Pretending to Be an Alpha in an All-Alpha Boy Band - Chapter 72
Chapter 72: Heart Rate
“What else could it be?” Yuan Shiyuan clapped Pei Yanbing on the shoulder, the gesture neither too forceful nor too gentle. “You just finished your susceptible period, right? It’s normal to get reality mixed up during that time. Your memories might be muddled—don’t overthink it.”
“I’m an Alpha, after all!” he emphasized again.
Pei Yanbing remained silent for a long moment before murmuring, “You’re right.”
Even if Yuan Shiyuan were an Omega, how could he possibly have willingly parted his knees, allowed Pei Yanbing to mark him, and indulged so many outrageous acts?
The events in his dream were so absurd they felt ridiculous even to himself. Yet Yuan Shiyuan had unconditionally accepted him, letting him run wild…
Pei Yanbing lowered his gaze.
It was all just wishful thinking after all.
Yuan Shiyuan couldn’t believe he’d managed to weasel his way out of this mess.
Still, seeing the hurt and sadness on Pei Yanbing’s face stirred a pang of guilt in his heart.
Ah, who knew I had a talent for being a scumbag?
It wasn’t that Yuan Shiyuan didn’t want to tell the truth, but the humiliating scene from that night was too embarrassing. He’d only received a temporary mark, and without even being touched, he’d completely lost control…
The Little Pink Rod had fallen early, but the Wolf-Tooth Club stubbornly held its ground.
The contrast was too stark for Yuan Shiyuan to bear. How could he possibly admit that his Little Pink Rod was so easily defeated?
“What are you two doing here?”
Bo Jin, fresh from his workout, emerged from the other end of the corridor, a damp towel slung around his neck.
Seeing another Alpha, he automatically entered “jealous husband” mode, his sharp gaze scanning between the two.
“I was practicing the piano, and the captain happened to pass by, so we chatted a bit.”
Just as he finished speaking, Xiao Huang’s voice called from the other side: “Shiyuan, I finally found you!”
“There’s someone at the door claiming to be your younger brother. Is that true?”
Yuan Shiyuan glanced at the photo Xiao Huang held out. “Yes, he’s my brother.”
“Alright, I’ll bring him in.”
Initially, Xiao Huang had been wary of Yuan Shize’s imposing physique, suspecting he might be some kind of perverted “dream A.” He hadn’t readily accepted Yuan Shize’s explanation.
The area around Starry Night Entertainment Company was always swarming with people: fans hoping to catch a glimpse of their idols, scalpers snapping photos to sell, and those dreaded Sasaengs… Caution was essential.
Before long, Yuan Shize was brought in.
He was wearing a black eSports team T-shirt, but a loose school uniform jacket hung over it, sweat glistening at his temples.
Yuan Shize strode directly toward Yuan Shiyuan, his long arms sweeping him into a tight embrace, murmuring, “Brother.”
“It’s so hard to see you,” he buried his face in his brother’s neck, his voice tinged with a hint of hurt. “You don’t reply to my messages, and the security guards keep stopping me.”
Yuan Shize had texted Yuan Shiyuan but received no response. He had lingered near the company, trying to reason with the security guards and staff, but they all turned him away.
If Xiao Huang hadn’t noticed him later, he might not have been able to see Yuan Shiyuan at all today.
Yuan Shiyuan was completely enveloped in his younger brother’s embrace, from head to toe.
Sensing his brother’s unease, he wrapped his arms around his brother’s waist, gently patting his back in a soothing rhythm, as if comforting a child.
His voice softened further, becoming even more tender. “I was practicing my dance earlier, and my phone was on Do Not Disturb mode. I didn’t see your messages…”
“It won’t happen again,” Yuan Shiyuan promised, lifting his hand to gently wipe the sweat from his brother’s jaw with his slender, pale fingers. “Is it very hot outside?”
Yuan Shize glanced up at his brother’s face before quickly burying his face in the crook of Shiyuan’s neck, clinging like an affectionate, oversized dog.
“It’s not hot anymore now that I’m with you, Brother,” he murmured.
“Now I can finally rest for a bit,” Yuan Shiyuan said, suddenly noticing Bo Jin and Pei Yanbing standing to either side, their dark gazes fixed on them with an unsettling intensity, as if scrutinizing a male intruder trespassing on their territory.
Yuan Shiyuan patted his younger brother’s waist, signaling him to release his hold. Yuan Shize immediately let go and lowered his head attentively to listen.
“This is my younger brother, Xiao Ze,” Yuan Shiyuan said, turning to the other two Alphas. “This is Brother Bo Jin, and this is Brother Pei Yanbing, who’s also our captain.”
“They’ve always taken good care of me and been very kind. Remember to greet them properly.”
Yuan Shize had initially planned to ignore them completely. But at his brother’s words, he obediently greeted them: “Hello, Brother Bo, Brother Pei. Thank you for looking after my brother. I appreciate your hard work.”
His expression and tone sounded genuinely sincere, but among Alphas, hostility is always subtly perceived. Rather than a proper greeting, it felt more like a declaration of dominance.
“So, this is your brother,” Bo Jin remarked, sweeping a glance over Yuan Shize. “You two look nothing alike.”
This younger brother was built like an ox—how could Yuan Shiyuan be so petite? With such a stark size difference, who would ever guess that Yuan Shiyuan was the older brother?
Yuan Shiyuan: “Even if we don’t look alike, we’re still brothers.”
Bo Jin turned into the dance studio to pick up Yuan Shiyuan’s backpack when a hand immediately shot out in front of him, as if trying to snatch it away.
He jerked the backpack back, his gaze instantly turning cold.
Yuan Shize smiled sweetly. “I’ve always helped my brother with his things, Brother Bo. I wouldn’t want to trouble you; I can handle it.”
Yuan Shize’s hand remained suspended in mid-air as their eyes locked.
“No need,” Bo Jin said, casually slinging Yuan Shiyuan’s backpack over his arm. He glanced down with satisfaction at the little plush doll—the one he’d given Yuan Shiyuan—peeking out from the buckle.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Turning to Yuan Shiyuan, he asked with casual familiarity, “Heading back to the dorm later?”
“You should go ahead,” Yuan Shiyuan replied. “I’m a bit hungry and want to grab something to eat.” He guessed his younger brother hadn’t eaten either.
“Oh, I’m hungry too,” Bo Jin chimed in smoothly. “Together?”
“Sure,” Yuan Shiyuan raised an eyebrow. “Treat’s on you?”
“When have I ever let you foot the bill?” Bo Jin retorted, a hint of pride in his voice.
The two chatted and teased each other, their voices intertwining.
Yuan Shize stood beside them, his fingers slowly tightening into a fist.
He could tell that Yuan Shiyuan and this Alpha shared an extraordinary bond—the kind of natural intimacy that only time could cultivate.
Yuan Shize recognized him instantly as Yuan Shiyuan’s roommate.
The roommate he lived with, sharing every day and night.
Yuan Shize interjected, “How could we let Brother Bo treat us? We’re already troubling you by being here.”
“Let me handle it.”
If the other man hadn’t been Yuan Shiyuan’s brother, Bo Jin wouldn’t have bothered responding. But out of respect for Yuan Shiyuan, he patiently explained, “I don’t have the habit of letting others pay for me.”
“Let him treat us. He’s got that big-A chauvinism going on. We’ll humor him,” Yuan Shiyuan said with a smile, then turned to Pei Yanbing, who had been silent the entire time. “Captain, are you joining us?”
Pei Yanbing seemed taken aback by the invitation, especially the direct question. A flash of surprise and a hint of flattered delight flickered in his eyes.
“Yes,” he replied. “Thank you for the invitation.”
Throughout the meal, Bo Jin kept a close eye on the two brothers, especially Yuan Shize.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that Yuan Shiyuan’s younger brother was up to no good. Yet, strangely, Yuan Shize showed Yuan Shiyuan unquestioning obedience.
Too intimate.
The intimacy made Bo Jin inexplicably uneasy.
The restaurant.
Bo Jin had just set down Yuan Shiyuan’s backpack and was about to help pull out his chair when Pei Yanbing reached for the menu to hand it to Yuan Shiyuan first.
But the newcomer Alpha snatched both tasks away.
Yuan Shize sat beside Yuan Shiyuan, meticulously wiping his hands with a tissue, leaving no crevice untouched. He moved with the practiced efficiency of an Imperial eunuch, attending to Yuan Shiyuan’s every need, large or small.
Having been pampered like this since childhood, Yuan Shiyuan naturally extended his hand, a gesture clearly rehearsed countless times.
After wiping Yuan Shiyuan’s fingers, Yuan Shize lowered his head to sniff his fingertips, ensuring they were clean, before taking a lotion-infused tissue to dry off any lingering moisture.
Bo Jin’s gaze was complex. “Your younger brother seems quite devoted to you.”
Yuan Shiyuan lifted his chin proudly. “Of course! He’s my only brother.”
Even after being praised, Yuan Shize remained humble. He continued setting out Yuan Shiyuan’s utensils with fluid motions, as if he had rehearsed the routine countless times.
Pei Yanbing, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up. “Your watches… are they the same model?”
As Yuan Shize busied himself, the black sports watch on his wrist and the white one on Yuan Shiyuan’s wrist were clearly from the same series.
Yuan Shiyuan froze for a moment, then nodded, lifting his wrist to shake it slightly. “Yeah, we have the same watch model. It’s an older brand, though. I find many of its features pretty useless, to be honest.”
“I think the watch is great,” Yuan Shize murmured. “I especially like checking your step count, Brother, and guessing what you’ve been doing all day.”
Who were you with? What did you do? How long did you spend with them? How many people were there? Did you have fun?…
These unspoken questions churned in his heart, relying solely on the data from the sports watch for repeated speculation.
Bo Jin frowned. “Your watches can share each other’s step counts?”
“Yep. Pretty useless feature, right?” Yuan Shiyuan said. “Once we paired and connected, we could see each other’s heart rate, step count, and stuff like that.”
“I mean, what’s the point?”
After pairing their sports watches, Yuan Shiyuan and Yuan Shize could see each other’s daily heart rate, step count, and other data. But Yuan Shiyuan had never bothered checking Yuan Shize’s data.
First, he wasn’t curious about what his younger brother did each day. Second, what was the point of seeing his heart rate or step count anyway?
Yuan Shiyuan couldn’t even be bothered to check his own data. At most, he’d glance at it during workouts to adjust his routine accordingly.
“That’s rather unusual,” Bo Jin remarked, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he studied Yuan Shize with curious eyes. “Aren’t young people these days fiercely protective of their privacy? Your brother’s actually willing to share all this with you?”
Yuan Shize met his gaze without hesitation, a cryptic smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “My brother and I don’t need privacy between us.”
Yuan Shiyuan waved his hand dismissively. “My brother’s just a bit different. He’s clingy.”
It wasn’t just that Yuan Shize didn’t need privacy; he seemed to long to bare every secret to Yuan Shiyuan. Yuan Shiyuan couldn’t fathom how his younger brother could be so insecure.
“Is that so?” Bo Jin asked.
Bo Jin, however, remained unconvinced.
Seeing Yuan Shiyuan’s obvious leniency toward his brother, he decided not to press the matter further, lest he upset Yuan Shiyuan.
When the conversation shifted to sports watches, Yuan Shize suddenly gripped his brother’s hand, his tone turning serious. “Brother, have you been pushing yourself too hard lately? Is the company keeping you too busy?”
Yuan Shiyuan paused to consider. “Not really, I guess?”
“Are you sure? You seem so tired lately.” Yuan Shize frowned, anxiously holding a piece of fruit to Yuan Shiyuan’s lips. “Your heart rate has always been remarkably stable, but recently it’s been spiking and dropping several times.”
Yuan Shiyuan opened his mouth to bite the fruit, juice dribbling down his chin. He drawled languidly, “How much fluctuation are we talking about?”
Spiking and dropping? Maybe it’s just the heat. I haven’t been doing anything special lately—just dance practice and…
“Massive fluctuations. My sports watch has been buzzing constantly to warn me.”
Yuan Shize remembered the specific times vividly. He paused, then stated clearly, “On the 14th at 9 PM, and again on the 16th at 1:30 PM… your heart rate kept spiking. It’s been relatively stable the past couple of days, but what’s really strange is what happened last night.”
“Your heart rate fluctuated wildly last night.”
“It started becoming unstable around 10 PM, steadily rising until around 2 AM, when it spiked to an alarming level. What were you doing then? Were you pushing yourself too hard in training…?”
“Wait, what time was that again?”
Before the words had even left his lips, Pei Yanbing, who had been silent until then, suddenly snapped his head up.
He stared intently at Yuan Shiyuan, as if seeking confirmation of a crucial answer, his usually cold voice trembling slightly.
“2 AM?”
Pei Yanbing’s reaction drew Bo Jin’s probing gaze. “Last night? High heart rate?”
The “last night” Yuan Shize mentioned coincided precisely with the period when Yuan Shiyuan had suddenly gone unreachable and was later seen flirting with Ying Mingxi.
The three Alphas turned their gazes on Yuan Shiyuan simultaneously, like an invisible net closing in. Trapped in the center, Yuan Shiyuan stood frozen, suddenly jolted awake by the realization.
Around 2 AM…
That was exactly when Pei Yanbing had bitten his gland, flooded him with pheromones, and temporarily marked him.