The Paranoid Female CEO’s Contracted Beauty (Omegaverse) - Chapter 56

Neither of them said another word.

The room suddenly became quiet. The only sound was the steady dripping of the IV fluid. Even their breathing could be heard clearly.

Last night, when Xu Qingyan learned about the situation from the doctor, she was both shocked and overjoyed. But beneath the surprise and happiness, she couldn’t stop herself from feeling anxious and uneasy. She was genuinely thrilled about the arrival of this new life. But what about Li Ge?

She didn’t know how Li Ge would feel.

Would she be disgusted?

Would she reject it?

Just like Xu Hong and Su Mo, who had never welcomed her birth. Every time they looked at her, it was with utter revulsion. And yet, because of their personal interests, they still chose to give birth to her.

What if Li Ge was the same? What would she do then?

“I… I’m sorry.”

Xu Qingyan lowered her head. She didn’t dare look into Li Ge’s eyes. She was afraid she’d see that same expression of disgust. She would rather pretend nothing had happened. Even fooling herself was better than having her heart crushed.

Li Ge’s hand, which had been resting on her thigh, slowly moved to her stomach. She had never imagined that after just a little more than a month, a new life would already be growing inside her.

She should have been happy. And she was, a little. But once she thought about her and Xu Qingyan’s current situation, that happiness quickly disappeared.

Xu Qingyan had clearly taken precautions, and yet something still went wrong. Should they file a complaint against the condom company? With quality like that, the company really should have gone bankrupt already.

But sarcasm aside, Li Ge mostly just felt lost and overwhelmed.

A child was coming. What was she supposed to do now?

Should she keep the baby?

Or should she end the pregnancy before it went further?

“Xiao Ge, if you’re angry, just hit me. It’s all my fault.”

Xu Qingyan had never imagined this day would come so soon. It was clearly not the right time. She had taken every precaution, so how could this still happen?

She raised her hand and slapped herself hard.

The sound of the slap echoed through the hospital room.

Li Ge froze, too stunned to react. When she finally realized what had happened, Xu Qingyan had already lowered her head again, quietly blaming herself.

“I’m sorry. I’m such a mess. I’m really sorry.”

It was impossible for Li Ge not to be moved. This wasn’t just Xu Qingyan’s fault. Back when she was still in school, one of her teachers had explained that higher-level omegas had a much higher chance of getting pregnant. She hadn’t really believed it at the time. She thought pregnancy mostly depended on the alpha. But now, she had to admit it was true.

Just as she was about to say something, Xu Qingyan suddenly grabbed her hand, her face filled with guilt.

“I’m sorry. I never expected this to happen. But this is your body, Xiao Ge. If you don’t want the baby, then we won’t keep it.”

“So, what you’re saying is, you want me to get rid of it?”

Li Ge didn’t know why, but that sentence made her extremely upset.

“Or do you think that just because your lover got pregnant, she’s going to use the child to threaten you? So you want me to deal with it now and get it over with, right?”

Xu Qingyan had no idea why Li Ge was thinking that way. She quickly shook her head.

“No. That’s not what I meant. I’ve never thought like that.”

“But you did,” Li Ge said sharply. “If not, then why would you say something like that? Isn’t it because you want me to get rid of the baby? But it makes sense. Someone like me could never be good enough to have the Xu family’s child.”

“That’s not true. You are good enough. No one is more deserving than you.”

Xu Qingyan had expected that Li Ge would misunderstand her and hurried to explain.

“Xiao Ge, I didn’t mean it the way you think. What I meant was, it’s your body. If you don’t want the baby, then we won’t keep it. But if you want to, then we’ll raise the child together. What I’m trying to say is, the choice is completely yours. I’ll support whatever you decide.”

Li Ge pulled her hand back and said nothing. She had assumed Xu Qingyan would insist on keeping the child no matter what. But that didn’t happen.

Did that mean she didn’t care?

Did the arrival of their child not mean anything to her?

This wasn’t the answer Li Ge had been hoping for.

When Xu Qingyan saw her pull away, she panicked and reached out again, holding her hand tightly.

“Xiao Ge, please don’t do this. Look at me. Just once, please.”

She truly wanted to keep the baby, but she was afraid that Li Ge would think she was using the child to trap her. That would only make her hate her more.

So now, Xu Qingyan didn’t know what to say at all.

“Xiao Ge, will you hit me instead?” she said, guiding Li Ge’s hand toward her own cheek.

Another loud slap echoed through the room.

Li Ge quickly stopped her and held her wrist tightly.

“What are you doing?”

Xu Qingyan looked at her with teary eyes.

“Are you ignoring me because you hate me? Are you still mad at me? If you’re angry, just keep hitting me until you feel better.”

Looking at her reddened cheek, Li Ge felt a sting of guilt. Xu Qingyan might be an alpha, but she was still a woman. If her face ended up scarred, that wouldn’t be good.

“If you really have to hit yourself, at least don’t hit your face.”

“Xiao Ge, are you worried about me?”

“What?”

“You’re worried my face will get hurt, right?”

“I… I am not.”

Xu Qingyan smiled and pulled her into her arms, kissing her gently on the forehead again and again.

“I knew it. You still care about me, Xiao Ge.”

Li Ge wanted to push her away, but her body had no strength. So she let Xu Qingyan hold her.

Perhaps it was because of the pheromones Xu Qingyan was releasing, but Li Ge’s emotions had calmed down. She wasn’t as agitated anymore and even felt a little at peace.

As she rested against Xu Qingyan’s chest, she noticed how fast her heart was beating and how rushed her breathing had become. She tilted her head and looked up, only to find Xu Qingyan’s face full of tension. She looked like she was either nervous or heartbroken.

Li Ge hesitated. She was about to say something to ease the awkward silence, but just then, Xu Qingyan spoke first.

“Xiao Ge, can we keep the baby?”

Her voice was soft and filled with hope, but also fear that her request would be rejected.

Then, she let go of the embrace and placed her hands on Li Ge’s shoulders.

“Xiao Ge, will you marry me? Let’s raise the baby together. The three of us can be a happy family. Please?”

Li Ge didn’t answer. Her head was down, and no one knew what she was thinking.

Xu Qingyan continued speaking.

“I never wanted to let go of the baby. I’ve been thinking so much. I was afraid you wouldn’t want it. I was afraid that, because the baby is tied to me, you’d think I was using it to control you. That’s why I said the decision was yours. But I really do want to keep the baby. This child is ours, yours and mine. I want to cherish them.”

“Xiao Ge, please let’s keep the baby. And please stay too. Haven’t you always wanted a happy, complete family? I can give that to you. I truly can. Please don’t end the pregnancy.”

This baby was the one and only bond she had with Li Ge in this world. Even if Li Ge didn’t want to marry her and ended up leaving, this bond would still be her last connection.

Xu Qingyan truly loved this little life that hadn’t even been born yet.

Li Ge wanted to push back or say something cold, but when she saw the tears welling up in Xu Qingyan’s eyes, she couldn’t help but feel heartache. Still, it was too difficult to forgive everything Xu Qingyan had done just like that.

“Xu Qingyan.”

Hearing her name, Xu Qingyan responded immediately.

“I’m here.”

Li Ge pursed her lips, hesitated, and finally asked in a soft voice, “Are you really serious about marrying me and staying with me forever?”

Xu Qingyan nodded again and again.

“I am. I mean it.”

“If that’s true, then no matter what I ask you to do, you’ll agree?”

“Yes. Whatever you say, I’ll do it.”

“Good. Then from now on, you’re not allowed to interfere with my personal freedom. You can’t assign people to watch me. And you can’t watch me either.”

“I…”

Li Ge looked her straight in the eyes.

“What? You can’t do it?”

“No, that’s not it. I can do it. I really can.” Xu Qingyan was terrified that Li Ge might run away with the baby. If that happened, she would completely lose control. “But, Xiao Ge, I’m scared you’ll leave me. I can do everything you ask, but can you give me a promise?”

As long as Li Ge promised not to suddenly abandon her, she could handle anything.

Li Ge thought for a long while before finally saying, “Alright. I promise I won’t leave without a word.”

Xu Qingyan looked at her in disbelief. “Really? Are you just saying that to make me feel better? Xiao Ge, I know I was wrong. Please don’t leave me.”

Li Ge never actually planned to leave. The capital was her hometown, and no one truly wants to leave their roots. The reason she made this request was to give herself time to process everything and, at the same time, give Xu Qingyan a chance to prove she could change. If Xu Qingyan could follow through, then Li Ge would believe she was genuinely remorseful.

But if she couldn’t, if she continued acting paranoid, always assuming Li Ge would run off and pushing her into things she didn’t want to do, then Xu Qingyan’s so-called love was nothing more than possessiveness.

Real love means wanting someone to be happy, not finding every way to keep them tied down.

“I told you, I won’t leave,” Li Ge said firmly. “This is my only request. If you can’t do it, then there’s no point in us continuing this relationship.”

Xu Qingyan held her hand tightly and nodded hard. “I can do it. I promise.”

Li Ge didn’t pull her hand away this time and added, “Good. Then start by letting go of your assistant. I’ll hire someone myself.”

That assistant had been carefully chosen by Xu Qingyan. In terms of professionalism, she was nearly impossible to replace. But if Li Ge wanted to find someone new, then so be it.

“Alright. If you don’t like her, I’ll get someone else.”

“When can I be discharged?” Li Ge asked.

“Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet. You need to rest more. I…”

Before she could finish, Li Ge interrupted, “What did the doctor say?”

Xu Qingyan had no choice but to be honest. “The doctor said there’s nothing serious. You can be discharged tonight.”

Li Ge understood her body well. This time was just an exception. “Then help me get the discharge papers tonight.”

Xu Qingyan knew she couldn’t change her mind, so she agreed. “Okay. But if you start feeling unwell, don’t push yourself. I’ll talk to the director. This film doesn’t need to be rushed. I’m the investor, so you don’t need to feel pressured.”

Money really could move mountains.

If it had been anyone else, the director would have replaced her long ago. No one else would tolerate someone skipping out on work again and again.

But because Xu Qingyan was the one funding the film, Li Ge didn’t feel guilty at all.

“You must be hungry. I bought your favorite seafood congee. Do you want a few bites?” Xu Qingyan stood up and brought it over.

Soon, a small pot of steaming hot seafood congee was placed in front of Li Ge.

Xu Qingyan scooped up a spoonful, blew on it to cool it down, and held it up to her lips. “Say ah.”

Li Ge almost laughed at how silly she looked but managed to hold it in. “I’m not a child. I can feed myself. Just put it on the table. I’ll eat on my own.”

Xu Qingyan looked hurt. “Just one bite, please?”

“No.”

Seeing that Li Ge really wouldn’t budge, Xu Qingyan gave up. “Fine. Eat it while it’s still hot.”

Li Ge was a little hungry. She took the small pot from Xu Qingyan’s hands, but suddenly remembered something important and set the pot down.

“What’s wrong? You don’t like it?”

Li Ge said, “I took one million yuan from Pei Xiaoyu. Please return it to her. And you didn’t make things difficult for her, did you? I was the one who ran away. It had nothing to do with her.”

If she hadn’t brought it up, Xu Qingyan wouldn’t have remembered she still needed to talk to Pei Xiaoyu. But thinking about it, she had been the one who involved Pei in the first place, which led to everything that followed. She couldn’t really blame her.

“Finish your congee first. I’ll have someone return the money to her later. As for the million yuan you took, just keep it. Use it to buy whatever you want. If that’s not enough, you can always ask me.”

But Xu Qingyan knew Li Ge would never ask her for money. So she turned and pulled a black bank card from her purse.

Li Ge looked up. “What’s this?”

“It’s a no-limit card. Take it. Spend however you like.”

Anyone else might have taken the card, but not Li Ge. She didn’t need much, and she would earn her own money eventually. She no longer needed to rely on Xu Qingyan.

She pushed the card back.

Xu Qingyan didn’t insist. She had promised to respect Li Ge’s decisions, and she would keep that promise. If Li Ge didn’t want the card, she wouldn’t force her.

That evening, Xu Qingyan completed the discharge procedures for Li Ge. Since they hadn’t hired a new assistant yet, she explained the situation and temporarily left the assistant to help with the hospital checkout and to escort Li Ge back to the hotel.

After confirming with the doctor that there were no serious health concerns, Xu Qingyan finally felt okay letting Li Ge return to work the next day.

But after that, Li Ge refused to return to the villa.

Every day, Xu Qingyan went home to an empty house, staring at Li Ge’s photo on her phone. She wanted to drive over and see her, but she was afraid Li Ge would think she had broken her promise. She feared that Li Ge might disappear from her world completely, so she forced herself to stay away.

“Xiao Ge, have you eaten?”

When the clock hit 7 p.m., Xu Qingyan couldn’t help but send a message. Li Ge had said she couldn’t show up in person, but she had never said they couldn’t keep in touch by text.

As expected, there was no reply.

Xu Qingyan opened Weibo and searched for any behind-the-scenes photos or updates from fans to see what Li Ge had been doing on set.

But Li Ge was still a new actress and didn’t have many fans, let alone large ones. The only photos available had been reposted from other actors’ fan accounts. One of them happened to be a scene with her idol and Li Ge, which was why they shared it.

In the video, Li Ge looked much more cheerful. Her smile was bright and genuine. She no longer seemed so withdrawn and gloomy. She glowed, and it was impossible to look away.

That was when Xu Qingyan realized something.

Li Ge wasn’t someone who didn’t like to smile. It was her. She had been the reason Li Ge lost her smile. It was her presence that made Li Ge so unhappy.

What Xu Qingyan truly wanted was to see Li Ge happy, smiling from the heart, not burdened and sad.

She saved the fan video and shared it back to Li Ge on WeChat, even though she didn’t know if she would watch it. She just wanted to share that moment with her.

“You look so beautiful when you smile.”

As expected, the message remained unread.

Li Ge didn’t even open her chat.

Xu Qingyan sadly put her phone down and fell asleep clutching the pillow Li Ge used to sleep on.

On the other side, Li Ge saw the notification bubble grow larger, glanced at it, and then turned away to watch other videos. Xu Qingyan’s attention and care right now were only because they were still in that ambiguous early phase, just like Gu Shi had been. Before getting together, Gu Shi messaged her every day. After that, he barely spoke to her at all.

Of course, Gu Shi had been arranged by Li Dahai, so he wasn’t the best example. Maybe other couples were different.

Still, Li Ge didn’t believe Xu Qingyan’s current promises meant they would last. Maybe in a few days, she would get tired of it and stop messaging altogether.

As she thought about it, Li Ge opened Xu Qingyan’s Weibo page.

Just then, a new post appeared.

“She still hasn’t replied to my message today. I’m so sad.”

Li Ge paused for a moment. She had assumed Xu Qingyan had given up texting her, but now it turned out she had taken to posting online instead.

Even so, Li Ge still believed it wouldn’t last long.

The next day, Xu Qingyan didn’t send any messages.

Li Ge stared at the screen, watching the unread count remain still. A deep sense of disappointment settled in. It had only been one day, and Xu Qingyan had already started to forget her.

But that was to be expected.

Someone like Xu Qingyan, with her status and identity, never lacked omegas in her life. If she had so many options, why would she cling to someone like her, a nobody?

Li Ge placed her hand on her flat stomach. It would take a few more months before she started to show. So, she had to make a decision before then.

In the days that followed, she threw herself entirely into her acting work. Whether or not Xu Qingyan sent her messages no longer mattered. She never checked WeChat again. In fact, she blocked her altogether.

Li Ge thought to herself, Xu Qingyan will probably forget her soon enough.

In reality, Xu Qingyan hadn’t gone on a trip. She was simply overwhelmed by the endless workload at her company. Exhausted both physically and mentally, the only time she could find to message Li Ge was in the quiet hours past midnight.

“Good morning.”
“Did you eat a proper lunch today?”
“Good night. Don’t forget to cover up so you don’t catch a cold.”
“Xiao Ge, I’m so tired. Can you cheer me up a little?”
“It’s been a week. Xiao Ge, will you talk to me? I know I was wrong.”
“I ordered a few diamond rings based on your size. I don’t know if you’ll like them, but I hope you do.” (Photo attached)
“Xiao Ge, I really miss you…”

Eventually, she couldn’t hold back anymore. On the wrap-up day of the shoot, she ordered a large batch of fresh jasmine flowers. She had originally planned on roses but switched to jasmine, knowing it was Li Ge’s favorite.

“Do you think Xiao Ge will like the flowers I brought?”

Secretary Su stood next to her, unsure how to respond. Ever since Xu Qingyan found out she had been in contact with Xu Hong, she was rarely allowed near her. So she wasn’t aware of everything that had happened over the past month.

Still, as her assistant, she couldn’t just stay silent.

“I think Miss Li will definitely like them.”

“Really?”
Xu Qingyan stared blankly at the jasmine flowers in her hands. Her eyes were filled with sadness. “It’s been over a month since I last saw her.”

Secretary Su froze. She still remembered how Xu Qingyan used to forcibly keep Li Ge by her side. It was hard to believe she would now allow Li Ge to live away from her.

Had Xu Qingyan really changed?

“If you want to see her, why not just drive over?”

Xu Qingyan didn’t respond. She had kept her promise to Li Ge. But Li Ge had never replied to any of her messages. She was genuinely afraid that Li Ge didn’t want her anymore.

Or maybe… Li Ge had found someone new.

What would she do then?

What could she do?

Xu Qingyan stood frozen, clutching the bouquet of jasmine, watching from a distance as Li Ge moved busily around the film set, holding someone else’s flowers. She wanted nothing more than to rush over and throw those flowers away.

Eventually, the director in the center of the scene noticed her.

He gently patted Li Ge’s shoulder and said, “Xiao Ge, look over there.”

Li Ge looked up in the direction the director pointed and was stunned.

Yao Ying, who was standing beside her, leaned over and whispered, “Xiao Ge, President Xu hasn’t forgotten about you. It looks like she really means it.”

She paused, then added, “Back when you gave me your phone during filming, I saw that she kept texting you. Did you block her? Maybe that’s why she switched to sending messages instead.”

Li Ge suddenly remembered. After she blocked Xu Qingyan, she must have resorted to texting. But not long after, Li Ge lost her phone during filming in the mountains and had no way to retrieve it. She ended up getting a new phone through her assistant, so she never received any of the texts that followed.

“No, I didn’t block her.”

“So what are you planning to do now? Are you going to see her? You told me before that you weren’t sure how you felt about her. Was it because you didn’t actually like her that much?”

Li Ge had asked herself that same question: Did she really like Xu Qingyan?

Almost every sleepless night, she thought about it.

Yao Ying asked again, “If you can’t answer that, then let me ask it differently. Have you missed her this past month?”

Li Ge pressed her lips together. The truth was, she had.

“If you missed her, then that means you like her too. Maybe you just hadn’t realized it before.”

No. She had realized it.

From the very beginning, Li Ge knew she had feelings for Xu Qingyan. But she had been forcing herself to suppress them by burying herself in work.

Seeing her fall silent, Yao Ying continued, “Why don’t you go talk to her? If you really don’t like her, just be honest and end it. But if you can’t let go, then listen to your heart. Try dating her. If it doesn’t work out, you can always break up later.”

Li Ge hesitated for a moment. What Yao Ying said made sense. She lowered her hands and walked over to Xu Qingyan.

The moment Xu Qingyan saw her approaching, she couldn’t hold back anymore. She dropped the flowers and ran forward, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Li Ge froze. Her hands hovered in the air, unsure where to place them.

“Xiao Ge, I missed you so much. I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself.”

Xu Qingyan held her tighter and tighter, as if she wanted to fuse Li Ge into her own body. “I broke my promise. But I missed you so much.”

Li Ge finally placed her hands gently on Xu Qingyan’s back. “Then why did you wait until now to come find me?”

Xu Qingyan looked up. “I was afraid you’d be mad at me.”

Under the studio lights, Li Ge noticed how much Xu Qingyan had changed. Her face looked exhausted, and she was clearly thinner. Even with makeup on, the dark circles under her eyes were obvious.

Li Ge felt a sudden ache in her chest. She gently brushed the hair off Xu Qingyan’s forehead. “President Xu, have you been that busy? You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

Xu Qingyan held onto her hand and rubbed her cheek against her palm. “I can’t sleep when you’re not around.”

Li Ge chuckled. “President Xu, do you need someone to sleep beside you now? You’re not a child.”

Xu Qingyan leaned into her touch again. “I may not be a child, but I still need someone with me. Xiao Ge, will you stay with me?”

Li Ge looked straight into her eyes and didn’t say a word. Just like Yao Ying said, she seemed to finally understand what she truly wanted.

She wanted Xu Qingyan too.

Deeply.

When Xu Qingyan saw her hesitate, she took out a ring from her pocket and placed it in Li Ge’s palm. “I had this ring made for you. I don’t know if it fits. Do you want to try it on?”

Li Ge understood what she meant. She slid the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly.

But after trying it, she took the ring off and handed it back.

“I can’t accept your ring.”

Xu Qingyan’s heart sank. “Why not?”

Li Ge reached up and gently touched her tired face. “Because, President Xu, you haven’t passed probation yet.”

The heaviness in Xu Qingyan’s heart suddenly lifted. “So that means… Xiao Ge, are you saying yes? Are you agreeing to be my girlfriend?”

Li Ge didn’t answer directly, but she didn’t refuse either. Her silence was an answer in itself.

Xu Qingyan was so excited she couldn’t even speak. She lifted Li Ge in her arms and spun her around in place.

A moment later, she remembered that Li Ge was pregnant and quickly put her down. “Sorry, I got too excited…”

Li Ge covered her mouth with her hand. “It’s fine. But don’t keep saying sorry all the time.”

Xu Qingyan nodded immediately. “Okay. I’ll do whatever you say. So… are we going home now?”

The wrap-up photos had already been taken, but Li Ge hadn’t changed out of her costume yet. “Let me change first.”

Just as she turned to leave, Xu Qingyan scooped her up again and walked toward the car. “No need. I’ll have someone bring your clothes later.”

Afraid of falling, Li Ge wrapped her arms tightly around her neck and smiled softly. “Okay.”