Chen Nian turned around.

The screen on Shavri Vitaljevich’s smart wristband was still lit, and a new message notification popped up, which Chen Nian’s sharp eyes immediately caught sight of.

Was he chatting with someone just now?

He couldn’t even wait for a moment without talking to them? In such a hurry?

Shavri Vitaljevich’s moment of mental freeze looked completely different in Chen Nian’s eyes—it was self-evident:

Perhaps Shavri had a date with a lover tonight but was suddenly summoned by his nominal fiancée. Now he could only steal a few moments to send a quick reply, soothing the little enchantress on the other end.

Wow, he really wanted it all, huh?

If Chen Nian could swallow this anger, then his name wasn’t Chen Nian.

Chen Nian made a deliberate and obvious glance at the still-lit wristband, then asked softly, “Did you already have plans?”

“What? No.” Shavri snapped back to his senses. Just now, he had actually caught a faint whiff of Chen Ci’s pheromones?!

It was an extremely subtle tuberose scent, still lingering faintly around his nose, carrying the mature fragrance unique to an Omega. For an Alpha, it was fatally alluring.

He had never smelled Chen Ci’s pheromones before, but he’d heard about them from others and read about it in medical reports—a faint and elegant tuberose scent.

It had been two years since Chen Ci differentiated into an Omega, so why was he suddenly able to smell it now?

Shavri’s shock looked like absentmindedness in Chen Nian’s eyes. Chen Nian rolled his eyes internally. Although his face didn’t betray anything, the excitement in his gaze had notably dimmed.

“But it seems like someone’s been looking for you,” Chen Nian said, nonchalantly.

“It’s nothing important,” Shavri replied.

“Ah, so it is something after all.”

Chen Nian lowered his head and stayed silent for a moment. Then, the boy turned away, leaving the Alpha with only a slightly disappointed side profile. He said softly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you.”

Shavri: …………

At this point, Shavri was tongue-tied. He wasn’t good with words to begin with, let alone coaxing someone.

After a long pause, all he managed to squeeze out was, “Coming out with you is something I should do.”

So, everything Shavri had done up until now was purely out of a sense of duty.

Chen Nian more or less understood. After just two meetings, he had already pinpointed the crown prince’s Achilles’ heel.

Guilt and responsibility—these were the emotions Shavri displayed most clearly when facing Chen Ci.

But if this guy truly had a sense of responsibility, he wouldn’t treat Chen Ci’s brother so coldly or flirt with other little enchantresses while a marriage contract still existed.

Chen Nian let out a soft hum and walked deeper into the courtyard. His earlier liveliness had noticeably diminished, replaced by a quieter demeanor.

Shavri no longer felt like chatting with “White Cherry.” Burdened by even more guilt towards Chen Ci, the crown prince fell into deeper self-reproach.

The tuberose scent lingered. Why was it suddenly appearing like this?

He had first noticed it at lunch. Under the table, Chen Ci’s foot had hooked around his calf, even slipping into the cuff of his pants and rubbing lightly.

At the time, there had been a vase of fresh tuberose flowers on the table, so he had assumed it was just the flowers’ fragrance.

Then, just now, Chen Ci had leaned over to sip water from the fountain, as if kissing the reflection in the water.

Could it be that Chen Ci was in estrus?

But nothing like this had happened before.

Following behind Chen Nian, Shavri asked, “How are you feeling now?”

“Much better,” Chen Nian said, keeping up his carefully constructed persona. “I took an inhibitor when I got back, so it’s not that bad anymore.”

Shavri hummed in response. After a brief pause, he added, “There’s a royal banquet tomorrow night. Would you like to attend?”

A royal banquet?

Chen Nian’s eyes lit up. In his mind, high-society banquets were synonymous with extravagance.

Of course he wanted to go. But he didn’t show any urgency, instead turning to Shavri and asking, “Is that okay?”

Chen Ci almost never appeared in public, let alone at banquets. Besides his personal attendants, there probably weren’t even ten people who had seen him in person.

When Chen Nian first read through Chen Ci’s logs, he couldn’t help but mutter to himself—this wasn’t being raised in seclusion; it was practically imprisonment!

Shavri nodded. “Of course. If you’re feeling okay, I’ll come pick you up tomorrow.”

Chen Nian nodded. He still didn’t say much, but he seemed a bit happier than before.

Shavri silently let out a breath of relief.

Chen Nian strolled through the courtyard, surrounded by countless blooming flowers. The back garden was enormous. After wandering and playing for a while, he started feeling a bit tired. It was getting late anyway, so it was time to head back.

Chen Nian was very satisfied with this outing. He had seen so many new and interesting things. The strict rules that bound Chen Ci hadn’t stopped him in the slightest.

His brother was just too timid, reluctant to ask Shavri for company. This crown prince was obviously quite easy to boss around.

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow night,” Shavri said, dropping him off at the White Tower entrance. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Chen Nian replied cheerfully, his eyes curving into crescents out of habit. Realizing that Chen Ci had mentioned controlling his expressions, he quickly forced the corners of his mouth down.

To Shavri, this looked like someone wanting to respond but unsure how to express it, a naive and confused demeanor.

He sighed inwardly, watching Chen Nian walk into the hall under the attendants’ escort before turning to leave.

The private car had been waiting nearby. Once inside, Shavri let himself relax, leaning back against the seat.

If he went back now, he might still make it in time for the guild war.

As he absentmindedly thought about this, the tuberose scent lingered, intermingling with the image of the boy crouched among the bushes, searching intently. It was a vivid impression that refused to fade.

In all the years he’d known Chen Ci, he had never seen such a bright expression in his eyes.

It felt… oddly unsettling.

But Shavri didn’t have much time to dwell on it because something in his pocket suddenly moved.

Startled, he reached in and felt something soft and damp. He froze.

A few seconds later, he pulled out a frog.

It was the one Chen Nian had named Jinji Li.

Shavri: …………

The prince and the frog stared at each other, locked in a silent standoff.

The frog opened its mouth. With a resounding snap, its elastic tongue smacked the crown prince right on his prominent nose.

Chen Ci had been out for three hours already.

Back at home, he had prepared dinner. Jiang Dai came out, lured by the aroma, and couldn’t believe his eyes.

After trying a few bites, Jiang Dai praised Chen Ci’s cooking to no end, asking how it suddenly became so good.

Chen Ci had no choice but to say he’d strictly followed the recipe. To avoid slipping up, he had deliberately used the simplest ingredients to make the most basic dishes, which spoke volumes about how terrible Chen Nian’s usual cooking was.

After dinner, Chen Ci headed out. However, it only took ten minutes for him to realize that too many people in this area knew Chen Nian.

From the moment he stepped outside, gazes clung to him—some bold, some flirtatious, others envious, resentful, disdainful, or even scornful. A myriad of attitudes, all kinds of people.

Chen Ci didn’t dare linger nearby. Fortunately, he received a text from the bank right before leaving: Chen Nian’s salary for the month had been deposited. His account balance was no longer the pitiful 0.11 Augis.

Now, he could afford public transportation.

Chen Ci had learned how to use the Underground City’s transit system from that Alpha.

He boarded a tram heading to the easternmost part of the 13th Information Processing Zone. After carefully reviewing the information stored on Chen Nian’s terminal, he discovered that Chen Nian’s activities were primarily concentrated in the Western District—likely where he worked.

The Eastern District was less likely to have people who recognized Chen Nian.

According to the books, wandering around a chaotic underground city at night was dangerous. But here, it was always nighttime.

Chen Ci disembarked at a random stop in the Western District. Onboard, he had looked up maps and development records of the 13th Information Processing Zone. This city was built in the void between two massive processors, with countless pipelines and circuits filling the gaps. Humanity had used this as a foundation to establish their homes.

Walking along the streets, Chen Ci had no destination. He simply observed everything happening around him.

Never before had he walked among so many people.

The smells—fermented sweat, harsh cheap perfume, and the swampy stench rising from the sewers—created an unpleasant mix. Yet everyone but Chen Ci seemed used to it.

Controlling his breathing, Chen Ci eventually put on a mask. He pulled his cap low and walked quietly along the walls, avoiding attention.

The bite-proof collar on his neck suppressed his pheromones, and his high collar hid it from sight. No one realized he was an Omega.

Chen Ci passed through a commercial street lined with shops and roadside stalls selling all kinds of goods.

“Hey! Check out this latest neural receiver!”

A vendor called out to him. Chen Ci stopped. The neural receiver, which had been released on the upper levels three years ago, was considered cutting-edge in the underground city.

But Chen Ci wasn’t interested. Every moment, countless people used these devices to enter the metaverse, where they shopped, partied, gamed, and chased thrills they couldn’t find in reality.

Even in his dullest, most escapist moments, Chen Ci had never used one. He instinctively disliked them.

It was as if some rule had been etched into his bones at birth.

Chen Ci didn’t intend to buy one. After a glance, he moved on. A gray animal darted out of a corner and disappeared before he could react.

Was that… a rat?

Chen Ci had only seen rats at the XII Base—white ones, cute creatures with pink paws, used for various experiments.

As he passed a burly man, Chen Ci tucked his arms in, using his elbow to pin the hand that had been reaching for his pocket.

Turning his head, he saw a skinny young man standing diagonally behind him, arm extended toward his pocket.

The youth had brown eyes, wolf-like in their intensity.

Chen Ci stared at him quietly.

The next moment, the youth withdrew his hand and disappeared into the crowd.

A skilled pickpocket, but he hadn’t escaped Chen Ci’s psychic detection.

Chen Ci shrugged it off as a minor incident and saw no point in pursuing the thief.

He continued through the commercial street, eventually reaching an open area dominated by towering piles of garbage.

The street ended abruptly at a waste disposal plant.

Chen Ci hesitated, debating whether to turn back. Several scavengers roamed the landfill.

He scanned the area and suddenly froze.

He spotted a familiar figure.

Chen Ci stepped into the site, carefully avoiding the muck and sludge on the path as he passed the other scavengers.

As he got closer, he called out softly:

“Fu Tianhe?”