After Transmigrating as a Beta, I Got Messed Up with an Alpha (BL) - Chapter 41

While Pei Yule was lugging out the guest bedding to make up the bed, he was busy scolding himself in his head.

Why did this soft-hearted streak of his get so out of hand whenever it came to Huo Juan? Even if the guy looked truly sick and weak right now, he was still Huo Juan! He wasn’t someone you could just drop your guard around like this.

And yet, when the rejection was right on the tip of his tongue, facing Huo Juan—who was cautiously pinching his fingertip—the “No” came out and turned into: “Look, staying over is out of the question. You can head back after dinner.”

He told himself he was just returning a favor. When he had gone to Huo Juan’s place before, he had tea and a meal. Now that the guy was here, it wouldn’t be right to dismiss him so coldly.

Fine, he’d let him stay for a meal; that would be more than enough.

With that in mind, and seeing as it was close to dinner time, Pei Yule decided to feed him and send him on his way. Perhaps sensing this was a rare concession, Huo Juan didn’t make any more requests to stay; he finally let go of Pei Yule’s fingertip.

Pei Yule seized the chance to duck into the kitchen, leaving him alone in the living room. By keeping busy, he wouldn’t give the guy a chance to brew any ambiguous atmosphere. He opened the fridge and felt relieved that he’d stocked up recently. He wasn’t much of a cook, but thinking that eating too much fast food was unhealthy, he’d been trying to make simple meals. His skills over the last few days had been mediocre at best—the results weren’t great, but they were edible.

He pulled a cabbage from the fridge and hesitated. It tastes bad; do I really want to feed him this? He couldn’t help but glance back at the Alpha sitting quietly on the sofa, then pulled out a bunch of scallions, three eggs, and a bag of pre-prepped chicken to defrost.

Whatever. He wasn’t trying to win any awards here. In fact, it would be best if it tasted terrible; if Huo Juan tried it and never wanted a second bite, he’d be so disappointed that his feelings would vanish completely. That would be perfect.

Muttering to himself, he washed the rice and started the cooker. He blanched the chicken to defrost it, soaked some dried mushrooms, and then chopped ginger and red dates. He minced the mushrooms and put them in a steamer with the chicken. Then he beat the eggs with salt and scallions, placing the bowl in the steamer with the chicken, figuring they’d finish together. Finally, he started on the cabbage.

He worked intently, unaware that the Alpha on the sofa hadn’t taken his eyes off him. His movements were clumsy and clearly amateur; he tried to shred the cabbage, but the pieces came out thicker than fingers. He held them up, compared them with a frown, and then—deciding it was a lost cause—just threw them back and kept cutting.

He fired up the stove. He threw the cabbage in before remembering the oil, so he awkwardly drizzled some in the middle and started stir-frying. Even though the order was wrong, the aroma of food eventually filled the air, mingled with the scent of steaming chicken.

Huo Juan watched without blinking.

Three simple dishes, two of them just steamed, and it took Pei Yule a full hour and a half to finish. Huo Juan watched for every single second of that time. Pei Yule hadn’t come out once; Huo Juan knew he was hiding.

It was fine. Compared to before, when the boy wouldn’t even make eye contact, this was a massive change. This person was soft-hearted; once he’d brought him inside, it wouldn’t be so easy to get him to leave.

Seeing Pei Yule putting the dishes on a tray, Huo Juan withdrew his gaze and didn’t look at him when he turned around.

“It’s ready.”

Pei Yule didn’t have eyes in the back of his head, so he didn’t notice the gaze. He brought the food out and checked the clock. Three dishes had taken over an hour. Perfect. His plan worked. He’d killed time and avoided facing Huo Juan directly; now they could eat and he could kick him out. He decided he was starting to like cooking.

Pei Yule placed the food on the table and beckoned Huo Juan. “Come sit. It’s late; go home after you eat.”

Huo Juan stood up but didn’t sit down immediately. He walked over to Pei Yule and asked, “Do you need help?”

Seeing him approach, Pei Yule grew wary. “No. Go wash your hands and sit down.” As a kid who spent a lot of time in hospitals, “wash your hands before eating” was a daily command from doctors; he’d kept the habit for himself and everyone else.

Huo Juan paused, went to the kitchen to wash his hands, and came back to sit down as told. Seeing him sitting there like a child waiting to be fed, Pei Yule felt at ease and brought out the rest of the food and two bowls of rice.

Though he’d hoped the food would be bad enough to drive him away, seeing Huo Juan sitting there quietly, he couldn’t help but say: “It’s just average. If it’s not good, don’t force yourself to eat it.”

When Huo Juan was absent from school, Pei Yule had occasionally reflected on their time together and realized the man was actually a very picky eater. He just hadn’t shown it in front of him. Pei Yule didn’t know how to feel about that, but he didn’t want him to force himself today.

“Mm.” Huo Juan nodded and took a bite of chicken.

…The steamed chicken had no salt. He knew there was no salt—he’d been watching. But because Pei Yule had worked hard on it for him, he wouldn’t criticize or correct him.

The steamed eggs were overcooked, feeling like coarse tofu with honeycomb-like holes. The cabbage was over-stir-fried and too soft, yet also too salty from too much salt. None of the three dishes were good. Even the rice was mushy, losing its fluffy texture.

But Huo Juan ate with relish, his chopsticks never stopping.

Seeing Huo Juan eating, Pei Yule took a bite himself and realized—it was terrible. His skills were as bad as ever. He looked at Huo Juan, who had finished half his rice without a single complaint, and gripped his chopsticks. He wanted to say something but stayed silent, shoveling down his own rice.

Huo Juan ate in silence. Usually, Pei Yule would ask him questions out of curiosity, but today he said nothing. The only sound at the table was the clink of chopsticks against porcelain. Pei Yule felt like he was bursting, but he wouldn’t speak first.

When they finished, he stopped Huo Juan from helping with the cleanup, washed the dishes himself, and came out drying his hands. Since they were full, it was time to bring up the old subject: “Huo Juan, look, you…”

“I’ll leave tomorrow,” Huo Juan interrupted softly. “My family is definitely at my house right now, and I can’t go to Xu Yanxi’s. I’ll stay one night and leave once I find a new place tomorrow.”

“…”

The memory ended, and Pei Yule sulkily tucked a corner of the sheet into the guest bed. He smoothed the duvet and said to the tall Alpha standing behind him: “You’ll sleep here tonight. The bathroom is outside. If you want a shower, I’ll find you some clothes you can probably fit into.”

He looked at the man’s frame, taller than his own. Normally it would be a tight fit, but since he’d lost so much weight, his clothes would probably work. Come to think of it, how much weight did he lose? He’d seen the man’s wrist earlier; the bone was much more prominent than before, and his clothes looked loose. He really was much thinner. That was why he couldn’t say no.

Huo Juan nodded. “I’m sorry for the trouble.”

“It’s not really a trouble…” he muttered. He was the one who went soft and let him stay; he could only blame his own lack of heartlessness. He wouldn’t call the man a trouble.

He went to his bedroom, found a set of large pajamas, and handed them over. Huo Juan thanked him, looked at the obviously oversized pajamas, and asked after a pause: “Are these yours?”

“Yeah,” Pei Yule answered honestly. “But they’re too big, I’ve never worn them. Don’t worry.”

“…” Huo Juan said nothing. He actually wanted to be surrounded by the boy’s scent.

But Pei Yule was completely oblivious. He took his own shower in the small en-suite bathroom, while Huo Juan used the main one. But since Pei Yule used the main one too, his towels and toiletries were hanging there.

Huo Juan let the hot water pour over his head, one hand braced against the wall, veins slightly prominent on his arm. The hot water turned his pale skin slightly red. He closed his eyes, sensing the faint, lingering scent of the boy in the room—a scent he craved.

After the shower, perhaps sensing he had pushed too far, Huo Juan didn’t bother him. He went into the guest room, seemingly ready to sleep. Pei Yule hesitated, then brought over another new blanket, poked his head in, and nagged: “The heater in this living room is broken. If the blankets aren’t enough, tell me. You know what’s up with your body; you can’t be careless.”

The boy, fresh from the shower, had flushed cheeks and gave off a hint of dampness, his pale skin looking more translucent than usual. Pei Yule wasn’t “beautiful” like other Omegas, but he triggered Huo Juan’s greed more than any of them. Yet the boy was entirely unaware.

Huo Juan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He looked down and gave a soft “Mm.”

Pei Yule stuffed the blanket at him, scratched his head, and feeling there was nothing left to say, said goodnight and went back to his own room.

After turning off the lights, Pei Yule—who usually fell asleep the moment he hit the pillow—was wide awake. Even the warm milk hadn’t helped. He tossed and turned. …Probably because there was another person’s presence in the house. A faint scent of cold cypress drifted through the air, making his heart float with it. Even if the owner wasn’t releasing it on purpose, Pei Yule’s strange talent meant he could smell it easily; it was inescapable.

Pei Yule suddenly buried his head in his blanket, forcing himself to think of nothing and sleep. He even tried counting sheep. It didn’t work. An hour later, he sat up abruptly and ruffled his hair. Maybe another glass of warm milk? Maybe he drank the first one too early…

With that thought, he cautiously opened his bedroom door and tiptoed toward the kitchen, passing the guest room. But as he passed, he saw the door was open. He glanced inside; even in the dim light, he could see the bed was empty.

Where is he?

Pei Yule was stunned. He rubbed his eyes, but the bed was definitely empty. He walked forward in confusion and, reaching the living room, heard a slight noise from the main bathroom.

“………………..”

Hearing the faint movement, for a split second, Pei Yule’s mind went to a very “manly” place. This guy! He… he’s not…

Pei Yule backed away a few steps, terrified of hearing something he shouldn’t. He turned to go back to his room, pretending he knew nothing to avoid mutual embarrassment, but after two steps, he looked back at the bathroom and felt something was wrong. He wasn’t without experience in that department… that wasn’t what it sounded like.

Huo Juan’s voice sounded like he was in pain. And was the shower still running?

He suddenly remembered that even though the guy was discharged, he was still a patient. Thinking he was unwell again, he panicked and ran to the bathroom door. “Huo Juan? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

The noise inside paused, followed by Huo Juan’s voice: “…Don’t come in.”

His response only made Pei Yule more anxious; he sounded miserable and drained of energy. If the guy fainted in the bathroom after he brought him home, it would be a disaster. Pei Yule didn’t argue; he grabbed the handle and opened the door—

It definitely wasn’t a DIY scene. Huo Juan was just standing under the shower, letting the water pour over him. There was no steam in the air. In the dead of winter, he was taking a cold shower!

“Are you crazy!” Pei Yule roared, lunging forward to kill the water. He yanked a large towel from the wall and threw it over Huo Juan, fuming: “Do you have a death wish?!”

Sensing how cold the man’s body was, Pei Yule grew even angrier, wanting to crack open his skull to see what he was thinking!

It was the first time Huo Juan had seen Pei Yule this angry. He stared at the boy and whispered: “…I’m sorry. I was just a bit hot.”

He actually thinks he’s not in the wrong??? Pei Yule laughed out of pure anger.

He pushed Huo Juan against the wall and said coldly: “Then don’t do it in my house. I don’t want to wake up tomorrow and find a corpse in my bathroom.” He was truly furious, his voice icier than it had ever been. Even Pei Yule’s sister didn’t dare provoke him when he was like this; his aura became sharp and cutting.

Huo Juan’s eyes flickered, but his voice remained calm, even though his lips were turning blue from the cold. “I know what I’m doing. I don’t have suppressants with me. I was hot, and I didn’t want to hurt you.”

He hadn’t been thinking of anything; he just wanted to bring his temperature down. He’d said he wouldn’t do anything.

“…”

What is this? Pei Yule took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Seriously, did he owe Huo Juan in a past life? Is that why he was stuck with him now?

Pei Yule wordlessly grabbed the man and dragged him all the way back to his own bedroom. He cranked up the heater, stripped the wet clothes off him, shoved another set of pajamas onto him, and then roughly pushed him into a chair to blow-dry his hair. The whole time, his face was dark and silent.

Huo Juan knew he’d messed up and stayed as quiet as a mouse.

After blowing the Alpha’s hair into a messy mop, he pushed Huo Juan onto the bed and said with a stern face: “Sleep. Right now. For real.”

In all that time, another half hour had passed; it was now late into the night. Lack of sleep made Pei Yule even more irritable. But he was angriest at this reckless guy.

“Then you…” Huo Juan started to speak, but seeing Pei Yule’s ominous expression, he wisely shut up.

Pei Yule glared at him, angrily slapped the light switch off, and intended to go to the guest room. But he looked back at the boy lying on the bed. Huo Juan was clutching the blanket, looking back at him with an expression that was somehow… innocent.

Pei Yule let out a cold laugh. Think I’ve got no way to handle you?

He didn’t bother going to the guest room. He climbed onto the bed, leaving half an arm’s length between them. He turned his back to him and said icily: “Touch me and you’re dead.”

Then he closed his eyes and ignored him.

Huo Juan blinked. He was lying in a bed filled with Pei Yule’s scent, wearing pajamas filled with his scent, completely surrounded. It was incredibly comfortable. Huo Juan turned his face, silently watching the silhouette of the boy who still looked furious.

After a while, he reached out, his fingers closing in the air just in front of the boy’s back. He hadn’t touched Pei Yule. He definitely hadn’t.

But he felt… as if he had caught something.