The Paranoid Female CEO’s Contracted Beauty (Omegaverse) - Chapter 12
That night.
At the Li family residence.
Wang Fan personally visited Li Dahai. After exchanging some polite conversation, the two of them gradually got to the point.
“Director Wang, are you saying that Xu Qingyan agreed to work with you on the project because of Li Ge?”
“That’s right.”
Wang Fan shared everything that had happened earlier that day, explaining the events in full detail, including key moments and reactions.
“Chen Xin said she was trying to throw a book at Xu Qingyan’s secretary, but the secretary reacted quickly and dodged. The book was about to hit your daughter when Xu Qingyan suddenly appeared and shielded her with her body. She got hurt in the process. So, Mr. Li, I don’t think Xu Qingyan is just playing around. It seems like she really has feelings for her.”
Li Dahai took a long puff from his cigar, a cold smirk forming on his sharp face.
“When I visited the Xu family before, I already noticed something strange in the way she looked at Li Ge. She tried to act calm, like nothing was going on. Too young and too obvious.”
“So then, do you already have a plan to deal with the Xu Group?”
“Not exactly. Director Wang, let me remind you, although Xu Qingyan appears to be in control of the Xu Group and the shareholders seem to respect her, do you really believe it is her they fear? Or is it Xu Hong behind her that they are truly afraid of?”
Wang Fan immediately understood what he meant. Without Xu Hong’s silent backing, someone as young as Xu Qingyan would never be able to keep those veteran shareholders in line. It was because of Xu Hong’s invisible presence that those cunning businessmen behaved.
In short, no one truly feared Xu Qingyan. What they feared was the one pulling the strings from behind the curtain. Xu Hong, the real power. A dominant and iron-willed alpha.
“But didn’t Xu Hong retire? She even said publicly that she would no longer interfere in the Xu Group and had handed full control to Xu Qingyan. Would she really go back on her word? Or was that all an act?” Wang Fan asked, still unsure.
Li Dahai raised one finger and shook it with a mocking smile.
“The retirement was real, but giving up all control? That old woman would never allow it. I’ve dealt with her for years and know her too well. Even though Xu Qingyan is her own daughter, a woman like Xu Hong, who’s obsessed with power, would never fully trust anyone. At most, she probably handed over twenty percent of the shares. That’s how wealthy families operate. There is no such thing as love or loyalty. Only profit.”
Wang Fan now understood completely and asked, “So what do you plan to do next?”
If Xu Hong was still the one actually running things, then even if Xu Qingyan agreed to the project, it could still be canceled at any time. That kind of sudden change would be a huge blow to Shengshi Entertainment. He couldn’t afford to take that kind of risk. That was why he came tonight to discuss the situation with Li Dahai.
Li Dahai understood Wang Fan’s concerns very clearly. After all, people don’t pay visits without reason. They were both cunning, experienced men who understood each other’s motives without needing to say much. But this time, their interests happened to align, and working together could benefit them both.
“My goal has never been the Xu Group. A company of that scale is far beyond our reach. My goal has always been simple. I want to gain control over Xu Qingyan and take what I need from her.” Li Dahai patted Wang Fan’s shoulder, smiling with confidence. “I was worrying about how to move forward, and now you show up with exactly the news I needed. Everyone has a weakness, and once I find it, I can deal with anyone.”
Wang Fan forced a polite smile and cautiously asked, “So how do you plan to move forward? If you try to threaten Xu Qingyan by using Li Ge, it might backfire. Your daughter seems unwilling to even see her. If you force it, it probably won’t work.”
Li Dahai didn’t reveal the full extent of his plan. Instead, to calm Wang Fan’s nerves, he signed an agreement. If the plan succeeded, Wang Fan’s project would move forward as promised. If it failed, Shengshi Entertainment would not be dragged into the mess. The agreement was simple. There was no loss in doing business with him.
But Wang Fan wasn’t naive. He had been in the business world for many years and understood how people like Li Dahai operated. Someone who would sell his own daughter for profit had no sense of loyalty or trustworthiness.
To protect himself, Wang Fan agreed to cooperate for now, but he stayed cautious.
The two continued chatting for a while. To avoid running into Li Ge, Wang Fan found an excuse to leave shortly after.
Not long after Wang Fan left, Li Ge arrived home by car.
Li Dahai was lounging on the sofa with a cigarette between his lips. He looked completely confident and at ease. When he saw Li Ge walk in, he actually spoke to her with a rare tone of concern.
“You’re back?”
Li Ge touched the bruise on her face and replied without looking at him, “Since when have you ever cared whether I came back or not?”
Since she was a child, Li Dahai had never paid attention to her. To be honest, he had never cared how she was doing. He hired a maid to cook meals, and that was it. Everything else, he ignored completely.
He never acted like a real father. He never asked about her grades, her mood, or her well-being.
Li Dahai did nothing for her.
Sometimes, Li Ge felt that even strangers showed more kindness. At least when she looked unwell, a stranger might ask if she was okay. But Li Dahai only cared about one thing, who she was dating, which alpha she was involved with, and how far the relationship had gone.
And beyond that, there was only silence and coldness.
When Li Ge was a child, she could never understand why her presence seemed to cause Li Dahai so much pain. She used to believe it was her fault. She thought that if she had never been born, everything would have turned out better.
But now, she understood.
Li Dahai had never once considered forming any real father-daughter bond with her.
“Is that how you talk to your father?” Li Dahai put out his cigarette and stared directly at her. “Yes, I hit you last night, and I admit that was wrong. But do you really think I’m the only one to blame? It’s because you wouldn’t listen to me. You should know that we cannot afford to offend the Xu family. If Xu Qingyan had been even a little upset or angry, our entire Li family could have faced bankruptcy. Everything I did was for the sake of this family. I did it all for your future. Can’t you understand that, Li Ge?”
Li Ge gave a bitter smile and replied slowly, word by word, “Dad, I know you too well. You say you did it all for me, for the Li family. Then let me ask you this. Where were you when I was sick? Where were you when I was being bullied? Did you ever once check on me? You didn’t. Everything you did was for yourself.”
“How dare you!”
Li Dahai slammed his palm on the table and stood up in a rage. He walked around the table and stopped directly in front of her.
“For myself? If I only cared about myself, then let me ask you something. From the moment that woman, your mother, ran off with some wild alpha and abandoned you, why didn’t I just let you die in that hospital? Why did I keep you alive? If I only cared about myself, then how are you still living in comfort, with everything you need and servants to take care of you? Yes, I wasn’t the most attentive father, I admit that. But tell me, who was I doing it for? For you! So you could live a better life, so no one would look down on you. And now, just because of a few slaps, you dare to question the father who gave everything for you. Li Ge, do you know how much it hurts to hear you say that?”
His words made her falter for a moment.
To be honest, when it came to material things, Li Dahai had never mistreated her. Whenever she wanted something, he tried his best to provide it. But maybe that was exactly why, when his hand landed on her face that night, it felt like all her hopes and illusions had shattered.
Li Ge had never truly felt what love was.
Without a mother, she often became the subject of gossip at school. Even when people showed concern, it was either to get close to her for personal gain or because of her looks and her rare A-class omega status.
That was why she chose to enter the entertainment industry. She wanted to make something of herself. She didn’t dream of becoming a superstar, but she hoped that one day she could shine on stage. And maybe then, Li Dahai could feel proud enough to point her out to his friends and say, “That talented actress is my daughter. I’m proud of her.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. She wanted to cry but held back.
She looked at him steadily and said, “So in your eyes, those slaps weren’t a big deal and you don’t even owe me a real apology, is that it?”
Li Dahai had always known his daughter had a stubborn streak. In fact, she reminded him a lot of the woman who had left him. But this time, for the sake of his plan, he forced himself to back down.
“Alright, alright, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have hit you, and I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you. I’m apologizing now. Is that enough?”
“Not quite.”
“What do you mean, not quite? I already apologized. What more do you want from me?”
Li Ge looked him in the eyes and said firmly, “You have to promise me. Promise that no matter what happens in the future, you will never hit anyone again and never take your anger out on others. If you can do that, then I will forgive you.”
Li Dahai’s temper flared again, but for the sake of his greater plan, he forced himself to stay calm. He gritted his teeth and nodded.
“Fine. I promise you. It will never happen again. And if it does, you can deal with me however you want.”