Twenty Second Day of Pretending to Be an Alpha

Chu Mo frowned and asked, “Why are you stopping me?”

Chi Cheng’s expression flashed with a hint of awkwardness. He quickly composed himself and replied, “I’m not stopping you. You’re the one not keeping your word.”

Their eyes locked, and the air between them grew colder.

“Move,” Chu Mo said coldly.

The more Chu Mo tried to leave for the basketball game, the more determined Chi Cheng became to stop him.

As Chu Mo stepped out of the elevator, Chi Cheng moved forward and grabbed his arm. After a moment of silence, he lowered his voice:

“As long as you agree to invest in the project, I’ll let you go.”

He tried to suppress the jealousy and envy bubbling in his chest. For Chi Cheng, getting Chu Mo to invest wasn’t just about the money—it was his only chance to get closer to Chu Mo.

Chu Mo hadn’t expected Chi Cheng to be so relentless in securing investment. Has he really learned to endure after last time? Chu Mo thought. Has he grown from the humiliation?

He had to admit, this kid had started to grow wings.

His original purpose in humiliating Chi Cheng had been to push him to grow. As long as Chi Cheng could rise to success, the plot could move forward. To get to the basketball game, Chu Mo gritted his teeth and gave in.

“Chi Cheng, of course I can invest in you,” Chu Mo sneered, teeth clenched. “But if your project fails, you’ll pay me back—with interest—and never appear in front of me or my brother again. Understand?!”

Though his words were harsh, Chu Mo knew Chi Cheng wouldn’t fail.

Chi Cheng’s eyes lit up. He asked seriously, “What if I succeed?”

“You still want to set conditions with me?”

Chu Mo glanced at his phone—the game had already started ten minutes ago. He needed to leave immediately.

“If you succeed,” he said offhandedly, “you can set whatever condition you want.”

Chi Cheng was momentarily stunned. Then he released Chu Mo’s arm. As he watched Chu Mo walk away, he pressed his lips together, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. Deep down, he made a silent vow—to make this project a huge success. He wanted to be the only alpha in Chu Mo’s eyes. He wanted to be the most special one by Chu Mo’s side.

After leaving the investment meeting, Chu Mo headed straight to the national league venue. As Chi Cheng had warned, the traffic was indeed awful. Time ticked by, and Chu Mo kept checking the clock, anxiety building with each passing minute.

Inside the basketball court, only one quarter remained. H University’s team was narrowly in the lead. During a timeout, Xie Songchen grabbed a towel from the sidelines and wiped the sweat from his face, his expression cold. Nearby, teammates whispered:

“Xiao Xie’s playing so aggressively today, like he’s holding a grudge.”

“He’s not as focused, though—his scoring rate’s off.”

“Still, he’s scored a ton today. Definitely MVP.”

In his heart, Xie Songchen told himself he didn’t care whether Chu Mo came or not. But his peripheral vision kept drifting toward the empty seat in the stands. Chu Mo still hadn’t shown up.

A flicker of disappointment crossed Xie Songchen’s eyes before he quickly masked it and returned to the game.

In the final quarter, he gave it everything he had. Zhou Jingyan’s earlier words echoed in his mind. If Chu Mo showed up—even just for a second—he wanted to be seen at his best.

Beep— The whistle blew. The final basket had been made.

Xie Songchen had scored it.

H University overtook their opponents at the last second, winning the championship. Cheers erupted throughout the stadium. The crowd roared his name.

Still, Xie Songchen looked up toward the audience. The section reserved for friends and family was still empty.

His jaw tightened. He lowered his eyes and said nothing.

Amid the thunderous celebration, Xie Songchen seemed out of place. The victory didn’t bring him joy. While his teammates screamed and hugged each other, Xie Songchen quietly said, “I have something to do. I’ll be back later,” then turned and walked straight out of the gym.

Just as he reached the entrance, a familiar figure appeared.

Chu Mo arrived at the gym just as the game ended.

He’d assumed he’d walk into a scene of Xie Songchen hugging Chu Yun. But instead, the first thing he saw was a cold-faced Xie Songchen walking straight toward him.

For a moment, Xie Songchen froze at the sight of Chu Mo.

The next second, his brows furrowed. He looked at Chu Mo with a gaze so cold it could freeze air.

“The game’s over,” Xie Songchen said, voice low and hard. “Why are you even here?”

His tone was sharp—full of restrained anger and bitter questioning.

Chu Mo was stunned. He glanced at the scoreboard, confirming H University had won.

Then why is he so upset?

Did something happen?

Seeing Chu Mo standing there, clueless and unapologetic, made Xie Songchen’s expression turn even darker.

“Chu Mo,” he said, struggling to keep his composure. His voice trembled slightly. “I shouldn’t have given you that ticket.”

Chu Mo’s eyes widened—He’s upset because I didn’t show up for the game?

Thinking it over, he realized it made sense. The ticket had been valuable.

He clenched it in his hand and instinctively tried to explain. “Ahem, well… I didn’t mean to be late. I was at Chi Cheng’s investment meeting, and as soon as it ended, I rushed over. But the traffic was awful…”

Hearing Chu Mo’s explanation, Xie Songchen’s expression didn’t improve—in fact, it worsened.

“So,” he said, voice low and cold, “you missed my game because of Chi Cheng?!”

Chu Mo was taken aback by the question. Why is he focusing on Chi Cheng? But he didn’t have time to unpack that now—he just wanted to move the plot forward.

“Since you won the game,” Chu Mo said, trying to change the subject, “why not celebrate with them?”

He was clearly hinting at Xie Songchen to go hug Chu Yun.

But Xie Songchen stared at him expressionlessly, teeth clenched. “Do I look like I’m in the mood to celebrate?”

Just then, not far away, Chu Yun spotted them. “Brother!” he called out, jogging over to Chu Mo with a bright smile.

Chu Mo sighed inwardly. Here it comes. The original plot is finally happening. Xie Songchen should go hug Chu Yun any second now.

But before Chu Yun could reach them, something unexpected happened.

Inside the venue, the crowd hadn’t fully dispersed. Spectators had flooded the court—some asking for autographs, others goofing around or trying to shoot baskets. The scene was chaotic. And in the chaos, a basketball suddenly flew out from Chu Mo’s left side at high speed.

Chu Mo saw it in his peripheral vision but didn’t have time to react.

“Watch out!”

With a grim expression, Xie Songchen lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Chu Mo while raising his elbow to block the incoming basketball. The force of the motion knocked them both off balance, and they fell to the ground together.

Mid-fall, Xie Songchen twisted his body, shielding Chu Mo in his arms.

Thud—

Xie Songchen landed on his back, taking the full impact, while Chu Mo was held securely in his embrace.

The stadium fell silent.

Chu Mo froze. It took him a moment to process what had happened. He quickly became aware of Xie Songchen’s body—hot from post-game exertion, the scent of sweat and hormones lingering. Xie Songchen’s chest rose and fell with each rapid breath, his basketball jersey and shorts in stark contrast to Chu Mo’s crisp, high-end suit.

Their eyes met.

Chu Mo’s breath hitched. From this close, he could see the ripple of emotion in Xie Songchen’s usually icy eyes.

Just then, Chu Yun’s shocked voice cut through the silence:

“Xie Songchen! What are you doing?! Let go of my brother!”

Chu Mo’s mind went blank. Wait—this isn’t right! I’m supposed to be catching them hugging, not… being caught in a compromising position with Xie Songchen!

Panic surged through him.

He quickly struggled to get up, putting several steps of distance between them. Xie Songchen also stood, his expression unreadable. His elbow was red and slightly scraped from the fall, but he didn’t seem to notice.

In the ABO world, physical contact between an alpha and an omega was dangerous. And although Chu Mo had always presented as an alpha, the memory of that moment—of Xie Songchen’s overwhelming presence—made the hairs on his neck stand up.

“Xie Songchen, why are you meddling?” Chu Mo snapped, frowning. He swallowed hard, voice fierce and shaky. “It was just a basketball. Do you think I, an alpha, can’t dodge it?”

Xie Songchen was still seething about Chu Mo missing the game, but his ears betrayed him—turning a noticeable shade of red. He looked away, stiffly replying, “Only because you’re my boss.”

Chu Yun, watching this, was stunned.

It was the first time he’d seen Xie Songchen react this way. Usually so composed, he now looked… flustered. Like an alpha upset their date had shown up late.

That absurd thought made Chu Yun’s heart skip. What date? That’s my big brother! He’s a straight-A! There’s no way Xie Songchen would… like him?!

Trying to regain control of the situation, Chu Mo straightened and said firmly, “Next time, don’t help. You’re an alpha. Having physical contact with me—don’t you find it disgusting?”

Then he turned to Chu Yun, his tone softening. “Xiao Yun, let’s go.”

He bypassed Xie Songchen and headed toward the gymnasium’s exit. Chu Yun followed quickly. “Brother, wait for me!”

Before leaving, Chu Yun gave Xie Songchen a long, meaningful look.

Xie Songchen lowered his eyes, hiding the sharp sting of disappointment.

What Chu Mo had said just now—about physical contact being “disgusting”—struck deeper than he wanted to admit. Yes, they were both alphas. And because of that, Chu Mo didn’t want any contact. He hadn’t come to see Xie Songchen’s game. He was only here for his brother, Chu Yun.

A straight A like Chu Mo would never understand Xie Songchen’s feelings.

He shouldn’t have entertained any impossible thoughts.

Xie Songchen clenched his fists involuntarily. The disappointment sat like a weight in his chest.

As he turned to leave, something on the ground caught his eye—a small box, fallen near where Chu Mo had landed. It must have slipped from Chu Mo’s jacket pocket during the fall.

Frowning, Xie Songchen walked over and picked it up.

The label on the box stopped him cold.

Inhibitor.

The word was printed in bold letters across the top.

Xie Songchen’s eyes widened.

This… came from Chu Mo?

But how could Chu Mo—a so-called straight-A alpha—be carrying omega inhibitors?