Mistakenly Marking My Alpha Rival - Chapter 4

A sharp, burning sensation radiated from the back of his neck. Accompanied by stabs of pain, it surged through his nerves, far worse than the mere physical torment of needles or knives.

The Alpha burst through the front entrance of the fitting rooms, head tilted back as he struggled to breathe. He lunged into a vacant stall at the far end and fumbled to lock the door, nearly collapsing to his knees on the spot.

Crackle—

Gritting his teeth, Fu Chen flattened the medicine packets crumpled in his palm. He tore open a syringe, aimed at the faint protrusion of a vein on his arm, and plunged the inhibitor in.

Thirty seconds later.

As the liquid integrated into his system and took effect, the violent pain began to recede, and the agonizing discomfort became less pronounced.

Still, Fu Chen couldn’t find the strength to stand. Beads of sweat broke out across his forehead, gathering like crystalline dewdrops. One stray drop rolled down his high nose bridge as he tilted his head, though he quickly wiped the trace away.

Dammit…

Irritation flared within him. The sudden onset of his condition at the checkout counter had thrown him into total disarray. In that moment of panic, he had instinctively looked toward the second-floor cafe for no other reason than to find the scent of that Alpha youth.

They had seemingly locked eyes then.

Fu Chen pressed his palm against his brow, not daring to imagine what that Alpha thought of him. He must have seemed utterly bizarre.

Trying to push the embarrassment aside, he began tidying up the mess. The overly expensive medicine was covered in English annotations. It wasn’t cheap, and his frequent need for it was becoming more than he could afford.

Just then.

Slow footsteps echoed from a distance, drawing closer until someone stopped just outside the door. There was a firm, rhythmic knock.

“Occupied,” Fu Chen said, his voice cold as an ice cellar. He hadn’t recovered from the episode yet, and his tone left no room for negotiation. But the person outside didn’t seem to hear. The knocking ceased for a brief half-second before two more, softer taps followed.

Fu Chen took a deep breath, turned around, and swung the door open, exposing his flushed face to the world.

A split second later.

The Alpha youth in the black trench coat stood before him, his hand still raised with long fingers slightly curled. A flicker of surprise, followed by a look of hesitation, crossed that handsome face.

Standing inside, Fu Chen’s body stiffened instantly. He was terrified that a peer, a fellow Alpha, would recognize the abnormality in his body.

“Sorry,” Dai Siyun spoke first. His usual indifference had vanished, replaced by a noticeably softer tone. “Are you unwell?”

Fu Chen instinctively averted his gaze. “No.”

The moment the word left his mouth, he realized his attitude was poor. He regretted it internally, both as a store employee and as a stranger receiving concern, he shouldn’t speak to someone that way.

But Dai Siyun didn’t overthink it. His gaze leveled toward the fitting room mirror, where the Alpha youth’s neck was fully exposed. The skin was swollen and red, tracing a perfect circle around his gland.

Perhaps the atmosphere was too quiet.

Fu Chen raised his arm to the back of his neck, pressing his palm against his skin to cover the faint redness, even going so far as to rub it unnecessarily with his fingertips. “It’s just an allergy.”

Upon hearing this.

Dai Siyun turned his head and said nothing. He met Fu Chen’s direct gaze, showing no cracks as he pivoted into his professional persona. “Did you want to try on clothes?”

The question was redundant. Dai Siyun wasn’t holding any clothes, and he had already finished checking out with his friend.

After two seconds of silence, Dai Siyun held out his phone. On the screen, a cartoon “Easter Egg” interface showed he had drawn the top prize: A One-Day Date Experience Voucher with a Staff Member.

This time, it was Fu Chen’s turn to react. He snapped his head up, his Adam’s apple bobbing as his eyes widened with disbelief. “You guys won it?”

Dai Siyun: “Yeah.”

Fu Chen’s mind was a mess. Whether it was with the Alpha youth before him or that strange, familiar guy in the hoodie, a “date” felt like a farce.

Of course, his illness was clouding his judgment. Perhaps they didn’t even plan on dating him, they might just be asking for details before choosing a cute Omega staff member instead.

Sure enough, Dai Siyun said exactly that: “It doesn’t have to be you.”

Fu Chen’s response was a beat slow. “Huh?”

His expression clearly asked, Then why come looking for me?

Dai Siyun crossed his arms, looking somewhat nonchalant. “Could I trouble you to explain the rules?”

Fu Chen understood. “…”

“Sure.”

It seemed the other party didn’t suspect his physical condition at all, they just wanted to confirm how the event worked. That was why he had come downstairs to the fitting rooms. It was Fu Chen who had overthought things due to his poor state.

The fitting room lights hit the cream-colored walls, giving them a high-quality texture. As Dai Siyun stood there, other customers carrying shopping baskets walked toward the area, casting curious glances at them.

Dai Siyun suddenly suggested, “Talk inside?”

 Fu Chen’s mind went blank. “Where?”

“The fitting room.”

Dai Siyun glanced at the surveillance camera in the top right corner of the wall and added considerately, “I’m afraid people might think you’re slacking off in private.”

Fu Chen didn’t even have time to process it. A cool guy in public, but behind the scenes, he was like a fish on a chopping block, being nudged further inside by Dai Siyun. The enclosed space wasn’t exactly cramped, but it was a tight fit for two Alphas who stood over 180cm.

“Go ahead.”

Dai Siyun moved close enough to almost force the Alpha youth against the mirror. He intentionally lowered his voice, making the atmosphere feel strangely intimate. “I’ll relay it to my friend.”

Fu Chen took a deep breath. “Fine.”

He was professional. Wearing his uniform, he recited the event details from memory. He couldn’t force a smile, though. Faking a smile was never easy, and he didn’t particularly want to keep up the act anymore.

But—

As he spoke, whether the medicine had fully kicked in or the Alpha’s proximity was doing something, the agonizing pain in his gland vanished completely. Even the warmth he had felt during the sightseeing bus ride had dissipated.

Fu Chen seemed to take a sharp breath. At the same time, he stopped talking and looked at Dai Siyun in disbelief.

Dai Siyun keenly caught the movement. He leaned half his body against the wall, his shoulder resting there, but he simply repeated what he had heard. “So you’re saying the date location is limited to the vicinity of the shop, and we can’t go further than Pearl Bay.”

Fu Chen’s mind was in turmoil. He hadn’t absorbed the question at all but nodded regardless. “Correct.”

Dai Siyun: “And we can only pick any two hours when the staff member is off the clock?”

Fu Chen seemed to be daydreaming. “Yes.”

“What’s your schedule?” Dai Siyun’s tone was indifferent. “I’ll help my friend book a time in advance.”

This time, Fu Chen snapped back to reality. His gaze slowly shifted to the Alpha, who didn’t look like he was joking. Then, the mischievous Dai Siyun let out a soft laugh. “Just a joke.”

Fu Chen felt like he was being played. His narrow eyes rounded when he stared directly at someone, making them look like clear amber. He didn’t even know how to glare properly. In Dai Siyun’s eyes, if the other person were an Omega, it would have looked exactly like acting spoiled.

“Don’t be mad,” Dai Siyun stopped laughing, returning to his serious demeanor. “I know you don’t want to go on a date with him.”

His thoughts being laid bare made Fu Chen realize he did have a poor impression of the hoodie guy, after all, that fellow wasn’t very polite. But he didn’t want a customer complaint. He no longer believed the Alpha in front of him was a 100% “good person” this guy seemed to enjoy teasing people.

Fu Chen replied in a muffled voice, “That’s not true.”

It sounded exactly like it was true.

Dai Siyun didn’t call him out. The color in his eyes brightened slightly as he reached into his coat pocket. He pulled something out and nudged it forward, tilting his chin toward the sulking youth.

Fu Chen was confused. “What?”

Dai Siyun opened his palm. Inside was a small tin of mint-colored cooling ointment. It was a classic local brand known for its heat-relieving and anti-itch properties.

 Fu Chen was stunned. “Is this for me?”

Dai Siyun: “You can use it for your allergy.”

Fu Chen was speechless. One second he was being teased, and the next, he was faced with the Alpha youth looking out for him. His internal CPU and brain felt like they were overheating. He even forgot how to say thank you.

Dai Siyun, ever the cool one, turned and walked away. Fu Chen chased him out of the fitting room, thinking that the guy’s legs were incredibly long to have gotten so far in a matter of seconds. “Wait a minute.”

Dai Siyun stopped. “What?”

“Thanks,” Fu Chen tried to hand it back. “I’ve already used some medicine.”

Dai Siyun turned slightly and quirked an eyebrow. It was a subtle gesture, one that even Fu Chen didn’t realize signaled a slight change in the Alpha. “In any case, thanks for your kindness. You can pick any staff member for the date, myself included.”

Hearing that he wasn’t just begrudgingly complying, Dai Siyun smiled again but didn’t reply, simply striding away.

And Fu Chen, the working man, had to follow. Leaving the fitting room area, he spotted Xing Xun holding shopping bags in a corner of the clothing display. His gaze instinctively turned cold enough to freeze someone solid.

“Damn…”

Xing Xun complained to his best friend as he approached. “His look was so fierce, it felt like he wanted to shank me. What were you two doing? Did you have a fight in there?”

Dai Siyun: “Giving him ointment.”

Xing Xun: “?”

He was wondering why the ointment he had stuffed into his hoodie earlier was suddenly snatched back by this guy, who then turned around and went downstairs without saying a word.

He was completely baffled.

“Was he bitten by a mosquito too?” Xing Xun said casually. “Then your reaction was a bit much.”

Dai Siyun cut him off. “It wasn’t that.”

And—

No matter how you looked at it, it clearly wasn’t a simple “allergy.” Some people looked cool, but they seemed absolutely terrible at lying.