The Black Lotus Wife Forces Me to Pretend to Be an Omega. - Chapter 33

The atmosphere in the room grew heated, with thin beads of sweat forming on Luo Xiaoxiao’s forehead.

As if controlled by some unseen force, she slowly lifted Li Fanshuang’s ankle.

“Xiaoxiao~” Li Fanshuang’s breathing was uneven as she placed a foot on Luo Xiaoxiao’s shoulder, her eyes dark with unreadable emotions. “Calm down.”

With that, she withdrew the pheromones she’d just released.

Luo Xiaoxiao’s gaze cleared instantly. When she realized their compromising position, she sprang up abruptly.

“I’m sorry.”

Luo Xiaoxiao was furious—this modern-day Daji truly was a temptress. Someone with her iron will be had nearly succumbed.

Li Fanshuang’s chest rose and fell rapidly. The faintest hint of green tea lingered in the air—could Luo Xiaoxiao really be an Alpha with such a weak scent?

“I’ll transfer the money shortly,” Li Fanshuang said before fleeing in panic.

Luo Xiaoxiao stared blankly at her retreating figure. “What…?”

What did that mean?

Had she come to her room just for this?

Regulating her breathing, Luo Xiaoxiao touched the back of her neck—it still ached terribly.

Despite her enhanced physical abilities, she sometimes missed being an ordinary girl.

Collapsing onto the bed, she stared vacantly at the ceiling. Had Li Fanshuang been distressed by her pheromones?

She…

A dreadful suspicion took root—had her secret been discovered?

No—Luo Xiaoxiao bolted upright.

Though terrified, she reasoned that if exposed, she’d have been thrown out or reported immediately.

Perhaps things weren’t as dire as she feared. She exhaled deeply, forcing composure.

Panicking wouldn’t help. If Li Fanshuang truly knew, she’d already be at the police station.

So… she probably hadn’t noticed.

–

Li Fanshuang changed into outdoor clothes, wrapping herself tightly before heading to Lu Chenfeng’s room.

But the sounds from within made her abort her mission.

“Dr. Lu~ Must we do the digital exam so late?”

Yuan Zhiqing bit her lip, neck tensed, desperately suppressing inappropriate noises.

Eyes widening, Li Fanshuang thought—this was his idea of courtship? A digital exam?

Frowning, she wondered if this was the “history” he’d mentioned between them.

“Tch.” She glared sideways, mentally cursing the infuriating man.

Turning away, she realized she’d have to investigate alone. Why consult Lu Chenfeng when she could ask directly?

Pulling out her phone, she switched to her burner Weibo account.

SouthNine: What scent do Alphas usually have? The person I like smells really strange.

This time, there was no instant reply.

Muttering, she wondered, “What are you doing now?”

With a click of her tongue, she put away her phone, wondering if she had done something wrong.

–

In her room, Luo Xiaoxiao frantically searched on her phone:

What does it mean when my wife barges into my room in the middle of the night and asks me to “taste” something?

Click search.

A flood of answers appeared, all with glaringly suggestive tones.

Seriously? You still need to ask why? Isn’t this a joke?

Exactly, stop feeding us dog food in the middle of the night!

 

Damn all you married folks!

Still confused, Luo Xiaoxiao continued asking,

Laughing: I really don’t understand what she meant?

She’s the green tea, you’re the spring water—she wants you to steep her! Ugh! Shameless

Seeing this reply, Luo Xiaoxiao couldn’t quite believe it.

Laughing: Are you sure?

But this time, no one answered her question—only insults came flooding in.

So, Li Fanshuang really came to…

This was something she hadn’t even dared to imagine.

Luo Xiaoxiao took a deep breath. Rather than believing what the netizens said—that Li Fanshuang was trying to seduce her—it was more like she was testing a cadre’s resolve.

“Testing a cadre with this?!”

“Hmph!” Luo Xiaoxiao snorted coldly, about to put her phone aside.

But then she saw Nan Jiu’s message.

Laughing: There are many different pheromone scents, like mine is tea scented.

On the other end of the phone, Li Fanshuang narrowed her eyes at this message.

“An Alpha? Green tea scent?”

Could someone with these two traits really be an Alpha?

Nan Jiu: Aren’t you an Alpha?

 

Laughing: Are you discriminating against me? Can’t an Alpha have a green tea scent? Sis~

Li Fanshuang: …

Well, damn. That scent description really did match Luo Xiaoxiao’s vibe.

So, Luo Xiaoxiao was a green tea-scented Alpha?

Her neck’s gland ached slightly, and her breathing grew heavier—what was happening?

Her body temperature rose. Li Fanshuang’s heart sank—her heat cycle had come early!

How could this be?

In her dazed state, the words Lu Chenfeng once told her echoed in her mind.

“Your fated Alpha has appeared.”

Li Fanshuang clutched her neck, refusing to believe it. The only person she’d been close to recently…

Her pupils constricted as memories of her time with Luo Xiaoxiao flashed through her mind—the panda sanctuary, the coffin in the old dyehouse, and just now, when she deliberately let her pheromones loose in front of her.

The identity of her fated Alpha was undeniable now.

Pursing her lips, Li Fanshuang mocked herself for being foolish enough to follow Lu Chenfeng’s advice to test Luo Xiaoxiao.

She had to act fast. If her pheromones fully leaked, every Alpha in this building would go berserk.

While she was still lucid, Li Fanshuang rushed back to her room and quickly found her suppressants.

Thankfully, anticipating her cycle, she had brought them along. Otherwise, tonight’s situation would have been uncontrollable.

As the suppressant entered her bloodstream, the hazy fantasies in her mind slowly cleared.

She couldn’t help but wonder—what would have happened if she and Luo Xiaoxiao hadn’t stopped earlier?

The empty suppressant vial was carefully packed away in her bag.

Exhausted, she collapsed onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

“I remember…” Xiaoxiao was only 19 years old.

Nineteen was still so young—a youthful body…

No, I can’t think about that.

For a moment, Li Fanshuang couldn’t tell whether what existed between her and Luo Xiaoxiao was because of that damned compatibility rate or something else.

Hadn’t she pretended to be an Alpha for so long precisely so she could thrive more freely in the entertainment industry?

She hated her identity as a high-ranking Omega, and she hated a life controlled by pheromones.

If her relationship with Luo Xiaoxiao had started because of pheromones, then it was better not to have started at all!

On this matter, Li Fanshuang’s stance was crystal clear. So she wondered—would it be better if she and Luo Xiaoxiao took some time apart?

Ding-dong—

A notification from WeChat chimed.

It was from an acquaintance—the other female lead in her upcoming drama.

Fu Xinting, who played Zhiyu.

Fu Xinting: Shuangshuang-jie, you’re playing the Empress! What a coincidence! I’m joining the set tomorrow—when are you going?

Li Fanshuang frowned at the message. Fu Xinting—that Beta girl.

She had always assumed the role of Zhiyu would go to an Omega, since the character in the original novel was one.

Speaking of Fu Xinting, her feelings toward her were complicated.

Five years ago, Fu Xinting had just entered the entertainment industry.

But Betas were the least favored in the industry, and back then, she had faced a lot of exclusion.

Yet Li Fanshuang saw potential in her—she was a good actress—so she had given her plenty of support.

From that moment on, many people began calling her Li Fanshuang’s “white moonlight.”

In this world, Betas could still marry and coexist with Omegas and Alphas.

But they would face the issue of lacking pheromones.

Still, there was no inherent conflict between Betas and A/O pairs.

Li Fanshuang suddenly felt a headache coming on. She set her phone aside and let herself sink into the lounge chair, her gaze fixed on the distant skyline.

A hazy gray—just like her current mood.

She could already imagine the backlash. If she and Fu Xinting appeared together on screen, the newly established reputation of her being married would likely take a hit.

But there was also a silver lining—her and Fu Xinting’s CP fans would resurface, giving Zhiyu’s Court a massive boost in exposure even before its release.

In the story, Zhiyu was a lowly palace maid who gradually worked her way into the Empress’s heart, becoming her most trusted confidante—resilient, enduring.

In the desolate cold palace, they were each other’s only solace.

And Zhiyu, once a frail and timid girl, grew into a fierce general, charging into battle for the Empress—until, at last, the Empress married her.

“Sigh…” Li Fanshuang exhaled heavily. Every time she closed her eyes, the script of this story played out in her mind.

But whenever Zhiyu appeared in her thoughts, all she could see was Luo Xiaoxiao’s face.

The fragile moments—like the first time she met her, when she made her wear a dress.

The general—that was her, pushing through extreme weight loss with sheer willpower.

No matter how she looked at it, Luo Xiaoxiao was perfect for the role.

Too bad she had refused without hesitation.

Li Fanshuang understood that everyone had their own predetermined path—like herself, like Luo Xiaoxiao.

Ding dong—

The green messaging app chimed again.

Li Fanshuang unlocked her phone to see a message from Fu Xinting.

Fu Xinting: Big sister? Are you asleep?

Li Fanshuang frowned at the words “big sister.” For some reason, those two characters felt strangely intimate here, irritating her.

Li Fanshu: I’m joining the production the day after tomorrow. And don’t call me big sister—we’re about the same age. It makes me uncomfortable.

The person on the other end took a long time to reply. After five or six minutes, a simple “Okay” finally came through.

–

Luo Xiaoxiao tossed and turned restlessly in bed.

In her dream, she saw the original host’s entire life again.

“See? You’re just an outsider,” that eerie voice spoke once more.

In the dream, Li Fanshuang was filming a drama called “The Pavilion of Knowing Fish,” where another female lead appeared—Fu Xinting.

Fu Xinting and Li Fanshuang were a perfect match.

At first, they kept their relationship private, but when the original host wasn’t looking, they attended various events together.

Netizens all agreed they made a stunning pair.

Even Luo Xiaoxiao, as an observer, thought so.

But what followed was shrouded in mist, impossible to discern.

She stood silently in the dreamlike haze.

The sun rose, its warm rays dispelling the cold dreamscape—yet it couldn’t melt the chill in Luo Xiaoxiao’s heart.

Sunlight filtered through the curtains, gently parting the darkness to fall upon the empty bed.

But Luo Xiaoxiao was already gone…

Luo Xiaoxiao hated overthinking. She ran toward the morning sun along the southern province’s beach, barefoot, pulling up her hoodie’s hood.

Lonely footprints trailed behind her on the sand.

Endorphins surged, washing away all her troubles.

No matter what the future held, Luo Xiaoxiao understood one thing: she wasn’t worthy of standing by Li Fanshuang’s side yet.

No matter what, she needed to become the strongest version of herself.

Beep Beep beep—

Her phone buzzed.

Without breaking stride, Luo Xiaoxiao pulled it out to check—a message from Sun Weiliang.

Sun Weiliang: Professor Luo, I asked my sister. If you’re interested, you can go to Jin City’s Black Panther Club. But this sport is really dangerous… Does Professor Li know?

Luo Xiaoxiao: She has her own things to deal with. Let’s not bother her with this.

Sun Weiliang didn’t reply immediately. After a long pause, a new message arrived.

Sun Weiliang: I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but Professor Luo, everyone has the right to pursue their love, regardless of gender.

Reading this, Luo Xiaoxiao smiled bitterly. So, this big oaf had figured out her secret.

Perhaps this was what they meant by “still waters run deep.”

Putting away her phone, Luo Xiaoxiao continued her training. If she couldn’t make sense of things, she’d leave them be for now.

After all, Li Fanshuang hadn’t clarified anything either, had she?

The sun climbed higher, its golden light spilling over the rows of footprints on the beach.

The radiant glow disturbed another woman’s dreams as dazzling sunlight fell upon Li Fanshuang’s eyelids.

Her long lashes fluttered slightly as she raised a pale hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight.

“Dawn has broken.”

Exhaling a heavy breath, Li Fanshuang realized she had fallen asleep on the balcony.

Fortunately, this was an extremely private hotel.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the balcony, she spotted a solitary figure running alone on the beach.

“Xiaoxiao…”

Li Fanshuang murmured, touching the slightly warm nape of her neck.

So, are you my destined Alpha?

And what did that chaotic dream from last night mean?

A dangerous glint flickered in Li Fanshuang’s eyes. The lengthy dream had felt like an entire lifetime.

Disagreeing with her parents, she had left to become an actress.

Later, fans began questioning her gender, so she married Luo Xiaoxiao to conceal the truth.

But that Luo Xiaoxiao was nothing like the person she knew now.

That version had been someone who wore ambition and greed plainly on her face—utterly lacking the current one’s charm and mystery.

Then, in the dream, she had ended up with some inexplicable person.

Her mind grew hazy as a blurred face surfaced in her thoughts.

Young—no older than eight or nine.

That person might have been her true first love, the one who had rescued her from human traffickers.

“What’s going on?” Li Fanshuang stared blankly at her hands. This memory was unusually vague, as if someone had erased it from her mind.

For a moment, she no longer knew why she existed.

Her entire being felt like a fabrication.

Everything before Luo Xiaoxiao had been gray, as though she had been moving along a predestined path.

That lengthy dream—the life she had never lived—told her she had been with Luo Xiaoxiao only because she resembled that first love.

But Luo Xiaoxiao had provoked her wrath and met a grim fate.

In the end, she had let go of her obsession and settled with someone else.

What an absurd lie.

Even her marriage to Luo Xiaoxiao, though built on deception at first—

Li Fanshuang would never seek a substitute.

As for that first love she could barely remember now…

At this thought, a faint crease formed between her brows. Her memories seemed flawed.

A vague face surfaced in her mind.

Who was that person in the dream, the one she had ended up with?

Beep—beep—beep—

A vibration accompanied by an old-fashioned ringtone broke the silence.

Li Fanshuang’s chest tightened slightly as she got up and retrieved a backup phone from her bag.

She answered the call.

“Mother.”

The woman on the other end spoke with stern seriousness, “You got married? To an Omega?”

Li Fanshuang froze. Facing her Alpha mother always filled her with a trace of fear.

“Yes, Mother. It was because—”

“Whatever the reason, I don’t want you ruining someone else’s life for your own sake.”

Li Fanshuang fell silent, listening to the voice on the line.

“You never asked what kind of life I wanted, did you, Mother?”

The voice on the other end paused.

Li Fanshuang’s tone turned cold. “I don’t want to separate from her right now.”

“Fine. Do as you wish. That girl is still young—did you give her enough money?”

Li Fanshuang arched a brow. After all this time without contact, was this really why she had called?

The person on the other end of the phone changed, and a gentle female voice came through.

“Shuangshuang.”

“Mom~”

Li Fanshuang’s Omega mother immediately began fussing over her the moment she got the phone. “Your mother is just too busy with work.”

Li Fanshuang hummed in acknowledgment. She knew she’d been quite willful these past years, but she simply didn’t like being a businesswoman.

Rather than squandering the family fortune, it would be better to leave everything to professional managers.

But her mother had gotten angry, frozen her cards, and even said she wouldn’t provide any resources for her in the entertainment industry.

“Mom, don’t worry. Right now, I suspect my wife might be an Alpha.”

“What?” The person on the other end paused.

Xu Zhiqian looked at the photo of Luo Xiaoxiao on her phone. “This girl… she’s pretty enough, but…”

“But what?”

Xu Zhiqian hesitated for a long moment. “She’s too short, isn’t she?”

Li Fanshuang couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Compared to other female Alphas, Luo Xiaoxiao indeed had no height advantage whatsoever.

“Mom, I can explain…” The words were on Li Fanshuang’s lips when she realized she was instinctively trying to defend Luo Xiaoxiao.

A soft chuckle came through the phone.

“Shuangshuang, in my heart, you’ll always be the best child. But remember, no matter what happens, you must always prioritize your safety.”

“I understand.” Warmth spread through Li Fanshuang’s chest. As expected, her mother’s words always comforted her the most.

“Mom, your daughter is the smartest.”

“Of course, I know you’re the best child. If you weren’t smart, when you pretended to be an Alpha in the entertainment industry, your mother probably would have beaten you to death rather than agree to it.”

Li Fanshuang: …Why does it always have to be me who dies?

Her mother and mom had such a good relationship that sometimes Li Fanshuang felt like the odd one out at home.

“Mom, don’t worry. I’m doing great outside. As for Xiaoxiao and me… we might still need to work on things a bit.” Li Fanshuang pursed her lips, her tone serious.

Hearing this, Xu Zhiqian sensed some juicy gossip and tentatively asked, “So how far have you two actually gotten?”

Images from last night automatically played in Li Fanshuang’s mind—those ambiguous scenes between her and Luo Xiaoxiao.

“We haven’t done anything like that!” Li Fanshuang’s face turned rosy.

Her gaze unconsciously fell to the beach, where that person was still training alone.

The loneliness emanating from her was somehow inexplicably heartbreaking.

Li Fanshuang’s heart trembled along with Luo Xiaoxiao’s movements as she watched her fall on the sand.

How strange—who does push-ups facing the waves?

But looking at her…

“Mom, I still don’t know if I like her or not. Let me tell you, I had a strange dream last night.”

“A dream?” Xu Zhiqian sounded suspicious. “What kind of dream?”

“I dreamed that my world was just a novel. I had a white moonlight I didn’t even know about, and my current wife was just a substitute I found for that white moonlight. In the end, I ended up with someone who suddenly appeared.”

Li Fanshuang muddled through explaining her dream. On the other end, Xu Zhiqian fell silent, not giving any definite response for a long time.

“Mom? Are you still listening to me?”

“Hey,” Xu Zhiqian clicked her tongue, feeling that something might be seriously wrong with her daughter’s mind. “No, sweetheart, you really need to get checked out. Your condition is quite severe right now.”

“Mom, I’m not sick!” Li Fanshuang retorted angrily.

Xu Zhiqian’s voice was filled with urgency, “You silly child, has the hospital already given up on diagnosing your condition? Did you go see Dr. Lu? That child’s mother, should we take her to pray to the Bodhisattva…”

The phone transmitted the overlapping voices of her mother and other mother chatting.

Li Fanshuang felt utterly exhausted. After exchanging a few pleasantries with her mothers, she had to hang up—otherwise these two might say something truly outrageous.

“Xiaoxiao.” Her gaze locked onto that familiar silhouette.

Just then, Xiao Chen’s message arrived.

Li Fanshuang was visibly displeased. “Didn’t Xiao Chen promise to drive us back to Jincheng today? Why is she only texting now?”

She opened the message:

Xiao Chen: Shuangshuang-jie, I can’t pick you up today. I need to change my name.

Change her name?

Why would she suddenly change her name?

Her original name…

Li Fanshuang froze, staring intensely at Xiao Chen’s profile picture. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall her assistant’s name.

What was it again?

Why couldn’t she remember?

This made no sense—she’d personally interviewed Xiao Chen for the position.

Why couldn’t she remember?

Li Fanshuang: What was your original name?

 

Xiao Chen: …Jie-jie, are you joking with me?

 

Li Fanshuang: I’m completely serious.

 

Xiao Chen: Chen Mahu (Careless Chen).

Li Fanshuang frowned. While she couldn’t recall the name at the moment, she was certain her assistant never had such a sloppily constructed name before.

So, what exactly was happening?

Fragmented images flashed through her mind—some from reality, some from dreams, others from futures she’d never experienced.

And…

That face she’d completely forgotten. The white moonlight living in her memories.

Bright eyes, tattered clothes.

“I’ll take you away. Don’t come back.” And those words.

–

On the beach, Luo Xiaoxiao lay exhausted in the sand. Training was over.

She stood up, watching the fully risen morning sun, feeling remarkably refreshed.

Ring ring ring—

A call from the hospital.

“What? What happened to my mother?”