After Marrying the Cold Omega in Secret - Chapter 44

By the time everyone’s individual close-up shots were done, it was already three in the afternoon.

The production team quickly delivered the opening lines, officially kicking off the pool party games. Because the setup was more complex today, two main handheld cameras remained in the backyard, while the rest were fixed cameras.

Between the main and fixed lenses, both close-ups and wide shots were captured, giving the audience a full view of the game.

The first event was called “Tug-of-War on Water.”

Everyone was divided into teams of two, sitting on inflatable floats shaped like boats to compete in the match.

Exerting strength on solid ground was one thing, but on the rocking surface of water, it became much more difficult. With two people per float, one had to sit in front while the other sat behind. The pulling would inevitably involve close body contact, maybe even pressing closely together.

To make matters more complicated, team members would be determined by drawing lots.

The production team quickly brought out the box of draw cards.

The show was nearing its end, and by now, most participants had clearly developed feelings for someone. They had more or less formed visible pairings over the past few days. No one was particularly eager to draw.

Some worried they might end up with someone else and feel awkward. Others feared the person they liked might be paired with someone else and get jealous.

Xin Ning hesitated, then considered suggesting they just choose their own partners to avoid this step. But before she could speak, Wan Qing had already stepped forward.

“I’ll go first.”

She removed her sunglasses and calmly reached into the box, pulling out a card with practiced ease.

It was the usual numbered pairing system. Anyone who drew the same number would be matched as a team.

In full view of the camera, Wan Qing unfolded her card without hesitation. A bold “1” was written on it.

Only Qiao Man quietly hoped to draw the same number. Everyone else wanted to avoid it, secretly hoping to get a different number so they could swap cards later.

Chu Jin already felt a headache coming on as soon as she saw this setup.

Every time there was a draw, luck was never on her side. And what she dreaded most always seemed to come true.

One by one, the others took their cards.

Once all the cards had been distributed, everyone held their breath and opened them at the same time. A few didn’t match with anyone. Some exchanged glances, trying to swap partners without the cameras catching on.

Chu Jin opened hers and let out a soft sigh.

A “2.”

At least it wasn’t 1.

She definitely didn’t want to be paired with Wan Qing.

She looked up toward Chi Ye, noticing the displeasure that briefly crossed her expression.

Not only did Chu Jin catch the shadow that flickered across Chi Ye’s gaze, but Wan Qing also noticed it immediately.

Before anyone else could react, she asked brightly, “What number did you get, Chi Ye?”

Her voice was clear and crisp, instantly drawing attention from everyone, including the camera crew.

They immediately focused in on Chi Ye, capturing both close and wide angles. The livestream audience now had a perfect view of her, clear enough to see even the tiny pores on her face.

“Ugh, this Wan Qing is so annoying.”

“She’s doing this on purpose, right? Trying to mess with Chi Ye.”

“Chi Ye’s skin is flawless. I need to know what skincare she uses.”

“I’ve been using the toner and serum from [brand redacted], same results!”

“Same here! That brand really works wonders.”

“Mods, please kick out the advertisers already!”

Wan Qing had achieved her goal. With the cameras all pointed at Chi Ye, there was no escape. She had no choice but to show her card.

Chu Jin had felt a subtle wave of anxiety earlier. Now, seeing the number on Chi Ye’s card, she understood exactly where that unease had come from.

A “1.”

Wan Qing’s eyes lit up. She didn’t care about the cameras. Her joy spilled straight onto her face.

“We’re on the same team!” she said, hurrying to Chi Ye’s side. Her usual composed demeanor was replaced by overt excitement. “Looks like we’re really fated to be.”

She emphasized the word “fated” with particular force, giving it a possessive undertone, as if to say, “You can’t escape me.” Her eyes glinted with something dark, like a predator watching its prey, calm but menacing.

Chi Ye ignored her.

A flicker of anger rose inside her. She regretted not being involved in planning the segment. If she had known they were doing a draw today, she would have cut the idea immediately.

But now that the rules had been announced live nationwide, there was no way to backtrack. No matter how unwilling she was, she had no choice but to continue.

Wan Qing narrowed her eyes, then turned to Chu Jin.

“What number did you get?”

The camera followed her movements as if she were directing the show herself. But it worked out for the others. While the focus was on Wan Qing, several contestants used the distraction to quietly swap cards and match with people they actually wanted to team up with.

Chu Jin noticed everything.

Seeing the satisfied expressions and successful pairings among the others, she instantly knew who she had been matched with.

It felt like a lose-lose situation.

Clearly, today was destined to make things difficult for her.

With a blank expression, Chu Jin opened her card in front of the cameras.

Seeing the number, Qiao Man reacted even faster than her, drawing in a sharp breath. She almost made a face, but quickly forced a smile before the camera panned her way.

She looked over at Wan Qing, who gave her a cold glance full of unspoken warning.

Qiao Man felt a little hurt but still tried to smile at Chu Jin.

“What a coincidence.”

She showed her card—also a “2.”

The smile on her face was stiff and unnatural.

Her acting had definitely worsened since the show began.

Chu Jin returned a similarly fake smile.

Out of the four of them, only Wan Qing was genuinely happy. She even urged the production team to hurry up and start the game.

Teams were determined by draw, but matchups followed numerical order. Teams 1 and 2 were set to face off.

Chu Jin felt a mix of emotions stirring inside her.

It was as if fate were playing tricks on her. From the beginning of this show, there had been one emotional landmine after another, all seemingly aimed at her and Chi Ye.

And now, thinking about Chi Ye being forced into close contact with Wan Qing made Chu Jin feel even worse.

Whether they won or lost, the outcome would be uncomfortable.

In the end, she climbed onto the float board without protest.

It looked like a boat, but was really just a narrow inflatable platform designed to hold two people. It was difficult enough to balance on, let alone engage in a tug-of-war.

Fortunately, Qiao Man seemed to want to keep her distance too. Chu Jin sat behind her, the two leaving a large gap between them.

Since she was at the back, she could at least control her positioning during the game.

Chi Ye wasn’t so lucky.

She had no desire to get close to Wan Qing, but the other woman kept leaning back toward her.

Although Chi Ye had boarded first and taken the rear position, Wan Qing didn’t seem to mind. They were, after all, on the same float. In her eyes, Chi Ye had nowhere to run.

No matter how far Chi Ye leaned back, Wan Qing kept shifting closer.

Eventually, the director had to speak up, reminding them that any further movement would throw off the float’s balance and likely cause them to fall into the water.

The pool wasn’t deep, but Chi Ye wasn’t a strong swimmer. She had no choice but to listen and stop moving away.

She endured the discomfort of Wan Qing’s body leaning against hers, feeling deeply irritated.

Even then, Chi Ye refused to give in completely. She crossed her arms in front of her, trying to maintain some physical distance between them.

Sensing the rejection, Wan Qing glanced back at her and lowered her voice.

She leaned in and asked:

“Little Chi, do you really hate me that much?”

Wan Qing’s voice sounded pitiful, but there was a hint of mocking laughter in her eyes.

Chi Ye’s breathing grew slightly uneven. She worked hard to keep her anger in check and finally responded in a calm and steady tone.

“If you can behave yourself, you’ll be able to stay on the show until the end. But if you try to stir up trouble, I promise—”

“What will you do?” Wan Qing let out a short laugh and glanced at her with a sideways look. “Will you kill me too?”

Chi Ye froze in place. Her face turned pale in an instant.

Her hand clenched tightly, the knuckles turning white.

That one sentence made her chest tighten painfully. She felt a wave of nausea rise up from deep within, but she forced herself to stay calm.

“You think you can manipulate me with those words?” she asked quietly.

Wan Qing gave a dismissive snort of laughter. She turned slightly, giving Chi Ye a false look of tenderness, but the words that followed were sharp and cold.

“Don’t worry. I fully intend to cause trouble. And I will make sure you understand exactly what it feels like to lose someone you care about.”

Her voice trembled slightly. She was clearly at the edge of breaking down.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them again, her expression returning to a more neutral state.

“You can go ahead and try to get rid of me if you want.”

The main camera was focused on the wide shot of the pool area, so this exchange wasn’t captured. However, Chu Jin had seen everything from a distance. She couldn’t hear what was being said, but she could sense the tension between the two of them.

Chi Ye rarely looked rattled, even for a second. But that brief moment of vulnerability made Chu Jin’s chest tighten.

And then came a soft wave of disappointment.

After their last honest conversation, Chu Jin had been waiting for Chi Ye to open up about her past with Wan Qing. But in all these days, Chi Ye had said nothing.

Of course she hadn’t. They were only bound by a contract, nothing more than a temporary emotional outlet. There was no reason for deep conversations.

Before she could dwell too much on that thought, a bell rang out, signaling that the game was about to begin.

Both teams were guided to the center of the pool, placed three meters apart. A colorful rope floated between them to mark the center line.

Each team gripped their end of the rope.

Since the game took place on water, the rules were more relaxed. No matter how they pulled or moved, whoever dragged the center marker to their side would win.

There would be only one round. The winning team would go on to the finals.

“Let’s win this one,” Qiao Man suddenly said as she turned back.

She would rather win than let Wan Qing and Chi Ye advance to the final round together.

Seeing her partner’s determination, Chu Jin nodded. For once, their goals were the same.

Ever since Wan Qing joined the show, Chu Jin had noticed subtle changes in Qiao Man’s behavior. From little details, it was clear who her true feelings were for.

It explained why Qiao Man’s warmth had always felt slightly off. Now everything made sense.

Before, she had been pretending. Now that the person she truly liked had arrived, it was natural that she would start to pull away.

A few days ago, Chu Jin had already pieced together the unusual dynamic between them. Her suspicions had only grown stronger since.

For now, the important thing was that she and Qiao Man were aligned. They could worry about the rest later.

Chu Jin remembered the rope-pulling techniques from her school days. She pressed the rope under her arm, tightened it, and focused on finding the right angle to pull.

Then a sharp whistle sounded.

The game began.

Chu Jin pulled with firm but measured strength, while Qiao Man used every bit of energy she had. The two of them worked in perfect sync, and the rope quickly moved a significant distance toward their side.

Curious, Chu Jin glanced at Chi Ye’s hands on the other end.

She was only lightly holding the rope, not pulling at all. Her grip looked relaxed, almost like she wasn’t participating.

She wasn’t putting in any effort.

Wan Qing noticed as well. Though she was an alpha with greater strength than an omega, the other team had Chu Jin, who appeared delicate but possessed undeniable power.

Combined with Qiao Man’s determination, the result was clear. Their team won the match with ease.

Wan Qing kept her irritation to herself. As she swam back toward the edge of the pool, she leaned against Chi Ye again, trying to steal one more moment of closeness in this small space.

Chi Ye immediately pulled away, retreating once more.

That one movement caused the very situation the production crew had warned about earlier.

The float tilted sharply.

Both Chi Ye and Wan Qing lost their balance and fell into the pool.

Wan Qing flailed for a moment but managed to swim toward the edge.

Chi Ye, however, wasn’t as lucky.

She couldn’t swim.

Though she was usually calm and composed, being thrown into the water caused panic to rise. The water wasn’t even that deep, only chest-level, but she struggled to find her footing.

Falling into the pool was a common enough occurrence during these games. No one gave it much attention. Besides, another team was already preparing for their turn, and all the cameras were focused on them.

No one noticed what was happening.

Except for Chu Jin.

Without hesitation, she dove in and swam to Chi Ye as fast as she could.

She reached her quickly, wrapped an arm around her waist, and helped her stand up in the water.

With one arm still holding her close, she used her other hand to gently brush aside the wet strands of hair sticking to Chi Ye’s face.

Her hair was completely soaked, and the water only made her striking features even more defined.

Her complexion was still pale.

Fortunately, Chu Jin had arrived just in time. Chi Ye had only swallowed a little water and didn’t seem to be in serious danger.

But Chu Jin still felt worried.

“Are you alright?” she asked gently.

Chi Ye shook her head.

“You should have told me you couldn’t swim,” Chu Jin said, her voice soft and low. Though the words carried a hint of reproach, her tone was filled with care rather than blame.

At this point, Chi Ye had already regained her composure. Her usual proud and reserved demeanor returned as she spoke.
“I do know a little.”

“A little?” Chu Jin stared straight at her. “Who was your teacher? They clearly didn’t do a good job.”

Then she added with a hint of amusement, “I’ll teach you when there’s a chance.”

Since they were still in the water and the cameras weren’t pointed in their direction, Chu Jin’s actions became increasingly unrestrained.

With her arm still around Chi Ye’s waist, the two were standing very close. They could clearly feel each other’s warmth and softness, as well as the chaotic rhythm of their heartbeats.

The closeness reminded Chi Ye of what had just happened earlier in the room. A subtle heat flared in her chest again. She didn’t dare meet Chu Jin’s burning gaze, afraid that she might lose control out here in public.

She looked slightly to the side and responded softly, “Fine. I’ll pay you for the lessons.”

“How much will you pay?” Chu Jin didn’t let her off easily and followed her gaze, forcing Chi Ye to look her in the eyes.

At the same time, her warm palm began to move along Chi Ye’s waist and finally rested on the curve of her hip.

Her touch became suggestive, teasing with deliberate pressure.

“I’ll give you however much you want,” Chi Ye murmured, barely able to handle it. She quickly reached out in the water and grabbed Chu Jin’s hand to stop her.

If they were alone, she would have welcomed Chu Jin’s teasing, even craved more.

But out here, in public, Chi Ye couldn’t allow herself to let go.

And of course, this side of her restraint was exactly what Chu Jin loved seeing.

Still, everyone else had already climbed out of the pool. They didn’t have much time left to linger.

They would just have to wait until nightfall.

With a tinge of regret, Chu Jin took Chi Ye’s hand and led her out of the water. As they walked, she was already thinking about how she could find the perfect moment later to explore a new level of intimacy with her.

Though she resented Chi Ye for not opening up emotionally, every time they touched, that resentment melted away.

If they couldn’t connect through words, then perhaps their bodies could forge a deeper bond. That was the absurd conclusion Chu Jin had come to after their relationship deepened earlier that day.

The principles she once held had crumbled bit by bit. She even had the fleeting thought of surrendering to it all and simply enjoying the relationship, just like Song Xunyu had suggested.

And from the looks of it, they both seemed to understand this unspoken agreement.

Chu Jin and Qiao Man made it into the final round, but since they kept a significant distance between them throughout the match, they ultimately lost to Zhou Meng and Wen Zhixue.

After the tug-of-war, they moved on to the next game: the water-ball battle. This was a free-for-all where pairs could team up to attack others using water balloons. If someone fell into the water, their team was out.

Naturally, Chu Jin positioned herself in front to protect Chi Ye.

But the scene was chaotic, and now that she knew Chi Ye couldn’t swim, she grew worried. To avoid any accidents, Chu Jin found the right moment to fall into the water on purpose, resulting in their team being eliminated.

Ever since the idea of waiting for the night to come had taken root, Chu Jin couldn’t concentrate fully.

All she wanted was for it to get dark already.

Finally, as night fell, they reached the last game. Once it was complete, the group would be free to spend the evening however they pleased.

The production team explained the rules.

“This final game is called Sunken Treasure. Whoever finds the hidden treasure pouch underwater will end today’s games and earn the chance to invite a partner for a private dinner after the party.”

The winner would not only finish the game but also enjoy a two-person dinner.

Chu Jin accepted this glorious and challenging task: to dive and find the treasure.

Chi Ye waited for her on the shore.

To make things harder, the treasure pouch was the same color as the pool, a shade of blue that blended in easily. Combined with the dim lighting of night, the water was difficult to see through.

Chu Jin searched in the pool for a long time before she finally spotted a faint outline of a pouch in the deep corner where no one else had gone yet.

After a moment’s hesitation, she quietly moved away from the other participants and headed for that corner.

That area was outside the reach of the lights, and as she approached, Chu Jin had to crouch slightly and lower her head into the water to clearly see the pouch and determine its exact location.

Just then, a shadow flashed above her. But she didn’t pay it much attention.

This was a filming set, and people were moving around all the time. It could have been a cameraman capturing her solo search.

Chu Jin continued stepping forward.

Just as her foot touched the pool floor, a sudden sharp pain shot through her big toe.

A streak of red spread through the water.

Startled by the pain, Chu Jin lost her balance. The tiles beneath her were too slippery, and she fell into the water.

For someone who could swim, such a fall wasn’t a big deal. As long as they remained calm, they could easily regain balance and get back on their feet.

But that wasn’t the case if someone deliberately forced them down.

Just as Chu Jin tried to get up, a pair of hands suddenly pressed her down hard from above.

Her feet slipped again, and this time, she swallowed a mouthful of water.

Panic set in.

She gasped for air but only inhaled more water. A suffocating pressure engulfed her, yet the force holding her underwater did not ease up.

It was cold, heartless, and full of malicious intent.

Whoever it was had no intention of letting her up.