Chapter 62: Indirect Kiss (Part 1 + Part 2)

Chapter 62: Indirect Kiss (Double Update)

What was this?

A dildo delivered right to his doorstep?

This thought flashed through Yuan Shiyuan's mind, startling him and making his expression shift.

Ying Mingxi was gentle, considerate, and tactful. Perhaps his earlier words were meant to hint that he was someone Yuan Shiyuan could trust.

But Yuan Shiyuan was cautious and chose to observe.

As long as Ying Mingxi didn’t state it directly, Yuan Shiyuan could continue playing dumb.

Ying Mingxi had only picked up that one suppository—what if Yuan Shiyuan had several in his pocket and accidentally dropped one?

Just like the stolen pheromone extract from before, it proved nothing.

While the staff prepared microphones and other props, Bo Jin glanced at Jiang Hang outside the window.

“Is Jiang Hang really okay?” Bo Jin asked. “I hope he doesn’t go crazy during the recording.”

“Does Jiang Hang matter? What’s important is our Little Princess, okay?” Ying Mingche said irritably. “Why does Jiang Hang get to kiss him? And so many times…”

His words were filled with uncontrollable sourness, a mix of unwillingness, jealousy, and other complex emotions, which eventually turned into a mutter: “If only I had been the lucky one.”

Bo Jin twitched his lips and walked straight to Yuan Shiyuan in the back row. “The back row can make you motion sick. Sit in the front.”

Yuan Shiyuan was so tired his eyelids were drooping. “It’s fine, I’ll sit here. I can pull the curtain and sleep—it feels safer.”

The company was quite a distance from the group variety show filming location. Yuan Shiyuan had sacrificed his nap time to play an ice-breaking game with them, only to be pinned down and kissed for over ten minutes by an out-of-control Jiang Hang. All he wanted now was to catch up on sleep.

Yuan Shiyuan couldn’t hold back a yawn. His heavy eyelids drooped, his lashes fluttering messily, still glistening with traces of moisture.

Bo Jin instinctively glanced at his still-swollen lips.

His Adam’s apple bobbed uncontrollably. Bo Jin grabbed a bottle of water and chugged half of it. The cold liquid slid down his throat but did nothing to suppress the restless heat and thirst coursing through him.

When a staff member brought over a microphone, Bo Jin pressed a finger to his own lips and shook his head slowly, signaling them not to speak.

Had it really been so little time? Yuan Shiyuan was already curled up in the corner, fast asleep. His fingers loosely grasped the edge of the curtain, his lips slightly pursed but unable to hide their swollen redness from being sucked on. His breathing was even and soft, his sleeping posture very peaceful.

Bo Jin took the microphone from the staff and gently hooked open Yuan Shiyuan’s collar, clipping the mic to the side.

By then, the show had officially started recording. Ying Mingche and the others up front had initially wanted to include Yuan Shiyuan, but upon seeing him asleep, they turned back and lowered their voices.

Compared to Yuan Shiyuan’s deep slumber, Bo Jin beside him was overly alert.

Yuan Shiyuan’s breath brushed against his neck, the scent carrying his body warmth. This fragrance soon mingled with his own scent, intertwining like vines.

Suddenly, his phone vibrated.

Bo Jin glanced down and realized he had forgotten to switch to his alternate account. A fan he followed had sent him a series of messages.

Begging Little Beauty to Favor Brother Huo: Woohoo! I’ve been bursting with inspiration lately—my friend and I wrote a bunch of fanfics about Xiao Yuan and Brother Huo. Sending them to you early for a look. [Drooling]

“Xiao Yuan and Brother Huo open their eyes to find themselves locked in a small dark room. A screen on the wall displays 999 squares, each representing a different ‘play.’ They must try each one to light them up and escape…”

“Rustic Literature: Tanned, rugged Brother Huo, enraged and aroused, shocks Xiao Yuan into gushing in the cornfield…”

“Stepmom Literature (featuring the Captain): The young wife Yuan Yuan, having just finished with the Captain but still unsatisfied, gently hugs the Captain’s head and says, ‘It’s okay, one minute is already amazing.’ At night, Yuan Yuan can’t hold back anymore and uses a small toy to pleasure himself in the living room. But he never expected his stepson to return…

Brother Huo, seeing the panicked young wife in the act, immediately replaces the toy with himself. The young wife, afraid of waking her husband, can only tightly cover his mouth…

Brother Huo, while fiercely forcing the young wife to make noise, whispers in his ear: ‘Stepmom, has my father been here?’”

Bo Jin’s temples throbbed.

Unbelievable.

The fan’s imagination was wild—how did he end up as Yuan Shiyuan and Pei Yanbing’s son?

And why send this now?

Now he wanted to read but couldn’t.

They were recording the show, and his phone had an anti-spy screen protector. Bo Jin avoided the camera as he replied to the fan.

His fingers paused over the screen for a moment before he directly sent a tip of 10,000 yuan.

Begging Little Beauty to Favor Brother Huo: So powerful!

Begging Little Beauty to Favor Brother Huo: But if you want to tip, it’s better to do it on the main page. That way, it’ll boost our CP fan community’s ranking on the tipping leaderboard and attract more content creators.

There’s such a rule?

Bo Jin thought for a moment and replied: It’s fine. I’ll send it directly to you, and you can distribute the tips. I’m a bit busy right now.

Then, Bo Jin sent another 100,000 yuan tip.

Begging Little Beauty to Favor Brother Huo: Damn, you’re really a die-hard fan of Xiao Yuan and Brother Huo.

Begging Little Beauty to Favor Brother Huo: Alright, alright, I’ll go boost the rankings right away! The big spenders shipping the twins have been quiet lately. We might snag a spot today and push our CP forum up a few ranks.

Begging Little Beauty to Favor Brother Huo: Never thought such a niche CP like Xiao Yuan and Brother Huo could make it to the top ranks. [Crying bitterly]

Bo Jin was genuinely curious: Why are there so few people shipping this CP? Do you ship it?

Begging Little Beauty to Favor Brother Huo: Because I have unusual tastes.

Bo Jin: …

Begging Little Beauty to Favor Brother Huo: Just kidding. Xiao Yuan and Brother Huo are indeed a niche CP—not many people ship them. But what can I say? I love seeing this kind of arrogant, high-and-mighty Alpha eventually falling hard and having to grovel, even licking my baby’s feet, hehe. I’m totally into this kind of contrast! And from some clips, it’s clear that Brother Huo unconsciously pays attention to Xiao Yuan. Even though his mouth is tougher than his dick, he’s still easily conquered.

Begging Little Beauty to Favor Brother Huo: I’m just waiting for Brother Huo to eat his words, become obsessed, and turn into Yuan Yuan’s dog.

Bo Jin: He won’t.

Begging Little Beauty to Favor Brother Huo: You’re not Brother Huo himself—how do you know he won’t?

Because I am right in front of you.

Bo Jin didn’t understand how fans could imagine so much—even imagining him licking Yuan Shiyuan’s feet.

Although Yuan Shiyuan’s feet were delicate, pale pink on the top with plump, rounded toes, and his whole body was excessively fragrant, he hadn’t gone so far as to lick a same-sex person’s feet.

Laughter came from the front—Ying Mingche and the others. Bo Jin glanced over, then looked back at Yuan Shiyuan’s drowsy face. Casually, he nudged Yuan Shiyuan’s head onto his shoulder, creating the illusion that Yuan Shiyuan was leaning against him voluntarily.

Seeing Yuan Shiyuan resting against his shoulder, Bo Jin felt much more at ease. He lowered his head and typed: Why are there so many fans shipping the twins?

Begging Little Beauty to Favor Brother Huo: Is that even a question? The twins have a natural advantage.

Begging Little Beauty to Favor Brother Huo: Plus, they have an extremely wealthy CP shipper. From the day the forum was established, whenever someone produces content for the twins and Xiao Yuan, this shipper would immediately give monetary rewards—their CP popularity was genuinely boosted by cash incentives. Many creators are passionate, and the twins are indeed quite alluring, so it’s no surprise they have so many fans. I also browse their fanworks from time to time.

Begging Little Beauty to Favor Brother Huo: And Ying Mingche is very eager to play the devoted fan. Although many ○ fans find him annoying and clingy, they can’t deny that he’s really good at sucking up.

Begging Little Beauty to Favor Brother Huo: It just goes to show that putting in the effort to suck up can actually get the goddess' attention.

Bo Jin: ...

He had to agree with that.

Whenever Ying Mingche had a free moment, he would pester Yuan Shiyuan relentlessly with physical advances, getting handsy or even pressing his face against Yuan Shiyuan’s shoulder.

At first, Yuan Shiyuan would push Ying Mingche away and warn him not to go too far. But maybe he got used to it over time—he eventually let Ying Mingche get close without a fuss, even allowing himself to be touched on the face, as long as Ying Mingche had clean hands first.

Putting in the effort to suck up really could get close to Yuan Shiyuan.

Just as Bo Jin was about to type, his shoulder suddenly felt heavy.

Yuan Shiyuan had leaned closer to him, his cheek nuzzling against Bo Jin’s neck, his pink hair tickling Bo Jin’s tense jawline with a warm, tingling sensation.

Bo Jin froze immediately, even his breathing softened.

He looked at Yuan Shiyuan’s sleeping face in profile, his eyelashes casting dense shadows under his eyes. His slightly parted, rosy lips revealed a hint of swollen, reddened tongue.

The fans’ talk of “licking feet” was absurd. But at that moment, Bo Jin really did feel like lowering his head to sample those moist, red lips.

The thought had barely surfaced before he quickly suppressed it.

Bo Jin shifted slightly, allowing Yuan Shiyuan to settle more completely against him. As his arm wrapped around Yuan Shiyuan’s waist, a possessive glint even he wasn’t aware of flickered in his eyes.

The filming location for this group reality show was a villa.

Six Alphas, with Yuan Shiyuan at the center, stood under the blazing sun in the garden, waving to the live stream viewers.

“Hello everyone, we are Scepter!”

The live stream was lagging due to the high number of viewers, but that didn’t stop the flood of comments from pouring in.

—How can this Yuan be so crazy handsome? [Drooling]

—Xiao Yuan is surrounded by all these tall, cool Alphas—the height difference is so obvious!

—Wait, is it just me? Why are Xiao Yuan’s lips so red and swollen? Is it just the light?

—Must be the light, right? Jiang Hang’s lips look pretty swollen too.

—It can’t be that they kissed, right? CP shippers are ecstatic! [Grin]

The sunlight was too bright, making it hard for Yuan Shiyuan to see the screen clearly, but he still tried his best to pick out comments to respond to.

“I just slept in the car, so my face is a bit red.”

Noticing comments about his messy hair, Yuan Shiyuan tilted his head slightly. “Is it really messy?”

As soon as he spoke, Bo Jin’s hand reached out, fingers threading through his hair as he naturally smoothed down the messy strands. “It's fine.”

As if trying to grab Yuan Shiyuan’s attention, Ying Mingche deliberately raised his voice. “Look, there’s a pool and a swing ahead. Let’s go swimming later?”

Swimming?

Yuan Shiyuan almost agreed.

But then it occurred to him—swimming meant wearing less clothing. What if the swimwear provided by the production team was too short, exposing his damp scent gland?

In his current state, he was too sensitive for any stimulation or temptation.

“The pool seems a bit small. With six of us, it’d be too crowded, right?”

Yuan Shiyuan changed the subject, looking toward the tightly shut door. “Can’t we go inside now?”

Director: “You may enter the house. But the owner hopes you can help collect all the beads scattered around the villa and garden. In return, he’ll provide you with full use of the house and delicious food.”

Drawing from past variety show experiences, Yuan Shiyuan immediately understood—the beads they had to find in the garden were likely their allowance for the day.

“Now, each of you will take turns entering the room to draw a magic card.”

The card drawing took place in a small, dark room inside the villa, which made it mysterious. The magic card Yuan Shiyuan drew featured a simple drawing of an alarm clock and two words: Time Stop.

Cooldown time: 30 minutes.

Time Stop? Like, stopping time?

Yuan Shiyuan asked the staff, “Can I use it anytime, anywhere?”

The staff explained, “You can't use it yet. Make sure to keep this card safe and don’t let others know what it does.”

Yuan Shiyuan carefully stored the magic card away. After a moment’s thought, he asked the staff for a blank sticker.

He drew with a marker, sketching a simple swap symbol and imitating the show’s font to write “Exchange” above it, then stuck it onto his magic card.

In the end, Yuan Shiyuan’s “Time Stop” magic card was perfectly disguised to look like “Exchange.”

—Xiao Yuan, what a play?!

—We still don’t know what the director has planned, but Xiao Yuan concealing his ability right away is seriously smart!

Those who got their magic cards first could start searching for beads. Just as Yuan Shiyuan turned a corner, he spotted a vase ahead filled with small, transparent glass beads.

He took the beads and placed them into the small backpack provided by the production team.

Soon, Yuan Shiyuan found the pattern.

Instead of searching for beads, it was better to look for cameras. Wherever there was a camera, there would be beads.

His hunch was correct—before long, his backpack was half full.

As he was about to head downstairs, Yuan Shiyuan encountered Jiang Hang.

Jiang Hang’s gaze immediately fell on Yuan Shiyuan’s swollen lips. As if reminiscing about something, his throat moved.

Yuan Shiyuan, however, was completely focused on Jiang Hang’s backpack. “I came in before you. How did you collect so many beads? Where did you find them?”

He glanced at the logo on the backpack and froze. “Isn’t this Ying Mingche’s backpack?”

Jiang Hang replied calmly, “This backpack was just sitting on the table with no one claiming it, so I took it.”

Yuan Shiyuan gave a thumbs-up. “Well done. Do this again sometime.”

He quietly peeked downstairs and, sure enough, Ying Mingche was frantically searching the entire house for his backpack, then erupted with a roar, "Where's my bag?!"

Even Ying Mingche himself hadn't expected that, just during a quick trip to the bathroom, his backpack would disappear into thin air.

Yuan Shiyuan was shaking with laughter.

"Come here."

Jiang Hang wanted to hold Yuan Shiyuan's hand but, as if remembering something, snatched his hand back. As he walked toward the corner, the tips of his ears flushed an unnaturally red. "I'll dump these beads in your bag."

This was clearly about dividing the loot, so Yuan Shiyuan immediately followed.

—Wow, JH, turning into a thief to provide for the household and handing everything over to the wife? What a good Alpha. [Thumbs up]

—Is it just me? The atmosphere between JH and Xiao Yuan feels so weird/awkward. JH doesn't even dare look at Xiao Yuan, and he just tried to hold his hand but pulled back suddenly... O.O

—Seems like they're acting suspicious? And what's up with JH's neck? Inhibitors aren't applied there, so why is there a band-aid on one side?

—Let me start a rumor: it's because he got too carried away with him and got a hickey. [Heh heh]

Jiang Hang poured all the beads into Yuan Shiyuan's bag, including those from Ying Mingche and his own, his movements as smooth as handing his paycheck to the wife.

Yuan Shiyuan couldn't help but peek inside and ask, "Not leaving any for him?"

"Nope," Jiang Hang said. "Don't worry about him. His beads were stolen from Ying Mingxi anyway."

Yuan Shiyuan: "..."

Well, guess the thief gets robbed.

Ying Mingche got what he deserved this time.

Right now, Yuan Shiyuan's backpack felt satisfyingly heavy, but seeing Ying Mingche's utterly baffled expression was also pretty amusing.

He walked up to Ying Mingche with a show of surprise and asked, "How come you have so few beads?"

"I found a lot earlier," Ying Mingche said, getting agitated just thinking about it. "But someone stole my backpack. I had to ask the crew for a new one and start over."

He knew the beads would be useful in the next segment, so he'd collected quite a few.

He'd even planned to show off his hard work and capability in front of Yuan Shiyuan, but after that bathroom break, everything was gone.

Ying Mingche's frustrated, stifled expression almost made Yuan Shiyuan burst out laughing.

Yuan Shiyuan coughed to cover his impending laughter and grabbed a handful from his backpack. "It's fine, I have plenty. I'll share some with you."

Ying Mingche looked lit up. "Really?"

Yuan Shiyuan was actually offering to share? His words came out in a rush. "Why are you suddenly giving me some..."

Yuan Shiyuan dropped a small handful into Ying Mingche's bag. "I feel bad for you."

The empty backpack now had some weight thanks to Yuan Shiyuan's beads.

Ying Mingche's eyes instantly lit up, like a big dog that's been calmed down. He grabbed Yuan Shiyuan's arm, lifted him off his feet, and spun him around in a half-circle.

Then, as if he wanted to kiss Yuan Shiyuan's cheek, he caught sight of the camera out of the corner of his eye and ended up just nuzzling Yuan Shiyuan's neck.

"Princess Yuanyuan is still the best to me."

—I can't handle this. [Facepalm]

—This Corn Dog guy, seriously... already completely bewitched by him, doesn't even remember his own name. [Chuckle]

—Seriously, dude, we're still filming here? And you're getting handsy with my fave like this?? I can't even imagine how wild Corn Dog would be in private—probably licking his feet like crazy, feasting and drinking without ever going hungry or thirsty. [Grin] [Eye roll]

—Corn Dog, be a little harder on yourself. [Facepalm]

At the end of the hallway, Bo Jin watched coldly.

Just as fans had said, Ying Mingche had been so persistent that Yuan Shiyuan had grown used to it. Like a frog slowly boiled in warm water, Yuan Shiyuan didn't even push him away during such intimate embraces.

Irritation flashed clearly in Bo Jin's eyes. Yuan Shiyuan's heart was too soft—he was kind to everyone, even willing to share the beads he'd worked hard to find with Ying Mingche.

But clearly, they were the closest roommates.

Yuan Shiyuan was like a diligent bee, buzzing around the villa collecting beads.

By the time he stopped, a thin layer of sweat had formed on his forehead, and he felt thirsty. He glanced at the cameraman following him and asked quietly, "Bro, are you thirsty?"

The cameraman was caught off guard by the sudden close-up of a beautiful face and stared blankly for a moment before shaking his head.

Even though the villa had a climate control system, carrying equipment around for filming must still be exhausting, right?

Yuan Shiyuan noticed a row of food stalls in the corner of the villa, like a snack street.

They sold cold drinks, oden, candied fruit skewers, cotton candy, and other treats... At first glance, he felt like he'd been transported back to the commercial street of a university town.

Yuan Shiyuan checked the prices and, sure enough, you paid with beads.

He bought a bottle of ice water, unscrewed the cap, and turned to hand it to the cameraman.

The cameraman hesitated, then shook his head to decline.

Yuan Shiyuan: "It's fine, bro, have a drink. Carrying that equipment must be tiring. As for me, I'll find a way to get a drink."

After giving the water to the cameraman, Yuan Shiyuan immediately went to find Bo Jin.

Spotting Bo Jin not far away, he quickly jogged over. "Brother Bo Jin, I saw something really interesting and came to find you right away."

Bo Jin, who had been secretly observing Yuan Shiyuan the whole time, naturally knew he was the first person Yuan Shiyuan had come to. He was pleased but kept a straight face. "Oh?"

Just like before, Yuan Shiyuan naturally hooked his arm through Bo Jin's and led him toward the food stalls.

"Look, everything has a price tag. The beads we collected must be our spending money for today. It all looks so good." He pretended to be serious, then sighed. "Too bad I didn't find many beads. I can't bring myself to spend them."

Bo Jin had already seen through Yuan Shiyuan's plan and wore a "go on, I'm listening" expression.

After Yuan Shiyuan finished, he asked, "Which one do you want?"

"Any is fine," Yuan Shiyuan said, playing hard to get.

"Pick. I found plenty of beads. It's enough."

"In that case, I won't hold back."

Yuan Shiyuan had been waiting for this. He first picked out some oden, a mix of meat and vegetables, added seasoning, then unabashedly grabbed a box of strawberry milk.

In a short time, Yuan Shiyuan had polished off most of Bo Jin’s "savings," and even snagged an extra bottle of mineral water for their cameraman.

While paying, Bo Jin glanced at Yuan Shiyuan, who was sharing the water, and remarked, "You’re so nice to others, but you have no problem taking advantage of me."

"That's 'cause you're my best bro," Yuan Shiyuan said, biting his straw and nudging Bo Jin lightly with his elbow.

Bo Jin raised an eyebrow, secretly pleased.

At the snack stall, Yuan Shiyuan ducked his head to sip from the straw, looking like a contented cat. On impulse, Bo Jin reached out, his thumb brushing the corner of Yuan Shiyuan’s mouth as if wiping away a drop of water that wasn't there.

Then, he gently rubbed Yuan Shiyuan’s slightly swollen, kiss-swollen lower lip, feeling the soft, wet lip part slightly with his breath.

"Hmm?"

"You had a little something."

—? If you want to touch him, just say so. No shame in that.

—○ just let himself be touched like that, all dewy-eyed...

"Oh."

"Here, have a bite." Yuan Shiyuan paid no mind to Bo Jin’s actions, skewering a fish ball. "This fish ball is so good—it’s different from the ones I’ve had before."

Bo Jin froze, watching as Yuan Shiyuan lifted his slim, pale arm to feed him personally. Feeling increasingly awkward but not wanting Yuan Shiyuan’s arm to get tired, Bo Jin bent down, tilted his head, and took a bite.

Up close, he could smell the faint scent of Yuan Shiyuan’s hair, mixed with a hint of strawberry...

"Watch out, the juice will squirt—it's really hot!"

But it was too late. The fish ball burst, and Bo Jin coughed violently.

Yuan Shiyuan quickly set down the oden, snatched a napkin to wipe around Bo Jin’s mouth, and patted his back.

"Are you okay?"

"...I’m fine."

Bo Jin didn’t look fine at all.

Yuan Shiyuan hurriedly picked up the strawberry milk and held the straw to Bo Jin’s lips. Bo Jin instinctively took a sip. The straw carried the sweet fragrance of strawberry milk, along with another alluring scent.

Yuan Shiyuan’s saliva.

Bo Jin’s breathing quickened, his face burning hot, the pain from his scalded tongue fading into the background.

A soft, gentle hand caressed his cheek. When he looked down, he saw Yuan Shiyuan leaning in, gazing up at him with damp, wide, concerned eyes.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah."

Bo Jin’s voice was slightly hoarse. "Much better."

—Holy crap, is Brother Huo’s ship rising?! Emperor Yuan personally bestowed an indirect kiss!! [Screaming]

—○’s little hand just wandering all over Brother Huo, and Brother Huo’s secretly pleased expression... I can’t even. [Facepalm]

—Don’t let Brother Huo die of happiness.

—Spent a fortune to get Brother Huo a chibi version. [Clown][Clown]

Bo Jin was in a great mood. Even though his tongue was too sore to speak, he bought another box of strawberry milk for Yuan Shiyuan.

Yuan Shiyuan bit his straw, puzzled. "Why so much?"

"You like it, don’t you?"

"Besides, you’re still growing. Drinking more milk is good for you."

Bo Jin turned his head and saw Yuan Shiyuan sipping through the straw—the same straw he had used earlier.

The memory of that sweet taste resurfaced, and a wave of heat rose in his throat.

Still growing? Aren’t we already adults? Yuan Shiyuan inwardly complained but accepted Bo Jin’s kindness obediently. He did love this brand of strawberry milk, even if it was an expensive imported product.

After eating and drinking his fill, Yuan Shiyuan left Bo Jin behind and continued searching for beads in the villa.

A vase on the long dining table held bright bellflowers. He plucked one, holding it as he walked, occasionally lowering his head to smell it.

Soon, Yuan Shiyuan found the flower was getting in the way but didn’t want to discard it.

Just then, he spotted a tall, restrained figure standing by the bed. Waving, he approached. "Captain!"

"This is for you."

As Pei Yanbing turned around, a wave of fragrance enveloped him. Yuan Shiyuan’s pink hair was tousled by the wind as he lifted his face, offering the flower.

"For me?" Pei Yanbing was clearly taken aback.

"For you."

"Thank you. It’s a beautiful flower."

This wasn’t the first time Yuan Shiyuan had given Pei Yanbing a flower, and coincidentally, both times it was a bellflower. Holding the blossom, Pei Yanbing felt uneasy and nervous.

Why would Yuan Shiyuan give him flowers? He was such a dull person, incapable of an interesting response...

"Because I wanted to give it to you."

As if reading Pei Yanbing’s thoughts, Yuan Shiyuan smiled and said matter-of-factly, "Out of all these people, you’re the first one I ran into."

"Isn’t that reason enough?"

Pei Yanbing’s eyes widened in surprise.

The skin under his palm felt like it was burning, his heart pounding fiercely.

"Would you like something to eat?" Pei Yanbing paused, choosing his words carefully. "There’s a snack stall nearby."

"No need, Brother Bo Jin already treated me."

"..."

Pei Yanbing lowered his gaze. "Alright."

Why did he sound so dejected? Yuan Shiyuan thought for a moment. "Captain, are you hungry? Should I treat you instead?"

"No need," Pei Yanbing added, "I'm not hungry."

—Is this the captain's privilege, getting ○'s voluntary offer? [Lemon]

—Why is Inorganic Bro so talkative today? [Confused]

—Because Inorganic Bro has been deep in thought.

—The captain refused nicely, didn’t let ○ spend money, such a considerate and frugal Alpha. Unlike that spendthrift Alpha Brother Huo, who drank half a box of ○’s strawberry milk in one go. [Angry]

—LMAO, wasn’t that bought by Brother Huo though?

—So what? It all belongs to ○ anyway. [Giggle]

Pei Yanbing lowered his head to smell the flower.

Whether it was an illusion or not, the flowers scattered around the filming set seemed to carry Yuan Shiyuan’s unique scent.

His skin hunger suddenly flared up intensely.

Whenever he was near Yuan Shiyuan, the urge to touch and caress him surged through him like a tidal wave.

He wanted to have physical contact with Yuan Shiyuan, to feel his skin, to get closer to him...

“There’s a petal in your hair.” Pei Yanbing couldn’t help but take a step forward.

A petal had somehow gotten caught in his pink strands, probably from when he lowered his head to smell the flowers earlier.

Yuan Shiyuan shook his head from side to side, like a cat shaking off water droplets. He looked up and asked, “Is it still there?”

“Yes, it is.”

Pei Yanbing took another step closer, his tall frame almost completely overshadowing Yuan Shiyuan, their size difference strikingly obvious. With the hand holding the bellflower, he gently lifted Yuan Shiyuan’s chin, while his other hand swept back the light pink bangs.

Sunlight filtered through the blinds like shifting grids, framing the two of them.

A light-colored petal floated down slowly, only to be caught carefully in the Alpha’s palm as if it were a treasure.

“It’s gone now.”

—The size difference between ○ and the captain is just perfect! A big fridge and a tiny kitten. [Hearts]

—Wait?? The captain isn’t wearing gloves? Huh? Huh??? [Screaming]

—He's been going without them lately. Before, on the *Struggle for Survival* variety show, the captain would always wear gloves when touching anything else, but whenever it came to ○, the gloves seemed to vanish automatically.

—Who knew the captain was like this, taking off his gloves on purpose to touch ○, huh. [Eye roll]

“Thank you, Captain.”

As Yuan Shiyuan looked up, his gaze suddenly froze.

In the shadowy corner ahead, a dark figure stood leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest.

Jiang Hang was silently watching in their direction, his thin lips pressed into a cold, hard line. The band-aid on the side of his neck had loosened, hanging precariously as if about to fall off, making him look dangerously tense.

“Captain, I won’t disturb you anymore. You can get back to what you were doing.”

Pei Yanbing watched as Yuan Shiyuan approached another Alpha, stopping in front of him and lifting his face in an intimate manner.

As he watched their overlapping figures, Pei Yanbing’s knuckles turned white from clenching, the petals in his hand crushed to bits.

His usually cold and unreadable eyes were fractured with countless cracks, filled with an unprecedented gloom. And beneath the repeated struggles, a darkness on the verge of losing control.