She doesn’t want to pretend to be an Omega either! - Chapter 14

If she didn’t know for certain that, in this world, Alphas and Alphas were nothing more than “bros”—no matter the gender, never with anything ambiguous going on—Wen Mo might really have suspected that Liu Cheng had a secret crush on her.

But deep down, Wen Mo knew better. Liu Cheng was probably just embarrassed.

Maybe in that brief moment when he was fooled by her appearance and mistook her for an Omega, he had considered her a potential romantic prospect and let his mind wander a little.

She understood the Alpha mentality all too well by now.

Sometimes, an Omega only needed to smile casually and Alphas would immediately take it as a sign of affection—overflowing with confidence in themselves.

The fact that Liu Cheng could even feel embarrassed about it at all showed he at least had some shame and wasn’t entirely thick-skinned.

Since he refused to talk, Wen Mo could only shrug it off.

Liu Cheng hadn’t appeared in the novel, so he clearly wasn’t an important character. Besides, he looked a bit simple-minded, and his earlier words about “settling scores” with her probably hadn’t been serious.

At first, Wen Mo had worried he might be one of those people who would take revenge on her later when “Wen Mo” was cast out of the Wen family. But seeing him act so socially awkward at the dinner table, she figured she was probably overthinking it.

Still, just in case, she made a mental note to ask about it again when she had the chance.

Wei Mingshu was a good student, and most of his friends were serious, decent people. Their gatherings were very wholesome.

The hotel’s private room was huge, not only for dining but also fully equipped for entertainment.

After dinner, people slid off their seats to do their own thing—some went to karaoke, others to play billiards, some booted up video games, while others gathered around for board games, mahjong, or cards. Everything young people usually enjoyed was there, and nothing remotely inappropriate.

Compared to the decadent, hard-partying lifestyle of the “old Wen Mo,” this was practically pure sunshine.

Wen Mo felt lucky.

She was now the innocent, soft-spoken Wen Mo—the kind of girl who hadn’t even held hands with the opposite sex, much less smoked, drank, or permed her hair. If Wei Mingshu’s gatherings had been wild in that way, she’d have had no choice but to bow out early.

The group was also mindful of school rules. By around ten o’clock, everyone dispersed, determined to make it back before the campus gates closed.

When Wen Mo had first arrived, she had caused a brief stir.

But aside from Liu Cheng, most people dropped the topic quickly and didn’t dwell too much on her changes.

Some, seeing her now—pure, soft, and harmless, her demeanor gentler than before—actually came over to ask what had brought on such a transformation.

She knew the boy. He was Wei Mingshu’s roommate and attended the same school as Yin Qingyue, so he had clearly heard all the rumors about her.

Wen Mo seized the chance, explaining with utmost seriousness that she and Yin Qingyue were really just ordinary friends.

Don’t believe rumors, don’t spread rumors!

As for her own changes, she insisted it was simply because her values had shifted and she wanted to turn over a new leaf. No hidden reasons.

Unlike Liu Cheng, most of them hadn’t known her deeply before. Their impressions of her were superficial, so after a few curious glances, they stopped asking questions and quickly accepted this new version of Wen Mo.

Seeing she was now approachable, even-tempered, and that they’d just shared a meal together, they pulled her into their games afterward.

Wen Mo didn’t want to spoil the fun, so she stayed and joined a few rounds.

She played steadily, showing off surprisingly solid skills.

So the friends, who had already revised their opinions of her, were once again impressed. At Wei Mingshu’s birthday party, the one who ended up in the center of attention wasn’t the host—but Wen Mo.

Wei Mingshu and Liu Cheng, sitting off to the side, watched in disbelief. The Wen Mo everyone used to avoid had somehow become the life of the party.

“What on earth happened to her?” Liu Cheng couldn’t hold back his curiosity. He nudged Wei Mingshu. “Seriously, if you told me she was someone else, I’d believe it. It’s only been a little while, but what could she have gone through to change this much?”

Wei Mingshu said nothing, staring at Wen Mo.

Not getting an answer, Liu Cheng turned to look at him—only to find the same bewildered expression on his face. “Look at you, you’re just as confused as I am. Some childhood friend you are!”

Still not looking away, Wei Mingshu murmured, “Don’t you think her whole personality’s different?”

“Of course! She’s not just a different person from last time, even her looks have changed. Don’t you think… maybe she got plastic surgery?” Liu Cheng leaned in, whispering.

Wei Mingshu gave him a look. “Surgery? To look like this?”

“What’s wrong with this?” Liu Cheng muttered defensively. “She looks pretty good!”

“Then you might as well say she had a sex change,” Wei Mingshu replied flatly.

“…Damn. You’re ruthless,” Liu Cheng groaned. “One day, I’m going to make sure everyone sees your real face!”

Wei Mingshu said calmly, “What ‘real face’? Every side is me. I just show different sides to different people.”

“Twisting words,” Liu Cheng shot back. “Fine, then at least show me your gentlemanly side for once!”

Finally dragging his gaze away from Wen Mo, Wei Mingshu smiled faintly. “By the way, Liu Cheng, didn’t you say you had a score to settle with Wen Mo? What exactly was that about?”

Liu Cheng clicked his tongue at the sudden topic shift but confessed, “It’s nothing big. I just found out recently she told Li Muyan I thought her pheromone smelled awful. No wonder Li Muyan suddenly stopped talking to me.”

Li Muyan was their high school classmate—a female Omega, with looks fit for a class belle and a sweet, gentle personality. Plenty of Alphas had liked her back then, including both Liu Cheng and Wen Mo.

But Li Muyan had clearly liked Liu Cheng more. They had been exchanging glances for a while, just one step short of confessing.

Then, just as Liu Cheng had worked up the courage, Li Muyan had suddenly grown distant.

Afterward, with the pressure of exams, there hadn’t been time for romance.

Once the exams ended, they went to different schools and gradually lost contact. Liu Cheng’s feelings faded, and he let the matter go.

It wasn’t until a chance encounter not long ago that Li Muyan finally told him the truth.

By then, Liu Cheng no longer had feelings for her, and the matter seemed trivial. Still, he had been annoyed at Wen Mo. He hadn’t gone looking for her on purpose, but figured if he ever ran into her again, he’d bring it up. Which was exactly what happened tonight.

Only, Wen Mo was nothing like the person he remembered.

To his embarrassment, in the moment before realizing who she was, he’d actually felt his heart skip at the sight of her soft, Omega-like face. By the time he realized it was Wen Mo, the shame was overwhelming.

He couldn’t even look her in the eye anymore, let alone confront her about the past.

So the score remained unsettled—and probably always would.

All he could do was vent to Wei Mingshu while sulking, eyes fixed resentfully on Wen Mo. “Tell me—did she know I was going to confront her, and that’s why she didn’t wear that heavy makeup today? With this face, what Alpha could bring themselves to raise a hand against her? Even scolding her feels like bullying an Omega.”

Wei Mingshu stayed silent.

As an Alpha himself, and one who had seen Wen Mo’s bare face, he understood Liu Cheng perfectly.

He’d always known Wen Mo was cute. As a child, she’d been like a little rice dumpling—so soft and sweet you’d want to take a bite.

Before he’d even grasped gender differences, he’d once declared that he’d marry her when they grew up. Of course, that thought vanished the moment her nasty personality first revealed itself.

But even then, whenever he looked at her real face, he found himself unable to stay truly angry with her.

And so, all these years, despite her thoughtlessness, he had kept her at arm’s length but never cut her off.

Often, he wondered why such a lovely face had to belong to someone like Wen Mo.

But today, for some reason, her face and her demeanor finally seemed to match.

Almost as if she was an entirely different person.

She’d even given him a gift—a thoughtful one that suited him perfectly.

Wei Mingshu was surprised, pleased, and yet unsettled.

Could a person really change so quickly, so completely?

Could a simple declaration to “become a new person” truly transform someone so thoroughly?

And then—

He glanced again at Wen Mo, now surrounded by admiring faces like a celebrity, and his doubts deepened.

He had played games with her before. If his memory served, she had been atrocious—elementary schoolers played better. She had been hopeless.

But now, not only had her personality changed, even her gaming skills had soared.

For young Alphas, gaming was a beloved pastime. In all the team rotations that night, only Wen Mo remained un-swapped, playing from start to finish.

After experiencing the thrill of being carried by her, those who hadn’t had her on their friends list eagerly scanned her QR code.

Wen Mo cheerfully accepted them all, promising to play again sometime.

By the time the gathering ended, many who had gamed with her came to say goodbye.

Wen Mo also got up to leave, politely stopping by Wei Mingshu to say farewell.

Another difference.

In the past, whenever she joined his gatherings, she’d just slip out without a word.

Suppressing his questions, Wei Mingshu stood and asked, “Heading back to school or home?”

Wen Mo thought for a moment. “Back to school. I’ll go home tomorrow afternoon.”

Since crossing over, she hadn’t once returned to the Wen household.

After all, she was living in their real daughter’s body, which left her feeling guilty.

In the novel, the Wen family had eventually abandoned “Wen Mo” under pressure, but so far, in her memories, her parents had treated her fairly well.

Her father was a male Omega—a “noble husband,” the equivalent of a pampered socialite in her original world. His days were filled with leisure, fashion, and indulgence.

Before marrying, he had been doted on as a spoiled young master. His marriage to her Alpha mother had been a business alliance, not a love match. They weren’t deeply affectionate, but they treated each other with respect.

Having always been cared for, he had little self-sufficiency and no clue how to raise a child. He adored Wen Mo, indulging her every whim without restraint.

Her mother, on the other hand, was a female Alpha—a career-driven, domineering CEO. Focused entirely on work, she only remembered to discipline Wen Mo occasionally, often through cutting off pocket money. She believed her daughter should simply obey, no explanations necessary.

Neither parent really knew how to raise a child.

Under such parenting, and with her own lack of ambition, it was no surprise that Wen Mo had grown up wayward.

Protected by the Wen family’s power, even her mistakes were always cleaned up for her, so her parents rarely had to worry.

Which was why, in the novel, when “Wen Mo” finally caused a disaster too great to cover up, her mother chose to cut ties for the sake of family and business. Her father, dependent on his wife, had no power to resist, even if he didn’t want to let go.

Did they truly love their daughter? Maybe not deeply—but it wasn’t fair to say they didn’t love her at all.

They simply loved themselves more.

And while they hadn’t wronged the original “Wen Mo,” they certainly hadn’t wronged her either.

Still, Wen Mo couldn’t help but feel complicated facing them.

She knew she would have to eventually.

But if she could put it off a little longer, she would.

For now, she’d let herself enjoy the freedom a little longer.