She doesn’t want to pretend to be an Omega either! - Chapter 3

“Are you okay?” Wen Mo heard Zhu Shen ask. His tone wasn’t exactly gentle, but compared to when he’d just scolded her as a “dumbass,” it was at least a little softer.

But when you’re crying your heart out, the last thing you can stand is someone asking if you’re alright—the more they ask, the harder you cry.

Wen Mo instantly burst into louder sobs, not even lifting her head as she snapped, “Of course I’m not okay!”

“I’m fine…” At the same time, a softer female voice spoke up.

Taking advantage of Zhu Shen being distracted beating Wen Mo just moments ago, Yin Qingyue had quickly picked up her bag—which had been tossed aside in the chaos—fished out a suppressant, and given herself an injection. At last, she’d calmed down enough to respond.

Hearing Wen Mo’s outburst overlapping with hers, Yin Qingyue froze for a moment and turned to look at her.

Wen Mo clearly felt two pairs of eyes fall on her. Her sobs hitched and cut off. The air went quiet for two seconds.

Awkward. So awkward she didn’t even feel like crying anymore.

She had almost forgotten there was a third person in the room.

Honestly, she’d been too dazed from the beating just now—her only thought had been to stop Zhu Shen from hitting her again, leaving no room to spare a thought for the heroine.

Wen Mo didn’t look up.

Now that her brain was catching up, she realized Zhu Shen had probably been asking about the heroine’s condition. She had just taken it upon herself to answer. But as long as she kept her head down, she could pretend she didn’t know who he was really talking to!

“Who said I was asking you?” Zhu Shen’s cold voice cut in, utterly unsympathetic.

Wen Mo: “…”

She still refused to lift her head.

But the embarrassing little slip had broken the flow of her sadness. Her urge to cry was completely gone.

Still, from crying too hard earlier, she was now left sniffling.

Zhu Shen lowered his gaze to the pitiful sight of Wen Mo hunched over and snuffling. His eyes brimmed with disdain, but in the back of his mind a seed of doubt sprouted—maybe this fool really was an Omega pretending to be an Alpha.

Because otherwise, what kind of Alpha would bawl like this after taking just a couple of punches?

Too weak.

It made it look like he was bullying her.

But if she was weak, why had she dared yell back at him just now? She hadn’t looked truly afraid of him.

And hadn’t she been running her mouth earlier?

Why was she suddenly silent now, playing dead with her head down?

Her skin didn’t seem that thin—was she actually embarrassed?

Curious about what kind of expression she was hiding, Zhu Shen shifted the foot he’d just drawn back, intending to nudge her into lifting her head and answering him properly.

He didn’t put any force behind the kick—he’d only meant to prod her. But given how ruthlessly he’d beaten her earlier, even the motion of lifting his leg carried an intimidating weight.

“Brother Zhu Shen, that’s enough!” Yin Qingyue quickly rushed forward to stop him. Glancing down at Wen Mo, slumped pathetically on the floor, she looked conflicted. “I really am fine. Wen Mo didn’t actually do anything to me.

Maybe… maybe she was telling the truth.”

Wen Mo’s heart warmed at the heroine standing up for her. She instinctively raised her head, shooting her a grateful look.

And in the corner of her eye, she caught Zhu Shen’s leg lifting again.

Wen Mo: “…”

Seriously? No sympathy at all? She was already crying like this and he still wanted to kick her?!

She really owed the heroine her dog life right now!

Wen Mo quickly turned her gaze away from Zhu Shen’s threatening leg and fixed her eyes instead on the heroine’s delicate, frowning face—soft, kind, and beautiful. In a flash, enlightenment struck her.

Of course! The male side character’s weakness was always the heroine!

She might not know Zhu Shen well, but she did know he liked Yin Qingyue.

Which meant that if she could just cozy up to Yin Qingyue, latch onto her thigh, then no matter how much Zhu Shen wanted to mess with her, he’d hold back for the heroine’s sake.

And as the story’s heroine, Yin Qingyue had all the classic qualities: gentle, forgiving, soft-hearted to the point of being almost saintly. Winning her over shouldn’t be too hard.

“Yes, yes, exactly! I was telling the truth, Qingyue, you believe me, don’t you?” Wen Mo seized the moment like she’d discovered the cheat code to the game. Her voice trembled with excitement. “Think about it—ever since we met, have I ever done anything to hurt you?”

As a female Alpha, Wen Mo was a notorious flirt and scumbag. But she was also a skilled hunter—always patient with prey she hadn’t yet caught.

And Yin Qingyue, her chosen prey, had never seen the real her. Until today, Wen Mo had always shown up as a gentle gentleman, the perfect façade of civility.

If not for that patience, Wen Mo would’ve had no way to defend herself now.

Yin Qingyue’s heart was indeed soft. Hearing Wen Mo’s earnest tone, she thought back. Wen Mo really had treated her well in the past and even helped her a few times. Could this really be a misunderstanding?

“But… then why were you undoing my clothes just now?” Yin Qingyue asked in a small voice.

“No, no, no—I wasn’t unbuttoning them! I was trying to fasten them for you!” Wen Mo immediately recalled her hand falling against Yin Qingyue’s chest. The memory was hazy, but she was sure she remembered the context.

Besides, she knew the full story. The original Wen Mo had learned from Yin Qingyue’s so-called “plastic friends” that her heat was due any day. So she’d deliberately arranged a meeting, planning to lie in wait.

Sure enough, she’d run into Yin Qingyue in the middle of her heat.

Her plan had been to pretend she’d lost control under the lure of Omega pheromones, take advantage, and later excuse it as being “forced.”

She’d even pretended not to know about the suppressant in Yin Qingyue’s bag, tossing the bag aside to stop her from injecting herself during the critical early stage of her heat.

Normally, missing that golden window would leave an Omega’s mind clouded. But Yin Qingyue’s willpower was shockingly strong—even after that window passed, she had still resisted Wen Mo’s advances.

Still, she hadn’t been completely lucid. Yin Qingyue vaguely remembered unbuttoning her own clothes to vent the heat, tearing them open without realizing.

So when it came to Wen Mo’s hand—was she fastening or unfastening the buttons? That was impossible to say.

“Then why did you release your pheromones?” Yin Qingyue asked again, half-skeptical.

“That was…” Wen Mo’s brain spun furiously. “Because, well, my pheromones are Alpha-type, right? I thought maybe they could help soothe you, so I gave it a try!”

Her eyes sparkled as she spoke loudly and confidently, feeling brilliant for having come up with such a plausible excuse.

And loudness made her sound more convincing. Combined with the unflinching sincerity in her gaze, Yin Qingyue almost believed her on the spot.

After all, what kind of Alpha would describe their own scent as “Alpha-flavored”?

By now Yin Qingyue was convinced at least seventy or eighty percent. Even with lingering doubts, she figured—she hadn’t been harmed, so maybe it was fine to let it go.

“Alright.” She nodded. “Maybe I really did misunderstand you.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay…” Even Wen Mo’s thick skin couldn’t help heating a little at being exonerated so kindly. The heroine truly was a tender little white flower. “I guess I didn’t think things through enough, either.”

The atmosphere suddenly softened, almost harmonious—if you ignored Zhu Shen standing nearby, watching Wen Mo in silence.

Even if he didn’t say a word, his presence was impossible to ignore. Especially when his gaze remained fixed on her, cold and dark, like he might lash out at any moment.

Wen Mo did her best to act oblivious.

The heroine was easy to fool. Zhu Shen, not so much.

She didn’t dare meet his eyes—one glance and her guilty conscience would show through.

Fortunately, maybe for Yin Qingyue’s sake, Zhu Shen didn’t speak further.

With her usual gentleness, Yin Qingyue shifted her concern toward Wen Mo. “Are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

She even started toward her, as if to help her up.

But after just two steps, an arm barred her way.

Wen Mo’s heart skipped a beat when she saw it out of the corner of her eye.

Zhu Shen clearly still didn’t believe her. He didn’t want his beloved woman getting close to another “Alpha.”

So domineering. So possessive. A textbook CEO.

Wen Mo understood perfectly. She quickly waved her hands, bracing against the ground to push herself upright, then discreetly stepped back a few paces. “I’m fine, just some scratches. No need for a hospital… It’s you I’m worried about—are you okay? Do you want to head back and rest?”

What she really meant was: Hurry up and leave! Take that dangerous man with you!

“Mm.” Yin Qingyue gave her a thoughtful look. Wen Mo did seem steady enough on her feet. But recalling that Wen Mo had claimed to be an Omega disguised as an Alpha, she was still worried—and a little curious. “You’re really… an Omega?”

“Of course.” Wen Mo nodded firmly, spinning the tale without blinking. “You know how families like ours are. For the sake of inheritance rights… Well, it’s not easy for an Omega to survive in a big clan.”

She added the last part deliberately for credibility.

And sure enough, the simple-hearted heroine bought it. The final line especially struck a chord with her.

Because Alphas, proud as they were, would never admit that Omegas had it hard.

Plus, Wen Mo’s tear-streaked face made her claim even more convincing. Yin Qingyue had never seen an Alpha cry like this.

Sighing, Yin Qingyue instinctively moved to reach for her again.

But once more, Zhu Shen pulled her back.

“Brother Zhu Shen?” she called softly, glancing at him. His expression was still cold, his eyes still fixed on Wen Mo, disbelief written all over his face.

Wen Mo’s heart trembled again. Please don’t let this saintly heroine ask him to apologize on her behalf—he’d only hate her more!

So she quickly said, “Since the misunderstanding is cleared up, then please take Qingyue back to rest, Zhu Shen-ge. I’m too much of a mess to escort her…”

“Please?” Zhu Shen repeated lowly, then raised his voice slightly, tinged with annoyance. “And who’s your brother?”

Wen Mo: “…”

Oh no. Did he think her using that term sounded like she was staking some kind of claim?

She’d only been copying Yin Qingyue!

“Uh… Mr. Zhu?” she tried, racking her brain.

“When you speak to someone, look at them. Didn’t your so-called big family teach you basic manners?” Zhu Shen’s eyes bore into the crown of her bowed head, pointedly emphasizing the words “big family.”

Wen Mo took a deep breath and slowly raised her head. She forced a shaky smile and whispered, “Sorry… You hit me so hard just now, I’m a little scared of you.”

Zhu Shen froze for a moment, caught off guard by her tear-bright eyes and timid voice.

She truly was a mess. Nose bleeding, lips split, cheeks swollen and bruised, heavy makeup smeared into a raccoon’s mask by her tears. The only thing still intact were her eyes—clear, bright, and pitifully blinking up at him, exactly like she said: afraid.

His suspicion deepened.

Her story was ridiculous, but this person really did seem too fragile to be an Alpha.

Weaker, even, than an Omega.

With a frown, Zhu Shen felt irritation creep in. He couldn’t make sense of her, and that annoyed him.

Annoyance made him not want to waste another word. He tore his gaze away and stopped looking at her altogether.

After all, she was insignificant. And after today, she’d never dare lay a hand on Yin Qingyue again—probably wouldn’t even dare show her face in front of her.