Twenty Eighth Day of Pretending to Be an Alpha

A flicker of surprise crossed Chu Mo’s usually calm face. He hadn’t expected the strong inhibitors he’d lost to end up in Xie Songchen’s hands. Chi Cheng’s eyes widened as he stared at the box in Xie Songchen’s hand. Zhou Jingyan was equally incredulous.

The three alphas present couldn’t believe it—had Chu Mo been pretending to be an alpha all along?

If calculated from the time of differentiation, Chu Mo would have been pretending for at least nine years. Zhou Jingyan’s first thought was: Impossible.

Xie Songchen shouldn’t have asked this question in front of Chi Cheng. But Zhou Jingyan’s earlier words had stirred jealousy in him. He’d always thought of himself as composed and self-controlled. Yet, hearing that Chu Mo had administered an inhibitor to an omega in a restroom stall, he couldn’t suppress his jealousy.

Seeing Chu Mo remain silent, Xie Songchen felt his throat go dry. His jaw tightened as he spoke, “What’s wrong, can’t answer?”

Outwardly, Xie Songchen appeared to be aggressively questioning Chu Mo. Inwardly, he was just as tense. He feared Chu Mo might be an omega, which would mean Chu Mo had been deceiving him all along. But he also feared Chu Mo wasn’t an omega, which would mean nothing had changed between them.

No matter the answer, Xie Songchen’s feelings were bound to be complicated.

The three alphas’ gazes were fixed intently on Chu Mo. He was on the brink of being exposed. One wrong word, and his gender would be revealed, his character shattered, and he’d never be able to return to his original world.

Chu Mo’s mind was working like a high-speed computer, processing rapidly. After a moment, he spoke.

“So that’s where the inhibitor went,” Chu Mo said, feigning realization. “I’ve been looking for it.”

Xie Songchen frowned, eyes locked on Chu Mo. “What do you mean?”

Chi Cheng couldn’t help but ask, “Are you really an omega?”

Zhou Jingyan felt like he was dreaming.

“Actually, it was my first time buying inhibitors for him,” Chu Mo said, maintaining a cold demeanor but with a hint of embarrassment, pretending to be awkward. “I didn’t know the difference between strong and regular inhibitors, and I got scolded for it.”

The break room fell into a long silence. Chu Mo’s words carried a lot of weight. The “him” he referred to was clearly an omega. Being “scolded” suggested a close relationship with this omega, leading to speculation that Chu Mo might be romantically involved with an omega.

Chi Cheng felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. He stood frozen, shock and jealousy etched on his face. “Chu Mo, what do you mean by that? Who is this omega?!”

Zhou Jingyan was equally surprised. He hadn’t expected the domineering alpha President Chu to have such a gentle side. He thought the omega was incredibly lucky to have such a good alpha.

Hearing this, Xie Songchen’s hand trembled. Outwardly, he maintained a calm facade, lips pressed into a tight line. But his fingers clenched the box so tightly it began to warp.

“P-President Chu…” Zhou Jingyan couldn’t help but ask, “Is that omega your partner?”

It was the question both Chi Cheng and Xie Songchen wanted answered. All three awaited Chu Mo’s response.

Chu Mo remained silent, the tension in the break room growing palpable. Chi Cheng held his breath, fists clenched, veins bulging on the back of his hands. Xie Songchen looked like he might crush the box in his grip.

“As the heir to Chu Group,” Chu Mo said, raising an eyebrow, his tone composed, “I don’t need to report my private life to anyone.”

Outwardly, he was the picture of calm. Inwardly, his palms were slick with cold sweat.

Jealousy clouding his judgment, Chi Cheng blurted, “Chu Mo, when did you meet this omega? You’re a company president—where do you find the time to date an omega?!”

He’d thought he could accept Chu Mo being a straight alpha. But hearing Chu Mo might be romantically involved with an omega stirred a storm of jealousy within him.

Xie Songchen’s brow furrowed, his gaze intense enough to bore holes into Chu Mo. Chu Mo didn’t understand why these two alphas were looking at him so intently. Wasn’t it normal for a top-tier straight alpha like him to have a fling with an omega?

Zhou Jingyan thought: So President Chu really is dating an omega! Such an outstanding person should have a partner. But for some reason, Zhou Jingyan felt a slight… disappointment? He couldn’t quite pinpoint the emotion.

The atmosphere in the break room was delicate. To avoid further questioning, Chu Mo coldly said, “Mind your own business,” and left.

Chi Cheng and Xie Songchen’s expressions turned sour. Zhou Jingyan watched their reactions, sensing something was off. Why did they look like they’d just been dumped? Weren’t they alphas?

Upon learning that Chu Mo might be dating an omega, Xie Songchen dismissed all previous suspicions about Chu Mo’s gender. His mind was consumed with questions about Chu Mo’s love life: Who was this omega? What did Chu Mo see in them? How far had their relationship progressed? These questions left Xie Songchen restless, unable to focus on work.

In the following days, Xie Songchen seemed like a different person. Even Li Shuo noticed a drop in his work efficiency. His attention seemed elsewhere. For instance, whenever Chu Mo was on the phone, Xie Songchen would quietly enter to deliver documents, lingering until the call ended. Or, when Chu Mo sent messages during meetings, Xie Songchen would frown, observing his expressions. If Chu Mo smiled, Xie Songchen’s grip on his cup would tighten, oblivious to the water spilling over.

One day, after delivering coffee to Chu Mo, Xie Songchen glanced at him. Chu Mo was engrossed in work. Xie Songchen looked away, intending to leave. But then, Chu Mo picked up his phone, checking a message. As he read it, a smile tugged at his lips.

Xie Songchen’s steps halted abruptly. He discreetly glanced at Chu Mo, trying to glean something from his expression. Just then, Chu Mo pressed the voice button, sending a message in a light, expectant tone: “Let’s have dinner tonight.”

Xie Songchen froze. After sending the message, Chu Mo looked up at him. “Why are you still here? Is there something else?”

Xie Songchen remained silent. After a moment, he feigned nonchalance. “I just remembered I left some documents here. I need to retrieve them.”

He moved to the file cabinet beside Chu Mo, pretending to search for files. But his attention was on Chu Mo, ears attuned to his messages. During this time, Chu Mo sent a few more voice messages.

“I miss you too.”

“It’s been a while since we had dinner.”

“…”

After sending the messages, Chu Mo glanced at Xie Songchen. He noticed him standing by the file cabinet, movements stiff, his expression off. The cabinet’s contents were in disarray from his rummaging.

“Can’t find the file?” Chu Mo frowned, his tone critical. “What’s wrong with your work ability? Can’t even find a file?”

His attitude starkly contrasted with the lighthearted tone of his messages. Xie Songchen paused, not meeting Chu Mo’s gaze, his voice slightly stiff. “…Can’t find it.”

For some reason, Chu Mo felt like Xie Songchen had suffered a major blow. Lately, Chu Mo had been pleased with his successful concealment of his gender. But Xie Songchen seemed perpetually out of sorts. Chu Mo thought, perhaps the joys and sorrows of people really don’t connect. It was likely the main character’s romantic subplot was hitting a snag.

Then, Xie Songchen looked at Chu Mo, casually asking, “Do you have plans tonight?”

Chu Mo was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Xie Songchen to show interest in his personal life. “Why, so concerned about your boss’s private schedule?” Chu Mo raised an eyebrow, his tone mocking. “Focus on your work, or you might get fired.”

Xie Songchen simply replied, “Oh,” lowering his gaze, saying nothing more. He left the office quietly. Chu Mo noticed his empty hands, puzzled. Wasn’t he looking for a file? Why didn’t he take anything?

As evening approached, a sudden downpour began. Chu Mo finished his important emails, ready to head out. His driver waited with his business car at the company entrance. The weather had turned chilly. Chu Mo donned a coat and left his office. To his surprise, he found that Xie Songchen, who usually stayed late, was already gone. Chu Mo didn’t think much of it, assuming he had left early for some reason.

Five minutes later, Chu Mo reached the ground floor. The rain outside was pouring heavily. As he approached the entrance, he spotted a familiar figure. Xie Songchen stood there, wearing only a thin suit and shirt. His hair was drenched, skin pale against the rain. His shirt was soaked, shoulders stained with water.

Seeing Chu Mo, Xie Songchen hesitated. “Xie Songchen?” Chu Mo asked, puzzled. “Why haven’t you gone home?”

Xie Songchen approached, glancing down. “I was halfway home when it started pouring…”

His voice, usually cold, now carried a slight tremor from the cold. It was barely noticeable, the speaker trying hard to suppress it. Only Chu Mo could hear it.

Chu Mo paused, asking, “Didn’t you bring an umbrella?”

Raindrops trickled down Xie Songchen’s jaw, soaking his collar. His wet shirt clung to his chest and collarbone. “I lent it to a colleague this morning,” Xie Songchen said, his Adam’s apple bobbing, water droplets clinging to his lowered lashes. “I don’t have an umbrella.”

For some reason, a word that didn’t fit Xie Songchen at all popped into Chu Mo’s mind—vulnerability. The thought startled Chu Mo. How could a top-tier alpha like Xie Songchen show vulnerability in front of him? It must be a mistake.

Chu Mo’s tone softened, his frown deepening. “What are you going to do now?”

Xie Songchen pressed his lips together, meeting Chu Mo’s gaze. There was a flicker of hope in his eyes, quickly extinguished. He lowered his head, watching the raindrops splash on the ground. “Never mind,” he murmured, voice soft. “You have plans. I won’t trouble you.”

Of course, Chu Mo couldn’t just leave Xie Songchen there. If he got sick from the rain, it would affect the progress of the career plotline. After a moment of silence, Chu Mo said, “…Take my car.”

Xie Songchen blinked. The next second, he looked at Chu Mo. His face was expressionless, but his tone was light and cheerful. “Okay.”

Chu Mo mentally raised an eyebrow. What happened to “I won’t trouble you”? Why agree so readily?