After Redeeming the Female Lead, I Faked My Death and Escaped - Chapter 2.1

In the past, the original host had been utterly subservient in front of Gu Qingzhu, never daring to make her wait like this.

But the person standing before her now was not the same Xu Ying from before. The woman’s cold tone meant nothing to Xu Ying. However, if she wanted to leave this place, she had to follow the system’s instructions, play the role of “Xu Ying” well, win over Gu Qingzhu, and make Gu Qingzhu fall in love with her.

Mark Gu Qingzhu.

With this in mind, Xu Ying put on a pitiful smile.

In the original plot, the host was an extremely rigid and dull person. She never spoke sweet words, only staying by Gu Qingzhu’s side when needed and proving her usefulness at the right moments.

Naturally, she would never make such a pitiful expression.

“Qingzhu,” Xu Ying spoke, her voice low, carrying just the right amount of hoarseness and hesitation. “I think I might be a little”

She trailed off, not needing to say more. Gu Qingzhu had already reached out and pressed a hand to her forehead.

The next second, a slightly surprised voice sounded in her ear: “You have a slight fever.”

But soon, Gu Qingzhu’s expression returned to calm. She stared at Xu Ying’s face her fair skin tinged with a faint blush, her slender neck pale and delicate. Perhaps due to the illness, her eyes shimmered with a hazy, watery sheen.

After leaving the venue, Gu Qingzhu had clearly sensed a change in her pheromones, a sign that she had entered her sensitive period.

The arrival of the sensitive period meant that her heat was not far off. During this phase, an Omega would become unusually sensitive to any Alpha’s pheromones.

From the moment Xu Ying got into the car, Gu Qingzhu had felt a certain craving.

The longer the Omega remained silent, the more perplexed Xu Ying grew.

Why hadn’t Gu Qingzhu withdrawn her hand yet?

Just as Xu Ying hesitated over whether to change the subject, Gu Qingzhu finally moved. Her fingertips trailed downward, each touch sending shivers in their wake.

Xu Ying stiffened, about to speak, when suddenly the world was enveloped in warmth.

In the haze, only a faint light pierced through.

Xu Ying felt breath drawing near, something soft brushing against her lips.

Like a dragonfly skimming the water, the faint scent of orange blossom perfume lingered around her nose, mingled with traces of something else.

It took several seconds for her to realize.

This was a kiss.

Xu Ying felt her entire body freeze. All her carefully laid plans came to a halt, nearly wiped clean from her mind.

It wasn’t until Gu Qingzhu released her and sat back in her seat, composed and aloof as if nothing had happened, that Xu Ying finally snapped out of it.

Gu Qingzhu turned her face away, unconsciously rubbing her lips. This simple kiss did nothing to quell her craving for pheromones.

After a long silence, Gu Qingzhu ordered, “Don’t let it happen again.”

Xu Ying paused, then replied softly, “Okay.”

Not another word was spoken for the rest of the journey. The car soon arrived at the mansion, Gu Qingzhu’s temporary residence in the area.

As soon as they stepped out of the car, Gu Qingzhu untied the silk scarf around her neck and tossed it to Xu Ying.

The scarf carried the woman’s lingering fragrance. Xu Ying lifted her gaze to see Gu Qingzhu’s exposed neck pale and flawless, yet dotted with faint kiss marks. Amid the ambiguous pink were traces of faint bruises, like fingerprints, though not entirely distinct.

Who had left them? Xu Ying didn’t know. The system had provided her with only limited plot details, most of which focused on how the original host had selflessly cared for Gu Qingzhu. The intimate details had naturally been omitted.

As for the fingerprints, Ying Xu had already formed a preconceived notion, perhaps it was just some playful intimacy between Gu Qingzhu and the original host, or even someone else?

Ying Xu didn’t care about this at all. Before Gu Qingzhu could notice, she averted her gaze and focused on the building in front of her. It had three floors, decorated in a distinctly traditional Chinese style, exuding an austere solemnity at first glance that made one hesitant to approach.

The system explained that this was the former residence of a retired politician, taken over by Gu Qingzhu a few years ago and now serving as an occasional retreat.

At the entrance, a staff member from the mansion patiently guided them inside. Throughout, Gu Qingzhu kept her eyes forward, her expression impatient.

The system informed Ying Xu: [The room on the far left of the second floor is yours.]

The living room was enormous, filled with expensive sandalwood furniture.

Despite the prime location, the interior was dim, with curtains drawn tight, casting a gloomy pall. Servants moved about, each absorbed in their tasks.

A woman’s voice broke the strange silence.

“Miss Xu.” Ying Xu looked up to see a plain but kindly face, a female Beta who cautiously asked, “Would you like some black tea?”

The servants moved about, yet none dared to lift their heads and meet Gu Qingzhu’s gaze.

Gu Qingzhu took her seat at the head of the table, tossing her phone aside. Her fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop, an unconscious gesture, yet a servant quickly brought her black tea and a script.

“Madam Zhang sent this over in the afternoon.”

Gu Qingzhu acknowledged with a hum and began flipping through it. Ying Xu sat down beside her.

“Madam Zhang” likely referred to Gu Qingzhu’s agent.

After skimming a few pages, Gu Qingzhu seemed dissatisfied. She closed the script, glanced at the production team and director’s names, and frowned.

The system explained: [Gu Qingzhu has recently clashed with her agency. The scripts they’ve chosen for her are of poor quality, drawing criticism from the public. She’s deeply unhappy about it.]

From this angle, Ying Xu could easily catch the subtle agitation on Gu Qingzhu’s face.

She asked: [So?]

Seizing the opportunity, the system hurriedly replied: [You could contact Gu Qingzhu’s agent and help mediate the conflict with the agency. Once this is resolved, her attitude toward you might soften.]

Ying Xu countered: [If Ying Xu had the ability to fix these issues, why would she be universally hated online?]

The system faltered.

[Besides, aren’t even the worst scripts better than what the original host acted in?] Ying Xu continued slowly. [If the original host could tolerate them, why can’t she?]

The system fell silent, as if unsure how to respond.

Just then, a servant brought Ying Xu a cup of tea. The Beta kept her eyes lowered, as if accustomed to such subservience.

Unexpectedly, the Alpha’s gaze skipped over the tea and landed directly on her face.

The corners of her lips curled into a gentle smile. “Thank you.”

Her voice was like a breeze brushing past the ear, melodious and pleasant.

Staring at that familiar face, the servant froze, instinctively feeling a surge of fear. Her head bowed even lower as she turned and left.

Ying Xu’s smile remained, but her mind was racing.

Why was the servant so afraid of her?

In the original plot, the host was mild-mannered toward everyone, so much so that even the servants could trample over her. Logically, the servants should have shown disdain, not fear.

Yet the Beta had reacted like a mouse spotting a cat, her skittishness raising suspicion.

Ying Xu was certain she hadn’t slipped up, but the entire exchange had already been observed by Gu Qingzhu.

Driven by her susceptible period, it was inevitable for the Omega to feel possessive toward the Alpha.

Almost as if instinct had taken over her mind, Gu Qingzhu’s brows unconsciously furrowed. She hooked her pinky around the cup handle, took a sip of tea, and suddenly declared, “Not sweet enough. Brew another cup.”

A servant immediately responded, “Yes.”

Just as the servant was about to leave, Gu Qingzhu turned her gaze to Ying Xu, her tone brooking no argument: “You go.”

Ying Xu’s mouth was still filled with the cloyingly sweet taste of tea.

She didn’t understand why Gu Qingzhu was suddenly acting out, but Ying Xu was well aware of her position as a “guest under someone else’s roof.” She stood up and followed the servant.

The dining room was separated from the living room by only a thin pane of glass.

Whoever designed this building seemed to have given no thought to “soundproofing” or “privacy.” From what Ying Xu could see of the first floor, apart from the isolated bedrooms, every corner of the living room was visible from here including Gu Qingzhu, who was flipping through a script.

In this era, both Alphas and Omegas could lose control of their pheromones at any moment. Only Betas, who couldn’t sense pheromones, could work as steadily as ever.

Naturally, all the servants in this mansion were Betas.

Once in the dining room, the servant offered to handle the task, but Ying Xu declined. She wasn’t sure if the glass was one-way or two-way. If it was the latter, Gu Qingzhu would surely lash out again if she saw someone defy her.

Brewing tea wasn’t difficult, after all.

Ying Xu followed the servant’s instructions step by step. Though the process was simple, the servant watched her with a look of fascination, occasionally praising, “Miss Xu is quite skilled.”

“Yes, this temperature is perfect. The young lady prefers it this way.”

Ying Xu found it odd but still engaged in small talk. In just a few sentences, she learned that the woman had been working at the mansion for several years, though Gu Qingzhu rarely stayed here, so they weren’t close.

Her impression of Ying Xu was also superficial, assuming she was just an artist Gu Qingzhu kept on the side.

By the end of their conversation, the servant even brought up how the original owner of this body had been kicked out the night before.

“Lately, Miss Gu hasn’t been in the best mood.”

The servant left it at that, and Ying Xu nodded seriously.

As they waited, in the living room, Gu Qingzhu seemed to have finally had enough of the script’s plot. She tossed it onto the floor and made a call,

“Why are all the scripts sent to me lately like this?”

The Omega cut straight to the point.

Her voice wasn’t quiet. In the kitchen, the servant lowered her head, refusing to listen or look.

Ying Xu, however, had no such reservations and calmly glanced over. Earlier, the Beta had told her the dining room had one-way glass, those inside could see out, but those outside wouldn’t notice a thing.

When speaking on the phone, Gu Qingzhu had a habit of threading her fingers through her hair, tugging at the strands.

Ying Xu had just noted this detail when, on the other end of the line, something was said that sent Gu Qingzhu’s emotions spiraling to another extreme.

Her voice was laced with fury: “Then let them die. I’ve already compromised, you”

As if suddenly remembering there were people around, Gu Qingzhu’s breathing grew erratic. Though her shoulders still trembled, her face quickly regained its usual indifference. “I understand.”

The entire episode lasted only seconds, but for the first time, Ying Xu frowned.

Gu Qingzhu lowered her hand.