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【So nowadays, protection means sending a lawyer’s letter to the other party. Got it.】

【(Feigning affection) Oh~ Xi Chenyi~ You’re just~ Protecting~ Our darling~ Zhen Zhen~ Eww, almost threw up my dinner.】

Seeing things weren’t going well, that fan quickly deleted their account.

Overnight, Cheng Yuzhen lost millions of fans and was blacklisted by all entertainment companies.

Afterwards, she posted a tearful apology video, but no one believed her.

What awaited her would be legal consequences.

This minor episode soon passed, and almost everyone turned their attention to Xi Chenyi’s upcoming match in a month.

But I didn’t have much hope. Believing in such a low-probability event is like believing a pig will climb a tree.

Moreover, Xi Chenyi’s ideal type clearly wasn’t me.

Forget about seducing him in bed—I didn’t even dare to ask to stay at his place persistently.

The fake “Cheng Yuzhen” may be gone, but the real one was bound to show up sooner or later.

Statistics from the Federation over many years have shown that AO (Alpha-Omega) couples who match through the pairing system have the lowest divorce rates.

Their genes are destined for high compatibility.

As a result, most people find their future partners through this matching system.

Xi Chenyi’s decision to go through with it was actually the right choice.

I secretly found a part-time job to earn money, pre-booked a rental house, and decided to move out on the day of Xi Chenyi’s match.

---

11

That day arrived quickly.

The match was held in the form of a grand banquet.

Staff from the AO Pairing Center came to the Xi family’s old residence with the equipment, and at the designated time, the match would be conducted on-site via their database.

The banquet was attended by many elites from various fields—people you often see on television—showing just how seriously Xi Chenyi took this event.

One day prior, he gave me a gold-trimmed invitation and specifically told me to attend the banquet.

“Why do you want me there?”

Xi Chenyi stared directly into my eyes, saying each word clearly: “You’re the main character.”

I got it—language is truly profound. I guess everyone at the banquet is a “main character” since they’re witnesses to Xi Chenyi’s future happiness.

It was my first time seeing him dressed so formally. He even wore his general’s uniform.

His expression was different from the usual calm and indifference; instead, there was a constant hint of a smile.

Standing in the corner, sipping my orange juice, I occasionally met Xi Chenyi’s gaze.

Do I have something on my face? Why does he keep staring at me?

And he’s about to have an Omega—what would his Omega think if they knew he kept looking at me?

One minute before the match, Xi Chenyi was called to the preparation room by the Xi family.

I, however, quietly slipped out of the venue.

I returned to my rented house, turned off my phone signal to avoid receiving news I didn’t want to see.

I turned on the TV to distract myself, but the moment it started, I heard the name “Xi Chenyi.” To avoid hearing more, I quickly switched channels.

But no matter how many times I changed it, every channel was covering the same thing.

It seemed the match results had already come out, and that’s why it was all over the media.

I could only turn off the TV, lie down on the bed, and force myself to sleep.

Just as my pillow became wetter with tears, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Xi Chenyi’s voice, low and terrifying, seeped through the crack in the door, hitting my ears like a hammer:

“Sutang, open the door.”

---

12

The moment I opened the door, I felt the world spin, and before I knew it, Xi Chenyi had pinned me against the door.

His Alpha body pressed hotly against mine.

Xi Chenyi forcefully lifted my lowered head. “Why…”

But the rest of his words were swallowed as soon as our eyes met.

I sniffled, pretending to be indifferent, though my red eyes had long betrayed me, making me look like a wet, helpless deer.

Xi Chenyi gently wiped away the tears on my face, his tone much softer now. “Why are you crying?”

I pushed him away. “You already have an Omega. We AO shouldn’t be so close. You should leave.”

Xi Chenyi didn’t budge an inch. Instead, he chuckled self-mockingly: “My Omega not only rejected my confession but also ran away.”

I stared at him wide-eyed, shocked that Xi Chenyi could ever be rejected.

“Then go chase them! Why are you here looking for me?”

He leaned in closer, so close that I could see my trembling reflection in his pupils.

My heart skipped a beat.

Xi Chenyi spoke slowly: “Aren’t I chasing right now?”

I froze on the spot.

Trapped in the little world he created around us, all I could smell was the metallic scent of his pheromones.

My mind went blank, and it took me a while to realize the meaning behind Xi Chenyi’s words.

“You mean… you’re chasing me?”

“But… weren’t you supposed to match with someone today?”

Xi Chenyi stayed silent, instead lifting me onto the sofa.

I straddled onto his lap, my back against his chest.

He turned on the TV, which immediately showed the news I had tried to avoid earlier.

“Xi Chenyi Confesses but Gets Stood Up—Over 10,000 Roses, but No Main Character?”

The screen displayed a platform slowly rising with thousands of roses, while Xi Chenyi stood alone at the center, looking incredibly lonely.

Xi Chenyi hugged my waist, kissing the back of my neck where my gland was.

“There won’t be a match.”

“I planned this for so long, just to use this opportunity to confess to you. All those people would have been witnesses to our story.”

A rush of emotion overwhelmed me, and before my tears could fall, Xi Chenyi gently wiped them away.

His voice echoed softly in my ear: “I love you. Will you accept?”

Xi Chenyi had gone straight to the point, leaving me dazed, but I nodded firmly.

“Then why did you run?”