Divorced from the Cold CEO Who Lived by the Rules - Chapter 41

Xu Zhen was momentarily dazed before realizing what the other person was saying.

She didn’t respond, simply allowing the Alpha to hold her quietly. Love or the lack of it, it didn’t seem all that important anymore. What difference did it make? The outcome would still be the same.

Throughout history, countless lovers had parted ways, too many to fill even a single book.

If even emperors couldn’t always get what they wanted, what hope did a lowly beta like her have?

Xu Zhen curved her lips into a faint smile. Finally, she responded to Jiang Ruan, even cupping her face gently and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “Me too.”

Before Jiang Ruan could rejoice, Xu Zhen had already let go. “You should go. I need to sleep early tonight, I have work tomorrow.”

The familiar rejection was back. The light that had just flickered in Jiang Ruan’s eyes dimmed instantly. She stared blankly as Xu Zhen walked past her, watching until her figure disappeared completely. The unease in her heart grew stronger.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be…

At that moment, Jiang Ruan suddenly questioned whether her decision had been right or wrong.

By the time Xu Zhen finished washing up, Jiang Ruan was already gone. Instead, Xue Ling had bombarded her with endless calls and voice messages. Xu Zhen rubbed her temples at the sight of the missed notifications. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” Xue Ling huffed. “Just wanted to make sure you got back safely.”

Of course, that wasn’t all, but Xu Zhen had neither the energy nor the patience to engage. “I’m back safe. Going to bed now. See you tomorrow.”

She hung up quickly. Xue Ling stared at her silent phone. “…?”

Wait, how could she sleep after what happened today? Was she emotionally stunted or something?!

Xue Ling couldn’t believe it, her brows furrowing. After spending these past few days together, she’d realized Xu Zhen was just lazy and unambitious. Even with Jiang Ruan surrounded by scandals, she didn’t seem to care at all. How could anyone be so indifferent?

Were they just pretending to be a couple?

Xue Ling fell deep into speculation. If that wasn’t the reason, she couldn’t understand why Xu Zhen had remained so calm in front of that Miss Du earlier.

If it were her, she’d have thrown a fit long ago.

Unable to shake her curiosity, Xue Ling impulsively searched for news about Xu Zhen and about betas, a group she’d never paid much attention to before.

The next day, Xu Zhen woke up well-rested and full of energy.

For once, Xue Ling didn’t pester her. Relieved, Xu Zhen sent her a message updating her on her plans before heading out to complete the paperwork for registering her personal studio.

With streamlined procedures and Lu’s assistant expediting the process, everything was finalized by that morning.

Once done, Xu Zhen immediately went to Tianxing Media to sign the contract for the new drama.

Preparations for the series had already begun, just waiting for Xu Zhen to free up her schedule. Tianxing, with its deep pockets, had arranged for many scenes to be shot on location, which meant Xu Zhen would be traveling all over the country even overseas.

The script spanned several countries, with major scenes in each. Over the next two months, Xu Zhen would be so busy she’d hardly have time to see Jiang Ruan.

As evening approached, Xue Ling finally stirred. “I’m starving, where are you?”

Xu Zhen sent her the location, and Xue Ling immediately drove over. The moment she sat down, she hastily ordered a table full of dishes. “Hurry, hurry, get them out as fast as possible!”

“Did you just wake up?” Xu Zhen noticed she was wearing a mask and looked like she hadn’t done her makeup. “Were you ghost-hunting last night?”

“Hmph, what do you know?” Xue Ling would never tell Xu Zhen about what she had been secretly doing the night before. She didn’t know what had come over her, but she had spent most of the night just learning about Xu Zhen.

Now, she could say she knew Xu Zhen’s affairs inside out, almost like a devoted fan who had followed her for years.

Xue Ling had a sharp memory many things stuck after just one glance. Later, she nearly dug up Xu Zhen’s entire family history before curiosity got the better of her, leading her to browse the beta forums for hours.

She didn’t stop until dawn, finally collapsing into bed when she couldn’t stay awake any longer.

At this moment, Xue Ling’s feelings toward Xu Zhen were complicated.

It wasn’t the superficial disdain she once had, thinking a beta wasn’t good enough for Jiang Ruan. Instead, it was pure sympathy for another girl.

After thoroughly understanding Xu Zhen’s past, Xue Ling realized just how difficult her journey had been, a sick mother, an unreliable father, a half-sister…

A disastrous start in life.

Xue Ling eyed Xu Zhen with a furtive look, making Xu Zhen frown. “Don’t you have anything to do lately?”

“Probably… not?” Xue Ling thought for a moment. “I don’t have a job.”

She was just a carefree rich girl, what serious business could she possibly have?

“Then, you?” Xu Zhen hesitated, an old thought resurfacing. She trailed off for so long that Xue Ling craned her neck, ears perked up. “Me what?”

Xu Zhen lifted her gaze, meeting Xue Ling’s youthful face. “Would you be my work assistant?”

“Me?” Xue Ling pointed at herself incredulously. “Your work assistant?”

“Yes.” Xu Zhen nodded. “I’ve noticed you have sharp logic, a knack for pinpointing key issues, and never lose an argument. That’s exactly what I need right now.”

Her tone was calm and measured. “You could help me secure better terms in my work, which would be a huge advantage for my future. So, I really need you.”

“I know you’re from a prestigious family, pampered and spoiled, never having faced hardship.”

Xue Ling suddenly raised a hand to stop her, barely suppressing a grin at the praise. “Stop right there. I refuse.”

“What could you possibly pay me? I wouldn’t even glance at the peanuts you’d offer.”

Just as expected. Xu Zhen felt a twinge of disappointment.

“But like I said before, I’m keeping an eye on you for Jiang Ruan’s sake. So, in her honor, if anyone dares to bully you, I’ll casually curse them out for you.”

The girl wore a haughty expression, and Xu Zhen couldn’t help but lower her head and chuckle.

Then, without warning, she leaned in and hugged Xue Ling briefly. “Thank you.”

Xue Ling froze, her entire body stiffening uncontrollably. The moment the beta drew near, an unmistakable, delicate fragrance drifted into her senses with the air, leaving her dizzy and disoriented.

Her hair smells so nice, and her body feels so soft… Wait, no! Ugh!

What the hell is wrong with me?

Xue Ling snapped out of it and tried to pull away, but Xu Zhen was quicker to release her. “I’ll pay you your salary as usual,” Xu Zhen said.

“Fine by me.” Xue Ling shrugged nonchalantly. “Every little bit counts, might even buy half a designer bag.”

Though given Xue Ling’s extravagant spending habits, the salary Xu Zhen offered probably wouldn’t cover a single patch of genuine leather on the handbag she carried daily.

After successfully recruiting Xue Ling, Xu Zhen signed a contract with her.

Xue Ling kept it from her parents, secretly taking on the role of Xu Zhen’s celebrity assistant.

It was her first time doing this kind of work, and she was buzzing with excitement. Lacking experience, she sought advice from people she knew, approaching the task with earnest dedication.

With the work assistant position temporarily filled, finding a personal assistant was easier. Assistant Lu handed her a few resumes to choose from freely.

Xu Zhen didn’t hesitate, she immediately selected a beta candidate for an interview.

Everything in her personal studio was moving in a positive direction. After days of busy preparation, the opening ceremony for the new drama finally began.

As the lead actress, Xu Zhen’s status was undisputed. The other lead, an Alpha actor, wasn’t as famous but had powerful backing. Because of this, online debates had been raging for days.

The Alpha’s fans tried to push for higher billing to elevate their idol’s status, much to the displeasure of Xu Zhen’s fans, the “Little Mushrooms.”

How dare someone less famous than Xu Zhen try to overshadow her in the drama and relegate her to a supporting role? The Little Mushrooms lashed out, calling the other side shameless and delusional.

The rival fans retaliated with even pettier tactics, fabricating baseless rumors to smear Xu Zhen’s reputation.

The drama hadn’t even started filming, yet the situation had already spiraled out of control. Xu Zhen was far from pleased.

Unfortunately, she no longer had a company backing her, nor did she have powerful capital propping her up. So today, Xu Zhen was in a foul mood. She wore sunglasses, her expression unreadable.

The director approached with a troubled look, apologizing and lamenting his difficulties. Xu Zhen offered a few words of comfort but could do little else.

This was her first interaction with Tianxing Entertainment, and she had no connections with its higher-ups. What could her small, independent studio possibly do against corporate power?

Xu Zhen’s spirits sank. Would this drama even achieve the results she had hoped for?

The auspicious time for the ceremony was approaching when a commotion broke out nearby.

Xu Zhen glanced at Xue Ling, who immediately strode over to investigate. Moments later, Xue Ling returned with a complicated expression. “That Alpha got replaced by someone with even stronger backing.”

“By who?”

“You know them.” Xue Ling paused. “And they’re an old acquaintance of yours.”

“Xue Long.”

Xu Zhen’s eyes widened slightly behind her sunglasses. “Her?”

“Yeah. She’s really devoted, chasing you all the way here.” Xue Ling’s tone turned sour. “Be honest with me, you really don’t like her, do you?”

Xu Zhen nodded. “I don’t.”

“In that case,” Xue Ling grinned, rubbing her hands together eagerly, “I’m going all out!”

Xue Ling was dead set on making trouble for Xue Long. Xu Zhen had no objections but reminded her, “Just don’t forget your actual job.”

She was tired of Xue Long’s persistent presence and unwarranted affection. Now, Xue Ling’s existence happened to help block Xue Long’s advances, and Xue Ling herself was enjoying it, a barely passable win-win situation.

Xue Long’s backing came from her parents. She had never failed to get any role she wanted, so the newly arrived “resource princess” who had barely gloated for two days was quickly driven out of the crew by Xue Long, slinking away in disgrace.

The director wiped nonexistent sweat from her forehead. “This job is really not easy.”

Everyone here was a big shot. As a fresh graduate who had just returned from abroad, she was afraid of accidentally offending someone and being kicked out of the crew like a stray dog.

Xu Zhen didn’t voice her opinion because Xue Long had already walked over and stopped in front of her. “We meet again, Qin Qin.”

Xu Zhen had very little patience for Xue Long.

She didn’t like scheming people, especially those who tried to manipulate her. But with media and cameras all around, she had to put on a professional smile to avoid rumors of discord between the two leads.

“Mhm.” Xu Zhen responded briefly and said nothing more.

In contrast, Xue Ling pounced on Xue Long like an excited puppy spotting a meat bun. “Hi~ Sister Xue Long, do you remember me?”

“I’m now Sister Xu… Qin Qin’s assistant. We’ll be seeing each other often from now on.”

Xue Long had already noticed Xue Ling’s presence but never expected Xu Zhen to recruit her. The Alpha speculated, had Xu Zhen known she was joining the crew and deliberately hired Xue Ling to block her, hoping she’d back off?

How interesting.

Xue Long lowered her head and smiled. The harder something was to obtain, the more she wanted it, the more it intrigued her.

Xu Zhen’s icy indifference was utterly irresistible.

“Hello.” Xue Long responded to Xue Ling with perfect politeness, though her motives were unclear. Xu Zhen had encountered many scheming people before. Alphas like Xue Long could effortlessly manipulate naive Omegas like playthings.

So she pulled Xue Ling back to her side. “Let’s go.”

The crew was already calling for them. Xue Ling opened her mouth but, knowing what was important, didn’t persist in clinging to Xue Long.

The opening ceremony was simple and smooth, much to the investors’ satisfaction.

Xu Zhen plus Xue Long was basically a royal flush, both had massive fanbases. Even if the director turned the drama into garbage, fans would still eat it up.

With ratings guaranteed, investors flocked to chat with the two leads.

Xu Zhen wasn’t fond of such events, so Xue Long skillfully took over most conversations, handling them flawlessly.

Jiang Ruan and Xue Long were similar in some ways but different in others. Xue Long was more socially adept, navigating these situations with ease and freedom, whereas Jiang Ruan was different.

She was more goal-oriented, focused on the essentials, and disliked wasting time on meaningless matters.

One was a rigid, no-nonsense elite; the other a smooth, popular star. Deciding who was better wasn’t straightforward.

But Xu Zhen felt nothing for Xue Long, and the latter’s calculated advances only made her wary and impatient.

This drama series isn’t particularly long, with filming expected to take 2-3 months, though considerable time will be spent relocating the entire crew for necessary on-location shoots.

After the opening ceremony, filming wouldn’t begin immediately that day.

The production team first uploaded group photos online, and fans of the former Alpha lead actress immediately noticed something amiss.

Their idol’s absence in the photos sparked fierce outrage, prompting them to swarm the drama’s official account demanding answers. “What’s the meaning of this? Why isn’t our sister in it?!”

“Our sister was set up by the industry!”

In contrast to the furious fans of the replaced Alpha actress, Snowflakes had mixed feelings upon seeing the post. “Wait… is she serious?”

“I almost thought my eyes were playing tricks on me…”

“This isn’t right! Sis, wake up, Xu Zhen is already married! Nothing good will come of this!” Some more rational Snowflakes advised, “Sis, don’t you dare pine after a married woman!”

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