Forced to Romance the Omega Psychiatrist - Chapter 52

November 15th marked the eleventh day since Bai Shuixi and Xia You arrived in Harbor City. A charity gala jointly organized by several old-money families was about to commence at the Libin Grand Hotel.

Originally just an exclusive gathering for Harbor City’s elite, these events typically saw little attendance from tycoons outside the region. Yet Bai Shuixi, who had never been part of Harbor City’s aristocratic circles despite her considerable influence on the mainland received an unexpected invitation this time.

“So, what’s their angle?” Xia You asked while adjusting her gown in their Yau Tsim Mong district hotel suite, casting a puzzled glance at Bai Shuixi.

“Who knows? Probably just maintaining appearances,” Bai Shuixi replied lazily, sipping champagne as she watched Xia You change. She wore her signature minimalist style, a deceptively simple black evening gown whose exquisite fabrics and meticulous detailing betrayed its true luxury.

“These galas are essentially year-end battlegrounds where Harbor City’s elite jostle for resources and status. Families showcase their influence, though it’s irrelevant to us, the Bai conglomerate operates in entirely different circles. Our invitation alone is peculiar enough, which likely means Zhou Wanwan will appear tonight. Perhaps Xu Yaqing intends to use this occasion to discipline Cheng Tian.”

“…Wait, how does Harbor City’s elite power struggle relate to Cheng Tian and Zhou Wanwan’s affair?” Xia You asked, carefully stepping into her dress under the designer’s guidance while stealing another glance at Bai Shuixi.

Fashion served as covert warfare in these social arenas, where attendees weaponized their aesthetics to project dominance as if visual intimidation could secure negotiation advantages. Bai Shuixi’s razor-sharp, ice-cold style might have been visually disadvantaged, but her designer compensated with masterful jewelry pairings. Not that Bai Shuixi ever lacked for gems.

Heavy gold settings studded with precious stones adorned her from wrist cuffs to neckpieces opulent yet harmonious. The headpiece lay discarded at her insistence (“too heavy”), leaving jet-black hair cascading over one shoulder while emerald earrings glinted subtly. Her serpentine gaze rested on Xia You, quietly predatory.

“Because for most scions of wealthy families, affairs are trivial matters,” Bai Shuixi explained, occasionally adjusting Xia You’s hem with casual familiarity as she divulged aristocratic secrets. “The real damage isn’t emotional betrayal, but public humiliation among elite circles.”

“Xu Yaqing’s domineering nature made her choose Cheng Tian precisely because his inferior status made him easier to control far more practical than marrying equals. Others might discreetly indulge, but Cheng Tian’s scandalous spectacle? That’s a direct slap to the Xu family’s dignity. Of course she’s furious.”

Xia You paused mid-motion, meeting Bai Shuixi’s eyes. “Was this what you discussed during your first meeting with Xu Yaqing?”

“More or less,” Bai Shuixi answered offhandedly, her gaze inadvertently tracing the elegant curve of Xia You’s collarbone.

“…But you’re also from a wealthy family,” Xia You looked at Bai Shuixi with a complicated gaze, unable to tell if it was disappointment or something else.

Then would you also think that infidelity is fine as long as it doesn’t damage your reputation?

Xia You knew thinking this way might hurt their relationship. But whenever she recalled Bai Shuixi’s wild, flirtatious ‘friends’ who occasionally appeared around her, along with Bai Shuixi’s initial attitude toward her, she couldn’t help but feel a little worried.

What if Bai Shuixi suddenly stopped loving her?

Would Bai Shuixi abruptly walk away and tell her that as long as it didn’t affect her reputation, nothing else mattered?

The designers and stylists, sensing the tense topic between their boss and her girlfriend, exchanged glances and quickly pretended to fetch something, slipping away in small groups.

“…What, are you afraid I’ll cheat on you?” Bai Shuixi tilted her head, studying Xia You for a moment, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

She hadn’t expected Xia You, the female lead, to worry about something like this.

But then again, maybe Li Wei had left some psychological scars.

Bai Shuixi thought for a moment, recalling Xia You’s behavior in the original story, and said seriously, “How about this, if you ever catch me about to cheat, just poison me. I don’t really pay attention to my medicine bottles anyway. Sound good?”

Xia You: “……”

Not really. That’s terrifying.

But Bai Shuixi looked so earnest that Xia You nearly laughed. Between exasperation and amusement, she felt strangely reassured.

Maybe she really was overthinking it.

With this thought, Xia You gazed at Bai Shuixi for a while, inexplicably itching with affection, struck by how breathtakingly beautiful she was.

Taking advantage of the design team stepping out to grab something, Xia You quietly moved closer to Bai Shuixi. Their eyes met, and Xia You’s slender, pale arms naturally looped around Bai Shuixi’s neck.

“What’s wrong?” Bai Shuixi asked with a soft laugh.

Xia You stared at her deeply, a touch of infatuation in her voice as she murmured, “Right now, you look like a siren, the kind of cold, beautiful monster who devours people whole… Hmm, Medusa.”

Bai Shuixi wasn’t particularly well-versed in literature, let alone mythology. Watching the warm, soft, and stunningly beautiful Xia You, she chuckled and whispered back, “Then you must be the sacrifice I stole from the temple to keep me company.”

Xia You thought of Medusa’s fate in Greek mythology and, with their lips barely touching, teased flirtatiously, “You’d get your head cut off by the gods…”

“I’d love that,” Bai Shuixi murmured, tilting Xia You’s chin to kiss her. “If the gods disagree, I’ll hang them from the temple roof and kick them into the Aegean Sea.”

“You’re impossible,” Xia You burst out laughing, the intimate atmosphere instantly shattered. “So unreasonable and ruthless. If gods really existed, they’d probably be furious.”

Bai Shuixi shrugged, delighted to tease her. “How terrifying. Good thing I’m an atheist.”

They shared another kiss. After a while, a couple of stylists tentatively peeked in, confirming that their bosses were perfectly harmonious and tension-free before returning to resume their work.

Half an hour later, Bai Shuixi was fully styled and adorned with all accessories, looking even more aristocratic and aloof. Her long hair was slightly curled, sharp yet coldly elegant, a perfect match for Xia You’s gentle demeanor tinged with mature allure.

As night slowly fell, the group, along with their assistants, boarded the car.

The wheels of the extended Maybach quietly crushed the swaying nightscape, gliding through the roads and streets brushed by a faint sea breeze before coming to a stop in front of the Libin Grand Hotel.

Xia You had attended similar events several times before, so she felt quite at ease navigating this banquet, immediately spotting the area with the best food.

The only difference was that Bai Shuixi, who would usually be swarmed by people for socializing, stayed by her side the entire time, accompanying her as she enjoyed desserts.

Bai Shuixi strolled leisurely through the venue, occasionally glancing toward the bustling center or examining the varieties of wine on the tables. Though she appeared indifferent, her ears were attuned to the arrival of the true elite families of Hong Kong.

This banquet was co-hosted by the Xu family, yet none of its influential members had shown up so far.

Xu Yaqing was no exception.

The invitation in Bai Shuixi’s hand had come from Xu Yaqing, but there was still no sign of her coming to greet them…

Who knew what scheme she was brewing.

“What are you thinking about?” Xia You asked, holding a dessert as she looked at Bai Shuixi.

“Me?” The sight of Xia You instantly lifted Bai Shuixi’s mood. She smiled, reaching out to brush Xia You’s lips with her fingers, sighing. “I just have a feeling tonight’s events might get absurd.”

“Hmm, didn’t you already expect that?” Xia You felt a slight tickle from the touch but didn’t pull away, instead lightly licking the corner of her lips.

Bai Shuixi paused at her natural reaction, her previously bored expression shifting into something more focused as she studied Xia You. But before she could say anything, the venue suddenly grew noisier. The elegant music seemed to halt, replaced by hushed whispers that carried an inexplicable discomfort.

Bai Shuixi looked up just as Xu Yaqing appeared on the other side of the banquet hall, arm-in-arm with Cheng Tian, wearing a perfectly composed smile.

Compared to her, Cheng Tian’s smile seemed forced.

But that wasn’t the most noteworthy part, most eyes in the room weren’t on Cheng Tian anyway.

Just a short distance ahead of Xu Yaqing, at the edge of her dazzling presence, another pair of guests made their entrance.

A delicate-looking female Omega clung to the arm of an unfamiliar man. Her attire wasn’t cheap, but her demeanor was worlds apart from Xu Yaqing’s dull, weary, and utterly dispirited.

“Isn’t that Zhou Wanwan?” Xia You also noticed the beautiful woman in the green dress.

The last time they met, Zhou Wanwan had confidently insinuated Li Wei’s betrayal to her, even finding time to drop hints at Bai Shuixi radiant, bold, and alluring.

Now, barely a month later, wearing a similar green dress, her vibrancy had completely faded. She looked lifeless, her gaze hollow.

“…Oh. I think I understand what’s going on now.”

Bai Shuixi took a sip of champagne with an indifferent expression, locking eyes with Xu Yaqing across the crowd before gently taking Xia You’s hand to lead her away from the gathering throng.

“Why…” Xia You followed a few steps in the opposite direction, confused. “What’s wrong? Why are we avoiding them? And Zhou Wanwan’s condition…”

A complicated look flickered across Xia You’s face something between disgust and reluctance to speak of it. “Was she abused?”

“Hard to say,” Bai Shuixi glanced toward Zhou Wanwan with visible displeasure. “Xu Yaqing usually knows her limits and wouldn’t go too far. But… humiliation is definitely involved.”

“Humiliation?” Xia You looked at Bai Shuixi in surprise.

“Well, isn’t this a form of it?” Frowning, Bai Shuixi turned her gaze away, not wanting to elaborate while also blocking Xia You’s view.

“Sometimes the cruelest aspect of high society isn’t the backstabbing beneath surface harmony, but the sheer contempt for those deemed unworthy of their circle.

Wealth, status, beauty none of it matters to old-money elites. Only pedigree earns you the right to speak and share topics with them. Those beneath will inevitably feel that disdain.”

Having once been arrogant herself only breaking such habits in this world to complete missions, Bai Shuixi knew these unspoken rules all too well.

“…Is it really that extreme?”

Xia You glanced back hesitantly, her worried eyes searching Bai Shuixi’s face.

In that moment, as if reading her thoughts, Bai Shuixi responded without thinking:

“Don’t worry. Most who face exclusion lack their family’s backing. They’ll still respect a partner cherished by someone influential.”

Xia You blinked, then smiled, her eyes sparkling as she asked in a soft, teasing voice:

“Why would I need to worry about that?”

Realizing her slip, Bai Shuixi abruptly fell silent, clearing her throat before gesturing toward the edge of the ballroom. “Look over there, isn’t that.”

“Answer me first,” Xia You refused to be diverted, cheerfully clinging to Bai Shuixi’s arm. “Why would I worry?”

Bai Shuixi sighed, unwilling to reply, and instead pinched Xia You’s chin to turn her head. “See who that is?”

Xia You nearly ignored it until the figure in her line of sight registered.

“Isn’t that…” Her expression shifted. “Li Wei? Why is she here? Will she cause trouble?”

“Who knows? Let’s keep our distance.” Bai Shuixi, who’d personally added Li Wei to the guest list pulled Xia You further away.

This farce wouldn’t end anytime soon.

She’d allowed Li Wei in precisely because the woman kept demanding to see Zhou Wanwan. Better to grant that than deal with her schemes elsewhere.

And Xu Yaqing needed to vent thoroughly to make Zhou Wanwan understand her place once and for all.

Zhou Wanwan, this unfortunate soul, was merely an important supporting character who had to appear to put Cheng Tian in his place not the most crucial one, yet indispensable nonetheless.

Who could blame her? She just happened to be the person most closely linked to Cheng Tian’s scandal at the very moment Xu Yaqing reached her breaking point.

Today was destined to be rough for Zhou Wanwan.

As the center of the banquet’s gossip made her entrance, all eyes trailed after Xu Yaqing, Cheng Tian, and Zhou Wanwan some filled with excitement and curiosity, others with ill intent.

Standing at the heart of the crowd, Zhou Wanwan felt, for the first time under the weight of rumors, as though she had been stripped bare and thrown into the public eye.

Humiliating and dizzying.

But just as Bai Shuixi had predicted, these high-society elites disdained crude displays of power in front of Zhou Wanwan. Yet their scornful, disdainful gazes still cut into her like knives.

Xu Yaqing even deliberately called her over at times, forcing her to take a stance, just as she had instructed beforehand, leaving Zhou Wanwan no escape from those piercing stares.

She desperately wanted to maintain some semblance of dignity, but she was powerless. Xu Yaqing held leverage over her, and she didn’t dare resist.

Mocking eyes nearly drowned her.

Shortly before the banquet officially began, Zhou Wanwan forced by Xu Yaqing’s demands to temporarily walk in arm-in-arm with a stranger and pretend not to know Cheng Tian, finally seized a chance to flee the scene.

She hurried away alone, almost in a panic, her back to the lights until she reached a dim, deserted corridor.

Likely because no one ever came here, the passage felt several degrees colder than the rest of the venue.

In the dimness, Zhou Wanwan adjusted the slightly drooping strap over her shoulder with slender fingers that nearly revealed the shape of her bones. When she lowered her hand, it trembled faintly.

The ruthless ambition that had once driven her to claw her way up at any cost had shattered. Now, she seemed fragile, almost sickly standing there with her head bowed like a withering flower, lost and unsure where to draw its last breath of life.

She remained motionless, numbly recalling what leverage others held over her.

Truthfully, Xu Yaqing herself hadn’t done anything outright humiliating to her.

Someone of Xu Yaqing’s status had no need for such pettiness, she had plenty of unrelated people to do that for her. Xu Yaqing had merely, as Cheng Tian’s wife, blacklisted Zhou Wanwan from Hong Kong’s elite circles, then threatened her with trivial matters.

Zhou Wanwan couldn’t refuse not if she still wanted to leave Hong Kong.

But what could she do after leaving? Bai Shuixi had already uncovered her misdeeds; returning to the mainland would make her an easy target. And now, her hopes of using Hong Kong’s circles to stage a comeback were…

Maybe it wasn’t completely hopeless yet… Zhou Wanwan took a deep breath, lifting a slightly trembling hand to tuck back her hair. There had to be a way, she could still find another path. But which step should she take next…

“…Zhou Wanwan.”

Li Wei stood at the other end of the corridor, her gaze complicated as she looked at her former accomplice, the one who had once clawed her way up alongside her, by any means necessary.

Zhou Wanwan instinctively flinched at the sound, lifting her head a beat too late to locate its source. Squinting, it took her a full two seconds to recognize the person standing before her before she suddenly let out a derisive chuckle. Her voice was laced with bitter mockery as she spoke, “Li Wei, what are you doing here? Come to laugh at my misery?”

“…I just came to see if I could get you out,” Li Wei replied after a moment of silence.

“…With what? With you?” Zhou Wanwan’s expression turned indifferent as she averted her gaze, wrapping her arms around herself coolly. “Then I might as well just die here. Who exactly did you bring?”

“Bai Shuixi, Song Zhe… I tried everyone who still has some connection to you,” Li Wei answered plainly, though she did respond to the question.

Zhou Wanwan gave Li Wei a complicated look, as if seeing her for the first time. “Why?”

Was their bond really that strong?

Perhaps there had once been a vague sense of possessiveness between them, but after so many accidents and disagreements, whatever fragile feelings they had were long gone. All that remained was a hollow pretense of closeness.

And it wasn’t as if she was the only one who knew that.

Li Wei was silent for a long time. “…After the changes at Rixin, I won’t be staying on the mainland much longer either. I just wanted to pull you out before I left.”

“…You’re leaving?”

Zhou Wanwan hadn’t expected that answer. She stared at Li Wei in genuine surprise, momentarily forgetting to maintain her aloofness. The exhaustion on her face even faded slightly from the shock.

Li Wei: “I’m considering it.”

For a moment, Zhou Wanwan’s expression was indescribably complex.

She still remembered how, at the very beginning, when she was drowning in scandal, stripped of everything, stubbornly desperate to make a comeback and force everyone who looked down on her to regret it, Li Wei had appeared by her side and pointed her toward a path lined with knives.

They were both ruthless, both hungry for success, and together they clawed their way to the top.

Zhou Wanwan had assumed that even if they diverged, they’d eventually cross paths again in the scramble for resources. She never imagined Li Wei would say she was stepping away… It gave her an inexplicable sense that the story was coming to an end.

Zhou Wanwan scoffed, suppressing any lingering emotion. With slender fingers that seemed almost unnervingly delicate, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said coldly, “Do whatever you want. But I’ve never had an exit strategy…”

She steeled herself, stepping closer to Li Wei with a sharp, unyielding look. Reaching out, she grabbed Li Wei’s collar and bit down with deliberate force, her voice icy. “Don’t give me even a sliver of an opening. Because if you do, I’ll cling to it with everything I’ve got hope or no hope. I don’t care whose back I have to step on to climb higher.”

“…”

The dim corridor fell silent again. Li Wei watched as Zhou Wanwan’s alarmingly thin figure walked away, disappearing into the seemingly radiant banquet hall.

Outside the venue, Bai Shuixi was passing the time with Xia You by the hotel’s outdoor pool. Xia You had lit a sparkler bought by the hotel staff and was playing with it, while Bai Shuixi snapped a few photos with her. Then, her phone set to silent lit up with a call from He Jiu.

Bai Shuixi glanced at the screen, stepping away to answer in a low voice, “Hello?”

“President Bai,” He Jiu’s calm voice came through the phone, “there’s progress regarding the matter you asked me to monitor. Vice President Xu does seem to have ambitions of seizing power. Currently, he’s planning to take advantage of your trip to Hong Kong and your preoccupation with the ‘Retrospect’ project team to suppress the project, further undermining your influence in the company.”

Bai Shuixi wasn’t surprised by this development.

‘Retrospect’ was a major collaborative project involving several companies, with Tianyin having invested heavily. As the project leader, if anything went wrong, Bai Shuixi would undoubtedly be held responsible for a significant oversight. If Xu Chuan then rallied other executives to make trouble at headquarters…

The original host had always been a mediocre president with no prior achievements to speak of. Since Bai Shuixi’s transmigration, she hadn’t made any deliberate efforts to change this perception, leaving her with little room for defense.

By then, even if Tianyin was just a subsidiary set up for fun, the parent company would have to respond to such a situation.

Xu Chuan truly lived up to being one of the only two reliable people around the original host. He actually managed to pull off something substantial.

Bai Shuixi glanced back at Xia You, who was twirling a sparkler, mentally calculating the time before quietly instructing He Jiu:

“Keep following up and ensure Legal’s Director Qi coordinates with you promptly. Don’t just focus on what Xu Chuan is doing dig into the opinions of employees in the project and marketing departments. We must uncover something useful. I’ll handle the rest when I return. If,  if I don’t bring this up again after I’m back, give all the gathered materials to Xia You.”

“Miss Xia?” He Jiu repeated in surprise.

This last directive was rather absurd. Xia You wasn’t involved in the company’s operations nor part of management, so there was no reason to disclose internal information to her.

“Yes, her,” Bai Shuixi said calmly. “Just do as I say. No need to question why.”

“…Understood.” Though puzzled, He Jiu hung up efficiently and set off to follow Bai Shuixi’s orders.

Bai Shuixi turned back, silently watching Xia You as she mapped out various possible plot developments in her mind.

Xu Chuan was a strategic piece she had left for Xia You. If she was doomed to fail her mission, the original host and even herself—disappearing wouldn’t be the worst outcome.

And if some inexplicable person were to replace her in approaching Xia You… with leverage over Xu Chuan, Xia You would have far more options and wouldn’t be left completely defenseless.

“Shuixi, aren’t you coming over?” Xia You turned around, holding up the sparkler. Meeting her gaze, Bai Shuixi felt a faint stir in her chest and instinctively moved to join her just as a somewhat familiar voice rang out nearby.

“No wonder I couldn’t find you anywhere. So you’re here.”

Xu Yaqing approached with a light laugh, draped in an overcoat. “Is this your special someone?”

At the sight of her, Bai Shuixi halted her steps toward Xia You. Standing by the stairs leading to the hall, she replied coolly, “Miss Xu. Seeing you here at this hour suggests you’re satisfied with how the banquet is going. Does that mean I can take Zhou Wanwan now?”

Xu Yaqing stood quietly for a moment, studying Xia You before murmuring, “I’m afraid not yet. There’s still a matter I need to settle with Cheng Tian.”

Bai Shuixi gave her an indifferent look, though inwardly, she felt a flicker of relief.

Truthfully, she wasn’t eager to leave with Zhou Wanwan just yet either.

Her gaze drifted back to Xia You by the poolside, and Bai Shuixi subtly clenched her fingers.

She still wanted more time with Xia You whether stolen, seized or simply delayed.

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