Pretending to Be an Alpha in an All-Alpha Boy Band - Chapter 55

Chapter 55: Security

“Don’t cry…”

When Yuan Shiyuan was scooped up and cradled in Pei Yanbing’s arms, his expression remained blank and dazed, as if he were lost in his own world. His eyes were half-closed, long lashes clumped together with moisture, curling up in disarray.

His lower abdomen was still flushed from the prolonged dance practice, the thin skin glistening with moisture that looked less like sweat and more like the lingering traces of being licked.

The moment Pei Yanbing’s fingers pinched his chin to lift his face, Yuan Shiyuan’s stomach clenched instinctively. Fearing the Alpha might kiss him again as before, he quickly turned his head and buried his face in Pei Yanbing’s chest.

Clutching the fabric of Pei Yanbing’s shirt tightly, he struggled to regain clarity and maintain a vigilant posture, like a wary little animal.

However, Yuan Shiyuan wasn’t actually afraid of Pei Yanbing kissing him again; rather, he felt intensely embarrassed and incredulous.

He had actually been kissed like this by a former same-sex Alpha…

During the blackout, their faces had been indistinct in the darkness, the atmosphere heightened by the gloom. Now, under the bright lights, the surrounding mirrors reflected their current appearance from multiple angles in stark clarity.

Yuan Shiyuan only had to glance up to see his lips, swollen and glistening from the kiss.

When Yuan Shiyuan met Pei Yanbing’s gaze, seeing that familiar face, every pore on his body screamed in frantic embarrassment—Oh my god, this is so awkward!

As if sensing his distress, Pei Yanbing showed a rare moment of awkwardness himself. Despite years of practicing musical instruments giving him steady hands, his fingers trembled slightly.

Pei Yanbing cupped Yuan Shiyuan’s face and licked away the tears on his cheeks. Far from cleaning him up, this only made him even wetter.

Yuan Shiyuan: “……”

If he weren’t too lazy to move right now, he would have shoved Pei Yanbing away without hesitation.

Fortunately, Pei Yanbing had the good sense not to say anything embarrassing at that moment. The silence gradually helped Yuan Shiyuan relax.

As Yuan Shiyuan replayed the kiss in his mind, analyzing his performance and summarizing what he had learned, he couldn’t help but marvel at the experience. So this is what kissing feels like…

Before, when he watched TV dramas and saw couples locked in lip-locked embraces, he had always found it disgusting and distasteful. But the kiss he had just shared was warm, wet, and surprisingly pleasant—much better than he had imagined.

Maybe it’s not so bad after all… even a bit novel and exciting?

But why can’t I stop crying…?

Am I crying because it felt so good?

Yuan Shiyuan’s thoughts drifted further and further away. To the Alpha watching him, his dazed expression suggested he was still lost in a daze, his mind blank.

Pei Yanbing’s thin lips pressed against the wetness at the corner of Yuan Shiyuan’s eye, gently pecking at the tears on his cheek.

“Don’t cry,” he murmured.

“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”

As his senses gradually returned, Pei Yanbing realized he had lost control, kissing Yuan Shiyuan again and again. Several times, Yuan Shiyuan had seemed to want to stop, whimpering and struggling with soft protests, but Pei Yanbing had silenced them all.

Yuan Shiyuan lifted his gaze slightly, his voice curious. “What exactly did you do wrong?”

Pei Yanbing paused, caught off guard by the sudden response. After careful consideration, he tentatively offered, “Was I too forceful?”

Yuan Shiyuan suddenly smiled. “Indeed, you shouldn’t have kissed so forcefully. The protagonists in these stories should keep it simple, staying on the surface. First, it’s about the awkwardness of adolescence, tentative exploration, and fear of going too deep. Second, they’re afraid of being discovered.”

He paused, then glanced at Pei Yanbing with a mischievous look. “Captain, you were really quite… aggressive.”

His lips parted and closed, releasing wisps of warm, moist breath that carried even the scent of his words.

Pei Yanbing stroked Yuan Shiyuan’s cheek, murmuring, “I’m sorry.”

Yuan Shiyuan accepted the apology.

He had gained valuable insight as well, recognizing his own weaknesses. His mouth was exceptionally sensitive; even the slightest caress of his tongue made him moan uncontrollably with pleasure.

Maintaining composure and adjusting to the aftermath in such a state proved remarkably difficult.

He was paying the price for his inexperience. Had he been more seasoned, he wouldn’t have been kissed so thoroughly.

“It’s normal to be a little awkward the first time,” Yuan Shiyuan said. “We’ll get better with practice.”

Pei Yanbing’s fingers stiffened, his ears flushing hot. “Mm.”

He gazed at Yuan Shiyuan’s damp, flushed face, yearning to lean down and lick him again, to leave his scent all over him.

But Yuan Shiyuan slapped him away, a hint of distaste in his voice. “Do you have a tissue?”

“Yes.”

“Then use it to wipe me off. My face feels sticky.”

“Alright.”

The scent he’d worked so hard to leave behind moments ago was now being erased by the Alpha himself.

Pei Yanbing took a tissue and slowly, meticulously wiped Yuan Shiyuan’s face. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a small puddle of water shimmering on the tiled floor, and lingered on the sight.

After a long hesitation, Pei Yanbing finally asked, “You…”

He trailed off again.

“Spit it out,” Yuan Shiyuan said. “Don’t drag it out.”

Pei Yanbing glanced once more at the puddle of clear liquid, its sweet, cloying scent wafting up like a soft caress.

“You…” Pei Yanbing asked softly, “Are you seeing someone?”

Yuan Shiyuan blinked, surprised. “Huh?”

“I can smell omega pheromones on you.”

The pheromone concentration in saliva is typically low, and during non-heat periods, they’re virtually undetectable unless deliberately released. Pei Yanbing had naturally tasted the pheromones in Yuan Shiyuan’s mouth, but what truly caught his attention was the glint of water on the tiled floor.

And the damp, sticky residue that clung to his palm when he lifted Yuan Shiyuan by the hips, cradling him in his arms.

Pei Yanbing raised his hand, and the bright light illuminated his palm, revealing a hand thoroughly soaked.

A translucent sheen flowed sinuously across his fingers. When his thumb and forefinger crossed and separated, a fine, stringy strand stretched between them.

Was it sweat? But it wasn’t as clear as sweat, and it carried a rich, intoxicating fragrance that stirred a primal heat within him.

As an Alpha, Pei Yanbing couldn’t mistake this scent.

Omega pheromones.

High Tier omega pheromones, moreover, perfectly matched to his own. The instant he inhaled the scent, he nearly entered a forced heat, his subconscious overwhelmed by a strange sense of submission, a desperate longing for the omega to mark him…

But why would Yuan Shiyuan carry the scent of omega pheromones?

For an Alpha to carry an Omega’s scent—and for it to linger so long—there was only one likely explanation: the Alpha had recently been intimate with an Omega, and they had exchanged temporary marks.

In that brief moment, Pei Yanbing had considered various possibilities, but this seemed the most plausible.

Yuan Shiyuan, however, looked utterly bewildered at first, then suddenly enlightened, then utterly torn between laughter and tears, and finally speechless.

Pei Yanbing truly was the team’s certified honest man.

Yuan Shiyuan adjusted his posture, settling into a comfortable position, and tilted his face up so Pei Yanbing could wipe the moisture from his face. His voice, now husky from being pampered, carried a hint of smugness. “No way.”

“The contract explicitly forbids dating Omegas or Betas. How could I possibly violate that?”

Pei Yanbing: “Then how do you explain the Omega scent on you? And all this… this liquid on the floor…”

He seemed unsure how to describe it, finally settling on a tentative, “Sweat?”

Yuan Shiyuan had never seen Pei Yanbing wear such an expression before, and found it hilariously amusing.

If I told him about my secondary differentiation now, Pei Yanbing would probably be scared stiff, wouldn’t he?

After careful consideration, Yuan Shiyuan decided to bide his time. He casually came up with an excuse: “Aren’t I supposed to be playing an Omega? The company gave me some synthetic Omega pheromone capsules to help me get into character. Once the capsules are fully absorbed, they simulate some of an Omega’s physiological responses.”

“……”

Pei Yanbing’s expression stiffened further.

He slowly glanced down, then jerked his gaze away as if burned, his eyes darting about as if unsure where to settle.

“Is that… really… leaking out?”

“Yep! Want me to show you?”

Yuan Shiyuan brazenly reached for his waistband, but Pei Yanbing’s large hand swiftly covered his.

“No need,” Pei Yanbing said. “I understand.”

Yuan Shiyuan wasn’t sure if such a product actually existed, but given the fierce competition, he figured similar capsules must be out there.

Seeing the puddle on the floor, he thought, No wonder Pei Yanbing was hemming and hawing, looking like he’d encountered some rare medical mystery. The sight had clearly exceeded the Alpha’s comprehension.

What surprised Yuan Shiyuan even more was that Pei Yanbing actually believed him—without a shred of doubt!

“You really trust me that much?” he drawled lazily.

Yuan Shiyuan’s hair was a mess, his hair tie lying on the floor, and his clips askew and out of place. Pei Yanbing neatly retied his hair, tucking stray strands behind his ear.

“You have no reason to lie to me.”

Pei Yanbing was still too naive.

Then again, if Yuan Shiyuan’s Alpha friend suddenly told him he’d differentiated into an Omega, he would have thought it was a joke too—the odds were practically nonexistent.

Yuan Shiyuan surreptitiously glanced at the water stains on the tiled floor.

Is that… too much water?

Could something be wrong?

Even Yuan Shiyuan could smell his own pheromones—a faint scent of Bluebell fruit.

But is this volume normal? Just a kiss and I’m gushing like a leaky faucet? That’s so weird…

Could it be because our compatibility is so high?

Yuan Shiyuan still remembered that tiny “schoolboy” photo. How could something so small produce such a massive amount?

If Pei Yanbing hadn’t been there, he would have pulled out his phone to check the size again.

“Captain, aren’t you uncomfortable holding me like this?”

And doesn’t Pei Yanbing have a severe phobia of germs?

“I want to hold you.”

The artificially synthesized Omega pheromones Yuan Shiyuan was emitting seemed to have a calming effect on Pei Yanbing. When he held Yuan Shiyuan, it was as if he were tightly embracing his own Omega.

His mind was consumed by the desire to drag Yuan Shiyuan into his lair, to leave his scent all over Yuan Shiyuan, inside and out.

“I want to be closer to you,” Pei Yanbing murmured.

“Aren’t we close enough already?” Yuan Shiyuan retorted, already held tight in Pei Yanbing’s arms. What more could he possibly want? Pei Yanbing might as well just take the big plunge.

If Pei Yanbing actually tried that, I’d bolt the moment he made a move.

At most, he could tolerate a temporary mark. The real deal? Absolutely not. I’d choke on it.

“Not close enough…”

Pei Yanbing felt deeply insecure.

Yuan Shiyuan’s pheromone scent was usually faint, but perhaps because of the concentrated dose, combined with their high compatibility, the Omega pheromone became intensely clear, overwhelming his senses.

Even though Pei Yanbing knew it was an artificially synthesized Omega pheromone capsule, holding Yuan Shiyuan ignited a visceral longing within him.

He felt like an Alpha deprived of comfort, desperate to cling to his Omega at every step.

I want to hold your hand. I want to hug you. I want to touch your warm skin endlessly.

“I want to hold you,” Pei Yanbing murmured, nuzzling Yuan Shiyuan’s hair and accidentally dislodging the newly pinned hairpin.

Who knew the usually aloof and distant captain was such a clingy softie in private?

“Then give me a massage while you’re at it.”

Perfect timing. Yuan Shiyuan hadn’t massaged his sore muscles after dance practice, and since Pei Yanbing wanted to get closer, he could massage his legs.

He rolled up his pant legs, revealing calves so pale they were almost blinding, flushed with a faint pink. “Just the calves will do.”

Definitely not the thighs, he thought. If Pei Yanbing accidentally pressed his gland, the little water tap might open again.

Pei Yanbing blinked in surprise. “Okay.”

With that, his large hands gently covered Yuan Shiyuan’s calves, his palms gliding across the smooth skin. The pressure was neither too light nor too firm, but just right to knead away the soreness from hours of dancing.

Yuan Shiyuan’s toes curled inward involuntarily, and the fingers clutching the Alpha’s chest relaxed and flexed, clearly enjoying the sensation.

Only when the soreness in his legs had eased somewhat did Yuan Shiyuan finally stand up to pack his things, ready to call it a night and head back to the dormitory.

Pei Yanbing beat him to it, springing to his feet and packing Yuan Shiyuan’s belongings. He even tidied up the dance studio, not missing a single water stain on the floor.

“Let’s go,” Pei Yanbing said, slinging Yuan Shiyuan’s backpack over his shoulder and falling into step beside him. “I’ll walk you back.”

“I know the way now…”

“It’s no problem. I’ll walk you home,” Pei Yanbing repeated, his tone carrying an obstinate refusal to take no for an answer.

Yuan Shiyuan was indeed a bit directionally challenged, but he had deliberately familiarized himself with the company’s layout and now had a solid grasp of its internal map.

He never forgot the routes to frequently visited places like his office, the dance studio, or the dormitory, and he certainly didn’t need anyone to escort him.

But he couldn’t refuse his captain’s good intentions.

As they walked down the nighttime corridor side by side, their close proximity caused their shadows to nearly merge, forming an intimate silhouette that seemed to intertwine.

When they reached the dormitory entrance, Yuan Shiyuan suddenly stopped.

A transparent box stood by the door, housing a life-sized plush doll.

Beside the box, Jiang Heng leaned against the wall, his black bangs falling over his sharp eyebrows, partially obscuring his eyes.

He stood there silently, quietly observing the pair approaching side by side, his gaze sweeping over Yuan Shiyuan’s slightly disheveled hair, flushed cheeks, and swollen lips before settling on the backpack Pei Yanbing was carrying—Yuan Shiyuan’s backpack.

Attached to the strap of the Alpha’s backpack hung a familiar little plush doll—the one Jiang Heng recognized instantly.