She Acts Like a Big Shot [ABO] - Chapter 3

She, Xia Ke—a model youth raised under the red flag, a proud triple-A student of socialist values… had, one day, caught the wave of a trend and transmigrated.

Except it wasn’t a normal transmigration.

It was body-through-time transmigration.

Upon arriving in this world, she received a basic identity, a roof over her head—and a mountain of debt. From that point on, she was forced into a grueling life of part-time jobs just to feed herself.

Over the past four years in this world, Xia Ke had worked countless odd jobs.

Luckily, during her university days, she had the fortune of meeting this world’s protagonist. The two became acquaintances—friendly enough to greet each other when they passed. And whether it was thanks to his “main character halo” or not, her life had slowly started to get better.

But Xia Ke carried a secret. And really, if you understood the mechanics of “body-through transmigration,” you probably could already guess it.

She was a woman.

Sounds obvious, right? After all, there were women in this world.

But she was different. She was a real woman.

A pure, 100% biological woman.
No gland. No pheromones.
None of the organs she wasn’t supposed to have.
Just… a woman. Plain and simple.

She found out about this thunderbolt of a fact on the very first day she landed in this world.

A tragic, gut-punch of a realization.

Other transmigrators landed here as Alphas or Omegas—or at the very least, as Betas who could still integrate into society. But her? She landed as… a woman. Still!

Xia Ke had long forgotten what even triggered her transmigration. She no longer remembered why she ended up here with an identity and a place to stay.

Maybe heaven didn’t want her, so it tossed her here?

But honestly, that wasn’t the problem a broke person like her needed to think about.

When survival was your biggest issue, everything else came second.

After four years of grinding it out, she’d learned a few things about how this world worked.

The reason she chose to disguise herself as a Beta was because, in many ways, Betas were the closest to the “normal human gender roles” from her previous world.

For one thing—they had no reaction to pheromones.

That alone made her life easier.

To Xia Ke, pheromones were basically just fancy perfumes. She could smell them, sure—but they held no allure, no pressure, no physical reaction.

If someone were to ask her who the protagonist of this world was—

She’d say: a genuinely kind-hearted, good person.

PS: Also, an absolute stunner.

No matter who it was, Chu Xiangmo always treated others with sincere warmth. He had a way of understanding people, always offering help when and where he could—even to strangers.

Back when Xia Ke was on the verge of homelessness—jobless, broke, and about to be kicked out of her apartment—it was Chu Xiangmo who lent her a hand.

Back when they were still in school, it was Chu Xiangmo who had recommended Xia Ke for the work-study program.

And now, meeting again at LIE bar, Xia Ke felt like she was seeing an entirely different side of him.

“What are you two doing?!”

The sudden shout startled Xia Ke so much that she nearly jumped. If Chu Xiangmo’s large hand hadn’t still been holding her waist firmly in place, she probably would’ve leapt straight into the air.

“Is it on?” he asked.

Xia Ke didn’t know if it was just her imagination, but his voice sounded low, husky—and way too sexy.

Stop it! Don’t even go there!

She shook her head hard. He’s a sister. A girl-friend. A bro.

“What’s wrong?” he asked again. Due to their current position, his raspy voice practically brushed against her ear.

“N-Nothing. I got it on!” Xia Ke replied in a rush. She gave him a light push, signaling that he could let go now.

The cedar scent that had been hanging thick in the air had already faded quite a bit. In a little while, it might clear out entirely.

She felt the grip around her waist tighten briefly… then loosen. The pressure vanished.

Xia Ke quickly stood up and looked down at Chu Xiangmo, who was still seated, his head lowered so she couldn’t see his expression. Her concern returned.

“Chu Xiangmo, are you okay now?”

Wang Yu, who’d been standing to the side, rushed over as well. As a Beta, he could sense faint traces of pheromones in the air, but didn’t realize the room had been saturated moments ago.

“Xiangmo, how are you feeling? Can you walk? Sheng Jun’s been looking for you everywhere. The bar’s not calling the cops—they just notified the Sheng family to come get him. You should leave while you still can.”

Xia Ke glanced over at Wang Yu, surprised he seemed to know Chu Xiangmo personally.

Chu Xiangmo looked like he’d regained much of his composure. The sickly, alluring aura he had earlier was gone, as was the oppressive presence that had left Xia Ke flustered.

His gaze had cleared, and though his voice was still a little weak, it was steady now.

“Xia Ke… cough… thank you.”

He paused, then added in a slightly guilty tone, “I’m sorry for—”

But Xia Ke quickly interrupted, “No, I didn’t do anything! I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Her clear, sincere eyes still held a faint, residual blush—probably from the awkward situation they’d just been in—but it was obvious she truly believed she’d only done what any decent person would do to help someone in need.

Chu Xiangmo’s long lashes trembled slightly. He gave a faint smile, though it looked a little forced.

“I’m still not feeling great… You two go ahead, I’ll rest for a bit and head back.”

Wang Yu instantly objected, “No way I’m letting you go alone like this! What if you run into Sheng Jun or one of his sleazy friends on the way?! I’ll take you back.”

Chu Xiangmo frowned slightly. “After the scene he just made, there’s no way you’ll avoid getting caught up in it.”

Wang Yu understood what he meant. This incident was big enough to get the higher-ups involved. Peng Zhonghua—the bar’s current supervisor—had clearly mishandled it. He probably wouldn’t keep his position for long. If Wang Yu stayed to help clean up the mess, he might actually have a shot at that promotion.

Reading the hesitation in his expression, Chu Xiangmo gave a gentle, understanding smile and said, “It’s okay. I’ll just rest here a bit—”

“I’ll take you!” Xia Ke suddenly chimed in. “Yu-ge, I’ll take Mr. Chu home!”

e for you, isn’t it?”

Before he could finish the polite refusal, the girl cut him off.

“Mr. Chu, look at the state you’re in! How could I just walk away and do nothing? Don’t worry—I’ll make sure you get home safe and sound!”

She sounded like she was making a solemn vow, her eyes full of determination. As she spoke, she moved to help him up.

“Come on, I know where the back exit of LIE is. My ride’s right there. I promise Sheng Jun won’t spot us.”

Wang Yu, seeing that Chu Xiangmo made no attempt to protest, realized this was probably the best option. He had come to warn Chu Xiangmo anyway—this was the perfect chance to slip out.

Wang Yu nodded. “Be careful, you two. Sheng Jun’s already been given a pheromone suppressant, so he probably won’t remember anything right away. But once the Sheng family shows up, it’ll be chaos. Better to get out before that.”

As Xia Ke reached out, she felt the man lean heavily against her, his body fully cooperating—but clearly weakened, most of his weight pressing into her.

Oddly enough, Xia Ke didn’t feel burdened. If anything, she thought—Is he too light?

Wang Yu watched them walk away, something tugging at the back of his mind.

Was it just his imagination, or did it not actually look like Xia Ke was supporting Chu Xiangmo… but rather like he was wrapping his arm around her?

“This is… your ride?”

Hearing the man’s skeptical tone, Xia Ke tilted her head. “Yeah. What’s wrong with it?”

Chu Xiangmo glanced at the tiny electric scooter tucked into the corner of the alley. A faint chuckle escaped his lips as he shook his head lightly. “Nothing… I just didn’t expect it.”

Scratching her head, Xia Ke suddenly realized. “Oh! You thought it’d be a car, didn’t you?”

She was about to say more when several luxury vehicles pulled up in front of LIE’s main entrance, instantly drawing a crowd and turning the already lively street into a full-on spectacle.

The bar’s back door opened into a narrow alleyway—like a hidden oasis of calm in the heart of the noisy city. Just one turn off the main road and you were in a quiet, dim world all its own.

“That’s definitely the Sheng family,” Xia Ke muttered. “Quick, hop on—we’re leaving.”

Chu Xiangmo nodded. As the girl straddled the little scooter and adjusted the handlebars, he said nothing further. He simply took a few long strides and climbed onto the back seat.

He was taller than her—obviously—and the scooter was tiny. The result: they sat very close.

Close enough for him to catch the clean, gentle scent on her body.

It wasn’t pheromones—it was more like leftover shampoo or body wash, something light and fresh.

Strange.

There wasn’t a single trace of pheromones on her.
Not his.
Not hers.
Nothing.

Even after he’d just released so much pheromone earlier, there was no lingering scent on her skin. Not even the faintest residual mark.

She had thick, silky long hair, the ends curled into soft waves. As the scooter sped through the alley and wind whipped past them, her hair fluttered up and briefly exposed the pale skin at the nape of her neck.

Chu Xiangmo raised a hand, his long fingers casually brushing aside a lock of hair—as if it had simply been in his line of sight.

His black eyes held no particular emotion. Just that familiar, clear gaze Xia Ke had always known. And yet, they lingered on the delicate curve of her neck as it flickered in and out of view in the wind.

“By the way, Mr. Chu—where do you live?” she asked suddenly.

The question seemed to snap him from his thoughts. He paused… and then replied with something seemingly unrelated.

“Why are you suddenly calling me Mr. Chu?”

Xia Ke blinked, caught off guard. Then she laughed awkwardly. “Well, we’ve both graduated already… calling you ‘senior’ just sounds like I’m clinging to old connections or something.”

She could hear the hint of disappointment in his voice as he replied, “But… aren’t we friends?”

Xia Ke didn’t even need to look to imagine the kind of heartbreakingly beautiful expression he probably had on his face just then.

Flustered, she quickly said, “If you don’t mind, then… I’ll call you ‘senior’!”

That seemed to satisfy him. His voice was lighter now, laced with a gentle smile as he gave her his address.

Xia Ke glanced back at him, surprised. “Wow, senior! We live really close! We’re in the same complex!”

Chu Xiangmo paused. He seemed surprised, too.

After a beat, he gave a slow, easy smile—the kind that made him seem like his usual self again.

“Really? What a coincidence.”