It’s So Exhausting Having Top-tier Alpha Twins As Exes - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: What Kind of “High and Mighty” Act are You Putting On?

Jiang Xiayue was crying.

Xiang Shuyu heard the noise through a haze.

Those fragmented sobs filled him with a flicker of irritability. He was far too exhausted from being broken down the night before, and Duan Yue—having developed a taste for him—had pushed him through another session this morning. His physical and mental state had reached their breaking point. He had no strength left to open his eyes, remaining trapped in a vast, chaotic fog.

He suddenly began to empathize with Duan Yue; no wonder the man didn’t like it when Shuyu cried in front of him.

It truly was unsettling.

But Jiang Xiayue’s weeping showed no signs of stopping, as if she were determined to cry until he woke up. With no other choice, Xiang Shuyu forced his eyes open.

He saw the pale ceiling and the chandelier—he was in his own room.

Realizing he was awake, Jiang Xiayue finally ceased her wailing, hiccuping as she spoke. “I’m sorry, Xiaoshu. Mama was just too emotional. I didn’t expect you to fall down the stairs.”

She was always like this apologizing after the fact. But such apologies felt like they were past their expiration date; they were meaningless, serving only to make her feel better.

Xiang Shuyu remained silent. He knew he couldn’t keep catering to her moods, as that would only encourage her habits. Yet, after a long pause, he said spinelessly, “It’s okay, Mama. I don’t blame you.”

Whether he actually blamed her or not, he couldn’t say. He only knew that saying this would improve her mood. It was the answer she wanted to hear, allowing her to turn the page quickly, letting both herself and Shuyu off the hook.

He took after his mother. Jiang Xiayue was beautiful; though nearly fifty, her face seemed ageless, appearing more like she was in her thirties with smooth skin and few wrinkles.

She hadn’t truly suffered much in life. From birth until now, her only real hardship had been an unhappy marriage.

Jiang Xiayue sobbed, wiping tears from her face with her fingers. “Xiaoshu, I only want you to have a better life in the future.”

But how does marrying into a wealthy family equal a ‘better life’?

Xiang Shuyu didn’t understand how that equation worked. Perhaps it was just a logic Jiang Xiayue had invented for herself—a self-righteous principle never actually verified. But he didn’t say it aloud; he just nodded and gave a muffled “Mm.”

“Tell Mama, who were you with last night? Did someone bully you?”

“No,” Shuyu shook his head. “It was consensual.”

Duan Yue hadn’t forced him; he even offered to find a doctor for suppressors.

The only person who had ever forced him was Jiang Xiayue.

“That’s good. Break it off with him and don’t see him again. The doctor said you haven’t been permanently marked. Once the temporary mark fades, have Ji Yeran take you to see Duan Yue again. Otherwise, if Duan Yue discovers another Alpha’s pheromones on you, he won’t have a good impression. Alphas of the upper class are always very fastidious.”

She started detailing her plans again, seemingly without any need for Shuyu’s input. Everything was arranged so neatly, as if following her path would guaranteed the result she desired.

Shuyu wondered how a woman nearly fifty could be so naive as if, outside of marriage, life never encountered setbacks.

Then again, he realized her life hadn’t had many ripples; she was well-protected by her beauty and her innocence.

Shuyu remained silent, listening to her words yet letting them drift past him.

Jiang Xiayue got up to take a call outside.

His ears were finally at peace. Shuyu raised his arm; there was a bruise on his elbow, and his knees felt a dull ache as well. He suspected there were bruises on his back too, as it felt sore.

He suddenly had the urge to call Duan Yue.

The thought appeared out of nowhere. He considered it for a moment but didn’t act on it.

He knew that even though Duan Yue had given him his contact info, now that they were apart, the man might not bother with him. He couldn’t grasp Duan Yue’s true thoughts.

He stared blankly at his phone. After a while, Jiang Xiayue returned joyfully, kindly bringing a cold towel. “Xiaoshu, come, let Mama soothe your face.”

She had struck him quite hard earlier; half of his face was swollen, making him look particularly pitiful.

To Shuyu, this felt like “the fox paying a New Year’s visit to the hen” she likely had an ulterior motive.

“Who was on the phone?”

“Your eldest brother,” Jiang Xiayue’s joy was uncontainable. “He’s back in the country. The Xiang family is hosting a dinner today and invited us back.”

Shuyu felt another wave of exhaustion. “Mama, Xiang Junyuan is dead. There’s no place for us in the Xiang family. He was probably just being polite.”

The smile vanished from Jiang Xiayue’s face instantly, her voice turning sharp. “They asked us to go, so why do you have so much to say, Xiang Shuyu? What kind of ‘high and mighty’ act are you putting on? If the Xiang family hadn’t raised you, you wouldn’t have even been able to go abroad!”

Shuyu bit his lip and stopped talking.

Jiang Xiayue threw his coat onto him, her feigned warmth completely gone. “Get dressed quickly. We’re going to the Xiang house now.”

Shuyu lowered his eyes, his fingers tightening on the coat before relaxing in a gesture of defeat.

The Xiang family business was now in the hands of the eldest son, Xiang Han. He was constantly traveling for business. Back when Xiang Junyuan was alive, Xiang Han was rarely home. Shuyu hadn’t seen him much, but on the few occasions they met, Xiang Han was different from the rest of the family—he would actually ask after Shuyu’s well-being.

Shuyu had a decent impression of this “unofficial” older brother.

However, the invitation to dinner still filled him with trepidation.

Standing outside the Xiang manor, Shuyu hadn’t fully processed the situation. He had lived here for a few years with his mother; he didn’t have great memories of it, but they weren’t terrible either—mostly, they were just faint.

But returning for dinner reminded him of the humiliating scene when they were kicked out. All their luggage and clothes had been thrown out by the original wife, a female Beta. Shuyu still remembered her standing on the second floor, screaming hysterically: “Xiang Junyuan brought you two back just to disgust me! Now that he’s finally dead, throw all this disgusting trash out!”

Shuyu had stood in the courtyard then, listening to his mother cry, yet his heart had been strangely calm.

Much calmer than it was now.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. He looked down in a daze and saw the name Duan Yue on the screen.

It took him a moment to realize that Duan Yue had actually messaged him first.

“Found some work for you. A music team for a game project needs several guzheng pieces. I spoke with them; you can join for long-term cooperation.”

“That project is linked to my new project as well. We’ll have many chances to meet in the future.”

Duan Yue didn’t mention pay. As a pampered young master, he wasn’t short on cash and assumed Shuyu wasn’t either—it didn’t even cross his mind that Shuyu might be struggling financially.

Looking at the messages, Shuyu’s heart raced.

He had truly thought Duan Yue’s promise was just a casual remark. He hadn’t expected the man to be a man of his word and actually look out for him.

However, Shuyu’s heart was conflicted. He felt this job offer was somewhat improper it felt like “payment for services rendered.”

He agonized over it, his fingers hovering over the screen. He typed “Thank you,” then deleted it. He typed “No need,” then deleted that too.

After a while, Duan Yue lost patience and messaged again: “You don’t want it?”

He seemed to identify the issue, adding: “Base salary is about 15,000 to 30,000. Do you think the pay is too low?”

Shuyu’s fingers stopped. For him, that was more than enough.

“Xiang Shuyu, who are you chatting with?” Jiang Xiayue’s voice was tinged with dissatisfaction. “I’m talking to you. Your brother is here. Behave yourself. I heard Xiang Han has cooperated with the Duan family before. Maybe you can get him to take you to see Duan Yue…”

She was off again. It seemed she could link anything back to Duan Yue. Even someone with a temper as mild as Shuyu’s was starting to feel annoyed.

He saw Xiang Han approaching and felt a surge of nerves. He hurriedly replied “Thank you” to Duan Yue and pocketed his phone.

The tall Alpha, Xiang Han, approached them, greeting them politely. “Auntie Jiang. Xiaoshu.”

Shuyu always felt that Xiang Han’s gentleness was superficial. Standing before him brought a great deal of pressure it had been that way in the past, and it was the same now.

He forced himself to respond. “Big brother.”

As soon as he spoke, the Alpha’s rough fingers suddenly brushed across his temple. A tingly warmth spread through his skin, scaring Shuyu into taking a step back. His watery eyes widened like a startled deer, staring at Xiang Han in trepidation, wary of his next move.

But Xiang Han acted as if he didn’t see the avoidance. He didn’t make any more strange moves, merely staring at Shuyu’s face with concern. “How did you get hurt?”

“I… I accidentally fell.”

Shuyu couldn’t help but feel nervous. He slowly realized that perhaps the temporary mark Duan Yue had left on his gland was making him feel a physiological rejection toward other Alphas.

Remembering the mark and his mother’s reaction earlier, Shuyu instinctively covered the back of his neck and turned away, avoiding Xiang Han’s gaze.

Xiang Han’s gaze was too burning; he wasn’t used to it and only wanted to hide.

But Xiang Han, seemingly lacking any sense of boundaries, added, “It’s been a long time since I saw you.”

“Mm…”

“The food is being served,” Xiang Han said, a genuine smile appearing in his eyes as he finally showed some mercy and looked away. He addressed Jiang Xiayue, “Auntie Jiang, let’s go inside.”

“Just a ‘thank you’?”

Duan Yue frowned.

The Duan family was also having a family dinner. He was still at the table, ignoring etiquette by setting down his chopsticks and leaning back to scroll through the chat. He didn’t think he had sent anything that would make someone angry.

That little ungrateful Omega—he was so passionate when they met, throwing himself into his arms. Why was he so cold online?

“A’Yue,” Duan Yue’s mother reached out and tapped his hand. “Don’t play with your phone while eating.”

“I’ll eat after replying,” Duan Yue said without looking up.

But Shuyu didn’t send anything else.

This wasn’t what Duan Yue expected. Although he had never been in a relationship or kept a lover, he knew how normal partners should act after confirming a relationship. Why was Shuyu so cold the moment they separated?

Duan Yue thought for a moment and messaged his assistant: “Look into that Xiang Shuyu from the Xiang family.”

“What am I looking for, Young Master?”

“Check what he’s doing right now.”

“A’Yue,” his mother sighed, calling him again. “Are you listening?”

“To what?” Duan Yue finally looked up.

“Your younger brother is coming back in two months. When he does, discuss the marriage with the Li family with him.”

“Just let Duan Lin do it,” Duan Yue said, completely disinterested. “I’m not interested in getting married.”

“You child, marriage isn’t about being interested or not…”

The nagging went in one ear and out the other. Duan Yue didn’t even process his mother’s words before discarding them. He used to think marriage and dating were trivial; he hadn’t wanted to marry before, and likely wouldn’t in the future.

But things were different now. He had just agreed to be Xiang Shuyu’s boyfriend. Although he only intended to play around and didn’t take it seriously, the fact that his boyfriend wasn’t replying was making him irritable.

He wanted to call Shuyu and ask. It couldn’t be because he hadn’t dropped him off right at his door earlier, could it? Was he angry?

In bed, Shuyu didn’t seem like the petty type. He seemed naturally accommodating; sometimes when Duan Yue felt it was too tight, Shuyu would dizzily find ways to relax and accommodate him.

Duan Yue could hardly imagine such a person getting angry at someone.

But then he remembered Shuyu in the bathroom, crouching on the floor with tears falling, blaming him for ruining his performance.

The image of Shuyu’s damp lashes and flushed face rose in Duan Yue’s mind. His Adam’s apple bobbed. He stood up, went to the balcony, and dialed Shuyu’s number.

Shuyu didn’t answer.

His phone was in his pocket. The Xiang family dinner wasn’t exactly warm; it was cold, and no one spoke, as if they couldn’t stand the sight of one another. Only the sound of chopsticks and chewing could be heard.

Shuyu had turned his ringer off.

He had no appetite. He was already a picky eater, and out of the whole table, there were only two dishes he liked—but they were placed far away, near his second brother, Xiang Ming.

Xiang Ming had never liked him or his mother. Back when Xiang Junyuan was alive and had settled them in the house, Xiang Ming would always bully Shuyu. He would trip him to make him fall down the stairs, put bugs in his water, throw his homework into the fountain, and even tear up the “Top Student” certificates Shuyu received from school.

Shuyu was different from Jiang Xiayue. She was Xiang Junyuan’s lover; when she was wronged, Junyuan loved her and would protect her. But Alphas rarely “loved the house and its crows” (loved everything associated with the person they loved). To Junyuan, Shuyu was the seed of another Alpha; there was no need to care for a “oil bottle” (burden) carrying someone else’s genes.

Living here was less comfortable than when Shuyu and his father had squeezed into a rented room.

It wasn’t until Jiang Xiayue had a sudden whim that Shuyu should learn something that she begged Xiang Junyuan to send him abroad. Shuyu thought that perhaps even his mother felt he was a burden and wanted to send him away.

Now that Xiang Junyuan was dead and she had no one to rely on, she remembered him again.

But he had to admit, his time at the school abroad had been much more peaceful.

Shuyu ate distractedly and very little, feeling his stomach ache worsen.

As he was dazing off, a piece of meat was suddenly placed in his bowl.

Xiang Han, sitting beside him, had taken the initiative to give him food, whispering, “Why aren’t you eating?”

The table was too quiet. Though Xiang Han’s voice was soft, everyone else heard him.

Shuyu was too embarrassed to speak; he just shook his head.

Xiang Han didn’t know what the head-shake meant. He watched him, his gaze falling on Shuyu’s neck, exposed by his bowed head—it was covered in mottled tooth marks and hickeys.

Xiang Han’s eyes darkened instantly.