Omega turned her head back, revealing the full curve of her head to Jiang Qing.
The high bun tied at the back swayed with the motion, bouncing lightly from side to side.
Jiang Qing reached out with her index finger and tapped it gently. The playfully swinging bun immediately came to a stop.
“Jiang Qing, thank you,” said Song Qin Ning.
A soft smile reached her eyes.
Jiang Qing replied, “This is a small matter. You can count on me, Qin Ning.”
“Mhm.”
Jiang Qing felt deeply satisfied hearing Song Qin Ning acknowledge her as a true friend.
A friend in need, Jiang Qing was always ready to help.
She slowly moved closer to Song Qin Ning and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Her other hand was not idle. Her fingertips pressed gently against the back of Qin Ning’s neck. The smooth and flawless skin shivered under her touch.
Under the stimulation, the small gland emerged like a curious little clam peeking out its tender flesh.
Jiang Qing leaned down and bit lightly with her lips.
The tip of her teeth nudged the gland, rubbing and testing it gently.
Her red tongue had no place to go, stumbling helplessly inside her mouth until it touched something soft and cool.
Hmm?
Jiang Qing instinctively licked it again.
“Jiang Qing!”
Song Qin Ning flushed with embarrassment and anger. She didn’t know what kind of expression to make.
Jiang Qing’s tongue stopped and withdrew obediently.
But she didn’t respond to Song Qin Ning right away.
The Alpha’s full attention was fixed on the tempting spot beneath her teeth.
Something under the surface gave way. After a brief pause, she carefully began to explore deeper.
The soft and tight inner wall wrapped around the tip of her tooth. It resisted slightly, never having been touched before.
Song Qin Ning let out a restrained and broken moan.
Her eyes quickly filled with a thin layer of mist, like the morning after a night of rain. Her body shifted slightly, trying to break free from the Alpha’s grip.
But she was as delicate as a small dove.
Jiang Qing’s defined fingers locked onto Qin Ning’s hand, palms pressed tightly together, almost perfectly aligned.
The focused Alpha spared a bit of attention to soothe the overwhelmed Omega.
Her teeth gently pushed through the last bit of resistance. The Alpha then released her own pheromones, sweet like honey, deep and unmistakable.
In a flash, the body beneath her went rigid like a steel plate. Then, as the temperature rose, that steel seemed to melt into hot, flowing metal.
A soft, satisfied sigh escaped from Jiang Qing’s throat, like a small animal content after claiming its prize.
She had taken her prey.
Once the marking was complete, Jiang Qing pulled back slightly, panting softly.
Song Qin Ning lost all strength and collapsed backward, limp as if her bones had been removed.
Jiang Qing caught her by the shoulders. Her pupils were slightly unfocused.
The Omega now carried the strong scent of her Alpha. Every breath, every heartbeat, was full of signals.
This was the Omega she had marked.
This was her Omega.
No. Song Qin Ning was not her Omega.
Jiang Qing reminded herself firmly.
But she didn’t notice how terrifying her expression had become. Her bright eyes were filled with shadows.
Possessiveness and desire to control were almost overflowing.
Song Qin Ning was the first to regain her senses.
She tried to get up, only to find herself still trapped in Jiang Qing’s firm embrace.
“Jiang Qing?”
Song Qin Ning tried to move her arms, using all her strength, but the Alpha didn’t budge. In fact, her grip only grew tighter.
Jiang Qing rested her chin on Song Qin Ning’s shoulder. Her back was slightly bent, but she stayed very close.
Her voice sounded muffled and low, like she was unhappy. “I’m here.”
“The marking is done. You can let go now.”
“I don’t want to. I want to mark you again.”
Jiang Qing said it plainly, without hiding her feelings.
The body in her arms froze immediately. Qin Ning’s hands clenched into fists at her sides.
Like a kitten meeting a predator, every hair on her body stood on end. She stayed completely alert to any movement.
Jiang Qing smiled. Her starry eyes curved into gentle crescents.
She released her hold and leaned lazily against the armrest of the sofa.
“I was joking. I won’t mark you again.”
Song Qin Ning leaned forward, pulling herself out of Jiang Qing’s arms. She reached for a pillow on the other sofa and hugged it to her chest.
“Are you sure your pheromones aren’t affecting your judgment?”
She retreated to the corner of the sofa, knees pulled up, and played with the tassels on the pillow as she frowned.
“Maybe a little. It’s like someone addicted to online games. When they’re not playing, they feel restless, but whether they play or not doesn’t really matter. Right now, I just feel itchy, like in my teeth and in my heart. But I still know where the line is. I know what I can and can’t do.”
Jiang Qing cleared her throat as she finished speaking.
Song Qin Ning put the pillow down. “I’ll go get you a glass of water.”
When she returned from the kitchen, the scent in the air had grown stronger.
Only then did Song Qin Ning realize how intense the pheromones from the temporary marking really were.
She handed the glass to Jiang Qing. “Do you want to take a shower before you go?”
Jiang Qing tilted her head back and drank all the water in one go. “No need. I’ll shower when I get back to my room.”
“What if you run into someone on the way?”
“I won’t. It takes less than two minutes to get to my room. Who would I run into?”
Seeing that Song Qin Ning still looked unsure, Jiang Qing smiled helplessly. “Alright, Qin Ning, lend me a mask and sunglasses then.”
A few minutes later, the two of them stood at the entrance.
Jiang Qing was ready to leave. Song Qin Ning stood with her to see her off.
After putting on her shoes, Jiang Qing suddenly felt a bit of regret.
“I changed my mind. I should just take them off. I won’t run into anyone on the way anyway.”
Song Qin Ning stopped her. “No, I think it looks just right. It actually suits your vibe.”
Jiang Qing took out her phone and used the black reflective screen as a mirror, then looked at Song Qin Ning.
“Qin Ning, don’t lie to me.”
“I don’t lie.”
“Really? Because I think with this look, if I had a cigarette in my mouth, I’d look exactly like someone who just enjoyed some shady service.”
“…”
“Wait, are you agreeing with me, Miss Song?” Jiang Qing was visibly offended, her face turning into an expression of mock sorrow.
If she had a tail and little perked ears, they would have drooped sadly by now.
“No, I just meant… you really do look a bit cool.” Song Qin Ning seemed to see that imaginary tail nearly dragging on the ground and quickly tried to make up for it. “No, what I meant was, no one else in the world could pull off being this beautiful and this cool at the same time.”
As it turned out, they didn’t run into anyone along the way.
But standing right outside the room was a familiar woman.
“Hi, Sister He Shu. Good evening.”
Jiang Qing took off her sunglasses, and the black and white world instantly returned to color.
Then she saw He Shu’s face change through every color in the rainbow.
Jiang Qing stood silently for a moment.
He Shu stepped aside, physically expressing how much she disliked the scent clinging to Jiang Qing.
It wasn’t just Omega pheromones anymore. It smelled like the unmistakable stench of romance.
She couldn’t take it.
“Jiang Qing, the company doesn’t forbid you from dating, but for the sake of future PR, I need you to give me a heads-up.”
Jiang Qing swiped her room card. “Sister He Shu, family matters shouldn’t be aired outside. Let’s talk inside.”
Once inside, Jiang Qing gave a simple explanation.
She left out the fact that the other party was Song Qin Ning and only said her pheromones had affected an Omega. To help stabilize her, she performed a temporary marking to ease the other person’s imbalance.
There was nothing more between them.
To put it simply, six words: she was not in a relationship.
He Shu gave her an OK sign. “I’ll inform the company. If you get photographed, they’ll handle the PR.”
Jiang Qing nodded. “So, why were you looking for me tonight?”
He Shu’s expression lit up instantly, her whole presence radiating golden excitement.
“The media posted behind-the-scenes footage from today’s shoot. Public opinion has finally turned around.”
Jiang Qing’s lips lifted in a modest smile, but her heart couldn’t help feeling excited.
“Really? I want to see it.”
He Shu unlocked her phone and handed it over.
The screen showed comments from viewers discussing her acting.
Tonight I Must Sleep Early: “Yysy, her acting is on point in this clip. Did Jiang Qing finally have a breakthrough?”
Stop Talking Rubbish: “I used to laugh watching her act, but now I almost cried. What’s happening?”
City Heartbroken Person: “I actually cried out loud. That part of the novel was so heartbreaking. I’m going to rewatch it.”
Ate a Fly: “Suddenly looking forward to the movie. I hope Jiang Qing can keep it up and not ruin my princess!”
Though a few comments were still critical, the general reaction from neutral viewers was very positive.
Jiang Qing read through the praise with a bright smile, her eyes glowing with joy.
Her heart felt as if it had been filled with warm sunlight. Even the darkest corners were lit up.
Scrolling further, she saw a comment accompanied by a crying panda meme.
She looked closer at the caption.
“Will the kiss scene from the novel be cut in the movie? Someone kind and merciful please tell me it will. I don’t want my daughter kissing Jiang Qing. Waaaahhh!”
Jiang Qing, the kind and merciful person in question, normally would have switched to a private account to reply.
But today she was in such a good mood that she felt like a living saint. So she did not respond and tell the worried fan that the movie respected the source material and had no such cuts.
He Shu also saw the comment. She tried to hold in a laugh, but the corners of her mouth curved into an odd grin.
“In a few days, you’ll be filming a kiss scene with Song Qin Ning. If your little Omega finds out, she might not be so happy.”
Jiang Qing was still scrolling through comments and didn’t react right away.
Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. She looked up at He Shu with a confused expression.
Jiang Qing asked, “What?”