.
She remembered yesterday’s Weibo post.
Want to ‘raise’ her?
Does the precious daughter3 of my Cheng family need XM to raise her?
Leaning her back against the chair, she fell silent for a moment, then frowned. “Tell Zhou Yushu that the sentiment is appreciated, but tell her to use a different word next time.”
Secretary Liu was taken aback but quickly understood. “Yes.”
But after agreeing, she heard Cheng Jing say, “Forget it.”
Secretary Liu: “…”
She looked over, confused.
Cheng Jing waved her hand with an unreadable expression and sat up straight to look at her documents. At the end of the day, she was still speaking up for Cheng Jiqing.
Seeing there was nothing else, Secretary Liu was about to leave when she suddenly heard a knock on the door.
Someone entered and said, “President Cheng, Madam Fu is here.”
Hearing this, Secretary Liu turned to look at Cheng Jing and saw her expression indeed darken. She asked hesitantly, “Should I go and stop her? Say you have urgent business.”
“Can you stop her?” Cheng Jing looked up. That woman, Fu Rongjun, carried herself with the air of a devout Buddhist, yet possessed the world’s most ruthless heart.
Ever since she left the company for a few days last time, Fu Rongjun had been much more docile.
She was probably genuinely afraid that she would just abandon her post.
For her to suddenly show up this early in the morning, without any warning, it was unlikely to be for anything good.
Cheng Jing was mentally prepared. “You can go.”
Just as Cheng Jing had said.
Fu Rongjun arrived aggressively, without knocking, her black low-heeled shoes stepping into the office.
The door slammed shut with a bang.
Fu Rongjun: “I went to the law firm yesterday, and this morning I met with Lawyer Chen.”
Cheng Jing kept her head down, still looking at her documents, as if she hadn’t heard.
Fu Rongjun took a breath, her voice cold and heavy. “Don’t you have anything to say to me?”
“You’ve already gone and found someone, what do you want me to say?” Cheng Jing finally looked up, her gaze faint, devoid of any emotion.
Fu Rongjun looked at that indifferent face. “I am your mother, not your enemy! Cheng Jing, you actually went behind my back and tried to transfer the shares to Cheng Jiqing. Have you gone mad?”
Cheng Jing had anticipated this, so hearing these words didn’t surprise her.
Although the secretary who helped her with this matter wouldn’t have proactively revealed it, with Fu Rongjun’s disposition, she might have been paying attention ever since she contacted the lawyer.
She had only just discovered the details now.
Cheng Jing said, “It’s not that I’ve gone mad. It’s what I, and you, owe her.”
Fu Rongjun said angrily, “What do you owe her?! It’s Cheng Lan who owed you, owed me!”
After hearing this, Cheng Jing looked at Fu Rongjun for a few seconds and shook her head. “And what did Cheng Lan owe you?”
Back then, it was Fu Rongjun who first became pregnant with her by another person. After that, Cheng Lan had Cheng Jiqing with someone else. Between the two of them, who had wronged whom?
“Mom, just because you loved her doesn’t mean she had to be your property. Cheng Lan never betrayed you; what was between you two couldn’t even be considered a betrayal,” Cheng Jing said calmly.
“Shut up!” Fu Rongjun coughed from anger. She pointed at Cheng Jing. “What do you know about these things! You don’t understand at all! I didn’t come here to talk about this. I’m warning you, don’t even think about transferring the shares. I can stop going after Cheng Jiqing, but you cannot give the shares to her. The Cheng Corporation must remain in the hands of us, mother and daughter.”
“It’s too late.”
Cheng Jing found that hearing these self-righteous words again, her heart was as still as dead water. Her mother’s pursuit of Buddhism had driven her to madness.
“The contract is already in Chengcheng’s hands. As long as she wants to, she can take my shares and the position of President of the Cheng Corporation at any time. If you still want the company to be in your daughter’s hands, you’d better not go looking for her again.”
Cheng Jing’s voice was cold. She sat in her chair, the blinds behind her not drawn, so she was backlit.
A posture of someone with no desires.
The woman across the desk, dressed in expensive, simple fabrics, was the complete opposite.
Fu Rongjun slammed her hand on the desk, furious. “I have 40% of the shares! Even if you give your shares to her, she can forget about getting the company!”
“Even with that many shares, you can’t manage the company. Will those shareholders listen to you? The moment you try to forcibly take over the Cheng Corporation, or find someone else to manage it, I can guarantee that this building will cease operations tomorrow.” Cheng Jing said, “Or perhaps, all you want to get is an empty shell?”
She hadn’t been sitting in this position for all these years for nothing.
Hearing this, Fu Rongjun’s expression twisted with anger. “You are my daughter, why are you siding with someone else?! Are you going to betray me for Cheng Jiqing?”
The office fell silent.
Only the churning air pressure remained.
Cheng Jing sighed. “I want to ask you, is the company really that important? So important that you would disregard everything and repeatedly threaten your own daughter? And I want to ask you even more, when will you let go of your hatred for Cheng Lan and that baseless obsession?”
“You already have more than enough. Why be so greedy?”
When Fu Rongjun left, she shattered Cheng Jing’s untouched cup of black tea, scattering documents all over the floor.
It was a fine day in Beicheng; the sun had come out.
It illuminated the debris on the floor, leaving it with nowhere to hide.
Cheng Jing swiveled her chair to face the sun.
The warm white light added a touch of warmth to her cold-colored pupils. Fu Rongjun was her biological mother. For things to have become like this, how could she not feel anything at all?
After a while.
Cheng Jing picked up her phone.
With the contract in Cheng Jiqing’s hands, Fu Rongjun would likely hold back for fear of collateral damage4 and probably wouldn’t go looking for trouble with Cheng Jiqing, but just in case…
She still sent a message to Cheng Jiqing.
Cheng Jiqing received the message while she was having afternoon tea in the downstairs living room with the remaining few people.
There were no plans for the next two days, but the others hadn’t left either. Yesterday, they had all stayed away during the day, afraid of the bad atmosphere, but today Cheng Jiqing had gathered everyone together.
“This matter, in the end, is related to me. I’ve caused trouble for everyone.” Cheng Jiqing raised the cup of black tea in front of her. “I’ll use tea as a substitute for wine, to show my sincerity.”
Lu Xi was the first to speak. “Hey, we all get it. You can’t be blamed for this.”
But she never would have thought that Qi Xiaoran had so much going on behind the scenes.
And what she hadn’t expected even more was… Cheng Jiqing’s background.
Lu Xi added, “But if President Cheng absolutely insists on feeling bad, if you need any songs in the future, just look for me more often.”
She finished with a laugh.
Half-joking, half-seriously drumming up business, without a hint of awkwardness.
Cheng Jiqing went along with it. “Of course, of course.”
The others weren’t affected either and didn’t show any particular emotions. After all, the production team said their fees for these two days would still be paid, and they could go out and have fun on their own.
From a practical standpoint, both professionally and privately, getting to know Cheng Jiqing had only benefits and no drawbacks.
Qin Yufu said in a gentle voice, “It’s no big deal. Don’t let it affect your mood.”
Cheng Jiqing smiled at her.
“It’s nothing major. Aren’t the few of us doing just fine? This is the juice I just squeezed, you guys try it.”
The athlete, Zhou-jie, came over from the kitchen island. If nothing else, she was clearly much happier since Qi Xiaoran left.
After speaking, she poured the yellowish-green beverage from the glass pitcher into their cups one by one.
Cheng Jiqing took a sip. It was slightly sour, but it was tasty. However, this level of sourness was probably a bit hard for Bai Xin to accept. That person didn’t like anything sour at all.
Except for vinegar.
Just as she was thinking.
A sound came from the stairs. Cheng Jiqing looked up and met the gaze from the staircase.
She saw that Bai Xin had her hair up, held by the lily silver hairpin she had given her.
Lu Xi also looked at the person on the stairs. “Bai Xin, come quickly, Zhou-jie just squeezed some juice.”
Bai Xin walked down. Seeing the empty seat next to Cheng Jiqing, she, who had been in an early meeting upstairs, didn’t know if this seat was left unintentionally or if Cheng Jiqing had saved it for her on purpose.
But either way, it was just what she wanted.
She sat down, saw Cheng Jiqing drinking the juice, reached for the one in front of her, and took a sip as well.
Her tongue was flooded with sourness.
After one taste, she put it down.
She looked at Cheng Jiqing again and noticed the person beside her was also looking at her, a hint of a smile on her lips. She understood instantly—You knew it was sour and deliberately didn’t tell me, did you?
Bai Xin ground her teeth. Her hand dropped down and silently pinched Cheng Jiqing’s thigh.
Cheng Jiqing: “…”
She let out a warning cough, but that hand didn’t relent. Instead, as if entering a rebellious phase, it went from a pinch to a knead.
The tips of Cheng Jiqing’s ears grew hot, and to make matters worse, Zhou-jie was still asking her, “Is it good?”
“It’s good,” Cheng Jiqing nodded.
Her hand dropped down to grab Bai Xin’s and toss it aside. She didn’t dare make the movement too big, and her first two attempts weren’t forceful. Perhaps this only made Bai Xin bolder.
Cheng Jiqing was wearing jeans, which were even tighter as she sat on the chair.
Bai Xin’s soft, boneless fingers grew more and more audacious, even showing a tendency to venture deeper.
Cheng Jiqing’s back tensed up.
She felt that through the thin denim fabric, she couldn’t quite bear the sensation. Her breathing deepened, and her right hand gripped Bai Xin’s tightly.
To stop the turmoil.
Bai Xin didn’t struggle, not showing a hint of resistance.
Her fingertips just gently caressed the back of Cheng Jiqing’s hand, tenderly, patiently.
On the surface, Cheng Jiqing was chatting with the people across from her, but her mind was entirely under the table. She turned her head and gave Bai Xin a look, signaling for her to stop messing around.
Bai Xin seemed to understand, and her fingers stopped moving.
And so, Cheng Jiqing relaxed her grip.
In the instant she released the pressure, her palm was covered, and her five fingers were gently pried open…
Ten fingers interlocked.
The moment their palms met, Cheng Jiqing’s heart suddenly stirred.
The sea was calm, the small boat sailed without encountering any storms, so she boldly moved forward a step. She discovered that no matter how dangerous this familiar sea was, the journey always contained an element of anticipation and joy.
Until Cheng Jiqing’s phone rang.
Their hands separated. The heat in Cheng Jiqing’s palm was high, and it was dry. She looked at her phone.
Cheng Jing: 【Fu Rongjun knows about the contract. She might contact you.】
Cheng Jing: 【Contact me anytime if you need anything.】
Cheng Jiqing paused for a moment before replying: 【Okay.】
The last time she had seen Fu Rongjun was on the anniversary of Cheng Lan’s death. Now that Fu Rongjun knew she had the share contract, she would inevitably contact her.
But if Fu Rongjun was smart, she probably wouldn’t pester her like she had in the past.
But one could never be sure.
That woman’s thinking wasn’t exactly normal.
“Chengcheng.”
Bai Xin’s voice made her turn her head.
She saw Bai Xin staring at the piece of cake in front of her and asking, “Is yours sweet?”
Cheng Jiqing paused. She didn’t like sweets and hadn’t tasted it yet. The few cakes that were ordered all had different flavors; everyone’s was different.
Hers was a mousse cake, adorned with two bright red cherries.
Seeing that gaze, Cheng Jiqing found it amusing. With a calm expression, she slid the cake over.
“You try it.”
…
“It’s going to rain.”
Lu Xi said suddenly.
Cheng Jiqing turned her head to look. The sky outside had indeed turned gloomy.
The bare branches in the yard were being blown about fiercely, but it probably wouldn’t be a heavy rain, Cheng Jiqing thought.
Lu Xi took out his guitar. The living room was warm with heating.
In the Copenhagen winter.
A song drifted—”Symptoms of Spring.”
The opening melody sounded familiar to Cheng Jiqing, and she remembered it was the theme song for 《Go Ashore》.
‘Heard someone say the sea was sweet, coaxing me to the shore, the waves pulled me down, leading me astray in the springtime sea…’
Cheng Jiqing heard the person beside her say something.
She didn’t catch it.
“What?”
“Yours is so sweet.”
Bai Xin whispered in her ear.
At 3:30, the rain began to fall.
At first, the downpour was heavy, but after half an hour it started to slow. The sky outside was dark, as if night was about to fall.
It was at this time that Cheng Jiqing received a call from Fu Rongjun.
She wasn’t surprised that the call would come; what surprised her was that Fu Rongjun had come directly to Copenhagen.
The address in the text message was a 20-minute drive from the production team’s location.
A coffee shop.
“You can come, or I can go over. Either is fine.”
That was Fu Rongjun’s original message.
Before Cheng Jiqing left, Bai Xin asked her for the address. “Fu Rongjun is a very shady person. Be careful.”
“I know,” Cheng Jiqing said.
She picked up her bag and started to walk out, but her wrist was grabbed again. “Message me back.”
Cheng Jiqing silently looked at Bai Xin. The person was looking up slightly, her long eyelashes framing dark and lustrous pupils, filled to the brim with unconcealed tenderness and affection.
The rain outside fell onto the tip of her heart.
She said, “Okay.”
It wouldn’t take long. She and Fu Rongjun didn’t have much to say to each other.
She took a taxi.
As the rain fell, the sky remained dark and oppressive, making the dense drizzle seem overly languid.
She was a bit later than expected, but before this, she had already received a WeChat message from Bai Xin asking.
The traffic had been bad just now, so she hadn’t replied immediately.
【Have you arrived?】
【Just…】
Cheng Jiqing, dressed in a water-blue overcoat, was getting out of the car under her umbrella. Before she could finish typing, her foot stepped on a pebble. Caught off guard, the phone slipped from her hand.
With a thud—
The rainwater on the ground splashed up with it.
The screen shattered, and it went black upon hitting the ground.
“…”
Cheng Jiqing picked it up and tried it, confirming that it wouldn’t turn on.
There happened to be a smoke shop right next to her. She went in, casually bought a pack of cigarettes, and then borrowed the phone.
Whether they had reconciled or not, she had promised Bai Xin and had to respond.
Perhaps because it was an unfamiliar number, Bai Xin didn’t pick up the first time. She answered on the second call.
She said, “…It’s me. My phone broke.”
The other end was silent for a moment. “Mm.”
“I won’t be able to message you for a bit.”
“Then come back early.”
Cheng Jiqing’s fingers twitched. “Okay, I’m hanging up then.”
After hanging up, Cheng Jiqing thanked the shop owner, opened the black umbrella, and walked out. Although it was only afternoon, the orange streetlights lit up one by one like candles.
The street was full of color. As long as you didn’t look up at the sky, it didn’t feel so gloomy.
But this area wasn’t central, it was relatively remote, and because of the rain, not many shops were open.
When the wind blew, the fine rain hit Cheng Jiqing’s face with the force of a moth to a flame.
She wiped it away and walked towards the coffee shop.
Fu Rongjun hadn’t arrived yet. Cheng Jiqing found a seat by the window. With no phone to pass the time, she picked up a magazine.
She read several pages, but still saw no sign of the person.
There was a wall clock in the coffee shop, from which she could see the time.
Fu Rongjun was already late.
Thinking it was probably due to the rain, Cheng Jiqing patiently waited a while longer.
…
“Bai Xin, it’s raining outside. Are you going out?”
Qin Yufu, Lu Xi, and Zhou-jie were chatting in the living room.
Lu Xi was sitting on the living room carpet, fiddling with her guitar. The sound of the open strings stopped.
The three of them looked at Bai Xin.
Bai Xin looked back, her voice faint. “Yeah, I have something to do.”
She held a car key in her hand, which she had just borrowed from the production team. Cheng Jiqing didn’t have her phone, and the person she was meeting was Fu Rongjun. She couldn’t help but worry.
Rather than sitting here thinking, it was better to just go over. It was only a 20-minute drive.
She knew the address. She didn’t have to go in; she could just wait for Cheng Jiqing to finish and bring her back.
Bai Xin drove the car to an empty spot next to the coffee shop. The streetlight above flickered, and coincidentally, just as she stopped, the light went out completely.
She locked the car door.
She waited in the car for a few minutes.
Bai Xin thought for a moment and, as if burying her head in the sand, pulled the black silk scarf from her neck up to cover her chin. Her thought was, I still have to go take a look to confirm.
To see if she’s really here.
But if Cheng Jiqing really saw her, she would definitely lecture her afterward for coming.
With that thought, she got out of the car.
Just as she closed the car door, she saw two men, arms slung over each other’s shoulders, staggering towards her, unlit cigarettes dangling from their mouths.
Judging by their state, they looked very much like addicts.
Bai Xin inconspicuously lowered her umbrella and walked to the side.
She heard the two men spitting out vulgarities in English.
And then the last sentence—Should we do her?
A keen sense of threat arose abruptly.
Bai Xin quickened her pace, hurrying towards the light, while simultaneously pulling her phone out of her pocket.
Just as she was about to dial, her wrist was seized by a powerful force from behind…
It was past five, the sky was starting to darken, the rain was still falling, and a dampness flowed through the air.
When she returned to the villa, only Lu Xi was still in the living room playing her guitar. Zhou-jie and Qin Yufu were in the open kitchen cooking, and the aroma of food filled the air.
Lu Xi asked, “You’re back?”
Cheng Jiqing nodded.
She had waited at the coffee shop for 20 minutes, but Fu Rongjun never showed up. With her phone broken, she had no way to ask, so she simply left.
She was about to go upstairs. “I’m going up to change first.”
“Bai Xin went out too,” Qin Yufu reminded her.
Cheng Jiqing’s steps paused, and she turned back to ask, “Did she say what she was doing?”
“She said she had something to do. I just sent her a message, but she didn’t reply,” Qin Yufu said. “Why don’t you send her one and ask?”
She knew about Bai Xin’s Omega status. In this unfamiliar place, with it raining and getting dark, it was hard not to worry about Bai Xin being out there alone.
Cheng Jiqing naturally thought the same, especially since Bai Xin was in her pre-heat period and had been taking suppressants just the night before last.
Cheng Jiqing asked, “When did she leave?”
Lu Xi gave a rough time. “She borrowed a car from the production team.”
Cheng Jiqing’s brow furrowed with worry. It was shortly after she had called.
It was very likely that Bai Xin had gone to find her.
Cheng Jiqing borrowed Lu Xi’s phone, quickly dialed Bai Xin’s number, and held it to her ear.
She waited for two seconds.
“Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off…”
Cheng Jiqing’s heart sank.
Bai Xin would never turn off her phone voluntarily. Because if Bai Xin had gone to find her and couldn’t, she would definitely wait for her to get in touch, or call back to ask.
“Can I borrow your phone for a bit? I think I know where she is,” Cheng Jiqing said. “If she comes back, give me a call.”
Not much time had passed, so it was impossible to just have people go out searching blindly.
She hoped Bai Xin’s phone had just run out of battery.
Cheng Jiqing flew out of the house. Even if it was only a one-in-a-hundred-thousand risk, she found that it was something she could not bear.
Not that Bai Xin couldn’t bear it.
It was that she couldn’t bear it.
Without asking for a ride from the production team, she drove the car quickly towards the coffee shop.
The curtain of rain, unseasonably, grew thicker and thicker, the wipers sweeping relentlessly.
Cheng Jiqing’s emotions were agitated and restless. She tried calling several more times on the way, but it was still switched off.
She covered the twenty-minute drive in just fifteen minutes.
The moment the car stopped at the coffee shop, the headlights shot into the darkness ahead. Her gaze suddenly leaped—she saw the production team’s car.
Cheng Jiqing opened the door almost simultaneously and rushed out. The rain instantly soaked her hair and dyed her water-blue coat a deep shade.
She ran over, pounding on the car window.
The car doors were locked. The light was dim, and she could only confirm that the front seats were empty.
Blocked by the privacy film, she couldn’t see clearly into the back seat, but she smelled it in the damp air—a familiar scent.
The car window rattled under her pounding, as if it were about to shatter.
“Bai Xin?!”
The rain blurred Cheng Jiqing’s vision. She trembled slightly from the cold and took out her phone to turn on the flashlight.
Just as she took it out, with a click, the car unlocked.
Cheng Jiqing yanked the door open. The warm interior light turned on.
The scent of lily, the Omega’s heat pheromone, rushed to meet her. She saw Bai Xin sitting on the floor of the back seat, wet and huddled, hugging her knees. In her hand, she held the silver hairpin, its sharp point aimed in her direction.
She was panting, still trembling.
Those peach blossom eyes were wet, and it was impossible to tell if it was from the rain or from crying.
The author has something to say:
Chengcheng: Pounces! Hugs wifey!
Bai-jie: I want something else.
Footnotes
- 过江之鲫 | guò jiāng zhī jì | Lit. “crucian carp crossing the river.” An idiom describing a huge, endless multitude of people or things.
- 带资进组 | dài zī jìn zǔ | An industry term for an actor getting a role because they or their backer invested money in the project.
- 千金 | qiānjīn | Lit. “a thousand pieces of gold.” A respectful and affectionate term for someone’s daughter, implying she is treasured.
- 投鼠忌器 | tóu shǔ jì qì | Lit. “To hesitate to pelt a rat for fear of smashing the vase beside it.” An idiom for holding back from acting against a wrongdoer due to fear of harming something or someone else.
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