PTBC chapter 36

In the days that followed, Xu Cong and Xia Yan’s CP fans realized they had truly ushered in the new year early.

Wherever Xu Cong and Xia Yan went, they were inseparable.

Normally, their closeness was already overwhelming, which was why their CP fan base had grown so large, but recently it had taken a more extreme turn.

Before Thanksgiving, Xia Yan and Xu Cong appeared fully disguised on the street but were still recognized by the paparazzi. That wasn’t surprising, but what caught attention was that Xia Yan was wrapped up in Xu Cong’s coat, poking his head out from Xu Cong’s arms to buy a roasted sweet potato from a street vendor.

The paparazzi, still being somewhat considerate, titled the photo—”D.A Captain has a night meeting with a mysterious woman, turns out to be a 50-year-old sweet potato vendor, loyal friend Xu Cong accompanies him, their brotherly bond is strong.”

Fans were totally uninterested. They mocked, “Is the entertainment industry really that bad? Even such silly news gets published now?”

But aside from that, the most liked comment was:

“I didn’t notice the meeting with the lady, but I sure noticed that Xu Cong and Xia Yan are on a date on Thanksgiving. Honestly, these two are just using their brotherly cover to have an epic AA relationship, aren’t they?”

That comment received 120k likes.

The anti-CP fans accused the commenter of having a “corrupted-eyed” yaoi view, calling them a traitor sent by the opposing side.

The CP fans, however, praised the commenter for their keen insight, suggesting they join them as “guardians of love.”

The highest-liked comment left everyone in awe, but the commenter stood firm and refused to delete it.

Bai Yu scrolled through the chaotic comment section, feeling a headache, and let out a hiss, as if he had a gum infection.

“You two… shouldn’t you tone it down a little?” He glanced at Xia Yan and Xu Cong with difficulty.

At that moment, the two were still playing chess at the table. Xia Yan’s chess skills were taught by Xu Cong, but now he was able to turn the tables and defeat Xu Cong. There was no sign of any respect for his teacher.

Both of their gazes were fixed on the chessboard, especially Xia Yan’s.

No one was willing to pay attention to Bai Yu.

But Bai Yu, feeling ignored, picked up a magazine and hit the edge of the table, dramatically complaining, “Not to mention, Xia Yan, do you really need to go buy roasted sweet potatoes at midnight? Huh? You’re not managing your figure anymore, huh, and you had to do it before Thanksgiving?”

“Fine, fine, you bought it, but why did you have to crawl into Xu Cong’s coat?”

Bai Yu almost broke his voice when he said that.

If these two weren’t the artists he raised, looking at that picture, with its perfect atmosphere, proper angle, and beautiful protagonists, he would’ve had to indulge in some fan shipping behavior.

But unfortunately, these were his artists.

He took a deep breath, thinking he needed to take more Coenzyme Q10.

“Is Xu Cong’s coat just warmer than yours?” He refused to give up and continued complaining, “Why don’t you just kiss in front of the paparazzi? Then I can write a love statement for you two tomorrow.”

Xia Yan, satisfied with having captured Xu Cong’s king, raised an eyebrow smugly and finally gave Bai Yu some attention.

“What are you yelling for, making such a big deal out of nothing?” He held his black knight with no remorse. “I just wanted roasted sweet potatoes, what could I do? When I went downstairs to wait for the vendor, my condition suddenly flared up. I couldn’t let Xu Cong mark me outside, so I had no choice but to hide in his coat. It helped relieve it a little.”

That explanation was flawless.

But it couldn’t be published anywhere. Even if it made sense, there was no place to speak about it.

Bai Yu had an expression as if he had just eaten bitter melon, looking utterly frustrated.

He leaned back in his chair and muttered to himself, “I told you, you should just take some medicine…”

Xia Yan was too pleased to care about him, and smugly sent the link to Xu Cong.

Their bet earlier was that the loser would buy a vintage record player to put in the living room.

When Xu Cong placed the order, Bai Yu suddenly remembered something, sat up with enthusiasm, and poked Xia Yan.

“I’m not saying this to make you nervous, but you’re going to start filming next month, right? It’s a two-month shoot, and Xu Cong won’t be able to be with you all the time. What are you going to do about your ‘condition’ then?”

Bai Yu’s concern was sincere.

Xia Yan’s grip on his chess piece loosened for a moment, but he quickly regained it and locked eyes with Xu Cong.

Bai Yu’s concerns weren’t entirely unfounded.

Xia Yan was about to join the cast of a TV drama. By now, the boy band had long since moved beyond simply releasing albums, performing on stage, and vying for fan attention. Each member had carved out their own niche.

Xia Yan was focused on building a career in acting.

He genuinely had some talent. In his last sitcom, where he played the third male lead, the results after its broadcast were great, earning him a wave of new fans. Before that, he had a brief role as a prince in the movie ‘Green Ark’. Though his screen time was short, his stunning looks in costume left a lasting impression, and his few minutes of screentime became a hot topic on social media, sparking intense discussion.

This time, he was cast in ‘The Moon by the Silent River’, directed by Zhan Shengyang. The suspense drama was adapted from a major IP, and Xia Yan would play the second male lead—a role with substantial screen time, leaving no room for casual leave.

Xia Yan frowned at the thought but optimistically suggested, “Xu Cong can visit me on set, and I’ll definitely have opportunities to leave for events now and then. Plus, as long as I regularly absorb Xu Cong’s pheromones, I’ve pretty much stopped having episodes. We’ve even figured out a routine—one temporary mark can last quite a while. Worst case, he could drop by every two or three weeks and mark me once.”

Xia Yan spoke nonchalantly, but Bai Yu’s face twisted in disbelief.

This was a ‘temporary mark’, yet Xia Yan described it as casually as picking up a head of cabbage at the market.

Bai Yu whipped his gaze toward Xu Cong, as if staring at someone who’d defiled his precious treasure. His eyes burned, like he might bash Xu Cong over the head at any moment.

“You temporarily marked him?” Bai Yu’s voice trembled.

Xu Cong rarely felt guilty, but at that moment, a hint of unease flickered across his face. Still, his expression remained calm, and he nodded firmly, adding with a touch of justification, “Just once.”

Bai Yu gasped dramatically.

Without waiting, he grabbed his bag from the sofa and popped a heart supplement pill into his mouth. He’d just gotten it from the pharmacy a couple of days ago, not expecting to need it so soon.

Still, he glanced skeptically at the composed Xia Yan and Xu Cong. Hesitant, he asked, “You really didn’t feel anything after he marked you?”

Even as a beta, Bai Yu knew that temporary marking involved the exchange of pheromones, which often triggered something akin to the suspension bridge effect, easily leading to romantic feelings between an omega and an alpha.

Of course, Xia Yan did feel something.

His gaze wavered for a moment before he quickly returned to his usual confident demeanor. Straightening his back, he replied with a deadpan expression, “What could I feel? At most, it hurt a little.”

No way he’d admit to something that embarrassing.

Xu Cong glanced at him sideways but didn’t call out the obvious lie. His expression remained as steady as ever, even when Bai Yu eyed him suspiciously.

“I think Xia Yan’s plan works,” Xu Cong said to Bai Yu. “He’ll be busy after joining the cast, but I’ll have more flexibility over the next couple of months to visit him. It shouldn’t be a problem.”

Bai Yu, still looking pale, couldn’t find a better solution and reluctantly nodded.

….

Over the next few days, Xia Yan participated in a music program with his teammates, attended a music festival, and joined discussions for their upcoming year-end mini album. After that, he packed his bags and prepared to join the cast.

But he wasn’t traveling alone.

In the van with him was Zong Yi, the leader of the neighboring boy group, Forest.

Zong Yi also had a role in ‘The Moon by the Silent River’.

Despite Forest being a rival group, Zong Yi had always maintained a good personal relationship with Xia Yan. With a mild temperament reminiscent of a motherly figure, he was easygoing—his only flaw being his durian-scented pheromones. Other than that, he was practically perfect.

His acting skills, however, were mediocre at best. Usually cast in minor roles, he was playing a murdered, naïve rich kid in ‘The Moon by the Silent River’. The role wasn’t demanding, with limited screen time, so he and Xia Yan decided to share a van for the journey to the filming location.

When Xu Cong learned about this arrangement, he was visibly displeased.

“Is Forest about to go bankrupt? They can’t even afford a van and have to carpool with you?” he quipped dryly, his tone flat but dripping with sarcasm.

Xia Yan, busy packing his suitcase, shot him a glare.

“Do you have some kind of grudge against Zong Yi? What’s wrong with him hitching a ride? It’s not like we’re mortal enemies as those tabloids claim. The last time we even met was at the GFF gala. It’s been ages—it’ll be nice to have some company on the ride.”

Xu Cong’s thoughts were far less innocent. That was exactly the problem.

If Zong Yi and Xia Yan had been sworn enemies, unable to stand the sight of each other, Xu Cong wouldn’t have minded at all.

Helping Xia Yan pack, he threw in a casual warning: “He might seem mild-mannered, but he’s still an alpha. Stay away from him, especially during this differentiation period. Alphas can act crazy—you never know when he might lose it.”

Xia Yan wanted to roll his eyes.

Zong Yi? A threat? The guy was so unassuming that Xia Yan could pin him down with one hand if it came to that.

But instead of arguing, he tossed another suppressant into his suitcase, figuring Xu Cong was just worried about him.

The next morning, Zong Yi was waiting downstairs with his suitcase, ready to be picked up.

Xu Cong, who had no schedule that day, insisted on tagging along, under the pretense of seeing Xia Yan off.

Xia Yan couldn’t understand why. The filming base was only a two-hour drive away, fully equipped with modern amenities. What was the point of a “send-off”?

Still, he’d long grown accustomed to Xu Cong’s occasional whims.

However, when they arrived at Zong Yi’s dorm, Xia Yan discovered Xu Cong wasn’t the only one acting out of character.

Standing next to Zong Yi was another person—Forest’s fourth member and their visual, Zhao Ye.

At 22 years old, the same age as Xu Cong, Zhao Ye was far from mature. He was a sharp-tongued, aloof individual who somehow managed to attract a devoted fanbase that adored his cold and indifferent demeanor.

His tough childhood, marked by a gambling-addict father, had left him emotionally dependent on Zong Yi, who he practically treated as a surrogate father figure.

The above information flashed through Xia Yan’s mind like an automatic input.

In truth, among the members of Forest, Xia Yan was only familiar with Zong Yi. The rest, in his view, were just a bunch of kids with no common ground for communication.

However, being “rivals”, Xia Yan had memorized every detail about each of Forest’s members by heart.

Xia Yan poked his head out of the car window and saw Zong Yi staring at his phone with a stiff expression. Beside him, Zhao Ye was staring intently at Zong Yi, as if they were putting on some sort of performance.

He tapped on the car window and called out to Zong Yi, “Zong Yi, get in the car.”

Zong Yi was startled, but then, like he had seen a savior, he quickly dragged his suitcase over.

But soon after, Zhao Ye followed closely behind without any hesitation and squeezed into the car as if it was his own.

Xia Yan raised an eyebrow, his gaze flitting between Zong Yi and Zhao Ye, utterly confused by the situation.