After My Fiancée Failed to Pretend to Be an Alpha - Chapter 12

The two women complemented each other perfectly.

On the left stood the Alpha—tall, commanding, her presence amplified by red-soled heels. A black dress hugged her frame, its hem adorned with a few scattered pearls. Chestnut waves cascaded down her back, her brow sharp, her peach-blossom eyes brimming with intensity.

Beside her, the Omega wore a white gown, a black pearl necklace contrasting against her companion. Her hair was pinned up, revealing a graceful swan-like neck. An aura of aloofness surrounded her, warning strangers to keep their distance.

At precisely eight o’clock, Lu Xinxue entered the A City Mid-Year Business Gala, arm in arm with Tang Cheng.

Once inside, Lu Xinxue was quickly surrounded by young entrepreneurs, leaving Tang Cheng pushed to the outer circle, unable to join the conversation.

Lu Xinxue handled them with ease—smiling, conversing, radiating confidence.

On the sidelines, Tang Cheng picked up a glass of wine. It tasted of nothing. She stepped aside to let a waiter pass.

Though Lu Xinxue had already taken suppressants, pheromones swirled chaotically in the hall. Tang Cheng couldn’t shake the fear of that day repeating itself.

Omega-induced heat. Zhang He had schemed against Lu Xinxue once—who knew if another Li He or Zhao He might try the same?

Her eyes never left Lu Xinxue.

Time had flown. At the time of their engagement, Lu Xinxue had been the youngest, most inexperienced CEO in the industry—confident, ambitious, but also arrogant. She rarely attended banquets, leaving social obligations to her grandmother.

Tang Cheng had only slept through six years, yet Lu Xinxue had transformed into a seasoned executive, shedding youthful sharpness, stepping into maturity.

“Xiao Cheng.”

The voice came from her side. At first, Tang Cheng didn’t react. Only when the woman approached did she turn.

The woman’s face resembled hers. Glasses softened her sharpness, adding warmth. A tailored suit framed her figure, short hair tucked neatly behind her ears. Her eyes carried a perpetual smile, lips curved upward from the moment Tang Cheng looked at her.

Tang Cheng raised a brow. A Beta. No need to confirm further. Her eldest sister: Tang Qinggu.

Tang Cheng had little connection with her siblings. The eldest sister and third brother were born of the former matriarch. The fourth brother and youngest sister belonged to the current one. Her own mother had left before she could form memories.

She had been forced back to her father’s side, a nameless child living in a cramped room, without identity.

Until the Lu family banquet, when she met Lu Xinxue who took her home. From then on, her growth was tied to the Lu family.

Her fragmented childhood memories weren’t enough to recognize Tang Qinggu outright. But she was a Beta—rare at such events. In elite circles, pure-blood Alphas and Omegas were prized for lineage. Despite society’s calls for ABO equality, Betas remained outsiders, anomalies.

Tang Qinggu was one of them.

Tang Cheng nodded, forcing a smile.

She didn’t know if, in the six years she’d forgotten, she had clashed with this sister or gotten along. All she could do was respond politely.

Tang Qinggu smiled gently. “Do you have enough money?”

Money again. Even as a child, Tang Cheng had never asked for it. How could this woman shamelessly bring it up again and again?

Grinding her teeth, Tang Cheng nodded. “I’m fine. I’ve been working part-time. I’m not short on money.”

Her sister seemed surprised, but added, “Even if you’re engaged to President Lu, the Tang family will always be your support.”

Engagement. So that was the point.

Lu Xinxue’s intention to dissolve the engagement was no secret. Zhang Ping knew. Surely Tang Qinggu did too. She was here to remind Tang Cheng that she still had the Tang family behind her.

But the Tang family was no match for the Lu Corporation. Lu’s empire was built on technology—chip manufacturing, internet development, advanced materials procurement. A sprawling conglomerate at the cutting edge. The Tang family was merely a rising star in internet services, once among Lu’s earliest partners.

As technology advanced, the Tang family expanded, but their finances strained under market saturation. Naturally, they turned their eyes back to Lu, needing someone to bridge the gap.

Tang Cheng had once been their greatest hope. But now, rumors spread of her broken engagement.

And with the current matriarch being mother to the fourth brother and youngest sister, succession battles loomed.

“Are we working with the Zhangs again?” Tang Cheng asked bluntly.

It wasn’t a secret. She had punched Zhang family’s precious son straight into the police station. The Zhang patriarch had been furious.

Tang Qinggu nodded, instantly understanding. “Not cooperation. They came to me for help. Don’t worry, Xiao Cheng. I’ll handle it.”

The sisterly concern was cloying. Her gentle smile, her soft words, it made Tang Cheng shiver with unease.

She had little memory of this sister. They had lived apart. Even now, their meetings could be counted on one hand. This was nothing more than a show of propriety.

Across the room, Lu Xinxue showed no sign of leaving.

“Tang Cheng!”

The call came after minutes of strained conversation. The voice was familiar—Zhong Rou.

Tang Cheng turned, relief flashing across her face. She forced a bitter smile, hoping Zhong Rou would pull her away.

As the young lady approached, Tang Cheng caught the Alpha scent clinging to her. She frowned, unwilling to step too far back.

Tang Qinggu, as a Beta, couldn’t smell it. She greeted Zhong Rou with a polite smile.

But Zhong Rou didn’t return it. Instead, she sneered. “Well, isn’t this rare—Tang Qinggu. Still tricking some poor fool tonight?”

Barbed words.

Tang Cheng realized their relationship was hostile. She stayed silent, unwilling to offend either side.

Her ears caught their exchange, but her eyes drifted back to Lu Xinxue. The crowd around her had thinned. Soon, she could return to her side.

Tang Qinggu remained composed. “Xiao Cheng is my sister. It’s only natural I care for her.”

Zhong Rou’s smile was sharp. “Care? Or buy her off? You know the difference.”

Tang Qinggu chuckled softly. “Miss Zhong, what do you mean? I don’t quite understand.”

“I mean you’re a social climber!” Zhong Rou snapped.

Tang Qinggu deflected with ease. “Business is business. Nothing shameful in that.”

Her smile never faltered, even as Zhong Rou fumed.

Finally, a male Omega approached, whispered something in Tang Qinggu’s ear. She nodded, preparing to leave.

Before departing, the young man glanced at Tang Cheng. “Second Sister.” Then he followed Tang Qinggu out.

It was Tang Han—her younger brother.

Tang Qinggu adjusted her suit jacket, nodded politely to Tang Cheng, and said,

“Leave Xiao Cheng’s matters to me. No need for President Lu to worry. As for Miss Zhong, perhaps I can invite you for coffee sometime?”

Zhong Rou rolled her eyes. “Fake courtesy.”

She refused to engage further. Tang Qinggu didn’t press, simply greeted Tang Cheng and left.

By then, Lu Xinxue was surrounded by even more people, making it nearly impossible for Tang Cheng to squeeze in.

Zhong Rou asked, “What did she say to you?”

Tang Cheng knew she meant Tang Qinggu. “Just some words of concern.”

Zhong Rou’s lips curled. “Stay away from her. She looks gentle, but her mind is sharper than anyone’s.”

Tang Cheng hesitated. “Did you and she have a conflict?”

Zhong Rou’s expression darkened. “Don’t ask.”

The hint of embarrassment in her tone silenced Tang Cheng.

Soon, the crowd around Lu Xinxue dispersed, shifting elsewhere. Tang Cheng seized the chance, stepping forward to reclaim her place at Lu Xinxue’s side—the closest position, one even Zhong Rou couldn’t reach.

The scent of thyme began to leak into the air. Tang Cheng discreetly released sweet basil, hoping to ease Lu Xinxue’s discomfort.

Receiving a steadying glance from Lu Xinxue, Tang Cheng withdrew her supporting hand.

Zhong Rou approached, but the Alpha scent clinging to her was so strong that Lu Xinxue recoiled, covering her nose. Zhong Rou stepped back, sniffing her own arm in surprise. “Is it really that strong?”

She asked, “What did you talk about?”

Lu Xinxue replied calmly, “Just trivial business. The real matter comes later.”

Tang Cheng didn’t understand these negotiations. Her life’s expertise lay in machines—wiring, coding, lifeless systems she could bend to her will.

Lu Xinxue’s true target had yet to appear. The three of them moved toward the lounge area. Dressed to perfection, Tang Cheng and Lu Xinxue drew every eye.

Everyone knew Miss Zhong and President Lu. But tonight, Tang Cheng’s sudden presence caught attention.

Without her usual flamboyant attire, most businessmen didn’t recognize her.

“Is that Tang Cheng?”

“Looks like her. What’s with the change?”

“President Lu is ending the engagement, and she still doesn’t restrain herself?”

Tang Cheng: “….”

Tang Cheng filtered out the whispers, focusing only on supporting Lu Xinxue.

Her glands at the nape of her neck ached, but Lu Xinxue allowed her closeness.

Not long after they sat down, Tang Cheng noticed a sharply dressed woman approaching the flamboyant siblings. The flash of red hair stood out across the hall.

The matter seemed quickly resolved.

Beside her, Lu Xinxue remained expressionless. Everything was unfolding as she had expected.

Zhong Rou muttered, “Not entirely useless.”

She was referring, of course, to Tang Qinggu.

Tang Cheng couldn’t help but wonder what her sister had done to earn Zhong Rou’s disdain.

The banquet soon began. The president of the chamber of commerce, a spirited man in his seventies, took the stage. His speech was the usual—encouragement, platitudes, ceremonial commendations.

When Lu Corporation’s honors were announced, it was the general manager who spoke. Lu Xinxue sat alone in the lounge, detached from it all.

Midway, Zhong Rou spotted something, grabbed her purse, and hurried out without a word.

That left only two in the lounge.

The thyme scent thickened. Even three doses of high-grade suppressants couldn’t contain this heat. Tonight would be difficult.

Tang Cheng leaned forward, slipping an arm around Lu Xinxue’s shoulders, trying to let her rest against her.

“Don’t hold me. I still have business to discuss.”

She couldn’t afford to carry too much Alpha scent. In the business world, it was taboo.