The "Honest" Beta Deceived Day and Night by a Twisted Obsessive - Chapter 5

 “Big Brother, it seems we can’t get out.” 

After hearing Xie Yun’s warning, Duan Huaijing hurriedly drained his glass. Keeping the table between himself and Xie Yun, he shuffled toward the door in small, frantic steps. He stole a glance back.

Xie Yun remained seated, his long legs sprawled comfortably. He swirled the water in his glass with the practised air of someone decanting a fine vintage, his head tilted as he watched Duan Huaijing.

Duan Huaijing’s fingers twitched under that gaze. Xie Yun’s posture was languid, like someone holding an object loosely—not particularly caring if it stayed or went. Yet, the moment that object showed the slightest sign of retreating, he would yank the kite string, forcing it back to his side without giving it a moment to breathe.

Duan Huaijing pinched the hem of his shirt, wiping his sweaty palms against the fabric. “Goodbye, Big Brother,” he whispered.

Xie Yun gave a faint, indifferent “Mm” and looked away. He didn’t drink the water; he set the glass on the table with a sharp, clear clink.

Feeling like a prisoner granted a royal pardon, Duan Huaijing turned to the door and let out a huge sigh of relief. He gripped the handle, ready to bolt.

Thud!

He slammed into the door, his body pinned against it in an awkward, jarring jolt.

Eh?

Ignoring the sting of the impact, he instinctively rattled the handle a few more times. No response. The door had been locked from the outside.

Which meant.

“What is it?” Xie Yun, assuming he’d run into trouble, stood up and walked over.

Duan Huaijing knew that as a Beta, pheromones were nothing more than perfume to him. He wouldn’t be biologically affected by an Alpha’s heat, but seeing Xie Yun approach step by step still filled him with an overwhelming sense of dread. His knees felt a little weak.

“The door. it’s locked,” Duan Huaijing muttered, pressing his back against the wood. He kept his head down, stealing a cautious glance upward.

Xie Yun nodded slightly. His voice was husky, but his manner remained composed as he pulled out his phone. “It’s fine. I’ll have someone bring the spare key.”

The distance between them was small now. The scent of cedarwood drifted from Xie Yun in steady, subtle threads, invading Duan Huaijing’s senses until his head began to swim. It took him a second to process what Xie Yun had said. “No! Don’t call!”

If he called, his mother would realise the person in the room wasn’t Xie Ming, and all his efforts would be for nothing. Besides, in Xie Yun’s current state, anyone with eyes could see what was happening. If they were found together in one room, no one would believe that nothing had happened.

Scandal was a powerful thing. Xie Ming would use it as leverage to break the engagement. While Duan Huaijing didn’t want the marriage either, there was a world of difference between choosing to leave and being cast out in disgrace.

Realising he had dropped his usual timid act, Duan Huaijing softened his voice when he saw Xie Yun hadn’t dialled yet. “There’s no need for all that trouble. I’m a Beta, it’s fine. Big Brother, do you have a spare room? I’ll just lock myself in there.”

Xie Yun seemed to frown, and Duan Huaijing’s mental self pouted. What, he doesn’t want anyone staying over?

“There’s no need to mistreat yourself.”

In Duan Huaijing’s mind, the script had already reached the point where Xie Yun a man with severe germaphobia, would probably open every window to disinfect the room if he so much as breathed in his space. Hearing those words, he almost couldn’t compute. “Ah? No… I’m not mistreated.”

Seriously, what kind of tragic, pitiful persona do I have in Xie Yun’s eyes??

Seeing no further reaction from Xie Yun, Duan Huaijing tentatively moved toward an empty bedroom. When Xie Yun didn’t stop him, he took a few more steps. Shuffling to the door, he retreated one foot, then the other, and with a sudden whoosh, shut the door tight.

Xie Yun stared at the tightly sealed door. The force of the closure had sent the tassels on the door handle swinging violently. He turned to take a single step, but his expression suddenly shifted. His Adam’s apple bobbed rapidly as sweat broke out on his forehead. A flash of agony crossed his face as he hurried into another room.

****

Inside his room, Duan Huaijing clutched his phone, indifferent to the sound of the other door slamming. It wasn’t until he caught a whiff of cedarwood that he instinctively glanced at his door, listening intently for movement outside. Silence.

Suddenly, a message popped up from “The Eye.”

The Eye: I’m in so much pain.

Duan Huaijing pulled his attention away from the hallway. “Then what am I supposed to do?” he replied half-heartedly.

The reply came instantly. The Eye: Let me see you.

I’m not a bloody doctor, Duan Huaijing grumbled. He knew what “seeing” meant: either a video call or a photo. If he did a video call, Xie Yun might hear him from the other room.

Irritation bubbled up the suffocating feeling of being coerced with no way out. He lazily lifted his phone, snapped a quick selfie, and sent it without even checking the preview.

Consequently, he didn’t notice how suggestive the photo actually was. Because he was annoyed, his brow was furrowed and his rosy lips were slightly parted, revealing a hint of his tongue. Sitting in the chair facing the camera, he looked like a pitiful puppy showing its teeth with zero actual threat.

A moment later, a message appeared: The Eye: Baby makes me feel much better.

Duan Huaijing switched off his phone, rolled his eyes, and tossed it aside.

The cedarwood scent of the Alpha’s pheromones gradually filled every corner of the suite. If they were visible, they would be swirling threads of mist, hugging the walls of Duan Huaijing’s room, seeking every crack to seep under the door.

They crept across the floor like an invading force, reaching Duan Huaijing’s feet and greedily climbing upward, brushing intimately against the tip of his nose. Like several venomous snakes lying in wait, they slithered in from all directions, coiling around the oblivious Beta until he was tightly enveloped.

Xie Yun’s pheromones didn’t smell bad. Closing one’s eyes, it felt like walking into a frost-covered cedar forest a place of quiet birdsong and the slow cycle of nature. It brought an involuntary sense of peace, as if every step was free and his whole body was being cleansed by the woods.

The scent matched the man: steady, mature, polite, yet distant.

Because Duan Huaijing was a Beta, he could appreciate the nuances of Xie Yun’s pheromones like a connoisseur tasting coffee, entirely unaffected by the biological drive. Yet, he was also keenly aware that while the scent seemed infinitely welcoming, it possessed a terrifyingly aggressive edge. If it chose to attack, it would be like a wolf in the forest, seizing its prey by the throat without a shred of mercy.

When the cedar becomes a forest, there is nowhere to run.

The pheromones grew even stronger. Duan Huaijing felt as if the very air was being snatched from his lungs. He didn’t dare imagine what would happen if an Omega were here, they would be forced into heat instantly.

He stayed put. An Alpha drugged with an aphrodisiac was no different from one in a rut; they were driven by pure desire and a frantic, insatiable hunger. For Duan Huaijing to walk out now would be a death wish. So, he waited for the scent to weaken before he ventured out for a breath of fresh air.

But half an hour passed, and the pheromones only intensified. Duan Huaijing felt as though he was being pickled in cedarwood. He fanned his collar, not daring to open a window for fear someone would discover him and his fiancé’s brother together in this room.

Fortunately, the suite’s main entrance was soundproofed and sealed; the pheromones wouldn’t leak into the hallway. No one outside had any idea what was happening.

After another ten minutes, he couldn’t stand the heat any longer. He cracked his door open an inch, peeking through the gap. Seeing no one, he stepped out. He poured himself a glass of water, his eyes darting around to track Xie Yun’s location, terrified of a surprise encounter.

After drinking, he finally felt a sense of relief. He took a deep breath to relax, but his lungs were immediately filled with Xie Yun’s pheromones straight to his palate, his throat, his nose. he doubled over, coughing violently from the intensity.

Suddenly, he heard a heavy thud from a nearby room. His coughing stopped, and he pricked up his ears. It must be Xie Yun, crashing into something because of the pain.

What’s it to do with me? Duan Huaijing thought. He had no intention of checking on the man. He tried to creep back to his room, pretending he hadn’t heard anything.

But the next second, he heard Xie Yun’s raspy voice call out, “Duan Huaijing.”

Duan Huaijing froze. Was I spotted?

Then came the sound of a struggle in the bathroom, followed by another painful-sounding thud. Xie Yun, perhaps sensing no response, whispered again in a hoarse, sighing tone: “Huaijing.”

Duan Huaijing really didn’t want to answer. But since he’d been called by name, staying silent would be too obvious. Gritting his teeth, he trudged toward the bathroom. He knocked on the door, his face twisted in annoyance, though his voice remained carefully timid, like a new puppy that hadn’t learned its way around yet, full of uncertainty and a hint of forced sweetness.

“Big Brother? Are you alright?”

There was a long silence from inside. Just as Duan Huaijing thought he was being ignored, Xie Yun spoke, his breath coming in strained hitches. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine in a moment.”

Then why did you call me? Duan Huaijing fumed. Saying one thing and doing another—bloody two-faced hypocrite.

“Alright,” he replied meekly, while glaring at the door.

As he turned to leave, the rustling inside the bathroom drew closer. The scent of cedarwood became overwhelming, like a wildfire catching the hem of his clothes. There was nowhere to retreat. The door swung open, and Duan Huaijing instinctively turned around.

That fast?

There was no steam in the bathroom. Xie Yun’s hair was damp, water dripping from the ends. His eyes were bloodshot from restraint, adding a touch of primal ferocity to his usually cold, distant face. Even at a distance, the chill of the cold shower he’d taken radiated toward Duan Huaijing.

Duan Huaijing wrinkled his nose; he loathed this feeling. He could feel Xie Yun’s gaze locked onto him. Falling back on his usual habit, he lowered his head and toyed with his fingers in silence.

Xie Yun kept staring. The hair on the back of Duan Huaijing’s neck stood up. Unable to read the situation, he instinctively took a step back. That single movement caused the atmosphere to turn instantly rigid.

Sensing the shift in the man’s eyes, Duan Huaijing froze, not daring to move another muscle. Despite having done nothing wrong, he felt as if he’d just shot himself in the foot.

“Big Brother?” he asked tentatively.

Xie Yun’s gaze was like a blind man suddenly regaining sight; his focus snapped onto a single point, the Beta who had called his name.

Duan Huaijing’s mind raced. Is there something wrong with that drug? Has his brain been fried? Surely not, he doesn’t look stupid, he knows who I am, and he managed to open the door…

While Duan Huaijing was busy ruling things out, the world suddenly spun. His back hit something hard, and he squeezed his eyes shut against the pain. He could clearly hear the ragged breathing in his ear and feel the heat against his cheek. Fine strands of hair tickled his neck as Xie Yun buried his face there.

Duan Huaijing opened his eyes to see the back of Xie Yun’s head. Terrified, he struggled to push him away. Sensing the escape attempt, Xie Yun bit down. Because Duan Huaijing was squirming, the bite landed squarely on his collarbone.

Like a wolf that wouldn’t let go of its prey, Xie Yun held on. Duan Huaijing was too scared to move, terrified the man would rip a chunk of flesh out. He tried to appeal to his reason. “Big Brother!” No response. “Xie Yun!”

The grip on his collarbone loosened slightly. Duan Huaijing saw a glimmer of hope. He pushed further, trying to invoke the morality of this usually self-controlled Alpha. “I’m your brother’s fiancé! I’m Duan Huaijing! This isn’t right! Let go!”

The pressure vanished. Duan Huaijing felt so drained he nearly collapsed, cursing every one of Xie Yun’s ancestors in his head.

Xie Yun had only let go of the skin, but he stayed close. He carefully inhaled, savouring the sweet scent of Duan Huaijing’s body. He flicked his eyelids up and said, “A verbal engagement doesn’t count. You aren’t married yet, are you?”

To Duan Huaijing’s ears, this sounded like: Know your place. You’re nothing to the Xie family. Don’t think a mere verbal promise lets you climb the social ladder. Stop dreaming.

He knew the aphrodisiac could strip away reason, turning an Alpha into a machine of lust, but it didn’t make them lose their memories. Even now, the usually “perfect” Xie Yun was exposing his true, elitist thoughts.

Hah. A beast in human clothing! Two-faced! Hypocrite!

Agitated by the frantic pheromones, Duan Huaijing’s inner thoughts slipped out before he could stop them. “It’s only a matter of time.”

As expected, this provoked Xie Yun. A dark glint flashed in his eyes. He leaned in closer. Duan Huaijing thought he was going for the neck again and squeezed his eyes shut, but instead, he felt a sharp pain on his cheek.

“It doesn’t matter. Even if you marry, you can get a divorce,” Xie Yun said, cradling Duan Huaijing’s face with one palm, his thumb gently brushing the mark he had just left.

Hearing this, Duan Huaijing became even more convinced of his theory. People usually try to keep couples together, so who suggests divorce right off the bat? Does he hate seeing people happy that much?

He’s mental! The whole family is mental!

With his face held in Xie Yun’s hands, Duan Huaijing leaned his head against the wall. Since Xie Yun wasn’t in his right mind, Duan Huaijing stopped pretending to be the “good boy.” He tilted his head back, looking down through lowered lids at the dishevelled yet still superior-looking Xie Yun. The flames of jealousy in his heart roared higher.

He envied how this man was always impeccable, always in control. But alongside that, envy was a streak of spite. Seeing this usually lofty, immortal-like figure bowed so piously before him, Duan Huaijing felt a wave of disgust, but also a thrill of satisfaction at the role reversal.

“Do you even know who I am?” Duan Huaijing asked, easily slipping back into his timid, bullied act, though his eyes remained cold.

Xie Yun leaned down to meet his gaze, his eyes dark and heavy. “You are Duan Huaijing.”

Duan Huaijing corrected him. “I am your brother’s fiancé.”

Xie Yun’s eyes were bloodshot from the drug’s effects, his usually cool features flushed with a vibrant, raw colour. He insisted stubbornly, “You are Duan Huaijing.”

Duan Huaijing closed his eyes, refusing to overthink the meaning in Xie Yun’s gaze, while hiding his own disdain. Who is he trying to fool with that “you’re precious to me” look?

Fake.

He sneered inwardly. The world said the head of the Xie family was young and ruthless. Did they know their “ruthless” leader was currently getting a hard-on for his own brother’s future husband?

As Duan Huaijing cursed him in his head, Xie Yun leaned in again. By the time he realized he should move, it was too late. Xie Yun bit down hard on his collarbone.

A clear set of teeth marks was left behind, barely hidden by his collar. Duan Huaijing hissed in pain.

Pervert.

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