The Paranoid Female CEO’s Contracted Beauty (Omegaverse) - Chapter 33

The conversation between mother and daughter had completely broken down. They sat on opposite ends of the sofa in silence, each ignoring the other.

It wasn’t until the butler pushed the door open and entered with an Omega beside him that the two women finally looked up. The Omega was none other than Pei Xiaoyu.

The moment Pei Xiaoyu saw Xu Qingyan, she froze in place.

It had been five or six years since they last saw each other. In her memory, Xu Qingyan was already beautiful, even more beautiful than most Omegas. She had always had a rare, striking strength in her features. With time, that strength had matured into a commanding presence. What stood out even more now was Xu Qingyan’s gaze. Where once it had felt cold, it now looked sharp, like the edge of a blade. Her eyes held the weight of time and experience, full of composure and confidence.

Xu Qingyan was nothing like the Alpha Pei Xiaoyu remembered. Now, standing face to face with her, Pei Xiaoyu felt an odd distance between them. Even though they were physically close, she felt as though she could never reach her.

The feeling made Pei Xiaoyu deeply uncomfortable. Only a few years had passed, yet Xu Qingyan had changed so much that she now felt like a stranger, someone Pei Xiaoyu was only just meeting for the first time.

Could five or six years really change a person this much?

Pei Xiaoyu stayed frozen where she stood, neither walking forward nor backing away. She simply stood in place, facing Xu Qingyan.

“Xiaoyu, you’re here,” Xu Hong greeted warmly, standing up with a rare smile. “Why are you just standing there? Come sit by Aunt Hong.”

Xu Qingyan lifted her eyes and looked at the Omega. Pei Xiaoyu’s appearance had not changed much from her memory. She looked more mature now, but just as beautiful as ever.

Pei Xiaoyu felt her heart skip a beat under Xu Qingyan’s direct gaze. Even though Xu Hong was calling her over, she couldn’t bring herself to take a single step.

“What’s wrong, Xiaoyu? You don’t recognize Ah Yan anymore?” Xu Hong said playfully as she walked over and took Pei Xiaoyu’s hand. Then she turned and scolded Xu Qingyan, “Ah Yan, why are you still sitting there? Xiaoyu came back just to see you. Is this how you treat her?”

Xu Qingyan ignored Xu Hong and asked Pei Xiaoyu with a flat tone, “When did you get back? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Pei Xiaoyu didn’t like the coldness in Xu Qingyan’s voice. It made her uncomfortable. No one had ever spoken to her like that before. She didn’t want to answer, but with Xu Hong standing right beside her, she forced a smile and replied, “I flew in last night. It was a last-minute trip, and I didn’t have time to tell you. I’m sorry, Ah Yan.”

Even as she spoke, she felt a little guilty. But Xu Qingyan didn’t call her out. It was a small gesture, but one that still gave Xu Hong a bit of face.

“It’s fine. Welcome back,” Xu Qingyan replied.

Pei Xiaoyu gave an awkward smile and was about to say something else when Xu Hong quickly pulled her over to the sofa.

“Why are you acting so shy? This is Aunt Hong’s house. You practically grew up here. Back then, you were always living here, but now that you’re older, you’ve become so formal. Come sit, I’ll have someone bring you something to eat.”

Pei Xiaoyu felt extremely uneasy. She looked up, hoping to meet Xu Qingyan’s eyes, but the moment their eyes met, the coldness in Xu Qingyan’s gaze made her flinch. She quickly turned her eyes away and looked at Xu Hong instead.

“Aunt Hong, really, there’s no need. I just had some free time and thought I’d stop by. Please don’t go to so much trouble.”

Xu Hong had always liked Pei Xiaoyu. First, because the two families were well matched and had a long-standing relationship. If the two of them ended up together, it would be a powerful alliance. Second, Pei Xiaoyu was an S-class Omega, and Xu Qingyan was an S-class Alpha. If they had a child, the baby would likely be S-class too. That would help maintain the strength of the family bloodline.

To Xu Hong, this was a deal that only offered benefits and no risks.

“Xiaoyu, don’t be so polite. Aunt Hong has always treated you like her own child,” she said with a smile. “And once you and Ah Yan are together and have a child, I can finally…”

Before Xu Hong could finish her sentence, Xu Qingyan interrupted her.

“That won’t happen. Xiaoyu and I will never have a child, and we won’t be together. You don’t have to waste your energy thinking about it.”

Xu Hong hadn’t expected Xu Qingyan to be so direct. Her face darkened immediately.

“How can you say something like that in front of Xiaoyu? What do you mean you won’t be with her? If not her, then who?”

Xu Qingyan didn’t hold back. She said plainly, “I already told you earlier. I’m in love with another Omega. She’s the only one I’ll ever marry. I’ve always seen Xiaoyu as a younger sister. There’s nothing romantic between us. Don’t force your ideas onto me.”

“What do you mean I’m forcing my ideas onto you?” Xu Hong shouted, slamming her hand down on the table. “I thought that after becoming the chairperson of Xu Group, you’d be more mature and steady. But you’re still the same reckless child. Xiaoyu is such an excellent Omega, and you would rather marry some low-born outsider? How could you be so foolish?”

The moment Xu Qingyan heard Xu Hong insult Li Ge, her temper flared.

“What do you mean by ‘low-born’? She’s nothing of the sort. Xu Hong, watch your mouth. You think I don’t know what you’re up to? You want me to marry Xiaoyu because it serves your own interests. Too bad. You miscalculated. I won’t be with Xiaoyu, and I will never marry her. We’re not compatible.”

“You don’t get to decide that on your own,” Xu Hong snapped. “Since when do children from wealthy families get to choose their own marriages? Just because you’re now chairperson, you think you can do whatever you want? Let me remind you, I’m still alive. As long as I’m here, I will never let you marry that low-class Omega. Not in this lifetime.”

Xu Qingyan didn’t get angry. She actually found Xu Hong’s furious expression amusing.

“Whether I’m dreaming or not, that’s my business. If you won’t say it, I’ll say it for you.”

She turned to Pei Xiaoyu and gave her an apologetic look before turning back to Xu Hong.

“You want me to marry Xiaoyu so you can preserve the bloodline, right? You look down on Omegas who aren’t S-class. You think they’re weak and unworthy. That’s why you insisted on marrying Xu Mo back then, even though you didn’t love him. I’m right, aren’t I?”

“You chose to marry a man you didn’t even like because you believed no one else was good enough for you. So, tell me, what right do you have to control my marriage?”

This was a part of Xu Hong’s past that she never wanted to bring up. To her, it was nothing short of a personal humiliation.

For a long time, Xu Qingyan didn’t understand. Even if Xu Hong didn’t love her biological father, there was a saying— even a block of ice will melt if you hold it long enough. After all these years, shouldn’t something have changed?

But nothing ever did.

After giving birth to her, Xu Hong’s relationship with Xu Mo became even worse. They argued almost constantly, sometimes five times a week. Most of the time, it was Xu Hong expressing dissatisfaction toward Xu Mo. She would even mention other Omegas in front of him, over and over again. Eventually, Xu Qingyan began to suspect there was more to the story.

After taking over the Xu Group, Xu Qingyan did some private investigating into her mother’s past. That was when she found out that years ago, Xu Hong had someone she truly loved. It was a female Omega.

But that Omega’s pheromone level was only B-class. Even though Xu Hong loved her, she still believed the woman was not worthy of her. In the end, she chose to marry Xu Mo, whose pheromone level was S-class, purely for the sake of compatibility and status.

Because Xu Hong had betrayed that love first, the Omega had once come to the Xu family to demand an explanation. The entire situation caused a huge scandal. In the end, to protect the family’s image, the Xu family heartlessly drove that Omega out of the estate. She never appeared at the Xu household again.

“You ungrateful brat, shut your mouth!” Xu Hong exploded with anger. She had never expected Xu Qingyan to know about that part of her life. “Since when did my personal affairs become any of your business? You may be my daughter, but that doesn’t mean I’ll tolerate everything you say.”

Xu Qingyan didn’t flinch. She looked directly at her furious mother, thoughts swirling in her mind, but in the end she only said calmly, “Older women really shouldn’t get so angry. It makes them age faster. Oh, wait, you’re already over fifty, so maybe it doesn’t matter anymore. Go ahead and keep yelling.”

Xu Hong nearly coughed up blood on the spot. But with Pei Xiaoyu present, she couldn’t completely lose her temper.

“Fine, fine. You really are my daughter. I underestimated you. Digging into your own mother’s past, is that how low you’ve sunk?”

Pei Xiaoyu, sensing things were getting out of control, quickly stood up and went to support Xu Hong.

“Aunt Hong, please don’t get so upset. Maybe Ah Yan is just joking with you. Please sit down and calm your nerves.”

She shot Xu Qingyan a look, trying to signal her to ease up, but Xu Qingyan acted as if she didn’t see it. She continued seriously, picking up from Xiaoyu’s attempt at smoothing things over.

“I’m not joking. I’m completely serious. I’m glad you remembered me and came to visit. But I need to be clear with you about this. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I want you to know that I’m not like Xu Hong. The person I love, I will do everything I can to be with her, even if it means I lose everything in the end.”

Pei Xiaoyu had originally hoped to rely on Xu Hong’s pressure to force Xu Qingyan to give up on the Omega she loved. But what she didn’t expect was just how firm Xu Qingyan’s attitude was. Not only did Xu Hong fail to sway her, but Xu Qingyan had even gone this far to make her stance clear. If she kept pushing, Xu Qingyan would probably turn that same cold tone on her.

It wasn’t worth it.

“Ah Yan, do you really mean that? We’ve known each other since we were kids. Do you truly see me only as a sister?”

Xu Qingyan nodded without hesitation.

“You’re smart. You must have known for a long time. If I had feelings for you, I wouldn’t have waited until now.”

When Xu Qingyan loved something, she would hold onto it tightly. If she had ever liked Pei Xiaoyu, she never would have let her go overseas alone.

The truth was, Pei Xiaoyu wasn’t exactly a cruel or toxic person. She had simply been spoiled too much.

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