After Redeeming the Female Lead, I Faked My Death and Escaped - Chapter 2.2

Ying Xu could clearly see several strands of black hair tangled around her pale fingers, like stubborn stains that refused to fade.

When Alpha came out with the tea, the conversation in her earpiece was nearing its end.

Shan Qiaoyun’s voice remained as gentle as ever: “Xiao Lin told me about Xu Ying’s matter. Qingzhu, sit down and talk it out with her properly. We can come up with a third solution.”

Gu Qingzhu sneered, “A third solution? Did she ever consider a third solution for Xu Ying?”

Shan Qiaoyun faltered, “Qingzhu, Miss Xu is”

In the air, the familiar pheromones grew closer, and the surge of desire in Gu Qingzhu’s heart intensified.

She knew Xu Ying was listening, listening very clearly. But the more she was aware of it, the more another emotion, one that resisted desire, wrapped around her like a spider’s web: “Are you her agent or mine?”

“If you can’t do it, I’ll request a change of agent from the company. Don’t make me say it a third time.”

Shan Qiaoyun wanted to say more, but the sound of shattering porcelain suddenly came from the other end of the line, harsh and unmistakable, a clear sign that Gu Qingzhu had reached her limit.

She knew the next thing to be thrown would be the phone, so she hung up first with a headache, cutting off the noise.

When the table was finally empty, Gu Qingzhu felt like she had vented at least a fraction of her anger.

If the table was empty, she’d throw whatever was in her hand. The thought barely formed before she acted without hesitation.

But this time, it wasn’t a cup or a saucer that shattered. Instead, Gu Qingzhu heard the crisp, resonant sound of porcelain hitting the ground once more,

She instinctively looked up and saw, not far away, her phone lying near Xu Ying’s feet, its screen cracked beyond recognition.

The teapot on the floor was mostly shattered, with half of its broken edge bearing the unmistakable mark of a square object’s impact.

The Alpha’s eyes were noticeably red, but when she noticed Gu Qingzhu’s gaze, she instinctively hid her hand, though her fingers still trembled uncontrollably.

Gu Qingzhu’s rationality finally returned in fragments, and the sequence of events became clear in an instant. By sheer coincidence, she had hit the teapot in Xu Ying’s hand, and the spilled tea had scalded her.

Under the pull of pheromones, Gu Qingzhu felt a sharp pang in her heart, but it lasted only seconds before her cold rationality returned. “Why weren’t you more careful?” she demanded sharply.

The absurdity of the question left everyone in stunned silence.

How was one supposed to answer that? Say, This was never my fault to begin with, if you hadn’t lost your temper, none of this would have happened?

As the onlookers watched with a mix of sympathy and curiosity, Xu Ying suddenly moved.

She didn’t answer Gu Qingzhu. Instead, she turned and walked toward the dining room, her hand swinging slightly with the motion, revealing a reddened patch on the back of it.

“What are you doing?” Gu Qingzhu frowned, her barely suppressed impatience flaring again.

Xu Ying replied, “Getting another cup of tea.”

“What?” Gu Qingzhu hadn’t heard clearly and asked again, her brow furrowed.

This time, Xu Ying’s answer was clearer.

Gu Qingzhu froze, her first thought being how ridiculous it was.

Xu Ying had been scalded, yet she still wanted to make another pot of tea for her?

What on earth was going through this Alpha’s mind?

Staring at Xu Ying’s retreating figure, Gu Qingzhu let out a cold laugh and wordlessly headed upstairs.

By the time Xu Ying returned, all she saw was an empty seat. The earlier mess had been cleaned up, and only then did the servants dare to approach cautiously. “Miss Xu, let me help treat your injury,” one offered.

Another servant.

Xu Ying looked at the unfamiliar face and smiled, introducing herself, “My name is Xu Ying.”

The servant paused: “I know your name.”

But in the Gu family, there would only ever be one Miss Xu.

After tending to her injuries, Ying Xu returned to her room.

A desk, a chair, a bed, and a wardrobe, these were all the furnishings in the room.

The wardrobe was empty, and the decor was a solemn black, cold and oppressive, like a prison.

Ying Xu quietly surveyed the sparse surroundings for a few seconds before walking to the desk.

On the desk were a notebook and some stationery. Ying Xu patiently flipped through each one, confirming that nothing was written inside before finally asking the system, “What should I do?”

She felt that if this were a dating sim, she was currently stuck at a dead end. Either she could wait for time to pass, or she could seek help.

Since there was a system, Ying Xu naturally chose the latter.

The system replied: [You can get some rest or open your phone to browse information about Gu Qingzhu.]

The phone was unlocked via fingerprint. Having nothing better to do, Ying Xu tried all her fingers and discovered that, in addition to the commonly used right thumb, the left pinky could also unlock it.

But the moment the phone unlocked, over a dozen notifications about Gu Qingzhu popped up.

[Gu Qingzhu Wins Another Award, Mentions “Miss Xu” at Ceremony Secret Lover?]

[Rumors Suggest Gu Qingzhu Secretly Married Abroad, Wife Possibly Miss Xu]

[Finance World Welcomes New Elite: Eldest Daughter of Cheng Family Inherits Fortune]

[Song Xuan Publishes New Thesis: Artificial Intelligence.]

[Is Ying Xu Out of Her Mind?]

Among the flood of notifications, one stood out starkly from the rest. Ying Xu raised an eyebrow and tapped on it.

The blogger had a few thousand followers and harbored an intense dislike for Ying Xu, eight out of ten posts on their page were rants about her.

[Is Ying Xu out of her mind? First, she latched onto Xiao Ning, and now she’s trying to ride Gu Qingzhu’s coattails. Talk about reaching for the stars! [Like]]

The comments were filled with like-minded netizens, hurling insults and disdain at Ying Xu. Though she was a complete stranger to them, they had no qualms about spewing malice.

The world was full of oddities, and Ying Xu found it more tiresome than surprising.

Until she noticed that the original owner of this body had followed this very blogger.

At that moment, Ying Xu finally found this task somewhat interesting, and even felt a flicker of curiosity about the original owner.

A quiet, reticent Alpha who could be defined by society’s standards as a “simp,” yet secretly followed a blogger who relentlessly hurled vitriol at her.

What kind of boundless, ocean-deep tolerance was this?

Before Ying Xu could explore further, the system suddenly spoke up: [Gu Qingzhu is here.]

Ying Xu instinctively turned her head. Outside, footsteps gradually approached, stopping right at the door.

“Open the door.”

The woman’s cold voice was laced with command. Ying Xu sat in her chair, pondering for a few seconds before suddenly opening a recently aired drama starring Gu Qingzhu.

While the system was still baffled, Ying Xu turned the volume up to maximum and walked straight into the bathroom.

[Host, you]

Outside the door, Gu Qingzhu stood holding a first-aid kit.

She wasn’t entirely sure why she was doing this, but the sight of Ying Xu’s reddened eyes earlier had stirred a faint sense of pity in her.

That face, so similar to Xu Ying’s.

How could it bear such an expression?

Several seconds passed with no response from inside. Just as Gu Qingzhu frowned, about to demand entry again, the familiar melody of a TV series theme song suddenly blared from the room.

Gu Qingzhu recognized it instantly, it was the opening song of her latest drama, sung by her.

Was Xu Ying watching her perform in the play?

This discovery left Gu Qingzhu in an indescribable mood. She stood rooted before that door, emotions swirling unspoken.

The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom, making even the system’s voice unusually muffled: 【Host, what are you doing?!】

Xu Ying replied: 【Aren’t you the system? Can’t you figure it out?】

The system truly didn’t understand,

Why would someone who had just treated a burn injury now be scalding their wounds with boiling water in the shower!

Perhaps due to her Alpha physiology, Xu Ying felt minimal pain both earlier in the living room and now.

According to the system, Gu Qingzhu had brought a first aid kit. If her injuries weren’t severe, the other would likely just leave the supplies and walk away.

Scenes of Gu Qingzhu’s reactions in the living room flashed through Xu Ying’s mind.

During their car ride, Xu Ying had initially thought Gu Qingzhu was just a sensitive, suspicious, and spoiled Omega, perhaps with a terrible temper, but powerful people often had tempers, and Xu Ying could tolerate that.

Yet after what had just transpired, Xu Ying’s perception of Gu Qingzhu had shifted.

Whether it was her completely uncontrollable emotions or her ability to instantly regain composure, every detail indicated that Gu Qingzhu was dangerous.

Xu Ying was unarmed. The only leverage she had was her pheromones’ ability to treat Gu Qingzhu’s condition.

But who could guarantee there wouldn’t be a second “Xu Ying” in this world who could also cure Gu Qingzhu?

Under such circumstances, an Omega’s goodwill was rare, she had to seize every opportunity to interact.

To make her injuries appear severe, she even let the hot water run over her forearm for a while.

As the water temperature rose, Xu Ying watched her skin quickly redden and swell, the surface wrinkling like flower petals. Yet her gaze never wavered in the slightest.

The system’s voice pitched higher: 【This is too painful! Stop!】

Only then did Xu Ying vaguely register the searing pain radiating from her skin.

She turned off the water, locked the bathroom door, and stumbled out with trembling hands. Before opening the door, the last thing Xu Ying did was peel off the suppressant patch on her neck.

When the door opened, Gu Qingzhu was still lost in thought, listening to that song, immersed in rare silence.

Their eyes met abruptly. Before the Omega could speak, Xu Ying’s lips parted slightly.

“Sorry, Qingzhu.” She wore an expression of disbelief, her apology tinged with a hint of delight. “Just now, I had the volume turned up too loud. I thought I heard something but assumed it was my imagination”

“I ”

Xu Ying’s voice dropped even lower here: “I never imagined you’d come looking for me.”

The entire speech flowed seamlessly, her tone carefully measured, enough to make anyone’s heart tremble.

Including Gu Qingzhu, who now stood before her.

No matter how much she despised Xu Ying, as long as the other bore that face resembling Xu Ying’s, Gu Qingzhu couldn’t bring herself to truly harm her.

Hearing that sincere tone, Gu Qingzhu’s gaze lingered quietly on Xu Ying’s face, as if it were Xu Ying herself speaking to her.

She felt dazed, only managing to rasp after a long pause, “Move aside.”

Perhaps having vented her emotions earlier, Gu Qingzhu now felt unusually calm, completely unaware that a faint floral scent had already seeped into her skin with each breath.

Ying Xu stepped aside to make way for Gu Qingzhu, but only just enough for them to brush past each other. The faint rustle of fabric against fabric made Gu Qingzhu tighten her grip on the handle of her bag.

Ying Xu closed the door but didn’t lock it. Gu Qingzhu swept her gaze coldly over the room’s layout and sneered, “A place like this is all you deserve.”

Ying Xu thought, isn’t this your home? If “this kind of place” was meant as an insult, wouldn’t it be insulting yourself too?

But Gu Qingzhu always had the final say in everything. Like the original owner, Ying Xu stood meekly nearby, silent.

After surveying her territory, Gu Qingzhu finally turned her attention to Ying Xu: “Where are you hurt?”

Ying Xu’s lips trembled. Just by looking at her expression, Gu Qingzhu could guess what she was about to say,

It would inevitably be, “It’s nothing,” “I’m fine,” “Don’t worry.”

These were the responses Shan Qiaoyun occasionally heard from Ying Xu’s agent when they communicated.

No matter what happened, Ying Xu only ever replied with these phrases.

Gu Qingzhu thought, what an idiot.

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” Gu Qingzhu said again, completely unaware that her tone had softened considerably this time.

Ying Xu finally extended her arm, revealing a large patch of unnaturally reddened skin.

Earlier, Gu Qingzhu hadn’t clearly seen how much of Ying Xu had been scalded. Moreover, having been pampered since childhood and never experiencing burns herself, even if it looked serious, she didn’t dwell on it.

Staring at the wound, Gu Qingzhu paused for a few seconds before suddenly pressing her fingers against it.

Ying Xu’s heart skipped a beat.

It was bizarre.

When the hot water had scalded her, she’d felt nothing. But the moment Gu Qingzhu touched her skin, a sharp, searing pain suddenly surged through her.

The pain was relentless, indifferent to her suffering, as if determined to make her feel every ounce of the burn’s agony all at once,

Right before Gu Qingzhu’s eyes, two tears suddenly rolled down Ying Xu’s cheeks, scalding hot as they landed on Gu Qingzhu’s fingers.

The Omega froze, looking at Ying Xu, and instinctively withdrew her hand.

As soon as the contact ceased, the pain vanished.

Ying Xu’s back was now drenched in cold sweat. She had countless questions for the system, but Gu Qingzhu was still right in front of her.

Gritting her teeth, she played along with her unfortunate circumstances: “I’m just happy you came to see me.”

“And you’re so”

So tormenting.

“Thank you,” Ying Xu sneered inwardly, yet she kept her head bowed, staring at the wound, feigning utter timidity. “Qingzhu.”

When she uttered “Qingzhu,” her voice was so cautious and timid, as if speaking any louder would startle the name’s owner.

Standing before Ying Xu, Gu Qingzhu suddenly felt at a loss. The tears on her fingers had dried, but the damp sensation seemed to have taken root there, leaving her both unsettled and unwilling to wipe it away.

For a long moment, Gu Qingzhu said nothing.

Just as Ying Xu considered switching to another tactic to play the victim, her uninjured arm was abruptly seized.

The Omega’s fingers were icy cold as she suddenly drew closer. At this proximity, Ying Xu could clearly smell the sandalwood fragrance on Gu Qingzhu.

Had she changed her perfume again in just half an hour since returning?

“When I called you an idiot, I didn’t mean for you to actually act like one,” Gu Qingzhu said, her voice cool and low.

Ying Xu snapped out of her thoughts and lowered her gaze to the wound. “I’m sorry.”

Before she could say more, Gu Qingzhu did something entirely unexpected.

She suddenly took Ying Xu’s hand and gently bit her knuckle.

The warm, soft sensation left Ying Xu frozen in place.

She felt moisture dampening her knuckle, seeping three layers deep into her skin, as if dissolving the very bone beneath.

A few seconds later, right before her eyes, Gu Qingzhu unfastened her buttons.

The scent of sandalwood lingered in the air, curling around her breath.

Listening to the faint panting, Ying Xu suppressed the urge to bite down on the scent gland, numbly realizing one thing in her daze.

That fragrance wasn’t perfume.

It was Gu Qingzhu’s pheromones.