The Fallen Film Queen’s Possessive Alpha - Chapter 45

The scent Song Haoyin had left behind had completely faded.

Zhou Qiwei walked into the living room, pressing a hand to her scent gland as she slumped onto the carpet, rolling restlessly before finally resting her head against the edge of the beanbag chair. She was so agitated she wanted to bang her head against the floor. Not only was she irritable, but she also felt an overwhelming sadness she didn’t want to be apart from Song Haoyin. But Song Haoyin had gone to work, and Zhou Qiwei had her own business to attend to. Right now, Song Haoyin was probably still at the office, and tonight, they would have to sleep apart.

She needed to adjust her mindset! She had to deal with her own emotional turmoil! This was just her pheromones acting up!

Having studied pheromones for years, Zhou Qiwei knew exactly what was happening this was separation anxiety, triggered by intense, frequent contact with a highly compatible partner followed by sudden withdrawal. It was like an alcoholic going cold turkey; the body and mind would inevitably rebel.

But her heart was pounding faster and faster, and Zhou Qiwei even began to feel dizzy symptoms eerily similar to the onset of pheromone dysregulation.

Where were the suppressants? Zhou Qiwei scrambled up from the carpet, stumbling toward the liquor cabinet. Her hands trembled violently, shattering two bottles before she finally found the vial of suppressant stored there.

Too desperate to look for a glass, she tipped the elderflower-infused solution straight down her throat, letting the false signal flood her system: the taste of elderflower, the taste of an Omega.

Gradually, Zhou Qiwei calmed. Her heartbeat steadied, and her hands stopped shaking. She’d have to postpone work tomorrow first, a trip to the hospital. Returning to the living room, she collapsed onto the sofa, curling into herself before pulling a blanket over her head.

If she really thought about it, Zhou Qiwei was a seasoned loner. From the time her grandmother passed away until now, she had lived alone for over a decade. She had always believed she was accustomed to this life, that she could never tolerate anyone intruding on her space. But now, she desperately wished for someone to walk through the doors of this house.

She was willing to share the hippo-shaped footstool, willing to share her living room, willing to share her favorite sofa, willing to share her bed even willing to give away her beloved teddy bear backpack.

The house was too empty. Lying here alone, she felt unbearably cold.

Maybe I should move into a smaller place, Zhou Qiwei thought drowsily. Something cozier, something that might feel more alive.

Ding!

Frowning, Zhou Qiwei tugged the blanket tighter around herself. Late-night doorbells were nightmares, and nightmares could be ignored. Wait, the doorbell?

She bolted upright, ignoring the wave of dizziness as she grabbed her phone, her thumb hovering over the emergency call button. At this hour, no welcome guest would come unannounced. this neighborhood had seen its share of break-ins, and the security wasn’t entirely reliable. Fishing out a stun baton from the entryway cabinet, she pulled up the video feed from the doorbell camera.

There, standing outside, was Song Haoyin, travel-worn under the dim glow of the porch light, her silhouette edged in warm, lonely gold. Sensing the camera’s movement, she lifted a hand and waved at the lens. Though exhaustion clung to her, she managed a small, tired smile.

“What are you doing here?!”

Zhou Qiwei burst out the door, wearing only her pajamas with one foot in a leather shoe and the other in a sneaker. As if afraid Song Haoyin might change her mind, she pushed her inside before she could speak, glancing at the car parked outside Song had driven herself here.

“I’ll get you something to drink, how about hot apple juice? I’ll prepare pajamas for you the same set you wore last time, okay? I’ll”

Song Haoyin covered Zhou Qiwei’s mouth, calming her down before pulling her into a tight hug. “I just finished up at the company. I didn’t want to go home I wanted to see you.”

Mmph. Zhou Qiwei let out a small, embarrassed noise, like a contented animal being petted.

Suddenly, the house didn’t feel so empty or cold anymore.

A warm breeze brushed through Song Haoyin’s short hair as she closed her eyes, resting her head on Zhou Qiwei’s lap at her insistence. Zhou Qiwei’s fingers combed through the soft strands, drying them while watching Song drift into comfortable drowsiness. The house truly felt like a home now.

They were both exhausted having flown in early that morning, gone to the hospital, then rushed to their respective companies. It was already past 1 a.m. Hand in hand, they lay in bed without needing to say a word. This quiet moment was the best comfort for their hectic lives.

Morning

Zhou Qiwei carefully tucked Song Haoyin in before slipping out of the bedroom with her phone. The company would hold an official restructuring meeting next week and announce the finalized plan. Before then, Zhou Qiwei needed to review the reports. Yesterday, she had already discussed the details with Du Xin, who was on a business trip, and Xuan Tinglu, who had stayed behind.

But her mood had soured, so she left the office early for the research institute before heading home. Last night, she slept well, and now she had the energy to tackle work again. Later, she’d also discuss with Song Haoyin whether they should notify An Ge about Zuo Wangxun’s situation and ask her to return sooner.

As she gathered ingredients for breakfast, Zhou Qiwei mulled over their affairs, already considering herself part of Song Haoyin’s family.

The Bedroom

Every time Song Haoyin woke up in this bedroom, she marveled at how Zhou Qiwei, deep down, still yearned for softness and warmth. On her bed lay a ridiculously large shark plushien over a meter long with a goofy, toothy grin. The blue plush fabric had been worn smooth, a testament to how much its owner adored it.

The shark even had a name. The last time Song stayed over, she coaxed the answer out of Zhou Qiwei: Shasha.

Song had burst out laughing, collapsing onto the bed. Thinking she found the name silly or half-hearted, Zhou Qiwei earnestly explained that she had flipped through a dictionary to pick it. Imagining Zhou Qiwei seriously searching for the perfect name for a plush shark, Song teasingly asked, “Do all your little animals have names?”

The moment the words left her mouth, Song saw Zhou Qiwei’s stunned expression, as if to say, How did you know?

The more time they spent together, the deeper Song Haoyin’s fondness grew for Zhou Qiwei’s hidden whimsy, her refined tastes, even her tendency to act like a spoiled child. The old Song would have believed mature love should be clean-cut, never clingy. But what she thought would be a sharp ginger mint turned out to be a sweet milk candy and that was just as wonderful.

Still fond of this person, so naturally fond of everything about her, Song Haoyin stroked the little shark plushie, the bad mood from visiting Zuo Wangxun at the hospital yesterday instantly dissipating.

Sitting across the breakfast table, Song Haoyin felt slightly embarrassed. Every time it was Zhou Qiwei who cooked while she just waited to eat wasn’t that too much?

But Zhou Qiwei didn’t understand her little worry: “When it comes to cooking, I’ll do it when I have time. There are also housekeepers here who prepare semi-finished ingredients. I just heat them up. Heating one portion or two makes no difference. Or maybe you’d like to try next time?”

Song Haoyin hid her smile behind her coffee cup. Such domestic conversations made it seem as if they’d been living together for years. She cheerfully agreed to Zhou Qiwei’s suggestion and asked, “Are you going to the company later?”

” Oh, before going to York, I had a physical at the hospital. I’m going to check the results today,” Zhou Qiwei casually explained before countering: “Have you done your annual checkup? I mean, we should both pay attention to pheromone-related issues.”

Even with highly compatible pheromone fusion, there could be initial adjustment problems like gland swelling, physical discomfort, or even neurological issues affecting smell and taste perception. Though pheromone dysregulation syndrome would exacerbate these symptoms. I only concealed my own condition, I didn’t lie to her, Zhou Qiwei considered herself quite honest.

Apart from their first shallow marking, Song Haoyin had surprisingly experienced no physical discomfort whatsoever.

Not only no adverse reactions, she even felt her physical condition had improved compared to before. Somewhat bashfully, Song Haoyin shared this with Zhou Qiwei. Dr. Zhou was astonished Miss Song might be one of the rare cases capable of self-regulating pheromone states. She scrutinized her girlfriend up and down, making Song Haoyin’s hair stand on end.

“What are you planning?” Miss Song hugged herself nervously, asking timidly: “You’re not thinking of dragging me to the lab, are you?”

This timid side of her was a first. Zhou Qiwei smirked mischievously, nodding as she stood up and approached her.

“Then…then what do you want to do?” Song Haoyin seemed genuinely frightened, her eyes reddening: “Will you make me give blood? Or extract my pheromones? What will you do if I refuse!”

Zhou Qiwei’s heart skipped a beat was Song Haoyin just joking and acting, or truly scared? She couldn’t be that terrifying, could she?

As their eyes met, it was Song Haoyin who burst out laughing first, teasing Zhou Qiwei: “Serves you right for trying to scare me.”

Zhou Qiwei sighed in relief. She didn’t mind being teased her skin was thick enough: “Using your professional skills against mine, huh? By the way, can I visit you on set when you’re filming?”

“Well,” Song Haoyin leaned forward, her eyes brimming with amusement as she looked at Zhou Qiwei: “Will you accompany me to the year-end film festival?”

“Sure!”

Though she’d spout nonsense to reporters and absolutely refuse to acknowledge their relationship, Zhou Qiwei had no intention of declining such public appearances with Song Haoyin. Her quick agreement made Song Haoyin struggle to suppress her smiling lips. Raising her coffee cup again to hide it, she realized too late she was holding an empty cup.

Another busy day on the schedule. Zhou Qiwei took advantage of her check-up at St. Karl’s Hospital to call Xuan Tinglu, then received a call from the butler informing her about dinner at the Zhou family estate that evening. This was an annual routine as the fourth quarter arrived, social engagements would gradually increase.

Every businessperson had to endure the year-end flattery sessions, but fortunately, Zhou Qiwei rarely needed to put on such acts.

Song Haoyin’s good mood lasted until she arrived at the Dingyi Group building, where she unexpectedly encountered Su Ye and Li Nian. Li Nian tried to avoid her upon seeing her she was too embarrassed to face Song Haoyin. But since they had already crossed paths, Li Nian could only approach with flushed cheeks, offering an awkward greeting and an apology.

“Back then, I mentioned your name, so Miss Zhou ended up finding you. I’m really sorry I caused you a lot of trouble.”

She was visibly nervous, but Song Haoyin simply smiled. “It’s nothing. She just asked me a few questions. It was sudden, and I don’t blame you. So, what brings you here today?”

Li Nian had come to terminate her contract. The scandal surrounding her had thrown the entire Li family into turmoil, and her younger sister Li You’s engagement to Zhou Mu was now effectively over. Li Nian had been idling at home she had never been the entertainment industry’s darling, and now, with the added negative publicity, landing any role had become even harder.

Fortunately, she still had some savings and planned to study abroad for a while, using the opportunity to lay low.

Su Ye accompanied Li Nian to handle the contract termination. After all, it was she who had helped Li Nian join Dingyi in the first place. Back then, Li Nian had simply been unable to resist her family’s pressure, and Su Ye had painted grand illusions none of which had materialized.

Li You was waiting for her sister downstairs and gave Su Ye a slight nod in greeting. Between sisters, there was no need for pretense. Li You asked directly, “The Zhou family is hosting a small gathering tomorrow, just close friends and relatives. Will you come with me?”

Li Nian wanted to refuse, but Li You looped an arm around hers, half-pleading. “Zhou Mu and I fought so badly. Mom and Dad won’t have time to deal with me. You can’t expect me to go alone, can you?”

“But wouldn’t it be awkward if I went?”

“What’s awkward about it? Zhou Zhao’s ex-wife will be there oh, that’s Ji Xubai, the one who was ‘very close’ with Miss Leliana. Attorney Ji, hah. I heard Zhou Qiwei and Du Xin were invited too. See? It’s all their relatives. Just come with me.”

Su Ye didn’t pay attention to what the Li sisters discussed afterward. What caught her interest was the revelation that Ji Xubai was Zhou Zhao’s ex-wife? Even the Ferris Wheel gossip column had mentioned boardroom connections, apparently, Ji Xubai was good friends with Cube’s CEO Zhou. The world really was a small circle.

And then there was Song Haoyin. Su Ye’s heart felt like it had been dunked in lemon juice. Whether she hadn’t noticed or simply didn’t care, Song Haoyin’s low-cut silk blouse, though adorned with a bowtie, did nothing to conceal the marks near her scent gland.

Hmph.

Song Haoyin visited Dingyi today specifically to discuss the issue of shares under Zuo Wangxun’s name. Early in the morning, she had also taken Zhou Qiwei’s advice into consideration. Therefore, when everyone gathered for the meeting, before they could speak, Song Haoyin proactively stated, “For now, let’s have Third Uncle and Zuo Yang hold the shares under his name. If the unfortunate happens and he passes away, we can discuss it then.”

Having no interest in Dingyi to begin with, and now with the Ferris wheel project demanding her attention along with film production, Song Haoyin recognized that time and energy were finite. She had no intention of adding more pressure to her life. Given the circumstances, it made sense to use Old Zuo’s shares as a goodwill gesture. Zuo Yang was more than willing to take on this responsibility.

With the thorny issue smoothly resolved, the Zuo family reciprocated the kindness by offering to have their renowned artists participate in the Luocheng Film Festival. Song Haoyin responded with a gracious smile, thanking them for their assistance. It was unclear whether they had forgotten how they had used the Luocheng Film Festival to pressure her around the time of her mother’s passing.

But Song Haoyin hadn’t forgotten.

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