Chapter 152: Invitation

“Hurry up, you two, will you?” Yoshikawa called out impatiently.

“Watch your words. I’ve been ready for ages. It’s just someone here still fussing over his outfit,” Lei Yin corrected him.

“Alright, alright, stop nagging!” Takeda turned away from the mirror.

“Masashi, do you think this suit makes me look too mature? I still think the lighter-colored one was better,” Takeda complained, frowning at his reflection in the suit he was wearing.

“No one would care even if you didn’t wear anything. Let’s go, we’re going to be late,” Yoshikawa said, glancing at his watch and urging them again.

“You conniving jerk, of course you’d want me to embarrass myself in front of Haruko,” Takeda accused loudly, pointing at Yoshikawa.

“Think whatever you want. If you’re not leaving, I’m going ahead,” Yoshikawa said, then turned and walked out of the apartment.

“Yoshikawa, you bastard! I won’t let you win. Masashi, let’s go!” Takeda shouted, switching off the lights at a speed that would make most soldiers envious, then dragged Lei Yin out with him.

***

Two days ago, Seimura Haruko had suddenly invited Lei Yin to attend a birthday banquet and dance party hosted by one of her father’s friends.

Lei Yin had no interest in such dull gatherings, but the rebellious duo—Yoshikawa and Takeda—immediately pounced on him, ignoring all risk. After a round of shameless bargaining, they managed to secure two additional invitations on the condition that they take full responsibility for ensuring Gennai Masashi’s attendance.

Back home, Lei Yin could no longer withstand their relentless pestering and finally agreed to accompany them to the banquet.

Desperate to make a good impression on Haruko, the rebellious duo had been nervously preparing ever since.

The banquet was held at the renowned Keio Plaza Hotel in Shinjuku.

When the three arrived, they were greeted by the sight of countless luxury cars parked outside.

“Who’s this birthday guy, anyway, to have so many rich people show up for his party?” Takeda asked in amazement.

Although Yoshikawa’s car was quite decent, it looked as if it had been stolen from an abandoned lot when surrounded by all the high-end vehicles.

After their invitations were checked, the reception staff promptly led them inside.

Under the illumination of massive crystal chandeliers weighing several tons, the room was filled with men and women dressed in formal evening attire. Some were engaged in conversation, while others strolled leisurely around. Along the east side of the hall, servers busily arranged a variety of dishes on an extraordinarily long rectangular dining table.

Crystal-clear wine glasses, silver utensils, and the expensive jewelry adorning the women glittered brilliantly, creating a dazzling scene.

The atmosphere felt surreal, as if straight out of a movie.

Of course, this sense of disbelief was only experienced by ordinary folks. For the wealthy and political elites who frequented high society, it was just another routine social engagement.

Although Japan’s economy had been sluggish in recent years, it seemed to have no impact on the extravagance of high society. Any banquet held here could still cost enough to feed large groups of starving people in Somalia for half a month.

Not long after Lei Yin and his companions entered, Seimura Haruko approached them with a radiant smile, dressed in a stunning white gown.

“You finally made it,” she said to Lei Yin in a tone that clearly went beyond the boundaries of ordinary friendship.

“Haruko, you look absolutely gorgeous tonight. Of course, not that you’re not usually gorgeous, but tonight you’re especially stunning,” Yoshikawa interjected before Lei Yin could respond.

“Thank you.”

“You look truly beautiful tonight,” Takeda added with deliberate seriousness, following advice from a so-called Encyclopedia of Romance.

“Thank you,” Haruko replied with equal politeness.

When an exceptional beauty dresses to impress, her allure is amplified several times over.

The elegant white gown, with its delicate pleats, perfectly showcased Haruko’s well-proportioned figure. Though she wasn’t a voluptuous beauty, her graceful curves were captivating in their own right.

A diamond pendant necklace graced her snow-white neck, reflecting a bright, fragmented light under the chandeliers. Her glossy black hair was meticulously styled into an updo, exuding a unique charm that blended youthful innocence with the sophistication of a mature woman.

When Seimura Haruko noticed Yoshikawa and Takeda gazing at her with infatuated expressions, she felt a deep sense of satisfaction. She glanced at Lei Yin, only to discover that he wasn’t looking at her at all. Instead, he was silently observing the hall’s surroundings.

This realization filled Haruko with a wave of intense frustration.

She had spent much more time than usual meticulously dressing up, hoping to create a powerful visual impact on this uncultured country bumpkin unfamiliar with high society. Her efforts had clearly paid off—every man who saw her, except for the older generation, had a look in their eyes as if they wanted to devour her, including the two lustful wolves standing in front of her.

But Lei Yin? He still treated her as if she were invisible.

This wasn’t just about her bet with Himeko anymore—it had escalated into a matter of her personal dignity. At that moment, Haruko silently vowed that she would make this man fall head over heels for her, like a loyal dog.

“You haven’t eaten dinner yet, have you? Once the banquet officially starts, you’ll be able to eat,” Haruko said, her smile even sweeter after regaining her composure.

“Actually, I’m not hungry. I just wanted to have a chat with you,” Yoshikawa said, quickly recovering his playboy demeanor, honed from years of experience in the field.

Haruko sighed inwardly. If her target this time had been Yoshikawa or Takeda, things wouldn’t have been so passive and complicated.

As the group conversed, three young people approached them. Two were sharply dressed young men, and the third was a fashionable young woman.

“Haruko, I was just looking for you everywhere. So you’re here,” said one of the tall, well-built young man, speaking first.

“Sorry, my college classmates arrived, so I came over to greet them,” Haruko replied with a smile.

“Which one of the three is your boyfriend?” the fashionable young woman, who was clinging to the tall man’s arm, asked with a grin after scrutinizing Yoshikawa, Takeda, and Lei Yin.

“Don’t make random guesses. They’re all just good friends,” Haruko said, deliberately casting a slightly wistful glance at Lei Yin.

“Haruko, why don’t you introduce your classmates to us?” said the other young man, who had shoulder-length hair, as he gave the three of them a closer look.

After a brief round of introductions, the long-haired young man said, “When I saw you with a group of guys just now, I thought you had a boyfriend already. You gave me quite a scare. Don’t forget what I’ve told you before—if you’re considering getting a boyfriend, think about me first.”

“Narita, stop talking nonsense. Be careful, or your girlfriend will come after you later,” Haruko responded smoothly.

“What girlfriend? Even if I had one, I’d drop them, immediately if you agreed to be mine,” Narita said.

“Them? So, you mean you have more than one girlfriend? Narita, how could Haruko trust you to be her boyfriend when you’re such a player?” the fashionable young woman, who was still holding the tall man’s arm, chimed in.

“Oops, my bad. Slipped out,” Narita replied with feigned embarrassment.

Watching the lively banter, Yoshikawa and Takeda, still newcomers to this environment, found themselves unable to join the conversation. They could only plaster polite smiles on their faces as the group laughed and joked.

Takeda, whose facial muscles were starting to ache from all the forced smiling, glanced at Lei Yin. To his surprise, Lei Yin was calmly sipping red wine, completely unbothered by his surroundings. Takeda couldn’t help but feel both annoyed and amused, with a touch of envy.

Aside from Akimaru Akimasa, the tall man, the other young people in the group were still students. However, in the world of business and high society, few things happen by chance. Even though these students had not yet officially taken over their family businesses, they were already selectively building connections that could benefit their future careers.

Though Yoshikawa and Takeda understood this reality, they still felt somewhat irritated. Yoshikawa, in particular, found Narita especially unpleasant, as it was obvious the man was interested in Haruko. Worse, Haruko herself seemed to have a favorable impression of him.

***

In the restroom, after washing her hands, Yanago Ryomi turned to Haruko, who was touching up her makeup. “That guy named Gennai Masashi—is he the one you and Himeko are betting on this time?”

Haruko, surprised, put down her compact and looked at her. “How did you know about that? Wait, I bet Himeko told you.”

Ryomi didn’t deny it. “You and Himeko are already university students, yet you’re still competing like kids. And making bets like this? Be careful—you might get burned.”

“You’re her cousin, so of course you’re going to side with her,” Seimura Haruko said with a hint of displeasure.

“I’m not taking anyone’s side, I just wanted to offer some advice. That guy doesn’t seem easy to handle.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Just a gut feeling. He seems like the type of man who’s hard to grasp. When we were talking just now, it seemed like he wasn’t even listening.”

“That guy is just pretending,” Haruko replied, a little annoyed.

Ryomi Yanagi shook her head. “Oh, I forgot to tell you, Himeko will be here tonight too.”

“What? She was supposed to be in Tahiti, how is she back so soon?” Haruko asked in surprise.

“I don’t know, but it seems like she came back early.”

Haruko’s expression immediately turned uncertain. She regretted inviting Gennai Masashi and the others to the banquet. If she had known Himeko would be here, she would never have brought them. If Himeko saw the indifferent way Masashi was treating her, she’d be overjoyed.

By the time they left the restroom, the banquet had already begun.

All the guests were watching Ikeyama Toshi, who stood on stage holding a microphone and speaking.

“Thank you all for coming to my birthday celebration. During my time as governor, I’ve greatly appreciated your support and help. Tonight, I have something to announce: I will be running for the next senate election. I hope I can continue to count on your support.”

The crowd immediately erupted in applause.

In Japan, politics and business are closely intertwined. The amount spent on this semi-public campaign dinner is questionable—how much of it truly came from this old man’s own pocket? After all, it’s become so common for government officials to accept political donations that the public no longer pays much attention.

Ikeyama Toshi was clearly satisfied with the reaction. He continued loudly, “Now, the banquet is officially underway. I hope everyone enjoys themselves.”

Soon after he finished speaking, a soft melody began to drift from the orchestra, signaling the official start of the ball.

Although Haruko had mentally prepared herself to some extent, her expression still soured when she saw Himeko, dressed in a similarly luxurious outfit. Especially when she saw the Student Council President standing next to her, Haruko wished she hadn’t come at all.

“Isn’t this Haruko? It’s been a week, I really missed you. Oh, it turns out cousin Ryomi is here too,” Himeko said with a smile, walking over while linking arms with the Student Council President. She wore a purple knee-length skirt, and though her features were slightly less delicate than Haruko’s, she had a figure that could make hearts race.

“Thanks for your concern,” Haruko said coldly.

“When did you get off the plane, Himeko?” Ryomi asked.

“This afternoon. The flight was so long, I’m exhausted. Senpai, could you get me a glass of juice?” Himeko asked in a slightly coquettish tone, turning to the Student Council President.

“Sure, just wait a moment.” After briefly glancing at the famous new school beauty, the Student Council President walked toward the refreshment table.

After casting a proud glance at Haruko, Himeko said, “I heard Gennai-kun came with you. Could you introduce him to me? But if you don’t want to, then never mind.”

Looking at her smug smile, Haruko felt an overwhelming urge to slap the woman across the face.

“Do as you please,” Haruko finally managed to control her emotions and coldly responded.

Himeko smiled and followed her.

When they reached Takeda and the others, She saw that the three men were eating. She wished more than anything that they would disappear immediately.

“Masashi,” Haruko said softly, tapping Lei Yin’s shoulder as she approached.

At the overly familiar address, Lei Yin frowned slightly.

“What is it?”

“Can I introduce you to a friend of mine?” Haruko said, filled with humiliation inside. She couldn’t believe that she, of all people, was having to ask a man like him for such a favor.

Lei Yin looked at her for a moment, then nodded. “Alright, I’ll leave it to you.”

Haruko instinctively let out a sigh of relief at his agreement.

“You must be Gennai-kun. Hello, I’m Miyu Himeko, a first-year student at Teikyo University in the Faculty of Literature, Foreign Languages Department, just like you. Also, I’ve been a good friend of Haruko since we were little,” Himeko said with a smile before Haruko could even introduce her, stepping in with her own self-introduction.

Watching her sweetly introduce herself, Seimura Haruko couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. This woman was daydreaming again.

Even so, Haruko anxiously watched Lei Yin’s expression. After all, this woman was very skilled at seducing men.

“Hello,” Lei Yin said flatly.

The extremely brief response left Miyu Himeko momentarily stunned. Haruko, standing nearby, couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of vengeful satisfaction.

“Gennai-kun must have come with you, right, Haruko? I wonder how far things have progressed between you two?” Himeko quickly regained her sweet smile and asked him.

Haruko didn’t expect her to ask so directly and immediately retorted, “That seems to have nothing to do with you, Miss Miyu.”

“Haruko, how could you say that? I’m your good friend; of course, I’m concerned about you. Isn’t that right, Gennai-kun?” Himeko replied sweetly.

Lei Yin didn’t answer, simply raising his glass and taking a sip.

At that moment, the Student Council President came over with a glass of juice. “Himeko, I’ve been looking all over for you. Here’s the juice you wanted.”

“Senpai, I forgot to tell you earlier, I don’t like orange juice. Could you bring me an apple juice instead?”

“Ah, I see. Alright, I’ll go get one for you,” the Student Council President said a little helplessly, before walking to the front of the dining table where the drinks were.

Once he was gone, Himeko turned to Haruko and said, “Haruko, do you know? At first, I thought Senpai Ansei was hard to approach, but after just a few days together, I realized he’s actually really easygoing. You should work harder, or else it’ll be pointless if you fall too far behind. Anyway, I’m going to dance with Senpai now. Excuse us.”

Though Haruko knew she was being provoked, she had no way to retaliate other than feeling angry. She could only watch as Himeko walked away.

Seeing that Lei Yin was about to leave as well, Haruko stopped him and said, “Gennai-kun, could I speak with you privately?”

Lei Yin glanced at Yoshikawa and Takeda, who were eating at the other end of the table, then nodded.

The two left the hall and walked to a quiet balcony.

Leaning against the ornate railing on the balcony, Lei Yin asked, “What is it?”

Haruko stared at him for a moment before saying, “Doesn’t Gennai-kun have any feelings for me at all?”

“I don’t quite understand what you mean.”

“You can’t possibly not understand. I really like you, Gennai-kun. Don’t you want to give me a chance?”

Lei Yin silently looked at her, not speaking for a long time.

Haruko didn’t like the look in his eyes.

“To be honest, I find this very boring,” Lei Yin finally said.

Haruko was taken aback by his words.

“What do you mean?” Her tone turned cold.

“Although I don’t know why you’ve approached me, one thing I’m sure of is this: you don’t have even the slightest feeling for me. No matter how sweet your smile or how gentle you act, you can’t hide the coldness in your eyes. You’re a competent actress, but not an excellent one. In my view, your so-called acting skills would only fool little boys with lower intelligence than you.”

“You…” Haruko’s face turned pale with anger.

“So, please don’t bother me again, alright?” Lei Yin added.

“You… bastard!” The humiliation of being completely seen through made Haruko lose control. She slapped him across the face.

Lei Yin caught her wrist and coldly said, “You’re not qualified to do that. Don’t make yourself look like a shrew.” Then, he released her hand.

Haruko shot him a resentful glare before swiftly turning and walking off the balcony.

Has the event ended? Lei Yin watched her retreating figure and sneered.

After standing there for a while, feeling unsatisfied, Lei Yin stood up and headed back to the hall.

Suddenly, he heard a commotion outside.

Looking out from the balcony, he saw several police cars parked at the entrance. Dozens of police officers were blocked by the hotel manager at the door.

It seemed like something unexpected was about to happen.