The Black Lotus Wife Forces Me to Pretend to Be an Omega. - Chapter 41

Luo Xiaoxiao crept stealthily into the living room, where a cold syringe lay in the trash bin.

“Tsk—”

She picked it up and examined it. “What’s this?”

A dull ache throbbed at the back of her neck—Li Fanshuang had apparently injected her with something earlier.

But Luo Xiaoxiao’s English grades had always been limited to recognizing A, B, C, and D. Back when she had just won her championship belt in her past life, her foreign fans had urged her to learn English.

Unfortunately, before she could even start, she had transmigrated.

Her memories were hazy—what exactly had happened earlier?

She vaguely remembered soaking in a hot spring with Li Fanshuang, then her mind had gone foggy. Damn it, she must have caught the flu.

This syringe was probably just Li Fanshuang giving her a fever reducer.

Luo Xiaoxiao didn’t dwell on it and tossed the syringe back into the trash.

Ever since coming to this world, she hadn’t had to deal with rut cycles. Moreover, Madam Luo Jing had explicitly stated that Luo Xiaoxiao was a weak Alpha—her pheromones were practically negligible. Such an Alpha would likely never experience a rut in her lifetime.

So after this incident, Luo Xiaoxiao simply assumed she had caught a chill from the temperature changes and didn’t even consider the possibility of a rut.

She unlocked her phone and saw that Lu Yu, using her burner account “Frying Pan,” had sent her a bunch of messages.

Nan Jiu had also asked her a few things.

Frying Pan: Listen, my daddy won’t let me be with my girlfriend. Do you have any photos of Actress Li? I need them for… entertainment.

If Luo Xiaoxiao didn’t know Lu Yu, she would’ve thought the sender was a total creep.

Big Laugh: Girl, the way you phrased that is so sketchy. What do you mean by “entertainment”?

 

Frying Pan: Don’t be gross! I just want to write some fanfiction. Have you seen that variety show?

Luo Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow. Was this girl seriously pretending? They had literally gone to that show together.

 

Frying Pan: I’ll have you know, I’m a shipper of her and her wife now. ╭(╯^╰)

Luo Xiaoxiao frowned, Fu Xinting’s face flashing in her mind. That woman hadn’t appeared in the original story at all.

“Could she be some kind of transmigrator? One of those ‘system holders’ who pretends to love Li Fanshuang just to steal her protagonist aura?”

Muttering to herself, Luo Xiaoxiao carefully reviewed everything she knew about Fu Xinting—and the more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.

“No way.” She bit her lip, sensing something deeply off. A character who had barely existed in the original story suddenly appearing before Li Fanshuang?

And the way people online talked about their relationship…

Even if Luo Xiaoxiao didn’t know what Li Fanshuang’s true destined partner looked like, she clearly remembered from that blurry-faced dream—that person was an Alpha.

So, Fu Xinting, a Beta and a social climber, absolutely couldn’t be Li Fanshuang’s fated one!

“No!”

The mere thought that Fu Xinting might be a transmigrator with ulterior motives made Luo Xiaoxiao restless.

But she couldn’t just voice her suspicions to Li Fanshuang.

Ding-dong—

Her phone screen lit up, momentarily diverting her attention.

She thought it was Lu Yu sending her a message, since she had just refused to send photos of Li Fanshuang—probably getting bombarded with messages now.

“Huh?” Luo Xiaoxiao blinked in surprise. It was actually a message from Nan Jiu.

Checking the time, it was already 3 a.m. According to Nan Jiu’s usual routine, she should have been asleep by now.

Nan Jiu: Are you there? I need to talk to you.

 

Big Laugh: What’s up? You’re still awake? Did something happen with your crush… Oh ho, congrats

The message showed as read, but five whole minutes passed with no reply.

Luo Xiaoxiao figured the other person might have fallen asleep or gotten busy with something else, so she set her phone aside.

Just as she put it down, her phone buzzed again.

Luo Xiaoxiao frowned. What was going on with this girl?

Nan Jiu: Well, today I almost got somewhere with her, but suddenly, her rut hit.

Rut?

Luo Xiaoxiao squinted at the words. She remembered Nan Jiu was an Omega, so if an Alpha went into rut, wasn’t that the perfect opportunity to… you know?

She was about to send her reply when she quickly deleted the long string of text she had typed. What was she thinking?

As someone from a world with only two genders, Luo Xiaoxiao didn’t fully understand this one. But the novel had mentioned that later, when Li Fanshuang’s destined partner went into rut, the two of them burned with passion—though Li Fanshuang ended up getting hurt because of it.

Alphas in rut were nearly uncontrollable, often becoming extremely violent under the influence.

Big Laugh: Are you okay?

 

Nan Jiu: I’m fine. She was gentle. The rut wasn’t as terrifying as the rumors say.

Hearing this, Luo Xiaoxiao felt a little relieved. She didn’t want her online friend getting hurt over a relationship. But if Nan Jiu didn’t want to share more, that was fine too—it was her life, and as an online friend, Luo Xiaoxiao shouldn’t pry too much.

She flopped onto the sofa, rubbing her face. For some reason, chatting with her other online friend, Frying Pan, always felt much lighter.

Maybe it was because their conversations never touched on anything too heavy.

Nan Jiu: Never mind. Maybe the timing just wasn’t right. Why are you still awake so late?

Luo Xiaoxiao hesitated, unsure whether to share her suspicions with Nan Jiu. After all, the idea that she had transmigrated into a novel and suspected Fu Xinting was a “player” sounded downright absurd.

After a moment of contemplation, she smacked her thigh.

“Ridiculous! If I were back home, the idea of six ABO genders would be just as unbelievable. And besides…”

Besides, Nan Jiu was just an online friend. She didn’t even know Luo Xiaoxiao in real life. So, what if she thought she was crazy?

Big Laugh: Do you believe in parallel worlds?

 

Nan Jiu: What do you mean? Like another world identical to this one? Or quantum mechanics? Actually, I do believe in that. My mom once invested in a project like that, though I don’t know how it turned out.

Luo Xiaoxiao stared at the message from Nan Jiu, surprised that not only did the other person not think she was crazy, but had even given her a perfect excuse.

So, is metaphysics really the ultimate frontier of science?

Big Laugh: Then do you believe in time travel?

Nan Jiu: Of course I don’t!

Luo Xiaoxiao: Then why are you talking to me about quantum mechanics?

Before Luo Xiaoxiao could reply, another message from Nan Jiu popped up.

Nan Jiu: But let me tell you something—my mom told me a lot of stories. Have you heard of Wang Mang1?

 

Big Laugh: Who’s that?

Forgive Luo Xiaoxiao for her poor academic performance in the past, especially as a science student. She hadn’t chosen science because of any strong logical thinking skills.

It was purely because she had scored a measly 9 out of 100 in history. When her mother found out, she forced her into the science stream just so she could get into a sports school and have a future.

Forget Wang Mang—the only reason she knew the name of Qin Shi Huang was because he was too famous to ignore.

Nan Jiu: An emperor. Do you know about the Han Dynasty? Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Guangwu?

 

Big Laugh: Hiss~ You have a Han Dynasty here too?

The moment the message showed as “read,” Luo Xiaoxiao realized her slip-up and immediately hit “recall.” Then, in a feeble attempt to cover her tracks, she added:

Big Laugh: Sorry for the typo. I know those two. So who’s this Wang Mang?

 

Nan Jiu: That era was a chaotic period in the Han Dynasty. At one point, Wang Mang suddenly rose to power. After becoming emperor, he ordered the execution of a man named Liu Xiu across the entire nation. How could Wang Mang have known the name of the future emperor unless he had foresight?

Luo Xiaoxiao sucked in a sharp breath. If that was the case, then time travel had existed since the Han Dynasty—no wonder it wasn’t considered unusual here.

Seeing this, Luo Xiaoxiao decided to stop hiding the truth and quickly typed out a message before hitting send.

Big Laugh: Actually, I am a time traveler—but not through time. I came from another world.

Nan Jiu’s status showed “typing.” Five or six minutes passed before a reply finally came through.

Nan Jiu: Then who are you? Are you a ghost?

Luo Xiaoxiao clicked her tongue. What kind of question was that? How could she—

Screech—

The sharp sound of brakes seemed to echo in her ears again, the blinding xenon lights searing into her brain, a constant reminder that she was already dead.

For a moment, Luo Xiaoxiao didn’t know how to answer Nan Jiu’s question. She was indeed a ghost—a ghost from another world.

Nan Jiu: Sis, I was just joking. Since we both dislike Sun Lei, don’t take it to heart.

Ding-dong—

Luo Xiaoxiao looked down at her phone.

 

The other party has recalled a message.

Big Laugh: I’m not upset. It’s true that I died in my own world. To be honest, my wife is the person I love—she’s the female lead of this world. Oh, and this world is actually a novel.

–

In the room, Li Fanshuang’s eyes glinted with a dangerous, almost imperceptible edge. A novel?

Her mind reeled in shock. The world she lived in was fake—just a novel?

She stared at her hands in disbelief. Was she not real?

An ominous premonition rose in Li Fanshuang’s heart—not only had her relationship with Luo Xiaoxiao fundamentally changed in this moment, but other things had also begun shifting quietly from this point onward.

Nan Jiu: Female lead? What does that mean?

Living in an ABO world, Li Fanshuang didn’t understand this term. In her world, people typically used terms like “main character” or “female lead/second lead” to denote protagonists.

But in Luo Xiaoxiao’s world with only two genders, she often unconsciously used these terms.

Big Laugh: Sorry, in my world there are only male and female genders.

Nan Jiu’s brows furrowed slightly as she thought to herself—only two genders? That meant no secondary genders. So no heat cycles, no rut periods? Whether Alpha or Omega, everyone could freely choose their lovers without suffering from pheromone torment?

Nan Jiu: Sounds like a good world.

 

Big Laugh: Not really. I envy the girls here—at least they get one choice when coming of age. Where I’m from, many girls are born into…

The message trailed off. Li Fanshuang recalled that grimy figure from memory. She couldn’t remember the details of her childhood interactions with Luo Xiaoxiao anymore, but she remembered how little status girls had in that place.

Li Fanshuang could sense the heavy weight behind this topic, so she wisely stopped the conversation. Fortunately, the other party also changed the subject promptly.

Big Laugh: That’s not what I wanted to talk about. I know I’m not the right person for my wife—she’ll meet her true destined love in the future. I’m just a passing character. In the original story, my ending was terrible. I just hope not to repeat that tragedy.

Reading these words sent a pang through Li Fanshuang’s heart. Did she suffer greatly in that novel?

Thinking back to her early interactions with Luo Xiaoxiao—how respectfully she’d behaved at first, only gradually becoming more casual as they grew closer.

So, in that book, the source of her suffering was obvious. Was it because of their contractual marriage that Luo Xiaoxiao met misfortune?

The thought made Li Fanshuang scoff coldly. How could she ever harm Xiaoxiao?

But Luo Xiaoxiao’s next words infuriated her.

Big Laugh: Right now, I’m just trying to survive quietly until her true love appears, then I’ll disappear.

Li Fanshuang gritted her teeth, rereading this sentence repeatedly. What exactly did this person mean?

This was her plan all along?

Click—

Li Fanshuang took a screenshot. With ironclad evidence like this, someday she’d shove this image right in Luo Xiaoxiao’s face!

Nan Jiu: I think you shouldn’t be so pessimistic. Maybe things aren’t as bad as you imagine.

 

Big Laugh: There’s some truth to that. But now there’s a serious problem.

Li Fanshuang immediately wanted to ask, but the reply came faster.

Big Laugh: I think there’s a “conqueror” appearing around my wife.

A conqueror? Li Fanshuang was startled. As a movie star, she wasn’t averse to all kinds of bizarre literary works, having naturally read novels about “conquerors” before.

Is there a strategist by my side? Who? Yuan Zhiqing?

But she’s already tangled up with Lu Chenfeng now.

Then who could it be?

Fu Xinting’s face flashed through her mind, but she quickly dismissed the thought. When they first met, Fu Xinting was just an extra, not even a minor character.

How could someone like that strategize against her?

Big Laugh: It’s true, I’m telling you, that person barely appeared in the book at all. I’m certain—she’s definitely a strategist, not someone from this world!

Li Fanshuang frowned, irritation creeping in. She couldn’t just bluntly ask Luo Xiaoxiao who this person was, could she?

She didn’t like being treated like a bl00d bag.

But the whole idea of a strategist was too bizarre. She had no idea how to guard against someone scheming against her.

Just moments ago, she had merely suspected Fu Xinting might be one, but the thought was immediately dismissed—which in itself was unusual.

Li Fanshuang was a cautious person. How could she so easily brush aside her own suspicions?

“Seems like Fu Xinting really is problematic,” Li Fanshuang murmured under her breath, lips pressed tight.

Having someone like that lurking around her was an unknown risk. Li Fanshuang knew Fu Xinting was just an ordinary person—no three heads or six arms. The real danger was the system hidden inside her.

That thing was intangible, untouchable.

Ding—

Big Laugh: Right now, I’m really frustrated. I don’t know how to tell my wife about this.

Li Fanshuang’s gaze sharpened on the message. At least she already knew about it now.

But based on all the novels she’d read, this system was purely a strategist’s tool. Yet, according to Luo Xiaoxiao, this world was a book—meaning it had its own rules and plot.

“If details start deviating from the plot, wouldn’t that mean…”

She didn’t dare finish the thought. If that were the case, it might not just be the strategist—even Luo Xiaoxiao’s existence could be corrected by the world’s consciousness.

A shadow flickered in Li Fanshuang’s eyes.

“Screw it.”

She was a real person, flesh and bl00d. Why should she believe in some bullshit fate?

Nan Jiu: Then tell me, how do we deal with that strategist?

 

Big Laugh: Deal with her? Honestly, that woman has so many CP fans with my wife online. I don’t even know what to do.

Luo Xiaoxiao didn’t finish her sentence. She wasn’t sure about the exact nature of Li Fanshuang and Fu Xinting’s relationship.

If it was anything like what was portrayed online, then the two were either very close or had some past ambiguity. Bringing it up to a stranger would make her seem petty.

Li Fanshuang noticed the hesitation. After a pause, Luo Xiaoxiao worried that saying more might expose Li Fanshuang’s identity.

After all, Li Fanshuang and Fu Xinting had a massive CP fanbase, and they were currently filming together—opposite each other, no less. What if the other person was one of their fans?

She might end up causing trouble for Li Fanshuang.

Seeing that she had retracted her previous message, Li Fanshuang found it both amusing and exasperating. Now she’s worried about exposing her identity?

Nan Jiu: What did you just retract? I was making instant noodles and didn’t see it.

 

Big Laugh: It was nothing.

Li Fanshuang chuckled softly. Even through the screen, she could sense Luo Xiaoxiao’s relief.

 

Nan Jiu: Let me tell you something—no one in this world likes feeling manipulated. If your wife is smart, she’ll definitely realize that person is a strategist.

Luo Xiaoxiao stared blankly at Nan Jiu’s message, sensing the comforting intent behind it. She had wondered if Nan Jiu might be a kind older sister.

But could Li Fanshuang really figure it out?

“My so-called wife…” Luo Xiaoxiao sighed and shook her head, as if regretting something.

Then she typed out a message and hit send.

Big Laugh: My wife is very naive. I’m afraid she might get tricked.

When Li Fanshuang saw this message, she nearly burst out laughing. This person actually called her naive.

Memories of her time with Luo Xiaoxiao involuntarily began playing in her mind—the girl who disliked wearing skirts, the straightforward speaker, the one who couldn’t keep her online identity hidden…

“She actually called me naive?!” Li Fanshuang pressed a hand to her forehead in disbelief, utterly failing to see any connection between herself and that word.

The more she thought about it, the funnier it became, yet her heart felt inexplicably sweet. The sleepless nights after Luo Xiaoxiao’s departure had been unbearable, but somehow, Li Fanshuang slowly closed her eyes. In her dreams, she slept peacefully, cradled by Luo Xiaoxiao’s description of her as “naive.”

Seeing no further messages, Luo Xiaoxiao knew the other person must have fallen asleep.

“I wonder what kind of person Nan Jiu is?” For the first time, Luo Xiaoxiao felt curious about this online friend.

In her impression, Nan Jiu, like herself, strongly disliked Sun Lei and often discussed relationship issues with her.

Luo Xiaoxiao could sense this was a gentle person, but not entirely so—she always felt there was a cunning side to them.

“Li Fanshuang is much more naive.”

After all this time, she still thought Luo Xiaoxiao was just a massage therapist.

Ding dong—

A hospital notification arrived, draining Luo Xiaoxiao’s energy at the sight.

It was about Luo Jing’s medical bills—VIP rooms in major hospitals didn’t come cheap.

Luo Xiaoxiao wanted the best care for Luo Jing, so she’d kept her in the VIP ward even after surgery.

Most of the money Li Fanshuang had given her was already spent. Now that she’d decided to leave, she couldn’t possibly keep taking Li Fanshuang’s money.

At least this way, she could maintain some dignity—after all, her feelings for Li Fanshuang were genuine.

Ring ring ring—

The 5 AM alarm jolted Luo Xiaoxiao into alertness. Training time had arrived.

Despite her poor rest last night, she couldn’t afford to slack off.

Today she had an appointment with a professional coach in Fancheng. While building this body’s physical strength through exercise wouldn’t be difficult given her past life’s experience, relearning ground techniques wouldn’t happen overnight.

She didn’t disturb Li Fanshuang, simply putting on her clothes and leaving the house.

Luo Xiaoxiao had known since her past life that the path to becoming strong was always a lonely one—a road that could only be walked alone.

Wearing her hoodie and headphones, she ran through the Fan City film studio as the sky gradually brightened.

The sun rose earlier in Fancheng than in Jincheng, and Luo Xiaoxiao was running towards the morning light.

“Fresh buns~”

“Breakfast~”

Gradually, vendors calling out their wares appeared around her. By the time she reached the subway station, street stalls had multiplied.

Luo Xiaoxiao didn’t slow her pace for a second. Soon, the film studio grounds grew busier, and she noticed not just Li Fanshuang’s crew but several other film sets as well.

“Hey, you there, running—get out of the way!”

A rough-looking man bellowed at Luo Xiaoxiao’s retreating figure.

With her headphones on, she couldn’t hear him.

Frustrated, the man hurled a water bottle at her.

The sound of it cutting through the air was lost on her, but instinct made her sense something approaching. She reached out and snatched the bottle midair, gripping it tightly.

A slight frown creased Luo Xiaoxiao’s brow as she turned to look at the man. He was burly and imposing, but his earlier arrogance had vanished—now he stood frozen, gaping at her in shock.

Seeing the crew set up behind him, Luo Xiaoxiao realized she’d interrupted their shoot. She nodded apologetically and called out, “Sorry about that!”

Then she was off again.

Her speed left onlookers even more stunned.

A striking woman in Tang-style robes stormed over and slapped the man hard across the face. “Are you useless?! Go get her back right now!”

The man winced, his tough demeanor crumbling instantly as he rubbed his head pitifully. “Sis, that hurt! Waaah…”

The woman rolled her eyes and raised her hand again. “I’m counting to three! Qi Fangzuo, are you going or not?!”

Qi Fangzuo pouted. “Qi Fangyou, you’re so mean! I’m telling Mom…”

The hulking man was on the verge of tears, a far cry from his earlier menacing act.

Qi Fangyou sighed, tilting her head skyward. How did she end up with a brother like this?

“Cut the act. How can a male Alpha be so… Do other male Alphas even like you?” Qi Fangyou scoffed.

Qi Fangzuo sniffed. “In my circle, I’m considered the domineering type!”

Qi Fangyou covered her mouth, nearly gagging.

Just as she was about to properly discipline her brother, a familiar figure caught her eye.

“Huh? Isn’t that Li Fanshuang?” Qi Fangyou muttered, then brightened and clapped her hands. “No wonder that girl looked familiar—she’s Li Fanshuang’s wife! I’ll call Li Fanshuang right now and get her to bring her wife over as my leading lady!”