Chapter 34: Day Thirty-Four of Pretending to be A

Chapter 34: Playing Alpha – Day Thirty-Four

Playing Alpha – Day Thirty-Four

Chu Mo’s heart skipped a beat as he read the messages from Xie Songchen.

What the—Xie Songchen saw Xiao Chen at a bar?!

Chu Mo had just finished taking his suppressants and didn’t even bother drying his hair before hastily opening Xiao Chen’s chat window.

He sent a message: “Xiao Chen, if someone approaches you later, don’t blow our cover as fake boyfriends.”

To emphasize the urgency, Chu Mo deleted the period and replaced it with an exclamation mark—a subtle but significant gesture in Chinese texting culture.

Xiao Chen was probably too busy drinking to reply.

Chu Mo was panicking, almost ready to call Xiao Chen directly.

Just then, Xie Songchen sent two more messages.

“Xie Songchen: Maybe he’s burnt out from studying and needed to relax.”

“Xie Songchen: Or maybe I got the wrong guy.”

Seeing the second message, Chu Mo panicked that Xie Songchen might grill Xiao Chen to confirm his identity.

He quickly replied to Xie Songchen: “Xiao Chen can be a bit of a partier sometimes. I know that.”

Xie Songchen lounged in the booth.

Under the dim bar lights, his face was unreadable, his gaze darting toward one corner.

His phone vibrated.

Xie Songchen swiftly unlocked it to see Chu Mo’s reply—the quickest reply he’d gotten from Chu Mo in a while.

He had thought Chu Mo would blow up after seeing the photo.

But when he read the message, his fingers stiffened.

Xie Songchen stared at the words, disbelief filling his eyes.

Chu Mo… was just okay with this?!

That Omega was clearly getting cozy with other Alphas in the photo.

And Chu Mo didn’t even care?!

Xie Songchen scowled at his screen for what felt like ages.

Then, Chu Mo sent another message.

“Chu Mo: I know Xiao Chen. Those Alphas are probably just buddies.”

Xie Songchen went dead quiet for a long time.

He locked his phone and slung it onto the seat beside him.

(Suppressants are a key trope in ABO fiction, used by Omegas and Betas to control hormonal surges triggered by Alphas.)

Then he picked up a glass of beer and chugged it.

Seeing this, his classmate beside him quickly blurted out, "Brother Xie, what's got you so down? Drinking your problems away?"

Xie Songchen took a deep breath.

"I have a friend," Xie Songchen, who usually spoke little, suddenly said, "whose S.O. is messing around at this bar, yet he isn't angry at all—what the hell is he thinking?"

Xie Songchen's tone carried a blend of confusion, jealousy, and hurt.

The classmate mistakenly thought Xie Songchen had quarreled with his friend over this matter.

He comforted, "Brother Xie, when it comes to friends' affairs, we usually root for them to work it out, not break up."

Xie Songchen frowned and bit out, "Even knowing they're with a shitty partner, we shouldn't advise breaking up?"

The classmate replied in a knowing tone, "Of course. If your friend trusts their partner, it means they love them deeply. We should stay out of it."

Hearing the word "we," Xie Songchen's expression instantly turned colder.

The next second, Xie Songchen stood up.

The classmate blurted out, "What are you going to do?"

Xie Songchen snapped, "I can't just stand by and do nothing."

With that, he left the booth.

The classmate beside him was low-key impressed.

Xie Songchen actually cared so much about his friend's love life.

Truly a real stand-up guy.

---

In the corner.

Chen Songxie yawned through some lame drinking game in the booth.

Several Alphas around him were hype, but his mind kept wandering.

For some reason, Chen Songxie recalled that morning's...situation—

He had actually called an Alpha "husband."

In the past, Chen Songxie would've died before doing such a thing.

But...

Wasn't he...totally against it?

The realization made him freeze.

"Caught Xie-ge!" Xiao Wang beside him grabbed Chen Songxie's finger and crowed.

They were playing a hand-slapping game.

Chen Songxie was usually unbeatable at games, but one second of spacing out allowed Xiao Wang to catch his thumb. Just as Chen Songxie was about to take his turn drinking, someone loomed beside the booth.

Everyone thought the person had come to the wrong place, but to their surprise, he locked eyes with Chen Songxie.

Under the dim lighting, Chen Songxie looked up, and his eyes flickered with surprise when he recognized the man's face.

What was Chu Mo’s secretary doing here?

Xie Songchen's gaze fell on Xiao Chen's hand.

An alpha had a tight grip on Xiao Chen’s thumb.

This omega clearly had a partner, yet he was flirting like this with an alpha.

Xie Songchen’s anger flared hotter.

He despised this omega, 'Xiao Chen,' and felt Chu Mo deserved better.

Xiao Wang, sensing the tense atmosphere, instinctively released Chen Songxie’s hand.

Chen Songxie calmly met Xie Songchen's gaze and asked, "Can I help you?"

"Can I help you?" Xie Songchen suppressed his anger and spoke slowly, "After pulling this kind of stunt, do you think you're worthy of him?"

His tone was full of disdain.

The onlookers exchanged puzzled looks.

Chen Songxie immediately understood what Xie Songchen was implying.

Clearly, Xie Songchen had mistaken him for some omega messing around with alphas in a bar.

Chu Mo deserved better than this.

Chen Songxie stood up and said calmly, "Let's talk somewhere else."

He knew that if they spoke any longer, someone might spill the truth.

Chu Mo had been good to him, giving him so much—he couldn’t risk causing trouble for Chu Mo.

Chen Songxie left the booth.

He led Xie Songchen outside the bar.

The noise of the bar faded behind them.

Xie Songchen looked at Xiao Chen, his voice like ice. "Does Chu Mo know you're this kind of person?"

"Why do you care?" Chen Songxie took out his vape, putting on his usual playboy act. "You’re just a secretary—who asked you to stick your nose in?"

Xie Songchen wanted to message Chu Mo immediately—*Your boy drinks and vapes when you’re not around.*

But he held back.

In disgust, he glared at the omega before him and said word by word, "Chu Mo puts his trust in you, and this is how you repay him?"

Chen Songxie opened his mouth to fire back.

Then, his phone buzzed.

Chu Mo’s name flashed on the screen.

Chen Songxie took the call in Xie Songchen's presence.

Chu Mo's voice came through: "Xiao Chen, listen to me, you need to—"

"Don’t worry about me, I’ll go back early," Chen Songxie interrupted Chu Mo, putting on a deliberately pitiful tone. "I ran into your secretary at the bar. He said I was here to mess around and even got mad at me."

Xie Songchen’s brow furrowed, and he said coldly, "Could you not make things up?"

There was a noticeable pause in Chu Mo’s voice on the other end of the line.

He instantly realized Xiao Chen was putting on an act.

Judging by the voice, Xie Songchen was right beside him.

After a moment's thought, Chu Mo said to Xiao Chen, "Pass the phone to Xie Songchen. I’ll talk to him."

Rather than handing over the phone, Chen Songxie switched it to speaker mode.

The next second, Chu Mo’s voice came through the phone:

"Xie Songchen, don’t scold Xiao Chen."

The words struck him like a physical blow.

They left Xie Songchen momentarily breathless, his mind blank.

It never occurred to him that Chu Mo would defend this party-loving omega like this.

Taking a deep breath, Xie Songchen battled down the surge of emotions inside him and replied hoarsely,

"...I didn’t."

His voice came out rough and strained, as if he’d lost the strength to speak.

Oblivious to Xie Songchen’s inner storm, Chu Mo continued,

"Xiao Chen is a good omega. He’s well-behaved—he’d never cause trouble. I trust him."

Xie Songchen couldn’t tell which hurt more—the words "I trust him" or "don’t scold him."

A wave of jealousy, bitterness, and hurt left him speechless.

Seeing the alpha before him rigid and pale-faced, Chen Songxie knew his goal had been achieved.

"Little Xie just got overprotective, that’s why he misspoke," Chen Songxie said with a smirk, speaking to his 'hubby'. "Hubby, don’t be mad at him."

After delivering those words with unmistakable smugness, he hung up.

Xie Songchen’s already fragile composure shattered completely when Chen Songxie called Chu Mo "hubby" again.

His lips went pale.

Yet he held onto his last bit of pride, coldly telling the omega in front of him,

"How long do you think someone like you can hold Chu Mo’s attention? He’ll see through you sooner or later."

Chen Songxie showed no reaction, replying leisurely, "I'll keep my hubby loving me."

"Oh really?" Xie Songchen's gaze shifted from disgust to pity as he looked at Chen Songxie. "What's the point of tricking someone into catching feelings this way? Let’s see how long you can keep this charade going."

He didn’t buy that this omega, Xiao Chen, could keep hiding his true nature forever.

Chen Songxie smirked. "We'll see about that."

With that, he turned on his heel and left, leaving Xie Songchen glaring after him.

On the way back,

Chen Songxie received a message from Chu Mo.

"Boss: Thanks for playing along back there."

Chu Mo was grateful to Chen Songxie—at least he wasn't the type to take the money and rat him out.

A flaky omega would’ve blabbed by now.

Chen Songxie replied, "Just doing what I’m paid for."

Chu Mo, appreciative, sent him a cash gift.

Chen Songxie didn’t accept it.

Honestly, Chen Songxie was all about practicality.

If someone sent him a thank-you cash gift, he would usually take it.

He hated people owing him, and he hated owing anyone.

All debts were best cleared when due.

Like his deal with Chu Mo.

However,

Chen Songxie recalled Chu Mo's words during the call—"Don’t scold him" and "I believe in him."

For some reason, his chest tightened.

Chen Songxie knew he was only pretending to be his fake partner.

But those words got to him anyway.

For a second, Chen Songxie almost forgot it was all pretend.

Someone starved of kindness could get hooked on having his back no matter what.

Even if it was all an act.

Chen Songxie stopped dead.

Under the flickering streetlight, he just stood there, glued to his phone.

His throat went dry, Adam’s apple bobbing once.

After a beat, almost on autopilot, he hit record.

Chen Songxie fired off two voice texts to Chu Mo.

Meanwhile,

In the Chu family's study.

Chu Mo finally felt relieved.

He put down his phone, dried his hair, and was about to go to bed.

Just as he was about to do so, Chu Mo suddenly noticed a voicemail from Xiao Chen on his phone.

“Xiao Chen: [Voice 10"]”

“Xiao Chen: [Voice 3"]”

Chu Mo casually tapped the first ten-second voicemail.

For the first five seconds, there was complete silence.

He even wondered if Xiao Chen had sent a blank voicemail.

Just as Chu Mo felt puzzled,

the next second, Xiao Chen's clear and magnetic voice suddenly blared from the speaker,

“Would you like… to *renew your wife's subscription*?”

Chu Mo went rigid.

Then, the second voicemail started playing automatically,

“Rent wife directly, no agency fees.”