NOVEL SIMPLE U: Party
Lights flashed and glimmered as a limousine rolled to a stop in front of the grand manor. The air was abuzz with excitement and energy.
Energy that only one of the two occupants of said limo was feeling.
Jun Yibai had been dragged out of his class that afternoon by Song Yang to get ready for the party/event he’d mentioned before. He supposed he should be grateful that the usually inconsiderate man had bothered to let him choose his suit. It was a plus but he couldn’t feel happy just then.
He was in a bit of a mood and it showed.
Song Yang, on the other hand, was practically shaking with nervous energy.
“I really didn’t think we’d be this late for the party!” He grumbled, tapping his foot nervously. “It won’t look good for us to show up now but…”
Song Yang was clearly freaking out but Jun Yibai didn’t bother to comfort him. His mood shifted fast so it wouldn’t take long to-
“That's why we have to make sure we make the best impression we can from the get-go!” He concluded, clenching his fist.
And like that, he’s good.
Jun Yibai looked out at the crowd, noting how many famous people he was seeing. Quite a few celebrities but mostly as dates for the CEO’s and magnates that graced the covers of magazines.
It was… a bit intimidating.
Jun Yibai was a nobody who was about rub shoulders with the top of society. His future success was predicated on how good an impression he’d be making tonight.
He let out a shaky breath, calming himself.
“Hey, our turn is coming up.” Song Yang warned, smacking his shoulder to get his attention. “I need you to not embarrass me tonight, okay?”
This guy!
“Is this the way you should be talking when someone is doing you a favor?” He countered, watching the man flinch. “Recall who came to me about this event and who really needs who here.”
Jun Yibai definitely needed Song Yang more than the other way around but why reveal that? Luckily, the beta was too stressed to remember that part and submitted to Jun Yibai without a peep.
The pair walked into the mansion, the walls glittering with expensive shit that Jun Yibai couldn’t help but grimace at.
As I thought. This is still uncomfortable.
He walked carefully, feeling like he was walking on ice as he glanced at all the items around him. His mild interest in history, mostly out of a desire to beat Li Suren on a test, made him aware of the significance of some of the items around him.
The cost was immeasurable!
Yet all the other guests walked by them like they were bargain bin items.
“Oi, don’t stare.” Song Yang warned, leaning over to whisper. “It shows weakness.”
“How can I not stare? These are historical art.” He whispered back, following the man’s lead. “They should be in a museum not lining a hallway.”
“The Li clan is old blood so they have a lot of museum-worthy items.” He shrugged, passing by more precious heirlooms. “They donate their possessions every couple of years though most people on our level have seen them hundreds of times. It’s only an event for those who never see any of their houses.”
Houses? Like, plural?! So all their houses have these kinds of treasures?!
So he’d have to be extra careful lest his luck lands him in a whole fuck ton of trouble.
Wait, what did he say about the Li clan?
The pair were welcomed into the main hall, the doors opening to reveal dozens of people conversing with light music. The hall was noisy and filled with energy.
Song Yang looked around the hall and smiled. “Good, my brother isn’t here yet! That means I can show you off first.”
“Shouldn’t you greet the host first?” Jun Yibai looked around the hall, searching for a familiar face. If this was the main house of the Li clan, he knew what event this had to be.
“My father arrived first so me doing so now would reveal that I was late.” He grumbled, gesturing over to a crowd a little away. Tall figures huddled up, talking amongst themselves. “If I stall for a bit, I can play it off.”
Even as an adult, he tried to slip out of trouble.
Jun Yibai looked around the room. “Why not ask Fu Ruxing to cover for you?”
“How could I do that?” Song Yang frowned at him. “Xingxing is back home. Why do you think I didn’t come along with him?”
Ah, so they were a thing.
Jun Yibai pointed to the far wall where he’d been staring before. “Isn’t that him now?”
Fu Ruxing was there, his arm embraced by a beautiful-looking woman who chatted up the other women beside them. Even from afar, it was clear that she was showing off her date to her companions. Said date looked bored and uninterested yet let his arm be embraced so affectionately.
Song Yang stared for a second before cursing under his breath.
“That lying son of a bi-” Song Yang moved through the crowd, barreling through people to get to the towering alpha some distance away.
Fu Ruxing, like any predator, noticed pretty quickly that he was being approached. Upon seeing Song Yang, the man’s bored expression blossomed into a warm and excited smile.
Then turned stiff as he saw how pissed off his lover was.
He opened his mouth to speak yet Song Yang grabbed him by the tie and dragged him away, leaving his partner bewildered. People were muttering about the situation.
“Wasn’t that the young master of the Fu Group? Who was that other guy?”
“The third son of the Song Group.”
“The beta?” One person scoffed, holding back a snicker. “The most useless one of the three.”
“Yet he seemed close with Young master Fu.”
“Well, that young master was useless too some time ago so maybe they knew each other then?”
“Still, why keep associating with such a person? Song Group or not, clinging to a beta like that is so weird.”
“Right? There are so many omega’s who are dying to be paired with a dominant alpha like him.”
Jun Yibai walked away, not wanting to hear any more nonsense. He was sure Song Yang knew what he was getting into by associating with Fu Ruxing.
That guy wasn’t a complete idiot.
***
Jun Yibai wandered the hall, listening in on snippets of conversations and realizing that he’d fucked up.
He couldn’t join any conversation since he was a stranger and the only one who could introduce him cordially was probably being railed in the bathroom. He could try to introduce himself but he could tell that doing so would only lead to conflict.
The few men who tried that tactic were quickly scorned by the group and ignored.
Which left the beta in a troublesome predicament.
He could try and see if Li Suren was around. This was his house and he was sure this event was his grandfather's birthday that he’d mentioned before. Unfortunately, he was reluctant.
He hadn’t seen either of his friends/whatever they were for a few days now.
He came home to see Chen Guiren’s secretary greeting him and informing him that Li Suren couldn't stay at the apartment since his grandfather wanted him home for a few days. As for Chen Guiren, he had a deal to close so he’d be too busy to visit.
This was fine since Jun Yibai had schoolwork to catch up on but he came to miss them much quicker than before.
When they were just friends, it was easy to accept that he wouldn’t see them for weeks at a time since they all had their own lives to live.
As partners who’d been intimate, it was harder. He felt a bit more impatient now.
They were the ones who wanted to be a thing so it shouldn’t be unreasonable to want a bit more, right? It was perfectly reasonable!
Yet all he got from them was texts.
Weren’t they worried he might change his mind? Sure, he hadn’t said anything but it was clear that things were different now so shouldn’t they be on his ass about defining what they had?
When he saw them next, he’d definitely make them sweat.
He sighed, glancing around to find some food. He’d eat then look for Li Suren.
He arrived at the snack table, seeing it manned by a pair of servers each handling one side of a long table.
As was the fate of all food service people who were trying their best, their guests were impatient.
“When is the table going to be refreshed? I’ve been waiting forever!”
“I’m sorry, ma’am.” the server bowed, rearranging the table to remove the empty bowls. “It’ll be out soon.”
“That's what you said last time! Yet when I arrived back, the plate was empty.” She complained, glaring at the young man like he’d stolen the food off her plate. “How are you going to take responsibility?”
At that, Jun Yibai couldn’t hold back. Everyone at this party was ridiculous.
So he snickered.
The woman snapped her neck to glare at him. “Did you just laugh?!”
“Should I not have? Here you are, yapping at the server like a stray dog.” He snapped, picking out a few available snacks. “At least have the decency to hide your lack of class with better perfume. It's bad enough to hear a stray but to smell it? Disgusting.”
The woman opened her mouth to complain but saw that she was being stared at by everyone nearby. A few were barely holding in their amusement.
She flushed, glaring at him for a moment before stomping away.
The server gave him a grateful smile, to which he gave a brief nod.
As they were both people who worked with annoying people, there was no need for further words. The server went back to organizing the table and answering any questions to guests.
“Wow, what a hero.” His neighbor commented, smiling in a friendly manner. “I thought that lady was gonna be there all night.”
“Oh?”
“You didn’t know.” The man chuckled. “She got in after the initial rush, complained, and then only came back after the second rush.”
“So obviously, it was her fault for not returning on time.”
The man shrugged helplessly. “Yeah, but who can argue with rich people?”
Jun Yibai looked the man over. He was fairly attractive and just a bit taller than him. His suit was well-made and looked expensive.
He cocked a brow and his meaning was clear.
“Oh, I guess I’m one of those people, aren’t I?”
Their brief conversation petered out after that, though the man did introduce himself by handing him a business card.
“If you ever need a job, call me.” He offered, making sure Jun Yibai took the card despite his reluctance.
He frowned. “Because I told off some woman?”
“No. Because you saw a bad situation escalating and got involved despite it not being your problem.” He replied, looking around at those who had been watching the event earlier. They had moved on, talking amongst themselves like nothing had happened. “Too many people act like that, especially beta’s like you. It's good to see someone speak up for those who need it.”
“...”
Jun Yibai hadn’t meant to do that. He just thought the rich lady was being ridiculous and spoke his mind.
As if reading the beta’s mind, the stranger patted him on the shoulder with a smile and left with his plate. Now alone, Jun Yibai looked at the card.
Fu Chen
Executive Assistant
Yiren Group
He didn’t recognize the company name or what the business card was for but he found out that the person was the assistant of the CEO.
Not bad. He’d come here to get some connections so this was a good start.
As he tried to find a new place to reenter the line, he heard an exchange nearby.
“Excuse me? Do these snacks have any allergens?” A person asked, pointing to some plates. “This looks like it has shellfish.”
“Huh? Oh, darn, the sign must have fallen off.” The server covered the dish, looking around for the sign. “Um… Well, yes, these three dishes have nuts and shellfish in it so if you have any allergens-”
“Oh, not me, My date is allergic so I just want to make sure I know what I can share with her.”
“Of course, sir. I’ll replace the signs right away.”
The server made sure to cover all the dishes before turning to their partner.
“Xiaomei! I’m going to the back for a minute. Could you watch my side?”
The other server, now being swamped by questions and guests glanced over, looking over the spread, and nodded. The station only had three covered plates so it was easy to watch them.
The server left and the guest moved on. Jun Yibai found a space to reenter and picked up some snacks.
The problem came when he saw someone behind him take the cover off the dishes to serve himself. He was talking to another guest and ended up misplacing the cover onto an empty dish.
It was a simple mistake.
Yet the person next to him didn’t notice and smiled when he saw the newly uncovered dish.
“This looks good!” He muttered to himself, taking some with him. “Finally something without shellfish.”
Hearing that, Jun Yibai moved beside him to cover the plate again.
“Hey, why are you covering the food? I’m not done.” The man complained. He then frowned, looking the beta over. “Are you a server?”
“No, I’m a guest. That dish has shellfish so-”
“No, it doesn’t." The man denied, pointing to the plate. “There's no warning on it. Everything has them.”
Jun Yibai tried to explain the series of events that led up to this but their discussion was stalling the line. Not wanting anyone else to mistake the food for safety, he took the whole plate and moved it around.
This caused quite a stir.
“What are you doing? Stop messing with the spread!” The line chastised him, for they only saw a man who looked to be taking an entire plate for himself.
“I’m not!” He tried to explain himself but everyone was cutting him off, calling him unrefined for trying to take all the food.
Before long, the second server arrived and saw the commotion.
“Sir, could you please put down the plate?” She asked, worried that the situation was going to get worse.
Seeing the young lady look at him like that made him feel like the bad guy.
He handed the plate over and explained the situation calmly and directly, refusing to let himself be painted as the bad guy.
“Oh, I see.” The server nodded, though she didn’t look fully convinced.
Unfortunately, the second server never saw what dishes were covered so even she was unsure if the plate he held was the one with shellfish. The cooks had made sure the smell of fish was covered up so it was hard to say.
“The other server asked you to watch this side of the table right?” He reasoned.
“Yes, but everything is all mixed up now.” She explained, frowning helplessly.
While the plates were labeled, the server left behind only knew what was on her side of the table so there was no way to verify Jun Yibai’s claims.
Moreover, even if he was right since a lot of movement happened before, the table might be contaminated now.
This made Jun Yibai the enemy of all those who had been looking forward to eating.
Shit.
“Hey now, don’t get all pissy.” The original man who tried to eat the dish called out, glaring at the crowd. “Had he not warned us, someone could have eaten this food and died. No one wants death at a birthday celebration, right?”
There were dissatisfied mutters in the crowd. While they might not have personally cared if someone died, the party being ruined would have definitely been bad.
Still, they glared at Jun Yibai as the first server returned to see the chaos. The table had to be cleared and Jun Yibai was pulled away by the man who spoke up for him. Once alone, he smiled at Jun Yibai.
“Sorry about the yelling.” He said, scratching his head. “I really thought you were trying to take the food from me.”
“I did explain it to you.”
“Yeah, you did.” He laughed sheepishly. “Look, I’m really sorry. That escalated because of me and I want to make up for that.”
This piqued his interest. He hadn’t seen Song Yang for a while now and he’d yet to get much more than a single business card.
That fucker was supposed to be introducing him to would-be interviewers and yet he was somewhere else! Probably getting dicked down in a bathroom stall, the bastard.
“My brother is a big-name CEO and I’m his vice president.” The alpha gloated, smiling. “Hang around me and you’ll have people tripping over themselves to get to know you.”
“Even after that display?” There had been a lot of people watching them at the table.
“Seeing me with you will shut them up.” He declared, patting Jun Yibai on the shoulder.
Jun Yibai was unsure about this but chose to go along with it. He had nothing else to do and if nothing else, he wanted a chance to get to know some people. It was the only reason he’d shown up at all.
He nodded, blinking when he saw the man stare at him deeply.
Jun Yibai grimaced at the intensity. “What?”
“Do I know you?” He asked, tapping his chin. “You smell familiar.”
What the fuck was he supposed to say to that?!
The alpha continued, snapping his fingers as the thought came to him. “Didn’t we bump into each other the other day?”
“No.”
“N-no? I’m sure we-”
“I have no memory of such a thing? Aren’t you mistaken?”
W-what was this guy talking about!? He definitely wouldn’t forget the face of the man who saved his sister-in-law at night!
Moreover, he was the one who interrupted his reunion with his beloved teacher so how could he ever forget?
Yet he was pretending not to remember?
***
Jun Yibai truly did not remember.
He had chosen to willfully forget catching his teacher with a man, moments from intercourse because anything less would ruin his day.
His life was a mess already so why use up precious memories for some guy he’d caught with his pants down?
This left the alpha, who introduced himself as Gu Chenshi, flustered. Jun Yibai didn’t care since they weren’t friends.
Still, much to his surprise, as soon as the pair left the hallway together, many people walked up to them to talk. Jun Yibai didn’t have the qualifications to boast about but he showed that he understood the market and remained respectful when advised by the older men.
A lot of the advice was just telling him to consider applying to their company when he graduated since “anyone who is considered worthy by the Gu’s is an asset.”
It was pretty blatant but the beta couldn’t complain.
All the men were alphas so it’d be nigh impossible to get a foot in the door otherwise.
It was frustrating.
Gu Chen was talking to some CEO when a woman tapped Jun Yibai on the shoulder. He jumped, staring down at the pretty woman.
“Ah, it really is you!” She chirped, grinning broadly. “I’m so happy to finally find you~”
“Huh?” Jun Yibai blinked at her, confused for a second. Yet looking her over, the memory came back to him in a flash. “Oh, I remember you!”
The omega lady from the nightclub who was being chased by thugs. It was the night that he’d gotten intimate with Chen Guiren so how could he forget?
“Your partner found you? I’m glad.” He sighed, truly feeling relieved. He hadn’t gotten an update since the incident didn’t show up on the news. He tried asking Li Suren about it but was told that Chen Guiren was the one who handled it so he was at a loss.
“Oh, speaking of, my mate wanted to talk to you.” She replied, pointing over to some cluster of people. He couldn’t see anyone he recognized but the woman seemed confident. “We never got the chance to properly thank you for what you did.”
“It’s nothing to thank me over. Anyone would have done the same.”
He said this but couldn’t say for sure if he was right. She had to have passed a dozen doors before he opened his. Having traveled that same hallway, he knew those other rooms had been occupied.
Either those inside didn’t hear her or they didn’t care.
Despite this, he still felt like he hadn’t done anything worth rewarding. It was just basic decency.
Yet the woman shook her adamantly, staring up at him with determined eyes.
“I promised myself when I got the chance, I’d properly thank my savior!” She proclaimed, frowning at him. “Can’t you be courteous enough to accept my sincere thanks?”
Hearing that, Jun Yibai felt a bit bad. While he didn’t feel the need for all this, she clearly did. That night was a major event and it felt like he was belittling her by refusing.
With a grumble, he nodded letting himself be led away from Gu Chen.
Just as they drew close to the woman’s partner, the lights dimmed. Everyone started muttering, wondering why the music that had been consistently playing had shifted to a low drum.
Spotlights flashed and illuminated the staircase leading into the hall.
Unconsciously, Jun Yibai smiled.
At long last, he found Li Suren. He hadn’t attended the party until now, acting as his grandfather's escort as the old man walked down the stairs.
It was the first time Jun Yibai had ever seen the man but looking at him, it was clear that they were related. Even with wrinkles and the halting steps, this man resembled Li Suren. Not just in looks but demeanor.
How else could someone walk so carefully yet excuse such grace and control with each step?
He imagined that when Li Suren was old and weary, he’d still hold himself in such a way. Like a king being welcomed home after a long battle.
Li Suren looked breathtaking, his long silver hair pulled to the side to expose his pale neck, and dressed in a pale blue suit. Considering how traditional Li Suzhen was, he was surprised he’d allowed Li Suren to wear a suit at all.
Yet when he spotted the people behind him, it became clear why.
Zhuan Mu and Chen Jinyao, Chen Guiren’s dads, followed after the elder. The two were tall and looked like they could take over the room with a look.
The infamous alpha couple with the miracle baby.
The miracle baby followed after his parents with a serious expression on his face.
Jun Yibai frowned, confused as to why they were both at the party. He knew they often attended parties like this but this was a family event. Moreover, why were Chen Guiren’s dads walking with Li Suzhen rather than being in the crowd?
Li Suzhen took the most prominent seat, as he was the guest of honor. Chen Guiren’s dads sat to his left while Chen Guiren and Li Suren took the seats to his right.
“Thank you all for coming to celebrate this old man’s birthday.” A surprisingly firm voice came out of the old man, silencing the few whispers in the room. “It brings me joy to see how much care you are giving to our Li family.”
Who would dare refuse to do that? To be invited at all was an honor.
“My apologies for interrupting the festivities but I have an announcement to make.” He continued, looking over the crowd. “As you know, I have long hidden my beloved grandson’s fiance away from the public eye. They were young and I wanted to respect their privacy until they were ready. But tonight, I’ve chosen to present my beloved grandson and his chosen mate to the people kind enough to attend.”
The air was buzzing with excitement with the announcement. No one had expected an announcement, let alone about such a sought-after subject.
Li Suren was a man that many wanted to court but few dared to even pose the question since the Li family were so high status. The only family close to worthy was the Chen family. An old lineage and an innovative new face were something that would take their city by storm.
The few reporters invited were flashing pictures, muttering as they noted the man beside the illustrious Li Suren. Chen Guiren wasn’t as much a public figure but the few contributions he’d made as a manager at his father's company had made him very sought-after as a possible executive. He was as ruthless and cunning as his fathers.
To have these two paired up was genius. It was the most obvious choice considering all the factors. While Li Suzhen went on about them falling in love, very few saw it that way. Marriages in the upper class were rarely about love.
Compatibility, maybe but rarely love.
Everyone was cheering on the union, proclaiming how right and obvious it was.
Everyone but a lone beta who watched with confusion and growing anger.
“Those lying sons of-”
*****
AN: It took me a while to figure out how to end the chapter, hence why it took so long. As such, you get a few more suggested webtoons
In the castle: the Dragon’s Erotic Education: MC is the last inhabitant of the ancient dragon's castle. He was tasked with being the heir’s teacher. Yet, since the dragon egg never hatched, he found other avenues to explore, ie sex toys. One day, as he was ‘demonstrating’ one of these toys, the dragon's egg that hadn't moved in centuries hatched. Panicking uke x horny dragon, tsundere werewolf, sadist elf, and smiling human.
Superstitious Nine: MC is told that she is destined to die in a year. Her only hope is to get close to someone with good luck. Completely unrelated to this, she meets a guy on a chat app with whom she starts sexting with. They talk about mundane things and become friends somehow. She then finds out that that same dude lives in her apartment building. Just a note, the destined-to-die thing is almost never brought up again until well into the story. I legit forgot about it until she mentioned it again, like 20 chapters later. Older(late 20’s) woman x Younger (early 20’s) guy.
The Beast Within: An adaptation of the novel 'Desire Citadel’, I think. The novel is better but meh. The main difference is the POV. The novel is entirely in first person as the MC. The webtoon is 3rd person. Basic gist: MC and her older brother are broke and homeless so her brother decides to mooch off a nobleman his relatives vaguely kinda sorta know. The nobleman is very into MC and the feeling is mutual. As the nobleman seduces her, she is completely unaware of all the weird shit going around her. She is unperturbed by days of unrelenting rain, and dour servants that ‘subtly’ warn her to be wary of the nobleman and her own brother screaming about monsters in the house. I didn’t get far in the novel so a lot of the later stuff is new to me but other than some questionable methods of controlling his servants, the nobleman is fine. The POV shift makes things seem a lot more forced than it actually is.
Beast’s Flower: FL has been cursed to smell horrible from birth. Like rotting garbage on a hot day, bad. Because of this, her parents want nothing to do with her, only giving her a secluded shed as shelter as she is said to be a witch. One day, as she's trying not to freeze to death, a handsome noble shows up who seemingly can’t smell her. The ML charms her and takes her away but only because he wants her for a reason. ML can smell her but to him, she smells wonderful. ML who literally just wants to bone her x FL hopeful for the future.
Note: I’m hopeful for the later chapters. ML is, where I am, realizing that he might be an asshole for using this perfectly nice chick.
Dai ja ni Totsuida Musume: A chick marries a literal snake. Not a god who can transform into a snake or a half-snake man. No, just a giant snake. Do they bone? Yes. Do you see them bone? Not in detail but yes. Is it wholesome? Surprisingly, yes. They have an awkward relationship since it's an arranged marriage but they get along well and the snake is a loving husband. They even have kids who are interesting characters.
Daisy: FL has a scummy dad who gambles away their money and even tries to sell off his daughters to his debt collector. The collector, a noble in charge of the casino, is a good person who not only refuses but offers the girls money after he repossesses their manor. The dad steals this money, leaving the girls penniless. FL works and later finds out that her lover is a scumbag with a wife and later dies after being outed as a mistress. She wakes up on the day the collector takes their home and seeks to change her fate.