After Being Bound to the Scummy Alpha System, I Became Famous Thanks to My Face Blindness - Chapter 40

Hearing that, Tang Ling froze on the spot.

She took a deep breath, pried Tan Shiyi’s hands off her one finger at a time, and turned around to face her. Her tone was calm but firm.

“Do you even know what you’re saying?”

Tan Shiyi’s eyes dimmed with disappointment. “You’re going to reject me again, aren’t you?”

Tang Ling tried to reason with her. “This isn’t about rejecting you. Do you understand what a mark means? The relationship between us—it’s not suitable for something like that.”

Tan Shiyi asked softly, “Why not? Jiang Manli said you already liked me before you joined the show. Is that true? If you really like me, then prove it.”

Tang Ling silently cursed Jiang Manli in her heart, then tried to coax her, “Of course I like you, but I can’t force you. Something like this—it has to come from mutual feelings.”

Tan Shiyi’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Then how do you know it isn’t mutual?”

Tang Ling’s breath caught. “You.”

Tan Shiyi lifted her face again, eyes bright and unwavering. “Tang Ling, mark me. Make me yours. Please?”

Her confession was so intense that Tang Ling’s face turned crimson. Before she could even think of a response, Xiao Nan’s voice exploded in her mind.

“See! I told you Tang Shiyi really liked you! You didn’t believe me! Now tell me—did I win this round or not?”

Tang Ling was dumbfounded. “Tan Shiyi likes me?”

“Obviously she does!” Xiao Nan replied indignantly. “What more do you want her to do—write it across her forehead?”

Tang Ling stammered, “I—I really didn’t see it. She’s drunk, she’s just being emotional, right?”

“Host, you’re hopelessly dense. You don’t understand girls at all! Anyway, I’ll leave you two to it. Time to start the marking ritual, hehehe.”

“Wait! But I—”

Tang Ling’s words faltered as she looked down and met Tan Shiyi’s gaze. Her cheeks, flushed a plum-colored red from the wine, glowed under the soft light. Her bright eyes didn’t blink, just quietly waited for Tang Ling’s answer.

Tang Ling’s composure completely unraveled.

In the two months since she’d arrived in this world, there was no one she’d grown closer to than Tan Shiyi. From mutual misunderstanding to genuine trust, she admired Tan Shiyi’s sense of responsibility and couldn’t help but feel protective toward her fragility.

But if she had to define what kind of feelings those were, love had never crossed her mind.

After all, in the original novel, Tan Shiyi had an official CP. Tang Ling herself was supposed to be nothing more than a disposable background character trying to survive.

And now Tan Shiyi was saying she liked her?

That was way too far off-script.

Completely blindsiding.

Tang Ling tried to reason gently, “I understand how you feel. But you’ve been drinking. If I mark you now, it would feel like taking advantage of you. Take your medicine first, and when you’re sober, we can talk. Okay?”

Tan Shiyi pouted. “You think I don’t know what you’re thinking? You’re afraid that once I’m sober, I’ll forget everything, aren’t you?”

Her voice was soft and a little hazy. “But how could I forget? When I’m clear-headed, the feeling only cuts deeper.”

Tang Ling had to admit—Tan Shiyi looked devastatingly alluring like this, gaze heavy with longing. But she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. It would be too scummy.

Wait. Scummy?

Xiao Nan’s voice piped up enthusiastically,

“Host! You’re still short on Scummy Alpha Points, right? Then go for it! Mark her and dump her after—your points will skyrocket!”

Tang Ling: “?”

“Mark her and then dump her? Did I mishear you, or have you lost your damn mind?”

Xiao Nan sniffled dramatically,

“Sweet moments always come at a price. If tonight can be peaceful and beautiful, then who cares if tomorrow brings chaos?”

Tang Ling’s brain spun at full speed. As crazy as Xiao Nan sounded, the plan would work. If she marked Tan Shiyi tonight and acted heartless tomorrow, her Scummy Alpha Value would surely explode.

But, she couldn’t do it. Using Tan Shiyi like that would be beneath her. Tan Shiyi’s feelings were sincere—how could she trample them?

And then, Tan Shiyi spoke again, voice trembling ever so slightly.

“Even if it’s only for tonight, I don’t care. Tomorrow, if you don’t want to admit it, that’s fine. Just let me pretend this is a dream—just for now.”

A sharp ache stabbed through Tang Ling’s chest. She knew Tan Shiyi wasn’t truly as bold and confident as she appeared. She hadn’t expected her to be so heartbreakingly humble.

Without thinking, Tang Ling pulled her into her arms. “Don’t say things like that. You’re amazing—you deserve the best.”

Tan Shiyi blinked up at her, eyes shining with quiet sincerity.

“In my heart,” she said softly, “you are the best.”

Tang Ling’s heart gave a sudden tremor.

Her gaze lingered on Tan Shiyi’s soft, full lips—so red and delicate—and she couldn’t help wondering which angle would taste the sweetest if she kissed her.

Sensing her hesitation, Tan Shiyi rose on tiptoe and brushed a kiss against Tang Ling’s cheek.

The kiss was feather-light—soft, fragrant, and tender—like a wisp of cloud drifting past, suffused with an innocent sweetness that words couldn’t quite capture.

Something in Tang Ling’s heart stirred. She lowered her head and captured Tan Shiyi’s lips.

Tan Shiyi grew bolder, wrapping her arms around Tang Ling’s neck and kissing her back with eager warmth.

They were both still new to kissing—last time had been a moment of wild, uncontrolled passion.

But this time, amid the heat, there was a touch of care and restraint, as if each feared to hurt the other.

No one knew how long they kissed before finally pulling apart, both breathing hard, cheeks flushed.

Tang Ling averted her eyes, a little embarrassed.

“Let’s go inside,” she murmured. “If someone sees us doing this in the hallway, it wouldn’t be good.”

Tan Shiyi lowered her head and whispered, “Then let’s go in.”

If they still held back a little in the corridor, once the door closed behind them, restraint was forgotten.

Tan Shiyi pushed Tang Ling back onto the bed and straddled her lap, kissing her again.

Tang Ling held her by the waist, letting her take the lead.

“Tang Ling,” Tan Shiyi murmured between breaths, “why don’t you just make a permanent mark on me? Then we’ll never have to be apart.”

Tang Ling’s heart jolted. She couldn’t agree—just the temporary mark was already a serious transgression.

How could she make it permanent?

She soothed gently, “We’ll talk about that after you’ve sobered up, alright? It’s too important to decide rashly.”

Tan Shiyi tilted her head. “You’re not going to go back on your word when I’m sober, are you?”

Tang Ling’s chest ached. Not only will I go back on my word, she thought miserably, I’ll probably have to run away, too.

Faced with Tan Shiyi’s pure, trusting gaze, shame flooded her. She closed her eyes and kissed her again instead of answering.

Perhaps Tan Shiyi sensed that this sweetness was only a fleeting illusion. She didn’t press further—she simply lost herself in the moment.

It wasn’t their first time, yet this time felt different—more hesitant, almost reverent—because they were both sober enough to know exactly what they were doing.

When Tang Ling’s eyes fell on the faintly swollen glands at the back of Tan Shiyi’s neck, she hesitated, unsure how to proceed.

To complete the temporary mark, she had to bite through the glands.

But she couldn’t bear to hurt her.

Tan Shiyi seemed to read her thoughts. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “I’m not afraid of the pain.”

The faint scent of osmanthus and sweet milk slowly filled the room, then faded.

When it was over, Tang Ling gently cleaned her up and carried her back to her own bed.

She knew that if she sent Tan Shiyi back to her own room right now, her “Scummy Alpha Value” would skyrocket.

But she couldn’t bring herself to be that heartless.

Since tomorrow was destined to bring heartbreak anyway, she wanted tonight to have at least a trace of tenderness.

They fell asleep in each other’s arms.

Tan Shiyi nestled quietly against her chest, not making a sound.

Tang Ling didn’t know if she was asleep—but she herself couldn’t rest.

Images of the past two months kept flashing through her mind—moments of laughter, glances she’d brushed off, subtle hints she’d failed to see.

Only now did she realize just how many steps Tan Shiyi had taken toward her—how long she had been standing still.

And the clearer that truth became, the heavier her guilt grew.

For the sake of something as meaningless as a “Scummy Alpha Value,” she had trampled on Tan Shiyi’s genuine affection. The more she thought about it, the more disgusted she felt with herself.

Xiao Nan’s voice sounded in her mind.

“Host, don’t be sad. We did it for the bigger picture. The faster your wound heals, the sooner Shiyi won’t have to worry, right?”

Tang Ling muttered irritably, “Bigger picture, my ass. When she finds out tomorrow that I’ve been lying to her, she’ll probably wish I’d stayed injured forever.”

Xiao Nan hesitated. “No, she wouldn’t wish that. At worst, she’ll just think a love fraud like you deserved to get hurt.”

Tang Ling: “That’s not comforting at all.”

Outside, the rain kept falling, fine and endless.

A cool, sticky sea breeze slipped through the window.

Worried she might get cold, Tang Ling pulled the light blanket up over Tan Shiyi’s stomach and held her a little tighter in her arms.