Chapter 32: The Beta Who Hates Alphas Part 1

The chat was still blasting him for acting like a diva when suddenly, the next second, everyone saw him pulling Yu Sui into a tight hug.

[???]

[Way too late to start selling this now.]

[Our Xiao Lu has mysophobia, as everyone knows.]

[I can’t take it—I’m shipping them again.]

Yu Sui went rigid. He hadn’t expected Lu Jinxia to hug him like that.

Zuo Meng’s smile slowly faded. He pinched his fingers, his eyes brimming with disbelief.

The others nearby were equally stunned, frozen in place for a moment without reacting.

“You two…?” Huo Tian was the first to recover, staring in surprise at his former teammate’s behavior.

Yu Sui shoved at the young man.

“Let me hold you just for a bit.” Lu Jinxia’s voice came out hoarse, his tone unsteady, laced with helplessness and pathos.

Yu Sui furrowed his brow. “I’ll help you inside to rest.”

Inwardly, he queried the System: Why did Lu Jinxia feel so unwell after contact with Shen Anliu?

This defied all logic.

[Hold on.] The System tossed out those words and vanished.

Lu Jinxia slowly lifted his head. Those dark eyes held a trace of grievance.

He was practically leaning on Yu Sui’s shoulder now, his slightly long blue hair tangling with Yu Sui’s black locks.

A breeze swept past, making the moment look even more intimate.

The cameraman shifted a few steps to capture the scene perfectly in frame.

[A bit steamy.]

[Oof, I have to admit, TYE’s got something special.]

[Bet they’ve hugged plenty in private—they’re so clingy.]

Shen Anliu finally couldn’t stand it anymore. He stepped forward. “Feeling unwell? Let me help you.”

Jiang Nianxing schooled his expression and moved to assist as well.

He Baiyan merely asked verbally after their well-being.

But before Lu Jinxia could respond, Yu Sui cut in. “No need.”

Shen Anliu and Jiang Nianxing froze in place, their faces darkening.

The others watching this exchange put on shocked expressions, though their private thoughts varied wildly.

Huo Tian’s astonishment was plain on his face. He knew just how severe Lu Jinxia’s mysophobia was. Back in the team days, he’d accidentally brushed against the young man once, and Lu Jinxia’s face had soured instantly.

Shen Anliu and the others helped carry their luggage inside. Soon, the group entered the villa.

Lu Jinxia sank into a single-seater sofa, with Yu Sui settling beside him.

His initially relaxed demeanor tensed up again the moment Zuo Meng walked in, sat down next to Yu Sui with a concerned look, and leaned in close.

This was far from good.

Yu Sui’s face grew grave. He took a deep breath and turned to Zuo Meng. “Senior, could you switch seats with Shen Anliu?”

Zuo Meng blinked in surprise. “Sure.”

He stood up.

Shen Anliu kept glancing their way, his mood foul. Hearing this, he looked shocked. “Bro…”

Lin Xiaoyi shot him an odd glance upon hearing that.

“Come here.” Yu Sui beckoned again.

He wasn’t sure if the protagonist shou would even listen to him right now.

Shen Anliu rose and walked straight over, staring intently. “Bro, you…”

He had a lot he wanted to say, but this wasn’t the place. He let it drop.

Jiang Nianxing felt a sour pang in his chest. He’d noticed Yu Sui’s relationship with Lu Jinxia cooling off these past couple of days and had felt relieved that he wasn’t the only one being sidelined. But now…

[They selling it again?]

[I’m kinda lost here.]

The viewers were thoroughly confused at this point.

Once everyone had gathered, the director finally spoke up. “First off, why don’t you all give a quick greeting to the audience?”

Going by seating order, Huo Tian went first.

The moment he opened his mouth, the chat flooded his face off the screen.

Next was He Baiyan.

The original plan had been for the team to introduce themselves together, showing some group spirit. But with Lu Jinxia looking unwell and not sitting with them, that fell apart.

“For the next week, our guests will be staying here,” the director continued. “The production team has lined up some tasks to help you unlock even more potential.”

“Like sparking fireworks from different pairings.”

That line made the TYE members’ expressions sour instantly.

“The upstairs rooms are all doubles. Feel free to pick your roommates.”

The director adjusted his glasses, his demeanor kindly.

Shen Anliu turned to Yu Sui. “Bro, can I room with you?”

“Sui Sui.” Jiang Nianxing looked at Yu Sui too.

He Baiyan raised a brow but said nothing.

Zuo Meng overheard and glanced at Lu Jinxia again. “Jinxia, whatever happened to that song from back then? Did you finish it? Want to room together? We could brainstorm.”

Lu Jinxia’s mind went “buzz”—he couldn’t hold back anymore. He shot to his feet and headed for the bathroom.

Yu Sui watched his retreating back, then turned his gaze on Zuo Meng.

That smile was so gentle, yet it inexplicably sent a chill down Yu Sui’s spine.

“Senior Zuo, are you close with Brother Lu?” Bai Jia, decked out in all pink, chimed in familiarly.

“That kid’s awfully stubborn.” Zuo Meng smiled benignly.

Bai Jia shivered inexplicably. He looked away and turned to the taciturn He Baiyan. “Brother He, mind if I room with you?”

Lin Xiaoyi glanced around warily but didn’t approach any of the seniors with an invite. He sensed something off with these guests.

Why hadn’t the organization warned him?

“I’m not used to sharing with others.” He Baiyan refused outright.

Among the guests was another even quieter one. He’d only politely greeted the TYE members after they got out of the car and hadn’t spoken since.

He finally piped up now—but he was looking at Yu Sui.

“Senior, I’m a huge fan. Mind if I room with you?” An Lu gazed at him expectantly.

Yu Sui was taken aback. He hadn’t expected a fan among the guests.

But that comment darkened Jiang Nianxing’s face. Ignoring the live stream, he snapped, “An Lu, shut it.”

“Brother Jiang, what did I do wrong?” An Lu looked startled and pitiful, turning beseeching eyes on Yu Sui.

“You!” Jiang Nianxing fumed. He shot Yu Sui a look. “Don’t pay him any mind.”

Bullying a junior and isolating a teammate like that instantly set the live chat ablaze.

Clips of the moment hit the Hot Search in no time.

This season was racking up more drama than any before.

Yu Sui arched a brow, about to reply, when the System yelped in his mind.

[Host, Host!]

“What’s up?” he asked inwardly.

[These guys aren’t here with good intentions. Not at all.] The System sighed. [Being the protagonist is no joke.]

“Get to the point.”

[Zuo Meng is Lu Jinxia’s half-brother. Jealous of how spoiled his little brother was, he went nuts and hired an alpha to ruin him.] The System explained. [Luckily, Lu Jinxia stayed sharp and bolted when the guy was on the phone. Still, that alpha’s glare left a massive trauma on the kid. When he found out his own brother was behind it, Lu Jinxia started reacting like this.]

[He’s got minimal bond with the protagonist shou right now—no emotional foundation. Seeing Zuo Meng on this show makes it impossible for him to handle an alpha getting close.] The System went on.

Yu Sui hadn’t realized Lu Jinxia had such a tragic backstory. He sighed. Poor guy.

[Bai Jia is He Baiyan’s little brother. Sweet-talker from a young age, a rare likable alpha, always doted on.] The System continued. [That’s the facade, though. Underneath, he’s vicious—pushed tons of dirty deeds onto his brother because he’s jealous of He Baiyan’s talent and wants to steal everything that’s his.]

[An Lu’s the kid from Jiang Nianxing’s stepmom. Always dropping tea-bomb comments to rile him up. Similar vibe to Bai Jia, but He Baiyan doesn’t bite, while Jiang Nianxing falls for it every time.]

Yu Sui was stunned. Man, the protagonists had it rough.

No more from the System, so Yu Sui prodded. “What about the protagonist shou?”

[He’s got a big backstory.] The System said mysteriously.

“Oh?” Yu Sui raised a brow.

[He’s a mole planted by the Mysterious Organization in Star Sea Entertainment.]

“Huh?” Yu Sui was floored. When did this turn into a spy thriller?

[Only the top star at Star Sea gets to meet the big boss behind the scenes. That’s his goal.] The System added. [Guessing some deep grudge.]

“Probably.” It was straight out of a TV drama.

[And Lin Xiaoyi’s his partner in crime.] The System’s tone turned serious. [We’ve been too naive.]

“Hm?”

[Shen Anliu’s been using you from the start.] The System showed him the chat logs it’d dug up.

[You’re good at stirring buzz, and QueerbaitingPairing with you pulls hot numbers, so that’s why he acted like he liked you.] The System sighed. [I really thought he was our little angel. Turns out it was all fake.]

“Huh?” Yu Sui frowned. “But he kissed me…” That was a huge sacrifice.

[That’s nothing. In revenge stories, they go undercover as lovers, all that mutual torment.] The System cited examples.

Yu Sui thought about it. Yeah, TV shows pulled that all the time.

“Sorry, I’ve already got someone in mind.” He spoke up, declining calmly. His heart felt lighter now, the future looking bright.

“Who?” Jiang Nianxing blurted out.

He Baiyan looked over too.

“You’re all gunning for him—I want to invite Yu Sui as well.” Zuo Meng smiled, like he was just joining the fun.

Now that Yu Sui knew his true colors, that smile made his skin crawl.

After all, this was a freak who’d sic an alpha on his own little brother.

“Lu Jinxia and me.” Yu Sui said.

Zuo Meng’s expression froze. “You and Jinxia are that close?”

“Yeah.” Yu Sui replied.

Lu Jinxia had just emerged from the bathroom and overheard. His pupils shook.

His heart started pounding wildly again.

Shen Anliu bit his lip but held his tongue.

He Baiyan eyed Yu Sui. The young man harbored clear wariness and hostility toward Zuo Meng. What was that about?

As usual, everyone put on a good show at the start of the program. But now, the atmosphere among the group was tense as drawn swords.

[Why does Zuo Meng keep getting close to Xiao Lu?]

[Are they on good terms?]

[What’s up with Sui Sui?]

[TYE’s whole team is crumbling.]

[I’m getting more and more excited for how this plays out.]

Lu Jinxia returned and sat down beside Yu Sui.

Zuo Meng refused to give up. He looked at Lu Jinxia. “Jinxia, aren’t you staying with your brother?”

He hadn’t planned to reveal their relationship right now, but things had spiraled out of his control, so Zuo Meng panicked.

Everyone except Yu Sui showed shocked expressions at those words.

Were the two of them actually brothers?

“Yu Sui.” Lu Jinxia hadn’t expected him to bring it up. Shadows from his childhood resurfaced in his mind. He bit his pale lips and gazed at Yu Sui. “Take me back to the room, okay?”