Chapter 25: Day Twenty-Five of Pretending to be A

Chapter 25: Day 25 of Pretending to Be an Alpha

Day 25 of Pretending to Be an Alpha

The moment this idea popped into his head, Xie Songchen’s first instinct was: Impossible.

Whether it was Chu Mo’s appearance, personality, or combat ability, nothing about him screamed omega.

At the same time, Xie Songchen also believed that no one in this world would pass as an alpha from their secondary gender manifestation until the age of twenty-seven—

A full nine years.

The very idea was unthinkable.

Yet, the scene before him still pushed Xie Songchen's thoughts in that direction.

Xie Songchen’s gaze lingered on Chu Mo.

Chu Mo looked paler than usual today.

There was an almost imperceptible aura of restraint in his every movement.

If Chu Mo were an omega…

Xie Songchen froze. Strangely, it kind of fit?

Startled by his own thoughts, Xie Songchen swallowed hard.

Chu Mo was clueless about what Xie Songchen was thinking.

He felt Xie Songchen’s gaze weighing him up.

Chu Mo felt oddly nervous but still countered, keeping his tone calm. “What, you don’t believe me?”

Xie Songchen remained silent.

With every passing second of silence, Chu Mo’s tension grew.

Just when Chu Mo thought Xie Songchen had bought it—

“Are you an omega?”

Xie Songchen blurted out.

His tone was serious and cautious, yet there was a hint of hesitation because of how bold the question was.

That simple sentence nearly stopped Chu Mo's heart.

Xie Songchen’s eyes were tense, and he felt a flicker of hope.

But soon, Chu Mo’s next words crushed Xie Songchen’s hopes.

“Are you kidding me?” Chu Mo frowned, sounding genuinely pissed. “Do I look like an omega to you? You can't even tell my gender right?”

Chu Mo seemed truly irritated at being mistaken for an omega.

Xie Songchen studied Chu Mo, his gaze still skeptical.

"I checked with Chu Yun—he handles his own suppressants," he continued. "Besides, Chu Yun’s heat just ended not long ago."

Chu Mo’s stomach dropped.

Xie Songchen said expressionlessly, "You’re lying to me. Again."

Chu Mo hadn’t expected Xie Songchen to know Chu Yun so well.

He even kept tabs on Chu Yun’s heats?

Chu Mo could only think one thing: "Main lead, tone it down—you're way too into him."

"Why are you so concerned about my brother’s heats?" Chu Mo faked annoyance. "Xie Songchen, are you even a real alpha? Keep your thoughts about my brother clean!"

Chu Mo had intended to divert the topic.

Unexpectedly, Xie Songchen locked eyes with him and muttered coldly, "You still haven’t answered my question."

Chu Mo knew he couldn’t evade it.

His mind went into overdrive.

After a beat.

"Of course I'm not an omega," Chu Mo said coldly. "That’s none of your business."

Chu Mo sold the act flawlessly.

Xie Songchen couldn’t spot a single crack in his façade.

A tense silence passed.

Xie Songchen finally stopped pressing the issue and handed the bag of suppressants back to Chu Mo.

Chu Mo exhaled quietly, relieved.

Clutching the bag in his sweaty grip, he maintained his calm tone. "Cut the crap next time, Xie Songchen. Quit thinking I’m some omega."

Xie Songchen just grunted in reply.

Chu Mo couldn’t decipher the emotions in Xie Songchen's gaze.

He figured Xie Songchen bought it.

Things between them had gone ice-cold.

Apart from work matters, they hardly exchanged a word.

Today was the first real conversation they’d had in ages.

Without realizing it, the tension between them eased slightly.

"Earlier..." Xie Songchen suddenly asked, "You okay?"

Since when did Xie Songchen care?

"Like I’d actually get hurt?" Chu Mo replied dismissively. "Even if you hadn’t shown up, those alpha wannabes were no match for me."

"Fine," Xie Songchen muttered, sounding indifferent.

So... you're not mad about the ticket thing anymore?" Chu Mo asked Xie Songchen, unable to hold back his curiosity.

Xie Songchen shot him a sidelong glance and said mockingly, "Why would I waste energy being angry over something so trivial?"

Chu Mo found himself at a loss for words.

Just as he was about to say something, Xie Songchen's Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice unexpectedly softened:

"Anyway, I'm used to it."

"Used to what?" Chu Mo asked, puzzled.

"Ever since I was a kid, I've always been the one who's been left out." Xie Songchen lowered his gaze, his voice slightly hoarse. "Track meets, PTCs... it's always been like this."

Chu Mo's face went still.

He'd never expected Xie Songchen to bring up the past.

Somehow.

A memory suddenly surfaced in Chu Mo's mind—the scene of Chu Yun's high school PTC.

In the classroom, every student had a parent accompanying them.

They sat together at their desks, forming a happy scene.

Only the seat next to Chu Yun stood out starkly.

A lone, skinny kid sat there by himself.

No parent beside him, his face completely blank.

As if none of this concerned him.

Remembering this, Chu Mo felt a sudden pang in his chest.

He knew he shouldn't feel any guilt toward Xie Songchen.

But right now, he couldn't help tightening his fingers, nails biting into his palms.

"...Missing your match," Chu Mo paused, forcing the words out, "that was on me."

Xie Songchen was stunned.

He'd never heard Chu Mo admit fault.

Coming from the aloof Chu Mo, these words might as well have come from another planet.

Xie Songchen even wondered if he was hallucinating.

Chu Mo looked away uncomfortably, his tone stiff as he said, "Not that I'm feeling guilty or anything."

Xie Songchen said nothing.

"It's just that since you had my back today," Chu Mo continued, "I should explain myself for what I did wrong before."

His tone remained haughty.

But for the first time, Xie Songchen felt that Chu Mo didn't seem quite so out of reach.

Xie Songchen suddenly let out a derisive snort.

Chu Mo felt insulted, frowned, and demanded, "What are you laughing at?"

Xie Songchen lifted his eyelids slightly. "Making fun of you. Got a problem with that?"

Chu Mo gritted his teeth. "Don’t push your luck."

Chu Mo thought to himself that he must be out of his mind. To think he’d risk ruining his tough-guy image out of momentary guilt just to apologize to Xie Songchen.

Xie Songchen was in a much better mood than earlier.

Although Chu Mo had missed Xie Songchen’s basketball game, his sincere apology came as a surprise.

In that instant, Xie Songchen had an epiphany—Chu Mo offering to transfer the ticket money wasn’t meant to humiliate him.

Perhaps it was the best way Chu Mo knew how to apologize.

Xie Songchen’s gaze toward Chu Mo carried a hint of something different.

—Of course, if Xie Songchen knew Chu Mo only did this to maintain his domineering CEO persona, he would’ve seen red.

Just when Chu Mo was sure Xie Songchen wouldn’t accept his apology—

"Actually, the moment you showed up at the game, I wasn’t that angry anymore."

Xie Songchen suddenly spoke.

Chu Mo flinched slightly, surprise flickering in his eyes.

At the same time, he was completely lost. He didn’t understand the meaning behind Xie Songchen’s words.

Xie Songchen had always been afraid to expect anything from others.

As a child, the people around him kept letting him down.

Even though Chu Mo was late, in the end, he actually showed up at the game.

The moment Xie Songchen saw Chu Mo, he had already quietly forgiven him in his heart.

At most, he was kind of annoyed that Chu Mo missed his brilliant performance.

Chu Mo frowned and asked in his domineering tone, "What's your problem these past two days?"

Xie Songchen couldn’t help but slip his hand into his pocket, clutching the inhibitor box.

For the past two days, Xie Songchen had convinced himself Chu Mo had his eyes on some omega.

Most of his emotions came from that.

The silence stretched.

Finally, Xie Songchen looked away sharply, pressed his lips together, and said:

"Like you care."

His tone was oddly defensive.

After saying that, Xie Songchen left with a "You should go home now," then walked off.

Chu Mo didn't even get a clear look at his expression.

Chu Mo stood frozen for a moment.

He couldn't help but mutter, "This guy’s so moody—why’s he flipping out like that?"

Fortunately, Chu Mo had played it cool earlier and pulled it off without him noticing.

Xie Songchen likely hadn’t figured out Chu Mo's true gender.

The next day.

After becoming the new president of Xiangyang Entertainment, Chu Mo's schedule blew up.

Some were his own additions.

For example, checking in on trainee practices.

Originally, Chu Mo was friends with the boss who acquired Xiangyang Entertainment.

Chu Mo had seen Zhou Jingyan at practice a few times.

He deliberately threw shade, throwing insults like:

"You’ll flop even after debut," "No matter how hard you train, you'll never surpass your teammates," and "Face it, you’ll always be a nobody."

Yet Zhou Jingyan never wavered in his ambition.

Faced with Chu Mo's sarcasm, he doubled down on training.

In the end, Zhou Jingyan gained a die-hard fanbase and blew up the second he debuted.

Chu Mo got owned hard.

At the Xiangyang Entertainment building.

After taking office, Chu Mo didn't lay off anyone in the company, including the trainees.

This eased everyone’s nerves.

At the same time, people began to worry:

"President Chu’s such a decent guy, but it's a shame our company is going to lose money for him."

"Yeah, how long has it been since we had a hit star?"

"It’s not that simple..."

Zhou Jingyan caught the chatter and started worrying too.

That's right—President Chu’s such a decent guy. What if I bomb after debut?

With that thought, Zhou Jingyan threw himself into practice with even more grit.

Chu Mo arrived at the company and saw Zhou Jingyan attending class diligently, a satisfied gleam in his eyes.

No wonder he was destined to be the next big thing.

After all, Zhou Jingyan blew up overnight the moment he debuted—a breakout success unlike anything seen in years.

Xiangyang Entertainment also benefited from it, rocketing into the industry’s top ten.

Let’s be real—Zhou Jingyan was Xiangyang Entertainment's cash cow.

As soon as Chu Mo walked in, everyone stopped what they were doing and greeted him.

Chu Mo gave a curt nod.

The moment Zhou Jingyan saw Chu Mo, it was like a kid on Christmas morning.

But he bit back his excitement, afraid Chu Mo would find him too over-the-top.

"I was observing your session from the sidelines just now," Chu Mo said calmly. "It seems you still need to work harder—especially—"

As he spoke, his gaze landed on a certain fair and handsome alpha.

"Zhou Jingyan, your dancing’s a mess—no surprise you’re not ready to debut."

Chu Mo's tone was dripping with sarcasm.

The moment these words were spoken, the room went dead silent.

Everyone shot each other looks.

Chu Mo was prepping Zhou Jingyan for stardom while tearing him down—what exactly was he trying to do?

Zhou Jingyan clenched his fingers, lowering his long, narrow eyes. His expression beneath the brim of his cap was unreadable.

"...I'll work harder."

"If grinding alone did the trick, wouldn’t everyone become a superstar by pulling all-nighters?"

Chu Mo's words were sarcastic, but they held truth.

Success in the entertainment industry wasn’t solely about effort.

Talent, resources, luck… You need all three.

Zhou Jingyan’s face immediately showed disappointment.

With Chu Mo’s words, the little confidence he had scraped together instantly vanished.

Just then.

A team of elite coaches—dance, vocals, you name it—walked into the classroom.

"Zhou Jingyan, I know you lack talent, and even hard work is wasted on you," Chu Mo sneered. "So I went out of my way to hire a few instructors to whip you into shape—though you’ll still flop."

The place went wild.

These were all top-tier coaches in the biz!

A single session with them probably starts at five figures.

Chu Mo actually hired so many at once!

Of course, Chu Mo hired these teachers to move the plot forward.

He wanted Zhou Jingyan to become a talented idol as soon as possible.

Zhou Jingyan was also stunned.

Disbelief flashed in his eyes.

"What, after just a few humiliations, you can't even speak?" Chu Mo scoffed, looking at Zhou Jingyan. "Then you're clearly not cut out for the entertainment industry. You should just give up now."

An awkward silence fell over the room.

If this was Chu Mo's way of humiliating someone...

They'd gladly be humiliated any day—aaaaah!

Zhou Jingyan gulped, suppressing the mix of nervousness, anticipation, and gratitude in his heart.

He looked at Chu Mo and said slowly but firmly, "I won't give up."

Chu Mo was very satisfied with Zhou Jingyan's response.

He thought to himself, *As expected of the original novel's third protagonist—such backbone, able to withstand the pressure.*

"Though I don't think you'll ever make it big," Chu Mo sneered, his tone cold and merciless, "you'd better train like your life depends on it. Otherwise, what's the point of you being in this company?"

The words were brutally harsh.

Yet, after hearing them, Zhou Jingyan felt...

That this was Chu Mo's way of encouraging him.

So his expression hardened with determination.

Seeing this, Chu Mo left, satisfied.

He knew that after this setback, Zhou Jingyan would soon start working hard to prove him wrong.

Chu Mo planned to make his rounds around Xiangyang Entertainment's building to check on operations.

Just then, his phone rang—Xie Songchen was calling from Chu Group, going through project files.

When the call connected, Xie Songchen's voice sounded displeased: "Chi Cheng showed up at the office asking for you."

From the other end of the line, Chi Cheng's voice could be heard: "Hey Xie, you're just a secretary. What gives you the right to hide Chu Mo's whereabouts from me?"

Xie Songchen ignored Chi Cheng.

After a tense pause, Xie Songchen asked Chu Mo, "Do you want to meet him?"

His icy tone made his reluctance clear.

After all, they were rivals in love—they'd been butting heads since day one.

Chu Mo thought this was completely normal.

"What does he want?" Chu Mo asked.

Xie Songchen was about to speak when Chi Cheng butted in: "Do I need a *reason* just to talk to you? After *everything*, do I need an appointment just to meet you?"

He sounded almost whiny.

Xie Songchen interrupted Chi Cheng's words with a flat tone: "President Chu requires appointments from *everyone*. You're no exception."

Chu Mo could *hear* the tension between them, even over the phone.

Chi Cheng hissed through gritted teeth, "I’m seeing him today, *no matter what*."

When he said the word "partner," Chi Cheng *oozed* smugness.

Ever since Chu Mo invested in Chi Cheng's new company, Chi Cheng had been floating on cloud nine.

He was no longer just some kid by Chu Mo's side.

Now, he was Chu Mo's *goddamn* partner.

Now *that’s* what you call clout.

Chi Cheng *couldn’t care less* about Xie Songchen—just some *lowly* secretary.

Chu Mo *pinched* his temples, fed up with the bickering. "Fine, tell him I'm at Xiangyang Entertainment. If it’s *that* important, he can swing by. Otherwise, forget it."

Xie Songchen *went quiet* at that.

Meanwhile, Chi Cheng cheered on the side: "Don’t move—I’m *on my way*!"

Before hanging up, he couldn’t resist taunting Xie Songchen: "See that? What Chu Mo and I have? *One-of-a-kind*."

He *smugged* the words out.

Chu Mo poured cold water on his enthusiasm: "Since when are *we* special?"

Just as Chi Cheng was about to retort, Xie Songchen, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up:

"Got a file for you to sign. I’ll come find you now."

Chu Mo *blinked*. Since when was *he* coming?

After hanging up, Chu Mo did his usual walkthrough at Xiangyang Entertainment, handling matters in various departments.

The staff *kissed the ground he walked on*—him *and* the Chu Group.

While Chu Mo was speaking with a senior executive, a *weird* feeling *shot* through him.

It was *eerily* familiar—enough to *clench* his chest.

"’Scuse me—*bathroom break*." Chu Mo politely excused himself and *dipped* out of the meeting.

The feeling *gnawing* at him was new… and *terribly* familiar.

Chu Mo’s gut told him it was the pheromones acting up.

*This isn’t good*, he thought to himself.

After discovering the loss of his high-potency suppressants, he had called Xu Yi to tell him.

Xu Yi promised to send him the meds later.

Before leaving in the morning, as a precaution, Chu Mo injected himself with 1.5 times the usual dose of suppressants.

This dosage was already a heavy burden on an omega's body.

He clenched his jaw through the shot.

By all rights, there shouldn’t have been any mishaps, right?

Chu Mo headed to the least crowded area on the first floor.

He quickly entered an empty alpha bathroom and found the stall in the farthest corner.

After locking the door, Chu Mo drew a shaky breath to steady himself.

Then, he pulled out a fresh suppressant shot from his pocket.

He prepared to give himself the shot.

Just as Chu Mo removed the packaging and was about to inject himself, something unexpected happened.

A burst of mint hit him—

His own pheromones!

Chu Mo clamped a hand over his gland, his eyes wide with shock.

He had taken so many suppressants—how could they not work?

Against his will, he remembered Xu Yi’s words:

"If this continues, your suppressants might stop working altogether."

Chu Mo hadn’t expected them to fail so quickly!

Fortunately, they hadn’t totally crapped out.

His body wasn’t burning up, and he could still maintain his rationality.

Only his fingers felt numb and trembling.

*Meanwhile—*

After learning Chu Mo’s location, Chi Cheng booked it to Xiangyang Entertainment.

Before long, Chi Cheng’s sleek ride arrived at the company’s entrance.

Close behind was the company van Xie Songchen had snagged.

The two arrived almost simultaneously.

The moment he hopped out of his ride, Chi Cheng immediately threw shade at the person exiting the business vehicle: "You’re an alpha, yet you’re orbiting Chu Mo—are you got a problem? Can’t you do something with yourself and find another job? Or should I hook you up?"

The remarks were dripping with sarcasm, mocking Xie Songchen for leveraging his secretary role to get close to Chu Mo.

"It was President Chu who asked me to be his secretary," Xie Songchen retorted without missing a beat. "I don’t need a new job for now, because President Chu is—very pleased with me."

The phrase "very pleased" instantly hit a raw nerve in Chi Cheng.

"Then you’d better cherish this job," Chi Cheng said through gritted teeth. "Don’t lose it over some shady business."

"If Vice President Chi has nothing else to do, you can wait for President Chu at the entrance," Xie Songchen said impassively. "I’ll go find him to get his signature first."

"I’m afraid Chu Mo wants to talk business with me right now," Chi Cheng shot back, unwilling to back down.

The two of them walked into the Xiangyang Entertainment building almost simultaneously.

But they didn’t see Chu Mo anywhere.

Xie Songchen frowned and called Chu Mo.

After several rings, the call ended with a voicemail tone—no one answered.

Chi Cheng stopped a staff member on the first floor and asked, "Where’s President Chu?"

The staff member froze for a moment, then carefully recalled before answering, "I believe he stepped into the restroom."

Xie Songchen turned to the staff member and asked, "Which restroom?"

Chi Cheng also locked eyes with the staff member.

Clearly, they both wanted to reach Chu Mo before the other.

The staff member, a beta, felt ice run down his spine under the intense stares of two top-tier alphas.

Hand shaking, he pointed in a direction. "O-over there…"

The two alphas simultaneously strode in that direction.

Meanwhile.

Inside the bathroom stall.

Chu Mo took several deep breaths, fighting to steady himself.

But his hands still trembled slightly.

The clock was ticking—he had to administer the suppressant immediately.

His fingers fumbled with the syringe. Chu Mo bit his lip, using the sharp pain to focus.

For a moment, cold sweat broke out across his forehead.

With superhuman willpower, Chu Mo successfully administered the suppressant into his gland.

As the drug began working, Chu Mo choked back a pained groan.

The sound bounced hollowly in the empty bathroom stall.

The drug would take precious moments to fully take effect.

Chu Mo's fingers were still trembling.

After injecting the last of the serum into his scent gland, Chu Mo heaved a sigh of relief.

Just then—

Sudden footsteps echoed at the door!

Chu Mo flinched, and his already trembling fingers lost grip on the inhibitor syringe.

A moment later,

The inhibitor syringe fell to the ground.

Chu Mo startled, lunging to grab it—but too late.

The syringe slid under the stall door.

Chu Mo’s breath hitched.

The footsteps paused.

Then—closer. Toward him.

Chu Mo crouched down and peered through the crack, seeing the syringe just beyond reach.

He stretched his hand out—

Before—

Whoever was outside bent down, their hand reaching for the syringe.

Long fingers, taut knuckles, veins standing stark.

Chu Mo went rigid.