The hovercar parked next to the swing, and Chu Bai returned to the second-floor terrace via the outdoor stairs. To match his harmless persona, he had changed into simple shirts and trousers, and even adjusted his walking pace slightly as he stepped onto the last stair.

Opening the door and entering the room, the once messy bedroom was now neat and spotless, with the scent of winter snow and fruitwood smoke completely cycled out, yet there was no sign of anyone.

Chu Bai raised an eyebrow and looked down at his light-brain to ask the AI Butler: [Where is Nian Keyi?]

The butler replied: [In the first-floor dining room.]

Gone to eat, then.

Chu Bai went downstairs to find him. At the simple white dining table, the boy was holding chopsticks in one hand but wasn’t eating, instead watching the light screen intently, his back showing seriousness.

Chu Bai quietly approached from behind, looking at the light screen he had opened.

Two silver-white warships crashed into the extended platform, and the near-realistic visual impact of “Battle” was strong.

The continuously dropping score was flashing quite conspicuously.

“Still watching?” Chu Bai spoke up.

Immersed in the scene, Nian Keyi was startled, his finger twitching, accidentally switching the perspective instead of dragging the progress bar.

It switched to Chu Bai’s game perspective.

Nian Keyi turned around, frowning in accusation: “You walk without making a sound!”

“It’s because you were too focused,” Chu Bai said, adjusting his glasses and gesturing at the light screen, “Why are you watching the replay?”

Nian Keyi paused at his words, then turned back to drag the progress bar on the light screen, pausing it. When he looked up at Chu Bai again, his dark eyes were sharp: “The calculation for this distance is quite precise. Did you deliberately crash the support ship onto the extended platform?”

Two seconds of silence.

Chu Bai slowly lowered his head, smiling awkwardly: “I made an operational error, the angle of impact was a bit off.”

In the first second of being questioned, he almost thought the Omega had discovered the truth. That his series of smooth operations, seemingly chaotic, were actually all in preparation for the final explosion at the star port.

But he quickly realized that Nian Keyi’s words were not an accusation, but rather sarcastic.

So, even during the heat cycle, he could become a different person, how stimulating.

“The zi40-c9 can forgo all performance for acceleration, but the goal is to escape. Normal speed here would have been enough to push away the support ship, no need to accelerate,” Nian Keyi said, drawing a parabola on the light screen’s mini-map, sneering, “Professor Chu, you weren’t doing it on purpose, were you?”

He asked again.

Chu Bai leaned over, one hand gripping the back of the chair, as if half-embracing the Omega. Nian Keyi, surrounded by him, didn’t realize he should avoid it. Seven days of intimate entanglement had its presence, and although the Omega seemed to have changed personality, there was no physical rejection at all.

He even had a scent of winter snow and fruitwood smoke intertwined on him.

When Chu Bai smelled it, he felt a softening of his heart he couldn’t control. He tilted his head, played his own perspective, and pointed at the numbers in the bottom right corner: “At my speed, I would have just brushed past the support ship, so I had to choose to accelerate and crash.”

Nian Keyi followed his fingertip, scanning back and forth between the numbers and the external screen, pursing his lips.

It seemed to be true.

Or not.

A person’s normal state and stimulated state are different. He wanted to say it wasn’t right, but his body was a bit weak, and his nose seemed more sensitive to the winter snow pheromone.

Chu Bai’s ability to control pheromones was top-notch, but he could smell it. Being close almost gave him the illusion of being pampered by winter snow, and then his anger disappeared, his emotions wagging their tail, making him unable to speak immediately.

Ah, how annoying!

“And,” Chu Bai tilted his head, his pleasant voice falling into his ear, “why would I deliberately get us on a real-name report?”

Nian Keyi frowned slightly, watching Chu Bai’s perspective, struggling to think, the explanation seemed reasonable.

He touched his ear, muttering: “You did it on purpose, you wanted to be on it.”

Chu Bai saw the youthful face in front of him showing signs of wanting to throw a small tantrum, the alarm was lifted, his light eyes slightly narrowed, lips curling up gently, and he softly coaxed: “That was my fault.”

Nian Keyi turned his head, wanting to tell him not to speak so close, but they were almost face to face, lips nearly touching.

Both their gazes simultaneously dropped, Chu Bai leaning back a bit, his Adam’s apple moving slightly: “Still angry?”

They had gone through a heat cycle, but hadn’t kissed.

“…Yes.” Nian Keyi folded his ears that were heating up, dragging the progress bar again to rewatch.

Annoying.

He had repeated this action many times that morning, not knowing what he was looking for, just having an initial intuition that something was off.

Nian Tuan’s interrogation assessment was first this year because he had immense faith in his deliberately cultivated intuition.

Chu Bai straightened up, afraid he might actually see something, his gaze finding the plate on the table, the shrimp and fruit-vegetable juice still half remaining. He patted Nian Keyi’s shoulder: “Finish your meal, after breakfast we’ll visit the Nian family.”

“I’m not eating anymore.” Nian Keyi wanted to throw down his chopsticks.

A large hand pressed down on the small hand.

“Don’t waste food,” Chu Bai said, guiding the hand back to the plate.

Nian Keyi: “…”

Young Master Nian had never heard these words before.

Nian Keyi’s lips moved, taking a breath: “Fine, I’ll finish it.”

Chu Bai simply sat beside him to accompany him.

Seven days can form a habit, unnoticed by people.

Nian Keyi temporarily set aside the replay, the shrimp he was eating was from Rose Star, high in nutritional value, mild and suitable for breakfast, but he found it tasteless, always unable to finish, poking one piece and taking forever to eat it, then poking another, his round eyes looking at Chu Bai.

He had to admit, Chu Bai was his type.

The man lowered his head to look at his light-brain, seemingly working, his serious expression a bit cold, his appearance from any angle was extremely outstanding, good physique, good stamina, and at twenty-nine, he was already a professor at the Luo Federation, his friends included the president of Chong Xia, his personal charm was strong.

And his personality was gentle.

Growing up in the so-called upper class of Luo Star, Nian Keyi had seen many monsters and demons, people with hidden agendas, he liked gentlemen who were consistent inside and out, the kind mentioned in ancient times, gentlemen who were cautious even when alone, almost like a fairy tale.

He saw some of those shadows in Chu Bai.

His gentleness was ingrained in his bones, evident in many details, checking supplies alone before the heat cycle, always remembering to use them earlier than himself, always having just the right food during the intervals of heat, and whispering soothing words with a hoarse voice during intimate moments…

Thinking back now, sometimes he wanted to hear some… dirty talk, but it didn’t seem to fit Chu Bai’s demeanor.

But it was just right now, too right, which made him a bit greedy.

Chu Bai checked the email from the school, his mecha assessment model had passed the filing, and the assessment date was set for a month and a half later.

It was roughly the time when Luo Federation would start school, and Nian Keyi was also a student there. He suddenly recalled the words of Major Bai at the star port, his brow twitching slightly.

Chu Bai’s gaze drifted across the table, the Omega hadn’t eaten much, but his ears were red, and his eyes had become moist.

He was startled: “Do you have a fever?”

He knew that some boys might have a fever after their first time, and male Omegas were still boys.

“No, my body temperature isn’t high.” Nian Keyi’s eyes dodged, fanning himself with his hand, casually grabbing an excuse, “Oh, getting married makes me a bit shy.”

Chu Bai: “…”

Chu Bai: “?”

On the way to the Nian family after breakfast, just as they got in the car, Nian Keyi’s light-brain chimed, and after checking it, he suddenly sat up straight.

Chu Bai asked: “What’s wrong?”

Nian Keyi: “…Something big!”

Chu Bai set the destination but hadn’t started the car, watching him, ready to listen.

After these seven days, Nian Keyi had seen Chu Bai’s character, or perhaps he felt that Chu Bai was on the same side as him. In any case, he felt he could talk to Chu Bai, meeting his reliable gaze, he cleared his throat: “I was first in the assessment this year.”

Chu Bai listened to the introduction, nodding: “Congratulations.”

“Thank you. The reward for first place is a chance to go to the Western Alliance battlefield, I signed up,” Nian Keyi said, as if the person who mistakenly asked Major Bai to take him along was someone else, “but my dad won’t let me go, so I didn’t tell them. Now Father Tang knows.”

He spoke pitifully, but Chu Bai thought through the logic, mainly based on his understanding of Chief Tang and Nian Keyi, knowing things weren’t that simple, but he paused for a moment and simply followed up: “Will Chief Tang hit you?”

“Yes!” Nian Keyi clung to his clothes, confessing, “If Father Tang wants to hit me, you must take me away! We’re getting married, we’re going to live together!”

Chu Bai had never seen a father hit his son, never had the chance, now he had the chance, and it was the cold Chief Tang doing it, hitting the sometimes annoying Nian Keyi.

His curiosity to watch the drama quietly rose, but the pages in his mind flickered, changing slightly again.

Chu Bai reviewed his persona: “…Okay.”

Nian Keyi received the answer, his eyes sparkling, sighing: “Marriage is great.”

Chu Bai rubbed his brow, a helpless smile forming at the corner of his mouth: “It’s okay.”

…

Nian Ke’s AO fathers had protected resources during the Federation’s turmoil years ago, now holding high positions. Nian Zhao was the Minister of Technology for the Federation, and Tang Hansong was the Chief of Military Economics.

The development of the x75 star’s golden wolf ore was related to both of their departments, they had been extremely busy recently, Nian Zhao was still busy, only Tang Hansong had just returned home.

After Chu Bai and Nian Keyi arrived home, Tang Hansong didn’t mention the Western Alliance battlefield, only addressing some wedding matters, mentioning the x75 star’s launch banquet in three days, saying Chu Bai should join: “After registering today, your identities will be tied together.”

“Okay.” Nian Keyi seized the opportunity, “Then we’ll move to the new house.”

Tang Hansong gave him a cold glance but didn’t object, handing Chu Bai a permission key, succinctly: “A wedding gift.”

A limited edition mecha, top-tier in price.

Chu Bai accepted it: “Thank you.”

Nian Keyi peeked over, then turned: “Dad, what about mine?”

“You still want one?” Tang Hansong’s tone had little fluctuation, but it sounded more severe than scolding, “Accompany Chu Bai for a walk, after lunch, go register.”

Nian Keyi lowered himself: “Oh.”

…

Back in his room, Nian Keyi was still saying: “Dad doesn’t love me anymore, he didn’t give me a gift, he’s angry.”

Chu Bai gently suggested: “Why don’t you take a look at the marriage agreement.”

Mechas and warships, because of their high value, were also written into the contract.

Nian Keyi: “I’m going to change clothes, have to wear a uniform for registration, not looking.”

Chu Bai watched him walk into the wardrobe.

Alright, he’ll see it after they get married.