E-Sports Boss Wants To Post Messages With New Players Every Day Chapter 81

Extra Story Two: Side Couple Bai Chen x Bai Ke (1)

1.

The sky was a vast, dreary gray, and a curtain of rain, like fine needlework, quietly descended over the city. Inside the old Bai family residence, the air was so heavy it was difficult to breathe.

On the living room sofa sat a middle-aged man in a suit, his hair streaked with gray, his face taut and humorless. He was looking at a document in his hand, his brow furrowed. Beside him sat a middle-aged woman in a red evening gown, wearing an equally displeased expression.

Bai Chen sat opposite them, his expression calm, his eyes indifferent, as if everything happening before him had nothing to do with him.

Bai Ke slowly descended the winding staircase, taking in this scene. He sneered internally, yet outwardly, he seemed completely oblivious to the heavy atmosphere in the room. He turned and smiled, asking a house helper to brew him a pot of black tea.

Hearing the movement, Bai Chen looked in his direction.

The Beta youth before him was tall and slender, his long, graceful legs encased in light blue jeans. His white shirt was unbuttoned at the top two buttons, revealing his beautifully shaped collarbone. His skin was fair, his features delicate, with a pair of captivating fox eyes, and full red lips that curled slightly upward, as if inviting a kiss.

Undeniably, he was a top-tier beauty, even more attractive and alluring than some Omegas.

It was just a pity… that he was a Beta.

This thought, however, was not Bai Chen’s own, but something his parents constantly lamented.

Bai Ke noticed his gaze, turned his head, and then curved his lips into a mischievous smile.

He looked exactly like a cunning fox—cute on the outside, black-hearted on the inside—slowly wagging its beautiful tail, luring a hunter into its trap.

Bai Chen’s brow twitched, and he withdrew his gaze.

The Bai Ke of the past was not like this.

Ten years ago, on a sunny afternoon, Bai Chen returned home from school as usual and saw an unfamiliar child in his living room.

His parents smiled and told him, “This will be your playmate from now on.”

Bai Chen, carrying his schoolbag, merely gave the child a cold glance before turning and heading upstairs.

He had no concept of vying for parental affection, nor did he feel any crisis that the appearance of another child would jeopardize his inheritance rights. He didn’t care about others; perhaps, he didn’t even care much about himself.

Bai Chen was naturally this cold and aloof; it seemed no emotion could ever leave a mark on his heart.

Downstairs, his parents exchanged a look and sighed deeply.

Even as a child, Bai Chen had always been this expressionless, making it impossible for anyone to glimpse his inner thoughts or ignite his emotions. Worried, they had taken him to the hospital, but the doctor’s answer was: everything is normal.

The doctor even counseled them, saying that some Alphas were simply born this way, and there was no need to worry excessively.

The Bai family was a standard AO household. As a female Omega, Bai Chen’s mother was somewhat sentimental. With his father busy with work, her abundant emotions naturally focused on her son. But Bai Chen’s demeanor truly broke her heart.

For his wife’s sake, Bai Chen’s father eventually suggested having another child.

But Bai Chen’s mother refused without hesitation.

She was physically frail, and it had been difficult enough to conceive Bai Chen. Besides that, she privately did not wish to have another biological child. The drama of siblings turning against each other for money and power in wealthy families was an age-old tale. Although she complained about Bai Chen’s lack of familial affection, she still cherished her son.

Moreover, while Bai Chen was aloof, he was extremely outstanding in other areas, always excelling in whatever he did. Looking at the walls covered in trophies and certificates, his parents were immensely proud, even if they didn’t say it aloud.

Finally, after some discussion, the couple decided to contact a welfare organization, sponsor a child, and foster them in their home to keep Bai Chen company.

That child was Bai Ke.

Everything unfolded as Bai Chen’s mother had hoped. Bai Ke was obedient and adorable, fair-skinned and handsome, with a gentle personality and a sharp mind. He met almost all her expectations for a child.

Bai Chen’s father was also very satisfied with him, treating him as his own and sparing no expense. An orphan with no parents, who needed assistance just to attend school, was instantly transformed into a wealthy young master dressed in designer clothes.

The only slight drawback was that when Bai Ke differentiated, he became a Beta.

Bai Chen’s mother had almost made up her mind, planning that if Bai Ke differentiated into an Omega, she would marry him to Bai Chen. After all, Bai Chen didn’t care about such things, and they were familiar with Bai Ke—it would be perfect.

What a pity.

So, the day Bai Ke emerged from the differentiation room, he saw the undisguised look of disappointment in Bai Chen’s mother’s eyes.

He frowned sharply inside but maintained his obedient smile on the surface.

However, after he differentiated as a Beta, his parents’ affection for him did indeed fade significantly. As Bai Chen slowly entered marriageable age, their focus shifted back to him.

After all, Bai Chen was their biological son and an Alpha, different from an unrelated child from an orphanage like him.

Bai Ke had no complaints about this. To be precise, from the moment he was sponsored, he had understood his place. In front of the Bai couple, he had worn the mask of obedience and docility from ten years ago until today.

When he was brought back to the Bai family, Bai Ke was already nine years old, considered a child “stuck in the system” at the orphanage. Those who came looking for children usually wanted someone younger, who wouldn’t remember much, to facilitate bonding. Even a five-year-old was considered too old in their eyes, let alone a nine-year-old.

Due to his background, Bai Ke had been forced to navigate the muddy waters of society early on, learning the harsh realities of human nature. Fortunately, he was naturally intelligent, and his academic performance was exceptionally good. If he persevered, his future was limitless.

The day the Bai parents visited, he was reading in his room when he suddenly heard a flurry of exclamations outside. He knew it was probably another wealthy person visiting. Although he knew it had nothing to do with him, he still looked up out of curiosity.

He saw the courtyard gate open, and a pure black Maybach slowly drove into the orphanage’s narrow yard. The usually arrogant director and vice-director stood by, bowing and scraping, their smiles fawning as they rushed to open the car doors.

A man in a suit and a beautiful, elegant woman emerged. Both were richly dressed and carried themselves with an extraordinary air, clearly belonging to a prominent, wealthy family.

After they got out of the car, the man spoke a few words to the director, while the woman scanned the surrounding children, who were full of curiosity and longing. Her expression was hard to decipher—was it disappointment or something else?

Bai Ke watched her face quietly through the window, his lips curving slightly into a smile.

A whisper, light as a bird’s feather, seemed to enter his ear, telling him that his chance to change his life was right before him.

Bai Ke put down his pen, stood up, and walked to the mirror. He changed out of his old, loose printed T-shirt, found a pure white shirt, tidied his hair, cleaned his nails and ears one by one, and then unhurriedly walked out of the room.

He timed it perfectly. As he stepped out, the director was leading the couple to the director’s office to review the files of all the orphans.

In the hallway, Bai Ke met the Bai couple face-to-face. In that instant, he clearly saw a look of astonishment in the woman’s eyes.

Bai Ke knew very well that his looks and intelligence were superior—this was his advantage. What he needed to do was work hard to let his advantages mask the flaw of his age.

In the end, he successfully convinced the Bai couple to take him home.

Ostensibly, he played the role of the dutiful son with Bai Chen’s mother, but secretly, he quietly accumulated energy, waiting for the opportunity to soar.

Bai Ke never trusted anyone but himself.

The facts proved that his thinking was not wrong. After differentiating into a Beta, all the previous affection was withdrawn, with only the cold, hard numbers in his bank account maintaining the fragile relationship.

If Bai Ke had naively believed that the Bai parents genuinely loved him and had given his heart to them, he would have been utterly tormented and pained by the subsequent disparity.

Fortunately, he hadn’t, so even when subjected to cold treatment, his heart remained calm.

Lost in thought, the helper had already brewed the black tea and respectfully wheeled it over on a small cart.

Bai Ke snapped out of his reverie and smiled, nodding at her. Taking the cart, he didn’t rush back to his room. Instead, he picked up an inverted teacup, gently placed it on the tray, hooked his long, slender fingers around the teapot handle, and lifted it. The rich, clear black tea flowed in a thin stream into the cup.

The fine black tea smelled fragrant just by inhaling it. Bai Ke picked up the cup, took a sip, and kept his eyes fixed on the sofa.

Over there, Bai Chen’s father put down the document and sighed heavily. “Bai Chen, it’s not that your mother and I are forcing you to do anything. It’s just that you’ve reached the age. If you have someone you like, you can bring them back anytime. But if you don’t, arranged marriages and alliances are unavoidable.”

Bai Chen’s mother also said softly, “That’s right. I saw the second Miss Luo at a banquet before. She and her mother are both Omegas. She’s very pretty and well-mannered. She won’t cause any trouble after marriage. Just go see her, have a meal. It doesn’t mean you have to marry her. If you’re not satisfied, there are other candidates.”

Bai Chen looked at the scattered photos of women on the coffee table and closed his eyes in annoyance.

After finally placating his parents and agreeing to have a meal with the second Miss Luo, Bai Chen raised his hand and rubbed his temples.

A light sound came from in front of him. He opened his eyes and met Bai Ke’s smiling face.

“That was quite the ordeal,” Bai Ke said, handing him a teacup. “Here, have some tea to calm down.”

Bai Chen looked at him expressionlessly. “You certainly enjoyed watching the show.”

Bai Ke paused, suppressing a faint ache in his heart, then pulled up the corner of his mouth. “Of course I enjoyed it. Why wouldn’t I be happy?”

Bai Chen was accustomed to his way of speaking and didn’t say anything more. He reached out, took the cup from Bai Ke’s hand, and took a sip.

Not far away, the helper looked slightly confused.

Had she seen wrong? The teacup the second young master Bai just handed over seemed to be the one he had just used himself.