Chapter 18: Refusing the Invitation

The convenience of the advanced technology on the capital planet was impressive. By the time Shi Chan arrived back at the Xi residence, the clothes he had purchased had already been delivered there before him.

“Madam, the items you purchased have been temporarily placed in the room next to your bedroom,” Zhang Shiyi said as he appeared out of nowhere the moment Shi Chan stepped into the Xi residence.

When Shi Chan had adjusted the access permissions to his bedroom earlier, he had only included Xi Ming within the allowed range, excluding everyone else. With household robots taking care of cleaning and tidying, there was no need for human involvement. As a result, the servants couldn’t enter Shi Chan’s bedroom and had to place his purchases elsewhere.

“Got it, thank you,” Shi Chan nodded.

“Madam, would you like someone to help organize your bedroom and walk-in closet?” Zhang Shiyi, with his ordinary appearance, looked eager to assist Shi Chan in some way.

“No need.” Organizing the room wouldn’t take long, and Shi Chan could handle it himself. Besides, he needed to train, and even when living with the Shi family, he disliked having strangers enter his bedroom. Naturally, he declined.

“Understood, Madam. If you need anything, please feel free to let me know.” Zhang Shiyi looked momentarily disappointed but quickly changed the subject. “This morning, the Lu family sent an invitation, inviting you to attend their flower-viewing event three days from now.”

“For me?” Shi Chan was surprised—he didn’t know anyone from the Lu family.

Zhang Shiyi, having clearly done his research, explained, “It’s an annual tradition. Invitations are sent to the spouses of all first-tier families. The Lu family ranks among the top first-tier families, and there are rumors that they might ascend to the status of a super family within the next century. As such, most people usually accept the invitation.”

Shi Chan had only arrived at the Xi residence two days ago, so he was surprised to receive an invitation from another family so soon. However, considering the influence and capabilities of these first-tier families on the capital planet, he only thought of the Lu family as being “well-informed.”

The Shi family, having risen to prominence only after Shi Wen made his way to the capital planet, wasn’t even ranked among the third-tier families. Even the Xu family, which Shi Wen went to great lengths to curry favor with, was only a mid-level second-tier family. Naturally, Shi Chan never had the chance to attend gatherings of this caliber before.

Although the Xi family was also a first-tier family, they weren’t ranked among the top. At best, they were in the upper-middle range, far weaker compared to the Lu family.

Receiving an invitation from a top-tier first-tier family right after arriving made Shi Chan feel strange. Reflecting on it, he had already been granted half of the Xi family’s permissions as soon as he arrived, and now, within three days, he had received an invitation to a prestigious gathering. Were first-tier families really this accommodating?

Even though doubts lingered in his mind, Shi Chan didn’t let them show. “Where is the invitation?”

“It’s on the coffee table in the living room.” Zhang Shiyi’s face showed some curiosity. “Madam, are you planning to attend? I’ve heard that the Lu family’s gatherings are extraordinarily luxurious, with many famous interstellar celebrities attending. It’s considered one of the grandest events among first-tier families.”

An event of this scale couldn’t remain entirely secret, and every year, as the date approached, there were plenty of online speculations and discussions about it. The celebrity performances at the beginning of the event had even become a marker of true stardom in the interstellar entertainment industry. Celebrities who hadn’t performed at the event, no matter how popular, wouldn’t dare claim the title of a superstar.

Shi Chan had attended many gatherings in the past, but those were of a completely different level. Most of the gatherings he attended were hosted by third-tier or second-tier families, and the guests were from the same social class. Rarely would a first-tier family participate. By the end, Shi Chan would usually avoid socializing, instead finding a quiet corner to eat and drink until the event ended before heading home.

Although this gathering sounded more upscale, Shi Chan wasn’t particularly interested. However, whether or not he attended wasn’t entirely up to him. Even in the Shi family, Shi Wen had to attend numerous events to maintain social connections. Shi Chan wasn’t sure if the same applied to the Xi family.

“I’m not sure yet,” Shi Chan replied vaguely. “I’ll need to check.”

It went without saying that the person he needed to check with was Xi Ming.

Zhang Shiyi immediately fell silent. As they neared the villa’s entrance, he slowed his pace and said softly, “Madam, I’ll leave you here.”

Shi Chan understood that these people were afraid of Xi Ming, so he didn’t make things difficult for them. He simply let them leave before entering the villa himself.

The moment he stepped into the living room, he spotted Xi Ming in the center, holding a square card in his hand—the invitation Zhang Shiyi had mentioned.

Xi Ming sat in his wheelchair, his expression cold as he stared at the card in his hand. When he heard the sound of footsteps at the door, he looked up.

“I’m back,” Shi Chan said as he walked over to Xi Ming. His gaze fell on the card in Xi Ming’s hand, and after a brief pause, he spoke. “That’s…?”

Xi Ming handed the invitation to Shi Chan, his gaze fixed on Shi Chan’s face. “It’s an invitation from the Lu family for a gathering in three days.”

“Ah, I just heard about it,” Shi Chan said, flipping through the card a few times before casually tossing it onto the table. He looked at Xi Ming and asked, “I’m not sure if I should attend. I wanted to ask your opinion.”

“You’re asking me?” Xi Ming repeated, a peculiar expression crossing his face.

“Yes.” Shi Chan nodded firmly and explained softly, “I don’t know much about the relationships between these families. Instead of accepting the invitation blindly, I’d rather discuss it with you first.”

Relationship?

Xi Ming sneered inwardly. He had long since severed ties with the imperial families. The ones who still maintained a relationship with the Xi family were those on Xi Songkai’s side. Every time, it was Xi Songkai’s people representing the Xi family at such banquets. Yet this time, for some reason, the invitation had been sent to him instead.

Shi Chan thought this was because the top-tier aristocratic families were well-informed. Xi Ming, however, knew the truth. These people would never kindly invite an omega who had just married into a first-tier family and had not yet established any footing. Most likely, someone had manipulated things behind the scenes to ensure Shi Chan got hold of this invitation.

Since Shi Chan had sought his opinion, Xi Ming had no intention of pretending to be magnanimous. He directly rejected the idea. “No need to attend. Someone from Xi Songkai’s side will go.”

Shi Chan noticed the way Xi Ming referred to Xi Songkai by name.

Xi Songkai was Xi Ming’s uncle. According to the information Shi Chan had gathered, the Xi family’s patriotic enterprises had been fought for by Xi Ming and his parents, so naturally, the shares were in their hands. However, the one in control of the Xi family was Xi Songkai, who had led the family to rapid development in recent years.

For Xi Ming to directly refer to Xi Songkai by name, Shi Chan had a fleeting thought—it seemed the relationship between Xi Ming and Xi Songkai might really be as he had speculated: rife with conflict.

“Alright, I won’t go,” Shi Chan replied without hesitation and then asked, “These widely distributed invitations don’t require a formal response, right?”

“No need to bother with them,” Xi Ming replied coldly, then turned his wheelchair and called to Shi Chan behind him, “Come over and soothe my mental energy.”

“Sure,” Shi Chan replied with a slight smile and followed behind Xi Ming with light steps.

Perhaps it was because they had spent the whole day outside, but Shi Chan found himself rather looking forward to being close to Xi Ming. Just walking beside him lifted his mood, and the thought of the upcoming mental energy soothing session even filled him with a hint of anticipation.

Perhaps it was the posture from the previous session that had satisfied the alpha, but this time, Xi Ming didn’t ask for Shi Chan’s input. He directly pulled the omega into his lap before starting the soothing process.

Shi Chan moved slightly but was immediately restrained. Resigned, he could only let the alpha have his way. Sitting in Xi Ming’s arms, Shi Chan began the process of soothing his mental energy. During the session, the alpha’s little movements continued, and Shi Chan did his best to adapt, cooperating with the alpha’s occasional teasing.

By the end of the session, both of their breathing had grown heavier. Shi Chan’s face was faintly flushed as he retreated from Xi Ming’s arms and softly said a word of farewell before heading to his room.

Xi Ming didn’t stop him. He watched the omega, whose steps seemed slightly unsteady, leave the room. Letting out a deep breath, Xi Ming leaned back against his chair and closed his eyes.

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For the next two days, Shi Chan didn’t leave the house.

During the day, apart from accompanying Xi Ming for meals and soothing his mental energy, Shi Chan spent most of his time in the virtual domain. When his brain grew tired from reading through materials, he would switch accounts to find Lan Ying. Whether it was playing games, exploring the virtual domain, or simply spending time together, Lan Ying always helped him relax.

In the evenings, under Xi Ming’s supervision, Shi Chan reviewed the physical data recorded by Xi Ming, brainstorming ways to address his physical issues.

At night, as usual, he spent time cultivating. Absorbing spiritual energy throughout the night helped him recover the energy he expended during the day.

After another full night of cultivation, Shi Chan rubbed his slightly sluggish head the following morning, got up, and washed. Once he was ready, he stood before Xi Ming’s room and knocked lightly before entering.

Xi Ming had already washed and dressed neatly, sitting at the desk. Several sheets of paper covered in writing were spread across the table, but before Shi Chan could get a clear look at them, Xi Ming covered them with his hand.

Since Xi Ming clearly didn’t want him to see, Shi Chan didn’t press the matter, instead shifting his gaze away.

“Shall we go eat?” Shi Chan asked.

“Let’s go,” Xi Ming replied. But as the words left his lips, a sudden realization struck him. He had only met Shi Chan a week ago, yet he had already grown used to having an omega by his side. He had grown accustomed to the sound of soft footsteps following him, to holding the omega in his arms after meals while receiving mental energy soothing…

Shi Chan had already walked a few steps out of the room before noticing that Xi Ming hadn’t moved. He turned back with a slightly puzzled expression. “What’s wrong?”

Xi Ming snapped out of his thoughts, shaking his head. “Nothing. Let’s go.”

Omega truly was an alpha’s natural nemesis. Xi Ming glanced at the person beside him. The sight of his own broken body filled him with suffocating frustration. If only he had met Shi Chan before he was injured…

A dark gleam flashed in Xi Ming’s eyes. No matter what, as long as he lived, he wouldn’t let Shi Chan go. He would keep this outstanding omega by his side, no matter what it took.

The item Xi Ming had prepared for Shi Chan arrived that morning. It had been ordered through the dark web and delivered directly to the Xi household by an anonymous courier machine. Once Xi Ming retrieved the item, the machine self-destructed. Such single-use delivery devices were expensive but ensured maximum privacy, often used in certain gray-market transactions.

After disposing of the defunct robot, Xi Ming took the item—a box about the length of a forearm—and made his way to Shi Chan’s room.

The omega was leaning casually against the sofa by the bay window, connected to the virtual domain interface. His eyes were lightly closed, and the sunlight streaming in seemed to wrap him in a golden, soft blanket. The scene was tranquil, beautiful, and intoxicating.

The stunning sight struck Xi Ming, quickening his heartbeat and awakening a possessive desire within him.

Placing the item he carried carelessly to the side, Xi Ming controlled his wheelchair to approach Shi Chan slowly, his eyes focused intently on the omega.

From every angle, Shi Chan was the most perfect and beautiful omega Xi Ming had ever seen. Yet his temperament was surprisingly gentle. He spoke softly, always low and calm. When his eyes were open, they were warm and inviting. When they were closed, he appeared even more docile and harmless.

Reaching out, Xi Ming traced an invisible line in the air above Shi Chan’s face, mapping out his features: his forehead, nose, lips, jawline, neck, and throat…

Shi Chan’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as his eyes slowly opened.