She doesn’t want to pretend to be an Omega either! - Chapter 8

Wen Mo’s first instinct was to dodge.

Her once-straight back and proudly raised head shrank in an instant. She twisted on her heel—

But before her other foot could turn, a sharp gaze shot straight at her.

Her eyes collided with Zhu Shen’s, and Wen Mo froze on the spot like a statue.

Wen Mo had never been the type to stir up trouble, but she wasn’t the type to fear it either. The reason she felt so unsettled in front of Zhu Shen was simple: guilt.

Strictly speaking, she wasn’t the one who had tried to take advantage of Yin Qingyue. But it had been her body—this very body—that had done it. She was occupying someone else’s life, and there was no escaping that fact.

Even if that “misunderstanding” had been cleared up, the person who had deceived both Yin Qingyue and Zhu Shen by pretending to be an Omega was still her.

No matter how she looked at it, facing those two would always weigh heavily on her.

Still, Wen Mo knew: pressure was fine, but it must never show.

The guiltier you are, the more you have to hold your head high—otherwise, Zhu Shen would spot the crack immediately.

So after being caught off guard by his stare, Wen Mo only stiffened for a moment before quickly regaining her composure. She adjusted her expression, offered Zhu Shen a polite smile from not far away, and even gave him a small nod—an acknowledgment, nothing more.

They had only crossed paths once before. A nodding acquaintance was plenty.

She nodded, he nodded, and that should have been the end of it.

Unfortunately, Zhu Shen had no intention of cooperating.

Wen Mo’s polite smile was already on the verge of breaking, yet Zhu Shen remained motionless. His proud head refused to dip, and his gaze stayed fixed on her—obscure, unreadable, as if wondering why she was acting so familiar.

Whether he greeted her back or not didn’t really matter. To her, it was just a formality.

Judging from how he had called her a “idiot” the very first time they met, Zhu Shen wasn’t exactly the courteous type. Ignoring her shouldn’t trouble him at all.

But the problem was—he wasn’t just ignoring her. He was staring, unblinking, directly at her.

If she hadn’t been the one to spot him first, Wen Mo would almost suspect he had come here specifically to keep her under surveillance.

What now?

Would it be too suspicious if she turned and left right this second?

Wen Mo hesitated, her mind full of doubt.

Why did this man never play by the rules?

She wanted to leave, but if she walked away now, wouldn’t that just make her look guilty—and get herself firmly planted on Zhu Shen’s blacklist?

…Though, truth be told, she was probably already on it.

As Wen Mo struggled with the dilemma, Zhu Shen suddenly shifted his gaze away.

Wen Mo felt a jolt of relief and instinctively followed the direction of his eyes.

Yin Qingyue had just come running out of their school, waving happily at Zhu Shen as she jogged toward him.

Wen Mo glanced back at Zhu Shen. The cold, severe Alpha now had the faintest curve at his lips, watching Yin Qingyue approach with unmistakable tenderness. He looked like a completely different person compared to a moment ago.

Tsk, tsk.

Wen Mo sighed inwardly. So the aloof CEO’s smile really is reserved for the heroine alone.

And admittedly, it was a beautiful sight.

Handsome man, lovely woman—the domineering CEO paired with the gentle white flower.

Wen Mo quietly admired them for two seconds.

This CP was actually quite shippable.

What a pity, though—times had changed. The domineering CEO archetype had long since gone out of fashion. No matter how exceptional Zhu Shen was, he was still destined to be only the supporting male.

Thinking of his inevitable ending—never winning the heroine’s heart—Wen Mo couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity for him.

Still, however pitiful he was, he could never be as pitiful as her, the expendable cannon fodder!

So Wen Mo shook her head, snapped herself back to reality, and prepared to slip away while she had the chance.

It wouldn’t do to stand around as a glaring third wheel. If Yin Qingyue saw her, she’d probably come over to exchange pleasantries.

But she was too late.

Just as Wen Mo turned to go, she heard someone call her name.

The voice was sweet and familiar—a girl’s.

Wen Mo sighed inwardly. All I did was try to turn around. Why does it have to be this difficult?!

Still, as she lifted her head toward the voice, her face instantly brightened into a warm, polite smile.

Seeing Wen Mo, Yin Qingyue looked genuinely delighted. She waved enthusiastically, then started walking toward her.

If it had only been a smile from afar, Wen Mo could have ignored it. But with such friendliness, she couldn’t just stand there and wait for the heroine to come over. So she hurried forward to meet her halfway.

The moment they came face-to-face, Yin Qingyue greeted her with a cheerful, “Long time no see.”

Wen Mo nodded with a smile. “It has been.”

Yin Qingyue’s eyes lingered on Wen Mo’s bare face. After staring for a while, she exclaimed, “I almost didn’t recognize you just now. Without makeup, you look completely different—you’re so cute!”

Wen Mo blinked, then instinctively glanced toward Zhu Shen, who was still standing in the distance.

Sure enough, Zhu Shen’s brows had furrowed ever so slightly, impatience written across his face.

Clearly, he didn’t think she was cute in the slightest.

Yin Qingyue’s words made Wen Mo realize: maybe Zhu Shen hadn’t recognized her at all earlier. That unreadable look of his—had it just been confusion?

After all, the difference between her bare face and her makeup look really was pretty big.

And now that he had realized who she was, no wonder his expression had soured.

Honestly, he was probably here to pick up his beloved girl for some quality alone time. And here she was—an interloping AO hybrid—stealing away the heroine’s attention. Of course he wouldn’t be happy about that.

But that wasn’t her fault! Yin Qingyue was the one who came up to her!

Wen Mo silently pulled her gaze back, smiling at Yin Qingyue. “But you still recognized me. Sharp eyes!”

Yin Qingyue laughed. “Not really. I’ve seen photos of you without makeup.”

“…Huh?” Wen Mo blinked.

“On the school forum,” Yin Qingyue explained.

Wen Mo understood instantly. Someone at their school must have secretly snapped her photo and uploaded it. She nodded, unconcerned. “That explains it.”

From the corner of her eye, Wen Mo glanced again at Zhu Shen.

He stood tall and imposing, his refined suit accentuating his cold, domineering Alpha aura. Behind him gleamed a discreet yet luxurious car. Unsurprisingly, he was attracting plenty of stares from passing students.

Wen Mo also noticed a boy and girl—both petite, both looking like Omegas—hovering nearby, whispering to each other as their eyes stayed glued on Zhu Shen.

The next moment, the pair, after nudging each other forward in shy hesitation, finally approached him.

If she had to guess, Zhu Shen wouldn’t give them the time of day.

For a supporting male with deep, unwavering devotion, his eyes could only ever hold the heroine.

Sure enough, after they spoke a few words, Zhu Shen merely gave them a cold glance before wordlessly turning his gaze away—back onto Wen Mo.

Wen Mo: “…”

Right. For this “devoted supporting role,” his eyes contained not only the heroine… but also anyone who dared steal even a shred of her attention.

And the gaze he gave the latter wasn’t tender at all.

It was sharp enough to kill.