After Transmigrating as a Beta, I Got Messed Up with an Alpha (BL) - Chapter 8

What kind of mess is this?

After struggling to crawl out from under Huo Juan, Pei Yule rolled to the side, exhausted and panting, drenched in sweat. He lay on the floor staring at the ceiling for a while before his limp, weak limbs finally began to regain some strength.

This was likely thanks to Huo Juan falling unconscious; the Alpha had probably stopped releasing pheromones, allowing the oppressive weight of that dominance to recede and Pei Yule to recover.

Pei Yule turned his head to look at the Alpha lying on the floor.

Previously, he had been too focused on escaping to notice anything else, but now he saw a flush on Huo Juan’s face. Though the Alpha was expressionless, his brow was slightly furrowed and his breathing was erratic. Even in sleep, he looked tense, vividly illustrating the unpleasant state of his body.

Well, of course—anyone would look like that with a fever that high.

Recalling the scorching heat he felt when his hand touched Huo Juan’s forehead earlier, Pei Yule sat up and glanced at him, scratching his fluffy natural curls in frustration. After making his hair even messier, he decided to stand up. He opened the classroom door, checked the empty hallway, and peeked into the classroom next door.

Also empty.

Xu Yanxi usually seemed to pop up out of nowhere at any time, yet he was nowhere to be found at this critical moment.

Unable to find anyone, Pei Yule returned to the room and looked down at Huo Juan with a troubled expression. Leaving a person with a high fever like this would weigh on his conscience. Considering this guy had preferred to injure himself rather than hurt Pei Yule during his Rut, he couldn’t just abandon him. Besides, if he did, Huo Juan might settle the score with him once he woke up.

…Better get him up first.

Even if he went out to find help, it wasn’t right to leave Huo Juan sprawled on the floor; it might make his condition worse. After weighing his options, Pei Yule resigned himself to his fate and bent over to grab Huo Juan’s arm. Just as he was about to heave, his eyes swept down and met a pair of deep, pitch-black eyes.

“Oh,” he said in surprise, “You’re awake—”

Before he could finish, the arm in his hand suddenly yanked downward. Who would have expected him to wake up and pull a move like that? Caught off guard, Pei Yule was dragged down, landing firmly against a burning-hot body.

In the chaos, his elbow slammed right into the other’s chest with a “thud.” The other person seemed unfazed, but Pei Yule was startled by the sound. He pressed one hand against Huo Juan’s chest to brace himself, struggling to climb back up.

Silently, a hand reached around his back and pressed down.

Pei Yule was pinned flat. Then, he was gathered into a tight embrace. The Alpha’s long legs even hooked around his own, entangling their limbs. Pei Yule felt the surreal sensation of being bound in a spider’s web.

Before he could say anything, Huo Juan asked first: “What are you doing?”

I wanted to ask you the same thing!

Whether it was a back-hug or being entangled face-to-face like this, he couldn’t break free; this Alpha’s strength was monstrous. Pei Yule tried to struggle, but finding it futile, he gave up. Without much hope, he said, “Student Huo Juan, can you let go? You have a fever.”

“…”

Huo Juan fell silent for a moment.

Pei Yule felt hot breath fanning against his neck, faster and more ragged than before. It was clear the guy was still in the throes of a high fever. Pei Yule expected him to be as irrational as he was before passing out, but after the silence, the hands pinned to his back slowly released their grip.

Oh? Is he listening?

This was an unexpected turn of events. Pei Yule watched as Huo Juan pushed him away slightly, stood up slowly, and walked back to the sofa to sit down without a word.

This solved Pei Yule’s immediate problem; he hadn’t expected the guy to walk back and sit down on his own. Though his pace looked steady, his body was actually swaying. From that alone, it was clear that the current Huo Juan was truly weak.

Once Huo Juan sat down, he partially closed his eyes. Pei Yule stepped forward, standing at a cautious distance just out of arm’s reach. “Hey, you okay?”

Huo Juan didn’t answer.

Having fulfilled his moral obligation by asking, Pei Yule quickly gave up on getting a reply. He backed away toward the door. “Well, since you’re awake, I’m heading out.”

He figured that once he left, he’d find one of Huo Juan’s usual lackeys, explain the situation, and let them take over. That would count as doing his part.

With his mind made up, Pei Yule turned around, wanting to disappear as fast as his legs would carry him. But before he could take a step, Huo Juan’s voice came from behind him.

“Wait.”

Thinking back to the previous times Huo Juan had used that tone—nothing good ever followed—Pei Yule wanted to pretend he hadn’t heard and keep walking. He took a few quick steps forward but then remembered Huo Juan was currently a patient. Even though he had reached the classroom door, he stopped and looked back. “…What is it?”

Pei Yule opened the bag Xu Yanxi had brought and took out a long, slender syringe and some round pills, recalling what Xu Yanxi had said.

—The medicine in the bag, remember to give it to him later.

This was likely why Huo Juan had called him back. Pei Yule found it hard to refuse a sick person; it was just a small favor. But when it came to actually using the stuff…

The pills were simple enough, but how was he supposed to use the syringe? He had never given anyone an injection before.

The long needle reflected a cold, sharp silver light. Just holding it made him feel faint. Pei Yule considered himself a man, but he still had a fear of needles. He had been a sickly child, frequenting hospitals throughout his youth, and those experiences had left him with a bit of a psychological shadow. Seeing that this needle was even longer and thinner than the ones he had endured made his scalp tingle.

If he suggested going out to find someone else to do it… would that work? Would they laugh at him?

While Pei Yule was hesitating, a slender hand was offered to him. It was white as jade, with clearly visible veins—a bit longer and larger than his own. Even in a weakened state, the smooth lines of muscle on that hand made it clear this person possessed significant strength.

No wonder he couldn’t break free when the guy hugged him. It was a stark contrast to his own tall but scrawny “chick-like” frame.

Is this what an Alpha is like? …Honestly, I want a body like that too.

Hiding his petty masculine envy, his eyes swept up to see Huo Juan watching him silently. Pei Yule snapped back to reality, coughed, and asked again, “You really want me to do it?”

Huo Juan gave a low “Mm.”

As a man, if people knew he was afraid of needles, they might look down on him. His shallow pride kept him from telling the truth. He steeled himself, uncapped the needle, and hesitantly approached the Alpha’s arm. Suddenly remembering something, he looked up. “Don’t we need to disinfect?”

Huo Juan’s dark eyes reflected Pei Yule’s hesitant expression and his instinctively stiff hand. He lowered his eyelids, reached out to cover the back of Pei Yule’s hand, and pressed down, driving the needle directly into his own arm.

Huo Juan’s expression remained unchanged, but Pei Yule instinctively hissed, shuddering violently. He nearly pulled his hand away, but heard Huo Juan say:

“Push.”

After pushing the liquid in, Pei Yule was covered in a cold sweat. Looking at Huo Juan’s calm, placid expression, he felt more like the patient than the Alpha did. Giving an injection with zero experience was not a pleasant feeling. However, this was likely a normal occurrence in this world; Ruts and Heats don’t wait for a convenient time. If a doctor isn’t around, you have to rely on yourself or someone nearby.

He hadn’t expected to encounter such a situation after only being here for a few days. Pei Yule said in a weak voice, “Alright, finished. Can I go now?”

Actually, he didn’t quite understand. It looked like Huo Juan could have done it himself. He didn’t know why the Alpha insisted on his help, especially since he was so clumsy that his shudder had caused the injection site to swell. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the reddish swelling on the pale arm. Pei Yule felt incredibly guilty. He remembered how Xu Yanxi had done it—quick, precise, and leaving no mark at all.

Huo Juan gave an “Mm” and reached for the bottle of mineral water in the bag. Seeing him try to twist the cap with the hand that was currently swollen from the botched injection, Pei Yule felt a wave of remorse. His body moved faster than his mind; before he knew it, he had reached out and taken the water. “—I’ll do it.”

He twisted the cap off in one go. Seeing the pills were still in a blister pack, he popped one out and belatedly asked, “How many?”

“…One.” Huo Juan looked at him for two seconds before answering.

Pei Yule felt that the current Huo Juan was exceptionally easy to get along with, unlike the irrational version from earlier. Perhaps because the injection was done, Pei Yule relaxed a little. The reason the guy had been so difficult earlier was likely entirely due to the high fever. He was much more normal now.

“Here, for you.” He handed over the water and the pill.

Huo Juan took both, lowered his head to place the pill on his tongue, and took a slow sip of water. His throat moved slightly as he swallowed it silently. Pei Yule watched how elegant the guy looked even while taking medicine and thought, Truly a child of a wealthy family. No wonder he had so many fans; setting aside being a top Alpha, just that face and his mannerisms were enough to win people over.

Since the medicine was taken and Huo Juan was in a normal state, he tried to leave again: “I’m going now.”

Then came the familiar, “Wait.”

Huo Juan looked at the other bag of unopened food on the table and said, “Take those to eat.”

Reminded by this, Pei Yule realized his stomach was completely empty. Lunch break was almost over, and classes would start soon; there wouldn’t be much left at the canteen.

Pei Yule hesitated, then stubbornly refused. “No, it’s fine.” He’d rather go hungry than accept a gift. Their best course of action was to have no connection at all. He stood up abruptly, not giving Huo Juan a third chance to say “wait.”

Huo Juan didn’t call him back again until his silhouette disappeared.

“Knock, knock.” Xu Yanxi, who appeared out of nowhere, tapped on the doorframe. He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. “You let him go?” He had gone out of his way to give the two of them space.

Huo Juan didn’t speak. He just lowered his head and covered his face with his hand.

Touching Pei Yule did indeed make him feel much better. However, after that brief moment of peace, an even more vigorous restlessness surged within him.

Pei Yule didn’t understand. He hadn’t “become normal”—it was just that he couldn’t be touched anymore. Once touched…

From Xu Yanxi’s perspective, he couldn’t see Huo Juan’s face clearly, only his hand. The veins on the back of his hand were bulging slightly. And, through his spread fingers, his breathing was exceptionally rapid.

Why is he in a worse state than before?

Xu Yanxi frowned and stepped forward immediately. “I’ll arrange a doctor for you.”