The Marked Alpha Is Extremely Hard to Coax - Chapter 4

Jiang Yunbian didn’t expect Zhou Die to recognize him. He clenched his molars and handed him a tissue. “Sorry.”

 

Zhou Die’s dark eyes showed displeasure, but after noticing Jiang Yunbian’s suppressed expression, his canine teeth itched, as if a certain emotional switch had been flipped.

 

He actually somewhat enjoyed seeing this expression on Jiang Yunbian.

 

In school, it was the same as now.

 

However, the expression was a bit muted now. Zhou Die slowly taunted, “Do you think just apologizing is enough? Shouldn’t you help the customer clean up?”

 

Xu Zhaoruo didn’t expect him to retort so harshly and paused with the handkerchief in her hand.

 

Huh, could this be some childish competitiveness between Alphas? Another strange bit of knowledge added.

 

Jiang Yunbian’s face darkened, but fortunately, Xiao Min arrived just in time with fresh napkins and tissues, stepping in to diffuse the situation.

 

“I’ll take care of it, I’ll take care of it.” Xiao Min nudged Jiang Yunbian towards the stage. “You should go up now.”

 

Jiang Yunbian took a deep breath and bowed his head again. “I really apologize.”

 

He seemed to have a much better temper outside of school.

 

Zhou Die gave a casual glance at the busy girl in front of him, and the confrontation he had been planning ended there as he got up to leave.

 

Xu Zhaoruo felt a bit disappointed. “You’re leaving already? I brought you here to check this place out because I heard the live singer has an amazing voice.”

 

Zhou Die glanced at the singer about to go on stage—Jiang Yunbian. “Then you stay here.”

 

“Huh…”

 

“Miss.” As Xu Zhaoruo felt let down, a greasy male voice chimed in from behind her. “Why is your little boyfriend so insensitive? Leaving you here alone is dangerous. How about I keep you company?”

 

Xu Zhaoruo was taken aback. “No need.”

 

“Hey, don’t be so quick to turn me down. I’m a regular here… Ah!”

 

The man, not taking no for an answer, reached out with his left hand to pull her closer, but Zhou Die yanked him away. However, before he could react, his right hand was grabbed as well.

 

Jiang Yunbian and Zhou Die, standing like two protectors, were just short of twisting the punk into a pretzel.

 

“Hands off?”

 

“This place doesn’t welcome rude customers. Please leave.”

 

Both spoke at the same time.

 

Jiang Yunbian’s gaze held a trace of disgust and resentment. When he saw Zhou Die make a move, he quickly let go, seemingly stopping out of instinct, without any intention of cozying up.

 

Quite a sense of justice.

 

The punk didn’t expect his light-hearted flirtation to backfire so badly and became furious. “Are you nuts, getting all physical over a joke?”

 

Zhou Die looked like someone you wouldn’t want to mess with, so the punk turned his anger on Jiang Yunbian first. “Was it you who said I have wandering hands?”

 

Jiang Yunbian sneered, “I’m the one who told you to leave.”

 

Zhou Die, indifferent, added, “And I’m the one who said your hands wander.”

 

The punk’s face turned livid. Xu Zhaoruo didn’t want the situation to escalate. “Let’s just sit down and enjoy the music.”

 

Jiang Yunbian was hoping Zhou Die would leave as soon as possible, preferably taking that punk with him.

 

This guy was notorious around these parts, known for throwing his weight around with his money… just like Zhou Die.

 

As Jiang Yunbian got on stage, the punk pulled out his phone. “I want to request a song. Apologize to me now, got it?”

 

The bar allowed patrons to pay to request songs, and having lost face, this guy was determined to get it back, openly or otherwise.

 

The keyboardist glanced at the silent audience, walked over to Jiang Yunbian, and whispered, “Forget it, don’t provoke this guy. Sing this song, and you can keep the money. Just don’t cause trouble.”

 

Money was a sensitive point for Jiang Yunbian, so he grabbed the microphone, suppressing the urge to just walk off.

 

But before the music even started, Zhou Die casually remarked, “I’ll pay double. No apologies.”

 

“You’re fucking insane!” The punk couldn’t take it anymore. “Do you have to butt in every time I give an order?”

 

“Oh.” Xu Zhaoruo opened her bag, coincidentally carrying cash today. She pulled out two bills. “One song costs 180, right? Keep the change. Go buy yourself a soda at the right-hand corner outside.”

 

“Heh.” The punk sneered. “Fine, you big shots go first. I’ll wait.”

 

Thugs like him were thick-skinned and vengeful. Jiang Yunbian, expressionless, shoved the microphone back. “I won’t—”

 

“Xiao Jiang, apologize.” The manager came out from the back, placing a hand on Jiang Yunbian’s shoulder. “Don’t disturb the other customers. Let’s go to the back and talk, okay?”

 

Zhou Die watched his back and strangely felt that if the manager hadn’t shown up, this guy might have thrown a punch at someone.

 

“Why are you getting involved when it’s just a joke from a customer? Did I hire you to sing or to be a bouncer?” the manager scolded quietly.

 

Jiang Yunbian pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Why doesn’t he go home and joke around with his mom instead?”

 

“I don’t have time to argue with you.” The manager had been displeased with Jiang Yunbian for refusing to cooperate with the bar’s promotional activities.

 

He couldn’t understand why this kid was so stubborn when he could easily earn money by showing his face and singing a few songs.

 

Today, he finally had the chance to suppress Jiang Yunbian’s attitude and was determined to either coerce or entice him into cooperating with future promotions.

 

When Jiang Yunbian reached the back, the punk was already sitting in a chair like a king. “I’ve heard a lot about the amazing lead singer here. I just came to see what all the fuss was about. But you, acting all rude to a customer right off the bat, are really something.”

 

Jiang Yunbian stood silently to the side, not even sparing him a glance.

 

The manager, wagging his tail like a dog, showered the punk with all sorts of pleasantries before turning back to Jiang Yunbian. “Come on, apologize to the customer.”

 

The punk, with his legs crossed, remarked, “Young people these days sure have tempers. A little more polish and they’ll be…”

 

*Splash*—

 

A cup of tea was flung straight at the punk, scattering tea leaves and twigs in front of his turtle-like eyes, nearly causing him to fall over in fright.

 

“Ah!”

 

“Jiang Yunbian!”

 

The manager and the punk shouted at the same time, making it hard to tell who was more out of line.

 

“You want me to apologize to him?” Jiang Yunbian calmly set down the cup. “I should at least find a reason first.”

 

The manager roared, “Do you know what you’re doing?!”

 

“I do.” Jiang Yunbian smiled coldly, without emotion. “I quit. Whoever wants to apologize can go ahead and do it.”

 

The punk still had tea leaves stuck to his hand. “You…”

 

Jiang Yunbian threw his jacket in the punk’s face. “Good night to your mother.”

 

Since his first part-time job at sixteen, Jiang Yunbian had encountered all sorts of oddballs. His temper had always been fiery, and he never allowed himself to be wronged.

 

Tonight, when he was provoked on stage by that idiot, he felt like his tolerance had expanded compared to before, but an idiot was still an idiot.

 

Jiang Yunbian packed up his things swiftly and ignored all the pleas and tense atmosphere in the break room as he walked straight out through the employee exit.

 

Zhou Die was leaning against his car by the back door. Xu Zhaoruo sighed, “It’s such a pity we didn’t get to hear Jiang Yunbian sing. I wonder if this will cause him any trouble.”

 

Zhou Die was looking down at his phone. He was just about to say something when he saw Jiang Yunbian come out of the back door. Coincidentally, a group of people across the street who had been lurking there for a while also started to move when he appeared.

 

They were here deliberately to cause trouble.

 

Xu Zhaoruo noticed too and rubbed her face. “Am I a jinx?”

 

Zhou Die handed her his phone. “Stay here, don’t move.”

 

Although he didn’t particularly like Jiang Yunbian, the guy was in this mess because of them, so Zhou Die couldn’t just stand by and watch.

 

But some people just had it coming. Even though he was already being pushed and shoved into an alley by the thugs, Jiang Yunbian’s arrogance didn’t diminish one bit when he saw Zhou Die. “What the hell are you here for?”

 

The thugs muttered among themselves, glaring at Zhou Die. “You’re the one who hit our boss earlier?”

 

“What does that have to do with him? Think that pretty boy can take a beating?” Jiang Yunbian took a step forward, using his boldness to intimidate the people in front of him. “Or do you think you can handle me?”

 

Zhou Die thought this guy was overly arrogant, but when Jiang Yunbian actually started fighting, Zhou Die realized this former classmate wasn’t just bluffing.

 

Jiang Yunbian seemed to be very skilled in street fights. His moves were quick and fierce, and he had sharp eyes. He could easily dodge and counterattack based on how the others moved.

 

“Why are you just standing there? Keep watching and I’ll start charging you!” Jiang Yunbian even had time to snap at Zhou Die.

 

Just when Zhou Die thought Jiang Yunbian was being overly ungrateful, he noticed the knife hidden behind one of the thugs who had just spoken.

 

Maybe that line about “the pretty boy can take a beating” had given the thug the wrong idea. Unable to get close to Jiang Yunbian, the thug ran up to Zhou Die instead, pressing the knife against his abdomen. “Don’t you dare move, don’t be stupid! Otherwise, he’ll get stabbed.”

 

But it seemed the thug wasn’t really intent on using the weapon, as he trembled while trying to intimidate Zhou Die.

 

Jiang Yunbian clicked his tongue, low and annoyed. He’d already guessed these guys wouldn’t come empty-handed, which was why he didn’t want to involve the “frail and delicate” Zhou Die.

 

But before Jiang Yunbian could react, the thug suddenly let out a scream.

 

Zhou Die, with a blank expression, pinned the guy to the ground, arms twisted behind his back. “I might be even less reasonable than him.”

 

An extremely cold scent of cedar, like vines wrapped in ice, began to spread and tighten around them, commanding the area with a tangible presence, making the thug instinctively cower in fear.

 

It was the suppression of a high-level pheromone.

 

Even Jiang Yunbian, standing to the side, instantly felt the heavy pressure. Zhou Die’s pheromones were terrifyingly strong—nothing about him was frail and delicate!

 

Jiang Yunbian felt a sharp pain at the back of his neck and reflexively raised his hand to scratch it, but then his shoulder was hit hard. “Let go of my boss!”

 

The guy behind him had a piercing voice that hurt Jiang Yunbian’s eardrums, so he reflexively elbowed him, only to realize that the guy was holding a knife too!

 

“Get lost.” Jiang Yunbian punched him in the stomach, only then noticing that his right hand had been cut, leaving a deep gash.

 

His sleeve quickly turned red.

 

Zhou Die had just looked up when he smelled the scent of blood mixed with the leaking pheromones.

 

When Alpha pheromones collide, they often bring out the primal aggression hidden in their bones, driving them to dominate and torment each other.

 

A burst of cool peppermint suddenly exploded in the air, the refreshing mint intertwining with the intense chill of cedar, both forces struggling to suppress the other. They twisted and coiled like two fierce vipers, trying to overpower one another, until they clashed violently at their peak, blending into a sharp, intoxicating scent!

 

In the area dominated by this peculiar fragrance, the oppressive force of the high-level pheromones made the thugs on the ground groan in agony, losing their senses.

 

Jiang Yunbian stood still, as if his consciousness and pain had been dulled by this overwhelming scent, his sensations blunted.

 

Zhou Die caught his breath and looked at his hand. “Are you okay…”

 

Before he could finish his sentence, Jiang Yunbian’s vision went dark, and he collapsed in front of Zhou Die.