Li Chu thought, sometimes it’s hard to tell whether you’re in character or not.
Just like now, she was clearly in the scene, yet it felt like she wasn’t.
But this feeling only lasted for a moment. Li Chu immersed herself back into the role, putting on Qin Mu’s expression as they separated.
This scene went exceptionally smoothly, much to Ji Yun’s relief.
“The chemistry and feeling are fantastic, making it seem like they’re really in love. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would’ve thought there was something going on between them.”
Ji Yun had expected to spend more time on it. Sometimes, two people who aren’t romantically involved can feel more awkward filming intimate scenes the more familiar they become. That’s why he usually filmed those scenes first. But this relationship was different, so he didn’t do that.
Fortunately, the result didn’t disappoint him. The two of them acted so naturally, as if Qin Mu and Xi Yiyun had stepped right out of the script.
San Qiu remained silent beside them. Some things shouldn’t be voiced until the people involved spoke up themselves.
Ji Yun continued watching the two interact on the monitor, and after the segment ended, he yelled, “Cut! That’s a wrap!”
It was getting late. After filming this night scene, it was almost dawn. It was time to call it a day.
San Qiu, overcome by sleepiness, had already left.
The crew cheered, and everyone started packing up to leave.
“Teacher Ning, let’s go, time to clock out.” Li Chu wiped the light sweat from her forehead and extended a hand to Ning Manqing, who was sitting on the ground.
Ning Manqing didn’t respond, her head still bowed, seemingly exhausted.
Li Chu had wanted to make a lighthearted joke, but suddenly a bad premonition arose in her heart. She felt like a startled kitten encountering a predator, her fur standing on end in alarm.
She looked down and met Ning Manqing’s eyes. They were dark and clouded, her brow furrowed in what seemed like suppressed discomfort.
Ning Manqing’s unique cloud mist tea pheromones surged out from her body, spreading in all directions.
Li Chu smelled it, and so did Ji Yun, who was not far away.
“Seriously? At a time like this? That’s a strong scent,” Ji Yun pinched his nose and announced through a megaphone, “Wrap it up, everyone! Supper’s on me tonight!”
Except for the main cameraman, everyone on set was a beta. Betas couldn’t smell pheromones, so naturally, they didn’t know that an alpha was experiencing a susceptible period. Upon hearing Ji Yun’s words, they all happily left. The main cameraman stayed but kept his distance, his brow furrowed from the overwhelming scent. An alpha’s pheromones are particularly potent during this time.
“Li Zi, come over here.” After everyone had dispersed, Ji Yun approached Li Chu, enduring the discomfort as he beckoned her over.
Li Chu wanted to leave, but she couldn’t.
The moment she tried to move, Ning Manqing’s hand gripped hers tightly.
No matter how hard she pulled, Ning Manqing wouldn’t budge.
So Li Chu stopped struggling. She could sense the anxiety and unease emanating from Ning Manqing’s pheromones.
She met Ning Manqing’s gaze. Due to the sudden onset of her susceptible period, Ning Manqing’s expression was unfamiliar, making her seem like a stranger. Yet, Li Chu felt no fear.
The cloud mist tea pheromones had completely enveloped her, and her instinctive fight-or-flight response had vanished. The scent was too familiar, and her body had already become docile.
Ning Manqing’s assistant, Li Si, had noticed something was wrong immediately and had rushed to retrieve a susceptibility suppressant from her bag.
“Hurry up and pull your boss back!” Ji Yun said to Qian Duoduo, who was standing nearby. He didn’t go up himself.
He saw Ning Manqing holding Li Chu’s hand tightly. In situations like this, alphas often fixate on the idea that the other person is their possession. If he, another alpha, were to intervene, it might provoke Ning Manqing into a frenzied attack.
Qian Duoduo braced herself and approached. Although she couldn’t smell the alpha pheromones, she could sense the danger.
It was still the same face, but Qian Duoduo no longer found Ning Manqing beautiful and commanding. She only felt danger, as if facing a predator with its prey or a dragon guarding its treasure. Under Ning Manqing’s dark gaze, every cell in her body screamed at her to run.
“Boss, take my hand, let’s go,” Qian Duoduo said, her voice trembling. She wished she could carry Li Chu and sprint a hundred meters.
Ning Manqing stared at Qian Duoduo’s outstretched hand. If looks could kill, Qian Duoduo would have been riddled with holes.
“It’s okay, stay back. I’ll wait for Sisi to bring the suppressant,” Li Chu said, still remarkably clear-headed, waving Qian Duoduo away.
Ji Yun, watching from a distance, was surprised that Li Chu could still speak coherently. When exposed to the high concentration of pheromones from an alpha in their susceptible period, most omegas would experience discomfort, dizziness, and a sense of being controlled.
Complete lucidity meant one of three things: a bonded partner, a highly compatible omega, or a highly incompatible omega.
Ji Yun wasn’t sure whether Li Chu fell into the second or third category.
However, since Li Chu wasn’t in immediate danger, he felt relieved.
“Not leaving?” Ji Yun asked the main cameraman, who was still keeping a considerable distance, clearly uncomfortable from Ning Manqing’s pheromones.
“I’m waiting to see if I can help. Man, I wouldn’t have guessed. Teacher Ning usually seems so gentle, but her pheromones are so domineering,” the cameraman, older than Ji Yun, was past his hot-blooded years. He didn’t feel the urge to fight when smelling another alpha’s pheromones, only dizziness and nausea.
“She’s always been like this. Her appearance is deceiving,” Ji Yun waved his hand, took a cigarette out of his pocket, put it in his mouth, and offered one to the cameraman. He kept his eyes fixed on Li Chu and Ning Manqing.
Li Chu couldn’t hear what the people behind her were saying, nor did she care.
Ning Manqing’s grip tightened, her forehead pressed against Li Chu’s side, radiating heat.
A thin layer of sweat coated Li Chu’s forehead, not because of Ning Manqing’s posture, but because of her pheromones.
The restless alpha pheromones craved the soothing scent of omega pheromones, swirling around the back of Li Chu’s neck.
Li Chu’s glands were burning. If she hadn’t gritted her teeth to prevent her own pheromones from leaking, the scent of peaches would have already intertwined with the cloud mist tea, filling the air.
There were two other alphas present, and they were in an open space. Li Chu hadn’t forgotten that.
“Teacher Ning, just a little longer,” Li Chu bent down and gently brushed aside the sweat-dampened hair from Ning Manqing’s forehead.
In response to her soothing gesture, Ning Manqing slightly loosened her grip.
Ning Manqing pursed her lips, her gaze fixed intently on Li Chu.
If Qian Duoduo had looked closer, she would have seen the desire and longing swirling in Ning Manqing’s eyes as she looked at Li Chu, enough to make anyone’s heart skip a beat.
Li Chu wasn’t afraid. Months ago, she had experienced this intense need, and she didn’t feel any smug satisfaction that Ning Manqing needed her. She only felt a dull ache in her chest, like it was stuffed with cotton. She didn’t want Ning Manqing to suffer.
Everything has its pros and cons. The alphas and omegas of this world possessed genetic advantages, but they also bore the risk of losing control. Humans had spent a long time evolving to the top of the food chain, yet these genetically superior individuals, in their evolution, couldn’t avoid a degree of reversion to primal instincts.
It felt like a long time had passed, but it had only been seven or eight minutes.
Li Si sprinted from the building to the car, grabbed the suppressant from her bag, and sprinted back. The parking area on set was a bit far, and seven or eight minutes was already the limit of Li Si’s physical capabilities, a truly extraordinary effort.
She handed the suppressant over, panting. Seeing that Li Si could barely stand, Qian Duoduo quickly took it and ran to Li Chu.
“Not this,” Ning Manqing said hoarsely, reaching out to knock the suppressant from Li Chu’s hand. Agitated from not smelling her omega’s pheromones, she stood up, her shadow falling over the petite omega, eager to nuzzle her glands.
“Want you,” Ning Manqing’s breath was hot against Li Chu’s neck, sending a shiver down her spine.
Li Chu didn’t struggle, but she didn’t comply either.
Looking at Ning Manqing’s hand gripping hers, Li Chu turned her hand and gripped back, her action firm and reassuring.
She faced Ning Manqing, looked into her eyes, and softly said, “Teacher Ning, not now.”
Her almond-shaped eyes held a gentle light, and her tone, while appealing, was a soft but firm refusal.
Qian Duoduo and Ji Yun didn’t hear what Li Chu said. They only saw Ning Manqing pull Li Chu into an embrace. The four people watching from behind were practically dying of anxiety. Ji Yun couldn’t even bring himself to smoke.
“This won’t do, Director Ji. We should go over there and pull Teacher Ning away, then forcibly inject her,” the cameraman anxiously slapped his thigh. As an alpha, he knew how alphas behaved. This was clearly a prelude to forcibly extracting pheromones.
“Alright,” Ji Yun rolled up his sleeves and gestured to the cameraman, indicating they would each take a side.
They had only taken a couple of steps when they saw Ning Manqing stop moving, leaning against the wall and looking at Li Chu as she pulled up Ning Manqing’s sleeve.
“Huh? What’s going on?” The cameraman was bewildered, his eyes wide as he watched Ning Manqing cooperate with Li Chu for the injection.
“Is she sober now? Doesn’t seem like it,” Ji Yun was also shocked. He took a couple of steps closer and met Ning Manqing’s warning gaze.
Clearly, she wasn’t lucid yet. The pheromones were still just as potent.
Ji Yun pondered for a moment, thinking he might have figured it out.
Li Chu remained focused, concentrating on administering the suppressant, her heart gradually calming down.
Actually, she had just been taking a gamble. She knew that an alpha in their susceptible period and an omega in heat were similar. The latter loses their mind and wants sex, while the former craves the scent of omega pheromones and wants to nuzzle and bite their glands before finally ending up in bed. The commonality was that neither was likely to listen to reason.
So when Ning Manqing stopped her actions because of Li Chu’s refusal, Li Chu was genuinely surprised.
Damn, this is the female lead, alright. So impressive.
Ning Manqing continued to stare at Li Chu with dark eyes. Despite her expressionless face, Li Chu could sense her unhappiness and grievance.
“Next time, when we’re alone…” Li Chu couldn’t help but coax her. Honestly, if it weren’t for the wrong time and place, her cannon would have probably already fired.
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