Chapter 14: The Beta Who Hates Alphas

Shen Anliu’s eyes lit up, the corners of his mouth curving upward.

Yu Sui didn’t reject his touch. It seemed he truly had feelings for him.

He Baiyan arched an eyebrow slightly. This was far too intimate.

What had happened with yesterday’s incident, anyway? The two of them looked even closer now, which He Baiyan simply couldn’t comprehend.

Lu Jinxia’s gaze drifted involuntarily to Yu Sui’s face. Those puffed-up cheeks looked so adorable that he itched to poke them.

Jiang Nianxing frowned. “He’s not a kid anymore. Why let someone feed him…?”

And why was it Shen Anliu doing the feeding?

Yu Sui sensed the hostility in his tone. Looks like he’s jealous too, he thought.

This single move of his had stirred up several jealous types at once.

He couldn’t eat another bite. He pushed the young man’s hand away, and Lu Jinxia promptly handed him a bottle of water from nearby.

Yu Sui took it without a hint of politeness.

Shen Anliu eyed the half-eaten meal still left on the plate, his ear tips flushing red. He ventured tentatively, “Bro, I’m still hungry. Can I have the leftovers?”

Yu Sui paused mid-sip, surprised that Shen Anliu was pushing things this far. He glanced at the other three men nearby.

Displeasure was written plainly across Jiang Nianxing’s face. Lu Jinxia’s expression wasn’t much better, and He Baiyan’s feelings were harder to read.

It looked like they were all jealous.

“Mm,” Yu Sui replied with a nod, determined to make the storm even fiercer.

Shen Anliu swallowed hard. Yu Sui really didn’t mind sharing with him.

“You guys are sharing a bowl?” Jiang Nianxing couldn’t stand it. “The cafeteria has plenty more.”

“Exactly,” Lu Jinxia chimed in. “Using the spoon Yu Sui already used—what does that even look like?”

He emphasized those last four words. Anyone who got it would get it.

Shen Anliu’s little scheme had been called out, but he felt no guilt. After all, he was convinced it was mutual affection between him and Yu Sui. “Bro didn’t refuse.”

Jiang Nianxing choked on that, irritation and frustration bubbling up inside him. He just couldn’t quite figure it out.

He Baiyan hadn’t expected their relationship to have progressed to sharing a bowl of food. Wasn’t Yu Sui supposed to hate alphas?

No—forcing an alpha to eat his scraps was indeed humiliating. But to Shen Anliu, it was probably a reward.

“I’m still hungry too,” He Baiyan interjected to stop it.

No one had seen that coming. Shock registered on all their faces.

He Baiyan raised an eyebrow at Yu Sui. “I want some too.”

His tone was utterly commanding, leaving no room for refusal.

Anyone unfamiliar with the situation might have thought they were negotiating a multimillion-dollar contract. In reality, it was all over Yu Sui’s leftovers. How absurd.

With He Baiyan leading the charge, the other two jumped in as well.

“If the captain wants some, then I do too,” Jiang Nianxing said, seizing the excuse. He sounded utterly righteous, as if he were only doing it for the team’s sake.

“Me too,” Lu Jinxia added. He didn’t elaborate, but his fingers clenched slightly.

Deep down, he wondered: if Yu Sui didn’t mind him, then saliva from the young man wouldn’t be…

Shen Anliu was now utterly convinced. They were all his rivals in love.

A sense of crisis surged within him.

To Yu Sui, though, the scene looked like pure jealousy. They were willing to swallow their pride and take Shen Anliu’s place, just to spare him the humiliation.

What else could it be but love?

Yu Sui felt a profound sense of satisfaction.

As for their earlier friendliness, he was fully sober now. It was just a smokescreen—alphas were petty like that, after all.

And while he might have been briefly moved in the moment, that didn’t mean he’d stop hating them.

“Who should I pick?” Yu Sui pondered aloud.

[Of course, stir up animosity from all of them,] the System replied.

“Didn’t realize you guys had a fetish for other people’s saliva,” Yu Sui remarked with a tsk, genuinely astonished.

Everyone froze stiff.

Shen Anliu’s gaze fixed on Yu Sui’s lips. Lu Jinxia’s ear tips turned red, his pupils contracting in shock at the words.

Jiang Nianxing’s lips parted as if to retort, anger flashing across his face, but no sound came out for the longest time. He Baiyan seemed calm on the surface, but his grip tightened on his chopsticks.

“Disgusting,” Yu Sui said with clear disdain. “You think eating my leftovers will turn you into a 4S alpha? Dream on.”

He rattled off more barbs, then doled out a spoonful to each of them. “Here—your reward.”

His tone was insufferably smug. With that, he bolted from the practice room. Yu Sui wasn’t stupid enough to stick around and risk getting pummeled.

An eerie silence blanketed the room. Even Jiang Nianxing held his tongue.

Shen Anliu was the first to snap out of it. He swallowed his spoonful of rice and hurried after Yu Sui.

The remaining three exchanged bewildered glances.

“What was that about?” Jiang Nianxing eyed the other two in confusion. “Captain, that was weird coming from you.”

He’d be shocked for a thousand years over He Baiyan saying something like that.

“I just thought their behavior was odd, so I interrupted,” He Baiyan explained matter-of-factly. Then he stood and left.

Lu Jinxia set down his chopsticks as well.

“Hey, are you two not cleaning up?” Jiang Nianxing grumbled, though he made no move to do it himself.

Once everyone else had gone,

he glanced at his own bowl, eyes darting shiftily. Then he scooped a bite into his mouth.

Jiang Nianxing looked around furtively, his heart pounding with guilt, terrified someone might see.

Once outside, Yu Sui slowed his pace. His waist still ached, after all.

Back in the dorm, he freshened up and collapsed onto the bed, not moving a muscle.

Shen Anliu trailed a step behind. He’d wanted to catch up to Yu Sui, but the captain had called him over.

They stopped at the stairwell landing.

“What happened with you two yesterday?” He Baiyan asked, puzzled.

“Bro, he…” Talking about it brought a sweet smile to Shen Anliu’s lips. “He actually has feelings for me too.”

“So he likes you?” He Baiyan arched a brow.

“Something like that.” Shen Anliu shared the details. “He’s just sharp-tongued, a bit childish. But he’s a good person at heart.”

He Baiyan eyed the lovesick boy coolly. “You’re both alphas.”

“I… I’ve actually been keeping a secret.” Seeing the captain’s confusion, Shen Anliu thought for a moment. “I’m into guys.”

“Into alphas?” He Baiyan asked.

Shen Anliu nodded.

He must think Yu Sui is an alpha, He Baiyan realized.

That spelled trouble, since the young man wasn’t one.

“Don’t spread this around,” He Baiyan advised. AA romance wasn’t exactly mainstream, after all.

“Got it.” Seeing no further objection from the captain, Shen Anliu breathed a sigh of relief.

He Baiyan watched him go, then thought of Yu Sui and sighed faintly.

If what Shen Anliu said was true—if Yu Sui liked him and acted that way—it meant the young man lacked confidence deep down.

He wasn’t a real alpha, just masquerading as one. If an alpha fell for his facade but he wasn’t truly one, the truth coming out would hurt him badly.

Especially since Shen Anliu claimed to like guys.

And Yu Sui’s personality wasn’t the resilient sort. He might even take it to extremes.

This relationship was doomed from the start.

He had to stop it.

He Baiyan steeled his resolve.

Back in the dorm, Shen Anliu freshened up first, then approached Yu Sui, who was sprawled on the bed scrolling his phone. “Bro, want me to give you a massage?”

“Mm,” Yu Sui mumbled absently, barely paying attention.

Shen Anliu kept his touch light as he kneaded Yu Sui’s shoulders and thumped his back.

Yu Sui tensed at first, but it did feel good. The protagonist was doing this to make him believe in the so-called affection, obviously.

Since Yu Sui was the one reaping the benefits, he didn’t refuse.

Seeing the young man fully relax under his hands thrilled Shen Anliu. Yu Sui didn’t mind his touch at all.

So, could he taste that saliva in the future?

The thought filled Shen Anliu with eager anticipation.

That afternoon, Yu Sui rested in the room while the others continued practice.

That evening, Star Sea Entertainment dropped an announcement notifying fans of the upcoming livestream and tagging the members.

Yu Sui and Shen Anliu had only just received the company-managed accounts.

Yu Sui couldn’t have cared less.

Star Sea Entertainment usually debuted new members with official photos right away. This time, they hadn’t, so the livestream caught everyone off guard.

Plenty of people were curious about the sacrificial newbies and hit the reservation button.

The next day at eight p.m.,

the livestream setup in the lounge flicked on.

Fans and passersby flooded the stream, only to get instantly captivated by Yu Sui’s stunning face.

[!!!]

[Where did Star Sea Entertainment dig up such a pretty newbie?]

[Is he an alpha? Doesn’t have that aggressive alpha vibe.]

[Hiss—what a fine young man, and Star Sea snagged him.]

More than a few mourned silently for Yu Sui’s future. For a moment, the viewers overlooked everyone else.

Once the stream went live, Yu Sui just sat on the sofa clutching a pillow, gave a casual wave, and did nothing else.

The others didn’t mind.

They were pros at this by now.

Lu Jinxia greeted everyone warmly, drawing eyes back to him. “We’ve got two new members in the group.”

He nodded toward the pair beside him, cueing their introductions.

Facing the camera, Shen Anliu looked a touch shy. He waved, beaming brightly. “Hi, everyone. I’m Shen Anliu.”

Yu Sui hugged his pillow tighter. He was a bit nervous, his eyes blinking rapidly, though he wasn’t shaking. “Yu Sui.”

By contrast, he came off as rather aloof.

Yu Sui figured the chat would call him pretentious.

But reality proved otherwise.

[So cute! Is he really an alpha? Looks kinda scared.]

[An alpha being scared? That’s rare.]

[These two alphas aren’t like the usual ones at all.]

Jiang Nianxing worked the sidelines to build the vibe.

This was routine for them.

Warm up the crowd, run through the script. This time, viewers voted on the activities.

Naturally, the newbies drew the most interest.

Yu Sui was pushed to the center, with the captain sitting beside him on one side and Shen Anliu on the other.

The spare machine in front of them displayed the barrage of comments, allowing for real-time interaction.

At that moment, calls for Yu Sui flooded the screen, so he took the lead in dominating the livestream for the next stretch.

Yu Sui had already been under a lot of pressure coming in, but the System had assured him that he was disguised as an Alpha now, and all the attacks were aimed at Alphas. What was there to fear?

He figured it made sense.

“I’m an Alpha,” Yu Sui declared immediately when he spotted doubts about his identity.

It hit right on his sore spot.

“Don’t call me your wife!” Yu Sui frowned at one such comment. “You’re an Alpha too—how gross…”

He was just about to say “disgusting” when He Baiyan reached over from beside him and covered his mouth. “Yu Sui.”

Yu Sui shot him an unhappy glare, shoved his hand away, and turned back to the livestream. The barrage exploded into howls.

[Holy shit, Captain He actually touched the new guy?!]

[Wifey was about to say what?]

[How gross?]

[Has to be, or the captain wouldn’t be so tense.]

[Rare sight—He Baiyan actually panicking. Haha, finally acting human.]

Yu Sui knew He Baiyan meant well, of course, but he was trying to stir up trouble.

He wasn’t deliberately pulling aggro, but cannon fodder characters had no brains and often said things that rubbed people the wrong way, racking up plenty of haters.

And it wasn’t some major screw-up, so the company wouldn’t fire him over it.

Yu Sui felt perfectly secure.

“How’s my relationship with my teammates? Eh, not bad.”

“Get bullied? Ha! Who bullies who isn’t set in stone.”

He’d casually let slip that he bullied his teammates.

His nearby teammates all turned to look at him, their gazes a mix of helplessness and indulgence.

“With this scrawny build, who am I looking down on? I’m a 4S Alpha, okay?” Yu Sui rolled up his sleeve to show off his muscles.

The barrage challenged him to flash his abs.

He started to lift his shirt.

Shen Anliu swiftly pinned his hand down. “Bro, you’re falling for it.”

Yu Sui realized it and flushed with embarrassed anger. “You all want to see me make a fool of myself—how awful.”

But his flustered tone came off like coquettish whining, perfectly matching his pretty, bashful face.

[Holy shit, this flavor’s new—Alphas pissed off aren’t so hateable after all?]

[The new guy’s calling him bro, but dude, what’s with not letting go of his hand?]

[Wait, don’t AAs repel each other? Why are they all up in Yu Sui’s space?]

Yu Sui had someone on each side of him, while the other two perched on high stools behind the sofa.

Lu Jinxia only had to glance down to see the young man’s pale neck. His eyes darkened, his attention drifting.

Yu Sui was gunning to pull aggro—he even spat out “disgusting” for real.

Some Alphas had said they wanted to kiss him.

It scared his face pale.

But the barrage didn’t turn on him for it. Instead, they found teasing this ironclad Alpha endlessly entertaining.

As the comments veered into unspeakable territory, Jiang Nianxing jumped in to change the subject. “Can you guys talk about something else? Don’t scare our newbie.”

[Wait, this bro’s actually protective?]

[Team spirit between AAs too?]

They switched positions, putting Shen Anliu in the center.

He sat in the middle now, with Yu Sui and He Baiyan behind him.

“Why call him bro?” Shen Anliu eyed the barrage. “Cause I’m his little bro.”

[Team bullying? Big bro and little bro vibes?]

“No way, I chose it myself.” Shen Anliu hurried to clarify when someone misconstrued it about Yu Sui. “We get along great.”

His cheeks flushed as something occurred to him.

“Can’t say.”

“How about with the others?”

“The seniors take good care of me, always professional—they’re my role models.” It was straight out of the script.

Netizens sniffed something off and steered the topic back to Yu Sui.

Sure enough, the young man started talking more, his gaze softening to a drowning tenderness.

Everyone was stunned that an Alpha could make that face—especially at another Alpha.

He Baiyan watched him on the verge of confessing on stream, and his heart sank.

Shen Anliu’s crush was getting fiercer; when the truth came out, the backlash would be brutal. He might even end up hating Yu Sui for the deception.

He glanced at Yu Sui. Sure enough, the young man’s expression soured—he’d clearly remembered his own identity.

He patted Yu Sui’s arm.

Yu Sui had been feeling perfectly content hearing Shen Anliu spill everything, subtly shading him all the while. On the surface, though, he feigned displeasure.

He hadn’t expected the captain to pat his arm out of nowhere.

Puzzled, he turned. “What’s up?”

“Nothing.” He Baiyan shook his head slightly.

Netizens bought Shen Anliu’s talk of their great relationship at first, but soon it rang too false.

Some started picking fights.

[Then feed your bro something.]

The comments urged like crazy below.

AAs being this intimate was pure torture, after all.

Shen Anliu grabbed a biscuit from the table and turned to Yu Sui. “Bro.”

Yu Sui’s brows furrowed slightly, putting on a show of reluctant compromise for the sake of the stream.

Sure enough, the netizens questioned their “team spirit,” some calling it exposed.

Yu Sui took a bite, then turned away like he couldn’t stand it.

Shen Anliu was thrilled Yu Sui had played along.

Without overthinking, he popped the rest into his own mouth.

As he turned back, his body went rigid—he remembered they were live.

His face and ears burned red.

But he couldn’t bear to spit out the biscuit.

The skeptical comments on stream vanished in an instant, plunging into a weird pause for seconds before erupting in “Holy shit”s.

[They shared the same damn biscuit!]

[Holy crap, they actually…]

[Such a huge sacrifice?]

[I believe it now.]

[How’s he so casual? Bet they share a lot off-stream.]

Seeing that comment, the two people on either side of Shen Anliu both shot him dubious looks.

Shen Anliu coughed. “I… I didn’t…”

He sounded utterly unconvincing.

Yu Sui’s eyesight was sharp; he saw the barrage twisting into CP shipping, with some phrases downright explicit. His expression turned awful.

Holy shit—legs weak, can’t get out of bed…

The straight guy nearly passed out.