After Failing To Win Over the Yandere Best Actress, I Got Marked - Chapter 21.1

“It’s not about the rewards!” Su Jin snapped. “Forget the rewards what about the punishments? If this happens again if I do the task but fail because of your technical issues. I shouldn’t be the one punished, right?”

【This…】

The System stammered.

【There is no problem with my programming. I will continue my self-check. Don’t worry, Host. Haven’t I waived the punishment this time?】

“I’m talking about next time! Next time!” Su Jin roared. “If you don’t give me a reasonable solution, I won’t do any more tasks. I’ll wait until you finish your self-check before I move again.”

【That’s not allowed!】

The System grew frantic.

【Tasks must be done! There is no room for negotiation on this.】

“Then the punishment…”

The System went silent. Su Jin remained silent as well.

The two were locked in a wordless standoff. After a long while, the System finally yielded.

【Fine, fine. I will ‘leak some water’ regarding the punishment. I won’t be as strict as before. Is that enough?】

Su Jin stayed silent, clearly unsatisfied.

【Punishments are hard-coded programs! It’s already difficult for me to relax the rules. If I’m caught by the higher-ups, I’ll be the one in trouble!】

Su Jin looked down at her hands, still saying nothing.

The System hissed through its metaphorical teeth.

【Host, think carefully. If you don’t do the tasks, your body will be taken over by the program. If you end up doing things you don’t want to do, then…】

Su Jin’s heart skipped a beat. She knew she had pushed the System to its limit. She dropped the threatening act. “I won’t argue about the punishment anymore, but I have one condition: you cannot forcibly take control of my body!”

【That’s impossible! What if you use that condition to stop doing tasks altogether? What would I do then?】

“Don’t you still have the punishments? I’m already letting the punishment issue slide, and you’re still being stingy over this small condition?” She pouted. “This mission was your fault anyway. I wonder if there’s a complaint window. Even if there isn’t, I’ll eventually meet another task-taker. Their System might be different from you. I could leave them a message to have their System notify your boss. If the higher-ups find out about today…”

【Fine!】 The System interrupted, its voice practically grinding with resentment.

【Fine, I promise! I won’t forcibly take control of your body. Happy now?】

Su Jin was satisfied. “It’s a deal! If you go back on your word, I’ll spread the word.”

【I won’t!】 The System sounded like it was about to crash from rage.

Su Jin smiled. “Alright, go do your thing. I’ll handle Ye Qinglan. There won’t be any more mistakes.”

Almost the instant she finished speaking, the System vanished. It was clear how furious it was.

She waited a moment to ensure the System was gone before sighing in relief and looking up to meet Ye Qinglan’s gaze. Ye Qinglan had been in the bathroom, overhearing everything.

Ye Qinglan smiled with pride. “Well done.”

Su Jin smiled back but then grew worried. “Will it really not suspect anything? What if it does something to you?”

“Not for now.” Ye Qinglan tucked a stray hair behind Su Jin’s ear. “It will only think I’m an unstable Omega trying to use an ‘exploit’ to mark you.”

“That’s good then.” Su Jin relaxed. “Shall we go back now?”

Ye Qinglan shook her head, her voice softening. “I’ll have the driver take you back first. I have some things to handle here.”

Su Jin wanted to ask what, but seeing the look in Ye Qinglan’s eyes, she swallowed her words. She nodded and dragged her exhausted body out of the hotel.

The moment Su Jin left, the tenderness on Ye Qinglan’s face vanished, replaced by a cold, murderous intent. She took out her phone and dialed a number. “Is everything ready?”

A respectful voice replied, “Everything is done as you ordered, President Ye. Miss Fang Qi ‘accidentally’ drank the ‘sobering soup’ you prepared. She is currently on her way to President Song’s room.”

“Good.” Ye Qinglan’s lips curled. “And the livestream equipment?”

“Adjustments are complete. I guarantee the whole internet will be able to ‘appreciate’ this show.”

Hanging up, Ye Qinglan walked to the window. She watched an inconspicuous black sedan pull out of the hotel parking lot.

Meanwhile, in Room 2103.

The cold air from the AC swirled with the heavy scent of alcohol and perfume, thickening in the dim light. The air was cloying with expensive scents and fermented booze, mixed with torn lace and discarded false eyelashes a sordid still life of a farce.

Fang Qi woke up groggily to find herself in a strange bed with a woman reeking of alcohol. Before she could scream, she saw a tablet on the nightstand. The screen showed her and Song Jing in a state of undress, with comments scrolling at lightning speed.

[Holy crap! The late-night slot is really explosive!] [What are the mods doing? Why isn’t this banned?] [Aaaaaah, Mom, I’m seeing a porno on social media!] [It was banned! It was down for 3 hours and 43 minutes last night during the climax. This is a new room that just opened this morning.] [Click here to see the 3h 43m unedited version…] …

As she realized what was happening, Fang Qi’s pupils shrank. she scrambled for her phone and found her and Song Jing’s names at the top of the trending charts.

#SongJingFangQiLateNightHotelSexTape

#SongJingFangQi3Hours43Minutes

#SongJingFangQiHotelAffair

“No!” Fang Qi’s scream pierced the night, but it was too late.

Her voice woke Song Jing. Upon learning what happened, Song Jing’s face turned livid. Without a word, they dressed hurriedly and prepared to leave.

However, as soon as the door opened, they were swarmed by waiting paparazzi. Flashbulbs rained down like a storm, and microphones were shoved into Fang Qi’s trembling face.

“Miss Fang! Rumors say this video was a stunt for your new movie. Was this part of your plan to go viral?” “Producer Song! Your artists are constantly involved in sex scandals. Does this reflect your personal ‘workplace style’? That clip of you tearing Miss Fang’s dress is that a ‘special casting standard’ at your company?” “We heard Best Actress Ye Qinglan was also at the hotel dinner last night. Did she know about your ‘late-night script reading’? Is there a conflict of interest regarding the recent Song Corporation investment?”

Fang Qi tried to hide her face with her bag, but a reporter grabbed her wrist. “Miss Fang, don’t go! Netizens are wondering if you used similar methods to steal resources from others in the past!”

“Get away! Get away from me!”

Fang Qi’s mascara had long since run, mixing with sweat to form black streaks down her face. She couldn’t break free, and Song Jing was in no better shape. They had never been this humiliated, and the scent lingering from the room behind them broadcasted exactly what they had been doing to the world.

Finally, their bodyguards arrived and escorted them out. Once in the car, Song Jing grabbed Fang Qi’s chin with enough force to nearly crush it.

“I will get to the bottom of this! I won’t let anyone who framed me get away with it!”

Fang Qi cried out in pain. “I… I’m a victim too! I don’t know how it turned into this!”

“You’d better be!” Song Jing shoved her away, wiping her hands with a tissue in disgust. “Song Corp will handle this. Until the heat dies down, you are not to appear in public. Do you hear me?”

Fang Qi bit her lip and bowed her head in humiliation. “I… I understand.”

Seeing her compliance, Song Jing looked away. “To the hospital! Schedule a full physical exam.” She added under her breath, “Who knows if she has some disease.”

Fang Qi clenched her fists. Catching a glimpse of a figure out the window, her hatred deepened. Ye Qinglan! This has to be her revenge! I won’t let this go. Just you wait; I’ll make her pay.

In a dark corner, Ye Qinglan watched the farce with an expressionless face. Her phone rang.

“President Ye, the paparazzi have been briefed, and the internet trolls have been deployed. They are the top search on every major site.” “Also, Weibo reports that President Song and Miss Fang are spending a lot of money to remove the trending topics. Should we buy them back up?”

“No need,” she said. “The momentum is enough. Even if they want to pull them down, they won’t be able to.” From this day forward, whenever anyone in the industry mentioned scandals, they would remember this ‘erotic’ news. This was her goal: complete social and professional ruin.

When Ye Qinglan returned home, Su Jin was curled up on the sofa looking at her phone. Her brow was furrowed as she scrolled through the trending topics.

The System commented:

【This is definitely Ye Qinglan’s handiwork. Revenge for being drugged by Fang Qi.】

Su Jin countered:

【Not necessarily. Maybe it was some weird kinky play between them?】

The System scoffed:

【Are you crazy or are they? Who plays like that in front of the whole internet? This was a setup, and Ye Qinglan is the most likely culprit.】

Su Jin agreed, but she was still processing it. She didn’t have time to think further before Ye Qinglan’s voice sounded behind her. “What are you looking at?”

Su Jin jumped, nearly dropping her phone. Ye Qinglan sat beside her and glanced at the screen. It was the trending page for #SongJingFangQiLivestream, and the comment section was brutal.

[Did these two think the hotel was their own bedroom? Live-streaming that? No shame!] [Doesn’t Fang Qi market herself as an independent woman? Then she crawls into an old woman’s bed? Is this “saving the nation through a curve” or “resource exchange”?] [Someone dug up dirt on Fang Qi stealing a supporting role three years ago! Turns out her career is just a history of sleeping her way to the top.] [Ban them! This trash shouldn’t be polluting the entertainment industry.] …

Su Jin met her eyes and instinctively flipped her phone face down on the sofa. “N-nothing, just browsing the news.”

Ye Qinglan hummed. “Take a good look. Heaven may forgive sins, but self-inflicted ones are fatal.” She stared intently at Su Jin. “This is what happens to those who do bad things.”

Su Jin awkwardly looked away. “I told you I was forced… and I’ve already ‘atoned’ with my body.”

Ye Qinglan reached out and gripped her chin, her thumb stroking the skin. She smiled dangerously. “That is the only reason you are sitting here unharmed. If today happens again, your end won’t be any better than theirs.”

“I… I know.” Su Jin jerked her chin away.

She clenched her teeth, screaming internally: [Damn System, it’s all your fault! Not only is my identity exposed, but I’m being threatened! If she does something to me, you’re going down too. We’ll die together!]

The System comforted her: 【Don’t worry, just don’t let her find out again in the future.】 Su Jin rolled her eyes. [Easy for you to say. Who can restrain a blackened villain?] 【Don’t worry, I’ll help you.】

Despite its words, the System’s suspicion of Su Jin had lessened. Seeing them so antagonistic toward each other made it seem impossible that Su Jin was siding with Ye Qinglan.

Silence fell over the living room. A strange tension lingered between them, as if the heated encounter at the hotel had never happened yet the faint, intertwined pheromones in the air betrayed them. The bond after a marking wasn’t something cold indifference could sever.

After a while, Su Jin finally spoke: “Song Jing and Fang Qi are in trouble. What about the drama we’re filming? Will they be replaced?”

“No.” Ye Qinglan picked up a glass of water, the light reflecting a cold hue in her eyes. “At most, their scenes will be delayed. Once the heat dies down, they’ll come back to finish filming.”

Su Jin was confused. “Is Fang Qi’s background that strong? This kind of thing can be suppressed?”

Ye Qinglan smirked, neither confirming nor denying.

“Then you… will the person who dealt with them be retaliated against?” Su Jin asked worriedly. “Will they be hard to deal with?”

Ye Qinglan raised an eyebrow. “You’re worried about me.”

It was almost a self-exposure. Su Jin froze, but before she could speak, a phone rang sharply. It was a string of unfamiliar numbers. The moment Ye Qinglan saw the number, the expression on her face vanished. She hung up without a second thought.

Ring..

The phone rang again. Same number. Then, a text message arrived:

Ye Qinglan, your wings have grown strong, haven’t they? You won’t even pick up your father’s calls?