Twenty First Day of Pretending to Be an Alpha

Seeing his phone screen filled with pictures of Xie Songchen, Chi Cheng’s face turned ashen.

Noticing Chi Cheng’s odd expression, Chu Mo still didn’t know what was going on. He asked with a slightly puzzled tone, “Chi Chengjun, what’s wrong with my phone?”

“Don’t call me Chi Chengjun!” Chi Cheng gritted his teeth, interrupting Chu Mo with a dark expression.

Chu Mo frowned and asked, “What are you angry about now?”

Chi Cheng tightly gripped the phone in his hand. The next second, he handed the phone to Chu Mo, “Do you usually search for other alphas’ pictures at work? Are you a pervert?”

Chu Mo’s face froze when he saw the screen. Earlier, after searching for Xie Songchen on Weibo, he hadn’t had a chance to exit. A series of events happened in between, causing Chu Mo to completely forget about it. Hence, this scene unfolded.

“Ahem,” Chu Mo’s brain worked quickly. After a moment, he righteously said, “I like watching basketball games, is that not okay?”

Chi Cheng pointed at the Weibo caption on the screen. “‘Who doesn’t love an alpha bursting with hormones?’ Chu Mo, is this the kind of content you usually watch in games? Don’t you find it disgusting as a big alpha?”

When Chi Cheng read the text aloud, Chu Mo felt a chill run down his spine. Chi Cheng stared at Chu Mo, his eyes filled with jealousy and anger. If Chu Mo had searched for an omega, Chi Cheng would be angry. But if Chu Mo searched for an alpha, Chi Cheng was not only angry but also jealous and unwilling. Chi Cheng didn’t know why he felt this way. At this moment, he just wanted a reasonable explanation from Chu Mo.

“Searching for Xie Songchen, this was the first thing that came up,” Chu Mo said expressionlessly, “What can I do about it?”

Chi Cheng stared at Chu Mo’s expression for a while, confirming that the latter wasn’t lying, and the jealousy in his eyes lessened a bit. He snorted coldly, “What a garbage app, use it less in the future!”

Chu Mo replied coldly, “It’s none of your business what I use.”

Chi Cheng indeed had no standing to control Chu Mo. He ground his molars, and even though he was still angry, he could only tap the screen a few times to exit the app. Before exiting, Chi Cheng used Chu Mo’s account to report and block the account posting Xie Songchen’s content. Chi Cheng opened the memo and left an address. “This place,” Chi Cheng handed the phone back to Chu Mo, saying sullenly, “Don’t stand me up.”

All of Chi Cheng’s emotions were written on his face. Chu Mo didn’t understand why this guy was unhappy again. After Chi Cheng left Sheng Mo Group, he sat in the car, and the driver, Uncle Zhou, cautiously asked, “Young Master Chi, are we heading back to the company now?”

Chi Cheng didn’t speak. He was immersed in his emotions. Chi Cheng didn’t know why seeing such things made him unhappy. He just felt… If Chu Mo was a straight A, then at least the most special alpha around Chu Mo should be him. Why, after just a few years abroad, was there another alpha around Chu Mo? That alpha named Xie Songchen. Chi Cheng looked at the Sheng Mo Group building outside the window, his emotions dark and his fingers involuntarily tightening. Chi Cheng didn’t know what his emotions were for. He only knew he couldn’t accept such a thing happening. Jealousy and envy flashed in Chi Cheng’s eyes, then turned into a sharp edge.

At this moment.

H University.

Dance Department Alpha Boys’ Dormitory.

A tall, handsome boy pushed open the door. He was wearing the H University team uniform, with prominent veins on his fair arms, and sweat beads gathered along the lines of his arms. The boy placed a box of packed noodles on his roommate’s desk, “Your noodles, I didn’t add any spice.”

“Jing Yan! I’m so touched, you brought me noodles after training and even remembered I don’t eat spicy!” The roommate looked at the boy with eyes like seeing a savior, “I remember you have a match coming up, right?”

Zhou Jingyan nodded, lifting the hem of his jersey to casually wipe his sweat. “Wow—Brother Yan’s washboard abs!” The roommate teased, “How did you train them so well?”

Zhou Jingyan smiled, a charming dimple appearing at the corner of his lips, “First, don’t eat refined carbs.”

The roommate glanced at the noodles in his bowl and quickly shook his head, “Then forget it. You’re an idol, I’m just a regular dance student, controlling my weight is good enough.”

Zhou Jingyan picked up a towel, preparing to take a shower, “I haven’t debuted yet, so I’m not really an idol.”

“Jingyan, be honest, did the company screw you over?” The roommate felt indignant for Zhou Jingyan, “You’ve been under contract for so long, and after four years of college, they still won’t let you debut, it’s so unfair!”

Zhou Jingyan paused, a hint of sadness flashing in his eyes. After a moment, he quickly adjusted his expression, forcing a smile, “Don’t say that, my company is about to go bankrupt.”

The roommate’s eyes widened in shock, “What? No way?”

Zhou Jingyan gave a bitter smile, “Maybe I’m just bad luck for companies.”

The roommate immediately felt sorry for Zhou Jingyan. “Brother Yan, among all the alphas in H University, who can compare to you except for that computer science department heartthrob?” The roommate said indignantly while eating noodles, “If you can’t debut, is there any hope for the entertainment industry?!”

Zhou Jingyan sighed, “I don’t necessarily have to debut. If the company really goes bankrupt, I’ll make other plans in advance, don’t worry.”

“Oh, by the way—” The roommate suddenly thought of something, his eyes lighting up, “Aren’t you a 100% match with the omega from the Chu Group?”

“Yeah.” Zhou Jingyan nodded, “But Chu Yun and I are just friends. Besides, neither of us cares about the matching rate.”

“Get real! He’s the omega of the Chu family!” The roommate put down his chopsticks, looking at Zhou Jingyan with frustration, “His big brother is a big shot in H City, if you ask Chu Yun for help, debuting wouldn’t be a problem!”

Zhou Jingyan was stunned for a moment, then laughed, “Are you crazy?”

Chu Yun’s big brother… That alpha standing at the top of the pyramid? With so much talent in the entertainment industry, how could that man possibly notice him? Zhou Jingyan shook his head with a smile, dismissing his roommate’s words as nonsense, and walked into the bathroom with a towel and change of clothes.

A few days later.

On the day of the basketball game.

Today was Xie Songchen’s match, and Chu Mo specifically gave him leave. Even so, Xie Songchen still came to the company in the morning. He casually confirmed several times whether Chu Mo would attend the basketball game. For example, while pouring coffee, Xie Songchen suddenly said, “This latte is a bit hot.”

Chu Mo responded with an “Mm,” focusing on his computer screen to handle work.

Xie Songchen continued, “Drinking it should keep you awake for the game in the afternoon.”

Chu Mo: “…Got it.”

Only then did Xie Songchen leave satisfied. Chu Mo thought to himself, is Xie Songchen dead set on having him watch the game? Chu Mo pondered, feeling it was a provocation. Not only did Xie Songchen want to hug Chu Yun after the game, but he also wanted to do it in front of Chu Mo. Chu Mo sneered inwardly, you’re something, main character gong! Am I just a part of your play?! Chu Mo thought about it and felt a bit excited. After all, it was his first time experiencing a “catching in the act” kind of plot. He had to make sure to arrive at the game on time after Chi Cheng’s investment meeting.

Sitting in the business car, Chu Mo checked the time. He would arrive at Chi Cheng’s investor meeting before two o’clock. The meeting would last just over an hour at most, and after mocking Chi Cheng post-meeting, he could head to the basketball game. Chu Mo’s plan was well thought out.

When Chu Mo arrived at the investment meeting venue, the king of tardiness, Chi Cheng, was already waiting at the entrance. Seeing Chu Mo, Chi Cheng’s eyes lit up. Then, he quickly masked his joy, putting on a stern face, “Why are you cutting it so close?”

“Coming here is already giving you face, understand?” Chu Mo said arrogantly, “Don’t push your luck.”

“Your seat is over there.” Chi Cheng pointed to the seat next to him, “I prepared a name tag for you, it’s on the table.”

Chu Mo didn’t expect Chi Cheng to value his presence so much. He thought: Of course, Chi Cheng had been preparing for so long just to slap him in the face, so he had to sit nearby and listen carefully. None of the gongs in this book are easy to deal with.

The investment meeting proceeded smoothly. In the original story, Chu Mo fell asleep during the meeting. But Chu Mo himself was intrigued by the project. He pretended to play on his phone, but in reality, every word Chi Cheng said made him secretly amazed. This project had been in preparation since Chi Cheng was studying abroad, with a team of top students from prestigious foreign universities. The entire project, from the underlying logic, development path to monetization chain, was very mature. However, there were no successful examples of such a platform in the market yet. Chu Mo thought, why did the original story make him seem so foolish? Only a fool would choose not to invest in this project!

As the meeting neared its end, Chi Cheng was parched from speaking. He took a sip of water and looked at Chu Mo, expectantly asking, “President Chu, what do you think?”

Chu Mo suppressed the urge to invest in the project. He looked around at the others, “What does everyone think?”

Opinions were mixed. But they all agreed that the investment in this project was large and risky. Chi Cheng had a reputation as a playboy, and people were hesitant to trust him.

Chu Mo began his performance. He tossed the business plan onto the table, showing a disdainful look. “A project like this, even a freshman could come up with,” Chu Mo said dismissively, “Young Master Chi, do you know how many social platforms die every year? This business plan is really unoriginal.”

Chi Cheng frowned, “That doesn’t prove I’ll fail.”

Chu Mo needed to continue humiliating Chi Cheng, making him angry. So Chu Mo said, “I think Young Master Chi is too confident. In my opinion, your startup project won’t attract any investment, not even Pre-A round funding. I advise you to give up.”

Chi Cheng’s fingers tightened, and he said defiantly, “Chu Mo, are you blind? How could this project possibly fail?!”

Once he delivered the most humiliating line, Chu Mo could leave. He sneered, crossing his legs, and said disdainfully, “Young Master Chi, considering you fought for my brother when you were young, I can invest five million in you, just like throwing coins at a wishing pond turtle—just to hear the sound.”

As soon as he said this, the bosses who were already displeased with Chi Cheng couldn’t help but laugh. Only Chu Mo dared to publicly mock Chi Cheng like this.

After speaking, Chu Mo stood up, ready to leave, “I suggest you hold onto your business plan and ask a charity if anyone is willing to help you get your brain treated for free, otherwise…”

“Are you really going to invest in me?” Chi Cheng suddenly interrupted Chu Mo, his tone somewhat excited.

Chu Mo paused, confused, looking at Chi Cheng. After being humiliated like this, shouldn’t Chi Cheng be angry and vow to slap Chu Mo’s face in the future? Why ask this question?

“Does anyone else here pity you besides me?” Chu Mo chuckled lightly, mocking, “What, do you really want me to throw money just to hear a sound?”

Chi Cheng looked into Chu Mo’s eyes and suddenly said in a very serious tone, “Then I’ll accept your investment.”

Chu Mo was instantly stunned, his eyes widening, “What?!”

This project could make a lot of money in the future. Chu Mo, as the malicious cannon fodder, should be excluded. Chi Cheng actually agreed to his investment?!

Chu Mo’s expression stiffened, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes. His lines were correct, right? Why could Chi Cheng accept such public humiliation?

Seeing Chu Mo’s stiff expression, Chi Cheng stared at him, deliberately using a goading tactic, “What, are you going back on your word in public?”

Chu Mo suppressed his inner doubts, sneered, and said, “Chi Cheng, do you think this project is bound to fail, so you want to drag me down with you?”

Chi Cheng ignored Chu Mo’s mockery. He continued, word by word, “Chu Mo, aren’t you the ‘alpha enemy’ famous in H City? Are you going to go back on your word, don’t you have any sense of responsibility?”

Chu Mo was momentarily speechless. This damn domineering president persona! Chu Mo said with a dark face, “Chi Cheng, where do you get the confidence to think the project will succeed?”

“Of course, I have confidence,” Chi Cheng threw the business plan onto the table in front of Chu Mo, “If you have any questions, I can answer them one by one.”

For some reason, Chu Mo felt… Chi Cheng seemed to be deliberately stalling for time?

“Chi Cheng, do you think if I invest in you, the project will succeed? Don’t be delusional…”

Before Chu Mo could finish, Chi Cheng interrupted again, “As long as you invest, I can sign a betting agreement with you.”

Chu Mo doubted his ears. A betting agreement is a common commercial tool, using a betting method to maximize the protection of the investor’s interests. If Chi Cheng succeeds, Chu Mo makes money. If Chi Cheng fails, he has to compensate Chu Mo, and Chu Mo still makes money. As soon as he said this, everyone present was shocked, unanimously thinking Chi Cheng was crazy.

Chi Cheng stared at the stunned Chu Mo, calmly saying, “Now, can you trust me?”

Meanwhile.

At the National College Basketball League game venue. Outside the gymnasium on H University’s campus, there was a sea of people, with a bunch of basketball fans and player fans who couldn’t get tickets holding up their phones, capturing the scene. There were five minutes left before the game started. Inside the gymnasium, as soon as Xie Songchen appeared, the audience erupted in cheers and applause. A third of the audience were his fans, holding banners and signs, making a grand display.

Zhou Jingyan followed behind Xie Songchen, quietly complaining, “I’m envious of this fan support.”

Zhou Jingyan’s appearance also caused a small commotion. People weren’t familiar with Zhou Jingyan, but his face was no less attractive than Xie Songchen’s. The event camera focused on Zhou Jingyan’s face. This face appeared on the live screen at the center top of the venue, creating a strong visual impact.

When Chu Yun appeared, he also received cheers from many people. After all, Chu Yun was the only omega in a powerhouse team like H University’s. He didn’t lose out to the surrounding alphas in terms of height, muscles, or skills.

Xie Songchen ignored the noisy decibels. His gaze was still searching for a certain figure in the venue. Finally, his eyes landed on the seats corresponding to the family tickets. The empty seats were glaringly obvious.

At this moment, there were three minutes left before the game started. The light in Xie Songchen’s eyes dimmed instantly.

Beside him, Zhou Jingyan keenly caught Xie Songchen’s emotions and asked, “Xiao Xie, are you waiting for someone?”

Xie Songchen didn’t have many friends on the team. Besides Chu Yun and Zhou Jingyan. Chu Yun was because he was Chu Mo’s brother. And Zhou Jingyan was the nice guy on the team, getting along with everyone. Xie Songchen considered him an acquaintance, occasionally exchanging a few words.

Xie Songchen’s thin lips pressed into a straight line. After a moment of silence, he finally let out a muffled “Mm” from his throat.

Chu Yun curiously asked, “Waiting for who?”

Xie Songchen patted the basketball in his hand, and the next second, the ball was firmly grasped in his large hand. “Someone who’s not punctual.” His expression was cold, his tone filled with disappointment.

Zhou Jingyan was taken aback. He immediately comforted Xie Songchen, “Maybe they’re stuck in traffic. You should play well first, so when they arrive, they can see your best side.”

Xie Songchen coldly replied, “They won’t come.” His tone carried a hint of sulking. Even the slow-witted Chu Yun could hear it.

Chu Yun found it unbelievable. An iceberg like Xie Songchen would actually get angry over someone’s absence in the audience? Who exactly was that person?

Zhou Jingyan was also very curious. He thought to himself: This person actually got a ticket to the game and is late? How ungrateful, the tickets were hard to get.

In Zhou Jingyan’s mind, this person had already become someone who didn’t know how to appreciate and wasn’t punctual.

On the other side.

At the investment meeting venue. Due to not being able to break character, Chu Mo found himself in a difficult position. He didn’t expect that humiliating Chi Cheng would backfire. Chi Cheng actually wanted him to be an investor! This way, when Chi Cheng made money in the future, Chu Mo would have to thank him tearfully. And when Chi Cheng’s company grew, he could kick Chu Mo out at any time. Chu Mo began to admire Chi Cheng’s strategy.

What Chu Mo didn’t know was that when Chi Cheng first started preparing this project, he wanted Chu Mo to invest. From a young age, Chi Cheng was taught by his family to “learn from the neighbor’s alpha, Chu Mo.” Chi Cheng and Chu Mo seemed like they were from different worlds. His only way to get Chu Mo’s attention was to cause trouble and do bad things. Chi Cheng didn’t want to continue like this. When Chi Cheng was studying abroad, he started paying special attention to various startup projects. He wanted to use a successful startup project to attract Chu Mo’s attention. Only then could Chi Cheng sit at the same table as Chu Mo. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even have the qualification to sit at the table.

Now, with Chu Mo delivering himself to his door, how could Chi Cheng let go of this opportunity?

Seeing the situation was not in his favor, Chu Mo feigned calmness and left a sentence, “I still need to think about this,” before striding out of the meeting room. He couldn’t fall into Chi Cheng’s trap.

Chu Mo quickly walked into the elevator, pressed the button for the basement floor, and breathed a sigh of relief. The elevator doors slowly closed. Just as the doors were about to close, a figure suddenly appeared outside the elevator, a hand directly blocking the gap in the elevator doors! The next second, the elevator doors were forcibly pried open by Chi Cheng.

Chu Mo was startled. He tried to maintain his composure, but his eyes still showed surprise when he saw Chi Cheng’s hand, red from being caught. “Chi Cheng, are you crazy?!” Chu Mo exclaimed.

Chi Cheng’s fingers were long and well-defined. He had learned various musical instruments since childhood, and the back of his hand was very fair. The red mark was particularly noticeable on it. Chi Cheng, however, seemed completely unaware of the pain, squeezing into the elevator and walking towards Chu Mo. His tall figure cornered Chu Mo.

“Do you want to fight?” Chu Mo warned, frowning, “I advise you not to have such thoughts, there are cameras in the elevator.”

Chi Cheng didn’t speak. He lowered his eyes, looking at the alpha slightly shorter than himself, his gaze complex yet determined. “Do you really reject me that much?” Chi Cheng suddenly asked.

The two were very close. As an omega, Chu Mo instinctively felt repelled. His back was pressed against the elevator wall, and he said hoarsely, “Chi Cheng, step back.”

Hearing this response, Chi Cheng’s eyes darkened. He knew Chu Mo was an alpha, rejecting him as a fellow. Even so, Chi Cheng still felt sad.

“I have something to do,” Chu Mo frowned, looking at Chi Cheng warily, “Hurry up and get out of the way.”

Chi Cheng looked up at Chu Mo. He suddenly remembered the search history on Chu Mo’s phone. A wave of jealousy bubbled up uncontrollably in his heart. “What do you have to do?” Chi Cheng blocked Chu Mo’s view, refusing to move, his voice cold and frightening, “Going to watch Xie Songchen’s basketball game?”

Chu Mo was stunned. How did Chi Cheng know? Seeing Chu Mo’s expression, Chi Cheng knew he was right. His face became even darker, gritting his teeth, “Chu Mo, is Xie Songchen’s basketball game that important to you?”

Chu Mo didn’t understand why Chi Cheng was asking this question. Xie Songchen was the main character gong, and this basketball game was a plot point for his relationship with the main character shou, Chu Yun, to heat up. Chu Mo had to be there.

“Of course, it’s important.” Chu Mo nodded, frowning, “So, please move.”

Hearing these two sentences from Chu Mo’s mouth, Chi Cheng’s whole body stiffened. Chu Mo was frightened by Chi Cheng’s gaze. He had never seen Chi Cheng show such a terrifying look.

Chi Cheng couldn’t suppress the jealousy surging in his heart. Jealousy and unwillingness swept over him like waves, swallowing him whole.

“Ding—” The elevator reached the basement floor, and the sound rang out. Chi Cheng suddenly let out a cold laugh, looking at Chu Mo, and slowly said, “The game has already started, and with traffic, you won’t make it in time to watch the game now.”

Chu Mo showed a look of astonishment. So… Chi Cheng was really deliberately stalling for time just now?!

As Chi Cheng said, the basketball game had already started. Inside the court, the referee signaled for the players to gather. Xie Songchen stood on the sidelines, glancing at his phone. His chat with Chu Mo showed no reply from Chu Mo, nor did he answer his calls. Xie Songchen stared at his phone for a while, the last glimmer in his eyes finally extinguished. The flickering flame in his heart was snuffed out.

Xie Songchen locked his phone and handed it to the coach. He lowered his eyes, hiding the disappointment in them. He should have known— He shouldn’t have had expectations for anyone.