After the Scummy Alpha Marked the Crazy Beautiful Heroine - Chapter 31

That evening, Chi Yang and Pei Jiuyao were curled up together on the sofa, discussing the recent wave of online negativity.

Pei Jiuyao voiced her concern.

“With so many people criticizing me right now… do you think Director Lin will still consider me?”

She wasn’t worried about the audition itself—not after receiving the “reward.”

What truly concerned her was public opinion. The unfavorable buzz could end up influencing the director’s final casting decision.

“Relax,” Chi Yang reassured her. “I already spoke to every director behind those scripts I gave you. Told them we have the evidence to shift the narrative in our favor. Honestly, they’re even hoping this controversy might stir up some buzz for the films. They’re pretty on board.”

Wrapped in a fleece blanket, Chi Yang nestled deeper into the sofa. Outside, it was deep winter, but inside, the room was comfortably warm—almost too warm. It made people lazy.

Lately, she’d taken to lounging around all day, bundled in blankets, curling up in corners like a little creature. She had rested so much, she was starting to feel too lazy to even return to set.

Pei Jiuyao mimicked her posture, sprawling out comfortably beside her.

“All of them?” she asked.

“Mm-hmm. I figured you could just pick the one you liked best.” Chi Yang paused. “But honestly… selfishly, I really hope you’ll do Mountains and Seas with me. You know about my condition…”

Her voice trailed off slightly.

“And we just decided to start over again, didn’t we? It feels too soon to be apart for so long.”

Pei Jiuyao blinked, caught off guard.

It was rare—so rare—for Chi Yang to speak so candidly. Especially about anything concerning her.

She actually admitted to having a selfish thought.

Then, before Pei Jiuyao could say anything, the usually lazy little fox tossed off her blanket and hopped off the sofa.

“I’m going to take a shower.”

She threw the words over her shoulder and headed for the bathroom.

Pei Jiuyao caught a glimpse of her ear peeking out from the fluff of her hair.

It was flushed a deep red, nearly bleeding through her pale, translucent skin.

Too cute. It was lethal.

Pei Jiuyao chuckled quietly to herself, then went to take a shower in the other bathroom.

Afterward, she wrapped herself in a bathrobe and headed straight to the guest room.

These days, she no longer needed to be banished there—Her Majesty now went of her own accord.

She picked up her script and ran over a few lines, but soon, she heard soft rustling from the door.

Chi Yang pushed it open and peeked in.

“You asleep?”

She obviously knew the answer.

Pei Jiuyao set the script down and smiled.

“Come in.”

Chi Yang walked over and sat at the edge of the bed.

“Can’t sleep,” she mumbled. “Wanted to talk.”

Pei Jiuyao ruffled her hair gently.

“Why can’t you sleep again?” she asked softly, then lifted the blanket. “Come on, get in before you freeze.”

Chi Yang obediently climbed into bed and curled up under the covers, just her eyes peeking out.

Pei Jiuyao dimmed the lights. When she turned back to look at her, she couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips.

Tonight, it felt like the emperor was the one being favored.

Chi Yang warmed up for a while before sitting up again, still wrapped in the blanket.

“About you signing with my studio… what are your thoughts?”

“I already told you—I want to.”

Pei Jiuyao grabbed a throw pillow and tucked it behind Chi Yang.

“But once I leave, things might get rough for Sister Wen. I was wondering…”

“Can we get her to jump ship too?”

“Would that even be possible?”

“To be honest, someone like Wen Li… Chi Yang Studio can’t afford a manager of her caliber.”

Chi Yang settled into the pillow, turned on her side to face Pei Jiuyao, and said,

“You’ll have to ask her if she’s even willing.”

“Mm. I’ll talk to her.” Pei Jiuyao looked at Chi Yang and cautiously reached out, wrapping an arm around her, giving her shoulder a gentle pat.

“What about you, little fox? What’s keeping you up tonight?”

“If you leave, Mo Tian is definitely going to start harassing Chi Qing.”

Chi Yang let out a sigh.

“She hass been on her own all these years. I know it hasn’t been easy for her. She keeps saying that part of the Chi family is mine too… I know she wants me to come back and take over the company.”

“And what do you think?”

“I… I don’t know.”

Chi Yang fell silent for a while, then said quietly,

“I’ve never really moved past it. When Mom passed, Chi Qing looked at her like she was a stranger. I just couldn’t understand it. But then again, she really has had it hard all these years. There’s never been anyone by her side.”

Her voice grew soft, barely audible.

“…She is my sister, after all.”

Pei Jiuyao’s heart tightened. She gently rubbed Chi Yang’s shoulder.

“You can do whatever you want,” she said warmly.

“I told you—I’ll stay with you. I’ll protect you. I’ll be your sword, your shield.”

Chi Yang trembled slightly.

“Really?” she asked, voice shaking just the slightest bit—so subtly, it was barely there. But Pei Jiuyao caught it.

That vulnerability made her heart ache.

“Of course.” Pei Jiuyao coaxed her like she would a frightened child.

“You’re not alone anymore.”

Suddenly, Chi Yang felt something stir inside her.

It was like the icy shell of a mountaintop cracked open, and the sun poured in, flooding her frozen heart with warmth.

A tear slid down her cheek.

The once cold, calm, unflappable “Second Miss” of the Chi family—the same woman who once hired mercenaries to deal with her enemies—was now just a girl curled up in someone’s arms, quietly licking her wounds.

“…I’ll think about it carefully,” she whispered, choked up.

Pei Jiuyao realized she was crying.

Whatever else one could say about Chi Yang, there was something about her that stirred a powerful protective instinct in people.

No matter how fierce she seemed in public, no matter how brilliant she was in her career…

She’d still come back to Pei Jiuyao and admit she was lonely.

She’d still say, “She’s my sister, after all.”

She carried so much, alone, pressing it all into her heart and slowly digesting it.

Just as she’d said—

She had always been on her own.

She didn’t even have real friends.

Even the one person she called her best friend, Song Mo, didn’t seem to care all that much.

So when someone like that finally finds someone they can lean on—who would choose to keep pretending to be strong, shrouded in armor, smashing themselves into steel walls?

Pei Jiuyao tightened her arms around her, gently resting Chi Yang’s head on her shoulder, one hand slowly stroking her hair.

Neither of them brought up the “maybe” again.

But Pei Jiuyao felt it—in that moment, the heavy walls around her own heart began to shift, just a little.

She wasn’t so afraid of making a choice anymore. Or losing something.

Maybe… there really was another way forward.

“…Little Fox,” she murmured.

Chi Yang looked up, eyes misty, gazing at her through the warm glow of the bedside light.

The light kissed her cheeks, soft and golden. Her eyelashes were still dotted with tiny beads of moisture, glistening faintly in the night.

In that pose—head tilted up—Chi Yang looked heartbreakingly fragile and innocent.

Pei Jiuyao suddenly thought: She’s so perfect for kissing.

And not just a simple kiss.

Preferably the kind that…

But before the thought could finish forming, Chi Yang suddenly leaned in.

Pei Jiuyao’s heart skipped a beat, her whole body instantly tense.

Was she going to… kiss her?

Her lashes fluttered. She didn’t know if she should close her eyes or not.

Just as her thoughts were spinning out of control—

Chi Yang pressed her lips softly to Pei Jiuyao’s jaw.

It was incredibly, dangerously soft.

The sensation was nothing like on set. It wasn’t acting. It was real.

The heart that had just been pounding like crazy suddenly stopped.

A fine, tingling heat spread from where her lips had touched, vines creeping along every nerve in her body.

A rush of heat surged downward.

“…Chi Yang.”

Pei Jiuyao’s voice was slightly hoarse.

She remembered that she’d taken off her wristband before going to bed.

A strong scent of strawberries suddenly filled the air — turning from tart to cloyingly sweet, laced faintly with the aroma of alcohol.

Pei Jiuyao felt intoxicated before even tasting a drop.

One hand rested on Chi Yang’s arm, letting her kiss her neck again.

“Xiao Li,aren’t you still unwell?”

“A little,” Chi Yang lifted her head from the crook of Pei Jiuyao’s neck, her eyes red as she looked at her.

Pei Jiuyao raised her hand to cover Chi Yang’s dazed gaze. “Do you want an inhibitor?”

Chi Yang unhappily grabbed her fingers, cheeks flushed.

“It’s midnight,” she whispered.

The fingers she couldn’t hold onto last night were now tightly clutched in her hand.

“Midnight?”

“It’s the first now—new month.”

Meaning, the next cycle had begun.

“That doesn’t change anything. What about your heat period?”

So Chi Yang had schemed her way into her bed!

She had acted perfectly normal the past few days. How devious.

Chi Yang kept stroking Pei Jiuyao’s hand, interlacing their fingers intimately. “I’m still not better,” she murmured.

“You knew I was sick and still tempted me. This is your fault.”

“Me? Tempt you?” Pei Jiuyao was stunned. “When did I ever?”

“Last night,” Chi Yang said with a hint of grievance. “You touched my waist.”

She pulled Pei Jiuyao’s hand over and placed it on her waist. “Right here.”

Pei Jiuyao’s fingers twitched. Chi Yang couldn’t help but let out a soft hum, eyes narrowing.

“There you go again—tempting me,” Chi Yang said, her gaze unfocused. “Even though you know I’m still sick.”

“I… I thought you were better…”

Pei Jiuyao felt as if she’d been wrongly accused of something huge.

“Hmph. Either way, you need to take responsibility. I can’t be injecting myself forever, can I?” Chi Yang guided Pei Jiuyao’s hand to wander over her waist.

“I kept you for this, didn’t I, you bad little pup?” she muttered with discontent. “Besides, you haven’t even paid your ‘tuition’ yet.”

Well… she wasn’t wrong.

She was supposed to help Chi Yang with her heat, nothing more. No feelings involved.

“Then I…” Pei Jiuyao blinked, shielding Chi Yang’s head with one hand as she gently laid her down.

“I won’t mark you. I’ll just help…”

Chi Yang gently pressed her fingers against Pei Jiuyao’s collarbone. “You’ve already inhaled my pheromones. Without a mark, you’ll feel terrible.”

“I’ll be fine…” But would she really?

Pei Jiuyao recalled how unbearable her own susceptibility period was.

Better not speak too soon—Alpha and Beta weren’t the same species, after all.

Chi Yang chuckled softly. Her misted eyes half-lidded, voice gentle. “Forget it. It’d hurt me too if you didn’t.”

She turned over, brushing her hair aside.

Her gland was already visibly red.

Chi Yang had lost more weight after falling ill. Her shoulder blades protruded slightly.

Pei Jiuyao placed her hand on her shoulder, tracing the bones.

It wasn’t as sharp as she’d imagined — the skin was soft.

Chi Yang’s skin was a cool, pale white, but it felt like plush flesh beneath animal fur — soft, tender, and perfect to the touch.

Pei Jiuyao hugged her from behind, baring her canines and lowering her head to Chi Yang’s gland.

Her fingers circled that soft spot.

The strawberry scent gradually filled her mouth, blending with her own pheromones — crisp, sweet, intoxicating. Like strawberry ice cream fresh from the fridge.

Chi Yang gripped the pillow tightly, her voice trembling. “Gentler, it hurts…”

Pei Jiuyao withdrew her canines, instead kissing her reddened, blood-tinged ear, drawing the earlobe into her mouth and letting it slip out again.

“It tickles…” Chi Yang whimpered, shrinking her neck.

“How about here?”

Pei Jiuyao licked the beauty mark behind her ear, eyelashes fluttering.

“It looks redder, this mole,” she murmured.

She nuzzled Chi Yang’s shoulder with the tip of her nose and whispered affectionately, “I made it red.”

A sudden flush spread across Chi Yang’s pale skin. Her voice trembled. “Just get it over with. Stop talking nonsense.”

“Nonsense?” Pei Jiuyao teased. “I’m just getting started.”

She leaned in and rubbed her cheek against Chi Yang’s. “Chi Yang, you’re so cute. Soft everywhere.”

She poked her cheek. “Soft here.”

Then her neck. “Soft here too.”

And a little further down…

“Here—”

“Enough!” Chi Yang turned her head away, wishing she could disappear.

Her body burned with unbearable heat, and Pei Jiuyao’s teasing only made it worse.

Their skin was stuck together, sweat beading layer upon layer. Every embrace was intimate, agonizing.

Pei Jiuyao’s burning nose pressed against Chi Yang’s side, her breath scalding every inch it passed, her kisses heavy and uncontrollable.

When one hand pinned her wrist down, Chi Yang’s heart pounded wildly.

The room spun in a haze, lights blurring like a hallucinogenic drug. When Pei Jiuyao’s fingers gently threaded through hers, it felt like some sacred ritual.

Pei Jiuyao’s tongue, though they hadn’t kissed, was soft and hot.

I’m so thirsty, Chi Yang thought.

She arched her waist slightly, then fell back down.

Her whole body was on fire, engulfed in flames.

When Pei Jiuyao sat up, she pressed their interlocked fingers against the top of Chi Yang’s head. Her kiss fell lightly on Chi Yang’s forehead — lips stained with fervent desire.

Flushed cheeks. Dazed eyes.

Light, but unbearably intimate.

Pei Jiuyao leaned into her ear, voice hoarse. “Do you like it?”

“Li… like…” Chi Yang’s voice was still shaky, fragmented beyond recognition.

•

After rinsing her mouth, Pei Jiuyao carried Chi Yang back to the master bedroom.

Chi Yang rolled to her side and was immediately pulled back into Pei Jiuyao’s clingy embrace.

It should’ve been Pei Jiuyao who was exhausted, but Chi Yang looked utterly drained.

Half-asleep, Chi Yang asked, “Why do you like hugging me so much?”

Even during marking, she would hold her tight from behind. When kissing, she’d wrap her arms around her waist and press her into her arms.

“Maybe because…” Pei Jiuyao was drowsy, murmuring, “you’re so sweet.”

“I’m sweet?”

“And soft,” Pei Jiuyao said. “Like a proud, cold little animal that acts aloof — but rolls over to show its belly when no one’s looking.”

“Hmph, I do not.”

“Okay, you don’t. Just let me hug you a bit longer.”

Chi Yang gave a small humph and nestled deeper into Pei Jiuyao’s arms.

This person—always talking nonsense.

So clingy, too.