Staying Alive by Clinging to the Cold O CEO - Chapter 1

It was four in the afternoon. The sunlight was warm and clear, filtering through loose layers of clouds to shine lazily upon the back garden of the Ming family’s top-tier hotel.

Flowers bloomed in profusion amidst lush foliage, and the green lawn stretched out like a carpet. Occasionally, a breeze would drift by, coaxing a rustling, light-hearted song of nature from the rising and falling waves of grass.

Socialites and wealthy merchants dressed in finery moved through the scene. The air was bustling with voices and permeated with the scent of expensive, exquisite perfumes; the atmosphere was one of peace and relaxation.

Meng Li glanced at the towering, classical hotel building nearby, then looked at the butler who was following her closely, never leaving her side. She took a breath of fresh air and said, “The scenery here is quite nice. I’d like to wander around on my own; you can go tend to your duties.”

She was tall with a sweet appearance, wearing a light purple halter-neck French maxi dress that revealed her slender ankles.

She wore light makeup that was almost imperceptible. When she smiled, a ripple of affection seemed to shimmer in her eyes, but her expression was so pure and candid that it softened the charm of the makeup, adding a clean and graceful aura. She looked like a bright winter jasmine that had accidentally wandered into a summer field.

The butler lowered his gaze and said strictly, “The Old Madam asked me to take care of you. That is my job for today.”

Meng Li had never met the “Old Madam” he spoke of, but the image of an elegant, noble woman with frosted hair at her temples surfaced in her mind.

It was a memory from the original host of this body.

As for Meng Li herself, she was not from this world. She had transmigrated here only a month ago and was still constantly learning and reinforcing her knowledge of this unfamiliar world and its logic.

However, to say she was completely unfamiliar with this world wouldn’t be accurate.

This ABO world she had transmigrated into was an “Alpha-Omega Friends-to-Lovers” romance novel she had read before bed. And the person she had become was not the Lead Alpha, nor the Lead Omega, but a cannon-fodder “scum Alpha” with the same name as her—a character who harbored ill intentions toward the Omega heroine, Ming Shu, and pestered her relentlessly.

In the original book, this cannon fodder pursued Ming Shu only to make a fool of herself and meet a miserable end.

When the leads first met, the cannon fodder copied “edgy” internet quotes and stood under Ming Shu’s dormitory building with a megaphone to recite her confession, becoming famous for all the wrong reasons in a single day.

When the leads became friends, the cannon fodder publicized her “love” for Ming Shu on the school forums and viciously insulted anyone who got close to her. This included the stray cats Ming Shu fed; the cannon fodder found them an eyesore, believing they stole Ming Shu’s attention, and took them all to be neutered.

When feelings began to bloom between the leads, the cannon fodder stalked Ming Shu, took secret photos of the pair meeting, and used death threats to demand Ming Shu stay away from every Alpha except her.

After the leads finally got together, the cannon fodder still wouldn’t give up. She drugged Ming Shu and released pheromones to induce her heat, attempting to “force the rice to be cooked” (create a fait accompli). Fortunately, the Lead Alpha arrived in time to save Ming Shu, called the police, and had the scum Alpha thrown in prison.

Readers of the book frequently joked that the original host was a “Criminal Alpha”—destined for a prison sentence on top of a prison sentence.

The point in time when Meng Li transmigrated was just as the leads had met and become friends. The engagement between the original host and Ming Shu had not yet been canceled, and the original host had been using that engagement as an excuse to harass Ming Shu for some time.

Meng Li had no interest in ruining someone else’s relationship. Before she could even figure out how to bring it up, Ming Shu—who had reached her breaking point—brought along two or three Alpha friends who were law students to confront her. Meng Li took the opportunity to quickly delete all the harassing texts, apologized, and proposed to break off the engagement.

Breaking an engagement was no small matter. The news reached the ears of the head of the Ming family, Old Madam Ming. The Old Madam asked to meet her and invited her to today’s star-studded banquet.

If this were the original host—vain and desperate to climb into high society—she would have been like a mouse in a grain bin, socializing non-stop and refusing to leave until she had secured the contact information of several business tycoons.

But Meng Li had no interest in knowing “important people,” nor could she understand their business jargon. She politely declined the butler’s networking offers, wanting only to stay quiet for a while while waiting for the head of the Ming family to see her.

“I don’t have anything I need help with for now.” Her peach-blossom eyes curved slightly; her light brown pupils looked like clear, soft amber, bright and spirited. Her thick, curled lashes fluttered like butterfly wings, her smile was clear, and her red lips tilted upward. “How about this: we meet back here in one hour? If anything important comes up, we can contact each other by phone.”

The butler thought for a moment and respected her wishes. “Alright. Just in case, please don’t wander too far. If you need anything, please contact me or the patrolling security immediately.”

The Ming family organized today’s banquet, and Meng Li was a guest of Old Madam Ming, so the butler treated her with the utmost importance.

Meng Li happily agreed.

After parting ways, she walked around the back garden and accidentally spotted a path lush with greenery.

Sun-shielding Scholar Trees trembled slightly in the wind, their leaves casting dancing shadows and cool shade. A few children ran past her on the path, excitedly holding paper planes, and disappeared around a corner.

What lay at the end of that corner?

Curiosity struck Meng Li for a moment. Stepping in her beige low heels, she followed them.

Her field of vision opened up suddenly after the turn, revealing another slightly smaller garden.

The plants and trees on all sides were neatly trimmed, and in the center was a bright green artificial lawn. With no obstacles in the way, one could see everything at a glance.

This small garden wasn’t as crowded as the previous venue, but because of the children running and playing, it wasn’t any quieter or more desolate.

Meng Li’s gaze drifted slowly over the flowers, plants, and guests, until she was suddenly blinded by a flash of white light in the distance.

Subconsciously looking toward the source, she saw the reflection came from a black-screened mobile phone.

The fingers holding the phone were cold, white, and slender like orchids. The proportions of the exposed knuckles were perfect, and a delicate white jade bracelet sat upon a thin wrist bone.

Meng Li’s gaze moved upward, and she suddenly held her breath as she saw the woman sitting in the wheelchair.

She possessed the face of a peerless “cold-toned” beauty. Her features were aloof, with fine eyebrows and ink-dark eyes.

She wore an elegant, moon-white qipao. Her skin was porcelain-white like snow; as the sunlight hit her, her fair skin appeared almost transparent, as if it might melt at any moment.

Yet, even though the colors on her body and face were plain and ascetic, she still gave off an impactful sense of exquisite beauty. She was like a high-and-mighty goddess formed from winter snow, surrounded by a chilly aura that made one dare not harbor any profane thoughts.

As if sensing the gaze, the woman tilted her long, slightly upturned eyes, and a cold, clear look came straight toward Meng Li.

Their eyes met.