Chapter 32: The Beta Who Hates Alphas Part 2

“Mm.” Yu Sui knew Lu Jinxia had chosen him for help because he was the only Beta there, so he had no reason to worry.

He helped the man to his feet, thinking that Lu Jinxia must not have exposed his identity earlier because all the Alphas around made him uncomfortable.

Zuo Meng’s expression turned ugly. He put on a hurt look. “Did your brother hold you back? Even your little brother won’t hang out with me now.”

The audience was already surprised by their relationship, but hearing this made Lu Jinxia seem a bit snobbish.

[Because his brother isn’t famous, he’s disowning him? That’s too cold-blooded.]

[Xiao Lu seems to really reject him.]

[Is there some backstory here?]

[What a toxic brother dynamic.]

[This brother’s pretty gentle. Why does the little brother keep dodging him?]

Shen Anliu frowned slightly. He hadn’t expected their relationship to be like this, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was Yu Sui’s attitude.

He stood up and then looked toward Lin Xiaoyi.

The latter rose as well. “Senior, please take good care of me.”

“No need to stand on ceremony. I’m a newbie too.” Shen Anliu shook his head.

The two of them carried their luggage upstairs.

Jiang Nianxing was rooming with He Baiyan.

Of the rest, An Lu paired with Bai Jia, and the other two ended up together.

Zuo Meng’s expression wasn’t great. His smile nearly slipped.

Yu Sui helped Lu Jinxia into the room, then went out to grab the luggage.

As he headed downstairs, he ran into Zuo Meng coming up.

With his back to the camera, the smile vanished from Zuo Meng’s face. He stared darkly at Yu Sui.

A chill ran down Yu Sui’s back. He averted his gaze first and walked past.

“That scared the hell out of me.”

[So scary.] Even the System jumped.

Yu Sui carried both suitcases back to the room, turned off the camera, and then looked at Lu Jinxia. “You and your brother…”

“He…” Just mentioning the man made Lu Jinxia nauseous. “Some things happened between us. Anyway, after that, I…”

Yu Sui sighed and patted his shoulder.

“Thanks.” Lu Jinxia looked up, full of gratitude. “If you hadn’t been there…”

“We’re teammates.” Yu Sui pulled his hand back.

He straightened his clothes.

Feeling unwell, Lu Jinxia simply stayed in the room instead of going back down.

Yu Sui went downstairs. Everyone else was already seated on the sofa.

The director announced that the production team would handle the first meal, but starting that evening, the contestants would have to fend for themselves.

As Yu Sui came down, everyone instinctively looked his way.

He caught several meaningful stares.

Hiss—

Yu Sui stiffened for a moment. “The side characters who hate the protagonist usually target the people close to him.”

[On the surface, they all treat you differently.] The System lit a candle for him. [So…]

Seeing him alone, the director asked curiously, “Where’s Xiao Lu?”

“He’s not feeling well,” Yu Sui said.

The director didn’t press. “Next up is drawing lots for partners.”

A staff member brought over a box filled with balls of various colors.

They drew one by one.

Jiang Nianxing teamed with Huo Tian.

He Baiyan with Bai Jia.

Shen Anliu with Zuo Meng, Yu Sui with An Lu, and the remaining two together.

“To build chemistry with your new teammates, we’ll play a game next.”

Instead of announcing the game right away, the production team changed the subject, letting them chat freely.

Normally, this segment was for promoting each other’s work and gaining exposure.

But this time, no one spoke.

This season’s start was bizarre from the get-go.

“Is Jinxia really that unwell? I’ll go check on him.” Zuo Meng stood up.

“He’s resting and doesn’t want to be disturbed,” Yu Sui said, stopping him.

Zuo Meng had no choice but to sit back down. “Look at me, I forgot he still has some… ah…”

He trailed off midway, leaving room for all sorts of imaginations.

Huo Tian sneered coldly. He’d figured it out—these people were no good.

But that had nothing to do with him. He remembered his own goal.

“Jiang Nianxing, maybe we can chat in private?” His eyes held a challenge.

“I’ve got nothing to say to you.” Jiang Nianxing didn’t give him an inch.

“With all these cameras, I thought you’d keep playing the nice guy.” Huo Tian didn’t mince words.

The air grew thick with hostility.

[Already tearing into each other?]

[No more pretending?]

[The production team’s really stirring the pot.]

[Fight! Fight!]

The bullet comments started egging them on.

“You think you’re worthy?” Jiang Nianxing seemed to see the comments too and didn’t hold back. He turned to the production team. “Can’t find decent guests? Letting any disgraced celebrity on?”

The director hadn’t expected to get dragged in and broke out in a cold sweat.

Huo Tian raised a brow. “Your true colors are finally showing.”

He felt a dark thrill inside. Best if he ripped off the fake masks of the others too.

“Brother Jiang, how can you talk to the director like that…” An Lu wore a disapproving expression, hesitating as if he wanted to say more. “So the rumors were true after all?”

“Shut your mouth!” Jiang Nianxing hated that fake face of his the most and exploded at a touch.

An Lu knew him too well—knew exactly how to make him lose his cool.

In An Lu’s eyes, Jiang Nianxing was just a brainless, hot-tempered Alpha.

He’d thought shoving him into Star Sea Entertainment would ruin him, but Jiang Nianxing had endured and even won over a ton of fans.

Why him?

An Lu seethed. He wanted to drag the man into the mud where he could never climb out.

That’s why he’d pulled strings for this show.

A few others shared his thinking. The director hadn’t expected anyone to pay for spots.

Bad publicity was still publicity, and the drama between these people and TYE’s members was a goldmine of topics.

So he hadn’t refused outright but went to discuss with Chen Qing.

The other man was a businessman too, of course. He wouldn’t care about the artists’ feelings. Once the price was right, the director agreed immediately.

An Lu put on a startled look and ducked behind Bai Jia. “Sorry, I…”

That expression again. Every time he framed someone, he’d pull this, and then Jiang Nianxing would get flamed.

“You’d better not give me an opening…”

“Are you going to hit me?” An Lu trembled, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

As long as Jiang Nianxing admitted it, An Lu could pin anything on him later.

“I…” Jiang Nianxing sank into memories of the past and instinctively started to threaten.

“Jiang Nianxing.”

But he’d barely spoken when Yu Sui’s voice cut in.

He froze and looked at Yu Sui. “Sui Sui.”

“You’re scaring people like that.” Yu Sui frowned. This An Lu was setting a trap for the protagonist.

“Sorry.” Jiang Nianxing apologized on reflex, then gazed at the young man with pleading eyes.

Yu Sui turned to An Lu. “Your words are very leading. You want Jiang Nianxing to get doxxed online.”

An Lu always played dirty, nudging things along with words. He hadn’t expected Yu Sui to call him out directly.

“You’ve got it wrong. I… I just…”

“What’s wrong with his words?” Yu Sui looked at the director again. These people were something else. He was the vicious cannon fodder anyway, meant to stir trouble, so he’d handle what the protagonists couldn’t.

“If disgraced artists can sit with us, what was the point of all our hard work?” Yu Sui’s face showed clear disdain. “Might as well go wild, then. Exposure comes with heat anyway.”

“Ahem…” The director knew about TYE’s members and their contracts. They’d tolerate the company’s arrangements and not complain. But he hadn’t counted on Yu Sui.

That hype online was supposedly from paparazzi he’d tipped himself, but the director dismissed it. Just a little idol with some smarts trying to blow up.

Of course he’d have scruples if he wanted fame.

But now, what was he hearing?

Some minor artist schooling him.

The director’s expression soured.

The others were shocked too, especially TYE’s group.

Was Yu Sui standing up for them?

“If that’s how you pick guests, then I should take a page from Huo Tian’s book.” Yu Sui flashed a wicked smile.

He hadn’t released any pheromones, but in that moment, his presence was overwhelming. Even the viewers on the other side of the screen felt it.

[Holy shit!]

[Our Sui Sui’s so Alpha right now.]

[For real. TYE’s guys work so hard, staying squeaky clean with no scandals. But the company sticks them with trashy artists—ex-teammates who hurt them, no less. The company’s inhuman.]

[Have any of you noticed how the TYE guys treated those guests? They’ve never been this rude, not even to the most aggressive paparazzi… right?]

[Xiao Lu’s reaction was huge when Zuo Meng got close—like a little pet instinctively flinching after getting hit. Is there some backstory here?]

[These guys look like they’re deliberately picking fights. Could Star Sea Entertainment have hired actors to stir up drama and torment the fans?]

[Another twist?]

[No way, we’ve been played again?]

[Damn Star Sea Entertainment, so dirty-minded.]

[Shady. We’ve been set up by the big money.]

With Yu Sui’s words, the audience no longer dared to jump to conclusions, fearing they’d get proven wrong.

The director was clearly annoyed but held his ground. “I’m just the director. I don’t have the final say on everything.”

He might as well have said outright, “Don’t blame me.”

Yu Sui let out a soft “tsk” and fell silent.

“Sui Sui.” Jiang Nianxing gazed at the young man, his cheeks faintly flushed.

Yu Sui had stood up for him—even if it wasn’t just for him alone, still…

He Baiyan pinched his slightly itchy fingers, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

His cool, detached eyes gradually darkened. His breathing grew tighter, and his heart pounded out of control.

Bai Jia noticed the change and narrowed his eyes slightly. He turned to Yu Sui. “Brother Yu, you’re quite the smooth talker. Totally different from how you were during the live stream.”

His tone sounded teasing, but the implication was that Yu Sui was putting on an act.

Yu Sui blinked, not getting it. “Different how?”

“Just that Brother Yu seems really clever.” Bai Jia smiled warmly as he spoke.

Yet his words were accusing Yu Sui of scheming.

In the live stream, Yu Sui had played up the image of someone who wanted nothing to do with alphas. But from his interactions in the chat to everything that followed, he’d been riding his teammates’ coattails for attention.

Talk about having your cake and eating it too.

“That’s true.” Yu Sui lifted his chin arrogantly, without a shred of modesty.

Bai Jia nearly choked. He never could’ve imagined that response, even if he’d racked his brains. Was Yu Sui really clueless, or just playing dumb?