Yin Xishu: “This is just.”
Yin Xishu: “This is actually possible?”
Pei Ningyu held a cigarette between his fingers, lounging lazily on the sofa. Smoke rings drifted slowly from his lips, clouding Yin Xishu’s vision.
Tilting his head, Yin Xishu asked, “So does that mean he’s an alpha now?”
Pei Ningyu shot him a cold glance, his beautiful eyes flashing with disdain. “Him? Worthy?”
Yin Xishu’s gray eyes lingered on Pei Ningyu’s face, carefully studying his expression before immediately nodding in agreement. With a fawning smile that curved his eyes like a cunning fox, he played along.
“Of course not. Xu Sidu couldn’t even compare to you back at the base, let alone now that he’s just an alpha forced by suppressants. Even if he returns, you’d still crush him effortlessly.”
Pei Ningyu leaned back, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he let the club’s colorful lights flicker across his face. His slender frame melted into the sofa as he remarked indifferently, “Do you really think I’d let him step foot in the base again?”
Because Xu Sidu had woken up, Pei Ningyu had escaped any punishment from Pei Xu. But restlessness still simmered beneath the surface.
Yin Xishu: “…”
Yin Xishu cautiously observed Pei Ningyu, his heart tightening with sudden unease. A bad premonition crept over him.
Pei Ningyu remained nonchalant. “Where’s that synthetic pheromone injector you prepared last time? I want the rose scent again.”
Yin Xishu was used to catering to others reading the intentions of those above him was practically second nature. His quick wit had always won him favor among the elite.
But this time, he hesitated. His fox-like eyes curved slightly, uncharacteristically at a loss for words. He stole a careful glance at Pei Ningyu.
Yin Xishu: “Is it still for Xu Sidu?”
Pei Ningyu scoffed. “Obviously. Is there a second beta around?”
Yin Xishu neither confirmed nor denied, only saying, “I’ll look into it. The last batch we got was ineffective.”
The only reason Yin Xishu had dared to encourage Pei Ningyu in this was because Xu Sidu had truly presented as a beta.
If Xu Sidu had remained a beta, even if Pei Ningyu toyed with him to death, the Pei family had the means to cover it up.
But now, Xu Sidu had undergone a secondary differentiation into an alpha.
Once his pheromones emerged, would the Xu family stand by and watch their eldest heir, capable of inheritance, be humiliated?
If this came to light, the one to suffer wouldn’t be Pei Ningyu.
Yin Xishu stared at Pei Ningyu’s striking, sharp features his expression unreadable, his lashes casting faint shadows under his eyes, lending him an inexplicably somber air.
All Pei Ningyu had to do was pin the blame on him and offer him up to the Xu family’s wrath as a sacrificial lamb. The Xu family, eager to avoid scandal, would likely join forces with Pei Ningyu to sweep it under the rug.
Naturally, that’s how it would go. Both young masters were still untested, and a feud would only leave them both worse off. Better to bury the matter and settle scores later mutually beneficial.
Except for the small price of sacrificing someone like him, just to save face for the two of them.
But what about him?
Who would care?
No matter how politely Xu Sidu usually carried himself, it couldn’t change the inherent nature of these aristocratic young masters. Facing someone who had once aided Pei Ningyu in humiliating him, Xu Sidu would probably kill them outright.
He wasn’t Pei Ningyu,he didn’t have the family background or power to make Xu Sidu hesitate.
As the lights dimmed, a colder, more unapproachable sharpness flickered across Yin Xishu’s profile. His hatred for Pei Ningyu surged to its peak, resentment flashing like lightning.
He truly loathed Pei Ningyu, yet he had no choice but to fawn over him.
When the lights shifted colors again, all traces of those emotions vanished from Yin Xishu’s face as if they had never existed. He had already molded his expression into one of earnest concern.
“Ningyu, Xu Sidu just underwent differentiation this is when security is at its tightest. It’ll be hard for synthetic pheromones to get close to him.”
“Besides, I don’t think Xu Sidu is someone to be trifled with.”
“Back then, when he provoked you like that, he acted completely unafraid of consequences.”
Pei Ningyu lowered his gaze, silent.
Yin Xishu smiled faintly. “The matter with Pei Xu is minor in the grand scheme. But Ningyu, once you enter the Federation, you’ll have to work alongside Xu Sidu. If you’ve thoroughly offended him… who can guarantee he won’t become a threat to you?”
Pei Ningyu suddenly turned his head, his arrogant face closing in on Yin Xishu. Under the lights, his striking beauty was almost blinding. Even though Yin Xishu deeply despised Pei Ningyu’s haughty demeanor, his gaze was still inevitably drawn to him.
Though he hadn’t yet differentiated into an alpha, years of dominance had honed Pei Ningyu into an intimidating presence. He looked down at Yin Xishu with disdain.
Pei Ningyu sneered, “What kind of trash is Xu Sidu, anyway?”
Leaning closer, Pei Ningyu studied Yin Xishu’s cold expression, slender fingers brushing aside the stray hair at his temple, pulling Yin Xishu’s thoughts back to the present.
Pei Ningyu’s dark eyes reflected Yin Xishu’s distracted face. “Even if Xu Sidu somehow manages to claw his way up, who would dare touch me?”
He was Pei Ningyu, after all.
The top-ranked at the Dimensional Base, backed by a young major general with illustrious military achievements and the now fully empowered Crown Prince.
Right.
Who would dare move against him?
That same unshakable arrogance returned to Pei Ningyu’s face. His pride was absolute as his sweeping gaze pierced through Yin Xishu’s thoughts. “You’re not scared, are you?”
With an air of indifference, Pei Ningyu dictated Yin Xishu’s fate. “Yin Xishu, Xu Sidu has always been known for his good temper. Even if he gets a chance to rise later, he probably won’t give you too much trouble.”
The words sounded like something meant to placate a child.
Pei Ningyu couldn’t even be bothered to make the lie convincing.
Yin Xishu seethed with hatred for that hypocritical face. The muscles in his jaw tensed, his teeth gritting as a shadow of resentment flickered across his expression.
He could even hear the grinding of his molars, yet he forced a careful, ingratiating smile. “Ningyu, I’m just worried he might differentiate into an alpha later. If that happens, this matter could pose a threat to you ”
“A threat?” Pei Ningyu scoffed. “He’s nothing but a lowly beta. Calling him a threat is laughable.”
“The most crucial point is, if Xu Sidu can still appear at the Dimension Base without any issues, what will others think of me?”
Pei Ningyu’s voice was soft, yet each word struck deep into Yin Xishu’s heart: “People will think just like Xu Sidu where has the decisive Pei Ningyu of the past gone?”
Pei Ningyu’s expression darkened: “I will bring Xu Sidu back to show those people exactly how I’ll feed Xu Sidu to the wild dogs.”
