Pretending to Be an Alpha in an All-Alpha Boy Band - Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Chance Encounter (Second Update)

“Because I’m an Omega.”

Yuan Shize repeatedly sniffed the school uniform as if to confirm, then, with some mood I couldn’t read, asked his question to his face. He had not expected to get that answer.

He froze on the spot and stood there for a long time without responding.

Yuan Shiyuan laughed out loud when he saw him look startled. “Just kidding.”

With that kind of mental fortitude, better not tell him directly yet. Yuan Shiyuan made up an excuse, “Maybe you brushed past some Omega’s perfume on the way here. Isn’t it pretty trendy now to add synthetic pheromones to perfume?”

“It’s not perfume,” Yuan Shize said in a muffled voice. “It’s your scent.”

Not convinced? Yuan Shiyuan arched an eyebrow lightly and deliberately stepped half a pace closer, tilting his head to expose the back of his neck.

His tone was teasing. “Fine, then it’s my pheromones. I’m an Omega.”

“……”

Yuan Shize wilted instantly. “Okay, okay, bro, it was perfume. I’m sorry, I smelled it wrong.”

Yuan Shiyuan watched and couldn’t help smiling.

Yuan Shize really was used to being placated; no matter the facts, he’d apologize first, as if with him, he was always right.

Had he bullied his younger brother too much? To the point Yuan Shize didn’t even dare doubt him.

Forget it. He’d told the truth anyway; Yuan Shize could believe it or not.

Just as Yuan Shiyuan sat back down, he suddenly felt clammy. He touched himself and found his palms soaking wet.

He had sweated a lot.

Maybe he’d been too immersed in smelling pheromones earlier; the single room was so small and unventilated that he’d gotten drenched. He didn’t think much of it and took a pack of disposable underwear from his crossbody bag.

Luckily there were some left from last time.

The restroom had separate dry and wet areas; the sound of running water tinkled—someone was washing their face. Yuan Shiyuan went into the shower stall and took a quick rinse.

When he came out he’d changed clothes; loose pants covered his long legs, and that strand of scent had faded considerably.

He had only taken two steps when a pair of arms wrapped around him from the front. Yuan Shize rested his chin on the top of his head and mumbled, “Brother.”

“I’m an Alpha—would you still like me?”

Yuan Shiyuan didn’t understand. So many people were desperate to be Alphas; why was his brother special, avoiding the Alpha sex as if it were poison?

Maybe it had to do with Yuan Shize’s upbringing. At the welfare institute, because he performed well in many ways, other kids ganged up and bullied him.

Because he’d been bullied for being outstanding, did he prefer to be an ordinary person who couldn’t be blamed for anything?

Yuan Shiyuan lifted a hand and hugged his brother’s waist.

“Do you remember I told you the first family that adopted me really wanted an Alpha? At that time I didn’t understand gender, and I didn’t particularly want to become any one gender, but because of them I desperately wanted to be an Alpha.” He said, “It didn’t help. They had their own child, and they abandoned me before the child’s gender was even confirmed.”

“Later I met Mom and Dad. They treated me well, and they loved me. They never looked down on me for my glands not developing well, and they never loved me less because I was Alpha or Omega.”

He looked up and cupped his brother’s face. “So gender isn’t everything.”

Sunlight filtered through the blinds and made patches of light on them; Yuan Shiyuan’s face was unusually bright, but his voice was soft. “People who love you will love you no matter what gender you are or what kind of person you are. They won’t change their love for you because of your gender.”

“If they would, then it wasn’t true love.”

“We love you because you’re Yuan Shize.” Yuan Shiyuan rose onto his tiptoes and gently rubbed his cheek against his brother’s jaw. “Not because of your gender.”

Yuan Shize’s pupils dilated slightly as he stared at the face so close to his.

Yuan Shiyuan’s skin was very pale; sunlight speckled the ends of his hair, catching the faintly wiped-away droplets and the barely visible gland beneath his collar that seemed to be giving off an enticing scent.

Those gentle words were like a calming shot, and Yuan Shize quieted instantly. But he couldn’t help asking himself: does my brother love me? If he loves me, is it love for me as a person, or love for me as his brother?

He knew the latter was more likely, and he knew he shouldn’t be greedy. Yet he always found himself imagining possibilities that hadn’t happened.

What if I weren’t your brother? Would you still love me?

Love me the person, not love me for being your brother.

Yuan Shize fixed his gaze on Yuan Shiyuan’s face, as if seeking confirmation, and asked again, “Brother, do you love me?”

“Of course.” Yuan Shiyuan answered without hesitation. “You’re my brother.”

Yuan Shize lowered his eyes and mumbled, “We’re not even on the same household register.”

Yuan Shiyuan’s expression immediately hardened. He grabbed his brother’s collar and forced him to bend his head down.

“Yuan Shize.”

Hearing his full name called like that made Yuan Shize go rigid all over.

“Our mother is not well, and Dad worried that having biological children might harm her health, so they chose to adopt. We’re not their birth sons, but they treat us no worse than if we were, maybe even better. It’s true you’re not on the household register at home, but that’s because of adoption paperwork. Don’t say things like that again.” His tone grew stern. “Or Mom and Dad will hear and be hurt.”

Each family has a limit on how many children they can adopt; this prevents malicious abandonment or taking on more children than they can support. Professional agencies assess how many children a family can adopt based on submitted income proofs, assets, and other materials.

Back then, Yuan Xing and her husband only planned to have one child. When they took little Yuan Shiyuan back to the welfare institute to bring snacks to the other kids, they met Yuan Shize in a corner—quiet, withdrawn, clearly troubled.

They noticed little Yuan Shiyuan staring at him and then running over to talk, so they asked, “Does Yuan want a little sister or brother?”

Little Yuan Shiyuan obediently said, “If Mom and Dad want one, I do too.”

Children don’t reject a new sibling; they only feel wronged if attention is divided unfairly, afraid love will be taken away. But little Yuan Shiyuan received so much love that he wasn’t worried a new family member would steal his parents’ attention.

At that age he was lively and playful; he had just transferred to a new school and might not adapt easily. The couple thought having a child the same age to go to school with him might help.

Besides, the other child was clearly isolated and looked pitiful.

After much discussion, the couple decided to adopt another child.

Unfortunately, the approved adoption quota they received allowed only one child. With no other option, they asked relatives abroad to help with the adoption process, and only then were they able to formally adopt Yuan Shize.

Although Yuan Shize’s household registration wasn’t filed under their home, they were indeed a family.

Yuan Shize hurried to explain, “Brother, that’s not what I meant.”

His fingers trembled as he fumbled for words; not knowing how else to clarify, he kept repeating, “I know Mom and Dad treat us well—I already regard them as my birth parents. I really had no other thoughts…”

“You’d be dead meat if you did.”

Yuan Shiyuan pretended to be fierce and waved his fist as if to hit his brother, but in the end he only traced his fingertip gently along his brother’s jaw.

His tone softened. “I know you didn’t, and I know you’re a good kid. You weren’t planning to go pro, right? It was only because something suddenly happened at home that you secretly contacted the club.”

Yuan Shize lowered his eyes and didn’t answer.

At first he treated gaming as a hobby; even when a club owner noticed his talent, he didn’t agree to turn pro. Back then the family’s situation was still decent and he had plenty of options.

Until their mother’s health suddenly took a turn. It was also the time when Yuan Shiyuan was getting ready for university… He even thought about dropping out to work to cover the medical bills, so his brother could go to college.

But the whole family held him down and scolded him.

“I’m doing it for Mom and Dad, but also for you.” Yuan Shize bent over and pulled Yuan Shiyuan into his arms. His embrace was wide enough to wrap the other completely. “I don’t want you to struggle so hard… I want to share the burden.”

“Brother, I want to protect you.”

Yuan Shiyuan was amused and patted his brother’s back. “I’m the older brother; I don’t need you to protect me.”

Yuan Shiyuan was a little surprised.

Yuan Shize usually didn’t say anything, but it turned out he kept everything in his heart.

Yuan Shiyuan looked up at his brother, who was half a head taller than him.

Sure enough, although Yuan Shize was now taller and more solid than him, he was still that clingy, sensitive little brother who followed at his heels, wanting to bathe and sleep beside him.

When they went back in, they found Yuan Xing had fallen asleep. She lay quietly in the hospital bed with a book of poems resting on her abdomen.

Yuan Shize carefully put the book on the bedside table; Yuan Shiyuan tucked the blanket in neatly.

As the surgery date approached, Yuan Xing tired easily. The doctors had advised ensuring plenty of rest and avoiding emotional ups and downs during this period.

“Dad said he’ll be working late and will come back later.”

After sending the message in the family group, Yuan Shiyuan stuck a sticky note on the bedside and said, “Let’s go eat first.”

“Mom doesn’t have any of those messy social apps on her phone, right?”

Yuan Shize said, “She deleted all of them. She only kept a reading app and a messaging app. She watched your variety show before—she and Dad watched together.”

“Dad’s been glued to it.”

“That’s good.”

Since Yuan Shiyuan was a public figure now, he worried Yuan Xing might see some bad news.

The hospital cafeteria was inexpensive and tasty. When the transparent flap was lifted, a waft of food hit Yuan Shiyuan.

As he was looking for a seat, he suddenly saw a familiar figure.

A black-haired Alpha wearing a black mask and cap was in line; he was very tall and stood out in the crowd.

Yuan Shiyuan didn’t want to recognize him, but the earring was too distinctive.

“Jiang Heng?”

At first the Alpha thought he was imagining it, but he still turned. His cold brow lifted in surprise when he saw Yuan Shiyuan.

“What a coincidence, running into you here.”

Yuan Shiyuan hurried forward, his gaze dropping to the Alpha’s gland area. After removing the cotton from the puncture site, there were obvious needle holes and bruises—the traces of blood being drawn.

His voice instantly grew anxious. “Did something go wrong with the blood draw? Are you feeling unwell? Is it serious?”

Earlier his head had been a mess and Zhuang He had hurried him away from the scene, so he hadn’t had a chance to properly check on or thank his teammate.

“Did they take too much blood…”

Realizing Yuan Shiyuan had misunderstood, Jiang Heng quickly interrupted to explain, “It’s not because of the blood draw. I’m here to see family.”

“I’m visiting my grandfather. He’s asleep; I just came to eat.”

As if to put Yuan Shiyuan at ease, Jiang Heng simply took off his hat and mask.

“Not much blood was drawn.” He repeated, “I’m not feeling unwell.”

Yuan Shiyuan studied the Alpha’s complexion carefully, only letting out a breath when he confirmed his color looked fine.

“Then let me treat you to a meal? Thank you so much for today.” He pursed his lips awkwardly. “I should have properly thanked you earlier, but my head was spinning… I only just came to my senses.”

“No need to thank me,” Jiang Heng said, “I was just doing what I should.”

Yuan Shiyuan: “There’s no ‘should’ about it. You helped me, so I should thank you properly.”

For a moment Yuan Shiyuan couldn’t think of any suitable way to repay him. In his Scepter boy group, apart from himself, it seemed everyone else was from celestial dragon families.

Jiang Heng was relatively low-key. Yuan Shiyuan didn’t know his family background, though he’d seen some netizens discussing it online—something about him being an heir of a rich family?

So seeing Jiang Heng fixing cars on the cruise had surprised Yuan Shiyuan so much. He hadn’t expected Jiang Heng to know how to do that, and to be so skilled.

More than small talk and thanks, Jiang Heng wanted to ask what had actually happened.

Besides being led by pheromones, was there some other accident? Why was Zhuang He acting so abnormally? Why would Yuan Shiyuan need so much S-rank alpha pheromone?

At that moment, Jiang Heng suddenly sensed a sharp stare.

He turned his head and noticed the young Alpha standing beside Yuan Shiyuan. The boy looked very young in his school uniform, but his eyes were like a guard dog protecting its food—wary and fierce.

There is a magnetic field among alphas; Jiang Heng’s competitive instinct flared instantly. He immediately judged the boy to be an S-rank alpha like himself.

“This is my brother.”

While standing in line, Yuan Shiyuan peeked at the day’s dishes and introduced, “Xiao Ze, this is my teammate Jiang Heng—call him ‘ge’ (brother).” (Note: ‘ge’ is a respectful way to address an older male.)

Jiang Heng: “No need.”

Yuan Shiyuan: “He’s my friend. It’s fine for him to call you ge.”

“Hello, Brother Jiang.”

When Yuan Shiyuan looked back, Yuan Shize’s attitude had shifted in an instant. He folded in his claws like a beast temporarily withdrawing, putting on a compliant demeanor. “Thank you for helping my brother today, and thank you for taking care of him.”

“When there’s a chance, I must properly thank you on my brother’s behalf.”

Jiang Heng tugged the corner of his mouth very slightly but didn’t respond.

Yuan Shiyuan didn’t notice the undercurrent between them; he was focused on peeking at the food behind the window and deciding what to eat.

When it was his turn, he smiled sweetly: “Today’s Aunt Chen, what a coincidence.”

Aunt Chen at the food counter remembered Yuan Shiyuan and laughed: “Oh my, it’s Xiao Yuan! You look even more handsome after a few days. Come on, what do you want? Auntie will serve you.”

“Jiang Heng, what do you want to eat?” Yuan Shiyuan asked first. Jiang Heng said, “Anything is fine.”

Yuan Shiyuan knew Jiang Heng’s tastes were similar to his. “I’ll have pickled fish, dry-pot cauliflower, sweet-and-sour prawns…”

As he spoke, he braced his hands on the counter and slightly crouched, tilting his face up. His wet eyes blinked slowly, lashes fluttering. “Auntie, could you give me a few more prawns?”

Aunt Chen’s heart melted. Smiling, she scooped a generous helping into the dishes: “Of course. You’re still growing—eat more… Auntie will give you extra rice too, don’t go hungry.”

She sneaked a few ribs into the bowl and murmured, “If it’s not enough, tell Auntie.”

“Thank you, Auntie.” Yuan Shiyuan’s thanks were sugary sweet. “You’re so kind!”

Aunt Chen had known about Yuan Shiyuan for some time. She’d heard his family had had an accident and that he supported the household by taking on multiple part-time jobs to ease the burden.

She felt sorry for the kid, so whenever she served food she would secretly use her employee meal card to add extra dishes for him. The staff had meal subsidies anyway, so it didn’t cost her personally—she was just helping out.

During that busy stretch, Yuan Shiyuan was so distracted he actually thought he had ordered extra dishes without paying, and hurried back anxious to make up the difference, afraid the food lady would be shortchanged.

Yuan Shiyuan picked a few of Jiang Heng’s favorite dishes first, then ordered what he liked.

He counted the plates piled like a small mountain on the tray, lowering his head to think: “Should be enough for the three of us, right?”

“Enough.” Jiang Heng saw his hesitation and stepped forward to help carry the tray. His fingers had just touched the edge when Yuan Shize beat him to it.

“Jiang ge, you just sit down.”

Yuan Shize appeared suddenly and, with a neat motion, snatched the tray from in front of Jiang Heng, putting on a polite, fake smile. “You’re my brother’s friend—how could I let you handle it?”

“I’ve been taking care of my brother for almost ten years; I’m used to it. Leave these little things to me.”

Jiang Heng’s outstretched hand froze in midair as he raised his eyes to look at Yuan Shize.

Yuan Shize did not shy away from his gaze but met it directly, his eyes openly filled with hostility.

Author’s Note:

I meant to let my little brother have another bite, but ended up eating the site’s full report first—instantly behaved [crying explosively].

Next time I’ll eat [yellow heart]