NOVEL NEXT U: Bad Day
AN: This chapter was supposed to be shorter originally but kept going in spite of my intentions. This is like, twice as long as I originally planned and part of me wants to split it but I’m not sure where I could. Honestly, I’m just happy things went in the direction I intended this time around~
No edit so please help an apple out!
*****
The next few days were… strange to say the least.
All of a sudden, he felt a lot more eyes on him, which was unusual. Every time he passed by a group, the whispers they had been speaking faded and they stared at him as he walked by. As soon as he was out of earshot, the whispers continued.
Stranger still, his classmates all gave him the stink eye. When he spoke to them, they would snort and pretend like he hadn’t said anything.
They hadn't been the most friendly before but they would at least respond when he asked them questions on a subject.
Now they barely looked at him.
In spite of the sudden ostracization from his classmates, his professor, the omega, kept a close eye on him. Calling on him frequently during the lecture and praising his interesting ideas on the given subject.
His compliments were always met with a low derisive grunt from someone nearby.
It felt like everyone around him was following a script while Jun Yibai was left unaware.
By the third day, Jun Yibai had started to wonder what was going on. No one wanted to talk to him and the few who did seem to be sneering at him.
The one who broke the silence was Hanyu, who pulled him from the hall into a separate room. His nervous glances made it clear he was avoiding prying eyes.
Jun Yibai tried not to be hurt by the implication that he was something to be ashamed of.
“Why are you walking around like nothing is going on?!” He asked, looking Jun Yibai over as if checking for injuries. “Are you crazy?”
“Me? I haven’t done anything so why shouldn’t I go to class?” He snapped back. Hanyu apparently knew what was going on too, it seems.
“You? You don’t know?”
“Know what?”
Hanyu groaned, looking frustrated at his apparent lack of knowledge.
“Someone put out a claim on the message board that you're a sugar baby.”
“A what?” Him? A sugar baby? He was built like a house. Who would want him? “Me?”
“Seriously?” Hanyu looked him over before he realized that yes, Jun Yibai truly had no idea. “I thought you were just ballsy for walking around without addressing the rumors. Dumb but ballsy.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’ve had my assignment to finish so I haven’t checked the message boards until today.” He explained, facepalming. Their study session was partly about him completing an assignment for his class. Since their session had gone nowhere, it was sensible to distance himself from distractions until he finished. “People have been talking about how shameless you’ve been, walking around like nothing happened so I got worried about you. Haven't you looked?”
“...No.” He didn’t bother to look at the social message board, only looking at the bulletins about maintenance or schedule changes. The forums where his rumors were being uploaded were on a completely different section than where Jun Yibai looked.
His antisocial nature had bit him in the ass this time.
“There are claims that you got in via a rich donor in exchange for sex.” He stated, pulling out his phone to show him the posts. The user was very firm on their claims, spouting his bullshit so confidently, it was hard to think it could be a lie. “The account is a sock account but claims to have proof. Not that anyone asked for any.”
Right, because it's more likely he slept his way in than having legitimately outdone alphas. If not for his scholarship, he was sure they’d accuse him of bribing someone.
Apparently, even with his mundane looks, he was capable of seducing someone to these people.
“It was actually Li Min who told me about the rumors first.” Hanyu continued, missing the look in Jun Yibai’s eye at the mention of the alpha female's name. “She was worried about the rumors and said she had doubts about it herself.
I’m sure she did. He thought, realizing what had happened. He had forgotten about the little interaction with HL the day their study session went awry. His reaction to being scent marked by Chen Guiren at that time.
He was sure if that guy had smelled it, others would have too. It would be easy to get people to verify he had been marked by an alpha. Even walking around casually, he probably still smelled a bit like Chen Guiren.
He’d practically gift-wrapped himself for those two.
He sighed, resenting the fact he couldn’t smell anything on him even now. He was emblazoned with a neon sign that everyone else could see but him.
As if reading his mind, Hanyu spoke Jun Yibai’s thoughts out loud. “Now that I think about it, do you think the rumor has something to do with what happened the other day with you and your not-boyfriend?”
He was more right than wrong but it felt wrong to say Chen Guiren was his boyfriend.
“That guy and I aren’t dating.” He said, his tone casual.
“But it does have something to do with that, right?” He pressed, not letting the matter drop. “That's the only time I could think of that would lead to such conclusions.”
He shrugged, not wanting to discuss the line of thought. While it was annoying, he couldn’t blame Chen Guiren entirely. He got close to the alpha on his own. Half the fault was on him.
No, it wasn’t his fault either! Chen Guiren was his friend and he was allowed to be friends with an alpha now. There was nothing shameful or bad about it!
He mentally chanted this in his head, even as he felt the judging eyes of his father breathing down his neck.
“Jun Yibai!”
The beta flinched, having blanked out for a moment. The omega gave him a concerned look but relaxed once he saw he had the beta’s attention again.
“We have to come up with a solution for all this!” He insisted, tapping his arm with frustration. “We can’t let whoever that poster is, ruin your reputation.”
“It doesn’t matter.” He retorted.
“It does! It’ll make your school life a lot harder if they think you got in through the back door.”
“They wouldn’t respect me anyway.”
It was a fact that his getting the highest score this time had made him a pariah. It might have been acceptable as an omega but betas weren’t supposed to be above anyone but each other. A bunch of crabs in a pot.
Jun Yibai was just the crab that actually escaped the pot.
Perhaps Hanyu knew a little about this, as an omega male. He had his own set of expectations being thrust upon him. His chosen field wasn’t what anyone would have assumed from someone like him yet here he was, studying hard.
In some ways, the two of them were very alike.
“I'm sorry.”
“What for?” Jun Yibai blinked, confused by the sudden apology. “It's not your fault.”
Technically, this was Hanyu’s fault. Their friendship and Li Min’s desire to harass him had led up to this. The easy solution was to just cut ties with the omega.
“Still, I’m your friend and yet I let this get so out of hand because I wasn’t paying attention.” He grumbled, looking like he was sucking on a lemon. “I don’t know if I can help with this.”
It was because of this that Jun Yibai didn’t cut ties with Hanyu. The omega was a good guy, if not a bit foolish when it came to his friends. While the easy path was to just let them drift apart and finally get Li Min off his ass, he didn’t want to do that.
Whether it was out of pride or true affection for his new friend, Jun Yibai refused to let someone else dictate how his life was going to go. He hadn’t left the prying eyes of his father just to buckle to this little bit of pressure.
“There's nothing to help me with. This is nothing.” He assured, patting the man on the shoulder. “Don’t sweat it.”
“But-”
“It's fine.”
It really was fine. While the rumor made it damn near impossible to socialize as few would want to associate with someone who slept their way into a prestigious university, it wasn’t so bad that Jun Yibai felt the need to do anything about it at the moment.
The administration knew he hadn’t cheated or bribed his way in. they had acted like he was a talking dog when they learned of his academic prowess. Had he truly gotten in through the back door, such condescending people would have openly said as much when looking at the beta who broke their worldviews with under 200 questions.
As such, he wasn’t worried about being expelled.
He could get the administration to show off his score to prove he’d earned his way in but using such tactics would implicate them as the one he was ‘offering his services’ to.
Giving him the scholarship was as far as they were willing to go for a beta like him.
Perhaps this kind of tactic would work against someone like Hanyu who was social and cared about what people thought about him. Someone who adhered to the norms of society would be destroyed by the implication of being cast out. It was natural to be wary. It was human nature.
But Jun Yibai wasn’t scared of such things anymore. Even when he had no idea what was happening, he felt nothing more than mild confusion.
Jun Yibai had accepted that his adherence to being unorthodox would lead to things like this. He knew going down the path of a business degree as a beta would garner looks and whispers about his arrogance.
Giving those bastards another excuse wasn’t going to change much.
***
That evening, he was invited out by Hanyu.
“You’re not worried about being seen with me?” He asked, though he knew the answer already. It was the same as the one given that morning.
“Junior Brother Jun is the friend I picked out myself. How can I let you go just because some people are jealous of you?”
“That and I’m one of the few people willing to listen to you humblebrag about your girlfriend.”
T-that too~” He mumbled, at least having the decency to look embarrassed. “Moreover, when my darling heard the rumors, she insisted on meeting you again.”
Hence why they had decided to meet up at the restaurant of her choice. The only thing was…
“...Isn’t this place a bit… much?”
The restaurant of her choice was a hotel/club. It was high end but had the same feel as the previous place they’d gone to.
“Do you have a thing with clubs?” He asked, looking around as he was led through the building. There were quite a few couples in the halls kissing and… oh, dear! Jun Yibai looked away as he saw a hand slip into a man’s pants. The front side. “You don’t know any nicer places?”
“This place has privacy so my girlfriend prefers it to open restaurants.”
“Why not rent out a private room there?” Li Suren always did that when they were hanging out.
Hanyu balked at his casual question. “Those are expensive!”
Were they? Whenever he was invited out by Li Suren, the omega had complained about how cheap it was. He worried it wouldn’t be worth it if he barely broke his card limit on the room.
Then again, Li Suren was a rich heir. God only knew if his card even had a limit to it.
It seemed he’d been spoiled a bit by that guy. It was a strange feeling.
Before he could explore that line of thought, they had reached their reserved room. It wasn’t VIP, as there was a flight of stairs some distance away that led to much nicer rooms. He could almost smell the money drifting from there.
The guards at the top of the stairs also made it clear that not just anyone could step up there.
Inside their room, there was a couch, a large flatscreen, and a table meant to hold drinks and snacks ordered over the phone. It was nice and private. It even had a specialized room attached for those who needed the space.
According to Hanyu, couples would often want some ‘time alone’ and would use it while the other guests continued on with their own party. The fact that this was enough of a necessity that it warranted a special room to be installed in even the standard rooms was very telling.
“And this is the place your girlfriend invited us to?”
“She said her uncle had a meeting to attend here, so it's a good enough spot.” He replied, smiling as they waited inside.
“Should I be concerned about what your girlfriend’s family gets into?” Jun Yibai asked, feeling mildly concerned. The ‘meetings’ he knew of were those his father set up with his friends or the ones Chen Guiren had which usually ended with the alpha coming back with blood stains. Neither option gave him any sense of ease.
“Why?” Hanyu, ever the innocent man, blinked at him with confusion. “This is just a club.”
Was there not a couple just outside almost having full-on sex when they passed by?
Hanyu’s priorities were a bit strange.
This was exemplified when Hanyu once again asked him if he was going to do anything about the rumors spreading online. The day had been rough for the omega ad he was just a bystander. He probably thought the beta was holding in his resentments.
Perhaps for an omega, that kind of rumor might make it difficult but Jun Yibai was a beta. The rules were different.
“I don’t really care too much about it.” He stated, shrugging. He really didn’t care. Sure, it was inconvenient to have his classmates ignore him but otherwise, it wasn’t a hassle. Whispers were just that, whispers. Unless someone tried to harm him physically, he didn’t plan on doing anything about it.
He just really hoped it didn’t come to that.
***
“Darling!” Hanyu jumped from his seat, running over to the woman who had entered before she could even greet them. He embraces her lovingly, nuzzling her neck. “You look beautiful tonight.”
“You say that every night.”
“Because it’s true every time~”
God, I might choke on their antics before the night is over. Jun Yibai thought, grimacing. Hanyu seemed intent on snuggling close to his girlfriend, perhaps from his need as an omega to seek comfort from his mate. It had been a stressful day and despite the looks he’d received, Hanyu stuck with him. Even when his own friends seemed unwilling to stay close.
“You should choose your friends more wisely, Hanyu.”
Despite the omega’s insistence that he was fine, Jun Yibai knew the isolation was hitting Hanyu worse than him. Solely because of him, the friends he’d had were distancing themselves from him.
He was beginning to wonder what other rumors had been spread about him to warrent such a reaction.
Li Min had to know her tactic wasn’t working since she had seen the two of them hanging out despite the rumors. While she couldn’t get close due to her own friends holding her back, Jun Yibai had felt her baleful glare burning into the back of his skull. If looks could kill, he’d be dead a thousand times over.
He was sure it wasn’t going to end with just this.
He glanced up at the couple next to him, sighing with relief as he felt the tension in Hanyu eases the more he teased the woman beside him. He deserved this much.
Wanting his friend to feel better, Jun Yibai excused himself, though he was sure neither really noticed his absence. Perhaps Hanyu just really wanted to see his girlfriend and invited Jun Yibai so he wouldn’t be alone.
Jun Yibai appreciated it. He didn’t feel like going back to his dorm and dealing with that guy tonight.
No, he wanted to use the bathroom and have a few minutes of peace.
On his way to the bathroom, he spotted some… unsavory things on the ground. Stuff that should be seen in hotel wastebaskets and not in public hallways. Stone-faced employees cleaned up with nary a word. The kind of habitual movement that spoke volumes on how often they did this kind of thing.
How do places like this exist?
He sat in the stall, checking his phone for messages. Part of him wanted to check the university forum but he still didn’t care enough to do so. If it's just backdoor dealing, it would fade with time when people realized he didn’t have any of the telltale signs of being a sugar baby.
He was chuckling to himself at the amusing response Yang Ru had sent him when the bathroom door slammed open and some people entered.
No, it was just two and they weren’t here to take a piss.
“Keep people out!” A male voice slurred, his steps uneven in the formerly quiet bathroom. “Me and this little thing got something to discuss.”
From the kissing sounds he was hearing, it was a very in-depth conversation they were gonna have.
Usually, Jun Yibai would just stay quiet and try to sneak out while the couple was occupied. The person at the door would be a bit of an issue but other than an awkward look, it could be ignored.
Yet Jun Yibai felt his blood slow to a dreadful crawl as the man spoke. Making all kinds of promises to his partner, both material and sexual.
That voice sounded… familiar? But where had he heard it before? It wasn’t a voice he’d heard many times before but stuck in his head. Like an old song that you never forgot no matter how much time passed.
“Was it wise to just leave the party like that?” The second person whined, sounding needy but cajoling. “I’m pretty sure my boyfriend might catch us.”
The man laughed, again filling the beta with a familiar sense of dread.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart.” He assured, his words still slurring in places. “My buddy will keep your lover boy distracted. It has nothing to do with us now so just forget it.”
His heart stopped.
“What about the kid?”
“What about him? He has nothing to do with us.”
That's where he’d heard it. The trio from back then?
Part of him wanted to check if the man’s shoes were the same but the sane side of him told him to keep still. Just like back then, when he’d said nothing and pretended not to see the trio. He sat on the park bench and stared at the ground, listening as they marveled at his obedience.
Even after learning what they did, he’d said nothing.
What could he say? That he saw three teens with blue sneakers, grey boots, and black sneakers? That he was sure one of them had blue eyes? What good would such a description do?
Worse, what if they found out about him and came after him? He was bigger now but so were they. Perhaps it was childish but he was still scared of those guys. They felt like monsters back then, looming over him and chuckling at his fear.
The person beside him was really one of them then…
Fuck, he had to get out of here!
Without thought, he scrambled out of the bathroom, shocking the waiter stationed outside. Jun Yibai paid him no mind, trying to calm himself down. By the time he made it to an area free of people, he was sweating. His heart was racing and he felt like his eyes were burning. He needed…
He called Li Suren.
As soon as the phone started ringing, he felt dumb for calling. He wasn’t a child in need of reassurance. He wasn’t that weak.
Yet before he could change his mind and hang up, the call connected.
“Yes, Sweetie?”
Shit, now he had to say something.
“I… I need you to say something stupid.” Anything to get his mind off that man in the bathroom and the possibility that he was-
“Stupid?” He echoed, clearly confused. “Did you click my number by mistake? If you want dumb, you should have called that mutt an-”
“Suren…”
“…Fine.” He sighed, thankfully not pressing him on his motives. “I meant to call you anyway. That idiot got to touch you and that was very unfair of you!”
Jun Yibai couldn’t help but smile a bit at the indignant tone. He sounded like a disgruntled wife chastising her husband.
“I also kicked him in the shin.” He replied, surprising himself when he spoke defensively. Why defend himself here?
“Which is why I am only slightly upset as opposed to furious.” The omega huffed, taking his mind off the matter of his defensiveness. “Speaking of, are you planning on blowing away your classmates when exams start? I wish we were in the same department so I could sit next to you and compete with you like old days. We’d be tying for first place and seeing all those arrogant alphas bow their head to my sweetie would be so satisfying~”
Exams? Sure, exams were coming up but why worry about that? In the business department, such things were only important to them. It didn’t affect anyone else so no one really kept track of those. Li Suren, despite being in the medical sciences department, kept track of it?
“I said I wanted to hear something dumb.” He grumbled, not wanting to think too hard about why the omega would bother to keep track of such a thing despite his busy schedule.
“The dumbest thing I can think of is assuming my sweetie can't blow all those assholes out of the water when exams come up.”
“…” Damn it, why did he have to say such things when he needed it. Couldn’t he just be dumb and not pick up on his worries?
“Was that dumb enough?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
“No problem, Sweetie.” He assured, clearly happy with himself. “If you are having a long night, I can have that mutt pick you up. I would do it myself but I’m with my family and-”
“I don’t need a ride. Besides, you don’t even know where I am.”
“Sweetie!” He huffed. “Don’t insult me like that. As your omega, I always know where you are.” He admitted, as if being a stalker was a given.
Others might find such a statement disturbing and call the omega a creep. In Jun Yibai’s mind, Li Suren was a stalker and a pervert. But at that moment, when he felt a bit unsettled with himself, knowing Li Suren was only a phone call away from showing up was… a bit reassuring.
Not that he would ever say such a thing to that guy. It would only encourage that bad behavior.
“You are a creep. I hope you know that.”
“You already knew that yet you called me, right?” He shot back, chuckling. “My Sweetie is so cute when you get shy and-”
Jun Yibai hung up, not wanting to hear such nonsense.
He leaned back against the wall, letting out a breath. His heart, which had been racing, slowed down to a steady rate.
He felt dumb for panicking. There was no way that guy was the same as the one from the park. It had been almost a decade. He was sure those teens would have changed considerably by now. Moreover, the chances of bumping into them were so small, it was ridiculous to think about it.
Just because it sounded a bit like them, didn’t mean it was them.
Despite the reassurance, Jun Yibai now felt drained and wanted to go back to his dorm. Well, no, that was a lie. He’d rather do anything than go back but he definitely wanted to leave.
He’d just go back and ask Hanyu if he could hitch a ride with his girlfriend since it was getting late. Upon arriving at the door, he knocked, worried he might walk in on them being intimate. They had been close to it when he left, after all.
No answer, so he opened the door.
And… the room was empty.
Considering how affectionate Hanyu had been prior to leaving and his restraint over the last few days for school, there was no question where the couple was.
“At least I don’t have to deal with them acting all lovey-dovey around me again.” He sighed, sending his friend a text that he was about to leave.
Hanyu
Stay if you want.
The number of spelling mistakes in that simple message told him that the two were busy. Still, should he stay? He’d been told the room was reserved for the night and he could sleep off his drunkenness if need be.
It would definitely be better than trying to hail a taxi this late at night.
Just as he was removing his coat, he heard a frantic knock on the door. Before he could question who it was, a small voice called out to him.
“P-please, help me!”
Jun Yibai groaned, wanting to pretend he hadn’t heard anything. That he could just ignore it and go to sleep.
Unfortunately, he was a nice guy.
He cracked the door open, using his foot to stop it from opening any further. Outside the door, pressed up against it, was a lovely young woman with long hair and a collar.
An omega then?
“What do you want?” He asked, looking her over. Her face was red and she was panting as if she had been running a mile. Considering the length of the hall, she can’t have gotten far on her own. “Are you okay?”
“Huh?” She looked up at him for a second before smiling with relief. “You’re a beta!”
Well damn, this looks like it was gonna be a whole thing.
“P-please, hide me!” She begged, looking down the hall as if her pursuers would be on her any moment.
“What are you planning to do here?”
“I…I called my mate.” She claimed, her eyes filling with tears as she spoke. “I just need a place to hide until he comes for me. Please, let me in!”
Jun Yibai moved his foot, letting the girl in as he closed the door. She collapsed onto the floor, curling up as she moaned and whined helplessly. She rubbed her arms frantically, as if covered in ants, and kicked her legs about erratically. He wanted to help her up but he could see she had a mating bite on her neck.
Supposedly, mated pairs didn’t like being touched when in heat. He’d learned that lesson from the time he’d gone to Yang Ru’s home and tried to help her father during his heat.
He shuddered at the memory.
As such, he didn't even reach out to her. She’d probably attack him if he tried to touch her. Instead, he poured out some water and placed it nearby for her to drink.
“Thank you.” She panted, taking the cup after a moment.
“You should go to the back room.” He suggested, pointing to the door behind the couches. “It’ll be safer there.”
“Is my scent bothering you?”
He couldn’t smell a thing. She was sweating but she didn’t smell like sweat. Just… wet, like being in a fog. Perhaps an alpha would smell something different but he would never know what.
Moreover, he was sure whoever was after her would follow her scent. Or her mate could burst in.
Either way, being alone with a girl in heat would be bad for him.
His assumption came true. Almost as soon as the girl had closed the door to the back room, the front door was broken down by four guys. They flowed in like ants, clearly tracking the girl's scent as they ignored him.
“The door.” One man called out, finally acknowledging him. “You got the code?”
Breaking into the lounge area was easy but the bedroom was locked from the inside. Only those inside with the code could open the door. This ensured that the couple inside would not be disturbed.
Jun Yibai said nothing, looking around to weigh his odds. Four guys would be a bit much but if he took them down one by one he might.
“Oi, you listening!?” Goon number 3 shouted, shoving him back. “Give us the code.”
Damn, he can’t wait and think of a plan, it seemed. They had blocked the door so he couldn’t even run.
I’ll have to wing it. He thought, moving closer to number 3.
“Oh? You planning on whispering in my ear or-”
His words were cut off as Jun Yibai knocked him with a swift right hook. The man hit the ground and his comrades were quick to retaliate. The fight was short since the space was small and unsuitable for a 4 on 1 brawl.
Jun Yibai was outnumbered and was pinned to the ground after a few minutes of fighting. He’d even managed to knock out two of the goons.
Much to his chagrin, number 3 was still conscious.
“Oh look,” He snorted, spitting out a glob of bloody spit onto the ground beside Jun Yibai. “we have ourselves a self-sacrificing hero.”
“I’m not a hero.” He snapped, wishing he could at least have knocked this guy out.
Did he need to be to help someone in need?
“No? Then give us the code so we can help out our friend.”
He looked up at him and spat. “Fuck off.”
“You-”
“Hey!” Goon number 1 spoke up from above Jun Yibai, where he had pinned the beta beneath his knee. “The boss was expecting some results tonight! What are we gonna do with some stupid beta? We can’t drag him over if he fights again.”
Jun Yibai was glad he was at least a problem for them. He wasn’t some passive captive that could be dragged about like a sack of potatoes.
“True…” Number 3 glanced over at the backroom door. “Oh, you still got some of that wine?”
“Yeah, but why…” A look of realization flashed on the man’s face. He grimaced. “On him? He's a beta too, right? Would it work?”
“It should make it harder to fight and afterward… Well, it won’t be our problem, right?”
“True.”
Jun Yibai had no idea what they were talking about but he was sure they meant to drug him. Considering the condition of the woman who had run from them, he had a feeling it would be bad if he let that happen. But he was currently pinned with a huge beta on his back, pressing his knee down on his spine.
He’d have to endure and escape when the opportunity arose.
That opportunity came as soon as a cup of wine was funneled down his throat. It was sweet and didn’t seem to have a lot of alcohol in it. If anything, it went down less like liquor and more like soda.
He coughed as it burned its way down, spilling out his mouth even as he swallowed just a little bit. He curled up, which they let him do as he coughed. Perhaps whatever they had put in there was supposed to act fast, since the man on his back eased up on his grip considerably.
That moment of negligence was all he needed, shifting his weight so he could unbalance the man behind him. Not waiting for the other man to counter, Jun Yibai rushed to his feet and dashed out of the room, listening to the enraged shouts from behind him.
The girl would be fine as long as she kept her wits about her and didn’t open the door for those guys. If anything, he was the best target, since they could just beat him until he gave them the code for the room. Considering the threats he was hearing as he ran up to the VIP section, he was sure they’d make him pay for daring to avoid them.
How in the world do I get into these situations?! He wondered, rounding a corner. The fact that anyone who saw him looked away spoke volumes about what kind of people come here.
I have to tell Hanyu not to let his girlfriend come here again. He thought as he ran into a random room. The door was open and he was sure that hiding within would be better than running around. Maybe he’d get lucky and those guys would rush past so he could slip out.
He was not lucky.
The layout was the same in all the rooms though there was a sleazy-looking alpha male on the couch in front of him.
His face was twisted with undisguised disgust.
“What is this?!” He snapped, kicking at the table nearby. It shattered against the far wall, making everyone shudder with fear. “I order you to collect that mouthy little bitch and you come back with some useless male?”
Jun Yibai was about to ask what he was talking about but the door slammed open behind him and he felt a large arm encircle his neck. Jun Yibai struck back, elbowing the man in the side but was eventually pinned down again.
He could at least feel a bit happier that it took a few more guys to hold him down this time
Still, he was fucking pissed that the situation had apparently gotten worse. It would be his luck that the first open door he spotted would be the place he was supposed to be dragged off to. The two guys who he had left behind marveled at this, mocking him for making them run around when he was just going to deliver himself to their boss.
Jun Yibai was an unlucky bastard, it seemed.
The sleazy alpha still sat on the couch, watching Jun Yibai as his subordinates explained the situation. He had a curious look in his eyes, as if trying to figure out some great puzzle placed in front of him.
“So in other words,” The man said, his eyes not leaving Jun Yibai. “you lost the girl, made a ruckus, and failed the simple mission I gave you?”
The men fell silent, their gazes downcast as the ramifications sunk in.
“M-M-maybe we can still use him?” One brave- or foolish- grunt suggested.
“Him? What am I to do with him?” The alpha snapped back, making the beta wilt even further. “You were supposed to sabotage their partnership by planting that guy’s girl in the brat's room.” She’s in heat so they would have definitely fucked each other blind. It’d be two birds with one stone but you somehow let some little omega get away from you?”
Even as this guy laid out his plan despite the fact that everyone here should already know, Jun Yibai stayed quiet. The alpha finally stopped staring at him as his anger and frustration grew.
Jun Yibai, on the other hand, was feeling terrible. Whatever they had given him was starting to affect him and it left him a bit disoriented.
Perhaps all his running had sped things up?
His thoughts were a bit muddled as his body started to feel hot and clammy. Like being fully clothed in a sauna. Worse, his head was hurting like hell and his tongue felt heavy and dry. Then there was the nausea.
He groaned.
The noise was faint but it somehow cut off whatever tangent the alpha was going on as he turned to the beta.
“...What did you-”
“We gave him that stuff you gave us. To restrain him.”
“On a beta? Huh… Interesting. Maybe I can still use him. He's not pretty or handsome but I’m sure there are some weirdos into betas. And if that stuff works as I think, there won't be an issue with pregnancy.”
The man kept going, weighing his options on whether or not to sell him Jun Yibai to a labor camp overseas, sell his organs, or send him to a brothel. All of those would be something he’d object to but he felt like he was sinking into the floor.
He felt so thirsty, wishing his tongue would move so he could at least swallow but nothing moved.
His mind was elsewhere, focusing on the far wall and the potato chip lying there. He could swear he could see the individual salt flakes there.
A bang rang out, though it was muffled to Jun Yibai, whose overheated brain was struggling to even focus on that damn potato chip.
“Oi, where you do think you are touching? That person doesn’t belong to you so why are your filthy hands on him?!”
“W-who the fuck are you-”
The noise that followed should have kept him up but he just wanted to sleep the pain away. He was drunk, hot, and in pain. He didn't want to deal with this.
“How troublesome…” and then everything went black
*****
AN: So ya’ll know how a bunch of Chinese novels start out with a chick getting drugged by her jealous bestie/sister/step-sister and sleeping with a super rich mega-billionaire who loves no one but inexplicably is attracted to this one chick? Yeah, the damsel here is that chick. She's just at the end game. Went through all the bullshit and is happy with her man. Whoever he is, I’m sure he’s not the toxic type. No Stockholm syndrome, just pure fluff, and face-slapping.
Random book recommendation: Bro and Beast by L.C. Davis. It's great. Basically, Chad broman with the obvious jock name of Brad gets sucked into a wattpad werewolf book. You all know what I’m talking about. He takes the place of the female lead and has a lot to say about the situation. I fell in love with Brad and his snark before chapter 1 even ended. His commentary makes even the most cliche scene hilarious.