Chapter 34: The Beta Who Hates Alphas Part 1

Yu Sui watched as the man in front of him flashed a saccharine smile. A flicker of confusion crossed his face. What was going on here?

Meanwhile, the vibe in the other rooms was equally bizarre.

Huo Tian and Jiang Nianxing had entered the Red Room.

Once they were seated, Huo Tian fixed the other man with a knowing, disdainful stare, as if he could see right through him.

Jiang Nianxing furrowed his brow but paid him no mind.

In the past, Huo Tian would have resorted to mental power or outright aggression to rile him up.

But now, he had a better idea.

“What kind of person do you like?”

The staff member monitoring them from nearby was caught off guard by Huo Tian’s sudden cooperation, surprise flickering in their mind.

Jiang Nianxing was taken aback too, but with the cameras rolling, he kept his cool. “Isn’t it obvious?”

He wasn’t even pretending.

“Obvious how?” Huo Tian pressed, noting the vague response. He was convinced Jiang Nianxing was fed up with that Alpha. Maybe in a couple of days, the guy would get shelved for some reason.

Forcing him to badmouth the Alpha he supposedly disliked would hit harder than any punch.

A smug grin crept across Huo Tian’s face.

“Sui Sui.” Jiang Nianxing froze, his gaze drifting as his voice turned soft and slightly husky.

To Huo Tian’s ears, it sounded like the words had been dragged out through gritted teeth.

As expected—under the lens, Jiang Nianxing swallowed his pride for the sake of his image.

Now Huo Tian knew exactly what to do.

“I see.”

“Which of Sui Sui’s intimate gestures can’t you handle?” Huo Tian emphasized the name deliberately.

Sure enough, he heard the other man’s breathing quicken.

Gotcha.

A cold laugh echoed in Huo Tian’s mind.

“Spit it out already,” he prodded, pushing to shatter the man’s composure.

Jiang Nianxing swallowed hard. “I can handle anything.”

Bullshit.

Huo Tian saw right through it.

“Really? What if Sui Sui wrecked your favorite guitar?” There had been another Alpha in their group who’d trashed Jiang Nianxing’s guitar back in the day, only to get mysteriously shelved by the company—thanks to some behind-the-scenes maneuvering by the young man himself.

“He can wreck whatever he wants.” Even wreck me, Jiang Nianxing added silently. For the first time, he didn’t mind looking at his trashy ex-teammate.

Huo Tian still didn’t buy it, but forcing his annoying ex-teammate to choke out these words through gritted teeth felt damn good.

All in all, their chat was weirdly harmonious—for once—and both walked away satisfied.

[Huo Tian trying to redeem himself on the sly?]

[Shipping his ex-teammate’s CP? That’s some twisted shit.]

[But damn, thanks for the ship bait, trash boy.]

[Our Xiao Jiang’s got infinite patience.]

[Three qualities of a perfect boyfriend right there.]

Bai Jia had been chattering away at He Baiyan ever since they left the main room, but the man remained utterly aloof.

In the small room, Bai Jia sat down and scanned the space, inwardly cringing at the setup while keeping a neutral face.

“Brother He, what kind of person do you like?” He tossed out the question casually, but his eyes locked onto the other’s face, watching for the slightest twitch.

The guy had grown even better at masking his expressions over the years—barely any emotional tells left.

But earlier, Bai Jia had caught that shift in He Baiyan because of Yu Sui.

Everything he wanted, Bai Jia would steal.

Yu Sui, though? Bai Jia didn’t like him much. Toying with him could be fun.

The thought made his smile even sweeter.

“Likes…” He Baiyan pondered.

Bai Jia frowned. “Brother He, you can’t break the game rules.”

“Don’t you already know?” He Baiyan met his gaze, those eyes as calm as ever.

Bai Jia blinked, caught off guard by the straightforward admission.

He recovered quickly. “Yu Sui?”

He Baiyan’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t touch him.”

He knew exactly what kind of person his little brother was.

Their exchange was cryptic, but it leaked plenty of intel.

[Captain’s got it bad for Sui Sui, confirmed.]

[Step it up, Captain He! We’re losing ground!]

[Online matchmaker strikes again.]

[Verdict: Star Sea Entertainment hired pros to drop ship bait.]

[Why do I feel like they’ve met before…?]

Bai Jia shot him an innocent look. “Why would I?”

The air between them grew tense.

Lu Jinxia and Lin Xiaoyi made the most harmonious pair. They chatted idly about other things before vaguely touching on the prompts, without digging too deep.

[Lin Xiaoyi’s a no-go.]

The netizens issued their ruling.

Meanwhile, Shen Anliu and Zuo Meng’s conversation veered completely off track.

“That Lu Jinxia kid has a weird temper, doesn’t he?” Zuo Meng’s eyes softened like a caring big brother. “Please cut him some slack.”

“Senior’s personality is just fine.” Shen Anliu’s reply was politely formal, even as he spotted the barbs hidden in the words.

“Oh?” Zuo Meng feigned surprise. “Come to think of it, it’s the first time I’ve seen him warm up to an Alpha like that.”

He brought up Yu Sui again.

It sounded like wistful musing, but really, it painted Lu Jinxia as rejecting his other teammates—the so-called camaraderie all fake.

As Lu Jinxia’s brother, Zuo Meng dropping this implied the kid had vented to him privately about the group.

Shen Anliu’s mind raced. He had no interest in defending a rival, but redirecting the poison toward Yu Sui was a no-go. “Sounds like you two aren’t that close.”

Zuo Meng’s expression faltered. “We’re not blood brothers, after all. And with my achievements, I guess I don’t measure up as the brother in his heart.”

A hint of melancholy and bitterness crossed his face.

Shen Anliu let it hang.

Their chat skewed around Lu Jinxia, the mood sour.

Twenty minutes up, the director called them back to the living room.

Once everyone gathered, the director announced, “After that brief time together, you’ve gotten to know your new teammates a bit. Now, for the next game.”

“In half an hour, you’ll collaborate on singing a song.”

The director clearly hadn’t forgotten their status as idols.

The big screen displayed a track by another Star Sea Entertainment artist.

After playing it once, the director gestured freely. “You can discuss anywhere, even tweak it if you like.”

Yu Sui’s face grew serious. He was a half-decent singer and dancer at best, and this unfamiliar song left him clueless. How was he supposed to—

“Bro, need a hand?” Shen Anliu picked up on his worry and approached.

“Sui Sui, I’m familiar with this one. Let me help.” Jiang Nianxing shouldered past Bai Jia, eager to jump in.

“Thanks for today, Yu Sui.” Lu Jinxia pushed through his discomfort to join the group, keeping a careful distance. “Not sure if I can be of use.”

“I tweaked part of this song’s melody,” He Baiyan spoke up. “I know exactly where to drop the key for a smooth, effortless finish.”

His teammates shot him glares.

He Baiyan sipped from his cup, unflappable.

Yu Sui blinked in surprise, then got it—this was prime time to showcase team spirit.

Plus, he could harmonize to make them shine.

The other guests, who had been pulling up the song on their phones or killing time, now eyed the cluster around Yu Sui on the sofa with varied expressions.

The staff, however, were stunned.

TYE’s members were going all out.

Cameras captured every invitation from multiple angles. The crew thought it’d be a crime not to turn this into its own game.

Yu Sui glanced around and ultimately picked Shen Anliu.

Simple reason: He needed to boost the protagonist into TYE’s hottest member.

Jiang Nianxing’s eyes darkened. Him again…

Were they rekindling?

Lu Jinxia felt a twinge of regret but left an open invite: “Hit me up anytime you need.” Then he headed out with his current partner.

He Baiyan’s hand paused mid-motion. Rejected—for Shen Anliu?

On skill and experience alone, a newbie shouldn’t cut it. Unless personal feelings were involved.

Shen Anliu’s eyes curved in a smile as he clasped Yu Sui’s hand. “Bro, I’m thrilled.”

The livestream blew up.

[What even is this, a dating sim?]

[Holy shit, they’ve all leveled up—that scene was pure heart-melter.]

[Make a real interactive romance game? For me?]

[Hell yes, full support!]

[Spam Star Sea Entertainment’s Weibo. With their savvy, they’ll bite.]

Viewers flooded in and out.

A new trending topic surged: #TYE Interactive Romance Game, Multiple Choices#

Curious clicks led to a clipped highlight from the new variety show.

Short but punchy, with slick edits, transitions, and BGM—it hooked viewers fast.

[Streamer, where’s the download?]

[Streamer, how come no Sui Sui x Nian Nian line?]

[Yeah, don’t sleep on He-Sui! No bias.]

Yu Sui’s interactions with Shen Anliu dominated the cuts—the partner pick, the bathroom trigger.

In just a snippet, it left fans craving more.

[Damn, I’m in the pit!]

[Peddle my CP already! Star Sea, you hear me?!]

Unaware of it all, Yu Sui and Shen Anliu stepped outside, their partners trailing.

An Lu aimed to sabotage, hoping to expose some ugly side.

Zuo Meng said nothing, but fixed Yu Sui with a deep stare.

Under the Backyard Pavilion.

Shen Anliu pulled out his phone and played the track once at full speed, then slowed it down.

“With so many of us here, we’re just holding things up,” he said, pausing the playback and glancing at the other two. “It’s no good making you stick around while we practice. Why don’t we split up, chase some inspiration on our own, and see if we can innovate a bit?”

It was a clear dismissal.

An Lu’s eyes darted around, but he didn’t cling stubbornly. “Sure.”

Zuo Meng nodded and headed out.

Once everyone had left, Shen Anliu stood up. “Let’s go over there.”

He grabbed Yu Sui’s arm.

“Where to?” Yu Sui asked, puzzled.

“Somewhere no one can see us,” Shen Anliu replied.

Yu Sui hadn’t said a word earlier; he knew the young man got nervous in crowds.

The audience exploded into screams at that line.

[What is this if not eloping?]

[Xiao Shen’s got game!]

[A place where no one can see you? What are you two up to?]

[Everyone else is here for the cameras, but you’ve ditched yours?]

[True love confirmed.]

[So sweet!]

[Let’s elope together—to a place no one can see us. How romantic!]

[Add that to the game lyrics ASAP!]

In the distance, An Lu captured the moment on his phone before sneaking after them.

Suddenly sending everyone away and heading somewhere off-camera? It screamed something suspicious.

He narrowed his eyes. Who knew what he might catch on video?

Not every spot in the villa had cameras.

Shen Anliu and Yu Sui settled along the wall’s edge. He pulled a pair of wired earbuds from his pocket.

He popped one in his own ear, then handed the other to Yu Sui.