After Transmigrating as a Beta, I Got Messed Up with an Alpha (BL) - Chapter 17

This was not the first time Pei Yule had been to Huo Juan’s home.

Huo Juan had brought him here once when he had a fever. Stepping inside again, he found it looked exactly as it had when he left: a three-bedroom villa, fully furnished but exceptionally cold and lonely.

Pei Yule hadn’t expected Huo Juan to bring him here again. This residential area was very close to No. 1 High School, only about a ten-minute walk. It was only after following Huo Juan for a bit that Pei Yule realized his home was actually within walking distance.

To own a detached villa near the campus meant one was either extremely wealthy or of high status. It seemed the book his sister gave him wasn’t entirely wrong—at least Huo Juan’s background matched, even if the personality and plot had completely crumbled.

As they entered, the living room came into view. Pei Yule noticed that even though it was close to dinner time, there was still no one else around. The air was thick with Huo Juan’s pheromones. The cold cypress scent surrounded him silently from all directions. Perhaps because he had grown used to it, while his limbs still felt a bit weak from the pressure, there wasn’t a trace of repulsion.

Pei Yule looked down at his fingers. They weren’t shaking.

It wasn’t that he had become adapted; rather, his body only seemed unable to withstand it when Huo Juan actively released his pheromones—the trembling fingertips were proof of that. Currently, the pheromones in the air were just the lingering scent of someone living there. They were faint, so the suppression wasn’t as intense.

“Make yourself at home.”

The tall Alpha dropped that sentence as he walked in. Since it was his second time here, Pei Yule wasn’t quite as lost as before. He gave an “oh” and sat down. He watched Huo Juan walk into the kitchen and emerge a moment later with a steaming cup of hot tea.

Taking the slightly hot mug, Pei Yule felt, honestly, a bit flattered. Even though this guy was a rich young master, it seemed he wasn’t completely ignorant of social graces. He actually took the initiative to pour him tea!

Huo Juan said, “Sit and wait a moment.”

“Oh, you…”

Pei Yule wanted to say something, but he looked up to see Huo Juan walking back into the kitchen, so he swallowed his words. He held the mug, the hot ceramic warming his fingertips, which were cold from the early winter air.

This is tea poured by Huo Juan himself. Probably not many people have enjoyed this treatment.

Pei Yule took a small sip. The fragrant, warm liquid slid down his throat. The winter weather was dry and chilly; a cup of hot tea like this warmed his whole body.

He sat quietly for several minutes, drinking his tea. Huo Juan didn’t come out; instead, occasional sounds of movement came from the kitchen.

…What is Huo Juan doing?

The sounds were familiar—so familiar it was hard for Pei Yule to believe. He wanted to take a look to confirm his suspicion, but since the host had told him to wait, it felt impolite to wander around. After a bit of mental wrestling, the curiosity won out. He shifted his position on the sofa, angling himself so he could see into the kitchen.

Then, Pei Yule realized—Huo Juan was actually cooking!

The tall Alpha was busy in the kitchen. The spacious area looked slightly cramped with him in it. He seemed to have already prepped the ingredients. With his back to Pei Yule, Huo Juan washed a frying pan, placed it on the stove, and turned on the gas.

Once the pan was heated, he added oil, tossed in some aromatics, and then added the prepared ingredients one by one. Though his technique wasn’t exceptionally flashy, it was methodical and practiced. It clearly wasn’t his first time.

Pei Yule was truly shocked. He never imagined Huo Juan would cook.

The image was so striking he almost wanted to rub his eyes. However, the aroma of food wafting out told him this wasn’t an illusion. This normally cold and aloof Alpha had such a side to him. He was a wealthy young master, yet his movements weren’t clumsy at all. Could it be he usually cooked for himself? Seeing as there were no other signs of life here, Pei Yule felt he might have guessed the truth.

Even I can’t cook… Since transmigrating, because he lived alone, Pei Yule had been living on instant noodles and fast food. He hadn’t had a proper home-cooked meal in a long time. He had tried to cook for himself, but it always ended in failure.

When Huo Juan emerged from the kitchen with two dishes, their appetizing appearance made Pei Yule stare. He wondered if he had accidentally transmigrated into a different book—something like “This Alpha is a Master Chef”?

Huo Juan set the two plates on the table. Seeing Pei Yule’s strange expression, he said flatly, “Go wash your hands and come eat.”

“…” Yep, definitely a new book.

Pei Yule stood up hesitantly and went to the kitchen to wash his hands. He noticed that even though the kitchen had just been used, there wasn’t a trace of a mess. The cutting board, knives, and pan were all cleaned and in their places. There wasn’t a drop of water or grease on the counter or stove. It was spotless. In fact, Pei Yule felt bad for accidentally dripping a few drops of water while washing up.

He didn’t quite know how to feel; it was a real eye-opener.

He walked to the dining table. Huo Juan signaled for him to sit, then turned to bring out the final dish. He had even served the rice—one bowl in front of Pei Yule, one for himself. He pulled out the chair across from Pei Yule and sat down.

Pei Yule stared at the three dishes: stir-fried pork with leeks and eggs, steamed spare ribs with taro, and bok choy in broth. They were simple, homely dishes. As a kitchen novice, Pei Yule didn’t know if they were hard to make, but Huo Juan made it look easy.

The yellow eggs, fragrant ribs, and inviting broth smelled delicious.

Are Alphas superior in everything? Are they even masters in this?

Staring at the three dishes, Pei Yule didn’t know where to start. Everything felt surreal. This wasn’t actually his first time eating with Huo Juan. During lunch breaks in the empty classroom, he usually ate with him. Sometimes the food was brought by Xu Yanxi or other lackeys, and there was always a portion for Pei Yule.

At first, Pei Yule refused out of pride, but since his stomach was more important, he eventually accepted. He had even started mentioning things he wanted to eat; Huo Juan never restricted him and was almost “responsive to every plea.” If Pei Yule mentioned wanting a specific dish from the canteen, it would appear in the classroom the next day.

But that was food brought by others. This, made by Huo Juan’s own hands, felt completely different.

“Not eating?”

Huo Juan glanced at him, his voice devoid of emotion.

If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, it would be impossible to believe these dishes came from this man. Pei Yule looked at Huo Juan, then at the table. Since the situation was similar to the empty classroom, he relaxed a bit, picked up his chopsticks, and grabbed a piece of spare rib.

A man’s gotta eat meat!

Pei Yule put the rib in his mouth and was instantly stimulated by the savory juices. This is cheating. It was just a simple dish of steamed ribs, but why was it so good? The meat was perfectly tender, and the taro was soft and fluffy—a perfect match. And the broth? It was so flavorful he wanted to finish every drop. Does this Alpha have a talent for cooking too?

While grumbling internally, Pei Yule accidentally finished a second bowl of rice.

“…” Looking at the clean plates, Pei Yule felt a wave of embarrassment. He blamed it on not having home-cooked food in so long. And Huo Juan’s cooking was just too good…

Fortunately, an Alpha’s appetite is naturally larger. Even though Huo Juan hadn’t eaten as much of the dishes, he also had a second helping of rice, which saved Pei Yule from total mortification.

Wait, did Huo Juan eat a bit more than he usually does in the classroom?

If Xu Yanxi were here, his jaw would drop. Even though Huo Juan was tall, his appetite was usually poor due to being a picky eater. It was only in front of Pei Yule, watching him eat with such gusto, that he would eat a little more.

“Uh…” Pei Yule, unaware of this, put down his chopsticks and thanked him sincerely. “Thanks for the meal.” He had finally tasted a delicious home-cooked meal after a long time.

He wasn’t stingy with praise. He gave Huo Juan a thumbs-up and said, “It was really delicious.”

Huo Juan didn’t speak, just stared at him for a moment.

“Huo Juan?” The gaze was placid. Pei Yule was confused until Huo Juan retracted his gaze and started clearing the table.

“Wait, I’ll help…” Pei Yule stood up. He had freeloaded this meal and felt bad not helping.

“Just sit.”

Huo Juan said, clearing everything in a few motions and heading to the kitchen to wash up.

…It seems Huo Juan at home is more “grounded” than the one at school. His sharp edges seem softened, making him more approachable.

Pei Yule, with nothing to do, pulled out a tissue and wiped the table, throwing it in the trash. He decided to wash his hands. Walking into the kitchen, he saw Huo Juan had already finished and was unhurriedly drying his hands.

“I’ll just wash my hands,” Pei Yule said, approaching the sink next to the tall Alpha.

As the food scraps were washed away and the fan cleared the cooking smells, they were replaced by Huo Juan’s pheromones, which coiled around him silently in the close proximity.

His fingers under the running water gave an uncontrollable twitch.

Pei Yule confirmed his earlier thought: he hadn’t adapted to the pheromones. It was just that they were too faint in the air earlier. Standing next to Huo Juan now, feeling the constant stream of pheromones at close range, his fingers were out of his control.

His legs were turning to jelly again. Pei Yule pretended to be calm as he turned off the tap. He was about to shake the water off his hands when Huo Juan grabbed them. A towel was draped over his hands, drying the droplets.

Pei Yule was startled. “Wait, I can do it—”

The Alpha, with downcast eyes, ignored him. Once the soft fabric had dried the slender fingers, Huo Juan removed the towel. His fingers also slowly left Pei Yule’s wrist.

The ache in his bones returned. Huo Juan looked up, meeting Pei Yule’s eyes. His voice was deep as he said:

“Let’s begin.”

Right. Pei Yule remembered now. He hadn’t come here for the food.