E-Sports Boss Wants To Post Messages With New Players Every Day Chapter 83

3.

It wasn’t just Bai Ke; Bai Chen was also distracted during the meal. Luo Chuxi across from him kept chattering away, and Bai Chen, half-listening, still managed to grasp the gist of what she was saying.

It turned out that this blind date wasn’t just the parents’ idea; Luo Chuxi herself was eager to meet Bai Chen. According to her, about half a year ago at a cocktail party, she happened to see Bai Chen smoking on the terrace. The dim night coupled with Bai Chen’s cold, handsome profile made the young woman, who was just experiencing her first stirrings of love, fall for him at first sight.

Therefore, when she heard her mother mention that the Bai family intended to find a suitable match for Bai Chen, she pestered her mother until she finally secured this opportunity.

Bai Chen looked at the blushing girl in front of him and thought, no wonder. He had already refused so many times before, and any other family would have been displeased, yet the Luo family remained persistent. So, there was this backstory.

He thought back carefully. Half a year ago? He was still in the competitive season then, but there were indeed two matches with a gap in between, so he took time off to return and attend the birthday party of the Fang family’s young master. He and the young master had been good friends for many years, which was why Bai Chen went.

Smoking on the terrace—he genuinely didn’t recall that. He rarely touched nicotine.

Luo Chuxi started talking about a luxurious cruise she took with friends in Europe. Bai Chen wasn’t interested and couldn’t be bothered to listen.

After meeting her, he quickly realized that the woman before him was purely a romantic idealist, lacking much depth and likely having never planned for her own future. Such a person, despite having a beautiful exterior, was empty inside. Even for a marriage of convenience, she would bring far more trouble than benefit.

If he truly had to enter a marriage alliance, he needed someone who prioritized profit and had a strong career ambition. In Bai Chen’s eyes, emotion was a ticking time bomb. He would much rather deal with a merchant than a ticking bomb; such people were less troublesome.

Luo Chuxi finished speaking and, seeing Bai Chen remain silent, felt a hint of displeasure. She was beautiful, came from a good family, and was an Omega, with countless suitors. Having been spoiled and pampered since childhood, she naturally felt curiosity and affection when encountering a cold, handsome man.

But ultimately, she wasn’t a girl who could tolerate cold treatment. Her emotional core craved a passionate, reciprocal love.

Love at first sight comes and goes quickly. Seeing that Bai Chen clearly wasn’t interested in her, Luo Chuxi lost interest too. They quickly finished the meal and parted ways to go home, not even exchanging phone numbers.

It was impossible to let the girl pay the bill, and besides, Bai Chen was indeed at fault this time for agreeing to meet but being distracted.

They had ordered wine and several dishes, with the bill totaling just over ten thousand. At the counter, Bai Chen hesitated, then, recalling the table number where Bai Ke had been sitting, he said, “Please put the bill for table seventeen on my tab as well.”

“Table seventeen? Let me check for you… I apologize, sir, the guests at table seventeen just paid and left.”

Bai Chen froze and looked back. Sure enough, the two people sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window were no longer Bai Ke and that unfamiliar man.

It was so late. If Bai Ke had gone straight home, that would be fine, but if he hadn’t… where would the two of them go?

Somehow, his mother’s words suddenly came to mind.

Could it be that Bai Ke would really marry someone?

In Bai Chen’s mind, although Bai Ke was a Beta, he was sharp, intelligent, and if he were to marry, it would surely be him marrying someone else.

If he were to marry out…

Bai Chen thought of that scenario, and a complex mix of emotions suddenly welled up inside him.

Preoccupied, he walked all the way down to the parking lot and turned on his car lights before realizing he had forgotten to call a designated driver in advance. Just as he was about to pull out his phone, he heard footsteps nearby: “Brother.”

Bai Chen paused, turning his head to see Bai Ke smiling at him.

Seeing the young man, a sudden lightness filled his heart: “Why are you here?”

“Didn’t I say I was meeting a friend for dinner?” Bai Ke didn’t want to elaborate. He held out his hand and said, “You drank, right? I’ll drive.”

Bai Ke had gotten his driver’s license last year. Bai Chen nodded and handed him the car keys.

In truth, Bai Chen wanted to ask clearly about what he had just seen. It was normal for friends to go out for a meal, but what kind of friend would arrange a meeting in a place like that? Even if there were, Bai Ke wasn’t the type of person to do so.

But the words reached his lips and he swallowed them back.

Bai Chen laughed self-deprecatingly in his heart: Bai Ke was his younger brother, yes, but whatever he wanted to do was his freedom. How had he become so meddlesome?

So he said nothing, only looking out the window.

It was Bai Ke who started to feel restless.

From what he had just witnessed, Bai Chen had been “chatting happily” with that woman.

Anxiety churned inside him, but he smiled outwardly without a trace: “By the way, how was your date with the Luo family’s second daughter? I heard she’s quite pretty.”

Bai Chen didn’t bother to hide the matter. He stated plainly, “Not suitable.” He paused, then asked casually, “I rarely see you hanging out in this area. Which friend was it?”

Bai Ke laughed, “Oh, an streamer I know. We Duo Queue often. Good buddies.”

After this exchange, the heavy stones weighing on both their hearts simultaneously dropped, and the atmosphere became much lighter.

Back home, Bai Ke pulled into the garage but didn’t rush to get out. Instead, he said, “Brother, can I ask you a question?”

Bai Chen replied, “Go ahead.”

“Do you…” Bai Ke licked his dry lips, his fingers tapping restlessly on the side of the steering wheel, “Do you only like Omegas?”

Bai Chen never expected Bai Ke to ask such a question. He looked at him curiously: “Why do you ask that?”

“Just curious.”

Bai Chen couldn’t be bothered to argue with Bai Ke about things like interests and ideologies; they were too complex and subjective. After thinking for a moment, he said, “It depends on suitability. If it’s suitable, then it’s fine.”

“Meaning, a Beta is okay too?”

Bai Chen froze at the words, his brows furrowing: “You…”

Before he could finish his thought, Bai Ke unbuckled his seatbelt, agilely flipped over the center console, and sat down on Bai Chen’s lap.

Their relationship had been quite good for many years, but they had never had such intimate contact.

Bai Chen was startled. His hand instinctively reached out to support Bai Ke’s waist, but he stopped himself halfway, restraining himself: “Bai Ke, I’m the one who drank, not you.”

The implication was a warning: don’t act crazy.

Up to this point, everyone could pretend nothing had happened.

But now that he had taken this step, Bai Ke could not possibly retreat. He ignored Bai Chen’s words, hooking both arms around the man’s shoulders and burying his nose in his neck, taking a deep breath. A deep sense of disappointment flashed in his eyes.

He wasn’t an Alpha or an Omega; he couldn’t perceive the existence of Pheromones at all.

This was why AA and OO relationships were common, but AB and BO were virtually nonexistent.

Betas were excluded from the start.

Bai Ke knew exactly who he was: born in the low mud, without parents, struggling alone. Yet, his heart soared high in the sky; he had his own pride and persistence, cherishing his reputation immensely. The day he differentiated into a Beta, Bai Ke stared at the person in the mirror for a long time, looking at his face, his body, his features, and the eyes filled with disappointment and disgust.

In truth, the most painful person regarding the Beta differentiation was undoubtedly Bai Ke himself.

It was almost laughable that Bai Ke, a thoroughgoing egoist, didn’t hesitate when he learned Bai Chen chose to enter the professional team. He abandoned his ten years of hard study and followed him into the team, just wanting to be closer to Bai Chen.

But once the distance closed, what he felt was more pain than sweetness.

The distance between himself and Bai Chen, which looked like a small hurdle from afar, turned out to be an insurmountable chasm up close.

If he had differentiated into an Omega… there wouldn’t be so many complications.

Bai Ke closed his eyes and gave a bitter smile: “I’m not drunk, and I’m not acting crazy. Brother… Bai Chen, I’m serious.”

“If you can accept a Beta, try being with me, okay?”

The mask of a smile was removed, revealing a cautious but sincere face.

Bai Chen looked at the young man in his arms, his mind habitually taking out absolute rationality to analyze the problems one by one.

If Bai Ke were an Omega, it would be manageable, but he was a Beta. If this got out, it would be a severe blow to the Bai family’s reputation.

Bai Chen had always only seen Bai Ke as his younger brother. He admitted that he had recently entertained inappropriate thoughts, but he genuinely couldn’t overcome his own mental barrier, which was why he had endured it and even gone on a blind date today.

Bai Chen knew better than anyone that thinking something was one thing, but actually doing it was another.

He was a bit flustered right now, and having drunk alcohol, he pressed his temples, about to speak. Unexpectedly, seeing his hesitation, Bai Ke suddenly flared up, raising his voice: “It doesn’t matter if you don’t like me. You know Mom has already planned a path for me—marry someone from a similar background to bring more benefits to the Bai family…”

“Bai Ke!”

Bai Ke shut his mouth, regretting his words. Although his adoptive parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bai, had been distant in recent years, their kindness in raising him was undeniable. Emotionally and logically, he shouldn’t have said those things.

But he had mustered all his courage, almost staking everything on expressing his feelings to Bai Chen. His anxiety led to this defensive reaction. After being scolded by Bai Chen’s cold face, he felt miserable, thinking: It’s over, no chance.

Then, hardening his heart, he thought, since there’s no chance anyway, why not go all the way?

So he tilted his head back and kissed him directly.

One hand tightly wrapped around Bai Chen’s neck, while the other began to unbutton his own jacket.

Pale skin gradually became exposed. The young man’s eyes were filled with desire, even more captivating than in a dream.

Bai Chen was startled, a rare look of flustered embarrassment on his face: “Bai Ke! Stop it, you… move.”

“Why should I move?” Bai Ke sensed something, a smile appearing on his face. His voice was light as a feather, yet it struck Bai Chen’s heart heavily, “Brother.”

Bai Chen’s pupils contracted. He pushed the person in his arms away.