After the System Called Me Mom, My Arch-Nemesis Omega Fell for Me - Chapter 42

Pei Ying arrived at a door. Just as she placed her hand on the handle and opened it a crack, the scent of S-class Alpha pheromones drifted out from the gap.

This wasn’t Lu Lingzhi’s pheromone.

She took a step back and checked the room number.

Private Box VIP2.

That was correct. Why wasn’t Xie Zhixia’s younger sister inside, but rather Lu Lingzhi?

She tried to piece it together.

Suddenly, a flash of insight struck her mind.

“Pei Ying, I need to pick up a kid later. She’s in VIP2. My little aunt’s little treasure. I heard my grandfather gave her a million, and she sent it right back, called him an ‘old fogey,’ said he was dreaming, and then blocked him.”

“I have to go ask about the situation. What if the kid doesn’t know he’s her grandfather? If I forcibly take her home, my little aunt will come knocking on my door demanding her back.”

“Pei Ying, my sister is easy to recognize. She wears my family’s Pixiu jade pendant around her neck.”

She remembered the Pixiu jade pendant clearly. Lu Lingzhi had been wearing it.

Yesterday during the livestream, someone from “AAA Chip King” donated one million to Lu Lingzhi, becoming her top donor.

Pei Ying opened her phone to check Lu Lingzhi’s Douyin profile.

Top Donor: “AAA Chip King” was gone.

Zhixia had said she was busy rehearsing and hadn’t had time to browse Douyin yesterday. She also mentioned she didn’t know how old her sister was, only subjectively guessing she was a minor.

Lu Lingzhi… is she Zhixia’s sister?

“Mm…”

A very soft, muffled groan of pleasure came from inside VIP2.

Pei Ying instinctively stood at the door, peering inside through the crack. The main lights weren’t on, only a floor lamp in the corner emitted a dim, hazy glow.

In that dimness, she saw the figure on the sofa turn her head slightly. Beneath the shadow of her bangs, one eye reflected a faint light. It wasn’t a common eye color.

Deep Azure.

Pei Ying’s breath suddenly hitched.

In the Xie family bloodline, that was the signature trait of the top-tier Alphas and Omegas.

The hereditary azure eyes.

The exclusive Xie family gene.

For the first time, Pei Ying questioned her understanding of genetics.

Tell me why?

Why??

Is the world going crazy?

Lu Lingzhi and Zhixia were practically opposites, they shared no similarities.

She almost wanted to go ask Xie Zhixia directly: Do you know a thing called DNA exists? Don’t just go claiming sisters randomly, or you might accidentally bring home a living ancestor.

A flicker of light hit her retina, followed by the sound of the door opening wider.

A low voice from inside barked, “Who is it?”

Pei Ying felt incredibly awkward. She had been so caught up in her thoughts that she had accidentally pushed the door open. As long as I’m not embarrassed, the embarrassment belongs to others. “Lu Lingzhi?”

That sentence shattered the ambiguous atmosphere in the box.

Hearing that the newcomer recognized Lu Lingzhi, Jiang Mingyue quickly tidied her slightly messy collar and hair. The flush on her cheeks hadn’t fully faded, but her gaze had returned to its usual coldness.

Lu Lingzhi, however, appeared much more composed, lacking the flustered feeling of being caught red-handed from half an hour ago. If Pei Ying hadn’t smelled the same Alpha pheromones on the rooftop and here, she would have thought she was hallucinating.

Lu Lingzhi leaned lazily against the sofa, one hand still resting casually on Jiang Mingyue’s waist. She looked up at the uninvited guest, raised an eyebrow, and asked nonchalantly, “Pei Ying?”

She waved her hand dismissively, offering an invitation: “Since you’re here, watch with us.”

Suppressing the countless questions in her heart, Pei Ying maintained a polite and composed smile and nodded: “Alright, excuse the intrusion.”

She entered the box and sat on a side armchair, her posture elegant as if she truly had just come to observe the performance.

Jiang Mingyue rose to turn on the lights. To break the ice, Lu Lingzhi pointed to the table: “Have some cake and drinks. The theater service is great; they gave me so much.”

The lights flickered on.

The three pairs of eyes converged simultaneously on the marble coffee table that should have been covered in exquisite treats.

Then, everyone froze.

On the polished surface, it was now completely empty.

The fine bone china plates that had held over twenty types of French desserts were now as clean as if they had been licked; not a single smear of cream remained.

The dozen or so colorful freshly squeezed juices and high-end sparkling waters had vanished, leaving only a mess of empty glasses.

The bucket of popcorn and the two giant cotton candies had disappeared into thin air.

Only the empty bucket and two sticks remained.

Fortunately, only the pineapple juice, coconut water, pineapple passion fruit mousse, and caramel sea salt cheesecake that Lu Lingzhi had specifically set aside remained, looking particularly abrupt and meager in their isolation.

Jiang Mingyue: “…”

She knew Lu Lingzhi had a good appetite, but this was… extreme. To clear everything out? She hadn’t seen her appetite increase tenfold after her secondary differentiation. When she had touched Lu Lingzhi’s belly just now, it felt soft.

But it doesn’t matter; you need to eat a lot to be durable.

Pei Ying: “…”

Eating and drinking that many high-calorie items in one go?

How are you not dead from obesity?

You are the biggest eater among the second generation socialites I’ve ever seen.

Lu Lingzhi could only force an awkward yet polite smile.

She knew exactly what happened, it was that gluttonous System’s doing.

This massive blame was now pinned on her.

Heavens! Her reputation was going to be ruined again.

These two would definitely call her a glutton.

[System says flatteringly: Burp~~ Mama, look on the bright side. They must be jealous of your metabolism.]

[Lu Lingzhi: Get lost, get lost, get lost!!!!]

[System rolls around excitedly: Mama, how did you know I was about to ‘roll’? Jiang Mingyue’s favorability for you reached 100 points. Total favorability collected has exceeded 500, meeting the upgrade criteria. A version update will begin in one hour! Celebrate with flowers! Just consider it my National Day holiday.]

“THUD!”

A sudden, thunderous crash.

Through the large one way glass of the box, the white figure that was supposed to be standing in the center of the stage elevator plummeted, looking like a swan with broken wings.

“Ah!!!!” The screams from the audience nearly drowned out the entire theater.

Jiang Mingyue quickly reached out to cover Lu Lingzhi’s eyes. “Don’t look…”

On the other side, Pei Ying felt as if she’d been struck by lightning. She bolted upright from the sofa, the color draining from her face in an instant, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks from extreme terror.

“ZHIXIA!!!”

That cry was filled with despair, the terror piercing through the soundproof glass of the box as if she had used all her life force. With that scream, the backstage and the venue fell into absolute chaos.

Staff members rushed like mad toward the accident site, emergency sirens blared sharply, and the curtains were hastily drawn, yet they couldn’t fully hide the heartbreaking chaos.

Pei Ying looked as if her soul had been snatched away. A second later, as if finally regaining control of her body, she slammed open the box door and sprinted toward the stage entrance regardless of everything.

With her eyes covered by Jiang Mingyue, Lu Lingzhi saw only darkness, followed by silence. But from Pei Ying’s desperate roar, she could guess who Zhixia was.

Pei Ying only had a few brief encounters with her, she wouldn’t come here just for her.

On the rooftop, Zhixia had mentioned the VIP2 box. She was here because Zhixia had asked her to be.

Why did she come here herself?

Because Chang Xi had asked her to.

It was obvious that Zhixia’s name was Xie Zhixia.

If…

If Xie Zhixia just… died like that?

The thought, like a cold venomous snake, flickered into her mind, a momentary flash of an evil impulse.

No, no, how could she have such a wicked thought?

[Swoosh!!!]

Lu Lingzhi whispered a command, telling the System to return to one hour ago.

She didn’t want the blind boxes or the gossip anymore.

The gears of time were violently turned by an invisible hand. Everything around her, the frozen chaos on stage, the terrified faces of the audience, Jiang Mingyue’s hand over her eyes, Pei Ying’s fading silhouette at the door, and even the lingering scent of cherries and tulips in the air, all shattered like a broken mirror.

Suddenly distorted and cracked.

Then restored.

And finally, flowing backward at high speed.

“Clang! Clang! Clang!”

Atop the Grand Theater’s dome, the ancient brass clock let out a heavy, melodic chime for the hour, the sound waves seeming to pierce through time and space, echoing over the bustling crowds.

The gears of time had been silently reset to one hour ago.

The evening breeze was cool, fluttering the flags in the plaza in front of the theater. Nothing had happened yet.

Lu Lingzhi stood alone under the grand pillars of the theater. She took out her phone and first sent a WeChat message to Chang Xi.

[Lu Lingzhi: Little Mommy, you wanted me to meet Xie Zhixia.]

[Chang Xi awkwardly: My Lu treasure is so smart. Zhixia has a good character. She begged me for a long time, so I thought it was okay for the same generation to meet. Wouldn’t it be nice to have another Big Sister Zhixia to spoil you?]

[Lu Lingzhi pretending to be angry: You didn’t tell me the truth, you actually lied to me. I discovered there’s a problem with Xie Zhixia’s stage elevator. I’m going to tell her. But I don’t want to reveal my identity, nor do I want her to know I came.]

[Chang Xi: Patting head.jpg]

[Chang Xi: My dear baby, you are so kind, doing good deeds without seeking credit. I really adore you more and more. How can you be so good and so well-behaved? Little Mommy will send you a gift in a couple of days as a reward for being an anonymous hero.]

[Lu Lingzhi, cheered up: Little Mommy, I’m happy with whatever you send.]

[Chang Xi: Baby, do you think Little Mommy isn’t as rich as CEO Xie? I can’t give you the best things or support you? I am also a career oriented woman. When I have time, I’ll take you to see the industries I’ve built for you. These industries will be so vast you won’t see the end of them.]

Industries so vast you need a telescope to see the end.

Who knew Little Mommy was also a hidden mogul?

[Lu Lingzhi even happier: Little Mommy, I love you, mwah. By the way, do you know she and Pei Ying are dating? They’re very sweet together.]

[Chang Xi educates her: I know. That’s called fate. They are a good match. Don’t you think Sister Zhixia and Sister Pei Ying look good together? Zhixia is a great person. Be sweet, call her ‘Sister’ a few times, and she will spoil you to death. Your Sister Zhixia has taken many endorsements, you understand?]

[Chang Xi coaxes: In the future, you’ll have Sister Pei Ying in the entertainment industry, Sister Zhixia in the ballet world, Sister Ningzhi in real estate, your good friend Pei Song in tech and robotics, your gossip buddy Ji Yunyan in aviation, and your Mingyue in the hotel industry. Baby, I’m so jealous of your future life. Remember, call the younger ones ‘Sister,’ and the older ones’ legs will go soft. Having many lovers is a moral issue, but having many ‘Sisters’ means you have great social connections. More sisters mean more paths.]

Just then, she dazed out for a moment, and her gaze caught a figure.

Jiang Mingyue was stepping out of a newly parked car, walking toward the theater entrance with hurried steps.

“Why are you here? Weren’t you handling Jiang Group hotel business?” Lu Lingzhi asked familiarly, as if the intimacy and shock from an hour ago had never happened.

“What about you?”

“Oh, Little Mommy said she didn’t have time to see the lead dancer, so she asked me to come take a look and get an autograph.” Lu Lingzhi suspected Jiang Mingyue might have discovered her system, but she wasn’t certain.

Therefore, to save Xie Zhixia…

She needed a legitimate reason to go backstage.

Jiang Mingyue had also just returned to an hour ago. Sitting in the car, she had rubbed her temples, recalling the scream from Pei Ying, hearing Zhixia’s name. They really were lovers.

She was here to see Pei Ying.

If she could save Zhixia and facilitate a partnership…

Wouldn’t that be killing two birds with one stone?

She saw Lu Lingzhi at the entrance. Based on the previous conversation…

She wasn’t sure if Lu Lingzhi possessed a system.

“I’m here to find Pei Ying to discuss an endorsement for our hotels. Shall we go together? Maybe we can find her backstage.”

[System suddenly excited: Mama, Mama! I smell the delicious scent of cake drifting from over there!]

[Lu Lingzhi complains internally: …Are you a pig? You almost chewed the table in the box earlier, and you’re still not full?]

[System starts acting spoiled: I’m in a crucial growth phase! I didn’t get a National Day gift, and it’s not like it’s your cake anyway, why do you care? I want to eat! Besides, the upgrade is starting soon, and the energy consumption is huge.]

Lu Lingzhi forcibly ignored the embarrassing glutton system in her head.

She nodded to Jiang Mingyue: “Okay, let’s go together.”

Backstage at the Grand Theater

The dressing room was brightly lit. Xie Zhixia had already finished her delicate stage makeup, wearing a pristine white swan costume, making final preparations.

Her assistant pushed a refined trolley in, laden with various small cakes prepared for the VIP2 guest. Xie Zhixia glanced at it and nodded with satisfaction. “Once the fresh juices and sparkling water arrive, send them over together. Also, take those two limited-edition Disney plushes I prepared, Stella Lou and Lina Bell and place a Labubu blind box next to them. Be careful.”

“Understood, Sister Zhixia,” the assistant replied and left.

Pei Ying, who had been sitting on the side sofa, stood up and walked behind Xie Zhixia. She naturally wrapped her arms around the slender waist of the costume, resting her chin on Zhixia’s shoulder while looking at her lover’s perfect reflection in the mirror. “All these cakes and toys and a VIP box… aren’t you afraid your parents will scold you for favoring outsiders again?”

Xie Zhixia patted her face. “My family is in a rift. My parents think the kid is a tool Chang Xi is using to fight for the inheritance, after all, that ‘illegitimate’ child has inheritance rights too.”

“As for my grandparents… Grandma is telling Grandpa to hurry up and agree to my Little Aunt and Little Aunt-in-law’s wedding. Grandpa hasn’t eaten for two days because the kid scolded him, he’s waiting for an apology. I’m just trying to survive National Day.”

Pei Ying pinched her nose. “Aren’t you jealous?”

“Why would I be jealous? Don’t old people just love the eldest and the youngest…”

Before she could finish, Pei Ying suddenly leaned in, her red lips covering Xie Zhixia’s slightly parted ones. She passed the warm water she was holding in her mouth over to her.

“Mm…” Caught off guard, Xie Zhixia was stunned by the sudden kiss as the warm water slid down her throat. She instinctively turned her head to avoid her, pointing at the slightly smudged lipstick on her lip, grumbling, “Pei Ying, my lipstick! What if someone walks in?”

Pei Ying looked at her flustered yet shy expression, her eyes full of deep, playful meaning. She wiped the corner of Zhixia’s mouth with her finger and whispered seductively, “What’s there to be afraid of? There’s still time before you go on stage… How about we go to the rooftop for some air?”

Xie Zhixia blushed, remembering her duties. Her expression turned serious. “Speaking of which, I have something to discuss. The Jian Group is currently plagued by scandals, their stock price is plummeting and their image is severely damaged. It’s my Little Aunt’s doing.”

Pei Ying was curious: “What happened?”

“Well, do you know how our family suddenly found out about Little Aunt’s child?”

Gossip in the elite circles was always bizarre.

Pei Ying’s interest was piqued. “Is it true about the photo of the family of three CEO Xie took ten years ago?”

“Yes.” Xie Zhixia discussed the old story. “You know my Little Aunt and Little Aunt-in-law didn’t register their marriage, so a sudden child would be a scandal. They denied it then, and no photos were ever caught again. But our family didn’t believe them. Do you know why?”

Pei Ying was anxious. “Don’t keep me in suspense! Why?”

“Our family has an ancestral Pixiu jade pendant. My grandfather gave it to my Little Aunt. In that photo, although the kid was wearing a mask and hat, she was wearing that pendant around her neck. My Little Aunt’s neck was empty. We were certain they had a child.”

“As for why it’s being exposed now, it’s because the kid almost had an accident at the Jian Group’s Cloud Peak Hot Spring Hotel. Then, Grandpa’s friend Director Su called. The Jiang Group hotels you mentioned, national chain, stable reputation and service, might be a better choice.”

Cloud Peak Hot Spring Hotel.

The story sounded familiar, she had seen it on Douyin yesterday.

“So, do you know the kid’s name?” Pei Ying asked tentatively.

“I’ve been so busy I forgot to ask. But she’s coming to watch me perform today.”

Pei Ying took out her phone to search for the livestream trending topics.

Huh? All the livestream clips on Douyin have disappeared.

“Knock, knock, knock.”