After My Contract Marriage with the Aloof Omega (GL , ABO) - Chapter 5

Five seconds after sending those three words, Lu Qingzhuo quickly held down the message to recall it, desperately hoping Fu Yumian hadn’t seen what she wrote.

Just as she sighed in relief at having withdrawn it in time, Fu Yumian sent back a question mark.

“……”

She saw it?

She saw that ambiguous message she had sent?

And she also witnessed her panicked, immediate recall?

Lu Qingzhuo instinctively bit her lower lip, too afraid to look at her phone again. Instead, she flipped it face-down on the bed, tapping her fingers anxiously against the back cover.

Fu Yumian: 【What’s up?】

Hearing the notification, Lu Qingzhuo cracked one eye open to check WeChat. She had no idea what expression Fu Yumian had on the other end of the screen, but since she replied so quickly, her mood couldn’t be too bad, right?

Lu Qingzhuo: 【I need something.】

Another long stretch of silence followed. Lu Qingzhuo hovered over the keyboard, unsure how to phrase it.

Even though Fu Yumian was her arranged marriage partner, their agreement explicitly stated they wouldn’t interfere in each other’s lives. Showing up like this out of the blue might come across as trying to exploit some unspoken advantage.

Lu Qingzhuo wasn’t entirely sure what Fu Yumian’s first impression of her was, but it probably wasn’t great, especially since Han Tian might have already shown her their previous conversations and chat logs.

Lu Qingzhuo: 【President Fu, there’s something I’d like to ask for your help with.】

After sending it, she immediately regretted how roundabout she sounded. Fu Yumian was a busy woman who probably had no patience for word games.

Just as she was about to send a long-winded explanation, Fu Yumian replied: 【Making a movie?】

!!!

With those three words, Fu Yumian might as well have been the golden tapeworm in Lu Qingzhuo’s gut always able to read her mind with pinpoint accuracy.

Lu Qingzhuo: 【[Nodding][Nodding]】

No one could imagine just how excited she was when she sent that.

Fu Yumian: 【Mhm.】

Mhm… She replied with an “Mhm”!

Which meant her film dreams just got a whole lot more feasible!

Lu Qingzhuo nearly launched herself off the bed in excitement. Clutching her phone, she almost burst into tears, immediately diving into her WeChat stickers to delete half of her sarcastic memes and replacing them with a slew of cute, coquettish cats and dogs.

Fu Yumian’s profile picture was a golden tabby, which meant she liked animals, especially cats.

Playing a little trick, Lu Qingzhuo changed her own avatar to a translucent, adorable cat-paw jelly and even ditched her old, cringey nickname.

Her WeChat name for years had been “Invincible Pretty Girl,” a handle she’d used since first registering. Even after transmigrating, she’d kept it. But now, to cater to Fu Yumian’s tastes, should she change it?

Ah, whatever. Fu Yumian would probably add a contact note for her anyway, so it likely didn’t matter either way.

The next morning, Lu Qingzhuo was jolted awake by a phone call. Glancing at the caller ID something like “Big Cockroach” she figured it must be someone close to her and answered without a second thought.

“Hello…”

“Lu Lu, you finally picked up! I called you over a dozen times!”

A roar in her ears washed away the last traces of drowsiness from Lu Qingzhuo. She checked her phone to find twelve missed calls from this persistent cockroach, and she had only woken up to the last one.

She felt a mix of awe and exasperation for this tenacious warrior, hoarsely asking, “Who is this?”

“Who? It’s your damn mother! Did you sleep so much you got amnesia?”

Rubbing her eyes, Lu Qingzhuo finally remembered who this person was as her memories came flooding back.

Lin Zhiyu, Lu Qingzhuo’s good friend from university. The two of them had always enjoyed bickering, never speaking seriously to each other. She had no idea why Lin was calling so urgently now.

“What’s up?”

“Emergency! I went back to our alma mater a few days ago and met this sweet, adorable omega love at first sight!”

“Oh,” Lu Qingzhuo sat up in bed, ready to start her morning routine, her tone making it clear she wasn’t interested. “Go for it then. Marry her as soon as possible.”

“But I’ve never been in a relationship before! For the first time in over twenty years, my heart’s on fire. I feel like an old cow trying to eat tender grass.”

“At least you know you’re an old cow,” Lu Qingzhuo muttered as she brushed her teeth, listening to Lin Zhiyu’s excited rambling about how beautiful the omega girl was and how sweet her voice sounded. “Go chase her, but make sure she’s single first.”

After brushing her teeth, Lu Qingzhuo washed her face, applied some moisturizer, and headed to the dining room for breakfast, still holding the ongoing call.

“…You know, the moment I saw her, I just knew she was my destined omega…”

Lu Qingzhuo: “…”

“Alright, go for it. It’s not like you’re bad-looking. You’re talented in singing and acting, and you’re a rich second-generation heir.”

Lin Zhiyu was indeed a bona fide rich kid. Back in university, while most students were begging their parents for extra allowance, she was already driving a Maserati to class.

“But what if she’s not into my type?” Lin Zhiyu sounded almost pained. “She’s a freshman, and I graduated three years ago. Age isn’t on my side.”

“Just throw money at her. A lot of it,” Lu Qingzhuo suggested mischievously, still holding a grudge for being woken up from her beauty sleep. “Quantity will eventually turn into quality. I refuse to believe there’s anyone in this world who isn’t interested in money…”

Just as she sat down, a tall, slender figure appeared behind her. Lu Qingzhuo’s words abruptly stopped, leaving Lin Zhiyu still chattering away on the other end.

“Don’t mess with me, Lu Lu. What if she really isn’t into money… Hey, are you listening? Hello?”

Lu Qingzhuo hung up, her gentle peach-blossom eyes curving slightly as she gazed at Fu Yumian sitting across from her. Between them stood an antique tortoiseshell vase filled with red roses. She stole an uneasy glance at Fu Yumian.

How did this person walk so soundlessly? And how much of that conversation had she overheard? She wouldn’t think Lu Qingzhuo was some shallow gold-digger, would she?

Well, she was. It was practically common knowledge only missing Lu Qingzhuo shouting it through a megaphone in public.

“Good morning, President Fu.”

Fu Yumian nodded and began cutting her steak with a knife and fork. Her hands were slender with distinct knuckles, and the way she held the utensils resembled someone gently plucking the strings of a rare instrument. Her table manners were refined and elegant, a natural nobility emanating from her very bones.

In contrast, Lu Qingzhuo’s steak-eating posture wasn’t particularly graceful, though she at least avoided clinking her utensils against the plate.

The two sat facing each other peacefully, embodying the saying “respecting each other like guests.” Perhaps this was the best way for them to coexist.

After finishing one steak, Lu Qingzhuo was nearly full. Her appetite wasn’t large, and having eaten too much Western food, she found herself missing the street food stalls from her school days. She wondered if the jade-like, dignified Fu Yumian had ever experienced such humble fare.

Most likely not.

“Do you know Shen Shijun?” Fu Yumian suddenly looked up, her gaze fixed on Lu Qingzhuo. “She’s preparing a new film and has a role that would suit you perfectly.”

Shen Shijun?

A renowned director and screenwriter, her debut film had swept countless awards both domestically and abroad, earning her acclaim as one of the most celebrated figures in Chinese cinema. Many of the industry’s biggest stars owed their fame to her.

“President Fu, you—”

Lu Qingzhuo stumbled over her words, pulling out a soft napkin to dab her lips, hardly daring to believe her ears.

“You mean… Director Shen Shijun, the one who made Cicada Snow?”

“Yes.”

Cicada Snow was Shen Shijun’s debut film. She had spent two years conceptualizing it during university, but due to funding issues, production had stalled. Later, by sheer chance, the script landed in Fu Yumian’s hands, and she invested most of the budget to make it happen.

Shen Shijun had cast Fu Yumian as the aloof, ethereal young girl in the film. After its release, Fu Yumian became the dream lover of countless alphas, all at the tender age of seventeen.

Lu Qingzhuo had once looked up Fu Yumian’s career history. Aside from Cicada Snow, she had never acted in another film, later moving abroad to pursue business and leaving the entertainment industry behind.

Fu Yumian’s expression remained composed, her hands resting gracefully on the rosewood table, the classic Patek Philippe on her wrist catching a faint glint of light.

“She’s reliable. I trust her judgment.”

Lu Qingzhuo was momentarily stunned. She knew the two had a close relationship without Fu Yumian, there would be no Shen Shijun but this…

This was surreal. She had only wanted to casually join a film crew for fun, and now she was being handed a role just like that? If word got out, wouldn’t she be torn apart by online trolls again?

“But… I haven’t auditioned or even met Director Shen. Isn’t this a bit too… casual?”

Fu Yumianpoured herself a glass of red wine, took a sip, and replied evenly, “I told you, your image fits. She’ll definitely cast you.”

Lu Qingzhuo: “…”

This was the aura of a domineering CEO. Ordinary people simply couldn’t withstand such presence.

“Well, thank you, President Fu. But shouldn’t I at least meet Director Shen first?” Lu Qingzhuo smiled, her tone gentle and diplomatic. “She’s, my senior. Could you help arrange an introduction?”

This was indeed pushing it a bit too far. Lu Qingzhuo nervously watched Fu Yumian’s expression, and when she saw him merely frown slightly, her heart was instantly thrown into turmoil.

“Han Tian, you handle this.”

Han Tian appeared like a shadow guard from a martial arts novel, arriving at Lu Qingzhuo’s side in an instant. She opened her laptop and pulled up several high-end private clubs in the vicinity, exclusive venues where even many celebrities struggled to gain entry, all owned by the Fu family.

Lu Qingzhuo was dazzled by the options. Did she even need to choose? These elite clubs, which countless stars would fight tooth and nail just to step into, were all part of the Fu family’s empire.