Chapter 36: The Alpha-Hating Beta Part 2

He knew Yu Sui would never toy with him like that, but knowing it intellectually didn’t stop the sharp sting of jealousy.

“You need to step up your game,” Lin Xiaoyi urged. “Ideally, get Yu Sui to stick exclusively with you and shut out everyone else’s advances.”

Shen Anliu came back to himself. “Together… with me?”

His heart pounded faster, a flush of embarrassment creeping in.

Lin Xiaoyi nodded. “Not one of them is a pushover. They already had fame going in, and now they’ve got hordes of CP fans—like adding wings to a tiger. A total newbie like you has zero edge.”

“I’ll back you up.”

Shen Anliu composed himself. “No need.”

“You’re not actually falling for him, are you?” Lin Xiaoyi’s gaze sharpened as he stared him down.

“No way,” Shen Anliu replied quickly, sensing the undercurrent of threat. “I haven’t forgotten what the organization did for me.”

“Then stick to the plan,” Lin Xiaoyi said.

Shen Anliu clenched his fist and nodded.

Yu Sui, who had been standing just outside the door with his hand clamped over his mouth, held his breath and backed away slowly.

He’d only come to deal with the water stain on his clothes. He never expected to stumble on their scheming.

He headed upstairs to his room. Only after shutting off the camera did a heavy frown settle on his face.

“That was intense.”

[Host, watch out for Shen Anliu’s sweet talk from here on out,] the System warned. [Feel free to enjoy it, but don’t buy into it for a second.]

“I wasn’t enjoying it,” Yu Sui protested. “Am I supposed to fall for it? And what about the others…”

[The smart play right now is to keep things balanced across the board,] the System replied. [You can cut Shen Anliu a little slack, though. The company won’t give a damn about your personal entanglements—hell, it might even blow the protagonist shou’s cover.]

Yu Sui nodded.

He changed into fresh clothes and headed back downstairs.

Several people were lounging in the living room, flipping through magazines on the coffee table.

Jiang Nianxing and He Baiyan were bustling in the kitchen, while Lu Jinxia glanced at the group in the living room and went to lend a hand.

They made no move to let the others help. They simply didn’t trust them—not with the risk of someone slipping something into the food.

Yu Sui came down and took a seat off to one side from the row of people already there.

Bai Jia, sitting next to him, asked curiously, “What were you all up to, dodging the cameras like that?”

Every eye in the room snapped to Yu Sui in an instant.

Talk about bringing up the one topic no one wanted stirred.

Yu Sui’s gaze flickered. “Nothing.”

“Your mouth…” Bai Jia leaned in close, zeroing in on the swollen lips.

Remembering his own scheme, he forced down the cringe and said, “Brother Yu, I just noticed—your lips are perfect for kissing.”

An Lu, sitting nearby, looked utterly stunned. “You… what’s this about?”

What was Bai Jia playing at? Weren’t they supposed to be allies? What was he doing now?

Zuo Meng’s eyelid twitched. He hadn’t expected to hear something so explosive—and this was a live broadcast.

Huo Tian, on the other hand, saw it as a jab at an alpha’s pride. He stayed cool, munching virtual popcorn as he watched the drama unfold.

Lin Xiaoyi and the others approached just then. He overheard and paused mid-step, his brows furrowing slightly.

Did this Bai Jia want to blow up too?

He shot a glance at Shen Anliu, signaling him to step in.

Shen Anliu was drowning in guilt over Yu Sui. But if he slacked on his missions, the organization might target Yu Sui directly—or worse, send someone else to take his place.

He schooled his features. “Please don’t say things like that. It’s disrespectful.”

He slid into the seat next to Yu Sui, putting himself between the two men. “Bro, you’re mine alone.”

[Perfect for kissing, yeah.]

[Excellent—Bai Jia’s one of our own.]

[Little Shen’s panicking and staking his claim.]

[This whole show’s custom-built for TYE, huh?]

Seeing the jealousy flare in Shen Anliu’s eyes, Bai Jia’s own gleamed with mischief as a more entertaining idea struck him. “You say Yu Sui’s yours? Did you even ask him?”

“For all you know, he doesn’t like you.” He glanced toward the kitchen. “He went out with Brother He once, came back with swollen lips… obviously…”

“Cough, cough—can we drop this?!” Yu Sui blurted, horrified. Were these the kinds of things you said in front of a live audience?

And they’d nailed the truth, too.

He didn’t even want to imagine how the barrage would spin it.

Shen Anliu’s expression dimmed at the words. He turned beseeching eyes on Yu Sui. “Bro…”

That single “bro” dripped with resentment and hurt.

Had Yu Sui not known Bai Jia’s true colors, he’d have pegged him as one of Shen Anliu’s organization plants.

This was clearly an attempt to tie them together.

“Nothing like that,” Yu Sui denied firmly.

Bai Jia eyed He Baiyan, who had just emerged from the kitchen. “Looks like Brother He put his trust in the wrong person.”

His tone was pure schadenfreude as he shook his head in mock pity.

Yu Sui ground his teeth. What the hell was this guy’s game?

He Baiyan’s lips pressed into a thin line—especially when he caught Shen Anliu’s smile at Yu Sui’s denial.

Why debunk him but let Shen Anliu’s claim slide?

No. Wait.

It clicked.

Yu Sui was tailoring different games to each person’s personality.

He was trying to rile him up, goad him into a possessive grab.

He Baiyan steadied himself and returned to the kitchen to keep working.

An Lu couldn’t look at Shen Anliu without recalling that cold, dead-man stare from earlier, so he’d been keeping his head down like a quail.

Now, seeing the man’s harmless facade, it only creeped him out more.

What an actor.

His gaze shifted to Yu Sui, who seemed blissfully oblivious.

An Lu pinched his fingers together, a scheme taking shape in his mind.

Dinner turned out lavish.

No one spoke a word throughout the meal.

Once they’d finished eating, the production team directed them to their rooms to vote, writing down the name of their preferred teammate.

[No more pretending.]

[Classic dating show bit: pick your crush.]

[Past seasons never had this. We know what it means.]

[Preferences don’t guarantee teammates, though.]

[Time to compete!]

[Is that what the show’s name means?]

The TYE members piqued their curiosity most—mainly Yu Sui’s pick, since everyone else’s motives were crystal clear.

They got up one by one to cast their votes. Yu Sui was last.

He stood before the camera, pen in hand, and wrote Shen Anliu’s name without a second’s hesitation.

Back in the living room, all eyes locked onto him.

Yu Sui shifted uncomfortably. “What’re you all staring at me for?”

“Who’s Brother Yu gonna pick?” Bai Jia asked, curiosity sparkling.

He Baiyan shot him a cold look, but Bai Jia’s smile only sweetened. “I’m dying to team up with Brother Yu.”

“Not interested,” Yu Sui said with a shake of his head. What was his deal? Did he want to CP-pair with him too?

Bai Jia’s smile froze solid. No surprise there—He Baiyan’s type shared his distaste.

A flicker of amusement lit He Baiyan’s eyes. Yu Sui really was his perfect match.

The director cleared his throat. “So, guests—which teammates caught your eye? Time to reveal the results.”

He surveyed the group. “TYE wrote Yu Sui across the board—except Yu Sui himself. Zero surprises there.”

“Huo Tian and An Lu left theirs blank.”

“Lin Xiaoyi picked Shen Anliu, Zuo Meng went with Lu Jinxia, and Bai Jia also chose Yu Sui.”

The director turned to Yu Sui. “With so many people gunning to team up with you, any thoughts?”

Yu Sui thought, They’re all just after the hype. Out loud, deadpan: “I deserve it.”

The director choked on air.

This guy didn’t play by any rules.

“Cough. Now, Yu Sui’s choice.” He scanned the room before landing on Shen Anliu. “Shen Anliu.”

Shen Anliu went rigid. He looked at Yu Sui, guilt twisting deeper inside him.

Lin Xiaoyi clapped in satisfaction.

The rest looked downright dejected.

“Brother Yu really has a soft spot for Brother Shen,” Bai Jia remarked with a sigh. He glanced at He Baiyan, feeling pretty pleased.

Yu Sui grew even more suspicious of Bai Jia’s loyalties. “It’s just teammates. Don’t spout nonsense.”

[Oh~ teammates~]

[Sui Sui really seems to like Xiao Shen. No wonder it’s my top ship.]

[Our Sui Sui Ping An CP is racking up major points!]

[Oh god, Xiao Jiang is shattering.]

[Damn it, why can’t he pick both?]

[It’s because they’re both newbies—their feelings are purer.]

[Yeah, let’s congratulate this pair of rookies.]

“It’s getting late, everyone. You can head upstairs to rest,” the director announced.

They didn’t leave right away.

Because someone had blocked Yu Sui’s path.

The others stopped in their tracks as well, crowding around to watch the show.

“Sui Sui, why?” Jiang Nianxing stared at him, his eyes bloodshot. “Where did I fall short compared to him?”

“Keep your voice down.” Yu Sui was genuinely afraid he’d spout nonsense. He grabbed Jiang Nianxing’s arm, trying to drag him away.

Jiang Nianxing didn’t budge an inch. “You rejected me today… but then you turn around and…”

Yu Sui hurriedly clamped a hand over his mouth. “Shut up!”

Jiang Nianxing went rigid from the proximity. He didn’t pull away, but he pouted and sneaked a kiss onto Yu Sui’s palm.

Everyone saw the whole thing.

Yu Sui jerked back as if burned. “What the hell are you doing?!”

He shoved the young man aside and bolted upstairs.

An Lu thought to himself, Talk about terrifying. But Yu Sui clearly couldn’t stand him. If…

To really strike at their hearts, the best way was to force an irreparable mistake—one that left both of them in agony. Kill two birds with one stone.

The mere thought excited him.

Lu Jinxia hadn’t expected the guy to go into heat right there in front of everyone. His eyelid twitched. “You’ve gone too far.”

He shook his head, mortified on his behalf.

He Baiyan arched a brow but said nothing as he turned and headed upstairs.

The others wore equally odd expressions, their private thoughts a mystery. But the bullet comments exploded.

[They’re selling it this hard already?]

[We’ll see them kissing soon enough.]

[Make it happen!]

[Xiao Jiang’s stealing the show.]

[That’s right—this is my CP.]

[Get into the game! Do it quick!]

[The others suck. They should gang up and snatch him right now.]

[Yeah! Surround Sui Sui—don’t let him escape!]

Yu Sui got back to his room and washed his hands with a scowl. “Talk about no holds barred.”

[So you need to play fair with them. Otherwise, for the sake of hype…] The System sighed.

“I… I’ll do my best.” Yu Sui felt the pressure mounting.

The guests retired to their rooms. As the cameras switched off, viewers began trickling out of the live stream.

But the chat—full of casual goodnights—suddenly flooded with “Holy shit!”

[Captain lives up to his name!]

[So they put Sui Sui in a solo room to make it easy for visitors? Sneaky production team—you almost had me!]

[Sui Sui, why’d you let him in? You getting up tomorrow?]

[What happened?]

[Nothing much. Little He just went to crash with his teammate.]

[!!!]

[Damn it, why’d they cut the room cams?! Aaaah!]

[Is the captain coming out tonight?]

[No way! I’m screen-recording!]

[Forget recording—I’m pulling an all-nighter.]

It was past midnight by now, but the live stream’s viewer count was skyrocketing. Soon, a post hit the Hot Search.

Shock! TYE Captain Knocks on Teammate’s Door Late at Night and Hasn’t Emerged#