Chapter 21: Day Twenty-One of Pretending to be A [Double Update Combined]

Chapter 21: Pretending to Be an Alpha – Day 21 "Double Chapter Release"

Pretending to Be an Alpha – Day 21

Seeing Xie Songchen’s pictures filling the phone screen, Chi Cheng’s face darkened.

Noticing Chi Cheng’s odd expression, Chu Mo still had no idea what had happened.

With a slightly puzzled tone, he asked, “Chi Chengjun... what's wrong with my phone?”

“God damn it! Don’t call me Chi Chengjun!” Chi Cheng snapped with a scowl, cutting Chu Mo off.

Chu Mo frowned. “What are you angry about now?”

Chi Cheng gripped the phone tightly in his hand, then shoved it in front of Chu Mo the next second. “You waste company time searching for photos of other alphas? Are you some kind of creep?”

When Chu Mo saw the screen clearly, his face went blank.

Earlier, after searching for Xie Songchen on Weibo, Chu Mo hadn’t had the chance to exit the app.

A series of events had happened in between, making Chu Mo completely forget about it.

Hence this awkward situation.

“Ahem,” Chu Mo’s mind raced, and after a moment, he shot back defensively, “I like watching basketball games. Got a problem with that?”

Chi Cheng pointed at the caption on the Weibo post.

“‘Who doesn’t love an alpha dripping with pheromones?’ Chu Mo, is this the kind of ‘basketball game’ you usually watch? As an alpha yourself, don’t you find this disgusting?”

When Chi Cheng read the text aloud, Chu Mo cringed hard.

Chi Cheng stared at Chu Mo, his eyes filled with seething jealousy.

If Chu Mo had searched for an omega, Chi Cheng would have been angry.

But since Chu Mo had searched for an alpha, Chi Cheng wasn't just mad—he was downright jealous.

Chi Cheng didn’t even know why he felt this way.

Right now, all he wanted was a reasonable explanation from Chu Mo.

“When I searched for Xie Songchen, this was the first thing that popped up,” Chu Mo deadpanned. “What could I do?”

Chi Cheng scanned Chu Mo’s face for a while, confirming that he wasn’t lying, before some of the jealousy drained from his eyes.

He grumbled, “What a shitty app. Stop using it!”

Chu Mo replied coolly, “None of your damn business.”

Chi Cheng really had no business dictating what Chu Mo did.

Jaw clenched, no matter how furious he was, he could only stab at the screen a few times to exit the app.

Before closing it, Chi Cheng hijacked Chu Mo’s account to report-block the account that had posted the Xie Songchen content.

Then, he opened the notes app and punched in the address.

“This location,” Chi Cheng handed the phone back to Chu Mo, grumbling, “Don't you dare bail on me.”

Chi Cheng wore his heart on his sleeve.

Chu Mo couldn't figure out why the guy was sulking again.

After Chi Cheng left Shengmo Group,

he slid into the car, and Uncle Zhou, the driver beside him, ventured carefully, "Mr. Chi, are we heading back to the company now?"

Chi Cheng didn’t answer.

He was lost in thought.

Chi Cheng didn’t know why seeing such things had put him in a bad mood.

He just felt that...

if Chu Mo was such a by-the-book alpha,

then at the very least, the most important alpha in Chu Mo’s life should be him.

Why was it that after just a few years abroad, another alpha had appeared in Chu Mo’s life?

That alpha named Xie Songchen.

Chi Cheng stared at the Shengmo Group building outside the window, his eyes shadowed with emotion, his fingers unconsciously tightening.

Chi Cheng didn’t understand the source of his emotions.

He only knew he couldn’t accept this situation.

A flicker of jealousy and resentment crossed Chi Cheng’s eyes before hardening into something dangerous.

At this moment.

H University.

Alpha dorm of the Dance Department.

A lanky, good-looking guy pushed open the door.

He was wearing the H University basketball team jersey, his pale arms corded with veins, sweat beading along the defined lines of his muscles.

The guy placed a takeout container of noodles on his roommate’s desk. "Got your noodles. No spice, like you asked."

"Jingyan! I’m so touched! You still helped me bring noodles after practice, and you even remembered I don’t eat spicy food!" The roommate looked at him like he'd just been handed a lifeline. "Don't you have a game coming up?"

Zhou Jingyan nodded, hiking up his jersey to casually wipe away his sweat.

"Wow—Yan-ge’s six-pack!" The roommate teased. "How did you train it so well?"

Zhou Jingyan smiled, a cute dimple popping at the corner of his lips. "First, cut out processed carbs."

The roommate glanced at the noodles in his bowl and quickly shook his head. "Never mind then. You're training to be an idol, but I'm just an ordinary dance student. Just maintaining my weight is struggle enough."

Zhou Jingyan picked up a towel, preparing to take a shower. "I haven't even had my debut yet. How can I be called an idol?"

"Jingyan, be honest—did your company screw you?" The roommate said heatedly. "You've been under contract forever, and now you're in your fourth year of college, but they still won’t let you debut. It's so unfair!"

Zhou Jingyan paused, his eyes clouding over briefly.

After a moment, he quickly adjusted his expression and gave a wry smile. "Stop talking about it. My company's about to go under."

His roommate's eyes widened in genuine shock. "What? Seriously?"

Zhou Jingyan sighed. "Maybe I'm a company jinx."

The roommate immediately felt genuinely upset for Zhou Jingyan.

"Bro, among all the alphas at H University, who can compare to you except that CS department's golden boy?" the roommate said indignantly around mouthfuls of noodles. "If even you can't debut, what's even the point of the entertainment industry?!"

Zhou Jingyan sighed. "Debut isn't my only option. If the company really goes under, I'll make other plans in advance. Don't worry."

"Hey, by the way—"

The roommate suddenly seemed to remember something, his eyes lighting up. "Didn't you have a 100% compatibility score with Chu Group's omega?"

"Yeah," Zhou Jingyan nodded. "But Chu Yun and I are just friends. Besides, neither of us cares about compatibility scores."

"Get real! He's an omega from the Chu family!" The roommate pushed his noodles aside, put down his chopsticks, and looked at Zhou Jingyan with exasperation. "His big brother practically owns H City! If you ask Chu Yun for help, debuting would be child's play!"

Zhou Jingyan froze for a second, then laughed. "Have you lost it?"

Chu Yun’s big brother...

That alpha standing at the top of the food chain?

With so much talent in the entertainment industry, like that guy would even look my way?

*Like that guy would even look my way.*

Zhou Jingyan shook his head with a smile, writing it off as his roommate being dramatic, and headed to the bathroom with his towel and change of clothes.

*A few days later.*

On the day of the game.

Since Xie Songchen had a game today, Chu Mo made sure he got the day off.

Even so, Xie Songchen still came to the office in the morning.

He kept finding ways to check whether Chu Mo would attend the game.

For example, while pouring coffee, Xie Songchen suddenly remarked, "This latte is a bit hot."

Chu Mo just grunted in response, eyes fixed on his computer screen as he worked.

Xie Songchen continued, "Drinking it will keep me alert for the game this afternoon."

Chu Mo replied, "...Got it."

That seemed to satisfy Xie Songchen.

Chu Mo thought to himself—was Xie Songchen really that determined to make him watch the game?

After careful consideration, Chu Mo figured this was some kind of challenge.

Not only did Xie Songchen plan to sweep Chu Yun into his arms after the game...

He intended to do it right under Chu Mo's nose. *Nice move, main love interest.*

Am I just a pawn in your game?!

Chu Mo thought about it and felt a thrill.

After all, it was his first time experiencing this kind of "cheater confrontation" scene.

He *had* to make it to the basketball game on time after Chi Cheng's investment meeting.

Sitting in the business car, Chu Mo glanced at the clock.

He would arrive at Chi Cheng's investor meeting before 2 p.m. The meeting wouldn’t run longer than an hour. After mocking Chi Cheng post-meeting, he could head straight to the basketball game.

Chu Mo’s plan was airtight.

When Chu Mo arrived at the investment meeting venue,

Chi Cheng, *notoriously* late, was already waiting at the entrance.

Spotting Chu Mo, Chi Cheng's eyes lit up.

Then, masking his delight, he put on a stern face and said, "Cutting it close, aren’t you?"

"My showing up *is* the favor, got it?" Chu Mo retorted arrogantly. "Don’t push your luck."

"Your seat is over there," Chi Cheng pointed to the spot next to him. "I set up your nameplate on the table."

Chu Mo hadn’t expected Chi Cheng to care *this much* about him showing up.

He thought to himself: Well, of course. Chi Cheng had been preparing for this meeting for so long just to humiliate him. Naturally, he’d want Chu Mo seated right beside him to witness it all.

No male lead in this novel was a pushover.

The investment meeting proceeded smoothly.

In the original story, Chu Mo had dozed off during the presentation.

But the real Chu Mo found himself hooked by the project.

Faking phone-scrolling, he listened intently to every word Chi Cheng said, low-key blown away.

This project had been in the works since Chi Cheng’s time studying abroad. His team included Ivy League-tier talent, and the entire plan—from its foundational logic to development roadmap and monetization strategy—was bulletproof.

The only catch was that no similar platform had succeeded in the market yet.

Chu Mo thought to himself: Why’d the novel make me look like a moron?

Only a fool would pass up investing in this project!

As the meeting neared its end,

Chi Cheng, hoarse from talking, took a sip of water.

He looked at Chu Mo expectantly and asked, "Mr. Chu, what are your thoughts?"

Biting back his enthusiasm,

Chu Mo glanced around and said, "What does everyone else think?"

The room was split.

Yet they all agreed that the investment in this project was substantial, and the risks were equally high.

Chi Cheng had a reputation as a playboy, so no one took him seriously at first.

Chu Mo put on his act.

He tossed the business plan onto the table, his gaze dripping with disdain.

"A project like this could be written by a freshman," Chu Mo sneered. "Little Chi, you must know how many social platforms fail nationwide every year. This proposal is completely derivative."

Chi Cheng frowned. "That doesn’t mean I’ll fail."

Chu Mo intended to push him to lose his temper further.

So he said, "I think Little Chi is overconfident. In my eyes, your startup can’t attract any investment—not even Pre-A round funding. Might as well quit while you’re ahead."

Chi Cheng snapped back, his fingers clenched, "Chu Mo, are you blind? There’s no way this project fails!"

After dropping his most humiliating line, Chu Mo could leave immediately.

He let out a cold laugh, crossed his legs, and said with utter disdain, "Little Chi, considering you fought for my brother when we were kids, I’ll invest five million in you—like throwing pennies at a fountain turtle—just for the clink."

The second those words were out, the executives who already disliked Chi Cheng broke into snickers.

Only Chu Mo had the guts to mock Chi Cheng like this in front of everyone.

With that, Chu Mo stood up, ready to leave. "I suggest you take your business plan to a charity and ask if anyone’s willing to get your head checked for free. Otherwise—"

"You’re really going to invest in me?"

Chi Cheng suddenly interrupted, his voice weirdly eager.

Chu Mo paused, startled.

He stared, baffled.

After being humiliated like this, shouldn’t Chi Cheng be furious, swearing to shove it in Chu Mo’s face later?

Why was he asking this?

"With this garbage project, who else in this room would even spare you a dime?" Chu Mo chuckled mockingly. "What, do you actually want me to burn cash just for the fun of it?"

Chi Cheng met Chu Mo’s eyes and, dead serious, said, "Then I accept your investment."

Chu Mo went stock-still, his eyes widening. "What?!"

This project was a goldmine in the making.

As the designated antagonist, Chu Mo should have been excluded from it.

Yet Chi Cheng was agreeing to his investment?!

Chu Mo’s expression stiffened, his eyes flashing with confusion.

He’d played his part perfectly—how was Chi Cheng shrugging this off?

Noticing Chu Mo’s rigid expression, Chi Cheng stared at him and deliberately provoked, "What, backing out now that you’ve said it in front of everyone?"

Chu Mo suppressed the confusion in his heart, sneered, and said, "Chi Cheng, do you think this project is doomed to fail, so you're trying to take me down with you?"

Chi Cheng brushed off Chu Mo’s jab.

He continued slowly and deliberately, "Chu Mo, aren't you famously known as the 'notorious heartbreaker' in H City? You go back on your own words—can’t you even own up to your words?"

Chu Mo was momentarily speechless upon hearing this.

Damn this overbearing CEO act!

With a darkened expression, Chu Mo said coldly, "Chi Cheng, where do you get the confidence that this project will succeed?"

"Of course I have confidence," Chi Cheng slammed the business proposal onto the table in front of Chu Mo. "If you have any doubts, I can address them one by one."

Somehow, Chu Mo couldn’t shake the feeling that...

*Was Chi Cheng stalling for time?*

"Chi Cheng, just because I invest in you, does that mean the project will succeed? Don’t kid yourself..."

Before Chu Mo could finish, Chi Cheng interrupted again:

"As long as you invest, I can sign a bet agreement with you."

Chu Mo doubted his own ears.

A bet agreement is a common tactic in business, protecting the investor’s bottom line through a wager.

If Chi Cheng succeeds, Chu Mo profits.

If Chi Cheng fails, he compensates Chu Mo—Chu Mo still profits.

The moment these words were spoken, everyone present was stunned; everyone thought Chi Cheng had gone mad.

Chi Cheng locked eyes with the stunned Chu Mo and calmly said, "Now, can you trust me?"

Meanwhile.

At the national college basketball league competition venue.

Outside H University’s gymnasium, fans without tickets gathered in droves, holding up their phones to capture the spectacle.

Tip-off was in five minutes.

Inside the gymnasium, the second Xie Songchen emerged, the crowd went wild in enthusiastic cheers and applause.

A third of the audience was his fans, turning it into a sea of support, creating a spectacle.

Zhou Jingyan followed Xie Songchen onto the court and grumbled, "This fan support—I’m actually jealous."

Zhou Jingyan’s appearance also caused a wave of murmurs.

The crowd wasn’t familiar with him, but his face was just as striking as Xie Songchen’s, if not more.

The tournament cameras zoomed in on Zhou Jingyan’s face.

His face lit up the jumbotron, commanding attention.

When Chu Yun made his entrance, he, too, got a roaring welcome.

Chu Yun was, after all, the only omega on H University's elite varsity team.

He held his own against the alphas around him, whether in height, muscles, or skills.

Xie Songchen tuned out the crowd noise.

His gaze roamed through the venue, searching for a certain figure.

Finally, his gaze landed on the seats reserved for family tickets.

The vacant seat was a glaring absence, painfully obvious.

At that moment, there were still three minutes left before the match began.

The spark in Xie Songchen's eyes died instantly.

Next to him, Zhou Jingyan keenly picked up on Xie Songchen’s mood and asked, “Little Xie, are you waiting for someone?”

Xie Songchen had few friends on the team.

Apart from Chu Yun and Zhou Jingyan.

Chu Yun was Chu Mo's little brother.

As for Zhou Jingyan, he was the team's resident nice guy who got along with everybody.

Xie Songchen considered him an acquaintance, exchanging the occasional word.

Xie Songchen’s thin lips pressed into a tight line.

After a moment of silence, he managed a low, gruff “Hmm” from his throat.

Chu Yun, curious, chimed in, “Who are you waiting for?”

Xie Songchen bounced the basketball hard in his hand, and the next second, it was firmly gripped in his large palm.

“Someone who can't be on time.” His expression was cold, his tone laced with disappointment.

Zhou Jingyan blinked in surprise.

He quickly tried to console Xie Songchen, “Maybe he's stuck in traffic. Just focus on the game—when he arrives, he'll see you at your best.”

Xie Songchen said coldly, “He won’t come.”

His voice carried a sulky edge.

Even dense Chu Yun picked up on it.

Chu Yun was floored.

Someone like Xie Songchen, a veritable iceberg, could actually get upset over someone’s absence in the stands?

Just who was this person?

Zhou Jingyan was just as curious.

He thought to himself: *Talk about ungrateful—these tickets are impossible to get.*

In Zhou Jingyan’s mind, this person had already become someone who was ungrateful and flaky.

On the other side.

At the investment meeting venue.

Stuck maintaining his image, Chu Mo found himself in a dilemma.

He hadn’t expected his attempt to humiliate Chi Cheng would blow up in his face.

Chi Cheng actually wanted him to be the investor!

This way, if Chi Cheng succeeded in the future, Chu Mo would have to thank him through gritted teeth.

And once Chi Cheng’s company grew, he could boot Chu Mo out anytime.

Chu Mo couldn’t help but respect Chi Cheng’s cleverness.

What Chu Mo didn’t know was that Chi Cheng had had his sights set on involving him in this project from the start.

Since childhood, Chi Cheng had been told by his family to "learn from the alpha next door, Chu Mo."

Chi Cheng and Chu Mo might as well have been from different planets.

The only way Chi Cheng could get Chu Mo’s attention was by acting out and making trouble.

Chi Cheng had had enough of that.

During his university years abroad, Chi Cheng began keeping tabs on various startup projects.

He wanted to attract Chu Mo’s attention with a successful venture.

Only then could Chi Cheng sit at the same table as Chu Mo.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t even have the right to be there.

Now that Chu Mo had walked right into his web, Chi Cheng wasn’t letting this chance slip away.

Reading the room, Chu Mo put on a calm front.

“I’ll need to sleep on this,” he said curtly before making a beeline out of the meeting room.

He couldn’t play into Chi Cheng’s hands.

Chu Mo stepped into the elevator, pressed the button for the basement level, and let out a relieved breath.

The elevator dinged. The doors began to close.

Just as they were about to shut—

A figure suddenly appeared outside the elevator, and a hand shot between the doors!

With a forceful pull, Chi Cheng forced them back open.

Chu Mo’s heart jumped to his throat.

He struggled to maintain his calm, but his eyes gave away his shock when he noticed Chi Cheng’s hand red from getting caught.

“Are you out of your mind?!” Chu Mo exclaimed.

Chi Cheng’s fingers were long and prominent, his knuckles standing out. A lifetime of playing instruments had left his hands pale and unblemished.

The red mark stood out glaringly.

But Chi Cheng acted as if he didn’t feel the pain, stepping into the elevator and moving toward Chu Mo.

His tall figure pinned Chu Mo in the corner.

“You wanna fight?” Chu Mo eyed him warily, frowning as he warned, “I wouldn’t try it—this elevator’s got cameras.”

Chi Cheng said nothing.

He looked down at the slightly shorter alpha with a complicated yet resolute expression.

“Do you really despise me that much?” Chi Cheng suddenly asked.

They were way too close.

Being an omega, Chu Mo’s instincts screamed resistance.

His back hit the elevator wall as he growled, “Chi Cheng, stay away from me.”

At that, Chi Cheng’s expression darkened.

He knew Chu Mo, an alpha, was repelled by his own kind.

Still, Chi Cheng couldn’t shake the sting.

“I’ve got places to be,” Chu Mo snapped, his gaze sharp with caution. “Move.”

Chi Cheng lifted his eyes to meet Chu Mo’s.

Then it hit him—Chu Mo’s phone search history.

A bitter jealousy boiled up inside him.

“What’s the big deal?” Chi Cheng cut him off, refusing to budge, his voice icy. “Off to see Xie Songchen’s game?”

Chu Mo went still.

How the hell did he know?

Seeing Chu Mo’s reaction, Chi Cheng knew he’d guessed right.

His expression turned stormy as he hissed, “Chu Mo, is Xie Songchen’s game really that important to you?”

Chu Mo had no clue why Chi Cheng cared.

Xie Songchen was the protagonist, and this basketball game was a pivotal moment for his relationship with the other protagonist, Chu Yun.

Chu Mo couldn’t miss it.

“Damn right it is,” Chu Mo shot back, brows furrowed. “Now get outta my way.”

The words hit Chi Cheng like a punch.

Chu Mo flinched at Chi Cheng’s glare.

He had never seen Chi Cheng wear such a terrifying expression before.

Chi Cheng’s jealousy finally boiled over.

Jealousy and bitterness surged over him like tidal waves, engulfing him.

"Ding—"

The elevator arrived at the underground level with a chime.

Chi Cheng suddenly gave a cold chuckle, staring at Chu Mo as he spoke slowly:

"The game started long ago. With this traffic, it's already too late for you to get there in time."

Chu Mo looked stunned.

So... Chi Cheng had been stalling him this whole time?!

Just as Chi Cheng had said.

The basketball game had already begun.

On the court, the referee called the players to assemble.

Xie Songchen stood courtside, glancing at his phone.

His messages with Chu Mo showed no replies or answered calls.

Xie Songchen stared at his phone for a moment, the last light in his eyes finally dying.

The spark in his heart went out.

He locked his phone and handed it to the coach.

He looked down, hiding the disappointment in his eyes.

He'd known all along -

He shouldn't have expected anything from anyone.