After Transmigrating as a Beta, I Got Messed Up with an Alpha (BL) - Chapter 48

Huo Juan bent down and picked up the photos from the floor, one by one.

In none of the photos was Fei Yisa looking directly at the camera. Most were profiles, with only a few showing a full face from a long distance. There were shots of him talking to people, smiling, laughing, and even a photo of him sleeping face-down on a desk. His expressions were vivid and ever-changing, faithfully capturing Fei Yisa’s personal essence before they were printed and kept.

It was obvious that these photos were all taken secretly. He did not have Fei Yisa’s permission.

—“There’s a misunderstanding between us, I’m sorry, I got it wrong before…”

Huo Juan remembered the day Pei Yule had hugged him on the sports field; Fei Yisa had been right there. Afterward, Pei Yule had told him time and time again that the confession had been a mistake.

At first, Huo Juan didn’t care about Pei Yule’s true feelings, nor did he intend to worry about what “mistake” had been made. To him, Pei Yule’s existence was merely a medicine to soothe the pain in his body.

But… that was only his initial thought. Not now.

“Betas and Omegas can also become partners.”

Xu Yanxi’s words flashed through his mind. Huo Juan remembered how exceptionally well Pei Yule and Fei Yisa got along. If that Omega didn’t have an Alpha guarding him, given how often Pei Yule went to find him—and how the Omega actively sought out Pei Yule—it wasn’t impossible for them to develop a romantic relationship.

The Omega might not have thoughts about Pei Yule. But as for Pei Yule’s feelings for Fei Yisa… one only had to look at these secret photos to know.

Huo Juan calmly placed the photos back into the notebook. The book had a hidden compartment; if it hadn’t fallen upside down, causing the photos to slip out of the lining, one would have thought it was just an ordinary sketchbook. A casual observer wouldn’t notice the secret layer.

Secretly taken photos, disguised as an art book, tucked away in a corner of the bookshelf, gathering dust. It was as if he had locked away his feelings, staying by Fei Yisa’s side under the guise of friendship.

Putting the sketchbook back in its place, the fingers gripping the edge turned white from the force.

…No. Something was wrong.

He knew that person; that wasn’t his personality. If he were to love someone, it would be a total devotion. He wouldn’t secretly take photos without permission and hide them away, and…

That person couldn’t lie. He couldn’t interact so naturally with the person he liked, pretending to be just a friend so seamlessly that he even fooled the Alpha by Fei Yisa’s side.

So, where was the discrepancy?

Huo Juan lowered his eyelids coldly. He guessed something was off, but since seeing those photos and discovering Pei Yule was hiding such a thing, a surge of hostility had been rising in his heart, completely uncontrollable. The malice even reflected on his body, causing his already high temperature to climb steadily.

This couldn’t continue.

The physical symptoms seemed to worsen. Huo Juan held his forehead, closing his eyes and bracing his arm against the wall. However, his hand must have pressed something on the wall, as the bookshelf suddenly moved, slowly sliding open from the middle.

This was actually a split-opening bookshelf.

Huo Juan raised his eyes, listening to the sound of the gears sliding, watching as the bookshelf gradually revealed its secrets. No wonder this bookshelf was incredibly large compared to the others. Most people would just think the owner loved books, but it wasn’t just that.

This giant bookshelf, besides the outer layer, had another hidden cabinet inside. As it slid open, the secret within the hidden cabinet was exposed before Huo Juan.

It was entirely… hidden feelings.

One enlarged photo after another. Whenever Fei Yisa’s gaze happened to catch the focus, it was enlarged and hung in the cabinet, pretending as if those photos were taken while he was looking directly at the photographer.

Huo Juan met Fei Yisa’s gaze from the photos. For the first time in his life, he felt a sudden urge to destroy everything.

Xu Yanxi received Huo Juan’s message during the middle of the first period.

The phone in his pocket vibrated once. Ignoring the teacher lecturing at the front, he slid the screen open to look.

—Come pick me up.

Ever since Huo Juan moved into Pei Yule’s home, he rarely contacted Xu Yanxi outside of school hours. Xu Yanxi understood; the guy wanted to be all lovey-dovey with his little darling, after all. His childhood friend had finally “bloomed” and learned a bit about romance; he didn’t want to be a killjoy, so he didn’t bother them. After all, he was very good at reading the room.

But Huo Juan reaching out today made his intent clear, though Xu Yanxi found it rare that he didn’t quite understand. Pick him up? For what? Surely not to bring him to school?

He turned to look at Pei Yule sitting behind him. Pei Yule was currently scribbling away, diligently taking down the teacher’s notes. Not long ago, he had mentioned to Pei Yule that today was Huo Juan’s birthday; the boy had visibly frozen and seemed to think for a good while, as if he wanted to say something, but the teacher had entered the room and interrupted. He’d had to keep his words to himself and start studying.

Judging by that reaction, he hadn’t kept Huo Juan’s birthday in mind at all.

The road is long and the task is heavy, Juan-ge. Winning the heart of this little Beta was likely going to take a long time.

It wasn’t that he was gloating, but Xu Yanxi did have a bit of a “spectator” mindset. After all, this was his friend’s first time “descending to the mortal world”; it was time for him to experience the sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy tastes of life. If he got it too easily, he might grow bored quickly. Though Huo Juan wasn’t that kind of person, a challenge made things more interesting.

Xu Yanxi smiled slightly. Hearing the bell for the end of class, he casually tucked his phone back into his pocket and walked out of the classroom.

Thoughts aside, he still had to pick the guy up. He left the school and hailed a taxi, heading toward Pei Yule’s apartment.

Pei Yule didn’t know he was going to get Huo Juan. Since Xu Yanxi often wasn’t in the classroom anyway, his departure didn’t raise any suspicion. Once the teacher left, Pei Yule put down his pen and rubbed his wrist, feeling quite unsettled.

He hadn’t known today was Huo Juan’s birthday. That person wouldn’t tell him such things, so if Xu Yanxi hadn’t mentioned it, he wouldn’t have known at all.

It turns out Huo Juan was less than a month younger than him. No, no—Pei Yule corrected himself—three years and twenty-eight days younger.

If he had known today was his birthday, he might not have come to school. Pei Yule felt a slight pang of regret. However, since he was already here, leaving early wasn’t something he usually did. He pulled out the textbook for the next class, thinking that there were still three periods until lunch. His home was very close; maybe he could head back during lunch to check on Huo Juan. Huo Juan had spent his birthday with him last month, and he’d actually been very happy about it. The first birthday after transmigrating spent with Huo Juan felt quite good. Although he had said they should maintain the status quo, as a matter of reciprocity, he should celebrate Huo Juan’s birthday too.

He wondered if the guy liked cake… He was such a picky eater, maybe he wouldn’t? If he didn’t buy cake, what should he prepare? He was unwell today—what could a sick person eat that would also cheer them up…

As Pei Yule was mulling this over, the second period began.

Pei Yule’s home wasn’t far from the school, and since he took a taxi, Xu Yanxi arrived very quickly. In less than five minutes, he was downstairs at the apartment complex.

Xu Yanxi had been here before. He took the elevator to the twelfth floor and stood before the door, pressing the doorbell.

While waiting for the door to open, Xu Yanxi sensed something was wrong. An Alpha’s intuition caused a subtle tightness in his spine—a subconscious reaction to feeling the threat of an Alpha’s pheromones.

What was happening? Could it be…

Thinking of something, Xu Yanxi’s expression shifted. At that moment, the sound of the door opening confirmed his guess.

A thick scent of cold cypress surged out the second the door opened, carrying a powerful pressure that forced even the wary Xu Yanxi to take a step back.

“Shit,” he cursed under his breath. “Huo Juan, pull your pheromones back. I can’t fucking breathe!”

An Alpha’s instincts, sensing the threat from another Alpha, instantly shifted into combat mode. But Xu Yanxi remembered this was his childhood friend, not someone to fight. He covered his nose in a futile effort, hoping Huo Juan would at least retract some pheromones; otherwise, instead of “picking him up,” his instincts would force a brawl.

The Huo Juan who opened the door looked calm, yet that cold cypress scent didn’t diminish at all. Instead, it spread recklessly, growing even more intense.

Huo Juan answered Xu Yanxi, his voice very low and heavy: “I can’t pull them back.”

“…”

No wonder Huo Juan had called him. In this condition, if Pei Yule came back, he definitely wouldn’t be able to stand it! Xu Yanxi felt himself being pressed by the pheromones to the point of nearly losing his temper. The veins on his forehead bulged as he lamented his choice of friends once again. Yet he also understood that Huo Juan could only call him; anyone else—including Pei Yule—facing the current Huo Juan would face a disaster.

“Where are your suppressants!” he shouted gruffly, clenching his fists to suppress the urge to swing.

“I took them.” Huo Juan’s voice was calm, but beneath the surface, there was a turbulent, surging undercurrent. “They didn’t work.” No effect at all. He still wanted to destroy everything, to smash this place to bits.

“…”

Xu Yanxi cursed again. Realizing the severity of the situation, he took a deep breath, tightened his fists, and said seriously to Huo Juan: “Then don’t resist.” In Huo Juan’s conscious state, he definitely couldn’t be moved; they might end up fighting on the way because of the pheromone pressure, resulting in mutual injury—or more likely, Xu Yanxi would come out worse since Huo Juan’s pheromones were more aggressive. The best way was to knock him out and take him away.

He didn’t have any sedative suppressants with him, so he’d have to use his fists.

“Mm,” Huo Juan nodded. He was calm from head to toe, making it impossible to imagine how much effort it took to stay that way. This was Pei Yule’s home; he couldn’t just destroy it. He had to stay calm. If he relaxed for even a second… the situation would be dire. He didn’t want to scare the boy.

“Just do it. I’m okay.” Knowing he was truly troubling his friend, he said deeply: “Sorry, Yanxi.”

“…Don’t speak.” Lest he lose track of his strength and hit too hard. He really felt like doing that right now. It was lucky Huo Juan hadn’t gone even more berserk upon seeing him. Xu Yanxi let out a breath, his gaze sharpened, and he suddenly swung his fist at Huo Juan.

The tall body hit the floor. Even unconscious, the pheromones continued to pour out. This was a total loss of control. No matter how calm Huo Juan acted, his state was one of complete instability; the unrestrained pheromones were proof.

Xu Yanxi didn’t even bother to help him up yet, fearing the stimulation of the pheromones would make him kick the guy while he was down. He pulled a suppressant from his pocket and injected himself. Once he’d finally calmed down a bit, he relaxed, wiped the sweat from his face, picked Huo Juan up, and carried him downstairs.

He didn’t arrange for his family to pick them up. Instead, he hailed a car driven by a Beta. After thinking it over, he took Huo Juan to a certain residence and entered the code to get in.

His family and the Huo family were too close. If he used his family’s resources, it would be like last time Huo Juan hit his Rut—he’d be trapped in a family hospital, and even Xu Yanxi wouldn’t be able to see him easily. Because Huo Juan knew he would handle it this way, he had entrusted everything to him. He chose this place instead of a hospital because Huo Juan’s information couldn’t be entered into any system, or the Huo family would know within a minute. It made everything he did feel restricted.

“Tch.”

Placing Huo Juan on the sofa, Xu Yanxi clicked his tongue in annoyance. He scratched his head, checked the clock, and sent a text. Then he tossed the phone aside, took out his own suppressant, and gave Huo Juan an injection.

Huo Juan’s pheromones weren’t receding at all, still recklessly tainting the surroundings. Though Huo Juan said he’d already taken one and it didn’t work, maybe this one would help a little?

As it turned out, the injection seemed completely useless on Huo Juan; the pheromones didn’t calm down in the slightest.

This is tricky. Xu Yanxi cursed and decided to call his uncle.

Pei Yule, completely oblivious to all this, returned home during lunch carrying a cake he had ordered right after the second period.

The moment he opened the door, the lingering scent of cold cypress almost made his knees buckle.

What was going on? Why were the pheromones so much denser than usual? It nearly made him unable to breathe.

Pei Yule stood there with difficulty, carefully placing the cake on the entryway cabinet so he wouldn’t drop it.

“Huo Juan?” he called out.

The apartment was cold and quiet, and the air was thick with an unbearable scent of cold cypress.

Huo Juan did not answer.