Could something good finally be happening at the royal palace?!

No wonder His Highness had been visiting the White Tower so diligently lately—it turns out their relationship was heating up!

Eh? But why were they preparing an extra room? Weren’t His Highness and the Princess Consort already living together?

Maybe the Princess Consort was just a bit shy. After all, they hadn’t officially gotten married yet. But with how open-minded things were nowadays, cohabiting before marriage wasn’t a big deal anymore!

Everyone barely managed to keep the corners of their mouths from twitching upward. The housekeeper began, “The Princess Consort His Highness, he—”

Shavri Vitaljevich waved off the attendants who wanted to follow Chen Nian. “Let him wander around on his own. It’s a good chance to get familiar with the place.”

Chen Nian walked down the wide and luxurious corridor, thick checkered carpets blending perfectly with the white-themed architecture. It felt like he was walking across a chessboard that stretched infinitely in all directions.

The mirrored walls and railings created reflections and layers, making the space feel even more varied and surreal—like something out of a storybook fairytale.

As he admired the unique scenery, Chen Nian relaxed completely.

From Shavri Vitaljevich’s behavior lately, the crown prince really did seem sincere. With his help, both Chen Nian and Chen Ci would probably have a much easier time ahead.

He wandered aimlessly, not knowing exactly where he’d ended up, when the steady click of hard-soled shoes on stone steps suddenly echoed from his side.

Chen Nian turned his head and saw an Alpha in full military uniform descending the stairs, one hand resting on the decorative sword at his waist. He looked just like a knight from medieval legends—gold tassels draping from the epaulettes to his chest, medals pinned neatly across his crisp formal jacket, too many to count at a glance.

Beneath sword-like brows, a pair of deep blue eyes remained as calm as the sea, reflecting the lone Omega youth below.

It was General Gudes, whom Chen Nian had briefly met at the banquet.

Gudes paused mid-step.

Why was the Princess Consort alone? He was now gazing up at the general, dressed simply in a jacket, without any styling. His soft black hair fell over his forehead, making him look particularly well-behaved.

In that brief moment of eye contact, Chen Nian’s DNA lit up.

Teasing Alphas had long since become second nature to him—his favorite way to have fun.

He enjoyed the tug-of-war that came with flirtation, and he especially loved the thrill of walking away coldly just when the other person had fallen hopelessly deep.

If the Alpha happened to be outstanding and admired by many, even better.

Alphas like that couldn’t be won over with a few cheap tricks. But because of that, when they did fall, they’d fall harder than most.

And that made it all the more satisfying for Chen Nian.

Well… Gudes might be a little on the older side, but Chen Nian had never encountered this type back in the Underground City.

Warming up a block of ice bit by bit sounded like a hell of a good time.

Very few people knew that Chen Nian was actually a bit of a shameless little rascal.

His exceptionally pretty face and his identity as an Omega were incredibly deceptive. Any Alpha who laid eyes on Chen Nian would never suspect that he could be dangerous.

Which was why they let their guard down.

And to top it off, Chen Nian’s acting skills could leave even the pickiest critics speechless.

“General.” A flicker of surprise appeared in Chen Nian’s eyes, as though he hadn’t expected to run into Gudes here.

The boy was briefly flustered, then gave a graceful bow to the general standing above him on the steps.

“Your Highness.” Gudes returned the salute respectfully. No matter how accomplished he might be on the battlefield, standing above the Princess Consort while speaking was still rude.

He quickened his pace down the stairs and stopped three meters in front of Chen Nian. “Are you here by yourself?”

“Mm, just out for a stroll. I’ve been living in the White Tower this whole time and haven’t really visited the palace, so I’m not very familiar with it.” Chen Nian paused, then plucked up some courage to ask, “And you’re here…?”

“I’m here to report to His Majesty.”

Chen Nian had heard from Shavri Vitaljevich that Gudes was committed to a no-marriage lifestyle. He had two guesses about this.

First, maybe Gudes held a stereotypical view of Omegas as soft and fragile, and believed he’d never be able to connect with one. After all, he was a battle-hardened general. Taking care of an Omega would be way too much of a hassle.

Second, maybe there was someone he’d loved deeply but could never have. Something had happened to that person—something that broke his heart—leading Gudes to swear off marriage forever.

Of course, those were just Chen Nian’s reckless guesses, part of his personal amusement.

Logically speaking, a man his age should be into delicate little lamb-types, those all-tender and pitiable Omegas. But if the first guess was right, then Chen Nian couldn’t act too weak.

He had to be like a flower in a storm—fragile but unyielding, standing tall even when unfairly battered by fate.

“Ah… is this where His Majesty works? How did I end up here…” Chen Nian bit his lip with a look of regret, glancing around nervously like he was hoping someone would help him out.

—The only child of the Chen family, exalted as the Princess Consort, yet alone at the royal banquet. His fiancé was surrounded by fawning nobles, and it had taken ages for him to remember to look for him.

He’d just met a new friend—his father’s former comrade—but didn’t even get a chance to chat before being whisked away by his fiancé.

Now, he was wandering alone through the massive palace, lost because he didn’t know the way.

And then, by sheer luck, he ran into a “familiar face” he’d only seen once before, which naturally made him a little happy.

“Are you lost?” Gudes asked, as expected. “This is the business wing. If you’re just looking to stroll or relax, the courtyard or the clock tower in the back would be better.”

“I don’t know the palace as well as you do, General.” Chen Nian smiled shyly and gestured vaguely to his left. “Is the clock tower in that direction?”

Gudes nodded. “Shall I escort you there?”

Chen Nian obediently shook his head. “No need. You must be busy—I wouldn’t want to take up your time.”

Hook, line, and sinker.

“I don’t have anything urgent,” Gudes said. “Let’s go.”

Chen Nian didn’t decline again. Even though he’d said he didn’t want to bother the general, he couldn’t help looking a little pleased once he knew he’d be escorted.

—The well-behaved child who didn’t cry finally got a piece of candy.

Even though this “child” was the kind who’d rob the whole candy store if he could.

Gudes took Chen Nian to the side tower near the clock tower, and they naturally chatted along the way.

Chen Nian only asked questions about the palace, clearly curious about everything. It was obvious that the Princess Consort knew very little about his future home.

Having been kept in the White Tower, he hadn’t had many chances to visit the palace. And with the crown prince’s lukewarm attitude, he probably had never personally brought Chen Nian for a tour.

They climbed the spiral staircase up the clock tower, where the view suddenly opened up. Birds circled in the sky. Chen Nian held out his hand, and an unafraid pigeon landed on his arm.

More pigeons followed, soon weighing down his arm. Chen Nian stroked their snow-white feathers and said with a smile, “Sorry, I don’t have any food.”

Gudes quietly watched the boy beside him.

When the Marshal’s children were born, he had been on the front lines, rescuing civilians from the Greenland sea battle. He only returned to Chensha after the Marshal sacrificed himself during the final fight to stop the sea emperor Canglong.

Eight years later, on the Marshal’s death anniversary, he visited the Veterans’ Hospital and saw a young boy standing in front of the black tombstone. Dressed in white, hair like ebony, placing flowers down.

A large black umbrella was held over the child by an attendant. The boy clutched his coat tighter, shivering slightly from the cold, and looked up at the housekeeper, asking to go home.

His pale, beautiful little face showed no emotion. But those amber eyes were as clear and cold as glass, indifferent like a porcelain doll.

What could a child that young possibly understand? To him, that was just a cold slab of stone, nothing that could be connected to the word “father.”

Time flew. That child had grown so much.

But he’d never truly been happy.

Chen Nian raised his hand, sending the pigeons flapping back into the sky. He watched their flight with envy and turned to Gudes. “I should get going. Thank you for bringing me here.”

Gudes came back to himself. “No need to be so polite, Your Highness.”

Chen Nian descended the clock tower, and Gudes gave him detailed directions to return. After thanking the general, Chen Nian quickly left.

Only when he was sure he was out of Gudes’ sight did he slow down, letting out a satisfied breath.

He felt pretty good about his performance just now.

Since quitting the nightclub, it’d been over a week since he’d flirted with a man. Clearly, he hadn’t lost his touch.

As Marshal Chen Wei’s other child, he should, by all rights, have a noble identity too.

Chen Ci had Shavri Vitaljevich as a fiancé, and even in the Underground City, an Alpha willing to fight to the death for him. Chen Nian couldn’t fall behind his brother.

With looks and elegance like his, it was only natural for a noble Omega to seek a proper, high-quality partner.

And there were so many excellent Alphas at the top of Chensha—it made perfect sense to take his time picking one.

His logic was watertight. Chen Nian returned to the palace living quarters feeling quite pleased with himself. Shavri Vitaljevich was looking for him.

He didn’t ask where Chen Nian had been. Seeing the Omega come back happy was enough to make him feel relieved—though he had no idea Chen Nian had just been off meeting another Alpha.

“See any place you like?”

“I’m fine with living anywhere.”

“Then how about the room next to mine?”

“Sure.” Chen Nian lowered his voice. “But I should ask my brother first. If he minds again, it’ll be a hassle.”

Shavri Vitaljevich nodded. “Go ask him.”

Back in Shavri Vitaljevich’s bedroom, Chen Nian picked up the new terminal and opened the app. Chen Ci had already accepted his friend request.

And sent him a lone “.”

Seeing that lonely little period, Chen Nian couldn’t help laughing. He quickly responded with an adorable cat sticker:

[I had Shavri Vitaljevich get me a terminal that’s not monitored, so we can stay in touch all the time now! I’ll also keep the logs on this device to avoid any risk of being found out.]

[Shavri Vitaljevich found out about my identity and said he’s willing to help cover for us.]

Chen Ci replied almost immediately: [He found out?]

[Yeah, he felt the calluses on my hand and figured it out. That bullet test was just a probe—I never even asked him for it. But it’s fine, no big problem.]

Chen Nian continued:

[Shavri Vitaljevich and I talked it over. The confinement order at the White Tower is too annoying, so we’re thinking of moving into the palace. It’ll be more convenient to go out. What do you think?]

Chen Ci: [Sure. If Shavri Vitaljevich is willing to help, that’s great.]

Chen Nian turned to Shavri Vitaljevich. “He said yes.”

Shavri Vitaljevich stepped out to inform the housekeeper to prepare the room next to his.

Chen Nian looked down, hesitated, then sent another message:

[There are a lot of really good Alphas here—totally different level from the ones in the Underground City. I kind of… just a little… want to—]

Chen Ci instantly understood: [You want to date?]

Chen Nian: [Hehe [scratches head.jpg]]

Chen Ci: [No problem, as long as you’re happy.]

His brother’s straightforward agreement actually made Chen Nian feel a bit guilty.

[But everything I do is still under your name. Is that okay? Won’t it affect your reputation?]

[I don’t care.]

After two seconds, another message came:

[You could also sound out Shavri Vitaljevich. If he doesn’t mind either, then it’s all good.]

Chen Nian stared at the message, eyes turning slightly misty.

What had he done to deserve such a brother—one who accepted all his little whims without hesitation?

Taking a deep breath and clenching his fists, Chen Nian made a secret vow—

He was going to reel in the absolute best Alpha at the very top of Chensha. No matter what, he wouldn’t let Chen Ci down!