Pretending to Be an Alpha in an All-Alpha Boy Band - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: The Little Handkerchief (extra 30k nutrient solution chapter)

As the doctor had said, there weren’t many patients waiting outside the semen collection rooms; each room was assigned according to pheromone level. Because S-rank potency was so destructive, S-rank alphas had larger collection rooms, and a doorbell was installed at the entrance.

Yuan Shiyuan took a cup for collecting the sample and ran into an enthusiastic uncle doing a premarital check.

“Of course an alpha has to do a premarital check. If I didn’t, wouldn’t all these years of me keeping myself pure have been for nothing? My wife has to know I’m a clean alpha.” The man looked proud. Then, oddly, he glanced at Yuan Shiyuan. “You look a lot like the celebrity my wife likes, don’t you?”

No way.

Even with a mask and hat, he could be recognized?

Yuan lowered his voice. “Maybe I just have a common face?”

“Don’t joke. With your vibe and build, you’re clearly a handsome guy.” The uncle took a liking to him. He glanced at Yuan’s test form; the upper right corner listed the pheromone level. “S-rank, huh. Then we can’t team up. Both the S rooms are occupied right now, you should think it through.”

“The guy on the left seems sexually indifferent, and the guy on the right seems to have impaired pheromone perception? Anyway, they’ve both been inside a long time. Usually alphas with functional issues like that have bad tempers—if you go in, be careful,” the uncle added. “Having that kind of illness, what’s the difference from being disabled? So what if you’re S-rank?”

“You’ll have trouble finding a wife later,” he concluded.

Indeed, raising stomach issues can easily cause psychological problems in an alpha.

Hospital resources were limited; the prepared rooms were shared, and even S-rank alphas had to squeeze into multi-person spaces. But alpha pheromones clash with each other—the higher the level, the stronger the aggressiveness emitted, and the more pronounced the repulsion toward the same sex.

Yuan thought: I’m just going in to collect a sample. If my hands are quick enough, I should be out soon, right? I won’t stay in the collection room long.

Those S-rank guys inside wouldn’t attack him on the spot out of jealousy just because his function was normal, would they?

With that thought, Yuan pressed the doorbell for the room labeled “sexually indifferent.”

After a moment, the wall display turned green, indicating the patient inside acknowledged his arrival and he could enter.

Yuan pushed the door open and immediately went blank.

He and the other person looked at each other; the other’s calm, indifferent face showed a rare flash of astonishment.

Why is it Pei Yanbing?

So Pei Yanbing was the “sexually indifferent” guy? The one who had been in the collection room for a long time?

“What a coincidence, Captain,” Yuan said.

He cleared his throat, greeted him, locked the door, and then casually scanned the room.

The collection room looked like a makeshift lounge, though privacy was minimal. Only then did he notice the doorbell was a video doorbell, with an internal electronic screen showing visitors outside.

Bookshelves on both sides were filled with art books; a glass cabinet displayed various props. The sofas were fitted with disposable covers, and each seat had its own tissue box and trash bin. Embedded in the front of each chair back was an iPad for watching any film.

Pei Yanbing withdrew his gaze. “Quite a coincidence,” he said.

Yuan stood there, pacing for a moment, feeling conflicted.

His original plan had been a quick in-and-out. They were strangers anyway—he could pick a corner and just go for it, no holding back.

But the sexually indifferent guy was someone he knew.

Sitting farther from Pei Yanbing might be bad for team dynamics, and Pei was sensitive and might overthink. But if he sat next to Pei, it could affect his performance.

Too aggressive would seem rushed; too slow would seem hesitant. And Alphas have a competitive streak in their bones—who knew they might start comparing.

Yuan Shiyuan had talked big about comparing before, but that had been all talk.

After all, his hair was pink, and his little pink stick even pinker—he’d already lost the aura from the colors alone.

Forget it. Better not pull out the real thing in front of Pei Yanbing.

The S-class collection room was relatively spacious—that was to give S-rank Alphas enough room to perform.

Yuan pretended to be busy and walked around once. Seeing that Pei Yanbing kept watching him, he knew he couldn’t dodge it.

He sighed, grabbed a magazine on impulse, and walked over to Pei. “Captain, can I sit next to you?”

Pei Yanbing: “Sit next to me?”

“Yeah, yeah. I feel safer by your side.”

Pei slowly turned his head to look at him and said, “Sit.”

Yuan didn’t sit immediately. He took what he thought was a discreet—but actually obvious—look around the seat.

Dry, clean, with none of the little traces that Pei’s scent would leave behind.

He relaxed and then sat down slowly.

He put the magazine on the little table in front of him and flipped a page casually, expecting some light gossip to pass the time. Instead, the first page he opened was a glaring, pupil-shaking image.

He snapped the magazine shut. Yuan straightened his back; beneath his pink hair his face flushed a thin red, the corners of his eyes slightly damp.

No way—this is too pornographic!

Couldn’t there be something more subtle?

People do something with their hands when embarrassed. Yuan looked at Pei. “Captain, have you read these magazines?”

“No.”

Yuan couldn’t understand. “Why not? We’re here already.”

He glanced again. The electronic screen in front of Pei was still on the default page; the cup on the little table was empty; his clothes were neat with no sign of having been removed.

That enthusiastic uncle had said the Alpha in this room was sexually indifferent—but that didn’t seem to be the case.

Although Pei had come in, he hadn’t started using his hands, and he hadn’t looked at any stimulating items.

Pei lowered his lids and said, “I can’t look.”

“Is there a camera here?” Yuan asked, suddenly alert.

“No.” Pei seemed unsure how to explain. He was quiet for a moment, then said softly, “I feel… guilty.”

“I shouldn’t do this.”

“Guilty?” Yuan was stunned. “Wait, you mean you think solving this yourself is a dirty, shameful thing?”

Pei turned to look at him. He didn’t answer, but from his expression it wasn’t hard to tell Yuan had guessed correctly.

Just then Yuan noticed the form on the little table. The nurse would give them a sheet to tick off their recent history.

Question one: Do you have a long-term sexual relationship?

Question two: Have you had sexual activity recently?

Question three: When you don’t have a partner, do you often relieve yourself?

Question four: When you have needs, do you often view visually explicit videos or texts?

Question five…

The questions mostly covered daily life, and the answers were only two choices: [Yes] or [No]. Yuan had never dated, never even held an Omega’s small hand—most of his answers were No.

But that didn’t mean there were no Yeses. He was a normal Alpha with natural physiological reactions; of course he sometimes relieved himself.

Pei, however—every single answer was No!

What did that mean? It meant that from the restless turbulence of adolescence until now, Pei Yanbing had never dated, had never had any intimate relationship, hadn’t even used his hands!

My captain is amazing! Yuan Shiyuan admired him in capital letters.

Completely severed from affection, pure and ascetic—Yuan Shiyuan could only say he himself couldn’t pull that off.

No wonder Pei Yanbing had remained calm and indifferent when hit before; it turned out he simply didn’t need to use it…

Maybe Yuan’s expression was too stunned, because Pei Yanbing explained, “I feel… dirty like this.”

“I can’t do it.”

“…”

Yuan was greatly shocked, but he quickly understood. Pei Yanbing had a severe cleanliness obsession; perhaps for that reason he considered this kind of behavior filthy.

After all, it could be counted as a dirty, tiring task—messy, sticky hands that are a hassle to wash.

“Captain, I understand you have a strong germophobia, but how should I put this…” Yuan, while not advocating indulgence in excess, thought appropriate release was important. He laid his hand on Pei’s shoulder and spoke earnestly, “This is a biological instinct. It’s not good to suppress it completely. There’s a saying, isn’t there? Letting flow is better than blocking.” (Translation note: the original implies “疏大于堵,” meaning it’s better to relieve than to block.)

“You don’t have to be so strict with yourself. You’ve already done very well. Sometimes you can reward yourself, let yourself go a little.”

Pei Yanbing looked at the hand on his shoulder—long, defined fingers, pale and clean. Without further contact, his skin’s hunger was strongly awakened.

Another voice kept whispering:

Did you hear that? You’ve already done very well.

Yuan Shiyuan said you can reward and indulge yourself…

The fragrance so close made Pei Yanbing’s breathing quicken. Yuan didn’t notice anything amiss; just as he was about to withdraw his hand, his wrist was suddenly grabbed from behind.

At that moment, Yuan saw what Pei was clutching in his other hand. He blinked— it was the handkerchief he’d given Pei last time…

“Captain, is this handkerchief mine?” Yuan asked.

“Want it back?” Pei replied.

“Then it isn’t mine.”

It was only a handkerchief; Yuan didn’t need Pei to return it.

But that little handkerchief, now in the semen collection room, was in Pei’s hand, surrounded by a stack of aid devices and lurid magazines… it was odd.

The small cloth was being gripped in a large, bony palm, squeezed into wrinkles and looking a little pitiful.

Yuan’s wrist was still restrained. He lowered his eyes to watch the scene, completely oblivious that Pei had been staring at his face the whole time, a dark shade flickering across his eyes.

“Are you feeling hot?” Pei asked.

Yuan belatedly lifted his head and nodded. “A little.”

“Want my pheromones?” Pei asked. “Do you?”

Yuan nodded again. “Yes.”

A cold breath instantly invaded Yuan’s senses.

It was as if he stood in a snow-laden forest, every pore wrapped in refreshing chill that sent signals of pleasure through his body.

Smelling Pei’s pheromones in the air, Yuan suddenly closed his hand over Pei’s.

Pei asked, “What’s wrong?”

Yuan answered honestly, “It feels so good.”

After he said it, his breathing quickened for a moment. “W-wait… don’t release so much pheromone yet!”

The concentration was too high—he could barely take it.

Maybe because Yuan and Bo Jin were roommates and he was used to Bo Jin’s pheromones every day, he could tolerate higher concentrations. Pei’s pheromones, however, were rarer to him; both of them were same-sex-repelling S-rank Alphas, and to be hit with such intensity immediately, with no buffer, was too much.

Although Pei obediently pulled some of the pheromones back, that brief surge of high concentration still left Yuan momentarily dazed. The tiny change in his expression was magnified, and then magnified again, in Pei Yanbing’s eyes.

Yuan Shiyuan’s expression went slightly vacant, his lips parted, eyelashes trembling as tears pooled. Like a cat overdosed on catnip, his body swayed uncontrollably backward, only to be pulled back in time.

A large palm settled on his lower back, sliding over his clothing to stroke his gland, then shifting so the heel of the hand cupped the gland itself. The intense heat of the touch contrasted sharply with the cold pheromones, creating a strong thermal difference.

Yuan Shiyuan clenched his thighs slightly.

What was going on?

Had the hypersensitivity on the inner thigh not subsided yet? Why did it feel warm now?

Perhaps stimulated by the pheromones, the allergic reaction had become extremely intense—his inner skin inexplicably burning, like fine electric currents flowing beneath the surface.

So strange…

But Yuan had to admit that Pei Yanbing’s pheromones seemed to soothe the allergy; while cooling him down they also made him feel a bit good.

Rising alongside that sensation was a strong sense of alarm.

Yuan shoved Pei Yanbing away.

Pei didn’t seem surprised that he’d been pushed off.

His pheromones didn’t smell pleasant, and his personality was dull. He had no clear advantage that could keep Yuan. The only possible advantage… might be that his pheromones were relatively cool, able to dispel heat for Yuan on a sweltering day.

But what kind of advantage was that?

Yuan pressed his legs together and cautiously kept his distance from Pei. It was all too odd.

Although he found smelling Pei’s pheromones pleasurable, the strangeness predominated.

He attributed that odd feeling to the same-sex repulsion between Alphas.

“Captain, your pheromone concentration is very high; it must be affecting you too. Alpha pheromones repel each other, so I won’t interfere with you here,” Yuan said considerately, yielding space. “I’ll go to the other room.”

As Yuan turned to leave, he didn’t notice Pei Yanbing’s eyes suddenly darken.

Yuan retreated quickly. Once he left the semen collection room filled with Pei’s pheromones, he felt much clearer.

Too bad he was wearing long pants today, so he couldn’t roll up the leg to check the inner-thigh rash.

But it wasn’t as itchy as before.

If he pinched it a few times later and scratched, it should be fine.

Yuan pressed the doorbell for the other room; shortly after, the screen showed a green light.

Just as he was about to push the door open, he saw another familiar face.

A black-haired, black-eyed Alpha leaned against the wall, the silver ear stud flashing cold light under the lamp.

In the second they met eyes, the atmosphere froze again.

“Jiang Heng, you came for the test too?”

Having just experienced the awkwardness, Yuan prepared to leave immediately. Before Jiang could answer, he hastily added, “You go ahead, I’ll wait until you’re done.”

He was about to shut the door when Jiang Heng stepped out. The Alpha’s oppressive presence hit him, and he instinctively took two steps back…

Only to have his back suddenly collide with another chest.

“Careful.”

Pei Yanbing’s low voice sounded behind him, and a faint trail of cold pheromones entwined around him. Yuan stiffened and realized he was trapped in the narrow corridor between two Alphas, one in front and one behind.

He tilted his head slightly; Jiang Heng’s gaze was on his left, Pei Yanbing’s breath on his right. The aggressively potent pheromones of two S-rank Alphas hung in the air, wrapping him from head to toe.

“…”

Yuan sighed.

Now this really was… stuck between men.