Forced to Pretend to Be an A and Marry the Best Actress Omega - Chapter 30

The drone of the hairdryer buzzed through the air, its warm gusts tousling Jiang Lingyu’s hair.

“…At least not here.” Realizing something, Xu Mifei took a difficult step forward, her voice dropping into an involuntary rasp.

How could she have forgotten? Jiang Lingyu was someone who fundamentally didn’t care about these things. Had she made a misstep somewhere, triggering Jiang Lingyu’s self-preservation instincts again?

She began to catch the scent of Jiang Lingyu’s pheromones, but Xu Mifei couldn’t understand—what had she done to make Jiang Lingyu distrust her so much?

“We can’t do this here. There are too many people, and the walls are too thin…”

But Jiang Lingyu didn’t seem to hear her. The bergamot fragrance grew thicker in the air.

If she didn’t earn Jiang Lingyu’s trust today, Jiang Lingyu wouldn’t let her off easily.

Xu Mifei felt an unprecedented sense of crisis. The more anxious she grew inside, the calmer her expression became, making it impossible for anyone to guess what she was thinking.

Only up close could one see the fine beads of sweat on the bridge of her nose, her lips pressed into a tight line as if she were desperately restraining something.

Thankfully, having comforted Jiang Lingyu twice before, Xu Mifei had built up some resistance, preventing her from losing control instantly. Silently repeating to herself—I’m a beta, I’m unaffected—she took two steps back and yanked out the power cord of the nearby camera.

At the same time, she activated her internal comms. “Props team testing, Jiang Lingyu’s room is going off-stream.”

Once she received confirmation, she locked the door.

Turning around, she faced Jiang Lingyu, who still stood by the bathroom door.

“Didn’t I tell you before? Stop testing me with methods that put yourself in danger.”

Xu Mifei exhaled deeply, pressing her fingers firmly against her throbbing temples to steady herself as she walked toward Jiang Lingyu.

Jiang Lingyu’s gaze was soft, yet when it swept over her, it felt like a sharp blade at first—peeling open the buttons of her uniform one by one, slicing through fabric.

Pheromones seeped in, enveloping her, wrapping around her, probing deeper.

Now, it was more like a supple yet unyielding fishing line, tightening around her bit by bit, leaving no room to escape. Every slight movement sent a sharp pang through her body, as if she might be strangled the next second.

As a beta, Xu Mifei had to admit—this was an omega-led seduction.

Because she had no pheromones.

Even if she never reacted to other omegas, she couldn’t escape the allure of a top-tier omega. Maybe this was just one of the protagonist’s exclusive auras in the story.

She closed her eyes, suppressing every rising wave of desire in her body as she moved closer to Jiang Lingyu.

…So, was she about to disappoint her?

Jiang Lingyu watched the approaching figure, masking the disappointment in her eyes.

It was clear—Xu Mifei was already affected, her rationality teetering on the edge of collapse.

If she released just a little more, Xu Mifei would seize her by the neck and bite down, sucking at her pheromones like a starving vampire.

The pheromone release had heightened her own sensitivity.

Even before Xu Mifei fully closed the distance, she could already feel the heat radiating from Xu Mifei’s body, rushing toward her through the air.

Uniform, boots, a black stand-up collar, long legs moving with fluid and even strides, and that faint red at the corners of Xu Mifei’s eyes—all exuded an overwhelmingly palpable presence.

It was undeniably restrained, yet it made one’s face flush, heart race like drumbeats, breath turn scorching, rising and falling rapidly.

Jiang Lingyu could only desperately suppress her urge to either retreat or step forward to maintain her composure and remain standing there.

The next moment, however, Xu Mifei placed both hands on her shoulders, tilted her head, and leaned in.

Goosebumps instantly spread across Jiang Lingyu’s arms where they were touched, and she even forgot to pull away.

But Xu Mifei merely shifted her aside, sitting her down on the single-seater sofa beside them, before retrieving a hairdryer from behind her.

“Then I’ll prove it to you,” Xu Mifei said, her slender fingers gripping the hairdryer handle, thumb resting on the switch as she gazed down at Jiang Lingyu. “You can release your pheromones as much as you want to test me. As long as you don’t say I can act… I absolutely won’t disrespect you.”

Jiang Lingyu’s heart skipped a beat.

Her eyes fell on Xu Mifei’s thumb, pressing not the hairdryer’s switch, but the switch to her body.

Jiang Lingyu suddenly found it absurd. Xu Mifei’s words made her realize one thing.

For an omega to freely release pheromones at someone might seem like a test, but in reality—

If those words were interpreted differently, they meant: You can tempt me all you want, and I’ll remain unmoved.

At that moment, a wave of shame surged through Jiang Lingyu, because her first thought was—if she really did it, would Xu Mifei truly stay unaffected?

The roar of the hairdryer filled the air, its buzzing noise unsettling Jiang Lingyu.

—Betas really have enviable freedom, able to resist for so long.

Seeing Jiang Lingyu silent, Xu Mifei began drying her hair.

Even with the hairdryer’s warmth occasionally brushing her hand, only she knew how icy her fingers truly were.

In a state of excitement, one often fails to perceive their own body temperature. She felt neither cold nor hot—only coiled tension, ready to spring—

But she hadn’t been given permission, so she had to suppress all these impulses.

This was her gamble.

Betting that Jiang Lingyu wouldn’t release any more pheromones.

Physiological knowledge stated that when an omega fully released their pheromones, they would also plunge into a pseudo-heat, stirring a desire to be soothed.

To calm herself, Xu Mifei decided to divert her attention. Amid the hairdryer’s hum, she slowly spoke up, whispering in Jiang Lingyu’s ear about He Yanzhen and Lin Su’s impending divorce, which she had discovered.

After a pause, she added, “It’s strange how such a marriage could exist. How could they last so long without any real feelings?”

“Of course they could,” Jiang Lingyu’s cool voice replied, carrying a barely detectable stiffness.

She wasn’t accustomed to such intimate gestures, resisting the urge to push the person in front of her away.

As for what Xu Mifei mentioned, she wasn’t surprised.

Their circle was full of such arrangements—contractual relationships built on mutual benefit. Even the bond between her and Xu Mifei was no different, wasn’t it?

Since Xu Mifei felt confused, did that also mean she was equally puzzled and uncertain about their relationship, only acting this way due to circumstances?

She probably didn’t do this often—her fingers moved somewhat clumsily through Jiang Lingyu’s hair, occasionally tugging lightly.

Jiang Lingyu thought she must have been influenced by the pheromones.

How else could she find this faint pulling sensation something she wanted to respond to?

Because Xu Mifei was behind her, the tugging made her lean back slightly, her chin tilting upward.

It was a position that made it easy for Xu Mifei to control her from behind.

That day in the greenhouse, the slow drip of dew, and her own soft moans—unbidden, they resurfaced in her mind.

Lately, she had been prone to this. The rationality she once prided herself on crumbled under Xu Mifei’s few unconscious gestures.

“How do you do it?”

“Bound by interests, highly compatible pheromones, but forced together without love—so affection and comfort can be separated.” The more Jiang Lingyu struggled internally, the colder her voice became. This game, played under the guise of proof—who was really being punished here?

A union with highly compatible pheromones but devoid of love was the most agonizing bond in the world. Jiang Lingyu had witnessed such tragedies before.

It was truly becoming a slave to desire, only to collapse again and again in moments of clarity.

Xu Mifei understood immediately—it was akin to separating s3x and love.

She turned off the hairdryer, squeezed out some hair oil, and smoothed it between her palms before carefully applying it to Jiang Lingyu’s ends.

“I don’t think that’s right,” Xu Mifei answered, as if warning herself, as she covered Jiang Lingyu’s scent gland with her silky hair. “I can’t separate the two.”

She hesitated, wanting to ask if she had already passed this test.

“But you’ve been comforting me,” Jiang Lingyu suddenly said. “That already blurs your own principles.”

Jiang Lingyu knew exactly why Xu Mifei had used those methods to secure their engagement.

A need for presence, possessiveness, a subtle competitive streak—or something else entirely—but it could never be because of love.

Not because she liked her.

Yet now, Xu Mifei claimed she couldn’t separate s3x and love. Did that mean she had genuinely cared for every omega before her?

Jiang Lingyu frowned, an inexplicable displeasure rising in her chest.

She disliked Xu Mifei’s words. For a fleeting moment, she even wondered—what if Xu Mifei became an alpha?

If she became an alpha, under the influence of Jiang Lingyu’s pheromones, she would never again feel pity for another omega.

The thought startled Jiang Lingyu.

This was the kind of psychological shift that only happened after a temporary mark. Omegas could develop possessiveness toward alphas, but Jiang Lingyu had never imagined she could be affected this way.

“I’ve always thought this was a problem too—only your pheromones are something I can smell…” Xu Mifei slowly stepped in front of Jiang Lingyu, bracing her hands on the chair beside her.

“So, during future comforting sessions, should we set a time limit?” Xu Mifei suddenly lifted her right wrist, neatly folding up her sleeve.

“There’s a pheromone monitoring ring here. If you still don’t trust me, I’ll implant an alert program. When both my heart rate and soothing duration exceed the threshold simultaneously, it’ll deliver an electric stimulus to wake me up.”

How could someone be so harsh on themselves?

Implanting a pheromone monitoring ring, sharpening canine teeth to resemble an alpha’s—from appearance to everything else, she was convincing enough to pass as one. No wonder no one had ever suspected Xu Mifei was a beta.

Yet she kept revealing her secrets so easily.

After a moment of silence, Xu Mifei knew her gamble had paid off.

At some point, Jiang Lingyu had stopped releasing pheromones.

At the current concentration, she could still restrain herself.

Jiang Lingyu suddenly looked up at her.

Xu Mifei took a deep breath and instinctively closed her eyes.

What a flawless face—even when her eyes were filled with coldness, it still made people want to draw closer.

She knew many praised her eyes for their beauty, calling them naturally affectionate.

Little did they know even these “affectionate eyes” struggled to remain composed under Jiang Lingyu’s gaze.

Jiang Lingyu’s irises were a beautiful, translucent brown, like amber in sunlight, with long, thick lashes. When they looked at her, it stirred an involuntary urge to possess—to make those eyes see only her from now on.

Xu Mifei’s wrist stiffly lowered to rest against her pant seam.

“Xu Mifei, do you think being a beta is good?”

“Yes, betas are freer compared to others, which also makes them better suited for more jobs.” Betas could take on all types of work. Though alphas had innate advantages in certain delicate tasks, ordinary people could still prove their worth through exceptional effort.

“But you’re already affected by me now. What freedom are you talking about?” Jiang Lingyu said. “Open your eyes and answer me while looking at me.”

When Xu Mifei opened her eyes, her gaze—from her elevated position—slid over Jiang Lingyu’s lips.

She exhaled deeply, trying to avoid eye contact, but Jiang Lingyu’s stare caught her, leaving no escape.

“Because you’re special,” she said. “Once we’re no longer together, I won’t be affected at all.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she noticed the pheromone concentration instantly weakened. The omega’s face turned frosty.

Had she been let off, or had she passed some test?

“Leave,” Jiang Lingyu suddenly dismissed her. “It’s time to sleep.”

Though Xu Mifei’s mind was still foggy, her rationality finally returned. She nodded and stepped back.

But as if remembering something, she went to the bathroom, filled a basin with warm water, and brought a towel. Kneeling beside Jiang Lingyu’s feet, she said, “I’ll leave after this.” She wet the towel, wrung it out, and draped it over Jiang Lingyu’s calf.

The foam had long disappeared, but the area still felt sticky and uncomfortable.

Jiang Lingyu’s body stiffened slightly but didn’t pull away.

The warmth brushed against her calf, the heat seeping into her robe, invading her pores and the fine crevices, then expanding without reason.

The warm water squeezed out by Xu Mifei’s fingers seemed to drip entirely into her body, impossible to escape.

In that instant, she actually wanted Xu Mifei to stay. Her thoughts felt torn apart, drifting between flames and glaciers.

Xu Mifei seemed entirely focused on the act of wiping, her movements meticulous and deliberate.

By the time Xu Mifei unlocked and pulled open the door to leave, Jiang Lingyu still hadn’t moved a muscle.

She remained seated, steadying her breathing. It took a long while before her expression finally revealed a hint of helplessness, forcing her to retreat to the bathroom for another shower.

…

After stepping out, Xu Mifei returned to the props team, sinking into a chair outside with a deep sigh.

Tilting her head back to gaze at the night sky, she felt that all the goodwill she’d painstakingly built with Jiang Lingyu might have evaporated again.

Heaven knew how much willpower it had taken to close that door behind her—she’d even secretly inhaled a couple more breaths in the fleeting moment Jiang Lingyu hadn’t noticed.

Seriously, why wasn’t there any guide on what a beta should do after getting drunk on pheromones? Xu Mifei felt utterly powerless.

With Jiang Lingyu no longer in front of her, the tension in her nerves eased, but the drowsiness only grew heavier.

Thinking back to Jiang Lingyu’s questions and reactions, a pang of melancholy settled in her heart.

That night, she didn’t sleep well.

But the next morning, she still rose early to test props with Hu Yigui. Noticing the faint dark circles under her eyes, Hu Yigui couldn’t resist teasing her.

“You didn’t stay up too late reading all those comments praising you, did you?” Hu Yigui remembered how the barrage of comments often mentioned that Xu Mifei was someone who frequently scoured the internet for opinions about herself.

Lu Jiguang had even sent Hu Yigui a discreet message when dropping her off: Hu-jie, A-Fei gets really defensive when she sees hate comments. Please go easy on her.

“What comments?” The woman in front of her rubbed her eyes, looking utterly confused.

She couldn’t very well admit she’d spent the whole night thinking about an omega’s pheromones.

Just smelling them was different from smelling them and then being able to kiss her afterward.

“You don’t know?” Hu Yigui looked astonished as she pulled out her phone to show Xu Mifei the pinned video in their work group chat. “It was trending on domestic forums last night.”

Xu Mifei had already spotted the massive barrage comment at the beginning pointing to the 1:49 mark. Though she’d braced herself, her cheeks still flushed when the scene appeared.

“The hype hasn’t died down overnight—some are even demanding you as a guest for the next episode.” Hu Yigui said. “You’re not leaving our props team for the next shoot, are you?”

“No, no.” Xu Mifei rubbed her face and forced herself to perk up. “Let’s get to work!”

The busyness lasted well past seven in the evening before they finally took a break.

After a shower and changing into a fresh work uniform, Xu Mifei headed to the kitchen.

She hadn’t expected to run into Yi Baoyou in the living room before eight o’clock.

“Here to put on a show this early?”

With the cameras still off, Yi Baoyou didn’t hold back. “Xu Mifei, who are you trying to fool with this act?”

“This act of yours only works on naive girls. Did Jiang Lingyu actually fall for it?”

Xu Mifei said nothing, simply peeling open a trash bag and shoving it into Yi Baoyou’s hands. “Done talking? Crawl in and take yourself out. Don’t waste my time.”

Technically, they were responsible for all meals that day, starting with breakfast.

Since Xu Mifei had woken up early anyway, she planned to warm the milk first and prep the sandwich ingredients.

By the time Jiang Lingyu woke up, all she’d need to do was wrap everything together.

As for Xu Wanzhi, it was obvious she wouldn’t lift a finger to help.

“You!” Yi Baoyou took a moment to process that Xu Mifei had just called her trash! Since when had Xu Mifei learned such sophisticated, roundabout ways of insulting people?

Just as she was about to retort, Jiang Lingyu unexpectedly came downstairs.

The moment Yi Baoyou saw Jiang Lingyu, her face paled. Afraid Jiang Lingyu might use pheromones to provoke her again, she muttered a few words and quickly left.

After all, by evening, they’d have their chance to embarrass themselves.

Xu Mifei remained unfazed, calmly briefing Jiang Lingyu on the preparations she’d made before leaving the kitchen to resume her duties with the props team.

Jiang Lingyu didn’t get the chance to thank her.

Back in the workspace, Xu Mifei was called over by Jin Chiyu.

“Xiao Xu, perfect timing. I forgot to give this to Lingyu last night—take it to her.” Jin Chiyu handed her a gilded card embossed with the word “Knight” in gold. “You’ll still need to pull double duty. Until Jiang Lingyu calls you on camera, keep working as part of the crew.”

“No problem.” Xu Mifei took the card and went to find Jiang Lingyu, but the kitchen was now empty.

The door leading to the backyard was open, so Xu Mifei headed outside.

Near the greenhouse, Jiang Lingyu was abruptly pulled inside by Xu Wanzhi, who had seized her wrist.

Jiang Lingyu steadied herself and fixed the other woman with a cold stare.

Xu Wanzhi suddenly laughed. “Do I scare you, Lingyu? Let me assure you—A’Fei’s true nature is far more terrifying than anything you’re seeing from me right now.”

“I’m here to remind you—don’t forget the contract you signed with the company. You don’t actually think one viral video changes anything, do you?”

She’d only just discovered that the highly trending video, the one compiling Xu Mifei’s most iconic moments, hadn’t been taken down. Upon asking, she learned it was Jiang Lingyu’s new manager’s decision.

“If you want a smooth exit, tying your interests to mine is the optimal solution, isn’t it? Otherwise, if your bet with the company fails, you’ll be stuck renewing your contract.” Xu Wanzhi scoffed. “Though that wouldn’t be so bad. If you lose, we’ll at least stay together forever.”

Jiang Lingyu wrenched her hand free, but this only provoked Xu Wanzhi, who grabbed her again, tighter this time.

“The original footage of your video will always have backups in the Underground Tower. If you want it, you’ll do as I say.”

Jiang Lingyu’s pupils constricted, her breath quickening. A surge of defiance and resentment flared within her, sharp as thorns finally breaking skin, drawing bl00d.

In the past, she might have yielded.

But now, she glimpsed another possibility. She’d signed contract after contract, believing each one was an escape—only to find herself trapped in yet another cage.

Just like back then, when she’d taken the money and left the Underground Tower, signing with the company—how could she have known it would become the shackles of her freedom now?

If every path was a cage, did it matter whose side she was on? Did it matter who she partnered with for profit?

If so—why not choose Xu Mifei?

Seeing Jiang Lingyu go still, Xu Wanzhi mistook it for compliance and moved to pull her closer—only to cry out as searing pain shot through her shoulder.

Xu Mifei had entered through the greenhouse’s other door. She wrenched Xu Wanzhi’s shoulder, shoved her aside, and immediately dragged Jiang Lingyu out.

Her expression was grim, her movements toward Xu Wanzhi impatient and rough, yet when holding Jiang Lingyu’s hand, she remembered to soften her touch, her fingertips gently resting on his wrist.

Thinking about what she had heard, Xu Mifei realized the situation was far more complicated than she had imagined.

How could there still be a betting agreement? No wonder Jiang Lingyu needed to draft a one-year contract with her—what would happen after that year?

Even more concerning was the original footage of the underground building that Xu Wanzhi had mentioned… As someone who had been there herself, Xu Mifei knew it was no good place.

The series of discoveries left her already muddled head even more dizzy.

Since last night, whenever she stood before Jiang Lingyu or faced her questions, she became dazed and confused, devoid of her usual rationality.

Just moments ago, if not for the fact that they were recording a show, she would have really wanted to find a spot to bury Xu Wanzhi first.

Finally leading Jiang Lingyu outside the residence, Xu Mifei released her grip and silently studied Jiang Lingyu for a long moment. When she spoke again, her voice was unexpectedly dry.

“How did you get involved with the Underground Tower?”

Jiang Lingyu suddenly lifted her gaze to meet Xu Mifei’s.

Her eyes held a suppressed, indecipherable emotion—deep and obscure, churning and tainting those amber irises.

Xu Mifei couldn’t understand it, but the moment their eyes met, the familiar dread she had felt when first arriving in this world resurfaced.

It was a premonition that her life was in danger, the same panic she had experienced when first facing Jiang Lingyu—because she knew this was the person who could end her life.

How could there be such intense hatred?

Xu Mifei felt she had to say something to save herself, but Jiang Lingyu spoke first.

“Because of you,” she said slowly, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. “Xu Mifei, I’ve always known it was you. So how can I possibly trust you?”