The Black Lotus Wife Forces Me to Pretend to Be an Omega. - Chapter 27

The little girl’s shocking words caused the entire internet to freeze for five seconds before exploding in reaction.

Whose child is this? What does this mean?

 

I don’t get it, I don’t understand? Is it because Yuan Zhiqing looks like her mother?

 

No, this child did it on purpose. She looked at Luo Xiaoxiao first, then Yuan Zhiqing—she thinks Yuan Zhiqing is easy to bully!

In reality, Yuan Zhiqing was also somewhat flustered. Facing the cameras, she tried her best to steady her emotions.

She crouched down. “Little sister, I’m not your mom. Where’s your own mother?”

“My mom ran away. She left because our family was too poor.” As the little girl spoke, thick sorrow welled up in her eyes, and she lowered her head.

Yuan Zhiqing bowed her head upon hearing this. “How could that be?”

Her heart ached slightly.

A flash of unease passed through Luo Xiaoxiao’s eyes. Omegas in this world tended to empathize more with vulnerable groups.

“Then why do you want her to be your mom? She’s not your mother.” Luo Xiaoxiao’s lips curled with mockery.

Li Fanshuang frowned. Why was Luo Xiaoxiao’s tone so cold? This child seemed genuinely pitiful—she just wanted to find her mother.

“I…” The little girl hesitated. “Dad said if I find another mom, he’ll let me keep going to school. But I want my real mom…”

The girl lowered her head, quietly sobbing.

“Ah, you’re here!”

The principal emerged at that moment. When he saw the girl, he froze for a second before his expression darkened.

Observant individuals in the crowd noticed the change in the principal’s demeanor.

“Let me introduce you—this is Principal Zhao Wu’an.” Sun Lei enthusiastically made the introductions.

After greeting everyone, Zhao Wu’an turned to the little girl. “Xu Zhaodi, go back to your classroom.”

The moment that name was spoken, all the guests present fell silent.

Their expressions turned grim.

Regardless of their secondary gender, their primary gender was the same—and this name was downright malicious.

Xu Zhaodi nodded, wiped her tears, and gazed reluctantly at Yuan Zhiqing. “Auntie, please think about it. I’m very well-behaved. Dad said city aunties are nice…”

“Enough!” Principal Zhao’s tone turned stern.

Xu Zhaodi didn’t dare say another word. Head bowed, she left quietly, still sniffling.

Principal Zhao warmly ushered everyone inside.

Li Fanshuang couldn’t help feeling pity for the girl she’d just seen.

“Should we try to help her find her mom?” Yuan Zhiqing’s suggestion reached Li Fanshuang and Luo Xiaoxiao.

At that moment, Ye Zhao spoke first. “I think… sometimes things aren’t as simple as they appear.”

Qin Heya nodded. “Yes, the child’s mother has the right to choose her own path in life too.”

Li Fanshuang listened quietly, her eyes lifting to meet Luo Xiaoxiao’s solemn gaze.

Could it be?

Teacher Ye and Teacher Qin were being so vague—could it be that the child’s mother was…

Li Fanshuang chose to remain silent, her sharp gaze settling on Yuan Zhiqing. “I suggest you stay out of this matter.”

“But I…”

Seeing the expressions on all four women’s faces, Yuan Zhiqing felt an eerie sensation creep into her heart.

As for Lu Yu, the wealthy young lady, she had already called her daddy to ask him to invest more money in the school.

Seeing that Lu Yu hadn’t voiced her opinion, Yuan Zhiqing stepped forward. “Lu Yu, what do you think? Don’t you feel sorry for that child?”

“What does it have to do with me?” Lu Yu pointed at her own nose. “Did I cause her suffering? How much money has my daddy donated to her school?”

Yuan Zhiqing was left speechless—there was nothing wrong with what Lu Yu said.

Luo Xiaoxiao walked past, holding Li Fanshuang’s hand. “I suggest you listen to my wife’s advice.”

Some matters were best left alone.

“You…” Yuan Zhiqing still wanted to say more.

“Yuan Zhiqing!” Li Fanshuang glared at her coldly. “Why are you so interested in the IP ‘Knowing Fish Pavilion’ in my hands?”

“Because…” Yuan Zhiqing adored this IP and believed she was perfectly suited for the role.

Li Fanshuang cut her off. “Because it’s a good IP? Because ‘Just Youth’ made you skyrocket to fame? But I also have another project, ‘Ten Miles of Mountains’—why didn’t you choose that one?”

“I…” Yuan Zhiqing’s mind went blank. She had seen that script—it was about an Omega being trafficked to a remote mountain village.

She had dismissed it as too bleak, and the rural costumes were downright ugly.

Was Li Fanshuang hinting at something?

Thinking back to what that child had said earlier, Yuan Zhiqing was stunned, nearly vomiting her dinner from last night.

She would never have guessed that the little girl had been thinking about something like that.

The matter was set aside.

Luo Xiaoxiao disliked this place even more now.

She looked at Li Fanshuang pleadingly. “I don’t want to continue this mission anymore.”

These children were obedient, like caged birds, but Luo Xiaoxiao knew they were handpicked from elite classes to welcome their arrival.

But what about the wild children?

“What’s wrong with you?” Li Fanshuang didn’t understand her feelings.

She hadn’t known Luo Xiaoxiao in her past life, and her understanding of her in this life came solely from Xiao Chen’s reports.

“I feel suffocated,” Luo Xiaoxiao said bitterly. “I think all of this is the darkest thing imaginable.”

Around them, children’s laughter rang out as they rushed to the playground during recess, eagerly interacting with them.

All the guests enthusiastically participated in the activity.

Li Fanshuang was no exception. After exchanging a quick word with Luo Xiaoxiao, she headed to the classroom to teach.

Only Luo Xiaoxiao remained, hugging her knees as she watched the lively scene on the playground.

“Are you our PE teacher?” A little girl walked over, holding a basketball.

Luo Xiaoxiao looked at the girl, whose bright eyes stared at her. Her own gaze was calm and unreadable, a stark contrast to her usual cheerful self. “Yes, I am.”

This was her task.

“Then come over here.”

Luo Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and stepped onto the sports field. A dozen children stood neatly in rows, waiting for her.

She studied these delicate dolls. “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“I want to study hard and buy a big house for my dad.”

“But studying hard won’t get you a big house. At best, you’ll land a job paying three thousand a month—if you’re lucky. Otherwise, you might not even get that much.” Luo Xiaoxiao poured cold water on his dreams.

The boy fell silent.

The live chat exploded.

Is Luo Xiaoxiao insane? How could she talk to a child like that?

 

As a mother, I can’t stand watching this. Is this what we work so hard to raise our children for?

Isn’t this the truth? Did she say anything wrong?

 

You don’t like hearing the truth, so what do you want to hear instead?

Luo Xiaoxiao bent down and patted the motionless basketball. It barely bounced before landing in her hands.

“What else?”

A little girl stepped forward, her eyes full of admiration as she looked at Li Fanshuang in the distance. “I want to be an actress when I grow up.”

“An actress.” Luo Xiaoxiao chuckled softly. “Then you’ll need to be prepared—it’s a tough road. You might spend years as an extra before landing a role of your own. Or maybe you never will.”

“I want to train in sports and win gold medals.”

One by one, their dreams were so innocent, yet so impossible.

Luo Xiaoxiao wanted to respect their aspirations, but born in these remote mountains, did these children really have a choice?

“Let’s play a game of keep-away today.”

With that, she let the children scatter to play.

Before long, Li Fanshuang finished her class and walked over to Luo Xiaoxiao, holding a piece of candy a child had just given her.

“Here.”

Luo Xiaoxiao stared at the candy in her palm, a bittersweet feeling rising in her chest.

“For me?”

She forced a smile, not wanting to look too pitiful.

Taking the candy, she unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth. The taste was odd.

“You actually carry candy around with you?”

“It’s not mine.” Li Fanshuang sat down beside her.

Luo Xiaoxiao froze. The milky sweetness in her mouth suddenly turned foul, and a sharp pain shot through the back of her neck.

She immediately spat the candy out.

Frantic, she shoved her fingers down her throat—there was something in that candy.

Li Fanshuang watched in shock. “What are you doing? What’s wrong?”

Luo Xiaoxiao coughed violently until the burning in her throat eased slightly. She grabbed Li Fanshuang’s arm.

“You didn’t eat any, did you?”

“No.” Li Fanshuang frowned, pushing her hand away. “What’s going on?”

Luo Xiaoxiao’s eyes were red, tears welling up from the strain of vomiting.

“We have to warn them—that candy isn’t safe.”

Li Fanshuang’s expression darkened. “Why?”

“It’s tainted. My glands just burned like hell.”

Clutching the back of her neck, Luo Xiaoxiao’s face flushed crimson, the veins in her eyes bulging unmistakably.

Li Fanshuang realized the gravity of the situation.

“What’s wrong?” Ye Zhao and Qin Heya approached.

“Did you eat that candy?” Li Fanshuang asked urgently.

“No.” Ye Zhao laughed. “We’re too old for candy. But a lot of the staff did.”

Damn it!

Luo Xiaoxiao’s heart sank.

“Are they really playing games with me like this?” Lu Yu strode over, phone in one hand, leading Zhu Yuxin with the other.

“Daddy! What kind of ungrateful wretches did you sponsor this time? Thank goodness I was live-streaming and noticed something was off. How long until they get here?”

Lu Yu’s face was grim.

Zhu Yuxin, panting, looked at the group with concern. “I realized something was wrong with this place—that candy is dangerous. None of you ate it, right?”

“Thankfully, no.” Li Fanshuang’s heart twisted with guilt. She had been far too careless.

Luo Xiaoxiao shook her slightly dazed head—her body was still too weak.

Fortunately, the uneasy feeling in her heart was gradually dissipating.

“Alright, my daddy’s bodyguards will be here soon,” Lu Yu said lazily, yawning.

“What do they gain from doing this?” Ye Zhao asked, puzzled.

Luo Xiaoxiao scoffed. “They’re just a bunch of XX, short-sighted idiots. Probably just coveting the chance to have you all bear their children.”

“Huh?” Yuan Zhiqing, upon hearing this, flung all the candies from her bag onto the ground.

A group of half-grown children emerged, surrounding them.

“Teachers, please don’t leave, okay? Please? Our previous teachers all became our moms.”

“Please, we’re begging you.”

“If you don’t say anything, we’ll take it as agreement. Our dads will be here soon.”

Zhu Yuxin frowned. Dads?

Did these kids not know that female Alphas existed in this world?

They weren’t afraid—because Zhu Yuxin was here.

Generally, male Alphas’ pheromone levels weren’t as high as female Alphas’.

If push came to shove, they could just release their pheromones.

Of course, that was a last resort—publicly releasing pheromones was no different from outright harassment.

“Stop right there—!” Sun Lei and Zhao Wu’an arrived.

“I’m sorry, Miss Lu. I had no idea. Please, you must explain this to the sir,” Zhao Wu’an pleaded, never expecting things to escalate like this.

He had only casually mentioned to the kids earlier that some pretty sisters were coming today—and now it had spiraled into this.

Lu Yu raised an eyebrow. “Seems like you, the principal, were clueless too. How about this—maybe you should transfer somewhere else. A place like this is more suited for—”

Zhu Yuxin clapped a hand over her mouth. Who knew what terrifying words this young miss might blurt out next?

“Sorry about that, our Yu Yu is just… very blunt.”

Is she? I just saw her lips form something a little dangerous.

 

I saw it too—it was ‘suited for a massacre.’

 

This place is terrifying.

 

Am I the only one who noticed Xiaoxiao acting strange? She seems especially afraid of this place.

Thud-thud-Thud—

The Lu family’s helicopter arrived, and bodyguards poured out, lining up in formation.

Just then, the children’s so-called “dads” showed up.

The bodyguards swiftly surrounded them.

“Alright, let’s go!”

Lu Yu shot the bodyguards a meaningful glance. A place like this was better off rotting. She had already told her father—these people didn’t deserve such a good location.

The cameraman was clearly exhausted.

Luo Xiaoxiao was the last to board the helicopter. She waved at the cameraman, who understood and handed her the camera.

“Everyone, take a look—welcome to Shili Mountain. If you ever find yourself in a place like this, make sure you’re sharp… Because once you’re here, escaping is nearly impossible.”

As she spoke, the camera panned to the vast, majestic mountain range stretching endlessly.

A scene so breathtaking, yet in the eyes of many, it was an endless nightmare.

Only after setting down the camera did Luo Xiaoxiao feel like she could breathe again.

Li Fanshuang studied her profile, noticing the relief in her eyes.

She loathed this place—so intensely.

However, Luo Xiaoxiao’s records showed no experience of living in the mountains.

Where did the discrepancy lie?

Li Fanshuang took out her phone and sent a message to Xiao Chen: When you have time, ask Luo Jing where Luo Xiaoxiao was born and whether she ever lived in the mountains.

A reply came quickly.

Xiao Chen: No.

That single word made Li Fanshuang frown. So, was the person before her really Luo Xiaoxiao?

–

Back at the villa, everyone was discussing the day’s events.

“Next time, maybe we should just go into the city?” Sun Lei suggested with an ingratiating smile.

Lu Yu waved a hand dismissively. “I don’t like schools.”

“Me neither!” Luo Xiaoxiao raised her hand.

Lu Yu gave her a thumbs-up. Seriously, why bother with schools?

Zhu Yuxin crossed her arms and said coolly, “Whatever Yu Yu says goes. If she doesn’t like it, I don’t either.”

Luo Xiaoxiao shifted slightly, putting some distance between herself and Zhu Yuxin.

“What’s your problem?” Zhu Yuxin frowned.

Luo Xiaoxiao hugged the armrest of the sofa. “I’m afraid you’ll infect me with your lovesickness.”

“Hahaha!” Lu Yu burst into laughter, slapping the other armrest.

Li Fanshuang quietly observed the current Luo Xiaoxiao. It was as if the gloomy version of her from before and the one now were two different people.

How strange. There seemed to be so many secrets about her—wasn’t it interesting how she claimed online to be an Alpha?

After this incident, Yuan Zhiqing’s opinion of Luo Xiaoxiao had changed significantly.

“Luo-jie, back then…” She wanted to know how Luo Xiaoxiao had been so perceptive.

How had she immediately recognized that something was off about that little girl?

Luo Xiaoxiao’s expression darkened, her smile vanishing.

Realizing she’d misspoken, Yuan Zhiqing quickly mimed zipping her lips shut, then gave an OK sign.

Luo Xiaoxiao nodded. “OK. Some things are better left unasked. I really admire Yu Yu’s mindset.”

Lu Yu shrugged. “My daddy always told me—respect others’ destinies, enjoy a shameless life. Morality is for those who have it, not for those who don’t. That little girl was clearly trying to emotionally blackmail us.”

“Her behavior was definitely uncomfortable,” Ye Zhao agreed.

Luo Xiaoxiao stretched. “I’ll cook. To reward everyone, how about barbecue tonight?”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

The group unanimously approved Luo Xiaoxiao’s suggestion.

While she busied herself in the kitchen, Li Fanshuang walked in.

“Xiaoxiao?” Li Fanshuang called cautiously.

Without looking up, Luo Xiaoxiao said, “What are you doing here? Coming to mess with me again?”

“Then I’ll wait outside.” With that, Li Fanshuang left.

Instead of joining the lively chatter in the living room, Li Fanshuang opened her phone, logged into Weibo, and searched for Big Laugh.

Nan Jiu: Are you there? I have something urgent to discuss.

A shadow flickered in Li Fanshuang’s eyes. So, what was the secret she was hiding?

How amusing.

A sly smile curled at Li Fanshuang’s lips. She hadn’t forgotten how Big Laugh had once introduced her own gender—as a female Alpha.

So, had this little rascal been deceiving her all along?

That wasn’t a good habit. Well, she’d just have to probe slowly.

Her gender. Her past.

–

Online, more and more people began paying attention to the production team of “True or False Lovers.”

And the most interesting thing was that countless law enforcement officers started keeping an eye on it too.

Sun Lei expressed that he was under tremendous pressure, having no idea how to steer the show’s direction anymore.

The number of people cursing him online grew by the day, with Li Fanshuang and Luo Xiaoxiao, the married couple, leading the charge—though others didn’t know this.

Recently, whenever Sun Lei came up with a new idea, he would first discuss it with the guests.

Ye Zhao and her partner were easygoing and the most cooperative.

Yuan Zhiqing, sent in by the investors, naturally had no objections either.

Lu Yu and her partner weren’t too difficult either—at worst, they’d just scold him harshly.

But Luo Xiaoxiao and Li Fanshuang were far from easy to handle.

At seven in the evening, Sun Lei knocked on Luo Xiaoxiao and Li Fanshuang’s door with trepidation.

“Oh, I was wondering which handsome guy this could be,” Luo Xiaoxiao said with a fake smile.

Sun Lei realized—Luo Xiaoxiao was his karma.

“Professor Luo…”

“Don’t call me that,” Luo Xiaoxiao blinked innocently, looking like a pure little white flower. “I’m just a very sensitive girl. How can you call me ‘professor’? Netizens would drag me for it.”

“What do you want?” Li Fanshuang’s tone was cold, but at least she wasn’t as sarcastic as Luo Xiaoxiao.

It seemed the incident in the mountains had left a deep shadow on her.

“Can I come in?” Sun Lei waved what he was holding in his hand.

Luo Xiaoxiao saw it—a mission card.

Once inside, Sun Lei bowed to the two of them. “I apologize for the trouble our mistakes have caused you.”

Luo Xiaoxiao waved her hand dismissively, glancing past him to confirm the camera crew hadn’t followed.

“Don’t worry, we’ve already had someone take care of it,” she said breezily.

Take care of it? Sun Lei eyed her suspiciously.

Luo Xiaoxiao smiled mysteriously. “The young miss said it’s been handled. Do you really want me to spell it out?”

“No need, we’re still recording,” Sun Lei pointed toward the cameras.

Then it hit him—these two had cut all the wiring days ago.

Luo Xiaoxiao yawned. “So, what new trick have you come up with to mess with us this time?”

Sun Lei pouted. “I’m here to take you on a trip.”

“Changing the theme? So we get to travel from now on?”

“We don’t have that kind of budget,” Sun Lei continued. “We’re sending you to Nan Province for a vacation. Winter’s coming soon, and it’s warm there.”

A glimmer of interest flashed in Luo Xiaoxiao’s eyes—that was a great place, one she hadn’t been to before.

Of course, she hadn’t been anywhere else in this world either, except to see Little Tangyuan.

“Say ‘Chinese don’t lie to Chinese’!” Luo Xiaoxiao stared him down.

Sun Lei nodded emphatically. “Don’t worry, we’ll pair you up in teams of two—”

“Qo do ma de!” Luo Xiaoxiao raised a hand. “Wait, doesn’t that leave one person without a partner?”

“No need to worry about that. We’ve found a very suitable partner for Professor Yuan.”

Sun Lei smirked, looking utterly punchable.

Luo Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes. So which poor soul was being dragged into this?

“Who is it?” she couldn’t help but ask, curiosity getting the better of her.

Sun Lei raised an eyebrow. “Relax, it’s someone who volunteered.”

Well, this is a bit unexpected.

Li Fanshuang’s brows furrowed slightly—perhaps she already knew who it was.

When Sun Lei mentioned the word “voluntary,” he glanced her way. It seemed to be someone she knew.

In her memory, there was only one person interested in that fellow Yuan Zhiqing.

This show was about to get lively again.

“Then why are you here today?” Luo Xiaoxiao’s gaze fell on the task card in his hand. What was this? Her ticket to South Province?

Sun Lei opened the booklet in his hand. “This is our service package. The two of you can choose our services according to your needs.”

Luo Xiaoxiao opened the task card, which contained four options.

“Passionate Coast, Wellness Journey, Joyful Passion, and Cultural Charm!”

What kind of names were these? Did they have anything to do with their trip?

“So which one will you choose?”

Li Fanshuang narrowed her eyes at the guy’s expression—he looked rather suspicious.

Li Fanshuang pointed to Cultural Charm, but Luo Xiaoxiao grabbed her hand.

“Haven’t you figured it out after so many episodes? This guy is up to no good. We should pick the one that looks most likely to be a trap!”

Li Fanshuang suddenly thought she made sense and quietly gave an OK sign.

“We’ve decided!” Luo Xiaoxiao pointed at Passionate Coast. “This one.”

“Are you sure?” Sun Lei’s slyness deepened, as if he were deliberately provoking them—or maybe not.

Luo Xiaoxiao stared into his eyes. “Tell me! Chinese don’t lie to Chinese—this is a good task, right?”

Sun Lei raised his right hand with utmost solemnity. “I swear, this is an absolutely great task. If I’m lying, may I have ten years of bad luck.”

Wow~ Luo Xiaoxiao hadn’t expected him to be so sincere.

She immediately gave him a thumbs-up. “You said it.”

Sun Lei grinned and nodded, handing the Passionate Coast task card to Luo Xiaoxiao.

“Well then, teachers, rest early. Tomorrow, you can begin your South Province journey. Love you~”

With that, he left.

He moved so fast it gave Luo Xiaoxiao chills.

“What does he mean by that?”

Li Fanshuang immediately opened the task card.

“Getting your plane tickets is just the first step. If you want to go to South Province, tomorrow morning, retrieve a pedometer from the shoe cabinet by your door. Then, make your way to the airport in a three-legged race.”

Li Fanshuang nodded. A three-legged race wasn’t too bad.

But the next sentence made her world collapse.

Luo Xiaoxiao read it out, her lips twitching. “Your combined steps must not exceed 3,000?”

“How am I supposed to get there? Fly?”