Forced to Pretend to Be an A and Marry the Best Actress Omega - Chapter 44

It was Xu Mifei who had called her here to discuss matters.

Yet Hu Huaimeng waited left and right in the study—her cup of hot water turned cold, then went empty after she drank it—and still, Xu Mifei hadn’t come in.

She was caught in a dilemma, restless staying here but too afraid to leave.

There had been no sound from outside, and Hu Huaimeng grew increasingly uneasy. Recalling the wound on Jiang Lingyu’s neck and the scent of bl00d she had caught when picking up Xu Mifei, she couldn’t shake the feeling that both of them were dangerous.

Finally making up her mind, she pulled open the study door and hurried out—only to freeze at the sight before her on the sofa.

Jiang Lingyu’s head was pressed close to Xu Mifei’s neck, as if she were about to bite down any second.

—Just who was the alpha here, and who was the omega? Were their roles reversed? And wasn’t Young CEO Xu supposed to be a beta?

The noise of her appearance shattered the thick, intimate atmosphere on the sofa.

Jiang Lingyu’s gaze snapped toward her, and Hu Huaimeng inwardly cursed. She immediately waved her hands. “Uh—I didn’t see anything, I’ll just go—”

Being a manager to this extent was no easy feat.

But Jiang Lingyu had already snapped back to awareness in an instant, pulling away.

Xu Mifei abruptly stood up, distancing herself from the precarious situation on the sofa.

“Wait, I’ll be right there.” She cleared her throat to mask her embarrassment, fingers brushing against the still-tingling nape of her neck before lowering her voice to say to Jiang Lingyu, “I need to discuss something with Sister Meng. You should… go upstairs and rest first?”

Her gaze lingered on Jiang Lingyu’s neck for a moment before she added, “You should reapply the medicine here. It’d be best to wear looser clothes tomorrow too—it’ll help with recovery.”

After a brief hesitation, she asked, “Do you… want me to help you with the medicine?”

“No need. I’ll call Zhao Zhao over later.” Jiang Lingyu refused immediately.

She and Xu Mifei shouldn’t stay together any longer. If Hu Huaimeng hadn’t interrupted just now, she wasn’t sure what she would have done.

Just who was tormenting whom? That bit about “as long as she’s happy”… Xu Mifei really didn’t sound like a novice when she said things like that.

Watching Jiang Lingyu ascend the stairs, the faint floral fragrance in the air gradually fading, Xu Mifei finally withdrew her gaze and followed Hu Huaimeng into the study.

The moment they entered, her expression turned serious. She gestured for Hu Huaimeng to sit and recounted everything that had happened at the Xu family home that night.

“You… you and Lingyu went back just for this?” Hu Huaimeng’s eyes widened in shock. Even though Xu Mifei now spoke calmly, she could easily imagine how tense the situation at home must have been.

Those in the industry naturally understood—the Xu family didn’t value Xu Mifei. Even though the company was jointly held by Xu Wanzhi and Xu Mifei, the younger CEO Xu was just a figurehead in name, an empty shell in reality.

Even if the company had originally been meant for the younger CEO Xu, over time, few remembered that fact.

Xu Mifei nodded. “We didn’t reach an agreement, but it’s fine. I’ve already thought of a solution.”

She opened the contract, along with a densely packed document, spreading them out before Hu Huaimeng.

The contract in question was a betting agreement, with the most notable clause being Jiang Lingyu’s obligation to fully cooperate with Xu Wanzhi in promoting their fabricated celebrity couple image and maintaining public personas—leveraging the hype to generate hundreds of millions in company profits. Failure to meet these terms would result in the contract being indefinitely extended after one year, with the forfeited betting amount treated as debt repayment.

“I spent a long time reviewing it yesterday and realized this contract must be read alongside Jiang Lingyu’s publicly signed agreement with the company. That one stipulates she must maintain top-tier exposure annually—major magazine features, endorsements, film and TV resources.”

“The company has never shortchanged Xiao Jiang in these areas. She’s always been treated as the agency’s top star.” Hu Huaimeng studied the densely packed spreadsheet. An artist’s schedule was inherently packed, often with last-minute additions. This particular sheet appeared to be someone’s personal comparison, compiling only Jiang Lingyu’s activities from her first year under contract—already overwhelmingly busy.

“That might not be the whole story. I suspect there are issues buried in this shadow contract we can’t currently see. We need someone with comprehensive knowledge of entertainment industry rules—preferably—”

Xu Mifei left her sentence hanging, but Hu Huaimeng understood perfectly.

Whoever dared make Jiang Lingyu sign this contract—and kept her trapped for so long—must have hidden conditions embedded in deliberately obscure, ambiguous wording that ordinary people would never detect.

Only someone intimately familiar with such dirty tricks could decipher them.

Hu Huaimeng’s expression darkened as a name came to mind.

“There is such a person, but… we don’t know her. Even Xu Wanzhi would get turned away at her door.”

Xu Mifei: “Who?”

“Zhou Siwu, founder of Nitar Underground Tower. She collaborates extensively within the industry—many minor artists who pass through her doors become major stars. When it comes to contractual traps, no one understands them better.”

Given the Underground Tower’s morally ambiguous nature, they all harbored some fear toward Zhou Siwu. Very few could meet her directly.

“Her? Why didn’t you say so earlier? I think we’re actually friends.” Without regard for the hour, Xu Mifei stuffed the documents into her bag and headed for the door. “I’ll go see her.”

“President Xu, don’t be rash!” Hu Huaimeng seemed genuinely alarmed. “Don’t force this. I understand your urgency for Jiang Lingyu, but don’t you know Zhou Siwu’s temperament? She’s ruthless and despises people claiming false connections. You won’t even get past the door. And if—if she maliciously leaks this to reporters, it’s over!”

Dozens of journalists constantly camped outside the Underground Tower hunting for scoops. Zhou Siwu maintained her own elite teams—reporters, lawyers, PR specialists—all top-tier.

“Wait, why go to her? I’ll just have her pick me up.” Xu Mifei stopped mid-stride, pulling out her phone to send a voice message: “Zhou Siwu, come get me. We need to talk.”

Hu Huaimeng gave Xu Mifei a silent look.

She’d never heard of any Xu family member successfully befriending Zhou Siwu’s faction. If true, Xu Wanzhi would have long dominated the industry—effortlessly sweeping awards and monopolizing all premium resources.

No matter how powerful the Xu family was behind her, there were still places beyond their reach where they couldn’t defeat the local snakes lurking in the shadows.

And Zhou Siwu was the head of those local snakes—a beta no one dared to look down on.

Could it be some scam lawyer taking advantage of Xu Mifei’s urgency over Jiang Lingyu’s contract? But to impersonate Zhou Siwu—did they not fear being caught and forced into a lifetime of black-market labor for the Underground Tower?

When the Flyer bearing the Underground Tower’s golden insignia landed on the rooftop, Hu Huaimeng slapped herself.

Not a dream? This wasn’t a dream?!

“Meng-jie, you’ll have to come with me. We might be pulling an all-nighter. Tell Zhao Zhao to let Lingyu know she should sleep first,” Xu Mifei beckoned her over, then added into her phone, “I want a clean passage. No messy surprises.”

A moment later, a voice message came through.

Zhou Siwu’s teasing voice rang out, “Well, well. Married alphas really are different. So you still have time to come play at my place?”

Ah!!! That really was Zhou Siwu’s voice!

From boarding the Flyer, to taking the VIP passage into the Underground Tower, to stepping into the reception hall and finally seeing Zhou Siwu, Hu Huaimeng’s mind was flooded with exclamation marks.

Yet when faced with Zhou Siwu, Xu Mifei showed not a hint of surprise. Instead, she sat down as casually as if she were in her own living room, casually plucking a sweet bean from the table to snack on.

At this point, in Hu Huaimeng’s eyes, Zhou Siwu was no longer the legendary figure—Xu Mifei, who remained so composed, was the real legend.

Trailing behind Xu Mifei, she could only suppress her excitement, sitting stiffly in place.

“I’m here for your help. Take a look at this contract—see if there’s anything wrong with it,” Xu Mifei said bluntly. “I heard your legal team is the best.”

Zhou Siwu ran a hand through her hair, casually tying it into a high ponytail, answering off-topic: “I thought you came because you liked the gift I sent you last time.”

At the mention of that, Xu Mifei felt a headache coming on. She sighed. “Let’s not talk about that. Business first.”

Zhou Siwu clicked her tongue twice. “Look at you. No catching up, no small talk—just straight to the point for your fiancée. Pathetic. And you’re giving up all those other omegas too…”

Xu Mifei’s expression darkened, making Hu Huaimeng nervous. What kind of relationship was this, to speak to Zhou Siwu like that? If she’d known they had this kind of connection, she wouldn’t have worried about the Xu family neglecting her—

Zhou Siwu took the contract with a scoff. “Knew it. Still all about Jiang Lingyu.”

After barely a few minutes of skimming, she called in a lawyer.

To Hu Huaimeng’s surprise, she recognized the man—Qi Kaiyu, a popular online figure known for his livestreams dissecting bizarre legal cases.

Who would’ve thought he was part of Zhou Siwu’s team?

“The problem’s right here. See?” Zhou Siwu spread the document on the table and pressed a finger to a clause. “Jiang Lingyu can terminate the contract, she can refuse to comply—but all losses fall on you. Including cutting into your shares.”

Qi Kaiyu took the contract, his assessing gaze lingering on Xu Mifei before he chuckled. “The beneficiary here is Xu Wanzhi, but the losses are shouldered by Little Xu and Actress Jiang. Interesting.”

Xu Mifei’s eyes widened in realization. Now she finally understood why something had felt off.

The ambiguous part mentioned earlier is right here!

She still holds shares in the company, so even if the original owner continued their extravagant lifestyle outside, it wouldn’t matter—the annual dividend earnings were already substantial. Xu Wanzhi had considered this when signing the contract.

“Having second thoughts?” Zhou Siwu looked at her with amusement. “Just let her put on an act with your sister for a year, and it’ll be over. You said before you’d never let go of these company shares.”

Xu Mifei thought for a moment before picking up her copy of the form. “I’ve compiled all her activity records over the past few years.”

“As long as we find faults in the company’s resource allocation and expose this predatory contract, we can use public pressure to force her to terminate it.” Xu Mifei paused before adding, “Losing some shares doesn’t matter to me.”

“Are you insane? Going this far for her? You were the one who said you’d keep leverage over her, and now you’re setting her free?” Zhou Siwu’s playful smirk faded, her gaze turning unfamiliar as she studied Xu Mifei.

Though Xu Mifei spoke lightly, giving up even 10% of her 30% stake in the company to Xu Wanzhi was a massive loss.

“That’s another reason I came to see you today,” Xu Mifei said. “I want to destroy the original copy of Jiang Lingyu’s video. I know it’s with you.”

Zhou Siwu remained silent, her eyes scanning Xu Mifei up and down.

This person… seemed completely different from before.

“Little Xu, even if you want to do all this, the contract is still intact. Pointing it out alone won’t be enough,” Qi Kaiyu said.

A faint smile touched Xu Mifei’s lips. “That’s why I called you here, Lawyer Qi. Since it’s a predatory contract and we’ve identified its unfair terms, there’s only one step left.”

She brought Hu Huaimeng forward. “Please make sure to help Lingyu win this case.”

Both Qi Kaiyu and Hu Huaimeng realized what Xu Mifei intended to do, their shock unconcealed.

“Come here!” Zhou Siwu frowned, pulling Xu Mifei aside. She nearly slapped her but restrained herself, settling for a firm pinch on Xu Mifei’s cheek instead.

“Lost your mind? You were the one who brought Jiang Lingyu to me, saying the video was your trump card and asked me to keep it safe. Now you’re setting her free and destroying the video—what game are you playing?”

She knew how desperately Xu Mifei had once wanted Jiang Lingyu, so this behavior seemed like madness to Zhou Siwu. Maybe it was due to Jiang Lingyu’s influence after their bonding.

“Siwu, what I told you when I saved you back then—none of it was a lie,” Xu Mifei said, effortlessly freeing her wrist.

“What?”

Zhou Siwu’s gaze froze.

Though outsiders feared the current Zhou Siwu, few knew she had presented early and suffered bullying for being a beta. Xu Mifei had saved her when she was nearly beaten to death, comforting her with the words: “Betas can live just as well. I might be one too.”

Later, Xu Mifei even gave Zhou Siwu funds to start her business, which continued to this day.

But not long after, the Xu family announced Xu Mifei’s presentation as an alpha. Though those words had left a deep impression, Zhou Siwu had dismissed them as mere jest.

Now that I think about it carefully, Xu Mifei’s temperament changed drastically after differentiating into an alpha.

“I’m a beta. The reason I wanted to keep Jiang Lingyu by my side before was because I heard that being marked by a top-tier omega’s pheromones could cause a beta to differentiate again. I tried it—it didn’t work.”

Each word strung together and reaching her ears felt like heavy drumbeats, pounding so loudly that Zhou Siwu’s eardrums ached slightly.

How could Xu Mifei say such things with those clear, innocent eyes? For a moment, it even made Zhou Siwu, who was well-versed in the world of debauchery, feel that Xu Mifei shouldn’t stay in such a place for long.

Her aura had already changed.

“So now I’m letting her go. Simple logic, right?” After Xu Mifei finished speaking, Zhou Siwu remained silent for a long time.

—What part of this was simple?

Zhou Siwu glanced at the inhibitor patch on the back of Xu Mifei’s neck. “Just tell me, where is Jiang Lingyu now?”

“At home, sleeping.” Xu Mifei didn’t understand why she was asking. “She was exhausted all day today, so I didn’t make her come.”

Zhou Siwu was rapidly processing the fact that Xu Mifei was a beta.

It was easy to imagine that after their engagement, Xu Mifei must have repeatedly bitten and tormented Jiang Lingyu, only to conclude that she couldn’t be influenced into differentiating by an omega.

No wonder she had injuries on her hands the night of the engagement—they must have been sustained during the process.

Unaware of Zhou Siwu’s inner turmoil, Xu Mifei only noticed that the look in her eyes had shifted from shock to… reproach.

Xu Mifei: “?”

–

At 7:30 in the morning, Jiang Lingyu woke up early. When she heard the knock on the door, she instinctively quickened her steps.

But upon opening the door and seeing Zhao Zhao, her expression shifted to confusion, her eyes dimming slightly.

“…Sister Lingyu, your free time this morning is from 8 to 9:30. After that, you have two more schedules. It’ll be a bit busy later, so Young Miss Xu said you should eat breakfast first.” Observant, Zhao Zhao didn’t miss the flicker of disappointment in Jiang Lingyu’s eyes upon seeing her.

Only when Jiang Lingyu reached the living room did she notice that Xu Mifei and Hu Huaimeng’s slippers were still by the entrance—they had left at some point without her knowing.

“Where is Xu Mifei?” Jiang Lingyu frowned, her appetite gone.

Today was the day she and Xu Mifei had agreed to register their marriage. The earliest appointment at the civil affairs bureau was at 7:30, and she had gotten up before 6 a.m. to prepare…

Now, Xu Mifei was nowhere to be seen.

Or perhaps Xu Mifei took it even more seriously and went out to get styled? That seemed unnecessary—it was just a photo for the certificate.

Despite her thoughts, her expression softened slightly.

Following Xu Mifei’s earlier instructions, Zhao Zhao took the prepared breakfast from the fridge, heated it up, and brought it to Jiang Lingyu.

After finishing her milk, Jiang Lingyu looked up. “You still haven’t told me where Xu Mifei is.”

“Young Miss Xu, she… she…” Zhao Zhao was also frantic. Originally, Young Miss Xu had said she’d be back by evening, but when Zhao Zhao arrived this morning, the slippers were still in the same position as last night.

Reading the hesitation in Zhao Zhao’s expression, Jiang Lingyu’s voice turned cold. “Tell me the truth.”

Seeing no way out, Zhao Zhao gritted her teeth. “Young Miss Xu went to the Underground Tower.”

As soon as these words were spoken, an eerie silence fell between the two. Zhao Zhao’s scalp tingled with tension, screaming for help in her heart.

After what felt like an eternity, Jiang Lingyu finally set down what she was holding and walked leisurely to the kitchen to wash her hands.

“Lingyu-jie, maybe you should rest a bit more, and we can go later—”

“We’re not going,” Jiang Lingyu’s gaze swept past the entranceway before shifting away. “Cancel the two small engagements this morning.”

She wasn’t in the mood.

She had thought Xu Mifei’s involvement with that underground establishment would end with that omega named Xie Xingqi. Yet last night, after making sure Jiang Lingyu fell asleep, Xu Mifei had gone back again.

Judging by the situation, she hadn’t returned all night.

No doubt once she arrived at that place, she’d lose all sense of time while indulging in her pleasures.

Fine. Just perfect. So, Jiang Lingyu was the only one who had been thinking about going to get their marriage certificate today.

What was there to take seriously? It was just the two of them going to take a photo. What exactly had she been expecting? Xu Mifei could play around there as long as she wanted.

“But Lingyu-jie, these are the same two media outlets that previously wrote those negative articles about you. They deliberately invited you for this radio interview. If you don’t go, I’m afraid they might…” Zhao Zhao trailed off hesitantly.

She had been Jiang Lingyu’s personal assistant for two years now. Most declined engagements were rejected by the company, with only a few being Jiang Lingyu’s own choice.

To be fair, Jiang Lingyu never acted like a diva. But there had been instances where rejected parties resorted to underhanded tactics, writing malicious pieces to smear her.

Most accused Jiang Lingyu of being too arrogant, unwilling to cooperate with organizers, sometimes attending events with a cold expression, even refusing to wear outfits provided by sponsors.

Today’s two engagements had initially been declined by Jiang Lingyu’s former manager, and now they had resurfaced.

Jiang Lingyu looked listless, lost in thought and unresponsive. Just as she was about to head upstairs, the door suddenly opened.

“You’re up early? Have you eaten anything?” Xu Mifei walked in, yawning widely as she checked the time. “Seven fifty-five. I’m not late, am I? We can get to the civil affairs bureau by eight-thirty to get our marriage certificate without taking up too much of the staff’s time.”

Given their special statuses, they needed to go discreetly and have the place cleared.

Jiang Lingyu’s footsteps halted. The air didn’t carry any strange mixed scents.

Zhao Zhao nervously closed her eyes. Lingyu-jie was clearly in a bad mood—what terrible timing for Xu Mifei to return and walk right into the line of fire.

Jiang Lingyu stepped in front of Xu Mifei.

Up close, she could see the faint dark circles under Xu Mifei’s eyes, the red veins visible in them. Though her hair was smooth and glossy, the ends were slightly frayed, and the top buttons of her shirt were undone.

She looked like someone who had played all night and still wasn’t satisfied.

“Why don’t you stay out and play for another day?” Jiang Lingyu crossed her arms, putting distance between them. “If you don’t want to, we don’t have to go today.”

“Who said I don’t want to? I came back specifically so we could properly get our marriage certificate—” Xu Mifei frowned and took two steps forward before noticing Jiang Lingyu was already wearing full makeup, every inch of her exuding natural refinement.

“Are you going to an announcement? Or the set?” Xu Mifei’s heart skipped a beat as she suddenly understood Jiang Lingyu’s implication. This wasn’t about her unwillingness—it was Jiang Lingyu who’d changed her mind. She was even preparing to rush off to work.

Zhao Zhao widened her eyes, about to speak, but one look from Jiang Lingyu silenced her completely.

Xu Mifei didn’t hear any rebuttal from Jiang Lingyu. The exhaustion from staying up all night hit her all at once, and she froze where she stood.

“Don’t you want to get the marriage certificate anymore?”

Jiang Lingyu sensed a peculiar tension arising between her and Xu Mifei. The answer seemed to have become a bargaining chip—if she answered truthfully, the key to unlocking herself would be firmly grasped in Xu Mifei’s palm.

She didn’t move, merely meeting Xu Mifei’s gaze as she asked, “Do you want to register our marriage with me?”

Xu Mifei didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she studied Jiang Lingyu, carefully searching for the answer in her eyes.

If she didn’t imagine Jiang Lingyu’s state as preparing for a film set, but rather as being ready early to go to the civil affairs office with her…

It made a little more sense.

The makeup was beautiful and refined, not overly distant—perfect for filming. Her hair and light-colored outfit were also camera-ready.

She had woken up early, so early that she had run into Xu Mifei hastily returning home.

Though she had asked if Xu Mifei no longer wanted to go, she hadn’t left.

Every question Jiang Lingyu asked, every retreating gesture, every guarded and distant expression—they all pointed to one answer.

She was uneasy, waiting for Xu Mifei to take the initiative and close the distance.

Xu Mifei smiled.

“I do, Jiang Lingyu.” Xu Mifei took Jiang Lingyu’s hand and pressed it against her own chest before slowly interlacing their fingers. Her warm palm covered the back of Jiang Lingyu’s hand, warmth gradually spreading, along with her voice. “Trust me. Being by my side is the beginning of your freedom.”