The starlight reflected in the boy’s eyes, sprinkling over his slightly furrowed brows. Clear water dripped silently from his fingertips, falling into the lake and creating ripples.

He had heard an unfamiliar name—no, not entirely unfamiliar. It was a name he had seen many times in the dossier, one he had hidden in his heart for years.

But it had come from Shavri’s mouth.

The angle of his lifted gaze, the curve of his body as he turned, the slight parting of his lips, the tension in his muscles, even the number of times his eyelashes fluttered—all of it was perfect.

Even the harshest critic couldn’t find fault. Chen Nian was like the best actor in a play, with the mountains, forests, lakes, and rivers, the wind and stars, all serving as the grand backdrop for his performance.

But Shavri knew he had gambled correctly.

If it had been Chen Ci, there would never have been such a vivid reaction.

Chen Ci would have simply lifted his head, his eyes calm, his brows relaxed, as if he had just heard something trivial. Even if he were puzzled, it would only manifest as a faint question mark above his head, and he would say indifferently, “What?”

Not like this, where the confusion was so natural.

Chen Nian’s understanding of his brother was nowhere near as deep as Shavri’s, who had spent over a decade with Chen Ci.

“Do you know this name?” Shavri asked.

Chen Nian nodded slightly. “If my younger brother were still alive, he should be called this.”

Shavri stared at him for a few seconds. The boy’s eyes remained innocent, showing no trace of guilt that would come with lying.

“Where is Chen Ci?”

“What?”

“I mean, where is the real Chen Ci?” Shavri paused, then added softly, “Since you’re pretending to be him and came to the White Tower, where is Chen Ci now?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Chen Nian said, his voice steady, but the look in his amber eyes grew colder.

Shavri smiled faintly. He looked at Chen Nian as if he were a mischievous child, shaking his head. “There’s no need to hide it from me anymore.”

“Hide what?”

Shavri said, “Haven’t you noticed how much your personality has changed recently?”

Chen Nian looked at him quietly for a few seconds, then closed his eyes. “You figured it out, didn’t you?”

When he opened them again, his eyes were as calm as frozen water. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hide it on purpose. I just thought… the fewer people who know, the better.”

“At some point, I started hearing another voice in my head. That voice could even take over my thoughts, control my body, and claim to be another personality of mine.”

Shavri: ?

He hadn’t expected Chen Nian to resort to such an outrageous explanation as dissociative identity disorder to cover his tracks.

If it were someone who didn’t know Chen Ci well, they might have believed it, given the drastic change in personality.

But Shavri was the crown prince, privy to the Chen family’s dossier and many secrets.

“I didn’t dare tell anyone, so I had to hide it as best I could…”

Chen Nian was still speaking, but Shavri took a step forward.

He leaned down, his nose brushing against the black collar around the boy’s neck. As Chen Nian’s words abruptly stopped, Shavri took a gentle sniff.

A faint floral scent quickly overwhelmed his senses. It was the enchanting bloom of tuberose at night, reminding Shavri of the pale purple reflected by moonstone, as beautiful as glass.

Shavri quietly released his pheromones. Despite being a powerful Alpha, the sweet sherry scent didn’t carry an oppressive force. Instead, it was gentle, enveloping the Omega completely—

Chen Nian knew there was no point in pretending anymore.

Shavri’s certainty couldn’t be shaken by mere acting. Yes, from the moment he had returned, the Alpha had been acting strangely.

After all, the differences between him and Chen Ci were too great. He couldn’t maintain his brother’s calm and composed demeanor at all times. Any slip of his true nature had become evidence for Shavri to expose him.

But… so what?

The feigned look of confusion disappeared without a trace. Chen Nian’s brows lifted slightly, his beautiful eyes narrowing with a hint of challenge, and the corners of his lips curled up in a faint, teasing smile.

At this moment, he was no longer the fake crown princess using Chen Ci’s identity. He had truly returned to being the sharp, cunning boy from the Underground City, who navigated among countless Alphas, maintaining a perfect balance and never entrusting his heart to anyone.

Chen Nian let out a soft sigh, unaffected by the Alpha’s seductive pheromones. He faced Shavri directly, tilting his head slightly. “So what?”

So what?

This was a question Shavri hadn’t anticipated. He had only wanted to confirm the boy’s identity, nothing more.

Chen Nian took a step forward, almost colliding with Shavri’s chest.

His sudden approach made Shavri instinctively straighten up. The boy looked up, meeting his eyes directly, and his words fell coldly into Shavri’s ears:

“What do you want to gain from this? Tell more people, report it to the higher-ups, have the White Tower lock me up again, and then find Chen Ci to drag him back too?”

Chen Nian stepped forward again, finally shedding his disguise and baring his fangs and thorns.

Shavri was forced to keep retreating. He wanted to explain, but Chen Nian gave him no chance to speak.

“Or do you think this is equivalent to having leverage over me and Chen Ci, so from now on, you can manipulate us as you please?”

Chen Nian suddenly stopped and let out a light laugh:

“Oh, I forgot. You’re the noble crown prince, with the power to pass judgment. You don’t need leverage or permissions. After all, my poor brother is yourfiancée, your possession.”

At this moment, the boy’s gaze was so cold and sharp that Shavri was certain that if given the chance, Chen Nian would push him into the lake and destroy the evidence.

“You’ve misunderstood.”

Shavri took a deep breath. His hands, hanging at his sides, clenched into fists. The Omega boy’s aggressive gaze actually made him feel a bit nervous, as if his heart had been laid bare for cold scrutiny.

Even when facing his father and the stern generals on the training grounds, he had never felt like this.

Shavri softened his tone, speaking as gently as possible. “I don’t mean anything else. I just wanted to confirm. Whether it’s verification or a wrong guess, whether you’re Chen Ci or Chen Nian, I want to help you both.”

Chen Nian narrowed his eyes. “Help us?”

“The restrictions on Chen Ci are very severe. The entire White Tower is under strict surveillance, constantly collecting data related to Chen Ci. If you slip up even slightly, causing fluctuations in the body data, it will be discovered immediately.”

“With my help and cover, you can at least last a bit longer. While you’re pretending to be Chen Ci, you’ll have fewer shackles. Even if you’re exposed later, I’ll do my best to take responsibility.”

Chen Nian’s gaze was cautious, as if weighing the feasibility of his words.

“Your first swap with Chen Ci was two weeks ago. Strictly speaking, we haven’t spent much time together, but you should have a rough idea of what kind of person I am.”

“I don’t have any intention of harming anyone. I’ve always felt guilty about Chen Ci’s current situation. Now that there’s a chance to change things, I want to try with you.”

“In the coming days, I’ll do my best to cover for you. Chen Nian, will you let me be your ally?”

Shavri pressed his lips together, his expression unusually sincere. At the very least, it was the first time Chen Nian had seen such a serious look on the crown prince’s face.

Chen Nian stared at him for a dozen seconds, then suddenly laughed.

“Ally? You think this is a game?”

The boy lowered his head, idly kicking at the grass with his foot, sending a small pebble flying.

He looked up at Shavri again, a faint smile playing on his lips.

—The cunning wolf, facing the clumsy hunter, leisurely adjusted the soft sheepskin it wore.

“Fine, I can believe you.” Chen Nian’s smile deepened. He held up a finger. “First, you need to prove to me that you have the ability to cover for us.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Lift the White Tower’s house arrest order.”

“Impossible,” Shavri said. “The house arrest order can’t be lifted by my power alone, but I might be able to make it operate in a different form.”

“Oh?” Chen Nian hadn’t expected Shavri to actually agree. He had only been testing him.

But if it could be changed, that was even better. “Then I’ll be waiting to see.”

“Also, from now on, don’t ever call that name again.”

“In your eyes, Chen Nian died eighteen years ago.”

Shavri hummed in acknowledgment. The tension finally began to fade. He relaxed his hands, only to realize they were damp with sweat.

…What was he even afraid of?

Shavri took a deep breath. The air still carried the faint scent of tuberose.

Silently proclaiming the Omega boy’s identity.

On this night, he had tried calling out the name that only appeared in the Chen family dossier, confirming all his suspicions.

The boy who should not exist had shed his disguise before him. He was so vivid and clever, displaying an aggressiveness that seemed eager to wound everyone, yet his eyes held a breathtaking beauty.

Shavri had gambled and won.

Now, he needed to wait for Chen Nian to calm down before asking about other things.

Especially Chen Ci’s current whereabouts.

The reason Chen Ci was under house arrest in the White Tower was far from simple. The Omega, who had always been treated like a treasure, was now missing. Although Chen Nian’s behavior suggested Chen Ci wasn’t in danger, Shavri couldn’t help but worry.

It wasn’t that he and Chen Ci had deep feelings for each other, but over the years, they had become good friends, and Shavri bore the responsibility of taking care of Chen Ci.

The tense, dangerous atmosphere gradually dissipated. The stars and lake regained their gentleness. From this moment on, Chen Nian no longer needed to maintain his facade in front of Shavri.

He was about to crouch down and play with the water again when a piercing scream cut through the night.

“Ahhh—!”

Instantly, the birds resting in the trees were startled awake, flapping their wings in a chaotic flurry.

Chen Nian looked up. That voice… it sounded familiar?

A few seconds later, Chen Nian realized why it was familiar.

The big white goose frantically flew out of the bushes, followed closely by a tall girl who leaped after it.

She was wearing a silk nightgown, her long, pale legs exposed as she made bold strides. She wore slippers, her golden hair tied up in a bun, and her face mask looked ghostly pale under the moonlight, revealing only a pair of furious violet eyes.

Chen Nian squinted, taking a moment to recognize her as Shavri’s younger sister, the second princess, Aphro.

“Go away! Go! Get out of here!”

Aphro’s roar was full of vigor. Even the audacious goose, which had pecked the crown prince’s butt and fought two rounds with Chen Nian, could only flee in panic under such a scare.

Shavri: “Aphro—”

Aphro: “Go away!!!”

Shavri: …………

The goose, in its panic, flapped toward Chen Nian.

Chen Nian stood up and calmly reached out, accurately grabbing the goose by the neck as it flew past.

Aphro charged over. If looks could kill, the goose would already have been turned into a midnight stew by the female Alpha.

“Sister Aphro,” Chen Nian called out to the furious second princess, blinking innocently. “What happened?”

“It bit my duckling!” Aphro was so angry she didn’t even care if her face mask wrinkled. “Who even put a goose in the garden?!”

Chen Nian: …………

Chen Nian was at a loss for words. He couldn’t bring himself to tell Aphro that this was the pet he had impulsively asked for. He silently glanced at the struggling goose in his hands, then handed it to Shavri.

“This is His Highness’s new pet. It was just pecking his butt earlier!”