Lin Yuan and Caesar were in the mech training room, continuing yesterdayâs attack strengthening exercises.
Strangely, although todayâs mech was also a white C-Class mech, this mech was not like White Feather, whoâd turned into a virtual feather last night and came out to chat with Lin Yuan.
This mechâs intelligence system was completely different. Most mechs were influenced by their masterâs personality, so it was baffling how White Feather didnât resemble Caesar in the slightest. Caesar was calm and collected, while White Feather was bubbly and chatty.
Today, the mech was very quiet, quiet enough to make people completely forget about it.
Lin Yuan couldnât help but feel suspicious, why did he feel that this mech was different?
After training for a while, Lin Yuan finally couldnât help but ask: âCaesar, whyâs White Feather so quiet today? It seems different from yesterday.â
Caesar: ââŚâ
In fact, this was a white mech Caesar specifically borrowed from the mech center after dinner, since it resembled White Feather. Heâd thought he could hide it from Lin Yuan, but Lin Yuan unexpectedly felt something different about the mech as soon as he entered the cockpit.
White Featherâs personality was too âuniqueâ, even if you looked for a mech to replace it, the switch would immediately be discovered.
That guy was currently diligently guarding its predecessor Suzaku in the forest. Caesar had no choice but to make up an excuse: âI sent White Feather for a service checkup. A few of its parts were defective. I rented this mech from the school, letâs use it today.â
Lin Yuan nodded. âOh, okay.â
Either way, it was another C-Class mech, so the console was the same. Lin Yuan had no opinion on this.
Itâs just that this mech was too quiet. Lin Yuan suddenly missed the sound of White Feather chatting cheerfully.
The night of training was quickly completed with Caesarâs help and guidance. Compared with yesterday, there was a little bit of progress. Lin Yuan returned to the dormitory with Caesar in a happy mood.
They found the living room well lit up after walking in, there was obviously someone else in the dormitory. Snowâs bedroom door was wide open, smiling, Lin Yuan walked over and asked: âSnow, how come you came back so early todayâŚâ
Lin Yuan suddenly stopped, the scene in the bedroom stunning him.
Seeing Lin Yuan frozen in place, Caesar couldnât help but walk over and ask, âWhatâs wrong?â
Looking into the bedroom, Caesar also froze in place.
â In the bedroom, Brian was holding Snow in his arms and kissing him passionately. Snow had his arms lightly wrapped around Brianâs neck, his ears flushed red.
The two were engrossed in their make-out session. They didnât even notice their two dorm mates behind them, frozen like flagpoles.
Lin Yuan: ââŚâ
Caesar: ââŚâ
Lin Yuan was dumbstruck, watching the scene of the two people kissing, his mind was completely blank. On the other hand, Caesar quickly recovered, and after wordlessly closing the bedroom door, he turned around and dragged Lin Yuan away, who was still standing in a daze.
Since theyâd undoubtedly become third wheels if they stayed in the dormitory, Caesar dragged Lin Yuan out the front door.
The two walked shoulder to shoulder along the school road, brushed by the late night wind. Lin Yuan finally shook himself awake and said, shocked: âBrian and Snow, were they justâŚâ Kissing? He really couldnât speak the last word. Lin Yuan scratched his head, embarrassed, and looked back at Caesar.
Caesar said calmly: âYeah, Brian probably likes Snow, and it looks like his confession was a success.â
Heâd long felt that Brian treated Snow differently, especially after seeing his reaction when he saw Snow and that girl today, Caesar vaguely guessed Brianâs feelings towards Snow. He just never expected the usually lazy and careless Brian to confess so quickly, and actually win over Snow. The âgirlfriend episodeâ mustâve really provoked him.
Lin Yuan was awkwardly silent for a moment before he whispered: âCough, I know itâs a private matter between the two of them, and Iâm not qualified to get involved⌠But seeing two boys together, I always find it so strangeâŚâ
Caesar looked back at Lin Yuan and asked, âHow is it strange?â
ââŚAh?â
Caesarâs counter-question stumped Lin Yuan.
How is it strange? Was it NOT strange for two boys to kiss?
Caesar smiled at Lin Yuanâs perplexed expression and said: âLin Yuan, these types of relationships are very normal. In our empire, the ratio of the three ABO sexes has long lost its balance. There are many Alpha and Beta male couples, in fact, according to last yearâs population statistics, Alpha/Beta male families make up more than 10% of households.â
Lin Yuan: ââŚâ
More than 10%? There are that many?
Caesar continued: âThese marriages are not only allowed, theyâre protected by imperial law. Although the fertility rates of Betas are relatively low, if the Alphaâs genes are strong enough, impregnating a Beta isnât that difficult.â
Lin Yuan: ââŚâŚâŚâ
Why did he get a strange feeling in his gut when he listened to Caesar speak about these things?
Although Caesar was correct, Alpha and Beta male marriages were indeed allowed, those were theoretical concepts. Lin Yuan has never seen those types of couples before. Heâd lived on planet Rayan for as long as he could remember, those kinds of desolate planets had no Alphas or Omegas. Most families were composed of a Beta man and a Beta woman.
This kind of âmale coupleâ scene, Lin Yuan has only ever seen it once on the space ship, and that moment was very shocking.
Now, personally witnessing his two roommatesâ kiss, that feeling of strangeness was simply indescribable.
How could embracing another boy be comfortable?
If Snow and Brian really got married, isnât Snow going to give birth to Brianâs baby?
Thatâs way too terrifying, right?!
Thinking of this, Lin Yuan unconsciously stopped walking. Scratching his head, he muttered: âYour argument makes sense, but I still find it weird. Isnât it more suitable for Beta boys to be with Beta girls?â
Snow was obviously a boy, why not go find a cute and beautiful girl? Getting together with an Alpha male, forget about being overpowered by another man, you even had to give birth to the other manâs child, Lin Yuan completely couldnât understand Snowâs thought process.
⌠What if he was in that situation? When he thought about being pushed down by another man, Lin Yuan couldnât help but want to use his fist to âgreetâ them.
Caesar saw through Lin Yuanâs thoughts and asked: âLin Yuan, youâve never liked another person, have you?â
Lin Yuan nodded, embarrassed: âYeah.â
Caesar said softly: âSo you wonât understand, falling in love can sometimes be out of your control. Whether the other person is a man or a woman, Alpha or Beta, when you like someone, you sometimes canât explain why you like them, but you also canât stop yourself. When you like someone, thereâs no direct relationship with their gender, do you understand?â
Caesarâs tone sounded especially serious, Lin Yuan had no choice but to nod, although he still didnât understand,ââŚyeah.â
Lin Yuan really couldnât get it.
How did it feel to like someone? Lin Yuan has never experienced this feeling in his eighteen years of life⌠Speaking of which, why did Caesar know so much? The way he explained it, it seems that heâs personally experienced these emotions before?
Lin Yuan looked up at Caesar and asked somewhat doubtfully: âThe way you talked, you seem to know a lot about thisâŚcould it be that you like someone?â
The boyâs jet-black hair glowed under the street lampâs faint illumination. His confused expression as he reached up to scratch his head was so cute.
This inexperienced guy has obviously never been in love, he was unable to understand what it meant to like someone.
Thatâs fineâŚ
Maybe I can be his first love?
Caesar couldnât help but smile, and softly replied, âYes, I have someone I like, but itâs not convenient to tell him right now, because he doesnât feel that way about me, he only sees me as a friend.â
Lin Yuan asked doubtfully: âFriends? Is the person you like one of our classmates?â
Caesar: ââŚâ
â Idiot, the person I like is you ah, but Iâm afraid of scaring you away, so I wonât tell you right now.
Caesar was very aware of Lin Yuanâs temperament. This guy appeared optimistic, cheerful and easy-going, but when matters of principle were involved, he wasnât very impartial. Once someone touched his bottom line, he would definitely use force to dispose of them. The way he wordlessly put those Alpha that tried to pick a fight with him in their place was proof enough.
Theyâll be attending the Mech Competition next month, they have to practice together every day for a few more weeks, and their relationship has been developing in a good direction recently. If Caesar suddenly laid all his cards on the table, their relationship would come to a standstill.
Just like a stew needed strict heat control in order to not boil over, Caesar has never been the type to rush head first into an unpredictable outcome, even when he was a child.
Although Caesar was envious of Brianâs successful confession today, Lin Yuan was not Snow. Snow clearly already had the mental preparation to be with another man. Lin Yuan has never even considered being with another man. In Lin Yuanâs mind, he should try to find a girlfriend, he would never treat a confession rationally.
There obviously was a long way to go before Lin Yuan was mentally prepared to accept a male partner.
However, Caesar was not in a hurry. He was only 18 years old after all, plus he was still a prince. He couldnât recklessly confess like Brian. If he was determined to be with Lin Yuan, he had to think about all the roadblocks heâd encounter in the future.
Lin Yuan was a Beta, this was one of them.
Lin Yuanâs background was full of mysteries, this was another.
There was too much to consider when the marriage involved a prince. As the only Alpha son of His Majesty Trent, he was the default heir to the throne, his marriage might not even be his decision to make.
He liked Lin Yuan, he wanted to be with Lin Yuan.
However, he couldnât selfishly push the person he liked into the limelight. And he also wouldnât allow anyone to hurt the one he wanted to cherish and protect. Lin Yuan was so naĂŻve, he couldnât be drawn into the royal familyâs political power struggle.
Caesar wouldnât reveal his feelings for Lin Yuan to anyone before he was sure of their future happiness.
If he rashly allowed people to find out that His Royal Highness was in love with a Beta, it would definitely cause unrest in the Imperial Parliament. One of the crazier members might even decide to arrest and lock Lin Yuan up, then force Caesar to marry a generalâs daughter or another suitable imperial consort.
As the empireâs prince, Caesar had unparalleled noble status, but this noble identity also gave him a lot of pressure. Before taking the person he liked into the palace, he must first smooth out a path through the palace.
He didnât want to hurt his beloved.
Looking at Lin Yuanâs curious expression, Caesar felt his heart soften, then he smiled and changed the topic: âWell, letâs not worry about this matter right now. The most important thing for you now is to practice driving the mechs and concentrate on dealing with next monthâs competition.â
Lin Yuan nodded earnestly. âYes, I know.â
When talking about mechs, Lin Yuan instantly became interested. âOh right, Iâm not sure I clearly remember the instructions for the three maneuvers we practiced today, can you explain them to me again?â
Caesar: âSure, letâs talk as we circle around.â
The two continued to walk side by side along the school road.
It was very late at night, the abundant stars shone brightly in the night sky above, dotting the vast blue dome of heaven. The twinkling stars were like pairs of bright eyes, quietly overlooking the beautiful planet underfoot.
On the quiet school road, the twoâs footsteps echoed clearly, and the warm yellow street lights framed their bodies, dragging two long shadows along the ground. The two shadows were overlapped, moving side by side, like a couple walking while holding hands, on a simple road that seemed to stretch on for eternity.
Lin Yuan didnât notice this, but Caesar saw, and his heart was filled to the brim with pleasant emotions.
Right⌠he wanted an enduring relationship, not a flash in the pan.
He wanted to be with Lin Yuan, a faithful and devoted love.
If one day he became the empireâs king, Lin Yuan would be his only queen.
Before that day, he couldnât feel anxious, he couldnât become rash. He had a lot of things to do, and there were many obstacles that needed to be cleared. He had to protect Lin Yuan first, then he could focus on convincing Lin Yuan to completely accept him and fall in love with him.
As long as he got the result he wanted in the end, a long wait was worth it.
The two of them walked side by side around campus while discussing mech operational skills.
On such a quiet night, walking with Caesar around campus and discussing topics he was interested in, Lin Yuanâs mood was completely cheerful and relaxed. He didnât notice, heâd already pushed the promise heâd made to his mother before leaving home, to âkeep your distance from those Alphaâ, completely to the back of his mind. Those thoughts were especially far away whenever he was together with Caesar, heâd even forgotten the fact that âCaesar is an Alpha.â
To the current Lin Yuan, Caesar was a friend, a very good friend.
The alert mentality he first had around Caesar had completely disappeared.
***
The two strolled around until nearly twelve oâclock before returning to the dormitory. They entered the door just in time to see Brian coming out of Snowâs room. Although one of Brianâs eyes were swollen, his expression was happy and satisfied.
Lin Yuan caught sight of him and, remembering the intimate scene with Snow heâd witnessed earlier, quickly ran back to his bedroom, embarrassed.
Caesar looked at the stupid expression of his childhood friend, and couldnât help but say: âBrian, come with me for a moment.â
Brian followed him, puzzled.
When they entered Caesarâs bedroom, Caesar turned and closed the door. Brian walked over to the bedroomâs small sofa and sat down, then looked up at Caesar. âWhatâs up? Iâve already designed a plan to remodel Suzaku, I can get started tomorrow. â
Caesar said: âItâs not about Suzaku, its Snow.â
Brian froze, then smiled and scratched his golden head, saying contentedly, âI canât hide it from you, I confessed to Snow today. And he actually agreed to date meâŚâ
Thinking of the sweet kiss that ended just a moment ago, Brian unexpectedly blushed.
Obviously, this youthâs IQ and EQ, after experiencing his first kiss, had directly dropped down to negative values.
Kissing Snow felt even better than in his imagination. Snowâs soft lips and the cool taste of Snowâs mouth made Brian lose his senses, heâd never grow tired of kissing himâŚ
Caesar looked at his blushing friend, and couldnât help but feel tangled.
In fact, Caesar didnât have any evidence to decide whether or not Snow was actually an Omega, but the occasional pheromone he sensed made him doubt Snowâs identity. Brian was now dating Snow, and this should be considered Snowâs private business. Without any evidence, and as Brianâs friend, Caesar couldnât just carelessly bring it up.
Caesar thought about it, then asked: âBrian, are you serious about him?â
Brian grinned and rubbed his chin, âOf course, you think I look like some kind of half-hearted playboy?â
⌠âŚthat cocky expression really incites people to violence.
Caesar was silent for a moment before saying in a serious tone: âDonât forget, youâre the only son of General Bayh. If you want to be with him, you have to think of a way to get your fatherâs approval. Of course, if youâre just playing around then forget I said anything.â
Brian hastily said: âOf course not, Iâm absolutely serious about Snow. Iâve never liked another person so much. I want to be with him, I want to always stay with him, canât you understand?â
Caesar: ââŚâ
Caesar certainly understood, because heâd also met the one person he wanted to always be with and protect.
He wanted to be with Lin Yuan. He wanted to always protect Lin Yuan. He wanted to see Lin Yuan every day. As long as he saw Lin Yuanâs bright smile, his heart was filled with warmth.
Caesar couldnât understand before, but after meeting Lin Yuan, he absolutely understood.
He knew how it felt to like someone.
When you liked someone, selfishly holding onto them wasnât enough, their happiness was even more important. As a friend, Caesar naturally hoped that Brian and Snow could be together with trouble, but Snowâs mysterious identity still made Caesar feel uneasy. He wanted to find out Brianâs true feelings, so if something happened in the future, he could lend a hand.
Brian smiled and said: âI know why youâre worried. I know about my familyâs situation. Although Iâm an only child, the Bayh clan has a lot of children. I have more cousins than I can count, I donât have to worry about carrying on the bloodline or anything like that.â
Brian paused then continued, âAs long as I insist on being with Snow, my dad and grandfather definitely wonât object. As for my father, he might have a powerful presence outside, but at home, heâs really afraid of my dad. If my dad supports me, he wonât complain about it.â
Brianâs biological dad, Berg Watson, was an Omega male with royal blood, and Caesarâs 1 <sup>st</sup> cousin. He looked very gentle and kind, but his personality was very strong. He had his own opinions on the mech manufacturing field, so he was quite respected by Brianâs grandfather, Mr. Aston. In Brianâs home, the powerful General Bayh was actually the one with the least say.
In the military, there were always whispered rumors that General Bayh was whipped, henpecked, etc. Brian had apparently inherited his fatherâs âqualitiesâ. When he followed Snow around, he resembled a big olâ loyal dog.
Knowing his dadâs, Bergâs, personality, he should like the cultured Snow for a son-in-law, right?
Seeing Brianâs confidence, Caesar felt a little relieved. He smiled and clapped his friendâs shoulder, âSince youâve made up your mind, you should stick to Snow. If you really get married in the future, donât forget to invite me to the reception.â
Brian grinned: âDonât worry, Iâll invite you as my honored guest when I get married. Having His Royal Highness the Prince personally congratulate me is the highest honor.â The more he imagined it, the more excited Brian felt, âI definitely have to get married to Snow in mech suits. Okay, Iâll handcraft an S-Class mech for Snow! Snowâs name⌠snowâŚI think Iâll make him a mech called Little Snow. What do you think?â
Caesar: â⌠âŚâ
Brianâs naming sense really was incomprehensible.
And he was getting way ahead of himself.
Youâve been dating for a day, why are you already planning the wedding ceremony? Even thinking about the name for the mechs?
This was definitely a residual effect from watching too many soap operas.
Caesar said helplessly: ââŚSounds good. Go to bed now, you can continue planning it out in your dreams, good night.â
Then he drove the blissful faced Brian out of his room.
While he washed up, Caesar, who was influenced by Brianâs ramblings, couldnât help but imagine his own wedding.
Heâd been to a few royal weddings. When his older sister got married, her husband-to-be sent an escort for her. Innumerable honor guards had surrounded the imperial palace, and the various ceremonies looked very complicated.
Heâd also have to follow the royal familyâs ceremonies when he got married in the future. On the surface it looked extremely luxurious, but in reality it was extremely boring. Especially the so-called imperial palace banquet, standing there all night to accept everyoneâs congratulations, youâd lose all feelings in your legs.
⌠Lin Yuan would definitely feel annoyed.
Should he appeal to his father to improve the royal wedding ceremony?
Lin Yuan, who was taking a shower next door, didnât know that he was currently trying on ceremonial wedding attires in his roommateâs imagination.
========================================
Authorâs Note:
This was a nearly 6000 word chapter! Donât forget to leave a message of encouragement!
Iâve recently been busy at an insane rate!!
But every time I write about the Prince and Xiao Yuanâs relationship, I feel so warm inside. This author who uses writing to ease work fatigue canât stand it ah!
Hereâs the family tree for our two Gongs, I wish to deepen everyoneâs impression of them!
Brianâs Family Tree â
Grandfather: Aston Bayh , the empireâs most famous mech manufacturer. Creator of Black Dragon, Lion King, Suzaku, and White Feather.
Alpha Father: Drew Bayh , a four-star General of the empire, the commander of Infinity Serpent Legion
Omega Father: Berg Watson , the cousin of His Majesty Trent, Caesarâs 1 <sup>st</sup> cousin once removed, became an expert on mechs after intense self-study.
Protagonist: Brian Bayh , mech genius (soon to be Snowâs lap dog)
Caesarâs Family Tree-
Alpha Father: Trent Watson , the empireâs king, the upright and decisive His Majesty
Omega Mother: Anna Faye , the gentle and beautiful Queen
Elder Brother: Sylvan Watson , the fierce 1 <sup>st</sup> prince, despite being an Omega he refuses to get married, and hides out in the imperial palace secretly injecting inhibitors
Second Older Sister: Cecilia Watson , the 2 <sup>nd</sup> princess, already married, has big-sister-like elegant beauty
Third Older Sister: Selene Watson , the 3 <sup>rd</sup> princess, already married, has little-sister like cuteness
Protagonist: Caesar Watson , the only Alpha prince, the throneâs heir (also wants to be Lin Yuanâs pet ^_^)
Foreign names arenât easy to remember, so itâs enough if everyone just remembers the protagonistsâ names.
Caesar and Brian are second cousins, the Bayh clan are the closest clan to the royal family.
=================================================
T/N:
Rayan- renamed from Rennes, itâs closer phonetically to the word the author made up for the planet. Iâm still not sure what to call the king, çšč垡, te-lan-de, the closet phonetical name seems to be Trand lol
Brianâs Omega dad is Caesarâs 1 <sup>st</sup> cousin once removed, but heâll refer to him as his uncle.