Yun Xunlan’s words tonight, “Do you want to smell my pheromones?” were the most straightforward hint.

After all, if this sentence were said between an alpha and an omega, it would be absolutely naked flirting and teasing. Even between two alphas, it wouldn’t be any less innocent.

Moreover, Yu Chen had already tested Yun Xunlan—he had used a tone and attitude that could be considered disrespectful to suppress and invade Yun Xunlan’s space, yet Yun Xunlan didn’t get angry. When he asked Yun Xunlan for pheromones, Yun Xunlan indeed satisfied his request, giving him a rose that smelled almost identical to his own pheromones.

Thinking from another perspective, if any other alpha dared to treat him like that, Yu Chen would twist that alpha’s head off. Just like that perverted creep he encountered on the Star Network, who called himself “Newbie Fish Keeper,” he would have ground him to dust without a second thought.

So, Yu Chen believed his judgment was very accurate: Yun Xunlan was flirting with him.

And his flirting techniques were quite sophisticated.

Fu Yanxi, Gui Yan, and the others had truly suffered no injustice. Who could refuse a rose that Yun Xunlan personally bent down to pick for you? Not even he could.

However, all he could do was accept the rose and not respond to Yun Xunlan. He had to be ruthless when necessary and reject the prince’s affections.

Because he had more important things to accomplish and had long prepared himself to remain single and lonely for life.

Although he might be able to use the opportunity of being Yun Xunlan’s bed partner to gain a chance to activate the SSS mech, he was a person who lacked manners at most, not a person without a conscience. Yu Chen couldn’t bring himself to deceive and toy with someone else’s feelings to achieve his own goals.

He thought to himself: It seems he would have to act a bit colder in front of Yun Xunlan from now on, always paying attention to his words and actions, and absolutely must not make any inappropriate moves that would cause the prince to fall too deeply into this hopeless affection.

But if he acted too coldly, how would he win Yun Xunlan’s favor and gain the prince’s trust?

Yu Chen felt that the “degree” in this was incredibly hard to grasp, even harder than getting a perfect score in “Psychology of War.” He couldn’t figure it out.

So, for the first time in his life, Yu Chen found himself unable to sleep.

At the same time, Yun Xunlan, who was in his palace, was also unable to sleep.

He tossed and turned in bed for an hour without success, and finally couldn’t help but throw off the covers, hurriedly put on his shoes, and headed to the Northern Palace laboratory.

On the way, he kept murmuring, “I don’t understand… why is it not similar?”

The system helplessly replied, “Are you still tangled up in this matter?”

“It’s hard not to be tangled,” Yun Xunlan said. “According to the scent analysis data, the I-type fragrance used in Ailianxia’s ice cream has a similarity to my pheromones of 99.99%. The human olfactory system could never distinguish that last 0.01% difference.”

The system said, “What if Yu Chen’s olfactory system is particularly developed and can distinguish it?”

“Then his evaluation shouldn’t be ‘not similar.’ 99.99% is still similar,” Yun Xunlan frowned while shaking a test tube containing the I-type fragrance. “Moreover, he said the rose was ‘similar,’ but the similarity of the lychee rose’s floral scent to my pheromones is actually only 99%, nearly 1% lower than the I-type fragrance.”

The system couldn’t explain this: “Uh…”

“Maybe it’s just not pure enough.”

Yun Xunlan stood in front of the operation table and thought for a moment, saying, “The diffusion of scent molecules is affected by temperature, and olfaction interacts with taste… I need to have them adjust the formula and consider these factors.”

The system advised him, “Adjusting the formula is fine, but it’s unnecessary. Because no matter how you adjust it, the room for improvement is limited. You said it yourself, the human olfactory system can’t distinguish that last 0.01% difference.”

Yun Xunlan shook his head: “It’s necessary. We have to be worthy of the consumers.”

“Listen to me, adjusting the formula is not as good as adding variety,” the system urged again. “We can launch special crispy cones in various flavors, like watermelon, strawberry, mint, sea salt… Let consumers choose freely based on their needs; they might prefer that.”

Yun Xunlan suddenly realized: “Xiao Ju, you really are something.”

The system beamed with pride: “Let’s sell it like this this year. When we raise the price to nineteen star coins next year, we can introduce these special flavors of crispy cones. For those who only like the original flavor, just sprinkle some gold and silver foil inside; those who understand will know, no need to say more.”

“Okay.” Yun Xunlan felt relieved. “Let’s go back to sleep.”

But the system said, “Don’t sleep yet. Let’s review the progress of your friendship with Yu Chen tonight.”

Yun Xunlan said, “I think the progress is quite good.”

He pointed to the blue gemstone communicator that Yu Chen had once worn on his ear bone and said, “In ancient times, blood was sworn as a pact. Although Yu Chen and I haven’t shared a blood oath, we have bled together as brothers.”

“My mech is even named after him.”

“This sincerity can be witnessed by the sun and moon, and the heavens can testify,” Yun Xunlan asserted. “Once he feels it, he will surely exchange hearts with me.”

Hearing Yun Xunlan say this, the system simulated a round of applause audio and praised him: “Not bad! You don’t even need my guidance now; you have a whole set of moves. Where did you learn all this?”

“From ‘Interstellar Journey: Supreme New Emperor.'”

Yun Xunlan said as he opened his light brain and showed the system a book from the “Touching Brotherhood” category in his reading app: “I just followed what the author wrote about brotherhood in this book, and it really is effective.”

The book was currently updating a scene where the male lead piloted a mech like a savior descending from the sky, standing in front of his good brother, eyes bloodshot, shouting at the villain, “If you dare to break my brother’s wings, I will destroy your entire fleet!”

There was also a reader’s hot comment pinned by the author: [I cried to death; every time I read about the friendship line between the male lead and his brother, I cry. Love can betray you, but friendship won’t. Everyone must read this book!]

Seeing Yun Xunlan work so hard, the system felt like a proud parent watching their child about to become a dragon or phoenix. Yet, it also earnestly advised Yun Xunlan not to become arrogant: “Arrogant soldiers are bound to fail. You must continue to study the principles in the book well. You can’t become complacent because your relationship with Yu Chen is still not deep enough. Look, he hasn’t smiled at you even once so far.”

“Yu Chen’s naturally cold face has a vibe of ‘the young master hasn’t smiled in ten years.’ Even when he called your name tonight, he was fierce. He probably only shows his smile to those he trusts the most. So, when he genuinely smiles at you from the heart, that’s when you’ve truly succeeded in becoming close friends with him.”

Yun Xunlan humbly accepted the advice: “I will work hard.”

“However, some people just don’t smile because they are naturally not fond of smiling.” Yun Xunlan then shared his insights, “If I can make Yu Chen bloodshot-eyed like the male lead in the book for me, that would also count as a success, right?”

The system said, “Why wouldn’t it count? Just strive towards these two directions.”

Yun Xunlan thought: In ‘Interstellar Journey: Supreme New Emperor,’ the reason the male lead became bloodshot-eyed for his brother was that he saw his brother seriously injured and about to be killed by the villain, and in his anxiety, he revealed his true feelings. But he had an entire royal guard protecting him, so it was unlikely he would ever be in a situation of “seriously injured and about to be killed.”

Moreover, if that situation did occur, it would definitely mean the royal guard had failed in their duties, and Yu Chen, as one of the guards, would certainly be held accountable. Therefore, Yun Xunlan temporarily decided not to try that route and instead aimed to make Yu Chen smile at him first.

The next day at the training ground, when Yun Xunlan saw Yu Chen wearing a bite inhibitor, he realized that Yu Chen had entered his sensitive period.

The Galactic Empire did not prohibit alphas in their sensitive period from going out, but they had to wear bite inhibitors in public, which was a way to notify those around them to keep their distance from the alpha in their sensitive period. It also prohibited alphas in their sensitive period from randomly marking others.

Yu Chen was currently in his sensitive period, and theoretically, he could take a leave of absence to stay in the dormitory. However, for S-class and above high-level alphas—especially those like them who had graduated from military academies, undergone strict training, and had years of combat experience—being unable to control their emotional state during their sensitive period and needing to take a leave of absence was simply a disgrace. So no alpha would take a leave of absence, no matter how difficult the sensitive period was.

Yun Xunlan sighed: “He definitely can’t smile during his sensitive period.”

He took a few steps back to stand at a distance from Yu Chen and said to the system, “If other alphas get too close to him during his sensitive period, he will feel uncomfortable. Let’s wait until his sensitive period is over.”

Yun Xunlan understood the discomfort of the sensitive period very well, as he was also a high-level alpha. He felt that keeping his distance from Yu Chen at this time was the best choice. So after completing today’s daily tasks, he took a distant glance at the black-haired alpha’s deep, pure sea-blue eyes before turning to leave, and he continued to do so for the next two days.

Until the third day, Yun Xun Guang came to the Northern Palace to tell him some good news: “You can return to the Seventh Experimental Base now.”

At that time, Yun Xunlan was in his study organizing experimental data. He looked up from his desk and asked, “Has the royal guard’s pressure resistance training ended?”

“No, but they have met the basic requirements—they can withstand your pressure and act normally, and they can also give you an injection when your pheromones go out of control,” Yun Xun Guang said as he picked up a few scattered sheets of paper from the floor and placed them back on the desk. “They will continue to receive training afterward.”

“Good.” Without saying much, Yun Xunlan began to tidy up his manuscripts, and judging by his demeanor, he seemed ready to leave the Northern Palace for the Seventh Experimental Base.

However, halfway through, he suddenly stopped his actions, paused for a few seconds, and then spoke to Yun Xun Guang: “By the way, sister, Father gave me Zhan Yue Peninsula as a birthday gift. From now on, I won’t stay in the base dormitory during workdays; I’ll go live at Zhan Yue Peninsula and come back to the Northern Palace on weekends.”

Yun Xun Guang, who always thought “the palace is the safest,” did not object but said, “Sure, Zhan Yue Peninsula has a nice view and is close to the Seventh Experimental Base. You can go there to relax, just make sure not to let the royal guards leave your side. Remember, as long as you’re not in a place I consider absolutely safe, even if you’re doing…”

Yun Xunlan pinched the bridge of his nose, interrupting Yun Xun Guang: “I know, I know. I will have them accompany me even when I sleep, okay?”

Yun Xun Guang exclaimed in curiosity, “Oh!”

Yun Xunlan said, “I definitely will.”

This wasn’t just talk; Yun Xunlan really had this plan—he wanted to share a bed with Yu Chen.

How could a deep friendship between two same-sex brothers lack this activity?

In ‘Interstellar Journey: Supreme New Emperor,’ the male lead often slept outdoors with his good brother during battles, sharing heartfelt conversations. Their friendship deepened during these “wild sleepovers,” ultimately becoming life-and-death brothers.

And while he and Yu Chen clearly couldn’t sleep outdoors, they could still sleep together.

He thought that if he could lie in bed with Yu Chen, open his heart, and talk all night a few times, their friendship would surely deepen day by day. Thus, Yun Xunlan planned to wait until Yu Chen’s sensitive period ended to find an opportunity to put this into practice.

The most urgent matter now was to return to the Seventh Experimental Base.

Since graduating, Yun Xunlan had been working at the Seventh Experimental Base, where the dormitory had all his daily necessities. Even if something was missing, the first attendant, Ni Chun, would arrange everything for him. Yun Xunlan only needed to bring along the little blue fish he had been “raising” recently.

But for the royal guard alphas, it wasn’t that simple.

After escorting Yun Xunlan into the highly confidential experimental area, which was off-limits to anyone except researchers, Ni Chun gathered all the royal guards and explained the “employment” precautions face-to-face: “His Highness has a very regular life. Every Monday, I will send everyone the schedule for His Highness’s upcoming week. If there are any changes during the week, I will notify everyone the night before.”

As he spoke, Ni Chun took out ten suitcases, opened them, and distributed them to all the royal guards and Commander Dick.

When everyone opened them, they found three white syringe vials and a silver handgun inside.

Ni Chun pointed to the top three white syringe vials and said, “These are M20-type high-concentration strong analgesics. During duty, each person must carry three. If His Highness suffers a serious injury, please be sure to inject him with M20 at the first opportunity. He is allergic to other painkillers, and the use of any other analgesics is strictly prohibited.”

Most of the alpha soldiers present had heard of the M20 analgesic. It was famously known as the “chicken rib analgesic.”

When it was first developed, it was renowned for its immediate effect, being completely non-addictive and having no respiratory suppression effects. It provided excellent analgesic effects for persistent chronic pain, acute sharp pain, and neuropathic pain.

Unfortunately, it had high liver toxicity and was difficult for the human body to metabolize. Once injected, it could cause irreversible liver damage and might even lead to pheromone disorders in the injected person, causing both alpha and omega to enter a prolonged sensitive period and heat phase. Even beta individuals could exhibit false “sensitive” or “heat” symptoms. Therefore, it was not widely used and was strictly regulated by the state to prevent those with ulterior motives from using it as an aphrodisiac.

As for the silver handgun below the M20 analgesics, the royal guards were even more familiar with it. Not a single one of them didn’t recognize it—it was the alpha pheromone riot suppression gun.

As the name suggests, it was a weapon used to suppress alpha pheromone riots. Instead of bullets, it contained a pheromone pressure reduction injection.

An alpha hit by it would experience a rapid decrease in pheromone pressure levels, unable to exert any suppressive effects on other alphas or omegas, and would feel weak for three minutes, making it easy for the police to control their actions.

However, the suppression gun provided by Ni Chun was somewhat different from the ordinary suppression guns used by the police to suppress alpha pheromone riots. Ni Chun said, “The drug bullets in this suppression gun are specially made; they can only lower the pressure levels and will not affect the alpha’s actions. Each gun is equipped with 20 rounds.”

When Yu Chen heard this, his eyelashes fluttered, and he looked up at Ni Chun, listening to him continue: “If His Highness’s pheromones go out of control, you can only use this gun to suppress His Highness’s pheromone riot. The use of other suppression guns is strictly prohibited.”

“The number of shots is unlimited, until you can completely ignore His Highness’s pressure and act freely.”

“There is nothing else to pay attention to for now.” Ni Chun softened his voice, “Whether here, in the Northern Palace, or elsewhere, everyone doesn’t need to be too restrained. Just treat His Highness as a friend, which is also His Highness’s wish.”

Although Ni Chun said this, Yu Chen observed that he felt that, apart from himself, everyone else was preparing to worship Yun Xunlan like a god.

During lunch break, while they were in the cafeteria, Song Tingqiao patted his brother Song Tingyan’s shoulder and said, “Oh my god, being a royal guard for the Third Prince is just too awesome! Brother, it’s great that both of us were selected; otherwise, I would be so jealous of you. Then we wouldn’t be able to be brothers anymore.”

Song Tingyan replied, “What a coincidence, I was thinking the same.”

Putting aside everything else, just the fact of being a royal guard for Yun Xunlan, Yu Chen also felt quite awesome. To summarize it in seven words: high pay, little work, great benefits.

High pay goes without saying. From the schedule they currently had, it was clear that Yun Xunlan’s life was very regular. He stayed at the Seventh Experimental Base from nine to five on weekdays and returned to the Northern Palace or Zhan Yue Peninsula on weekends, rarely going out for travel or leisure, and almost had no social activities. This fixed and unchanging schedule and narrow, simple social circle meant that the royal guards had very little workload. The great benefits were directly reflected in their extremely luxurious meals.

The cafeteria at the Seventh Experimental Base offered twelve different dishes for all employees to choose from freely at every meal, with unlimited fruits and various desserts available all day long. If they wanted to eat the thousand star coin Kelu lobster, they could have as many as they wanted. If they didn’t like the dishes that day, they could inform the chef in advance to prepare something else. Any dietary restrictions or preferences for light or heavy flavors could also be accommodated, and the chef would adjust according to their needs.

When Gui Yan stepped into the cafeteria, he thought they had come to a party.

Even Fu Yanxi, who came from a wealthy family, said, “My dad is naturally frugal and doesn’t allow the family to waste. I haven’t eaten this well even during the New Year at home.”

Among all the royal guards, only Yu Chen took nothing but a bottle of concentrated nutrient solution, distancing himself from his colleagues and sitting alone in a corner, sipping slowly through a straw.

This wasn’t because he was still in his sensitive period and couldn’t take off the bite inhibitor. The cafeteria had a special area for alphas in their sensitive period to eat without the bite inhibitor, and Yu Chen could go there to eat if he wanted. But he simply had no appetite.

The dizziness caused by the side effects of the third-generation alpha sensitive period suppressor had faded, but the nausea remained. At this moment, no matter how delicious the dishes were, they couldn’t stimulate Yu Chen’s appetite; they only made him feel even more nauseous, and he was slowly sipping the nutrient solution.

This was also the reason why most alphas in their sensitive period preferred to wear bite inhibitors rather than take suppressors. After all, once they took the suppressor, they would feel nauseous even drinking water throughout the entire sensitive period.

In comparison, feeling a bit irritable, having a strong possessiveness over their omega, and being a bit more sexually driven was nothing to worry about.

Yu Chen had never taken suppressors during his sensitive periods unless he was on a mission.

As for this time’s sensitive period… it was an exception.

Yu Chen’s marking desire during this sensitive period was particularly severe. He felt like a pathological patient who had not satisfied his oral fixation during childhood, leading to psychological fixation in adulthood. He had barely finished a quarter of the nutrient solution when he bit the straw to shreds, completely unaware, still tormenting the poor straw, his mind troubled by one question—

Why had Yun Xunlan been cold to him these past two days?

Yu Chen was certain this was not his illusion.

The prince now stood five steps further away than before when listening to his “oath” every day, and his gaze wouldn’t linger on him any longer. Not to mention calling him to meet alone; if it weren’t for the lychee rose still soaking in his cup, blooming more and more each day, Yu Chen would have thought that night of ambiguity had never existed.

A few nights ago, he was still thinking that he needed to act a bit colder in front of Yun Xunlan and grasp the “degree” of their interactions.

Now, this “degree” was directly ungraspable. He might even have to think of ways to get closer to Yun Xunlan, to brush up on his presence and gain the young man’s trust, so he could access the SSS mech.

“Crack—”

Yu Chen, feeling frustrated, bit through the straw and had to go get a new one.

Just as he returned and sat down, he heard Gui Yan and Fu Yanxi campaigning: “Hurry, hurry, hurry! The voting for the ‘Alpha You Most Want to Marry in the Whole Star System’ ranking ends tomorrow. Have you voted for the Third Prince? If you haven’t, vote now!”

Song Tingqiao looked up from his bowl, confused: “Isn’t that ranking for omegas and betas to vote?”

Gui Yan retorted, “Who said that? That ranking doesn’t limit the gender of the voters; alphas can vote too. Fu Yanxi and I have both voted.”

Song Tingqiao immediately opened his light brain: “Then I will vote too. I’m voting right now.”

The vote-collecting brother Gui Yan wouldn’t allow anyone not to vote for Yun Xunlan. After finishing with the Song brothers, he turned to Yu Chen and asked, “Yu Chen, did you vote?”

Yu Chen’s voice during his sensitive period was low and cold: “No.”

Fu Yanxi came over to urge him: “What are you waiting for if you haven’t? Hurry and vote!”

Hearing this, Yu Chen paused his actions of tormenting the new straw, then opened his light brain, found the voting entry for the ranking, but hesitated to click the voting button.

He looked down at the name of the ranking and said, “But I don’t want to marry him.”

Fu Yanxi looked at him with a dumbfounded expression: “Are you out of your mind during your sensitive period? The Third Prince is someone you can just marry if you want?”

Gui Yan emphasized, “Not even that! You can’t even think about it! It’s a crime to think! How can a mountain chicken match a phoenix…”

He swallowed the remaining word “phoenix” under Yu Chen’s cold gaze, after all, he couldn’t afford to provoke an alpha in their sensitive period, nor could he fight Yu Chen.

Fu Yanxi cleared his throat: “In any case, it’s not an option. We just need you to vote; the Third Prince’s position must not be shaken.”

Yu Chen glanced at the ranking again: “It can’t be shaken; the combined votes of the second and third places are still less than his.”

Gui Yan punched Yu Chen’s shoulder: “You still have to vote. Voting is anonymous; just a little finger movement is all it takes. It won’t affect you at all.”

Yu Chen, feeling annoyed, raised an eyebrow and clicked the voting button, saying impatiently, “Fine, fine, fine, I voted. Now hurry and get lost, don’t bother me.”

Fu Yanxi and Gui Yan, seeing this, were satisfied and went to “bother” others.

However, just as they sent those two off, another alpha sat down in front of Yu Chen with a tray.

Yu Chen lifted his eyelids and found that the newcomer was Zhou Shun, the royal guard ranked ninth in their elite team.

He had never seen this person before becoming colleagues, and after becoming colleagues, they hadn’t spoken much. They weren’t familiar with each other at all, so he hadn’t planned to speak. Yet Zhou Shun, being overly familiar, started chatting with him: “Yu Chen, why are you drinking nutrient solution instead of eating?”

This was a caring question.

Out of good manners, Yu Chen briefly explained, “I took a suppressor, and I have no appetite.”

Zhou Shun was surprised: “You took the third-generation suppressor? Its side effects are that bad?”

After asking, his gaze swept over the chewed-up straw in Yu Chen’s hand, and then he revealed an “I understand everything” expression: “Oh~ You can’t hold back when you see an omega, huh? There’s nothing you can do; the Third Prince is great in every way, but the outings are too few. Usually, you have to do it yourself.”

Yu Chen: “?”

What the hell?

Yu Chen didn’t quite understand for a moment.

“There are no omegas over at the Northern Palace, but the omegas here are all quite good-looking,” Zhou Shun, who was actually quite handsome, smiled but had an indescribable greasy feeling, “No wonder the Third Prince is developing the ninth-generation suppressor for omegas in heat.”

Yu Chen understood these few sentences—there were only betas among Yun Xunlan’s attendants and servants in the Northern Palace, but many engineers and researchers at the Seventh Military Experimental Base were omegas. Zhou Shun was joking about these omegas and Yun Xunlan, saying they were all in heat all day, which forced Yun Xunlan, an alpha, to develop a suppressor for omegas in heat.

Yu Chen was already feeling nauseous, and after hearing Zhou Shun’s words, he had even less appetite.

If it weren’t for Zhou Shun’s “colleague” status, he would have poured the nutrient solution over this person’s head.

However, he didn’t want to break the relationship outright, but he couldn’t hold back the harsh words. He looked into Zhou Shun’s eyes and sarcastically said, “Yeah, why did the Third Prince go to make a suppressor for omegas? I really hope he can also make a suppressor for alpha sensitive periods when he has time, because the side effects of the third generation are too damn annoying. The level of nausea is almost on par with facing an idiot, making me feel twice as sick right now. Can you move a bit further away? Be careful, or I might throw up on you.”

It seemed he had been too polite, or perhaps Zhou Shun was too low in emotional intelligence to understand; he waved his hand and said, “The Third Prince wouldn’t do that. If he really did, the omegas would cry.”

Yu Chen began to lose track of what Zhou Shun was saying again. He felt like a literate person: “What does making a suppressor for alpha sensitive periods have to do with omegas?”

Are all the researchers omegas?

If it really got developed, they should be happy, not crying, right?

“Are you still a virgin? You don’t understand this?” Zhou Shun clicked his tongue. “No wonder you don’t know how much fun those omegas have when they get c*cked during alpha sensitive periods. If you knew, you would definitely understand.”

Yu Chen was left speechless.

He turned his head to look back and saw Fu Yanxi, Gui Yan, the Song twins, and Lottie chatting enthusiastically about the ranking votes. Zhou Shun, who also couldn’t stop talking about the “Third Prince,” had fallen to the point of coming to talk to him, an alpha in his sensitive period, and he suddenly understood something.

“May I ask you a bold question—”

Yu Chen pulled his gaze back, leaned back in his chair, let his right arm hang down, and rested his left arm on the back of the chair, adopting a relaxed posture, his blue eyes fixed on Zhou Shun as he inquired, “Were you born an omega?”

Zhou Shun replied, “Yeah, I was born to an omega and…”

“Indeed a beast.” Yu Chen interrupted him, speaking in an unprecedented civilized tone, “I was also born an omega, so Zhou Shun, please understand me.”

“Understand you what… what the hell?!”

Before he could finish his sentence, Zhou Shun’s nose received a heavy punch from Yu Chen’s right hand.

Because Yu Chen had been in a relaxed position earlier, Zhou Shun had no defenses against him. As a result, not only did he fail to dodge, but he was almost knocked off his chair by the tremendous impact. However, a 2S-level alpha’s recovery ability was incredibly strong. After a brief moment of dizziness, Zhou Shun propped himself up on the table and was about to twist Yu Chen’s neck in retaliation.

But Yu Chen was a step ahead of Zhou Shun, pushing off the edge of the table with his leg, sliding his chair to the side and leaving Zhou Shun to miss.

“Yu Chen, are you crazy?! Can’t the bite inhibitor stop your mouth?”

Zhou Shun swung his arm, sweeping the table, knocking over the nutrient solution Yu Chen hadn’t finished and his own tray, cursing loudly.

The commotion they caused was quite loud, and Zhou Shun’s pheromones, which smelled of leather, spread throughout the cafeteria along with his nosebleed. Fu Yanxi, Gui Yan, the Song twins, and Lottie quickly got up and rushed over to stand between the two to prevent them from continuing to fight: “What are you doing? What are you two doing?”

Fu Yanxi also stood in the middle, arms outstretched in a calming gesture, asking, “Let’s talk it out. No fighting, and no cursing. What’s going on with you two?”

“It’s not ‘what’s wrong with us,’ it’s ‘what’s wrong with me!'” Zhou Shun shouted, wiping the blood that had flowed to his mouth, “Yu Chen, this mad dog hit me for no reason!”

Fu Yanxi first frowned at Yu Chen, then extended his index finger to shake it at Zhou Shun, seriously saying, “Zhou Shun, calm down. I’ve known Yu Chen for many years; I understand him. Although he has terrible manners, he would never hit someone for no reason. Did you argue?”

“Did you say something to insult him?” Gui Yan also asked Zhou Shun based on his past experiences of fighting with Yu Chen, then turned to Yu Chen, “What did he say to you?”

Zhou Shun replied, “I didn’t insult him; he called me a beast!”

Fu Yanxi then looked at Yu Chen: “Yu Chen, did you call Zhou Shun a beast?”

“Not just that.” Yu Chen defended himself, “I also called him a disgusting idiot.”

“Zhou Shun, Yu Chen not only called you a beast, but he also called you a disgusting idiot.” Fu Yanxi turned his head to Zhou Shun, repeating Yu Chen’s words like a useless messenger, and finally sighed, summarizing, “Sigh, I already said not to use foul language. It’s impolite and uncivilized, but why do you both love to curse so much? It’s so lacking in manners.”

“I’ll curse your mom!” Zhou Shun pushed Fu Yanxi away and pointed at Yu Chen, “You, this idiot orphan, lost your parents and no one taught you, right? You just hit people for no reason?”

“Zhou Shun, you’re going too far.” Lottie couldn’t take it anymore, “Aren’t we all graduates of Anluos Military Academy? Yu Chen was notorious for his lack of manners in our school; he curses better than you do. What’s wrong with you?”

Gui Yan added, “Exactly! We’re all alumni, and now we’re colleagues. Is it necessary to be so petty? You even cursed at Fu Yanxi, who came to mediate; that’s too much.”

Fu Yanxi, acting as a peacemaker, said, “It’s okay; I have a good temper. Zhou Shun, I generously forgive you and won’t hold it against you. You and Yu Chen should listen to me; after all, I’m doing this for your own good. Just apologize to each other and shake hands to let this matter pass. Don’t say anything that could harm unity; if this gets to Commander Dick, it won’t be good for anyone.”

Zhou Shun looked at Fu Yanxi with disbelief: “He hit me and cursed at me, and I still have to apologize to him?”

Yu Chen also said, “I won’t apologize, and Zhou Shun doesn’t need to apologize to me either.”

His tone was calm, and his deep voice showed no anger, with a smile on his lips, but the depths of his blue eyes were icy cold: “Zhou Shun’s manners are too poor. As such a well-mannered person, I should teach him how to have manners. He should thank me, not apologize.”

“What?! His manners are worse than yours?” Gui Yan was shocked and quickly asked Zhou Shun, “What exactly did you say to him?”

Zhou Shun thought for a moment: “Because I said he was a virgin?”

“That’s really lacking in manners.” Song Tingqiao clenched his fists and whispered to his brother Song Tingyan, “Aren’t we the same? Why is he shouting so loudly?”

Song Tingyan: “…”

And Yu Chen seemed to have heard something ridiculous and laughed again: “So you don’t think there’s anything wrong with the other things you said?”

Zhou Shun either avoided the main point or, as Yu Chen said, completely failed to realize his problem, saying without any shame, “What problem could there be in talking about the Third Prince?”

Yu Chen sneered and opened his mouth, but another soft, slightly hoarse voice interrupted him before he could speak—

“What have you been discussing about me?”

They turned to look in the direction of the voice, and what met their eyes was a pair of brilliant golden eyes.

“May I have the honor of hearing it?”

The tall and slender alpha walked closer, his previously loose silver hair tied into a ponytail, and his white uniform was neat and tidy, without a single wrinkle. Behind him followed several researchers also wearing white lab coats, but he was the most eye-catching among them, like the blazing sun in the sky, making it impossible to see any other shining stars.

Everyone came back to their senses and bowed their heads to greet him: “Your Highness.”