The Paranoid Female CEO’s Contracted Beauty (Omegaverse) - Chapter 30

“Ouch, that hurts…”

Xu Qingyan paused for a moment as she applied the ointment, then continued, “Bear with it. It’ll be over soon.”

Her tone was firm. Li Ge didn’t dare to resist and could only frown as she endured it.

Once the application was done, Xu Qingyan put the ointment back into the bag and handed it to Li Ge.

“Three times a day. Take it. And don’t forget to apply it. If you keep forgetting, I’ll have your manager remind you.”

Manager…

Thinking about what happened with Chen Xin before, Xu Qingyan’s mood dropped. Maybe she had pushed too hard, which led Li Dahai to take such a desperate path. If she hadn’t happened to be welcoming Tang Ling that day and hadn’t coincidentally run into the omega, she didn’t even dare imagine what might have happened next.

“You don’t need to worry about the manager situation,” Xu Qingyan said, looking at Li Ge. “I’ll arrange everything for you. Nothing like what happened with Chen Xin will ever happen again.”

Li Ge froze. She had thought Xu Qingyan had long forgotten about that incident, but to her surprise, she still remembered.

“I don’t want a manager,” Li Ge said.

Xu Qingyan guessed the omega had developed trauma because of Chen Xin. But the truth was, an artist without a manager was completely different from one with proper guidance. This was something she could not compromise on.

“No. That won’t do.”

“Why not?”

“There’s no why. You just need to do what I say.”

That phrase again.

As expected, to Xu Qingyan, she was nothing more than a kept mistress.

No—worse than a mistress.

Other CEOs at least tried to please the people they kept. As long as the requests weren’t too outrageous, they would agree. But Xu Qingyan was different.

She wouldn’t allow this. Wouldn’t allow that. She wanted total control over Li Ge like she was her puppet, moving only by her strings.

“I understand,” Li Ge said through gritted teeth.

Xu Qingyan could tell she was upset and, for once, made an effort to explain.

“I’ll choose the best manager for you. Director Li has already agreed to look after you. Once filming begins, you’ll also have a personal assistant. If you need anything else, you can always let me know.”

Li Ge thought Xu Qingyan was being ridiculous. She said she could ask for anything, but the moment she did, she was immediately rejected. Her promises sounded better than they were.

“If I make a request, will you actually grant it? Director Xu, are you trying to coax a child?”

Xu Qingyan looked at her seriously.

“Aren’t you a child?”

The omega was nine years younger than her. In her eyes, Li Ge was still a child—one who needed to be cared for and comforted.

But also one who was a little too naive and needed time to grow.

Li Ge glared at her, cheeks puffed out in frustration.

“No one treats a child the way you do.”

“I already held back a lot,” Xu Qingyan replied.

“This isn’t about holding back. You’re a total beast!”

Xu Qingyan didn’t argue. When it came to that, she admitted she had indeed acted like a beast. She nodded sincerely.

“Yes.”

Li Ge had expected her to deny it. She didn’t expect Xu Qingyan to own up to it without even blinking. Her face didn’t turn red, not even a hint of shame. Her skin was thicker than a tree trunk.

“Director Xu, you’re very honest in that regard.”

“Isn’t honesty a good thing?”

That was not the point.

Li Ge seriously felt her patience was extraordinary. If it had been anyone else, they would have already cussed her out.

But considering her current identity—just Xu Qingyan’s kept omega—she didn’t dare say more. Xu Qingyan was her benefactor. She couldn’t afford to offend her.

“True. I guess honesty is rare for someone like Director Xu.”

Just as Xu Qingyan was about to reply, her phone rang.

She glanced at it. The call was from the butler of the Xu family.

Xu Qingyan remembered clearly that the family butler never called without a reason. He followed Xu Hong’s instructions strictly. If he was calling, it was almost certainly because Xu Hong had asked him to. He usually never called on his own.

Xu Qingyan immediately had a bad feeling.

“Wait here a moment. I’ll be right back after this call.”

Hearing the urgency in the ringtone, Li Ge assumed it was business-related and didn’t think too much of it.

“Director Xu, are you afraid I’ll run away? I don’t even have a single coin on me right now. Where would I run to? Oh right. From your perspective, I could run back to Li Dahai and sell myself again.”

“No.”

Everything she said was true, but hearing it still made Xu Qingyan deeply uncomfortable. She wanted to say, “You can trust me. I’m not like the others who hurt you.” But when the words reached her lips, she couldn’t say them.

The truth was, she knew that no matter what she said now, the omega would not believe her. It was better to show it through her actions.

“I’ve never thought that way,” Xu Qingyan said. “But I am… afraid you’ll run.”

If she really ran away, she might never be able to find her again. Xu Qingyan could not imagine that. If that day came, she would probably lose her mind.

Li Ge didn’t know what to make of Xu Qingyan’s words. She always said these things that created misunderstandings. Of course she couldn’t believe them.

“If Director Xu is really that worried, you might as well lock me up.”

“I’ve thought about it.”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing. Just wait here for a moment.”

Xu Qingyan walked to the balcony and answered the call.

“What does Xu Hong want now? Get straight to the point. I have things to handle and no time to play her games. If she’s that bored, tell her to go learn square dancing with the retired aunties. It’s good for her health too.”

The butler was stunned into silence by her sharp words and didn’t know how to respond. After a long pause, he finally spoke.

“Miss, I think you may have misunderstood Madam Xu. Everything she does is really for your own good. She…”

“If there’s nothing important, I’m hanging up.”

“Wait, wait. There is something. It’s important!”

Xu Qingyan was already feeling impatient. She had never wanted a phone from home in the first place, nor did she want to go back there. That place might have looked like a home, but in reality, it was cold and devoid of warmth.

“If you have something to say, then say it now. I told you I’m busy. If you don’t speak up, I’m hanging up.”

The butler didn’t dare hesitate even a second. He immediately replied honestly.

“Miss, Madam Xu is returning home tonight…”

“If she’s coming back, then let her come back. What does that have to do with me? It’s not like I haven’t seen her before. Why do you need to inform me every time she shows up?”

“That’s true, Miss. But it’s not just Madam Xu. Miss Pei is coming over as well. Madam Xu hopes you can come home to spend some time with Miss Pei.”

Xu Qingyan was surprised.

“Xiaoyu came back?”

“Yes, Miss Pei returned last night on a flight. Madam Xu only found out this morning. She hasn’t seen Miss Pei in several years and misses her dearly. Since it’s also been a long time since you two last met, she asked me to call and invite you home.”

Xu Qingyan didn’t need to guess what Xu Hong was planning. She answered flatly, “Got it. I’ll go back for a bit.”

And then she immediately hung up.

Xu Qingyan never had any real issue with Pei Xiaoyu. As childhood friends, she was even a little grateful for the way Xiaoyu had stayed by her side during those painful years. But still, they were not right for each other.

Pei Xiaoyu must have sensed it too, which was probably why she had chosen to study abroad.

As for Xu Hong, Pei Xiaoyu didn’t exactly like her either. Maybe it was because she had seen Xu Hong’s ruthlessness. On the contrary, Xiaoyu was actually afraid of her.

But what felt off to Xu Qingyan was the fact that Xiaoyu had returned without telling her first, and instead had informed Xu Hong. The more she thought about it, the more suspicious it felt.

“Xiao Ge.”

Li Ge turned her head when she heard the voice and saw that Xu Qingyan looked visibly upset. She paused, assuming something had happened at Xu Corporation.

But if that were the case, there was no reason to involve her. That wasn’t something she could help with.

“Is something wrong, Director Xu?”

Xu Qingyan considered it for a moment but ultimately said nothing.

“It’s nothing. I just won’t be able to take you home tonight. I’ll have Secretary Su come pick you up instead.”

Li Ge reflexively asked, “Is there something going on at the company?”

But as soon as the words left her mouth, she realized she had overstepped. Where Xu Qingyan went was her business. She was just a kept woman. What right did she have to ask?

Just as she lowered her head in silence, she heard Xu Qingyan answer.

“No. Something came up at home. I need to go see someone from the past.”

Someone from the past?

Who?

This had nothing to do with her, yet for some reason, Li Ge felt a strange discomfort in her chest when she heard it.

She wanted to ask who it was, but she knew she didn’t have the right, so she stayed silent.

“I understand.”

Xu Qingyan was not pleased by Li Ge’s distant attitude. They had already been intimate. Now she was going to visit her childhood friend, and the omega didn’t even ask who it was.

Did she really not care about her at all?

Or did she actually want her to go back to Pei Xiaoyu, while she remained nothing more than a hidden mistress?

“You’re not going to ask who I’m going to see?”

Li Ge froze. She didn’t dare look up, afraid she wouldn’t be able to hide her emotions. If Xu Qingyan saw through her, things would only become more difficult later.

“Director Xu, what are you saying? I’m just someone you’re keeping. Who you see and what you do has nothing to do with me.”

“You’re allowed to ask.”

Li Ge’s heart suddenly started pounding, thumping so hard it felt like it might burst out of her chest. Her breath hitched, and her ears began to burn with heat.

“I don’t understand what Director Xu means. You say I can ask, but would you actually answer me if I did?”

Xu Qingyan slowly stepped closer to her.

She knew Li Ge wouldn’t believe her, but that was fine. She could take her time and prove it.

“As long as you ask, I’ll answer honestly. Go ahead and try.”

Li Ge’s heart pounded even harder. With Xu Qingyan’s intense gaze locked on her, it felt like her heart was going to explode. She tried to calm herself and lifted her head with a forced steadiness.

“Can I really trust your words?”

“You can.” Xu Qingyan’s answer was firm and unwavering.

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