Facing those equally astonished amber eyes, Chen Ci quickly snapped out of his shock.

He grabbed the boy’s wrist in front of him and dragged him swiftly toward the nearest restroom.

“Wait, wait a second!” The other party was still in a daze. “Who are you? How did you—?”

Although Chen Nian was asking questions, he didn’t struggle too much and followed Chen Ci’s pull toward the unknown. After all, suddenly running into someone who looked exactly like him while sneaking out was downright creepy.

By the time Chen Nian forced himself to calm down, his mind began racing with all sorts of wild ideas.

Maybe he was actually a mass-produced android, and this boy in front of him was another model just like him.

Maybe Uncle Jiang had been hiding and sneaking around all these years because he had stolen him away…

But that didn’t make sense either—he’d grown up from a child; androids didn’t grow, did they?

Or perhaps someone had undergone surgery to look exactly like him? Then again, that seemed less plausible than the idea that aliens made of modeling clay had invaded Earth to eat dirt.

Chen Ci pulled him into the restroom and firmly shut the door. The clock tower was equipped with plenty of surveillance cameras, but the restroom was one of the few blind spots.

Chen Nian had a mountain of things to say, but as soon as he opened his mouth, Chen Ci raised a finger to his lips, signaling him to keep quiet. “Shh—”

Obediently, Chen Nian fell silent. From the white robe and the collar around the boy’s neck, it was clear he was also an Omega, just like him.

Chen Ci listened intently for a while, making sure no one else had noticed the commotion earlier.

In the restroom’s hallway, the two began examining each other more closely. Gradually, the initial shock began to settle.

Chen Nian had never imagined there could be someone in the world who looked so much like him—it was like staring into a mirror.

“What’s your name?” the other boy asked softly, his voice eerily similar to Chen Nian’s.

He wore a robe that fell above the knees, its pristine white fabric embroidered with exquisite golden patterns. Whether it was the material or the design, everything about it screamed elegance and nobility.

“Chen Nian. The ‘Nian’ from ‘missing someone,’” Chen Nian replied, sensing no hostility from the other boy. He relaxed slightly, his naturally outgoing personality beginning to show. “And you?”

Chen Nian.

The name rolled on Chen Ci’s tongue, carrying an inexplicable warmth as he swallowed hard.

It was a name Chen Ci had seen countless times in classified documents.

Too many things about the Chen family were labeled as confidential and locked away, including the sudden fire all those years ago and the marshal’s two children.

The eldest, Chen Ci. The youngest, Chen Nian.

Chen Ci closed his eyes briefly. When he reopened them, the expression in his amber eyes remained calm, like something had slammed against the icy surface but wasn’t strong enough to break through.

He opened his arms and hugged the boy in front of him, who was looking at him expectantly, still waiting for an answer.

“My name is Chen Ci. I’m your older brother.”

…

“So, you’re really my brother?”

Chen Nian scrutinized the birthmark on Chen Ci’s right shoulder before lowering his head to examine his own left shoulder.

The moon-shaped birthmark was a darker shade, sitting on his shoulder, making his pale skin appear even whiter.

Aside from being on opposite shoulders, their birthmarks were identical in size and shape.

In fact, they looked less like natural birthmarks and more like someone had stamped a mark on their shoulders.

Chen Ci put his robe back on, adjusting the collar as he spoke, “It seems so.”

He had returned to his usual aloof demeanor, as if the earlier moment of surprise and emotion had been nothing but a brief lapse. “We look so alike, and we both have the same birthmark. I can’t think of any other explanation.”

Chen Nian bit his finger, processing the truth about his origins. Chen Ci had already given him a brief summary earlier.

Eighteen years ago, Imperial Marshal Chen Wei had died heroically in the final battle. At that critical moment, the Chen family residence was engulfed in flames. The soldiers managed to rescue only one of the two children, Chen Ci.

Chen Ci was then raised in the White Tower, inheriting the imperial candidate title granted to Chen Wei by the emperor. He was also betrothed to the crown prince, Shavri Vitaljevich, as per an agreement from years ago.

But now it seemed that not only Chen Ci had been rescued.

No one knew that the housekeeper who had braved the fire had actually succeeded in saving the other child as well.

The housekeeper, who was thought to have died in the blaze, lived on under a new identity, scarred by burns, raising the child he had risked his life to save in the underground city.

Chen Ci and Chen Nian sat side by side on the restroom hallway’s steps, leaving a safe distance of twenty centimeters between them.

Although they were slowly coming to terms with the fact that they were brothers, they’d only met about ten minutes ago.

Chen Ci listened to Chen Nian talk about his life. “If Uncle Jiang is really the housekeeper, why hasn’t he told you about any of this?”

“Maybe there’s some other reason. Uncle Jiang treats me very well. He’d never hurt me.”

Chen Ci was silent for a moment before softly responding, “Maybe it’s not a bad thing.”

Chen Nian didn’t quite understand what Chen Ci meant, but his mind was already elsewhere. “By the way, weren’t you supposed to be at the parade? I just saw the carriage you were in.”

That reminded Chen Ci of the purpose of his outing. “I snuck out.”

“How funny, I also sneaked up here when no one was paying attention.”

Chen Nian laughed, stretching lazily, completely relaxed. “Looks like we’ve got a lot in common.”

Chen Ci looked at Chen Nian. The bright smile on a face so identical to his momentarily dazed him.

Chen Ci saw this face in the mirror every day: cold, somber, lifeless, like a puppet devoid of spirit.

How could it possibly look so vibrant now?

“Tell me about life up here.”

Chen Nian wanted to hear more from Chen Ci, even forgetting they were in a restroom, an unsuitable place for long conversations.

The tiled floor was so clean it reflected their images. The air carried a faint, pleasant fragrance, entirely free of unpleasant odors—cleaner than many restaurants in the underground city.

“It’s rare for me to come up here. I don’t want to waste the opportunity.”

“Alright.” Chen Ci agreed, though he wasn’t sure what to say.

Everything in his life was stagnant, like dead water, with nothing worth getting excited or hopeful about.

But to Chen Nian, it was full of longing—things he had never experienced.

One lived under the bright sunlight as a noble imperial candidate and the crown prince’s fiancé, while the other survived in the dark, unlit underground city, relying on others’ access to come aboveground.

Yet they were brothers.

All the titles and luxuries he possessed should have been Chen Nian’s.

Though Chen Nian didn’t say it outright, Chen Ci could glean the general situation from his descriptions.

For the upper-class, the underground city was synonymous with chaos and filth.

But it also symbolized freedom.

Freedom he had never tasted.

It took only a moment for him to make up his mind. No one would have expected the seemingly fragile porcelain doll of a crown prince’s fiancé to be so daring.

“Chen Nian.” Chen Ci’s voice was soft. “Do you want to truly experience life here?”

“What?” Chen Nian blinked, then smiled. “Of course! Who wouldn’t want to live up here? But Uncle Jiang would never allow it. He hasn’t let me come up here all these years.”

“Then take my place for a few days,” Chen Ci said decisively. “See, do, and feel everything you’ve ever wanted to know.”

Faced with his brother’s wide, astonished eyes, Chen Ci made his intentions clear. “I’ll take your place and go to the underground city.”

“—We’ll switch identities.”

…

Chen Nian thought today was officially the most absurd day of his life.

He had come to the upper city with Drake to watch the royal parade, only to unexpectedly meet his long-lost older brother at the top of the clock tower.

They reunited in a restroom, shared their life stories on the steps, and then his brother said, “Let’s switch identities.”

And Chen Nian agreed.

Apparently, their daring personalities were also identical.

Now the brothers were changing clothes.

Chen Nian draped his denim jacket over the partition, took off his black undershirt, and revealed the tattoo on his lower abdomen, fully exposed before Chen Ci’s eyes.

Chen Ci couldn’t help staring at the symmetrical design hugging the contours of Chen Nian’s body for a few seconds. It felt like it wasn’t just an ordinary tattoo.

Noticing his gaze, Chen Nian mischievously grabbed Chen Ci’s hand and pressed it against the tattoo on his abdomen.

“Curious?”

Startled by the sudden contact with the soft, warm skin, Chen Ci instinctively tried to pull his hand away but was firmly held in place by Chen Nian.

Chen Ci rarely had physical contact with others. His noble status kept people at a distance, and he wasn’t the type to seek out closeness.

Let alone the fact that they were now both shirtless.

The subtle changes in Chen Ci’s expression were exactly what Chen Nian wanted to see. Though they had only known each other for half an hour, he could already tell his older brother was a reserved type.

Chen Nian grinned at Chen Ci’s stiffness. Once the warmth of Chen Ci’s palm had suffused the tattoo, Chen Nian gently let go of his hand. “Look.”

The area where Chen Ci’s palm had been was now a deeper shade of red, the translucent design taking on a strikingly vibrant hue, as if blood had stained it.

“Not bad, huh? I designed it myself.” Chen Nian didn’t add the second half of the sentence—that the tattoo’s color deepened even more during moments of passion.

He didn’t want to scare Chen Ci.

Chen Ci could only nod. He withdrew his hand, letting it hang stiffly by his side, rubbing his fingers together to shake off the unfamiliar sensation.

The two finished changing into each other’s shirts. Chen Nian marveled at the soft fabric of the robe, shocked by how complicated it was to put on. Without Chen Ci’s help, the mess of ribbons would have taken him at least ten minutes to figure out.

He raised his sleeve to eye level, inspecting it closely, and discovered the golden embroidery was made of actual gold thread.

Meanwhile, Chen Ci was examining the clothes he had just put on. He had never worn anything so form-fitting before. The fabric clung tightly to his body, outlining every line, with the chest area leaving nothing to the imagination.

He tugged at the shirt to loosen it, but as soon as he let go, it snapped back, making it even more noticeable.

The open back left him feeling chilly, as it was a backless design.

Chen Ci quickly threw on the denim jacket, buttoning it all the way up.

Then came the pants.

When Chen Ci caught sight of the lace thong Chen Nian had been wearing, he was struck speechless.

The fabric probably didn’t even add up to a palm’s worth. The black lace trim hugged the skin, and the thin straps left faint impressions on the flesh. Chen Ci glanced once before hurriedly averting his eyes.

In contrast, Chen Nian’s face contorted in mock dismay at the sight of the plain gray boxers Chen Ci had been wearing. “Just looking at them is enough to kill the vibe.”

He didn’t tease Chen Ci further. Judging by his brother’s pure reaction, it was clear Chen Ci was the textbook example of a prim and proper Omega.

They swapped pants, then helped adjust each other’s outfits.

Now Chen Ci wore a casual denim outfit with suspenders, while Chen Nian donned the saintly white robe of the crown prince’s fiancé.

Their identical amber eyes and soft black hair made them look like… they were staring at a mirror image of themselves.

“Done. It’s uncanny,” Chen Nian said, inspecting Chen Ci and poking his brother’s stiff face. “If only you had a more expressive look. If we’re pretending to be each other, we should also try to act like the other, right?”

“Mm,” Chen Ci nodded. “I’m usually more reserved. Just try not to be too lively.”

“Got it.” Chen Nian stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Since we met, you haven’t smiled once. If you were pretending to be me, that might be tough… but you don’t have to. Just be Chen Nian and enjoy yourself. No need to mimic me exactly.”

“Do you have any social obligations to maintain?” Chen Ci asked.

“Not really. Just keep up appearances for Uncle Jiang. If anyone else tries to chat you up, just ignore them.”

Chen Ci agreed, taking off the smart bracelet from his wrist and handing it to Chen Nian. “We need to switch these too, or else we’ll be found out. My logs are in here; you should read them to familiarize yourself with my life and prepare.”

Chen Nian blinked. “There’s nothing private in there I shouldn’t see, right?”

Chen Ci shook his head. “It’s fine. My life is as dull as a museum exhibit—nothing worth hiding.”

Hearing that, Chen Nian felt a pang of sadness. Chen Ci had to sneak out just to see the outside world, which told him a lot about his circumstances.

He put on the bracelet and handed his own device to Chen Ci. “Alright. When should we switch back?”

“Five days from now. I have a physical checkup next week. In the meantime, let’s try to keep logs of important events to avoid losing track when we switch back.”

Chen Nian agreed. Chen Ci was incredibly reliable, organizing everything in just a few sentences.

In contrast, Chen Nian felt a little guilty for never having kept a journal before.

They input each other’s fingerprints into their devices and exchanged passwords for important facilities. Finally, they switched their Omega anti-bite neck rings.

Chen Ci gave Chen Nian every piece of advice he could think of before pausing and adding, “If you run into any serious trouble, find Shavri. He’ll help.”

It took Chen Nian a moment to recall who that was. “Your fiancé?”

“Yes. He helped me disable the surveillance system for this outing. You’ll find the return route on the device. Just follow it, and you’ll be fine.”

“Got it.”

For a moment, the restroom fell silent.

Chen Nian looked at Chen Ci, who was still adjusting to his new outfit, and stepped forward to give him a big hug.

“Thank you.”

The faint scent of tuberose intertwined in the air—the pheromone scent they both knew so well, yet now coming from each other.

Chen Ci patted his brother’s back gently. “Go. Go experience the life you should have had.”

“See you in five days.”

“See you in five days.”

When the time to meet Shavri arrived, they left the restroom. Chen Nian followed the map on the device to return.

Chen Ci watched his brother’s figure disappear down the hallway before taking a deep breath and walking in the opposite direction.

—It was time for him to find his freedom.