After Marrying the Cold Omega in Secret - Chapter 38

It wasn’t until Wan Qing had completely gone upstairs that Chu Jin finally turned slightly and looked at Chi Ye.

Although she still sat upright on the sofa, her entire posture remained stiff. Yet she looked extremely exhausted, without her usual spirit. There was even a trace of despair in her eyes.

Chu Jin’s gaze fell lower and noticed that Chi Ye’s fists were tightly clenched, her knuckles pale from tension.

“Are you alright?” Chu Jin asked gently.

She had many doubts in her heart, but seeing Chi Ye like this made her feel heavy inside. She couldn’t bring herself to ask any of those questions. All she wanted was to know how Chi Ye was feeling at that moment.

Chi Ye didn’t move at first. Only after a long silence did she slowly raise her eyes to meet Chu Jin’s.

Things buried for years were now rising up like corpses breaking through a grave, dragging up rotting flesh and the stench of decay. What had once been a bright and hopeful life was suddenly shrouded in dark clouds again.

Her breathing turned uneven, following the trembling in her chest.

Her eyes no longer held their usual calm. It was as if someone had unexpectedly shattered the ice around her with a sharp blade, exposing her raw emotions—confusion and heartbreak.

This was the first time Chu Jin had ever seen Chi Ye show such vulnerability.

Unable to hold back, she leaned forward and gently pulled Chi Ye into her arms.

Chi Ye’s tense body softened at once, as if she had lost all strength, leaning quietly into Chu Jin’s embrace.

Earlier, when she had heard Wan Qing say that Chi Ye once had a girlfriend she liked, Chu Jin had felt a bit angry. But now, none of that seemed important anymore.

Chu Jin placed her hand on Chi Ye’s back and softly stroked it.

“Tell me when you’re ready. I’ll be here,” she whispered.

But Chi Ye stayed in her arms for less than three minutes before she suddenly seemed to remember something and pulled away.

Just moments ago she had looked devastated. Now she had returned to her usual cold demeanor, and her tone matched it.

“I have nothing to say.”

“From now on, stay away from me.”

At first, Chu Jin was shocked by her words.

Then a wave of sadness passed through her heart.

But she quickly realized that Chi Ye wouldn’t have said that for no reason. This must be intentional.

Over the years, aside from school and studying, Chu Jin didn’t have many hobbies. She loved reading novels curled up on the sofa in her free time.

This situation was exactly like the plot of many of those stories.

A new, dangerous figure appears. The protagonist, trying to protect the person they care about, pushes them away to avoid harm.

They think it’s for the other person’s sake, but it ends up causing even more pain. Then neither of them communicates properly, leading to a massive misunderstanding, heartbreak, misjudgment, and complicated emotions.

In lighter stories, they reconcile after tens of thousands of words. In more painful ones, the wounds last until the very end. Even if there’s a happy ending, the sweetness is mixed with broken glass.

So when Chi Ye pushed her away,

Chu Jin took just ten seconds to process everything. Then, without hesitation, she did something unexpected. She wrapped her arms around Chi Ye again.

This time, even tighter, to prevent Chi Ye from escaping.

Their bodies pressed together. As an alpha, Chu Jin naturally had a taller, stronger build. It was easy for her to keep Chi Ye in place. She had never realized just how thin Chi Ye was. Hugging her felt like she could disappear in her arms.

“If I stay away from you, who’s going to send me living expenses?” Chu Jin whispered.

Warm memories surfaced in her mind. After a moment of hesitation, she added softly,

“Besides, you’re my wife. I’m not leaving.”

But her words didn’t touch Chi Ye at all.

Chi Ye looked up. Her eyes were cold, and she radiated a distant chill that made it hard to get close.

It felt as if she were speaking to a stranger. Her voice was icy and firm.

“We’re only married by contract.”

That one sentence shattered everything they had shared and reduced it to a joke.

Chu Jin had imagined many things Chi Ye might say. But when those words came out, it still hurt in a way she couldn’t control.

Despite the warmth they had shared in recent days and the many intimate moments between them, the truth remained. They were only bound by a contract.

What started as a paid arrangement had ended up with Chu Jin giving a piece of her heart.

It made her feel foolish, like she had overstepped her place.

But as an adult, she knew how to keep her emotions hidden. She needed to stay composed and act like nothing had happened.

“You’re right,” Chu Jin said with a nod.

Then she let go of Chi Ye and said quietly, “I crossed the line.”

After Chu Jin left, Chi Ye stared blankly at her departing figure. Her heart ached terribly, but she still didn’t call out to stop her.

Once everyone had left, the director walked into the living room with a serious expression and led Chi Ye to the lounge.

The first floor of the villa had a few unused rooms set aside for the crew to rest. After passing through a cluttered equipment room, Qin Shiyun brought Chi Ye to the innermost tea room.

Qin Shiyun had been nervous the entire way. Chi Ye wasn’t just a cast member; she was the main investor of the show. She had joined with capital, and now this unexpected incident had occurred.

Qin had worked hard to screen all the participants. She even hired people to investigate their backgrounds to avoid including anyone with complicated emotional histories.

Wan Qing, the heiress of the Wan family, was well known in elite circles. She seemed gentle and refined on the surface, but was actually impulsive, emotional, and known as a playboy alpha. She had relationships with many young actresses but never truly committed. Her reputation rivaled that of the current top star Qu Miaoyan.

A few years ago, Wan Qing suddenly went abroad for unknown reasons, and her stories slowly faded from public attention.

Of course, ordinary people had no access to this information. Someone like Chu Jin, who had struggled at the bottom of the entertainment industry, had never even heard Wan Qing’s name.

Backed by the powerful Wansheng Group, Wan Qing had approached Qin Shiyun personally, claiming that she had changed and just wanted to find true love. She also promised to invest in the next season of the show.

With both the influence of Wansheng and the promise of eighty million yuan in funding, Qin had no choice but to agree.

She never imagined Wan Qing would have a conflict with Chi Ye.

And in just a few minutes of livestream, the comment section had already exploded. Wan Qing hadn’t hidden her identity, and viewers quickly uncovered her background. They also began to question who Chi Ye really was.

Speculations spread like wildfire. People began crafting stories of wealthy feuds and romantic revenge between Chi Ye and Wan Qing.

Because of Chi Ye’s recent closeness with Chu Jin, public opinion shifted. Chi Ye was now being labeled a heartbreaker.

Viewers speculated that Chi Ye had dumped Wan Qing and found new love with Chu Jin on the show. Now the ex had shown up, and a dramatic confrontation was about to unfold.

Qin Shiyun didn’t dare look up. The silence was chilling, and Chi Ye’s presence was enough to freeze the air.

Finally, she looked up and said apologetically, “President Chi, about Wan Qing…”

“I know you couldn’t stop her,” Chi Ye interrupted coldly, her gaze dark and distant.

Chi Ye leaned on the table with both arms, hands clasped tightly. Even just sitting there, she gave off a heavy, intimidating pressure.

“But at the very least,” she said, glancing up at Qin Shiyun, her eyes sharp and icy, “you should have told me.”

This was the first time Qin Shiyun had seen Chi Ye like this. She had always seemed cold, but not unreasonable. Now, her tone was calm, but there was a quiet intensity about her that made it impossible to guess her thoughts. That stillness was terrifying.

“I’m sorry, President Chi,” Qin said, her back drenched in cold sweat. “I didn’t think it through. I failed.”

But her apology was met with silence.

The room once again fell into a heavy stillness, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Qin Shiyun didn’t even dare meet her eyes. Nervously, almost in fear, she said, “Should I go talk to Wan Qing and see if we can convince her to withdraw…?”

“No need,” Chi Ye replied tiredly, closing her eyes. She raised a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose, then slowly opened her eyes again. Her gaze was dark, as deep and bottomless as an abyss.

“I want to see exactly what kind of storm she thinks she can stir up.”

After their conversation ended, the show resumed its live broadcast. The remaining segments would continue as planned. There were only a few days left, and Qin Shiyun silently prayed that they could get through the rest of it peacefully.

She didn’t hope for viral success anymore. She just wanted it to end without more problems.

The current popularity of this dating show had already far exceeded her expectations. When the proposal was first written, she never thought it would actually be filmed. This entire project had only been made possible thanks to Chi Ye’s investment. Without it, the show might never have seen the light of day.

So when it came to what happened today, Qin Shiyun truly felt deeply guilty.

After the events of the day, things between Chu Jin and Chi Ye returned to how they were in the beginning. Though they shared the same space, they acted like strangers.

Every now and then, their eyes would meet, but neither spoke. And every time, it was Chi Ye who quickly looked away.

She seemed calm and composed, without a trace of emotion.

Chu Jin had tried several times to speak, but each time, faced with Chi Ye’s cold expression, the words died in her throat.

That night, after Chi Ye finished showering, she came out to find Chu Jin already lying in bed. Whether she was asleep or not was unclear, but the room was completely quiet.

Chi Ye hesitated for a moment, then slowly walked over to the desk by the window. Her tall figure cast a long shadow across the table as the light from behind illuminated her. A stuffed bear sat within the outline of that shadow.

Chi Ye looked down and picked it up.

It was small, maybe thirty to forty centimeters tall. It looked a little silly, wearing a blue knitted sweater. The texture was soft and smooth. It was, admittedly, quite cute.

She remembered that after breakfast, Qiao Man had chatted with Chu Jin for a long time. Afterward, she saw the bear in Chu Jin’s hands.

It must have been a gift from Qiao Man.

At the thought, Chi Ye’s hand involuntarily tightened. The bear’s head was slowly squished flat under the pressure of her fingers, but its round eyes remained full and glossy, making it look even more dimwitted on its now-flattened head.

Chi Ye only continued this childish behavior for a few seconds before releasing the bear. She turned it over and found the tag on its backside. She took a photo of it and sent it to He Xian.

Her fingers quickly typed a line below the chat box, then hit send.

Buy every plush from this brand.

After sending the message, Chi Ye set the bear back down, but not in its original position. She flipped it face down and placed it back on the table with a faint air of disdain.

Then she prepared to return to her own bed to rest.

From the sound of Chu Jin’s calm and steady breathing, Chi Ye assumed she had truly fallen asleep. She had planned to walk straight back to her bed, but her footsteps suddenly changed direction and quietly brought her to Chu Jin’s bedside.

Chu Jin was lying on her side, wrapped in the blanket. She looked peaceful in her sleep. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly with each breath, like butterfly wings in gentle motion.

Chi Ye leaned down slightly. Unable to resist, she reached out, wanting to touch Chu Jin’s cheek. But just as her fingers were about to brush the skin, she stopped.

Suppressing the emotion in her chest, she slowly pulled her hand back.

Chu Jin didn’t stir during any of this, and in fact, she seemed to sink even deeper into sleep.

Nighttime had a way of drawing out the truest emotions from the heart. The cold indifference Chi Ye had firmly held onto during the day began to crumble under the warmth of the quiet night.

Even so, Chi Ye forced herself to suppress everything. She made herself step away and head back to her bed. She turned off the light and tried to sleep.

But her feet felt like they were weighed down with lead. She couldn’t move.

In the end, the longing and urge she had worked so hard to restrain pushed her forward. She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Chu Jin’s forehead.

It was as light as a feather. No trace left behind. It disappeared silently into the stillness of the night.

The feeling passed in an instant.

But after that kiss, Chu Jin opened her eyes.

Support After Marrying the Cold Omega in Secret