On the flight back, Edwin gave Shao Ci a rundown of his family and a few key points he should take notice of.
The Heimann family was the greatest family in the empire. There were several famous people who came from his family, and even more families that were connected to them by marriage. Their influence covered practically the entire empire. Edwinâs mother, a female alpha named Selena, was the leader of the current generation in the Heimann family. Her younger sister was the deceased empress.
Chief Selena was a person with incredible influence, and she had several lovers, but her first husband had been tossed aside. After all, they had only arranged to marry to benefit their families, and they had no feelings for each other.
It was for this same reason that Edwin and his mother didnât have a very good relationship. Instead, he was closer to the empress. When he was young, he often stayed in the imperial palace. After the empress passed away, he still had a good relationship with the crown prince.
Edwin was fortunate that when he had stayed there, he never saw the times empress and Roris went crazyâŠ
Of course, after Edwin became Pei Shijianâs subordinate in the original novel, their close relationship also went away⊠This time, without Pei Shijian, the cousins shouldnât break off relations in such a dramatic way.
Shao Ci was slightly worried that his interference would make it so that Pei Shijian couldnât attain a high position. Pei Shijian and he were obviously at odds, but if Pei Shijian couldnât reach the height of achievement then Shao Ci wouldnât be able to leave the world. His feelings were complicated.
Still, Pei Shijian was fateâs favorite. Even if he was missing a few subordinates, with the world consciousness on his side, he would certainly be able to prosper. and succeed on the path to the finale.
Edwin absolutely worshipped the crown prince. He kept telling Shao Ci about all kinds of the crown princeâs achievements, including how excellent his grades were when he was in school and how powerful he was piloting a mecha.
Once again, Shao Ci felt that Pei Shijian was a terrifying man to be able to make Edwin betray the crown prince.
When he finished, Edwin sighed again. âHis Highness has a great character. Although he has power and influence, he isnât happy.â
After all, his biological mother didnât care for the emperor in the slightest, so where would she have the time to bother with Roris? Later, she did something so terrifying and died spectacularly. The emperor was even more disinclined to take another glance at Roris.
At the same time, because Edwin was feeling blessed, he felt Roris was even more tragic.
Shao Ci decided it was better for Edwin not to know about the truth after all. After all, in fact the crown prince was a huge villain who was pure on the surface and completely evil once you cut him open. Whatever Edwin thought about his great character was all pretend. He was someone who was extremely cold.
Perhaps he didnât feel anything towards Edwin at all, and it was all an act⊠After all, this fit his villainous setting better.
When he saw Shao Ciâs upset expression, Edwin thought Shao Ci was angry by what he said. He said quickly, âOf course, you are still the most outstanding to me. Even His Highness canât compare to you.â
âAlright, I know what you mean.â Shao Ci felt like Edwin was like a big puppy begging for praise. He couldnât stop himself from reaching out to pat his head. Edwinâs face immediately flushed.
Since it was a private airship, there was no need to make detours or stop at any planets along the way. They soon arrived at the planet where the Heimann familyâs main residence was located.
In the past, this planet was famous for its wellness resort. It had a hot spring that was especially well-known. Supposedly, because it contained all kinds of microelements, besides being able to eliminate fatigue, it was especially effective to train after soaking in the hot spring.
Later, the Heimann family spent a huge some of money to buy the planet. Now, only the Heimann family and their guests were on the planet, as well as the servants who waited on them. Anyone else who came had to undergo a strict investigation.
As the heir of the next generation, any classmates that Edwin brought were naturally allowed enter straightaway. As soon as the security staff saw Edwin, they bowed respectfully.
Shao Ci guessed that the only person here who was stronger than Edwin was the family chief. He would be able to test whether the system would let a girl be a capture target. He might even be able to rescue his sexuality⊠Though a female alpha still had a peepee. No matter how often he said it, he still felt the world was too terrifying.
The airship stopped at the entrance of the estate. The sky had already turned dark, and it was impossible to see what the mansion looked like other than the fact that it was incredibly large.
Shao Ci looked in. It seemed as though there was some banquet being held. The mansion was brightly lit, and there were all kinds of magnificent decorations around the courtyard.
âMother loves holding banquets. Itâs probably the same now.â And she would always invite many of her lovers. Every time there was a banquet, the lovers would start a fight for favor. It was because of this same reason that Edwin normally didnât want to come home.
âHave we come at the wrong timeâŠâ Shao Ci said. They had managed to run into someone else throwing a banquet.
Edwin was a little worried. He said, âIf she sees you, sheâll certainly ask some unnecessary questions⊠But thatâs fine. If she asks any rude questions, you can just ignore them.â
The main reason he had come back was just to let Shao Ci meet his mother and father and tell them that he had already decided on the person he would spend the rest of his life with. If his mother went as far as to blurt out some things, she couldnât control him even if she opposed more fiercely.
âIs there really no problem with thisâŠâ Shao Ci had a bad feeling. He felt like something bad would happen as soon as he walked in.
But they were already here. It would be too much for him to say that they should leave. Of course, Edwin would agree, but Shao Ci would feel rude.
Thus, he braced himself and went inside with Edwin.
He saw several people assembled in the middle of a magnificent hall. When they saw Edwin, they were stunned. They gathered around Edwin with excitement.
âYoung Master Edwin, I didnât expect you would come back this year.â
âMadam Chief will be ecstatic.â
âDo you still remember me, sir? I actually met you once a few years ago.â
âBy the way, Young Master, you and my child were sweet on each other when you were younger, do you still remember?â
Immediately, the two of them were surrounded by the crowd. Every single one of them was enthusiastic, so enthusiastic that it was terrifying. If it wasnât for Edwinâs always cold expression, they could even squeeze their way in front of him.
Edwinâs attitude was already very cold, so aloof it was like he wanted to keep everyone a thousand miles away from him, but they continued to fight with their all to get closer.
After all, Edwin was the heir of the Heimann family. Although Selena had plenty of paramours, she didnât have a single illegitimate child.
Moreover, Edwin didnât have a partner yet. The families who had omega children, and even the families who only had alpha children, were all excited. If it wasnât for the fact that Edwin didnât give them a second look, they would push their children onto him.
Shao Ci, on the sidelines, was completely ignored. After all, he just looked like an unthreatening beta. He was probably just a classmate who was friendly with Young Master Edwin.
âYoung Master Edwin, could it be that you also heard the news that His Highness is coming, so you hurried back?â
Weâre sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so weâre going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Edwin frowned slightly. His Highness Roris would never come over unless it was his motherâs birthday. Why in the world was he here this time? Could it be that something had happened?
When Shao Ci heard their conversation, his face turned pale. â!â
Why did Roris, the ultimate villain in the original novel, run over at this time? He had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. Besides Rorisâs strength was clearly higher than EdwinâsâŠ
Did he still have time to leave?
Shao Ci looked at the people crowded at his side. Despairingly, he discovered that there was no chance he could squeeze his way out.
At that exact moment, the hostess of the banquet, Chief Selena, appeared from the second floor. The crowd immediately stopped making conversation so they wouldnât make Selena fed up with them.
Chief Selena was in her fifties. In the future, where the life expectancy was two hundred years old, she was extremely young. She had blonde hair, blue eyes, and handsome features. She was an enchanting woman.
But at that moment, compared to the person at her side, Selena looked much much more dull.
The young man at her side had platinum blonde hair and azure blue eyes. He was smiling slightly, but his forehead creased slightly as though he had some faint worry. He was beautiful in a way that was impossible to describe in words. No matter what kind of beauty was at his side, they would feel a keen sense of inferiority.
After all, this was the face that came from the most envied beauty in the empire.
When they saw Roris, the crowd froze. Even though most of them had seen His Highness in photos online, he was a hundred times better looking in person than in pictures. For a moment, they couldnât think of anything to say.
Normally, a face like this should make people fall in love, but everyone had a keen feeling that they couldnât match up to His Highness the Crown Prince. They admired him the same way they admired a work of art. Forget about wooing him; there werenât even many people who would confess to him.
But Roris didnât have any intentions to other people either. He had always kept out of trouble, living an honest life. He didnât have a single sex scandal.
Selena was already used to the assault Rorisâs beauty caused on people, so she didnât care. Compared to what was happening with Roris, there was something even more important.
She knew that her son was coming back a long time ago. She looked towards Edwin, a slight smile immediately revealing itself on her face, and walked over. Everyone else immediately took the initiative to draw back, giving her space to move.
When Edwin saw his older cousin, who he hadnât seen in a long time, his expression warmed greatly.
âThis is your classmate?â Selena looked towards Shao Ci with curiosity. It was the first time Edwin had brought back a classmate. It truly was a rare occurrence.
Unlike Edwin, who was in a high spirits, Shao Ci was in a bad mood. Even his face was ashen.
[Beep beep beep⊠Detected a more powerful character⊠Beginning to change capture targets in accordance with the systemâs regulations⊠Change complete. The current capture target is Roris.]
It really fucking went there. What the heck was he supposed to do before he could get close to his capture target, huh? Rorisâs difficulty level was definitely no lower than Pei Shijianâs.
The only way he was better than Pei Shijian was the fact that Shao Ci hadnât made an enemy out of him yetâŠ
âThis is myâŠâ Edwin was halfway through his introduction when he suddenly stopped. For a moment, he had no idea how to describe his relationship with Shao Ci. âClassmatesâ made them sound too unfamiliar, but they were obviously closer than that now.
As Edwin hesitated, a slight smile appeared on Rorisâs face. He looked towards Shao Ci. âYou finally came.â
Shao Ci couldnât register his words until Roris picked up his hand.
In front of everyone, Roris lifted Shao Ciâs hand up to his lips, lowering his head to press a kiss to the back of his hand. âIâve already waited for you for a long time.â
A thousand fucks steamrollered across Shao Ciâs brain. â!?â Wait, what the heck was happening?!
The surrounding crowd reacted about the same as Shao Ci. If it wasnât for the fact that they had to do their utmost to maintain proper bearing in front of Roris, their jaws might have fallen right off.
What did they just see?! Why did His Highness the Crown Prince look like he had such a good relationship with this beta who looked like a normal passerby? This was completely illogical. Or did this mean that this passerby beta was actually someone with incredible talent?
Selena was also stunned. Facing Edwin, she said, âSo you brought back His Highnessâs friend? Why didnât you mention it before? How rude have we been!â
But Edwin was completely frozen. He didnât hear what his mother said, just looking at the scene in front of him in astonishment. Why would his cousin know Shao Ci? This wasnât right⊠And how could he be so intimate with Shao Ci?
Shao Ci finally came back to his senses, asking the same question that everyone around them wanted to know. âYour Highness, d-do we⊠know each other?â
Shao Ci was stupefied. He looked at Roris with astonishment, but suddenly he felt that his voice was familiar.
âŠHe remembered now. Wasnât this the person who spent two million empire coins to fight with him on the virtual net? The nouveau riche who said a single terrifying sentence and then ran off?!
No wonder Roris said he found him⊠Although he didnât know how exactly Roris had recognized his true identity from the virtual net, he pretty much knew the reason. There was no use in worrying about things like that.
Shao Ci felt uncomfortable all over. He thought he had kept his sockpuppet account quiet, but it turned out that practically all of the main characters knew! What was the difference between having a sockpuppet and not having one then!
âW-when did this happen?! How come I never heard of it at all?â
âIâm actually dreaming, right?â
Everyone was wondering if they had missed some important news in the last few days. Why had the future emperor, the incredibly outstanding alpha His Highness the Crown Prince, chosen an beta as his companion? This just couldnât be justified, okay?!
And they had never heard of the name Shao Ci before. There were no families with this surname in the great clans and nobles of the empire.
But with their statuses, they had no way to question His Highness the Crown Princeâs decisions. They could only hide away their shock, putting their uncertainty in their hearts, and turn to giving out their blessings.
Selena was also shocked. She frowned. âYour Highness, are you being serious? Have you consulted His Majesty? An event as important as a wedding isnât childâs play.â
Roris glanced towards her indifferently. âItâs enough for me to decide myself.â
Rorisâs attitude was mild, but Selenaâs heart iced over. In that moment, it was as though she was seeing her beautiful but obstinate younger sister.
The gentle beauty who became famous was a mere frail omega, but she had one something nobody dared to believe.
That year, her younger sister could even do something like that. If they opposed His Highness the Crown Princeâs decision, who knew what the crown prince would do?
Selena immediately compromised. âIf Your Highness likes him, then I wonât say anything else.â
âYour Highness, this is a joke, right?â Edwin stared at Roris, doing his best to maintain his calm, but he couldnât stop his voice from trembling. âMight you have made this decision too quicklyâŠâ
Edwin simply couldnât imagine that his older cousin he worshipped the most had done something like this.
âIâm very serious this time?â Roris smiled slightly. âBesides, now that I have someone I like, you must also be quite happy, right?â
Edwinâs expression turned ugly. He looked towards Shao Ci with a prayer in his eyes, as though he was hoping he would say everything was false.
But Shao Ci had bound to Roris. Although he didnât know what exactly Roris was going to do, at this time it was clear that he couldnât say the truth! So Shao Ci said, âIt really is true.â
Edwin wanted to put on a reluctant smile, but no matter how he tried, he couldnât do it.
Selena immediately noticed there was something wrong with her son. Could it be that Edwin also liked this beta?
If this was the past, Selena would probably advise him to marry an omega from an illustrious family, then take his true love as his lover or something. After all, Selena had done the same thing.
But the fact that he had fallen in love with the same person as His Highness Roris was too terrifying. Selena quickly said, âEdwin, you just came back, you havenât said hello to your father yet, have you? Heâs been waiting for you for a long time. You should find him quickly.â
âYes, youâre right.â Edwin was in a trance. âI truly apologize. Iâll leave first.â
The way he left made people wonder if he would be okay.
But Selena was the hostess of the party, and she couldnât leave any time she wanted. She was left to say, âAlright, everyone has arrived, so weâll begin the dance proper.â
Nobody had enough of the love triangle. They felt a bit sorry.
The music began. Selena hurried away.
And Roris, who had started the entire series of events, acted just like nothing had happened. He looked down at Shao Ci, smiling slightly. In that moment, it was as though the radiance around him had turned dark. âCome, dance with me.â
ââŠ!â Shao Ciâs heart tightened into a knot. Before he figured out what exactly Roris was trying to do, how would he be in the mood to dance? He said, âBut I donât know how to danceâŠâ
âItâs fine, Iâll lead you.â Roris had a gentle attitude, but Shao Ci felt his heart go cold. He had the feeling that if he rejected Roris, something bad would happen.
Thus Shao Ci braced himself and walked with Roris to the center of the dancefloor.
The rest of the people slowly digested the stunning news, swaying on the dancefloor as if nothing had happened, but in their minds they wished the dance was already over and they could run over to discuss the gossip they learned today.
When the first song ended, Shao Ci, who had absolutely no idea how to dance, had already stepped on Roris many times. He had a feeling that if they kept going he would get beaten to death, and finally he couldnât stand it anymore. He said, âI feel a bit tired. Can I go rest first?â
âOf course you can.â Roris didnât have any intentions of forcing Shao Ci.
After shaking off Roris, Shao Ci practically flew to the flower garden outside. He found an isolated area to sit down before he was able to let out a breath of relief.
There were only two possibilities to explain why Roris had said what he said. First, he could be one of Prince Latiaoâs fervent fans, and when he met Shao Ci he was seized with the sudden impulse to to confess.
But anyone who read the original novel would know that Roris wasnât a naive sweetheart like Edwin or Ji Zhaoyun. He had enough strength on his own, and he had no particular thoughts about anyone else who was strong. Even the most outstanding people were just chess pieces in the palm of his hand.
If it wasnât for Pei Shijianâs plot armor, he absolutely wouldnât be defeated so easily.
Then Roris was probably trying to draw Shao Ci over to side?
The dignified crown prince didnât have to go so far as to use these method to keep an expert, right?
Besides, in reality, Shao Ci was still such a useless potato.
Shao Ci felt his head ache. He heaved a sigh. He had no idea how he would live his days in the future. The only thing he was sure about was that he wouldnât be able to eat the tasty foods that Edwin made anymore⊠His heart ached when he thought about it.
Just then, someone walked over. It was a pale-faced Edwin.
âI have something to ask you.â
It was obvious that Edwin didnât go to his room earlier. Instead, he was waiting in this remote are the whole time. He looked like a mess, but when he looked at Shao Ci, he was trying his best to maintain calm. âWas everything you said genuine?â
Just as Shao Ci was about to explain, Edwin carefully reached out, wanting to hold Shao Ciâs hand.
And Shao Ci, who wasnât paying much attention, felt the terrifying electric shock, one he hadnât felt for a long time, from touching a previous capture target.
The shock was several times stronger than the previous electric shocks.
In a split second, Shao Ci drew back his hand rapidly. Because his movement was too intense, he nearly fell to the ground. Edwin wanted to pull him up, but Shao Ci flung him away.
Shao Ci vowed with the utmost integrity that it wasnât on purpose. It was all the systemâs fault! The shock was obviously several more times painful than it was in the previous world!
[Itâs to prevent some masochistic hosts from purposefully violating the rules to attain pleasure.]
Shao Ci: â!â Damn it, of course masochists would feel excited when they get a shock, okay! Only innocents like him would be even more miserable.
Edwin was already as pale as a piece of paper. He bit his lip, taking several steps back. âIt was my mistake. I shouldnât have touched you. I shouldnât ask you a question like this⊠B-but why⊠whyâŠâ
He must have been too confident in himself. Although he had always been together with Shao Ci, it didnât necessarily mean that Shao Ci had to tell him about everything he did and everyone he met.
It wasnât that he couldnât understand what he didnât know about Shao Ci. Maybe Shao Ci and Roris got to know each other some time he didnât know about⊠And Roris really was a good match for Shao Ci, who he had always yearned after. He should be congratulating them.
But⊠He should be congratulating them, but why couldnât he be happy? Instead, he even had some terrifyingly extreme thoughts.
âWait, itâs not what you think. I can explain.â When Shao Ci saw a capture target that didnât go insane immediately after being pushed away, he felt that Edwin was incredibly charming. He immediately wanted to explain.
Shao Ci turned and spotted Roris walking over slowly. He looked at the two of them with a slight smile. âCan I listen in on what you two are talking about? I also really want to know what you guys are chatting about.â
Shao Ci had no choice but to swallow his words back down. âItâs nothing, I wasnât going to say anything.â
âEdwin, thank you for taking care of Xiao Ci these days.â Roris turned to look at Edwin. âIâve noted it all down. If thereâs anything you have trouble dealing with, you can come look for me.â
Edwin turned his eyes to the person he used to worship so fervently. Suddenly, he found Rorisâs smile incredibly ugly. The dark feelings in his heart suddenly exploded. He opened his mouth to speak reluctantly. ââŠI will.â
When he finished speaking, Edwin staggered away as though he didnât want to see the scene again.
Shao Ci decided to explain to him when he went online again. This wasnât the right time. There was something more important waiting for him to deal with.
âWhatâs wrong?â Roris said. âYouâre looking at me like that all of a sudden. Is there something you want to say to me?â
âYour Highness, what exactly do you want to do?â Shao Ci said. âEven if you know my online identity, you didnât have to say something like that in front of everyone. This has no benefit to you⊠Besides, you see it too, Iâm just a beta. My strength isnât as outstanding as it is on the virtual net.â
He ought to make it clear first so that Roris wouldnât get mad when he discovered he was a potato in the future â_â
âI know. I know much more than you think,â Roris said. âI already noticed a long time ago⊠After all, someone with enough power to prevent me from finding their identity would make me very curious about their true identity.â
Shao Ci: ââŠâ Hey, so it turned out that the source of all of the trouble was actually right here?
âI was always looking for exactly who that person was. After what you did, I was finally certain.â Roris smiled slightly. âBesides, after I found out that Prince Latiao was you, I investigated thoroughly. Itâs true that you currently donât have the same strength as you do in the virtual net.â
âThen why do you have to do thisâŠâ Shao Ci just couldnât understand what Roris was thinking. Then again, if he could figure it out, then Roris would just be a normal villainâŠ
âIf someone is powerful in the virtual world, but is just a common beta in real world, how interesting is that?â Roris said. âIâm truly interested.â
Shao Ci: ââŠâ Iâm begging you not to be so interested in this.
âBesides⊠I really do like you a lot.â Roris leaned in, extending a hand to cup Shao Ciâs cheek. He whispered into his ear, âDo you remember the time when you were on that planet attending the training and suddenly went into heat?â
â!!!â Shao Ciâs body went stiff. He retreated unconsciously, but Roris pulled him into his arms firmly. He could do nothing but ask, âH-how do you know about that?!â
The only person who knew about that should be the Zerg youth, right?!
âI donât just know. Back then, I was there.â Roris looked at the nape of Shao Ciâs neck. âYour scent in heat is deliciousâŠâ
Shao Ci: âYou!?â Fuck, what the heck was happening! Donât tell him that the Zerg was Rorisâs disguise?! Wait, if he remembered correctly that Zerg youth was also blonde with blue eyes⊠Although he looked completely different, who knew whether or not Roris used some high-tech technology to disguise himself.
The fact that the crown prince of the empire was a Zerg completely overturned a ton of the plotlines in the original novel, didnât it?! No, when he thought about it, he could make a subtle connection. But it was still crazy.
Before Shao Ci could completely digest the new information, Rorisâs gaze darkened slightly. âWhy is there the scent of someone elseâs pheromones on you?â
Shao Ci: ââŠâ Fuck. T-this⊠He nearly forgot about the things below the neck that couldnât be described that he did with Edwin during his heat.