Forced to Romance the Omega Psychiatrist - Chapter 18

“What did you say?” Bai Shuixi frowned. “The plot has deviated? But I haven’t done anything yet.”

According to the original storyline, wasn’t she supposed to bring Xia You to the event venue and let her see Li Wei, only to secretly grieve over it?

Could it be because she hadn’t gone over to mock Xia You in time, or failed to remind her that she now belonged to Bai Shuixi and could never be with Li Wei again?

The system, as if reading her mind, silently added: 【Maybe it’s precisely because you’ve done too little.】

“…” Bai Shuixi took a deep breath. “So where is Xia You now?”

【Huh?】 The system froze for a moment, answering somewhat dumbly, 【I don’t know. Didn’t you send Xia You away?】

Bai Shuixi: “…”

Fantastic.

Bai Shuixi stood up and walked to the door of the lounge, pulling it open abruptly and stopping He Jiu, who was about to leave. “Which part of the work did the executive director assign to Xia You?”

He Jiu: “Huh? That…”

Bai Shuixi frowned. “Didn’t I tell you to take Xia You to the executive director?”

He Jiu: “…” He was done for.

He had left halfway to retrieve some documents. Now he was going to ‘die.’

Seeing the change in He Jiu’s expression, Bai Shuixi’s gaze turned colder.

Though she didn’t know the exact reason, Bai Shuixi could tell from He Jiu’s reaction that he definitely hadn’t taken Xia You to the executive director.

Bai Shuixi shot He Jiu a sharp look and strode straight toward the filming set, tossing back a single line: “We’ll settle this later.”

She didn’t have time to deal with He Jiu now, she needed to see for herself.

Even if she couldn’t find Xia You on set, at least she could ask which direction she had gone.

She had no idea what had happened to Xia You,  something serious enough to affect the mission’s progress.

The useless system could only warn her that the mission had deviated, with no clue as to where the problem lay.

Because both Bai Shuixi and the system lacked sources of information, when the unexpected occurred, neither of them realized that at the very moment the system issued its warning, Xia You had already finished an unpleasant conversation with Li Wei in a quiet, nearly empty hallway.

Xia You’s encounter with Li Wei this time was somewhat coincidental.

Or rather, it was Xia You who had wanted to meet Li Wei. She had a rough idea of where Li Wei might appear after all, Li Wei’s agent also needed to coordinate the artist’s schedule.

“Xia Xia?” Li Wei, who had been on her way to discuss some behind-the-scenes filming details with the production team, froze when she saw Xia You suddenly appear. But she quickly regained her composure, acting as if nothing had happened, her tone gentle and almost doting as she said:

“What are you doing here? Don’t you have work today? Or is there an artist you like in this show? Why didn’t you tell me? I could’ve saved you a spot in the front row.”

Xia You opened her mouth slightly, her gaze complicated as she looked at Li Wei, but in the end, she remained silent.

“What’s wrong?” A strange feeling rose in Li Wei’s chest, and she keenly sensed that something had gone beyond her expectations.

Was it because of Bai Shuixi? Had she said something to Xia You?

Damn it, was it about her and Zhou Wanwan, or something else? If Xia You really knew, how could she stabilize the situation?

“That night, when you took the drunk Zhou Wanwan home,  I was there too.”

Xia You lowered her eyelashes and finally voiced the truth she had been unwilling to face.

Li Wei froze abruptly, as if realizing something, her expression turning grim.

Xia You glanced at Li Wei but quickly averted her gaze again.

Not long ago, she had told Bai Shuixi that she would wait for Li Wei’s explanation that she would never believe Li Wei had any improper relationship with her artist unless proven otherwise.

But now, standing before Li Wei, ready to confront her and demand that explanation, Xia You suddenly felt exhausted.

Would Li Wei really have any fresh answer to such a question?

No wonder Bai Shuixi always looked at her with such mocking amusement whenever she said she trusted Li Wei.

“What are you talking about?!” Li Wei cut Xia You off in a hushed voice, glancing around before roughly pushing her into an empty lounge.

“Xia Xia! You can’t just say things like that! She’s my artist, if rumors about us spread, the consequences would be unimaginable!”

Her tone was harsh, and her grip was rough enough to hurt. Xia You winced, unable to suppress a frown.

Seeing Xia You’s expression, Li Wei stiffened slightly, her demeanor softening as she coaxed, “Xia Xia, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was just panicking. You’re not part of this industry, so you might not understand those kinds of words can’t be thrown around carelessly.”

“But I was really there that night,” Xia You said after a long silence, her voice quiet, her gaze filled with complexity, as if she were seeing Li Wei for the first time. “Not just last night. A few days ago, when you went to the HV store with Zhou Wanwan, I was there too. I… saw everything.”

Even if she hadn’t found the blond-haired man earlier, it didn’t matter. That could wait. There was something far more important she needed to ask Li Wei:

“Were you with Zhou Wanwan on the day I got into trouble?”

Li Wei froze, her face instantly paling. “What are you implying?”

Xia You looked at her, lips trembling weakly. “I just wanted to confirm something.”

“You don’t trust me? Xia Xia,” Li Wei’s eyes, sharpened by makeup, burned with anger. “Following me, tracking Zhou Wanwan’s schedule? Why would you do that? Do you suspect something between us? Is our trust really so worthless? I haven’t even questioned your relationship with Bai Shuixi!”

Xia You’s eyes widened in shock. “I never followed you. I just happened to run into you.”

Xia You hated arguments and despised blaming others, yet here Li Wei was, twisting the truth.

Stunned, Xia You felt a cold weight settle in her chest, realizing with sudden clarity that she might never have truly known the person standing before her.

She had witnessed Li Wei’s intimacy with Zhou Wanwan with her own eyes, yet Li Wei had effortlessly shifted the blame onto her.

“You mean it was a coincidence? But how many coincidences can there be in the world? Both times I was alone with Zhou Wanwan, you just happened to be there?” Li Wei refused to back down, taking a step closer to Xia You.

“You used to counsel visitors in your office every day, keeping to such a small circle, how could we have possibly met by chance? Xia Xia, there was never any barrier between us before Everything started changing when Bai Shuixi appeared, didn’t it? Even the information about Zhou Wanwan and me was given to you by Bai Shuixi, right?”

Xia You pressed her lips together, weariness showing on her face: “Even if she told me, it wasn’t her who forced you to hold Zhou Wanwan by the waist, take her hand, or stay overnight at her place.”

Li Wei clenched her teeth imperceptibly: “So you’re saying you don’t trust me anymore?”

“…” Xia You truly didn’t know how she could trust Li Wei under these circumstances. “I don’t want to ask about anything else anymore, Weiwei. Just one thing. That day when I… when I accidentally had that incident with Bai Shuixi were you with Zhou Wanwan then?”

Li Wei’s hands at her sides suddenly tightened.

Xia You noticed.

Asking whether she’d been with Zhou Wanwan that particular day, this almost certainly meant Zhou Wanwan had slipped up somehow. Li Wei hadn’t actually been with Zhou Wanwan that day, but Zhou Wanwan had told her everything afterward. She knew all about it.

Almost without hesitation, one thought surfaced instinctively in Li Wei’s mind: Zhou Wanwan couldn’t be exposed.

At least not while she was still tied to Zhou Wanwan.

“Xia Xia, I really don’t know when things between us became like this. You won’t even believe me now,” Li Wei looked at Xia You with profound disappointment in her eyes. “That time you were with Bai Shuixi,  I understand now. You don’t need me anymore. You’re with her, aren’t you? Right after that happened.”

Xia You froze, feeling as if she’d plunged into an icy abyss, her blood slowly turning to slush: “You,  you think I deliberately seduced Bai Shuixi to investigate you or for some other reason, and now that it worked, I’m trying to discard you?”

Li Wei desperately wanted to escape this conversation. She pressed a hand to her forehead with a pained expression: “Xia Xia, I think we both need some time to cool off. I’ll explain everything about this situation to you, but not now. Can we talk about this later?”

Xia You didn’t respond. Seeing her silent demeanor, Li Wei quickly opened the door and left.

She had many matters to attend to her regular work, cleaning up Zhou Wanwan’s mess, and now checking whether any outsiders might have “happened” to pass by during their conversation and overheard things they shouldn’t have.

As Li Wei hurried away, the entire corridor fell silent. Through the crack of the imperfectly closed door, Xia You watched Li Wei’s fleeting shadow, her eyes filled with anguish:

Li Wei, I never wanted to doubt you. Please don’t make me feel like I trusted the wrong person all along.

Bai Shuixi searched the entire filming location, questioning the director’s team at least three times before finally spotting Xia You through the crowd. The Omega was standing dejectedly before a group of fans holding cameras and light signs, explaining something with palpable misery written across her face.

Bai Shuixi paused mid-step.

She had always considered herself the villain in this story and thought she shouldn’t intervene when the female lead was distressed. But after watching Xia You’s dimmed expression for a moment, Bai Shuixi couldn’t help clicking her tongue and striding forward.

He Jiu, who had just pushed through the crowd: “?”

He Jiu was on the verge of tears: “President Bai, where are you going?” He still had work to report.

It wasn’t until she got closer that Bai Shuixi heard Xia You explaining to the fans that she wasn’t a celebrity.

A young girl remained enthusiastic: “Hey, sis, you’re really pretty. Even if you’re not a celebrity, can’t we at least take a photo together? If you ever debut, I’ll switch fandoms immediately!”

Sis?

Bai Shuixi scoffed inwardly. Xia You didn’t even like being called that hadn’t she shaken her off the last time she called her “sis”?

But within seconds, Bai Shuixi saw Xia You, despite looking exhausted, manage a faint smile. After a moment’s thought, she shook her head gently and said, “No, it wouldn’t be appropriate.”

Bai Shuixi: “…”

What was up with this Omega?

“Ah,  okay then,” the young girl said, disappointed. Her companion quickly chimed in, “Then, sis, you must be staff, right? How about we exchange contact info? We’re big fans if your production team ever needs audience rehearsals or hype people, you can reach out to us!”

The girl perked up: “Yeah, yeah!”

Xia You bit her lip hesitantly, trying to figure out how to refuse, when a slender but strong hand suddenly hooked her shoulder and pulled her back.

A familiar cool fragrance filled her nose. The jewelry on that person was still hard and uncomfortable against her skin, but the embrace was soft.

Bai Shuixi cast a cold glance at the lively young girls, who were probably only a few months younger than her: “Sorry, our staff aren’t allowed to share private contact info with fans.”

The girl glanced up at Bai Shuixi, then at the hand resting on Xia You’s shoulder: “Then—”

“No flirting either,” Bai Shuixi added icily.

“?” Xia You blinked, her gentle eyes widening in surprise, her earlier melancholy fading. “What are you talking about?”

Bai Shuixi looked down at her: “Couldn’t you tell? She just wanted your number.”

“…” Xia You turned to the now-blushing girl and belatedly realized.

She had been too distracted by Li Wei’s matter to notice earlier.

But for Bai Shuixi to just blurt it out like that,
Xia You sighed inwardly, glancing at the embarrassed girl.

Pushing Bai Shuixi toward the staff-only area, Xia You turned back to the young fans and politely excused herself: “Sorry, my supervisor is here. We have work to do. If you have any other questions, you can ask the staff near the exit.”

Bai Shuixi stayed silent, letting Xia You guide her away. Only when they were alone did she speak calmly: “If the contract hasn’t changed, I believe I’m your boss.”

At this, Xia You hesitated for a long moment before saying softly, “Actually,  I wanted to talk to you about that. I’ve been thinking of resigning.”

Bai Shuixi’s brow twitched slightly. She immediately understood what must have happened while she was away.

No wonder the system said the mission progress had deviated.

“You’ve met Li Wei?” Bai Shuixi leaned slightly forward, staring directly into Xia You’s downcast eyes, her tone mocking. “What, disappointed? Given up? Thinking of quitting your job with me?”

“You!” Xia You raised her head to glare at Bai Shuixi.

She wasn’t usually the type to lose her temper, but whenever she faced Bai Shuixi, she couldn’t help but want to argue back.

Unfortunately, this time, even Xia You herself was wavering, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything in Li Wei’s defense.

“Look at you, why so impatient?” Bai Shuixi couldn’t help but laugh. Every time she saw Xia You so furious yet only able to come close to her like this, her mood improved.

Swallowing the cutting remark on the tip of her tongue, Bai Shuixi leisurely dangled the bait: “Have you even figured out who set you up before you think about quitting?”

Xia You froze, her expression turning serious. “You know who did it?”

“Hmm,” Bai Shuixi lowered her gaze, pretending to think. She wasn’t ready to change the plot just yet. “I have some leads.”

“Really?” Xia You was skeptical. “You’re not just lying to stop me from quitting, are you?”

Bai Shuixi sighed at her own pitiful credibility. “Whoever did this didn’t just target you, I was a victim too. Besides, do you really want to quit that badly? You’ve only been my assistant for a little over a week. You’ve only been involved in this one event, not even a proper project yet. Aren’t you curious,  why I always seem to predict Li Wei’s moves? Don’t you want to know what a real industry insider looks like?”

After saying this, Bai Shuixi leaned in slightly and whispered softly by Xia You’s ear: “Jiejie?”

Warm breath brushed against her earlobe, the faint fragrance from Bai Shuixi’s collar lingering at her nose, her clear, pleasant voice low and vibrating gently against her eardrum.

Xia You froze for a second before jerking back, covering her ear.

Bai Shuixi straightened up just in time to see Xia You’s flushed face glaring at her, trying to sound stern despite her embarrassment: “Wh-what are you calling me that for?!”

Bai Shuixi smiled, clearly in a good mood. “Learned a new trick, couldn’t resist trying it out.”

Xia You: “…”

She was fuming.

“Anyway,” Bai Shuixi turned away cheerfully, slipping her hands into her coat pockets, “I have plenty of insider information you wouldn’t normally get. If you don’t want to miss out on that advantage, you’ll just have to bear with it and keep being my assistant.”

Xia You stood there, biting her lip in frustration, watching Bai Shuixi’s retreating figure before finally making up her mind and chasing after her.

Fine, she wouldn’t quit!

The excuses Li Wei had given during their argument still lingered in Xia You’s mind. She refused to believe all the changes were really just because of that manager’s profession!

As for Bai Shuixi, she’d find a way to deal with her!

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