After the System Called Me Mom, My Arch-Nemesis Omega Fell for Me - Chapter 43

“Knock, knock, knock.”

The sound of knocking broke the intimate atmosphere inside the dressing room. Xie Zhixia, who was leaning in Pei Ying’s arms, froze slightly. She looked up, exchanging a confused glance with Pei Ying.

Who would be interrupting at this hour?

“Who is it?” she asked aloud.

“Lu Lingzhi, a student of Professor Xie Fuyun from Beijing University.”

Xie Zhixia’s confusion deepened.

Professor Xie Fuyun? My little aunt’s student? How did they find their way backstage?

However, her refined upbringing took over immediately. She pulled away from her intimacy with Pei Ying, sat up straight, smoothed out her already neat ballet tutu, and replied warmly, “Please, come in.”

The dressing room door was pushed open gently.

The first thing to appear was a large bouquet of champagne roses. Holding them was a tall, strikingly beautiful girl whose eyes held a unique blend of flamboyance and laziness. Beside her stood another girl with a cool temperament and composed posture.

Lu Lingzhi and Jiang Mingyue entered together.

Lu Lingzhi handed the flowers to Xie Zhixia. “I wish you a successful performance.”

Xie Zhixia glanced at Lu Lingzhi, and Pei Ying stood up. “Zhixia, this is the daughter of the Jiang family’s hotel group.”

Speak of the devil, Xie Zhixia thought.

She focused her investigative gaze more on Lu Lingzhi. Her aunt, Xie Fuyun, was notoriously picky and rarely took on students. Anyone who could catch her eye was surely extraordinary, perhaps a future executive for the Taiyu Group. It was best to be polite.

Meeting Xie Zhixia’s scrutinizing gaze, Lu Lingzhi naturally cut to the chase.

“Miss Zhixia, we’ve taken the liberty of disturbing you because we noticed some strange noises and loosening in the mechanical lift at the center of the stage. We’re worried about safety hazards, so we came to remind you to have the staff check it thoroughly before the opening.”

Ding-dong.

Xie Zhixia’s WeChat buzzed.

Chang Xi: Zhixia, Fuyun’s student found that your center stage lift seems to have mechanical issues. You must check it. I’m afraid the “Little One” will run around, so I’m taking her back first. The Little One says: Go, Sister Zhixia!

Hearing that the “Little One” wasn’t coming, Xie Zhixia frowned, feeling a wave of disappointment. All those cakes she ordered would have to be given away now. “Miss Lu, Miss Jiang, please help yourselves to the cakes over there.”

Xie Zhixia called her assistant: “Go check the stage lift.”

[System Wawa screams]: Mama! You and Jiang Mingyue are not allowed to steal my cakes! You can only have one piece! I’m taking this entire cart of cakes with me later!

[Lu Lingzhi]: You’re mentally ill.

[System, righteously]: You said last time you wanted to be a ‘gold digger’ for Taiyu. Xie Zhixia is spending Taiyu’s money. Since you are the heir to the Taiyu Group, she’s essentially spending your money. And since it’s your money, and I’m your beloved Little System, me spending your money is perfectly logical!

[Lu Lingzhi]: Uh… fine, just don’t get caught.

Don’t get caught. Even as Lu Lingzhi said it, she felt it was absurd. The System was a glutton; there was no way it would let a whole cart of cakes go.

A play titled “The Case of the Vanishing Cakes” was about to begin.

Pei Ying happened to see the WeChat message. The words from Lu Lingzhi and Chang Xi were almost identical.

A flash of light caught her eye, and she noticed the white jade Pixiu pendant hanging around Lu Lingzhi’s neck.

The “Little One” Xie Zhixia mentioned… couldn’t be… Lu Lingzhi?

Pei Ying glanced back and forth between Lu Lingzhi and Xie Zhixia, confirming there was no physical resemblance. She lowered her voice: “Zhixia, do you know how old your aunt’s child is? Do you have a photo?”

Xie Zhixia, busy replying to Chang Xi, blurted out: “Thirteen or fourteen, I think. I don’t have a photo.”

“Are you sure? Thirteen or fourteen?”

“My aunt and her partner are only about 37 or 38. The child must have been born after university. Even if I’m off by a bit…” Xie Zhixia looked up at Lu Lingzhi. “…She can’t be a university student. Would my aunt let her partner get pregnant at 18 or 19 while still in school? Think about our terrifying family rules: up at 6 AM, home by 9 PM, no talking during meals, and even dating needs an audit.”

A 6 AM run and a 9 PM curfew. It did seem impossible.

Pei Ying couldn’t help asking: “Is she biological? Have you done a DNA test?” As she spoke, she looked at Lu Lingzhi. Lu Lingzhi noticed and actually gave her an “OK” hand sign before tucking the Pixiu pendant back into her collar right in front of her.

Xie Zhixia frowned. “Pei Ying, why do you care so much? Do you know her?”

Your so-called younger sister is right in front of you. How can you not see it? Pei Ying thought.

Looking closely, Lu Lingzhi’s eyes were identical to Xie Fuyun’s.

Lu Lingzhi’s eyes were vivid and brilliant like the dawn, while Xie Fuyun’s were deep and melancholy like moonlight. One was youthful energy, the other was the weight of time.

Xie Zhixia followed Pei Ying’s gaze to Lu Lingzhi’s beautiful, harmless face. Lu Lingzhi caught the look and waved.

Lu Lingzhi walked over. “Could I get your autograph?”

Xie Zhixia took the pen and signed briskly. Once Lu Lingzhi walked back to chat with Jiang Mingyue, Xie Zhixia whispered gossip: “See that? Student Lu and Miss Jiang look so good together. When Student Lu smiles, her eyes light up, just like…”

Pei Ying was busy scrolling through photos of the Lu Group’s shareholders on her phone, but she found nothing. Since Lu Lingzhi was the “Campus Belle” of Beijing University and had just dethroned Jiang Mingyue as the Medical University’s belle, she must have been a belle in high school too.

She checked the high school website.

There, she saw Jiang Mingyue’s photo with a caption. Jiang Mingyue and Lu Lingzhi have held the top two spots on the Campus Belle rankings for three consecutive years.

No wonder Lu Lingzhi was so obsessed with the title in her livestream, she had been suppressed by Jiang Mingyue for three years.

Xie Zhixia, seeing Pei Ying wasn’t paying attention, pinched her cheek. “Are you listening?”

Pei Ying tucked her phone away. “You said her eyes light up.”

Xie Zhixia smiled softly. “Just like the way my little aunt looks at my other aunt.”

“And?”

Xie Zhixia said innocently: “Nothing. I just think her eyes are pretty.”

Half an hour later, the hazard was cleared.

The melodious overture of Swan Lake played once more. Under the spotlight, Xie Zhixia was like a truly holy and elegant white swan, dancing with immense emotional power.

In the VIP box, Pei Ying withdrew her gaze from the stage and looked at Jiang Mingyue. “Miss Jiang, did you come to see me specifically for an endorsement deal?”

“Yes.” Jiang Mingyue nodded and took a contract from her bag. “I hope to invite you for a short-term brand promotion for Jiang Hotels, for three months. There are no exclusivity clauses or liquidated damages.” She spoke sincerely. “This time, I hope you’ll consider the years of service I’ve personally provided you at our hotels.”

This was true. Whenever Pei Ying visited Yuncheng, she stayed at the Jiang Hotel, and Jiang Mingyue handled everything personally.

Jiang Mingyue had been observing things for two days. Her brother had lost hundreds of millions in gambling debts and was likely involved with loan sharks.

She needed to stabilize the stock price first to gain breathing room, then find a way to fix the massive hole her brother, Jiang Mingzhao, had dug. If he remained unrepentant, she would have to tell their parents.

Buzz!!

Jiang Mingyue’s phone vibrated. It was her mother.

She sighed. In every timeline, her mother called at this moment. She was about to face the sixth repetition of the question: When are you going to confess to Little Lu?

The Jiang Residence

Mrs. Jiang and Mr. Jiang were watching a recording of Lu Lingzhi’s clarification livestream. “Little Lu is as caring toward our Mingyue as ever. Such a sweet talker, she’s so likable.”

Mrs. Jiang beamed, but then sighed with regret. “Sigh, it’s just a pity. Why is Little Lu an Omega? With her aura and boldness, if only she were an Alpha. She and Mingyue would be a match made in heaven.”

She looked at her screen, seeing herself as “Top Supporter #4” (now #3 after the ‘Chip King’ was refunded). She felt a bit slighted. TikTok had pushed the notification too late, and the stream ended just as she sent three Carnation gifts.

Little Lu was her dream daughter-in-law. She followed her and watched Lu Lingzhi complain about having only “800 ghost followers.” Mrs. Jiang felt indignant, her darling Little Lu deserved better.

When the followers finally hit 20,000, Mr. Jiang coldly ruined his wife’s dream. “Stop daydreaming. Our daughter is cold and proud, she likes Alphas. Otherwise, why didn’t they go to Boston together as planned?”

Mrs. Jiang asked in surprise, “Did she tell you she doesn’t like Little Lu?”

“She told the whole world. She said she likes Alphas.” Mr. Jiang showed her Jiang Mingyue’s statements at school. Mrs. Jiang took a deep breath and walked upstairs.

“Aren’t you going to finish the recording?” Mr. Jiang asked.

Mrs. Jiang said disdainfully, “Watch what? Watch a ‘Bad Ending’?”

Half an hour later, Mrs. Jiang reappeared in high-end couture, glittering.

“Honey, you look beautiful,” Mr. Jiang said. “What are you doing?”

Mrs. Jiang posed. “Mingyue is useless and can’t woo Little Lu. I’m changing tracks. I’m going to ask Little Lu to be my goddaughter. We’ll just treat her as our third child.”

Lu Lingzhi was already the “first child” to Xie Fuyun and the “second child” at her own home. Now she was becoming the “third child” for the Jiangs. One person, three roles.

Suddenly, Mr. Jiang’s phone rang. IP: Beijing.

“Hello, who is this?”

“Hello, Mr. Jiang. The ‘Little Lu’ your wife is so fond of is actually an Alpha.”

Mrs. Jiang was stunned by the good news.

But the bad news that followed left Mr. Jiang horrified. “Your son, Jiang Mingzhao, has lost 300 million gambling abroad and is involved in distributing illegal videos on a large scale. He was the mastermind behind the recent scandal involving the Jian family’s hotels, trying to drive down the price of the Yun頂 Hot Springs to cover his debts. The Beijing police are already watching him.”

“Who are you?”

“Xie Fuyun of the Taiyu Group. Taiyu will be collaborating with the Jiang family; therefore, Miss Jiang will handle everything in Beijing.”

Backstage, Beijing Grand Theater

When the call connected:

“Is Little Lu really an Alpha now?” Mrs. Jiang asked excitedly.

Jiang Mingyue asked curiously, “Mom, how did you know?”

“I guessed from the livestream! So, when are you going to confess to her?”

The same question. The sixth time. Jiang Mingyue’s temples throbbed.

Lu Lingzhi turned to her. Hearing the word “livestream,” she thought of her Top 3 supporter. Seeing the avatar resembled Mrs. Jiang, she felt a hunch and naturally took the phone from Jiang Mingyue. “Auntie Jiang, you watched my stream? Was that you at Rank 3?”

Hearing Lu Lingzhi’s voice, Mrs. Jiang realized the two were together. This was perfect.

“Oh, it’s Little Lu! Was Auntie’s support timely enough?”

“So timely! Thank you so much. I don’t even know how to thank you.”

“Don’t be a stranger!” Mrs. Jiang’s laughter boomed through the phone. “It’s been two years. Do you have someone you like at school?”

Jiang Mingyue: “…” Her mom is so direct.

“No.”

Hearing “no,” Mrs. Jiang felt her chances of being a mother-in-law were high. “Come visit during your next break! I miss you. Next time you stream, I’ll be there on time to push you to Rank 2! If you don’t like the dorms, stay at Yuanshan Apartments. If Mingyue complains, she can go stay in a hotel.”

Lu Lingzhi’s eyes curved into crescents. “Auntie Jiang, don’t spend too much money. You’re too kind. I’ve been staying at Yuanshan. Mingyue treats me well. She even does all the driving when we go out.”

The two chatted like a mother and daughter, leaving the actual daughter, Jiang Mingyue, completely sidelined.

“Bye, Little Lu!”

Lu Lingzhi handed the phone back.

Ding-dong. A WeChat message from her mother:

Mrs. Jiang: [Red Packet: 6666] This is for Little Lu.

Jiang Mingyue: Where’s mine?

Mrs. Jiang: Your card limit is high enough.

Jiang Mingyue witnessed the pinnacle of double standards. My mom has become her mom.

Mrs. Jiang (disdainfully): Daughter, are you stupid? You give her the money in your name, so she thinks it’s from you. You have no social skills. She hasn’t found an Omega yet, put away your ‘cold and proud’ act and let her cling to you. Good Alphas aren’t ‘circulating’ on the market for long.

Jiang Mingyue: Mom, last time her family sent money, she told me straight up it was from her ‘Little Mama.’

Mrs. Jiang: That’s because she was short on cash and pretended she sent it herself. Would you believe her? If you gave her family a red packet, she’d definitely say it was from you. Ask her yourself if you don’t believe me.

Jiang Mingyue asked skeptically: “Lu Er, if your Little Mama asked you to transfer a gift to me, would you tell me it’s from her?”

Lu Lingzhi didn’t even blink. “Of course I’d say it’s from me. I have to make you remember my kindness. Besides, why would she use me as a middleman? Doesn’t she have your WeChat? That’s just mother-daughter chemistry.”

Heh. You and my mom have plenty of ‘chemistry’ too.

Jiang Mingyue reached for a piece of cake to soothe her nerves. A Black Forest chocolate cake.

Just as her finger was about to touch the plate, the impossible happened. The cake was targeted by a mysterious force and began to vanish before her eyes.

The peak disappeared. The side collapsed. Chocolate shavings evaporated into thin air. Finally, the cream and base were gone. It happened in seconds.

Jiang Mingyue’s hand froze in mid-air. She blinked, wondering if stress was causing hallucinations.

Feeling thirsty, she reached for a glass of fresh pear juice.

Then, it got weirder. The glass zoomed from the left side of the table to the right. A transparent straw flew out of nowhere and poked into the center.

“Sluuuuurp!”

A sound of extreme satisfaction followed. The liquid level dropped visibly and hit the bottom in one second.

Jiang Mingyue: “!!!!”

She was petrified. A ghost that only ate sweets and drinks?

She looked up in horror, only to realize the entire cart, filled with exquisite cakes and drinks was simply… gone. It had vanished completely.

“I need the restroom to calm down,” she muttered.