The Black Lotus Wife Forces Me to Pretend to Be an Omega. - Chapter 35

Li Fanshuang clutched her stomach, glaring at Luo Xiaoxiao. “What did you say?”

Luo Xiaoxiao looked at her nervously, wondering why she felt so guilty.

“Luo Xiaoxiao, I thought we were different.” When Li Fanshuang looked at her, her eyes seemed to hold shattered starlight.

A dull ache throbbed in Luo Xiaoxiao’s chest, but she couldn’t bring herself to voice the words of rejection.

“I…”

“Luo Xiaoxiao, why won’t you let me eat?” Tears glistened in Li Fanshuang’s eyes, threatening to fall at any moment.

“I…” Luo Xiaoxiao stumbled over her words, her lips trembling without forming a complete sentence.

As Luo Xiaoxiao stood frozen, a single teardrop suddenly slipped free, landing with a soft plink on the floor.

Luo Xiaoxiao fell completely silent.

Her movements stiff, she retrieved a plate of fried noodles from behind her back.

“Just a little…”

Before she could finish, Li Fanshuang had already wiped all emotion from her face, picked up Luo Xiaoxiao’s utensils, and shoveled a mouthful of noodles into her mouth.

“Mmm.”

Pure carb-induced bliss spread across Li Fanshuang’s face.

This version of her bore no resemblance to the woman who had nearly cried moments ago.

Luo Xiaoxiao stared in disbelief. Wait, did you just con me out of my dinner?

“Stop eating!”

Ding—

The blender whirred to life.

Luo Xiaoxiao snatched the plate away, refusing to yield no matter what expression Li Fanshuang made. How could I forget she’s an award-winning actress?

A single performance was all it took to manipulate her.

Li Fanshuang frowned, her gaze lingering longingly on the noodles in Luo Xiaoxiao’s hands.

“Give them to me, please?” She softened her tone as much as possible.

Luo Xiaoxiao shook her head and pushed a bowl of pumpkin paste toward her instead.

“Try this.”

Li Fanshuang glanced at the pumpkin paste, then stood up, clearly about to retreat to her room.

Luo Xiaoxiao shrugged. Whatever my sugar mommy wants.

Her eyes landed on the coffee table. Why didn’t she take the stomach medicine?

Grabbing both the medicine and the pumpkin paste, she knocked on Li Fanshuang’s door.

“What?” came the impatient reply.

Luo Xiaoxiao handed her the items. “Take the medicine—I’ve already prepared it. If you don’t want the pumpkin paste, just leave it.”

Without waiting for a response, she walked away.

Li Fanshuang scoffed.

She took the medicine and lay down, but the little porcelain bowl seemed to beckon her.

Growl—

She clutched her stomach again.

That single bite of noodles clearly hadn’t eased her discomfort.

In the end, she drank the pumpkin paste.

As expected, Luo Xiaoxiao’s cooking never failed to delight her.

Thinking of Luo Xiaoxiao, her eyes dimmed. Was I too harsh earlier?

I should’ve said goodbye. It might be a long time before we see each other again.

Beep Beep beep—

Li Fanshuang frowned and checked her phone. Why is Xiao Chen messaging me so late?

Unlocking it, she opened WeChat.

Xiao Chen: Sis, Luo Xiaoxiao recently joined the Jincheng Black Panther Fighting Club.

Oh?

Li Fanshuang raised an eyebrow, thinking of Luo Xiaoxiao who had effortlessly subdued human traffickers.

“Combat skills?”

In her dreams, that “Luo Xiaoxiao” had never known anything about combat.

So, was the current Luo Xiaoxiao not the same as before?

The thought was strange, but to Li Fanshu, whether she was or wasn’t made little difference.

In the past, she had never crossed paths with the old Luo Xiaoxiao anyway.

From the moment she met Luo Xiaoxiao, she had only ever known the present version.

Li Fanshu: Alright, please keep an eye on things.

Li Fanshuang sighed heavily and put her phone away.

Ding-dong—

The flight reminder chimed, signaling it was time to head to the airport.

After packing her things, Li Fanshuang dressed and stepped out of her room, intending to bid Luo Xiaoxiao farewell.

But to her surprise, Luo Xiaoxiao wasn’t even in the room.

Li Fanshuang laughed at herself—it seemed that woman had gone off to train.

Fine. Maybe it was better this way, without goodbyes.

Hiding the disappointment in her eyes, she left the villa.

–

The Black Panther Club was Jin City’s largest MMA training base. Its owner, Sun Yumeng, was a national strawweight champion—and Sun Weiliang’s younger sister.

Sun Weiliang had been a great help to Luo Xiaoxiao in her combat career.

Due to her marital ties with Li Fanshu, Luo Xiaoxiao couldn’t leave Jin City for extended periods.

So, she couldn’t train at Sun Weiliang’s club. That was when Sun Yumeng stepped in to assist.

When Sun Yumeng first saw her, she was taken aback.

She hadn’t expected a female Alpha to be so petite. Recalling some of the woman’s online remarks, Sun Yumeng struggled to see her as an Alpha at first.

But that was before witnessing Luo Xiaoxiao’s skills. After that, she realized her mistake—this was no delicate flower.

“What are you thinking about now?”

During the lunch break, Sun Yumeng approached Luo Xiaoxiao, her expression grim. After all, the woman before her was Li Fanshuang’s wife.

Li Fanshuang’s wife was an Alpha? Did Li Fanshuang even know?

The real issue was how skilled this woman was. If not for her stamina issues, few in the club could match her.

Luo Xiaoxiao wiped the sweat from her forehead, drenched from the morning’s training. Right now, she had no interest in dwelling on her marital situation.

With Li Fanshuang off filming, they wouldn’t cross paths anytime soon anyway.

“I don’t want to think about it right now. You—” Luo Xiaoxiao hesitated, eyeing the female Beta before her. Just how much had Sun Weiliang told her?

Noticing her hesitation, Sun Yumeng immediately wiped all traces of amusement from her face, adopting a solemn expression in an instant. She raised a hand skyward like a general heading to battle. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell your secret to a third person.”

“Your brother already knows.”

Luo Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes. Sun Yumeng was just as much of an airhead as her brother, Sun Weiliang.

After a moment of contemplation, Sun Yumeng declared, “Then how about this—let’s just silence my brother!”

Luo Xiaoxiao: “…”

“Your skills are nothing to write home about. I’ve seen your brother’s videos—he’s truly formidable. You’re no match for him,” Luo Xiaoxiao scoffed, wondering why she couldn’t have just a few normal teammates.

“Xiaoxiao?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Luo Xiaoxiao nearly spat out the mineral water in her mouth.

Looking up, she saw it was indeed the young mistress, Lu Yu.

“Young Mistress, aren’t you from Hucheng? Why haven’t you gone back yet?”

At this, Lu Yu’s expression darkened.

“Hmph.”

She let out a light snort before striding over to Luo Xiaoxiao’s side. “It’s all because of my daddy. He used to nag me every day about getting married and falling in love. Now that I’ve finally found someone, guess what he says?”

“What?”

Luo Xiaoxiao was baffled. She remembered Zhu Yuxin’s family was quite influential—could Old Yu really be dissatisfied?

Zhu Yuxin’s voice sounded from nearby. “It’s her dad and my dad…”

“Wait!” A surge of excitement rose in Luo Xiaoxiao’s heart. Could these two be the lesbian version of Romeo and Juliet?

“Let me guess!” The spark of gossip reignited in Luo Xiaoxiao’s eyes. “Your dads are business rivals, your families are sworn enemies, but you two fell in love.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Lu Yu and Zhu Yuxin both gave Luo Xiaoxiao a complicated look.

Beside them, Sun Yumeng scoffed coldly and casually lit a cigarette. “What era is this? How could something so ridiculous still exist?”

“How do you know?” Lu Yu asked, puzzled.

Sun Yumeng nearly choked on the smoke.

Luo Xiaoxiao gasped—had she actually guessed right?

Zhu Yuxin sighed. “You’re not entirely wrong, but it’s not like our families are that complicated. It’s just that his dad is more… traditional.”

“Traditional?” Luo Xiaoxiao scratched her head. “So what? Does he want a huge dowry? You don’t seem like someone who can’t afford one.”

Zhu Yuxin shook her head, a hint of confusion crossing her face. “Her dad wants her to marry a man.”

“What the hell?” Sun Yumeng thought she’d misheard, eyeing the tall, strikingly beautiful female Alpha. “You’re worse than a man? A female Alpha—that’s the pinnacle of human evolution!”

At the mention of her gender, Zhu Yuxin fell silent for a moment. “I’ve heard my dad say that back in school, he and Yu’s dad liked the same girl, but that girl…”

“Damn.” Luo Xiaoxiao’s lips twitched. “Shouldn’t that have made them allies? How did they end up as enemies?”

Lu Yu sneered. “The old man insists that she and Xin’s dad are enemies too.”

Luo Xiaoxiao scoffed, finding the conclusion unconvincing.

“So, what do you two plan to do?”

A trace of dejection crossed Lu Yu’s face. “Right now, my daddy is forcing me to go home and take over the family business.”

“My family’s situation is similar, though my dad is a bit more lenient. He’s offered to give me some money to invest. After interacting with you all, I’ve realized that the development of domestic sports is still lagging behind.”

Luo Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows, surprised that this guy had such good taste—she too had noticed the enormous potential of this market segment.

However, Luo Xiaoxiao didn’t have any extra money herself. She glanced at Lu Yu and Zhu Yuxin standing before her.

Both of them had changed into ordinary outfits, stripping away all the designer labels, jewelry, and flashy accessories they used to wear.

“So, are you two eloping now?” Luo Xiaoxiao suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for them.

Two well-off young ladies reduced to ordinary people—didn’t that sting?

Zhu Yuxin hummed in acknowledgment but then shook her head. “My dad gave me a billion to invest. If I can achieve some results within a year, he won’t interfere with my marriage anymore.”

Her words instantly cast a heavy silence over the room.

Sun Yumeng stared blankly at Zhu Yuxin, her thoughts drifting far away. Results? A billion? What kind of results could she possibly need?

The cigarette in her hand burned down, nearly scorching her fingers.

Luo Xiaoxiao nodded, though not in agreement—more like a realization that she’d been overthinking things.

Who was she to pity them?

In this world, it was people like her, the broke ones, who were truly pitiable.

“Well, you two can look around on your own. Sun Yumeng and I have training to get to.”

With that, Luo Xiaoxiao didn’t want to stay under the same roof as these rich girls any longer.

She was afraid that if she spent too much time with them, she might start deluding herself into thinking she was wealthy too.

“Wait, Xiaoxiao!” Lu Yu quickly caught up to her. “Why are you here? Are you training here? You know it’s dangerous for an Omega to practice combat, right?”

Before she could finish, Zhu Yuxin grabbed her arm.

“What?” Lu Yu frowned in annoyance.

But when she saw the look in Zhu Yuxin’s eyes, a flicker of doubt crossed her mind.

“I think… maybe your friend has her own secrets.”

“Huh?” Lu Yu didn’t understand, but ever since being with Zhu Yuxin, she’d learned that her partner often had unique insights.

Lu Yu knew some things were better left unasked.

“It won’t affect your friendship with Luo Xiaoxiao,” Zhu Yuxin said, seeing the conflict and hurt in her eyes.

Lu Yu huffed. “That’s not what you said last time when you were chatting with Dr. Lu Chenfeng. You said the domestic pharmaceutical industry was a great investment.”

“Well, I wasn’t wrong about that.”

Lu Yu arched a brow, recalling their encounter with Yuan Zhiqing at the hospital that morning.

“What about Yuan Zhiqing and Dr. Lu…?”

Zhu Yuxin tapped her lightly on the forehead. “Don’t go making wild guesses.”

“But since we ran into your friend here, and her wife is away filming, maybe she could put us up for the night?”

“Ugh,” Lu Yu pouted. “Wouldn’t a hotel be better?”

Zhu Yuxin shook her head with a frown. “We need to be frugal now.”

“But that hotel suite only costs a few thousand a night…”

Zhu Yuxin sighed and started doing the math. “Jincheng isn’t the most expensive city, but at the rate you’re spending on that hotel, a year’s stay could buy a decent apartment. I checked the area where Li Fanshuang bought her place.”

“I get it.” Lu Yu narrowed her eyes slightly. “You want to scout out the area near their place.”

“Exactly.”

A sly glint flashed in Lu Yu’s eyes. “Now that you mention it, I haven’t tasted Xiaoxiao’s cooking in ages.”

“But the variety show just ended—”

“I don’t care.” Lu Yu pouted, annoyed that Zhu Yuxin had countered her perfectly good excuse. She couldn’t very well just walk up to Luo Xiaoxiao and say, “I want to buy property near your place—why don’t you show us around your home as a sample unit?” That would be downright rude.

Zhu Yuxin had been raised as an heir, and while she disliked beating around the bush, her girlfriend had her own way of thinking. It wasn’t right to impose her own straightforward approach on her partner.

Seeing Zhu Yuxin’s expression soften, Lu Yu knew her plan had been accepted.

“Then I’ll head into the club and have a word with her,” Lu Yu said.

“I’ll come with you. After all, I’m the one looking to invest.”

Lu Yu waved her off, indicating she understood. Stepping inside the club, she was surprised to find it had no air conditioning.

Her gaze swept across the modest space. “That’s odd. Where’s Xiaoxiao?”

“Woo-hoo!”

“Punch him!”

“Hit him!”

“Knock him out!”

What in the world…?

Lu Yu spotted an octagon cage surrounded by a crowd, and inside it was that petite yet fierce figure she’d seen earlier—Luo Xiaoxiao. But why was she in the cage? And facing off against a towering man?

No way! This couldn’t be serious. Xiaoxiao was an Omega! Was she really about to fight a male Beta?

But it was too late to intervene.

The man threw a punch straight at Luo Xiaoxiao.

In that instant, Xiaoxiao’s playful demeanor vanished. A chilling aura of intimidation radiated from her as she ducked under the incoming fist, the whoosh of air brushing past her ear.

Lu Yu breathed a sigh of relief—she’d dodged it.

Then, without warning, Xiaoxiao lashed out, delivering a powerful blow to the man’s arm.

To Lu Yu, time seemed to slow. The man’s muscles visibly trembled from the impact.

Crack—!

Through bone conduction, the man heard the sound of his own bone snapping clearer than anyone present. Gritting his teeth, he tried to raise his arm again.

But Xiaoxiao leaped into the air, locking him in a flying armbar that pinned him firmly to the mat.

“I—” He struggled, words failing him as he tapped the ground repeatedly in surrender.

“Whoa!”

“Incredible!”

“That was amazing!”

“Holy crap!”

Cheers erupted around them. Lu Yu stared at the radiant figure standing triumphantly in the ring.

Was this really the same unreliable friend she knew?

Yet in this moment, Luo Xiaoxiao seemed perfectly in her element. She raised her right fist jubilantly, springing onto the cage fence to bask in the crowd’s adulation.

After a brief pause, she lifted her hand again, this time forming a fist. The room fell silent instantly.

“Alright, back to training!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

As her words fell, the crowd dispersed, just like during the previous variety show recording—this was exactly how Luo Xiaoxiao disciplined her fans.

“So impressive,” Zhu Yuxin walked up to her, admiration shining in her eyes.

At first, she had thought Luo Xiaoxiao only had some half-baked skills, but who knew she’d be this formidable?

Zhu Yuxin glanced around—this was a poorly equipped, understaffed club.

Sun Weiliang’s club was in Nan Province, and even someone of his caliber faced financial difficulties.

She only pondered for a moment before understanding.

“I want to invest in Luo Xiaoxiao,” she declared firmly.

Lu Yu let out a surprised “Huh?” before looking at Zhu Yuxin in confusion. “That’s not what you told me earlier. You said you needed time to think about it.”

Zhu Yuxin scoffed lightly. “My dad gave me all this money but only a year to make something of it. Honestly, he’s expecting me to fail. But now, I don’t want to give him that satisfaction.”

“Didn’t your dad say you just need to double it?” Lu Yu’s expression dimmed slightly. Coming from a wealthy family, she knew how difficult this was for someone like her—a spoiled, business-illiterate heiress.

In Lu Yu’s memory, Zhu Yuxin had worked at her family’s entertainment company. But now, because of her, Zhu’s father forbade her from pursuing a career in the industry.

He claimed that since he himself made a living in entertainment, and given Lu Yu’s excellence, he might one day help Zhu Yuxin out of consideration for Lu Yu.

When Lu Yu heard that explanation, she was speechless—she never knew she wielded such influence.

Her own situation was equally dramatic. Her daddy had set her up with suitors like Fang Jin.

According to Old Yu, men like Fang Jin were easy to control. But Zhu Yuxin and the Zhu family behind her were a behemoth. Daddy feared she’d suffer and didn’t want Lu Yu to be with her.

“Don’t overthink it. We haven’t even started yet,” Zhu Yuxin said helplessly.

Seeing the complicated look on Lu Yu’s face, she knew exactly what was going through her mind.

Zhu Yuxin frowned slightly. While her plan was solid, the challenges ahead were significant—like Luo Xiaoxiao’s identity, for instance.

When Luo Xiaoxiao stepped down from the ring, Zhu Yuxin had another discussion with her and Sun Yumeng.

–

Club Lounge.

“You want to buy us out?” Sun Yumeng’s voice rose sharply as she shot to her feet, staring at Zhu Yuxin in disbelief.

Zhu Yuxin remained composed, shaking her head. “I never said that. I’m only proposing an investment in exchange for shares. Of course, I have my own reasons.”

Luo Xiaoxiao eyed her warily. “Are you planning to open a betting ring?”

“Exactly.” A sly smile curled on Zhu Yuxin’s lips as she shot Luo Xiaoxiao a look that seemed to say, Want in?

Luo Xiaoxiao’s heart raced under her lavish gaze. She pressed a hand to her chest—Zhu Yuxin had just offered to invest in the club, in her. So…

Pursing her lips, Luo Xiaoxiao felt it—the unmistakable sensation of being kept.

“You know what?” Luo Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow and blinked at Zhu Yuxin. “I really enjoy being pampered.”

“Oh?” A glimmer of gossip flashed in Zhu Yuxin’s eyes. “So what about you and your wife…”

Luo Xiaoxiao cautiously took a step back, “What do you mean? My wife and I have a great relationship.”

“Oh…” Zhu Yuxin said meaningfully. Just moments ago, one of Li Fanshuang’s assistants had been present at the scene, suggesting Li Fanshuang might already know something.

Better not spill everything now, or this little drama wouldn’t be fun anymore.

“Alright then, aren’t you worried your wife might rekindle things with her so-called ‘white moonlight’?”

“White moonlight?” Luo Xiaoxiao snorted twice. Although she hadn’t read much of that book, she knew there was no such character when the original owner was still active in the story.

At most, this person was just some insignificant minor character—nothing to worry about.

Zhu Yuxin observed her carefully, “You don’t seem concerned at all.”

“Why should I be? What’s mine will always be mine.” Luo Xiaoxiao lazily yawned. “But that Fu Xinting…”

Her words trailed off. Luo Xiaoxiao had thought putting distance between herself and Li Fanshuang would make her stop thinking about her.

Yet reality proved otherwise. She couldn’t help caring about the people around Li Fanshuang, couldn’t help worrying about this character who never appeared in the original story.

Li Fanshuang’s white moonlight—Fu Xinting.

“Is she really the white moonlight?” A hint of disdain curled at Luo Xiaoxiao’s lips. She’d learned that Fu Xinting only met Li Fanshuang during filming.

But wasn’t a white moonlight supposed to be someone you met in your youth who became the most memorable person in your life?

Zhu Yuxin shrugged, “Li Fanshuang and I move in different circles. Her mother is a major player in Beijing’s investment world, while my family’s from Jincheng.”

“Is that so?” Only then did Luo Xiaoxiao realize how little she actually knew about Li Fanshuang.

This simple remark made Zhu Yuxin’s brow furrow slightly—her suspicions might well be true. Li Fanshuang and Luo Xiaoxiao’s relationship might not be genuine.

If it were real, how could they have married without meeting each other’s parents?

That could only mean Li Fanshuang never introduced Luo Xiaoxiao to her two mothers.

Lost in thought, Luo Xiaoxiao didn’t notice how her words had inadvertently revealed the nature of her relationship with Li Fanshuang.

“Though I have heard Li Fanshuang does have a white moonlight,” Zhu Yuxin continued.

Luo Xiaoxiao’s thoughts drifted. “Not Fu Xinting?”

“No. Rumor says it’s a memory from deep in the mountains.”