Chapter 60: Just a Beta

Chapter 60: Just a Beta

Song Yuqing looked at Pei Huai, his tone flat, "No more hiding?"

Pei Huai, still seething, seemed to hit a pause button, staring at Song Yuqing in disbelief. "You're baiting me?"

Song Yuqing offered no reply, merely observing him with a detached air.

The few alphas who had intended to speak with Song Yuqing felt a prickle of dread the moment they spotted Pei Huai.

*What was this walking menace doing here?*

The alphas glanced back at Song Yuqing, who remained coolly indifferent.

Pei Huai delivered another kick to the alpha who had spoken out of turn before turning to Song Yuqing. "I'm not leaving. I'm on vacation, and I have every right to go to Sri Lanka too."

"You can't strip me of my freedom."

The alphas from No. 1 High School watched, eyes wide with shock. Pei Huai was actually talking about rights, claiming someone couldn't take away his freedom.

*Who was this person? Had they tamed Pei Huai into a lapdog?*

Only then did the alphas begin to take Song Yuqing a little more seriously. After all, this exquisitely beautiful, almost androgynous young man had effortlessly twisted Pei Huai around his little finger.

Who was Pei Huai?

Pei Wei's only son, a wild and unruly force since childhood.

If he truly liked someone, how could he possibly humble himself like this? It was already a miracle if he didn't simply take what he wanted.

Yet, the alphas couldn't help but steal another glance at Song Yuqing, and suddenly, it made perfect sense why Pei Huai would willingly be his dog.

That face belonged to a beauty described in ancient texts, the epitome of an Eastern classic.

With raven hair and snow-white skin, delicate features, and an aura of cool detachment, he exuded an aloof indifference just by standing there—yet it was this very indifference that effortlessly captivated everyone’s attention.

To yearn to be a dog for such beauty was an impulse, a reward, and a thrilling indulgence.

But this particular indulgence was not meant for them.

Song Yuqing glanced at them. "Aren’t you leaving yet? I believe I’ve shown you sufficient respect."

When respect was due, he would give it; after all, they were part of the same competition.

Of course, his respect stemmed from his position as their team captain. If Pei Huai chose to disrespect them, that was Pei Huai's personal decision. Even if Pei Huai crippled them, it was solely Pei Huai's affair and had nothing to do with him.

His eyes, clear and bright as if touched by glistening frost, slowly turned toward them.

A cold, indifferent glance.

The alphas’ breaths hitched again. *Damn, with a face like that, no wonder Pei Huai, that mad dog, had been played for a fool by him.*

Pei Huai radiated hostility, itching to gouge out the eyes that were practically glued to Song Yuqing.

"Still looking? You dare keep looking?"

Pei Huai lashed out again, kicking and shoving until the alphas nearly lost their balance.

Xiao Jinshi and Ye Siling had gone to do one last check on their robot before departure. When they returned, this was the scene they walked into.

Xiao Jinshi's eyes darkened. He was about to say something when he met Song Yuqing's gaze.

Xiao Jinshi glanced at Pei Huai, then at Song Yuqing, and wisely kept his mouth shut.

*It's hilarious—Pei Huai, that idiot, is just a pawn for Song Yuqing. Song Yuqing doesn’t even care that much for this foolish dog.*

It was impossible for the team leader not to notice the commotion. Frowning, he scolded and pulled Pei Huai away. "What are you all doing?"

"How come you’re already fighting before we’ve even set off?"

The team leader looked at Song Yuqing, a hint of disdain in his eyes for this beta. When he'd checked everyone's IDs earlier, he saw on Song Yuqing’s ID that he was a beta.

His contempt for Song Yuqing had been evident from the start, clearly displayed on his face.

As an alpha, the team leader viewed betas as useless, a superiority stemming from his gender and position.

His prejudice against Song Yuqing had been ingrained since their first meeting, which was why he hadn’t intervened when the people from No. 1 High School came to confront Song Yuqing.

*A good-looking beta participating in this kind of competition—it was obvious he was probably trying to take shortcuts with his looks, hoping to easily advance his studies through competition awards.*

But Song Yuqing’s scheme was flawed. Xinzhou's chances of winning in such competitions were extremely low. The only project with a slightly higher probability of winning was the one from Xinzhou’s project team.

"Control your people."

Song Yuqing responded calmly, "We didn’t touch anyone. He’s not part of our team. This is between them."

Song Yuqing had sensed the team leader’s disdain and hostility from the very beginning.

If a conflict really broke out, the team leader would undoubtedly pin it on him.

After all, the team leader wouldn't mess with Xiao Jinshi or Ye Siling, but he saw Song Yuqing as an easy target.

"What's wrong with watching?" Song Yuqing’s tone remained even.

The team leader’s intended retort—"If you attract trouble, don’t blame others"—was cut off by Song Yuqing’s words.

"I was sleeping here, and they were making a racket, disturbing me. Do they have no manners? What lunatics." Pei Huai started swearing again.

He took the opportunity to kick the alphas a few more times.

Song Yuqing lowered his eyes. "They really have no manners."

*And they really are lunatics—lunatics who think with their dicks.*

In the end, the people from No. 1 High School and the team leader had nothing more to say, though the team leader gave Song Yuqing a fierce glare before leaving.

Ye Siling’s face was dark, his anger barely contained. *What was that look? Song Yuqing had to endure such cold treatment. Xinzhou's parliament was corrupt through and through—their discrimination against betas was completely unconcealed.*

Xiao Jinshi: "Brother, don’t worry about it. I—"

Song Yuqing looked out the window. "Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know what trouble you're planning."

Xiao Jinshi: "..."

*Understood. He could deal with those people, but he shouldn’t tell Song Yuqing about it. And however he dealt with them, Song Yuqing wouldn’t interfere.*

Xiao Jinshi leaned back, his gaze resting on Song Yuqing’s snow-white profile as he propped his chin on his hand and stared at him.

Song Yuqing was still just his type.

Song Yuqing harbored no kindness in his eyes; there was only what was useful to him and what was not.

Sri Lanka had lax regulations on firearms and various equipment. Song Yuqing learned from an underground website previously provided by Xiao Jinshi that Sri Lanka would soon be hosting a gathering.

This gray-market gathering included gambling, fighting, auctions...

To ensure the safety of attendees, those receiving invitations were carefully screened.

Of course, the gathering was held in Sri Lanka precisely because the region's regulations were inherently lax.

As for Xiao Jinshi, going to Sri Lanka was more like coming home; after all, his Xiao family was in this line of work.

Making someone have an "accident" in Sri Lanka would be all too easy for Xiao Jinshi.

After the earlier commotion, the journey remained quiet. Song Yuqing caught some sleep, while the other alphas were lost in thought, each preoccupied with something.

When they arrived, Sri Lanka was covered in white, with heavy snow falling incessantly. Even the pine trees along the road were buried under thick layers of snow, their branches snapping under the weight, revealing fresh, unoxidized inner wood.

The sound of falling snow and breaking branches were almost audible.

Song Yuqing waited in the lobby for the others to retrieve their luggage, standing by the glass and quietly watching the snowy scene outside.

Ye Siling had already returned. "Do you like snow? It hasn’t snowed in Xinzhou yet. If you want to see snow, you could stay here for a few days after the competition to enjoy it."

Song Yuqing's eyes like glass beads shifted slightly. "Not particularly fond of it."

Snow this heavy had weight, pressing down on one’s shoulders and back, making them shiver all night.

"Not that I dislike it either," Song Yuqing added.

Ye Siling didn't know how to respond. As they exited the airport, Ye Siling opened a black umbrella to shield Song Yuqing from the wind and snow. Only then did Song Yuqing glance at him.

Noticing Song Yuqing's gaze, Ye Siling explained, "The snow is heavy. If your hair gets wet, you might catch a cold."

Song Yuqing had long hair, and if it got wet, he would likely look like a drenched long-haired kitten, wet and matted.

Song Yuqing was also careful not to let the snow touch him.

Ye Siling’s lips curved slightly. Song Yuqing really was like a kitten—one that dislikes having its fur wet.

When carried off for a bath, it would cling to someone’s neck, meowing in protest.

*But a dirty kitten needed to be cleaned.*

Ye Siling’s mind wandered, imagining Song Yuqing made dirty, perhaps grabbing onto him, hooking an arm around his neck, and nuzzling against him to avoid a bath.

Song Yuqing frowned displeasedly at his splashed pant leg, now soiled with a mix of snow and mud, sticky and bitterly cold. It made Song Yuqing uncomfortable.

"So dirty."

Song Yuqing said it softly, but Ye Siling immediately responded, "It’s not dirty."

*Even if Qingqing didn’t bathe, even if he were filled with an alpha’s filth, it wouldn’t be Qingqing who was dirty—it would be the filth inside him.*

Song Yuqing: "?"

Song Yuqing frowned slightly and spoke disapprovingly, "Why don’t you open your eyes and take a look?"

Ye Siling’s pant legs were even dirtier than his. He had no idea what Ye Siling was thinking, purposely stepping into puddles and nearly splashing him several times.

Hearing this, Ye Siling followed Song Yuqing’s gaze and noticed the wet stains on Song Yuqing’s pants.

Ye Siling: "Stop walking. I’ll carry you."

With that, Ye Siling crouched down.

Song Yuqing: "..."

Song Yuqing patted Ye Siling’s back and said coldly, "Give me the umbrella."

Ye Siling thought Song Yuqing wanted to be carried while holding the umbrella himself, so he handed the umbrella over.

But the next moment, Song Yuqing took the umbrella and walked away, leaving Ye Siling alone on the roadside.

Ye Siling: "..."

Song Yuqing was satisfied. Away from that fool Ye Siling, he realized no one else was splashing his pants. Ye Siling wasn’t watching where he was going, always lost in thought, leading them into muddy puddles.

Song Yuqing quickly boarded the waiting vehicle. The other two teams had already gotten on.

The people from No. 1 High School didn’t dare speak up this time, but they were still fuming internally, feeling humiliated by Song Yuqing’s earlier actions.

They started talking in a previously created group chat, which included past and current competition participants.

Someone asked:

"What’s going on with Xinzhou? I heard one of the teams is from Viktor? Isn’t this outside their usual pheromone-based competitions? Is Viktor branching out?"

"Will No. 1 High School lose its last advantage too?"

Most were there to stir up drama and mock—they never saw Xinzhou as real competition. Internal conflicts within Xinzhou’s teams were just entertainment for them.

But the No. 1 High School group couldn’t hold back.

"What nonsense? Just a few young masters bringing a pretty beta to go through the motions. They’ll be eliminated in the first round."

"How pretty?"

"The young masters are going all out? Which families are they from?"

"You might not believe it, but Xiao Jinshi is one of his many pursuers."

Others might not be widely known, but Xiao Jinshi’s rebellious nature, his numerous and famous art exhibitions, and the influence of the Xiao family made him recognizable to many.

Especially among those who could participate in this competition—mostly from influential families in other regions. Xiao Jinshi was someone known in their circles. Even the No. 1 High School participants were from minor influential families in Xinzhou—a mix of minor alphas with power and capable individuals from lower backgrounds, which was their ideal combination.

This was also why they dared to provoke Song Yuqing when those alphas weren’t around.

"Xiao Jinshi’s taste must mean he’s exceptionally good-looking."

"I remember Xiao Jinshi said the top beauty of West Continental was overrated, that there were no truly good-looking people in West Continental."

"I want to see what the person he likes looks like."

An alpha sat on the sofa, watching the snowy scenery outside while his phone notifications kept going off.

The alpha scoffed coldly. *Superficial alphas, only caring about looks.*

*And even then, it wasn’t like that face was anything extraordinary.*

After all, those people from Xinzhou had never seen what a true peerless beauty looked like. Xiao Jinshi and his crowd led such dull and monotonous lives; their idea of fun was pretty tame. When they encountered someone hard to pursue, they immediately labeled them as a peerless beauty. *What kind of "beauty" was that? With enough money and resources just thrown at them, anyone could be won over and brought to bed.*

“When will you all arrive? I’ll go downstairs to sneak a look.”

He couldn’t even be bothered to take a few extra steps for some beta.

The hotel for the participants was arranged by the event organizers, and it was pretty upscale.

In the hotel lobby, the countless points of light from the crystal chandelier sparkled like a flowing galaxy. The marble floor was adorned with a hand-embroidered carpet, its patterns intricate and interwoven.

The place was so glitzy and gold-plated that everyone who entered seemed to blend into the background, overshadowed by the luxurious surroundings.

A group of people waited, looking pretty bored. “How good-looking could they possibly be?”

“To be honest, I haven’t seen anyone particularly good-looking today.”

Several blond, high-nosed alphas were chatting together. Sri Lankan alphas typically had this kind of appearance—more rugged, with sharper facial features, their deep-set eyes accentuated by prominent noses.

Most beauties from Sri Lanka shared this look, and their aesthetic preferences leaned toward those with deep, captivating eyes.

“I just don't get the beauty standards of Xinzhou—they’re too plain.”

“Regardless of whether they’re good-looking or not, if I were to sleep with Xiao Jinshi’s beloved, wouldn’t that just kill him?”

“He might not die of anger, but he’d make sure you’re dead.”

The alpha raised an eyebrow. “I really don’t believe it. Would Xiao Jinshi really lose his head over someone like that? It’s just a beta—why can’t we have just some fun?”

Pei Huai didn’t come with Song Yuqing and the others since he wasn’t part of their team. He arrived first on his own.

After arriving, Pei Huai waited outside.

When he saw Song Yuqing, he approached him. “Don’t be angry. Did I cooperate well earlier?”

“You even used me…” Pei Huai’s tone sounded kinda hurt.

Song Yuqing: “…”

Pei Huai hadn’t seemed the least bit aggrieved when he put on that show in front of Qi Zhengqing.

“Your pants are soaked. You must be cold.” As he spoke, Pei Huai crouched down, his fingers wrapping around Song Yuqing’s ankle. “How could they let this happen to you with so many people around?”

Song Yuqing’s ankle was icy cold. Pei Huai’s eyes darkened with anger, but he held back, afraid of upsetting Song Yuqing further.

“Get up,” Song Yuqing said, glancing down at Pei Huai.

The surrounding alphas couldn’t help but steal glances over. Song Yuqing had had enough of Pei Huai’s showboating.

Even the alphas Pei Huai had confronted earlier found their eyes drawn to the ankle he was holding—pale and delicate, it looked as if it would feel amazingly soft to touch.

*He really knows how to reward himself, going so far as to warm someone’s ankle with his hands.*

As the group entered, they bumped into an alpha they knew, who asked, “Are they here yet?”

“Yes, they’re outside.”

“I guess they’re just…” mediocre.

The alpha just stood at the entrance, his words trailing off as he saw Song Yuqing walk in, accompanied by the others.

The unspoken words stuck in his throat the moment he laid eyes on Song Yuqing.