Chapter 38: Luxury Brand

Chapter 38: Haute Couture

—Custom exclusive service? Is it what I think it is?! [Nosebleed]

—It’s not… special services, is it? Can this really be discussed openly? [Excited]

—The other four’s expressions are killing me.

—Brother Huo stopped drinking water, the twins can’t sit still, and the leader’s expression control has failed. Is this a café or a live-streamed battleground? [Munching popcorn]

Yuan Shiyuan had never encountered this situation before. Even the boldest fans would, at most, take a photo with him or touch his cat ears and tail.

After all, the café wasn’t his, and with little reality show experience, he didn’t know how to handle it, so he went to check with the owner.

After getting the answer, Yuan Shiyuan ran back.

"The owner said green is okay, yellow is not," he repeated word for word. "We have to control the scale."

The live chat went wild.

—I’m an adult, I want to see the yellow stuff, thank you.

—Don’t worry about my feelings, go all out! [Goofy smile]

After relaying the message, Yuan Shiyuan lowered his voice and said, "You know there’s a 50% commission deduction, right?"

So there’s really no need to throw money away like that.

Jiang Hang’s gaze fell on the slightly open collar of Yuan Shiyuan's shirt as he bent over.

He looked away. "I know, so I’ll tip generously."

"..." That’s not what I meant.

"This is to support your work," Jiang Hang said.

Yuan Shiyuan fell silent.

What work? The work of being a café attendant?

Jiang Hang calmly analyzed, "Yesterday I checked our balance. Including what we earned from performing, we have 12,000 left after paying off the debt. I earned a lot today too. After the 50% deduction, you’ll get about 10,000."

"Enough for you to try all the attractions on the ship."

Yuan Shiyuan was stunned.

The reason he wanted to earn more money was to try all the attractions on the ship.

The cost for one person to try all the attractions isn’t high, but for six people... that number is staggering.

Jiang Hang seemed to want to use the café spending to "transfer" the money to him in a reasonable way. As if the money was earned by himself and then spent?

"So, can I make my request now?" Jiang Hang said. "Don’t worry, it’s nothing too risqué."

The other Alphas had strange expressions, mixed with sudden realization.

As if they had just realized that a maid café could be played like this.

Seeing his persistence, Yuan Shiyuan didn’t know what else to say. He asked, "What customized exclusive service do you want?"

He emphasized, "If it’s too difficult, I might not be able to do it."

"Not difficult," Jiang Hang held out his jacket. "My customized exclusive service is, for the rest of the day, as long as you’re still working, you have to wear my jacket."

"That’s it?"

"That’s it."

The oversized jacket draped over Yuan Shiyuan, creating an illusion of being completely enveloped. The hem fell to mid-thigh, making his figure appear even more slender and highlighting the clear difference in their sizes.

Jiang Hang suddenly reached out to adjust the hem of his clothes, smoothing out the wrinkles.

His large hand patted Yuan Shiyuan’s upper thigh lightly through the jacket.

"Done," Jiang Hang said without changing his expression.

—If you’re putting on a jacket, just put it on properly. Why are you touching him? [Eye roll]

—Oh my god, after wearing JH’s jacket over the sailor uniform, it somehow feels even more suggestive...

—The other Alphas are seething with jealousy, lol, but they didn’t earn as much as JH, so they can’t make Xiao Yuan wear their jackets. [Clown]

—Actually, the leader originally had money. He played the violin like crazy. But Brother Huo scammed him out of it. (Brother Huo has money now, but still not as much as JH.)

Clothes inevitably carry pheromones. Yuan Shiyuan could clearly feel the pheromones of another Alpha enveloping him. The feeling of having his air invaded gave him a subtle sensation, but he didn’t reject it.

Instead, he found it... quite comfortable.

"Would you like something to drink?"

Yuan Shiyuan shrugged, causing the jacket to slip off one shoulder, revealing a hint of his collarbone. Too lazy to adjust it, he maintained this slightly revealing posture and asked, "The owner said I can give you a drink on the house."

Noticing the tiredness on Jiang Hang’s face, he asked, "Are you very tired?"

"Not too bad," Jiang Hang said.

Bao Jin glanced at him. "He’s been busy, but the commission is high."

No wonder.

Last night, Jiang Hang was like the sleeping husband in those adult videos...

Jiang Hang looked at the extensive menu as if suffering from choice anxiety. Yuan Shiyuan recommended, "Would you like to try this one? 'Sweet Pheromones,' it’s highly rated and a signature drink here."

Jiang Hang asked, "Does it contain synthetic pheromones?"

Yuan Shiyuan then remembered that when they met in the sperm collection room last time, Jiang Hang had mentioned he was allergic to most Omega pheromones.

While ordinary Alphas worry about being influenced by Omega pheromones, Jiang Hang was different. He felt uncomfortable, nauseous, and in severe cases, could suffocate or faint, so he always carried allergy medication with him.

"Then better not order this one," Yuan Shiyuan said. Many beverage shops add synthetic pheromones to their beverages for innovation, taste, and competitiveness.

Yuan Shiyuan couldn’t help adding, "Isn’t your condition very dangerous?"

After all, there are no clear regulations requiring pheromones to be constantly controlled. Many people believe releasing pheromones is a way to showcase charm, and only a few manage their pheromones carefully.

"More than just dangerous," Ying Mingche suddenly interjected. "In his case, if he hasn’t met a compatible Omega, it’s fine. But once he does, the reaction will be extremely intense. Not only will he become addicted to his partner’s pheromones, but his need for his partner will be 3-5 times that of a normal Alpha. He might become completely dependent, constantly thinking about marking them endlessly, begging for their pheromones to calm him down..."

Jiang Hang: "...Have you been reading too many novels?"

Ying Mingche fell silent.

He had indeed read plenty of fan fiction, he thought.

Ying Mingche particularly enjoyed content created by Yuan Shiyuan's fans—though he only read stories pairing himself with Yuan Shiyuan. Regardless of the writing quality, he would generously reward the authors to encourage more creations. The fandom knew there was a wealthy reader shipping this pair, which led to an explosion of fan content.

Thanks to the natural advantage of the twin persona, fanfics featuring Yuan Shiyuan and the twins were the most numerous.

And the most explicit.

Ying Mingche loved reading them.

Though he wished he could kick his brother out of the stories. But it wasn't a big deal, he thought to himself—their names only differed by one character, so he simply ignored the last character when reading.

Of course, he was just casually enjoying them for fun.

He simply appreciated the creative passion and talent of Yuan Shiyuan's fans, nothing more.

After finishing his coffee, Jiang Hang watched Yuan Shiyuan work for a while before returning to his own duties. His actions put the other Alphas on alert, inexplicably sparking their competitive spirit.

Ying Mingche asked urgently, "Brother, how much do we have left from today's earnings?"

Ying Mingxi checked their finances: "About a thousand."

They had earned quite well today—a little over ten thousand—but after ordering drinks and snacks, most of it ended up in Yuan Shiyuan's stomach.

Bao Jin was too. The money he'd earned since six in the morning was almost entirely spent on Yuan Shiyuan.

However, he'd made eleven thousand star coins from Jiang Hang and Pei Yanbing, so it wasn't a total loss.

"Yuan Shiyuan."

Yuan Shiyuan turned around, and before he could clearly see the Alpha in front of him, his pocket suddenly felt heavy.

It was stuffed with a stack of star coins.

"I'm not as foolish as Jiang Hang, letting the production team take a cut." Bao Jin handed over all his savings to Yuan Shiyuan. "I'm heading out."

All the money earned by everyone yesterday was entrusted to Yuan Shiyuan.

As for today's earnings, it made no difference whether he handed it over now or later—it would end up with Yuan Shiyuan anyway, he thought. Keeping it served no purpose.

"Wait, where are you going?" Yuan Shiyuan asked, confused, as he felt the bulging pocket.

"You said you wanted to try the ship's activities," Bao Jin replied. "I'm worried you might not have enough, so I'll go earn a bit more."

Over the next few days, the other Alphas worked with relentless fervor. They toiled from dawn till dusk like tireless perpetual motion machines.

Even at his busiest selling coffee, Yuan Shiyuan had never seen such drive.

While the other Alphas were out working, Yuan Shiyuan had already quit his role as a cabin boy. He lay on his bed counting star coins and was surprised to find that he had earned enough for all the members to enjoy the cruise.

But these Alphas seemed to think he was a bottomless pit, afraid he wouldn't have enough, so they insisted on earning even more.

Yuan Shiyuan found it baffling, to himself. If there was already enough money, why not just enjoy themselves? Wasn't it foolish not to, he thought?

He began planning to try out all the activities on the ship. Whenever daytime water activities started, these "workaholics" would appear without fail.

Bao Jin was always the first to arrive and pay for the activities; Jiang Hang would show up with sunscreen; Pei Yanbing would quietly release pheromones to help cool everyone down; the twins would hand him chilled drinks from either side...

Except for the first day, which had been rough, he had to admit every day after that felt like a vacation for Yuan Shiyuan—incredibly relaxing.

On the day the show finished filming, Yuan Shiyuan disembarked and immediately spotted Zhuang He waiting nearby for him.

"Brother Zhuang, you're really too much."

Yuan Shiyuan hurried over, unable to hold back his complaint. "Tricking us onto the ship on the first day was one thing, but ordering so much food on top of that?" he added.

"I really thought you cared about us!"

"That's reality TV for you—the more exaggerated and outrageous, the better the entertainment value. Acting normal doesn't attract viewers." Zhuang He laughed heartily and patted Yuan Shiyuan's shoulder. "You did great, Xiao Yuan. For your first variety show, you weren't nervous at all."

"Even the director praised you."

Yuan Shiyuan smirked proudly with a grin, but admitted, "Actually, I was really nervous."

Like giving a speech on stage, Yuan Shiyuan's heart would race, his vision would blur, and the waiting made him even more anxious. But he kept giving himself pep talks, pretending to be experienced and confident.

In reality, his hands were shaking later.

His friends would even praise him, giving him thumbs-ups: "You weren't scared at all."

Of course, he was scared. And nervous.

The moment he realized they were filming a variety show, Yuan Shiyuan's mind went blank. This wasn't like shooting a magazine spread, where they could pause, get guidance, and reshoot if mistakes were made.

This show was a live broadcast from start to finish!

Yuan Shiyuan was a complete newcomer who hadn't even cleared the beginner level, yet Zhuang He had cranked the difficulty up to intermediate, he thought.

"It was my first time on a variety show—how could I not be nervous?" Yuan Shiyuan said honestly. "That's why I kept talking to distract myself."

"In the variety shows I've watched, the directors guide the guests throughout, so at least they know what to do. But I had no clue—I felt totally disoriented."

Zhuang He affectionately ruffled Yuan Shiyuan's hair. "But you did really well."

Ying Mingche added, "I've been on many variety shows, and lots of people weren't as natural as you."

Zhuang He, worried Yuan Shiyuan might be too hard on himself, reassured him, "Plus, many viewers especially enjoy watching our group argue—they see S-class Alphas purely as entertainment. Before, your older members used to argue fiercely, but now it's different. The youngest member 'disciplining' them creates a fun contrast and great entertainment value," he explained.

He'd followed the live broadcast and knew the audience's reactions. "The viewers loved watching you 'teach them a lesson.'"

"What's the appeal in that?" Yuan Shiyuan asked in surprise, "Really?"

"Why would I lie?" Zhuang He said. "Netizens say you're exactly what they needed to tame these S-class mad dogs."

Yuan Shiyuan: "..." muttered Yuan Shiyuan.

He sneaked a glance at the Alphas around him. Was it really okay to call them mad dogs right in front of them, he wondered?

"Would you mind taking a group photo?"

One of the crew members from *Struggle for Survival* politely approached. "Some tourists also want photos with you. If you're busy, it's fine…"

Zhuang He looked around at the group of Scepter members and, seeing no objections, then said, "No problem, we'll be right there."

A black car suddenly pulled up abruptly nearby. The door opened, and a Beta in a deep V-neck black outfit emerged, striding quickly toward Yuan Shiyuan with his eyes locked on him.

"Shi Yuan!"

The Beta threw his arms open dramatically, reeking of strong perfume, but was blocked by a line of Alphas. He craned his neck to look at Yuan Shiyuan behind the Alphas, "I forgot to introduce myself earlier. Hello, I'm Eric from 'Against the Tide' magazine. We had an appointment to shoot together last time..."

"You remember me, right?"

Yuan Shiyuan certainly remembered.

It was the magazine that had ghosted them and canceled last-minute.

Zhuang He: "What brings you here?"

"It's like this—last time was a misunderstanding. The intern in charge of coordinating didn't know the protocols or the procedures. I was waiting for you the whole time but never saw you. Later, I found out it was because the intern had mistaken the dressing room, which led to us missing each other."

Eric continued, "I've been really wanting to collaborate with your group. It was such a pity we didn’t get to work together last time..."

"We happen to have a special issue coming up, and the theme would suit your group perfectly. I wonder if you have time to sit down and discuss the collaboration in detail?"

As Eric spoke, he was staring intently at Yuan Shiyuan.

Zhuang He almost laughed out loud.

The way he put it made it sound like their last-minute cancellation and replacement was forced. Who didn’t understand their sly intentions?

'Against the Tide' magazine was clearly seeing how they had blown up and gained popularity now, and wanted to get back together!

Just as Zhuang He was about to speak, the Alpha with pink hair beside him said, "Sure."

"But you’ll have to wait until we finish taking group photos. Are you able to wait?"

"Yes, of course!"

Eric immediately broke into a wide grin, "We can definitely wait. First come, first served, after all—you go ahead with your work, take your time."

Yuan Shiyuan gave him a meaningful look and suddenly smiled.

"Then wait."

Eric’s eyes widened suddenly, his heart racing. He had always thought Yuan Shiyuan’s photos were Photoshopped, heavily airbrushed.

But after seeing him in person, he realized how foolish he had been.

How could there really be someone so perfect in this world...

The *Struggle for Survival* staff brought over equipment. While waiting, Bao Jin glanced at Yuan Shiyuan.

After Yuan Shiyuan finished taking photos and signing autographs with the staff, Bao Jin reached over to straighten his collar.

"Are you up to no good?" Bao Jin casually handed him a bottle of mineral water. "Making them wait?"

Yuan Shiyuan raised an eyebrow, remaining noncommittal. "How could you call it being up to no good? They’re willing to wait—I didn’t force them."

Seeing the slight curl of Yuan Shiyuan’s lips, Bao Jin instantly understood: Yuan Shiyuan was stringing 'Against the Tide' along.

Someone was taking photos up ahead, and only Yuan Shiyuan’s profile was captured. Bao Jin adjusted Yuan Shiyuan’s shoulders to face the camera, making sure he was properly in frame, then said:

"Then let them wait."

Anyone else would treasure the opportunity to collaborate with 'Against the Tide,' even if they had canceled last minute. After all, resources in the entertainment industry are limited.

But Scepter was different. These S-class Alphas were all small-minded (except Yuan Shiyuan). So what if 'Against the Tide' was famous? They couldn't care less.

Forty minutes later, the sun was blazing overhead.

The assistant from 'Against the Tide' was sweating buckets. He tentatively stepped forward to ask, "How’s your progress? Not to rush you, but we just want to confirm the timing so we can discuss the special issue..."

This staff member had terrible luck—of all people, he ran into Bao Jin, the most alpha-centric S-class Alpha in the group.

Bao Jin recognized him immediately as the staff member who had mocked them before. He sneered coldly.

"Can't wait? Then get lost."

"..."

The staff member firmly remembered Eric’s instruction: "We can wait!"

Eric was on pins and needles in the car, deep in thought: "The S-class Alphas in this group have terrible tempers, but Yuan Shiyuan is very even-tempered. It was Yuan Shiyuan who nodded and agreed to discuss the collaboration details. I should approach Yuan Shiyuan. As long as he gives the green light, everything will be fine..."

Besides, he only wanted to work with Yuan Shiyuan anyway.

At first, Eric waited in the car, but as time passed, he grew more impatient and eventually got out.

Another half hour went by.

Eric’s sharp eyes spotted a pink figure—Yuan Shiyuan was flanked by several other S-class Alphas, leisurely sipping an iced fruit beverage.

Eric quickly followed and took matters into his own hands: "Shi Yuan, we’ve been waiting for you. How about finding a place to eat later so we can discuss the collaboration slowly?"

In the distance, Zhuang He waved at Yuan Shiyuan. After gesturing in response, Yuan Shiyuan said, "I’m busy right now. Can you wait?"

Those words again.

"But we’ve already waited an hour..."

"Is an hour too long?"

Eric nodded through gritted teeth: "We can wait!"

Another half hour passed, and the entire 'Against the Tide' team looked completely wrecked.

Eric’s carefully styled hair was soaked with sweat, dark strands clinging awkwardly to his forehead. The whole team looked like drowned rats, soaked with sweat.

"Wait—"

As Yuan Shiyuan leisurely walked toward the van, Eric stumbled after him.

Yuan Shiyuan looked at him, feigning sudden recollection: "Ah, I almost forgot."

Eric’s face lit up with hope, but then he heard Yuan Shiyuan say, "But we’re about to go eat. You don’t mind waiting a bit longer, do you?"

Eric froze. A staff member beside him flushed red and said, "We’ve waited two hours! Are you just jerking us around?"

"So what?"

His finely sculpted features looked utterly innocent at that moment. Yuan Shiyuan said in a dismissive tone, "Do you have anything else to do? If not, waiting a little longer shouldn’t be a problem."

"You know our time is precious. You should understand us."

They were the exact words 'Against the Tide' had used when breaking their contract.

"..."

Eric stood frozen in place, all the staff of "Against the Tide" turned red-faced. They all knew what had happened in the dressing room that day and were acutely aware that these mocking words had originally come from their own mouths!

The belittling and dismissive comments they had once made now came back like a boomerang, striking them with such shame that they trembled all over.

Yuan Shiyuan was doing this on purpose.

From the very beginning, Yuan Shiyuan had never intended to cooperate with them and was just toying with them like dogs.

Watching them wait under the scorching sun, he was just toying with them.

This was blatant revenge.

They, who were being played, should have felt anger or humiliation. Yet when Yuan Shiyuan cast his smiling gaze over them, that condescending look didn't make them feel negative emotions—instead, it strangely brought them a strange sense of pleasure.

The entire "Against the Tide" team stood rigid, faces flushed. Zhuang He moved to shield Yuan Shiyuan, signaling for him to go inside.

Yuan Shiyuan didn't look back and went straight into the passenger van.

Just as Zhuang He was about to close the door, a Western man in a suit approached from the side.

The Western man spoke in broken Chinese: "Hello, I’m Pierre, the head of Silence’s headquarters. Are you the manager of Scepter?"

Eric was stunned. Silence? Wasn’t that the top French luxury brand?

Silence’s core categories included haute couture and jewelry. The brand was notoriously arrogant, and its previous endorsers had all been international artists.

Hearing the name Silence, Zhuang He was also taken aback—everyone in the entertainment industry knew this top luxury brand.

Before he could respond, Eric, for whatever reason, said sourly, "They’re very busy right now. We’ve been waiting too."

"It’s alright, I just got off the plane. I heard Scepter was filming a variety show here and rushed over immediately." The Western man indeed looked dusty from travel. He asked politely once more, "Are you Yuan Shiyuan’s manager?"

The Western man had already asked the staff and confirmed this was Scepter’s vehicle. However, he wasn’t sure which one was Scepter’s manager.

He tried to peek inside the passenger van, but couldn’t see anyone clearly and wasn’t sure if the person he was looking for was there.

Zhuang He: "Hello, I’m Scepter’s manager. Shi Yuan is here too…"

Hearing that Yuan Shiyuan was present, the Western man could hardly contain his delight: "That’s great!"

"May I ask if Mr. Yuan has any schedule openings? We’d like to discuss a collaboration with you."

"If he’s unavailable recently, we can wait."

Suddenly, the scene fell silent.

Silence—a brand that even Hollywood megastars couldn’t easily attract—was now saying they could wait!

"Our brand, Silence, would like to invite Mr. Yuan Shiyuan to be the first brand ambassador for China."

The Western man’s eyes shone intensely as he emphasized once more:

"Other than Yuan Shiyuan, we want no one else."