Omega, Always Wants to Mark Me - Chapter 40

“You!…” Tang Lianchan, accustomed to his high position, was suddenly enraged by Lu Jinxi’s merciless rejection. With a furious scrape, he slammed his chair back and stood up.

Previously, Lu Jinxi might have played along with Tang Lianchan’s games, but now her mind was consumed by thoughts of Ming Xiaoyue.

Driven by a single impulse, she wanted to resolve this matter quickly, find Ming Xiaoyue, and demand an explanation for what her words had meant.

“Good. Even if you hadn’t come to me, I would have sought you out. Since you’re here, let me make things clear: first, I will not marry into the Tang Family; second, stop using the guise of ‘Alpha Supremacist’ to threaten and coerce competition participants; and third, next time you target someone, thoroughly investigate their family background to see if you can afford to provoke them!”

Tang Lianchan, his anger boiling over, retorted sarcastically, “Just a real estate merchant? What makes you think you deserve to sit here and negotiate with me?!”

Seeing through his facade, Lu Jinxi abandoned her pretense. Through the darkness, her gaze pierced Tang Lianchan. In their previous life, they had crossed paths once, but that encounter…

Lu Jinxi withdrew her thoughts and asked in a low voice, “Really? The Lu Family may indeed be politically insignificant, but you should take some time to familiarize yourself with the military. Oh, I forgot—at your rank, you’re not authorized to access military documents.”

Tang Lianchan suddenly felt uneasy, unsure how much of Lu Jinxi’s words were true and how much were bluff.

“I’ve said what I needed to say. If there’s nothing else, I must excuse myself,” Lu Jinxi said, turning and walking away without a backward glance.

Leaving the room, Lu Jinxi hurried back to the training grounds. She refused to let her relationship with Ming Xiaoyue end like this.

In her previous life, a single ambiguous remark from Ming Xiaoyue had led to over a decade of separation in foreign lands. Yet all Lu Jinxi had received in return was news of Ming Xiaoyue’s death.

This time, her resentment burned even hotter. She could sense Ming Xiaoyue’s attitude softening toward her, but then—Lu Jinxi bit her lower lip—it was the Tang Family again.

Just like before, when news of Ming Xiaoyue’s death broke, Lu Jinxi had rushed back home overnight, refusing to believe it could have been an accident.

Lu Jinxi hurried back to the training room and ran into Song Wanwen. Grasping Song Wanwen like a lifeline, she asked urgently, “Where’s Ming Xiaoyue?”

“Song Wanwen, where’s Ming Xiaoyue?” Lu Jinxi asked urgently.

Song Wanwen looked at her, clearly surprised. “A-Yue? Didn’t she apply to the production team to take care of Xi Ruoqiong? I didn’t see you around either, so I assumed you went with her.”

Lu Jinxi’s face crumpled in frustration. Xi Ruoqiong again! After a hurried goodbye, she rushed toward Xi Ruoqiong’s team’s training room.

“Where’s Yang Yuting?!” Lu Jinxi demanded as soon as she entered Xi Ruoqiong’s team’s training room. The others were startled, but Lu Jinxi knew better.

In her previous life, after the girl group disbanded, Yang Yuting had taken over her family’s affairs. Lu Jinxi had once seen Xi Ruoqiong with her at a chance encounter at a banquet.

Before, Lu Jinxi had simply refused to spare any attention for others. But now, she realized she had underestimated Ming Xiaoyue’s obsession with Xi Ruoqiong.

Xi Ruoqiong’s teammates, startled by Lu Jinxi’s sudden interrogation, stammered, “Isn’t she at the hospital with Xi Ruoqiong?”

Knowing she finally had a chance to leave, Lu Jinxi’s first thought was Tang Jinshu.

Lu Jinxi hurried back and, after confirming Tang Jinshu’s location with the others, rushed over.

But as she reached the doorway, she overheard Tang Lianchan’s furious reprimand: “What are you doing embarrassing yourself by participating in this kind of show, you Omega?!

And I told you to stop associating with Wen Hongyu! A Beta from a servant’s family—he’s worse than even a low-quality Alpha! If you have so much free time, you’d be better off attending more banquets and meeting proper Alphas…”

Inside the room, Tang Lianchan’s words had clearly struck a nerve. Tang Jinshu, half-reclined on the bed, her eyes red-rimmed, retorted fiercely: “Alpha! Alpha! Did you only give birth to me so I could marry?!”

“As an Omega, isn’t marriage your purpose?! Do you want the Tang Family line to end?!” Tang Lianchan roared.

Tang Jinshu, clearly enraged, lashed out without thinking: “Then you shouldn’t have given birth to me at all!”

A sharp smack echoed through the room. Lu Jinxi knew eavesdropping wasn’t polite, so she had been selectively ignoring the conversation. But Tang Lianchan’s behavior had crossed the line.

“Since you were born into the Tang Family, don’t you dare say such things!”

“Deputy Mayor Tang, is this domestic violence?” Lu Jinxi’s icy voice cut through the air from behind, her tone dripping with barely suppressed menace. “Whether as an Alpha or as a father, Deputy Mayor Tang, you…”

Tang Lianchan interrupted, his voice dripping with self-righteousness. “She’s my own daughter! I’ll discipline her however I see fit!”

Lu Jinxi couldn’t fathom how such archaic, patriarchal thinking still persisted in this day and age. No wonder the Tang Family had maintained its dominance in Alpha Supremacist circles for so long.

“Oh, really? Miss Tang, should we report this to the police? I could even buy Deputy Mayor Tang a trending headline tomorrow and let the whole city judge whether this kind of ‘discipline’ is acceptable!”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

“Watch me! It seems you haven’t absorbed a single word I said to Deputy Mayor Tang earlier.”

“Hah! Don’t think I’ll believe your fabricated nonsense just because you can string words together!” Tang Lianchan retorted, refusing to back down.

“Is that so, Miss Tang? May I borrow your phone?” Lu Jinxi asked, her gaze fixed on Tang Lianchan.

“Mm-hmm,” Tang Jinshu replied without hesitation.

Lu Jinxi skillfully dialed Lu Zhengqing’s number, and he answered almost immediately.

“This is Lu Jinxi,” she stated bluntly.

“Are you and Xiao Yue alright?!” Lu Zhengqing asked urgently.

Lu Jinxi’s head throbbed. She hadn’t expected her grandfather to be watching the show. “We’re fine,” she replied.

“Good. You did well today. But this whole scandal has blown up! How dare that show bully Xiao Yue like that?!” Even the seventy-year-old Lu Zhengqing was outraged by the behind-the-scenes manipulation.

“Alright, Grandpa. I called because I need to ask you for a favor.”

“What is it?”

“It’s about the show. It involves the Tang Family, Grandpa. I was thinking…”

Lu Jinxi was trying to find a tactful way to persuade Lu Zhengqing, knowing how much he despised pulling strings. But before she could finish, he cut her off. “Fine! The Tang Family, you say? I’ll send someone to investigate as soon as I get back.”

Lu Jinxi breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, thank you, Grandpa. If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now.”

But Lu Zhengqing stopped her. “Wait a minute. Where are you right now?”

Lu Jinxi pursed her lips and whispered truthfully, “At the filming location.”

“Why did Xiao Yue go to the hospital? Is she injured? And why didn’t you go with her?” Lu Zhengqing demanded, his voice urgent as he glanced at the trending news.

Lu Jinxi panicked slightly. “How did you find out?”

“It’s trending! Xiao Yue’s been recognized. What kind of production team can’t even secure a VIP hospital room? I’m sending someone to check on her immediately!” Lu Zhengqing hung up abruptly.

Lu Jinxi hurriedly returned the phone to Tang Jinshu. “Tang Jinshu, are you going to the hospital now?”

Tang Jinshu glanced at Tang Lianchan, whose complexion wasn’t good, then looked at Lu Jinxi. “Should I go?” she asked tentatively.

“We’re going! Let’s get in the RV first. I’ll take you,” Lu Jinxi said, grabbing the isolation spray and spraying it around Tang Jinshu. But a moment later, she hesitated.

Alphas and Omegas shouldn’t touch, she thought. Just then, Wen Hongyu appeared at the door, whispering, “I’ll do it. I’m a Beta, it’ll be easier.”

“Okay,” Lu Jinxi agreed, too pressed for time to think it through.

Tang Jinshu rose with Wen Hongyu’s help, her eyes involuntarily drawn to the nape of Wen Hongyu’s neck, but it was hidden by her short hair.

As the group boarded the RV, Tang Jinshu noticed Lu Jinxi’s restless fidgeting and handed her her phone, saying, “Um, Ming Xiaoyue seems to be trending again.”

Lu Jinxi seized on the key word in her statement, accepting the phone without protest but immediately retorting, “Again?”

“Yeah, after the Wu Yingyun incident, Ming Xiaoyue suddenly blew up. Her popularity even overshadowed the show’s. You too—lots of people are shipping you two. Your CP fanbase is huge.”

“Hmm,” Lu Jinxi replied casually, not particularly concerned. After all, she had plenty of fans in her previous life.

“By the way, your solo duet was a huge hit too. Sometimes I wonder if Ming Xiaoyue and you became too popular, which is why my father targeted you both.”

Tang Jinshu murmured, her voice tinged with self-mockery. “You know why my father was so eager to launch this show? It’s almost time for the next round of selections. He probably never imagined that his carefully crafted program would be overshadowed by you two…”

As Tang Jinshu spoke, she suddenly felt rather pathetic. Even with all the financial backing, she still…

Lu Jinxi glanced through the trending topics, but they vanished almost immediately. She knew her grandfather must have intervened, and a wave of relief washed over her.

Lu Jinxi looked up and caught sight of Tang Jinshu’s dejected expression. “No one should live their life according to others’ expectations,” she said coldly. “I know you love dancing too; otherwise, you wouldn’t have come this far.”

Tang Jinshu was visibly taken aback by Lu Jinxi’s blunt assessment, which pierced through the truth she had been too afraid to acknowledge.

“But don’t you hate it? If it weren’t for my family, Ming Xiaoyue wouldn’t have had her votes suppressed!”

“It’s not like you ordered it. Why would I hate you?” Lu Jinxi handed her phone over. Wen Hongyu, who had been silently standing beside them, quietly accepted it. Lu Jinxi gave her a polite nod.

“But…” Tang Jinshu was momentarily at a loss for words.

“Tang Jinshu, you need to understand this: you’ve come this far not just because of your family’s influence, but because you’re genuinely talented. Has no one ever told you that?” Lu Jinxi paused.

Unable to contain her curiosity, Tang Jinshu asked, “Told me what?”

“When you’re on stage, you exude confidence,” Lu Jinxi said truthfully.

“Ah?” Tang Jinshu was clearly taken aback by Lu Jinxi’s sudden compliment, momentarily stunned.

Before she could respond, the driver announced, “Miss, we’ve arrived.”

“I should go now. If you have time, you should get your glands checked. Frequent Alpha interference with Omega glands can cause irreversible damage.”

With that, Lu Jinxi turned to leave.

Tang Jinshu glanced at the bustling crowd outside, then at Lu Jinxi, who stood completely exposed, utterly unaware of her current viral fame online.

Seeing this, Tang Jinshu quickly handed Lu Jinxi a baseball cap and called out, “Put this on. We don’t want you getting…”

But Lu Jinxi had already swung open the car door. To their surprise, several black-suited bodyguards had materialized at the entrance, their presence no less imposing than Tang Jinshu’s own security detail.

“I’m leaving now,” Lu Jinxi murmured, accepting the cap from one of the bodyguards and pulling it low over her eyes.

Witnessing this display, Tang Jinshu suddenly found herself believing that Lu Jinxi’s family background was far from ordinary.

“Okay,” Tang Jinshu replied, only snapping out of her daze when Lu Jinxi’s figure had disappeared.

Beside her, Wen Hongyu watched Tang Jinshu’s stunned expression, her usually sharp features now creased with concern.

Guided by the bodyguards, Lu Jinxi soon reached the VIP ward. Even before entering, she overheard Ming Xiaoyue’s composed voice: “Thank you, Grandpa, but I must decline your proposal.”

“Is it because of Xiao Xi?” Lu Zhengqing asked.

Ming Xiaoyue didn’t answer, merely tilting her head slightly. Lu Jinxi, seeing Ming Xiaoyue standing alive and well before her, took a deep breath to calm herself.

Lu Zhengqing turned sharply, his gaze clashing with Lu Jinxi’s. His expression immediately turned icy. “You finally show your face?! How did you get Xiao Yue?!”

Lu Jinxi’s head throbbed. She didn’t know how to explain to Lu Zhengqing. Her eyes darted to Ming Xiaoyue, who happened to be looking back at her. Their gazes locked.

Just as she didn’t know how to explain the Tang Family’s affairs to Ming Xiaoyue.

Lu Jinxi quickly averted her gaze and murmured, “Grandfather.”

“Hmph! Fine, I won’t meddle in your young people’s affairs. But I will deal with the program’s shady practices and the online instigation of AO conflict!”

Ming Xiaoyue knew Lu Zhengqing was standing up for her. She didn’t want to owe Lu Jinxi too much, which was why she had been discussing the matter with him earlier.

Unable to hold back, she had confessed to Lu Zhengqing that she and Lu Jinxi weren’t close.

Her feelings hadn’t changed, so she couldn’t help but say, “There’s no need, Grandfather.”

“Hmph, Xiao Yue, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Even if it weren’t for you, the Tang Family, with their overbearing influence, deserves to be brought down a peg!” Lu Zhengqing declared.

He suddenly turned his attention to Lu Jinxi. “And you too! I’ve told you before—if you’re being bullied, come home! Yet you stubbornly endure it, dragging poor Xiao Yue into this mess.”

Lu Jinxi stood frozen, as if a pot had fallen from the sky onto her head. She couldn’t think of a single retort.

“Xiao Yue, go keep your friend company,” Lu Zhengqing said kindly to Ming Xiaoyue. But as soon as he turned to Lu Jinxi, his expression hardened. “Come with me!” he barked.

Lu Jinxi instinctively glanced at Ming Xiaoyue, but Ming Xiaoyue avoided her gaze, murmuring, “Okay, thank you, Grandpa. I’ll settle the medical bills later.”

“No rush, no rush. Let me have a word with Xiao Xi first.”

Ming Xiaoyue’s lips twitched slightly, but she ultimately watched Lu Jinxi follow Lu Zhengqing’s retreating figure without another word.

No sooner had they walked a short distance than Lu Zhengqing stopped abruptly, turning back with a stern glare. “What have you done to Xiao Yue?!”

“We’ve never been anything more than friends,” Lu Jinxi whispered truthfully.

“It’s nothing. The doctor said last time… sigh, I just don’t understand you young people these days. Back in our day, marking someone meant a lifetime commitment. What’s with all this fancy nonsense you kids are playing at?!”

Feeling a bit wronged, Lu Jinxi protested, “I haven’t done anything.”

Lu Zhengqing scoffed, his voice fierce but hollow. “You! If you ever dare to pull any of that two-timing nonsense I’ve heard about, I’ll break your legs! You hear me?!”

“I won’t,” Lu Jinxi assured him.

“Hmph, you’d better not! So, what exactly did you do to upset Xiao Yue? Hmm?” Lu Zhengqing demanded indignantly, as if Ming Xiaoyue were his own daughter.

“Well…” Lu Jinxi hesitated, unsure how to explain.

“Well? What is it?” Lu Zhengqing pressed.

“Just… a misunderstanding, maybe?”

Lu Zhengqing scrutinized Lu Jinxi with piercing eyes. She was no longer the naive girl he once knew. She held her ground under his gaze, showing no signs of guilt.

After a long moment, seeing no sign of deception, Lu Zhengqing finally snorted. “Hmph, just remember this: you can’t hurt Xiao Yue. She’s still an Omega, and you’re an Alpha. You can’t bully her! Got it?”

“Yes, I heard you,” Lu Jinxi replied sincerely.

“What’s going on with the Tang Family? Hmm?” Lu Zhengqing asked casually.

Lu Jinxi hesitated. Knowing the future trends in the country, she thought it best to give Lu Zhengqing a heads-up.

“Grandpa, have you heard about this new organization? It seems to be dedicated to supporting AO equality. What are your thoughts on it?”

“Hmm, I’ve heard whispers recently, but nothing substantial has come of it. Why are you asking?” Lu Zhengqing inquired.

“Well, I think there might be something to it. Tang Lianchan of the Tang Family seems to be an Alpha Supremacist. And if I remember correctly, isn’t the mayoral election coming up soon?”

Lu Zhengqing frowned deeply, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Weren’t you always uninterested in politics? What’s changed?”

“Nothing really,” Lu Jinxi replied, mixing truth with a lie. “It’s just that A-Yue was mistreated by the show’s producers, so I looked into the committee as well.”

“Hmm, the Alphas in politics have truly become increasingly lawless lately! It’s time to rein them in. When did it become acceptable for aspiring officials to silence the people?” Lu Zhengqing declared sternly.

“Yes, Grandpa…” Lu Jinxi began tentatively, knowing Lu Zhengqing had been disappointed when she chose business over politics and the military. Since entering the business world, she had also grown less involved in political affairs.

“Hmm, don’t worry. I still have some influence in this matter. The real issue is the Tang Family’s dual role in both business and politics. If their intentions were honorable, they might genuinely seek to benefit the people. But as things stand, that remains to be seen.”

“Then I’ll leave this matter in your capable hands, Grandpa.”

“Hmph! All you ever do is trouble this old man. Why don’t you spend more time with your Uncle Wang? Have dinner at Uncle Yang’s place. After all, you’re my only granddaughter, yet you’re always…”

Lu Jinxi’s head began to ache. Not wanting to endure Lu Zhengqing’s nagging, she quickly interjected, “Didn’t I promise? I’ll come back after this show.”

“Hmph, that’s for the best. But honestly, if you really want to pursue that path, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.” Lu Zhengqing’s sudden change of tone caught Lu Jinxi off guard.

“Learn from Xiao Yue! You’re an Alpha standing there, yet you didn’t even protect her. You let those other women bully her! Pathetic!”

Lu Jinxi figured she was referring to the Wu Yingyun incident and muttered, “Didn’t I already get revenge for that?”

“Hmph, but as an Alpha, you absolutely must never lay a hand on an Omega, understand?!”

“I know, I never would.”

“Good. Now go clear up that misunderstanding. Stop acting like a mouse when you see Xiao Yue—you’re so spineless!”

“Okay, I understand. I’ll handle it,” Lu Jinxi assured her.

“Alright, you young people sort it out yourselves. I, on the other hand, want to have a word with Tang Lianchan.” As Lu Zhengqing spoke, a cold glint flashed in her eyes.