Pretending to Be an Alpha in an All-Alpha Boy Band - Chapter 38

Chapter 38 Top Luxury

—Custom exclusive services? Is it what I think it is?! [nosebleed]

—It can’t be special services, can it? Can that really be offered openly? [excited]

—The expressions on the other four are killing me.

—Brother Huo stopped drinking water, the twins can’t sit still, and the captain’s expression control failed. This isn’t a café; it’s a battlefield livestream, right? [spectating]

Yuan Shiyuan had never encountered anything like this. Even the boldest fans at most took photos with him or petted his cat ears and tail.

After all, the café wasn’t his, and he had little variety-show experience. Not knowing how to handle it, he ran to ask the boss.

After getting an answer, Yuan Shiyuan came back.

“The boss said green is allowed, yellow is not,” he recited word for word. “You have to keep it within limits.”

The danmaku exploded.

—I’m an adult, I want to see the yellow stuff, thanks.

—Don’t worry about my feelings, go all out! [silly grin]

After finishing his report, Yuan Shiyuan lowered his voice and said, “You know commissions take 50%, right?”

So there’s really no need to waste money on that.

Jiang Heng’s gaze landed on the slight opening at the collar caused by Yuan Shiyuan bending over.

He shifted his eyes away. “I know, so I’ll give a lot.”

“…” That’s not what he meant.

“This is supporting your career,” Jiang Heng said.

Yuan Shiyuan fell silent.

What career? A career as a little manservant in a café?

Jiang Heng calmly analyzed: “I checked our balance yesterday. After performing and repaying debts, there’s twelve thousand left. I also earned quite a bit today. After the 50% cut, you’d get around ten thousand.”

“That’s enough for you to play every activity on the ship.”

Yuan Shiyuan was stunned.

He wanted to earn more money so he could try every activity on the ship.

One person doing all the activities isn’t that expensive, but there are six of them… that number becomes impressive.

What Jiang Heng meant seemed to be that he’d use café spending to reasonably ‘transfer’ the money to him—like the money were his own earnings that he then spent.

“So can I make requests now?” Jiang Heng asked. “Don’t worry, nothing extreme.”

The other Alphas’ expressions were strange, mixed with dawning realization.

They seemed to have just realized you could play the maid café game this way.

Yuan Shiyuan saw how insistent he was and didn’t argue. He asked, “What bespoke exclusive service do you want?”

He added, “If it’s too difficult, I might not be able to do it.”

“Not difficult.” Jiang Heng handed out his coat. “My exclusive service is: for the next day, as long as you’re still working, you must wear my coat.”

“Just that simple?”

“Just that simple.”

The oversized coat draped over Yuan Shiyuan, creating a sense of complete enclosure. The hem fell to mid-thigh, making him look even more slender and emphasizing the contrast between their body shapes.

Jiang Heng suddenly reached out and smoothed the hem of his outfit, flattening the wrinkles above.

Through the coat, his large hand lightly patted the base of Yuan Shiyuan’s thigh.

“Done.” Jiang Heng’s expression didn’t change.

—Just wear the coat properly, what are you groping for? [eye roll]

—Oh my, the sailor outfit ○ put on JH’s coat and somehow it got even sexier, what is happening…

—The other Alphas practically ground their teeth hahaha, but they didn’t earn as much as JH, so they can’t make Little Yuan wear their coats. [clown]

——Actually the captain used to have money; he even burned through violin strings. But Brother Huo tricked him out of it… (Brother Huo has money now, but still doesn’t make as much as JH)

Clothes inevitably pick up pheromones. Yuan Shiyuan could clearly feel the scent of another Alpha wrapping around him. It was as if the air itself had been occupied, producing a subtle sensation that wasn’t repulsive.

On the contrary… it felt very comfortable.

“Do you want something to drink?”

Yuan Shiyuan moved his shoulders and the coat slipped off one shoulder, revealing a stretch of collarbone. Too lazy to fix it, he kept that half-exposed posture and said, “The boss said I can get you a drink.”

Seeing the tiredness he couldn’t hide on Jiang Heng’s face, he asked, “Are you very tired?”

“Not really,” Jiang Heng replied.

Bo Jin glanced at him. “He’s pretty busy, but the commission’s high.”

No wonder.

Last night Jiang Heng was like a husband asleep in a scene…

Jiang Heng stared at the dazzling menu, seeming overwhelmed by choice. Yuan Shiyuan recommended, “Want to try this one? Sweet pheromone—highly rated, it’s our house specialty.”

Jiang Heng: “Does it contain synthetic pheromones?”

Only then did Yuan Shiyuan remember that when they met at the semen collection room last time, Jiang Heng had mentioned he was allergic to most Omega pheromones.

Ordinary Alphas worry about being tempted when they smell Omega pheromones; Jiang Heng was different. He would feel sick, nauseous, and in severe cases could suffocate and faint, so he always carried allergy medicine.

“Then don’t order that.” Many drink shops, trying to innovate and boost flavor and competitiveness, add artificially synthesized pheromones to beverages.

Yuan Shiyuan couldn’t help but say, “Your situation is dangerous, isn’t it?”

After all, pheromones aren’t strictly regulated by law, so people don’t always keep them under control. Many think releasing pheromones is a way to show charm; only a few take care to keep theirs contained.

“Danger is an understatement.”

Ying Mingche suddenly interjected, “For someone like him, if he hasn’t met a compatible Omega it’s okay, but once he does, the reaction will be extreme. He won’t just become addicted to his partner’s pheromones—the need will be three to five times that of a normal person. He might become completely dependent, constantly wanting to mark, begging the partner for pheromone comfort…”

Jiang Heng: “…Do you read too many novels?”

Ying Mingche fell silent.

He really did read a lot of fanfiction.

Ying Mingche especially liked reading fan-made domestic scenes of Yuan Shiyuan. Of course, he only read stories pairing Yuan Shiyuan with himself; regardless of quality, he’d tip generously to encourage the authors. The community knew there was a wealthy reader shipping this pair, so they started producing content like mad.

And with the twins’ built-in appeal, most fanfics were about Yuan Shiyuan and the twins.

And the raunchiest.

Ying Mingche loved reading them.

Still, he wished he could kick his brother out of the picture. But it wasn’t a big problem—his brother’s name differed from his by only one character, so every time he read, he mentally skipped the last character.

Of course, he was just amused and glanced casually.

He simply admired the fans’ passion and talent; nothing more.

Jiang Heng finished his coffee, watched Yuan Shiyuan work for a bit, then returned to his post. His action sounded an alarm for the other Alphas and inexplicably stoked their competitive spirits.

Ying Mingche asked urgently, “Bro, how much do we have left from today?”

Ying Mingxi checked: “One thousand.”

They did well today—just over ten thousand—but after ordering drinks and snacks earlier, most of it had gone into Yuan Shiyuan’s stomach.

Bo Jin too. The money he earned by getting up at six this morning was almost entirely eaten by Yuan Shiyuan.

However, he did make eleven thousand star coins from Jiang Heng and Pei Yanbing, so it wasn’t a total loss.

“Yuan Shiyuan.”

Yuan Shiyuan turned his head; before he could clearly see the Alpha in front of him, his pocket grew heavy.

Inside was a stack of star coins.

“I’m not as dumb as Jiang Heng, letting the production team skim off the top.” Bo Jin handed all his money to Yuan Shiyuan. “I’m going.”

All the money everyone earned yesterday had been kept by Yuan Shiyuan.

The money they made today might as well be given now—keeping it did no good. Sooner or later it would have to be handed over.

“Wait, where are you going?” Yuan Shiyuan, feeling the bulge in his pocket, was baffled.

“You said you wanted to try the onboard activities,” Bo Jin said. “I’m afraid you won’t have enough to play, so I’m going to earn some more.”

Over the next few days, the other Alphas worked like they’d been injected with adrenaline. Rising early and staying up late, they worked like tireless perpetual machines.

Even when Yuan Shiyuan sold coffee at his hardest, he never had this kind of drive.

By the time the other Alphas were working outside, Yuan Shiyuan had already stopped being a little manservant. He lay in bed counting star coins and was surprised to find that what he’d earned would actually cover every member’s spending on the cruise.

But this bunch of Alphas seemed convinced he was a money-eating beast; worried he wouldn’t have enough, they insisted on earning even more.

Yuan Shiyuan thought it was ridiculous—if the money was enough, why not just play? Wasn’t that foolish?

He began planning to try every onboard activity. When the daytime sea activities started, this group of “workaholics” would show up.

Bo Jin was first at the venue and paid for the activity; Jiang Heng happened to bring sunscreen; Pei Yanbing silently released pheromones to help cool things down; the twins handed over chilled drinks, one on each side…

Aside from the desperate first day, for the next few days Yuan Shiyuan felt like he was on vacation—life couldn’t have been more leisurely.

On the day the show’s recording finished, Yuan Shiyuan got off the ship and at a glance saw Zhuang He waiting not far away.

“Brother Zhuang, you really went too far.”

Yuan Shiyuan jogged over and couldn’t help complaining, “Tricking us onto the ship the first day would have been bad enough, but you also ordered so much food.”

“I really thought you were just concerned about us!”

“Variety shows are like that—the more exaggerated and over the top, the better for the program. If you act like a normal person, the audience won’t buy it.” Zhuang He laughed and patted Yuan Shiyuan’s shoulder. “You did great, Xiao Yuan. Your first variety show and you handled it so well—didn’t look nervous at all.”

“The director’s been praising you too.”

Yuan Shiyuan curled his lip in pride, but he still admitted, “Actually, I was very nervous.”

Like giving a speech, his heart raced and his vision darkened; the waiting was the most nerve-wracking. He kept giving himself mental cues to seem experienced and confident.

In reality, his fingers were shaking after he came off stage.

Friends would praise him and give him thumbs up: “I can’t believe you’re not scared at all.”

Of course he was scared and nervous.

When he learned they were recording a variety show, Yuan Shiyuan was stunned. This was different from shooting a magazine spread—at least with magazines you can pause, have people coach you, and if you make a mistake you can reshoot.

This program, however, was a live broadcast variety show!

Yuan Shiyuan was still a total newcomer; before he’d even passed the beginner level, Zhuang He had raised the difficulty to intermediate.

“Is it possible I wouldn’t be nervous for my first variety show?” Yuan Shiyuan said honestly. “That’s why I kept talking—to distract myself.”

“The variety shows I’ve watched before always have directors guiding things the whole time, at least the guests know what to do. But I didn’t even know what to do here; I felt totally dazed.”

Zhuang He ruffled Yuan Shiyuan’s hair. “But you did really well.”

Ying Mingche also said, “I’ve done a lot of variety shows; many people don’t come across as naturally as you.”

Worried that Yuan Shiyuan was being too hard on himself, Zhuang He soothed him: “Plus, a lot of the audience really likes watching internal squabbles in our group—they treat S-rank Alphas as pure entertainment. Back when your older brothers used to argue, it was fierce; now it’s different. Seeing you, the youngest, ‘school’ them creates contrast—it’s funny and makes good TV.”

He’d watched the livestream the whole time and knew the audience feedback. “The viewers loved watching you ‘lecture’ them.”

What’s so entertaining about that? Yuan Shiyuan blurted in surprise, “Really?”

“No reason to lie,” Zhuang He said. “Netizens all say you were perfect—just what it takes to put those S-rank mad dogs in their place.”

Yuan Shiyuan: “……”

He glanced cautiously at the other Alphas. Saying they were mad dogs to their faces—was that really okay?

“Would you be willing to come over for a group photo?” a staff member from Struggling to Survive walked up. “Some of the tourists would like photos with you. If you’re busy, it’s fine…”

Zhuang He looked at the members of Scepter; seeing no one object, he said, “No problem, we’ll be right over.”

一 sleek black car braked hard nearby. The door opened and a Beta in a black deep-V outfit hurried over, his gaze fixed on Yuan Shiyuan.

“Shiyuan!”

The Beta spread his arms exaggeratedly, drenched in perfume, but was blocked by a line of Alphas. He leaned forward to look past them at Yuan Shiyuan. “Forgot to introduce myself—hello, I’m Eric from Countercurrent magazine. We agreed last time to do a shoot together…”

“You remember me, right?”

Yuan Shiyuan, of course, remembered.

The magazine that stood them up and canceled at the last minute.

“May I ask what this is about?” Zhuang He asked.

“Well, the last time was a misunderstanding,” Eric said. “The intern handling the coordination didn’t know the rules or the process. I was waiting the whole time and we never met; later we found out the intern had mixed up the makeup rooms, which is why we missed you.”

Eric continued, “I’ve always wanted to work with your group. It’s such a shame we couldn’t last time…”

“We actually have a special coming up that’s perfect for you. I wonder if you’d be available to sit down and discuss a collaboration?”

While he said this, Eric stared almost directly at Yuan Shiyuan.

Zhuang He almost laughed.

The way he put it, it sounded like they only switched at the last minute out of sheer necessity. Who didn’t see what they were up to?

Countercurrent magazine saw how popular they were now and wanted a second chance.

Just as Zhuang He was about to speak, the pink-haired Alpha at his side said, “Sure.”

“But we’d have to finish the group photo first—can you wait?”

“Yes, of course!” Eric immediately brightened. “We can definitely wait. First come, first served—take your time, take your time.”

Yuan Shiyuan gave him a meaningful look, then suddenly smiled.

“Then wait you shall.”

Eric’s pupils dilated; his heart pounded. He’d thought Yuan Shiyuan’s photos were photoshopped, retouched.

But seeing him in person, he realized how foolish he’d been.

There really were people in the world this perfect…

While the Struggling to Survive staff set up equipment and waited, Bo Jin glanced over at Yuan Shiyuan.

After Yuan Shiyuan finished taking photos and signing autographs with the staff, Bo Jin reached out and straightened his collar.

“Are you up to something?” Bo Jin opened a bottle of mineral water for him. “Making them wait?”

Yuan Shiyuan lifted an eyebrow, noncommittal. “How could I be up to something? They’re waiting of their own free will—I didn’t force them.”

Bo Jin looked at the slight curl at the corner of Yuan Shiyuan’s mouth and understood at once: Yuan Shiyuan was toying with Countercurrent.

Someone ahead was taking photos; only Yuan Shiyuan’s profile would appear in the shots. Bo Jin adjusted Yuan Shiyuan’s shoulder, made sure he was in frame, then said, “Then let them wait.”

If it had been any other group, they’d treasure the chance to work with Countercurrent, even if Countercurrent had canceled on them before. Resources in the entertainment industry are limited, after all.

But Scepter was different—these S-rank alphas were all petty (except Yuan Shiyuan). Even if Countercurrent was famous, so what? They didn’t care.

Forty minutes later, the sun blazed overhead.

The assistant from Countercurrent was drenched in sweat. He tried to step forward and ask, “Excuse me, how’s your progress going? We’re not trying to rush you—we just wanted to confirm the timing so we can discuss the special feature…”

This staffer had the misfortune of running into Bo Jin, the group’s biggest A, the S-rank Alpha with the strongest temper.

Bo Jin recognized him instantly—the same staff member who had mocked them before—and he curled a lip coldly.

“If you can’t wait, then get lost.”

“…”

The staffer remembered Eric’s orders precisely: “We can wait!”

Eric sat in his car like a man on pins and needles, thinking, “All the S-rank alphas in this group have terrible tempers, but Yuan Shiyuan has a good one. It was Yuan Shiyuan who nodded and agreed to talk about cooperation. I should approach Yuan Shiyuan—once he gives the go-ahead, everything will be negotiable…”

Besides, he only wanted to work with Yuan Shiyuan.

At first Eric waited in the car, but as his impatience grew he got out.

Another half hour passed.

Eric’s sharp eyes caught a flash of pink: Yuan Shiyuan was being surrounded by several S-rank alphas, leisurely sipping iced fruit drinks.

Eric hurried over himself. “Shiyuan, we’ve been waiting for you. Want to find somewhere to eat and talk about collaboration?”

From a distance, Zhuang He waved to Yuan Shiyuan. Yuan Shiyuan returned the gesture and said, “I have something to do right now—you can wait?”

That same line again.

“But we’ve already been waiting an hour…”

“An hour’s a long time?”

Eric gritted his teeth and nodded, “We can wait!”

Half an hour later, the whole Countercurrent staff had completely collapsed.

Eric’s carefully styled hair was plastered with sweat, black strands clinging to his forehead. The entire team looked like drowned rats, soaking wet with sweat.

“Wait—”

As Yuan Shiyuan strolled toward the nanny van, Eric stumbled while chasing after him.

Yuan Shiyuan looked at him with a face of sudden recollection. “Ah, almost forgot.”

Eric’s face lit up, but then Yuan Shiyuan added, “But we’re going to eat first. You don’t mind waiting a bit longer, do you?”

Eric froze. A staffer beside him flushed and said, “We’ve already waited two hours! Are you taking us for a joke?”

“So what?” Yuan Shiyuan’s delicate features looked utterly innocent at that moment. In a very nonchalant tone he said, “Do you have anything else to do? If not, it’s fine to wait a little longer.”

“You know our time is precious—you should understand that.”

Those were the exact words they’d used when Countercurrent broke the contract.

“……”

Eric froze where he stood; every member of the Countercurrent staff flushed red. They all knew what had happened in the dressing room that day, and they knew precisely that these mocking words had come from their own mouths!

Words they had once used to belittle others now returned like a boomerang, stabbing them and leaving them trembling with shame.

Yuan Shiyuan had done it on purpose.

From the start, Yuan Shiyuan had never intended to cooperate with them—he was merely treating them like dogs to be walked.

He watched them wait under the blazing sun, simply to toy with them.

A blatant, glaring revenge.

Those being toyed with ought to have felt angry or humiliated, yet when Yuan Shiyuan swept a smiling look over them, that condescending gaze—rather than provoking resentment—strangely produced a sense of pleasure.

Countercurrent stood frozen in place, faces flushed. Zhuang He stepped in front of Yuan Shiyuan to block and signaled for him to get into the nanny van.

Yuan Shiyuan didn’t look back; he walked straight into the van.

Just as Zhuang He was about to close the door, a well-dressed Western man approached from the side.

The Western man spoke in halting Chinese: “Hello, I’m Pierre, the head of headquarters for the brand Silence. May I ask—are you Scepter’s manager?”

Eric was stunned—Silence? Isn’t that the top French luxury brand?

Silence’s core categories were couture and jewelry; the brand was notoriously arrogant, and its previous ambassadors had all been foreign artists.

Hearing Silence, Zhuang He also froze—no one in the entertainment industry would be unaware of that top luxury label.

Before he could react, Eric, for reasons unknown, answered in a sour tone, “They’re very busy right now—we’re waiting too.”

“It’s all right. I just got off the plane. I heard Scepter was shooting a variety show here, so I hurried over.” The Western man did look travel-worn; politely, he asked again, “May I ask—are you Mr. Yuan Shiyuan’s manager?”

The Western man had just checked with the staff to confirm this was Scepter’s vehicle. But he wasn’t sure which of them was the manager he needed.

He tried to peek into the nanny van, but couldn’t see anyone clearly and couldn’t tell whether the person he sought was inside.

Zhuang He: “Hello, I’m Scepter’s manager. Shiyuan is here right now…”

When the Western man heard Yuan Shiyuan was present, he couldn’t hide his excitement: “That’s wonderful!”

“Does Mr. Yuan have any upcoming schedule? We’d like to discuss a collaboration.”

“If he’s free in the near future, we can wait.”

The scene went silent.

Silence—the brand that even snubbed Hollywood megastars—was now saying they could wait!

“Our brand Silence wants to invite Mr. Yuan Shiyuan to be the first brand ambassador for the Huaguo region.”

Pierre’s eyes burned with intensity as he emphasized the offer.

“Besides Mr. Yuan, we don’t want anyone else.”

Author’s Note:

I can’t—still didn’t get to the second split, tomorrow I really will—!!!

First, let’s set Little Yuan up with a top luxury brand [shy][shy][kiss]