Chapter 34: The Married Beta Encounters a Battlefield

Chapter 34: The Beta Housewife Faces a Gauntlet of Troubles

In the jellyfish exhibit, cylindrical tanks teemed with thumb-sized jellyfish, their forms shifting between blue and pink under the lights. Their umbrella-shaped medusae continuously contracted and expanded, drifting gracefully up and down.

Mirrored walls rendered the entire space dreamlike and profound, reflecting the silhouettes of visitors moving through.

Bai Yu paused before a large tank where the tentacles of the *Turritopsis dohrnii* jellyfish stretched up to two meters long, flowing like silk ribbons as they moved. He turned to Situ Jing, pointing at the creature behind the glass, "Look."

Situ Jing walked over to Bai Yu’s side, his expression impassive as he gazed at the jellyfish. "Hmm, I see. What about it?"

Bai Yu pressed his hand against the glass. The blue glow from the tank illuminated his cat-like eyes, his round pupils following the jellyfish’s movements. He blinked twice, his thick lashes fluttering as he focused intently, as if tracing the jellyfish’s outline with curiosity.

"Did you know? The *Turritopsis dohrnii* is considered potentially immortal."

"Immortal?"

"Yes. When facing danger, the *Turritopsis dohrnii* can revert itself into a hydropolyp, transforming from a mature jellyfish back into its juvenile form, then growing up all over again. This process of reversing life stages is called transdifferentiation. Through this, the *Turritopsis dohrnii* can achieve an almost limitless lifespan, virtually without aging. Isn’t that amazing?"

Situ Jing gave a slight nod and replied cooperatively, "Amazing. There’s another animal with a similar survival strategy."

Bai Yu asked, "What is it?"

"Earthworms. When injured, they can clone several copies of themselves, but they still die eventually—either used as fishing bait or eaten by predators. Less complex organisms rely on such self-replication to survive."

"..." Bai Yu looked at Situ Jing with a puzzled expression. "Don’t you think they’re beautiful?"

Situ Jing said indifferently, "I never waste time thinking about trivial questions like whether jellyfish are beautiful."

In Situ Jing’s eyes, aesthetics were naturally equated with monetary value and rarity. An artwork acquired at an auction, an S-class omega with a perfect figure, a new project developed by a company—these could all be considered beautiful.

But jellyfish? He dismissed the thought.

Back in his student days, classmates would often say things like, "Look, that cloud looks like an airplane," "The kitten by the roadside is so cute," or "The meat buns from the stall near school are delicious."

Situ Jing found it all unproductive. Such trivial matters not only distracted but also brought no tangible benefits. He’d rather focus on what truly mattered—like the performance of the cryptocurrency he invested in or whether his performance in business simulations met his grandfather’s expectations.

After summer vacation, his classmates would chatter about their travels, while he had spent the entire break competing in contests and reviewing financial statements.

But if he wanted to, he could easily visit the beautiful tropical islands shown in commercials for diving or go snowboarding at premium ski resorts.

"Nothing worth seeing here," Situ Jing muttered as his tall figure moved swiftly past the tanks filled with fantastical, drifting jellyfish, heading toward the exit.

Bai Yu began to understand why Jiang Ming had suggested he bring Situ Jing to these kinds of places.

Living like an emotionally sterile person might be one of the reasons for his abnormal pheromones.

The two followed the exhibition route. Situ Jing elbowed past the children crowding around the glass tanks, his expression disinterested, while Bai Yu explored left and right like an excited child, listening to the narration on his phone.

Whenever something caught his interest, Bai Yu would tug insistently on Situ Jing’s sleeve and lead him to the tank.

Garden eels darting their heads out, butterfly koi with fins flowing like dancing sleeves, seahorses with fan-like pectoral fins, little yellow sponges resting on the ocean floor, spiny sea urchins...

Bai Yu pointed at a bright pink starfish clinging to a coral, its plump, rounded body well-defined.

"Isn’t it cute?"

Situ Jing snorted lightly and didn’t respond.

Bai Yu clasped his hands behind his back, smiling brightly at him. "Starfish can regenerate a whole body from a single arm, and they can also release sperm and eggs through gonads in their arms, through external fertilization in the water. In comparison, human ABO gender system dynamics lead to far more varied sexual behaviors, especially foreplay."

Situ Jing asked, "Are you hinting at something?"

Bai Yu immediately waved his hands. "No, I was just thinking out loud based on the audio guide. My mind wandered."

That said, the two of them rarely engaged in foreplay in bed, usually getting straight to the point—sometimes rough and intense.

"Is this also part of your creative inspiration?"

"Not really, it’s just general knowledge. Primates do it, and some birds too."

Situ Jing’s deep eyes showed no emotion as he asked calmly, "What kind of foreplay do you like?"

"I really didn’t mean it that way."

"Hmph." Situ Jing scoffed.

A nearby parent quickly covered their child’s ears and shot Bai Yu and Situ Jing a look.

Bai Yu’s ears burned red as he hurried briskly after Situ Jing away from the starfish tank.

A large crowd surged toward them in the corridor. Situ Jing pulled Bai Yu closer and said coldly, "That’s because you never cooperate. You always manage to provoke me."

Bai Yu: "?"

This topic couldn’t continue, or they wouldn’t make it home that afternoon.

The exhibit featured a message wall. Bai Yu picked up two sticky notes and a pen, handing one to Situ Jing. "If you had to describe me as a marine creature, what would it be? I’ll draw you, and you draw me."

Situ Jing took the note, sat across from Bai Yu, and spent a rare moment in thought before starting to sketch.

Bai Yu quickly decided what animal Situ Jing resembled. To prevent him from peeking, he covered his own drawing with his hand.

When they finished, they revealed their drawings.

Bai Yu saw that Situ Jing had drawn a sponge full of holes—instantly identifiable. But why did he see him as a sponge? Not a gentle sea slug, a cheerful dolphin, or a pure jellyfish...

Situ Jing frowned slightly at Bai Yu’s drawing, a messy black blob. "What is this abstract thing?"

Bai Yu said, "Is it that hard to understand? A sea urchin!"

Situ Jing took the note, studying it carefully. The corner of his mouth twitched. "Why not a shark, a whale, or something like a mermaid?"

Given Situ Jing’s appearance, he did fit the image of a dominant alpha mermaid leader, but Bai Yu couldn’t draw that. Besides, a sea urchin suited him better.

The two stared at the sea urchin and sponge on the notes, realizing how the other perceived them, and fell into quiet reflection.

These two creatures had only three things in common: no eyes, no mouth, and both were bright yellow.

Bai Yu asked, "Why am I a sponge?"

Situ Jing glanced at him dismissively, with a hint of mockery. "You don’t know?"

"..." Bai Yu stuck his note on the message wall. "Then I won’t tell you why you’re a sea urchin either."

Situ Jing also posted his note high up on another part of the wall, scribbling Bai Yu’s name beside it.

"Your way of thinking is different from ordinary people’s. I don’t need to understand you, or I’d end up just like you—"

The rest of the words were cut off by Situ Jing, but Bai Yu knew those two words were "idiot."

"Hmph!" Bai Yu shot a dirty look at Situ Jing from behind.

When Situ Jing turned to look at Bai Yu, Bai Yu had already reverted to his usual calm, meeting his gaze casually. "Let's go to the next exhibit. There's an Arctic fox exhibit over there."

If it weren't for the money, he couldn't put up with this job for even a day.

*

The two entered the Arctic fox exhibit. Just as Bai Yu was snapping pics of the fluffy little Arctic fox kits, he looked up and suddenly spotted Qin Shaoxin posing for photos with two or three others very close by.

Qin Shaoxin’s earrings, lip piercings, and his cool graffiti-print tee paired with wide-leg jeans and a waist chain made him stick out. He was joking around with his friends while taking pictures.

As Qin Shaoxin turned, Bai Yu turned away, stammering out, "Um, I want to go to the beluga whale exhibit first. Is that okay?"

Situ Jing frowned slightly. There was nothing in the Arctic fox exhibit that interested him, but Bai Yu’s sudden change in expression seemed weird to him.

He scanned the crowd and locked eyes with a young man wearing earrings and a lip piercing—a vague, unexplained tension hung in the air.

Situ Jing glanced down at Bai Yu, a chill in his voice. "Did you see someone you know?"

"No," Bai Yu answered quickly, pointing to the time on his phone. "The beluga whale exhibit performance is about to start. It’s one of the main attractions here—we can’t miss it. I want to go see it."

More and more people were streaming into the Arctic fox exhibit. Situ Jing didn’t push it. "If you want to go, then let’s go."

Bai Yu gingerly grabbed Situ Jing’s sleeve, leading him toward the beluga whale exhibit. Situ Jing, in turn, took hold of Bai Yu’s wrist and marched ahead.

Qin Shaoxin watched Bai Yu’s figure disappear into the crowd, accompanied by a tall alpha, and felt a twinge of annoyance.

His friends were busy looking at the photos from the polaroid camera. One of them patted Qin Shaoxin on the shoulder. "What are you looking at?"

Qin Shaoxin snapped out of it. "Someone familiar. Maybe I was mistaken."

The beluga whale exhibit was the largest pavilion in the aquarium, housing several beluga whales, manta rays, and other fish. Visitors were already gathering in the stands, waiting for the performance to begin.

Bai Yu stopped in front of a snack stand, his stomach rumbling. He asked Situ Jing, "Do you want to get something to eat?"

Situ Jing’s voice carried a hint of irritation. "I don’t eat junk food."

"Then I’ll just grab a grilled sausage. I’ll be quick." Bai Yu wriggled free from Situ Jing’s grasp and hurried to the counter.

Situ Jing stood under a sunshade, waiting for Bai Yu, when a sickly sweet, bubbly male voice called from behind, "Jing-ge?"

Very few people addressed him that way.

Situ Jing instinctively turned around. Mu Qingkong, with his slightly curly hair, was walking toward him with a few classmates, waving.

Mu Qingkong’s mother and Situ Jing’s mother had been close friends for years, so the two families had a longstanding connection. However, their social statuses were not on the same level—the Mu family was just a family of artists. Whenever they met, Situ Jing was polite to this so-called "little brother," but nothing more.

Mu Qingkong approached Situ Jing, tugging at his lace-knit sweater and smiling shyly. "Jing-ge, what are you doing here?"

Pei Wenliang, who was accompanying him, seemed put off upon seeing Situ Jing. "Who’s this?"

"This is my brother, Situ Jing," Mu Qingkong introduced.

Hearing the surname "Situ," Pei Wenliang took a closer look at Situ Jing and said sheepishly, "I see."

Situ Jing couldn’t be bothered to engage further with Mu Qingkong and continued waiting for Bai Yu. "You all go ahead and enjoy yourselves. I have things to do."

Mu Qingkong hung around Situ Jing’s side, smiling. "Jing-ge, did you arrange to meet someone here? If not, we could go together."

Bai Yu bought his grilled sausage and glanced toward the entrance to the stands. Many people were already going in. Just as he was about to join Situ Jing, he noticed two unexpected figures standing beside him—Mu Qingkong and Pei Wenliang.

Situ Jing knew them?

Maybe it wasn’t the best time to approach.

Seeing Bai Yu’s expression shift and his hesitation to come over, Situ Jing had an inkling of what was going on.

Pei Wenliang smirked mockingly. "Look, it’s that guy who got held back. He wouldn’t come to the aquarium alone, would he?"

Mu Qingkong dropped his earlier warmth toward Situ Jing and sniped, "Who knows? He’s holding a grilled sausage and an ice cream, isn’t he?"

Yao Jia, standing nearby, crossed her arms. "His roommate said he turned the Ninth Symphony into an electronic remix. Is that even listenable? We tried to advise him nicely, but he wouldn’t change it."

The three of them burst into laughter. Mu Qingkong explained to Situ Jing, "Jing-ge, he’s just a classmate of ours. Don’t mind him."

The light in Situ Jing’s eyes darkened as he looked down at the three surrounding him. He asked casually, as if it didn’t matter, "If he’s your classmate, why not go say hello? Are you not on good terms with him?"

"Well..." Mu Qingkong tapped his lips with a finger. "It’s not that we’re on bad terms, but he took a year off school and had a bad reputation in his previous class. In our new class, he flaunts that he once won first place in the Arrangement Competition, and the teacher favors him because she likes his work. But his grades aren’t actually that good. He rarely talks to anyone after class, and even his roommates hardly see him. He’s all show, no substance."

"Not necessarily," Situ Jing said in a low voice.

Mu Qingkong asked, "Jing-ge, what do you mean 'not necessarily'?"

Situ Jing sent a message on his phone, then looked up and said word by word, "The one who’s all show, no substance might not be him."

"..."

Mu Qingkong processed this. "Jing-ge, are you saying he might actually have talent and that I should be careful he doesn’t surpass me?"

Situ Jing let out a cold laugh and glanced toward the snack stand entrance, where Bai Yu was no longer in sight. "You all enjoy yourselves. I have other matters to attend to."

Before Mu Qingkong could try to stop him, Situ Jing was already heading toward the aquarium exit. Mu Qingkong could only mutter, "Alright."

Pei Wenliang, hands in his pockets, watched Situ Jing leave before voicing what he’d been holding back. "Didn’t it sound like he was insulting you just now, not warning you?"

Mu Qingkong shot Pei Wenliang a glare. "What nonsense are you talking? Why would my brother insult me? I’ve known him since we were kids—he’s never insulted me."

Yao Jia asked, "What was your brother doing here?"

"Probably considering buying this aquarium or something else. Anyway, my brother runs a huge business. Have you heard of Hengyu Group?..."

The three of them headed toward the performance entrance and bought VIP front-row seats.