Fu Tianhe accepted the cruel reality that he was the only poor guy among them, and his mood was… complicated.

He took Chen Ci to another store to finish buying the rest of the stuff.

This time, Chen Ci paid right in front of him, and Fu Tianhe didn’t stop him.

He still had some pride, after all.

Looks like Jiu Yue really raked it in from her trip to the upper levels. Even after covering the cost of his pass, she still had thirty thousand left.

Fu Tianhe felt a warm sense of comfort. The nights he spent pulling all-nighters making parts to help Jiu Yue save up for a pass had been worth it.

The Omega teen stood empty-handed and turned back to say, “Let’s go.”

Fu Tianhe shifted the lighter bags to his left hand, then picked up the rest with his right. Both hands were stuffed to the brim. He was carrying so much he could barely walk straight, with a bulging backpack on his back and a neatly folded tent sticking out the top. He looked just like a pampered toy boy being kept by someone, huffing and puffing as he followed behind Chen Ci.

But no one thought anything looked off. Chen Ci was wearing a plain grey tracksuit, and yet, just walking down the street, he gave off the kind of presence that made it feel natural for someone to be serving him.

Fu Tianhe was happily burdened with all the bags and gear.

There was a lot of stuff, and since Fu Tianhe’s doghouse was already crowded with machine tools and parts, plus there wasn’t even enough room in the mini fridge, most of the supplies would have to be stored at Chen Ci’s place for now.

The two rode back to the station, then walked into the neighborhood. Soon, they reached the same deep area that Chen Ci had once led Fu Tianhe to.

Chen Ci stopped and didn’t go any further in. “Alright.”

Fu Tianhe said, “Let me carry these back for you. It’s way too heavy.”

Chen Ci didn’t want to reveal his exact address. “I can handle it.”

Fu Tianhe tried again, “It’s really heavy though.”

Chen Ci stayed quiet.

Fu Tianhe looked down. The teenager’s amber eyes were calm, staring silently at him, clearly not open for negotiation.

I’m not a creep or anything…

A tiny sense of defeat crept up in Fu Tianhe’s chest.

But he quickly shook it off. It was a good thing Jiu Yue was so cautious.

For an Omega like Jiu Yue, the Underground City was full of hidden dangers. Every harmless-looking surface might be covering a deadly trap.

The more cautious, the safer.

Sure, he himself didn’t mean any harm—but who could say someone else in the future wouldn’t fake being nice just to get close?

“Alright then.” Fu Tianhe gave up. He glanced at the bags in his hands and said worriedly, “But they really are heavy. Are you sure you can manage?”

Chen Ci didn’t respond. He reached out and took one side’s shopping bags from Fu Tianhe.

The teen’s shoulders visibly dipped from the weight.

But it didn’t seem to bother him. Chen Ci grabbed the bags from Fu Tianhe’s other hand too.

Now completely unburdened, Fu Tianhe watched in worry as all the weight shifted to Chen Ci’s hands.

Chen Ci weighed it a bit, confirming it was still within what he could handle.

He put the bags down at his feet and said to Fu Tianhe, “Come here.”

Fu Tianhe took off the backpack, holding the two straps, and helped Chen Ci put it on.

He placed his fingers between Chen Ci’s shoulders and the straps, slowly releasing pressure so Chen Ci could adjust and not get crushed all at once.

Fu Tianhe also tightened the folded tent to make sure it wouldn’t fall out midway and cause trouble.

Chen Ci crouched slightly, picked up the four or five bags on the ground again. His arms hung straight down under the weight, the straps digging into his fingers and leaving red marks.

It made one worry if all that weight would crush his slender shoulders.

But Chen Ci held firm.

He didn’t even flinch. He just gave Fu Tianhe a nod. “I’m going.”

“Get home quick,” Fu Tianhe urged, clearly worried. “You can stop and rest as much as you need on the way.”

Chen Ci responded with a quiet “mm,” then turned and left.

Fu Tianhe really wanted to chase after him, grab all the stuff back, and carry it home for him—but he held himself back.

He stood still, watching the teenager’s figure walk off.

Even under all that excessive weight, Chen Ci’s back stayed straight. His pace was slow but steady.

Like fate had piled unjust burdens on his shoulders—but he still held it up with unwavering strength.

Fu Tianhe took a deep breath, trying to calm the mess of feelings in his chest.

At a fork in the road, Chen Ci turned and disappeared from view.

Still, the Alpha stood there, fixated on the path Chen Ci had taken.

His hands must be hurting from the straps, right? Once he took off that bag, his shoulders might ache for two or three days.

Would he quietly rub them himself? Or stretch to loosen up?

Fu Tianhe didn’t know. He still didn’t know enough about Chen Ci.

Or maybe… every day he was discovering a brand-new surprise. Jiu Yue was like a mystery box—you never knew what you’d get when you opened the next one.

The more he got to know him, the more hopelessly captivated he became.

After a long while, Fu Tianhe finally turned and left.

But unlike Fu Tianhe imagined, Chen Ci only stopped to rest once on his way up the stairs.

He set everything down, unlocked three door locks, then brought everything inside one by one.

The shopping bags were neatly lined up against the wall. Chen Ci shut the door behind him. His palms were red and burning from the weight.

He rubbed his fingers a little and stood there quietly catching his breath.

Jiang Dai, who was working at his desk, heard the noise and stepped out. Seeing all the stuff, he was surprised. “What did you buy?”

“I’m planning a trip,” Chen Ci didn’t hide it. He’d have to tell Jiang Dai anyway before he left. “I made plans with a friend. We want to travel around a bit.”

“A trip?” Jiang Dai froze. He looked through the bags one by one and noticed there was quite a bit of camping gear. He asked, “Are you planning to stay outdoors?”

“Maybe,” Chen Ci answered honestly. “If we can’t find a good place to stay, we’ll camp.”

Jiang Dai frowned. “This friend of yours… where did you meet him?”

The past few days, the teenager often left without a word. Thankfully, he was sensible and never came back too late, so Jiang Dai gradually stopped worrying.

Chen Ci said, “We met on the road two weeks ago.”

“Also an Omega?”

“No. Male. An Alpha.”

“…”

An Omega who just turned eighteen, going on a trip with an Alpha he met on the street two weeks ago, possibly even camping outside?

Any responsible adult would be worried.

“No.” Jiang Dai said firmly. “I’ll agree to anything else, but not this. It’s too dangerous.”

“I can protect myself,” Chen Ci insisted.

“With what?” Jiang Dai countered.

Chen Ci was momentarily speechless. He couldn’t exactly say he had top-level mental power that could manipulate minds. No shady person could ever get close to him.

“He’s a good person,” Chen Ci could only say.

“Still an Alpha,” Jiang Dai didn’t budge. “Doesn’t matter how good he is.”

Chen Ci fell silent.

The boy’s downcast, quiet look reminded Jiang Dai of when Chen Nian was little. He’d see a toy in a shop window, and after being told they didn’t have money, he’d just stand there staring longingly before walking away, all mature and understanding.

In the end, Jiang Dai softened.

This wasn’t the child he’d raised for eighteen years, but even the rumors from the upper levels gave him a hint of what kind of life Chen Ci had lived.

The price of luxury was a burden most couldn’t imagine.

“Alright, maybe it’s not entirely impossible,” Jiang Dai sighed, stepping back. “Tell me how you’ll protect yourself, and give me your friend’s contact info. Is that okay?”

“…Alright.” Chen Ci agreed. He had no issue giving Fu Tianhe’s contact info, but showing Jiang Dai his mental power would mean laying everything bare.

He hadn’t planned to do that so soon. It would be better if Chen Nian explained the switch personally.

“I’m not unreasonable,” Jiang Dai said gently. “Once we’ve talked everything through, you can go. Alright?”

“Okay.” Chen Ci nodded. He’d always hated the White Tower’s constant control, but somehow, Jiang Dai’s concern didn’t bother him.

Jiang Dai relaxed a bit and reached for one of the bags by the wall, but Chen Ci quickly stepped in. “I’ve got it.”

He moved everything into his own room and said, “I’ll give you his contact in a bit.”

Jiang Dai responded with a hum and stood there a moment longer before heading back to the study.

Chen Ci closed the door behind him. His shoulders ached a bit, but it wasn’t a big deal.

He had never done this kind of heavy lifting before. Raised in luxury in the White Tower, everything had always been handled by housekeepers and maids. But even doing this kind of hard labor now didn’t feel all that exhausting.

His physical condition was far better than anyone could imagine.

Chen Ci logged all the purchased items into his journal and took a photo for records.

Fu Tianhe was clearly very experienced. Chen Ci had read a lot of adventure novels before, and the gear mentioned in those books—Fu Tianhe had basically bought all of it.

He carefully placed the stove so it wouldn’t tip, put all the food in the fridge, and smoothed out the folds in the tent fabric.

Once everything was put away, Chen Ci stood by the bed, raised his arms, and stretched silently.

His shoulders gave a satisfying pop.

The gear was ready. Now it was time to pick a destination.

Since Fu Tianhe was coming with him, maybe he could revisit some of the places he’d previously ruled out. Those spots were more dangerous, and for a first trip, Chen Ci had wanted something easier.

But with Fu Tianhe’s vast experience—even long-distance ocean voyages under his belt—there was probably no place they couldn’t handle together.

Chen Ci opened a detailed structural map of Chensha. A notification popped up at the top of the terminal—it was a message from Fu Tianhe asking if he’d gotten home safely.

Chen Ci: [Mm]

Another message quickly followed: [Um, next time you get home safely, can you let me know first thing?]

Why? Chen Ci didn’t understand.

No one here knew his real identity. He didn’t have to live under the White Tower’s constant surveillance anymore, reporting every move he made.

He was supposed to be free.

[Why.]Chen Ci replied bluntly.

Fu Tianhe took a while to answer, clearly trying to word it carefully so it didn’t come off the wrong way.

[Since we’re going on this trip together, that makes us partners, right? If we get used to updating each other, the trip will go more smoothly. That’s kind of the whole point of traveling together.]

[And besides, I’m your teacher too. A teacher worrying about their student is normal, right? Especially since you were carrying so much stuff—I was really worried.]

He even added a pitiful puppy emoji.

Chen Ci stared at the two chat bubbles for a few seconds.

[Okay]he replied. [I’m going to cook now.]

[Me too!]Fu Tianhe quickly said. [I bought a dozen eggs at the corner store—today’s a feast!]

Alpha joy practically burst through the screen. Chen Ci didn’t get what he was so happy about. Was it because he successfully persuaded him?

Chen Ci didn’t think of himself as hard to talk to. As long as people explained things clearly, with reason, he usually agreed.

The red marks on his hands had already faded, and his shoulders didn’t hurt anymore.

Chen Ci circled the chosen destination in red on the map, sent one final message to Fu Tianhe, and stood up to cook.

The virtual screen slowly dimmed above him.

The translucent map showed the structure of Chensha in detail. The visible part of the beacon above sea level stood at a staggering 3,500 meters tall, not to mention the massive base underwater.

It had withstood countless storms and tsunamis for a thousand years, remaining upright through relentless attacks from the primordial creatures, providing for the people who lived inside.

Near the lowest part of the structure, close to the sea’s surface, a section was circled.

It was a wide area that stretched out nearly parallel to the ocean, pressed right against the outer wall. The label there read “Recycling Station.”

And even further out, written hastily in red ink—

“Abandoned Suburbs.”

Meanwhile, on the public bus…

When Fu Tianhe saw Chen Ci’s message, he almost jumped out of his seat.

Jiu Yue: [My guardian wants your contact info. Is that okay?]

Jiu Yue’s guardian asked for his contact info?!

Th-th-this…

Fu Tianhe took a deep breath, waves of emotion crashing in his chest. With trembling fingers, he typed:

[Of course that’s okay.]

Then paused, changed the exclamation mark to a period, to not look too excited.

He carefully hit send, put down the terminal, and looked out the window. The glass reflected the face of a young Alpha, with a golden prosthetic eye glinting in the light.

Fu Tianhe raised a hand, his fingertips touching the cool, artificial orb. No matter how many times he touched it, it was always cold—yet in that eye, something like liquid shimmered.

But the carefree smile on his lips could melt anything.

—Mom, I think I’m in love.