Accompanied by the maid, Chen Nian took the elevator to the ground floor of the White Tower, where Shavri Vitaljevich was already waiting in the lobby.

The Crown Prince, who had been suddenly summoned, was seated on the sofa, intently staring at the virtual screen projected by his terminal. Hearing the elevator doors open, he raised his head for a glance before standing up.

Shavri had changed out of his formal attire into a simple shirt and trousers, yet even this casual outfit emphasized the Alpha’s tall and commanding presence.

“Did I disturb you?” Chen Nian kept his voice soft, remembering his “not feeling well” excuse. “I just wanted to get some fresh air, but submitting an application takes too long.”

“It’s fine.” Shavri was well aware of how strict Chen Ci’s house arrest order was.

The countless rules meant to “protect” the Omega had turned the White Tower into a prison. Every trip outside required a legitimate reason, advanced application, and a small army of bodyguards.

When Chen Ci differentiated into an Omega at sixteen, the rules were slightly amended: Chen Ci could move freely as long as he was accompanied by Shavri, his designated Alpha.

In essence, this new rule reduced Chen Ci to being Shavri’s “property.” It was a glaring regression in gender equality in an age where such distinctions were long considered outdated.

Even Shavri had protested this to the royal family, but just like their engagement, it was a decision carved in stone.

The stringent house arrest wasn’t solely because of Chen Ci’s Omega status. Chen Ci had silently accepted it all, reasoning that if going out was so troublesome, it was better to stay in.

He stayed quietly in the White Tower, resembling a princess trapped in a high castle from fairy tales, waiting for the day she would marry her prince.

But would things improve after the wedding? Shavri didn’t know.

This was the first time Chen Ci had ever asked for his help to leave the White Tower. The moment Shavri received the call, he had rushed over.

For Chen Ci to go to such unprecedented lengths, there must have been an overwhelming desire behind it.

Of course, Chen Nian had no idea that Shavri was thinking so deeply about this. Nor did he know that Shavri’s guilt toward Chen Ci had accumulated to a peak over time. For Chen Nian, this was simply the most convenient method.

He had only five days before he’d have to swap back. Every second was precious, and he was determined to make the most of his time and experience as much as possible.

With Shavri accompanying him, Chen Nian stepped out of the gates. The night enveloped him in a gentle embrace, and the ornate streetlights illuminated the neatly trimmed shrubbery.

Chen Nian took a deep breath. The night breeze carried a floral scent he couldn’t identify, refreshing his spirit. He strode forward along the stone path into the garden.

The royal garden was off-limits to outsiders. The tranquil garden was alive with the chirping of insects, quickly catching Chen Nian’s attention.

In the underground city, the only sounds he’d hear came from rats, and the most common creatures were spiders and cockroaches.

The sound seems to be coming from over there.

Shavri watched as Chen Nian suddenly crouched by a bush, assuming he wasn’t feeling well. “What’s wrong?”

“Shh.” Chen Nian focused intently on the shadows beneath the bush, pinpointing the source of the chirping sound. Spotting the small creature clinging to a branch, he swiftly reached out.

Before Shavri could react, Chen Nian stood up and held out his hand. A cricket wriggled between the Omega’s fingertips, its spiny legs struggling to escape its predicament.

This brown-black insect was far from cute and instantly brought back unpleasant memories for Shavri.

—Those times when squeamish Omega lords and ladies screamed louder than the insects that had startled them during outings.

Clearly, the young man before him wasn’t part of that crowd.

Chen Nian studied the cricket’s structure and asked, “What’s this?”

“A cricket.”

“So, it’s the one making that sound?”

“Yes. Crickets have sound-producing organs on their wings. They rub them together to chirp.”

“Such a small bug makes such a loud noise,” Chen Nian remarked before pausing. “Do you have a box or something?”

Shavri patted his pockets. “No.”

Unable to find a suitable container, Chen Nian simply shoved the cricket into his pocket, intending to play with it more when he got back.

After walking a few steps, he reconsidered and pulled it out. Forget it; if it got squashed by accident, it would make a mess of his pocket.

Chen Nian placed the cricket on a nearby leaf. As soon as he let go, it vanished without a trace.

He dusted off his hands and continued walking.

The lush garden teemed with various insects. Plants and animals were rare sights for Chen Nian, making him particularly curious.

Sharp-eyed and quick-handed, Chen Nian caught a variety of insects within minutes: eight-star tiger beetles, black-shouldered walking beetles, jewel scarabs, and red-breasted black-winged fireflies, to name a few.

Often, before Shavri realized what was happening, Chen Nian had already caught another bug and was holding it up to ask its name.

There were so many insects in the world, and many looked alike. Shavri occasionally didn’t know the answer.

But with his intelligent assistant’s AI, he could quickly identify them. The AI would whisper the names through his earpiece, and all Shavri had to do was repeat them verbatim.

Chen Nian was quite pleased. Shavri seemed knowledgeable—it was definitely the right choice to bring him along.

As they strolled to the pond, the artificial lake’s clear waters reflected the moonlight, with streams flowing through the royal garden. The Second Princess’s pet white ducks were raised here.

On the grassy shore, Chen Nian even caught a frog. Holding it belly-up, he asked Shavri, “Can you eat this?”

“…Yes.”

“Poor little Jin Jili might end up on the dinner table tomorrow,” Chen Nian said, poking the frog’s plump white belly.

Jin Jili? Shavri was puzzled for a moment before realizing: Jin Jili was the name Chen Nian had just given the frog.

While Shavri was still processing this, Chen Nian had found a new target. Before Chen Nian could reach for a centipede, Shavri quickly stopped him.

Shavri hadn’t expected Chen Nian to be this bold. Catching frogs and centipedes barehanded was far beyond his perception of what Omegas would do.

If Chen Nian knew what Shavri was thinking, he would’ve laughed. Having grown up in the underground city, he had killed more rats and cockroaches than he could count.

Compared to them, frogs were practically elegant.

After lingering by the pond for a while, Chen Nian wandered toward the garden’s rear, where a courtyard used for tea parties was located.

The courtyard was filled with ornamental plants, and the floral fragrance wafting in the breeze came from here. Chen Nian was soon drawn to a fountain.

While Chen Nian studied the fountain, Shavri took a moment to check his terminal, unsurprised to see a flood of messages.

White Cherry:

“Bro! Where are you?”

“You said you’d join the guild war today, and now you’ve disappeared?”

“No way… did you really ditch us???”

After poking at “Screw This, I’m Out!” several times, White Cherry finally relented:

“Alright, bigshot. If you see this, let me know. I’ll go prepare in the meantime.”

The last message was sent fifteen minutes ago. Shavri quickly replied:

“Sorry, something urgent came up, and I had to go out. I might not make it back tonight.”

White Cherry replied almost immediately:

“Damn, you’re bailing on us? We’re so screwed!”

Screw This, I’m Out!:

“It’s really important. I’d planned ahead, but I didn’t expect this.”

White Cherry:

“Sure, sure. I get it, emergencies happen. Don’t worry about it. We’ll just have to tough it out. No need to care about your poor guildmates’ fate.”

The message came with a pitiful emoji, radiating resentment through the screen like a lover abandoned by a scumbag.

Shavri did have plans tonight.

Electric Fantasy Kingdom, the hottest game in recent years, had been his favorite since he was fifteen. After nine years of playing, Shavri and White Cherry had founded a guild together. It grew into one of the most elite guilds in the game, a status that justified the Crown Prince’s investment of time and money.

This guild war, prepared over half a month, aimed to reclaim New Siberia. Shavri had cleared his schedule for it.

But just as he donned the neural receiver, Chen Ci’s call came through.

On one side was a long-prepared guild war, and on the other, Chen Ci’s rare request to go out. After a moment of hesitation, Shavri chose the latter. Real-life obligations ultimately came first, and this was a rare chance to fulfill Chen Ci’s wish.

He apologized sincerely to White Cherry for bailing, knowing he’d let down not just a friend but hundreds of guild members.

White Cherry complained but held no real grudge. After years of friendship, they knew each other well. Shavri wasn’t the type to ditch without reason—this must’ve been truly important.

Plus, as the guild’s treasurer, Shavri held the keys to their funds. This could be an opportunity to coax some extra resources for the guild.

White Cherry:

“How’s your business going? Not running into trouble, are you? If you need help, just let me know.”

Trouble? Not really.

Shavri glanced up at Chen Nian, and the moment the young man entered his field of view, he froze.

Chen Nian was still by the fountain. Thirsty, he bent down and drank from the pool.

The clear water reflected the moonlight, as well as the Omega’s face. His long lashes trembled slightly, and his soft lips pressed against the surface.

It was as if he were kissing his own reflection.

After taking a few sips, Chen Nian straightened up, and the youthful figure in the water vanished, leaving only the bright moon behind.

He wiped the droplets off his nose with his sleeve and lightly licked the moisture from his lips.

A gentle breeze carried the courtyard’s floral scents. Among them, the tuberose fragrance tickled the Alpha’s senses.

It was faint but irresistible, commanding all of Shavri’s attention.

For the second time that night, Shavri caught this floral aroma. This time, he finally realized—

It was the scent of Omega pheromones.