Chapter 32: Day Thirty-Two of Pretending to be A

Chapter 32: Faking Alpha Status – Day 32

Faking Alpha Status – Day 32

Xie Songchen’s face flashed with shock, disbelief, and other emotions.

Chu Mo lifted the corner of his lips, his tone calm yet laced with mockery. "What, are you so jealous because you're single that you can’t believe it?"

Xie Songchen pressed his lips into a thin line, his jawline tense.

He stared Chu Mo down, searching for any sign of deception on his face.

But it was futile.

Xie Songchen’s eyes darkened with emotion as his voice turned hoarse. After a long silence, he asked,

"Is what you're saying... true?"

"Of course," Chu Mo raised an eyebrow, his smirk unmistakable. "Why would I bother lying?"

Xie Songchen clenched his fingers tightly.

The cartoon dog keychain bit into his palm.

"When did this happen?" Xie Songchen asked.

Chu Mo answered casually, "Just recently."

Xie Songchen went quiet. He wanted to ask Chu Mo who that person was, but in the end, he didn’t speak.

A sudden fear gripped him that everything Chu Mo said might be true.

When Xie Songchen stayed silent, Chu Mo assumed he didn’t believe him and added,

"My partner is a student at C University—a seriously hot omega."

Xie Songchen froze.

Hearing Chu Mo's words, his throat went dry.

His breath hitched.

"He’s 175 cm tall, fair-skinned, handsome, and a top student," Chu Mo continued in a tone oozing pride. "Hot, smooth-talking, and an all-around catch."

Chu Mo had to say these words in a cocky, bragging tone.

Only then would it fit his cold, top-alpha act.

Every word Chu Mo spoke stabbed into Xie Songchen’s chest like needles.

Xie Songchen never thought the omega was real.

All this time, he had held onto hope.

More than once, he had thought that this omega was made-up.

Chu Mo was ice-cold, uptight, and arrogant—there was no way an omega would be by his side.

Yet now, with just a few simple sentences, Chu Mo sketched out a clear picture of that omega.

In an instant, the last shred of hope in Xie Songchen's heart vanished completely.

More painful than Chu Mo's words was the expression on his face as he spoke.

When Chu Mo talked about his "significant other," his face lit up with pride.

Only when someone is head over heels for their significant other would they introduce them to others in such a bragging tone.

Xie Songchen bit his lip hard until it turned pale.

Seeing Xie Songchen's dark expression, Chu Mo mistakenly thought he couldn't stomach his happiness and was jealous, hence the look.

"As long as you don't make moves on my brother," Chu Mo said to Xie Songchen, "you'll find someone too, understand?"

Xie Songchen didn't say a word for a long time.

It was as if he hadn't heard Chu Mo speak at all.

The keychain in his palm was hard, and Xie Songchen gripped it so tightly it nearly drew blood.

Xie Songchen had always been afraid of pain.

His palm grew clammy.

Yet, as if oblivious to the pain, he clenched the cartoon dog keychain even harder.

Chu Mo was taken aback.

He hadn't expected the news of him having a significant other to gut Xie Songchen so much.

It seemed the quarrel between the main couple really messed with Xie Songchen's mood, Chu Mo thought.

Chu Mo checked the time—the mall was about to close.

"Even though you can't be with my brother, don't beat yourself up," Chu Mo said as he walked away. "After all, not all fish live in the same ocean."

Xie Songchen watched Chu Mo leave, standing rooted to the spot for a long time.

The light in his narrow eyes flickered out like dying embers, eventually extinguishing completely.

Only when the staff asked him to leave did he silently walk out of the mall.

Chu Mo sat in his car by the roadside.

His conscience pricked him seeing Xie Songchen so completely broken.

This was the first time Chu Mo had seen Xie Songchen so utterly defeated.

Chu Mo wanted to tell him that he and his brother Chu Yun would end up together.

That's how it was written in the novel.

But stuck following the plot, Chu Mo kept his mouth shut.

The main couple's love was destined to go through drama.

It was out of his hands.

After returning home...

Chu Mo finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Today, he was almost caught by Xie Songchen for not actually having a significant other.

Chu Mo had to admit that Xie Songchen’s observational skills were truly sharp.

He was practically forced to become an amateur detective.

That night while showering, Chu Mo took out the keychain from his coat pocket.

Looking at the simple line-art puppy charm, he couldn’t help but recall when he'd grabbed the keychain earlier.

Xie Songchen had been standing by, silently watching him.

He didn’t say a word, just watching quietly.

If it had been Chi Cheng standing there instead, he would’ve been whooping and hollering.

At one point, when Chu Mo successfully grabbed the first keychain, he couldn’t contain his excitement and turned to Xie Songchen, boasting, “See? I got it.”

Xie Songchen had been slightly bent over, watching Chu Mo play at the claw machine.

When Chu Mo turned his head, they were suddenly face-to-face.

For a moment, their eyes met.

Xie Songchen flinched slightly, instinctively taking a step back.

After lingering on Chu Mo’s face, his gaze shifted away as he said awkwardly:

“…Didn’t see it.”

Chu Mo grumbled, “Then what were you looking at just now?”

Xie Songchen’s gaze darted about before finally settling on the pink machine.

His throat moved as he said quietly, “Something cute.”

At the time, Chu Mo assumed Xie Songchen was looking at the keychain through the glass.

But now, looking back, Chu Mo couldn’t shake the feeling that Xie Songchen hadn’t been looking at the keychain at all.

Then what had he been looking at?

Chu Mo couldn’t figure it out.

When they were leaving, Xie Songchen even gave Chu Mo his own prize keychain.

This was totally out of character for Xie Songchen.

What on earth was going on with him lately?

Just as Chu Mo was puzzling over this, his phone buzzed.

Opening it, he saw a message from his fake partner omega.

“Hello, boss.”

The other person only sent four words.

Chu Mo politely replied with two words: "Hello."

After a long while...

The other person finally sent another message: "Mhm."

It seemed like they didn't know what to say but felt obliged to reply, so they managed just a "Mhm."

Chu Mo found it strange.

Didn't the agent say this omega was smooth-talking and very charismatic?

Why did he feel... the other person was a bit standoffish?

Was this omega ignoring him?

Just then, the other person sent another message:

"Hey boss, do you need a partner?"

Realizing their mistake, they immediately recalled the message.

Soon, they sent a corrected version:

"Do you need a fake partner, sir?"

Chu Mo ignored the recalled message, pretending not to have seen it.

He replied, "Yes, the agent put me in touch with you."

The other person instantly responded: "$800 a day."

Chu Mo knew the going rates—most omegas charging for fake relationships started at $2,000.

This price was well below market rate.

Chu Mo felt puzzled again: How could such an attractive omega charge so low?

Didn't the agent say they were highly sought-after?

Chu Mo exchanged a few more texts with them.

During the conversation, he noticed this omega wasn't much of a talker.

Chu Mo figured maybe they weren't comfortable texting.

Perhaps they'd be better in person.

More importantly, their quietness was actually an advantage.

It meant this person was discreet, reducing the risk of Chu Mo's true gender getting out.

After considering it, Chu Mo told the agent he was willing to hire this omega.

The agent was pleased and immediately sent him a digital contract.

Once signed, the agent informed Chu Mo that the omega's name was Xiao Chen.

The agent said to Chu Mo, "Xiao Chen’s ready whenever you need him."

Chu Mo carefully saved the contact as "Xiao Chen."

Soon, Xiao Chen sent him a message asking when he should start working.

This omega must really need the cash, Chu Mo figured.

"I'll call you when needed, probably sometime soon," Chu Mo replied. "Think about how you’ll play the part of my partner."

Xiao Chen immediately responded, "Copy that, boss."

Chu Mo felt like he was giving orders to an employee.

Chu Mo reminded Xiao Chen, "You can’t call me ‘boss’ when the time comes."

On the other end, Chen Songxie went still.

"What should I call you instead?" he asked Chu Mo.

Chu Mo felt a flicker of confusion.

Why’s this omega asking something so basic? he wondered. Shouldn’t a pro know this stuff?

Chu Mo pushed the thought aside and replied, "I’m not sure either. Just figure it out when the time comes."

Chen Songxie lay on his bed, staring at his phone.

He could feel a headache brewing.

At C University, Chen Songxie had a rep as the “omega’s dream.”

He was a jock—good-looking, ripped, and a top alpha with killer pheromones.

But barely anyone knew Chen Songxie had never dated.

He had zero clue what to call a romantic partner.

And now he had to fake being an omega?

Chen Songxie sat up and rapped his knuckles on the bed frame, asking his roommate, who was gaming below:

"Hey Xiao Wang, what do omegas call their partners?"

"Dunno, never dated either," Xiao Wang muttered, eyes glued to his game. "Uh… ‘hubby’?"

"Gross!" Chen Songxie snapped.

That sounded way too cheesy. No way was he saying that!

Xiao Wang, totally unbothered, went on: "Then what? 'Baby hubby'? 'Sugar hubby'? 'Pookie hubby'? Or—"

"Okay, enough!" Chen Songxie cut in. "Drop it."

Just hearing these pet names gives me the creeps.

As an alpha with a scar on his forehead and a history of frequent fights, Chen Songxie saw black for a second.

He suddenly regretted taking this job.

Was he really supposed to change the contact name from "Boss" to "Husband"?

Chen Songxie instantly felt that maybe dishwashing wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Right at that moment.

A text came through from the contact saved as "Boss":

"If you perform well, I can give you a big bonus."

Chen Songxie tightened his grip on his phone.

He couldn’t help but think to himself—how long had this alpha been touch-starved? Pathetic.

But then, considering the bonus, Chen Songxie suddenly felt that maybe he could make this sacrifice.

—Even if it meant fake-dating this clingy alpha.

A grim resolve flashed in Chen Songxie’s eyes.

The next day.

Chu Group corporate tower.

Ever since Chu Mo chose to invest in Chi Cheng’s project, Chi Cheng was always finding excuses to visit the company and see him.

Today was a meeting about the project investment.

As the investor, Chu Mo naturally had to attend.

Xie Songchen took meeting notes as usual, same as always.

It was as if nothing had happened the night before.

Chu Mo wondered again—were the MLs back together?

It didn’t seem like it.

Xie Songchen was still as cold as an iceberg.

Other than the bags under his eyes, he was no different from usual.

Compared to the stone-faced Xie Songchen, Chi Cheng seemed much happier.

Throughout the meeting, Chi Cheng kept sneaking looks at Chu Mo, tracking his every reaction.

Occasionally, when their eyes met, Chi Cheng would jerk his gaze away, his ears going pink.

Chu Mo frowned, wondering—what was Chi Cheng’s deal now?

In fact, ever since Chi Cheng blacked out drunk in the underground parking lot, he had been like this every time they met.

Sometimes absentmindedly staring at Chu Mo, sometimes shifty-eyed and antsy.

Chu Mo couldn’t figure out what Chi Cheng was thinking.

But soon, it clicked for Chu Mo—

Chi Cheng had said in the parking lot that he would clean up his act, so he most likely used his "new-and-improved persona" to gain favor with Chu Yun.

Chu Mo thought about Xie Songchen and Chu Yun’s recent argument and suddenly everything fell into place.

That explains it.

Chu Mo put two and two together in his mind:

Because Chi Cheng had cleaned up his act, he grew closer to Chu Yun, making Xie Songchen jealous and causing Xie Songchen and Chu Yun to argue.

This explained everything.

No wonder Chi Cheng had been giving Chu Mo that guilty look lately.

So this guy was making moves on his younger brother.

Chu Mo thought with a mental scoff—he was putting on quite the act.

After the meeting.

Chi Cheng approached Chu Mo and said, “I want to talk to you alone.”

“If it’s about work, you can say it here,” Chu Mo replied flatly.

Chi Cheng insisted, “It’s about you.”

Xie Songchen, who was nearby, hesitated for a second before continuing his work, pretending not to listen.

“About me?” Chu Mo looked suspicious.

Inside Chu Mo’s office.

Chi Cheng sat on the couch opposite Chu Mo, watching him closely.

During this time, Chi Cheng hadn’t just been busy with work—he’d also been investigating Chu Mo’s so-called “partner.”

He wanted to know what kind of omega could get Chu Mo’s attention.

Chi Cheng couldn’t imagine the aloof Chu Mo dating someone.

After days of investigation, Chi Cheng had put the pieces together and was almost certain of one thing—

Chu Mo had been lying.

No “partner” existed.

Chu Mo sat down and glanced at the man across from him. “Well? What is it?”

“It’s nothing big,” Chi Cheng said slowly, sitting opposite Chu Mo. “I just wanted to tell you that you don’t have to go to such lengths.”

Chu Mo frowned in confusion. “Do what exactly?”

All this time, Chi Cheng had been wondering—if there was no “partner,” what was the point of the lie?

Then, Chi Cheng put it together.

Because Chu Mo is proud.

Chu Mo has been the top alpha since childhood.

Now he’s already the CEO, five years older than Chi Cheng, yet he’s still single.

Not even a compatible omega.

Chu Mo must hate this, which is why he lied in front of everyone.

Thinking this, Chi Cheng couldn’t help but look at Chu Mo with a touch of sympathy in his eyes.

“So what if you're single?” Chi Cheng said seriously to Chu Mo. “No need to fake having someone.”

Chu Mo was stunned: Wait, does Chi Cheng know he’s planning to fake-date an omega?

That’s impossible—he and Xiao Chen haven’t even met.

Chu Mo frowned and said, “Who said I was pretending?”

Just then, Xie Songchen pushed the door open and handed Chu Mo a few documents.

As Xie Songchen passed by Chi Cheng, he didn’t even glance at him.

After delivering the files, Xie Songchen headed straight out of the office.

Just before stepping out, Xie Songchen heard Chi Cheng’s voice:

“Am I wrong? I’ve investigated—there’s not a single omega in your life.”

Xie Songchen’s footsteps abruptly halted.

The office door closed behind him.

He leaned against the door, his throat working.

Last night, after Chu Mo described his partner to Xie Songchen, Xie Songchen didn’t sleep at all.

Before coming to the company today, Xie Songchen kept telling himself to keep his distance from Chu Mo.

After all, Chu Mo was off the market.

Crushing on an alpha was bad enough.

But he couldn’t crush on an alpha who was already taken.

Xie Songchen had done a lot of mental preparation, thinking he could handle it.

Yet when he heard Chi Cheng’s words, his heart still lurched.

His fists tightened, then loosened.

Back in the office.

Chu Mo hadn’t expected Chi Cheng to investigate him.

“Little Chi,” Chu Mo said coldly, “Business must be booming lately—you even have time to check if I’ve got an omega on my arm.”

Chi Cheng smirked—he knew he was right.

The corners of his lips curled up as he said, "Thanks to you, Mr. Chu, our joint project is indeed progressing well—much better than expected."

"Then I hope Mr. Chi keeps climbing the corporate ladder in the future," Chu Mo sneered coldly, "so you won’t have to accompany people drinking at clubs until you black out in the parking lot."

Chi Cheng was stunned by his words.

His ears suddenly turned red, as if he felt mortified about the drunken incident.

Chi Cheng seemed to recall something, his face turning even redder.

Under Chu Mo’s mocking gaze, Chi Cheng cleared his throat to cover his discomfort:

"I-I didn't... it wasn't on purpose."

His words came out hesitant and stammering.

Chu Mo couldn’t help but scowl in bewilderment—not on purpose?

What the hell wasn’t on purpose?

What on earth was this guy so nervous and blushing about?

Chi Cheng recalled the scene in the underground parking lot where he had pushed Chu Mo up against the car door.

His throat suddenly felt dry.

To avoid Chu Mo noticing, Chi Cheng hurried to change the subject:

"Mr. Chu, don’t lie in the future. There's no shame in being single."

Hearing this, Chu Mo’s hand, which had been working on an email, paused.

He hadn’t expected Chi Cheng to be so certain that he had no partner.

Chu Mo gave a small smile. "Oh?"

"Yeah," Chi Cheng said matter-of-factly. He’d always felt that Chu Mo had given up too much to become the heir and shouldn’t have to bear social pressures, "even if you don’t have a partner, I wouldn’t think less of you."

Chu Mo raised an eyebrow. "How are you so sure I don’t have one?"

Chi Cheng replied confidently, "If you did, as your partner, they would've shown up in the public eye by now, right?"

As the most eligible Alpha bachelor in all of City H, omegas were lining up to get close to Chu Mo.

Even the slightest connection with him would bring nonstop media attention.

Chi Cheng didn’t believe any omega could stay under the radar like that.

Right at that moment, Chu Mo’s phone vibrated.

He checked his phone.

Xiao Chen had sent him a message: "Do you need me to come to work today?"

Chu Mo thought this was a golden opportunity to prove Chi Cheng wrong.

So he texted back:

"Come here right now."

With that, Chu Mo sent Xiao Chen a pin location.

At the same time, he informed the reception desk that a guy named Chen would be coming to see him later.

When Chen Songxie saw the location, he paused in surprise.

He hadn’t expected Chu Mo to work at such a prestigious company.

It was none other than the legendary Chu Group.

Word was that even the janitors there earned way more than at ordinary companies.

Chen Songxie felt a pang of envy.

He decided to spruce himself up to meet this corporate elite.

If he played it right, he might even hit the jackpot.

After all, the other party was an employee of Chu Group.

Chen Songxie carefully picked out his outfit, groomed himself, and dabbed on some cologne.

Before leaving, his roommate Xiao Wang teased him, "All set to call that alpha 'daddy'?"

Chen Songxie went rigid instantly.

He scowled at Xiao Wang:

"That’s something I would absolutely never do."

C U wasn’t too far from Chu Group.

On clear days, the track at C U offered a view of Chu Group’s skyscraper headquarters.

It loomed over the city’s skyline, glinting in the sun.

Countless students at C U killed to get into that building.

Sitting in the taxi, Chen Songxie peered out the window at the distant skyscraper.

He had never imagined he’d one day get into a place like that.

About twenty minutes later.

Xie Songchen walked into Chu Mo’s office.

As usual, he brought Chu Mo a latte and set it on the desk.

Chi Cheng taunted from the corner, "President Chu, didn’t you say your plus-one was coming? What, did they get lost?"

He grew even more convinced that Chu Mo was lying to him.

Xie Songchen hesitated mid-motion.

"He’ll be here soon," Chu Mo said.

He glanced at the chat window—Chen Songxie had messaged two minutes ago saying he was downstairs at the company.

His slender fingers tapped out a steady rhythm on the desk.

"Hopefully he'll come," Chi Cheng said with a smirk, completely at ease.

Xie Songchen glanced at Chi Cheng.

Wordlessly, he began organizing the documents on Chu Mo's desk, making no move to leave.

Just then.

There was a knock at the office door.

Chu Mo lifted his gaze toward the entrance, smirking as he said to Chi Cheng, "He's here."

Chi Cheng immediately straightened up, eyes widening. "What?!"

Chu Mo hadn't been lying to him?

He really had a boyfriend?!

Xie Songchen froze mid-motion.

He lifted his gaze lazily, giving a casual look toward the office door.

"Come in," Chu Mo called to the person outside.

The moment he spoke.

A tall, lean figure walked in.

The office went dead silent.

The moment Chu Mo saw his face, he froze.

Chen Songxie arrived at Chu Group, heart pounding.

When he approached the reception desk and said he was looking for Mr. Chu, the receptionist asked if he was there to see the CEO.

Chen Songxie had no idea that the one who hired him to fake a relationship was actually the heir of Chu Group!

Chen Songxie’s nerves spiked.

He had heard Chu Mo's name before, but he had no idea what kind of person he was.

Was he some middle-aged, beer-bellied alpha?

The idea of calling that kind of alpha 'hubby' made Chen Songxie want to bolt.

But the paycheck kept him in place.

Led by an employee, Chen Songxie arrived at the CEO's office.

He didn’t expect to find three alphas inside.

Chen Songxie stiffened— which one was Chu Mo?

But he seemed to know right away.

The other two’s gazes held a trace of...

Hostility.

Only the man seated behind the CEO's desk wasn't hostile toward him.

Chen Songxie looked at the man behind the desk and froze momentarily.

Noble, handsome, refined, composed...

Nearly every flattering adjective could be used to describe this man.

The office remained uncomfortably silent.

Everyone stared at the over six feet tall, single-lidded, scarred, handsome yet intimidating young man before them and fell into collective silence.

The documents in Xie Songchen's hands slipped onto the desk with a light sound.

Then, the silence lasted for about five or six seconds.

Chi Cheng's expression shifted from shock to confusion, then to utter disbelief.

He glanced at the scar on the young man's temple before turning to Chu Mo, flushed with anger at being tricked.

Frowning, Chi Cheng gritted his teeth and asked, "Chu Mo, don't tell me this is your boyfriend?!"

Chu Mo remained seated, silent for a long time.

He was frozen in shock.

Where was the sweet, flirty omega he was promised?

Why did a tough-looking guy who could throw a mean punch show up instead?!