Divorced from the Cold CEO Who Lived by the Rules - Chapter 42

Jiang Ruan had never publicly displayed her possessiveness over Xu Zhen or staked her claim, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t get jealous and angry over Xue Long’s little antics.

In Xue Long’s mind, Jiang Ruan was a business tycoon, a force of capital who could effortlessly make her suffer setbacks and failures.

Xue Long’s family background was already quite impressive among the celebrities in the entertainment industry, but compared to Jiang Ruan’s… it was worlds apart. She had worked extremely hard to get to where she was, so her fans were deeply worried, flooding her Weibo comments with earnest pleas.

“Don’t mess with someone else’s wife, can you act normal for once?”

“If you were just crushing on a single beta, we wouldn’t be this scared and opposed.”

The drama between the replaced Alpha fans and Xue Long’s fans was more plentiful than the money in their pockets, and the “little hazel mushrooms” (Xu Zhen’s fans) weren’t having it. “Stop using Xu Zhen as a shield all the time. Who knows if Xue Long actually likes her or is just using her as a scapegoat?”

Xu Zhen was at the peak of her popularity, and Xue Long was taking advantage of that to mislead everyone into thinking she was hopelessly in love with her, when in reality, she had feelings for someone else.

This way, when everyone opposed her, she could later reveal her true crush, and the backlash from fans wouldn’t be as severe.

After all, compared to a married beta with a wife, a single, unattached idol’s love interest would be far more acceptable to fans and the general public.

Some of the little hazel mushrooms had keenly picked up on this, fueling their anger on Xu Zhen’s behalf.

Xu Zhen herself remained much calmer. Having been in the entertainment industry for so long, she had lost count of the times she’d been used for publicity stunts. On top of that, she was busy preparing for her new drama, which meant working closely with Xue Long for at least two months, so she had no choice but to turn a blind eye for now.

Assistant Lu, who always prioritized profit, believed the rumors would not only help maintain Xu Zhen’s popularity and exposure but also generate buzz for the new drama, so she had even less reason to intervene.

The only one who seemed willing to spend money to suppress the news was probably Xue Ling.

“Seriously, why is everyone I like already taken?” Xue Ling couldn’t wrap her head around it. She had always sailed smoothly through life, why did her luck vanish the moment it came to love?

Was she doomed to suffer in matters of the heart?

Her big eyes fixed on Xu Zhen with deep resentment.

Xu Zhen didn’t expect Xue Ling to be particularly diligent or focused at work, so her expectations were low. If the omega could just step in and shut down any difficult people for her, Xu Zhen would be grateful.

Xue Ling’s privileged status meant most people couldn’t touch her, which was precisely why Xu Zhen had considered keeping her around.

While the fan wars raged online, Xu Zhen and Xue Long finally began filming.

The first scene was set indoors, a luxurious, spacious villa adorned with priceless artifacts, paired with dazzling jewelry that elevated Xu Zhen’s aura to unprecedented levels of elegance.

Even Xue Ling, a wealthy heiress herself, couldn’t help but be stunned by the sheer extravagance of the production.

While waiting for Xu Zhen to rest, she tiptoed over and whispered, “Which production team is going all out like this? Every prop in this room looks authentic. Is Tianxing really this impressive?”

“I don’t know.” The owner of Tianxing had never made a public appearance, so Xu Zhen had no idea who they were or their true capabilities.

“You’re so lucky,” Xue Ling said, looking at her with mixed emotions. “Right after terminating your contract, you land such a lavish production. Once this drama airs, you’ll definitely become even more popular.”

Just the set design alone would keep audiences talking for days, let alone the dramatic and satisfying plot.

Everyone loves a thrilling revenge story, it’s a great way to relieve stress, lift the mood, and provide gossip material for idle chitchat.

Xue Ling could already picture Xu Zhen basking in the success of a hit drama, riding high on her newfound fame.

Xu Zhen was equally stunned by Tianxing’s extravagance, but after the initial surprise, she felt reassured. The stronger Tianxing’s resources, the better her post-Jiahua career would be, along with future opportunities.

No one would want to miss such a golden chance.

So even though she was slightly annoyed by Xue Long’s recent behavior, Xu Zhen suppressed her dissatisfaction and tried to maintain harmony for the sake of the production.

Once filming began, Xue Long gradually settled down, no longer spouting nonsense or causing trouble for Xu Zhen.

While relieved, Xu Zhen couldn’t shake the suspicion that Xue Long was biding her time for something bigger.

From what she’d heard about Xue Long, the Alpha wasn’t the type to give up so easily.

With this in mind, Xu Zhen smoothly made it through the first week of shooting. Given her and Xue Long’s status and backgrounds plus Xue Ling’s bluntness the other actors behaved themselves, not daring to stir up trouble.

The set atmosphere was harmonious, and progress matched expectations. After wrapping up the indoor scenes at the villa, the entire crew quickly relocated to an amusement park in a neighboring city for the next round of filming.

During this time, Jiang Ruan never once visited the set.

Apart from daily updates from Assistant Lu, Xu Zhen could only piece together bits of Jiang Ruan’s life through the internet and Xue Ling’s gossip Jiang Ruan and Xing Yan’s scandal had once again made headlines.

“What is Sister Jiang Ruan even doing?” Xue Ling grumbled. “How many times has she trended with Xing Yan now?”

“She’d rather be tied to Xing Yan than spare me a single glance, huh?”

Xue Ling’s endless complaints left no room for Xu Zhen to interject. Staring quietly at the trending topics on her phone, Xu Zhen couldn’t help but smile. She and Jiang Ruan really were two of a kind.

Jiang Ruan with Xing Yan, her with Xue Long, both perfectly well-behaved, yet constantly dragged into tabloid gossip lately.

Something felt off to Xu Zhen, but she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what.

Turning off her phone screen, she resolved to ignore the outside noise and focus on filming. Sooner or later, the truth would come out, she’d wait for Jiang Ruan’s final explanation.

The new filming location had heavier foot traffic, but the crew had coordinated with the park in advance. On the day of shooting, the designated area was cordoned off to prevent any disruptions.

Xu Zhen and Xue Long were at the peak of their popularity. As soon as the scenic area announced their presence, fans and curious onlookers flooded in, causing significant crowding.

Assistant Lu, sensing the situation was getting out of hand, immediately negotiated with the scenic area management to temporarily halt visitor admissions.

With too many spectators, accidents were bound to happen. If anything went wrong, aside from the scenic area and injured visitors, Xu Zhen would be the first to be blamed, facing unwarranted accusations and criticism.

Xu Zhen had just been given a new lease on life, she couldn’t afford any mishaps now.

Assistant Lu was firm and unrelenting, bluntly exposing the scenic area’s intention to milk as much profit as possible from the celebrities. While their reluctance to let go of this surge in traffic was understandable, public safety took precedence.

Through a mix of persuasion and pressure, Assistant Lu finally forced the scenic area to stop allowing unlimited visitor entry.

Even so, the dense crowds of fans and onlookers surrounding the filming location remained alarming.

Frowning, Assistant Lu’s sharp instincts kicked in, and she immediately called for additional security. Xu Zhen listened to her arrangements, her own brows furrowed with worry.

“Don’t worry,” Xue Long said, subtly moving closer when she noticed Xu Zhen’s concern. “Nothing will go wrong.”

Xue Long’s reassurance did little to ease Xu Zhen’s mind, but Assistant Lu’s arrangements brought her some relief. With someone like her handling things, Xu Zhen didn’t need to overthink.

Preparations were complete, and filming began.

Since the shoot would span two days in the scenic area, related topics quickly trended online.

The terrifying star power drew massive crowds outside. Xue Ling couldn’t help but complain disdainfully, “What’s everyone even looking at? Don’t celebrities have two eyes, a nose, and a mouth like everyone else?”

Having met countless influential figures, she knew how these glamorous stars groveled behind the scenes to investors and the truly powerful. The contrast was jarring.

As such, she couldn’t comprehend why celebrities were placed on such a pedestal.

Xu Zhen didn’t engage with her remark, instead saying, “Make sure to protect yourself.”

Xue Ling was a person of high status, no accidents could befall her. “By the way, when is your rut due?”

“Me?” Xue Ling pointed at herself. “I think… it’s coming soon.”

She sounded uncertain. “I’ve been taking some medication lately, so my condition’s been unstable.”

Hearing this, Xu Zhen immediately assigned two of her own bodyguards to Xue Ling.

Xue Ling thought the beta was overreacting and even found it amusing until she no longer could. As they were wrapping up, Xue Ling suddenly felt something was terribly wrong.

Struggling in a daze, she sensed the surroundings growing chaotic.

Someone was shouting her name, and then she was pulled into a fragrant embrace, stumbling as if being jostled.

Xue Ling forced her eyes open, her sluggish mind finally realizing her rut had arrived.

Thick Omega pheromones spread, drawing every nearby Alpha like moths to a flame. Their unfamiliar, twisted faces resembled demons from hell, all scrambling to drag her into the abyss.

Clutching Xu Zhen tightly, Xue Ling’s voice trembled with tears. “I don’t want to be marked, I don’t want to be marked! Save me!”

Omega finally understood fear, clinging desperately to Xu Zhen as she buried her face in his chest, trembling uncontrollably with anxiety and dread.

Drenched in sweat, her body felt utterly drained, leaving her barely able to stand without Xu Zhen’s support.

“Don’t be afraid, I’ll get you out of here now,” Xu Zhen murmured soothingly, his arms wrapped protectively around Xue Ling, shielding her from anyone who dared approach.

With a background in martial arts, Xu Zhen showed no mercy to the Alphas lunging at them.

His movements were swift and precise, and with the help of his bodyguards and Assistant Lu, they quickly retreated through a passage. The pursuing Alphas were relentless, but Xu Zhen shoved Xue Ling into the car, rolled up all the windows, and ordered the driver to head straight for the nearest hospital.

The car shot forward like an arrow, the Omega pheromones leaking from inside causing chaos along the way, triggering multiple accidents.

Xue Ling was a far cry from her usual proud and spirited self soaked in sweat, her cheeks flushed, she looked utterly enticing.

Xu Zhen glanced at her briefly before averting his gaze.

An Omega in heat was fragile, both mentally and physically. Xue Ling instinctively tightened her grip on Xu Zhen’s hand, as if it were her only lifeline. “Th-thank you,” she whispered.

Curling into a ball beside him, she mustered what little rationality she had left to murmur, “You saved me… I’ll treat you well from now on…”

Xu Zhen had been mentally calculating the fallout of Xue Ling’s sudden heat, how it would inevitably trend online and spark backlash but her words, sounding like empty promises, made him chuckle despite himself. “No need.”

“This is my fault. I shouldn’t have dragged you around in public like this.”

Xue Ling was far too delicate. Omegas weren’t expected to work; their families and parents coddled them, pampered them. And yet, he had foolishly hoped she would work for him.

He could already imagine the scolding he’d receive from Xue Ling’s parents.

Gazing out the window, his mood grew inexplicably heavy.

The driver sped to the hospital, arriving in no time. Assistant Lu had already called in favors, so the moment the car stopped, a Beta doctor stepped forward to administer two injections to Xue Ling.

The medication took effect quickly, and from the reactions of those around them, Xu Zhen deduced that Xue Ling’s condition had stabilized for now.

Still, she couldn’t leave immediately. She needed to stay for observation and recovery.

During heat, pheromones could flare up unpredictably. Without confinement in a specialized room, chaos would erupt repeatedly until the situation spiraled beyond control.

After helping the doctors settle Xue Ling in, Xu Zhen finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Don’t worry, ma’am. We’ll handle the online news,” Assistant Lu reassured him softly.

Xu Zhen forced a strained smile. “Thank you.”

With so many witnesses at the scene and the speed of online information spreading, an incident like this couldn’t be hidden. Haters would seize the chance to attack him, and bandwagoners would pile on with endless criticism.

In the worst-case scenario, even his career as a celebrity could come under fire, dragging countless others down with him.

Xu Zhen slowly turned her head away, suddenly feeling exhausted at that moment.

Assistant Lu had already left to attend to other matters. Before long, Xue Ling’s parents arrived in a hurry. Just as she had anticipated, the man immediately launched into a furious tirade at Xu Zhen: “How dare you make my pampered daughter work for you as some lowly assistant?!”

“Do you have a death wish, targeting my daughter like this?”

“Let me make this clear, if anything happens to my daughter, I will make sure you suffer!”

The seemingly dignified Alpha paid no heed to appearances, berating Xu Zhen relentlessly in front of everyone. Xu Zhen didn’t argue back, only offering repeated apologies.

Unfortunately, her apologies were useless. The man only grew more aggressive, eventually dragging Bai Zhen into the matter.

Xu Zhen abruptly lifted her head, her expression turning completely blank in an instant. She stared coldly at the enraged Alpha, ready to retaliate when a familiar voice cut in.

“What compensation do you want?”

Jiang Ruan appeared silently beside Xu Zhen, interrupting the furious man. “Tell me now. This offer won’t stand later.”

The man hesitated, falling silent at the sight of Jiang Ruan before finally, reluctantly, presenting his premeditated demands.

Jiang Ruan didn’t refuse. “Agreed,” she said without hesitation.

Xu Zhen opened her mouth, wanting to stop Jiang Ruan from being taken advantage of, but Jiang Ruan silenced her with a reassuring glance before turning back to the man.

“Your demands are met. Now!”

“It’s time for you to apologize to my wife.”

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