After an Alluring Alpha Provokes an Unhinged Omega 36

Chapter 36: Elder

Jiang Mi sat quietly in the chair, the skin on her shoulders and neck feeling cool from the air conditioning. The makeup artist leaned over, lightly sweeping a color from the makeup palette onto her delicate collarbone.

Jiang Mi couldn’t help but let out a small yawn.

“Teacher Jiang, you stayed up late again yesterday, didn’t you?” The makeup artist noticed her fatigue, but her hands didn’t stop as she asked softly.

Jiang Mi nodded slightly. “Mmm. Is it that obvious?”

Her voice still carried a hint of hoarseness from fatigue.

The makeup artist smiled, her gaze on her eyes. “Your skin doesn’t show much, but these bloodshot veins can’t be hidden. You should get more rest.”

“Thank you for your concern.” Jiang Mi curved her lips in response, but her heart felt as if it had been gently plucked, and she was instantly pulled back to the image of apple she had seen the night before.

She just had things on her mind and wasn’t very settled.

Subconsciously, her gaze drifted towards the door—almost at the same moment, Yan Wei’s invitation, with a clear echo, resounded in her ear with incomparable naturalness:

“Jiang Mi, let’s have a meal together?”

Jiang Mi pursed her lips, her nails lightly scratching the pads of her fingers. Even with the premise of a “trade,” she always felt that there was a good direction between her and Yan Wei.

The rain had fallen almost all night. At this moment, just past eight o’clock, the sky was covered with soft, cottony clouds, so clear that it seemed to be able to filter out all the gloom.

Jiang Mi finally left the makeup mirror. Reflected in the mirror was a meticulously carved “battle-damaged” look—the bruise at the corner of her mouth was fresh and eye-catching. On her delicate collarbone and the thin, tender skin on the side of her neck, there were two deeper marks.

It was Bai Xiao’s masterpiece of revenge on Liang Yongping.

She tugged at the white, thin-strapped tank top she was wearing. Below it was a pair of faded jeans. Her damp hair was still dripping, exuding the faint scent of shampoo. It was the look of “Liang Yongping” having just washed her hair.

Jiang Mi took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and let herself sink into that damp sadness. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes, her shoulders relaxed, and her gaze was already different. Only then did she push open the break room door.

The moment she stepped onto the set, that dark green figure captured Jiang Mi’s gaze.

Yan Wei was standing right next to Jiang Qu. She was wearing a well-tailored dark green velvet cheongsam that clung tightly to the smooth lines of her body, winding seamlessly down to her slender ankles.

Her dark hair was casually tied up at the nape of her neck, revealing her smooth back. She was wearing a pair of thin-heeled shoes.

This rich green, like a key, instantly unlocked the memories of last night. Last night, she had also worn a similarly exquisitely adorned dark green long dress, with a diamond necklace sparkling like a star on her neck.

She wasn’t blind. She could see that everything had been chosen.

That was why she had said some things at that time—her confession was not entirely an impulse.

Yan Wei’s gaze also captured Jiang Mi at almost the same time. Her gaze passed through the slightly noisy air of the set and landed on that off-white shirt. The damp hair, paired with that face, had a different kind of allure.

They looked at each other for no more than two seconds before Jiang Mi had already turned and walked towards Shen Ruoxi.

Yan Wei’s eyelashes fluttered, then lowered, her gaze on the smooth side seam of the cheongsam. Jiang Qu’s voice sounded in her ear at the right time, “Do you have any plans after this project wraps?”

“No.” Yan Wei’s voice showed no emotion.

“A friend’s script just came in.” Jiang Qu’s tone was casual. “I took a look, and it’s quite interesting. I’ll send it to you to take a look later?”

She knew very well that if it weren’t for the favor she had to repay from many years ago, Yan Wei probably wouldn’t have even given face to this project. So when her friend asked, she could only do a favor and pass on the message.

“We’ll see,” Yan Wei’s reply was concise.

Jiang Qu seemed to pause inadvertently, her gaze sweeping over Jiang Mi’s back not far away. She smiled, “She’s also very interested in Jiang Mi. I glanced at the role, and the temperament does fit her quite well.”

Yan Wei’s gaze didn’t change. She calmly looked away from the adjusted monitor and finally landed on a distant direction. The clouds were just about to be torn apart. Jiang Mi and Shen Ruoxi were standing in the breeze, and her shoulder-length short hair was gently blown by her ear. She didn’t know what they were talking about, but a smile appeared on her lips.

She asked, “What genre?”

Jiang Qu was taken aback. She turned to look at Yan Wei, then followed her gaze and glanced over there again. She said, “Urban, romance.”

The next second, Yan Wei had already withdrawn her gaze. “Mmm.”

Jiang Qu thought she had been overthinking it. She was suspicious for a few seconds, then looked into the distance again. Jiang Mi was indeed likable, but with Yan Wei…

Better forget it.

She had some friendship with Yan Wei, but if any girl were to ask her what Yan Wei was like, whether she was suitable for a relationship, for a life together, her answer would definitely be no.

Being with Yan Wei, a normal person would go crazy.

Jiang Qu didn’t want to offend Yan Wei and just thought of finding an opportunity to give Jiang Mi a couple of hints.

**

The machines on the set were in place.

Jiang Qu stared at the monitor. “Action!”

Liang Yongping’s fingertips unconsciously scratched the edge of the table. A full seven days had passed since the struggle in the bathroom. Qin Shui seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.

Days of tears had left her emaciated. A pair of red, swollen eyes were embedded in her haggard, ashen face.

Reflected in the mirror was a pale face. The ambiguous marks on her neck pierced her eyes. The memories of Bai Xiao, wrapped in the dangerous atmosphere of last night, instantly enveloped her. A chill shot up from the soles of her feet, causing a convulsive shiver in her shoulder blades.

Her body began to tremble involuntarily.

Qin Shui.

She bit the inside of her lower lip hard, almost tasting the rust.

She had to find her. She wanted to go with her.

Facing the mirror, Liang Yongping forced her stiff lips into a smile—a practice smile. At least when they met again, she wouldn’t lay out this pathetic state so thoroughly.

But once she found her, how would she start the conversation?

The bone-chilling cold of the slippery bathroom wall against her back seemed to rise again. How hard had she pushed her then?

The light from the window cut a half-bright, half-dark shadow on Liang Yongping’s face. That whisper was the last thing Qin Shui had said to her, “Yongping, I won’t force you anymore.”

And then, days of dead silence.

She had opened the door countless times, looked up at the second floor, but unfortunately, it was always dark. Two mornings ago, she couldn’t help but go up to the second floor to take a look. She knocked on the door. She stood at the unanswered door for a moment, and in a daze, she lowered her eyes and saw the listless pothos by the window.

Liang Yongping watered it for her. She looked at it quietly. “How do I say I love you?”

Liang Yongping’s thoughts were interrupted by a burst of laughter. She heard a familiar voice. Forgetting to even put on her coat, she quickly opened the door, almost rushing out.

Then, Liang Yongping froze on the spot.

Qin Shui was still wearing that dark green cheongsam, just like the first time they met. But this time, she was not alone. An equally beautiful and delicate woman was standing beside her, holding her arm, her head lowered as she spoke to Qin Shui, “Not at all. Don’t you like it?”

Liang Yongping stood at the door, the water from her hair dripping onto the floor with a “drip,” creating a huge ice cellar.

Her and Qin Shui’s eyes met, but the other person quickly looked away, as if she hadn’t seen her.

She heard Qin Shui say gently, “I like it.”

Qin Shui lowered her head, but what she saw were the marks on the woman’s neck and the corners of her lips. She sneered in her heart.

Even if you’re not here, she can still live with her fiancée.

The love you thought you had is nothing in Liang Yongping’s heart.

What being forced to stay with that woman? It’s all a lie.

She grabbed the woman’s hand beside her and walked upstairs without looking back.

Liang Yongping found that she had lost her voice at this moment. She opened her mouth, and the moment a tear rolled out of her eye, she suddenly turned back, slammed the door shut, stood behind the door, gasping for breath, and then bit her lip hard, afraid that her crying would be heard.

She closed her eyes.

It was all over.

Half an hour later, Bai Xiao returned home from grocery shopping and saw the listless Liang Yongping sitting on the sofa. She frowned and scolded her.

Finding that Liang Yongping still didn’t react, she walked over and grabbed her. Only then did Liang Yongping fight back.

But this time, Liang Yongping didn’t manage to escape.

The sofa made an old creaking sound. Liang Yongping closed her eyes. It was as if she could still hear Qin Shui’s gentle whispers to another. Wasn’t this what she wanted?

This result was what she deserved.

Gradually, Liang Yongping couldn’t even feel the physical pain. Her clenched fists slowly relaxed.

**

“I almost couldn’t keep up with your rhythm.” Shen Ruoxi took the coat that Zhao Jia handed her and passed it to Jiang Mi, joking, “Teacher Jiang, you’re hiding your talents, aren’t you?”

Zhao Jia burst out laughing. “Teacher Shen, please stop! If you keep praising her, our Mimi will turn into an embryo.”

Jiang Mi’s emotions hadn’t subsided yet, so she could only manage a weak smile. Her heart was still aching with a sour pain, so stuffy it was unbearable.

That person was Qin Shui, and also Yan Wei. In her heart, for a moment, the illusion and reality had merged, a kind of unprecedented dull pain.

Her tears didn’t even need to be brewed.

It was as if that person had really left her.

The traces of Jiang Mi’s crying were still clearly imprinted on her face. Her eyes were rimmed with a faint red, and the tip of her small nose was also dyed with an eye-catching pink. Upon closer inspection, there were even tear marks at the corners of her eyes.

That bright curve, and the lingering fragility, formed a strange sense of contrast.

Shen Ruoxi looked at her with envy. How could someone be so likable? She really couldn’t help but get close to Jiang Mi. She let out a soft laugh, jumped to Jiang Mi’s side, and looked down at Jiang Mi’s collarbone. “You know, this makeup effect is really good. It looks so real.”

Jiang Mi looked down, but she couldn’t see it very clearly. Her voice was still hoarse from crying. “Yeah, the makeup artist is very good.”

Shen Ruoxi said, “When I saw your injuries just now, and you were crying there, I felt so sorry for you.”

Jiang Mi sighed. She understood Liang Yongping a little too well.

Pitiful? She was pitiful.

But all the consequences stemmed from the initial choice.

Yan Wei and her scene partner, Li Yuan, were walking down the stairs one after the other.

“Teacher Yan, actually, I… am your fan,” Li Yuan’s voice echoed in the empty stairwell.

“Thank you.”

“I’ve watched all of your works. Assassin L is especially good. I’ve watched it no less than ten times.”

“That’s very kind of you.” Yan Wei’s gaze brushed past her shoulder and landed downstairs—Shen Ruoxi was bending over, her fingertips almost touching Jiang Mi’s collarbone.

Yan Wei’s brow furrowed very slightly.

Li Yuan beside her seemed to be still saying something, but it all buzzed into a background noise. Before Yan Wei could hear clearly, her footsteps had already passed through the stairwell and headed towards the two of them.

Shen Ruoxi was facing the stairwell and was the first to catch the approaching presence. The lines of her back instantly tensed. “Teacher Yan.”

Jiang Mi noticed that even Shen Ruoxi’s voice had tightened.

Yan Wei nodded slightly in response, but her gaze was locked on Jiang Mi’s face like a nail. She didn’t say a word, and the air seemed to freeze slightly.

A short cough escaped Jiang Mi’s throat. She stiffly threw out a social trump card, “Teacher Yan, you acted so well.”

Beside her, Shen Ruoxi nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, that… I’ll go check on the set.”

Before she could finish, she had already quickly slipped away.

Jiang Mi watched Shen Ruoxi’s fleeing afterimage, and when she turned back, Yan Wei was already right in front of her.

That familiar, slightly intoxicating scent of brandy quietly wafted over. Jiang Mi followed this scent and looked up, only to see the actress she had just been acting with standing a few steps behind Yan Wei, looking this way.

Jiang Mi subconsciously smiled at the other person.

Seeing this, the person seemed to lift her foot as if to move forward. She quickly restrained her smile and secretly took a half step back, wanting to create a safe distance from Yan Wei.

She didn’t know if Yan Wei had noticed her thought. The moment this thought flashed through her mind, a flash of white passed before her eyes, and a sudden coolness came from the side of her neck and collarbone—Yan Wei’s fingertips had unexpectedly pressed against her. Following the highlighted line of her collarbone, she gently rubbed it with her thumb.

Jiang Mi’s body instantly froze, and a fine shiver shot through her spine…

She hastily looked around, her gaze sweeping over a few faces that were looking this way with curiosity. Her heart shrank, and her voice was so low it was just a whisper, “There are a lot of people!”

Yan Wei’s gaze was glued to the Alpha’s pale red earlobe. The gloomy, nameless fire in her chest strangely dissipated, and a special kind of pleasure welled up.

The corners of her lips curved imperceptibly, so fast it was like an illusion, and then returned to an indifferent look in an instant. She withdrew her hand, and the lingering sensation on her fingertips made her rub them gently.

“Your makeup was smudged. I was just wiping it.” Her voice was steady, as if stating a fact. “Jiang Mi, what are you flustered about?”

Jiang Mi: “…”

“What are you thinking?”

“Nothing. I’m thinking about how to thank you.”

Jiang Mi was speechless. Yan Wei was clearly teasing her…

Yan Wei took another step forward, almost brushing past Jiang Mi’s shoulder. “Is that so? Then you should think carefully.”

Before she could respond, she had already decisively turned around. But as she passed by Shen Ruoxi, her gaze seemed to sweep over her, both unintentionally and precisely.

The hairs on Shen Ruoxi’s back stood on end.

“…” Yan Wei was definitely not interested in her. Yan Wei seemed to want to kill her.

She rubbed her arms fiercely. After Yan Wei had walked a safe distance away, she shot over to Jiang Mi, who was preparing to touch up her makeup. “Mimi, Mimi, quick, tell me, what did the Movie Queen do to you just now? My angle was bad, I didn’t see anything!”

Jiang Mi didn’t even lift her eyelids. “…Nothing.”

After a pause, she still felt the need to fudge it a bit. “Just… my makeup on my collarbone was a little flawed, and she kindly reminded me.”

The makeup artist at the side happened to be looking down to check, her face full of confusion. “It looks fine, doesn’t it? Where is it smudged?”

“…” Jiang Mi was silent for a moment, then decisively switched the topic. “Teacher Shen, when are you going to treat me to that meal you owe me?”

Shen Ruoxi’s spirits lifted at this. “There’s no time like the present. Tonight?”

“Tonight… no.”

“You have something to do?”

“Mmm… I have plans with someone.”

“Who?” Shen Ruoxi blurted out.

Jiang Mi pursed her lips. She had originally wanted to tell a small lie, but she was afraid of being exposed later. After a few seconds of rapid thinking, she said, “Just an elder.”

A prop cart was pushed over, rolling over the concrete floor, making a piercing sound. Shen Ruoxi only caught a vague outline. “An elder?”

Jiang Mi realized that this topic was also not very friendly to her and decided to end it. She nodded quickly and said, “Mmm, yes, yes.”

She guiltily glanced in the direction where Yan Wei had disappeared. Anyway, Yan Wei can’t hear.