Tenth Day of Pretending to Be an Alpha

On the tenth day of pretending to be an A, a few days after the negotiation ended, all of Shengmo knew that Xie Songchen’s team had successfully secured the Dingming project. 

The details of what had happened that day were kept under wraps, and even the team members remained tight-lipped. Only the company executives and those directly involved knew about Chu Mo’s crucial role in the negotiation.

Suddenly, everyone began to look at Xie Songchen with newfound respect.

During meals, chatter buzzed throughout the office.

“Xie Songchen is so amazing. He actually managed to secure the Dingming project?”

“He’s always been a top student—very capable.”

“Was President Chu initially trying to get back at him, or did he actually see his potential?”

“Who knows? But now those clowns on the board have nothing to say.”

Those who had once doubted Chu Mo’s motives—accusing him of using his power for personal revenge—now stayed quiet. They couldn’t even tell if Chu Mo had really meant to target Xie Songchen in the first place.

Xie Songchen clearly noticed a change in how people treated him. Even Li Shuo, who had always disliked him, had become more polite. There were plenty of secretaries willing to serve tea and water, but very few who could actually close a deal.

Moreover, Xie Songchen had stood up for President Chu during the negotiation. To Li Shuo, the cut at the corner of Xie Songchen’s mouth now looked like a badge of honor. He looked at the young Alpha with a mix of envy and jealousy.

“I heard President Chu personally treated your wound?” Li Shuo asked, approaching when no one else was around, sizing him up. 

“You’re really lucky, huh?”

Xie Songchen glanced at him and replied coldly, “What, are you jealous?”

Li Shuo smirked. “I’ve worked here for years, and President Chu’s never treated my wounds.”

“Then why don’t you come over here,” Xie Songchen gestured toward himself, “and I’ll give you a punch. Maybe President Chu will treat your wound too.”

“Are you crazy?!” Li Shuo yelped, quickly retreating several steps. But he didn’t dare report it to Chu Mo.

Without realizing it, Xie Songchen had become the most talked-about newcomer at Shengmo. Just like in the novels—after this battle, he quickly made a name for himself and became someone Chu Mo wouldn’t dare fire so easily.

In the original story, after securing the project, Chu Mo had to give Xie Songchen a bonus. With that generous bonus, Xie Songchen took Chu Yun on a date, and their relationship quickly heated up. It was a small but sweet peak in both career and romance.

Now, after the project was signed, Chu Mo gave him an even bigger bonus than in the original plot. He worried the protagonist’s dating budget might not be enough, potentially affecting his romantic progression. 

After giving out the bonus, Chu Mo specifically called Xie Songchen into his office.

“Xie Songchen, don’t think just because you secured a project that I won’t dare to fire you,” Chu Mo warned sternly. “Even if you stay in the secretary department, I still have ways to get rid of you.”

Xie Songchen looked at him calmly. “If I’m not doing well, I can leave anytime.” He clearly had no fear of being fired. After all, he was now a hero at Shengmo. If Chu Mo made a move against him now, it would only cause unrest in the company.

Seeing his fearless expression, Chu Mo gritted his teeth. “Don’t get too cocky, Xie Songchen.”

But Xie Songchen remained unfazed and said lazily, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll go get you some coffee.” He completely ignored Chu Mo’s threat.

Great. The protagonist is growing up!

“Xie Songchen, I’m warning you,” Chu Mo said with a cold face, though he was secretly pleased, “Don’t use the bonus I gave you to go on a date with Chu Yun.”

In the novel, not only had Xie Songchen ignored this warning and taken Chu Yun on a date, but they’d also been caught by Chi Cheng. That moment became a dramatic turning point.

Xie Songchen was stunned. He hadn’t even thought about asking Chu Yun out. Hearing Chu Mo’s words, he fell silent, wearing a thoughtful expression.

Chu Mo immediately sensed that his warning had landed.

⸻

After work, Chu Mo had dinner with Chu Yun. Casually, he asked, “Xiao Yun, did Xie Songchen message you?”

Chu Yun glanced at his phone. Sure enough, there was a message from Xie Songchen. He looked up and nodded. “Brother, how did you know?”

Chu Mo sneered. “That kid just got his project bonus. He’s definitely trying to ask you out. I’m telling you, don’t be fooled by that poor kid.”

Chu Yun didn’t respond. He looked at the message, falling into a long silence.

[Xie Songchen: Tomorrow’s Saturday. Is your brother free?]

Chu Yun looked at Chu Mo and said seriously, “Brother, have you ever considered… maybe Xie Songchen doesn’t like me?”

“Impossible,” Chu Mo denied without hesitation. “If he doesn’t like you, why would he stay at Shengmo? I’ve humiliated him so much.”

Chu Yun also wanted to know. After becoming a secretary, Xie Songchen had asked questions about Chu Mo—that much was understandable. But now he was asking if Chu Mo was free this weekend?

What was he planning?

Chu Yun thought for a moment, then replied to Xie Songchen, a little coldly:

[Can’t you ask him yourself?]

[Xie Songchen: You ask for me.]

[Xie Songchen: I’ll bring you dessert tomorrow.]

[Chu Yun: Don’t try that with me.]

If his brother were an Omega, Chu Yun would have suspected that Xie Songchen had a crush on him. But both Xie Songchen and Chu Mo were clearly straight A’s…

Chu Yun thought for a moment, then turned to Chu Mo and asked, “Brother, are you free tomorrow? It’s Saturday.”

“Yes,” Chu Mo answered, smiling gently at him. “Why, do you want to go out?”

Chu Yun’s heart ached. Tomorrow was supposed to be our day out together! It’s been so long since we did anything!

“It’s nothing,” Chu Yun said softly, swallowing his disappointment. “Just asking.”

If Xie Songchen was looking for Chu Mo, it was probably work-related. Chu Yun usually didn’t interfere with his brother’s business, so he dropped the subject.

⸻

The next morning, Chu Mo—ever disciplined—completed his physical training and fasted cardio early. Despite the late autumn chill, he took a cold shower without flinching. Maintaining his Alpha image took effort. Looking in the mirror, there was now almost no visible difference between him and a born Alpha.

Just then, his phone rang.

He paused before answering. The voice on the other end was both unfamiliar and familiar—low and hoarse.

“Hey, Chu Mo, it’s me.”

Chi Cheng.

He had dark circles under his eyes. After tossing and turning all night, he’d decided to ask Chu Mo out to talk. He wanted to clear the air and improve their relationship. As the call connected, Chi Cheng’s heart raced. He’d been miserable for days. If Chu Mo hung up on him now, he’d be even worse.

But luckily, Chu Mo didn’t hang up.

“Chi Cheng?” Chu Mo was surprised to hear from him. He immediately grew cautious. Is this the start of a new plot point? “What do you want?”

Chi Cheng couldn’t help but smile. Just hearing Chu Mo’s voice lifted the heavy mood that had hung over him for days.

“I want to ask you out,” Chi Cheng said, clearing his throat. “Uh, there’s something I want to tell you.”

Saying that had taken all his courage. His heart was pounding.

Chu Mo thought for a moment. There was no such development in the original plot. Definitely not. Which meant—he had no obligation to engage.

“I’m busy,” Chu Mo said coldly. “I have work.”

Chi Cheng’s eyes dimmed. He’d expected rejection—but even so, his heart still sank.

“I’ll wait until you’re done,” Chi Cheng said after a pause. He didn’t want to give up.

Chu Mo was startled. What exactly is this guy thinking?

“Chi Cheng,” he said cautiously, “you’re not just using this as an excuse to see Chu Yun, are you? I’m warning you, don’t even think about—”

“I just want to see you,” Chi Cheng blurted out.

The line fell silent.

Both ends of the call were stunned.

Chu Mo didn’t know what Chi Cheng was trying to pull. If he could feel heat through the phone, he was sure Chi Cheng’s ears were burning right now.

“I mean…” Chi Cheng coughed, trying to recover. “I have something I want to say—just to you.”

Chu Mo frowned slightly. “Oh,” he replied vaguely. “I might not be free today. We’ll see.”

And with that, he hung up.

⸻

Before he could dry his hair, the doorbell rang.

Soon after, a servant came to inform him, “An Alpha guest is at the door.”

Chu Mo didn’t need to guess—he already knew it was Xie Songchen.

According to the plot, Xie Songchen had come to the Chu house to ask Chu Yun out, only to be blocked by Chu Mo. But Chu Yun would still sneak out the back to meet him. A classic Romeo and Juliet setup.

Chu Mo casually wiped his damp hair and went downstairs, face cold.

When he reached the foyer, he saw Xie Songchen standing there. He looked like he’d dressed up specially today: white hoodie, dark varsity jacket, faded jeans, and white sneakers. Compared to his usual suits, he looked much more youthful.

Upon seeing him, Chu Mo immediately put on a stern expression.

“What are you doing here?” he asked coolly.

Xie Songchen held a box of desserts in his hands. He passed them to Chu Mo calmly. “This is for Chu Yun.”

As expected.

While mentally screaming I ship it, Chu Mo sneered and said, “Our Xiao Yun doesn’t eat junk like this.” With that, he snatched the dessert box and tossed it to a nearby servant.

“Don’t throw it away,” Xie Songchen said quickly, anxious. He didn’t want it tossed—Chu Yun wouldn’t help him again if he thought he’d been rejected.

“You’re quite the romantic, showing up with desserts early in the morning,” Chu Mo mocked. “Too bad it’s useless. Our Chu family’s Omega doesn’t fall for that.”

But Xie Songchen didn’t react. He looked at Chu Mo, lips pursed, hands clenched by his sides. Though he tried to appear calm, Chu Mo could see his nervousness.

“Alright, get out before I get angry,” Chu Mo said with a frown. “I won’t let you see Chu Yun.”

“I’m here for you,” Xie Songchen suddenly said.

“I know you’re here for—”

Chu Mo froze, mid-sentence.

He stared at him, stunned. “…What did you say?!”

“I want to ask you out,” Xie Songchen said seriously, eyes locked on his. “Is that okay?”

Chu Mo stood rooted to the spot, completely stunned.