She doesn’t want to pretend to be an Omega either! - Chapter 13

“You want to?” Zhu Shen repeated those three words in a low voice.

Wen Mo nodded obediently.

Of course she did!

After all, Zhu Shen’s background in the novel was even more powerful than that of the male lead, Gu Nan.

Gu Nan, as the neglected second young master of the Gu family, had always lived under the dazzling shadow of his outstanding elder brother. As a result, his temperament was rather brooding and aloof.

But as the protagonist, Gu Nan naturally had his own unique strengths.

So what if his family didn’t value him? He still carved out his own path.

After entering university, he took a leave of absence to pursue what most parents thought of as a frivolous waste of time—e-sports—and eventually became a professional player.

By the end of the story, the male lead had claimed a world championship, brought glory to the nation, and won the heart of his beloved—success in both career and romance. A textbook winner in life.

But if Wen Mo, this little cannon-fodder, really wanted a powerful backer to protect her, then clinging to Zhu Shen’s thigh was the way to go.

Especially for the original “Wen Mo,” who had made too many enemies in the past. If she could befriend Zhu Shen, who would dare bully her again?

With that thought, Wen Mo’s gaze toward Zhu Shen carried a genuine flicker of hope.

Zhu Shen caught the sparkle in her eyes and gave a cold snort. “Keep dreaming.”

Wen Mo: “…”

Fine, no means no. But did he really have to crush her spirit like that?

She sulked. “Oh.”

Zhu Shen raised an eyebrow. “Oh? That’s your reaction?”

His tone carried obvious displeasure.

Wen Mo instantly perked up, her survival instincts kicking in. She put on her best acting face, widening her innocent eyes. “It’s just… me being disappointed, that’s all.”

Zhu Shen studied her.

Her skin was fair, her curly hair spilling carelessly over her shoulders. She wore a soft pink dress and held a cup of milk tea in both hands. Standing there, she looked particularly docile.

Zhu Shen didn’t like her, but he still had an eye for beauty.

To be fair, if this had been their first meeting, he would have mistaken her for a delicate, spoiled little Omega.

She really did look somewhat cute.

But this so-called “disappointed reaction”? He didn’t buy it.

He had seen her genuinely pitiful before—drooping brows, a trembling pout, eyes brimming with tears. That was disappointment.

What she’d just shown was clearly dissatisfaction with his rejection.

“If you’re going to act, at least act properly,” Zhu Shen said.

Wen Mo let out a long sigh, sounding aggrieved yet helpless. “You don’t trust me. To you, no matter what I do, it looks like I’m pretending. But everything I show you is just my most natural, instinctive reaction.”

And pretending was also an instinctive reaction, wasn’t it? She wasn’t lying.

“…For someone so natural, you sure talk a lot,” Zhu Shen muttered after a pause.

Wen Mo: “…”

What, can’t win an argument so you throw shade instead?

“I’m only saying what I think…” Her voice shrank to a timid murmur.

“Shut up,” Zhu Shen cut her off.

Wen Mo: “…”

Wow, can’t take a loss, huh?

But she obediently zipped her lips.

She raised the milk tea, took a huge sip, and puffed out her cheeks as she chewed the tapioca pearls, her face bulging like a hamster.

It looked like she was venting her frustration.

But Zhu Shen’s gaze was caught by her round, puffed cheeks. They looked inexplicably soft and made his fingers itch. He rubbed his fingertips lightly. “Are you cursing me?”

Wen Mo’s eyes flew wide, stunned.

What the heck?

Could this guy read minds?

No—she’d only thought to herself that he couldn’t take a loss. That hardly counted as cursing!

She quickly chewed and swallowed the pearls, then protested, “I didn’t even say anything—how could I be cursing you?”

“Just now, when your cheeks puffed up, wasn’t that you chewing me out while drinking?” Zhu Shen pressed.

“I was chewing pearls!” Wen Mo shot back.

“…Oh.” He blinked, genuinely not having considered that.

After a pause, he added, “An Alpha like you drinks something that sweet?”

Wen Mo’s expression didn’t change. “I already told you—I’m just pretending to be an Alpha. I’m actually an Omega. Can’t an Omega drink milk tea?”

That didn’t rattle him.

But he had expected as much. Wen Mo wasn’t a complete idiot, after all.

“Anyway, real Alphas don’t like that stuff,” Zhu Shen said with pointed emphasis.

If she was truly an Alpha, that comment might have stung.

Wen Mo simply smiled faintly without answering.

He waited a moment. When she just kept smiling serenely, he frowned. “Wipe that smile off and speak!”

She pressed her lips together in a pitiful little pout. “But you just told me to shut up.”

Zhu Shen: “…Get lost.”

And with that, he left first.

Wen Mo watched his back retreating and didn’t chase after him.

It was obvious: he had lost the verbal spar and stormed off in a huff.

She felt a tiny swell of pride, though a sliver of worry followed. Surely a CEO like Zhu Shen wouldn’t be so petty as to hold a grudge just because she out-talked him?

But even if he did, it wasn’t the end of the world. He hadn’t truly punished her for the previous incident yet—one more slight wouldn’t make much difference. At worst, he might throw a few more harsh words her way, only to be reined in again by Yin Qingyue.

What did puzzle her was how Zhu Shen had suddenly appeared right behind her earlier, and at the exact moment she said those words.

Good thing her reflexes were quick enough to dodge his test.

He clearly still suspected her.

But without evidence, she’d never admit anything. Suspicion alone was useless.

Wen Mo decided she’d ask Yin Qingyue later and maybe probe Zhu Shen’s attitude toward her at the same time.

For now, she went back to shopping, picking out a gift for Wei Mingshu.

In the end, she chose a watch. The moment she swiped her card, she winced in pain.

Living as a rich heiress really was corrupting her—money flew like water!

Still, she reasoned, compared to all the birthday presents Wei Mingshu had given the original “Wen Mo” over the years, this watch wasn’t much at all.

And with the balance on “Wen Mo’s” bank card, six figures was barely a dent. For families like theirs, the watch wasn’t even particularly luxurious. Wei Mingshu might not even wear it.

But Wen Mo still picked it—not only because it looked good, but because its dial was engraved with a delicate lily-of-the-valley.

In her memory, Wei Mingshu’s pheromone smelled faintly of orchids. So when her eyes skimmed over the display case, she’d chosen this watch without hesitation.

In the ABO world, pheromones were often more distinctive than appearance. She thought this detail made it a meaningful birthday gift.

Whether Wei Mingshu liked it or not wasn’t her problem. She had put her heart into it.

She asked the clerk to have it gift-wrapped, then checked the time. It was almost the appointed hour.

The hotel Wei Mingshu had sent her the location for wasn’t far—just a few minutes by taxi.

Since it was a private gathering he’d organized with friends, the group wasn’t large. It wasn’t formal either, just a big private dining room. Wen Mo followed the waiter inside.

As the door opened, several heads turned toward the sound.

One glance told Wen Mo most of them were familiar faces.

She and Wei Mingshu had grown up together, been classmates for years. Naturally, many of his close friends were people she had at least met before, including some of her own classmates.

Wei Mingshu, as the star of the evening, was already there, seated in the center of the group. He froze when he saw her walk in.

Ignoring the curious stares, Wen Mo strode straight to him, handed over the neatly wrapped gift, and said, “Happy birthday.”

“Hey, Mingshu, is this your friend?” the buzz-cut guy beside him asked, staring at Wen Mo with open curiosity. “How come you never mentioned you had such a cute Omega friend?”

Yet another person mistaking her for an Omega.

Wen Mo didn’t get upset, only curious.

Why was it that everyone else thought she looked like an Omega, yet Zhu Shen refused to believe it even when she said so herself?

She turned to the buzz-cut guy with a polite smile. “Hello, Liu Cheng.”

Liu Cheng’s eyes lit up with delight. “You know me?! When did that happen?” He scratched the back of his head, sheepish yet thrilled.

Being recognized by such a pretty Omega fed his Alpha pride in spades.

Wen Mo only smiled without answering.

Wei Mingshu finally recovered from his daze. He ignored Liu Cheng’s antics and said, surprised, “Wen Mo, how come you—”

“Wen Mo?!” Liu Cheng suddenly cut him off, craning his neck to look behind her. “That bastard Wen Mo’s here too? Damn, where is she? I’ve got a score to settle with her!”

Wen Mo tilted her head curiously. “What kind of score?”

Liu Cheng glanced back at the stranger before him—those clear, pretty eyes fixed on him—and his voice softened involuntarily. “Ahem, sorry, did I scare you? Normally I’d never swear in front of an Omega. It’s just that Wen Mo is such a damn nuisance!”

He had only joined their class in high school, while Wen Mo and Wei Mingshu had been classmates since junior high.

From junior high onward, Wen Mo had never left the house without makeup.

As Wei Mingshu was both her childhood friend and her neighbor, he’d been one of the very few to see her bare face on occasion.

Even so, seeing her appear like this—makeup-free and dressed so differently from her usual style—had startled him too. For someone like Liu Cheng, who had never once seen her true face, there was no way to connect this girl to the “Wen Mo” he knew.

Wen Mo, however, was used to not being recognized by now. Besides, she and Liu Cheng weren’t particularly close—their only tie being their mutual friendship with Wei Mingshu. She completely understood why he didn’t recognize her.

Still, it was funny.

Here he was, vowing vengeance on “that bastard Wen Mo” while not realizing she was standing right in front of him. He even softened his tone for her, almost like a peacock showing off.

She almost felt sorry for the humiliation he was about to suffer.

To spare him from digging himself any deeper, Wen Mo kindly revealed the truth. “So what exactly did this ‘bastard’ do to you?”

“Huh?” Liu Cheng blinked, then waved his hands frantically. “No, no, you misunderstood! I wasn’t calling you a bastard—I meant Wen Mo!”

Wen Mo couldn’t hold back her laughter. “I heard you loud and clear. I am Wen Mo.”

“Hahaha, good one, little sis, you’ve got jokes,” Liu Cheng chuckled, utterly unconvinced.

Wen Mo just looked at him silently.

Wei Mingshu, too, said nothing.

The air turned awkward.

Liu Cheng’s gaze darted around before finally landing back on her face. His eyes widened. “…Huh??”

And just like that, he shut down.

For the rest of the night, he didn’t dare meet her gaze again. As for “settling scores”—that was completely forgotten.

Wen Mo, however, was intrigued. She had inherited the original Wen Mo’s memories, yet she couldn’t recall anything that would make Liu Cheng hold a grudge.

Several times during the meal, she turned, wanting to ask him about it. But with Wei Mingshu sitting between them, every time she caught Liu Cheng’s eye, he would instantly pretend not to see her—stiff and awkward to the point of comedy.

Wen Mo: “…”

Funny how he’d been sneaking looks at her when she wasn’t watching.