Over the past few days, Chu Yanyi visited several planets near and far within the Empire, conversing, exchanging, and harvesting unhurriedly. He closed a few moderate-sized business deals and consolidated several lukewarm connections.
“Pass along my regards to President Yan,” Chu Yanyi shook the hand of the executive opposite him. “Developing a full-fledged holographic game is a feat that secures President Yan’s name in the history of the gaming industry.”
The executive opposite him shook Chu Yanyi’s hand, smiling so widely his eyes narrowed into slits. Everyone claimed that this Mr. Chu from Desert Planet θ was a formidable figure who hid a dagger behind his smiles, yet who would have thought it would be this easy to sign a contract that granted their group such a massive bargain?
On the second Monday, he returned to Desert Planet θ. Stepping off his dedicated flyer, he changed into attire suitable for attending a banquet at the nearest hotel.
Supposedly, this location offered the most flawless vantage point for viewing the First District’s nightscape. Chu Yanyi glanced out the window at the setting sun that burned half the sky bright red, fastening his final brooch.
Pity it wasn’t nighttime yet.
Taking a soothing agent for an Alpha’s susceptible period in advance, he weighed the somewhat hefty black-and-gold cane in his hand and stepped through the door. The waiting crowd outside immediately closed in around him, picking out key pieces of news regarding the banquet to report to Chu Yanyi.
Chu Yanyi walked forward while nodding to listen, a chorus of synchronized footsteps echoing behind him.
The elevator issued a crisp ding, causing everyone to look toward the other side subconsciously.
A hand wearing a black glove pressed against the elevator doorframe. The hotel’s champagne-colored lighting fell across the bridge of the man’s high nose. He raised his eyes, his green pupils entirely vacant, yet upon catching sight of Chu Yanyi, the ice and snow suddenly melted away, covered by a layer of vitality.
Chu Yanyi smiled: “How did you get here? Right on time.”
A few days ago, the person in charge of manor security had tactfully analyzed the danger level of gifting a sharpened military knife to Zhou Yi, asking if they should handle it instead.
That military knife had belonged to a former friend of Chu Yanyi’s—a friend who had betrayed him by secretly passing intelligence to Ying Yu, causing Chu Yanyi to lose the use of one leg ever since.
Afterward, the man cried and claimed he had his own difficulties, and Chu Yanyi, as a friend, listened patiently to his explanations.
In the end, only a knife remained of that person in this world.
Chu Yanyi had always enjoyed collecting trophies; finding it convenient to use, he kept it by his side and had someone engrave his own name onto it.
Chu Yanyi raised an eyebrow: “It’s fine. If he wants to make a move, let him try.”
He stared absently at Zhou Yi’s profile, suddenly recalling Zhou Yi’s recent browsing history on the terminal over this period.
An adult Alpha actually searching for: “What are the signs of an Alpha liking someone?”, “Why do people fall in love?”, “What should you do if you like someone you can’t be with?”…
Just like a young man experiencing first love.
Chu Yanyi didn’t care about these things; what drew his interest even more were the keywords Zhou Yi repeatedly searched, pairing “Ying Yu” with “car accident.”
According to the official narrative regarding Ying Yu’s cause of death, terrorists “happened” to plant explosives along the route Ying Yu took that day; Ying Yu “happened” to be alone that day, and all the explosives “happened” to detonate at the exact same moment, leaving no remains behind.
No in-depth investigation was conducted—after all, what if something was actually uncovered?
Grapevine rumors suggested that Ying Yu had involved himself in the struggle for the crown prince position among the Empire’s princes and princesses, which also entailed a clash between the former Imperial Marshal and the current Imperial Marshal.
Ying Yu had taken the wrong stance.
Sometimes, a single misstep meant utter ruin. Chu Yanyi actually felt quite grateful to Ying Yu at times; had it not been for his deliberate obstruction at every turn, Chu Yanyi would never have forged such a cautious mindset.
Similarly, he didn’t believe Ying Yu would truly die so easily either.
Speaking of liking someone, he reached out to pick off a tiny piece of white fuzz from the top of Zhou Yi’s head. He was genuinely curious as to what kind of person someone like Ying Yu would like.
Zhou Yi shrank his neck slightly, turning his head to bite his lip as he looked at him, maintaining that same obedient persona.
Chu Yanyi had only recently come to understand the reason behind it. According to the reports submitted by the person he assigned to monitor Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi revealed his sharp edge whenever he wasn’t by Chu Yanyi’s side, keeping everyone at bay with his arrogant fangs.
Yet when such a Zhou Yi was by his side, he was always submissive and obedient, even appearing somewhat foolish.
Just like right now.
Chu Yanyi stared at that exposed patch of Zhou Yi’s neck and the black brand resting upon it.
It looked almost like an invitation for him to choke him right along that brand.
Rather than checking in at the main guest entrance, Chu Yanyi took Zhou Yi directly through another private corridor.
A waiter guided them down a splendidly decorated hallway, where faint sounds of music blended with various laughter could be heard. Pushing open the grand doors, a strange yet rich floral fragrance rushed over them.
A sizable crowd had already gathered in the venue. Daffodils, forget-me-nots, calla lilies, carnations… beneath the translucent ceiling, the entire venue resembled a massive greenhouse, where flowers of various seasons bloomed simultaneously, competing in beauty.
Sensory impressions of various Alpha and Omega pheromones drifted through the air, well-inhibited within a certain threshold, making it impossible to distinguish whether one smelled floral scents or the aromas emitted by others.
Everyone wore smiles—indistinguishable between false pleasantries and genuine warmth—as they exchanged greetings with those around them, displaying warmth and solidarity amidst clinking glasses.
Even if some among them had fought each other to the brink of death yesterday, who would be foolish enough to be the first to ruin the mood for the President and the Governor?
For instance, upon receiving the news, Zheng Qian was the first to step forward, giving the newly arrived Chu Yanyi a firm hug, the smile on his face as kindly as an elder’s: “Mr. Chu! Ah, what a pleasure to see you here. Last time was your treat; I haven’t even had the chance to return the favor.”
“Indeed, seeing that you’re still in such robust health brings me peace of mind,” Chu Yanyi smiled as well. “Your daughter mentioned you to me a while ago.”
“Just an old man now. Playing with a few grandchildren at home every day gets dull, so why not take the chance to step out for a walk?”
Taking the wine offered by Zhou Yi, Chu Yanyi took a light sip and walked toward the other side of the venue alongside Zheng Qian: “I’d love to retire myself, but I’m burdened with a pile of affairs—far too busy.”
Zheng Qian patted Chu Yanyi’s back, speaking with earnest sincerity: “You young people mustn’t think like that; the Third District still relies on all of you. By the way… the person beside you… is that… that…”
He couldn’t utter the words for a long moment, only the wrinkles on his face scrunching up tighter.
Leaning on his cane, Chu Yanyi waited quietly for a moment before speaking apologetically: “President Zheng, I haven’t greeted the President yet, so I’ll head over there first. I heard the President has been quite overwhelmed by matters in the Second District recently.”
Zhou Yi remained silent as well, scanning his surroundings with composure, as if entirely oblivious to the astonished and suspicious gazes cast his way.
Hearing this, Zheng Qian nodded in sudden realization, murmuring: “The Second District… when they mentioned it, I didn’t believe it, but he truly looks like him… far too similar. Even biological brothers wouldn’t look this much alike.”
Chu Yanyi didn’t pick up the topic, acting as if he were attentively clinking glasses with an official who had approached to build connections. The newly appointed official seemed unaware of the specific situation, pulling a seasoned colleague beside him to ask in a hushed whisper while covering his mouth: “Who does he look like?”
The colleague let out two light coughs, his gaze sweeping toward the Chamber of Commerce President who was walking over, and pulled him over to another corner: “It’s… it’s that deceased Ying Yu. He always had a lover by his side who looks identical to this slave…”
“Could it be that he found a substitute?”
“Unclear, but it’s very likely to be Ying Yu’s lover. Privately, plenty of people have already requested us to look into it.”
“Huh? Huh? Huh?” The official froze. “Doesn’t Chu Yanyi have a grudge against Ying Yu? What is this supposed to be? Publicly cuckolding Ying Yu? How long has Ying Yu even been dead?”
“We can’t fathom the minds of the wealthy. Chu Yanyi hasn’t explicitly stated his identity, so we should just pretend we don’t know and avoid bringing trouble upon ourselves.”
“I… don’t even know what to say…” When the official looked at Chu Yanyi again, his gaze turned somewhat complex. Truly, the world is vast and full of strange things.
The golden liquid vibrated slightly as wine glasses clinked softly together, producing a crisp sound. Chu Yanyi smiled, his demeanor dignified and generous: “President, happy birthday. Your granddaughter’s violin skills have improved again—I heard she’ll be performing at the Imperial Capital’s largest theater in a while?”
His actions of clinking glasses and drinking were graceful and composed, seemingly failing to notice that ever since he arrived with Zhou Yi, the whispers throughout the venue had grown increasingly rampant.
The President wore a complete set of fine jewelry today—the polished diamonds paired with rubies and sapphires were exceptionally dazzling, yet far from gaudy. She first responded to Chu Yanyi’s words by chatting briefly about her granddaughter’s studies, before shifting the conversation onto Chu Yanyi himself.
“What about you? When do you plan to settle down? Xiao Qi is nearly engaged; as her elder brother, you need to hurry up too. I told you before that I’d need to personally inspect your future partner.”
As if unable to see clearly, the President put on the glasses hanging across her chest, scrutinizing Zhou Yi without reserve: “It’s not Chen Ke this time? Did you actually bring him over today? Is this a… Beta?”
The probing intent in her gaze was far too strong, yet Zhou Yi neither hid nor dodged, even meeting her eyes directly with a touch of teasing sarcasm. The President frowned slightly, turning to speak to Chu Yanyi.
“That said, he looks quite well-matched with you.”
“Please don’t,” Chu Yanyi pulled Zhou Yi before him with feigned helplessness. “His name is Zhou Yi. He only joined recently and can’t speak, plus his temperament is just like this, so please don’t hold it against him.”
“Zhou… Yi? Tomorrow will be Tuesday then. Don’t tell me Mr. Chu made up this name after looking at a calendar?” the young girl beside the President laughed. She had already changed out of the mermaid dress she wore while playing the violin, swapping it for a brighter, more lively dress.
Chu Yanyi assisted the President in sitting on a nearby sofa, yet looked intentionally or unintentionally toward those from the Second District on the far side: “Why would I deceive you all? That really is his name.”
The President gestured for Chu Yanyi to sit as well, speaking unhurriedly: “I wonder if it’s because I’m getting old and can’t recognize people properly anymore—even though I’ve never met him, he always looks familiar to me.”
Chu Yanyi set his empty wine glass down before him, and Zhou Yi bent down to retrieve it, only for his chin to be lifted by Chu Yanyi’s cane.
“That is indeed the case; I find him quite interesting,” Chu Yanyi’s finger, wet with a trace of wine, slid down his jaw unhurriedly. “Ying Yu’s taste truly was quite exceptional.”
Was this a compliment?
Zhou Yi’s Adam’s apple bobbed irrepressibly. Supporting Chu Yanyi’s knees, he dropped to half a kneel without the slightest hesitation, raising his head to look expressionlessly at the astonished and unnatural faces surrounding them.