A Beta from the countryside (28)

Xin Yue was in the bathroom, checking for cameras.

News of perverts secretly filming people had been cropping up frequently lately, and he didn't want Xue Ci to be filmed.

Only after checking thoroughly and making sure it was safe did he come out of the bathroom.

The moment he emerged, he saw Xue Ci and Gu Xu on the balcony.

There was such a difference in their builds that, standing together, Xue Ci was almost completely hidden behind the Alpha. Only a short stretch of his pale pink arm was visible.

Gu Xu bent down, bringing his face close to that tiny face, almost kissing him.

Xin Yue frowned.

What were they doing?

He was about to go over and separate them when he suddenly remembered that he was the one who had come between them. He froze in place.

Duan Xingyan was crouched beside Xue Ci's suitcase, taking out his clothes and hanging them up one by one. His back was to the balcony, and Xin Yue couldn't tell whether he really didn't know what the two were doing or was pretending not to care.

How could he stand it?

Xin Yue could tell that Duan Xingyan treated Xue Ci differently. It certainly wasn't as simple as looking after family.

Could he and Gu Xu have already agreed to share... Xin Yue's expression changed sharply. What filthy things was he thinking?!

The Alphas in the room had excellent senses. Even though Xue Ci had lowered his voice, everyone could still hear him clearly; they simply pretended not to know.

After all, the Beta they liked was inviting one of them to stay with him for the night.

They didn't want to accept that Xue Ci had feelings for Gu Xu.

"You-" Gu Xu hadn't expected Xue Ci to suddenly bring this up either. He was certainly willing; his only concern was whether staying together might bring on his susceptible period early. After all, his susceptible periods had been occurring frequently lately. If he really lost control, Xue Ci wouldn't even have the strength to resist.

But there were three Alphas here. Why had Xue Ci only asked him to stay?

"I... I'll stay, but why did you think of asking me?"

Gu Xu wanted to hear the answer from Xue Ci himself.

It mattered a great deal to him.

Xue Ci hadn't given it much thought. When he'd been terrified after receiving the text, the other two had been busy, and only Gu Xu had seemed free.

But he was asking for a favor now, so he certainly couldn't say that.

"You look really strong. I feel safe with you."

The compliment sent a tingle through half of Gu Xu's body. He coughed. "All right, I'll put my luggage here, then."

He'd brought suppressant shots anyway. Taking one as a precaution that evening should keep things under control.

He glanced around. There was only one bed in the spacious room.

Xue Ci had said he was afraid to stay here alone, so he would probably invite him to share the bed.

A flush of heat spread across Gu Xu's back. Whatever he was thinking about, even the veins on his arms stood out.

"All done." Duan Xingyan picked up Xue Ci's suitcase and put it in a corner. After telling Xue Ci to call him directly if anything came up, he picked up his own luggage. "We'll head back first, then."

He had heard everything, and naturally, Gu Xu wasn't included in his "we."

When Xin Yue saw Duan Xingyan leaving, he had no excuse to stay either. He hung his head and told Xue Ci he'd see him later.

Only the two of them remained in the room.

For Gu Xu, the atmosphere was far too intimate. He had never even dreamed of being alone with Xue Ci in a hotel room.

The heat in his body kept building, and Gu Xu noticed that even his breathing had grown heavier. He took a deep breath and pretended to be calm. "I'll unpack, then."

"Oh," Xue Ci said.

His attention wasn't on Gu Xu, but on the text message from earlier.

The harasser was in the hotel right now, watching him enter the room.

Xue Ci didn't know exactly what the invading virus was: a string of data, or an actual person.

But after what it had said... he really didn't dare stay alone.

He had originally invited Gu Xu to stay with him just to see if he would agree. If he refused, Xue Ci would pester him a little longer. He hadn't expected Gu Xu to agree so readily, or to mind so little that there was only one bed and they'd have to squeeze together.

Maybe he had grown.

Xue Ci glanced at the progress bar, which had reached 75%.

But the next second, the progress bar actually slipped back a little right before his eyes.

?

Xue Ci's eyes widened in surprise.

11 popped out: [Don't worry, host, I'll check-found it! The system says you've triggered a mission. It'll be issued later, but you need to stay alone to complete it.]

Seeing his host's little face turn deathly pale, 11 comforted him: [It's all right, host. You're wearing the protective talisman 11 gave you, so nothing will happen. You can stay with everyone during the day. During those few hours at night, the virus can't get close to you. At most, it can send you harassing messages!]

What 11 said made sense.

If that person could come directly to him, they wouldn't be sending him messages.

He was safe for the time being.

A little color returned to Xue Ci's face.

The progress bar slipped back another notch, and he immediately called out, "Gu Xu."

The Alpha was hanging his clothes in the wardrobe. Hearing the faint voice, he turned around and asked cheerfully, "What's wrong?"

Xue Ci awkwardly touched his nose, hemming and hawing for a long time before finding an excuse.

"There's only one bed. Won't it be a little cramped?"

Gu Xu paused, but quickly understood.

Xue Ci was the kind of traditional Beta who would save everything until after getting a marriage certificate. He said, "Oh," and didn't mind. "Then I'll sleep on the floor."

"...The floor's cold. It's more comfortable to sleep in a bed, so why don't you go back to yours?"

Gu Xu stopped what he was doing and understood. His voice turned slightly cold. "You're telling me to leave?"

Xue Ci pressed his lips together and hung his head without speaking.

Seeing how guilty he looked, Gu Xu knew he'd guessed right. His expression chilled as he walked up to Xue Ci, his towering shadow immediately engulfing the young man.

There was an obedience test in which a command was given over and over to condition a dog to respond, until it would come running at once even without a reward.

Xue Ci was the one who wanted him to stay, and Xue Ci was also the one sending him away after he'd agreed.

He was training him like a dog.

Gu Xu's lips tightened into a line as he backed Xue Ci into a corner. He wore a smile that wasn't quite a smile, but his dark eyes were deep and unreadable. "Are you treating me like a dog?"

What...

Xue Ci parted his lips, wanting to say something, but suddenly a powerful force lifted him onto the table.

"Mm..."

He instinctively tried to grab something to steady himself, his fingers rubbing pink against Gu Xu's shirt.

His legs kicked wildly, sending even the slippers he had just changed into flying onto the floor.

Soon, he could no longer move, trapped in the arms of the terrifying-looking Alpha before him.

Gu Xu didn't seem to be using much strength, and his expression barely changed. His brow was still tightly furrowed, a cold smile on his lips.

"When Gu Ling held you last time, did you struggle like this too?"

Wh-what...

Xue Ci's eyes went round, and he slowly tilted his face up.

His lashes trembled violently, and his cupid's bow was small. He looked impossibly innocent, yet a flush had spread at the corners of his eyes, drawing the eye and holding it.

"Last time, in your room, Gu Ling touched your thigh, and you didn't resist. You even let him touch you obediently."

The word "touch" sent heat rushing to Xue Ci's face. His cheeks instantly flushed peach-pink, his features vivid and lovely. The reminder finally brought the memory back to him. "...Big Brother was measuring my thigh."

"Measuring your thigh?" Gu Xu let out a cold laugh. "Only you could be that stupid."

Without giving Xue Ci time to react, he fired off questions one after another. "He treats you like that and you don't resist, so why do you resist me alone? Do you like Gu Ling? Then why did you ask me to stay in your room? Were you deliberately playing with me? Leading me on because you wanted to see me hopelessly bewitched by you?"

"Do you think I'm the kind of person who'd just accept being played with and do nothing?"

"It's just the two of us in this room. I could carry you onto the bed or press you against the glass on the balcony and do whatever I wanted to you."

"I could kiss you and pour pheromones into you, and you wouldn't be able to resist. You'd just cry and hold your stomach, saying it felt uncomfortable."

Xue Ci was completely bewildered. He didn't understand why Gu Xu had suddenly gotten angry, or why he was saying these strange things that made him uncomfortable.

His eyes were moist, his lashes trembling violently since moments ago. He had bitten a mark into his wet lips, looking pitifully frightened by a bad person.

But Gu Xu had been right about one thing.

Xue Ci really was weak. If the Alpha were a little more forceful, everything he had described could happen, whether it was pressing him against the floor-to-ceiling window or releasing a little pheromone to make his flat, pale stomach swell.

But Xue Ci looked close to tears.

Gu Xu's heart softened, and he loosened his arms.

Forget it.

Fine, I'll be a dog.

At least I'm first in line.

Gu Xu reached out and gently wiped the moisture from the corner of Xue Ci's eye. "I was so angry that I said those things to you. I wouldn't really do them."

As the Alpha's attitude softened, Xue Ci sniffled.

He hadn't actually cried; he'd only been afraid.

Xue Ci pushed Gu Xu away and jumped down from the table, his voice carrying a hint of temper. "Don't hold me like that..."

It wasn't just Gu Xu. The people he knew all liked to lift him onto a table before talking to him, as though they had some strange habit.

Gu Xu said, "Oh," then silently packed the clothes he'd just hung up back into his suitcase and left.

Xue Ci could tell he'd made him angry, but the little bit of guilt he felt was soon erased by the sound of points being credited.

It fit the plot for Gu Xu to be displeased and angry with him. By sheer accident, he'd earned points, and the progress bar had risen again.

Xue Ci thought no more about it. He locked the windows and door tightly before resting at ease.

At lunchtime, Xin Yue was the first to ask in the group chat if they wanted to go downstairs. Xue Ci woke up in a daze and replied, "Okay."

The air conditioning in the room wasn't cool enough, and he'd slept entirely under the covers, breaking out in a fine sweat.

After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Xue Ci hurried to the restaurant downstairs to find everyone at the table waiting for him.

Besides the people in the group chat, there were Xie Yishu and five or six classmates whose faces were familiar but whose names he couldn't recall.

"Xue Ci, your eyes are all red, like a rabbit's."

He didn't know who spoke first, but a burst of laughter followed. Everyone began talking at once, all about Xue Ci.

"Haven't you seen him eat? His cheeks puff right up."

"He looks like he just woke up. His eyes are all misty."

"Did he run here? He's still out of breath."

With so many people paying attention to him, Xue Ci's face burned as though he had a fever. He stood there at a loss, twisting the hem of his shirt between his fingers.

"Say one more word and go sit at another table."

Gu Xu's voice was mild, but his words were effective.

These people were from the basketball team. They'd run into one another and decided to share a table, never expecting Xue Ci to be there too.

Several of them had only caught a distant glimpse of Xue Ci when he'd come to watch a game and had never spoken to him. Seeing his dazed expression and pretty face, they couldn't help talking about him.

Now that Gu Xu had spoken, everyone shut up, not even daring to look at Xue Ci.

The dining table was long, with several seats still empty. Xue Ci looked around. Gu Ling wasn't there, but there was an empty seat between Xin Yue and Gu Xu.

He had intended to sit there, but Xie Yishu caught his wrist on the way.

"Xue Ci, can you sit next to me? It's been so long. I missed you so much."

There was a hint of pleading in the Alpha's voice.

It wasn't a difficult request, so Xue Ci nodded.

Fortunately, the progress bar didn't drop either.

He sat down at ease, and before long, the server brought the food.

The hotel served special dishes, many of which Xue Ci had never seen before, and he looked at them curiously.

Xie Yishu took the initiative to explain them to him and thoughtfully served each one into his bowl.

Xue Ci was too busy trying the dishes to notice the others' envious looks.

The private hot spring was open from seven to nine in the evening, and it was only around one when everyone finished lunch. Xin Yue wanted to go back and play board games with Xue Ci, so he wanted to send the others away.

But none of them wanted to return to their rooms. They suggested playing games and even asked a server to bring several bottles of alcohol.

They were all foreign liquors and looked very strong. When the server reached Xue Ci, he placed a small bottle of cocktail in front of him. It looked like prettily colored juice, with a small lime clipped to the rim.

Xue Ci took a curious sip. It was sweet and sour, and he couldn't resist taking another.

He'd heard of the games everyone suggested but had never actually played them. Even after asking carefully about the rules, he only half understood.

Xie Yishu leaned closer. "It's all right. You're next to me, so you'll definitely win."

Sure enough, after several games in a row, including "skip seven" and "guess the card," Xue Ci hadn't lost once. He grew excited and eager to try the next game, finishing his cocktail without even noticing.

"Ah, I lost again!" A tall member of the team got so excited that he accidentally spilled alcohol on Xue Ci's arm. Seeing those lovely brows draw together slightly, he immediately pulled out several tissues and offered them to him.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

No one took the tissues. Someone had already used a wet wipe to clean the alcohol off Xue Ci.

The tall man sheepishly withdrew his hand.

His fondness for Xue Ci had begun with an accidental glance at the basketball court. Only later did he learn that Xue Ci was the other party in the childhood engagement Gu Xu mentioned from time to time.

Although Gu Xu had said himself that an arranged marriage like that didn't count, anyone with eyes could see who was already utterly smitten.

It was no wonder Gu Xu had fallen. The whole team often discussed Xue Ci's looks while playing basketball, wondering why a Beta from the countryside had such fair skin and such big eyes.

But Xue Ci was under the protection of several Alphas they couldn't afford to offend, so no one dared approach him rashly.

The alcohol on his arm had been wiped away, but Xue Ci still felt sticky and uncomfortable. He looked down and saw that a small patch of his shirt had gotten wet too, so he decided to go to the restroom after all.

The hotel's restroom was far from the restaurant, beyond a long corridor.

After that small glass of fruit wine, Xue Ci's legs felt unsteady as he walked. But he didn't realize he was drunk and thought he was just too sleepy.

So he didn't notice the footsteps behind him either.

After reading the sign on the restroom, Xue Ci walked up to the sink. He had just turned on the tap when a source of heat pressed against his back.

He turned in surprise, relaxing his guard only after he saw a familiar face.

"Xie Yishu... why are you here?" After drinking, Xue Ci's skin was pink and damp, his breath warm and sticky.

"I was a little worried about you." Xie Yishu no longer concealed the inscrutable look in his eyes. He pressed close against Xue Ci's back. "Xue Ci, are you drunk?"

Xue Ci shook his head. "I'm a little sleepy."

"Then how about I help Xue Ci wash his hands and clothes?"

Xue Ci looked at him in confusion.

Xie Yishu said nothing more. He took Xue Ci's wrist and held his hand under the running water.

The young man's wrist was slender and delicate, tiny blue-purple veins hidden beneath his cool, pale skin.

The Alpha's eyes were lowered, so Xue Ci couldn't see his expression. As the alcohol went to his head, his eyes felt as though they had been glued shut, growing harder and harder to open. Eventually, even his consciousness grew hazy, and he leaned bonelessly into the man's arms.

"Are... are we done washing...?" His arm was suddenly lowered. Xue Ci forced his eyes open, only to feel the hem of his clothes being lifted.

He froze, like a small animal sensing danger.

"Your hands are clean. Now I'll wash the alcohol off your clothes."

Xie Yishu sounded dependable, and Xue Ci was already used to relying on him. Relaxing, he said, "Then wash them... wash them quickly..."

"I'm sleepy..."

He yawned as he spoke, his eyelashes damp and sticky too.

Xue Ci was very sleepy, but he was still conscious. He could hear the faint trickle of water and the sound of suds rubbing against fabric. Xie Yishu's movements were slow and gentle, but his knuckles were too hard, and it felt uncomfortable when they touched Xue Ci's belly.

Xie Yishu seemed to say a lot of things in his ear. Xue Ci caught only fragments, until he heard, "It smells so damn good there," and jolted awake.

"Xue Ci? Are you awake?"

Xie Yishu said softly, "Your clothes smell nice now."

Xue Ci looked down. The hem that had been soaked with alcohol was already dry, carrying the clean scent of detergent.

So he had meant the clothes smelled nice. It seemed that person's text messages had made him suspicious of everything.

When Xue Ci returned to the restaurant with Xie Yishu, some of the people had left.

Seeing Xue Ci's flushed cheeks, Xin Yue immediately pushed Xie Yishu aside.

He used a different tone when he spoke to Xue Ci. "Do you want to go back and sleep, or play some board games?"

Xue Ci wasn't all that sleepy anymore. When Xin Yue saw him nod, he immediately booked a private room, and they didn't finish until four or five.

Before soaking in the hot spring, they needed to go back and shower first.

Xue Ci returned to his room and had just picked up the bathrobe provided by the hotel when 11 issued a task.

[Host, a task is here!]

[Someone notices that you like Gu Xu and deliberately gives you bad advice on how to pursue him. Gu Xu hates this behavior, and after being provoked, he comes to your door to warn you.]

Xue Ci was a little troubled. [I already made him angry today, and he lost several games just now. He must be in a really bad mood. What if he does something extreme?]

11: [Even if he gets angry, he'll only get angry.]

Xue Ci: "?"

11 put aside his mockery of the protagonist. [This task is worth 150 points!]

The reward was generous, and Xue Ci was soon tempted.

To complete the task, he first had to find the person with ulterior motives.

[The people who ate with you today are all on the team, and they're all Gu Xu's partners in mischief. If you go out now, there's one in the hallway.]

Xue Ci didn't hesitate any longer. He threw on a coat and went out.

There really was a tall young man on the phone in the hallway. Xue Ci had seen him before, and he was close to Xin Yue, but Xue Ci didn't know his name.

"All right, all right, that's enough. Drop it."

"I told you, I came out with my bros. If that's how you want to think, there's nothing I can do."

Xue Ci's eyes lit up. Those were familiar scumbag lines. It seemed he had plenty of dating experience and really could advise him on pursuing Gu Xu.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm hanging up." Looking impatient, Chen Ze ended the call with his family, only to hear a familiar, soft voice behind him.

"Hello, could you help me with something?"

Chen Ze's body instantly went rigid. He turned around to find the young man, a head shorter than him, looking up and asking for his help.

Song Xueci had actually started a conversation with him.

Although he often couldn't stand watching his bro Xin Yue act like a simp and often thought this young man was skilled at manipulating people, now that Song Xueci was right in front of him, Chen Ze, a tall, powerfully built Alpha, flushed red and felt his heart race. Embarrassingly, he couldn't get a single word out, yet his eyes remained fixed on him.

It took him a while to react. He stammered, "H-help you with wh-what?"

He thought Song Xueci wanted him to move something, but the other man blinked. "Do you have a lot of dating experience?"

Chen Ze froze.

Why would he say that? He had never even dated.

Or had Xin Yue been saying bad things about him?

"Can you tell me how to pursue someone?" Xue Ci felt his earlier question had been a little presumptuous, so he immediately stated what he wanted.

"Y-you want to pursue someone?"

Chen Ze was so surprised by the request that he forgot to deny having plenty of dating experience. He was too straightforward and had never pursued anyone. After hesitating for a few seconds, he said, "That depends on what kind of person you're pursuing."

Xue Ci knitted his brows, looking a little troubled. "I don't know him very well either."

Chen Ze wanted to say that whoever he liked, he wouldn't need to pursue them at all. He only had to lift a finger and they'd come simping for him. But he was afraid this hard-won conversation would end early, so he did his best to keep it going. "Is he an Alpha?"

Xue Ci nodded.

Chen Ze scratched his head, recalling the experience of an Alpha on the team who had just gotten into a relationship.

"If he's an Alpha, just be direct."

"Send him photos."

Xue Ci said, "Selfies?"

Chen Ze said, "Uh," then looked away awkwardly. "Well... the kind that shows a little skin. Pictures of your waist, your thighs, that sort of thing."

"The more direct, the better."

"Alphas are all pretty horny."

Xue Ci was stunned.

He felt he had found the right person. This way of pursuing Gu Xu really was bad advice.

No wonder Gu Xu would get angry.

Having achieved his goal, Xue Ci didn't linger to chat. "Okay, I understand. Thank you."

Chen Ze wanted to say something else, but Xue Ci went straight back to his room and even shut the door.

He pulled up his phone's photo album. Xin Yue had deleted all the photos of Xue Ci in a skirt, but Chen Ze had made a copy on impulse.

Photos showing his waist and legs... Chen Ze's face turned a deep purplish red, his heart pounding as he looked forward to his next conversation with Xue Ci.

There wasn't much time left before the task deadline. Xue Ci leaned against the headboard. He was already wearing shorts, so he only needed to pull them up a little to take a photo.

In the photo, his legs were slender but well-proportioned, his thighs full and smooth, their soft flesh pink and delicate. His kneecaps were pink, and his curled toes made little wrinkles in the sheets.

The angle was a little suggestive, like a candid photo a husband had taken of his young wife lying in his arms with her knees slightly raised.

Xue Ci didn't notice any of this. In a hurry to complete the task, he sent the photo on WeChat as soon as he took it.

But his hand slipped, and he accidentally sent it to the hot spring trip group chat.

His big brother was in the group too... If his big brother saw it, he wouldn't know how to explain.

Xue Ci's fingers trembled as he immediately recalled the message.

Luckily, he had noticed early, and no one had said anything in the group yet.

They probably hadn't seen it.

He let out a cautious sigh of relief. This time, after carefully making sure it was Gu Xu's chat window, Xue Ci sent the photo again.

Sure enough, less than two minutes later, someone knocked on the door.

Gu Xu had come to settle the score with him.

Xue Ci got out of bed to let Gu Xu in, but as he approached the door, he realized Gu Xu wasn't the only Alpha outside.

Everyone seemed to be... arguing too?

Author's note:

They all thought baby had sent it especially to them.