Seo Eun Woo stood in front of the club, looking at the place that remained brilliantly lit even amidst the heavy rain.
In the original plot, if he hadn't transmigrated, the original host would have been suffering at home on the verge of death on a night just like this. Meanwhile, the husband who should have been by his side was here, using a birthday celebration as an excuse to drink with another already-engaged Omega.
How ironic.
Eun Woo had striking looks—a cold, elegant gaze—but his temperament was even more outstanding than his face. Against the backdrop of the torrential rain, standing before the glamorous and bustling club, he looked like a living masterpiece.
Countless onlookers couldn't help but begin to imagine a tragic, beautiful story for him.
Meanwhile, a car parked in front of the club slowly rolled up its window. A man with a sharp, superior profile caught a glimpse of the youth walking into the building.
"Let's go."
The driver acknowledged, intending to head to their original destination, but then he heard the man behind him open his eyes and cast another glance at the club. "Where is Baek Min?"
The assistant in the passenger seat immediately replied, "Mr. Baek is at the old mansion with the Matriarch tonight. Should I call him for you?"
Cassian pinched the bridge of his nose, leaning back against the seat to rest. "No need."
His rut wasn't supposed to start until next week, but his head had felt heavy since a moment ago, and there was a slight burning sensation in his gland.
He asked again, "Where is the next scheduled stop?"
The assistant flipped through the itinerary, pausing before saying, "SeaMoon Manor in ten minutes, sir. But if we go now, the timing is tight with this heavy rain. Should we change the location to Lan Manor?"
Lan Manor was the club right in front of them.
It was also the place the youth had just entered.
The assistant gripped the itinerary, and after a moment, as expected, he heard the CEO speak: "Fine."
Inside, a waiter led the way for Seo Eun Woo. He didn't know which private room Park Yong and the others were in, but he never actually intended to provide "warmth" to his "tool" of a husband anyway.
His main goal was to show his face in front of Cassian.
Now that the "face-to-face" task was done, he planned to take a quick lap to make it look convincing, then leave—perhaps picking up some more favorability points on the way out.
Whether it was his luck or Baek Min's "protagonist halo" being too bright, Eun Woo actually spotted the two of them at a table on the second-floor lounge.
Baek Min was dressed very purely—white shirt and shorts. His delicate face was flushed from the alcohol, and he was gazing at the person beside him with teary eyes.
Beside him sat Park Yong, Eun Woo's "tool" husband. He was quite handsome; otherwise, the two of them wouldn't have been called the most compatible "childhood sweetheart CP" back in university.
Park Yong sat there in a white shirt and trousers, his good physique evident. He was currently handed a tissue to Baek Min with great care. The atmosphere between them was harmonious, laced with a subtle, underlying ambiguity.
Even more interesting was that they weren't officially on a date; they were out under the guise of a department dinner.
However, the team seemed to enjoy the little spark between them. Two young women were even whispering and giggling while looking at them.
Evidently, their relationship was an open secret.
One was falling in love; the other was playing hard to get.
One wondered if Park Yong's colleagues knew he was already married.
Seo Eun Woo curled his lips into a soft, gentle smile and thanked the waiter politely. "Thank you for your trouble. I've found my friend."
"O-okay," the waiter stammered, his ears turning red, stunned by the beauty in front of him.
Seo Eun Woo walked straight toward their table. He was a natural eye-catcher, and in the dim, boozy atmosphere, his unique, refined aura stood out even more. Many people stole glances at him as he passed.
Several people at Park Yong's table also looked over. When he was just a few steps away, Baek Min looked up with teary eyes, and his expression shifted instantly upon seeing Eun Woo.
First came a daze, then his face turned deathly pale.
Probably a guilty conscience, Eun Woo mocked internally.
On the surface, his smile grew even more tender. He greeted the stunned group, then turned his gaze to Park Yong, who was frozen in place. "Husband."
The moment the word left his mouth, the once-cheerful atmosphere fell into an eerie silence.
The young women who had been secretly shipping the "CP" felt their pupils tremble. The older colleagues frowned, their eyes darting between Park Yong and Baek Min.
They were all old pros in the workplace; they knew exactly what was going on.
This was truly shameful behavior.
For a moment, no one spoke. Finally, Park Yong pulled out a chair for Eun Woo to sit and introduced him with a calm face: "This is my spouse, Seo Eun Woo."
Seo Eun Woo greeted everyone with grace and chatted for a bit. The colleagues immediately took a liking to him—he was stunning, had an extraordinary aura, was a graduate of a prestigious university, and made everyone feel respected while talking.
Everyone wanted to chat more with Seo Eun Woo.
But Eun Woo, sensing Park Yong's hesitation, excused himself to the restroom. As expected, Park Yong followed him in shortly after.
"Why are you here?" Park Yong was usually gentle, but this time there was a rare hint of interrogation in his voice. He coughed twice, realizing his tone was too harsh.
He tried to compensate: "It's pouring outside. You should have just waited for me at home. If you come out and catch a cold, you're the one who suffers."
Wait for him?
The original host had waited obediently. And what did he get in the end?
"I came to bring you some fish soup. Your stomach must be uncomfortable after drinking," Seo Eun Woo suppressed his mockery. He finished washing his hands and meticulously dried them with a paper towel. "Also—"
He turned around and leaned against the sink, his jade-white arms looping around the man's neck, pulling him down slightly.
The distance between them vanished.
Seo Eun Woo looked down, his lashes trembling as he whispered, "I missed you."
Park Yong's displeased expression softened instantly. "The wind is strong on rainy days; it's easy to get sick. I wanted to tell you not to bother when we spoke on the phone."
"In a bit..."
He originally wanted to say they should go home together early.
But then he remembered how Baek Min had been looking forward to celebrating his birthday with him for days. Baek Min was already unhappy that they had to bring colleagues along tonight. If he left now...
He was conflicted. But the usually composed Seo Eun Woo was rarely this clingy, and he couldn't bring himself to push him away.
"Wait for me a moment. I'll tell them and take you ho—"
Before he could finish, a fair, delicate finger pressed against his lips.
Seo Eun Woo said considerately, "Don't inconvenience yourself for me. I know you need to maintain professional relationships. You all stay, drink, and sing. I'll go home and wait for you, okay?"
Of course, he couldn't let his "tool" husband come home. Who would want to take care of a drunk?
Besides, if the husband was home, how could he "steal" someone else?
Park Yong was indeed moved. He leaned down to kiss Seo Eun Woo, but Eun Woo stopped him again.
Just before Park Yong could frown, Eun Woo buried his face in the man's chest. His voice was low, and his ears were red. "Let's kiss when we get home, okay...?"
Park Yong chuckled, finally feeling a sense of real romance. He rubbed the top of Eun Woo's head and hummed an agreement before walking out. "I'll go get my phone and call a car for you so you can go back and rest."
As soon as he left, Baek Min stepped out from behind a wall, looking flustered.
He bit his lip. "You... you are his spouse?"
Seo Eun Woo looked at him and finally understood why Baek Min had reacted so strongly. In the original plot, the host had been in a car accident, and his body was so damaged he was forced to end his dance career.
But he loved dance and often choreographed and practiced alone, storing those videos on his computer. After Baek Min and Park Yong became close, Baek Min saw the computer and found those videos.
He thought they were beautiful. At first, he just learned the dances and posted them on video apps. To his surprise, everyone praised his "creativity," and his followers exploded.
Later, as he posted more, he found some difficult moves impossible to do without a foundation. So, he took a risk and posted a video where Seo Eun Woo's face wasn't visible.
His followers grew even faster. And so, he began to repeat the trick.
This was the stepping stone for the "all-attractive" protagonist to enter a new field. Using his reputation as a "creative folk dance blogger," he participated in many variety shows and entered the entertainment industry.
Seo Eun Woo washed the hands that had just touched his "tool" husband again, meticulously drying his fingertips. He tossed the tissue into the bin and whispered as he brushed past Baek Min: "Baek Min, do you enjoy being a thief?"
"W-what?"
Hearing the panicked voice behind him, the "peach-blossom" curve of Eun Woo's eyes became even more apparent as he closed the door.
Oh dear, Baek Min is going to have a sleepless night.
When he said "thief," did he mean stealing a man or stealing videos?
How interesting.
He casually returned to the table, picked up his soup, apologized to Park Yong's colleagues, and left. Before leaving, he let a perfect touch of paleness show on his face, his smile appearing slightly forced—just enough to make them wonder.
As expected, those people all looked heartbroken for him, telling him to go home and rest, and even saying he should let them know if he ever needed help.
As soon as he stepped out, Eun Woo expertly put away those emotions. To his surprise, he saw that familiar car at the entrance again.
Cassian was still here.
He had taken a gamble on this rainy day, and it seemed he had won.
He still didn't have an umbrella. The gale blew his mid-length hair into a mess. His tall, thin frame looked somewhat pitiful in the storm.
He waited for a moment. Sure enough, a few minutes later, several figures appeared. A group of men in business suits surrounded a tall Alpha as they walked out.
The man wore a black overcoat over his suit. His aura was so powerful that people instinctively made a path for him.
Only Seo Eun Woo remained standing by the door with his back to him, speaking troubledly to a waiter: "I'm sorry, you..."
Eun Woo instinctively looked up, only to unexpectedly lock eyes with the man who had walked up beside him.
"Going back?"
Eun Woo was dazed for a moment, then bit his lip and smiled. "Yes. What a coincidence."
In such heavy rain and cold wind, he was only wearing a thin shirt. His hair was messy; he looked like he might have been drinking, or perhaps he had been crying. The corners of his eyes were red. When he smiled instinctively, he looked even more pitiful.
Cassian said, "Get in the car."
Eun Woo froze. "Would that be inconvenient? Maybe I should wait for a taxi a bit longer."
Cassian had originally suspected this person might have been sent by someone with hidden motives, but Eun Woo's refusal dispelled that suspicion.
He started walking out. "Follow me."
Seo Eun Woo hesitated for a second, then followed.
Once in the car, Seo Eun Woo gave his address. Cassian turned to stare at him for a moment but eventually said nothing and told the driver to go.
Eun Woo knew exactly why.
Because the address he gave was the same place Cassian was currently living—though Cassian had bought his unit, while Eun Woo was renting.
The car started smoothly, and the interior was quiet.
Seo Eun Woo took out the thermal flask and some disposable utensils from his bag. "Would you like to try some? I made crucian carp soup."
Cassian was about to refuse when he saw the redness in Eun Woo's eyes and heard the slight nasality in his voice. He could roughly guess what had happened.
Nothing more than a Beta's advances or affection being rejected.
He didn't have a habit of eating late-night snacks, but since the negotiations had gone well today, he was in a good mood.
Seo Eun Woo poured the soup into a small paper bowl. Seeing Cassian resting with his eyes closed, he kept a small bowl for himself and poured another for the assistant in the passenger seat. "Would you like to try some?"
The assistant didn't expect to be included. Seeing that the CEO said nothing, he hurriedly accepted it.
Seo Eun Woo even set aside a portion for the driver, then finally looked at Cassian with a troubled expression.
This gaze was too difficult to ignore. Cassian looked at Seo Eun Woo expressionlessly.
Seo Eun Woo's eyes crinkled into a smile, his nasal tone sounding even more gentle. "Please try some, sir. Consider it a thank-you gift."
Cassian looked down at Seo Eun Woo.
The youth's features were exquisite; his peach-blossom eyes curved upwards at the corners, yet they didn't seem frivolous. His smile was tender, his amber pupils like honey, and his lips were deep red.
His voice was very soft: "Thank you for the ride."