"Working late at the office tonight. I won't be back for dinner, so don't wait up."
Seo Eun Woo looked down at the message he had just received. His long, thick eyelashes fluttered slightly, yet a soft, gentle smile played at the corners of his lips.
It was just as well that he wasn't coming back. His "deadbeat husband" was likely busy mooning over the "all-attractive" protagonist; with all the drinking and fussing that usually happened at night, Eun Woo couldn't be bothered to play the doting spouse.
"Eun Woo~~ please don't be sad! That Baek Min can't even compare to you. Your husband must be temporarily blind to be with him! Once he realizes how wonderful you are, he'll come running back to you immediately!" System 555 coaxed the gentle beauty cautiously, terrified that its host might burst into tears.
After all, Seo Eun Woo looked cold yet delicate. With his pale, jade-like neck bowed and his lashes trembling, he looked incredibly pitiful.
Seo Eun Woo's eyes crinkled into a crescent smile. He put down his phone, took out a thermal flask, and filled it with freshly cooked crucian carp soup. "Thank you for the comfort, baby," he teased the system in a soft voice. "Let's go deliver some food to Cassian now."
"It's his birthday today, and his stomach isn't great. He'll feel unwell if he drinks."
555 was utterly enchanted by its beautiful and kind-hearted host. To be stuck with a husband seduced by a "white lotus" protagonist and yet feel no resentment at all... even knowing his husband was with another man, he was still traveling miles to deliver heart-warming soup.
He really is too beautiful and too kind!
"Eun Woo, you're an angel!"
Seo Eun Woo let out a soft chuckle, the smile on his lips deepening.
Ah, to hide from that nasty Great God, this temporary mission seemed quite interesting.
This mission originally belonged to the "Pitiful Scapegoat" department, but because the world had glitched, the difficulty had been upgraded. It had turned into a "Pitiful Scapegoat" mission to win over the Lead Alpha.
In this first world, the "all-attractive" protagonist was a "white lotus"—clumsy but "adorable." After graduation, he joined a company where he wasn't just protected by his CEO fiancé, but also looked after by a gentle senior colleague.
Unfortunately, that "gentle senior" was Seo Eun Woo's husband in this world. Yes, men could marry men here, as this was an ABO world.
He was an Omega. He and the gentle senior—Park Yong—were childhood sweethearts. An Alpha and an Omega with a high compatibility rate; getting married had been the natural progression of things.
Originally, their feelings weren't deep, but they had intended to manage the marriage seriously. However, all that became impossible once the white lotus appeared.
After the wedding, Park Yong met the younger Baek Min, who was "more considerate" and "needed more protection." Love blossomed over time, but because he was already married, Park Yong could only play the role of the pained, humble friend.
A truly deep affection, one might say.
If this man wasn't his husband, Eun Woo would have applauded this cliché drama. But now—
Tsk.
He could only say it was lucky his target wasn't Park Yong, but rather... the white lotus's fiancé, his husband's ultimate boss, and the CEO of the Gu Group: Cassian.
Seo Eun Woo carefully sealed the lid and washed his hands.
When he looked at himself in the mirror, he gave a satisfied, gentle smile. Good, it was still his own face.
The original host had been in poor health, his face deathly pale, which had masked his true beauty. Now that Eun Woo had taken over, his complexion was flushed with health, and his peach-blossom eyes shimmered like ripples on water.
Combined with his signature "gentle green tea" smile, no one could escape his tender trap.
After all, he used to be an S-rank ranker in the "White Moonlight" department. He didn't believe for a second he couldn't lure away the white lotus's fiancé.
Once someone has had plain porridge, they always want to try a delicacy.
The door was closed by a slender, elegant hand.
Ten minutes later, Eun Woo arrived at the lobby of the Universe Group.
As soon as he entered, he was stopped by the receptionist. "Hello, sir. Who are you looking for? Do you have an appointment?"
Seo Eun Woo, of course, did not. He smiled softly. "I don't have an appointment. I'm here to deliver something to my husband. May I wait for him here?"
The young receptionist was momentarily dazed by his smile before stuttering, "Of course, of course you can! You can sit on the sofa over here."
Seo Eun Woo sent Park Yong a message asking if he could come down, mentioning he was at the lobby. Just after hitting send, a torrential rain began to pour outside.
Eun Woo recalled the original plot. Tonight was the first day of his heat. Although the original host had used suppressants, he felt terrible. He had called Park Yong, but no one answered.
The original host had then injected another dose of suppressants, eventually fainting from an overdose. Combined with the cold from the heavy rain, he ended up with a high fever, and his most important Omega gland was permanently damaged.
And while he had been painfully waiting for his husband to answer the phone, his husband was busy kissing Baek Min, finally realizing his "forbidden" feelings.
What a joke.
The private elevator opened, and a tall man stepped out. His eyes immediately landed on the youth sitting on the waiting area sofa.
The youth was very fair—so pale he almost seemed to glow under the lights. He was looking away, a posture that highlighted his smooth jawline, his perfect nose, and his deep red lips.
His mid-length hair was tied back loosely, with a few stray strands sliding down his cheek, adding a touch of melancholic tenderness to his cold, elegant aura.
As if sensing a gaze, he slowly lifted his lashes and looked over blankly. A second later, he gave a soft, gentle smile as a greeting.
Cassian paused for a moment, then nodded in response without looking further.
As he reached the entrance, he heard the youth answer a phone call, responding softly.
"Not at the office? Okay, I'll head home and wait for you, or should I find you at your dinner party?—"
"Your stomach always acts up. I made some fish soup and was just bringing it over."
"It's okay, the rain isn't too heavy. I have an umbrella, so taking a taxi won't get me wet."
"Alright then, see you in a bit."
Cassian stood at the door waiting for his driver. A thought flickered through his mind: the youth was only holding a thermal flask; he didn't have an umbrella.
The thought had barely passed when the youth walked out to stand beside him, busily tapping on his phone—likely trying to hail a ride.
After a while, the youth sighed softly and made another call, sounding a bit troubled. "Linlin, are you free right now?"
"It's fine, go ahead with your work. Remember to wear more clothes so you don't catch a cold."
He likely couldn't get a taxi, and his friend was busy.
When the driver arrived and came over with an umbrella, Cassian, moved by some inexplicable impulse, glanced at the youth.
He realized then that the youth was quite tall. He couldn't smell any pheromones; perhaps he was a Beta.
Cassian spoke up, "Where are you going?"
The youth blinked in surprise and named a club.
It happened to be exactly where Cassian was headed. He nodded. "It's on the way. Get in."
The youth looked quite embarrassed, but after a moment of hesitation, he stepped into the car.
Once inside, Eun Woo set the soup down and looked at the man sitting in the back seat, who had his eyes closed to rest.
Earlier, when the door opened, Eun Woo had been struggling with the flask and the door; the man had silently helped him. However, rain had splattered onto the man's fingers.
Eun Woo took out a handkerchief. "Would you like to wipe your hands first?"
His voice was gentle and calm. Cassian opened his eyes, swept a glance over the cloth, and didn't refuse.
The car was silent for ten minutes until they reached the destination.
Seo Eun Woo stepped out first, holding the door and saying softly, "Please keep the handkerchief. It's raining today; you might find a use for it."
"Thank you for your help today."
The way he tilted his head and smiled with downcast eyes was so tenderly romantic it made the heavy rain look like a scene from an art film.
Cassian lowered his gaze. "No need."
Whether he meant "no need to leave the handkerchief" or "no need to thank me" was unclear. For now, it seemed like the latter.
"Ding!"
He heard 555's excited cry in his mind: "Eun Woo! The target's favorability has risen to 5!"
The smile on Seo Eun Woo's lips deepened.
"Well then, goodbye."
The car door shut with a muffled thud.
Cassian looked down at the handkerchief in his hand, which emitted a faint, lingering fragrance.