Li Chu took a deep breath and then answered, “Hello, this is Li Chu.”
“Regarding what happened that day, can we meet in person?”
Ning Manqing’s voice was soft, tinged with apology.
Li Chu felt her soul practically leave her body at the gentle voice, her own voice trembling slightly as she politely but firmly refused, “It’s not convenient.”
Li Chu was the epitome of a ‘salted fish’—unambitious. She had no grand aspirations of using her foreknowledge to snatch the female lead’s resources and become a winner in life, nor did she plan to cling to the female lead’s coattails for a brighter future. She didn’t know how to handle her relationship with the female lead yet, so for safety’s sake, she decided to wait and see.
Meeting up was unnecessary. Her legs were still shaky. What if she saw Ning Manqing and… reacted again? She couldn’t handle that kind of scene, sob .
She was a respectable person!
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line before Ning Manqing’s voice sounded again.
“I’m very sorry about what happened that day. I don’t know why I suddenly differentiated either.”
“You don’t need to apologize. I differentiated first, and I didn’t expect it either. It all happened so suddenly.”
Li Chu quickly interjected. Her previous secondary gender wasn’t a secret, so she planned to be upfront about it, hoping to gloss over the drugging incident.
Fortunately, the original owner hadn’t conspired with anyone. It would be troublesome if someone else knew.
Besides, Li Chu genuinely felt Ning Manqing didn’t need to apologize. She was supposed to be a stunningly beautiful Omega, but good grief, the plot had done a complete split and landed her on the opposite side.
The silence on the other end lasted even longer this time. Ning Manqing’s low voice reached Li Chu’s ears, but to Li Chu, it sounded like a clap of thunder. She jumped up from the sofa in fright, sending the copy of 《An Actor Prepares》 flying to the floor.
Ning Manqing said she could take responsibility for her, that they could get married.
No, no, no, surely not! Stop, stop, stop!
“I don’t need you to take responsibility. It was just an accident.”
Li Chu immediately refused. She hadn’t even figured out her future path yet. How could she skip the dating stage and jump straight into marriage, regardless of whether the person was the female lead or not?
Besides, she hadn’t lost out! She had enjoyed it!
“Teacher Ning, I believe marriage should be a mutual decision based on feelings between two people. You only gave me a temporary mark, and it was caused by my own pheromones going out of control. You really don’t need to do this.”
An Alpha’s mark on an Omega is divided into two types: temporary marking and permanent marking.
A temporary mark occurs when an Alpha bites an Omega’s gland and injects their pheromones, which can soothe an Omega’s heat. After a temporary mark, depending on the amount of pheromones injected, the Alpha’s scent will remain on the Omega for anywhere from a day to a week.
A permanent mark involves a complete pheromonal invasion. The Alpha’s pheromones fill the Omega’s entire body, causing their pheromones to become completely intertwined. Any Alpha or Omega who encounters a permanently marked Omega will know they belong to someone.
Temporary marks can happen multiple times, but a permanent mark usually only happens once, unless the couple chooses to divorce and find new partners. An Omega can have the mark removed at a hospital, but the process is extremely painful, akin to filtering out and extracting pheromones that have grown intertwined with their own flesh and blood but don’t belong to them.
While Li Chu’s thoughts were wandering, Ning Manqing replied.
“You’re right. I was being presumptuous. If you need help with anything, feel free to ask. This is my private number.”
“Okay.”
Li Chu happily agreed. Although she didn’t plan on clinging to the female lead’s coattails, having contact information for a major figure was still a happy occasion. She had already decided to work in this industry, so maybe she could really benefit from some support later on. “Then shall we exchange contact info?”
“Alright. You can add me.”
“Great, I’ll add you then.”
Li Chu agreed enthusiastically. This was the female lead, a future resource powerhouse! She believed in loving whatever line of work she was in and already had the self-awareness of an industry insider.
“You don’t have to be so polite…”
Ning Manqing felt a bit uncomfortable with her attitude. In their previous encounters, Li Chu had often shown her displeasure, and Ning Manqing had even overheard her badmouthing her a few times. Now that their relationship was somewhat delicate, Li Chu was being increasingly polite, quite different from before.
“Teacher Ning is my senior in the industry. It’s only right for me to be polite. So, I’ll add you now?”
Li Chu’s current mindset was that of an entertainment industry newcomer. While Ning Manqing hadn’t exploded in popularity despite debuting two years ago, her acting skills were highly praised. Li Chu always admired capable people and respected her genuinely.
“Ah, okay.”
Ning Manqing was taken aback by her words and hesitated for a moment before agreeing.
Li Chu’s friend request was quickly accepted. Li Chu sent a cat emoji as a greeting.
【Xiao Chu】: Hello, Teacher Ning
Accompanied by a bowing cat sticker.
Li Chu was very satisfied. Dignified yet playful.
【Ning】: Hello
Ning Manqing typed her message reservedly. Staring at the phone screen, she hesitated, wanting to say something more but unsure what. After much thought, she decided to wait for the other party to message first before replying.
She looked at Li Chu’s cute hand-drawn peach profile picture and recalled the peach fragrance she had smelled that day.
She hadn’t just smelled it; she had also thoroughly savored the taste of peach flesh and juice—the pale fingertips, the light pink knees, the soft whimpers—like a sweet, soft, illusory dream.
Li Chu had no idea Ning Manqing was waiting for her message. After sending the greeting, she put her phone aside and diligently resumed reading her book, using a mirror to practice facial expressions.
In the evening, Tang Congnan came to her apartment with food. Seeing Li Chu eating with her cheeks puffed out like a little hamster, a fond smile appeared on his face.
“Brother Nan, why are you smiling like that? It’s kind of creepy.”
Li Chu was eating a fist-sized portion of rice and looked up, nearly choking at the sight of Tang Congnan’s gleaming eyes.
“I’m envisioning our bright future! Acting, becoming a huge hit, winning awards, reaching the top tier!”
“Brother, it’s dark out, but it’s not time for dreaming yet.”
Li Chu ruthlessly shot him down. Even she hadn’t fantasized that far ahead.
Tang Congnan said gleefully, “Is this dreaming? This is an ideal that will be realized sooner or later! You’re an Omega, and so beautiful! Sigh, truly gorgeous. Look at this fair face, this waist, these legs—in one word, stunning! It’d be a crime against nature if you don’t get famous!”
Tang Congnan beamed like Li Chu’s third aunt showing off her child during New Year’s, finally slapping the table passionately, his voice cracking with excitement.
“Right, right, a crime against nature.”
Li Chu responded perfunctorily as she finished her dinner.
Tang Congnan helped clear the table, rambling, “You need to show some ambition, you know? The entire company is eagerly pinning their hopes on you now, our precious treasure.”
“I know,” Li Chu drawled in response. When Tang Congnan looked over, she quickly gave a playful salute. “I’ll definitely work hard to live up to the organization’s nurturing.”
Hearing this, Tang Congnan said, “Then, in a week, 《This Is The Actor》—you should participate.”
“Me? In a week? Can I do it?”
Li Chu was hit with a triple whammy of confusion. She had just started this ‘job,’ hadn’t even figured out this acting thing yet, and now she was supposed to go straight onto a show that sounded like an acting competition?
“We only have one spot for the next episode. If you miss it, there aren’t any other variety shows with this kind of high exposure available right now.”
Tang Congnan was also hesitant. While their company wasn’t a small workshop, it wasn’t a giant conglomerate either. Securing even one spot on a popular variety show was already difficult.
《This Is The Actor》 was the breakout variety show of the season. Three episodes had aired so far, and its buzz and popularity ranked top among shows in the same quarter. The company had originally planned to give this opportunity to someone else, but since Li Chu had differentiated, they wanted her to go get some exposure and publicity.
Seeing Li Chu’s apprehension, Tang Congnan encouraged her, “Just give it a try. It’s an elimination-style show; you might not necessarily stay.”
Li Chu: …Thanks a lot.
Tang Congnan seemed to remember something and added, “Oh right, I heard Ning Manqing is also going next episode. There will be cameras, so don’t you dare give her attitude. Try your best not to clash with her. You two aren’t on the same path, no need to compare yourself to her, got it?”
Li Chu thought, Not on the same path? We’ve shared the same bedcovers, and she was reluctant to even pull her hand away.
But outwardly, she still answered obediently, “Got it. I’m not jealous of her anymore. I’ve realized she’s really amazing.”
That was also amazing… so fierce, Li Chu thought shyly.
