Chapter 30: Undercurrents: Baby, Let Me Hug You.
Tang Xingye went to Professor Ye’s lab to continue working on the project. Ye Biezh, this newly promoted beast of burden, was quite handy, except for his insistence on calling him Junior Brother.
“Your step is wrong.”
Ye Biezh inadvertently saw Pei Lian’s mistake and frowned to correct it again.
He didn’t care about interpersonal relationships and spoke very bluntly, using an incredulous tone: “With a level like yours, how did you get into the lab?”
Pei Lian’s smile froze for an instant. He glanced at Tang Xingye and found his gaze remained on the instruments, not caring about external matters at all. “I’m not as talented as Junior Brother,” he said, fingertips unconsciously rubbing the test tube wall, voice light as if talking to himself. “After all… if I don’t have it, I don’t have it.”
Ye Biezh was disgusted by the address “Junior Brother.” Pei Lian was clumsy; what qualifications did he have to stay in the lab? The lab didn’t raise idlers.
He said coldly, “If you don’t have it, practice more. What’s the use of looking at him? The experiment steps aren’t written on his face.”
Okay, looking at Tang Xingye is somewhat useful.
The Beta was beautiful and clear. His hands-on ability was strong, and his experiments flowed like moving clouds and flowing water. Looking at him a couple of times felt like purifying both body and mind.
Pei Lian looked at Ye Biezh’s condescending attitude and couldn’t help sneering in his heart. Putting on airs of a senior after just two days, really thinks he’s something?
Ye Biezh’s attitude had suddenly shifted drastically in two days. His current attitude was like a newly favored concubine eager to show off in front of others.
Pei Lian organized the equipment, his tone airy: “Have you finished writing your module? When Lin Mo was here, this kind of basic work would have been done long ago.”
Ye Biezh’s eyes turned cold.
Of course, he heard Pei Lian’s sarcasm. This person had mediocre ability himself, yet always loved to use others to suppress him, as if that proved he was more qualified than him.
Ye Biezh wanted to retort with sarcasm, but Pei Lian suddenly stood up and grabbed Tang Xingye’s wrist. “Careful.”
It turned out Tang Xingye went to get A4 printing paper. The edge of the paper was sharp, and a red mark was cut across his knuckle.
Ye Biezh’s gaze fell on those slender hands. The oozing blood bead made that red mole look even more vivid. Ye Biezh stared at that spot, suddenly imagining Tang Xingye trembling lightly when the tip of a tongue brushed over the red mole.
Tang Xingye’s skin was too tender; it would turn red just by holding a rough screwdriver slightly. If he held a pneumatic rivet gun for a long time—high vibration, hard handle material—who knew what his palms would be ground into.
Tang Xingye frowned, glanced at the two who suddenly quieted down. Not arguing anymore?
Being looked at by Tang Xingye, Ye Biezh forgot to mock Pei Lian, waiting for the other to say something. After all, he was very concerned about whether anyone was dragging down Tang Xingye’s project.
“I’ll do it myself.” Tang Xingye pulled his hand back and skillfully applied a Band-Aid. He looked up at the two suddenly quiet people, frowning slightly. “Continue working.”
Ye Biezh, Pei Lian: “…”
Tang Xingye finished the work and left with a sentence, “Work hard, two Junior Brothers.”
Ye Biezh picked up the Band-Aid wrapper he threw away as if possessed, his fingertip rubbing against the residual body temperature on it.
Ye Biezh didn’t want to stay in the same lab as Pei Lian, so he took the materials and followed to leave. He thought Tang Xingye would go to the library, but he went to the training room instead.
So Tang Xingye also likes learning to fight?
True. If a Beta doesn’t learn some self-defense, what if he encounters smelly Alphas harassing him?
Then, Ye Biezh saw Tang Xingye fighting with Lu Zhi, and his pupils constricted abruptly.
Lu Zhi didn’t hold back at all, his moves ruthless, yet Tang Xingye—actually took them all. Not only was his defense watertight, but he could even counterattack precisely in the storm-like offensive, his movements fluid, forcing Lu Zhi to switch from offense to defense.
Tang Xingye’s figure was originally steady as a pine, but in a certain moment, he suddenly turned into a pouncing cheetah, lunging forward fiercely. His right hand formed a fist, smashing ruthlessly towards Lu Zhi. Lu Zhi’s eyes sharpened, blocking it forcefully, but was shaken back half a step by the force—
Bang!
The muffled sound of bone colliding exploded in the air.
For an instant, time seemed to stand still.
Ye Biezh realized he had been holding his breath, his chest aching. He carefully exhaled.
Lu Zhi shook his wrist, stared at Tang Xingye, and smiled: “Ruthless enough.”
Tang Xingye looked faint, withdrew his hand. His knuckles were red, and the original Band-Aid had been rubbed off. “Thank you.”
Ye Biezh watched Tang Xingye actually smile? That fleeting, very shallow smile.
—How can this person be so contradictory?
Clearly appearing cold and self-restrained, saying he wouldn’t turn on donations for livestreams, sticking to a moral bottom line, yet on the other hand fishing for Alphas, playing with people’s hearts in his palm.
And now, standing there with red knuckles, breathing not yet fully calmed, he showed that kind of… almost pleasant expression to Lu Zhi.
Powerful, calm, contradictory Beta.
Everything about Tang Xingye made Ye Biezh curious, wanting to tear open that surface layer to see what was hidden underneath.
As soon as Lu Zhi left the training room, he saw an old acquaintance and warned Ye Biezh, “Don’t do unnecessary things.”
“Did you lose a game of Truth or Dare? Accepting punishment?” Ye Biezh stared at the inhibition collar Lu Zhi “inadvertently” revealed, showing a face of disgust. “Punishing you to play a dumbass?”
“You don’t know how good my Wife treats me.” Lu Zhi put his hand on the chest that was just punched, hissed, then looked happy.
Ye Biezh was silent for a moment. He suspected Tang Xingye actually smashed Lu Zhi’s brain.
He sneered. “He didn’t hold back when beating you.”
—When that fist smashed down, Tang Xingye’s knuckles would turn red, right?
—If it were him, he would probably pretend to be in pain, hold his wrist, and then pull him into his arms…
He choked on his own imagination and coughed violently.
Lu Zhi suddenly pulled a nasty smile. “Are you jealous of me?”
“Me jealous of you?” Hearing this, Ye Biezh couldn’t help raising his voice. “Jealous that you’re sick, or jealous that your parents died early?”
Lu Zhi sneered. “Hehe, urgent?”
“Why did you cross campuses to come to this lab? Aren’t you just after my Wife’s beauty?” Lu Zhi leaned against the wall idly, inexplicably showing a bit of hooligan temperament.
“That’s not your Wife, you aren’t married,” Ye Biezh corrected. “I came here because I’m interested in Uncle’s experimental project. There aren’t so many idiots here.”
Lu Zhi just looked at him quietly.
Lu Zhi suddenly said, “You are really pretending.”
“What am I pretending?” Ye Biezh suddenly felt a bit irritable.
Lu Zhi smiled yet not smiling, pointing at Ye Biezh’s heart in the air. “Friends for so many years, don’t I know you? If you aren’t interested in something, you won’t even give it a second look.”
“You like him.”
Returning home, Ye Biezh looked terrible. He likes Tang Xingye?
What a joke. Tang Xingye likes raising Alphas as dogs. How could he be a dog for Tang Xingye?
[What’s wrong with being a dog? Is this being a dog? This is Wife being kind, willing to give me a home, give me the warmth of home.]
Lying in bed at midnight, Ye Biezh was still recalling Lu Zhi’s words.
Being a dog for Tang Xingye. Being a dog for Tang Xingye.
If he does well, Tang Xingye will reward him, touching his face, saying “so good.”
If he does poorly, Tang Xingye will slap him.
It seems like it’s not a loss either way.
Being a dog doesn’t destroy someone else’s family. Tang Xingye’s husband shouldn’t mind a small thing like raising a dog.
Ye Biezh suddenly felt Lu Zhi made sense. Soon he sobered up in time and was shocked by his momentary wavering.
Being a dog is impossible. If he becomes a dog, how will others in the family view him?
Lu Zhi was tidying up the lab, wanting to throw away the waste materials. Tang Xingye, sharp-eyed, saw his action and stopped him.
Lu Zhi frowned. “There’s plenty of this on the market, no need to save.”
Tang Xingye: “The other side isn’t contaminated. Snap it, and it can be used again. Don’t waste.”
Lu Zhi: “…”
He picked up Tang Xingye’s backpack. The straps were worn white, and the edges were frayed. “This bag is about to fall apart; time to change it, right?”
Tang Xingye didn’t look up. “Still can hold things.”
Lu Zhi: “I’ll buy you a new one.”
Tang Xingye looked up at him. “Give me the cash.”
Lu Zhi: “…No.”
If Tang Xingye took the money, he would spend it on experiments, not willing to spend it on himself at all. At worst, he would learn to sew and fix it for Tang Xingye.
Thinking of Tang Xingye carrying the bag he sewed, Lu Zhi felt beautiful again.
Seeing the fruit in Tang Xingye’s hand—something he hadn’t seen before, exquisite and small, the crystal-clear skin glowing pale gold under the light—Lu Zhi leaned over curiously.
“Curious?” Tang Xingye glanced at him sideways. “Tastes good. Eating it can also nourish the brain and increase intelligence. Want to try one?”
Lu Zhi found it novel and prepared to put it in his mouth, but Tang Xingye snatched it away.
Tang Xingye: “You’re really eating it?”
“Can’t eat it?” Lu Zhi looked confused.
Tang Xingye chuckled. “You believe whatever I say? Not afraid it’s poisonous?”
Lu Zhi tilted his head to look at him. “I didn’t provoke you; why would you poison me for no reason?”
“Then why trust me for no reason? Nourishing the brain is fake. It is sweet, but basically all have worms.” Tang Xingye played with the fruit in his hand, lips curling into a sly arc, teasing him. “When you get old, selling health products to you should boost sales a lot.”
Lu Zhi gazed at his rarely vivid expression, Adam’s apple rolling. “If you need anything… you can come find me.”
“Why?” Tang Xingye’s smile stopped suddenly.
Lu Zhi said seriously, “Where are there so many whys? I just want to help you.”
If a reason must be found, it was that he liked Tang Xingye.
“Is there such thing as being good to someone for no reason?” Tang Xingye’s gaze scanned Lu Zhi’s face, realizing, “I know, you’re still apologizing for breaking my petri dish? That’s long past.”
Lu Zhi skillfully stuffed two bottles of nutrient solution into his schoolbag and handed it to him. “Not apologizing. Just purely think you are very good. Being alone outside, far from home, so I wanted to help you.”
Tang Xingye’s face didn’t change. “Got it, forgave you.”
Lu Zhi: “…” What kind of life did Tang Xingye live before?
Watching his retreating figure, Lu Zhi suddenly kicked the wall. Tang Xingye’s proficiency and wariness in accepting help were like someone who had experienced too many schemes behind “kindness.”
In the lab, Ye Biezh tapped the keyboard casually. He thought he had a clear understanding of Tang Xingye, but didn’t expect to be crushed by the other’s talent again.
“Did you see the materials your Senior Brother wrote?” Professor Ye handed him the materials written by Tang Xingye. “This is what true talent is called.”
“Saw it.” Ye Biezh smiled reluctantly.
He saw it. Not only saw it but studied it repeatedly dozens of times. While grinding his teeth in jealousy, wishing to find Tang Xingye’s loopholes to prove he was nothing special, he couldn’t help applauding the exquisite design ideas.
One night, Ye Biezh was alone in the lab. As if possessed by a ghost, he opened Tang Xingye’s lab notebook. Turning to the latest page, it was densely filled with experimental ideas, the handwriting scribbled but showing spirit.
Ye Biezh’s fingers trembled slightly. Problems he hadn’t figured out were solved by Tang Xingye’s casually drawn diagrams.
Ye Biezh rubbed those written words with his fingertips, suddenly realizing—this was a place Tang Xingye had touched.
Possessed, he brought that page close to his nose.
Smell of ink. Fountain pen ink. And a trace of… the lingering scent of Tang Xingye’s fingertips.
—Like an indirect kiss.
This thought made him throw the notebook away as if burned, but he secretly picked it back up three minutes later.
The storm came suddenly. Someone posted on the forum questioning the data integrity of one of Tang Xingye’s papers. When Ye Biezh saw it, his fingers moved faster than his brain. By the time he reacted, he had already posted a long string of rebuttals.
“What do you know?” He typed on the keyboard with a crackle. “Do you know how much he sacrificed for this experiment?”
Coming back to his senses, Ye Biezh was startled to realize he actually remembered every detail of Tang Xingye’s paper and had argued with people for many pages using his main account.
Finally, the paper was proven to have no data fabrication. Ye Biezh was very proud, feeling like a victor. Tang Xingye was his Junior Brother; his Junior Brother’s reputation was closely linked to him, the Senior Brother.
Tang Xingye held a test tube with slender fingers, cuff revealing a section of thin, lonely wrist. He stared intently at the centrifuge spinning, long eyelashes casting a shadow under the cold lab light.
Ye Biezh glanced at Professor Ye not far away, hesitating to speak.
“Come here,” Tang Xingye said without turning his head.
Ye Biezh walked to his side in two steps. The faint smell of disinfectant mixed with a certain cold fragrance on Tang Xingye, although he had smelled it many times, still made his head dizzy.
Ye Biezh: “Do you need my help with something?”
Every time Tang Xingye asked for his help, Ye Biezh felt a bit subtle. He would never tell the other with what greedy eyes he repeatedly studied those materials, every line seeming to be tainted with Tang Xingye’s aura.
Tang Xingye turned his head, gaze landing on Ye Biezh’s face.
“My new project needs an exclusive assistant. Are you willing to come?”
The snow-white, beautiful Beta looked up at him slightly, pale pink lips parting lightly. Ye Biezh’s gaze uncontrollably slid toward the unbuttoned collar of the other, that small patch of collarbone blindingly white under the lab’s cold light.
—Exclusive? Does it mean only contacting him alone?
—Or signing some strange confidentiality agreement? Like… forbidden to speak to other opposite sexes?
No, impossible.
He couldn’t be that kind of relationship assistant for Tang Xingye. Never in this life.
But if he refused, would he never see Tang Xingye’s precious research materials again?
Ye Biezh’s morals struggled fiercely, but his brain gradually heated up. Looking at Tang Xingye’s cold yet gorgeous brows and eyes…
He lowered his eyes to sweep over Tang Xingye’s distinctly disjointed hand, his Adam’s apple rolling unconsciously.
There were still pale blue bruises left from training a few days ago. Certain untimely images suddenly broke into his mind:
This hand gripping the training uniform fabric, clamping an Alpha’s back neck pressing toward himself, or… worse, pulling a collar chain.
“I understand.” Ye Biezh’s voice trembled, as if having made a major decision. “I will keep it confidential.”
Being a mistress then being a mistress. It’s not illegal.
Besides, he is sacrificing for academia, not wanting to be some strange pet.
Tang Xingye frowned slightly: “Confidential?”
“Just… not letting Lu Zhi know.” Ye Biezh leaned closer, lowering his voice. “Don’t worry, I know the rules.”
Even if Lu Zhi didn’t count as the main wife right now, Lu Zhi at most counted as a small husband, and he counted as a mistress.
But a qualified mistress must first learn to know his place and absolutely not provoke the “small husband’s” status casually.
What does this have to do with Lu Zhi?
Tang Xingye’s expression was a bit confused. He extended his hand: “Give me your recent materials.”
Ye Biezh blinked, a look of confusion and realization appearing on his face.
Ah, so Tang Xingye likes playing this game of pretending to be business-like. His gaze flickered toward Professor Ye in the lab, ear tips turning red, voice lowered even more: “Must it be here?”
Do we have to do this kind of thing in front of my uncle?
Tang Xingye looked at his mentor inexplicably, then turned back, tone carrying a hint of impatience: “Are you giving it or not?”
Ye Biezh’s cheeks flushed red.
Tang Xingye is indeed in a hurry, actually wanting to do it right here in the lab…
Ye Biezh took a deep breath, as if making a major decision, and slowly lowered his head.
He rested his chin gently on Tang Xingye’s palm and called out extremely softly:
“Woof.”
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