She doesn’t want to pretend to be an Omega either! - Chapter 22

Wen Mo listened to Zhu Shen’s questioning which sounded like the classic interrogation of a socially inept, “straight-man” Alpha and felt a bit speechless.

If she rushed in to help, wouldn’t she be stealing Zhu Shen’s chance to score points with the female lead?

Earlier, she thought Zhu Shen was quite smooth. He’d dropped his CEO persona to pick up Yin Qingyue at the university gates, drove the car himself without a chauffeur, and even personally went shopping for her clothes but now he was dropping the ball at the finish line?

“Of course you have to go!” Wen Mo said, her voice heavy with the frustration of someone watching a student fail an easy test. “If you save her from this mess, she’ll finally get a chance to see how good you are.” As she spoke, she gave him a meaningful wink.

Zhu Shen simply knit his brows. “Is there something wrong with your eye?”

Wen Mo: “…”

I called you a socially inept blockhead, and you’re really living up to the name.

“Just go, quickly!” Wen Mo hissed through gritted teeth. “By the time you get there, the party will be over.”

Zhu Shen knew exactly what her “winking” meant; she was teasing him about his relationship with Yin Qingyue. He also realized that her urging him to help was likely out of genuine goodwill.

And that was precisely why it was so strange.

How could Wen Mo have a “good heart”? Did she truly have no other designs on Yin Qingyue? Otherwise, as an Alpha, how could she possibly push the Omega she liked into the arms of another Alpha?

This didn’t align with the image he had of her as a manipulative little liar and drama queen. What exactly is going on in that head of hers? Zhu Shen found himself genuinely curious.

Wen Mo, on the other hand, was getting frantic. What is wrong with this guy? Instead of helping the female lead, he was standing here staring at her with an increasingly bizarre look in his eyes.

Under his gaze, Wen Mo started to feel a bit guilty. She wondered if she’d been too blunt just now. She had indeed lost her cool for a second, but it was an emotional outburst. This man’s dense behavior was truly infuriating. She’d basically been throwing “come-hither” eyes at a blind man.

“Young President Zhu?” Wen Mo’s voice softened into a respectful, small reminder. “Are you really not going?”

“Don’t call me ‘Young President Zhu’.” Zhu Shen felt a prickle of irritation he didn’t care to hide.

Wen Mo was bewildered. Why are we suddenly pivoting to a debate over titles? Does he want to pursue the female lead or not?

Despite her internal complaining, she kept her face steady. “But, isn’t that what everyone calls you?”

She didn’t know what obsession he had with titles. Calling him “Brother” was a no-go, calling her “Qingyue” was forbidden, and now “Young President Zhu” was off-limits too! What a contrarian.

“You’re not allowed to call me that,” Zhu Shen stated.

Wen Mo felt mentally drained. “Fine.” She didn’t even have the energy to argue.

Zhu Shen was still dissatisfied with her reaction, but he couldn’t find anything technically wrong with it. She’d said “fine” obediently enough. He knit his brows, found no further point to argue, and finally let out a cold snort. He looked away, finally taking long, purposeful strides toward the trio across the room.

Wen Mo let out a long, shaky sigh of relief.

Too exhausting! That temper was as unpredictable as a mountain storm. She felt like she’d just survived a day of “serving a temperamental emperor.”

She didn’t follow him. When supporting male leads gathered for a “Crematorium” showdown, a cannon fodder like her stayed far away to avoid collateral damage. She was perfectly happy watching the drama from a distance.

However, she was a bit too far away. She watched Zhu Shen approach the three of them with his back to her. She couldn’t hear what he said or see his face, but she saw that the moment he stood there, the three entangled figures separated within seconds.

A moment later, Yin Qingyue poked her head out from the circle of tall Alphas and waved toward Wen Mo. Wen Mo immediately waved back, a bright smile breaking across her face.

“What exactly is your relationship with Yin Qingyue?” A voice suddenly sounded from behind her.

Wen Mo jumped. Turning around, she saw Wei Mingshu. He was staring at her with a somber, unreadable expression, his brows slightly furrowed.

“Just friends,” Wen Mo replied, puzzled. She added a concerned, “What’s up with you?”

Wei Mingshu watched her in silence for a moment, the words seemingly stuck in his throat. Finally, he managed: “Nothing.”

Wen Mo: “If you have something to say, just say it.”

Wei Mingshu had a stomach full of things to say, but no way to start. He had known her for years and had never once doubted her gender. They’d never been physically intimate, and while her face had a hint of Omega-like softness, she’d always hidden it under heavy makeup. He’d only ever focused on her classic “Scumbag Alpha” personality.

The old Wen Mo had been a flirt, dating both Betas and Omegas, and was as violent and competitive as any typical Alpha. She never sought the company of other Alphas and lacked even a shred of “Omega-like” sweetness—though she had become quite “cute” lately, it didn’t erase a decade of her “dog temper.”

Having just discovered that she had been posing as an Alpha all along, Wei Mingshu doubted his own ears; he wondered if he was dreaming. Because she had asked him that morning if he “secretly loved her,” he had actually fantasized in his head that she was an Omega, just to make sense of the question.

But reality proved he wasn’t dreaming. He hadn’t misheard, and later, Wen Mo had emphasized her Omega status several times.

He briefly wondered if Wen Mo was conspiring with someone to prank him but that was impossible. Her back had been turned; she couldn’t have known he was there. And the “someone” she was supposedly conspiring with was Zhu Shen. Why would Zhu Shen be bored enough to play along with a prank like that?

He couldn’t find a logical reason. Despite the shock, his rational mind leaned toward the truth: His childhood friend, Wen Mo, was actually an Omega.

The Wen family situation was exactly as she’d described. Her mother only had one daughter and was an ambitious woman deeply concerned with the family legacy. To keep the business firmly in their direct line, forcing Wen Mo to pose as an Alpha from a young age wasn’t entirely outside the realm of possibility.

Wei Mingshu went from shock to gradual acceptance, and finally to a cold, calm realization. But deep down, he felt a sense of agitation and displeasure.

This irritation stemmed from his lack of understanding. He thought he knew Wen Mo inside and out, but reality had just slapped him in the face. It was one thing not to know why her personality had shifted, but he hadn’t even known her true gender.

Meanwhile, Zhu Shen—someone who had only recently met her somehow knew her secret already.

On what basis?

Wei Mingshu didn’t know why he was so annoyed. He knew their “plastic friendship” was mostly superficial. Wen Mo had never been close to him and was even somewhat guarded. It was only logical that she wouldn’t share a massive family secret involving her inheritance with him.

But he was still pissed off. And now, Wen Mo was staring at him with a confused look, as if she couldn’t comprehend his reaction, which only added fuel to his fire.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the nameless flame in his heart. This was a secret he’d overheard by accident, and now wasn’t the time for a heart-to-heart. He didn’t plan on confronting her yet.

Adjusting his expression, he ignored her previous question and asked instead: “How did you even become friends with Yin Qingyue?”

Wen Mo shot him a suspicious look. “Do you like Yin Qingyue too?”

Wei Mingshu blinked. “Of course not.”

Wen Mo relaxed. If Wei Mingshu liked her too, she’d have to keep an eye on him. Love rivals were notorious for secretly sabotaging each other. One can never be too careful!

“Why would you even think that?” Wei Mingshu asked, bewildered.

Wen Mo: “Oh, I just noticed you keep bringing her up.”

Wei Mingshu: “You’re overthinking it. The only reason I brought her up was because of you—”

He trailed off, stopping himself mid-sentence. Usually, such a comment wouldn’t matter, it was just friends looking out for each other.

But now that Wen Mo’s identity had shifted, saying things like that felt a bit ambiguous?

So, what kind of headspace was Wen Mo in this morning when she asked if I had a secret crush on her? Thinking back on it, Wei Mingshu found the whole thing baffling. Seeing Wen Mo now, carefree and acting as if nothing had happened, he felt a pang of annoyance. “This morning you asked if I had a crush on you, and now you’re asking if I like Yin Qingyue? What is actually going on in that head of yours?”

Wen Mo replied quite candidly, “Not much. You were being so concerned about me then, so I suspected a crush. Now you’re overly focused on Yin Qingyue, so I suspect you like her. Different contexts, different suspicions.”

Wei Mingshu: “Am I the type of person who just falls for anyone that easily in your eyes?”

Wen Mo gave it some serious thought. “I suppose not.”

Wei Mingshu nearly laughed out of sheer irritation. So, what, should I be thanking her for the vote of confidence?

“By the way, you said before that Yin Qingyue isn’t someone I can afford to provoke, what did you mean by that?” Wen Mo suddenly remembered to ask.

It was something Wei Mingshu had mentioned over the phone on the night she first transmigrated. She had noted it at the time but hadn’t found an opportunity to follow up until now.

She was curious. She knew she couldn’t provoke Yin Qingyue because she was the female lead with powerful “protagonist halos” and a fleet of formidable admirers. It was only natural she couldn’t mess with her. But how did Wei Mingshu know?

Wen Mo had speculated that he might have heard rumors about Yin Qingyue’s suitors. But on second thought, the Wen family wasn’t exactly weak; only the Zhu family truly gave her pause. Furthermore, Zhu Shen’s pursuit of Yin Qingyue wasn’t widely known at school—at least, the people around Wen Mo didn’t seem to know who he was. The gossip usually centered on seniors or juniors from their own campus or the one next door, since the proximity made the rumors juicier.

Even if Wei Mingshu was better informed and knew about Zhu Shen, why would he assume Zhu Shen would go as far as to oppose the Wen family for her? Did Zhu Shen look like that much of a “love-brain”?

Something still felt off. Given her own circumstances, Wen Mo even wondered if Wei Mingshu might be a fellow transmigrator. As she asked, she watched his expression closely.

Wei Mingshu remained composed, showing no sign of anything unusual. He simply countered with a question: “Did you and Zhu Shen meet through Yin Qingyue?”

Wen Mo’s eyes widened slightly. So, it really is related to Zhu Shen? She nodded without a word.

“Then do you know the relationship between Zhu Shen and Yin Qingyue?” Wei Mingshu asked.

“Suitor and the pursued?” Wen Mo ventured.

Wei Mingshu: “Yes.”

It seemed Wen Mo and Zhu Shen weren’t as close as he’d feared. Realizing this, Wei Mingshu’s mood suddenly improved. Zhu Shen knew Wen Mo’s secret, but he hadn’t shared his own “not-so-secret” secret with her.

“Wait, ‘yes’ what?” Wen Mo was still puzzled. “So, you think she’s untouchable simply because Zhu Shen is pursuing her?”

“With a backer like Zhu Shen, do you really think you can afford to mess with her?” Wei Mingshu said.

Wen Mo: “I guess not.”

The reason was a bit underwhelming. She thought there would be some grand revelation. Then again, the probability of multiple transmigrators in one story shouldn’t be that high. If Wei Mingshu had also transmigrated, he wouldn’t be so shocked by her sudden change in personality or keep asking her for the reason.

Wei Mingshu added, “Besides, I thought your intentions toward her before were.”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but Wen Mo understood. She gave a small smile, catching another pleasant detail. “So, you finally believe I have no designs on her?”

Wei Mingshu looked at her lovely face. Seeing her faint dimples and pure smile, his gaze faltered. He stared at her for a long moment before awkwardly looking away and nodding. “I believe you.”

With Yin Qingyue present, Zhu Shen stopped bothering Wen Mo for the time being. Wen Mo, naturally, wasn’t about to go looking for trouble either.

Yin Qingyue waved to her from across the room several times and looked like she wanted to come over for a chat, but she was constantly distracted or pulled away by one male admirer or another. By the time Yin Qingyue was finally free, Wen Mo had become busy herself.

As the prestigious eldest daughter of the Wen family, she had no shortage of people approaching her. At a birthday banquet like this, many CEOs brought their children; it was essentially a mini matchmaking event. Despite her past reputation, Wen Mo’s looks and family background made her a popular target.

Since she was sporting a fresh, new look today, many people didn’t even recognize her as the “notorious” Wen Mo and approached her as if she were a beautiful stranger. In short, she was very popular.

Being a fan of keeping a low profile, Wen Mo didn’t enjoy the attention one bit. However, she was a polite person. She couldn’t bring herself to snap at people the way the original “Wen Mo” would have, even if she had the social capital to do so. She wanted to scrub away her bad reputation so that if she ever got into trouble in the future, she wouldn’t be universally despised. This forced her to be patient, dealing with one person after another.

It was exhausting. Her smile was starting to feel like a stiff mask.

After finishing a round of socializing, Wei Mingshu walked back over with a small plate of pastries. “Why are you being so proactive today?” he whispered.

Wen Mo was actually starving. She took the plate with a “thanks” and started stuffing her face, too busy to answer. Besides, she figured he was just making an observation.

Hearing a rare “thank you” from her mouth made Wei Mingshu daze for a moment. “Did, did Uncle Wen say something to you?”

Suddenly bringing up the absent Wen Xi made Wen Mo look up mid-chew. “Say what?”

“That he’ll cut you off if you don’t behave?” Wei Mingshu guessed. “Or that he’s arranging a marriage for you?”

The former was a conclusion he’d reached after careful thought. Otherwise, he couldn’t think of a reason for her personality shift. Seeing her now, smiling through a social scene she used to despise and treating everyone with such care even though she was clearly tired, reinforced his theory. He had even seen her pull out her phone to exchange contact info with several young people. One of them was a familiar face—the Beta son of a certain CEO which led him to the latter guess.

Families like theirs rarely escaped commercial marriages. For Wen Mo to marry while posing as an Alpha, neither taking a wife nor finding a live-in Alpha husband was realistic, as both carried the risk of exposure. The safest choice was a Beta—or someone who was a Beta on the surface. As for heirs, that was never an issue for families of their stature.

Wen Mo had no idea Wei Mingshu had analyzed her “Alpha” situation to such a deep level. She couldn’t read much from his calm, smiling face, but the sheer absurdity of his guess made her pause.

Wait, that actually makes a lot of sense!

Her mother had told her that if she didn’t study hard, she’d lose her allowance. After a moment’s hesitation, Wen Mo nodded without any burden. If anyone asked in the future, she’d use this reason!

“He’s really making you enter an arranged marriage?” Wei Mingshu’s voice spiked.

They were standing close, and his sudden outburst startled her. She looked up at him in shock. “What are you so worked up for?”

Wei Mingshu blinked, pausing before he replied, “I just think we’re still young. There’s no need to rush into an arrangement.”

Wen Mo didn’t suspect a thing. She waved it off vaguely. “It’s not the marriage, it’s the money.”

Wei Mingshu let out a sigh of relief he didn’t even realize he was holding. He suddenly felt lighter and regained his composure. “Oh,” he said simply.

A moment later, he asked, “Then why did you exchange contacts with those people just now?”

“They asked, so I gave it to them,” Wen Mo replied.

Wei Mingshu frowned, clearly dissatisfied. “You just give it to anyone who asks?”

“It’s not exactly classified information—”

Wen Mo stopped halfway through her explanation. Something felt weird. Why did Wei Mingshu sound like he was jealous? She looked at him intently. “Seriously, you don’t actually have a crush on me, do you?”

She saw Wei Mingshu’s expression go blank. Before he could answer, Zhu Shen’s snarky voice rang out from behind her.

“This is the first time I’ve seen someone go around chasing people just to ask if they have a crush on her.”

Wen Mo: “…”

Is this man a ghost? Why is he everywhere?