The Fallen Film Queen’s Possessive Alpha - Chapter 57

“We must prepare for the worst.” Ji Xubai’s voice came through the phone, taking the initiative.

In the room, Xuan Tinglu spread her hands: “You mean Qiwei actually killed someone?” As soon as the words left her mouth, Du Xin slapped Xuan Tinglu’s leg to stop her from speaking carelessly. Beside Du Xin, Song Haoyin’s face had already turned pale.

Xuan Tinglu didn’t think it was a big deal: “Don’t scare yourselves. The police are just questioning Qiwei routinely. After all, the filtration system she went to repair was produced by our Rubik’s Cube.”

Although Liu Shiyu hadn’t died, large amounts of artificial pheromones had been found in her system, causing induced pheromone disorder. As the manufacturer and someone who had accessed the filtration system, Zhou Qiwei being taken in for questioning was actually quite normal.

“I’m worried someone might use this as an excuse to drag both Qiwei and Zhou Zhao down,” Ji Xubai explained from the other end of the line, having just finished a meeting.

Song Haoyin’s voice was hoarse: “Are you concerned about Qiwei, or your ex-wife?”

Ji Xubai had met Song Haoyin a few times and only knew her as a famous actress with a calm demeanor. She hadn’t expected Song Haoyin to directly address the elephant in the room.

Xuan Tinglu stifled a laugh beside them while Du Xin helplessly tried to smooth things over. Ji Xubai wanted to clarify but had to hang up when another call came through.

The caller was Zhou Zhao.

Soon after, Ji Xubai called back via video. Her expression was grim. The smile vanished from Xuan Tinglu’s face, Du Xin tightly grasped her hand, and Song Haoyin had turned deathly pale.

With a heavy expression, Ji Xubai announced: “I’m sorry. I turned out to be a prophet of doom.”

“Police found evidence in the filtration system’s operation logs that someone had modified the circuitry, causing Liu Shiyu to inhale large amounts of artificial pheromones in her own room.”

The day after Zhou Qiwei was detained, Ji Xubai rushed back to the hotel where the four of them reconvened.

Ji Xubai explained: “Qiwei had previously accessed the system’s core through a backdoor. The Rubik’s Cube engineer arrived the next day, but only performed debugging without entering the core.”

“In other words, as of now, Qiwei is the prime suspect.”

Liu Shiyu remained hospitalized, and with many staff present when the incident occurred on set, news spread rapidly. Online media had already begun circulating rumors that “Zhou Qiwei committed murder for love”—who knew how anyone could believe such nonsense.

At Ferris Wheel headquarters, Zuo Yang and Xu Su joined Song Haoyin’s group via video conference to discuss damage control.

“Can we get President Zhou released on bail first?” Xu Su asked through the screen. “The longer this drags on, the worse it is for us.” Worse for Song Haoyin, that is.

Zhou Qiwei never cared about public opinion, but Song Haoyin’s celebrity status meant many would seize this opportunity to stir trouble.

Ji Xubai shook her head: “I spoke with Zhou Zhao. She’s tested the waters Qiwei’s bail has been denied because the prime suspect has a history of poor treatment toward Omegas.”

Xuan Tinglu cursed under her breath. Du Xin immediately asked: “Is someone pulling strings behind this?”

“Zhou Zhao couldn’t be certain perhaps there was, perhaps there wasn’t. The issue now is that either the police find new leads, or we wait for Liu Shiyu to wake up before Qiwei can be cleared of suspicion.”

“How long will she be detained?” Du Xin asked with concern. “48 hours? 72 hours?”

Ji Xubai provided the answer: “Under current laws, using various pretexts, a suspect can be detained for up to several years.”

Only then did the silent Song Haoyin speak up: “Can I see Qiwei now? I want to meet her.”

On the third day of Zhou Qiwei’s detention, Song Haoyin was granted permission to visit the temporary detention center. She hadn’t slept all night, rehearsing how to comfort Zhou Qiwei.

The detention center where Qiwei was held wasn’t located at the scene of the incident. Presumably, the police deemed the matter too sensitive to public scrutiny and had chosen a facility in the suburbs, a hundred kilometers away.

The peeling walls of the detention center revealed patchy gray marks beneath. Staring at the exposed concrete, Song Haoyin began to worry whether the items she’d brought would be enough.

What kind of rundown place is this?

It was only yesterday they’d learned that Qiwei’s detention period had been extended from three days to five. If someone was deliberately obstructing things, Song Haoyin thought, maybe Qiwei could feign an episode of hormonal imbalance to secure medical bail?

Proud of being a law-abiding citizen all her life, Song Haoyin never imagined she’d ever contemplate such underhanded tactics.

After passing through security checks, Song Haoyin realized she and the lawyer weren’t being led to the visitation room. When the lawyer inquired, the guard looked somewhat embarrassed. “Uh, Ms. Zhou Qiwei is in the infirmary. You’ll have to meet her there.”

“What happened to her?” Song Haoyin’s worry spiked instantly. Had she gotten into a conflict with someone? Was someone targeting her out of spite? Or had someone…? One dreadful thought after another flooded her mind, but the guard ahead remained silent.

The building wasn’t large. After passing through three doors and making two turns, the infirmary came into view.

Inside stood a crowd of people in familiar lab coats, so dense that Song Haoyin couldn’t immediately spot Zhou Qiwei among them. It wasn’t until the guard beside her muttered under his breath, “Still not done yet?” that someone noticed them.

“Shh!”

A researcher crowding the doorway and craning their neck to see inside turned around, shooting the trio a warning glance. “Dr. Zhou hasn’t finished speaking yet. Keep it down!” they whispered.

Utterly confused, Song Haoyin followed the guard back into the hallway, where he explained the situation.

On Zhou Qiwei’s first day in detention, a detainee and a guard had suffered a severe hormonal conflict the detainee fainted, the guard went into convulsions, and their hormones began leaking uncontrollably.

The infirmary’s limited stock of medication couldn’t handle such a complex situation. The guards were about to escalate the matter to the nearest hormonal treatment facility when Zhou Qiwei, returning from outdoor time, loudly remarked that by the time help arrived, it would be too late.

“Hey, stop hesitating! Do you want to watch her die?”

In the end, Zhou Qiwei was brought to the infirmary, where she used the few available drugs to concoct a neutralizing agent that stopped the hormonal leakage. Thanks to her emergency intervention, the police began mandatory hormonal crisis response training with Zhou Qiwei, much to her pride, becoming the “detainee-turned-instructor.”

Dr. Zhou stood before the whiteboard, marker in hand, commanding the room with authority: “Given the unique conditions of detention centers, storing certain pheromone treatment medications can be challenging. Therefore, we can create temporary formulations using several commonly available drugs.”

As complex formulas filled the whiteboard, Zhou Qiwei smiled at the roomful of people: “Though the formulas appear complicated, in practice you only need to remember fixed drug names and dosages. According to current pheromone treatment guidelines, the side effects of emergency formulations aren’t severe.”

“However, whenever possible, patients should be transferred to specialized hospitals after emergency treatment. If circumstances don’t permit this, at least six hours of medical observation is required. The gland and pheromone systems are extremely delicate our research in this area remains quite superficial, so please remember this crucial point.”

Despite wearing slippers, a casual sports jacket, and slightly disheveled hair, Zhou Qiwei remained at the pinnacle of her profession when discussing her expertise.

As if completely unbothered by her incarceration, Dr. Zhou fielded questions with relaxed ease. Song Haoyin recalled how this woman had once claimed research was just her meal ticket Zhou Qiwei really was all talk.

The 90-minute training session concluded quickly. As Zhou Qiwei tossed aside her marker to ask for final questions, she suddenly spotted a familiar profile at the doorway.

“Haoyin!”

Her excited footsteps and delighted voice immediately drew everyone’s attention to the entrance. Zhou Qiwei used a file to shield their faces: “Let’s go over there.” Then she called out to dismiss the class.

The medical room filled with good-natured laughter. For a moment, Song Haoyin almost forgot Zhou Qiwei had lost her freedom it felt like they were back at the research institute.

“My living quarters are private and decent enough. As you can see, I’m quite popular here,” Zhou Qiwei said cheerfully in the visitation room, sitting across from Song Haoyin. “So I’m doing fine. What about you? Has Yuanbao’s film set reopened?”

Song Haoyin remained silent, her gaze fixed on Zhou Qiwei’s dark circles.

“Alright, the sleeping arrangements aren’t great, but better than submarine bunks. The food’s decent. With few inmates, we actually have decent personal space.” No matter how casually Zhou Qiwei presented things, her current situation remained bleak.

Song Haoyin held her hand, feeling the pulse beneath dry skin. However much Zhou Qiwei pretended everything was fine, Song Haoyin could see her exhaustion none of her usual vibrant energy remained.

“Your sister Zhou Zhao she and Ji Xubai are working on solutions. Madam Zhou has her legal team filing for bail citing ‘excessive detention.’ Du Xin is also contacting old connections.” Song Haoyin updated her on the Zhou family’s efforts, mentioning how Du Xin and Xuan Tinglu from Magic Cube were also working on solutions.

The accompanying lawyer had come to discuss bail, but Zhou Qiwei insisted it was pointless normal channels wouldn’t free her.

After the lawyer left and only the two of them remained in the reception room, Zhou Qiwei finally told Song Haoyin: “Zhou Zhao’s actions have been too radical these past few years. That case about pheromone abuse involves too many people, and some haven’t even been exposed yet. I’m not the main target I just happened to be caught in the crossfire.”

“Someone wants to use this incident to bring her down. So don’t waste your efforts. This depends on whether Zhou Zhao can quickly uncover the leads or if Liu Shiyu wakes up.”

The guards weren’t here, and the surveillance was turned off. Song Haoyin glanced around for now, Zhou Qiwei’s safety seemed secure. But with delays come complications. If Zhou Zhao couldn’t hold out, would Qiwei…?

“I’ll get you out of here soon,” Song Haoyin said, gripping her hand tightly. Her mind was filled with scenes of torture from scripts she’d read waterboarding, suffocation, hallucinogens, and more.

“Stay out of this,” Zhou Qiwei said firmly. “Once filming resumes, just focus on your work. Don’t get involved in this mess. If reporters ask, just say”

“Say we should wait for the official statement and ask the media not to jump to conclusions.” Song Haoyin smiled helplessly. Zhou Qiwei was so determined to keep her away from the scandal, but that was impossible. Besides, with one emergency after another, she really wasn’t in the mood to film.

Not just Song Haoyin even Qu Yuanzhi was listless, even complaining that the filming location had been poorly chosen. “To think Liu Shiyu would show up here what terrible luck.”

No one believed Zhou Qiwei had anything to do with Liu Shiyu’s attack.

And because the incident was so bizarre, even though Zhou Qiwei was detained, online media remained eerily silent. Though it sparked discussions, the strange collective silence from the press prevented it from escalating into a full-blown storm.

This attitude made Song Haoyin overthink: “I can’t help but feel that whoever’s behind this wants to trip up Miss Zhou Zhao but is being very restrained when it comes to you. Doesn’t that prove they don’t have a guaranteed win?” Otherwise, wouldn’t it be better to just pin the blame on Zhou Qiwei like in movies where the protagonist is forced to confess under threat?

“Exactly, which is why I don’t want you involved,” Zhou Qiwei sighed. “There’s still no news about Liu Shiyu, who knows if she’s alive or dead. If she really dies and you publicly defend me, it’ll be even harder to handle.”

“And… there’s something I need to ask of you.”

Zhou Qiwei’s expression turned serious. “Ji Xubai has a document I asked her to draft a long time ago about the shares I hold in Ferris Wheel & Cube. If I really end up in trouble don’t laugh, it could happen I want you to hold them in trust for me. And if that happens, I hope you’ll give Du Xin your full support regarding the collaboration between Jiuzhou and Cube.”

“Why not hand it over to someone else? Because neither Du Xin nor Xuan Tinglu are suitable it’s best they stay as they are. And by acting as a trustee, you can minimize Jiuzhou’s resentment.”

Song Haoyin didn’t know what expression she was wearing, only that Zhou Qiwei was trying to reassure her: “The Zhou family’s relationships are like this. Some things need to be clearly separated it’s better for everyone.”

“Your mother I mean, Madam Zhou if I become the trustee, would she publicly oppose it?”

“No.” The rest of Zhou Qiwei’s words were swallowed back unless she died here, Jiuzhou would never annex Cube. “The current situation benefits everyone. Well, except Zhou Mu. she must be miserable. If Zhou Zhao wins, Zhou Mu will endure endless gossip. If Zhou Zhao loses, then returning home to inherit the family business is clearly a viable fallback.”

“What about you? Watching the tigers fight from the mountaintop?” Seeing the smile on her girlfriend’s face, Song Haoyin teased, “Waiting for them to destroy each other?”

“What if what if I am?”

The conversation veered into dangerous territory. Zhou Qiwei grew nervous would Song Haoyin think she was two-faced, sinister, and cunning…?

“Then I’d stand by you.” Song Haoyin didn’t see any issue at all. Just as she wanted to prove herself in acting, it was only natural for Qiwei to harbor ambitions of ruling Jiuzhou.

Zhou Qiwei leaned on the table, torn between laughter and tears. After a sip of coffee, she finally managed to say, “I thought of a name for our child Zhou. Song Yizhou.”

Song Haoyin couldn’t hold back a laugh. “The kid would get teased in school.”

Zhou Qiwei chuckled too. For three days, she had been sleepless, her mind wandering uncontrollably despite her efforts to focus on emergency training preparations.

Her thoughts had spiraled from emergency training to death, from death to new life, from new life to stubbornness.

She shouldn’t have sworn off marriage so adamantly, shouldn’t have insisted on staying happily single or cohabiting forever, shouldn’t have claimed disinterest in children…

But if it were Song Haoyin’s child that would be a brand-new life, unburdened by the past, light and precious.

This child would receive all the love in the world.

As they bantered back and forth, the lawyer who walked in momentarily wondered if a child named “Song Yizhou” already existed somewhere in the world.

They had entered the detention center with heavy hearts but left with smiles. Song Haoyin truly believed Zhou Qiwei would be fine the shareholding agreement might not even be necessary.

Song Haoyin’s good mood lasted until midnight the next day. She had just finished a call with Qu Yuanzhi, deciding to return to the film set the following week. But the moment she hung up and drifted off to sleep, an urgent phone call shattered the silence. On the other end was her younger sister, Song Ange.

Ange delivered terrible news: Zhou Qiwei had suffered a sudden onset of hormone dysregulation syndrome in detention and had fallen into a deep coma.

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