Amid the rapid *da-da-da* of bullets striking the bulletproof shields, Zhou Younan finally slipped into unconsciousness…
Six days later.
The heavy door of the Zhou family’s Silent Chamber finally opened.
Zhou Younan stepped out, dressed in a plain white shirt and black pants. His black-and-white eyes locked onto the butler, York, standing outside.
“Where’s Luoluo? You can tell me how he is now, can’t you?”
His voice was hoarse, carrying both weakness and raw urgency.
York, the Zhou family’s steward, was a sixty-year-old Beta who always dressed in a neat black tailcoat, his smile polite and gentle.
His hair was no longer black, only a head of white, something rare in an era where the average human lifespan stretched past 150 years.
York only smiled, not answering directly. Instead, he said,
“Congratulations, Young Master Younan. You’ve endured six full days in the Silent Chamber. Now, you’re finally a pure, unmarred Omega bride-to-be.”
From behind York, the short, stout farmer from before shuffled out. Standing face to face, Younan realized the man was even half a head shorter than him.
The man curled his lips in impatience, shoving a set of clothing at him, “Here. For you.”
York, with his ever-present polite smile, added,
“Please change into these and come with me. The Master wishes to see you, he has something to say.”
Younan frowned and tried to push the clothes away, but the farmer’s grip was unexpectedly strong.
Unable to resist, he turned instead to York and repeated, “Where is Luoluo? If you don’t tell me how he is, I’m not wearing this.”
“Tch, troublesome,” the farmer muttered under his breath.
York ignored him, only sighing softly, as though reluctantly giving in.
“Luoluo is still a child. Under the Empire’s Child Protection Law, Article One, every citizen has the duty and responsibility to raise and protect children.”
He took the clothes from the farmer’s hands and passed them gently to Younan.
“The crash frightened him, but he suffered no injuries. He was discharged two days ago, and he’s now attending the Zhou Family Academy here on Yaoxing.”
At last, reassured, Younan’s tight chest loosened. His gaze finally dropped to the clothes.
A red tunic and white trousers, embroidered with climbing water-chestnut vines heavy with fruit.
The style was entirely foreign to him, bright and gaudy compared to the plain clothes he was used to. Younan frowned.
York explained with a smile, “This is the traditional attire of Yaoxing. Every Omega bride-to-be wears it.”
“Is that so? How come I didn’t wear one at my wedding?” the farmer asked, confused.
York finally lost his composure and glared, “Shut your mouth.”
The farmer rolled his eyes.
“Tradition, huh…” Younan muttered bitterly, bracing himself against the doorframe. His voice was faint, his body weak.
“Two meals a day, each just one piece of dry bread and cold water, was that part of tradition too?”
York’s tone was still respectful, but the smile in his eyes was cold, “That wasn’t tradition. That was punishment. The Master said he wanted you to understand that running away from your marriage was a mistake.”
Younan’s eyes fell, shadowed, and he whispered to himself, “I never should’ve brought Luoluo back to this family.”
York’s answer was merciless, “You had no choice.”
Reluctantly, Younan took the clothes and retreated to his room. Just before the door shut, he caught the farmer’s muttered laugh:
“The Zhou family’s young master starving like this, what a joke.”
“Liu Huo, as a servant, you ought to learn to hold your tongue.”
“I’m only temporary.”
“Temporary or not, you should still learn.”
Inside, the ornate room was dominated by a bed draped with red silk curtains, the standard furnishing for the Silent Chamber.
It was tradition: every Omega destined for marriage had to endure six days alone in such a room, without distraction or comfort, in a ritual called The Silence.
Younan hadn’t known about this tradition when they first locked him in. What he hadn’t expected was that during those six days, he would be starved as well, only two pieces of bread and water per day.
Even for someone who usually ate little, it had left him faint and dizzy.
He sat back on the bed, exhaustion pressing down. His back was painfully thin, vertebrae and ribs stark beneath his pale skin.
A faint scent of green grass lingered in the air, his pheromones. Ordinary. Forgettable. Unlike the rare and coveted flower-scents Omegas sometimes carried.
At last, dressed in the red-and-white clothes, he followed York out. The cool breeze through the window teased at the silk curtains, carrying away the faint scent of his pheromones as hunger gnawed at him.
They walked down a long corridor hung with portraits of Zhou ancestors. Each figure was smiling, but to Younan those smiles seemed cold, mocking, like the Zhou family itself: empty and cruel.
The Zhou estate was enormous. Above ground, seven floors. Below ground, ten more stores of food, water, weapons, even mechas. A fortress disguised as a home.
In the elevator to the ninth basement, Younan caught sight of himself in the mirror. His black hair hung long, covering half his pale face.
The bright red tunic and white trousers marked him as a bride-to-be Omega but on him, they only looked hollow, ill-fitting.
He turned away. If I can’t escape here on Yaoxing… maybe I can try again on the way to the wedding.
When the elevator doors opened, a chill swept in. Younan shivered and followed York toward his uncle Zhou Quan’s study.
Suddenly, his knees buckled, vision darkening. He bent halfway, gasping for breath.
York paused and waited silently.
“…Brother Younan.”
A delicate fragrance reached him, night-blooming cereus, cold and rare.
Younan stiffened. He knew that scent. Zhou An.
He jerked his hand free instantly, eyes narrowing with wariness.
Both bore black hair and black eyes, their features similar enough to confuse anyone when they were children. But now, there was no mistaking them.
One, frail as a reed, reeking of common grass. The other, radiant and favored, with a rare, precious pheromone scent.
“Master An.” York bowed respectfully.
Zhou An waved him aside, and York obediently stepped back.
With his long black hair braided neatly over one shoulder, Zhou An gave Younan a disdainful smile, shaking his hand as though it had been soiled.
“Brother, you must’ve just come out of the Silent Chamber, right?” His tone was syrupy sweet, but his eyes gleamed with malice.
Younan only stared, silent.
Zhou An’s lips curved further as he looked him up and down.
He covered his mouth, feigning innocence, though his words dripped poison, “Wearing that outfit… I suppose you almost look like an Omega now.”
Zhou Younan stared straight at Zhou An.
He had always believed you couldn’t judge a person by their appearance alone. That was shallow.
And clearly, Zhou An was exactly that shallow sort of person.
Zhou An sneered.
“Don’t glare at me like that. Without me, you’d probably still be rotting away on that trash heap planet, Duanwei, struggling to survive. How else could you possibly have the chance to marry the Empire’s marshal?”
Younan’s voice was flat, without a ripple, “If you want to marry the marshal so badly, we can switch right now. It’s not too late.”
“Hahaha” Zhou An laughed wildly. A faint burst of his night-blooming cereus pheromones drifted into the air as he leaned closer, voice dripping with false pride.
“Someone like me? The marshal wouldn’t let go.”
He deliberately leaned close, sniffed at Zhou Younan, then fanned the air with exaggerated disgust.
“Ew~ someone like you? Actually… you’re just right.”
At Younan’s side, his clenched fist trembled.
With a smack, a small pouch of nutrient paste was tossed at his feet.
Zhou An raised a brow mockingly, “Brother must be hungry, hm?”
Younan was starving. The moment his eyes landed on the nutrient pouch, he couldn’t look away.
But Zhou An lifted his foot and pressed down hard. A shoeprint marred the smooth silver packaging.
Then another stomp, then another until with a wet pop, the pouch burst open. The thick gel inside oozed onto the floor, spreading into a sticky puddle.
Zhou An laughed as he spoke, his words sugarcoated with poison.
“This is my special gift to you, brother, to celebrate your release from the Silent Chamber. I wish you a future of wedded bliss, full of happiness and harmony.”
The last four words dripped with mockery. Everyone knew: marrying Marshal Wei Qing was no blessing. Happiness was impossible.
Younan’s gaze slid over Zhou An’s triumphant face.
It had been over ten years since the first nutrient pouch was developed. The Zhou family had released countless flavors since then, constantly improving the taste.
The one now smeared across the floor gave off a faint, sweet scent.
Strawberry.
The most expensive variety on the market, one only the Zhou family’s truly favored young master could afford to trample underfoot.
Younan’s vision darkened from hunger. His instincts screamed at him to drop to the floor, scoop up the ruined paste, and eat.
But he forced himself still. He didn’t move.
“What’s wrong, brother? You don’t like my gift?” Zhou An kicked him hard in the knee.
“Ah!” Pain lanced through Younan as he staggered, forced down onto one knee.
For a month now, he had endured Zhou An’s petty cruelties in silence. His patience had stretched thin, too thin.
His eyes fixed on Zhou An’s long braid. With a sudden surge of fury, he grabbed it and yanked hard.
“Aaah! It hurts! Stop!” Zhou An shrieked.
“So you do know what pain feels like!” Younan hissed.
“Let go of me! Or I’ll have someone deal with that little bastard of yours!” Zhou An screamed.
At the mention of Luoluo’s small, innocent face, Younan’s hand slackened. He let go, his voice sharp with warning.
“If you dare touch him, I swear, you’ll regret it.”
“You dared pull my hair!” Zhou An roared, seizing Younan’s own hair in return. His grip was vicious, as if he wanted to tear Younan’s scalp right off.
“You? Make me regret it? Look at yourself! What do you have that could make me regret anything?”
He dragged Younan downward, pressing his head toward the puddle of spilled nutrient paste.
Younan braced his hands against the floor, resisting with all his strength.
“You’re hungry, aren’t you? Then lick it up! Lick it!” Zhou An snarled.
The strawberry scent filled Younan’s nose, thick and cloying. His mouth watered uncontrollably. But he held firm, refusing to bow his head.
“You lick it yourself,” he forced out.
“Lick it! Or I’ll go after that brat!” Zhou An bellowed.
The words made Younan’s body stiffen. His resistance faltered. Slowly, his head was forced closer to the floor, inch by inch.
“An Shaoye.” York’s voice cut through. “The Master is waiting to see Shaoye Younan.”
The implication was clear: if Younan appeared before the Master filthy and disgraced, it would be unacceptable.
“Tch!” Zhou An snorted coldly. He shoved Younan’s head once more, then finally released him with ill grace.
Now Younan was half-kneeling, palms pressed to the ground, face flushed red from the effort of resistance. Hunger gnawed at him, and after that brutal struggle, black spots danced before his eyes.
Zhou An took out a handkerchief, carefully wiping his hands with a look of disgust.
“Filthy thing.”
“Zhou An,” Younan rasped, head still bowed, voice muffled but steady.
“You treat me like an eyesore. But the more you hate me, the more it proves I’m a threat to you… doesn’t it?”
“You’re nothing!” Zhou An snapped, as though struck in a raw wound. Rage twisted his face. He kicked Younan viciously, once, twice, over and over.
“Look at yourself, you freak! Look in a mirror!”
Younan curled into himself, shielding his body. If Zhou An was taking his anger out on him here, then at least he wouldn’t go after Luoluo. That was enough.
“Shaoye, it’s getting late. The Master is still waiting,” York interrupted smoothly.
Zhou An finally stopped, straightened his clothes, and sneered down at him.
“Do you know why I haven’t killed you yet? Because you’re nothing but a stand-in for me. You’ll never escape.”
He laughed cruelly, his golden clothes gleaming as he walked away, bright and dazzling, so dazzling it hurt the eyes.
Through the curtain of his black hair, Younan’s dark eyes watched his departing back.
York returned, calm and unruffled as ever, as though none of what had just happened existed, “The Master is waiting for you, Shaoye Younan.”
Slowly, Younan pushed himself up. His body trembled as he reached for the broken pouch, carefully scooping up what little nutrient gel remained inside and squeezing it into his mouth.
The strawberry sweetness melted instantly on his tongue, flooding his empty stomach with warmth. He swallowed greedily, again and again, until the ache in his belly eased.
Only then did he straighten, black eyes calm once more.
If I want to escape… I need strength. And to have strength, I need to eat.
I like the farmer 🤣 he’s silly like meee! Also if this Zhou An doesn’t get smacked and cracked later… I swear I will transmigrat into novel instead 🙃
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
You made it to the end. The translator would like a tiny coffee. ☕
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Escape from Zhou familyChapter 2 · Bride To BeChapter 3 · Attacked on SpaceshipChapter 4 · FiancéChapter 5 · Wild one Tastes betterChapter 6 · Cousin, Zhou MoChapter 7 · Wedding DressChapter 8 · Wedding Hall disputeChapter 9 · Marshal Fainted!Chapter 10 · CATNIP!Chapter 11 · His Pheromone is Catnip!Chapter 12 · The show beginsChapter 13 · He likes me!Chapter 14 · He is crazy!Chapter 15 · Auditorium, I brought it. Do you like it?Chapter 16 · Only I can bite your lipsChapter 17 · Wei Qing grabbed his wristChapter 18 · Your posture just now was perfect for kissingChapter 19 · This is… Wei Qing’s leopard?Chapter 20 · Let’s do what newlyweds should do.Chapter 21 · Release your pheromones and overwhelm meChapter 22 · Zhou Younan, I miss you.Chapter 23 · The promise to bite your lip isn’t just for yesterdayChapter 24 · You beast! You enormous beastChapter 25 · My patience is almost at its limitChapter 26 · Touch Wei San? Pluck its feathers?Chapter 27 · Doesn’t Wei Qing like you a lot?Chapter 28 · You’re the dog, your whole family are dogsChapter 29 · How did things turn out like this?!Chapter 30 · Zhou Younan, I love everything about youChapter 31 · Cheetahs do react to catnip.Chapter 32 · Second PrinceChapter 33 · Immersed in the fluffy touchChapter 34 · What can you do to help if you stay?Chapter 35 · Sand WormChapter 36 · I gave Wei Qing a capsuleChapter 37 · His vulnerable period has arrivedChapter 38 · Reason has long since been burned awayChapter 39 · I can’t believe I did that! I’m insane!Chapter 40 · The person I want to protect is my wifeChapter 41 · Zhou Younan, you can only be mineChapter 42 · Until the last star in the universe is annihilated.Chapter 43 · The light in Wei Qing’s eyes dimmed.Chapter 44 · Family?Chapter 45 · The green capsule was in his palmChapter 46 · Zhou Younan was filled with fearChapter 47 · Brother won’t abandon youChapter 48 · What a piece of trash!Chapter 49 · Zhou Younan, are you looking at me?Chapter 50 · Zhou Younan feared Xu QiChapter 51 · Zhou Younan, you’re such a foolChapter 52 · You really don’t want to marry me?Chapter 53 · My braceletChapter 54 · Zhou Younan, I can’t mark youChapter 55 · A symbol of brotherhoodChapter 56 · How old are you?Chapter 57 · Abnormal!Chapter 58 · Did you give Wei Qing the capsules from the tin box?Chapter 59 · Brother, I’ve made up my mindChapter 60 · Doing things for you is my wishChapter 61 · You’re the first person I’ve ever liked, Wei Qing.Chapter 62 · Childhood sweetheartChapter 63 · He can’t live without youChapter 64 · Teacher RigenChapter 65 · Were they running togetherChapter 66 · You two kidnappersChapter 67 · GiftChapter 68 · Don’t look back, just carry onChapter 69 · Maurice Jin is already a thing of the past for meChapter 70 · I finally found youChapter 71 · Who’s your wife?Chapter 72 · How would he interpret his leaving?Chapter 73 · Wei Qing was Wei San?Chapter 74 · Maurice Jin had been assassinated?!Chapter 75 · Turn your face towards the sunChapter 76 · Wei Qing’s eyes were brightChapter 77 · Pheromones are a double edged swordChapter 78 · Don’t stareChapter 79 · He’s the Empire’s MarshalChapter 80 · So WeakChapter 81 · Are you alright?Chapter 82 · Was he really that kind of person?Chapter 83 · He remembered his forgotten goalsChapter 84 · Come on, shoot me in the heartChapter 85 · Why are you unhappy again when I touch you?Chapter 86 · Don’t you even like me anymore?Chapter 87 · Wei Qing transformed into Wei San.Chapter 88 · I’ll give you my love, and I’ll give you my lifeChapter 89 · Just do it for me, okay?Chapter 90 · Don’t bother me until you explain clearlyChapter 91 · I want to stop your time when you still love meChapter 92 · Damn it! Zhou Younan! You just waitChapter 93 · From the very beginning, I had no choiceChapter 94 · From the very beginning, I had no choiceChapter 95 · A gunshot rang outChapter 96 · I grew up in the research instituteChapter 97 · You complete liar! You’re despicableChapter 98 · You will always be the only one in my heartChapter 99 · You are actually the same as meChapter 100 · Zhou Younan, I’m leavingChapter 101 · How could a big cat possibly resist the allure of catnip?Chapter 102 · The EndChapter 103 · Extra: 1