Chapter 2

The office.

The agent watched as the pair’s attitudes grew warmer by the minute. He kept a smile plastered on his face, but inwardly, he couldn’t help grumbling. They were too young, utterly clueless about the viper’s nest they’d just crawled into.

But he was just a company drone. It wasn’t his job to care.

Seated on the sofa, the agent laid out the company’s perks for them, his sales pitch a masterclass in empty promises that glossed over every ugly truth. Sweet-talking newbies was an art he’d perfected—he had them right where he wanted them.

Yu Sui couldn’t have cared less, so he tuned most of it out.

Shen Anliu, on the other hand, kept stealing glances at the young man beside him, fighting to steady his racing heart while holding himself stiff as a board.

“Once you’ve had a chance to look everything over, go ahead and sign,” the agent said at last.

Neither of them bothered scrutinizing the contract. They just scrawled their names on it—a deed of servitude, plain and simple.

“Perfect, since you’re both rookies, how about bunking together in the dorms?” The agent admired the signed papers with satisfaction, his tone turning downright affable.

Shen Anliu perked up at that and snuck another peek at Yu Sui. “Whatever works.”

His voice came out barely above a whisper.

Yu Sui simply nodded.

The agent called over a staffer to show them to their room.

Every male group trainee had a bunk in the company dorms, but break out and you’d upgrade to a swanky company apartment, lifestyle leaping straight to the top—like TYE’s three members, who no longer slummed it on-site.

The staffer took note of their amenable personalities and shared the agent’s private eye-roll, but on the surface, he was all business, running down the essentials.

The cafeteria was here, practice rooms on that floor, daily training schedule like this, and so on.

Shen Anliu bobbed his head emphatically, memorizing every word.

Yu Sui ignored it entirely.

He was busy running the plot by the System.

Just like in the original story, he was rooming with the protagonist shou. Close quarters ought to turn up some dirt on this alpha—maybe a secret sister-in-law, the kind of videos he jerked off to, or those borderline Omega clips he liked online in stealth mode.

But Shen Anliu was just too damn pure. Unable to stomach it, he’d start undermining him behind the scenes.

Their dorm wasn’t half bad.

Two single beds flanked a low cabinet, with a shared wardrobe nearby. The desk came with a computer, plus some music equipment setups. The bathroom was compact but had a proper dry-wet divide—no awkward mishaps.

“Um, you want to grab your luggage?”

They’d handed their bags to reception on arrival. Now that they’d scoped the room, it was time to claim them.

Shen Anliu made the effort to chat, trying to play it cool.

Yu Sui found him a touch odd but couldn’t put his finger on why. “Sure.”

Step one: fake a friendship. It’d make rifling through his stuff later a breeze.

Shen Anliu turned chatty on the short walk downstairs, spilling his entire life story.

Yu Sui stared in disbelief. Did the guy have zero sense of caution?

Ding—

The elevator doors slid open.

Both of them froze mid-step.

“Hello, seniors,” Shen Anliu recovered first, greeting them politely.

Yu Sui merely arched a brow, eyeing TYE’s trio.

Jiang Nianxing had one hand in his pocket, the other clutching his phone as he stared down at the screen, engrossed in something.

Flanking him were TYE’s captain, He Baiyan, and Lu Jinxia—faces Yu Sui had seen plastered all over the internet.

He Baiyan had jet-black hair framing sharp, piercing features. His cool gaze and thin lips gave off an unapproachable chill, his all-black outfit lending him a somber, enigmatic air—miles from Jiang Nianxing’s youthful vibe.

Leaning against the elevator wall, half-facing the doors, Lu Jinxia sported shoulder-length blue hair tied in a low ponytail. Stray bangs veiled half his expression, leaving only a glimpse of his flawless jawline and the curve of his smirking red lips.

He looked approachable enough.

But Yu Sui knew better. None of these guys were pushovers. Then again, neither was the role he was playing.

“Where are you two headed?” Jiang Nianxing asked, surprise flickering across his face as he pocketed his phone.

“Down to get our luggage,” Shen Anliu replied obediently.

Yu Sui frowned slightly but pressed his lips together, saying nothing.

“Well, we’ll all be in the same group soon enough,” Lu Jinxia chimed in, glancing their way. “We should help each other out.”

Shen Anliu blinked in surprise, then beamed gratefully. “Thank you, seniors.”

“No need to stand on ceremony.” Lu Jinxia waved it off. “Just use our names.”

He introduced himself.

“I know you! I’ve seen so many of your stages online,” Shen Anliu gushed, rattling off his favorite performances.

Lu Jinxia’s smile faltered for a split second.

To an alpha like him, those were black marks on his pride. Schmoozing for fans was a blow to the ego.

Yu Sui sensed trouble brewing. His back went rigid as he shot a worried glance at Shen Anliu, still blabbering away. What if he hadn’t even started scheming yet, and the protagonist gong beat him to the punch out of sheer pride?

He reached out and gripped Shen Anliu’s arm, his tone laced with impatience. “Shen Anliu, are we getting that luggage or what?”

“Oh, right.” Shen Anliu flushed, embarrassed. He ducked his head, staring at Yu Sui’s hand.

Slender and pale, it radiated warmth through the thin fabric.

His cheeks heated up, and he shifted uncomfortably, blinking but saying nothing about pulling away.

Lu Jinxia was busy reining in his own feelings and missed the exchange. He Baiyan ignored the world around him entirely, simply shifting aside to avoid any contact.

Jiang Nianxing, however, stared at the pair, his expression probing.

What was up with this Shen Anliu?

They stepped into the elevator, and Yu Sui let go.

Truth be told, sharing a cramped box with multiple alphas felt oppressive.

Alphas clustered together naturally exuded hostility.

Betas were too dense to suffer much fallout, but Yu Sui could feel it—a sensitive beta through and through.

He fished his phone from his pocket, mulling over some side quests.

These were insurance for when he inevitably got exposed and they came for him.

The elevator hit the first floor.

The five of them filed out.

Passing staff couldn’t help stealing glances.

No surprise there—every one of them was stunning, whether by idol standards or even among alphas.

Yu Sui lagged a step behind, plotting how to drop a snide remark, but the moment never came.

Too many employees around. It made him antsy, but he had to play the arrogant type, so he was screaming inside.

“Isn’t this task insane? Dropping me into a role like this right out the gate—way too hard,” Yu Sui thought, struggling to keep his face neutral.

[The first task is always random,] the System explained. [Complete it, and you can make a request to HQ.]

“Seriously?” Yu Sui blinked in surprise.

[Top-tier Hosts deserve perks. It’s only fair,] the System replied.

Yu Sui’s interest piqued.

They reached the first-floor storage room for luggage.

A bunch of other newbies were already inside.

Jiang Nianxing and company barely registered them, not batting an eye.

Shen Anliu gawked. He sidled up to Yu Sui. “Didn’t expect such a crowd. We’re lucky to have made the cut.”

Yu Sui shot him an idiot stare.

“What?” Shen Anliu asked, puzzled.

Yu Sui ruffled his hair. “You’re just too cute.”

Endearingly naive.

Shen Anliu went rigid, his ears burning. “Wh-what are you…”

Yu Sui pulled his hand back and glanced up—to find Jiang Nianxing staring.

He paused. What?

Baffled, he consulted the System.

[He’s probably jealous,] it guessed.

“Huh?” Yu Sui blinked. How’d they get there?

[You’ve only crossed paths a few times, but next to you, the protagonist shou stands out even more—like blank paper, pure and warm as a little sun. Love at first sight? Totally plausible,] the System explained.

“You think?” Yu Sui said dubiously.

[What else would catch his eye?] it shot back.

Fair enough.

Yu Sui bought it.

He located his two suitcases. Ever the gracious senior, the now-composed Lu Jinxia stepped up to help with Yu Sui’s.

“No need.” A hardcore alpha-hater like him? No way he’d accept a single favor.

Yu Sui reached to take it back. Their hands overlapped.

Both froze.

Warmth seeped into the back of Lu Jinxia’s hand. His pupils contracted, shock rippling through him.

“What are you two doing?”

Jiang Nianxing had found Shen Anliu’s bag. He saw the guy standing there dumbfounded, frozen in that dopey pose.

Meanwhile, Yu Sui and the other were pressed close, hands clasped.

He was baffled. Why was everyone acting so weird?

Yu Sui snapped to and yanked his hand free, his face twisting in revulsion.

Lu Jinxia withdrew his fingers, shoving them into his pocket. The shock still churned inside him.

He had a secret: alpha-phobia.

Any physical contact with an alpha made him want to puke—a purely psychological thing, no outward signs.

To keep the company from exploiting it as a gimmick, Lu Jinxia hid it well—even from his bandmates.

But touching Yu Sui’s hand just now? Nothing. No reaction.

He stood there, stunned.

Watching Yu Sui hoist both suitcases and head for the door, Lu Jinxia clenched his fingers slightly.

Was his alpha-phobia… cured?

Testing it, he sidled up to Jiang Nianxing and clapped him on the arm.

“What?” Jiang Nianxing asked, puzzled.

“Nothing.” Lu Jinxia pulled back, choking down the nausea as he shook his head.

Watching his bandmate hurry off, Jiang Nianxing scratched his head in confusion. He leaned toward He Baiyan, who stood by coolly observing the gawking new trainees. “What’s up with Lu Jinxia today?”

“I don’t know,” He Baiyan replied coldly.

Jiang Nianxing choked on his words and stopped trying to make small talk, instead going to remind Shen Anliu to hurry up and leave.

Lu Jinxia went to the bathroom, closed and locked the door behind him, his expression grim as he washed his hands.

His palms were rubbed red.

He furrowed his brows and lowered his head, sinking into deep thought. Why wasn’t he repulsed by Yu Sui?

Could his alpha phobia even have levels?

Yu Sui returned to the dormitory first, ignoring the luggage. He went to wash his hands first, then used that troll account to post another rant about alphas.

——Alpha’s hands are filthy.

Soon, several comments told him not to generalize from one instance.

There were even a few comments that were utterly explosive, with their like counts continuously rising.

[Where are you touching me? Do you think I’m dirty?]

[Got you?]

Yu Sui saw this comment and widened his eyes. “Holy shit! What the hell!”

He was so scared that he threw his phone away.

Plop—

The phone spun once in the air, landed flat, and the screen cracked.

Yu Sui: What is this thing aaaah!

Shen Anliu: He held my hand~ and said I’m cute, hehe.

He Baiyan: Cold——

Lu Jinxia: Aren’t I alpha-phobic? Why don’t I feel repulsed? Could my illness be stuck at a certain level?

Jiang Nianxing: You guys are all so weird.