The Paranoid Female CEO’s Contracted Beauty (Omegaverse) - Chapter 16
Li Ge was stunned. It felt like her breath had stopped for a second. Something was pounding wildly in her chest. Combined with Xu Qingyan’s intense gaze, she suddenly didn’t know what to do.
“According to what I said? Wh-why?”
Xu Qingyan spoke honestly. “Didn’t you want me to let her go? If that’s what you want, then I’ll let her go.”
Li Ge stared at Xu Qingyan, eyes wide in disbelief. She felt confused and unsure. She couldn’t figure out what Xu Qingyan was really trying to do. She had already made her position clear. Xu Qingyan shouldn’t have misunderstood.
Unless she wasn’t even human.
“Director Xu, I… I don’t quite understand what you mean.”
Xu Qingyan leaned in slightly, her eyes fixed directly on Li Ge. “Someone as smart as you, Ge, how could you not understand what I mean?”
Li Ge instinctively leaned back. Her eyes lowered without her realizing it, and her grip on the glass of juice tightened. She could feel Xu Qingyan’s warm breath falling on her skin, bringing with it a sense of irresistible pressure.
The air in the office instantly grew warmer. Secretary Su understood the situation immediately. With a knowing look on her face, she quietly stepped out and closed the door behind her.
Now, only Xu Qingyan and Li Ge were left in the room.
The atmosphere continued to heat up.
Xu Qingyan could clearly hear the Omega’s heartbeat. She could also see the blush that had spread across her face because of her words. Her cheeks were as red as apples on a tree, tempting enough to make anyone want to take a bite.
But she couldn’t do that.
At least not now.
No matter how much she longed for the Omega, she would not allow herself to act on instinct alone.
Xu Qingyan slowly leaned back in her seat and said, “She injured me, and she should take responsibility for that. But what you said earlier wasn’t wrong. Yes, I was the one who got hurt, but the real target was you. I just happened to be in the way. In the end, the person she should apologize to is you, not me.”
She paused for a moment.
“The only reason I agreed to let her go is because you, the person directly involved, have already spoken up for her. If I, someone on the sidelines, continued to pursue the matter, it would be going too far. So, don’t overthink it. Don’t put pressure on yourself. That’s really all there is to it.”
Was it really that simple?
Li Ge’s racing heart suddenly slowed down after hearing those words. She should have felt relieved. But for some reason, she felt disappointed instead.
“Then… Director Xu, does that mean you really agree to let Sister Chen go?”
“You don’t believe me?”
Xu Qingyan felt a little hurt, but she understood. After all, Li Ge hadn’t known her for long. To Li Ge, she was just a familiar stranger. Someone slightly more familiar than a complete stranger, but still not someone she really knew.
“When I give my word, I never break it.” Xu Qingyan added, “Unless you change your mind yourself, I won’t go back on what I’ve said.”
Li Ge paused again, unsure what Xu Qingyan was trying to achieve by telling her all this. The decision had never been hers to make. Xu Qingyan could end it all with a single word. Was she saying this just to avoid blame later?
But after thinking it over, Xu Qingyan didn’t seem like that kind of person. As the chairwoman of a company, if she went back on her word easily, no one would want to do business with her.
“I… I don’t mean I don’t trust you!” Li Ge quickly corrected herself. “Someone in your position, of course I believe what you say. It’s just…”
“Just what?”
Xu Qingyan leaned in again, but still kept a respectful distance. “Tell me, what is it?”
Li Ge clutched the juice glass tightly in both hands and lowered her head, falling silent. She returned to her earlier shy and hesitant state. She could clearly smell Xu Qingyan’s strong pheromone. It was a rich rose fragrance.
It made her body soften instantly. She couldn’t resist such a powerful pheromone, and her own scent started to react in response.
Xu Qingyan froze. She didn’t dare to move any closer.
In truth, it was rare for her to find an Omega whose scent matched hers. Part of it had to do with the strength of the pheromones, and the rest with their type. She had encountered many Omegas in the past, but none had ever made her feel like this.
So comfortable.
So gentle.
Not even the slightest trace of discomfort or irritation.
She even felt the urge to get closer. The desire to act on instinct, to push the Omega down, to bite into the gland at the back of her neck and entangle their scents together completely.
Xu Qingyan was not a saint. She had her own needs and desires. But when it came to pheromone compatibility, she had never found someone who truly matched her. She had come to believe that this was just her fate. That she would have to go along with Xu Hong’s arrangements, marry another high-ranking Omega from a prominent family, and live a dull life filled with mutual indifference.
But then, Li Ge entered her life.
And pulled her back from the edge of despair.
For the first time, she felt the joy of being an Alpha. She realized that somewhere in this world, someone truly wonderful was waiting for her.
Waiting to be pursued, to be admired, and to be cherished for a lifetime.
After meeting Li Ge, Xu Qingyan made up her mind to become stronger. She slowly pushed Xu Hong out of power, forced her to step down, and even had her hand over 50 percent of Xu Group’s shares. From that point on, Xu Qingyan officially became the new chairwoman of Xu Group.
She had originally thought that Li Ge was still young, and she needed time to grow her wings. Once she was strong enough, no one would be able to stop them from being together.
But she never expected that due to her own carelessness, just a few years later, Li Ge would grow up and fall for another Alpha. All Xu Qingyan could do was stand behind her in silence, quietly watching, while her heart endured unbearable pain.
If things had simply stayed that way, she could have accepted it. She would have had no regrets. If Li Ge ever needed help, she would give it unconditionally. Being the knight silently protecting her princess from the shadows was still something she found noble and meaningful.
But after getting so close to her today, Xu Qingyan realized that she wanted more. The string in her heart felt like it was being pulled to its limit, as if it might snap at any moment.
She no longer knew how long she could keep holding back. And she feared that if she lost control, she might end up hurting Li Ge.
Xu Qingyan did not want to hurt her.
Of course, that was only if everything could continue smoothly.
Afraid of what she might do, Xu Qingyan suddenly stood up from the sofa and walked over to the window. She opened it, even though it had been shut for a long time. She needed the wind to blow away the scent of the Omega’s pheromones that lingered in the room.
“I won’t go back on my word. You don’t need to worry. If there’s nothing else, I’ll have Xiao Su walk you out.”
She said this with her back to Li Ge. Her tone wasn’t as calm as before. Li Ge didn’t understand what had changed so suddenly, but Xu Qingyan’s shift in mood reminded her of unpredictable weather.
Was this how all domineering CEOs acted?
Or was it just Xu Qingyan?
Li Ge felt certain that it was just Xu Qingyan. She had met plenty of powerful businesspeople, but none of them changed moods as quickly as Xu Qingyan did.
“No need for Secretary Su to escort me. I have hands, feet, eyes, and a brain. I can find my way out myself,” Li Ge said quickly as she stood up from the sofa. She thanked Xu Qingyan, though not entirely willingly, and then left the office in a hurry like a frightened rabbit.
Secretary Su was standing just outside. When she saw Li Ge come out so quickly, she couldn’t help but ask, “Miss Li, what happened?”
“I’ve finished discussing everything with Director Xu. I won’t disturb her any longer. I’ll be going now.”
Li Ge gave her a polite bow, then jogged toward the elevator without stopping.
Secretary Su caught the lingering jasmine scent of the Omega’s pheromones, still not completely faded. Mixed in with it was the unmistakable rose scent of Xu Qingyan, a signature Alpha mark. She could already guess what had happened inside. But she said nothing and simply went back into the office.
And just as she suspected, Xu Qingyan was clearly affected by the Omega’s pheromones. She was standing by the open window, letting the wind calm her down.
Normally, Xu Qingyan never allowed that window to be opened. She always said the wind would blow in sand from outside and dirty the office. She even had a printed sign on the door to remind the cleaning staff not to touch it.
But today, she opened it herself.
And in the office, those two intertwining pheromones still hadn’t fully dispersed. Secretary Su was sure she had guessed correctly.
“Director Xu.”
Xu Qingyan turned around, suddenly feeling a little guilty. She didn’t even know why. Secretary Su was her personal assistant, someone who knew everything that went on. There was never a need to hide anything from her. And yet, Xu Qingyan felt as if she had done something wrong.
As if something really inappropriate had happened between her and Li Ge in that office.
“What is it?”
Secretary Su smiled knowingly. “So in the end, even heroes fall for a beautiful woman.”
Xu Qingyan didn’t think of herself as a hero. If anything, she thought of herself as someone shameful. She could still restrain herself for now, and that was the only reason she hadn’t acted on her feelings. She replied, “I’m not a hero, but it’s true that I’ve fallen.”
“So this is your way of surrendering?”
“I’ve never been able to refuse her requests.”
Secretary Su understood and didn’t say anything more on the topic. Instead, she changed the subject. “But Director Xu, if you agree to Miss Li’s request this time, won’t it give Li Daha ian opening? If he uses your feelings for Miss Li to blackmail you later or force you to do something for him, then wouldn’t that be dangerous?”
Xu Qingyan had already considered this. She calmly replied, “Xiao Ge is Xiao Ge. Li Dahai is Li Dahai. If he dares to use her to threaten me, I will make sure he learns a very simple truth. A man who can’t even fulfill the role of a father is no better than a dog.”