After the Scumbag Alpha Accidentally Marked the Blackened Villain - Chapter 130

Fu Yun immediately went silent. She could feel a very specific gaze on them and instinctively lowered her head, wanting to hide under the desk.

Lin Bie: “…” She tugged the brim of her hat even lower, rested her chin on her palm, and avoided looking at anyone. Even the corners of her mouth twitched from nervousness.

She slowly looked up, peering through the blurry edge of her hat’s brim. Sure enough, Leng Jinxi was looking in their direction, holding a microphone and staring straight at them.

Lin Bie’s heart pounded wildly. She dared only to steal one quick glance before hurriedly ducking her head again. The tips of her ears, hidden beneath her hair, were burning. She shut her eyes in despair and gave Fu Yun’s shoulder a hard punch.

Fortunately, just as that probing gaze settled on them, one of the senior students onstage announced they should head to an empty office to rehearse the chorus.

“Everyone, because there are quite a few students participating, not everyone will get to perform onstage. However, this doesn’t affect your course credit. Those who aren’t selected will help as staff and still receive full credit. Now, please follow me to the XX classroom next door. We need to decide on the final chorus participants.”

Lin Bie finally felt her heart drop out of its metaphorical rollercoaster. The intense gaze disappeared, and she felt like a robot regaining its autonomy. She stiffly looked toward the platform.

The dazzling senior in the white dress was no longer on stage. Lin Bie took off her hat and looked closely—indeed, she had left the classroom.

A strange wave of bittersweet emotion rose in her chest, cold and sharp like ice shards stabbing her heart. But the feeling was quickly buried under the chaos of name-calling. She didn’t even have the presence of mind to analyze what the emotion meant—just that her heart felt oddly empty.

Following student ID numbers, participants lined up to head to the adjacent classroom. Fu Yun had to repeatedly convince herself not to burst into tears. Talking about her idol so shamelessly, right in front of her idol—it was too cruel.

“I didn’t even get the chance to explain before Senior Leng left. Boohoo, will I never see her again? Someone just stab me!”

“Maybe. People in the entertainment industry are always busy. She probably just dropped by to promote the event. Now that her task is done, she might be leaving.” Lin Bie sighed, letting Fu

Yun tug on her sleeve.

Students were called by class, so Lin Bie and Fu Yun waited half an hour before it was their turn. Even before walking in, Lin Bie had already resigned herself to being assigned as a support staff.

She was mentally preparing to just sing her heart out anyway.

But the moment she pushed open the door and saw those stunning, familiar features, her resolve completely shattered.

Why is Leng Jinxi here? Isn’t she supposed to be filming? How could she still have time to sit in on the chorus auditions?

Lin Bie froze, her brain going blank. Fu Yun had to physically drag her inside.

“Hello, seniors.” Fu Yun bowed slightly while keeping a hand on Lin Bie’s shoulder.

One of the senior students smiled warmly. “No need to be so formal. Let’s begin. We’ll sing a simple song that everyone knows—just two or three lines. No need to be nervous, it’s very easy.”

Lin Bie unclenched her nervously interlocked hands and nodded in a daze. The awkwardness spread through her whole body. She wasn’t nervous about singing—she just couldn’t calm her racing heart with Leng Jinxi sitting right there.

And to make it worse, ever since she entered the room, Leng Jinxi’s gaze hadn’t left her. Unlike earlier when it was a passing glance from the stage, this time it was a full-on, open stare—chin propped up, expression leisurely, eyes locked on her.

Lin Bie desperately wished she still had her hat. As expected, under such scrutiny, her singing voice trembled. One line even cracked slightly. From the corner of her eye, she thought she saw

Leng Jinxi smiling faintly. Lin Bie clenched her eyes shut and forced herself to finish.

What happened next was a blur. As she’d predicted, she wasn’t selected and was assigned to be a support staff member. Walking out of the classroom feeling dejected, she could still feel that gaze following her. It felt like the sky had gone dark.

Moving stiffly back to the other classroom, she retrieved her hat, then stepped outside to cool off. The night breeze helped dispel her flustered heat. Leng Jinxi hadn’t said a single word to her the entire time, but that persistent gaze was enough to drive her mad.

Did she hear what Fu Yun and I said? Was she staring at me during the chorus to get back at me? But the moment that thought came, Lin Bie dismissed it.

Leng Jinxi probably had no time to care about them. She must be losing her mind to think that.

Sitting on the stone steps for a while, Lin Bie finally prepared to leave when she got a message from Fu Yun:

[Fu Yun]: Lin Bie, go ahead and head back. The seniors said we still need to arrange the stage positions, so I have to stay a bit longer.

[Lin Bie]: Okay.

[Fu Yun]: Senior Leng is still here. Do you think I should go apologize? It’s all my fault. She was staring at you earlier—she must’ve heard what we said and dragged you into it. I’m really sorry.

Lin Bie: …So even you noticed Leng Jinxi was staring at me.

[Lin Bie]: It’s fine. Just help me apologize too. QAQ

Phone screen darkened, Lin Bie continued sitting on the steps. The wind stirred the bamboo leaves with a soft rustling, and broken moonlight filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on her. She suddenly thought again of that fleeting eye contact.

—

Meanwhile, Fu Yun, gathering her courage, tiptoed over to Leng Jinxi. The auditions were over, and Leng Jinxi was resting.

Fu Yun bit her lip, then blurted out, “I’m sorry, Senior.”

Leng Jinxi looked up with a polite smile. “What’s the matter, junior?”

Fu Yun nearly forgot her words under the pressure of being so close to that beautiful face. “Back in the classroom, I mentioned you in conversation… I’m really sorry. My roommate also asked me to apologize on her behalf.”

Leng Jinxi let out a soft laugh. “Ah, that. It’s okay—I didn’t actually hear anything.”

Fu Yun was about to cry. “Senior, you’re so kind… Thank you. Wait—really? You didn’t hear us?”

Leng Jinxi nodded. “We were far apart, and it was noisy. I couldn’t hear a thing. Where’s your roommate?”

Fu Yun hesitated, then shifted gears. “She already went back.”

Leng Jinxi nodded in understanding. “Anything else?”

Taking a deep breath, Fu Yun blurted, “Can I add you as a friend? No other reason, it’s just—you’re too pretty. I really want to see your posts.”

Leng Jinxi tilted her head and smiled, “You’re honest. Sure, go ahead and scan my code.”

Fu Yun nearly cried again. Leng Jinxi was not only gorgeous, but also kind and soft-spoken. She was falling hard.

After adding her, Fu Yun noticed that Leng Jinxi kept glancing outside, seeming a little anxious. Not wanting to disturb her further, she bounced away happily with her phone.

Leng Jinxi opened her phone and saw the new contact: XX Fu Yun. She replied to the message, checked the time, and frowned slightly. She stood up to leave.

The woman beside her raised a brow. “Big star, had enough? Heading back now?”

Leng Jinxi playfully swatted her. The woman shrugged, “Okay, okay, I’ll stop teasing. Don’t you have to pack up and fly out tonight to meet your film crew? Better hurry.”

“What I don’t get,” she continued, “is why you joined the chorus selection. You were supposed to leave after the promo. It’s not even an important event.”

Leng Jinxi slung her bag over her shoulder, clearly in a hurry. “I just felt like staying.” She waved and strode out of the classroom. “I’m off.”

—

Lin Bie remained on the steps for another ten minutes. The night breeze felt nice. As she stared at the swaying bamboo shadows, she couldn’t help but recall that brief moment of eye contact with Leng Jinxi.

They looked at each other. She got overheard. She got stared at during the chorus. Lin Bie now just wanted to bury her head in the ground like an ostrich from sheer embarrassment.

But thankfully, if Leng Jinxi was off filming soon, she likely wouldn’t be hanging around campus much longer. That thought comforted her a little.

Just then, the chorus group chat started buzzing. Lin Bie listened to the voice messages and, after replying, turned off her phone and stood up to leave—only for her cheek to brush against something cold and damp. She recoiled instinctively.

Looking up, she found herself gazing straight into a pair of gentle, water-like eyes.

“Student, what are you doing sitting out here?”