I turned towards the sound and first saw a group of young people.
There were both men and women, about five or six of them, all very young and dressed in casual yet fashionable attire.
The most striking among them was a blond young man standing at the center of the group. He was tall and slender, with delicate features that gave him an androgynous softness. Despite wearing just a white shirt and black trousers, he exuded an air of nobility. Under the sunlight, his light-colored eyelashes seemed to glimmer with a golden hue, adding to his gentle and radiant aura.
He wasn’t trying to suppress his pheromones, making it easy to tell that he was an omega. I instinctively took half a step back. In my life, I hadn’t encountered many omegas, but every one I’d met had been trouble. He noticed my movement and met my gaze, nodding apologetically, “I’m sorry, I just thought what you said was interesting.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the young people around him immediately seemed to grow hostile, sizing me up and exchanging comments in voices just loud enough to hear.
“But I thought what she said was so vulgar.”
“Yeah, people from the outer ring cities really don’t watch their words.”
“You shouldn’t always compliment others. It’s not the first time someone’s gotten the wrong idea.”
They even went so far as to cover their mouths with their hands as they spoke.
The blond young man, however, just laughed and said, “You’re all being too paranoid.”
I thought to myself: What a social butterfly.
I turned to the butler and asked, “Who are they?”
The butler replied, “Young master.”
I sighed, “I know they’re young masters and mistresses, but I meant—”
The butler stepped forward and bowed to the blond young man, saying, “Young master, you didn’t inform the hotel about your visit with your friends today. Let me arrange things for you now.”
I was speechless.
So, the social butterfly was actually a young master from a wealthy family.
The blond young man waved his hand dismissively, “No need. We just came to enjoy the sunshine today.”
He glanced at me again and whispered something to the butler.
This time, it was a real whisper, as I couldn’t hear a thing. I could only guess from the way they looked at me that it probably wasn’t anything friendly. Unlike before, when they spoke loudly enough for me to hear, as if I were deaf.
The butler also looked at me, then nodded and approached me. As he led me to my room, he said, “Miss, our young master—Ferry Mosh Larkin, the son of the CEO of the Carlux Hotel Group—thinks you’re quite interesting and would like to get to know you better. Would you be willing to join him for an outing over the next few days? If you agree, all expenses will be covered, and you’ll also gain access to the premium zones in the five cities. Are you interested?”
Outing? What did that mean? A guided tour? A companion?
“Isn’t your young master from the five cities?”
I was utterly confused.
“Miss, you’ve misunderstood,” the butler bowed again and explained, “The young master means to go out and have fun together, as companions.”
What? Had I finally reached the point where someone thought, “Woman, you’ve caught my interest”? But of all people, this seemingly innocent social butterfly?
I didn’t believe it.
But that wasn’t important. What mattered was clarifying some other things first.
I frowned and stood silently, staring at the butler.
The butler asked, “Miss, is there something on your mind?”
I remained silent.
The butler began to look uneasy.
Only then did I speak, “Do you know who arranged for me to stay here?”
The butler’s eyes shifted, and his voice lowered, “Yes, I do.”
I pressed, “Who is it? Tell me. Who is he, who am I, and what exactly do you think of me?”
The butler hesitated for a moment before answering nervously, “Mr. Mu is a black card member of the Carlux Hotel and currently holds a voting seat in the People’s Assembly. He’s also a shareholder in the Meilong Coal Mine in the seventh city.”
Mr. Mu, Mr. Mu, Jiang Sen. The People’s Assembly was full of big entrepreneurs, but someone who could mobilize military forces was definitely not just an entrepreneur, let alone a coal mine shareholder.
Using a fake identity in a high-end hotel chain catering to the elite—this guy was really cautious.
“You are a close friend of Mr. Mu and enjoy the privileges of his black card membership. We regard you as an esteemed guest, and whether it’s travel, dining, accommodations, or leisure, Carlux is committed to providing you with the best service. Inviting you to accompany the young master is by no means a slight. On the contrary, we thought that since you’re new to the five cities, if you haven’t had the chance to explore…”
The butler went on with a lot of formalities, but I’d already gotten the information I wanted, so I didn’t pay much attention. Instead, I thought to myself, “It’s obvious you just want me to entertain your young master, and you dare say it’s for my benefit?”
“If you feel offended, we sincerely apologize,” the butler finally finished and bowed again. “This is entirely due to my lack of professionalism. You can file a complaint against me, and I’m willing to apply for compensation on your behalf.”
Playing the victim, huh? But that’s fine; I’ll take the bait.
I softened my tone and said hesitantly, “I was really upset, but… well, I see now that you meant well. I thought—”
The butler quickly interjected, “It’s my fault for not conveying the message properly. I apologize again.”
He even started to bow again.
I immediately stopped him and shook my head, “It’s fine, it’s fine. Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, I should apologize too. You know, I’m only here thanks to my friend’s generosity, so I’m always worried about being judged. Maybe I’m just too sensitive.”
I looked around with a melancholic expression and added, “As for the outing, I think I’ll pass. I’m not very confident in social situations, but I appreciate the offer.”
“Not at all!” The butler, seeing that I was almost convinced, became eager and said warmly, “The five cities, though on the edge of the inner ring, are still vibrant and lively. Besides, our young master is very friendly. I’m sure you’ll get along well.”
Honestly, they claim they’d never treat a black card member poorly, but look at the butler they assigned me: not very articulate, not too bright, and lacking in emotional intelligence.
Would they dare assign someone like this to a real black card member? They’re just treating me like a freeloader.
Angry as I was, I still had to go through the motions.
With a mix of shyness, reluctance, and eagerness, I agreed to the outing invitation.
Who could say no to a free trip?
After the butler left, I climbed onto the luxurious bed, satisfied, and took in the opulent suite. Honestly, it was big, bright, and extravagant. Beyond that, I didn’t know how else to describe it.
I slept until noon, when I received the first itinerary for the outing.
We were to meet at the restaurant on the first floor of this building.
When I arrived, the first thing I noticed was several pairs of hostile eyes.
When I looked back openly, they quickly averted their gazes, each wearing a different expression.
Only the blond young man—Ferry—seemed oblivious and smiled at me, “Hello, please sit here.” He pointed to the seat beside him.
Wait, why are you always in the center? Are you the center of an idol group?
Confused, I sat down next to him, and he said with a smile, “For the next few days, I’d like her to join us. I hope you can all be welcoming.”
As soon as Ferry finished speaking, the gazes around me grew even more intense.
I realized that omegas, without exception, were always trouble.
Compared to Ashley, Ferry was like the real-life version of a blond cheerleader captain, and these were his loyal squad. So, what did that make me? Definitely not the tough guy from school. After some thought, I figured out my role.
“Thank you so much. The butler told me you’d show me around the five cities,” I said, widening my eyes to appear naive and clueless. “I’m really excited because I’m from the twelfth city and have never seen anything like this before.”
Ferry remained calm and raised his voice slightly, sounding almost innocent, “The twelfth city? That sounds so far away. I’ve never been there. Can you tell me about the interesting customs and traditions there?”
The beta sitting beside him seemed to have a very close relationship with him.
As soon as Faery finished speaking, the beta exchanged a knowing smile with him, as if everything was understood without words.
Me: "..."
"My family’s pastry chef is from Nine City, but her relatives are in Twelve City," the beta said naturally after sharing that glance with Faery, his tone full of cheerfulness. "She once told me that the security in Twelve City is terrible, and there are even fake parking lots. You park your car, and when you come back, only the steering wheel is left."
As soon as he finished speaking, the laughter of those around me instantly drowned me out.
Faery also chuckled lightly but quickly composed himself, speaking in a gentle yet earnest tone, "Let’s not have such prejudices. Different cities have different levels of economic development. We shouldn’t generalize or make such remarks."
The beta turned his head away and snorted, and the laughter around us immediately ceased.
Faery looked at me, his expression apologetic. "I’m sorry. I hope you can forgive us, and forgive Ashley as well. He’s not a bad person; he just can’t control his tongue."
Your "white lotus" act isn’t very convincing.
But I suppressed the urge to play along and spoke the first honest words of the day.
I said, "Actually, the steering wheel can be sold for money too."
