Chapter 38: The Beta Who Hates Alphas Part 2

Jiang Nianxing finally snapped out of it. He sat up, looking at Yu Sui with a hint of shyness in his eyes. “I…”

“How are you feeling?” Yu Sui asked. Though he felt a bit awkward, he remembered how Jiang Nianxing had taken the fall for him—and just gotten ambushed—so concern overrode everything.

Hearing this, Jiang Nianxing pressed a hand to his head. “I’m fine.”

But it sounded like he was just putting on a brave front.

Yu Sui reached out to help him up, but the young man placed his hand in Yu Sui’s palm first.

Right in front of He Baiyan, the two of them joined hands.

The resulting love triangle sparked a frenzy of discussion online, mostly from viewers eager for more chaos.

Jiang Nianxing gripped his hand tightly and slowly stood. Then he turned to the director. “Is this allowed?”

“Ahem, we didn’t lay out any strict rules before the game…” The director replied guiltily.

Jiang Nianxing frowned, lips pressing into a dissatisfied line.

Yu Sui was pissed too, but there was nothing to be done. Distracted by what had just happened, he’d forgotten they were still holding hands—and Jiang Nianxing wasn’t about to bring it up.

He Baiyan’s eyelid twitched. He pried their hands apart. “You should probably see a doctor.”

He was eyeing Jiang Nianxing with concern, as if justifying his own meddling.

“No need,” Jiang Nianxing shot back, staring him down. “We’re on the same team now.”

It was a clear reminder to the captain to butt out.

Tension crackled between them.

[Are they gonna throw down?]

[Fight for Sui Sui! Fight!]

[Now I buy the team drama rumors.]

[Wholesome rivalry? Interesting.]

“Hey.” Huo Tian spoke up, cutting through the standoff. “Done pretending?”

He Baiyan ignored him, retracting his gaze.

Jiang Nianxing shot him a cold glance before turning back to Yu Sui.

“You sure you’re okay?” Yu Sui asked.

“I’m fine.” Jiang Nianxing shook his head.

And with that, the game wrapped up.

They returned to the living room.

The win might have been dirty, but it was a win. The production team could only shrug helplessly.

The TYE members all wore grim expressions.

“Jiang Nianxing, you two head to the ghost house,” Huo Tian announced cheerfully.

Plenty of dark corners there. He figured his ex-teammate would settle some scores.

Jiang Nianxing’s already serious face froze for a split second, his mind racing.

Yu Sui frowned inwardly. Talk about bad luck.

The rest got paired off casually.

[I take it back—they’re shipping them hard.]

[Everyone knows a haunted house is prime couple-bonding territory.]

[Will Sui Sui get scared and dive into Xiao Jiang’s arms?]

[Xiao Jiang, laugh it up—your face is hilarious right now.]

[What did Huo Tian get paid for this?]

[Maybe trying to whitewash his image.]

[Shipping them but no redemption for trash—he’s still trash.]

[Yeah, exactly.]

With locations set, the director signaled them to change clothes and head out.

Yu Sui stayed put, brooding.

He hated those kinds of places. Now he’d have to embarrass himself on camera.

Jiang Nianxing didn’t budge either. “What’s wrong?”

“I…” Yu Sui started to say he was scared of ghosts but stopped, imagining the mockery. “Nothing.”

“Sorry.” Thinking Yu Sui was upset about losing, Jiang Nianxing apologized quickly. “I wasn’t alert enough. I let him get me…”

“You weren’t,” Yu Sui muttered.

Jiang Nianxing felt even guiltier.

They hadn’t changed, so they went first.

In the production van, Jiang Nianxing left Yu Sui in peace, instead putting on a pained expression.

Yu Sui was mentally rehearsing how to stay cool. From the corner of his eye, he caught Jiang Nianxing’s look and frowned. “You okay? You look sick.”

Jiang Nianxing shook his head.

Seeing him struggle to even speak ramped up Yu Sui’s worry. “You sure you don’t need a doctor?”

Jiang Nianxing gazed at him, looking fragile. “No, just need to rest a bit.”

He closed his eyes.

Yu Sui regretted his earlier words. “I… uh, that was… you…”

He floundered for an explanation, but everything sounded hollow.

“Can I lean on your shoulder for a bit?” Jiang Nianxing asked.

Yu Sui nodded.

Jiang Nianxing leaned weakly against his shoulder, a smile tugging at his lips.

The viewers spotted it.

[Scheming Xiao Jiang.]

[I actually thought something was wrong—turns out he’s faking.]

[Xiao Jiang’s playing dirty now.]

[Sui Sui loves playing caregiver, soft-hearted. Perfect angle.]

[He’s done for—Sui Sui’s gonna get devoured.]

[Why not grin to the heavens, kid?]

Heartthrob Jiang was in bliss, inhaling Yu Sui’s scent as he lowered his gaze.

They arrived at the ghost house and grabbed their pre-bought tickets.

Jiang Nianxing slung the camera over his shoulder and led Yu Sui inside, hand in hand.

No staff trailed them, but the venue cameras had been swapped for the show’s.

Viewers could watch.

Yu Sui was on edge, instinctively edging closer to Jiang Nianxing.

The other paused and looked back. “Sui Sui, which way?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Yu Sui said.

Jiang Nianxing’s hand slid down from his arm to clasp his palm. “Might be a chase later. Don’t want to yank your arm by accident.”

Irrefutable logic—and since Yu Sui really was scared, he didn’t protest.

Jiang Nianxing’s throat bobbed, amusement lighting his eyes.

Feeling the warmth in his palm, he squeezed tighter.

[Knew this guy would turn it into a date.]

[Sui Sui’s clearly scared of the dark.]

[Living the dream, huh?]

[Dammit, Sui Sui got played.]

[Our Xiao Jiang’s finally got game!]

[Yay, let the feast begin!]

Eerie sound effects and flickering lights set a school-themed haunted house.

Long corridors flanked by ragged classrooms splattered with blood.

Yu Sui shuddered, cursing internally as his face grew sterner.

A window beside them creaked open with a “screech,” a green face poking out.

Yu Sui froze, speechless with terror, plastering himself to the man beside him.

Jiang Nianxing squeezed his hand. “Don’t worry, it’s all fake.”

Yu Sui stayed silent, hyper-alert.

No sooner said than a ghostly hand reached from the window—the thing flipped out entirely.

Jiang Nianxing startled too. He grabbed Yu Sui and bolted.

His free hand swept the flashlight left and right, illuminating clusters of glowing green eyes.

He was impressed by the realism but not scared.

Yu Sui nearly blacked out.

“Run! Jiang Nianxing!”

Forget inspiration or perfect shots—Yu Sui just wanted out.

The corridor stretched endlessly, ghostly hands lunging from the sides.

Yu Sui’s legs buckled; he tripped over a skull on the floor and nearly fell.

Eyeing the pursuing actors closing in, Jiang Nianxing released his hand, scooped him up in a princess carry, and charged ahead.

[Boyfriend energy maxed!]

[Princess carry at full sprint? Insane.]

[Xiao Jiang’s hot AF.]

[Yum, total ship fuel.]

[Put this in the game, thanks!]

After what felt like forever, the chat exploded with questions.

[Where’d they go?]

[Glitch? Or is it me?]

[How’d they just vanish?]

[Not again.]

[Feels familiar.]

[Knew Jiang Nianxing had ulterior motives.]

[Wonder how long the kiss lasts this time.]

By now, Yu Sui and Jiang Nianxing were in a small room sealed with tape—no cameras inside.

Jiang Nianxing had carried him right into it without realizing.

He set Yu Sui down and shone the flashlight around.

Still creepy decor—like a school infirmary.

The bed looked relatively clean, so he placed Yu Sui there. “We’ll hide out here a bit.”

Yu Sui nodded, clutching his chest.

He knew it was fake, but the hyper-real ghosts and visuals were too much.

Jiang Nianxing sat beside him, ruffling his hair. “Don’t be scared. I’ll protect you.”

“When did I say I was scared?” Yu Sui shoved his hand away, protesting.

Remembering how this guy had clung to him, Jiang Nianxing chuckled softly. “Oh? Then I’ll scout outside for clues—you stay here…”

“No!” Yu Sui grabbed him as he stood. “Together.”

Jiang Nianxing’s ears heated at the words. “Sui Sui.”

His breathing shallowed. He sank back beside the young man, turning to study his profile.

Yu Sui’s scalp prickled. “You…”

He wasn’t green anymore. That tone meant one thing.

“We should head out,” he said, sliding off the bed toward the door.

By the time he reached the door, no footsteps sounded behind him. Turning his head, Yu Sui saw Jiang Nianxing standing there, his face pale as he pressed a hand to his temple. The young man looked deeply uncomfortable.

All of Yu Sui’s wariness vanished in an instant. He hurried over. “What’s wrong? You look—”

“The attack came so suddenly,” Jiang Nianxing said, his voice growing even weaker. “Like a needle stabbing into my head. It hurts off and on.”

“That’s going too far,” Yu Sui said with a frown. “We should contact the production team.”

“No need. I’ll just rest for a bit.” Jiang Nianxing shook his head. “Things like this happen all the time.”

Yu Sui understood at once. His company wouldn’t lift a finger to help.

Sympathy welled up in his heart for the young man. Yu Sui sat down beside him. “I… I could massage it for you?”

“You… you can?” Jiang Nianxing’s eyes brightened.

“I just don’t want it to hold you back,” Yu Sui said, turning his face away.

Jiang Nianxing lay down, resting his head in Yu Sui’s lap. Tilting his face up, he listened to the steady thump of the young man’s heartbeat. His limbs went rigid.

They had shared kisses far more intimate than this, yet now his cheeks burned hot, and he didn’t know what to do with his hands or feet.

Yu Sui gently massaged his temples, surprised by his own deft touch. “How does that feel?”

“Sui Sui, thank you,” Jiang Nianxing said, deeply touched.

Yu Sui’s lips twitched, but he said nothing.

The production team had been monitoring the haunted house closely the whole time. They had no idea how much psychological strain the guests could handle—if something went wrong, it could be disastrous.

When they noticed the two men had vanished from sight, the crew immediately contacted the director. Once they received their orders, the staff grabbed their equipment and entered the haunted house, heading toward the pair’s last known location to search for them.

The audience got a front-row seat to a first-person haunted house adventure. It was thrilling beyond belief.

After a harrowing journey, they reached the infirmary—the one where the seal on the door had been torn away.

The barrage comments had been filled with terrified reactions, but they shifted in an instant to something far more heated.

[Oh~ The infirmary.]

[What are they doing in there?]

[Dare you push the door open and scare us half to death?]

[Production team, don’t you dare do anything stupid!]

As if they’d heard the viewers’ pleas, the staff didn’t knock. They simply shoved the door open.

Creak—

The door swung wide, and the camera’s light spilled into the cramped infirmary.

What the audience saw next left them stunned.

Yu Sui was bent low, tenderly stroking the cheek of the young man pillowed in his lap. In the eerie surroundings, the scene brimmed with unexpected warmth, setting imaginations ablaze.