Chapter 8: The Beta Who Hates Alphas

Immediately, their gazes turned hostile.

Shen Anliu caught the agitated pheromones wafting from them and felt utterly puzzled.

The hairs on the back of Yu Sui’s neck stood on end. He still couldn’t smell a thing, but he sensed an invisible pressure bearing down on him. Was this what it meant to be near an Alpha?

“Let’s go,” He Baiyan said, noticing Yu Sui’s discomfort and cutting in. “If we’re late, it’ll be hard to explain to the manager.”

The other Alphas reined in their pheromones at his words, though their expressions remained exceedingly sour.

It was clear they hated the company just as much, but there was nothing they could do about it.

They made their way down the long corridor, each team filing into different rooms.

Their manager was Chen Qing, Star Sea Entertainment’s head honcho.

“You’ve arrived,” he said, gesturing for them to take a seat.

They all crammed onto the sofa.

Physical contact was inevitable.

Yu Sui had Captain He Baiyan on his left and Shen Anliu on his right. He much preferred being next to Shen Anliu, so he scooted over toward him.

Leg pressed against leg, arm brushing arm.

Shen Anliu went rigid, his ears turning scorching hot. He couldn’t believe Yu Sui was leaning into him of his own accord.

Jiang Nianxing caught the scene and felt another shock ripple through him. What was going on with his teammates?

He Baiyan noticed the young man’s instinctive avoidance and pursed his lips.

The manager took in their looks with evident satisfaction.

“How’s the team chemistry coming along? What about practice on the group song?”

“Not bad,” He Baiyan replied.

“Good,” the manager said with a nod. “We squashed yesterday’s hot search, but the backlash against the company hasn’t let up. The bosses upstairs want to divert some attention.”

Everyone turned to look at the manager.

“The fans haven’t gotten a look at the new members yet, so the company’s set up a live stream for you in three days,” Chen Qing added. “Any objections?”

Jiang Nianxing thought to himself that raising any would probably do jack squat.

They all shook their heads.

The manager nodded. “Get yourselves ready, especially you two newcomers. First impressions matter a ton when you’re stepping into the public eye.”

Shen Anliu clenched his hands nervously and nodded with vigor. “I got it.”

Yu Sui frowned, however. The live stream was coming sooner than it had in the original plot, which meant his big moment of embarrassment would hit earlier too.

The thought of leaving such a vivid mark on everyone online and at the company made Yu Sui curl his toes in mortification.

“No need to stress,” Jiang Nianxing said, seeing the lost look on his face and offering some reassurance.

Watching them interact so amiably only made the manager more pleased.

He went over a few more details after that, then sent the team interaction plans and performance lineup to the captain for internal review.

He Baiyan skimmed it and forwarded it to the group chat.

They kept straight faces as they left the office, but the moment they were out, their expressions darkened.

Singing games, You Draw I Guess, and the QueerbaitingPairing.

The company was pushing it further and further. There’d never been that last one before—Alphas not outright repelling each other was already something to be grateful for. How were feelings supposed to develop like that?

As those thoughts crossed their minds, their eyes turned to Yu Sui in unison.

Lu Jinxia pinched his fingers. If he had to pick someone, it’d be Yu Sui—that way, he could treat his condition on the side.

Jiang Nianxing averted his gaze, feeling oddly sheepish. He figured he’d talk it over with Yu Sui privately.

He Baiyan didn’t hesitate for a second. He thought it’d be fun, especially since Yu Sui loathed Alphas so much but would have no choice but to get close.

He was already looking forward to the young man’s reaction.

Shen Anliu’s cheeks flushed pink as he stole glances at Yu Sui. It’d give him a legitimate excuse to get near him, though he wasn’t sure if Yu Sui would go for it.

Yu Sui wasn’t even thinking about it. He had bad deeds to commit soon enough, and the Queerbaitingplot was just there to spark feelings between the protagonist shou and his leads—what did it have to do with a cannon fodder like him?

“Tomorrow we’ll sort out the live stream segments,” He Baiyan said.

They nodded and dispersed, each lost in their own thoughts.

Shen Anliu trailed behind Yu Sui the whole way, mulling over his words. It wasn’t until they were back at the dorm that he worked up the nerve. “Yu Sui.”

“Hm?” Yu Sui looked puzzled.

“The company’s plans include a segment where you have to pair up with an Alpha. Can I be the one to interact with you?” Shen Anliu couldn’t bring himself to utter “Queerbaiting,” terrified of the rejection.

“Huh?” Yu Sui blinked in surprise. “With me?”

This wasn’t how it went in the plot. He queried the system anxiously.

[He’s just too nice,] the system sighed. [He figures no one else will pair with you, so he’s stepping up to take the hit.]

“No wonder he’s Little Angel,” Yu Sui murmured in agreement.

[But you can’t say yes. You have to humiliate him,] the system instructed. [Then buy those clothes to frame him and chip away at his goodwill bit by bit.]

“Man, I’m awful.”

Yu Sui grumbled inwardly while giving Shen Anliu a critical once-over.

The young man stood ramrod straight, his face burning as tension gripped him. “Wh-what are you looking at?”

“You think you’re worthy of partnering with me?” Yu Sui said coolly, his voice dripping with disdain.

Shen Anliu went pale. “I… I’m sorry.”

Seeing no spark of anger—just pure hurt—left a sour taste in Yu Sui’s mouth, but he forced himself to double down. “Quit acting like the victim here, okay? I told you already: you’re all low-tier Alphas. What’s with the fake act now? Planning to squeeze out a few tears on camera and cry that I’m bullying you?”

Shen Anliu’s lips trembled, his voice faint. “I’d never think that. I just want to be friends with you.”

He didn’t dare dream of anything more.

“I don’t need friends who are low-tier Alphas,” Yu Sui scoffed.

“Then… can I be your sidekick?” Shen Anliu knew it sounded pathetic, but he couldn’t bear the thought of no connection at all.

Yu Sui stared in astonishment. “What the—? He just takes it lying down?”

[Alphas have innate rank suppression and hero worship for superiors. That’s probably it—hard to explain otherwise. Agree,] the system said. [He hasn’t bonded with you deeply yet. Once he uncovers your repeated setups, that rose-tinted view shatters, flipping him from angel to devil.]

“But in the original plot…” Yu Sui felt uneasy. Their relationship hadn’t been anywhere near this chummy.

[Relax. The more he idolizes you now, the more he’ll hate you when the truth hits. Way harsher than the original.]

That sealed it for Yu Sui, his heart plummeting as his scalp prickled at the thought of his own grim fate. “You wanna be my little bro?”

“Can I?” Shen Anliu’s eyes lit up at the lack of outright refusal.

That eager gaze was pure admiration, no doubt.

Too bad.

Yu Sui sighed to himself. “Fine, but you do what I say. No questioning my decisions.”

A bunch of sabotage missions for the protagonist shou popped into his head. With this guy as his lackey, they’d be a breeze.

“Sure thing,” Shen Anliu agreed without a second thought.

Yu Sui ordered some takeout and settled at his desk, pulling up his phone to buy those clothes.

The fabric was some freakish material that ripped at the slightest tug, yet looked perfectly normal when worn. Totally unscientific.

But hey, in this world, men could get pregnant. He shook his head to clear it and focused on prepping for the tasks ahead.