Chapter 14: Catching Cheating

Chapter 14: Walking In On Something

There was a magazine photoshoot scheduled for the afternoon, which marked Scepter's first group schedule. The company decided to livestream the event.

Although Yuan Shiyuan hadn't been with Scepter for long, he was already quite familiar with the other members, making the "plastic boy band" seem somewhat authentic.

The only exception was Jiang Hang, who put on airs and played mute all day.

Zhuang He had repeatedly urged him to interact more with the new members, but Jiang Hang hardly ever spoke.

When Yuan Shiyuan returned to the dorm, he mentioned in the group chat that he was going to take a nap.

The task of waking him up fell to Jiang Hang.

According to the original plan, Jiang Hang was supposed to barge into the room with the camera crew, catching Yuan Shiyuan off guard and ideally capturing his confused, caught-off-guard look.

If they could get some unexpected, exciting footage, even better—it would satisfy the audience's voyeuristic pleasure.

But the scene before them was way too intense.

It probably wouldn't get past the censors.

Moreover, many would suspect them of intentionally staging sensational content for hype, while another portion of netizens would likely go crazy.

Just Yuan Shiyuan playing a pocky game had already sent his obsessive Alpha fans into a meltdown. If they saw this scene with their own eyes, they'd probably raid Starry Night Entertainment's headquarters overnight.

They’d make sure Bao Jin lived up to his name—turned to ashes completely.

"You all wait outside. It's not suitable for filming," Jiang Hang said, turning sideways to block the PD from entering the room.

The PD looked confused. What's there that can't be filmed? Wasn’t this segment meant to be surprising? The more chaotic and explosive the scene, the better the entertainment value.

Most viewers in the livestream shared the same confusion. After a moment of hesitation, Jiang Hang explained, "Yuan Shiyuan is napping without clothes on. It's inconvenient."

The comments section initially erupted with excitement, but suddenly, another hoarse, muffled moan came from inside the dorm.

"What was that sound?"

"Come on, what can't be filmed? Other shows film people sleeping naked all the time. Why can't you? I don't care, I want to see!!! [drooling]"

"Didn't they say Yuan Shiyuan was napping without clothes? Why is there another voice? And it sounds familiar..."

"That voice, that's definitely Bao Jin."

"Wow, so they're napping together? Both without clothes???"

"Something's wrong here. Big trouble."

"Why does Jiang Hang look like that? Did Bao Jin lay hands on my wife?!!!"

"Nooo, don't bully my wife! [crying]"

"Isn't Bao Jin a hetero Alpha???"

As a straight man, Bao Jin had never imagined he would experience a day like this.

Even during his most agitated periods, he had never felt so helpless.

Yuan Shiyuan didn't notice Bao Jin's distress; he was solely focused on locking his phone screen. He didn't want to have his reputation ruined young.

He watched as Jiang Hang closed the door, their calm eyes meeting.

"Get off of him," Jiang Hang said. "They won't come in for now."

The atmosphere was awkward, and Jiang Hang's tone was so serious that if they weren't all straight men, Yuan Shiyuan would have thought Jiang Hang was here to catch them cheating.

Yuan Shiyuan coughed, making a flimsy excuse: "Well, uh, what just happened was an accident. I lost my footing, slipped, and accidentally fell on Bao Jin."

Even Yuan Shiyuan found his explanation weak, but Jiang Hang actually believed him: "Alright, be more careful next time."

After a pause, he added, "Change your clothes. We're heading out for the magazine shoot."

As for Bao Jin, Jiang Hang didn't even glance at him.

Yuan Shiyuan quickly changed into presentable clothes and joined his teammates for the livestream.

"They really came out together with Bao Jin??? Being all secretive means there's definitely something going on. [magnifying glass]"

"Hehehe I ship ○ and Brother Huo, CP stans are eating well."

"Please, Bao Jin, don't touch my wife, don't touch my wife!!！！！！[frustrated][crying]"

"Too late. [laughing]"

The live comments were spammed with downright filthy content, almost too indecent to read.

For the first time, the six Alphas of Scepter were completely overwhelmed due to their fans' enthusiasm. They wanted to respond to the comments, but after several minutes, they couldn't find a single one appropriate to address.

Finally, Yuan Shiyuan spotted a normal comment: "Calling Yuan Shiyuan! Can Ying Mingxi and Ying Mingche come to your primary school to study? [excited]"

"Primary school?" Yuan Shiyuan was puzzled. "Now?"

"Probably not now. There's no way to enroll," Yuan Shiyuan replied, though unsure why the fan asked. He thought back to the school's admission criteria and answered seriously, "It was possible before, when they were younger."

The comments section went completely off the rails, filled with: "Investigate! Investigate! Investigate!"

The livestream was banned.

Well, at least they didn't have to work anymore. They embarrassedly got into the company car and prepared for the next schedule.

After taking his seat, Yuan Shiyuan noticed the look words couldn't capture Bao Jin was giving him.

Oh no, his status as a straight man was at risk!

Did Bao Jin think he was gay because he read those smut?

For a straight man, the most important thing—the thing that must be protected and never questioned—is his sexual orientation.

"I really am straight!" Yuan Shiyuan bolted upright, lowering his voice. "A buddy sent me that link! I was just curious and clicked on it!"

"You expect me to believe that? Curious enough to read that stuff?" Bao Jin remained skeptical. "And featuring two Alphas..."

As if the last word was too crude to voice, he cut himself off and let out a cold laugh. "Then your curiosity must be excessive. You even got to the VIP chapters."

"There aren't many chapters anyway! I was just skimming through. How could I possibly be cornered by two Alphas like in the novel... I'm an Alpha!"

"Could you please not be so vulgar in your wording."

"You were the one reciting cruder stuff right in my ear, and now you think I'm vulgar?"

"..."

Yuan Shiyuan: "Do you think reading BL novels would make you gay?"

Bao Jin: "No."

The immediate, straightforward denial was reassuring. Yuan Shiyuan said, "Exactly, same for me."

It was at this moment Bao Jin realized he had overreacted. So what if Yuan Shiyuan really had read it? Why had he gotten so worked up?

Yet that moment's emotion had been hard to control. He couldn't accept it.

How can Yuan Shiyuan lie in their dorm, on his bed, wearing shorts, reading fanfiction about him and other Alphas?

"Such filthy stuff, reading it is just an eyesore," Bao Jin said coldly.

Surprised that Bao Jin was quite conservative, Yuan Shiyuan replied, "Yeah, I shouldn't read such vulgar things in a sacred place like the dorm."

"Also, don't get too close to those two brothers in the future. They don't seem like good guys."

"You're bad-mouthing them now?"

"Are they good people?" Bao Jin mocked. "What Alpha is any good?"

Yuan Shiyuan thought for a moment and asked, "Aren't you one?"

"Of course I am."

"But I think you're good."

Bao Jin looked at Yuan Shiyuan with a meaningful look.

Even though Yuan Shiyuan's attitude towards friendship lacked sincerity and was perfunctory, Bao Jin had to admit that Yuan Shiyuan always knew how to say things that made him secretly pleased.

Yuan Shiyuan, however, took the look as a warning: "Alright, alright, I won't read ones about me and them anymore. I'll read ones about me and you, okay?"

Bao Jin said nothing.

Yuan Shiyuan smelled the faint scent of Bao Jin's pheromones. Though very light, it felt strangely comforting.

He stretched lazily, like a cat sunbathing on the beach.

Bao Jin watched as Yuan Shiyuan took a sip of water and then put on an eye mask. Probably what he just read was too hard on the kidneys, and now he needed sleep to recover.

His pink hair was soft and fluffy. Under the black eye mask, the bridge of his nose had subtle curves, the tip slightly upturned, with well-shaped lips. Having just drunk water, the seam of his lips appeared wet and red.

Bao Jin inopportunely remembered that fanfiction.

He remembered fragments—Yuan Shiyuan being held on someone's lap, peeling an orange, feeding them the segments.

*Achoo!*

Yuan Shiyuan sneezed, snapping Bao Jin out of it. With a dark expression, Bao Jin threw a small blanket over Yuan Shiyuan, his mood growing increasingly complicated.

What random nonsense was he thinking? Yuan Shiyuan is an Alpha!

That fanfiction was completely unrealistic.

Stop lingering on this like a pervert. Bao Jin warned himself.

However, this reminded Bao Jin of something else.

Bao Jin's mania was genetic, incurable and only manageable, but he had always toughed it out. Recently, however, he felt as if he'd been calmed, no longer frequently experiencing discomfort.

But he hadn't done anything special lately.

Except for that time Yuan Shiyuan forced his face against his scent gland, making him smell his pheromones.

But it definitely had nothing to do with Yuan Shiyuan.

The car rocked gently during the drive. When it braked, Yuan Shiyuan's head tilted to the side.

Bao Jin instinctively held his shoulder, letting Yuan Shiyuan lean against him, providing a stable place to sleep.

The overly intimate physical contact made Bao Jin freeze for a moment.

Unaccustomed to being so close to others, he turned his head away unnaturally, watching as Yuan Shiyuan's cheek sunk against his shoulder. Under the thick, long eyelashes, his lips parted slightly, emitting a damp, warm breath.

He smelled good.

Even though he was an Alpha, his scent was more pleasant than any Omega's pheromones.

A doctor's warning suddenly echoed in his ears: "You must be exposed to high-compatibility Omegas, but you won't even use synthetic Omega pheromones. Overly suppressing it will only backfire."

But what could Bao Jin do?

His pheromones attacked indiscriminately; even a highly compatible partner would inevitably be harmed. Moreover, he had no intention of marrying an Omega, nor did he want to get with someone just because of high compatibility.

The family's bad genes were destined to end with his generation.

Bao Jin looked at Yuan Shiyuan's sleeping face for a moment, wanting to push him away. But as his fingertips touched Yuan Shiyuan's cheek, his heart missed a beat.

Yuan Shiyuan, touched on the face, unconsciously mumbled, seeming ticklish, and turned his head away.

The next second, he buried his face back, finding a comfortable spot, his cheek sticking and rubbing, messing up his pink hair.

Bao Jin's eyes darkened. Too trusting.

Even as fellow Alphas, Yuan Shiyuan shouldn't be so unguarded.

Yuan Shiyuan had no idea how dangerous the Alpha beside him was.

S-class Alphas possessed high psychic power, and mania under such power came with high destructiveness and a high reproductive urge. Bao Jin knew well that if he let the mania continue unchecked, sooner or later, it would reach an uncontrollable point.

When that day came, Bao Jin might become a beast completely dominated by desire. Even knowing Yuan Shiyuan was an Alpha, he would drag him to his nest regardless, use his barbed tongue to work open the back of his neck, and madly leave marks.

By then, Yuan Shiyuan would surely be scared and regret ever knowing this lunatic. But it would be too late; fear and tears would only excite the Alpha more.

No matter how Yuan Shiyuan cried and tried to escape, he wouldn't let go of him.