Pretending to Be an Alpha in an All-Alpha Boy Band - Chapter 144

Chapter 144: Slip Dress

“How was my expression just now? Did it look alright?”

A moment ago, Yuan Shiyuan had seemed utterly disoriented, his lips parted in shallow breaths as if the kiss had drained him of all strength. But now he sat up with remarkable composure.

He leaned casually against Ying Mingxi, turning his head to face the camera. Though his eyes still shimmered with lingering moisture, his gaze was unnervingly lucid.

Where had the dazed, lovestruck look from just now vanished to?

The sudden shift stunned everyone.

Chen Yin was the first to react. “Shiyuan, your reaction just now… was it all acting?”

“Ah?” Yuan Shiyuan replied instinctively. “More or less, I guess.”

His reaction hadn’t been entirely feigned.

After all, he and Ying Mingxi were intimately familiar with each other, and they had kissed countless times before. To claim he felt nothing would be a lie. But in front of the cameras, under the scrutiny of so many eyes, how much of that genuine feeling could truly surface?

He had been too preoccupied with overcoming his awkwardness and immersing himself in the performance.

Yuan Shiyuan understood perfectly that every frame before the camera would be presented to the audience. During a kissing scene, while exaggerated expressions were sometimes necessary, maintaining the perfect balance between beauty and angle was paramount.

He had done his homework beforehand, watching countless intimate scenes from classic films and television shows, scrutinizing audience reactions, and distilling what viewers most wanted to see.

The trembling breaths and subtle shudders just now were partly genuine physical responses, but they also contained elements of carefully crafted artistic embellishment.

He wasn’t entirely sure if the audience would buy it.

But judging by the reactions of those around him, especially the production team, his performance… had probably been pretty good, right?

Ying Mingxi chuckled softly, his arm naturally circling Yuan Shiyuan’s waist. In a voice only the two of them could hear, he murmured, “Shiyuan, you’re making me feel utterly useless.”

“Not at all,” Yuan Shiyuan replied. “Kissing you is quite enjoyable. But really, it’s not that intense.”

One kiss shouldn’t be enough to completely throw him off balance.

Chen Yin stood up, his voice brimming with admiration. “Your performance exceeded all my expectations! It felt so natural, and the visuals were absolutely stunning. I thought we’d need multiple takes, but you nailed it in one go!”

“That scene just now… I could have sworn you two kiss like that in private all the time.”

Chen Yin had prepared for multiple takes, even setting aside ample time for the two actors to bond, adapt, and familiarize themselves with each other.

To his astonishment, they nailed it in one take.

Not only was the efficiency astonishing, but the visuals, framing, and atmosphere were flawless.

Yuan Shiyuan’s reactions throughout the scene were particularly striking. Every subtle expression was captured with vivid clarity, yet without sacrificing its beauty.

Ying Mingxi proved equally cooperative. Though his movements were forceful and possessive, his large hand always cradled the back of Yuan Shiyuan’s head or neck, never obscuring his face.

The production team showered them with praise as Yuan Shiyuan returned to the monitor to review the footage.

As he watched, his brow gradually furrowed.

Sensing Yuan Shiyuan’s shift in mood, Ying Mingxi stepped closer, casually draping an arm around Yuan Shiyuan’s shoulder. Yuan Shiyuan didn’t resist, instinctively leaning into him even in front of the other Alphas.

Ying Mingxi noticed his changed expression. “Seeing yourself on camera… do you find it strange?”

“Hmm…” Yuan Shiyuan echoed the Alpha’s words. “It feels… odd on screen.”

Yuan Shiyuan realized for the first time what his expression looked like when he kissed someone.

Even though there was an element of acting involved, he was still the one actually doing it. Forced to relive the scene from an outsider’s perspective, an unsettling feeling lingered in his heart, refusing to dissipate.

A large hand rested on his shoulder, gently kneading. Ying Mingxi said softly, “The more you get used to it, the more natural it will feel.”

“Mm-hmm,” Yuan Shiyuan murmured in agreement.

Ying Mingxi was right. With enough repetitions, he would eventually grow accustomed to it. Hadn’t he once found the idea of “Arctic grass-pulling” unacceptable?

But now, after how many rounds of “Arctic grass-pulling”?

Not only had he grown accustomed to it, but he now relished the act. To him, it felt no different from a warm-up before bed.

“Shiyuan, you’re just being too hard on yourself,” Chen Yin said. “You think the scene looks strange, but we’re all perfectly satisfied with it.” He paused. “Oh, right, we need to reshoot one shot later.”

“Shiyuan, you need to slap your husband.”

“……”

Upon hearing those words, Yuan Shiyuan immediately felt multiple pairs of eyes converging on him. A chill ran down his spine under their intense gazes. He glanced to the side and, as expected, Bo Jin and the others were silently watching him with eerie intensity.

He looked up at Ying Mingxi, who smiled gently back at him.

“Does it have to be a really hard slap?” Yuan Shiyuan asked hesitantly. He remembered the script calling for a “powerful slap.” “Is there a way to make it look brutal without actually hurting?”

He vaguely recalled seeing similar techniques in short videos, but those usually required experienced actors with precise control over their force.

“Shiyuan,” Ying Mingxi said, his voice soft, “you don’t need to hold back. For a better scene, I don’t mind.” He lowered his eyes. “Don’t worry about me.”

Chen Yin praised him approvingly. “Excellent! Such dedication. Shiyuan, how’s your focus? If you’re ready, let’s shoot the next scene.”

In this scene, the boyfriend, upon learning of his lover’s betrayal, explodes in anguish, his kiss turning desperate and brutal. Yuan Shiyuan, unaware of the betrayal, simply senses his boyfriend’s sudden transformation—strange and terrifying—and tries to snap him out of it with a slap.

For Yuan Shiyuan, filming the slap was even more daunting than the intimate scenes. He knew it was just acting, but raising his hand against a familiar teammate still filled him with guilt.

Better a short, sharp pain than a lingering ache. Rather than repeatedly filming this scene, it would be best to get it right in one take.

When Yuan Shiyuan raised his arm and slapped Ying Mingxi across the face, the force was so great that the crisp sound echoed through the film set. The surrounding Alphas could clearly see a vivid red welt rising instantly on Ying Mingxi’s cheek, followed by a slight swelling.

Ying Mingxi’s entire face and body were thrown sideways, a clear indication of Yuan Shiyuan’s unrestrained force.

He silently lowered his gaze, then slowly straightened his posture. A trickle of crimson blood slid from the corner of his mouth. Just as he was about to speak, he caught sight of a tear-streaked, flushed face filled with humiliation.

His lover seemed deeply shaken, his entire face a mess, the area around his lips raw and glistening. Yet his eyes held a mix of terror and bewilderment, so vulnerable that it stirred an instinct to protect him.

The Alpha remained silent for a moment, swallowing back the questions he wanted to ask. Ignoring the injury on his own face, he first checked his lover’s hand.

Then, he pulled him into a tight embrace, his arms holding him fiercely yet trembling slightly, as if terrified of letting him go.

“Cut!”

At the director’s command, Ying Mingxi transformed, a faint smile gracing his lips.

“Shiyuan, did I scare you just now?” He took Yuan Shiyuan’s hand, his thumb gently caressing the slightly reddened skin of Yuan Shiyuan’s wrist.

Yuan Shiyuan found Ying Mingxi’s reaction utterly baffling. “I wasn’t scared… Brother Mingxi, are you okay? Does your face hurt a lot?”

Yuan Shiyuan had actually held back his strength during the scene. But since the scene required explosive intensity, he had to use full force; the camera never lies.

“I’m fine,” Ying Mingxi replied, his gaze fixed on Yuan Shiyuan’s face. “As long as you weren’t frightened.”

Chen Yin teased, “Why is the one who got hit comforting the one who did the hitting? Alright, go ice your face first.”

“Next, we’ll prepare for Jiang Heng’s scenes.”

A staff member handed Yuan Shiyuan an ice pack, which he immediately took. Tilting his head back, he carefully began applying it to Ying Mingxi’s cheek.

Ying Mingxi took the ice pack, his other arm still wrapped around Yuan Shiyuan’s waist. “Shiyuan, I can handle this myself. You focus on preparing for your next scene.”

His fingertips brushed lightly against Yuan Shiyuan’s waist, and when he felt the slight tremor, he added softly, “Thank you for your hard work.”

Ying Mingxi smiled at Yuan Shiyuan, then left with the ice pack, not lingering at the venue.

As he departed, his gaze swept almost imperceptibly across the surrounding actors.

Many Alpha faces were unfamiliar, yet their eyes held a uniform, clear hostility, mixed with… an indescribable, subtle excitement? Even a hint of satisfaction?

Satisfaction? Satisfaction with what?

Ying Mingxi withdrew his gaze thoughtfully and, guided by staff, sat nearby to ice his face and touch up his makeup.

He remained consciously observant, and soon realized that the vast majority of the Alpha extras were staring fixedly at Yuan Shiyuan.

Jiang Heng, who had been observing from the sidelines, waited until Ying Mingxi left before slowly approaching and naturally taking his place beside Yuan Shiyuan.

He asked softly, “Does your hand hurt?”

The slap had been loud, and the force of impact was mutual. If Ying Mingxi’s face had taken such a blow, Yuan Shiyuan’s palm must be hurting too.

“It’s okay,” Yuan Shiyuan replied.

Yuan Shiyuan felt only a slight tingling in his palm, a mere trifle compared to what Ying Mingxi must be enduring. “Brother Mingxi must be in agony,” he said. “I really put some force into that slap.”

Beside him, Ying Mingche felt the sting on his cheek, but what resonated more clearly was a strange, threadlike pleasure.

“Agony?” he murmured. “He’s probably dying of bliss.”

As soon as Ying Mingxi’s scene wrapped, they transitioned seamlessly into Jiang Heng’s adulterous affair storyline.

In the script, Yuan Shiyuan’s character grew bolder, daring to bring his lover right into their home. The lover wore only a simple mask and hat, making barely any effort to conceal his identity.

“Su Luochen, where is he?”

“Su Luochen’s still in hair and makeup!”

Chen Yin looked puzzled. “He barely has any screen time. Why the elaborate grooming?”

When Su Luochen finally arrived, he was impeccably dressed in a tailored uniform. The security guard’s outfit stretched taut across his broad shoulders and narrow waist, giving him an unusually crisp, handsome look. His hairstyle was meticulously styled, every strand fixed in place with hair gel.

This looks less like a neighborhood security guard and more like some cannon fodder trying to steal the protagonist’s thunder, Chen Yin thought.

Fortunately, the entire cast boasted high-caliber looks, and Director Chen Yin never pressured supporting actors to tone down their appearances. If a character, even a minor one, had striking features, it was the audience who ultimately benefited from the visual feast.

“Alright, everyone get into position quickly. This is Shiyuan’s first time bringing his lover home. As the security guard of the residential complex, you see a beautiful married woman bringing another Alpha home. You’re curious and surprised by the newcomer’s identity, but your professional training keeps you from causing trouble, so you immediately avert your gaze.”

“Gauge the intensity yourself.”

Yuan Shiyuan, his arm linked with Jiang Heng’s, entered the residential complex, a smile plastered on his face the entire time. From Su Luochen’s vantage point, he could clearly see Yuan Shiyuan tilting his head back to kiss the other Alpha.

Su Luochen watched them pass right in front of him, clenching the car keys he had just received in his hand, a torrent of curses already brewing in his mind.

“Su Luochen, control your expression!”

Everything had been going smoothly. Yuan Shiyuan and Jiang Heng coordinated perfectly, much to Chen Yin’s satisfaction. But Su Luochen, playing the supporting role, was off his game the entire time.

“What’s with that face? You’re supposed to look surprised, like any ordinary passerby would!”

“I didn’t tell you to act like an enraged husband being publicly humiliated!”

Chen Yin wanted to say more, but remembering Su Luochen’s substantial financial investment in the production, he thought better of it. He waved his hand dismissively. “Such a simple scene… forget it. Come back for a close-up reshoot later.”

Yuan Shiyuan hadn’t been paying attention to Su Luochen at all.

Hearing Chen Yin’s words, Yuan Shiyuan finally turned his head. Su Luochen’s face was a mask of suppressed fury, yet when their eyes met, a subtle hint of aggrievedness flashed in his gaze.

“Shiyuan, go rest for a bit. Touch up your makeup and sunscreen. We’ll switch to the indoor set later for a different scene.”

“The one where you’re wearing the slip dress, sneaking around with your lover at home.”

The midday sun beat down mercilessly, and Yuan Shiyuan’s face was already glistening with a fine sheen of sweat after only a short time outside. As the stylist adjusted his hair, he remained intently focused on the script.

Suddenly, Yuan Shiyuan sensed several pairs of eyes watching him from the shadows. He instinctively looked up and saw a group of unfamiliar Alphas staring unabashedly in his direction.

These Alphas were minor supporting actors with few lines, and Yuan Shiyuan was certain he didn’t know them well. But out of courtesy, he offered them a faint, almost perfunctory smile.

Then, he lowered his head and resumed studying the script.

For Yuan Shiyuan, bed scenes were hardly a challenge. Long past his days as a naive newcomer, the experienced actor had already tasted the varied flavors of Citrus Lobe in countless ways.

The true challenge lay in capturing through the lens the complex psychology of a character caught in the act of infidelity—the tangled mix of pleasure and guilt—while ensuring every expression was perfectly nuanced.

Fortunately, this scene was Riding.

Yuan Shiyuan had recently practiced this position firsthand, though… his partner at the time hadn’t been Jiang Heng.

After the set was prepared, Yuan Shiyuan changed into the red slip dress. Whenever he brought a lover home, he always tried new moves—things he’d never experienced with his boyfriend.

The delicate red straps draped over his luminous shoulders, accentuating his translucent, alabaster skin.

When the Alpha wrapped his arm around Yuan Shiyuan’s waist and pulled him into his embrace, the fabric of the dress clung tightly to his slender waist, emphasizing its narrowness—barely a hand’s width across.

The Alpha’s hand firmly gripped his waist, guiding him step by step into the master bedroom, toward the bed belonging to the house’s male owner.

As Yuan Shiyuan straddled the Alpha, he could even see the framed photo on the nightstand—a sweet portrait of him and his boyfriend in a tender embrace.

The already short skirt had bunched up around his mid-thighs, partially obscuring the Alpha’s waist and abdomen. The camera angle was ingeniously positioned outside the slightly ajar bedroom door, capturing the scene through the narrow crack between the door and frame.

Another camera angle, positioned near the double photo frame on the bedside table, showed Yuan Shiyuan’s boyfriend—as if the real-life counterpart in the frame were witnessing the scene unfold before his eyes.

All the shots were clearly voyeuristic.

The camera trembled slightly. Yuan Shiyuan’s shoulders rose and fell gently as one delicate strap slowly slipped off his rounded shoulder, exposing more of his back and the quivering of his shoulder blades.

A large hand suddenly gripped his waist, pulling him down to sit lower.

The Alpha asked hoarsely, “When’s your boyfriend coming back?”

“Why do you care?” Yuan Shiyuan tilted his head slightly, glancing at the photo frame on the bedside table. In the close-up, he was biting his lower lip, then parting it restlessly, his eyes and cheeks flushed with a vivid crimson.

He grabbed the Alpha’s collar, tugging it up slightly. Though his movements were passionate, his tone remained icily detached. “Aren’t you afraid he’ll find out?”

The Alpha countered, “Aren’t you?”

“What do I have to fear?”

“Then tell him.” Seemingly provoked by Yuan Shiyuan’s cool detachment, the Alpha tightened his grip on Yuan Shiyuan’s waist. Between ragged breaths, he said, “Tell him you came on my bed.”

The camera’s perspective instantly switched to the view from the bedside table—the frame containing the photo of Yuan Shiyuan and his boyfriend.

Yuan Shiyuan’s reaction was sudden and intense, as if he had lost his balance. He threw his head back, exposing the taut, vulnerable line of his neck and shoulders.

His entire body radiated a deep, flushed crimson. He squinted slightly, then slumped languidly against the Alpha.

As his expression softened with satisfaction and he regulated his breathing, his gaze abruptly shifted, locking with the eyes in the double portrait on the bedside table.

In that instant, the primal fear of being caught by his boyfriend transformed into an exquisite thrill. His breath caught in his throat, and his shoulders began to tremble even more violently.

He reached for a hair tie from the side and, bracing himself against the Alpha’s waist and abdomen, pushed himself up.

The crimson slip dress draped loosely over his figure as he straddled the Alpha. He nonchalantly gathered the long hair splayed across his chest, his voice—pure and clear, yet slightly husky after exertion—carried a hint of breathlessness. A hair tie dangled between his pearly white teeth.

“Do it again,” he murmured.

Behind the monitor, absolute silence reigned.

Chen Yin couldn’t decide whether to first praise Yuan Shiyuan’s innate acting talent or exult in the treasure he had unearthed. He turned his head in disbelief. “Tell me honestly—have they been rehearsing these bedroom scenes in private? Yuan Shiyuan and Jiang Heng’s chemistry is off the charts!”

The natural, intimate atmosphere between them, coupled with Yuan Shiyuan’s effortless movements, made it seem… as if they had done this countless times before.

Pei Yanbing remained silent, his gaze fixed calmly ahead, but his heart felt like it was being torn apart. Yet this sensation was one he had experienced countless times.

He had long grown accustomed to Yuan Shiyuan lying in other Alphas’ arms.

Since nothing could change, better to numb himself than feel this pain.

Bo Jin and the others wore even darker expressions, in no mood to speak.

Only Ying Mingxi smiled faintly. “I’m going to the restroom.”

As Ying Mingxi walked that short distance, he once again noticed several Alphas he had been closely observing. They were now completely entranced, their eyes glued to the footage being filmed.

Their faces flushed crimson, their breathing erratic, as if they were lost in intensely arousing fantasies.

Ying Mingxi felt a sudden, unsettling premonition. But since these were actors personally chosen by the director, without concrete evidence, he couldn’t say much.

He merely glanced at his assistant, signaling him to keep a close watch on these individuals and ensure they never had the opportunity to approach Yuan Shiyuan.

When the production team finally called “Cut!”, Yuan Shiyuan slowly rose from Jiang Heng’s lap. But upon noticing Jiang Heng’s reaction, he hesitated for a moment before casually sitting back down as if nothing had happened.

Jiang Heng’s expression grew noticeably strained, a reaction Yuan Shiyuan fully understood.

As the rest of the staff approached, Pei Yanbing draped Yuan Shiyuan in his voluminous trench coat, pulling him close. Only then did Jiang Heng casually grab his own jacket from nearby and hold it up as a shield.

Yuan Shiyuan was wearing only a thin spaghetti-strap dress. Pei Yanbing’s trench coat nearly swallowed him whole, leaving just a sliver of his pale, slender calf. At first glance, it seemed as though he wore nothing underneath.

Yuan Shiyuan walked over to the monitor. “Director Chen, was that take okay? I tweaked the blocking and dialogue at the end.”

In the original script, after sleeping with her lover, the protagonist sees a photo of herself and her boyfriend on the nightstand. Overwhelmed by shame, guilt, and a perverse thrill, she stops herself from going further.

Yuan Shiyuan, however, had improvised, making the bold decision to continue.

“Perfect! Absolutely perfect—and completely in character!” Director Chen Yin’s eyes gleamed with increasing excitement. “Shiyuan, you’re truly… astonishingly gifted. You’re a natural-born star.”

Who could believe this was Yuan Shiyuan’s first time acting?

From nuanced performance details to his instinctive awareness of the camera, and his profound grasp of the narrative—he displayed a seasoned mastery far beyond that of a newcomer.

Especially the intimate scenes. Chen Yin had originally planned to use these scenes to help the actors quickly become comfortable with each other, allocating an entire day for the task. However, Yuan Shiyuan surprised him by nailing every take on the first try, delivering exceptional performances that exceeded all expectations.

Yuan Shiyuan likely understood Chen Yin’s reasoning, but he couldn’t exactly tell the director he’d already practiced intimate scenes extensively with his teammates—even full-on sex scenes, complete with the real deal, right?

What the director considered a challenge, Yuan Shiyuan found to be the easiest part.

Yuan Shiyuan chuckled. “Keep praising me like that, and I’ll get a big head.”

“That’s a wrap for this scene. Take a break and get your makeup adjusted,” Chen Yin said. “We’ll have a quick livestream session with a commercial break. It’ll be over in about ten minutes.”

“Got it.”

As Yuan Shiyuan turned to leave, he unexpectedly spotted Su Luochen standing blankly in front of him. Perplexed, he followed Su Luochen’s unwavering gaze downward, only to realize his windbreaker’s collar was slightly open.

Beneath the expanse of snow-white collarbones, a crimson slip dress barely concealed his chest. The stark contrast between red and white accentuated his fair skin, making it even more striking.

As Su Luochen continued to stare, a sudden nosebleed streamed down his face without warning.

Yuan Shiyuan frowned in disgust as his teammates led him back to his resting area. Su Luochen’s staff scrambled to attend to him, their hands a flurry of activity.

Su Luochen remained in a dazed, otherworldly trance.

The disdainful, icy gaze Yuan Shiyuan had cast his way just now had inexplicably ignited a strange heat within him. Simultaneously, he was uncontrollably recalling the explicit scenes he had just witnessed from multiple angles.

Whether it was the voyeuristic view through the door crack, catching Yuan Shiyuan entangled with another Alpha, or the close-up shot of Yuan Shiyuan biting his finger, his chest rising and falling…

The former had provided a secret, sinful thrill.

The latter, viewed from a low angle looking up, had triggered an overwhelmingly vivid sense of immersion.

This latter perspective had focused almost entirely on Yuan Shiyuan. From his flushed, dazed face to his swaying, sweat-dampened pale pink hair, to the restless sway of his skirt… every image, every sound, revolved solely around Yuan Shiyuan.

From that angle, Su Luochen could completely ignore the other Alpha’s presence, as if…

Yuan Shiyuan were riding him.