The sofa in the small, dark room was high, and the coffee table sat low. In order to write on it, the two of them had to crouch on the floor. Bo Rui, a large man, looked particularly aggrieved.

“Have you thought of anything?” Bo Rui asked.

“No, what about you?”

“I have one, but I don’t know if it counts.”

“What is it?”

“Traditional Chinese medicine passed down through the family^[1]…..is that okay?”

“I think…..it should be fine.”

Bo Rui then nearly wrote down his first words: Traditional Chinese medicine.

“Wait a minute.” Da Lun held him back. “If His Highness Oser asks about this traditional Chinese medicine, how should we explain it?”

“Isn’t it easy to explain? Traditional Chinese medicine, passed down from generation to generation, used to treat…..”

“……”

Bo Rui crossed out what he’d written with all his might, only giving up when not a word could be seen.

The two people continued to wrack their brains.

Da Lun suddenly had an idea: “I’ve got one too.”

“What, what?”

“The Dragon King is spraying disinfectant in the group chat.”

Bo Rui was not very optimistic: “Will this work? Hasn’t this meme been outdated for several years?”

“He thinks ‘Teacher Tony’ is cool, so why not ‘Dragon King?’”

“…..Okay.”

Separated by a wall from the small, dark room was the only public lounge in the basement.

Ling Yi, still dressed for the ball, sat on the sofa while browsing his phone, his long legs carelessly draped over the coffee table.

Xi Lei was very dissatisfied with his style: “Why are you like this wherever you go? Do you think this is your home?”

Li Yi diverted a bit of his attention to him: “What’s wrong with me?”

“There’s an outsider here! Can you please pay some attention to social etiquette?”

Ling Yi turned his head toward the so-called outsider: “Captain Tang De, do you mind?”

“As long as Your Highness Ling Yi is comfortable, anything is fine. Just pretend like I don’t exist.”

Ling Yi raised an eyebrow at Xi Lei, infuriating him.

“I don’t believe you would act so rudely in front of His Highness Oser.”

Ling Yi squinted at him: “I use more postures in front of His Highness Oser. Wanna see?”

Xi Lei’s face flushed red: “You—!”

Tang De cleared his throat. With these two, he couldn’t get rid of his identity as a peacemaker.

“Stop arguing. Every inch of the empire belongs to the royal family, so this can also be considered His Highness Ling Yi’s home. There’s no need to quarrel over such a trivial matter.”

Xi Lei endured it for Tang De’s sake. But not only did Ling Yi not hold back, he even swung his toes back and forth, humming a little tune to deliberately aggravate Xi Lei.

Tang De had a sudden craving: “I’m going outside to smoke a cigarette.”

Ling Yi paid him no mind. He was browsing the Luban Military Academy’s forum, the top post of which was still: [In solemn remembrance of our school’s lifelong honor student Ling Yi — the hero is gone, but his spirit lives on, always in our hearts.]

He didn’t even bother clicking on this thread, which already had over 200 replies. Instead, he became absorbed in reading the most popular post of the night: [Eating Melons].

[Big news! His Highness Oser and a companion attended Grand Duke Sully’s ball!]

[Blurry candid photo taken from a distance]

[Look carefully, this Xiao Mei was His Highness’s dance partner for the night!]

[Xiao Mei was wearing a mask, and His Highness Oser refused to reveal his identity. Everyone on the scene was going crazy guessing!]

[There was no scent of pheromones, so everyone guessed he was a Beta!]

[Based on my close observations, Xiao Mei and His Highness Oser did the following things and more at the ball:

Hugged shoulders and waists / whispered in each others ears / played with hair / fed cake by hand / danced (His Highness danced the O steps and Xiao Mei danced the A steps) / exchanged a quick kiss (I saw it through a telescope from a hundred meters away) / wait, wait, wait!

Here comes the main point! You won’t believe what happened!

Two idiots from our school went to the ball and did something no one else dared to do!

The two of them suddenly attacked from behind and took off Xiao Mei’s mask!

Can you believe it? At Grand Duke Sully’s ball! In front of His Highness Oser! They took off his. Partner’s. Mask! Is this something a human being should do?!

Well done!

Who could have known that Xiao Mei was such a looker behind the mask!

My language skills aren’t good enough to describe Xiao Mei’s beauty, but everyone present was stunned. No one thought to take a photo though. Such a shame! (This also reduces the credibility of this post).

Then His Highness Oser left with him for 11 minutes and 27 seconds. This timing, hmm…..intriguing. (I won’t mention that there was a suspicious red mark on His Highness’s mouth when he returned).

Oh, right. After the ball, those two idiots were taken away by His Highness Oser. I really want to know how he plans to deal with them.

Should I state in advance that although I’m an alumnus of their school, I have no relationship with them at all? 

(No, I don’t know them at all, and I also don’t know that their names are Bo Rui and Da Lun.)]

Ling Yi couldn’t help but laugh as he read this.

Xi Lei wanted to ask what he was laughing at, but suddenly caught a glimpse of Ling Yi with his left elbow resting on the arm of the sofa, hand resting against his mouth with long fingers curled loosely, sitting there with his head tilted and eyes lowered as he looked at his phone.

His long silver hair cascaded down, half hanging behind his back and half draped over his shoulders, reflecting a hazy glow under the overhead lights.

His eyebrows, made charming by application of cosmetics, curved like crescent moons. His eyelashes cast thick shadows, but couldn’t conceal the smile in his eyes.

There was a small amount of lipstick remaining on his lips, which were pursed in a thin line. The slightly raised corners of his mouth gave him a leisurely and comfortable look.

Despite the pheromone suppression ear cuff he was wearing, Xi Lei couldn’t help but think back to his surprisingly sweet fragrance.

The Omega before him seemed like an entirely different person from the annoying Alpha in his memories…..

Xi Lei stood abruptly, startling Ling Yi.

“What are you doing!” Ling Yi said with contempt.

Xi Lei clenched his fists: “I’m…..thirsty. I’m going to get some water.”

“What’s the big fuss over a drink of water?”

Ling Yi symbolically moved aside, making way for a path that wasn’t blocked in the first place.

Xi Lei hastily washed his face in the bathroom, chagrined at having such thoughts.

It must be because Ling Yi’s attire tonight was so disorienting. Take off the makeup, and he was still the same bitter rival with whom he had engaged for years in verbal and physical conflict.

He returned to the lounge in a trance, pushed open the door, and immediately snapped back to his senses when he saw who was in the room.

Xi Lei: “Why is it you?”

Bo Rui and Da Lun: “Why is it you?”

The three of them spoke in unison.

After realizing this, they changed their tune.

Xi Lei: “Why are you here?”

Bo Rui and Da Lun: “Why are you here?”

All three: “……”

Bo Rui and Da Lun were both good friends of Ling Yi. Xi Lei belonged to another camp, and the two sides had an incompatible relationship at school.

Even participating in the prison break together hadn’t improved their relationship.

Da Lun was the moderate in their camp. He was the only one who had no conflicts with Xi Lei, and even cared about him a little.

“Where have you been all this time? And why are you wearing the uniform of His Highness Oser’s guard?”

Bo Rui: “Did you forget? He’s His Highness Oser’s chief bootlicker, and he finally got what he wanted.”

Xi Lei: “At least I’m standing here with dignity, unlike you two, who can only squat.”

“……” The two people squatting on the ground quickly stood up.

“What’s wrong with squatting for a while? We were tired of standing and wanted to stretch our legs.”

Xi Lei glanced at the papers on the coffee table. They were a mess, with scribbles and scratches all over them.

“I get it. You offended His Highness Oser tonight and were arrested to write self-criticisms, yes?”

Bo Rui was stubborn: “It’s none of your business whether or not we’re writing self-criticisms. You’re too nosy.”

“You behaved disrespectfully in public, so it’s your own fault that you have to write self-criticisms.”

“A bootlicker is a bootlicker. You haven’t even graduated yet, and you’re already biting people for His Highness Oser.”

After Xi Lei left, Ling Yi was alone in the room. He enjoyed being free and unfettered, with no one to bother him even if he put his feet up in the air.

Both mischievous and mocking, he watched everyone’s imaginations run wild, making all kinds of guesses about his identity, such as an artificial Omega or an alien, each more outrageous than the last.

There were also those who spoiled the fun and were cynical in the melon-eating posts, saying things like “the hero’s body is still warm, it’s truly chilling that the public is only interested in royal gossip.”

While browsing, he heard a quarrel start up in the adjacent room for some unknown reason. It grew increasingly intense, and showed no signs of calming down in the near future.

Ling Yi’s head ached from the noise, but when he listened carefully, he found that the voices were very familiar.

It felt like being back at school, back in the classroom, back at the training grounds, the same people and arguments happening over and over.

The three people were arguing heatedly when the half-closed door was kicked open – and nearly kicked off.

The loud noise shocked everyone, and the three of them fell silent at once.

The long-haired beauty who was glimpsed briefly at the ball walked in with a seductive yet malicious look on his face.

He was still as beautiful as ever, but he looked difficult to deal with.

“You guys are noisy as hell!”

Bo Rui became inexplicably nervous and rubbed his palms against his pants.

“You’re here too, ah. It was my fault today, I shouldn’t have persuaded my classmate to drink. You were scared, weren’t you…..my name is Bo Rui, and that’s Da Lun. We’re both students at Luban Military Acadmy.”

For some reason, the beauty glared at him. One glance at that alluring gaze made Bo Rui’s palms sweat even more.

“May I ask what this beauty’s name is?”

Ling Yi narrowed his eyes: “What did you just call me?”

Xi Lei also said in an unfriendly tone: “Do you know who you’re talking to?”

“I, I don’t know your name, so…..if you don’t like that name, then what would you prefer? I can change it.”

Da Lun stomped hard on his foot, but it unfortunately had no effect.

“I know you’re His Highness Oser’s dance partner, but…..I was wondering…..if we could be friends?”

Fed up, Ling Yi rolled his eyes: “Ha!”

Xi Lei warned: “It’s not too late to take back your words.”

Da Lun lowered his head and also advised him: “Quit making trouble, bro. If you keep going, writing a self-criticism will be the least of your worries.”

However, Bo Rui persisted: “I’m serious, no joke! The first time I saw you, I felt like we had known each other for a long time!”

Before he could finish speaking, the coffee table in front of him was kicked hard, screeching as it slid across the floor. Bo Rui felt a pain in his knees and almost collapsed.

The grumpy beauty stepped onto the coffee table, reached over his head with his right hand, and ripped off his wig with a flourish. 

“Open your dog eyes wide and behold your father!”

Bo Rui and Da Lun froze simultaneously. Their frozen state lasted so long that Xi Lei wanted to check and see if they were petrified.

After a long while, Da Lun murmured: “Maybe I’m still drunk…..”

Ling Yi looked down his nose at them: “You can’t even recognize me with makeup on. Are you still straight?”

Bo Rui’s eyes were already filled with tears: “Wuwuwu, I am!”

Ignoring the pain in his knees, he rushed forward with his arms flung wide.

Xi Lei flashed in front of Ling Yi without hesitation and opened his arms to stop him.

“…..What are you doing?!”

The touching reunion plot was ruined. Bo Rui was furious.

Xi Lei made no concessions: “He’s no longer the Ling Yi you knew in the past. I advise you to keep your distance.”

“How is he not the Ling Yi I know? Wasn’t it just because he’s wearing makeup that I didn’t recognize him?”

Bo Rui belatedly reacted: “You knew Ling Yi was alive but didn’t tell us. Do you know what it’s been like for us the past few months?”

As the two bickered, tears gradually welled up in Da Lun’s eyes.

He hoped so much that this scene was real, but he also feared that it was only a dream.

“Ling Yi,” Da Lun whispered softly, afraid that speaking louder would puncture this sweet dream. “Is it really you?”

“Ah.” Ling Yi scratched his short hair in distress. “It’s a bit complicated. I’m not sure how to explain it to you.”

“The fact that you’re alive is the best explanation!” Bo Rui tried to rush over and hug him again. “I missed you so much!”

Xi Lei grabbed his wrist and held it tightly, not letting go.

“If you dare touch him, you will lose your hand.”

There was a rare ruthlessness in his eyes. Even a big guy like Bo Rui, who was known for his brute strength, took a step back in the face of his sudden imposing manner.

It had only been so long, but Ling Yi had become such a different person that even Xi Lei could barely recognize him.

“Have I come to the wrong place? Is this the Royal Medical College or the medical branch of Luban Military Academy?”

Those making a commotion immediately stopped and turned toward the door, standing at attention: “Your Highness Oser!”

Oser glanced at each person in the room in turn: “Do you also follow the rules this well at the military academy?”

Ling Yi had no desire to speak, and the other three didn’t dare to.

Oser walked into the room unhurriedly. The papers on the coffee table had been kicked over by Ling Yi just now, and were scattered everywhere.

Oser leaned over and picked up one of the sheets. He had one hand in his pocket and held a corner of the white paper with the other as he read the contents aloud: 

“No nesting dolls allowed.”

“Nesting dolls are prohibited.”

“Absolutely no nesting dolls.”

Everyone: “……”

Oser raised an eyebrow.

Bo Rui was embarrassed: “Sorry, I couldn’t think of anything else at the moment.”

The nesting doll sheet was tossed to the ground and replaced with another.

“The Dragon King is spraying disinfectant in the group chat.”

Oser stared at this sentence, as if trying to find the deeper meaning behind it.

Da Lun: “Um. That sentence means that there’s a group chat, and the Dragon King is the one who speaks the most in it, and he’ll sprinkle disinfectant in it every day…..or something like that.”

Oser slapped the paper against Da Lun’s chest, and he reached up to take it.

“Remember to include notes as well.”

Oser walked around him and finally took Ling Yi’s hand.

“All three of you, stay here. No one can leave until you’ve written ten pages.”

Ling Yi gave the three of them a sympathetic look and followed Oser out of the room.

Xi Lei was a little depressed at first, but he cheered up in the blink of an eye.

“Isn’t it just a ten page self-criticism? Reflecting on my own mistakes and praising His Highness is nothing to me.”

Bo Rui: “Who told you we’re writing something to praise His Highness?”

“Then what else could you be writing?

Xi Lei turned in confusion and came face to face with two gloating expressions.

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[1] Traditional Chinese medicine is oftentimes thought to help with erectile disfunction. Can also be internet slang for pretending to have mystical knowledge or skills. ⮐

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Chapter 27 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 29