Chapter 37: All Members Present

Chapter 37: All Present and Accounted For

Ding.

As the crisp doorbell chimed, Yuan Shiyuan turned, a gold-plated tray balanced in his hand, his lace-gloved fingertips lightly tracing its edge.

A smile on his face, he was about to utter his usual "Welcome" when his expression instantly froze.

Yuan Shiyuan, secretly working as a busboy in the café, found himself face-to-face with his three teammates.

Bao Jin wore a cold expression; the twin brothers were somewhat less intimidating. Ying Mingche’s eyes sparkled with inexplicable excitement, while Ying Mingxi remained as gentle and seemingly all-accepting as ever.

"Why aren't you serving us?"

Ying Mingche found a seat and tapped the table with his fingers. "Little attendant, we’d like to order."

Yuan Shiyuan tightened his grip on the tray.

His mind screamed *social suicide*.

Still, a customer's a customer.

Bracing himself, Yuan Shiyuan stepped forward, only for Bao Jin to grab his wrist. The Alpha’s body heat, startlingly intense, radiated through the lace gloves.

The others were manageable, but Bao Jin, with his strong Alpha tendencies, was the hardest to deal with. Yuan Shiyuan feigned confusion: "What are you doing here?"

"You sneak off to a place like this behind my back, and you still ask me what I’m doing here?" Bao Jin’s gaze was like that of a husband catching his spouse in the act.

"?"

Yuan Shiyuan was puzzled. "The way you say that makes it sound like I cheated on you."

Cheated.

Bao Jin froze, his stern expression turning uneasy.

"I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d get angry. To avoid making you angry, I just kept it from you from the start."

"I did this for your own good."

"I didn’t want you to be unhappy."

"..."

—Help! Xiao Yuan is too smooth!

—Is this an explanation? This is clearly flirting!

—Xiao Yuan barely even tried, and Brother Huo is already hooked. [facepalm]

Bao Jin’s lips twitched.

What twisted logic.

But it was surprisingly persuasive.

Originally, Bao Jin was furious.

He had worked like a dog that morning, waiting in line for an hour for Yuan Shiyuan, only for Yuan Shiyuan to hide things and deceive him. He hated being lied to most of all.

But after hearing those words, he felt an inexplicable, secret pleasure.

Bao Jin looked meaningfully at Yuan Shiyuan.

He had long known that Yuan Shiyuan’s words always had a way of sounding pleasing. Having been sweet-talked countless times, he thought he would no longer be swayed by Yuan Shiyuan’s words. Yet, he always ended up feeling pleased.

So Yuan Shiyuan lied to him because he was afraid of making him unhappy.

Ultimately, it all came down to Yuan Shiyuan caring about him, caring about his feelings.

Bao Jin turned his head away, his tone indifferent. "I don’t get angry that easily."

He emphasized again, "It’s not that serious."

"You dressing like this has nothing to do with me. Why would I be angry?"

"Keep pretending, go on."

Ying Mingche, nearby, sneered and mercilessly exposed him. "You didn’t see his face just now, haha, it was hilarious. He looked like he was about to explode."

—Mhmm, Brother Huo really was about to explode. Another part of him was already aroused and in urgent need of Xiao Yuan the attendant to put out the fire. [standing up] [saluting]

—A slight explosion, a furious erection, showing respect. [shy]

After being exposed, Bao Jin seemed somewhat embarrassed and angry. Yuan Shiyuan ignored Ying Mingche’s provocation and directly changed the subject.

"How do I look in this outfit?" Yuan Shiyuan spun around in front of Bao Jin. "It was chosen by viewer poll."

As he turned, the skirt hem lifted slightly, making his legs appear even longer and straighter. Bao Jin looked at his legs, then slowly shifted his gaze to his face.

"Not good," Bao Jin said. "Don’t wear it again next time."

Yuan Shiyuan: "Oh."

—How dare your stubborn mouth say that again?? [hug] (not a hug but a chokehold)

—Still acting tough? Your little friend has probably already plowed ten miles of land in secret. [wiping sweat]

—Brother Huo is still here pretending to be proper and stubborn? [eye roll]

—You’ve been staring at the sailor-skirt-wearing beauty’s legs nonstop since just now, and now you say it doesn’t look good? Huh? Huh??

"Why are you only talking to him? We’re your customers too."

Ying Mingche, having been neglected for a while, put down the menu discontentedly. "We want to order."

Yuan Shiyuan glanced at Bao Jin. "Go find yourself an empty seat."

He turned and walked to the twins’ table, asking, "Do you really plan to order?"

"Of course? I’m really thirsty," Ying Mingche said matter-of-factly.

"Other people are working hard to earn money, and we’re here..."

"Having a daytime affair?" Ying Mingche interjected.

Yuan Shiyuan fell silent and said, "You should find a Chinese teacher."

"My Chinese isn’t good?" Ying Mingche said dismissively. "It’s still better than that fake foreign devil’s."

"There's a mic here - it's recording."

"Don't worry about it."

Ying Mingche nonchalantly ordered a drink, while Ying Mingxi thoughtfully added an order of the triangular cheese that Yuan Shiyuan had just glanced at.

The drinks and snacks were placed on the table. The triangular cheese came in several mini portions, perfectly bite-sized.

The owner had fed Yuan Shiyuan a few before, and they tasted pretty good. He had only taken an extra look just now, never expecting Ying Mingxi to be so considerate and immediately order the dessert.

Perfect, he could get to try some too.

"Want some? From what I see in your café rules, employees can't eat customers' food during work hours," Ying Mingche suddenly leaned in. "But if the customer offers to feed you, it's fine, right?"

"I'll feed you."

"No," Yuan Shiyuan recoiled in disgust. "I want Brother Mingxi to feed me."

"You choose my brother over me?" Ying Mingche grumbled. "Why?"

This was something Ying Mingche couldn't understand. They looked identical, with nearly identical genes, yet Yuan Shiyuan kept treating them differently.

"No particular reason," Yuan Shiyuan was honest. "Because Brother Mingxi is gentler. I'm worried you'd be too rough."

——Ahhh, what kind of inappropriate dialogue is this? Am I really allowed to hear this? [covers eyes]

——I love the twin rivalry drama so much!

——I just love watching twins turn against each other fighting over him, woohoo!

Compared to Ying Mingche's dissatisfaction, Ying Mingxi was clearly in a much better mood.

Just as Ying Mingxi was about to stand up, he saw Yuan Shiyuan lean forward proactively. He reached out with his slender hand, gently cupped Yuan Shiyuan's cheek, and with his other hand, brought the mini cheese to Yuan Shiyuan's lips.

Yuan Shiyuan cooperatively lowered his head, slightly parting his moist lips to take in the dessert. He ate gracefully, and even the way he chewed was a pleasure to watch.

Noticing some cheese crumbs lingering on his lips, he instinctively licked them with the tip of his tongue. Ying Mingxi didn't have time to withdraw his hand, and his fingertip was lightly grazed by something soft and moist. The sensation made both brothers freeze simultaneously, their eyes fixed on Yuan Shiyuan's oblivious face.

"Bang!" Bao Jin suddenly slammed his cup heavily on the ground, making a loud noise.

——Oh my, the little kitten licking his hand, Mom's heart is melting!

——Getting happy again, bro!

——But why is Corn Dog so excited? Does it excite him watching his brother's intimate interaction with ○? Ahhh, is the shared sensation thing real?! [Excited]

——Please teach us Brother Huo's lesson in staying quiet.

Ying Mingche's breathing suddenly became rapid. He didn't understand why a simple feeding action could make him lose it like this, nor did he understand why Yuan Shiyuan could be so gentle with his brother.

In front of him, Yuan Shiyuan either patted his face or frowned impatiently. Only when he was in a particularly good mood would he smile and touch his face, as if handing out charity.

What was this?

Was he Yuan Shiyuan's dog?

Only when Yuan Shiyuan was in a good mood would he give him a few kind looks, and when he was in a bad mood, he'd kick him aside?

"I want it too," Ying Mingche suddenly spoke, deliberately spreading his legs wide. "But I want you to feed me."

Ying Mingche had made up his mind not to cooperate—he had pride too. Why did Yuan Shiyuan always treat them differently? Whatever his brother had, he wanted too.

Unless Yuan Shiyuan was as gentle with him as he was with his brother, he would open his mouth.

Unexpectedly, Yuan Shiyuan didn't give him any choice at all.

Yuan Shiyuan was in a hurry to serve the next customer. Trying to hurry things along, he grabbed a piece of cheese, pinched Ying Mingche's jaw with his left hand to forcibly pry his mouth open, and swiftly stuffed the cheese inside.

The motion was as efficient as feeding medicine to a disobedient large dog.

"?!"

Ying Mingche's mouth was caught off guard, stuffed full. Forced to open wide, his head tilted backward, and his expression went blank for a moment.

"Wait—"

Since when was Yuan Shiyuan so strong?!

His crisis instincts made Ying Mingche snap his knees together, but in doing so, he accidentally trapped Yuan Shiyuan between his legs. He instinctively raised his hands to block, and his fingertips accidentally lifted the ridiculously short skirt.

A warm, delicate sensation came through to his touch directly. Ying Mingxi stared intently at his brother, who shared the exact same face as him, as his hand rested beneath the sailor skirt.

Precisely because they were twins, Ying Mingxi didn't need to deliberately imagine—he could easily picture himself there.

Ying Mingche also seemed dazed, his fingers stiff, his expression bewildered. The surge of hot blood made his head spin.

What had he touched? A leg?

Whose? Yuan Shiyuan's?

——Corn Dog, get your pig trotter off! [Rolling eyes]

——We're still filming, aren't we? What are you doing? What are you doing? Ah? Have you forgotten where you are?

——Please do not harass our young attendant Yuan Yuan. This is a proper café. [Rolling eyes]

——Holy shit, Corn Dog's nose is bleeding?!

Blood dripped from his philtrum and chin, leaving a bright red stain on his clothes. Ying Mingche stared blankly at the bloodied table, then glanced down at Yuan Shiyuan's legs, exposed beneath the skirt. His nosebleed instantly worsened.

Yuan Shiyuan took a step back in disgust.

"I'm bleeding, and you don't even care about me..." Ying Mingche said hurt.

What did Ying Mingche's nosebleed have to do with him?

Yuan Shiyuan hadn't hit Ying Mingche's nose, so why should it concern him?

But since they were teammates, he offered some concern: "You're probably overheated."

"Wipe it yourself first," he casually pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. "If it doesn't stop, ask Brother Mingxi to help you. I still have to work."

Ying Mingche mechanically took the handkerchief, then suddenly looked up as if realizing something.

His brother was a veterinarian, right?

Ying Mingche haphazardly wiped his nosebleed and muttered, "I really don't get it."

"We could've just rested in the room, not having to do anything. Why did we have to come out and put up with this..."

Ying Mingxi gazed at his fingertips, still tingling, then looked toward Yuan Shiyuan, who was moving smoothly between the customers, and smiled.

"Not everyone likes being locked up," he said, taking a small sip of tea. "Isn't that right?"

Wiping his nosebleed, Ying Mingche paused, clenched the handkerchief in his hand, but did not answer the question.

Yuan Shiyuan was moving between tables.

The sailor-style skirt swayed slightly with his movements, drawing looks from everyone.

"Brother Shi Yuan!"

Song Mian pulled his friend's sleeve. "My friend said the peach sparkling water you gave us was really delicious. He wants to thank you properly… Should we order one for you too?"

"No need," Yuan Shiyuan said, eyes crinkling with a smile. "Feeling a bit better now?"

Lu Lin turned away, the tips of his ears bright red, and whispered, "Yeah, much better."

"That's good," Yuan Shiyuan said, picking up his notepad. "Want to try something new this time?"

Bao Jin sat in the corner, having overheard their entire conversation and noticed every detail of Yuan Shiyuan attending to the guests.

He drank water while watching Yuan Shiyuan.

How come his legs are so long?

Bao Jin also didn't get it—he shared a similar confusion with Ying Mingche. In his view, when he could take it easy, why did Yuan Shiyuan insist on choosing the harder path?

He could clearly live more comfortably, yet here he was, wearing a skirt like that, even with a tail attached. When he walked, the fluffy rabbit tail behind the skirt bounced up and down, soft and dense, annoyingly distracting.

It made people want to give it a good grab.

Bao Jin tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful of water.

When the sparkling water Bao Jin ordered was ready, Yuan Shiyuan set it on the table and, while the boss wasn’t looking, sneaked a quick sip.

"?" Bao Jin raised an eyebrow. "Did I say you could have some?"

"Didn't you order this for me?" Yuan Shiyuan blinked, his lips still wet from the drink. He knew Bao Jin never drank these kinds of things.

"No."

Yuan Shiyuan: "Oh."

"I thought you overheard me talking with a guest, heard that I like peach sparkling water, and specifically ordered it for me."

"..."

Bao Jin gave in: "It was for you. Drink up."

But "specially" was pushing it. He simply couldn’t stand seeing Yuan Shiyuan looking longingly while delivering orders, clearly craving it but having to follow the rule of not eating customers' food.

He didn’t like these overly sweet things anyway, so he just ordered one for Yuan Shiyuan on the side.

Yuan Shiyuan wouldn't drink customers' orders, but with his bro, it was different—he drank most of it straight down, leaving just ice cubes left for Bao Jin.

Mooching off your friend sure feels great.

"Brother Shi Yuan!" Song Mian waved, wanting to order again.

Bao Jin frowned: "How can they order so much? How many times have they called you over already?"

Yuan Shiyuan: "Don’t say that."

Song Mian hurried over, but when he saw Bao Jin, he rolled his eyes annoyed.

What's he doing here?

Bao Jin’s CP was the least popular; Song Mian wasn't into it either.

"What are you doing!" he said, his tone completely different from the gentle one he used with Yuan Shiyuan. "If you're not buying anything, don’t disturb Brother Shi Yuan’s work!"

Ying Mingche, always ready to stir up trouble: "I support that. You’ve finished your sparkling water—hurry up and order a new one to support our Shi Yuan’s career."

Bao Jin: "..."

He was out of money.

Bao Jin had ordered several rounds, and most of the food ended up in Yuan Shiyuan’s stomach.

Each time, he covered for him to avoid the boss seeing an employee breaking the rules, but Yuan Shiyuan would just sneak-eat and leave without a second glance.

The broke Alpha stood up looking annoyed and, under Yuan Shiyuan’s surprised gaze, walked toward the door.

"I’m stepping out for a bit."

"Wait!" Yuan Shiyuan hurried after him. "You don’t need to go get a job just..."

With the money they made from performing yesterday, though they hadn’t calculated carefully, it was definitely enough to pay off their debt, and there should be plenty left over. If Bao Jin wanted afternoon tea, he could have some, but there was no need to go work just to support his "business."

"It’s fine," Bao Jin had his mind made up. "I’ll be back soon."

Bao Jin didn’t go to work—instead, he headed straight to the top-floor maintenance bay, Jiang Hang’s workplace.

Jiang Hang was squatting on the ground repairing a tire, his hands covered in grease. When he saw Bao Jin approaching, he gave him a cold look before turning to grab another tool.

Bao Jin: "You got a minute?"

Jiang Hang didn’t look up: "What is it?"

"Loan me some money."

"...?"

Jiang Hang paused, slowly raising his head like he’d heard something crazy.

Bao Jin, asking him for money?

Either he misheard, or Bao Jin had lost it. Jiang Hang didn’t hesitate: "No."

Bao Jin: "Do you want to support Yuan Shiyuan’s work?"

Jiang Hang: "What's that got to do with him?"

"Give me a thousand-star coins, and I’ll take you to show support."

"That sounds pretty scammy."

Though Jiang Hang said that, his curiosity was indeed piqued. He took a shower and changed his clothes.

"Let's go." He took out a thousand Starcoins from his pocket.

—Holy shit, I can't believe Brother Huo is borrowing money from his teammate to support Xiao Yuan's new venture. [facepalm]

—The key is that JH actually gave it, holy crap, this is too funny.

—○ is working to support his teammates, and the teammates are working hard to support ○’s new venture in return, I can't even.

Although Jiang Hang didn't know what game Bao Jin was playing, when it came to Yuan Shiyuan, he really did want to take a break. The job at his workplace paid well, but it was also exhausting.

So exhausting that he fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed, with no time to think about other trivial matters.

Bao Jin didn’t head back to the café right away. Instead, he took Jiang Hang with him to find Pei Yanbing, who was in the middle of a performance.

He used the same spiel, but this time the asking price changed—

"Ten thousand Starcoins."

Jiang Hang: "…"

"You’re really shameless." Charging him a thousand Starcoins and Pei Yanbing ten thousand.

Bao Jin: "Well, the captain has money."

Pei Yanbing was to the point: "Reason?"

"Yuan Shiyuan is working at a café." Bao Jin said no more.

Pei Yanbing: "…"

He gave it.

"Ding ling—"

The café door pushed open again. Yuan Shiyuan was reaching up to tidy the shelf, his sailor uniform naturally riding up to reveal a slender waist, and the skirt hiking up to show a glimpse of his pale thigh.

"Welco…" Yuan Shiyuan paused, "...me?"

Bao Jin stood at the entrance with Pei Yanbing and Jiang Hang. The sight made the whole café go quiet.

Yuan Shiyuan finished tidying up and came over: "You’re back?"

"Why did you bring the captain and Jiang Hang along?"

As Yuan Shiyuan approached, Jiang Hang’s pupils dilated. He stood there frozen, his fingers curling stiffly.

—Whoa, JH’s eyes are popping out?

—Is it the angle? Why are JH’s ears so red??

—The cool guy who saw ○ in a sailor uniform might act cold on the surface, but he’s probably freaking out inside. [smirk]

"You here for coffee too?" Yuan Shiyuan took a look. "Take that seat, it’s cooler there."

Pei Yanbing followed behind Yuan Shiyuan: "Okay."

His gaze flicked over Yuan Shiyuan’s bunny ears before jerking back as if electrified. Jiang Hang tightened his grip on his jacket and let out an aloof "Hmm."

Once seated, Jiang Hang distractedly looked over the menu, his gaze wandering unintentionally toward Yuan Shiyuan, who was busy nearby.

"You brought me here just to see this?" His tone was as unreadable as ever.

"Cut the crap," Ying Mingche at the next table snorted mockingly. "Can’t take your eyes off him, and still playing it cool."

"Look at the captain—pure appreciation, no pretenses."

Pei Yanbing: "…"

Whether it was Yuan Shiyuan’s deliberate arrangement or not, their entire team ended up at adjacent tables.

Five Alphas sat in the corner, watching Yuan Shiyuan serve other customers—smiling as he bent down, the collar of his sailor uniform slightly parting to reveal a porcelain collarbone, or actively taking photos with fans…

It was seriously irritating.

They were his closest teammates, yet they’d never enjoyed such treatment.

"You’re not working, just here to watch him sell coffee?"

"Don’t you have anything better to do?"

Jiang Hang was swamped with work, yet these guys were kicking back. He found it utterly ridiculous. "And you’re even ordering coffee?"

Ying Mingxi explained gently: "Ordering is to help Shi Yuan out. He gets a commission, and we can also get him some snacks."

Ying Mingche: "We’ve only been here an hour longer than you."

Bao Jin took a sip of the free water, his tone calm: "I’m here to monitor everyone around."

During the show’s recording, passengers on the cruise ship had signed agreements, with some acting as NPC roles. But what if they encountered Alphas with bad intentions?

After all, Yuan Shiyuan’s skirt was so short, it easily attracted creeps staring.

Jiang Hang sneered: "Monitoring things until you’re broke, then borrowing money from me?"

"What’s everyone chatting about so happily?"

Yuan Shiyuan had spotted them talking from afar. It seemed this variety show had indeed helped the team bond.

His notebook pressed against his waist, his top riding up slightly with the movement, faintly revealing an abdomen chafed red.

Yuan Shiyuan walked over, "Ready to order? Or just sticking with free water?"

As long as customers had placed an order, they could get free water refills.

Jiang Hang’s gaze involuntarily fell on Yuan Shiyuan’s face.

The sailor uniform was clearly a bit too small for Yuan Shiyuan. The overly short skirt revealed his mid-thighs pressed against the table edge, creating an indent that made his slender legs appear softer and more shapely.

"Order."

Jiang Hang flipped to the last page of the menu and said, "I see there are extra services on this page, like photos and song requests."

These à la carte services were also the items with the highest commission.

"Besides these, can I get a custom, exclusive service?"

"...?!"

Custom exclusive service?

The café went dead silent instantly.

Everyone swiveled to look at him at once.