After Transmigrating as a Beta, I Got Messed Up with an Alpha (BL) - Chapter 43

Pei Yule pressed his hands against Huo Juan’s chest and pushed him away.

“Thanks.”

His articulation was clear, and he stood up from the floor with extreme composure after pushing Huo Juan aside, dropping a steady line: “I’m going to wash up.”

Then, he left the bedroom for the main bathroom outside without a hint of haste.

With a click, the bathroom door closed. Pei Yule immediately pressed his back against the door panel, covered his face, and let out a silent scream.

How? How was it possible? Why?

The triple-play of questions was spinning; he truly found it hard to believe. Yet, the heartbeat he felt just now when facing Huo Juan was so distinct and clear that there was no way to deny it.

Pei Yule completely didn’t understand. His preference was clearly for cute, petite girls—how could he have that kind of thought toward Huo Juan? Where did that person look like a “cute, petite girl” from head to toe?

Was he blind?

Even if his ideal type changed slightly, it couldn’t be this exaggerated—shifting from female to male! This wasn’t as simple as a change in type; his entire sexual orientation had flipped.

Though he had transmigrated into this strange ABO world, Pei Yule had actually thought that if he couldn’t go back, it would be quite nice to choose a female Beta he liked and start a family. He would definitely cherish that girl, be a good man, and make sure she never regretted choosing him.

But why Huo Juan? He wasn’t just an Alpha, he was a man. Worse, he was a man even taller and stronger than himself! Recalling how his pajamas looked on Huo Juan—tight and short despite the weight loss—Pei Yule couldn’t help but rub his brow.

This romantic interest was completely outside his fantasies. Was his brain broken? Could it be that inhaling too many of Huo Juan’s pheromones caused him to have strange ideas? While it was true Huo Juan was good-looking, it was a purely masculine handsomeness. He didn’t look like a woman at all, and he could never become one. As a top-tier Alpha, he was even more “manly” than a regular male Alpha.

So why was his heart doing somersaults just now? Was he really such a shallow person who fell for someone just by looking at their face? Remembering how his heart had indeed skipped beats several times looking at Huo Juan’s face, Pei Yule held his head, deeply questioning his life.

After screaming silently for a while, he wiped his face hard. Remembering Huo Juan was still outside and he shouldn’t stay in here too long, he prepared to grab his toothbrush. Looking up, he saw the floor was still slightly wet; yesterday, when he threw the large towel over Huo Juan, he’d used too much force and pulled the other towels down with it.

Seeing those towels, he remembered the image of Huo Juan standing under the cold water, and his heart tightened slightly. This feeling of his heart clenching was both familiar and strange. Familiar because it happened last night; strange because until now, he’d only ever felt it twice. Both times were for Huo Juan.

Pei Yule let out a very, very soft sigh. Regardless of whether the person was male or female, Alpha or Beta, he was ultimately someone who caused a lot of worry. Since he couldn’t let it go, he just had to keep an eye on him.

While he was reaching his internal verdict, the youth left in the bedroom got up from the floor and picked up the scattered blankets. After waiting a while and not seeing Pei Yule come out, he thought it over and stepped into the kitchen. He stood there for a moment, hesitating whether he could take the liberty of using the kitchen to make two breakfasts.

Thinking that Pei Yule had told him to eat breakfast, it should be fine. He opened the fridge. It was packed full—vegetables and meat, mostly meat. Luckily, though Pei Yule lacked some cooking common sense, he remembered to put the meat in the freezer.

It was 8:00 AM on a weekend morning—Pei Yule’s birthday. It wasn’t a good time to cook the heavy meat dishes he liked, so Huo Juan took some eggs and yesterday’s leftover rice and simply made two portions of Omurice. He also toasted two slices of bread, putting an extra sausage on one of them. Preparing the two breakfasts took less than half an hour.

But… Pei Yule still hadn’t come out of the bathroom. Huo Juan’s brow furrowed. He covered the food with lids, sat in the living room for another ten minutes, and still seeing no sign of the boy, he stood up. He was about to walk to the bathroom door to check when he heard a click as the door finally opened.

Steaming white mist wafted out. The newly “adult” boy stepped out surrounded by dampness, drying his hair. He was still in the same pajamas, but wearing them sloppily; his pants leg was hitched up on one side, revealing a pale, glowing ankle.

Huo Juan’s palm curled. He knew Pei Yule didn’t do it on purpose, but in that moment, he really wanted the boy to be more cautious. He wasn’t always such a gentleman. At any given moment, he actually wanted to tear those clothes open and…

However, the boy coming from the bathroom didn’t look at him. He just kept drying his hair, walked to the storage cabinet, pulled out a new toothbrush, and handed it to Huo Juan. “Sorry, I just took a shower. You can use this.”

Actually, Pei Yule hadn’t intended to shower. Although he had the habit of morning showers, he didn’t want to keep Huo Juan waiting and had intended to be quick. However, when he went to brush his teeth, he realized something was… not quite normal.

As a young man full of vigor, this state was actually very normal. He had turned eighteen; it was only natural for his body to mature. Pei Yule, who had lived a purely ascetic life since transmigrating, was seeing a teenager’s normal morning reaction for the first time.

When Pei Yule realized that point, his whole world cracked. …Has he always been in this state? In front of Huo Juan?! And right when he had just realized he might—could—possibly harbor unspeakable thoughts toward the guy.

He just wanted to die. That kind of situation wouldn’t disappear just by glaring at it. After standing frozen for three minutes and feeling exactly how healthy he was in that department, he helplessly had to rely on “Madam Five-Fingers.”

His interest in this area had never been high. In the past, he’d never thought of anything; even with his crush on the “class flower,” he’d never fantasized about her. He couldn’t do that kind of thing and usually just finished things off quickly. He intended to do the same this time—just a quick fix. But at the critical moment, a certain person’s face arrived uninvited…

The result was a chaotic and entirely new experience. Afterward, Pei Yule fell into a deep state of self-loathing. He felt like everything about him was wrong—his body and his thoughts were betraying him. Unable to face it, he showered from head to toe to wash away every trace. That was why he’d showered.

Coming out of the bathroom, Pei Yule didn’t want to see Huo Juan’s face at all. In his state of self-loathing, the last thing he wanted was to see that face.

However, Huo Juan was sharp. He observed him for a moment and asked: “Are you angry?” Because he’d used the kitchen without asking, he paused and said softly: “Sorry, I used your kitchen without permission.” He didn’t mention he’d made breakfast, not wanting to use it as a way to soften Pei Yule up.

But Pei Yule could already smell the food. He shot a quick glance at Huo Juan, then looked away, saying dully: “…I’m not angry.” He felt like he’d been using the guy as a “substitute” in his head, which felt terrible both mentally and logically. It was just so awkward! If Huo Juan kept hovering around him like this, he wouldn’t be able to stay calm; he felt like he was going to spontaneously combust.

So, he begged the guy to go wash up and give him some time to cool down. Seeing Huo Juan still staring at him without moving, he took a breath and muttered: “I’m really not angry. If the kitchen was used, it’s used. I’m not blaming you; I’m not that petty…” As the staring continued, he turned and literally pushed the man into the bathroom, saying gruffly: “Go wash up!”

After stuffing him in and closing the door, he pressed his hands against it, feeling his cheeks heating up uncontrollably. If he’d been a second slower, Huo Juan would have seen his face was beet red. Close call.

Come to think of it, in Huo Juan’s state, he probably didn’t notice… that… right? Pei Yule certainly hoped so. While he could brush it off as “youthful vigor,” it was better if nothing was noticed.

Pei Yule wiped his face. Once the heat finally faded, he paced to the dining table. He lifted the lids and saw two portions of Omurice, toast, and a very tempting fried sausage. If his cooking was “dark cuisine,” Huo Juan’s skills were chef-level. If Pei Yule tried to fry eggs and rice, it would be a messy pile of yellow and white; being edible was a success for him. But Huo Juan’s Omurice was a masterpiece.

A tender, golden egg skin wrapped the rice like a giant dumpling. It was a high-level technique. Even without tasting it, he knew it would be good. Just what kind of person is he… Pei Yule poked the egg skin with a chopstick; it didn’t break but gave a slight spring. His frustrated expression softened, and he sat down to wait for Huo Juan.

A 21st-birthday breakfast didn’t feel so bad after all.

The youth who made him realize this stepped out of the bathroom. Having cooled down, Pei Yule could now look Huo Juan in the eye. Although the Alpha made the breakfast, it didn’t stop him from acting as the host.

“Come sit.”

Huo Juan paused, sensing the shift in Pei Yule’s mood. At least he wasn’t being ignored anymore. He pulled out a chair and sat opposite Pei Yule.

“How did you make this…” Pei Yule said “digging in” and started on the perfectly plated Omurice. Seeing the golden fried rice inside, he couldn’t help but ask: “Seriously, have you had training in cooking?” It wasn’t an exaggeration; this was good enough to open a shop.

Huo Juan’s eyes flickered. Yesterday during dinner, Pei Yule hadn’t said a word. “I live alone,” he replied. “I tried making it, and I learned.”

No, no, no, you don’t get this result just by ‘trying.’ Pei Yule glanced at the Alpha. He was curious but afraid a direct question would be rude. Like, why did he live alone? Where was his family? For someone so wealthy, why was he alone without even a servant? Maybe he just didn’t like people around him. Remembering the man’s dislike for contact, Pei Yule figured that was it. But choosing to cook for himself just to avoid people… he was a very unique “young master.”

But why was he hiding from his family yesterday? Did they have a conflict? The novel only mentioned his family was prominent and then focused on the romance.

“What is it?” Huo Juan asked, noticing his strange expression.

Pei Yule coughed. “…Nothing.”

He finished every bit of the Omurice and the toast with the sausage, then let out a long sigh. With a full stomach and enough sleep, even a bad mood would recover, let alone a day that wasn’t actually bad. He decided to thank him: “Thanks for the birthday gift.”

“Birthday gift?” Huo Juan asked.

“This.” Pei Yule pointed at the clean plate. He’d never seen such a beautiful Omurice; it could pass as a unique kind of cake.

Huo Juan shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

“It was great to me.” Compared to the failed dinner last night, this breakfast was satisfying.

Huo Juan didn’t speak. His gaze fell on the corner of the boy’s mouth and stayed there for several seconds. Seeing the look, Pei Yule realized something. “Is there something on my face?” He rubbed at it, trying to wipe it away. Because a grain of rice was stuck right in the dip of his lip, he missed it twice.

“Sorry,” Huo Juan murmured after a silence. He couldn’t help but reach out and take the grain of rice for him.

“Oh, tha—” Pei Yule was about to say thanks when he saw Huo Juan naturally… lick the grain of rice off his finger.

He just licked his finger, but the movement was inexplicably erotic!

Pei Yule stood up abruptly, his face heating up. He gathered the dishes to hide his reaction. “I’m washing the dishes. You should head out now; I won’t see you off.”

“…”

Pei Yule rushed into the kitchen. Huo Juan followed to the doorway. After a silence, he asked, “Can’t I stay longer?”

Using that tone again. Pei Yule grew wary as the heat on his face subsided. He turned and glared: “Student Huo Juan, three strikes and you’re out.” Did he really think he was that easy to push?

Huo Juan said: “If possible, I want to spend your birthday with you.”

“…” Having just enjoyed the breakfast, Pei Yule found it hard to stay stern. “No need. We just spent time together.”

Huo Juan was blunt: “Not enough.”

I knew he’d take a mile. Pei Yule glared. “I have other plans.” (He didn’t, but he’d make some immediately.)

Huo Juan went silent. Pei Yule wanted him to back down, but the silence made him feel a bit guilty. He cleared his throat: “So just go. I’m going out soon.”

“…”

Huo Juan still didn’t speak. Pei Yule turned back to the dishes, ears pricked. After a while, there was no sound of footsteps leaving. He turned back in confusion. Seeing Pei Yule look, Huo Juan finally moved. He walked right up to Pei Yule and looked down at him.

“Yesterday, I didn’t do anything.”

Even though they slept in the same bed, he hadn’t made a move. Even when the boy had hugged him in the middle of the night, he’d kept his promise. If he had to leave, he wanted a reward for being a gentleman.

“What?” Pei Yule was baffled.

He heard the Alpha say in a flat tone: “So, I want a reward.”

Before Pei Yule could react, his vision went dark. Huo Juan leaned down and lightly touched the corner of his mouth with his lips.

He hadn’t wanted the rice. What he truly wanted to lick… was right here.