PTBC chapter 8

The private party continued deep into the night.

Xia Yan skillfully picked out his team members from the crowd of flashy people.

This gathering was very secure, with no paparazzi. The guests entering were cooperative with checks to ensure no cameras were present, so in the dim, ambiguous lighting, with the steam of alcohol and the stimulation of pheromones, people who had been neatly dressed in the daytime were no longer so composed.

Xia Yan frowned, impatiently staring at a pair of AO in front of him.

The two young men were kissing under the dim lights, their fingers roaming over each other’s bodies, and the elegant wine red shirt was pulled out, exposing a glimpse of a snow-white waist.

In this large villa, such scenes were scattered everywhere. Even though some people were still sober, chatting on the couch with a glass of wine in hand, their slightly flushed cheeks and loose hair hinted at the casual and ambiguous nature of the atmosphere, different from their usual appearances under the spotlight.

“Such a nuisance.”

Xia Yan said expressionlessly.

Private parties like this, after the main event, usually required some prior connection. He did have some connections with the host of the party, the editor-in-chief of “TK,” who also admired him.

But that didn’t mean he particularly liked such occasions.

In the entertainment industry, pretending to be too aloof wasn’t much better than going along with the mainstream. Completely rejecting every invitation was just asking for trouble.

But his team…

They had to be under his watch.

Xia Yan’s gaze scanned the room.

Lin Qixu and Ye Zhaoyang were doing fine; the two seasoned veterans hadn’t drunk much, and they were playing cards with others. Ye Zhaoyang was great at it and easily won.

Lin Qixu looked like a weak, nerdy guy, but his alcohol tolerance was excellent. As long as he didn’t pretend to be drunk, no one could out-drink him.

But Xiao Ning…

Xia Yan furrowed his brows slightly.

He saw Xiao Ning sitting behind a bookshelf, holding a glass of champagne, with several empty glasses in front of him, staring intently at the person opposite him, laughing for quite a while.

The person sitting across from him was someone Xia Yan also knew, a rookie actor who just entered the entertainment industry last year, Li Jin, who had made a name for himself by joining a famous director’s crew.

“Drinking with our youngest is no fun.”

Xia Yan walked over directly, his long fingers gripping the glass, effortlessly taking it from Xiao Ning’s hand.

The light from behind him illuminated his face, making his expression unclear.

The conversation was suddenly interrupted, and Li Jin instinctively frowned. However, when he met Xia Yan’s gaze, he slowly smiled again.

“Really, the eagle is back to catch the chick.”

Li Jin said, leaning back and revealing his handsome face. His features were deep, his lips full, with a very sexy appearance. At first glance, many might mistake him for an alpha.

But he was actually a beta.

Xia Yan had once filmed a program with him, so they were somewhat familiar, and there was no conflict between them.

“Are you watching too closely? Like I’m about to do something bad,” Li Jin said with a smile, “Your team members aren’t kids anymore. What’s wrong with them having a drink? I was just talking about the Great Migration of African animals, right?”

Li Jin looked at Xiao Ning.

They had indeed been chatting.

Xiao Ning had been sitting alone, bored, and Li Jin called him over. He casually shared some heartbreaking relationship stories and adventures abroad, which left Xiao Ning shocked and curious, his ears perked up.

Now that Li Jin looked over, Xiao Ning obediently nodded.

This foolish look, Xia Yan really couldn’t bear to look at it.

“Stop it,” he said coldly, “It’s not that you didn’t want to do something, it’s just that you didn’t succeed.”

But Li Jin couldn’t really be called a scoundrel and Xia Yan knew this well. He placed the wine glass aside and lifted Xiao Ning with one hand. “I’ll take this guy with me. He’s only nineteen, and staying up too late will stunt his growth.”

After saying that, he directly dragged Xiao Ning away.

Li Jin chuckled.

He didn’t stop Xia Yan, just raised his wine glass from a distance and mouthed, “See you next time.”

For the next hour or so, Xia Yan didn’t allow Xiao Ning to leave his side. He was chatting with Xu Cong and the editor-in-chief of TK, with the Best Actress Lian Yao and producer Chen Wanyi sitting nearby.

The group was laughing and chatting easily, smoothly navigating the conversation.

Only Xiao Ning remained quietly sipping his drink on the side.

It wasn’t until the Best Actress and the editor-in-chief left that Xiao Ning found a moment to ask, feeling frustrated, “Captain, why did you drag me away? I was getting along pretty well with Li Jin just now, and he’s actually kind of fun. I didn’t even drink that much.”

He was the youngest in the team, and in the past, Xia Yan didn’t even bring him to some gatherings.

Now that he was finally allowed to join, he still felt like a subject of supervision, which made him want to protest.

He emphasized, “I’m an alpha, he’s a beta. What could he possibly do to me?”

Xia Yan shot him a look as if he were an idiot.

“Are you stupid? Don’t you know that Li Jin’s hobby is overpowering alphas even though he’s a beta? Especially those with a young, fresh face.”

Xia Yan said flatly.

“Someone like you, and he likes to be the dominant one.”

Xiao Ning looked horrified and quietly closed his mouth.

…..

After staying at the party for another half hour, Xia Yan led the team to leave. By then, the crowd had thinned out, so their departure wasn’t very noticeable.

It was unclear whether they went back home or to some locked room.

The editor-in-chief of TK also knew Xia Yan wouldn’t stay too late, giving him a teasing look before waving them off.

Once in the van, Xia Yan finally closed his eyes in exhaustion.

The first day after ending his isolation and going out was more tiring than he had expected.

He had underestimated the impact of the differentiation phase on himself.

Back at the dorm, he gathered his energy and gave the others a few instructions. The next day, Lin Qixu would be flying to the set to begin his first filming.

Afterward, he casually waved to everyone and returned to his room.

He looked no different from any other day, but for some reason, everyone could sense a hint of exhaustion from his back.

“Is the captain still not fully recovered?” Xiao Ning muttered quietly. “There was so much pheromone mixed up at the party, can his body handle it? Shouldn’t he rest for a few more days?”

Ye Zhaoyang and Lin Qixu didn’t speak, but they furrowed their brows.

“He won’t rest,” Xu Cong said, his eyes fixed on the door to Xia Yan’s room. He knew Xia Yan too well—proud and competitive, he would never allow himself to show weakness. Resting for three days was already his limit. “You guys go to sleep, don’t worry too much. The captain knows what he’s doing.”

Everyone left the living room.

Xu Cong stood in front of Xia Yan’s room, thinking about knocking, but afraid that Xia Yan might be asleep, he hesitated and then let it go.

However, in the middle of the night, he hadn’t fallen asleep and went out to get a cold soda. That’s when he noticed Xia Yan had gotten up, sitting on the floor near the large window.

The small window next to him was open, and the night breeze gently blew in.

There was an opened bottle of beer and a tin of candy next to him.

“Six pieces are missing.”

A voice suddenly sounded beside Xia Yan, startling him. When he saw it was Xu Cong, he relaxed.

“You scared me in the middle of the night.”

Xu Cong sat down beside him.

He glanced at the candy tin. Xia Yan usually ate candy or smoked when he was anxious or uneasy.

“Not sleeping at this hour, drinking, eating candy… You don’t usually indulge yourself like this.” Xu Cong said, his eyes locking onto Xia Yan.

Xia Yan pursed his lips, a stiff look on his face.

Xu Cong softened his tone. “Do you have something on your mind? When we came back earlier, even Xiao Ning noticed you seemed a bit tired.”

Xia Yan did have something on his mind; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been going crazy in the middle of the night like this.

He hadn’t intended to talk about it, but seeing Xu Cong’s relentless attitude, he knew Xu Cong wouldn’t let it go easily without an explanation.

“It’s nothing,” Xia Yan said irritably, running a hand through his hair. “It’s just that today I suddenly realized how much impact differentiating into an omega has had on me.”

He had seemed to accept it before.

Even though he was a little depressed and disheartened, he had always been the kind of person who looked ahead, so he thought he had come to terms with it.

But today, standing under the spotlight, facing the huge crowd, and feeling the constant assault of pheromones, especially the alpha pheromones, which seemed aggressive, made him uncomfortable. He was repulsed, his breathing quickened, and his whole body ached. For a moment, he even considered turning and running away.

He told Xu Cong, “You were right. I underestimated the impact of the differentiation phase.”

He grabbed the beer and took a sip.

“I’m not saying I have a problem with being an omega, but I’ve grown up as an alpha for 23 years. The education and training I received were all based on treating me as an alpha. I’ve never viewed the world from an omega’s perspective.”

He said this lightly.

Earlier, at the interview, the reporters had asked him about his differentiation, urging him to announce it to the public.

At the party, there were plenty of admiring gazes directed at him, most of them from omegas.

And when he scrolled in his fan group, his fans tirelessly discussed him, calling him “husband” or “boyfriend.”

The whole world needed him to be an alpha, not an omega.

Before today, he had been hiding in the dorm, still able to avoid facing this matter.

But today, as activities resumed, facing the flashing lights, the reporters, and the fans, this matter clearly confronted him.

He had not only become an omega.

But also a sensitive omega, burdened with lies, needing to hide in the bathroom to take medication.

He blinked his eyelashes and his voice carried a hint of fatigue. “I don’t even know when these days of pretending will end. Who knows when it will get exposed? Honestly, I don’t mind, but I might drag you all down…”

He was definitely a little drunk.

He had already drunk quite a bit earlier in the evening.

Just now, he had another bottle of beer, and under the influence of alcohol, even he, who was usually calm, showed a bit of weariness.

“If it really comes to that, I’ll just leave the group…” He seemed not to care much.

The room fell silent for a few seconds.

Xia Yan lifted his beer and took another sip, but the next second, he realized his hand was being held.

He froze for a moment, turned his head, and met Xu Cong’s gaze.

“It won’t be that bad,” Xu Cong’s eyes were serious, his voice clear, not loud, but as powerful as a hammer. “I’ll help you find better doctors, better medication, and treatment, so you don’t feel so miserable. And if one day, your gender is really discovered, it’s no big deal. If you still want to stay on stage, I’ll face it with you. If you want to leave, I’ll leave with you.”

Xu Cong didn’t usually smile. At events, he was often expressionless and was often teased by the others for having a poker face.

But when he looked at Xia Yan like this, his serious expression was far more persuasive than a thousand words.

He said to Xia Yan, “You said it before, we face difficulties together.”

Xia Yan was stunned.

He understood what Xu Cong meant.

Before they debuted, the company had matched several high-quality alphas, trying to form a high-popularity group. Both he and Xu Cong were chosen, but Xu Cong almost got eliminated because he had concealed his true pheromone level.

Xia Yan could have protected himself, but he argued with the producer, saying that if Xu Cong couldn’t debut, he would quit too, even if it meant breaking the contract.

He had said this to Xu Cong back then: “We face difficulties together, you can’t leave me behind.”

Now, he had become an omega, no longer fitting the original idea behind the group.

Xu Cong was still saying it to him.

Face difficulties together.

Leave together if needed.

“You’re crazy,” Xia Yan slapped Xu Cong’s hand away. “If the other three found out, they’d kill us. Two people quitting from one group? Might as well disband the whole thing.”

He grumbled, his team spirit kicking in for a second, but when his eyes met Xu Cong’s, his voice slowly got stuck in his throat.

His lips uncontrollably curved into a smile.

Xu Cong looked at him and said lightly, “Then stop talking like that. If you’re not here, this group won’t be the same. Since you know the other three will go crazy, don’t talk about not wanting to drag them down. If the sky falls, we can face it together.”

Xia Yan didn’t argue this time. He pouted and looked down at the moonlight on the floor, his thoughts unclear.

After a brief pause, Xu Cong looked at him again and asked, “Does becoming an omega really make that big of a difference for you?”

“No,” Xia Yan answered immediately, still shameless. “I think I still look as handsome and charming as ever.”

Xu Cong chuckled lightly, his gaze carrying an unspoken tenderness.

He said, “Then that’s fine. Even if you become an omega, there will still be many people who love and care about you.”

He looked at Xia Yan as he said it.

He added, “I’ve told you before, at least for me, whether you’re an alpha or an omega, it doesn’t change anything. So stop being so down.”

He was like the moonlight that had always illuminated his dreams since he was young.

Xia Yan’s lips moved.

Under the moonlight, Xu Cong’s eyes were as dazzling as gems, reflecting his image.

He could see Xu Cong’s seriousness, even devotion.

He smiled wryly, clinking his beer with Xu Cong’s soda water.

“You’re right.”