The Paranoid Female CEO’s Contracted Beauty (Omegaverse) - Chapter 22

“You just let her go like that?”

A sweet female voice suddenly came from behind Xu Qingyan.

A gentle-looking female alpha walked up with a glass of red wine in hand. As she reached Xu Qingyan, she casually rested her free hand on Xu Qingyan’s shoulder, her expression teasing as she gazed out the window at the figure of Li Ge running away.

“She’ll come looking for me.”

“I don’t think she will. This just sounds like wishful thinking on your part.”

Xu Qingyan turned her face slightly and looked at her.

“Say that again, if you dare.”

The female alpha patted Xu Qingyan’s shoulder lightly and smiled.

“I’m just being honest. You said it yourself earlier. Everyone who comes to this kind of place isn’t exactly a good person. To that little girl, you and that so-called President Chen are all the same. You came here for the same reason. People like you aren’t trustworthy.”

Xu Qingyan didn’t deny that last part. She really wasn’t a good person. She would do whatever it took to get what she wanted. Back when she ruined Xu Hong’s career, she hadn’t felt a trace of guilt. In fact, she had been thrilled.

But aside from that, she wasn’t willing to take the blame for everything else.

“You’re the one who chose this place tonight. Don’t go throwing all the dirt on me.”

Tang Ling was one of Xu Qingyan’s few close friends, and her best one at that. They met in high school during their first year. At the time, Xu Qingyan was top of the class and ranked in the top three in the entire grade. Tang Ling, on the other hand, was near the bottom of the class and barely in the top five hundred.

In Xu Qingyan’s eyes, Tang Ling was the definition of an underachiever, so the two had no real interaction at first.

But Tang Ling had always disliked how Xu Qingyan carried herself like she was above everyone else. On top of that, Xu Qingyan was an S-class alpha with countless admirers. Nearly all the omegas in their class had become her fans, and that included one Tang Ling had liked. That omega quickly turned into one of Xu Qingyan’s backups.

Tang Ling couldn’t stand it.

One sunny afternoon, Tang Ling challenged Xu Qingyan directly. She insisted on settling things one-on-one.

She lost.

And she accepted her loss completely.

After that, Tang Ling began showing up around Xu Qingyan regularly. She was curious. Why did someone as beautiful as Xu Qingyan always wear a cold expression? She looked even better when she smiled, but she rarely ever did. Worse still, Xu Qingyan had this habit of looking at her from the side, which made Tang Ling extremely annoyed. She felt like Xu Qingyan was looking down on her.

One day, Tang Ling finally snapped and said something outrageous.

“Why do you always look at me from the side? You’re not cross-eyed. Can you please just look at me properly for once?”

“Why would I look at you with both eyes? One is enough. The other is busy. Also, I’m older than you by a few days. You should be calling me big sister.”

“The other eye is busy? Xu Qingyan, who are you trying to fool? Why not say half your brain is busy too?”

“Exactly. That’s why I only use ten percent of it.”

Tang Ling thought Xu Qingyan was absolutely bizarre. During breaks, everyone else relaxed or had fun, while Xu Qingyan kept studying. Even during PE, when others used the chance to goof off, she studied. When someone tried to confess their feelings or hand her a love letter, the first thing she said was, “Tell me later, after I finish studying.”

It was as if studying was her entire life. Tang Ling often wanted to crack open her head just to see if her brain was made up of only textbooks.

Later, when they both got into the same university, Xu Qingyan became even more extreme. She practically lived in the library. To avoid disturbing her roommates, she applied to live at home. Out of twenty-four hours, she studied for at least sixteen. And the subjects she studied made Tang Ling’s head hurt just looking at them.

So forget about dating. Xu Qingyan didn’t even have time to think about it, let alone fall for someone.

When Tang Ling recently returned to the capital, Xu Qingyan said she would treat her to a welcome dinner and let her pick the place. Tang Ling deliberately chose this location, hoping to treat herself to a luxurious meal. She never imagined something like this would happen.

“Ayann, you’re the one trying to throw dirt here,” Tang Ling argued. “I don’t know my way around the capital. I relied on you to guide me. You told me I could pick any place, and I saw this one looked fancy. I wanted to make you pay for a good meal. And now you’re blaming me? Even if I did pick this place, if you knew what kind of place it really was, why didn’t you stop me? Doesn’t that mean you were okay with coming here too?”

“Is that so?”

“Of course it is.”

Tang Ling started to feel guilty. The truth was, she wasn’t completely unfamiliar with the capital. She wasn’t born there, but she had spent several years studying in the city. During her college years, she had gone out often with friends, so she actually knew what kind of establishment this was. It was one of those playgrounds for the rich.

She really had just wanted to splurge on Xu Qingyan and enjoy a meal. She hadn’t expected something so dramatic to happen.

“Let’s not talk about that now. Tell me about that girl,” Tang Ling said as she threw an arm around Xu Qingyan’s neck, her curiosity burning. “You never dated anyone in college. Actually, I never even heard you had a crush on an omega. And now, just a few years later, you suddenly have someone? Ayann, you’re so sneaky. You didn’t tell me anything. Were you planning to keep this all to yourself?”

The more she talked, the more excited she got. By the end, she couldn’t stop herself.

“I’m telling you, Ayann. Some things are better shared. That little girl is adorable. What’s the point of hiding her? Why don’t you let me take care of her too? I could even…”

Before she could finish, Xu Qingyan turned her head sharply and glared at her.

“What did you just say? Repeat it.”

Tang Ling froze.

Xu Qingyan wasn’t joking.

There was a clear possessiveness in her eyes. It wasn’t just annoyance. It was real, burning jealousy.

Tang Ling had never seen that look on Xu Qingyan before. She was always cold and distant, rarely speaking, barely expressing emotion. Whether happy or upset, her face usually stayed the same.

But right now, this expression was completely different.

Tang Ling found it incredibly vivid. After all the years of friendship with Xu Qingyan, this was the first time she truly felt Xu Qingyan was a living, breathing person and not just a cold, emotionless machine.

“Are you mad?”

Xu Qingyan didn’t respond. She hated when anyone joked about an omega, even if it was her closest friend.

“What do you think?”

She brushed Tang Ling’s hand off her shoulder.

“The handrail is over there. Hold onto it yourself.”

Tang Ling latched on again, then quickly apologized several times before continuing.

“That little girl really is something special, huh? When the campus beauty or the school heartthrob confessed to you back in the day, you didn’t react like this at all. Come on, tell me. What’s her name? When did you meet her? How long have you known each other? How far have things gone? Did you pursue her, or did she go after you?”

Xu Qingyan felt this woman’s mouth really was something. How could she ramble on for so long without repeating herself? She had to have been a sparrow in her past life, always chirping and never shutting up.

She genuinely wanted to sew Tang Ling’s mouth shut and wrap it in gauze just to get some peace.

“Do you actually have a question or not?”

Tang Ling threw her arm around Xu Qingyan’s shoulders again.

“What’s with the attitude? Of course I have a question. It’s not some deep, dark secret, is it? If you and that little girl end up together, she’s going to have to call me Sister Ling, isn’t she?”

Xu Qingyan immediately shrugged her off again, her face expressionless.

“Stop trying to boost your own importance.”

Tsk, tsk.

They weren’t even together yet, and Xu Qingyan was already this protective. Clearly, she was one of those people who prioritized romance over friendship.

“Ayann, that’s not fair. Even if I was boosting my own status, it’s none of your business, right?”

Tang Ling took a sip of red wine, then rested her hand back on Xu Qingyan’s shoulder again. As if remembering something, she leaned closer.

“But seriously, Ayann, are you sure the little girl even likes you? If she doesn’t feel anything for you, then aren’t you just fooling yourself? Unrequited love never ends well. Forced feelings won’t turn sweet no matter how hard you try.”

Xu Qingyan lowered her gaze and remained silent for a long time.

She understood what Tang Ling meant. Li Ge had already forgotten her, already fallen for another alpha. On top of that, she feared her. There was no chance Li Ge would ever like her back.

Love was even further out of reach.

That was a kind of wish she might never see fulfilled.

But it didn’t matter. As long as the omega stayed by her side, that was enough. That much, at least, she could hold onto.

“If you don’t try to pick the fruit, how will you ever know if it’s sweet or not?” Xu Qingyan raised her head, her gaze firm.

“If I can’t win her heart, then I’ll take her. I’ll make sure she can never leave me.”

Tang Ling blinked and fell quiet. She didn’t know what to say.

Love couldn’t be forced. But seeing Xu Qingyan this determined made it obvious how deeply she liked that girl. The only problem was that her approach felt too aggressive.

As a friend, she knew she probably should talk Xu Qingyan out of it. But knowing her personality, there was no way she would ever let go. Besides, Tang Ling didn’t fully understand the situation, so it was probably better not to interfere.

“You’ve always been stubborn,” Tang Ling said with a sigh, raising her wine glass.

“Enough about that. Let’s make a bet. Do you think that little girl will come looking for you tonight?”

Xu Qingyan spoke with full certainty.

“She will.”

Right now, there was no one else willing to help an omega who had just offended a group of powerful men.

On the other side of the city.

After running out of the hotel, Li Ge immediately took a cab back to the Li family villa.

She had originally planned to find Gu Shi, but no matter how many times she called, no one picked up. Eventually, the phone went straight to voicemail. After several more failed attempts, the number was completely powered off.

Once she calmed down, she realized something terrifying. She liked this alpha, but she didn’t know anything about him.

Where did he live? Who were his friends? What did his parents do? How old was he exactly?

She had no answers.

It was like they had just randomly ended up together. Gu Shi had been kind to her for reasons she didn’t understand. He tolerated her moods, never lost his temper, and was always gentle. She had assumed that meant he loved her, that his patience was proof.

But thinking it over now, she realized Gu Shi understood her far more than she understood him. It was like they came from two different worlds, only connected by some strange coincidence.

Her thoughts were in chaos. She had the driver stop early and walked the rest of the way home.

But before she could even go inside to ask Li Dahai what had really happened, she saw Gu Shi coming out of the villa with a male omega clinging to him. The two of them were laughing and chatting as if nothing had happened at all.

And she knew that omega.

Not just knew him—she was very familiar with him.

It was Zhou Quning, the rising star at Shengshi Entertainment.

She had met him once back at the company. Because they were in completely different tiers, they had never really interacted. Zhou Quning was one of the top stars. All the company’s best projects and resources went to him first. Compared to him, she was practically invisible.

So how did Gu Shi know Zhou Quning?

Or had they already been involved behind her back all this time?

Li Ge could barely breathe. Her chest felt like it was being crushed under a heavy stone.

The two men kept talking and laughing until they finally noticed her standing nearby. Gu Shi froze when their eyes met. He clearly didn’t know what to say.

But Zhou Quning had no such hesitation. He tightened his grip around Gu Shi’s neck and smirked as if he didn’t know Li Ge at all.

“Gu Shi, who is that? Why does she keep staring at you?”

Gu Shi wanted to push him away, but then he reconsidered.

There was no point pretending anymore. If Li Ge had escaped from the hotel, she had probably already offended some major figures. Li Dahai would be furious, and their father-daughter relationship was likely broken for good. If he sided with Li Ge now, Zhou Quning would definitely turn against him. He would lose the benefits of the Li family and a steady personal ATM. That would be a complete loss.

Having thought it through, Gu Shi wrapped his arm back around Zhou Quning and sneered at Li Ge.

“Xiao Ge, I’ve been with A-Ning for a long time. Longer than I’ve been with you. If anyone came in later, it was you.”

Li Ge stared at him in shock.

“What did you just say?”

“Xiao Ge, I’ve already said it clearly. There’s no point in asking again.”

Zhou Quning smiled proudly and added, “Did you hear that, Miss Li? Gu Shi has been mine all along. You’re the one trying to steal someone else’s alpha. That makes you the homewrecker.”

Li Ge bit down hard on her lower lip. Her voice trembled with emotion, nearly choking on her words.

“If you were already with him, then why were you with me? Why did you lie to me?”

In the end, she realized she had been the biggest fool in the story.

Gu Shi didn’t bother hiding anything anymore. He spoke frankly.

“Xiao Ge, you can’t blame me for this. I was doing just fine with A-Ning before all of this. We had already been together for a long time. It was your father who came to me. He pressured and tempted me in every possible way to get close to you. Honestly, those days with you were some of the hardest in my life. I felt guilty toward A-Ning, and I disliked you. But your father kept using his power to control me. I had no choice but to listen to him. And as for selling you to those investors, that was your father’s doing, not mine. If you’re going to hate someone, hate him. Everything that happened was his idea.”

His words hit her like a bolt of lightning. Li Ge shook her head in disbelief. She raised her hands to cover her ears, as if that could somehow make everything disappear.

But no matter how hard she tried, Gu Shi’s voice repeated over and over in her mind like a recording.

She couldn’t believe that Li Dahai would do this. She refused to believe that the wonderful days she had spent with Gu Shi were all a lie, orchestrated by her own father. It felt like a dream, one where everyone else was awake, and only she remained lost inside.

Li Ge kept shaking her head.

“No. It’s not true. It can’t be. My dad wouldn’t do that to me. You’re lying!”

Zhou Quning smiled and said casually, “What’s so unbelievable about that? If you weren’t an A-class omega, Li Dahai would have thrown you away a long time ago. You’re honestly not good for anything besides your pheromone level. You’re spoiled and bratty, always throwing tantrums, and you’re not even better looking than me. Why would Gu Shi ever like you? People need to know their worth, don’t you think, Gu Shi?”

Gu Shi nodded, though he felt a bit guilty.

If anyone was actually spoiled, it was Zhou Quning. Li Ge was still young and naïve. She rarely threw fits. Sometimes she was a little emotional, but most of the time she was considerate and gave him a sense of control as an alpha.

But that didn’t matter anymore. Zhou Quning was popular now, and in the future, he would bring him endless money. Even if Zhou Quning was difficult, he could tolerate it for the sake of profit.

Li Ge was different. She wouldn’t bring him money.

The gifts she gave were just things. Once used, they were useless.

But money was different.

With money, he could do anything. With money, he could buy anything. He wouldn’t have to worry about lacking anything. If he needed something, he could just pay for it. No more begging, no more waiting. That was real power.

“A-Ning is right.”

“Gu Shi!”

Li Ge shouted his name through gritted teeth, her eyes red. She never imagined that the person she loved the most would betray her. She had become the third wheel without even knowing it.

Everything Xu Qingyan had said was right. She had been too naive.

She had been foolish enough to believe that an alpha could truly be devoted to her, foolish enough to think they would stay together forever, foolish enough to think that if she gave her heart, the other person would do the same.

She had been far too foolish.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She didn’t want Zhou Quning to see her break down. She forced them back.

“So what you’re saying is that all the kindness, the sweet words, the attention… it was all because of my father’s orders?”

Gu Shi didn’t answer right away.

For some reason, he hesitated.

The truth was, he had always liked Li Ge a little. An A-class omega was rare. He was just a B-class alpha. Getting a chance like this might never happen again in his lifetime.

He had really wanted to experience what a high-level omega was like, even if he had to pay a price.

But right now, it was clearly no longer possible.

After hesitating for several seconds, Gu Shi finally gave in to Zhou Quning’s glare and pressure.

“Yes. Everything was your father’s idea.”

“I see.”

Li Ge turned her gaze to Zhou Quning.

“You knew about this too, didn’t you?”

Someone like Zhou Quning, suspicious by nature, would never allow Gu Shi near another omega without investigating him first. If this wasn’t something arranged by Li Dahai, he would have caused trouble long ago. There was no way he would have stayed quiet until now.

So Zhou Quning must have known all along.

Why hadn’t he said anything?

“Of course I knew,” Zhou Quning answered without hesitation. “It was free money. Why wouldn’t I take it? If you want to blame someone, blame yourself. You were just too stupid.”

After saying that, he grabbed Gu Shi and pulled him aside.

Li Ge stood frozen in place, then slowly collapsed to the ground and began crying.

She hadn’t done anything wrong. Why did everyone treat her this way?

She couldn’t understand.

She remembered her teachers once said, if you were born into this world, it meant your parents had brought you here with love. But if love brought her here, then why couldn’t Li Dahai accept her?

Why?

Li Ge sobbed louder, her cries echoing through the yard. A security guard stationed nearby heard her.

Li Dahai had been urgently trying to locate her, so the guard quietly called him.

“President Li, I found Miss Li. She’s right outside the gate. Should we bring her in now? Alright. I’ll take care of it.”

After ending the call, the guard motioned for the others to follow him.

Li Ge was still crying, but her hearing had always been sharp. She noticed something strange and slowly lifted her head.

She saw several of Li Dahai’s bodyguards walking toward her.

Just then, a passing taxi appeared on the road.

Without thinking, Li Ge rushed forward and flagged it down. The bodyguards saw her move and immediately realized she was trying to escape. They picked up speed and charged forward.

Li Ge jumped into the car, slammed the door shut, and shouted to the driver.

“Please, drive. Hurry!”

The driver didn’t really understand what was going on, but since Li Ge was the passenger, he followed her instructions and stepped on the gas.

The bodyguards tried to run after the car, but no one could outrun a moving vehicle. Within moments, they were left far behind.

Li Ge looked back anxiously over and over again. When she could no longer see them, she finally let out a shaky breath. Her hands were still trembling. Her face had turned pale, and every tiny noise made her flinch like a frightened rabbit, her whole body tense and alert.

“Miss, where would you like to go?”

She didn’t respond the first time. She was hugging herself tightly, as if that could bring her a little comfort or help her calm down.

The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror. Seeing how disheveled and panicked she looked, he tried asking again.

“Miss, are you feeling alright? You haven’t told me where I should take you.”

Li Ge suddenly snapped back to reality and realized something terrible. She had nowhere to go.

She had no family, no relatives, no close friends, and not even a trustworthy colleague. There was no one she could turn to.

Where could she go now?

Her only option was to find somewhere to stay for the night.

She opened an app on her phone and tried to book a hotel. But when she tried to pay, she discovered that all her bank accounts had been frozen by Li Dahai. The only money she had left was two hundred yuan in cash savings.

In a place like the capital, two hundred yuan wouldn’t even get her the cheapest room in a basic hotel. The only place she could afford was a crowded youth hostel.

But she knew Li Dahai would have people watching places like that. The moment she showed up, she would be caught.

Where else could she possibly go?

Tears welled up in her eyes. She felt helpless. She didn’t know where to hide.

But she couldn’t get caught. If Li Dahai managed to grab her again, her life would be completely ruined.

She kept scrolling through her contacts, hoping to find someone she could call for help. But after minutes of searching, there was no one. No one she could rely on.

Defeated, she lowered her head. Her arms wrapped tightly around herself, and she trembled even harder.

At that moment, her fingers touched something in her pocket. It was a folded piece of paper.

She suddenly remembered what Xu Qingyan had said at the hotel.

“Xiao Ge, you will come to me.”

“Chairman Xu, you really love to dream.”

“I’ll wait for you.”

“That will never happen. Xu Qingyan, give it up.”

It turned out Xu Qingyan had seen this coming all along.

No, she had known everything from the beginning. She already knew about Gu Shi and Zhou Quning. That’s why she was so certain that Li Ge would end up coming to her.

Li Ge clenched the paper tightly. After thinking it over, it seemed like Xu Qingyan might be the only one left who could actually help her.

“Miss, are you going to tell me where to go or should I pull over now?”

Li Ge bit her lip, then handed the address to the driver.

“Please take me here.”

It was probably Xu Qingyan’s private villa. She remembered the garden full of jasmine flowers, which matched her pheromones perfectly. Two housekeepers were always outside taking care of the plants.

When the car pulled up, one of the housekeepers paused her watering. A mature woman stepped out from the villa. She was the housekeeper in charge and walked straight to the front gate.

When Li Ge got out of the car, the housekeeper gave her a respectful bow.

“Miss Li, welcome.”

Li Ge clutched her phone and asked cautiously, “She knew I would come?”

The housekeeper nodded.

“Chairman Xu said, if you take a single step inside, it means you’ve made up your mind. If not, I will arrange someone to take you back.”

No. She couldn’t go back.

If she went back, Li Dahai would really hand her over to those alphas and let them do whatever they wanted.

If that was her fate, then she would rather face just one person.

Li Ge pressed her lips together. After a moment of hesitation, she laughed bitterly at herself. Then she lifted her chin and said to the housekeeper with calm determination.

“Take me to her.”