[He’s still hung up on that accidental intimate moment between you two,] the System said.
Yu Sui arched a brow. “No interest.”
Shen Anliu studied him closely. Had Jiang Nianxing gotten the wrong person?
Still, the whole thing reminded him that plenty of people were eyeing Yu Sui. He needed to do something about it.
Seeing Shen Anliu head silently to the shower without a word, Yu Sui pursed his lips and went back to scrolling videos.
“Bro.”
At the sound of his voice, Yu Sui instinctively looked over—only to see his roommate emerging all fresh and dripping from the bathroom.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Yu Sui jumped, his face twisting in horror.
“Bro, take a look at me.” Shen Anliu mustered his courage and stepped forward. He wanted to spark some interest in Yu Sui.
Yu Sui yanked the blanket over his head. “Are you out of your mind? Coming out buck naked!”
Shen Anliu got even more aroused from the scolding. He licked his parched lips, ears flushing bright red. “Bro, ain’t I packing?”
The words were pure provocation. Yu Sui ignored his momentary blindness and flung off the blanket, glaring daggers. “You trying to pick a fight with me?”
What man could stand for that kind of taunt?
“I’m not…” Shen Anliu hurried to explain, his gaze flickering away, voice dropping lower. “I just wanted you to see me. I… I can help you with… all sorts of problems…”
Yu Sui froze. What the hell?
“What are you even talking about?”
“You got no feelings for me at all?” Shen Anliu stared at the blanket, trying to read something from it.
“I’m not into guys. I hate alphas. You doing this on purpose to gross me out!” Yu Sui burrowed back under the covers.
Shen Anliu went pale. He’d confessed his feelings before, and the young man had even bought him clothes. How had things flipped now?
He dressed in silence and climbed into bed.
Yu Sui was convinced: Shen Anliu was doing it on purpose, just to crush his self-esteem.
Damn it!
Before turning in, Yu Sui made a quick trip to the bathroom. Suddenly, Shen Anliu—who had his eyes closed—sat bolt upright and snatched Yu Sui’s phone from the nightstand.
The unease in his heart spread like wildfire. He switched accounts, and upon seeing that name, Shen Anliu’s mind went blank with a deafening buzz.
Jiang Nianxing was telling the truth.
Was Yu Sui’s impatience because he’d fallen for someone new?
He bit his lip, forcing himself to stay calm as he logged into the account. It had only added one person: Jiang Nianxing.
A sour ache twisted in his gut. What special treatment.
Suddenly, it all clicked. He set the phone down, his heart burning with resentment.
Yawning, Yu Sui shuffled back to bed and rolled over to sleep.
Shen Anliu, however, lay wide awake.
He turned over all sorts of thoughts in his mind. Maybe Yu Sui had joined the company for Jiang Nianxing. Why else jump into the fire pit?
But his attitude before had been so different. Was it that thing from earlier in the day?
His teammates hadn’t shared the details.
But alphas in their susceptible period got it. Even if it hadn’t gone all the way, it must have…
Was that why? Did Yu Sui think Jiang Nianxing was skilled in bed, and that’s why he was interested?
Shen Anliu sat up, swallowing hard. He slipped stealthily under Yu Sui’s covers.
In the darkness, his hands trembled, eyes gleaming. He lifted Yu Sui’s shirt and began planting kisses.
Shen Anliu wasn’t a natural-born alpha. He’d never been through a susceptible period or learned how it worked.
Right now, he was just fumbling blindly.
He thought of the marks on Yu Sui’s body and jealously covered them one by one.
In his drowsy haze, Yu Sui felt a weight settle in his arms, accompanied by an itch.
He frowned, trying to shift away, but a sharp tug made him wince in pain.
Wait—
Yu Sui’s eyes snapped open. “You… Shen Anliu!”
His voice cracked. He wanted to move but didn’t dare.
The swallowing sounds in the dead of night were so blatant, so mortifying.
Yet to Yu Sui, it was terrifying.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Ignoring the pain, he grabbed at the head in his lap.
Shen Anliu said nothing, just kept sucking away.
Yu Sui’s face contorted. “Get off!”
He mentally screamed for the System.
Shen Anliu went rigid. He released his mouth, got up, and flicked on the bedside lamp. Sitting there beside him, his eyes were red-rimmed.
Yu Sui felt like spitting blood. Now he was the one looking aggrieved?
“You… to me?!” He glanced down at his already mottled skin, now even more pitiful.
[Host… ahh!] The System let out a shriek. [Why’s there a mosaic on you?]
Yu Sui explained in a few hasty words. “He was doing that to me…”
[The protagonist shou’s gone twisted too,] the System sighed.
“That’s not just any kind of twisted.” Yu Sui’s expression turned pitch-black.
[He wanted to cover up Jiang Nianxing’s hickeys,] the System explained.
“Huh?” Yu Sui was stunned. He wasn’t sure he’d heard that right.
[Alphas have insane possessiveness. Protagonist gong kissed you, so he has to kiss back too,] the System confirmed.
“……” Yu Sui suspected the System was messing with him.
“Bro…” Shen Anliu desperately wanted to ask why he’d rejected him when he was so loose with Jiang Nianxing—but he dreaded the answer.
“Enough.” Yu Sui cut him off and got out of bed to take a shower.
His face grim, he stood under the spray, scrubbing furiously at his skin while cursing under his breath.
[What are you worried about?] the System asked, puzzled.
“How’d you figure out what their behavior means?” Yu Sui asked curiously.
[From senior experience,] the System said without holding back.
“Hm?” Yu Sui raised a brow. “Senior?”
[Yeah.] The System’s tone held reverence. [That senior’s mission was pretty much the same as mine.]
“But… don’t you think your take on Shen Anliu’s actions is a bit out there?” Yu Sui still sounded skeptical.
[The senior wouldn’t lie to me. And that host really did revive,] the System added.
Yu Sui fell silent.
[Host, put yourself in his shoes. If you were Shen Anliu, would you catch feelings for someone who gave you the cold shoulder every day?]
Yu Sui wasn’t a masochist. He shook his head.
[Then that’s the only explanation. This world’s full of twisted people, after all.]
Yu Sui was convinced. There was precedent, and the System had no grudge against him—no reason to screw him over.
Shen Anliu sat on the bed, gazing at the young man’s back, unsure what to do.
He didn’t seem angry?
His eyes lit up again. Did that mean Yu Sui still had feelings for him?
Thinking back, Yu Sui had added Jiang Nianxing in secret on his alt account. That clearly showed he cared about Shen Anliu’s feelings.
They had no official status, and their relationship was all ambiguous vibes. He could’ve just chatted openly on his main account.
Shen Anliu’s heart pounded. He stared eagerly at the bathroom door, waiting for Yu Sui to emerge so he could test the waters.
Yu Sui hadn’t expected him to wait up. By now, his roommate’s image in his mind had shifted to that of a dangerously twisted psycho.
His body went stiff. Not wanting to bring up what had just happened, he muttered, “Night,” and climbed into bed.
Shen Anliu’s throat bobbed. He hadn’t expected Yu Sui to let it slide with a goodnight.
A sweet warmth bloomed in his chest. Bro really did still like him.
The next morning, he brought breakfast for Yu Sui and tested the waters. The young man wasn’t mad.
Shen Anliu was in high spirits, and even Jiang Nianxing was grinning ear to ear.
Lu Jinxia glanced between them, convinced his teammates had lost their minds.
He Baiyan’s brows furrowed slightly. He couldn’t make sense of it.
Over the next few days, the two of them seemed utterly content, sweet smiles plastered on their faces.
Yu Sui breathed a sigh of relief. Shen Anliu hadn’t pulled any more of those bizarre stunts. It really must’ve been because…
Talk about twisted.
Training progressed smoothly, their teamwork growing ever more seamless.
Another day wrapped up.
Back in the dorm.
As soon as Shen Anliu stepped out of the bathroom, Yu Sui’s phone went “ding.”
They were obviously chatting.
Shen Anliu’s eyes dimmed, jealousy churning inside, but he didn’t dare say a word. He didn’t want Yu Sui thinking he was petty.
Yu Sui stared at his phone in surprise. Jiang Nianxing was being awfully cooperative.
“He can’t actually be into me, can he?”
[Impossible. He’s just playing you,] the System said.
“What’s in it for him?” Yu Sui pressed.
[From your chats, he comes off as this innocent pure-hearted boy getting played. When the messages leak, everyone will pity him—and he’ll rake in a wave of new fans,] the System explained. [Classic move.]
“What a ‘pure-hearted boy,'” Yu Sui scoffed. “Gives whatever’s asked? That’s just stupid.”
[If you look at the conversation alone, sure, it seems that way. But considering their situation at the company, netizens and fans would understand. The company squeezes them dry with no regard for their rights—it’s normal to get duped like that.] The System said. [Plus, there’s another purpose to him posting those pictures.]
“Oh?” Yu Sui looked puzzled.
[Check out his physique compared to his bros.]
“I don’t want to look.” Yu Sui closed his eyes.
[It crushes so many others. That’s the kind of capital that pulls in fans.] The System continued.
“What a schemer—such deep schemes!” Yu Sui hadn’t realized there was this layer to it. No wonder someone thriving in a cutthroat company like that wasn’t so simple.
.
Jiang Nianxing’s face wore a smile at that moment. Though Yu Sui hadn’t given him much face during the day, he always said things at night that made one’s heart race and cheeks flush.
He pinched his fingers, feeling a mix of sweetness and worry.
Would Yu Sui find him boring if he kept going along with everything so submissively?
With that thought, he slapped his cheeks lightly and took the initiative.
[WeChat] x: Can you show me your legs?
[WeChat] x: And your waist too.
[WeChat] x: Of course, I’d love to kiss your lips.
God only knew how thirsty he’d felt watching Yu Sui drink water and lick his lips.
Yu Sui had just finished today’s tasks and was about to turn off his phone when he received Jiang Nianxing’s messages.
He nearly flung the phone away again.
“He must’ve sent that to the wrong person,” Yu Sui muttered, his eyelid twitching.