Side Story 2: Side CP – Bai Chen × Bai Ke (3)
3.
It wasn’t just Bai Ke; Bai Chen was also absent-minded throughout the meal. Opposite him, Luo Chuxi was chattering away non-stop. Bai Chen listened with half an ear, but somehow managed to understand her gist.
It turned out this blind date wasn’t just the intention of both sets of parents, but mostly because Luo Chuxi herself wanted to get to know Bai Chen. According to her, at a cocktail party about six months ago, she happened to run into Bai Chen smoking on the terrace. The waning night combined with Bai Chen’s cold, handsome profile made this young girl, just awakening to romance, fall in love at first sight.
So when she heard Mother Bai say the family intended to find a suitable match for Bai Chen, she pestered her mother until she finally got this opportunity.
Looking at the blushing girl in front of him, Bai Chen thought, no wonder. He had already refused so many times; any other family would have been unhappy by now. He hadn’t expected the Luo family to be so persistent. So there was this backstory.
He recalled carefully. Six months ago? He was still in the season then, but there was indeed a large gap between two matches, and he had made a trip back to attend the young master of the Fang family’s birthday party. Young Master Fang was a good friend he had known for many years, which was why Bai Chen went.
Smoking on the terrace… he really had no memory of it. He rarely touched nicotine anyway.
Luo Chuxi started talking about her trip to Europe with friends chartering a luxury cruise. Bai Chen had no interest and couldn’t be bothered to listen.
After actually meeting, he quickly realized the woman before him was a pure “love brain”—a hopeless romantic without much thought, who had probably never planned for her future. Such a person had nothing but a beautiful skin; inside, she was empty. Even for a marriage of convenience, she would definitely bring him more trouble than benefits.
Even if he really had to marry for alliance, he had to find someone who put profit first and was career-oriented. In Bai Chen’s eyes, feelings were a ticking time bomb. Compared to living with a time bomb, he would naturally prefer to deal with a businessperson. Those people were less hassle.
Luo Chuxi finished speaking and, seeing Bai Chen silent, felt a little dissatisfaction surface in her heart. She was beautiful, from a good family, and an Omega; her suitors were countless. Being pampered since childhood, meeting a cold, handsome guy naturally sparked curiosity and affection.
But ultimately, she wasn’t a girl who could tolerate cold treatment. In her bones, where emotion reigned supreme, she still craved a passionate, mutual love.
Love at first sight came quickly and left just as fast. Seeing that Bai Chen obviously had no interest in her, Luo Chuxi’s interest faded. They finished the meal hurriedly and went their separate ways without even exchanging phone numbers.
Naturally, he couldn’t let the girl pay the bill, especially since Bai Chen was indeed at fault this time—agreeing to meet but being absent-minded.
They had opened wine and ordered several extra dishes; the bill was over ten thousand. At the counter, Bai Chen hesitated, then based on his memory of Bai Ke’s table number, said, “Put the bill for table seventeen on my tab as well.”
“Table seventeen? Let me check for you… I’m sorry, Sir, the guests at table seventeen just paid and left.”
Bai Chen paused and looked back. Sure enough, the two people sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window were no longer Bai Ke and that strange man.
It was so late. It would be fine if Bai Ke went straight home, but if he didn’t… where would the two of them go?
For some reason, Mother Bai’s words suddenly echoed in his mind.
Could Bai Ke really be married off to someone?
In Bai Chen’s heart, although Bai Ke was a Beta, he was sharp and intelligent. Even if he married, surely he would be the one marrying someone else.
If he was “married out”…
Imagining that scene, Bai Chen suddenly felt a mix of complicated emotions.
With things weighing on his mind, he went down to the parking lot and turned on the car lights before remembering he had forgotten to call a designated driver in advance. Just as he was about to take out his phone to make a call, he heard footsteps nearby. “Brother.”
Bai Chen froze. He turned his head and saw Bai Ke looking at him with a grin.
Seeing the youth, his heart suddenly felt lighter. “Why are you here?”
“I told you, I met a friend for dinner.” Bai Ke didn’t want to elaborate. He reached out his hand. “You drank, right? I’ll drive.”
Bai Ke had gotten his driver’s license last year. Bai Chen nodded and handed him the car keys.
Actually, Bai Chen wanted to ask clearly about what he saw earlier. It was normal for friends to eat out, but what friend would meet in a place like that? Even if there were such friends, Bai Ke wasn’t that kind of person.
But the words slid to his lips and were swallowed back down.
Bai Chen laughed self-mockingly in his heart: Bai Ke is my brother, true, but what he wants to do is his freedom. Since when did I become so fussy like a mother hen?
So he said nothing, just turned to look out the window.
Bai Ke, on the other hand, couldn’t sit still.
From what he saw earlier, Bai Chen had a “delightful conversation” with that woman.
He was anxious inside, but on the surface, his smile showed no trace of it. “By the way, how was your date with the Luo family’s second daughter? I heard she’s quite pretty.”
Bai Chen couldn’t be bothered to hide anything about this matter and said bluntly, “Not very suitable.” He paused, then asked, pretending to be casual, “I rarely see you hanging out in this area. Which friend was it?”
Bai Ke smiled. “Oh, a streamer I know. We often duo-queue. A good buddy.”
After this exchange, the heavy stones weighing on both their hearts fell to the ground simultaneously, and the atmosphere became much more relaxed.
Arriving home, Bai Ke turned into the garage but didn’t rush to get out. Instead, he said, “Brother, can I ask you a question?”
Bai Chen said, “Speak.”
“You…” Bai Ke licked his dry lips, his fingers tapping nervously on the side of the steering wheel. “Do you only like Omegas?”
Bai Chen never expected Bai Ke to ask such a question. He looked at him sideways in surprise. “Why ask that?”
“Just curious.”
Bai Chen didn’t want to dissect issues of profit or philosophy with Bai Ke; it was too complex and too idealistic. He thought for a moment and said, “It depends on suitability. If it fits, it fits.”
“Meaning, Betas are okay too?”
Hearing this, Bai Chen was stunned for a moment, his brows knitting together. “You…”
Before he could finish his “you,” Bai Ke unbuckled his seatbelt, nimbly climbed over the center console, and sat on Bai Chen’s lap.
They had had a good relationship for so many years, but they had never had such intimate contact.
Bai Chen was startled. His hand instinctively went to support Bai Ke’s waist, but halfway there, he stopped with restraint. “Bai Ke, I’m the one who drank, not you.”
The implication was a warning: Don’t go crazy.
Stop here, and we can both pretend nothing happened.
But having taken this step, there was no way Bai Ke could retreat. He ignored Bai Chen’s words, hooked his arms around the man’s shoulders, buried his nose in the crook of his neck, and inhaled deeply. A look of deep disappointment crossed his eyes.
He wasn’t an Alpha, nor an Omega. He couldn’t sense pheromones at all.
This was why there were many AA and OO couples, but virtually no AB or BO couples.
Betas were excluded from the circle from the very start.
Bai Ke knew exactly what kind of person he was—born in the humble mud, without parents, struggling alone. But internally, he placed himself high in the sky. He had his own pride and persistence, cherishing his feathers incomparably. The day he presented as a Beta, Bai Ke had looked at the person in the mirror for a long time—his face, his body, his features and limbs, and that look filled with disappointment and self-loathing.
Actually, the person most pained by his presentation as a Beta was undoubtedly Bai Ke himself.
It was funny to say, really. Bai Ke, a thorough egoist, upon learning that Bai Chen chose to join a pro team, gave up his ten years of hard study without a second thought to follow him into the team, just to be a little closer to Bai Chen.
But after getting closer, rather than sweetness, there was mostly pain.
The distance between him and Bai Chen… looked from afar like a small hurdle, but up close, he realized it was a chasm.
If he had presented as an Omega… there wouldn’t be so many twists and turns.
Bai Ke closed his eyes and smiled bitterly. “I’m not drunk, and I’m not crazy. Brother… Bai Chen, I’m serious.”
“If you can accept a Beta, try being with me, okay?”
The smiling mask was removed, revealing a face that was cautious but had eyes full of sincerity.
Bai Chen looked at the youth in his arms. Habitually, his brain brought out absolute rationality to analyze the problem for him.
If Bai Ke were an Omega, it would be fine. But he was a Beta. If this got out, it would be a heavy blow to the Bai family’s reputation.
Bai Chen had always treated Bai Ke only as a brother. He admitted he had indeed harbored thoughts he shouldn’t have recently, but he really couldn’t get past the hurdle in his own heart. That was why he endured it and even went on a blind date today.
Bai Chen knew better than anyone that thinking was one thing, but actually doing it was another matter entirely.
He was a bit confused right now, and he had consumed alcohol. He pressed his temple, about to speak. Unexpectedly, seeing his hesitation, Bai Ke suddenly flared up and raised his voice, “It doesn’t matter if you don’t like me. You know Mom has already planned a path for me anyway—marry someone with a similar background to bring more benefits to your Bai family…”
“Bai Ke!”
Bai Ke shut his mouth, regret rising in his heart. Although the Bai parents had been cold to him in recent years, the grace of raising him wasn’t fake. Emotionally and rationally, he shouldn’t have said those words.
It was just that he had summoned all his courage, almost gambling everything to confess to Bai Chen. He was anxious and uneasy, which led to such a stress reaction. After being scolded by Bai Chen’s cold face, he felt terrible inside: It’s over. No chance.
Then his heart hardened. Since there’s no chance anyway, I might as well go for broke!
So he tilted his head back and kissed him directly.
Of his two hands, one clung tightly to Bai Chen’s neck, while the other began to unbutton his own jacket.
Snow-white skin was gradually exposed. The affection in the youth’s eyes was even more alluring than in the dreams.
Bai Chen was shocked, his face showing a rare panic and embarrassment. “Bai Ke! That’s enough, you… get off.”
“Why get off?” Bai Ke sensed something and smiled. His voice was as light as a feather, yet it smashed heavily onto Bai Chen’s heart. “Brother.”
Bai Chen’s pupils constricted slightly, and he shoved the person in his arms away.
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