Chapter 34: The Beta Who Hates Alphas Part 2

“Hm?” Yu Sui took it and slipped it into his ear.

The music started.

It wasn’t one of the company’s standard tracks but a segment Shen Anliu had sung a cappella.

Yu Sui could hear the breaths in between, the mic unfiltered and raw, which only made the emotions in the voice feel more genuine.

The soft murmur was like a whisper right in his ear, sending a jolt through Yu Sui.

He swallowed hard and glanced at Shen Anliu beside him. “What is this…”

“Bro, it’s a song I wrote for you.” The young man’s face flushed as he spoke with a hint of shyness. “Not sure if you’ll like it.”

His heart raced with anticipation.

Out of everyone, he’d chosen Yu Sui. That had to mean…

It was just the sudden closeness—the young man wasn’t used to it.

“For me?” Yu Sui blinked in surprise.

“Yeah, but no backing track yet, so it sounds a bit bare,” Shen Anliu added.

Wariness spiked in Yu Sui’s chest. “Damn, this guy’s smooth.”

[No wonder he’s the protagonist.]

He couldn’t argue with that.

“Mm.” Yu Sui nodded and pulled out his earbud.

“You…” Shen Anliu’s face fell at the reaction, disappointment creeping in.

He sighed. “Let me teach you the song.”

Switching to mentor mode like a company senior, he patiently explained it to Yu Sui, his voice gentle and coaxing.

Yu Sui half-grasped it, but the young man was endlessly patient.

Talk about perseverance.

Yu Sui sighed inwardly. Good thing he knew the young man’s true colors.

An Lu had snuck after them, peering from afar. He spotted the two huddled close, sharing a single pair of earbuds. The vibe was…

No way, even off-camera they’re hamming it up?

Soon, the actual lesson began.

But Shen Anliu was leaning his head so close to the other man’s shoulder. Way too intimate.

If An Lu didn’t know they were both alphas, he might’ve suspected something.

After squatting for a while, his legs went numb. Yet over there, the pair looked perfectly in sync.

An Lu refused to give up.

Narrowing his eyes, he picked up a nearby pebble and chucked it their way.

Getting randomly pelted would piss anyone off.

Then he could snap their annoyed faces. No cameras here—what he captured was his to spin.

The stone arced toward Yu Sui.

It was about to clip his shoulder.

Suddenly, Shen Anliu wrapped his arms around Yu Sui and tackled him sideways onto the grass.

Looming over him, their breaths mingled.

Shen Anliu lifted his gaze, shooting a cold glare toward the corner.

An Lu hadn’t expected that twist. Meeting those icy eyes, he jolted in fright, scrambled up, and bolted.

Shen Anliu frowned and looked away. Still hovering over the dazed young man, he swallowed hard.

Practically cradling him, memories of that day’s sweetness flooded back, stirring something restless within.

Yu Sui snapped out of it and shoved at him.

Shen Anliu didn’t budge. “Ge.”

Hot breath ghosted across his face. Yu Sui looked away, deeply uncomfortable. “What… what the hell are you doing?”

“You don’t hate me, right?” Shen Anliu said with utter certainty.

“I hate your guts,” Yu Sui shot back on reflex.

A soft chuckle sounded in his ear.

Yu Sui looked up, meeting those eyes, and furrowed his brow. “Shen Anliu, let go of me!”

“No.” Shen Anliu thought he was just being tsundere. Cute.

He leaned in closer. “Bro, if you hate me, then don’t talk to me ever again.”

He planted a quick kiss on Yu Sui’s cheek, watching the stunned expression—wide eyes, utterly adorable.

Shen Anliu moved to his lips, deepening the kiss slowly.

Yu Sui’s face burned, heart pounding as he tried to push the intruder away. But the young man was sly, dodging while tangling their tongues, making it feel like Yu Sui was the one holding on.

His eyes grew hazy, the corners reddening. His lips parted unconsciously, even after the young man pulled back.

“Sui Sui.” Shen Anliu dropped the “ge,” his voice laced with deeper meaning.

A gust of wind hit, and Yu Sui shivered.

Smack—

He slapped Shen Anliu on pure instinct.

Shen Anliu stiffened, grunting as the sting bloomed on his cheek. “Ge.”

Yu Sui came back to himself, mouth opening uncertainly, half-afraid of the backlash. “I…”

“Does it hurt?” The young man seized his wrist and brushed a kiss over it.

Yu Sui shuddered and glared daggers.

Shen Anliu coughed lightly and sat up beside him.

His eyes fixed on Yu Sui’s now even more vividly flushed lips. He swallowed. “Bro, are you still talking to me?”

Yu Sui stood, straightened his clothes, and stalked off without a word.

Shen Anliu snatched his phone and hurried after. “Bro, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have…”

“Shut up!”

Afraid he’d blurt it out loud, Yu Sui cut him off.

Inwardly, he griped to the System. “This guy’s so good at acting even alone… terrifying.”

[The kid’s a real player in love. Watch yourself, Host,] the System warned sternly.

“As if I’d fall for it.” Yu Sui hadn’t forgotten the guy’s true motives.

As for not minding it…

Yu Sui frowned. Was the assimilation too deep?

The two returned to the living room one after the other. Lu Jinxia’s group was out, along with Zuo Meng.

Yu Sui frowned but smoothed his expression, thinking of Lu Jinxia’s face. He wasn’t here to win anyone over anyway.

The moment he entered, Jiang Nianxing and He Baiyan’s eyes locked onto his lips.

They’d kissed.

Jiang Nianxing’s heart sank. Why could they rekindle just like that, while he couldn’t?

Was he too well-behaved?

He clenched his fist, steeling his resolve.

The eagle-eyed audience had clocked it too.

[Called it—off-camera for some smooching.]

[My CP, no doubt about it.]

[Perks of shipping the hot pair.]

[The mains are delivering hard.]

[Sigh, Captain…]

[Sigh, Xiao Lu…]

[Sigh, Xiao Shen…]

Fans of other ships sighed in frustrated envy.

Lu Jinxia and his group returned. His face was a shade paler, though he seemed composed enough.

Lin Xiaoyi looked oblivious on the surface, but inside he was stunned.

The bad blood between those two was no joke. Even hearing about it set them off—what kind of grudge was that?

“Everyone, please gather in the music room.”

Once all were assembled, the director led them there.

The music room brimmed with instruments.

“After everyone sings, the audience votes. Last place gets punished,” the crew announced.

Yu Sui felt utterly doomed. No doubt theirs would come in dead last.

“We’ll start with…” The crew scanned the room and picked He Baiyan’s group.

Bai Jia didn’t want to lose, so he held back any sabotage. But the instant He Baiyan opened his mouth, he knew they were sunk.

His face twisted briefly before he slunk back to his seat, seething.

Next group up.

Lu Jinxia was off his game, Lin Xiaoyi wasn’t much of a singer, and their teamwork fell flat.

Jiang Nianxing and Huo Tian hadn’t even rehearsed together—they sang over each other, with Huo Tian tossing in a rap that straight-up dissed the original.

The crew broke into a cold sweat.

Shen Anliu and Yu Sui pulled off the most solid performance, no major flubs.

Finally, Yu Sui’s duo.

An Lu was still rattled by that glare, feeling guilty. When they returned without mentioning it, he hadn’t fully relaxed.

Distracted, and with Yu Sui tense and unfamiliar with the song, they bombed hardest.

They took their seats.

“Voting results are in.”

The director hadn’t told them audiences could score right after each performance—a surprise gut punch.

“Unfortunately,” the crew sighed, “last place goes to Yu Sui’s group.”

Yu Sui wasn’t surprised at all. The others either sang well or had the popularity edge.

Theirs had tanked.

“One of you two has to take the punishment.”

An Lu frowned.

Yu Sui’s expression didn’t change.

“Rock-paper-scissors. Loser takes it.”

Such a slapdash call made Yu Sui’s mouth twitch.

He got unlucky and lost.

“I’m sorry, but you can’t share a room with the teammate you chose,” the production team said with a sigh. “You’ll be on your own.”

Yu Sui blinked in surprise.

What kind of punishment was this? It felt more like a massive reward!

Lu Jinxia froze for a moment. He glanced at Yu Sui, then at the production team, and finally at his teammates. A sense of being set up washed over him.

The others didn’t react much, but the audience was furious.

[Damn! Xiao Lu and Sui Sui’s only bit of ship fuel! Production team, you just love cockblocking us!]

[Targeting our Xiao Lu, huh?]

[Nooo, my CP was finally getting some crumbs!]

[What’s wrong with you people?]

Lu Jinxia and Yu Sui’s shippers were the most outraged of all.

Yu Sui, on the other hand, was in high spirits. Whoever had come up with this arrangement was a saint in his book.

He left the music room to pack his things. Unlike the others, he wasn’t staying on their floor—he had a room all to himself on the fourth floor.

Lu Jinxia followed him into the room. Seeing that Yu Sui showed no hint of reluctance, his gaze darkened. “Why did you help me out today?”

Wasn’t it because he was interested in him?

“What?” Yu Sui paused in what he was doing and turned to look at him, puzzled.

“You and me…” Lu Jinxia started, but then he remembered the cameras. Without another thought, he strode over and switched them off.

[Damn! What are they saying?]

[What’s next? Spill!]

[Something I can’t see?]

[Argh!]

No matter how the netizens raged online, the cameras stayed dark.

Lu Jinxia fidgeted with his fingers. “You helped me out—doesn’t that mean you’re interested in me?”

“Huh?” Yu Sui looked baffled. “What are you even talking about?”

“I’m willing,” Lu Jinxia said. He figured Yu Sui was playing coy, forcing him to say it first. Sure, it had only been a small favor for the young man, but if his secret ever got out…

In a way, Yu Sui had changed his entire life. Rounded up, that made him a lifesaver.

And a lifesaver’s debt should be repaid with one’s body.

“I… I’m willing to be your… lover…” Calling himself a dog felt too embarrassing, so Lu Jinxia groped for better words. “Being around you doesn’t make me uncomfortable. I even looked up how to…”

“What the hell are you rambling about? Lover?” Yu Sui cut him off.

[Zuo Meng’s appearance gave him a sense of crisis. At Star Sea Entertainment, only those with real value get any say—like He Baiyan,] the System explained. [His sudden confession of liking you is just a ploy to get you to pick him for a CP hype, so nothing like the handshake incident happens again.]

[In summary, he’s trying to level up too.]