After Marking a Paranoid CEO [Transmigration] - Chapter 42

A week flew by. On the final two days, Mu Huayue quietly went on a business trip. If Xia Youxi hadn’t inquired beforehand, she wouldn’t have known CEO Mu had left.

She really doesn’t value me at all. Am I just a tool to her?

To be honest, Xia Youxi felt a pang of melancholy. Coincidentally, the day before Mu Huayue’s return, she ran into Guan He in the office building.

Guan He had called her several times recently, repeatedly offering assistance. But Xia Youxi, preoccupied with Mu Huayue and feeling bound by A’s code of ethics after being Marked by her, had been skillfully dodging Guan He’s advances, preventing her from visiting. Yet fate, in its peculiar way, had orchestrated this chance encounter in the elevator lobby.

“Yousey?” Guan He paused, momentarily forgetting which floor she was headed to. She followed Xia Youxi toward the exit. “What are you doing here? Practicing your solo?”

Xia Youxi nodded. “Yeah, but I should be leaving now.”

“Do you have a ride? I’ll call my driver.”

The Young Miss reached for her phone, but Xia Youxi quickly stopped her. “No need, Sister Guan. The company’s sending someone to pick me up.”

“The company?” Guan He’s expression darkened, though a faint hint of disappointment flickered beneath her stern facade. “Which one did you sign with?”

Xia Youxi chuckled evasively. “It’s a secret for now. Don’t worry, I’ve learned my lesson. It’s not some exploitative company like my old one. I’m grateful for the opportunities you gave me, Sister Guan, but I have my own career plans. I’d rather focus on movies than variety shows or television.”

Guan He frowned, her disappointment evident. “So you were just using the talent show as a stepping stone?”

Xia Youxi shook her head. “I genuinely love being an idol, but you know how the industry works here. We can’t offer the same opportunities as overseas markets, and being an idol is a young person’s game. You have to transition eventually. I’m just planning ahead.”

“You’re remarkably candid,” Guan He clicked her tongue. “You really do see me as your sister, don’t you? You dare say all that to me. If I were just a fan, I’d definitely unfollow you.”

Xia Youxi smiled faintly, her dimples showing. “Has Sister Guan unfollowed me now?”

Guan He muttered her catchphrase, “Bad luck.”

Sincerity was her ultimate weapon, and she found herself liking Xia Youxi even more.

“Tell me what you need, and I’ll see if I can pull some strings to get you resources.”

“Thank you, Sister Guan.”

Xia Youxi’s smile curved her eyebrows, her dimples making her look like a sweet little kitten. Guan He felt struck by her charm, her heart skipping a beat. She shook her head in admiration, thinking, So adorable. This is what a truly sweet Omega should be like.

“Good luck in the Grand Finale. I’ll be there to watch you.”

“Okay.” Xia Youxi waved goodbye and joined Wen An, who was waiting nearby. The two walked out together.

Guan He had a sharp memory and recognized faces easily. She had seen Wen An at the public performance and knew she was CEO Mu of Ba Feng Group’s personal assistant—and Yousey’s rumored romantic interest.

Yousey had claimed Wen An was just a colleague, which meant her agency must be Ba Feng Entertainment. But would a mere minor artist warrant being chauffeured by the CEO’s assistant?

Guan He’s suspicions seemed to be solidifying.

The mastermind behind the relentless torment of Yousey, the small idol who had been coerced, manipulated, and even abused, was none other than Mu Huayue, the CEO of the Ba Feng Group.

Far overseas, Mu Huayue suddenly felt a chill. She instructed Wu Wei to raise the air conditioning temperature and, during a break between meetings, received a report call from Wen An.

“CEO Mu, Miss Xia has returned to the Production Team. She ran into Miss Guan today, who stopped her for a brief conversation. There was no further interaction.”

Mu Huayue hummed in acknowledgment, then casually inquired, “What did they discuss?”

Wen An continued her report, “I was some distance away, but as I approached, I overheard Miss Guan offering to help Miss Xia secure resources.”

Mu Huayue sneered coldly and hung up. She summoned Wu Wei, issued a few instructions, and then proceeded to her meeting with business partners.

※

On the Island in Coconut City, Xia Youxi had rejoined her teammates and they were rehearsing together. During a break, the teammates chatted about their individual showcase performances. Xia Youxi noticed Huang Ruo covering her face, waving her hands frantically and begging everyone not to ask.

Huang Ruo refused to answer questions, but when Xia Youxi approached, she quietly volunteered, “Captain Xia, could you do me a favor? Please don’t tell the others about my song. Some of them are gossips, and if they spread it around, I’m afraid it might upset Sister Mu.”

Sister Mu.

Xia Youxi found the term jarring. She pressed her lips into a smile and readily agreed, “Alright.”

Back at the villa, Xia Youxi replayed Huang Ruo’s words and expression in her mind. No matter how she looked at it, it seemed like a secret crush.

Beta-Omega pairings weren’t unheard of, but Huang Ruo lacked pheromones, rendering her useless to Sister Mu. She shouldn’t pose any threat, right?

Xia Youxi tossed her long hair over her shoulder and strode to the bathroom. She retrieved her long-unused smartwatch from a drawer. Her phone had been confiscated upon her return, leaving this small device as her only means of contacting Mu Huayue.

Buzz.

A new message arrived on Green Chat. There was only one notification: from her Sister Mu.

Xia Youxi beamed and eagerly opened the conversation. Before she could even read the words, she noticed something strange: two…

She squinted at the screen and realized it was a missed call notification.

Her mind flashed back to the night she had been kidnapped. She had desperately called Mu Huayue for help, but when she returned, there was no message. She had assumed Sister Mu didn’t care about her and hadn’t bothered to check on her.

Now, Xia Youxi sent a cute cat-hugging sticker, followed by a Green Chat message:

Yue: After the competition, I’ll take you to audition for Director Zhou.

Director Zhou was mentioned in the original novel as a temperamental but highly acclaimed director. The male lead, Mu Shengyang, overheard the female lead, Sang Rourou, casually mention wanting to make a film. He spent a fortune to produce a movie for her, which unsurprisingly swept all major awards and catapulted Sang Rourou to the pinnacle of domestic cinema, earning her the title of “Queen of the Silver Screen.”

Queen of the Silver Screen!

Xia Youxi still remembered how, before she’d entered the book, she had desperately hoped to win an award herself—it had been her greatest obsession.

Mu Huayue was going to make her dream come true!

She pressed the record button and sent a voice message: “Sister, Sister! I’ll definitely do my best!”

Why is she so excited?

Mu Huayue couldn’t help but chuckle at the message. Soon another one arrived. When she opened it, she heard the girl ask, “Did you help me last night, Sister?”

Last night?

Mu Huayue recalled her all-night ordeal, personally escorting the girl back to the Island without daring to wake her.

If this silly girl finds out, won’t she become even more spoiled?

She was already quite disobedient.

She coldly replied with two words: “No, I didn’t.”

After that, no matter what Xia Youxi sent, she received no further replies.

Xia Youxi stared at the curt two-word response next to her own lengthy, rambling message, and hesitated. Could I have really gotten it wrong?

Did Sister Mu think I was mocking her by mentioning Guan He? Is that why she’s upset?

Did I accidentally make things worse?

Though still suspicious, Xia Youxi tried to salvage the situation. She sent a cute cat emoji and changed the subject: “It’s late, Sister. Sleep well! [Cat loves you]”

After sending the message, Xia Youxi held her phone, waiting for a response. When no reply came after a long while, she gave up.

Unbeknownst to her, Mu Huayue, seeing the “Miss You” emoji, couldn’t help but smile to herself. “Good night, my little troublemaker.”

Sweat poured, time flew by, and before they knew it, the Grand Finale of “Show Youth” had arrived.

The night before the competition, Xia Youxi sent Mu Huayue another message, inviting her to watch.

Home-Raised Silly Cat: Tomorrow’s the Grand Finale! Will you be watching, Sister?

When no reply came for a long time, Xia Youxi assumed Mu Huayue was busy and sent another message, trying to be understanding.

Home-Raised Silly Cat: If you have time, please watch the live broadcast! I’ve been practicing the song you helped me choose. I really want to hear your feedback.

Home-Raised Silly Cat: [Pleading for praise]

After sending the message, Xia Youxi stared blankly at the small screen, waiting anxiously. Finally, a reply came.

Yue: Wen An will watch the finale. She’ll be there tomorrow.

Xia Youxi chuckled to herself as she read the message. Sister Mu, why do you have to be so formal? You’re clearly busy, but instead of admitting it, you’re sending Wen An as your representative.

She refused to believe that Wen An, with her poker-face demeanor, actually enjoyed watching talent shows.

House Cat: Okay. I still miss you, Sister. [Crying emoji] Don’t work too hard, okay? [Kissing emoji]

Yue: Mm.

With these brief exchanges, their pre-competition chat came to an end.

It wasn’t until bedtime that Xia Youxi realized her necklace clashed with the dress she’d be wearing for the Grand Finale. During the dress rehearsal earlier that day, the makeup artist had even suggested she remove the necklace. Sibe had enthusiastically offered her own thick gold chain instead.

Xia Youxi politely declined. She didn’t want to accept something she hadn’t earned, and besides, a gaudy gold chain would clash even more with her red dress.

Sibe looked slightly hurt. “Sis, you’re great in every way, but you’re just too polite.”

Xia Youxi forced a wry smile. She was simply honoring her promise to Sister Mu.

Besides, without an expensive necklace, she could better embody the image of a hardworking, inspiring underdog—a true “little wildflower” striving against the odds.

The next day, Xia Youxi confidently wore her platinum cat necklace to the Grand Finale venue.

The entire competition would be broadcast live, starting at 7 PM and continuing until the final results were announced. The format was standard: the winner would be determined by audience votes.

To keep the energy high, the Production Team had invited numerous guest performers to entertain the crowd between rounds.

Xia Youxi’s group performed after two guest acts. As the lights dimmed, the girls, clad in matching black uniforms, lined up in formation, poised to begin. When the music started, they moved their arms in unison.

For this performance, they abandoned gracefulness in favor of power. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, and each leap and landing shook the stage with a resounding thump.

The front-row audience erupted in cheers. “Wow, it’s a knife-sharp group dance! Can Omegas really dance with such Alpha energy?”

On stage, the girls continued their performance. In the audience, Guan He screamed Xia Youxi’s name: “Yousey!”

Wen An, hearing the commotion, expressionlessly pulled out her phone, zoomed in, and focused the camera on Xia Youxi. The camera captured every detail of the girl’s face with startling clarity. Her movements were precise and powerful, and when she struck a pose, her gaze was unwavering and confident. For a fleeting moment, Wen An hesitated: Is she really an Omega?

Nearby, Guan He shouted again, “You’re amazing, Yousey!”

Wen An hastily sent the recorded footage with a quick message: “Apologies, CEO Mu. Miss Guan has been shouting nearby, and it might have been recorded.”

In the airport’s VIP lounge, Mu Huayue was watching the live stream through her headphones. When the message popped up on her screen, she frowned slightly.

Is the Guan family’s ghost still haunting me?