CHAPTER 1

Yue Yiwan sat at the edge of the suspended pool, with a party in full swing behind him. He gazed into the distance at Suoming Court, surrounded by traffic and skyscrapers, watching the palace lanterns light up one by one on the vermilion walls, like wildfires burning on the horizon.

His phone lit up and went dark again. His older brother and father were evidently quite worried.

“Have you set off yet? Don’t lose the invitation.”

“—Make sure you read the instruction manual! Don’t embarrass yourself later!”

He yawned lazily and flipped through the small booklet in the dim light.

… “Royal Etiquette Handbook”?

It’s already 2030—doesn’t a constitutional monarchy and the royal family feel awkward by now?

Yue Yiwan glanced at his watch, clearly wanting to delay his social obligations for a bit longer.

The booklet in his hand featured a large, vibrant image of snapdragons in full bloom, symbolizing the royal family and a neighboring country.

He flipped open a page casually, finding the text stiff and official:

“The neighboring country is located in Southeast Asia, north of Micronesia… It has 43 islands, with a total area of 10,027 square kilometers, and belongs to the tropical rainforest climate.”

He figured he could read it later if he had trouble sleeping—it would probably be as effective as the word “abandon.”

Tossing the booklet aside, he bit onto a hair tie and pulled his hair into a small ponytail at the back of his head. He got up to ask an old friend for another cocktail.

“Young Master Yue—oh my, why aren’t you down yet?” His driver, Old Wang, suddenly emerged from the crowd, pulling him anxiously. “There’s an accident on Pingchang Road, and it’s completely jammed up. We need to leave right now!”

Yue Yiwan watched as his Tequila Sunrise was almost ready, but Old Wang’s constant nagging and hurried demeanor had him dragged down to the car parked below.

However, it was already too late.

The pile-up had blocked the main road completely. The incessant honking and cursing created a cacophony, making it nearly impossible to reach Suoming Court.

“We’re done for—the boss is definitely going to be furious,” Old Wang muttered, craning his neck over the steering wheel, visibly panicking and at a loss for what to do.

Usually, given the young master’s leisurely pace, they would have had just enough time to arrive early and even enjoy a cup of tea. But with traffic moving at a snail’s pace, being late was inevitable.

Their phones started ringing incessantly once again.

Yue Yiwan sighed, pulled the invitation out from the inside pocket, and got out of the car to scan a shared bike.

Old Wang was still nervously promising Yue’s father that he would get him there as soon as possible when he suddenly saw the young man riding away on a bike, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

“Hey—hey, what are you—”

The neighboring country didn’t have much of an international presence; its land area was less than half the size of China’s smallest province. For both big and small matters, it was like a mascot tucked away in a corner.

The royal family of this country was like an internal mascot of this mascot nation, a relic of history.

Over the years, the royal family had rarely engaged in foreign affairs. They mostly focused on charity and public welfare, maintaining the last bit of public reverence and fantasy for the royal family.

Yue Yiwan gripped the bike handle with one hand, flicked the cigarette butt into a passing trash can, and continued riding towards the brightly lit Suoming Court.

His family members were quite influential figures in the neighboring country.

The small island nation had a thriving tourism industry, abundant natural gas, and marine resources. In recent decades, modern industry had also been continuously innovating.

The Yue family was not only one of the three giants in the local tourism hotel industry but also maintained close relations with government officials and the royal family—which was why he was going to the palace today.

“Flower Viewing Party…” Yue Yiwan muttered the term, pausing at a red light.

It sounded like a banquet for viewing flowers and the moon, but it was actually a consort selection event.

No, it was to select a partner for the crown prince.

Same-sex marriage had been legal for over a decade, and the term “consort” seemed a bit discriminatory towards males.

When the green light flashed like a sparrow, he reached into his chest to make sure the invitation was still there, turned a corner, and arrived at a hidden side entrance of the palace.

The royal guards at the gate immediately stepped forward to stop a casually dressed young man riding a shared bike

“Got a pass, don’t worry.” The young man pulled out the slightly crumpled invitation from his chest, waved his hand, got off the bike, and parked it a short distance away in front of them.

A palace attendant rushed over to greet him, bowing hurriedly.

This palace was indeed grand.

The front court was open for sightseeing three days a week, and he had visited with his father as a child.

Behind it were layers of palace walls, stretching endlessly into the distance.

Yue Yiwan followed an attendant dressed like an actor from a historical drama, walking along the palace walls. He studied the floating cloud patterns on the attendant’s cotton robe while glancing at the solitary moon in the sky.

So cold and desolate, it seemed to need a companion.

Despite the labyrinthine palace, with its countless twists and turns, they finally arrived at the entrance with a plaque reading “Chengfan Palace.”

In the music hall, a classical violinist was playing Mendelssohn’s E minor concerto. His older brother and father were still talking with officials, giving him only a distant look.

He recognized that look—it said, “Behave! Don’t cause trouble!”

The time was 8:25, nearly half an hour late.

Yue Yiwan had rushed all the way, both riding and walking, but he maintained his composure, not panting openly. His throat was dry and parched.

He discreetly scanned the long table for water from the corner of his eye, looking at the glasses on the waiter’s tray—

Champagne, champagne, tequila, champagne.

No, that would only make him thirstier.

Probably because he was so focused on finding water, he didn’t realize the sudden hush that fell over the previously noisy crowd.

A tall, slender figure stopped beside him, holding a glass of plum wine with a small olive floating in it.

“Care for a drink?” A low, gentle voice sounded in his ear.

Yue Yiwan didn’t hear the gasp from a girl in the distance. Professionally, he glanced at the man’s physique.

A waist just over two feet, perfect shoulder width, a classic seven-head figure.

A handmade tailored suit, pure wool imitation fabric, Graff sapphire cufflinks.

—A man of taste.

He slowly raised his head and met a pair of eyes as deep and dark as pine soot ink.

Yue Zhigu had just finished exchanging pleasantries with an important partner when he turned and saw his unlucky brother standing next to the crown prince, reaching out for the glass of plum wine.

Hey—that drink isn’t something you can just accept casually!!!

Before he could shout a warning, Yue Yiwan, under everyone’s gaze, nodded and said thank you. He not only took the glass but also drank it all in one go.

Yue Ping was equally stunned, witnessing this historic moment. His mouth hung open for a long time, unable to speak, feeling his blood pressure rising.

Just returned from studying abroad and already ruining a lifelong commitment! This foolish boy!!

Yue Yiwan, having finished the sweet wine, smacked his lips to savor the taste.

It was strong and sweet. Delicious.

Hua Muzhi, standing beside him, smiled softly as he took the empty glass and glanced at a female official nodding in the distance.

“Then, I’ll take that as your agreement,” he said quietly. “See you later.”

Agree to… what?

Before he could fully process what was happening, his older brother and father rushed over, trying to smooth things over. “Apologies, apologies, it’s all a misunderstanding—this boy grew up studying abroad, he doesn’t know the customs here, please don’t be angry.”

Yue Yiwan was confused for a few seconds, thinking that all he did was drink a glass of wine offered to him. How could that cause any trouble? Beside him, Yue Ping sternly said, “Apologize to His Highness the Crown Prince right now!”

“My foolish brother!!” Yue Zhigu, ignoring the eyes of the crowd, explained through gritted teeth, “Drinking his wine means you agreed to marry him! Do you understand?!”

Wait a minute—

Hey—

Yue Yiwan raised his head, finally realizing, “So the crown prince now wears suits?!”

He stood up nervously, unable to return the glass he had just drunk from. Turning his head, he noticed almost everyone was staring at him, with several guards and attendants standing at the door.

If he backed out of the engagement now, it would surely cause a big commotion.

Yue Ping thought he had already paved the way for an apology, thinking they could apologize as a family and not delay the crown prince’s other matchmaking meetings. But this foolish boy still hadn’t caught on.

Yue Zhigu was waiting for him to speak, so anxious he practically wanted to write a five-thousand-word apology on his behalf.

“I…” Yue Yiwan saw his father and brother’s faces turning darker and darker. He looked at the handsome and noble young man and took a deep breath, saying, “So… shall we give it a try?”

Yue Zhigu nearly knelt on the spot.

Hua Muzhi’s smile deepened, and he gestured with his eyes toward another room.

“I’ll be waiting for you there.”

**Author’s Note:**

Happy Reading!!