After Transmigrating as a Beta, I Got Messed Up with an Alpha (BL) - Chapter 24

Returning the bow and arrows to the field assistant, Pei Yule headed back to the rest area to wait for the second round—the semi-finals—to begin. Whether intentional or not, the two Omegas let out low snorts as he passed by:

“It was definitely a fluke!”

Pei Yule glanced at them but said nothing, finding a random spot to sit.

Regarding those three bullseyes just now, everyone likely thought he had just struck gold, using up a lifetime of luck to scrape by into the next round. He wasn’t going to argue. After all, the semi-finals were coming up, followed by the finals. They could call it a fluke now, but what would they say in a little while?

Pei Yule massaged his shoulder and slowly rubbed his wrists, determined to make those two Omegas eat their words.

Normally, Pei Yule had a pretty good temper. He wasn’t actually angry at the Omegas’ inexplicable malice, but he felt a bit stifled. He wanted to use facts to show them that having “thin arms” didn’t stop someone from hitting a beautiful bullseye. Since he had already started, he had no intention of holding back.

However, he hadn’t paid much attention during the preliminaries. To ensure he’d make them face reality, he carefully observed the other candidates’ advancement.

Of the seven Betas, four (including himself) had scraped by. Everyone was just a point or two over sixty. The semi-finals were turning out to be a disaster for the others; three participants lost their chance at the finals after only two arrows. Only one other person made it into the finals by shooting a ten-ring after two eight-rings.

Twenty-six points—a successful advancement.

That person’s situation was similar to his, but compared to Pei Yule’s string of low four-point scores, entering the high-scoring zone of eight points was naturally seen as more difficult. Consequently, everyone was even more convinced that Pei Yule had only advanced because of that final burst of luck.

Pei Yule watched the Beta team (Team B) for a while before turning his gaze toward the Alpha team (Team A).

Team A was still in the preliminaries. As the top of the social pyramid, Alphas were superior in both physical and mental capacity. Compared to the uneven scores and occasional high marks in Team B, the Alpha scores were far more impressive. Most were eights or nines. One person had even shot five consecutive bullseyes, with the rest being nines. He clearly had real skill.

Pei Yule focused on that person’s posture. Although he wasn’t formally trained, his old coach had a keen eye for talent and would often drag him to the range to practice. While his own fundamentals weren’t perfectly solid, he knew exactly how they should look. This Alpha’s posture was impeccable, his draw practiced and powerful. One look told you he had a solid foundation. You couldn’t achieve that without at least five to seven years of practice.

As Pei Yule stared, the man began to look a bit familiar. He wore glasses and had the typical handsome features of an Alpha, yet he was a bit different; his expression was calm and gentle, making him seem very even-tempered. His shooting was the same—clean and efficient, yet not aggressive. The arrows flew with a certain unhurried grace—zip—right into the center.

While Pei Yule watched, the man shot another ten. He’s a tough opponent, Pei Yule appraised.

By the end of the preliminaries, the man had shot six tens and four nines. Total: 96. He was the undisputed MVP of the three teams. He seemed to be a popular Alpha, too; he was surrounded by a crowd of Omegas and several Betas who cheered every time he shot, like a rowdy fan club. When he looked back at them, they waved and yelled, “Great job, President!”

The man seemed a bit helpless, shaking his head as he returned the bow. As he turned, his gaze happened to meet Pei Yule’s. He paused, gave a slight nod to Pei Yule, and stepped off the platform.

Pei Yule hadn’t expected the man to acknowledge him. Are there really Alphas who are this good-natured?

This person challenged his perception of Alphas. Since transmigrating, Pei Yule had been constantly pulled around by Huo Juan. He knew the three top-tier Alphas in the school; each had a distinct personality, but they shared one trait: they weren’t easy to approach. They naturally drew a chasm between themselves and others. Unless permitted, people didn’t dare get close. But this man didn’t give off that feeling. He was gentle to the Omegas and Betas alike, radiating a mild, breezy aura—an Alpha who didn’t trigger a sense of fear.

Come to think of it, he felt very familiar… but Pei Yule was certain he’d never met him before.

“Bian Chuan is very good at archery. I’ve never seen him lose. I wonder if your little Beta can beat him.”

On the balcony not far away, Xu Yanxi leaned lazily against the railing. “Want to make a bet?”

Huo Juan watched Pei Yule. He saw the boy look confused after the exchange with Bian Chuan, then reach up to mess up his already fluffy curls. Pei Yule stopped watching the others and sat back down, returning to massaging his shoulders. Wearing that oversized coat, the boy looked small as he shrugged his shoulders and rubbed his wrists, trying to ease the discomfort from the first round. After a while, he turned his head and looked toward the Alpha rest area—toward Bian Chuan—frowning slightly as if in deep thought.

Huo Juan watched intently, his response to Xu Yanxi sounding a bit distracted: “Bet on what?”

“If the little Beta wins, I’ll handle that little Omega from the Qiao family for you.”

This made Huo Juan turn his head to look at Xu Yanxi.

Xu Yanxi spread his hands. “He’s the young son of the Qiao family, after all. Your families have business dealings, so it’s awkward for you to step in. But if I do it, it’ll be much easier to settle.”

Luring Pei Yule during a near-Heat period was a vile tactic. Fortunately, Pei Yule was resistant to Omega pheromones and hadn’t acted impulsively; otherwise, if he had been induced to attack Qiao Shengmo, he would have been in deep trouble even if it was unsuccessful. Omegas were treated differently by society and the law. Even if the Omega was the cause—like using a Heat to induce someone—the Omega is considered to have no self-awareness while the induced person is held primarily responsible.

If the plan had worked, Qiao Shengmo would have received a lecture at most, stayed home for his Heat, and then returned as a “fragile, lovable Omega.” But the induced person would likely be expelled or face social sanctions, which would ruin their career prospects.

Pei Yule had been lucky to resist, but luck doesn’t last forever. The danger had to be removed. Qiao Shengmo was a ticking time bomb; better to settle it early. This was also why Huo Juan had forced the previous Omega who splashed water on Pei Yule to transfer.

Huo Juan narrowed his eyes. “And if Bian Chuan wins?”

“If Bian Chuan wins…” Xu Yanxi shrugged. “I’ll give him a beating to help you vent, and you, young master, won’t get into a conflict with him. I swear he has zero designs on your Beta. Aside from Alphas, he treats everyone with that same ‘universal love’ attitude.”

Being childhood friends, he could naturally sense Huo Juan’s mood. Alphas were intensely possessive, especially those with powerful genes. He could tell that even a single look between Pei Yule and Bian Chuan had lowered the air pressure around Huo Juan. Seriously, if he kept staring with that subtle expression, Bian Chuan would realize they were spying.

Huo Juan remained noncommittal. He turned back to see Pei Yule staring at Bian Chuan for a while before finally giving up and returning to his stretches.

He then said flatly, “I’ll handle the Qiao family and that Omega myself.” After asserting his sovereignty, he added: “If he wins, don’t meddle in my business when you’re around him.”

He didn’t want to scare the boy.

This bet sounds more like a warning for me not to make a mess, Xu Yanxi thought. He was about to speak when Huo Juan added: “If Bian Chuan loses, convince your uncle to give me the U-type drug.”

Xu Yanxi felt like he was losing regardless of the outcome. “What? I gave you the X-supplement. Why do you still want the U-type? I told you the side effects are too big; it’s best not to use it.”

“I won’t use it recklessly,” Huo Juan said calmly. “I just want it for emergencies.”

If the X-supplement were enough, he wouldn’t need the U-type. Being near Pei Yule caused his pheromones to fluctuate; the X-supplement was only a temporary fix.

“Hearing you say that, does it mean I can’t refuse?” Xu Yanxi asked helplessly.

“You can—if Bian Chuan wins,” Huo Juan said. Though he suspected Bian Chuan might actually lose this time.

Using Pei Yule’s victory to secure his future safety—it was a worthy trade.

Meanwhile, Pei Yule stepped onto the field for the semi-finals. He held the bow, feeling its familiar weight, and looked at the target.

He didn’t take his time testing the feel like he did the first time. After a two-second gaze, he took an arrow, placed it on the rest, raised his arm, aimed, and released.

8 points.

The arrow stood steady in the eight-ring. Pei Yule took a look and grabbed the second arrow. Although his preliminaries had a dramatic finish, most people thought it was a fluke since his first seven arrows were poor. Not many were watching him.

Seeing this arrow hit a high-scoring ring, someone murmured, “This Beta’s luck is still holding up.”

After all, if he’d shot a four, his semi-finals would be over. They hadn’t expected his first arrow to hit the high-score zone.

As he reached for the second arrow, the spectators wondered if he’d drop back down to a low score. The slender arrow flashed and struck the target cleanly. Everyone looked closely and was shocked to find it was another 8 points!

Another high score. He had earned the third arrow. Now he just needed a 9 or another lucky 10 to make it to the finals.

He can’t be that lucky twice… the onlookers thought. Pei Yule released the third arrow.

9 points!

The arrow was just shy of the gold ring. It wasn’t a ten, but it was enough to stun the crowd. This Beta had scraped into the finals again! He’d managed high scores on all three shots.

Amidst the surprise, someone realized something was off. “Wait! Did you notice? His scores are 8, 8, and then a 9.”

“A coincidence?”

Was it really? That person did the math for the preliminaries: Five 4s, two 5s, three 10s. Exactly 60. Now: Two 8s, one 9. Exactly 25.

Was it a coincidence? Or was he doing it on purpose? Score control?

Surely not…

Pei Yule returned the bow and arrows. Under the suspicious and uncertain gazes of the crowd, he left the field to head back to the rest area. Passing the two Omegas, he gave them a small smile, showing his canines. The Omegas looked frustrated; even calling it luck felt irritating when someone was this lucky.

Pei Yule returned to his seat. Rather than amazing the crowd all at once, he preferred this gradual approach. Letting them relax before the impact was a strategy.

“Your little Beta has quite a personality, teasing people like that,” Xu Yanxi said, now seeing that it was intentional. Score control—this was a ruthless player. He began to suspect Bian Chuan might actually lose.

Huo Juan said nothing, but his eyes darkened. He’s always so friendly toward Omegas… He thought of his desk-mate’s friendship with the Omega next door. Suddenly, Xu Yanxi’s words flashed through his mind: Juan-ge… there are quite a few Betas and Omegas who end up as partners.

A cold glint flashed in Huo Juan’s eyes. That’s right. Betas and Omegas can be a match.

After a thirty-minute break, the finals began. This time, Teams A and B were standing side-by-side. Pei Yule was positioned right next to the Alpha who looked so familiar.

Then, he smelled a faint scent of violets on the Alpha.

That pheromone…

Pei Yule froze. Images flashed rapidly through his mind. Suddenly, his forgotten memories came flooding back.

Pei Yule’s face stiffened.

He… he remembered everything that happened that day.