The route map on Chen Ci’s terminal was incredibly detailed.

Chen Nian weaved through unfamiliar alleys and buildings, skillfully avoiding the surveillance devices that weren’t jammed, and finally returned to the designated location without incident.

Awaiting him was His Highness Shavri Vitaljevich, his platinum-blonde, slightly wavy short hair glinting under the light.

Hearing Chen Nian’s hurried footsteps, Shavri glanced up, tapped a few commands into his terminal to cancel the interference on the surveillance equipment along the way, and said lightly, “Let’s go.”

Chen Nian mimicked Chen Ci’s tone, softly replying with an “Mm,” and followed behind Shavri out of the building.

The crown prince had no clue that in the forty minutes that had passed, his fiancé, who had gone out for some fresh air, had been swapped with someone else.

Chen Nian secretly exhaled in relief. It seemed he and Chen Ci really looked alike—even someone as close as Shavri, his fiancé, hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

The luxurious carriage that had passed by him an hour ago was now waiting nearby. Chen Nian climbed in, intending to take a moment to observe his surroundings, but as soon as he sat down, Shavri followed him in.

The crown prince appeared exhausted, sitting down beside Chen Nian.

The Alpha and Omega maintained a half-meter distance between them, hardly looking like an engaged couple. On the contrary, there was an air of cautious avoidance between them.

The parade had ended, and there was no need to endure the scorching sun while riding horseback any longer. Shavri leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes for a quiet rest without saying a word.

Chen Nian raised an eyebrow; this was unexpected. He had assumed that since Shavri was willing to help Chen Ci sneak out, and with Chen Ci’s insistence that Shavri was the person to turn to in case of trouble, their relationship must have been rather special.

Perhaps there was some unknown secret?

Chen Nian stole a few glances at Shavri and, confirming that the prince seemed genuinely about to fall asleep, seized the opportunity to open the terminal and read through Chen Ci’s logs. He needed more information to ensure he wouldn’t be exposed right away.

Chen Ci was a very methodical person, with his logs organized exceptionally clearly.

Chen Nian started from the most recent entries—yesterday’s—and worked his way backward.

“The inhibitor’s effects aren’t as strong as before; I might need to switch medications.

Two birds from the tower next door are gone; maybe they flew elsewhere.

There’s a parade tomorrow; hopefully, I can find a chance to sneak out.

I wish I could go out on a rainy day, just to try holding an umbrella.”

Chen Ci’s logs were succinct, often accompanied by daily schedules, which mostly consisted of various interest classes—music, flower arrangement, cooking, and the like.

The one recurring event was dining with Shavri.

Was this all Chen Ci did every day?

Chen Nian frowned and continued reading.

Chen Ci’s records often included very detailed observations, such as a maid wearing a new hairpin, a joke told by the intelligent housekeeper that wasn’t funny, or someone repairing a tower across the street. He even noted when he used breadcrumbs to lure a bird to his windowsill.

Beyond these minute details, his life was utterly unchanging.

Even from the plain text, Chen Nian could sense just how monotonous Chen Ci’s daily life was.

No wonder Chen Ci had been so eager to use the parade as an opportunity to sneak out.

Chen Nian read quickly and soon came across the twenty-first log, which contained only a single sentence:

“Health check-up. Very uncomfortable.”

The schedule for that day had only one entry: 9:00 AM, health check-up.

Chen Nian thought of Chen Ci’s request to switch back in five days, coinciding with another scheduled medical examination.

Was there something wrong with Chen Ci’s health?

Was that why he was confined to his residence, unable to go out freely?

…Wait, what if Chen Ci encountered problems in the underground city?!

Chen Ci had always been so carefully protected. Now, suddenly thrown into the chaos of the underground city, how could he possibly adapt?

Though Chen Nian could understand Chen Ci’s longing for freedom, it was reckless to risk his health like this. Should he go find him right now?

Noticing the Omega beside him growing visibly restless, Shavri opened his eyes and said, “I have some matters to attend to first. Wait here a while, and we’ll have dinner together before heading back.”

“Mm,” Chen Nian replied perfunctorily.

He didn’t care what Shavri needed to do; he was more worried about whether Chen Ci might encounter trouble.

The mechanical carriage soon stopped, and Chen Nian followed Shavri down, led by attendants into a grand building. Shavri left to handle his business, giving a few brief instructions before departing.

Chen Nian was guided into a spacious lounge. The attendants bowed respectfully before closing the door, waiting outside to serve His Highness’s fiancé as needed.

For now, the lounge was completely quiet, with Chen Nian alone inside.

Although anxious, Chen Nian knew there was little he could do at the moment. By now, Chen Ci was likely already at the entrance to the underground city.

He had to settle his nerves; Chen Ci had said his communications were constantly monitored, so exchanging contact information wasn’t safe.

Everything would have to wait until five days later.

Hopefully, nothing would go wrong.

Chen Nian flopped onto the sofa, unexpectedly finding it so soft he almost sank in entirely, hurriedly grabbing the armrest to steady himself.

A delicately arranged tower of pastries sat on the nearby table, displaying a variety of unfamiliar treats. Chen Nian picked up a strawberry-topped cake and took a bite. The rich cream and sweet fruit burst onto his taste buds, and his eyes lit up.

There was no chance of eating anything like this in the underground city. After such a hectic morning, he was starving.

Leaning lazily against the sofa, he munched on the pastries while continuing to read Chen Ci’s logs.

The entries were mostly short, and he quickly flipped back to three years ago.

At that time, Chen Ci had been only fifteen but was already accustomed to documenting his daily life.

It was also three years ago that Chen Ci officially began interacting with Shavri.

Shavri, six years their senior, was already an Alpha with formidable mental strength, while the fifteen-year-old Chen Ci hadn’t yet differentiated. Though his appearance and demeanor clearly marked him as an Omega, the royal family surely would’ve handled such matters cautiously.

How could they arrange a marriage without confirming Chen Ci’s status as an Omega?

Something about this didn’t sit right. Weren’t they worried about potential issues?

The logs mentioned this was an agreement between Chen Wei, the great marshal, and the emperor. Chen Nian had no memories of their father, Chen Wei.

How could a father decide his two just-born children’s future marriages?

And in this era, no less—who still played at arranged marriages?

Maybe it had been a joke that the emperor took seriously.

Since the marshal had long since sacrificed his life, there was no way to verify it now.

Having read all of Chen Ci’s logs, Chen Nian had gained significant insight into the situation.

The relationship between Chen Ci and Shavri was far from close. They couldn’t even perceive each other’s pheromones.

For such a mismatched pair to live as Alpha and Omega in the future seemed like a setup for disaster. Among the elite circles, it was already considered an open joke, with many waiting to see how it would unfold.

Something wasn’t right…

Chen Nian rubbed his chin. From an Omega’s perspective, Chen Ci was unquestionably top-tier.

With their identical appearance and pheromones, Chen Nian himself was the object of endless admiration in the underground city, with countless Alphas flocking to him just to catch a whiff of his tuberose scent.

With such excellent qualities, even if Chen Ci’s personality was quieter and less outgoing than his own, he shouldn’t have ended up like this.

Could the problem lie with Shavri?

For Shavri to remain entirely indifferent to such an exceptional Omega… Could the crown prince be impotent—or worse, in love with someone else?

Chen Nian suddenly felt enlightened.

Yes! This must be one of those situations where two people are in love but kept apart, setting the stage for a melodramatic love-hate relationship.

When they first met, Chen Ci was only fifteen, while Shavri was already twenty-one. Surely, the scoundrel prince’s heart already belonged to someone else. Otherwise, how could he be so detached from Chen Ci?

Even their shared meals were perfunctory—eat and leave, never lingering.

As the unfaithful party, Shavri must have felt guilty toward Chen Ci, which explained why he agreed to help him sneak out for some fresh air.

That had to be it! Similar things were so common, especially among Alphas, who were all scoundrels regardless of their status.

Thinking back to how Shavri had looked tired on the way back, Chen Nian couldn’t help but speculate whether he’d spent the previous night with some Omega.

Fuming, Chen Nian grabbed another pastry, but his movements were so forceful that he accidentally knocked a fork off the table.

The metal utensil clattered to the ground and slid under the opposite sofa.

Chen Nian: ………

Instinctively, he got down to retrieve it.

Unaccustomed to such luxuries, he didn’t realize that dropped items would naturally be taken care of by attendants.

Kneeling, he leaned down, pressing his cheek against the soft floor, and stretched to reach further beneath the sofa.

Everything happened naturally.

When Shavri pushed open the door, the scene that greeted him was this:

His perpetually aloof fiancé was kneeling on the floor, his back to the door.

The Omega’s upper body was pressed against the carpet, hips raised in the air. The graceful curve of his arched back was outlined by his clothing, with his white robe pulled upward by his outstretched arm.

The thin fabric of his pants clung tightly due to his posture, faintly revealing the outline of what lay beneath.

Shavri: …………

His footsteps froze, his gaze momentarily lingering before he quickly averted his eyes to something more appropriate. He raised his hand and knocked on the door.

“Hm?” Chen Nian, hearing the noise, turned to look.

To the Alpha standing in the doorway, this casual hum and glance carried a surprising allure.

Shavri pressed his lips together, quietly lowering his hand.

Chen Nian retrieved the fork from beneath the sofa, stood up, straightened his robe, and placed the utensil back on the table.

With all his speculations, Chen Nian’s impression of Shavri as a two-timing “scumbag” had already plummeted. Without hesitation, he said, “I’m hungry.”

“Let’s eat.” Shavri, watching Chen Nian’s deft movements, felt something subtly off.

Steadying himself, he led Chen Nian toward the dining room.

Following behind, Chen Nian’s footsteps echoed as Shavri forced himself to focus on last night’s game, trying to erase the suggestive image he’d just witnessed from his mind.