Li Chu’s body stiffened as she felt the inescapable pheromones belonging to the Alpha before her.
The memory of that night was actually quite hazy for Li Chu, like it was covered by an impenetrable mist, only allowing for vague sensations.
This was the first time Li Chu had so clearly and continuously felt the gender differences of this world, felt the influence of an Alpha’s pheromones on an Omega.
It was completely unlike the feeling of being violently pierced by pheromones in front of the mirror in the practice room last time. These felt like fine snakes, like twining vines, occupying the surface of her skin bit by bit.
Like an excellent hunter, slowly but surely tightening the net binding its prey.
Li Chu’s senses were overwhelmed. She stared motionlessly at Ning Manqing sitting there. Although there was an arm’s length between them, although she couldn’t fully see her face in the darkness, she felt as if she could perceive Ning Manqing with perfect clarity.
It seemed like an extremely strange stalemate, yet also like a restless probing.
The dense, muffled thuds of raindrops hitting the car roof made Li Chu blink.
She looked down and saw the time displayed on her still-lit phone screen. Only half a minute had passed since she got into the car, but it felt like half an hour.
The city where 《This Is The Actor》 was being filmed was coastal and affected by air currents, so rain was likely recently. Li Chu had checked the weather forecast before leaving, which predicted rain today. She had specifically prepared an umbrella, but it hadn’t been needed during the day. Qian Duoduo had taken the umbrella, and now the rain had arrived.
Ning Manqing broke the silence, “It’s raining.”
Li Chu nodded.
“Fasten your seatbelt. Where do you live? I’ll drive you back.”
Ning Manqing started the car, turned on the wipers, and switched on the headlights.
“The same hotel as last time.”
Only when Li Chu spoke did she realize her voice was a bit hoarse. She cleared her throat uncomfortably and took a few sips from a small bottle of water in her bag before feeling better.
She turned her head to look at Ning Manqing. Ning Manqing’s pheromones still clung to her, yet Ning Manqing herself seemed completely unaware.
Ahhhhhhh Teacher Ning, do you know your pheromones are acting like a hooligan!
Li Chu desperately wanted to remind Ning Manqing, but if Ning Manqing wasn’t doing it intentionally, the situation might become awkward.
She remembered smelling Ning Manqing’s pheromones in the elevator last time, but Ning Manqing’s agent, Ran Yanru, who was also in the elevator, hadn’t seemed to notice.
Li Chu stared at Ning Manqing for a while. Ning Manqing turned her head as if sensing something, her expression tinged with confusion.
“What’s wrong?”
Li Chu, whose pheromones felt like they were about to burst through her clothes and invade her absolute territory, said stiffly, “Nothing.”
Ning Manqing seemed to accept this without suspicion and turned her gaze back to the road, driving at a steady pace.
There was a red light ahead. Li Chu watched the seconds tick down, unconsciously gripping the hem of her clothes tighter.
In this almost stagnant atmosphere, Li Chu unconsciously slowed her breathing.
Her perception seemed infinitely magnified within the small confines of the car, condensing into fine, hair-like threads that crisscrossed every corner like a spiderweb.
Raindrops slid down the window, one by one, from the roof to the car body.
Cold and damp.
But the pheromones enveloping her seemed to carry sparks, seeping into her bones and blood, making her burn from the inside out, creating a contradictory damp heat.
Yet the owner of these pheromones seemed utterly oblivious. Her beautiful, slender hands rested on the black steering wheel, her eyes focused on the countdown of the red light.
The pheromones were like wildly growing vines, expanding recklessly, bypassing the lush grass, climbing inward bit by bit.
Li Chu bit the tip of her tongue. The stuffy heat brought a flush to her face. She lowered her head, clutching the hem of her clothes, hiding the strange pleasure.
When the green light turned on, all sensations seemed to vanish in an instant. Li Chu leaned back against the seat, resisting the urge to wipe away the dampness between her legs.
Li Chu’s eyes were vacant.
She felt like a ravaged rag doll right now.
Although her body hadn’t reached that point, her spirit was already devastated!
Li Chu couldn’t help but wonder. She remembered reading Jinjiang City content back then, not Haitang City content!
“You seem distracted. Did today’s practice go poorly?”
Ning Manqing’s voice brought Li Chu back to her senses. Li Chu felt conflicted; she couldn’t possibly say, “Your pheromones were messing with me.”
Li Chu had just wondered if Ning Manqing was doing it intentionally, but Ning Manqing seemed completely unaware of what had just happened. Perhaps it was because she had been marked by Ning Manqing before, so she could perceive her pheromones clearly.
Li Chu remembered reading the author’s explanation about pheromones in the novel: the closer people were, the better they could sense each other’s pheromones; in enclosed spaces, pheromone concentration increased over time; and Alpha pheromones were highly invasive towards Omegas, capable of expressing desires without the subject’s conscious awareness.
Li Chu’s tender face flushed red. It seemed Teacher Ning’s inner self was quite wild, so… that way.
While thinking this, she answered Ning Manqing aloud, “It was okay. The senior actors I worked with said my performance wasn’t bad.”
“But I always feel like something’s missing. I feel like the way I acted wasn’t the best, but I don’t know how to make it better.”
The orchid-like scent of the pheromones was still present, but the feeling of entanglement had disappeared. Li Chu was able to break free and honestly answer the question.
“I’ll help you.”
Li Chu wasn’t surprised by Ning Manqing’s words, but this time she didn’t accept as readily.
She felt the small box in her bag, the thank-you gift she had prepared for Ning Manqing.
“Teacher Ning, you’ve already helped me so much.”
Li Chu wasn’t actually someone who would push her luck. Although she had said she needed to firmly hold onto Ning Manqing’s thigh【support】, that didn’t mean she would ask Ning Manqing for help with everything.
“Aren’t we friends?” Ning Manqing turned the steering wheel, driving into the hotel’s underground parking lot. Without waiting for Li Chu’s response, she continued, “Why be so polite between friends? Besides, it’s just giving you some pointers. This kind of thing relies on aptitude anyway.”
“If you’re worried about owing me, just introduce a couple of roles to me after you become famous.”
Ning Manqing said this with a smile as she found a parking spot and stopped the car.
Li Chu knew she was just trying to put her at ease, not genuinely seeking resources. But she pressed her lips together, looked at Ning Manqing, and promised very seriously, “I will work hard and live up to your guidance, Teacher Ning. In the future, I will definitely introduce good resources to you.”
At this moment, Ning Manqing turned on the interior light, clearly illuminating the young girl’s solemn expression.
The dim yellow light fell into those eyes, as if one could pluck a sincere heart right out of them.
Ning Manqing watched, then suddenly broke into a smile and nodded.
“Then I’ll wait for you.”
