It’s So Exhausting Having Top-tier Alpha Twins As Exes - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Is Your Injury Any Better?

“It is reported that Duan Yue, heir to Linfeng Technology, has successfully acquired the Magnolia Group. Specific details have not yet been disclosed…”

The news broadcast echoed in the living room. Xiang Shuyu was spacing out slightly; his hand pouring tea didn’t stop, and in the blink of an eye, the tea overflowed the rim of the cup.

“Hey!” Ji Yeran called out to him again. “Shuyu, what are you daydreaming about?”

Xiang Shuyu snapped back to reality and subconsciously pulled his hand back, but the hot tea splashed out, landing on the back of his hand and instantly scalding a red mark onto it.

Xiang Shuyu hissed, drawing in a sharp breath of cold air.

“How can you be so clumsy?” Ji Yeran laughed, crossing his legs with no intention of helping. He leaned back on the sofa in a very relaxed manner. “With a person like you aside from having a pretty face there are plenty of decent-looking people around Duan Yue. How could he possibly take an interest in you?”

“I don’t necessarily need him to take an interest in me,” Xiang Shuyu said, biting his lower lip. “I just want to try.”

The Alpha on the sofa let out a cold laugh upon hearing this, but didn’t offer any further rebuttal.

Xiang Shuyu handed the tea to Ji Yeran. Ji Yeran didn’t take it; he simply sized Xiang Shuyu up from head to toe and said: “Your mother was a ‘third party’ who intruded on someone else’s marriage. Your own background isn’t good either you’re a private bastard. Being able to mix into high society is only because of the respect given to your stepfather. I really advise you to just give up.”

Xiang Shuyu’s thin wrists were exposed outside his sleeves; the hand holding the cup trembled slightly. “I am not a bastard.”

“Who cares which father sired you? Your mom did that kind of thing, so now everyone sees you as a bastard.”

Xiang Shuyu had invited this person to his home as a guest only to be bashed for no reason. No matter how mild-tempered he was, he was now feeling displeased. His breathing quickened slightly as he turned and placed the teacup on the table with a firm thud. “If Young Master Ji doesn’t want to help, he doesn’t have to. I have no intention of shamelessly clinging to your circle. Forgive me for not being able to keep you company today. Young Master Ji, please leave.”

He had spoken the words to see his guest out. Ji Yeran, likely having seen many such little tricks of “playing hard to get,” wasn’t angered. He straightened his sleeves, stood up, and smiled: “You’d better not come begging me again.”

Ji Yeran left, and only then did Xiang Shuyu slump back onto the sofa as if letting out a sigh of relief.

After his mother and father divorced, she had taken the young Xiang Shuyu to find a new lover. The new lover was an Alpha from a wealthy family, but at that time, he already had a wife and children; the relationship was a blatant extramarital affair.

But his mother still had her son change his surname to Xiang, hoping for the day she could bring Xiang Shuyu along to marry into a wealthy family.

The good times didn’t last; Xiang Junyuan soon died. The legitimate son took over, and there was no room in that house for Xiang Shuyu and his mother, so the two of them were kicked out together.

In recent years, Xiang Shuyu had been quite successful on his own. He had good musical talent and attended a prestigious music conservatory, then spent a few years studying abroad. Upon returning, he became a somewhat famous Guzheng performer.

However, Xiang Shuyu was a premature baby. He had problems with his glands and his sense of smell. It wasn’t extremely severe, but this “disability” still more or less affected his marriage prospects.

Now that he was older, reaching twenty-five, his mother, Jiang Xiayue, began to get anxious to marry Xiang Shuyu into a wealthy family to continue her own dream of high society.

Duan Yue, the heir of Linfeng Technology, was an Alpha who didn’t have a spouse yet. Jiang Xiayue boldly set her sights on this young man, instigating Xiang Shuyu to seduce Duan Yue.

Xiang Shuyu had refused several times, but Jiang Xiayue would throw a fit, crying and threatening to harm herself. He had no choice but to find someone to bring him in front of Duan Yue to show his face.

Duan Yue seemed approachable on the surface, but in reality, he was not easy to get close to at all. Xiang Shuyu had begged Ji Yeran for help just to attend a few dinners and banquets together, yet he had only “attended” he didn’t even get a chance to meet Duan Yue or say a word to him.

The only time was when Xiang Shuyu was targeted by an Omega who splashed water on the road, causing Xiang Shuyu to slip and fall, shattering the glass wine cup in his hand.

The glass shards sliced open his palm, and there was blood everywhere.

The color drained from Xiang Shuyu’s face. By the time he was helped up by Duan Yue, he was in so much pain he could hardly breathe, let alone think of saying anything more to him.

He only remembered Duan Yue saying one sentence: “Your pheromones smell very good.”

By the time he recovered his senses, Duan Yue was long gone.

This incident had only happened a week ago. The wound on Xiang Shuyu’s hand hadn’t fully healed, and the way the Alpha had protected him that day was still fresh in his mind. When he thought about it, the wound in his palm would ache faintly, as if bitten by tiny insects.

Xiang Shuyu had originally thought that seducing a stranger Alpha was a compromise to satisfy his mother’s wishes, but he later discovered that falling in love with Duan Yue was such an easy thing to do.

But even so, he still didn’t have the courage to take a step closer.

Xiang Shuyu once again acted like a turtle shrinking into its shell. He felt that what Ji Yeran said wasn’t without reason; even if he wasn’t a bastard, so what? Duan Yue wasn’t lacking Omegas by his side. There were many suitable marriage candidates, and he had no real chance of winning anyway. It wasn’t as easy as Jiang Xiayue made it sound that one could just seduce him whenever they wanted.

When Jiang Xiayue asked again, he would just say he had tried his best.

“You tried your best?” Jiang Xiayue’s voice was shrill. “What kind of effort did you put in? Did you drug him? Did you send him things? You haven’t even shown your face in front of him, and you tell me you tried your best! Did you even do as much as your mother did back then?”

Xiang Shuyu’s face was pale, and he didn’t speak.

Jiang Xiayue took a couple of breaths and started her old tricks again, sobbing: “Xiao Shu, Mom is doing this for your own good. Once you marry into the Duan family, you won’t have any more worries. Didn’t I do all that back then just so I could bring you to live a good life?”

“Mom,” Xiang Shuyu murmured, and only after a long pause did he continue, “Please stop crying. I’ll go find Ji Yeran right now.”

“Talk to him properly,” Jiang Xiayue said, grabbing Xiang Shuyu’s hand. “Don’t make him angry. He’s the only one willing to pull strings for you; you have to hold on tight.”

Xiang Shuyu endured it for a long time before saying “okay.”

Having just kicked Ji Yeran out of the house after he said those things, it was very humiliating for him to go back and beg the man now.

But Xiang Shuyu felt that he had already lost enough face; this little bit more wouldn’t matter.

He could only brace himself and call Ji Yeran.

On the other end of the phone, Ji Yeran laughed: “If it isn’t the little Young Master Xiang. What’s this? Changed your mind?”

“I’m sorry, Young Master Ji,” Xiang Shuyu said in a small voice. “I was out of line before and said the wrong things.”

“Words spoken are like spilled water. You said you didn’t need my help. I have things to do, hanging up now.”

“Young Master Ji!” Xiang Shuyu’s tone grew urgent. “Consider it my plea to you. I’ll go see him one more time. If I still can’t strike up a conversation, I’ll give up.”

“You have to give me something in exchange.”

He didn’t say what he wanted, but Xiang Shuyu knew in his heart.

Ji Yeran was willing to help him at the time because he had taken a fancy to Xiang Shuyu’s face, thinking he was beautiful.

But Xiang Shuyu was unwilling, and Ji Yeran didn’t have a hobby for forced coercion. He could only let it drop for the moment, waiting for Xiang Shuyu to get the cold shoulder from Duan Yue; then he would naturally know who was better.

He hadn’t expected that Xiang Shuyu wouldn’t even get as far as receiving a cold shoulder from Duan Yue. He was useless to the extreme worse than those money boys who used every scheme and method to try and climb into bed.

Being threatened by him again, Xiang Shuyu felt a bit stifled, but he still agreed, saying: “I promise you.”

“Tomorrow night, Duan Yue is returning from the Beicheng District, and they’re holding a welcome banquet. I’ll bring you in. Remember to dress nicely, lest you can’t even leave an impression and yet still think of seducing him. Dreaming at night would be faster than that.”

Xiang Shuyu didn’t want to argue with his “ticket,” so he just hurried to say “see you tomorrow” and hung up the phone.

The next morning, he was woken up by Jiang Xiayue. Jiang Xiayue said she would get him a new suit and a new tie so he wouldn’t lose face at the banquet.

All the money at home had been earned by Xiang Shuyu from his performances over the past few years. He had some fame outside, but the money he received wasn’t much, and there weren’t many commercial performances. But Jiang Xiayue spent money lavishly, making Xiang Shuyu’s life very strained.

Xiang Shuyu grabbed Jiang Xiayue’s hand as she held the suit against him, asking: “This suit is so expensive, where did you get the money?”

“Borrowed it, obviously,” Jiang Xiayue said as if it were a common occurrence. “Money doesn’t just appear out of nowhere.”

“The money you borrow is all under my name!” Xiang Shuyu was a bit frantic. “What happens if we can’t pay it back?”

“Will you still need to worry about that once you’ve connected with the Duan family?”

A lump of air was stuck in Xiang Shuyu’s throat; he couldn’t get it up or down, and he couldn’t say a word.

He suddenly felt a bit dejected, but Jiang Xiayue was his mother. He couldn’t actually leave her be, so he could only swallow his anger and let her get him ready.

Actually, Jiang Xiayue’s taste was only mediocre.

Xiang Shuyu thought this as he sat in Ji Yeran’s car.

Nothing fit properly; everything was a mess.

Xiang Shuyu didn’t actually understand the meaning of having to follow his mother’s request to marry into high society.

Perhaps he was still dissatisfied with the current situation, yet lost and unsure of what he should do.

Xiang Shuyu followed Ji Yeran out of the car with a heavy heart. The banquet was held at a private manor; the privacy was quite good, which could avoid being photographed by the media.

The Duan family placed great importance on privacy. For so many years, few photos had leaked out, and few people knew about the family’s private affairs. They only knew that the Duan parents’ marriage was in a good state and that both sons were successful in their own right.

Duan Yue was the eldest young master and would inevitably take over Linfeng in the future. In recent years, he had been increasingly sought after by various families wanting to send Omegas to his side.

Duan Yue said he didn’t want to end up with a child, so then a bunch of people sent Betas to his side.

But Duan Yue still didn’t take anyone; he kept himself clean.

Because of this, his reputation in the business circle was excellent. Countless scions of wealthy families racked their brains trying to marry Duan Yue, yet none could win his favor.

Xiang Shuyu was spacing out while Ji Yeran was beside him saying his taste was as bad as ever, wasting that good face, and that he smelled like a nouveau riche.

But Xiang Shuyu didn’t hear a thing. He saw Duan Yue standing in the crowd, holding a wine glass and smiling.

Ji Yeran laughed at his infatuated look and said: “Look at you, like you haven’t seen an Alpha in eight hundred years.”

Xiang Shuyu hurriedly pulled his gaze back.

However, it wasn’t because of Ji Yeran’s words; it was because Duan Yue had suddenly looked over.

He was a bit nervous.

Ji Yeran thought his own words had taken effect. He gave Xiang Shuyu a push and said: “Let’s go, come with me to offer a toast.”

He took two glasses of wine from a waiter’s tray and handed one to Xiang Shuyu.

Xiang Shuyu’s heart beat faster and faster, as if it were about to jump out of his chest.

He stood in front of Duan Yue, his head buzzing. He murmured something it might have been his name, or perhaps a greeting he couldn’t remember clearly himself.

Duan Yue raised his glass and clinked the rim against his, letting out a soft sound.

He smiled faintly, yet answered with a question unrelated to the toast: “It’s you, the little beauty with the very good-smelling pheromones. Is your injury any better?”