Chapter 28: The Married Beta Eats Spicy Sticks

Chapter 28 The Married Beta and the Spicy Strips

The two walked to the crosswalk and waited for the traffic light. Qin Shaoxin's eyes were fixed on Bai Yu.

The October weather was still hot and dry. A pearlescent sheen of sweat covered Bai Yu's face and neck. His medium-length hair was tied in a small bun, and he wore a loose white shirt with light blue jeans, looking clean and fresh.

Bai Yu noticed Qin Shaoxin's prolonged gaze and looked up at him. "What's wrong?"

Qin Shaoxin casually brought up a topic. "Our performance won an award at the orientation gala. I was the lead dancer. Did you go?"

"I think I had class at the time, so I didn't go."

Students were bustling in and out of the school gate, including a few of Bai Yu's classmates. He avoided Qin Shaoxin's gaze, trying to create some distance between them.

Qin Shaoxin pulled out his phone, found a recorded video, and moved closer. "I have a replay. Let me show you."

Bai Yu said, "I saw it. You were on the school's video channel."

Qin Shaoxin was thrilled, his smile deepening, his breath quickening. "So you've been quietly following me. How did you think I danced?"

Bai Yu thought carefully about how to describe it. "Very good, really impressive. You looked different performing a sword dance in Hanfu compared to your usual self."

"Classical dance is like that. I usually prefer hip-hop, skateboarding, and things like that. It's a shame they don't offer majors in them. If they did, I definitely wouldn't have chosen classical dance."

Qin Shaoxin patted Bai Yu and pointed to his lip piercing. "Does it look good?"

Bai Yu looked at the silver lip piercing in the center of Qin Shaoxin's full, sensual lower lip. "It looks good."

With ten seconds left on the traffic light countdown, Qin Shaoxin whispered, "I also have a tongue piercing. Want to see? They say kissing with a tongue piercing feels amazing. I haven't tried it yet."

Bai Yu was preoccupied with his unfinished homework and was momentarily stunned by Qin Shaoxin's words. "Doesn't it hurt to get it done on your tongue?"

"I have a high pain tolerance. It's nothing."

Bai Yu felt like Qin Shaoxin genuinely wanted to show him his piercing and immediately stopped him. "There are so many people here. It would be very strange if you suddenly stuck out your tongue. I don't want to see."

Qin Shaoxin laughed. "Alright, next time we'll find a private place, and I'll show you."

"..."

If this were an alpha talking to an omega, it would definitely be considered flirting. But Bai Yu felt that only a small number of alphas were interested in betas, and even fewer people were interested in him.

Bai Yu and He Lele occasionally joked around and talked about random things too. It was no big deal.

Qin Shaoxin's gaze fell on Bai Yu's ears. "Your ears are very pretty. The helix is covered with a layer of white fuzz, and your earlobes are small and delicate. Have you never gotten them pierced?"

"No."

"Afraid of pain?"

"Not really." Bai Yu's tea-brown eyes sparkled as he seriously told Qin Shaoxin, "I'm afraid that when the piercing gun goes through my earlobe, the vacuum suction of the earring hole might connect to another dimension. The super-strong gravitational pull would suck everyone into my earhole, and I'd be the only person left in the world. How boring would that be?"

"...Hahaha." Qin Shaoxin played along with Bai Yu's abstract humor. "So does that mean I have many holes connecting to other dimensions?"

"Yes. If you open all those holes on a windy day, you might hear a sound like bagpipes. You'd have to plug them, and each hole would need to be sealed with its perfectly matching treasure."

The light turned green. Bai Yu walked across the street, and Qin Shaoxin followed beside him, pointing to his heart. "Among all these holes, the most frightening one is here. It's empty and dark, and it's been there for a long time. But recently, I finally found the treasure to fill it."

Bai Yu said, "That's great. You're at the perfect age for falling in love."

"Aren't you?"

"I..." Bai Yu paused. "Haven't really thought about it yet."

The two went to the most popular bubble tea shop in Liujia Alley, where a crowd of people were waiting in line.

Two of Qin Shaoxin's classmates were also there buying bubble tea. They greeted him and glanced curiously at Bai Yu.

Qin Shaoxin said, "This is a senior I'm good friends with."

Bai Yu greeted the underclassmen warmly. After the people in front finished ordering, the two stepped up to the counter to choose their drinks.

The bubble tea shop only had three non-dairy drinks, and Bai Yu had already decided—he'd just get lemonade again. He waited for Qin Shaoxin to order.

Qin Shaoxin looked up and said to the staff, "Two cups of lemonade."

Bai Yu: "Why are you getting lemonade too?"

"Since you can't drink milk tea, it's not as fun by myself. Might as well both have lemonade." Qin Shaoxin handed the lemonade and a straw to Bai Yu.

"Alright." Bai Yu inserted the straw into the cup and happily took a big sip of the cold drink. "I have something to do. See you next time?"

Qin Shaoxin didn't expect Bai Yu to leave so soon. "What is it?"

"I still have homework to finish. It's due tomorrow."

"Then why are you leaving school?"

Bai Yu showed Qin Shaoxin the music arrangement clip on his phone. "I was working on mixing and editing, but it froze and crashed halfway through. Not sure if it's the graphics card or something else broken again. I'm going to an internet cafe to fix it."

"Why not buy a new computer?"

"That computer can still be repaired and used. It's just that the assignment is urgent. I should get going."

Qin Shaoxin followed Bai Yu out of the bubble tea shop. "How about you come to my place to use the computer? My computer has pretty good specs, and I have speakers and recording equipment too."

Bai Yu stopped. "Your place?"

Qin Shaoxin nodded. "It's an apartment my parents bought for me near the school. Usually, only I stay there occasionally. It's very close."

"I just need to adjust a few things. It'll only take an hour. An internet cafe is fine. After I submit the assignment, I still have to go to my elective class."

Bai Yu's computer crashing wasn't the first time. Last time, he also fixed it at an internet cafe. It costs fifteen RMB an hour here, which isn't expensive.

Qin Shaoxin held up his cup of lemonade. "Think of it as you buying me drinks, and me returning the favor. I need to go back anyway to grab clean clothes before returning to school. After you finish your assignment, we can go back to school together."

Bai Yu pursed his lips, still hesitating. "Won't that be too much trouble?"

Qin Shaoxin looked at Bai Yu disappointedly, his skateboard planted on the ground. "Senior, you're not still afraid I'm setting you up, are you? That I'll scam you into selling your organs or getting a gland implantation?"

Bai Yu quickly shook his head. "Of course not."

"Then you're the one tricking me."

"Huh?" Bai Yu stared at Qin Shaoxin, his cat-like eyes full of confusion. "What did I trick you about?"

"I thought you meant it when you promised me. You said you'd let me be your first listener. Did you forget?"

Bai Yu's mind flashed, and he remembered that he had indeed promised Qin Shaoxin, but it was just being polite—he never thought he'd actually have to fulfill it.

"No, it's fine... I can go, as long as I can make it back for the elective class."

Seeing that Bai Yu had agreed, Qin Shaoxin smiled, picked up his skateboard, and lightly guided him by the waist. "Let's go. It's just two blocks away. It's only two o'clock now—plenty of time to make it."

*

Qin Shaoxin's home was in an upscale residential complex near the university—a two-story townhouse.

As they entered through the foyer, Qin Shaoxin handed Bai Yu a pair of brand-new slippers. "If you come over often, I'll buy you your own pair."

"No need to go to that trouble."

Bai Yu thought to himself that while Qin Shaoxin understood his wild imagination and they had traveled together overseas, making them friends, he probably wouldn't be coming here often.

Qin Shaoxin just smiled. "The computer is in my gaming room. I'll take you upstairs."

In the living room, three modern pop art oil paintings hung on the wall, quite eye-catching.

Bai Yu followed Qin Shaoxin upstairs into the gaming room, which housed three computers and an entire wall dedicated to anime figures.

Qin Shaoxin pointed to a computer by the window, equipped with German-made speakers on both sides. "Use this one—it has the best performance. Do you need to download any programming software?"

"I have the installation package on my hard drive."

Bai Yu plugged in his hard drive, sat down in front of the computer, and began tinkering. Qin Shaoxin watched for a while before leaving quietly so as not to disturb him.

After changing the instrument tones, the modulation section still had some muffled notes, but the overall melody flowed relatively smoothly.

Bai Yu dragged the progress bar on the screen, listening repeatedly, wondering if submitting this piece would really earn him the lowest score in the class from Professor Song Huaiqian. Should he make changes?

Qin Shaoxin knocked on the door, walked in with a pack of spicy strips, and pulled up a stool to sit beside Bai Yu. "Want some?"

Bai Yu glanced at his keyboard-tapping hands. "It's fine, I—"

Qin Shaoxin brought the spicy strip to Bai Yu's mouth. "I'll feed you. Say 'ah'~"

With the spicy strip right at his lips, Bai Yu paused for a second before opening his mouth to eat it. He seemed to accidentally lick Qin Shaoxin's finger and mumbled, "Thanks."

Qin Shaoxin stared at the index finger Bai Yu had licked, subtly brought it to his own mouth, and smiled. "Finished with your assignment?"

"It's done, but I'm wondering if I should make major changes. If I do, I'll have to start over."

"Can I listen to it?"

"Sure. You can help me judge." Bai Yu took off his headphones and played it through the speakers.

The German-made speakers were among the best in the world, with surround sound that faithfully reproduced the sound quality.

It began with an English horn solo, the lyrical, mournful melody gradually incorporating drums, guitar, and vocal chanting...

Bai Yu was nervous. Composers often don't know how their music will be received, just as painters don't know how their work will be interpreted.

Qin Shaoxin listened intently, not even touching his spicy strip until the music ended. "Are you adapting Dvořák's 'Ninth Symphony'?"

Bai Yu's eyes widened. "You know it?"

"Yeah, I learned piano as a kid—wasn't great at it, so I switched to dance later. But I remember this piece clearly, especially the opening English horn solo—it's very distinctive."

"What do you think of my arrangement?" Bai Yu looked at Qin Shaoxin expectantly.

Qin Shaoxin said, "It sounds great. Why would you start over?"

Bai Yu felt relieved and decided to stick with his original idea. But the piece still wasn't perfect—played through the speakers, the minor flaws were magnified. Qin Shaoxin just hadn't noticed. It needed more polishing.

"I'll adjust some details. It'll be quick." Bai Yu selected an audio block and adjusted the tones.

Qin Shaoxin offered the spicy strip to Bai Yu again. "Want more?"

Bai Yu shook his head. "You eat it."

Qin Shaoxin moved his stool to another computer and started watching a live street dance competition, waiting for Bai Yu to finish editing.

A few minutes later, Bai Yu sent the revised piece to Professor Song Huaiqian's email and checked the group messages.

An announcement in the music history elective group read: [Tonight's elective class is canceled, rescheduled for next Thursday. Please take note.]

Great, no elective class tonight—he could go back early to buy groceries and cook.

Bai Yu shut down the computer and put his hard drive back in his bag. "I'm finished."

Qin Shaoxin said, "That fast? It's only three o'clock. We can hang out a bit longer before heading back to campus."

"My elective class got canceled. I'm not going back to school today."

Canceled?

Qin Shaoxin stood up, smiling. "Then let's game together. You can stay until after dinner before heading back? I don't really have anything to do back at school either."

"Uh..." Bai Yu's phone rang. Seeing the two-word caller ID on the screen, his expression tightened. "I need to take this call."

Qin Shaoxin watched as Bai Yu answered in a low voice and walked out of the room, the smile on his face gradually fading.

It had been a month since Bai Yu last received a call from Situ Jing. His voice was still deep and magnetic, carrying a hint of arrogance and authority.

"Where are you?"

"I'm working on a major assignment. I'm a bit busy—what's up?"

"Busier than me? Too busy to even check your messages?"

"Did you send me a message? I might have missed it while I was working."

Situ Jing hung up.

Bai Yu pulled down to refresh his messages and saw one from Situ Jing sent two minutes ago: [Come to Hengyu HQ. Now.]