“We write logs on our terminals every day to record what happened, so there won’t be any missing information after swapping.”

“The long-term pass you gave me has always been in my own terminal, making it convenient for whoever is living in the Underground City to return to the top level at any time.”

“Who suggested the swap first? Take a guess.”

Chen Nian told Shavri a lot.

Basically, as long as Shavri asked, Chen Nian answered whatever he could.

Chen Nian felt like he was being a bit chatty, but considering it was all out of concern for Chen Ci, he obediently played along with the Q&A game.

“Everything about the Chen family is recorded in the archives. I’ve read them before, so I know a bit.”

Shavri paused and said, “The archives mention that the housekeeper rushed into the main house to save you back then, but he ultimately went missing. The investigation team couldn’t find his body, so they had to assume both of you perished in the fire.”

“I’ve already heard about this from Chen Ci. Honestly, while the Marshal was fighting desperately to protect the beacon on the front lines, such a serious accident happened at home. What’s going on with you people at the top? Isn’t this just setting someone up? My family really got the short end of the stick.”

Chen Nian spoke without restraint. He didn’t have many reservations and felt no sense of belonging to the upper levels or the royal family, so he said whatever came to mind.

Similar doubts must have existed in Chen Ci’s heart, but due to his personality, he never voiced them. Now, Chen Nian had spilled everything.

Shavri: “……”

Shavri: “After the fire, everyone was shocked. My father organized an investigation team that conducted a detailed investigation for several months, but the final results were permanently sealed in the archives and never made public. I’ve always felt there must be more to the story.”

“Anyone with a brain would think there’s more to it,” Chen Nian said, stroking his chin. He glanced at Shavri’s expression and tentatively asked, “Could it have something to do with your family too?”

Shavri: “Are you suggesting the royal family deliberately harmed Marshal Chen Wei?”

Chen Nian quickly raised his hands: “I didn’t say that. You brought it up.”

Shavri fell silent for a moment, then said, “I have considered that possibility, but our families have always had a good relationship. After the Marshal’s sacrifice, my father was deeply depressed for a long time.”

Shavri still had some vague memories from his childhood. He remembered being taken to the Chen family by his father. The morning sunlight was as bright as it was today.

Shavri couldn’t remember exactly what Chen Wei looked like. From a child’s perspective, the Marshal’s figure was towering, and he smiled as he patted Shavri’s head.

The two newborns lay in their cribs. Shavri leaned on the railing, looking at one, then the other, unable to tell the twins apart.

The twins had identical moon-shaped birthmarks on their shoulders.

The Chen family’s housekeeper gently said, “Your Highness, can you guess which one is the older brother and which one is the younger brother?”

Shavri couldn’t tell, so he just pointed at one randomly.

Then, his finger was grabbed by the baby’s tiny, waving hand. The chubby little hand was as soft as marshmallow, startling Shavri, who quickly pulled his hand back.

“This is the younger brother,” the housekeeper patiently explained. “The one with the birthmark on the left is the younger brother, and the one on the right is the older brother.”

The six-year-old Shavri tilted his head and watched for a while. His father and Chen Wei were talking in the living room, discussing something serious.

He didn’t remember the details, but when they left, his father’s expression seemed particularly solemn.

Chen Nian didn’t comment on Shavri’s explanation.

He had merely raised a possible conjecture. After all, power struggles at the top were a common trope in various literary works, and history was full of similar incidents.

Shavri also asked Chen Nian how life had been in the Underground City over the past decade. Whether the Alpha was asking out of concern or curiosity, Chen Nian didn’t plan to tell him much, glossing over it lightly.

He didn’t want to give Shavri any possible leverage.

Once Shavri confirmed that Chen Ci was also doing well in the Underground City, he felt relieved.

He trusted Chen Ci more, having known him for so many years and knowing how reliable he was.

Chen Nian’s guardian was likely the Chen family’s housekeeper from back then, who had gone into hiding and taken good care of Chen Nian all these years.

Clearly, Chen Nian wasn’t the type to let himself be bullied. Even in the chaotic Underground City, he must have lived quite well.

“By the way, how did you figure out I wasn’t Chen Ci?” Although the differences were pretty obvious, Chen Nian couldn’t help but ask Shavri, wanting to know where he had slipped up.

Shavri motioned for him to extend his hand.

Chen Nian held out his hand, and Shavri flipped it over, gently spreading his fingers to examine his palm.

He touched the thin calluses at the base of Chen Nian’s fingers.

Chen Nian: “…Damn.”

Chen Nian hadn’t expected such a small detail to give him away. Thinking back, Shavri had found various excuses to touch his hand a few times. Was that the reason?

The Omega wasn’t particularly skinny. Compared to those young masters and ladies who pursued slender figures, Chen Nian had more strength, and his hands were soft with a bit of flesh.

Chen Nian did a lot of household chores, but none of them were heavy labor. Compared to the more energetic Shavri, the temperature of his palms was slightly lower.

“Chen Ci hates physical contact with others. If he were sitting here right now, what do you think his reaction would be?”

Chen Nian thought for a moment, then suddenly flipped his hand and slapped Shavri’s palm hard, pretending to be angry: “You pervert!”

Shavri chuckled.

There was another, more important reason he could tell Chen Nian and Chen Ci apart.

For two years, he and Chen Ci had been struggling with pheromone insensitivity. Despite their high genetic compatibility, they couldn’t feel anything for each other.

Aside from Chen Ci’s naturally reserved emotions, it was also because they had grown up together, and Shavri was six years older than Chen Ci.

When Shavri presented as an Alpha, Chen Ci was only ten years old, still a child.

Under such circumstances, it was only natural that no other feelings developed.

But Shavri met Chen Nian when he was twenty-four.

From the moment they met, there was a natural attraction between Alpha and Omega. The fragrance of tuberose and the sweetness of sherry intertwined, lingering in the air, awakening every dormant cell.

Shavri didn’t plan to explain. Some things didn’t need to be spelled out.

“The terminal you asked for the other day, I’ve brought it.”

Shavri stood up, took a brand-new box from the shelf, and handed it to Chen Nian: “You can use this to write logs from now on, and you’ll be able to contact Chen Ci smoothly.”

Chen Nian opened the box. The terminal was the latest model released just last month, in the same color as the one Chen Ci currently used.

Chen Nian turned on the terminal and tried it on his wrist. It felt comfortable.

The terminal came with social software pre-installed. Chen Nian熟练ly searched for his own terminal’s ID number, sent a friend request, and wrote in the备注栏: “Bro, I got a new terminal.”

After that, Chen Nian turned off the terminal and put it back in the box, saying, “Thanks.”

Shavri also heard from Chen Nian about the money transfer using Gui Zhiqi’s bank account and said, “If you need money in the future, you can have me transfer it. It’s safer that way.”

“Sure,” Chen Nian didn’t stand on ceremony. “How about 20,000 Oji first? We don’t have any income in the Underground City, and I’m worried Chen Ci might run out of money.”

Without hesitation, Shavri transferred the money to Chen Nian’s account.

Now, with a total of 50,000 Oji, it should be enough to cover Chen Ci’s expenses in the Underground City for three weeks.

Shavri: “As for your request yesterday about not wanting to be confined in the White Tower, I’ve thought of a solution. I don’t know if you’d be willing.”

“What is it?”

“Chen Ci and I are engaged. It’s always been assumed that once we marry and truly bond, he won’t need to live in the White Tower anymore.”

Chen Nian raised an eyebrow: “Oh?”

Shavri watched his expression carefully and said, “So we can pretend our relationship is heating up and request to move into the palace. After that, you’ll be free to move around the palace, and being closer to me will make it easier for you to come and go.”

Chen Nian narrowed his eyes, studying Shavri for a couple of seconds. The Alpha’s amethyst eyes were serious.

After confirming that the Crown Prince genuinely wanted to solve the problem and wasn’t hiding any ulterior motives, Chen Nian began to think.

Moving into the palace… That did sound good.

The massive palace would at least keep him entertained for a while, and being closer to Shavri meant he could ask him for help whenever he wanted to go out.

Plus, in the palace, he could escape the surveillance of the White Tower’s intelligent housekeeper.

“Alright,” Chen Nian agreed straightforwardly. “Where will I stay?”

“Next to my room, is that okay?”

“Sure.”

“Then I’ll have someone prepare it for you.”

“But there’s one thing I need to make clear,” Chen Nian said seriously. “I have no relationship with you. The engagement is between you and Chen Ci, not me. The reason I swapped is to freely experience life at the top.”

“So, during this time, you can’t act as my fiancé and try to control me in any way. Of course, I’ll also try to avoid doing anything too outrageous.”

Shavri hadn’t yet realized the gravity of the situation.

To him, Chen Nian’s statement was perfectly reasonable. He and Chen Ci weren’t married yet, and as the fiancée’s younger brother, Shavri indeed had no right to boss Chen Nian around.

Shavri stood up: “I’ll go have someone prepare things. You can go explore or pick a spot you like.”

Chen Nian nodded. He put down the now-empty wine glass, stretched lazily, and in front of Shavri, he was just Chen Nian. There was no need to keep up the act.

The youth’s flexibility body stretched, and the hem of his shirt was pulled up, revealing a sliver of his slender waist, so pale it almost blinded Shavri.

Through the thin fabric of the shirt, Shavri seemed to catch a glimpse of some faint marks on Chen Nian’s abdomen, like some kind of pattern?

Maybe he was just seeing things.

Shavri reactivated the intelligent housekeeper system, and the two walked out of the bedroom together. As soon as they opened the door, they saw the housekeeper and a group of maids standing in the hallway.

Everyone was whispering excitedly about something, but when they saw Shavri and Chen Nian, they quickly adjusted their expressions and postures, showcasing the impeccable professionalism of royal staff.

However, their eyes couldn’t help but dart to Chen Nian’s neck and wrists, as if searching for some kind of mark.

Chen Nian gave them a strange look and went off to explore on his own.

Shavri instructed, “Go prepare some things. Chen Ci will be staying in the palace from now on. I’ll handle the negotiations with the White Tower.”

Housekeeper and maids: ?!?!?!?!

Oh my! Not only did His Highness keep the Princess in his bedroom for so long, but he’s also having them prepare a room!