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Just who was this guy, suddenly rushing over and hugging people? Full of confusion, Aiden looked at the man in front of him.

Having suffered a critical hit, Carlo looked like he was about to spit out blood. He scratched his head, and sounding both wronged and depressed, said, “I’m Carlo, you don’t recognize me?”

Aiden looked him carefully up and down. In the two years he hadn’t seen him, Carlo had changed a lot. Not to mention he had grown a few centimeters taller, he also looked really handsome in his military uniform. It was just that gesture of him scratching his head that was exactly the same as he remembered—he still looked just as awkward as before.

But to Aiden’s eyes, that familiar awkwardness looked a little cute. Aiden couldn’t help but smile and say, “It’s you? You graduated and came back?”

Carlo nodded quickly and said, “That’s right! Back then I promised that after I graduated, I’d come back and marry you…”

He hadn’t finished speaking yet when someone nearby suddenly interrupted. “Aiden, who is this? Hey, isn’t this Carlo?”

Carlo really wanted to pinch that third wheel Xi Wei to death. He turned and glared at him. “Yes, it’s me!”

Xi Wei smiled and walked over to pat Carlo’s shoulder. He said in praise, “Not bad, not bad. After staying at military school for four years, now you’re putting on airs.”

Carlo: “...”

He had originally planned to propose to Aiden as soon as he saw him, and had even prepared a ring. But today, not only was this third wheel Xi Wei hovering around unwilling to leave, but they were in a crowded banquet hall filled with wagging tongues. There were even many elders recognized by the military around. It was clearly wasn’t logical to propose in this kind of public setting.

Carlo thought about it, and could only stuff the ring back in his pocket, feign calmness and go with Xi Wei and Aiden to eat dinner.

The three of them sat down in the corner of the banquet hall. They got some food and chatted while eating. Carlo saw the red jewel Xi Wei wore around his neck and couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Xi Wei, did you spend so much money on that jewel so that you could take back a royal heirloom?”

Xi Wei smiled and said, “That’s right, or did you think I came to stuff myself at dinner?”

Carlo: “...”

Every time he talked with this omega, he always felt oppressed. Carlo took a deep breath and continued, “You know about Klaire going to the Glory Corps, right?”

Xi Wei said, “Of course. What kind of relationship do you think I have with him that we’d need you to pass on a message?”

Carlo: “...”

His chest was going to stifle him to death!

Aiden saw how Carlo kept running into a wall with Xi Wei, and he couldn’t help but feel it was really funny at heart. Xi Wei spoke just as rudely as ever, and with Carlo’s poor ability to express himself, he was often angered half to death conversing with him. Aiden expressed his sympathy for Carlo.

The three of them were chatting when a deep voice suddenly came from behind them. “Your Highness, can I sit here?”

—It was that devil who wouldn’t stop haunting him, Joen.

Xi Wei and Aiden gave each other a look. Holding back his annoyance, Xi Wei said, “Sorry, there aren't any empty seats here.”

Joen smiled and said, “That’s fine, I’ll go get a chair.”

And then he went and got a chair without a change of expression, put it next to Xi Wei, and brazenly sat down. He looked back at Xi Wei with a fond gaze.

Xi Wei: “...”

His whole body broke out in goosebumps under that gaze. He could only turn and leave to get food. Joen immediately followed him. When Carlo saw this scene, he scratched the back of his head, completely baffled, and asked, “If I’m not remembering wrong, isn’t that guy Joen? That senior who bullied you guys at school back then… What’s going on with him and Xi Wei?”

Aiden said, “You don’t know, he’s been pursuing Xi Wei for the last two years. He refused to give up after Xi Wei rejected him, and kept bothering him.”

Carlo stared blankly before he reacted to the fact that Joen was shamelessly pursuing Xi Wei.

He didn’t know which of Joen’s eyes was bad that he’d actually fall for the eldest prince, but he really had to admire Joen for daring to pursue Xi Wei. Many of the empire’s alphas ran to hide when they heard the prince’s name, and Joen still eagerly went up to him. Could he be a masochist?

Although he really wanted to watch this entertaining show, when he thought of Klaire who was rushing to the front lines right now, his expression couldn’t help but grow serious. He immediately sent Klaire a message: “You’ve got a rival in love. That guy called Joen has been chasing after Xi Wei and bothering him for the last two years. Do you want me to help you?”

Klaire quickly replied, “It doesn’t matter, there’ll always be a day when Xi Wei will be mine. Other people won't be able to steal him.”

Carlo: “...”

Klaire really was domineering. So from what he said, he had already set his mind on Xi Wei, and so everything was cut and dried?

Carlo thought it over, and he felt that the probability of Xi Wei and Klaire deciding to get married without their parents’ approval was actually quite large. After that, the more he looked at Joen the more irritating he found him. When he saw him pestering Xi Wei, wanting to pour him some wine, Carlo couldn’t help but walk up to them and say, “Xi Wei, don’t drink too much wine. It’s not good for omegas to get drunk. Who can say but someone might wait until you’re drunk and take advantage of you.”

As Carlo spoke, he took the wineglass from Xi Wei’s hand. He looked back at Joen and said, “Class leader, how nice to meet you.”

Joen smiled and said, “Are you trying to be a hero to the rescue?”

Carlo raised an eyebrow and said, “If I am, then what of it? Do you have a problem?” In fact, he was actually trying to help Klaire watch over Xi Wei, so as to avoid a straightforward guy like him being schemed against by treacherous people while Klaire wasn’t on the capital planet.

Joen narrowed his eyes and looked at Carlo. His gaze carried a hint of contempt. He gave him an insincere smile and said, “Of course I don’t have a problem. It’s natural for alphas to pursue omegas. Let’s have a fair competition.”

Xi Wei: “...”

Frick, have these two idiots considered the feelings of the person involved? Who the hell are you chasing? Can’t you see that I don’t freaking like men?

Xi Wei gave them a roll of his eyes, and in one movement, took the wineglass from Carlo’s hand, tipped back his head and drained it. That bold gesture made both of them look a little blank.

After he finished drinking, he wiped his mouth, looked back at the two of them, smiled and said: “You guys continue arguing. I haven’t drunk my fill yet, so I’m going to go over there and down a few more.”

Carlo: “...”

Joen: “...”

Watching Xi Wei’s back as he turned and left, Carlo stood stiffly in the same place. Joen, however, stroked his chin thoughtfully, feeling that the way Xi Wei wiped his mouth after drinking just now had been particularly sexy and tempting. It was probably because beauty was in the eye of the beholder that such a rough gesture looked straightforward and endearing in Joen’s eyes.

So then, Joen shamelessly chased after Xi Wei, and said, all smiles, “I’ll drink with you.”

The result, of course, was that Xi Wei knocked him flat.

That night, Xi Wei drank Joen under the table, until he couldn’t stand straight. While his subordinates were carrying him home, Xi Wei walked slowly out of the Royal Hotel without batting an eyelid, and agilely jumped into his hovercar. The crowd of alphas looking on really felt like crying. Not only did this omega dauntlessly spend fifteen million crystal coins to buy a jewel, but his stamina was also off the charts; he could hold his liquor to this extent. Keeping him would be just like keeping a giant beast—too frightening for words. He threw away money by the handful, enough to squander away a family’s fortune. He’d beat you up two days out of three, and even if you wanted to compete with him in drinking, you couldn’t beat him. Whoever married him would really find it the tragedy of their life.

However, after returning home and throwing up until it was dark, Joen only felt even more determined at heart to pursue Xi Wei. If he could succeed in winning such a violent omega, then wouldn’t that be proof that he was among the strongest of the empire?

As soon as Xi Wei returned to the palace, he gave the red jewel to his Uncle Berg, who was waiting there.

Berg smiled and patted his shoulder. “You did very well. As soon as I put the mecha inside, you’ll be able to take it and leave the capital planet without fear.”

Xi Wei smiled and said, “It was Uncle who planned well.”

This auction was actually the Underground Alliance’s secret operation. Following Berg’s plan, and with Randy and Aiden’s assistance, Xi Wei had appeared personally to bid for this red jewel. However, those fifteen million crystal coins were really just a cover, because Berg had been the one who originally took out this jewel.

Princess Alice was actually Berg’s great-great-grandmother. When Berg’s parents passed away early, His Majesty Trand brought him into the palace and took pains to raise him. Others only knew that His Majesty and Berg were cousins, and weren’t familiar with all the details of Berg’s background. Not to mention, the princess’s descendants kept a low profile. The princess passed away hundreds of years ago, and there was no way to check much of the information on her.

Berg deliberately took out this relic and auctioned it off, and had Xi Wei place the winning bid for the jewel in front of an audience. His aim was to use the legend of the mecha hidden in the stone to conceal within the jewel the giant combat mecha that the Underground Alliance had built. By replacing the original with a fake, he could smuggle the mecha off of the capital planet.

Although the underground factory on the capital planet was large in scale, only after the combat mecha was equipped with weapons such as particle cannons and guided missiles could it be called complete, and these kinds of heavy weapons were difficult to refit under the capital planet’s strict military patrols. Berg wanted to use the occasion of Princess Sia’s marriage to send the mecha to the distant Lyra solar system. After it was fully equipped, Xi Wei would secretly bring it back to the underground factory.

The troops escorting the bride had always had very rigorous inspections at every interstellar gate. If an unfamiliar mecha appeared, it might attract the attention of some generals in the military. So Berg had thought of this method—having Xi Wei bring in the “Rose Teardrop” jewel under their noses. Everyone knew that this jewel contained one of Princess Alice’s mechas. When the time came, they’d disguise the mecha with a shabby, centuries-old appearance, and say it was the mecha Princess Alice had left behind. This way, they wouldn’t raise suspicion.

Xi Wei fully approved of his uncle’s plan. At the auction, he calmly paid a high price of fifteen million to buy the jewel, saying that he wanted to take back a royal heirloom. In fact, he hadn’t needed to spend a cent. He only had to act out a play with his uncle, that’s all.

Berg took the jewel and examined it carefully, confirmed it was genuine, and then said in praise: “Today’s auction was broadcasted live on the internet, and I watched the whole process. Your acting was pretty great, I didn’t see a single flaw. I think fooling those people from the military shouldn’t be a problem.”

Xi Wei smiled and said, “Uncle, you flatter me!”

—Acting was what he liked the most. If there’s an opportunity in the future, please don’t hesitate to send him out on stage!

Berg paused, then continued, “I’ll take the jewel back to the underground factory first. The progress on its development has already reached 70%. Princess Sia’s wedding ceremony is on the first of next month. When the time comes, you’ll accompany her to the Lyra solar system, and bring the jewel and mecha with you. Dave, the mecha’s creator, will disguise himself as a member of the Royal Guard and journey with you. When you reach the Lyra system, I’ll arrange for people to come and support you.”

Xi Wei nodded seriously. “I know, Uncle. You can rest assured.”

Berg smiled, patted Xi Wei’s shoulder, then turned and left.

Xi Wei returned to his bedroom and took a bath. Just when he was about to sleep, his communicator lit up with an incoming call from Klaire.

“I heard from Carlo, that guy Joen’s chasing you?” Klaire smiled and said.

On the screen, Klaire was sitting in a spaceship cabin, wearing the Glory Corps’s black uniform. This uniform looked much more official than the clothes given to military school students. The material and workmanship were both a grade higher. The Glory Corps insignia on his cap shone under the light, and the closely tailored uniform set off his figure so he looked all the more straight and tall.

A Klaire as handsome as this seemed like a bit of a stranger. Fortunately, the smile at the corner of his lips was still the familiar one Xi Wei knew, gentle and kind, just like the smile of the manager who had stayed by his side and taken care of him from beginning to end back then. It was a smile that made it so that people couldn’t help but let down their defenses.

When Xi Wei saw his old friend, he naturally no longer hid. He sat down on the sofa, a little depressed, rubbed his head and said, “That Joen, as soon as someone mentions him I get annoyed. How can he be so shameless? I’ve already sternly rejected him many times, and he still bothers me all day long. Every time I see him smiling at me, I really want to beat him to death!”

Klaire held back a laugh and said, “You can’t put the blame completely on him. He doesn’t know you don’t like men.”

Xi Wei rolled his eyes at Klaire. “So you’re defending him?”

Klaire turned serious. “How could that be?”

How could he defend his rival in love? Xi Wei had rejected Joen, and Klaire was already this happy.

Seeing Xi Wei rubbing his head with all his might with a depressed expression, Klaire’s heart couldn’t help but soften. It really wasn’t easy for a straight man like Xi Wei to come to a world like this… But since he had come, he might as well accept it. There would come a day when his feelings for Xi Wei would surface. He’d just slowly let him come to accept it.

“Do you still remember the method I told you about back then?” Klaire smiled and said, “If you really can’t push him away, you can take me out as an excuse.”

Xi Wei tilted his head, thought about it, then smiled and said, “Okay, I know. Next time, if Joen comes to bother me again, I’ll just tell him I already have someone I like. He’s called Klaire, and he’s currently fighting desperately on the front lines against the Federation’s troops. I only have him in my heart, and I want to wait for him to come back.” After saying this, Xi Wei felt that it was super sappy, and he couldn’t help but complain, “This idea of yours is just like a typical eight o’clock soap opera.”

“But at least it’s useful.” Klaire said seriously, “I’m not on the capital planet, so even if something happens to you I have no way to help. But don’t worry, I’ll study well under the marshal in the Glory Corps, and rise up the ranks as quickly as possible. Wait for me to come back. I’ll be your cover, and I won’t let other alphas harass you anymore.”

“Okay, then I’ll just wait for you to be my cover. If I absolutely can’t go on, I really might drag you out to put on a play with me, acting as lovers or something.” Xi Wei smiled freely, not noticing the fondness that flashed through Klaire’s eyes.

In the Glory Corps spaceship’s cabin, the doorbell suddenly sounded. Klaire quickly put away his communicator, and saw a dashing alpha female officer walk in. She said with a calm expression, “Klaire, the Marshal is waiting for you in the mothership’s control room. Please come with me.”

Klaire was a little surprised, but he quickly stood to attention and gave her a standard salute. “Yes, Ma’am!”

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4 hours and 55 minutes for 2,947 words, or 10 minutes for every 100 words. A decrease in rate by 1.9 minutes...finally. 😩

I take back anything good I might've said about Joen. 🙄

If you like this translation, please consider encouraging me on Ko-fi. Extra chapter for every two ko-fis~ 🌸

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