Pretending to Be an Alpha in an All-Alpha Boy Band - Chapter 121

Chapter 121: Mind in Perfect Harmony

“What’s wrong?”

Yuan Shiyuan sat in a corner resting and drinking water, but his gaze remained restless, drifting almost imperceptibly through the crowd.

He seemed to be scrutinizing them, as if selecting a tool that felt perfectly suited to his needs.

Ying Mingxi immediately approached, tenderly pressing a white towel to the side of Yuan Shiyuan’s neck. As he gently wiped the sweat, he whispered tenderly, “The dance practice was too intense earlier. Are you tired? Or just feeling too hot?”

“No,” Yuan Shiyuan replied, shaking his head.

Hearing this, Ying Mingxi didn’t leave but continued to wipe Yuan Shiyuan’s sweat. Ying Mingche followed closely behind, picking up a hot towel to wipe Yuan Shiyuan’s fingers. Bo Jin twisted open a mineral water bottle and personally fed Yuan Shiyuan sip by sip, while Jiang Heng naturally took the fascia gun and began to massage Yuan Shiyuan’s muscles to help him relax.

Even the usually aloof Pei Yanbing silently released cooling S-rank pheromones to lower Yuan Shiyuan’s body temperature.

Leaning against the twin brothers on either side, Yuan Shiyuan’s eyelashes fluttered in contentment.

Having just finished dance practice, his muscles ached all over, yet here were five men attending to his every need with perfect coordination. He didn’t even have to lift a finger; they anticipated his every desire. This feeling was simply… heavenly.

They chatted idly, the conversation drifting like a lazy current.

“The new album officially dropped at eight this morning,” Jiang Heng murmured. “How do you feel about it?”

Yuan Shiyuan confessed honestly, “I’m a little nervous.”

He had barely glanced at his phone all day, avoiding even checking platform data. His mood felt eerily similar to the day his gaokao results were released.

Yuan Shiyuan vividly remembered the night before his gaokao results came out. He was still working at the music bar. His boss, kind-hearted, had given him the day off and a red envelope, urging him to relax and enjoy himself.

After work, he went straight to the hospital to keep vigil by his father’s bedside, sleeping soundly until he woke up naturally. In the end, he stirred awake to the excited chatter of his family.

“The results are blocked? We can’t find them!”

“Our Little Yuan is amazing!”

“Fantastic! Brother is the provincial top scorer!”

“…”

The moment Yuan Shiyuan opened his eyes, he saw his family gathered around his bed, their faces beaming. He was momentarily stunned, only realizing from their joyous exclamations that they were celebrating his extraordinary results.

He was surprised too.

Throughout the gaokao, Yuan Shiyuan had felt confident; he knew the material and was certain his score wouldn’t be bad, but he hadn’t expected it to be this good.

After the initial euphoria, a wave of inexplicable anxiety washed over him.

Nervous about starting university life, nervous about the uncertain future that lay ahead.

He never imagined he’d experience such similar feelings again, a year later.

And now, surrounded by this group of S-rank alphas who had him cornered, Yuan Shiyuan felt a momentary daze.

Before he knew it, Yuan Shiyuan had been with Scepter for quite some time. He never imagined he would get along with them so… intimately?

Yuan Shiyuan tilted his head to look at Ying Mingche. At just a glance, Ying Mingche reacted like a large dog hearing its master’s call, eagerly wagging his tail as he rushed forward. “What is it? Is there anything you want me to do?”

Yuan Shiyuan turned away. “Nothing.”

Especially Ying Mingche.

He had never anticipated that Ying Mingche, who had initially given him the worst impression, would now be so obedient.

Perhaps Yuan Shiyuan’s gaze had been too expressive, for Ying Mingxi gently probed, “Shiyuan, do you want pheromones?”

The moment the words left his mouth, Ying Mingche was the first to press his face into the hollow of Yuan Shiyuan’s neck, looking up with fervent anticipation, as if silently shouting, “Choose me! Choose me!”

Yuan Shiyuan found it amusing.

Among all these men, he had yet to thoroughly savor Ying Mingche’s pheromones. He was indeed curious about their taste. But the thought of that pearl-studded, ugly Citrus Lobe couldn’t help but fill him with disdain.

Under the lingering gazes of the others, Yuan Shiyuan said nonchalantly, “Not really. I’m still full.”

They reluctantly withdrew their gazes.

“Finished practicing? Wait… what are you all doing here?”

Feeling refreshed, Zhuang He pushed open the dance studio door. His eyelid twitched involuntarily at the sight before him: a group of S-rank alphas clustered around Yuan Shiyuan, each performing their designated tasks to serve him.

Caring for the team’s youngest member was a good thing, and he was genuinely pleased to witness such camaraderie and affection.

But Ying Mingche’s hand was nearly sliding under Yuan Shiyuan’s shirt hem! As Jiang Heng used a massage gun to relax his muscles, his large palm covered Yuan Shiyuan’s calf, the pale-pink flesh spilling through his fingers, visibly soft and yielding…

Yuan Shiyuan, seated at the center of the group, was flanked by S-rank alphas on either side. His expression was calm and natural, even a little indulgent. At first glance, he looked like a pampered little emperor being meticulously attended to.

“Brother Zhuang?” Yuan Shiyuan slapped Ying Mingche’s face away, peering out with half his face. “What brings you here so suddenly?”

Zhuang He’s anxiety flared. He desperately wanted to pry each Alpha clinging to Yuan Shiyuan off him. But seeing Yuan Shiyuan’s nonchalant, accustomed demeanor, he couldn’t bring himself to speak up.

He sighed inwardly. Of course. Yuan Shiyuan had lived as an Alpha for so many years; asking him to suddenly distance himself from other Alphas was simply too difficult.

At least for now it’s just casual touching, maybe a hug or a kiss on the lips—nothing beyond the surface.

Surely… nothing too serious will happen.

“The company reserved a few internal concert tickets for us,” Zhuang He said, pulling a stack of tickets from his pocket. “They were snapped up so quickly, the company didn’t keep many back. Like you guys said, we wanted to prioritize getting tickets to our true fans as much as possible.”

Typically, companies would reserve a large number of tickets to give away to partners, executives, and other VIPs.

During earlier discussions, Yuan Shiyuan and the team had unanimously agreed to prioritize giving as many tickets as possible to their genuine fans.

The concert venue was massive, with a huge number of tickets available. Yet even so, the tickets sold out instantly the moment they went on sale.

It was only then that Zhuang He truly realized: Scepter had genuinely become a phenomenon.

“Only two tickets per person,” Zhuang He said. “You can give them to your family or friends.”

Bo Jin took his tickets and turned to Yuan Shiyuan. “Do you want them? You have a younger brother, right? Two tickets won’t be enough.”

Even many fans who camped out or hired scalpers had failed to secure tickets, so Yuan Shiyuan’s parents likely hadn’t been able to get any either.

Bo Jin remembered that Yuan Shiyuan had a close relationship with his younger brother.

Yuan Shiyuan’s brother was, naturally, Bo Jin’s brother too.

“Thank you, Brother Bo Jin,” Yuan Shiyuan said politely, accepting the tickets with both hands.

Bo Jin raised an eyebrow and gently rubbed his thumb across Yuan Shiyuan’s knuckles. “Why are you thanking me?”

Zhuang He: “……”

The atmosphere felt so strange, Yuan Shiyuan couldn’t help but feel a little awkward. He turned to look the other way, where the other S-ranks were also handing their concert tickets to him.

“Shiyuan, keep these for your family and friends.”

“I don’t need them either.”

“……”

In a matter of moments, Yuan Shiyuan had twelve concert tickets.

He was planning to head home later anyway, so he could give the tickets to his family.

Yuan Shiyuan didn’t have much to pack, just a simple backpack. As he walked down the corridor, he saw the dormitory group chat was exploding with messages.

Roommate 1: I can’t take it anymore! These tickets are impossible to get!

Roommate 2: I snagged a VIP seat! [Smug]

Roommate 3: Got a bleacher seat. I’m content, thank Buddha!

Roommate 1: Holy crap! I managed to get a resold ticket!!! Yuanbao, we’re awesome! [Screenshot of transaction record]

Yuan Shiyuan was surprised.

His roommates were all Alphas, and he’d never seen them following celebrities before. Why were they suddenly scrambling for tickets now?

“You guys don’t need to bother,” Yuan Shiyuan typed after a moment’s thought. “I have insider tickets. Can these be refunded?”

Most platforms don’t allow ticket refunds.

Roommate 1: Nah, real A’s get their own tickets. No freeloading off you. Heh heh heh, can’t wait to see Yuanbao’s stage outfit! [Lustful]

The group chat was buzzing with excitement, and Yuan Shiyuan couldn’t help but chuckle. Touched by his roommates’ support, he sent a lucky draw red envelope into the group chat.

Their dormitory had always had a close bond.

Yuan Shiyuan wasn’t used to the public bathhouse at school, but during a financially tight period, his roommates would rent a room by the hour to shower and “casually” bring him along.

When he tried to split the cost, they vehemently refused, insisting earnestly, “If you’re gonna split this petty change with us, it means you don’t see us as brothers.”

He naturally didn’t think that way. Just as he was about to explain, his roommates pinned him to a chair. One of them blow-dried his hair while muttering, “How is your hair texture so good…?”

Yuan Shiyuan certainly considered them brothers, but their close relationship wasn’t a justification for taking advantage. Knowing how much they cared for him, he always found other ways to repay them—like bringing back fruit or drinks.

As soon as Yuan Shiyuan reached the first floor of the company, Bo Jin had already parked the car at the entrance. Donning a mask and hat, he was about to get in when he suddenly noticed several young figures nearby.

Their small backpacks were adorned with his chibi character keychains.

Yuan Shiyuan merely glanced in their direction, but they immediately noticed and started jumping excitedly on the spot.

He removed his mask and hat, approached them with a warm smile, and asked, “Have you been waiting here long? Isn’t it hot?”

“We weren’t waiting the whole time!” one of the girls exclaimed, tugging her friend’s arm in her excitement. “We had no classes this afternoon, so we came out shopping and decided to check out the area while we were here…”

“And then we ran into you! I’m so happy!”

Though the mask had left faint red marks on Yuan Shiyuan’s face, they did nothing to diminish his striking beauty.

Hearing this, he smiled again. “I’m just as happy to see you all.”

The girl was accompanied by an Omega male friend who seemed much more reserved than she was. But when he saw Yuan Shiyuan, his eyes widened and a faint blush rose on his cheeks.

“You’re really… really beautiful,” he murmured after a moment. “Even more stunning than you look on screen.”

“We all managed to get tickets to the concert! But it’s a bit of a shame—our other friend didn’t get one and is trying to find a scalper selling tickets…” Her voice sounded troubled yet hopeful as she asked, “Little Yuan, could you ask the staff to prepare some extra confetti for the concert? We’d love to keep some as souvenirs.”

Yuan Shiyuan paused, surprised. “Confetti?”

“Yes, we all want to keep some as souvenirs,” she explained. “If our friend can’t get a ticket, we can bring back extra for him so he feels like he was there too.”

Yuan Shiyuan pondered for a moment, his expression thoughtful. “I understand.”

The fans had no intention of intruding on his privacy. After chatting for a while longer, they reluctantly said goodbye.

Just as they were about to leave, Yuan Shiyuan called out, “Wait—”

He stepped forward and pulled a concert ticket from his pocket. “Tell your friend not to buy from scalpers. Save that money and treat yourself to something you really want.”

“There’s a busy road ahead. Be careful crossing.”

Yuan Shiyuan murmured his goodbyes, his eyes crinkling into a smile under the sun-dappled leaves. “Thank you for supporting me, and thank you for coming to our concert.”

“See you again!”

As Yuan Shiyuan approached the car, Bo Jin got out ahead of him and opened the passenger door.

“All done chatting with them?”

“Mm-hmm!”

Yuan Shiyuan slid into the car, the cool air conditioning washing over his face. He closed his eyes in contentment, then suddenly said, “They all managed to get tickets to our concert.”

Bo Jin returned to the driver’s seat. “Then we’ll see them again soon.”

Yuan Shiyuan paused, then smiled. “Right. Their friend didn’t get a ticket, so I gave them one of the extra tickets Brother Zhuang gave me.”

Bo Jin wasn’t surprised. This was exactly the kind of thing Yuan Shiyuan would do. “You seem really happy.”

In that moment of handing over the ticket, Yuan Shiyuan had indeed felt a pure, unadulterated joy.

“I really am happy,” Yuan Shiyuan nodded. “As an idol, I’m so grateful to receive their precious love. And I want to do something for them too, for those who cherish me.”

“I envy them so much.”

“What was that?”

Bo Jin’s gaze remained fixed on the road ahead, his voice dropping slightly. “I envy your fans.”

“I envy them for receiving your precious love.”

Yuan Shiyuan froze, instinctively turning to look at him. The Alpha’s gaze was fixed on him, utterly focused and sincere.

Is it because of the pheromones? Yuan Shiyuan suddenly felt warm and looked away uncomfortably, pretending to play with his phone.

Bo Jin chuckled softly at this reaction. He didn’t rush things, instead leaning over to fasten Yuan Shiyuan’s seatbelt across his abdomen.

“Save some for me sometime,” he teased lightly.

Yuan Shiyuan didn’t immediately understand. “Save what for you?”

“Yuan Shiyuan.”

“Hmm?”

Bo Jin stepped on the accelerator, and the car smoothly pulled away. “Let’s go.”

What was that…?

Left me hanging mid-sentence?

Yuan Shiyuan huffed, turning his gaze away and settling back into the pre-adjusted seat.

He idly scrolled through his phone. His family group chat now included Yu Jiao and Father Yu, who were sharing album order confirmations with Yuan Xing.

Yu Jiao: Got one! Got one! [Order screenshot]

Yuan Xing: We got ours too! [Excited emoji]

Immediately afterward, Father Yu and Father Yuan also shared their order confirmations.

Yuan Shiyuan zoomed in to check the album quantities and froze, hastily sending a voice message: “You don’t need to buy so many!”

Though he said this, the corners of his lips still curved upward.

Bo Jin glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. This expression was clear proof of being deeply loved.

Bo Jin dropped Yuan Shiyuan off at the entrance to his residential complex and left first. Yuan Shiyuan tiptoed quietly into the house, and the moment he opened the door, he heard Yuan Xing’s frustrated voice.

“Why are concert tickets so hard to get?”

“How are everyone’s hands so fast?”

Yuan Shiyuan burst through the door, startling the couple.

Seeing their surprised expressions, he smiled with a hint of smugness.

“Didn’t expect me to come back so suddenly, did you?”

They certainly hadn’t.

Yuan Shiyuan was currently at his busiest. Whenever Yuan Xing and Father Yuan messaged him, he was either rehearsing, rushing to promotional events, or handling various matters large and small. Yet he always made time to reply to his family’s messages.

Over time, fearing they were disrupting his work, they gradually reduced the frequency of their messages.

“We really didn’t expect you, Little Yuan! Aren’t you terribly busy lately?” Yuan Xing exclaimed in delight, rushing to the entrance. She then scolded playfully, “Why didn’t you tell us you were coming? Your dad hasn’t even prepared your favorite dishes…”

“How could that be?” Yuan Shiyuan pressed Yuan Xing back into her seat at the dining table. “I love everything Dad makes.”

Father Yuan beamed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Hearing that truly warms my heart.”

The dining table immediately filled with relaxed laughter.

Yuan Xing was recovering well, but she still needed rest and proper care. Her meals were simple, and Father Yuan kept her company at the table.

However, their family generally preferred bolder flavors. It was only when their son was home that Father Yuan would specially prepare dishes tailored to their taste.

The table was a verdant expanse, even the meat dishes meticulously prepared to be light and nearly oil-free.

Yuan Shiyuan took his seat, chopsticks in hand, and helped himself to a piece of dry-pot cauliflower. “Nothing beats the taste of home,” he said contentedly.

Seeing their son enjoying his meal, the couple’s faces lit up, their own appetites rekindled.

“Oh, right.” Yuan Shiyuan took a sip of soup, still holding his spoon in his mouth, and handed them the concert tickets. “There are twelve tickets in total. I gave one to a fan, so I’m giving you five.”

Yuan Xing pondered for a moment. “Three will be enough for us,” she decided. “I’ll go with Dad and Xiao Ze.”

“Mother Yu’s family is quite large,” she added reluctantly. “They probably need more tickets. Even with alarms set, they couldn’t snag many.”

Yu Jiao and her family could pull strings to get more tickets, but Yuan Shiyuan wasn’t worried about that. “It’s fine, you can keep them for now. Didn’t my cousins say they wanted to come too? I’m just not sure if they’ll have time.”

The concert was on the weekend, but they all had tutoring sessions, and with their college entrance exams looming, Yuan Shiyuan couldn’t be sure if they’d be able to make it.

He decided to give the tickets to Yuan Xing first, just in case.

“There’s something else we need to tell you,” Yuan Xing said softly, noticing Yuan Shiyuan looking at her. “We couldn’t keep it from Mother Yu. Your older siblings… they probably all know about you now.”

They had originally agreed to wait until after Yuan Shiyuan’s concert to gradually introduce him to the rest of the family.

But Yu Jiao and Father Yu had been beaming with joy every day, and the house was suddenly filled with things young people would love.

This unusual joy quickly caught the attention of the younger generation. A little probing revealed the astonishing truth: their long-lost baby brother had returned!

Moreover, he was thriving, having become a wildly popular idol.

They had to support him wholeheartedly.

However, they tacitly kept their promise, refraining from contacting Yuan Shiyuan directly or rushing to meet him in person. Instead, they silently backed all his business ventures and activities from behind the scenes.

Yuan Shiyuan, who was currently engrossed in his meal, suddenly froze, feeling a wave of nervousness wash over him. After all, these were unfamiliar relatives he had never interacted with before.

“Don’t be nervous, Little Yuan,” Yuan Xing reassured him. “Take your time. I can tell they all love you very much.”

“And in the future, there will be many, many more people who will love you just as much.”

After finishing his meal, Yuan Shiyuan informed his parents about his upcoming work schedule, then returned to his room for a refreshing shower before collapsing comfortably into bed.

There’s still no place like home, he thought.

Lying there for a few moments, he finally picked up his phone and saw that Yu Jiao had sent him several videos.

Curious, he clicked to open them.

The videos were quite long, featuring a group of young men and women. In one scene, a young man in a suit and tie was bending over, adjusting the camera, when a woman beside him impatiently shoved him aside.

“What’s taking so long? Let me handle this. I’m dying to talk to my Little Yuan-didi.”

The woman swiftly adjusted the equipment, transforming in an instant. She turned to the camera, her smile warm and gentle. “Hello, Little Yuan.”

After introducing themselves one by one, they eagerly stepped aside to reveal a mountain of gift boxes behind them, large and small, piled high.

“These are all birthday gifts we prepared for you, from age one to nineteen. And this is just a part of them,” they paused, then added, “If we were to go by your actual birthday, you wouldn’t turn nineteen until later this year. But once we heard Auntie had found you, we rushed to buy them early.”

“Welcome home.”

“We all love you very much.”

Yuan Shiyuan watched, his eyes growing warm. The young people on screen beamed, holding their smiles for a few seconds before the mood abruptly shifted. They frantically began reviewing the footage.

“Did I stutter just now? Should we reshoot? But this take felt the most natural…”

“Make sure to cut out the beginning and end, okay?”

“Add a beauty filter for me. I stayed up all night and my complexion looks terrible. I can’t let Little Yuan get a bad impression of me.”

“……”

They huddled together, chattering excitedly. The dignified composure they had so painstakingly maintained vanished in an instant, replaced by raw, unadulterated emotion.

Yu Jiao watched, amused. Knowing that Yuan Xing and Yuan Shiyuan had mentioned this to him, she had preemptively sent Yuan Shiyuan the unedited, full version.

She added a laughing emoji.

Yuan Shiyuan replied with an equally boisterous laughing emoji.

He lay on his bed, replaying the video again.

Even through the screen, he could clearly feel the love from his family.

So many people love me.

Yuan Shiyuan couldn’t help but roll over on the bed, then propped himself up on the bay window, gazing at the scenery outside.

The old neighborhood was alive with the aroma of home-cooked meals and the sounds of daily life. He watched families stroll past, single people walking their dogs, and felt the warmth of the sun balancing the coolness of the air conditioning—a perfect, comforting warmth.

The chatter from the video made him smile again. He reached for his concert ticket, snapped a photo, and sent it to Yu Jiao.

He pressed the voice call button. “Mom, you haven’t been in A City lately, have you? Should I mail them to you, or wait until you’re back to give them to you then?”

Yu Jiao immediately called Yuan Shiyuan. “Your father and I aren’t in A City right now. Could we ask your Big Brother Sijing to pick them up for you?”

Yuan Shiyuan paused, seeming hesitant.

Yu Jiao continued gently, “Little Yuan, are you still lacking S-rank pheromone? Do you need to be in close contact with an S-rank alpha?”

Yuan Shiyuan hadn’t described his condition in detail to Yuan Xing, afraid of worrying her. His case was so rare that it was understandable they were misled.

But Yu Jiao was different. Though their family was renowned for music, their branches were numerous, and some had studied medicine, encountering many rare and complex cases.

She knew very well that Yuan Shiyuan’s lack of S-rank pheromone was far more serious than it sounded.

Yu Jiao and her husband immediately flew to another city to consult a specialized medical team. This team included renowned domestic and international experts, serving a wealthy man surnamed Bo.

After thorough discussions, they finally understood exactly what Yuan Shiyuan needed.

“What a coincidence,” Yu Jiao said. “Your Big Brother Sijing is also an S-rank alpha.”

“No… Mom!” Heat suddenly surged from Yuan Shiyuan’s head, his face flushing crimson.

“Why are you still so shy? Alright, alright, I won’t say any more…” Yu Jiao couldn’t help but chuckle at Yuan Shiyuan’s embarrassed expression. “We’re just worried about you. We wouldn’t be comfortable letting you pick just any Alpha. Your Yuan-mama and I discussed it. Your younger brother Xiao Ze is S-rank, and so is Sijing—they’re family, so we’d feel much more at ease.”

“At least we’ve watched them grow up. Their character, appearance, physique, and private lives all pass muster. We know them inside and out.”

“Oh, by the way, Sijing adopted the young son of your father’s late comrade-in-arms. If things go as expected…”

“Little Gu will likely differentiate into an S-rank Alpha in the future.”

Yuan Shiyuan nearly dropped his phone, desperately trying to maintain his composure. “Okay, Mom, please stop. I… I’ll handle it myself.” His voice trailed off, clearly overwhelmed with embarrassment.

“Alright then,” Yu Jiao conceded.

Though she knew Yuan Shiyuan was mortified, after a few soothing words and ending the call, she still sent Yu Sijing’s resume over.

Yuan Shiyuan was so embarrassed he didn’t know where to put his hands.

He knew his mother meant well and was worried about his health, but this approach left him completely flustered.

In Yu Jiao’s view, since Yuan Shiyuan needed an S-rank alpha’s pheromones, Yu Sijing—whom she had watched grow up and knew inside out—was naturally the safest and most reliable choice.

Far more dependable than those shady characters from outside with their unknown backgrounds and complex motives.

If this had happened before Yuan Shiyuan reunited with his biological parents, he might have actually considered it.

But now that he had, Yu Sijing, no matter how you spun it, was still his nominal big brother!

Even though they weren’t on the same household register.

Yet this “big brother” status still filled Yuan Shiyuan with an unspeakable, almost immoral sense of shame.

Driven by curiosity, Yuan Shiyuan clicked open the resume anyway.

The first thing that caught his eye was a clear, formal ID photo. Beyond Yu Sijing’s basic age and height, the document meticulously detailed his educational background and work experience—both sections were exceptionally impressive, bordering on perfect.

When Yuan Shiyuan reached the “Personal” section, it was shockingly sparse, containing only three words:

Yuan Shiyuan.

The entire resume was neatly typed, except for Yuan Shiyuan’s name, which had been painstakingly handwritten, stroke by stroke.

Yuan Shiyuan froze, his gaze shifting downward with an uneasy flicker.

The subsequent information left him even more stunned:

Pheromone level test results, marking ability evaluation, a comprehensive physical examination report, and even… measurements.

Yuan Shiyuan couldn’t bear to look any further.

He slammed the resume shut and leaned back against the bay window cushion, but a low chuckle escaped his lips.

It was hard to imagine that Yu Sijing, having already ascended to such a high position, would still need to formally prepare a personal resume, and one with such… unusual content.

What must Yu Sijing have been feeling as he created this peculiar resume? What expression did he wear?

The thought struck him as… slightly amusing.

Perhaps it was telepathy.

Just as Yuan Shiyuan was pondering this, a red dot suddenly appeared on his WeChat interface—a new message notification.

A friend request from Yu Sijing.