After Entering A Marriage of Convenience With My Omega Rival - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Let’s Share a Bed for a Moment

Tonight, the stars over Beijing clustered together, illuminating the sky above Spark TV Station as bright as day.

The early spring chill had passed, and with the fine weather, the organizers had set up an outdoor stage. Fans carrying light-up support boards were flooding into the venue, a scene of excited but orderly chaos. This was the industry’s most anticipated annual awards ceremony, one with immense prestige.

The seats closest to the stage were nearly full, save for two empty spots right in the center—the “C-positions.” These were reserved for the heavyweight guests of the night. Every staff member who passed by froze when they saw the name tags on the chairs: Jian Jixing and Sheng Ruxi. They swallowed their gasps, thinking: Are the organizers not afraid of a disaster? Why on earth would they seat these two together?

In the control room, the camera briefly panned over the names. The director, trembling with nerves, quickly cut the feed away.

“Sister Cheng, is… is Director Jian coming or not?”

Gu Shengcheng looked at her phone. Fifteen minutes ago, Jian Jixing had mentioned being stuck in traffic and hadn’t replied since. She clicked her tongue. “She will. Adjust the schedule; push it back ten minutes. Did you tell Sheng Ruxi’s side?”

It was strange. Jian Jixing was famously punctual.

The staff member sighed, looking pained. “Who dares to tell her? When Teacher Sheng found out Director Jian was the one presenting her award, she already threw a tantrum. If she finds out it’s being delayed too… she’ll explode.”

Everyone knew Sheng Ruxi had a haughty temper. Rumor had it she came from a powerful background and had been pampered since birth. But no one could deny her talent—or her face. She was a blooming rose, thorns and all, impossible to ignore. A young miss who joined the entertainment industry and climbed to peak after peak.

Even more famous than her background was her feud with Jian Jixing. Since their youth, they had been like fire and water, utterly incompatible. It was only because the producer, Gu Shengcheng, was bold enough that she dared to pair them, hoping for a “thaw” in their icy relationship on such a formal stage.

As it turned out, one wasn’t on stage, and the other hadn’t even reached the studio. Great.

…

In the backstage lounge, Sheng Ruxi sat on the sofa like a proud peacock, her back elegantly straight. As long as she was under the spotlight, she maintained her perfection—proud, beautiful, never bowing her head. It was an instinct, a result of her upbringing.

In her life, only two things had ever caused her frustration. The first was failing to win over Chu Wu in middle school. But that was fine, because her rival, Jian Jixing, had failed too. Her own failure was regrettable, but her rival’s failure was a delight.

As for the second thing… Sheng Ruxi glared at Jian Jixing’s chat window on her phone. Three minutes ago, staff told her her award presentation would be delayed by fifteen minutes. She knew exactly who it was for.

As the industry’s youngest “dark horse” director, Jian Jixing was a heavyweight everyone wanted to flatter. Even with a frown, Sheng Ruxi’s beauty made her jewelry look dull. She lowered her head, her snowy neck long and graceful. If it weren’t for the faint, aching throb coming from her scent gland, she wouldn’t bother contacting Jian Jixing at all.

Her assistant, Tuanzi, hesitated. “The program arranged this hoping you two could set aside your grievances…”

“Grievances? What grievances could I have with her?” Sheng Ruxi snorted, her diamond earrings swaying. Her slender stiletto heel dangled from her foot, radiating an air of spoiled elegance. “It’s better if she doesn’t come. That way, Wu-wu will only have eyes for me.”

After gulping down half a glass of water, the irritability in her chest subsided slightly. She looked away from the screen. She wouldn’t repeat the mistake of two months ago—Jian Jixing would always be the one begging her for mercy.

…

Kilometers away, a heavy motorcycle was roaring down the highway. The woman in the biker suit handled the steel beast with ease, her hair fluttering beneath her helmet. Though her face was hidden, her all-black silhouette was striking in the night.

At a red light, people recognized the tall, arrogant frame and the elite Beijing license plate. “Jian Jixing!!” “Ahhh! Director Jian! Look over here!” “Has anyone else ever actually sat on the back of her bike?”

Jian Jixing didn’t hold back her charm. She flipped up her visor, revealing eyes as dark as the night, smirked at a camera, revved the engine, and sped off.

When she finally reached the studio, a staff member was waiting. “Director Jian, your segment with Sheng Ruxi was pushed back ten minutes. You can still make it to the wings.”

Jian Jixing’s legs were long. The staff member panted to keep up and was surprised when Jian Jixing caught her with a smile to steady her. The girl’s face turned bright red. Truly, the “Universal Wrench” of the entertainment industry—even though she publicly claimed to be waiting for a “White Moonlight,” Omegas still lined up for her.

Jian Jixing glanced at her phone. The contact labeled “The Young Miss” showed a chat history spanning months.

Two months ago: Jian Jixing: 【Today?】 Young Miss: 【You haven’t begged me yet!】

Last month: Young Miss: 【Fulfill your duties.】 Jian Jixing: 【On set. No interest in biting anyone.】

Yesterday: Young Miss: 【Let’s share a bed for a moment.】

Then this morning, a photo from the “Young Miss” showing Jian Jixing’s Land Rover in a repair shop after an accident. Young Miss: 【You didn’t send my dress. The car is useless, just like its owner.】

Sheng Ruxi had used the car as an excuse to steal Jian Jixing’s ride to pick up her high-fashion gown, only to get into a fender bender. That was the real reason Jian Jixing was late. But she knew Sheng Ruxi felt zero guilt; she was likely backstage cursing her right now.

…

The ten minutes were almost up. Jian Jixing was still missing. Sheng Ruxi tilted her chin up, waiting for the host to announce her name so she could go up alone.

Just as she prepared to step out, a cold breeze brushed her cheek. The sudden chill made the skin on her bare back break into goosebumps. The cells in her body recognized it before she did—the scent of heavy incense. It was faint, but it pressed down with an undeniable weight, pinning her in place.

On the screen, next to Sheng Ruxi’s glamorous face, another spirited, beautiful face appeared. Jian Jixing had dark, piercing eyes and a high brow ridge that gave her an aggressive, unattainable beauty. In her red gown, she looked radiant.

“Sorry to keep everyone waiting,” Jian Jixing said nonchalantly into the mic. “A thief broke into my house this morning and I couldn’t find my things, so I’m a bit late.” She toyed with her trophy, glancing at Sheng Ruxi. “I’m a devoted person in everything I do. This result isn’t surprising.”

When Sheng Ruxi stood beside her, she looked like a piece of exquisite, unbroken porcelain. She was 168cm, but even in heels, she was slightly shorter than Jian Jixing. Jian Jixing, in a good mood, reached out and adjusted the microphone downward for her.

What? Are you mocking my height? Sheng Ruxi glared at her, chin raised. She took a wet wipe from an assistant and wiped the microphone down—a blatant display of their discord for the world to see.

The host sweated. “And now… the winner of this year’s Best Actress… Director Jian, please present the award to Sheng Ruxi.”

Jian Jixing handed over the “Little Golden Man” trophy quickly, neither of them looking at the other. Host: “Do you two have any plans to collaborate?” Jian Jixing: “That’s difficult. My film sets are grueling. I wouldn’t want to bother Movie Queen Sheng with ‘seeking out hardship.'”

Sheng Ruxi smiled flawlessly at the camera. “Thank you for your concern, Director Jian. You should take care of your health too; the industry needs your contributions. Your films are a bit… abstract. I don’t understand them, so I can’t act in them.”

The audience went silent. The two stars were trading barbs live on stage.

…

After the ceremony, they had to interact with fans on a livestream. Sheng Ruxi waved her trophy at the lens. “Wu-wu, are you watching? Look, I won again!” She sounded like a kitten boasting to a girlfriend. A user with a scrambled ID sent a “Dream Castle” gift. It was Chu Wu.

Jian Jixing stepped into the frame, leaning her head close to Sheng Ruxi’s. “Professor Chu, did you see? I can even present this award. Not bad, right?” The meaning was clear: Since neither of us caught you, you should love us equally.

Chu Wu sent an identical gift to Jian Jixing. Sheng Ruxi hissed under her breath, “Jian Jixing… you just have to compete with me even here.” “Just catching up with an old friend,” Jian Jixing teased. She leaned in closer. Her breath was like a silk thread dancing on Sheng Ruxi’s shoulder.

Sheng Ruxi, flushed with anger, ripped off her earpiece and stormed backstage. Inside the dressing room, she immediately demanded suppressants. But Jian Jixing followed her in, lounging lazily on the sofa—the polar opposite of Sheng Ruxi’s rigid posture.

The door closed. The room began to fill with a scent like burnt caramel—warm, dense, and soft. It was the smell of Sheng Ruxi’s pheromones. Jian Jixing leaned forward, her hand reaching out as if to pull Sheng Ruxi closer.

Sheng Ruxi leaned back, her slender leg extending from her skirt. Her heel landed squarely on Jian Jixing’s knee, pinning her down. “Today?” Jian Jixing asked, amused. “No interest in being bitten,” Sheng Ruxi snapped. “When will you stop being so stubborn?” “Me? Stubborn? Compared to you?” Sheng Ruxi sneered. “When Director Jian bites my gland, it feels like being ground by a stone.”

She peeled back her hair to apply a scent-blocking patch. “Director Jian is so virtuous, staying single for 28 years because you couldn’t get your heart’s desire. But everyone knows the real reason… it’s because you’re incompetent with every Omega’s pheromones—”

Before she could finish the word “incompetent,” her world tilted. Jian Jixing grabbed her heel and lifted. The stiletto was now pressed against Jian Jixing’s chest. Jian Jixing stood up, forcing Sheng Ruxi’s leg up toward her shoulder.

Sheng Ruxi’s breath hitched. She was trapped, her leg trembling. Tears of frustration—a reflex she hated—began to fall. “Then I suppose God favors me,” Jian Jixing’s voice turned cold and magnetic. She caught a tear on her finger and wiped it across Sheng Ruxi’s cheek.

“Sheng Ruxi… the only time your mouth is ever soft is when you’re begging me to mark you.”