Pretending to Be an Alpha in an All-Alpha Boy Band - Chapter 20
Chapter 20 Everyone’s Straight
After about ten minutes of rest, when Yuan Shiyuan and the others were feeling less uncomfortable, the livestream equipment was turned back on.
Ying Mingche borrowed the camera from a crew member and pointed it at Yuan Shiyuan, teasing without shame, “The chat wants to see your abs.”
Ying’s tone was half-joking, but Yuan Shiyuan simply lifted the hem of his shirt.
Everyone gasped. Jiang Heng instinctively turned and stepped in front of the camera to block the view, and Bo Jin immediately reached out to cover him — though a small gap remained between palm and skin, the faint blush of exposed flesh so close to the eye still made Bo Jin’s expression go stiff.
—Get lost, you’re blocking me from looking at my wife. [furious]
—He just casually flips up his shirt like that with no regard for others, gives the vibe that everyone in the group has already seen this. [covering face]
—If he’s that casual in front of the camera, I can’t even imagine what he’s like offstage…
—Too bad they signed an NDA, but Yuan Shiyuan is so pale… he looks even whiter next to Bo Jin’s hand.
—Milky-white like snow, take a bite.
Bo Jin, face darkening, tugged the shirt down and covered Yuan Shiyuan’s abdomen tightly.
“What for?” Yuan Shiyuan asked, baffled.
It was just to show his abs, nothing serious.
If fans wanted to see them, of course he’d show—aren’t abs made to be seen?
If he kept them hidden, how would anyone know he had abs?
“He’s lying to you,” Jiang Heng said. “Nobody wants to see them.”
Yuan Shiyuan: “Oh.”
—I want to see! I want to see!
—Princess Yuanyuan’s abs? Please reveal them, thank you.
—Ying Mingche, move your hand away now, you’re blocking the camera, I can’t see my baby’s pretty face.
A crew member came over: “Shiyuan, we’ll shoot a solo set of you.”
“Okay, coming.” Yuan Shiyuan said it a bit louder in case they hadn’t heard, and casually flashed an OK hand sign to show he’d heard.
“You guys keep playing, I’m going to shoot a solo set. Today Scepter is doing a joint magazine for daystar and UN — if you can, please support us.”
With moist eyes looking straight into the lens, Yuan Shiyuan put his hands together and lifted his chin. “Please, please.”
—Yuan Shiyuan, you really are… a succubus reincarnated!
—Oh my god, too cute, too cute, I’m dying from the cuteness!!
—Baby, don’t worry, Mom will buy!
After Yuan Shiyuan left, the atmosphere sank into an awkward silence; even the chat slowed to a crawl.
When the camera swung back to the front shooting area and Yuan Shiyuan reappeared in the livestream, the stalled comments suddenly surged like a tide.
His slender white fingers were smeared with paint; with his fingertip he tugged the corner of his mouth into a crooked smile. Yuan Shiyuan lifted his head to the camera and gave a slow wink. The next second he tilted his head and bit down on a matchstick, rubbing it against the matchbox to make a rasping sound.
A spark flared, orange-red light blooming across his features and making his brows and eyes strikingly vivid.
Zhou Heng, holding the camera, shivered. Yuan Shiyuan bit the match and smiled softly in the viewfinder, the image itself charging the lens with warm life.
There were still irregular streaks of paint on his face; pink strands of hair swayed in the sea breeze. Those eyes holding a smile seemed to kindle a flame at the teeth’s edge, ready to set alight the millions of gazes beyond the camera.
—Holy—when that match ignited I got goosebumps all over!
—You can tell the photographer was totally into it…
—Shiyuan… such a beauty. [leering]
—If anyone else made that face it would be a disaster scene, how is Yuan Shiyuan still this handsome, I can’t… Feels like a creature that shouldn’t exist in the real world, his looks scare me!!
—I thought the teaser was photoshopped, but the live shots are this gorgeous too?!! You people really feed your faves well! [envy]
—He’s really so handsome… I’m totally into this cool, aloof, pale-skinned young Alpha!!
—Who can hold back from shouting “husband”!!
That expression, that movement—on anyone else it would be a catastrophe, but on Yuan Shiyuan it carried an undeniable vitality and vividness.
Zhou Heng looked at the pink-haired Alpha before him. Even though he was a rookie, his expression control was perfect and his camera presence was strong.
Besides that flawlessly immaculate face, Yuan Shiyuan had a unique magnetism; every gesture sent out signals that made people want to follow him.
Even if Zhou Heng didn’t follow idols, even though they were both Alphas, he had to admit Yuan Shiyuan’s charm.
No one could dislike Yuan Shiyuan.
After that set was finished, Yuan Shiyuan returned to the resting area; the live chat filled with calls of “wife,” “baby,” “husband,” and “princess.”
Yuan Shiyuan barely raised an eyebrow, sat down, and said, “I’m back.”
His eyebrow lift was minimal, but on his face it didn’t look cheesy at all—rather it felt fresh and youthful.
He really was young; his deliberate attempts to act cool only made him exude lively boyish energy.
Zhuang He: “Next we’ll play a little game, idiom chain. The loser has to take a bite of a sour lemon.”
Idiom chain?
“Wait, I protest.” Bo Jin said. “My Chinese is so-so.”
Bo Jin had grown up abroad; when he first returned to the country, although he could speak Chinese, he was more used to communicating in English. Only after living here a while did he gradually switch over.
Idiom chain was clearly his weak spot.
“Protest denied.” Zhuang He dismissed him without mercy.
Ying Mingche sneered: “Fake foreign brat, always dramatic.”
Bo Jin forced a laugh and was about to reply when a warm, soft touch landed on his lips, making him freeze for a moment.
First he smelled a hint of fragrance, then he saw Yuan Shiyuan’s sun-kissed pink face.
“Is it good?” Yuan Shiyuan fed him a piece of fruit.
With so many people watching and the livestream gear set up, Yuan Shiyuan actually fed him fruit directly?
Bo Jin’s ear flushed; his fingers fidgeted awkwardly. He didn’t really like sweets, but he still managed, “It’s okay.”
Ying Mingche complained: “Why are you only feeding him? I want some too.”
—Princess Yuanyuan just wagged a finger and effortlessly resolved an internal dispute…
—If this were before, those two S-ranks would’ve probably stormed off. This group’s famous for bad tempers… even their managers can’t control them. No wonder so many people dislike this group.
—Yep, Scepter’s a pack of mad dogs needing a master, and look—the beast tamer has arrived.
—Scepter’s glamorous S-rank beast tamer. [lewd]
“Game starts.” Zhuang He said. “We’ll start with four-character idioms.”
The first given character was “恼” (annoyed).
Yuan Shiyuan responded quickly: “恼羞成怒” (annoyed to the point of humiliation, becoming furious).
Pei Yanbing: “怒不可遏” (so furious it cannot be restrained).
Ying Mingche: “阿弥陀佛” (Amitabha).
Bo Jin: “Does ‘Amitabha’ even count as an idiom?”
The game didn’t stop. Next was Bo Jin’s turn; his face grew extremely sour. He racked his brains, came up empty for any idiom starting with “佛” (Buddha).
Feeling pressed, a long half-minute passed before he blurted out: “fuck.”
“!”
Yuan Shiyuan laughed so hard he trembled. “This part definitely has to be cut, or at least muted.”
Second round, Yuan went first again. The PD gave a new character: “实” (real).
“实事求是,” Yuan said.
“是古非今,” Pei Yanbing replied.
When it was Bo Jin’s turn, he fell silent again. After a long while, gritting his teeth, he said, “今… today is a good day?”
“……”
A burst of laughter went up around them.
Yuan Shiyuan couldn’t help poking Bo Jin’s shoulder with his fist. “You’re so funny.”
Bo Jin: “……”
He felt helpless—he rarely had moments like this. The Alpha’s competitiveness and pride gnawed at him, but this really wasn’t a game he was good at.
Bo Jin should have felt ashamed.
But watching Yuan Shiyuan laughing until tears pooled at the corners of his eyes, Bo Jin suddenly felt something else.
It seemed that being the clown, making Yuan Shiyuan laugh, wasn’t humiliating at all; it made him feel honored.
Yuan laughed until his shoulders shook. “You really are hopeless.”
“I’ll show you whether I’m hopeless or not.” Bo Jin’s competitive streak flared; he tossed out a fierce line.
Yuan still laughed. Bo Jin kept a stern face and stuffed a piece of fruit into Yuan’s mouth, using that to shut him up.
—You two… like a married couple.
—Take out the “like.”
—What the hell, why is Brother Huo so practiced at serving Yuan? Wasn’t Brother Huo supposedly a straight, stubborn guy who’d never serve anyone? [horror]
—Our Yuan Yuan is not only beautiful, he’s a princess, a goddess—born to be served. It’s only natural Brother Huo was enchanted; what’s wrong with him serving?
—Exactly, exactly.
“This game is a bit hard for Bo Jin. Let’s play something simpler.”
The PD changed the rules. “We’ll play single-character three-word chain. For example, the first member says ‘eat,’ the second says ‘early,’ the third must complete a compound like ‘rice’ or another suitable word. When it reaches the fourth member, a new round automatically starts with that member’s first character.”
“……”
PD: “What’s wrong?”
Bo Jin kept a blank expression. “I’m not mentally disabled.”
Idiom chain was indeed his weak point, but this game felt insultingly simple.
PD: “It’s not that simple—don’t underestimate it.”
They shuffled the order; Yuan still went first. He said, “看” (look).
Ying Mingche: “电” (electric).
Pei Yanbing: “影” (shadow).
Ying Mingxi automatically started a new round: “打” (hit).
Jiang Heng: “飞” (fly).
Bo Jin was silent again, his expression indescribable. Hesitating for a long time, as if about to risk everything on one word, he opened his mouth. Yuan Shiyuan, sensing it would be an inappropriate word, immediately reached out and covered his mouth.
“碟,” Yuan helped him out. “打飞碟” (shooting flying discs).
—Is it really “disc”? I was expecting Brother Huo to say something spicy.
—I’m the silly big girl, I’m out. [dorky laugh]
—Brother Huo: Think faster, damn it! I’m about to burst!
—Holy crap first time paying attention to this group, watching these supposedly cold guys play is actually pretty entertaining. P.S.: Yuan is really beautiful… I can’t take my eyes off his face.
The production team was trying not to laugh. “Shiyuan can’t help him—he has to eat the lemon as punishment.”
Yuan didn’t mind; it made for good TV. If the game went smoothly there’d be no fun.
He reached for the lemons when two hands shot out at once. Sitting on either side of him, Jiang Heng and Bo Jin both grabbed the plate and bit into a lemon.
They spoke in unison: “We’ll help him eat it.”
The prepared lemons were very sour. The two S-rank alphas puckered their brows from the sourness, but their expressions barely changed. It seemed this punishment wasn’t a big deal to them.
The little game successfully livened up the atmosphere. Next, they moved to the beach.
“Now that we’re at the beach, how could we not have a water fight? The props team prepared water balloons and water guns for you—feel free to play and improvise.”
There had long been rumors about discord within Scepter; this segment was meant to show the team’s affection for one another.
Zhuang He worried those S-rank alphas might not buy it, but when he saw that pale pink figure, the tension in his eyes melted into tenderness.
Yuan Shiyuan stood on the sand with a water gun in one hand and the other shading his eyes from the fierce sun. His pale pink hair fluttered in the sea breeze. Amid a group of 190+ cm S-rank alphas, he looked especially slight, yet his tall, well-proportioned frame and the delicate, handsome features beneath his pink hair made him hard to ignore.
Few alphas were so finely featured. Even surrounded by broader, seemingly stronger S-rank alphas, his beauty stood out.
As the other alphas had barely taken their positions, Yuan Shiyuan started firing indiscriminately with his water gun.
Pei Yanbing and the other alphas who were hit did not fight back; they still seemed a bit restrained. Only Ying Mingche played more freely.
Ying Mingche targeted Yuan Shiyuan directly, but Yuan was extremely agile. Even when Ying Mingche was right on top of him, Yuan could bend his waist into a graceful arc and slip away like a streak, his body astonishingly flexible.
Ying Mingche signaled to Ying Mingxi: “Brother, let’s catch him.”
Ying Mingxi shook his head: “The two of us can’t catch Shiyuan.”
Ying Mingche looked to the nearest, Jiang Heng: “You in?”
Jiang Heng: “I’m in.”
“Okay. My brother and I will come in from both sides; you block him from the back,” Ying Mingche said. “Don’t let him get away.”
—Three big alphas teaming up to bully my wife—what of it!
—This, this… why does this feel kinda spicy? [covering eyes]
Handling one S-rank was one thing; facing three at once would trouble even Yuan Shiyuan.
The playing field wasn’t large. Soon he had nowhere left to dodge. Ying Mingche lunged at him like a mad dog, but Yuan reversed and pinned him to the sand.
Under the blue sky and white clouds, Ying Mingche lay on the beach with Yuan Shiyuan’s leg pressing over him.
At the same time, Ying Mingxi and Jiang Heng closed in silently. But instead of tackling like Ying Mingche, they flanked like sentinels on one side, preventing Yuan Shiyuan from escaping.
On the other sides, the two other S-rank alphas watched everything quietly. Though they didn’t join in, their gazes never left the scene.
Bo Jin held his cup, feeling it childish.
Also, Yuan Shiyuan hadn’t called him over.
Pei Yanbing couldn’t join because of his skin hunger; he could only watch Yuan Shiyuan play in the water with others.
An ordinary physical closeness—something he couldn’t have.
Just watching Yuan Shiyuan touch and be touched by others made Pei Yanbing feel out of control. He could only try to imagine the alphas around Yuan as himself, to ease the agitation of his skin hunger.
On the beach ahead, waves rolled up and slapped against them; the slight body rose and fell with the water’s flow. Yuan Shiyuan’s face was lightly flushed and damp; the sun made his waist cling to him, translucent against the skin—slim and delicate, rising and falling with each breath, forming subtle contours.
Ying Mingche looked up at Yuan Shiyuan’s face. Under the blazing sun, Yuan seemed to radiate light—dazzling to the eyes.
It smells so good.
Not only Ying Mingche noticed the scent—every Alpha present did. Yuan Shiyuan was like a tempting little snack on the move, a fragrant aura drifting off him in ribbons that made them feel restless and excited all over.
“You three chasing one of me isn’t fair,” Yuan Shiyuan said helplessly as he looked at the two Alpha sentries at his sides. But he also knew this would play well on camera: it showed the team’s friendly, harmonious atmosphere, and the audience would be thrilled.
“No matter.” Ying Mingche tilted his head back and smiled, his canine teeth sharp. “We’ve caught you anyway.”
Saying that, he wrapped his big hand around Yuan Shiyuan’s leg, his thumb pressing into the soft flesh as if trying to pull Yuan down into the water with him.
“No, don’t pull me!” Yuan Shiyuan’s expression blanked for a moment before he added, “My pants are falling!”
His waist was very slim. The outfit the brand had prepared fit him overall, but the pants were a bit loose. Luckily there was elastic at the waist to adjust, so they wouldn’t fall all the way.
Even after adjusting, the pants were still somewhat big on him; there was enough extra room that he could slip a hand inside.
Keeping his pants up was one thing—what really unnerved Yuan Shiyuan was being grabbed by the leg. Ying Mingche’s thumb, especially, dug tightly into his skin, making him feel like a cat lifted by the scruff: immediately too frightened to move.
The inside of his thigh started to tingle and burn, like he’d been stung.
It was hard to describe that strange sensation. He bent forward slightly, his pink wet hair clinging messy to his temples, fingers trembling as they pressed against Ying Mingche’s hip, and he let out a small, measured breath.
It felt familiar…
When his glands had been itchy before, he’d had this same sensation, like something trying to grow out.
Now that feeling seemed to have shifted to the inside of his thigh.
Yuan Shiyuan’s head swam as he thought helplessly.
Could I be overheated?
He looked up in confusion, over the Alpha under him, and met Pei Yanbing’s eyes. They were wet and pleading, as if asking for help.
Pei Yanbing stood nearby like someone indifferent to the situation, quietly watching everything.
Then he walked toward Yuan Shiyuan.
—Holy crap, can I even look at this? What VIP content.
—I give up… what is this belly-button orange perspective?!!! Block YMC’s face and you can perfectly unlock the belly-button orange view, little circle…
—Big hands pressing the thigh make the fingers curve inward… so fanfic writers were right?!! Oh my god!!
—This boy group is definitely got some stories, I’m following. [pushes sunglasses]
—Still the captain has restraint, only Weibo. Not like me on Douyin. [shy]
Pei Yanbing seemed unable to bear the melee; he pulled Yuan Shiyuan up. Yuan didn’t steady himself and simply flopped into his arms, collapsing against him.
Yuan, who’d been mostly dry, instantly got wet from Yuan Shiyuan’s water-soaked body.
Yuan Shiyuan braced himself on Pei Yanbing’s shoulder and said, “Sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Pei Yanbing replied. “Can you still walk?”
“Yes.”
Yuan Shiyuan could clearly feel the hand supporting him was very warm, but strangely, Pei Yanbing’s pheromone felt cold.
Jiang Heng: “You don’t feel well? Your face is very red.”
“No.”
Yuan Shiyuan had only felt that odd sensation for a moment; once he was away from Ying Mingche’s grip everything seemed normal again. He shrugged and said, “Isn’t it normal to have a red face in weather this hot?”
As soon as Ying Mingche got up and moved closer, Yuan Shiyuan bristled and hid behind Pei Yanbing, afraid Ying Mingche would grab his leg again. “No, no, no, you’re not going to do that to me again, are you?”
“What’s the matter? The captain can grab your waist, but I can’t grab your leg?” Ying Mingche complained. “It’s not fair.”
“Don’t you know how strong your hands are?” Yuan Shiyuan said helplessly, lifting his dripping shorts to show everyone.
Near the top of his thigh, on the inner side, a large patch of skin had reddened. Because his skin was so pale, the color looked especially vivid.
Ying Mingche froze. “I didn’t use any force at all…”
And he really hadn’t pinched that far in—he’d only been holding the center of Yuan Shiyuan’s thigh to stop him from running away. That spot should have been grazed accidentally in the scramble.
Even if it had been touched, it would have been only for a moment.
Why was it this red?
Bo Jin pressed the hem of Yuan Shiyuan’s shorts down with a cold expression.
“You people really have no shame,” he sneered. “If one isn’t enough, you bring three. You trying to force him or what.”
Ying Mingche shot back, “What are you upset about? If I was being unfair, I didn’t call you to join in?”
Bo Jin fell silent.
“Games are more fun with more people— the more the merrier,” Yuan Shiyuan patted Bo Jin’s shoulder. “We were just too into it and forgot to call you.”
“I’ll make sure to call you next time.”
Bo Jin withdrew his gaze. So Yuan Shiyuan still had him in mind—he’d just momentarily forgotten. He narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling a little pleased.
On the other side, Jiang Heng held a drink in one hand and a small fan in the other.
“Have a sip,” he said. “I’ll keep blowing.”
Yuan Shiyuan took a drink from Jiang Heng’s hand, but his eyes were still darting around.
Seeing Ying Mingche go to drink as well, Yuan Shiyuan seized the moment: he quickly grabbed a nearby water balloon and, using all his strength, hurled it at Ying Mingche.
Ying Mingche, as if sensing it in advance, bent down nimbly. The water balloon—thrown with full payback force—flew over Ying Mingche’s back and struck Pei Yanbing’s innocent…
Little brother.
“……”
“…………”
After a long silence, someone exploded into raucous laughter.
Ying Mingche laughed uncontrollably. “Baby, did you neuter the captain?”
Yuan Shiyuan coughed. “That’s a bit much…”
He fell quiet quickly. Pei Yanbing’s face did look a little unpleasant, and his grip was indeed quite strong…
In the blazing summer, Pei Yanbing looked pale. He forced himself to remain calm and soothed, “I’m fine.”
But his voice trembled; he had completely lost his usual composure.
—Strike the captain.
—Pei’s brother: please speak up for me.
—I’m dying, this is hilarious… Is this even scripted?
—Then I really have to admire Pei—for the sake of the team he gave up a part of himself. [covers face]
Yuan Shiyuan worried Pei Yanbing would be too embarrassed to speak plainly.
He shuffled over beside Pei Yanbing and quietly asked, “Captain, are you… okay?”
Pei Yanbing: “Mm.”
“Really okay?”
“Really okay.”
He said so, but his whole body was tense—hardly the demeanor of someone unhurt.
His restraint made Yuan Shiyuan feel even more guilty.
Even if he disliked the other S-rank Alphas, this situation was just theatrically funny.
Everyone else was suppressing laughter; Ying Mingche wore schadenfreude on his face. “I heard something break, like something cracked—sounds pretty loud.”
Yuan Shiyuan glanced downward obliquely, growing more worried. “Captain, I’ll go with you to the hospital to get it checked…”
Pei Yanbing: “…No need.”
He said, “That was the sound of the water balloon bursting.”
—Amazing, he doesn’t even need his balls anymore.
—Fatal blow—strike while the iron’s hot, seize the opportunity.
—Eat organic food, be an inorganic man when hooking up. [thumbs up]
—As everyone knows, running a boy band is like flying a plane; the captain is the lead pilot. But Scepter doesn’t have one, because Pei Yanbing is an inorganic captain.
—I’m convinced… I really envy your talent. When will I stop getting everything instantly?
—No worries, let our little Yuan go give him a touch, put on a little nurse outfit to treat him, cure-all. [starry-eyed]
The live stream was still trending high, but after that incident it wasn’t appropriate to continue.
After the stream ended, Zhuang He asked in a low voice, “Are you really okay? Go see a doctor.”
Pei Yanbing: “Really not necessary.”
Ying Mingche: “If it’s that bad, my brother can prescribe something. Isn’t my brother a doctor?”
“What are you talking about? Mingxi usually treats animals and does charity work—how is that the same?” Zhuang He asked. “Hey? Where’s Shiyuan?”
Jiang Heng: “He’s soaked through—he went back first to change clothes.”
Why did Yuan Shiyuan leave early?
Ying Mingche couldn’t stand not seeing Yuan Shiyuan for even a second. He took a shortcut back to the studio’s backstage and hid early inside a wardrobe, planning to jump out and scare Yuan Shiyuan.
Since Yuan Shiyuan joined Scepter, every day felt interesting to him.
Especially, especially interesting.
Not long after, Ying Mingche heard footsteps outside. Peeking through the narrow gap of the wardrobe door, he saw Yuan Shiyuan enter the dressing room.
He was about to burst out and scare him, but Yuan Shiyuan nimbly pulled off his shirt, a flash of pale, translucent waist passing by, and Ying Mingche froze on the spot.
The cramped wardrobe suddenly made Ying Mingche feel awkward.
A little hot.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he peered through the crack. Unfortunately Yuan Shiyuan had already gone to the other side to change, so he couldn’t get a full look.
The rustle of clothing changing was enough for him to let his imagination run wild about what was outside the wardrobe.
Soon Yuan Shiyuan came back, clopping over and sitting on a small stool, subtly pressing his legs together.
It felt strange, itchier.
The spot Ying Mingche had grabbed during the water fight felt like it had been set alight—warm and prickling. Deep in the skin something seemed to be scratching; it was an odd sensation.
He thought he’d been bitten by a poisonous mosquito, but when he pulled the skin apart there was no bite.
Yuan Shiyuan took out his phone and searched why the inner thigh would be itchy and red.
Three results came up:
1. Horny;
2. Allergic reaction;
3. Presence of glands.
Yuan Shiyuan: O.o??
Glands on the inner thigh?
He’d never heard that before and clicked the explanation out of curiosity.
Researchers speculate that in ancient times, to fully control marking rights, some Omega glands evolved to a concealed location on the inner thigh—a defensive evolutionary adaptation. Only with their permission could an Alpha part the legs and mark them, so Alphas who earned the right to mark viewed it as an honor. Alpha glands remained on the nape of the neck, as a display of masculine power and attraction.
When the heat cycle approaches, this type of Omega’s inner-thigh glands will cause itching—that’s a normal sign.
So there’s such a theory.
Yuan Shiyuan realized for the first time that a very small number of Omegas have glands distributed on the inner thigh.
He searched again: Can Alphas have glands on the inner thigh?
The answer: impossible.
If that’s the case, the conclusion was obvious.
There were three possibilities in the results: he wasn’t horny, and Omegas can’t have glands on the inner thigh, so it could only be an allergic reaction.
Yuan Shiyuan guessed it might be some chemical in the sunscreen causing the allergy.
After solving that pressing worry, he seriously searched the next question—what happens if the genitals are forcefully attacked?
The results again were three:
1. Ruined;
2. Eventually ruined;
3. Removed forever.
Yuan Shiyuan: “……”
No way… that serious?
Even though Yuan Shiyuan knew the internet tends to diagnose everything as cancer, he was still startled by such outcomes.
Footsteps sounded outside as someone pushed the door open.
The second Yuan Shiyuan and the other person looked at each other, the atmosphere grew a bit awkward.
After all, he had just bullied Pei Yanbing’s little brother. He forced himself to step forward: “Captain, I just looked this up online… I should have some idea.”
“Why don’t you let me take a look? If it’s damaged, it might be fixable.”
Pei Yanbing: “You fix me?”
Yuan Shiyuan: “If I knew how, I’d definitely help, but I don’t. All I can do is take you to the hospital. Hospitals have ways—broken things get reattached, let alone something that isn’t broken… it isn’t broken, right?”
He checked carefully.
Pei Yanbing looked away: “It shouldn’t be.”
“Let me see, I’m really worried.” After all, this mess was his fault; if anything happened, he’d have to pay the medical bills and take responsibility.
He added, “What are you worried about? We’re all straight men.”
“If it’s really necessary I’ll show you mine too…” Yuan Shiyuan said, starting to pull down his pants.
Pei Yanbing pressed his hand down: “No need.”
Hidden in the wardrobe, Ying Mingche had heard everything. A sudden, inexplicable rage washed over him. Yuan Shiyuan cared for Pei Yanbing like this? To this extent?
In that moment he even regretted hiding earlier. If the water balloon had hit him instead, he’d be the one being carefully tended to by Yuan Shiyuan now.
Ying Mingche clenched his teeth and typed, sending Yuan Shiyuan a message: What are you doing?!!
Yuan Shiyuan glanced at his lit phone screen and simply ignored Ying Mingche’s message, which made Ying Mingche even angrier.
He wanted to see what Yuan Shiyuan would actually do.
Outside, Pei Yanbing felt Yuan Shiyuan’s insistence. He asked, “Do you really need to see?”
In Yuan Shiyuan’s mind, Pei Yanbing was a somber sort; even if something was wrong, he probably wouldn’t say. Like before, hurt by teammates’ cruel words, he would hide in a corner and be quietly sad.
Yuan Shiyuan nodded guiltily: “Just take a look, to be safe.”
Pei Yanbing fell silent again. He stared at Yuan Shiyuan for a long time, his cold gaze carrying a depth Yuan Shiyuan couldn’t read.
Finally, he moved.
The dressing room light was off; natural light filtered in through the film-covered window. Yuan Shiyuan stood in front of the Alpha, watching him slowly follow his command, his expression cold but bearing some restraint.
The scene felt a little strange.
Seeing Pei Yanbing’s expression, Yuan Shiyuan felt like he looked like an unreasonable bully forcing a decent young man to drop his pants.
After Pei Yanbing complied, he immediately avoided Yuan Shiyuan’s eyes; the exposed ear and neck were flushed bright red.
“Holy—.” Yuan Shiyuan widened his eyes. “They’ve changed color!” 43韮524834铑A咦裙
“Bluish!”
“Could they really be damaged…”
The anxious, caring voice slipped through the wardrobe crack and reached Ying Mingche’s ears. Even without seeing the scene outside, he could tell just from the tone how nervous Yuan Shiyuan was.
Ying Mingche sneered inwardly: so what if something’s damaged? If he’s been castrated, he’s been castrated—big deal.
It’s not like he’s dead.
Would Yuan Shiyuan care this much about Pei Yanbing? He certainly hadn’t cared about him like this.
Yuan Shiyuan’s eyes widened; he knew Pei Yanbing wasn’t right, but he hadn’t expected it to be this bad.
Overall the color was clean, matching Pei Yanbing’s person—clearly not much used—but now there was a bruise, as if someone had stamped on it hard.
The water balloon that hit had burst on impact with a loud pop. Yuan Shiyuan had thrown it hard; it must have felt similar to being kicked.
No wonder the real-time comments said they could hear the sound of the eggs breaking.
Yuan Shiyuan lowered his head and owned up: “Captain, I’m sorry. If there’s any damage, I’ll take responsibility.”
Pei Yanbing: “You’ll be responsible for me?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll explain it to your future sister-in-law.”
“……”
“I really will take responsibility to the end,” Yuan Shiyuan promised.
If his slip caused Pei Yanbing to suffer functional damage, he would be fully responsible. It was a matter of principle—he couldn’t ignore the harm just because Pei Yanbing had a gentle temper.
Yuan Shiyuan glanced again, quietly, and in that instant he knew Pei Yanbing wasn’t ruined.
Pei Yanbing’s face went blank; clearly embarrassed, he turned his head away again to avoid Yuan Shiyuan’s gaze.
The air was thick with a cold pheromone. Only then did Yuan Shiyuan belatedly feel awkward; he cleared his throat: “Luckily, it’s okay—false alarm.”
As a straight man, he added with a sour edge, “About an 18, huh.”
Under Yuan Shiyuan’s almost blatant stare, Pei Yanbing couldn’t help but feel a perverse pleasure at being watched. He suppressed his breath and said, “More than that.”
“I can bullshit too.”
“…I’m not lying.”
“You can measure if you want,” Pei Yanbing said.
Yuan Shiyuan, too stunned to let Pei Yanbing show off, replied perfunctorily, “Mm-hmm, maybe we’ll compare sometime.”
After the check was done, Pei Yanbing could finally pull his pants back on properly.
He watched Yuan Shiyuan visibly exhale in relief and asked, “Do you do this often?”
Yuan Shiyuan realized he’d been misunderstood and rushed to clear his name: “Of course not. I’m straight, okay? If I wasn’t worried about you, I wouldn’t be looking.”
“After all, it’s a bit eye‑burning.”
“…”
Eye‑burning.
Pei Yanbing felt a little hurt.
“Not saying Little Pei is eye‑burning, it’s just…” Yuan Shiyuan scratched his head, “looking at the same sex’s body feels weird, you as an Alpha should get it.”
“Just like when you look at my body.”
When Pei Yanbing saw Yuan Shiyuan, a strange electric thrill really would surface. Even just being looked at by Yuan Shiyuan felt extremely comfortable.
No—just being near Yuan Shiyuan, smelling his scent, was intensely satisfying.
Let alone looking at Yuan Shiyuan’s body.
“Yeah,” Pei Yanbing said.
Having confirmed Pei Yanbing’s function was normal, Yuan Shiyuan finally relaxed and felt no guilt. He stretched out naturally; droplets of water still clung to his hair and had dampened his collar a bit.
He smelled so good.
Pei Yanbing didn’t have to force himself closer to notice the faint fragrance coming from Yuan Shiyuan.
Skin‑hunger began to stir again—the craving for intimate contact was spreading wildly in the confined space…
Wanting to get closer to him.
Wanting to touch his body…
Pei Yanbing closed his eyes, his mind full of the image of waves hitting Yuan Shiyuan. He seemed to reach his limit and, in a pitifully hoarse voice, said, “I…”
Yuan Shiyuan turned his head to look at him.
“May I borrow your hand?”
“Borrow my hand for what?” Yuan Shiyuan was so startled he almost jumped. “To help you stag?!”
The wardrobe door was suddenly flung open, and someone sharply refused on Yuan Shiyuan’s behalf: “No!!”
Ying Mingche burst out from the wardrobe beside them. The sudden appearance of an Alpha left both Yuan Shiyuan and the other man momentarily stunned.
Pei Yanbing frowned and looked at Yuan Shiyuan. “No, just a handshake is fine.”
“Oh—oh—oh, Captain, you should’ve said so earlier.” Yuan Shiyuan exhaled with relief. “You scared me to death.”
Don’t touch the orange petals and everything’s fine.
“What hand? The captain’s injured right now; seeing to the injury is more important.”
Ying Mingche forced his way between the two, preventing any physical contact. “My brother knows medicine. Let’s find him and have him prescribe something.”
They all went to find Ying Mingxi.
Ying Mingxi was silent, then said, “I understand you’re anxious—after all, the captain’s hurt in such a place.”
“But I’m a veterinarian.”