The Fallen Film Queen’s Possessive Alpha - Chapter 56

Qu Yuanzhi framed a shot with her thumb and forefinger, pretending to take a photo of Song Haoyin.

Her friend lounged lazily against the armrest of the sofa, propping herself up with a cushion likely due to discomfort in her back. Her cheeks were flushed peach-pink, her demeanor languid, exuding the charm of a springtime begonia in slumber.

After a long pause, Qu Yuanzhi, still mimicking a photographer, sighed admiringly, “You really should play a seductive queen or a bewitching concubine.”

At the mention of this, Song Haoyin replied lazily, “Isn’t it said that every great actor must eventually take on the role of a treacherous minister or a femme fatale? Once this film wraps, you can start planning a period drama. I’ll play a beauty who brings kingdoms to ruin.” Though, she mused, it would require Zhou Qiwei’s special involvement to help her get into character, of course.

“If you’re serious about making it, don’t drag out the preparations too long. Playing a seductress suits your pre-pregnancy state better.”

This was nothing short of a bolt from the blue a thunderclap at her feet. Qu Yuanzhi’s appreciation of beauty was instantly tossed into the trash as she gasped in shock, “What are you planning?!”

“Within five years, I’ll choose the right time to have a child.” Song Haoyin’s tone was light, as if announcing she’d have pancakes for breakfast. “I’m 30 now, and in five years, I’ll be 35. Though Omegas have fewer pregnancy complications and recover faster postpartum, it’s still best not to wait too long.”

Qu Yuanzhi, stunned, blurted out a foolish question, “Who are you planning to have it with?!”

Song Haoyin gave her a look as if she were an idiot. Qu Yuanzhi quickly snapped back to reality oh, right, who else could it be? “But, that person hasn’t she always claimed to be a staunch non-marriage advocate?”

“Who says you need to be married to have a child?”

Shifting positions, Song Haoyin dismissed the notion. “Everyone thought my mother and Old Zuo were the perfect couple look how that turned out. I love her, she loves me do we really need a marriage certificate to prove that to others?”

She had thought it through clearly. Even if, one day, Zhou Qiwei fell for someone else…

Or if the flaws in her own bloodline inherited from Old Zuo surfaced, leading her to stray or transfer her affections, the child would still be the fruit of their love.

If she said something like this to Zhou Qiwei, Dr. Zhou would probably cry in frustration, wouldn’t she?

The thought amused Song Haoyin, and she shifted again, her body still aching.

Such magnificent confidence. Qu Yuanzhi clapped in admiration. Still, she pointed out, “If you really do have a child, the Zhou family will pressure you two to marry. Your baby would be the Zhou family’s new crown jewel, first in line for the family trust.” It wouldn’t do for the child to be labeled illegitimate by gossipmongers.

Song Haoyin understood Qu Yuanzhi’s unspoken concern Du Xin had already explained the Zhou family’s succession dynamics. If there were a next generation, this child would be the primary heir.

Even if the child chose not to inherit Kyushu, like Zhou Zhao. who had joined the military early she still held significant sway within the family. Some even supported her retiring to take over, and their mother hadn’t entirely given up hope either.

Song Haoyin smiled without comment.

There were no scenes scheduled for Song Haoyin today. While Qu Yuanzhi had to work in the morning, she could rest.

Yawning, Qu Yuanzhi waved her off. “I’ll head back first. You should get some more rest too.” No sooner had she spoken than the door swung open.

Zhou Qiwei, clad in a gray shirt, returned with a stormy expression a far cry from the cheerful smile she’d worn when she left. Even Qu Yuanzhi could tell she was in a foul mood.

After being marked, the emotional bond between Alpha and Omega grew even stronger. Song Haoyin immediately sensed that Zhou Qiwei was not only in a bad mood but also somewhat dejected.

She silently sat down beside Song Haoyin. Just as Qu Yuanzhi was about to excuse herself again, Zhou Qiwei suddenly spoke up: “Did you know Liu Shiyu is staying at this hotel too?”

“Why is she here?”

“You know Liu Shiyu?”

Qu Yuanzhi and Song Haoyin instinctively exchanged glances indeed, at moments like these, a friend and a girlfriend had completely different priorities. Song Haoyin’s ears turned red as she pulled a pillow over for Zhou Qiwei to lean on. Nestling close to Zhou Qiwei, she stopped talking, leaving the stage to Qu Yuanzhi.

“Guangshi Media is heavily promoting Liu Shiyu, but I haven’t heard about any projects they have here,” Qu Yuanzhi mused before asking carefully, “Where did you see her?”

“I went to check the hotel’s filtration control center and found her alone in the garden.” Zhou Qiwei frowned, muttering in frustration, “I didn’t really want to know her either.”

Qu Yuanzhi didn’t catch what she said, but Song Haoyin heard every word clearly. Zhou Qiwei’s attitude toward Liu Shiyu was… strange.

As their relationship progressed, Song Haoyin had come to understand Zhou Qiwei better. Her precious girlfriend paid little attention to entertainment industry news. Though she would never admit it, the only celebrity news Zhou Qiwei bothered to skim through were those tagged with Song Haoyin’s keywords.

So what made Liu Shiyu special enough for Zhou Qiwei to recognize her?

Suddenly, Song Haoyin’s mood shifted. She tightened her robe around herself, claiming she was tired and needed more sleep. When Zhou Qiwei offered to escort her to the bedroom, Song Haoyin refused.

“You should know,” Qu Yuanzhi suppressed a laugh, maintaining the proud composure of an outsider, before leaving with a parting remark: “Actors are all clever, confident, yet sensitive and fragile creatures.”

After being marked, a peculiar pheromonal link formed between A&O. Just as Song Haoyin quickly grasped Zhou Qiwei’s emotions, Zhou Qiwei likewise became immediately aware of her girlfriend’s low spirits.

Was it the pheromones’ influence, or something else? Why had Qu Yuanzhi mentioned actors’ general temperament…

Zhou Qiwei crept to the bedroom door and found Song Haoyin wasn’t sleeping but scrolling rapidly through social media.

Song Haoyin noticed someone watching her from the doorway there was no need to guess who then observed as this person tiptoed in, moving like a stealthy cat, before climbing onto her bed. Then came the carefully crafted, cutesy voice: “How about we go out for some fresh air this morning?”

No response.

Zhou Qiwei could tell her girlfriend was in a minor sulk. But why? That remained a complete mystery.

Undeterred, Dr. Zhou extended her mischievous claws and found Song Haoyin’s waist.

“Ah!”

Song Haoyin nearly threw her phone as she curled up, grabbing Zhou Qiwei’s offending hand: “Stop it, hahaha!” This troublemaker was actually tickling her how childish!

Soon the two were rolling around on the bed again. Zhou Qiwei didn’t care if the behavior was immature if it worked, it worked.

When their breathing finally steadied, Song Haoyin realized her “anger” had nearly dissipated. She could only helplessly bump Zhou Qiwei’s head lightly with her chin and ask nonchalantly, “Hey, how do you know Liu Shiyu anyway? She’s Guangshi’s rising star basically my direct competitor, you know.”

“How dare she sit next to you?!”

Ah, Song Haoyin’s emotions stabilized strangely, finding herself in the mood to tease Zhou Qiwei: “How can you say that about her…”

Before she could finish, Zhou Qiwei scoffed disdainfully: “She’s just someone who’ll sell anything.”

“……”

The words lingered in the air. Song Haoyin frowned slightly Liu Shiyu did have some rumors swirling around her, but since returning from studying abroad, there’d been no concrete evidence. She looked questioningly at Zhou Qiwei, who now lay sprawled across the bed like a languid cat.

“Remember that male Omega I encountered when I was starting my business?”

The big cat before her blinked bright eyes, effortlessly dredging up unpleasant memories with that single sentence. Song Haoyin’s expression darkened even more than Zhou Qiwei’s as she immediately reached out to stroke her shoulder, leaning closer with concern: “Why bring him up now?”

“Didn’t I mention that time I locked a female Omega in the bathroom…”

“That was Liu Shiyu?” Having read countless scripts, Song Haoyin instantly grasped the key point if it weren’t Liu, Qiwei wouldn’t have brought this up.

Zhou Qiwei nodded, burying her face in Song Haoyin’s embrace as she quietly shared parts of the story only she knew.

Shortly after signing the nondisclosure agreement, Zhou Qiwei had attended a social event at Cloud Peak Villa, where she encountered that female Omega again Liu Shiyu.

“That’s when I learned she was Cloud Peak’s… senior PR consultant.”

Song Haoyin stared speechless for a long moment before finding her voice: “But… she’d already debuted by then.” Zhou Qiwei offered no reply.

Understanding dawned quickly: “I’ve heard about struggling artists participating in… special activities.”

These arrangements didn’t come from agencies, but emerged naturally in this decadent environment forming an unspoken ecosystem of “clients,” “brokers,” and “providers.” Ironically amusing, it had become something of an open secret.

Contrary to public perception, A-list celebrities had neither the need nor time for such dinners their schedules were packed.

Over the years, Song Haoyin had only heard industry rumors about these brokers, never witnessing transactions firsthand.

Even when she’d angrily threatened to sell herself to pay debts, it had been empty words. Before things could deteriorate, Zhou Qiwei this large carnivorous creature had appeared, becoming her unlikely protector.

Like a fox borrowing the tiger’s might, she’d risen from the ashes.

Gently stroking the predator’s head, feeling the resilient strands beneath her fingers, Song Haoyin listened as Zhou Qiwei continued recounting the past.

During the NDA signing, Du Xin had handled everything. Liu Shiyu might have mistaken Zhou Qiwei’s identity, when spotting her at Cloud Peak, she’d actually tried threatening Zhou into silence.

“Ridiculous, right?” Zhou Qiwei nuzzled against her girlfriend, savoring the concerned caresses. “Later she disappeared probably sent abroad by her backers. That ‘study abroad’ likely included plastic surgery too she looks quite different now.”

Success breeds confidence, but that wasn’t something Zhou Qiwei needed to hear. Song Haoyin gazed at the crown of her head before suddenly remarking: “So you really were a Cloud Peak regular.”

“I wasn’t! I never was!”

Zhou Qiwei hugged Song Haoyin, protesting her innocence loudly: “I did go to Cloud Top for business entertainment, but only in the early days. After the company got on track and secured naval contracts, I stopped going.”

“When I was starting my business, Cloud Top was more like a high-end business negotiation venue. Actually, even now… I wouldn’t say Cloud Top is completely a den of iniquity.” It’s just that fewer people go there for business now, while those with ulterior motives have increased.

Song Haoyin was merely teasing Zhou Qiwei. She’d recently discovered the fun of “bullying” her girlfriend, indulging in some mischievous amusement. Having mentioned a nudist camp yesterday and now bringing up this den of iniquity, she knew it would ruffle Zhou Qiwei’s feathers. Kissing the top of her head, Song Haoyin shared her thoughts about Liu Shiyu: “Though it’s strange she’s living here, nothing has happened yet. We can’t dictate where people live.”

She wasn’t wrong, but Zhou Qiwei had an almost animalistic intuition somehow she felt Liu Shiyu’s presence here would eventually lead to trouble affecting Song Haoyin.

“Let’s go for a walk. There’s a touring art exhibition in the neighboring city the day after tomorrow.”

As coincidence would have it, the exhibition was sponsored by Jiuzhou & Rock Culture. Song Haoyin discreetly pulled Zhou Qiwei into a corner, only to run into an acquaintance.

“Fate brings enemies together” didn’t quite fit she wasn’t even on the other’s radar. Li You stared at the familiar figures, momentarily speechless.

It was Song Haoyin, ever vigilant against paparazzi, who noticed her gaze first. Tugging Zhou Qiwei’s sleeve lightly, the two nodded in acknowledgment across the exhibition hall.

“She actually came personally.” Song Haoyin’s remark wasn’t without reason the exhibiting artists were all emerging talents, with no timeless masterpieces on display.

“Probably wants to wrap up her final project properly,” Zhou Qiwei quipped, then whispered: “She’s planning to resign.”

“Going back to law?”

Zhou Qiwei shook her head: “Rumor has it her family wants her to return to civil service.”

Strolling through the exhibition, they eventually paused before a painting in the corner.

The artwork employed exquisite copperplate engraving techniques, depicting Death playing violin at a masquerade during the Great Europa Plague.

“An imitation of Dürer,” Song Haoyin explained to Zhou Qiwei. “This is classical technique at its purest remarkably skilled.”

After a thoughtful silence, Zhou Qiwei whispered mischievously: “This artist should design banknotes.” With such perfect linework, all they’d need were color-shifting inks and acid-free paper.

Song Haoyin laughed at her odd humor. Soon, Zhou Qiwei pointed to another painting: “Same artist looks like an abstract version of Madonna of the Rocks.”

This time Song Haoyin didn’t respond immediately. She stood transfixed before the painting for what felt like a coffee break, then suddenly asked: “Do you like children?”

Don’t blame Dr. Zhou for her wild imagination given how their reunions often led straight to bed after time apart, if they’d ever been careless with contraception…

“You…” Zhou Qiwei’s eyes widened in disbelief as she studied Song Haoyin’s face, then her abdomen, hesitating to voice the question.

Song Haoyin observed her girlfriend closely there was no trace of annoyance or resistance in her expression, only surprise.

Fortunately, Song Haoyin thought to herself, though her face showed no surprise. One couldn’t expect someone who hadn’t received much warmth from their birth family to harbor great affection or expectations for children.

As long as there wasn’t outright dislike, everything else could be worked through gradually.

“I don’t dislike children.”

Zhou Qiwei’s mind raced through countless possibilities in that brief minute. She weighed her words carefully, trying to articulate her thoughts clearly: “I don’t know if I like them. Seeing Ji Xubai’s kids, I just thought… well, they were okay, I guess.”

Reading Song Haoyin’s expression, she added, “I can coexist peacefully with children. I’ve even helped out with some parenting tasks before, like playing with them.” So it wasn’t all bad, right? If Song Haoyin really were pregnant, whether to keep the embryo would be entirely her decision.

But if Song Haoyin chose to keep it, Zhou Qiwei would have to step up and take responsibility.

Still, she was nervous no, terrified, if she was being honest. The idea of one day assuming the role of “mother” had never even crossed her mind. It wasn’t dislike; it was fear pure, unadulterated dread.

From the moment of birth, an embryo would face countless hurdles, causing endless trouble for those around them before finally growing into an adult.

Zhou Qiwei herself had been a high-needs baby, skilled at tormenting her two mothers. What if her child turned out the same way?

The thought was horrifying.

Someone like Song Haoyin shouldn’t have to shoulder such unpredictable risks. Maybe, Dr. Zhou mused, they could modify certain genes in the embryo at least to maximize the chances of the child being emotionally stable.

“Which ones should we knock out?”

“Knock out what?”

“The genes.”

” Song Haoyin was aghast, pointing at Zhou Qiwei speechlessly, as if ready to sever ties unless given a proper explanation.

Zhou Qiwei frantically waved her hands. “I was just thinking out loud!”

As the two bickered, Li You, who was also at the exhibition, received a call and soon appeared beside the couple, who were being disgustingly affectionate.

More often than not, Zhou Qiwei wasn’t just a bearer of bad omens her words seemed downright prophetic.

Liu Shiyu was really in trouble.

“Liu Shiyu was involved in an accident near Director Yuan’s filming location and has been taken to the hospital. The details are unclear. When you leave the exhibition, avoid the main entrance to dodge the reporters.” Li You didn’t want Song Haoyin such a high-profile “news magnet”to steal the spotlight from the art show.

Soon, Zhou Qiwei also received a call. On the other end, Qu Yuanzhi let out a long sigh. “I couldn’t reach Haoyin, so I figured you two were together. Liu Shiyu’s in trouble. I just finished talking to the police the set will be closed for a few days. Don’t bring Haoyin back.”

Qu Yuanzhi’s voice was hushed, distorted slightly by the phone signal. “Zhou Zhao is here. I suspect Liu Shiyu might be tangled up in that mess with the Zuo family’s young master.”

While the public believed the Zuo heir had simply stumbled into misfortune another spoiled rich kid meeting his downfall. Zhou Qiwei knew the case was far from over. Zhou Zhao had been investigating it all along.

She seemed genuinely, stubbornly determined to uncover the truth.

The rampant smuggling of artificial pheromones was inevitably tied to a vast underground industry. Knock one down, and another would spring up human greed for wealth and desire knows no bounds. Yet Zhou Zhao remained determined to investigate thoroughly. This tenacity was one of her few redeeming qualities.

“First, contact Xu Su. Once we’re back at the hotel, we’ll discuss how to publicly clarify the situation. The sooner we address this, the better.”

The art exhibition trip ended quickly. Under Li You’s arrangements, they left through a secure exit without alerting the press and returned smoothly to the hotel. On the way, Zhou Qiwei briefed Song Haoyin on the situation. Miss Song frowned as she scrolled through social media, where rumors were already spreading like wildfire.

Despite this, Song Haoyin reassured Zhou Qiwei, telling her not to worry things would likely be resolved soon.

But Miss Song’s words weren’t prophetic. The moment they stepped into the hotel lobby, they were surrounded by a group of people. The leader flashed a badge, stating they were there to “invite Ms. Zhou Qiwei to assist in the investigation of Ms. Liu Shiyu’s murder.”

Song Haoyin’s heart lurched, and she instinctively tightened her grip on Zhou Qiwei’s hand. “We left that place two days ago. What does Liu Shiyu’s death have to do with my girlfriend?”

The officer’s response was curt: “Case details cannot be disclosed.”

As a law-abiding businesswoman, Zhou Qiwei naturally agreed to cooperate but requested a minute to escort Song Haoyin to the elevator.

“Call Xu Su and Du Xin immediately. Tell them to prepare. Don’t worry this has nothing to do with me. We just need to be ready.”

Zhou Qiwei’s confidence eased Song Haoyin’s nerves somewhat. Forcing a smile, she replied, “Alright, I’ll wait for you. We still need to talk about the baby.”

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