The Black Lotus Wife Forces Me to Pretend to Be an Omega. - Chapter 45

Clatter—

Luo Xiaoxiao, inexperienced in eavesdropping, accidentally knocked over her facial cleanser, making quite a noise.

At first, Li Fanshuang and Zhu Yuxin had planned to pretend not to hear and continue their earlier conversation. But someone’s tone must have given them away—perhaps it was Zhu Yuxin’s remark, “I think you should have a proper talk with Luo Xiaoxiao.”

If she hadn’t said it, things might have been fine. But the moment those words left her mouth, Luo Xiaoxiao pushed the door open and stormed out.

“I didn’t cheat on you!” Luo Xiaoxiao was practically fuming.

Li Fanshuang raised an eyebrow at her. Luo Xiaoxiao had just finished washing up and had even changed into fresh clothes. “Dressed up like this—got a date or something?”

“Huh?” Luo Xiaoxiao was baffled. What nonsense was this?

Li Fanshuang propped her chin on her hand, her voice laced with teasing. “My wife seems to be in love.”

Luo Xiaoxiao’s lips twitched. “Don’t spout nonsense! Rumors spread with a single word, but refuting them takes endless effort!”

“Then where are you going at this hour instead of staying with me? Off to meet your sugar daddy?”

Luo Xiaoxiao covered her face, realizing for the first time that Li Fanshuang could be this unreasonable.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Li Fanshuang feigned hurt. “Am I not good enough for you? Did I do something wrong? Is that why you’re looking for someone else?”

Luo Xiaoxiao: Oh my god, with that pitiful look on Li Fanshuang’s face, I feel like I’ve just committed some unforgivable sin!

Seeing Luo Xiaoxiao’s reaction, Li Fanshuang’s mischievous urge to tease grew stronger.

The corners of her eyes tinged red as she gazed at Luo Xiaoxiao like a scorned lover. “Xiaoxiao, I thought we had no secrets between us.”

Luo Xiaoxiao swallowed nervously. Of course, she had secrets—if Li Fanshuang found out everything, it would be disastrous.

Her throat bobbed as she averted her eyes, clearly searching for the right words. Her lips trembled slightly before she finally spoke. “Well… today during training, I met a girl. She’s also competing this year, and she was my sparring partner today.”

Luo Xiaoxiao couldn’t bring herself to meet Li Fanshuang’s gaze, though she wasn’t sure why she felt so guilty.

“That’s all?” Li Fanshuang tilted her head, sensing there was more to it.

Luo Xiaoxiao hummed in agreement and nodded emphatically.

Li Fanshuang fell silent, her hollow eyes fixed on Luo Xiaoxiao without a trace of warmth.

The quiet stretched on for too long. When Luo Xiaoxiao finally looked up and met Li Fanshuang’s gaze, it nearly startled her.

Under that piercing stare, Luo Xiaoxiao immediately blurted out the rest. “When we were sparring this afternoon… I kicked her. I feel really bad about it.”

At this, Li Fanshuang’s expression finally softened. “Really?”

“Really.” Luo Xiaoxiao sighed, her eyes pleading, as if to say, If you don’t believe me, I’ll have to kneel and beg.

Li Fanshuang sniffled and wiped away nonexistent tears. When it came to acting, Luo Xiaoxiao was no match for her.

But what kind of expert hunter would let their prey see through the act?

“Alright then, I’ll trust you. Go ahead, but come back early, okay?”

“Got it.”

With that, Luo Xiaoxiao left. It wasn’t until she stepped into the elevator that she realized what felt off.

“Didn’t Li Fanshuang and I get married out of a contract? Then why was she acting like that just now?”

Ding—

The elevator doors closed, and Luo Xiaoxiao suddenly understood.

“Oh, it was all an act.”

She chuckled to herself. Li Fanshuang was truly terrifying—if she was pretending in front of her, Luo Xiaoxiao wouldn’t have the slightest clue.

Ding-dong—

A Weibo notification popped up.

Nan Jiu: What would you do if you found out your wife was cheating?

Luo Xiaoxiao: What a coincidence.

Big Laugh: Divorce!

Ridiculous. If it really was cheating, why stay together? To drag it out till New Year’s?

Nan Jiu: My sister’s wife seems to be acting suspicious.

Big Laugh: Spill the details.

 

Nan Jiu: My sister-in-law is from out of town, doesn’t know anyone here. But today, she suddenly told my sister she was going out to eat with a friend.

Luo Xiaoxiao clicked her tongue, growing increasingly uncomfortable as she read.

Big Laugh: So, your sister-in-law married far from home?

Nan Jiu: Yeah.

Big Laugh: Don’t let a woman who married far away lose everything. If you’re worried, go check it out yourself, but you can’t just take away her chance to make friends. What is she supposed to do, revolve around your sister all day? Be a servant?

Li Fanshuang froze when she saw this message. In this world, Luo Xiaoxiao had no friends, no family—was she treating her like a servant?

After some thought, Li Fanshuang tried to put herself in Luo Xiaoxiao’s shoes. If she were suddenly thrown into a completely unfamiliar world, she’d probably be terrified too.

Her mind flashed back to the first time she met Luo Xiaoxiao—how the girl had immediately brought up divorce.

Later, she’d used the contract to threaten her. Luo Xiaoxiao hated wearing skirts, yet she’d still scared her into it.

“Man, your wife is really naive,” Zhu Yuxin remarked, glancing at their chat log. Just as expected of the Li Fanshuang she knew—toying with people like they were dogs.

Li Fanshuang flipped her phone face-down and shot her a cold glare. “Ever heard of manners? Don’t look at my phone.”

“Stingy.” Zhu Yuxin waved her off and plopped onto the couch. “I’m not interested in your mind games anyway. Just think about it—if Luo Xiaoxiao found out you’ve been treating her like a dog, wouldn’t she divorce you?”

“Probably not.” A smirk tugged at Li Fanshuang’s lips. “She still owes me money.”

Before the contract expired, Luo Xiaoxiao wouldn’t dare leave her.

Zhu Yuxin clicked her tongue. “You’re truly ruthless. Your poor wife, stuck with someone like you.”

“You don’t get it.” Li Fanshuang rolled her eyes. “This is just our dynamic. If she knew, she’d be happy about it.”

Zhu Yuxin was speechless. What kind of ultimate masochist was this?

She mockingly cupped her hands. “Respect, respect. I’m truly in awe. As an Alpha, I’ll bow out of this conversation.”

Li Fanshuang scoffed, though she felt a twinge of unease. Earlier, Luo Xiaoxiao had told her to go meet them.

Would that make her seem too controlling?

That idiot Luo Xiaoxiao—couldn’t she see what she was really thinking at all?

Li Fanshuang felt she had made herself obvious enough. Whatever, she might as well add fuel to the fire.

–

In the hotel lobby, Luo Xiaoxiao had just met Min Nanxi when the latter excitedly exclaimed, “I just saw Li Fanshuang! The one who starred in ‘Qing Cheng’!”

Luo Xiaoxiao clicked her tongue. “Judging by your reaction, you’re her fan?”

“No!”

Luo Xiaoxiao gave an indifferent “Oh.”

“I’m a fan of her looks!” Min Nanxi’s eyes sparkled with pink bubbles. “I love her role as Qing Cheng the most—it was a cross-gender performance where she played an Omega. She was so beautiful, both elegant and dashing. She’s my dream lover.”

The corner of Luo Xiaoxiao’s mouth twitched. Was it really appropriate for you to call my wife your… in front of me?

“Are you sure? That’s your type?” Luo Xiaoxiao pressed, unwilling to let it go.

Min Nanxi giggled twice before shyly lowering her head, looking every bit like a lovestruck teenager.

“Absolutely! But I know we’re from different worlds. I heard she recently got married—I wish her happiness.”

Luo Xiaoxiao sighed in relief and said, “Good. Let me tell you, don’t get too obsessed with celebrity crushes.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry. I just admire her, and now my feelings are even purer. She’s so beautiful.”

Luo Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow, silently agreeing—Li Fanshuang was indeed exceptionally beautiful.

“Alright, what do you want to eat? My treat, as an apology.”

Luo Xiaoxiao patted her chest confidently.

Min Nanxi didn’t stand on ceremony. “There’s a food street nearby with tons of great options. Let’s head there first and decide later.”

“Deal.” Luo Xiaoxiao agreed immediately. “I’ve got five days until my weigh-in anyway—I can afford to indulge with you today.”

“Your body fat is so low, your weight won’t be an issue.” Min Nanxi gave her a thumbs-up.

Luo Xiaoxiao waved her off. “Don’t flatter me. If I get disqualified for being overweight after eating so much lately, I’m blaming you.”

Hearing this, Min Nanxi immediately raised her hands in surrender. “I yield! How about Chaozhou beef hotpot tonight? It’s light, so no guilt.”

“No need, no need. I remember you saying you love spicy food. This is supposed to be my thanks for training with me—how can we not go with your preference? How about regular hotpot?”

The word “hotpot” seemed to flip a mysterious switch in Min Nanxi. Her eyes lit up instantly. “Now that’s what I call a real friend! I won’t hold back then.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Luo Xiaoxiao patted her chest again.

Then a thought occurred to her—since coming to this world, her appetite had grown significantly. Could Min Nanxi be the same?

Turning around, Min Nanxi noticed Luo Xiaoxiao’s suspicious look. “What’s that expression? Don’t tell me you’re backing out?”

“No, no.” Luo Xiaoxiao waved her hands. “I just wanted to ask—how’s your appetite?”

“Me?” Min Nanxi pointed at herself. “It’s… normal, I guess?”

“Oh, good.”

–

Half an hour later, Luo Xiaoxiao stared at the stack of empty plates in front of her, her face slightly pale.

“Is this what you call normal?” Luo Xiaoxiao said, eyeing the plates beside Min Nanxi.

Min Nanxi swallowed the beef in her mouth and pointed at Luo Xiaoxiao’s plate. “Don’t talk about me. You’re so petite, yet you can eat so much?”

Luo Xiaoxiao coughed lightly. “Don’t mind the details. I don’t usually eat this much. It’s just because we trained earlier today.”

“Right.” Min Nanxi looked at Luo Xiaoxiao suspiciously. Her appearance was indeed deceptive—she didn’t look like an Omega at all. Could she actually be an Alpha?

“What’s wrong?” Luo Xiaoxiao felt uneasy under her gaze and touched her face. Was there something on it?

Min Nanxi sighed. “I’m just really curious. How is your face so mismatched with your strength? You were so fierce in the octagon, yet you look…” so delicate?

She didn’t finish the sentence. After training with Luo Xiaoxiao for a few hours, Min Nanxi had gained a preliminary understanding of her skills.

Though Luo Xiaoxiao might still lack some physical strength, her technique was undeniably impressive. It felt oddly contradictory, as if a powerful soul resided in her body.

Min Nanxi had a feeling that if Luo Xiaoxiao went all out, she wouldn’t stand a chance against her.

Luo Xiaoxiao grew nervous at her words and gulped. She fished out a piece of tripe from the pot with her chopsticks and placed it in Min Nanxi’s bowl. “Just eat. Can’t even food shut you up?”

“Oh, you’re willing to give me the tripe you cooked?” Min Nanxi didn’t hesitate and stuffed it into her mouth.

Luo Xiaoxiao watched her eat with slight disdain. “Your way of eating is so boring.”

“What’s wrong?”

Luo Xiaoxiao sighed, her face full of regret. “Let me tell you, the pinnacle of hot pot is filling your dipping sauce with coriander root. I saw on a variety show that Li Fanshuang loves it.”

“What’s that?” Min Nanxi was puzzled. She’d never tried it before, but hearing her idol liked it piqued her interest.

Seeing her curiosity, Luo Xiaoxiao hid her mischievous intent. “I think this restaurant has some. Want me to get you some to try?”

“Sure, I’ve never had it before.”

Luo Xiaoxiao chuckled and stood up to fetch the coriander root.

“Xiaoxiao, why didn’t you tell me you were here for hot pot with your friend?”

The woman’s voice was as soothing as an orchid in a quiet valley, enchanting to the ears.

Li Fanshuang only removed her sunglasses after entering the private room, so no overzealous fans had spotted her yet.

Min Nanxi, however, was staring wide-eyed. Was that Li Fanshuang? The real, living Li Fanshuang!

Luo Xiaoxiao pouted. “Weren’t you busy talking to Zhu Yuxin at the time? Where is she—”

Before she could finish, Zhu Yuxin appeared behind Li Fanshuang.

“I’m here to freeload.”

Luo Xiaoxiao frowned in confusion. Hadn’t she already told Li Fanshuang she was treating someone to a meal?

And why did Zhu Yuxin look like she was here to stir up trouble?

“Alright then.” Luo Xiaoxiao called over a waitress to clear the table.

The young girl was clearly new—she’d never seen anyone eat so much before and stood there staring at the table in shock for a while.

“Please clean this up, thank you, little sister.” Min Nanxi covered her mouth with a chuckle.

Luo Xiaoxiao clicked her tongue. “Kid, you’d better get used to this. With the stadium so close by, we get a lot of starving ghosts coming here to eat.”

“Huh?” The girl had never heard anyone refer to themselves like that before and wore an awkward smile.

Luo Xiaoxiao paid her no mind and let her clean up. “Could you bring me some houttuynia cordata later?”

Hearing this, Li Fanshuang raised an eyebrow and looked across at Min Nanxi. “You’re a local?”

“Huh?” Min Nanxi tensed up—was Li Fanshuang actually talking to her? Her throat bobbed before she nodded rapidly like a pecking chick. “Yeah, I didn’t know…”

Her gaze drifted to Luo Xiaoxiao beside her—aren’t you going to introduce us?

“My apologies for our abrupt arrival. Xiaoxiao probably didn’t mention it—she’s my wife.”

Li Fanshuang’s words struck Min Nanxi like a thunderbolt. What?!

The national goddess is my friend’s wife?!

“This…” Min Nanxi still couldn’t believe it. She looked to Luo Xiaoxiao for confirmation. “She…”

“Yes, that’s right.” Luo Xiaoxiao had no reason to hide it. “I still remember what you told me this afternoon.”

Min Nanxi covered her face, too embarrassed to look at Luo Xiaoxiao. “I was wrong, Xiaoxiao. Just forget everything I said earlier—treat it like passing gas.”

Ugh…to have said those things right in front of the woman’s wife! How mortifying!

Luo Xiaoxiao arched an eyebrow. “Where’s all that courage you had when you were telling me those things? Your goddess is right here—why don’t you say it now? Honey, let me tell you—”

Before Luo Xiaoxiao could finish, Min Nanxi clapped a hand over her mouth.

The somewhat intimate gesture made Li Fanshuang’s brow furrow slightly.

“Sorry, Actress Li, she’s just talking nonsense. I never said anything to her.”

Min Nanxi was practically vibrating with nerves.

Luo Xiaoxiao swatted her hand away—she’d been covering so tightly that if Luo hadn’t hit her pressure point, she might have suffocated her.

“Why’d you cover my mouth?”

Knock knock knock—

The young waitress returned, carrying a plate of something white.

Min Nanxi had never seen anything like it before. Noticing the girl’s uncomfortable expression, she wondered—was it really that terrifying?

“Here’s…what you asked for…” The waitress spoke hesitantly, unable to comprehend why anyone would want to eat such a dreadful thing.

Seeing the dish arrive, Luo Xiaoxiao gestured for the girl to set it down.

“Let me tell you, this is amazing stuff—not just delicious but also medicinal. Clears heat and detoxifies. You’ve got to try it!”

With that, Luo Xiaoxiao scooped a portion of the houttuynia cordata into Min Nanxi’s bowl.

Min Nanxi picked up her chopsticks, lifted a tiny bit to her nose, and sniffed.

“Ugh~” The smell was certainly…potent. Min Nanxi nearly gagged.

“What is this?!” Min Nanxi grimaced in pain.

Luo Xiaoxiao stood with her arms crossed, staring at her with a childish expression that screamed, “If you dare refuse, we’re done.”

But Min Nanxi took it seriously. She swallowed hard, wearing the expression of someone marching to their doom, steeling herself as she thought maybe she had just approached it wrong.

So she wrapped the beef slice completely in fish mint, ready to shove it all into her mouth in one go.

Seeing this, Li Fanshuang knew Luo Xiaoxiao was playing a prank. “Are you really not going to reconsider?”

There was a hint of mischief in Li Fanshuang’s tone—she was also curious to see how Min Nanxi would react after eating it.

Zhu Yuxin watched her movements intently.

Min Nanxi suddenly had a bad feeling. What was going on? Was this thing poisonous?

At that thought, she glanced at Luo Xiaoxiao beside her.

Luo Xiaoxiao was enthusiastically digging into the beef and fish mint in her bowl, eating with obvious relish.

Not poisonous?

“Luo Xiaoxiao told me that you, the award-winning actress, love eating this?”

The questioning tone betrayed her distrust of Luo Xiaoxiao.

Li Fanshuang shrugged, picked up the bowl of fish mint, scooped some into her own bowl, then dipped a slice of tripe into the hot pot. She mixed it with the fish mint before elegantly placing it in her mouth.

Truly a goddess!

Min Nanxi’s eyes widened. The goddess wouldn’t lie to her—this thing must be delicious.

She was going to eat it!

She was going to eat it!

She was going to eat it!

The three at the table—two natives of Sichuan and one who had lived there for decades—all discreetly watched Min Nanxi’s expression. She mimicked Li Fanshuang, wrapping the beef in fish mint before taking a big bite.

Chew chew chew—

Min Nanxi’s face twisted in agony.

“Ughhh—”

“What’s wrong?” Luo Xiaoxiao “panicked,” standing up. “Say something! Did it poke your mouth?”

Min Nanxi pointed at her mouth, indicating she still had food in it.

Zhu Yuxin kindly handed her the trash can.

“Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey!”

Min Nanxi felt like her mouth and brain had both malfunctioned.

“Help me!” she wailed.

Li Fanshuang lowered her head, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Luo Xiaoxiao couldn’t hold back. She patted Min Nanxi’s shoulder lightly.

“My friend, how was it?”

“I’m dying!” Min Nanxi clutched her head, staring in horror at the unfinished fish mint on the table. “This thing is the devil! It’s dancing in my mouth!”

Then she looked up at Li Fanshuang and Zhu Yuxin, who were eating the fish mint without batting an eye.

“How do you guys eat something this terrifying?” At this moment, Min Nanxi’s idol filter for Li Fanshuang was almost completely shattered. Who knew the award-winning actress was like this?

Wahhh, I want to go home!

“Isn’t this delicious?” Luo Xiaoxiao stuffed another bite into her mouth.

“Ah, such a wonderful flavor.”

Min Nanxi curled her lips, a mix of horror and disdain in her expression. She had befriended an absolute madwoman.

“I don’t even know how to describe this taste. It’s like…”

Zhu Yuxin chimed in, “Like licking a rusty knife that just chopped up a dead fish on a cutting board.”

“Exactly! It’s so fishy—how can you guys even eat this?” Min Nanxi rubbed her hair, her scalp still tingling with fear. It was absolutely terrifying!!!

“You’re quite good at describing things, aren’t you?” Luo Xiaoxiao gave her a thumbs-up.

Zhu Yuxin waved her hand dismissively. “That’s how I coaxed Yuyu to eat last time—those were her exact words.”

Li Fanshuang scoffed coldly, shooting her a disdainful glare. “No wonder her father took her away. You’re really quite wicked.”

“This is called romantic banter!”

Zhu Yuxin raised her voice, but her expression soon dimmed.

“What’s wrong?” Luo Xiaoxiao frowned at her before suddenly turning to Li Fanshuang. “What happened to our young mistress? Did Old Yu kidnap her?”

“Yeah,” Li Fanshuang nodded.

But she didn’t want to continue this topic with Luo Xiaoxiao. Instead, she turned to Min Nanxi, opening a can of cola from the table and handing it to her.

“Sorry about that. My wife likes to joke around. This is a specialty from our four southwestern provinces—most outsiders can’t really get used to the taste.”

Min Nanxi accepted the drink, and seeing Li Fanshuang’s gentle smile, her discomfort instantly faded.

She shook her head somewhat dazedly. “I’m fine!”

Luo Xiaoxiao stared in astonishment. “You were completely different just now.”

“Xiaoxiao, can you help me rehearse my lines tonight?”

Luo Xiaoxiao paused, then nodded. How could she refuse when the sponsor’s wife asked?

At that moment, she didn’t realize it wasn’t that she couldn’t refuse—she simply didn’t want to.

Her mind couldn’t forget the ambiguous moment she shared with Li Fanshuang in the hot springs. Even if it was just a dream, she wanted it to last a little longer.

–

Back at the hotel, Luo Xiaoxiao and Li Fanshuang rehearsed their lines.

Reading Zhiyu’s script, Luo Xiaoxiao felt a pang of heartache.

Zhiyu returned from war severely wounded, only to find Song Zifei forced into marriage with another woman under imperial pressure.

On Song Zifei’s wedding night, Zhiyu nearly bled to death.

Soft fingertips brushed away tears at Luo Xiaoxiao’s eyes as Li Fanshuang’s voice whispered gently by her ear, “Why are you crying?”

“It’s nothing.” Luo Xiaoxiao forced a smile, though her heart was filled with sorrow.

She and Zhiyu were so alike—both knowing their love was doomed.

She remained bowed for a long time until the faint scent of cherry liqueur filled the air, giving Luo Xiaoxiao a tipsy sensation.

What was this?

Before she could investigate, Li Fanshuang’s soft voice reached her.

“Xiaoxiao, I’m not feeling well.”

Luo Xiaoxiao looked up to see Li Fanshuang’s cheeks flushed pink. This was…

Li Fanshuang tugged at her collar, revealing her slender neck, her eyes shimmering with emotion. “Help me, Xiaoxiao.”