Prince Qing Jiangxi of Luxin was the biological younger brother of His Majesty the Emperor of the Thorn Empire. Perhaps precisely because of this, he had survived the brutal palace struggles of the past.
Before and after the current Emperor ascended the throne, she killed all the siblings who could contend with her for the throne. Qing Jiangxi, although he survived, could only stay far away from the center of political power, living cautiously under the shadow of his ferocious and suspicious elder sister.
The boldest thing he had ever done in his life was probably more than ten years ago, when he was still considered young, participating in a certain research project concerning Yan Mu, and giving rise to ambitions that should not have existed.
But Yan Mu later successfully escaped, fiercely provoking His Majesty the Emperor’s dignity and greatly enraging her, and everyone connected to the experiment was harshly beaten down by her.
That tiny remnant of ambition Qing Jiangxi had left was frightened out of existence. From that point on, he stayed far from the imperial capital, coming to the outskirts of the imperial capital’s star ring, living a decadent, depraved, and extravagantly indulgent life of his own.
If satisfaction could not be obtained through power, then one could obtain pleasure through conquering the opposite sex.
Prince Luxin carried out this saying to the fullest. On his private planet, there were thousands of beautiful omegas who had come to his side through various channels.
When Wang Luan and Yan Qiongyu went to see him, the master of this place was still lying on a wide lounge chair, with several graceful beauties either standing or reclining beside him.
The heavy incense could not conceal that trace of strange smell in the air; anyone could tell what they had been busy with not long ago.
Wang Luan looked at this indulgence-worn, old cucumber-skin complexion that no amount of upkeep could restore, then looked again at his robe flung wide open, and quietly reached out to grab the back of Yan Qiongyu’s clothes.
Help, her eyes were being assaulted, the stress response was coming back again.
Yan Qiongyu, on the other hand, remained completely unruffled, wearing the gentle blind-man expression of someone who could see no strange things at all.
The guide Yun Li stepped forward and said something in the ear of this out-of-shape, declining Prince Luxin. Only then did his slightly turbid eyes move, snapping out of a certain post-act state, and with the support of the young men and women beside him, he sat up.
A soft and beautiful omega obediently helped him gather his robe. He looked toward Wang Luan and the other, his gaze lingering on Wang Luan for probably less than a second before plunging completely into Yan Qiongyu.
Yan Qiongyu met the gaze of this no-longer-young man, with no emotion in his eyes. If one looked closely, the two of them had somewhat similar eyes; when lowered, they appeared gentle and harmless.
But Prince Luxin did not notice that. As soon as he opened his mouth, he uttered a very rude sentence: “Looks not bad. What’s your name?”
Yun Li explained another couple of sentences into his ear. Prince Luxin glanced at Wang Luan, finally, albeit reluctantly, withdrew his gaze, let out a regretful snort through his nose, and waved his hand.
“Make yourselves at home while you’re here.” Since it was an omega he couldn’t get his hands on, even looking was dispiriting.
After meeting the master, the steward of the residence arranged lodgings for them and invited them to go rest.
Wang Luan and Yan Qiongyu walked among those splendid crystal galleries, the atmosphere silent.
Wang Luan looked at his face and couldn’t help speaking: “I thought he’d look a bit better.”
Hearing just that one sentence, Yan Qiongyu knew she must have guessed it. In the blanks he had not explained, from the series of things he had done, she had inferred this matter.
So he said, “I probably look more like Mother.” Counting as an affirmation of her guess.
With that casual sigh of a sentence, Wang Luan did not pursue the issue any further. When she arrived at the residence, she returned to how she had been on the imperial capital star, sitting listlessly to rest.
Yan Qiongyu sat opposite her. Behind the two of them was a garden separated by a large glass window. Aristocrats’ gardens were always maintained like oil paintings, with flowers that never withered year-round.
“You’re not going to ask me anything more?”
Wang Luan looked at him. “Actually, I define myself as a ‘tool person.’ Knowing too much isn’t appropriate either.”
Perhaps she did have a desire to explore Yan Qiongyu’s affairs, so occasionally she would make some guesses like just now, but most of the time she restrained that curiosity.
Or it could also be called a kind of social habit of someone seasoned in society: if one is not prepared to have a further intimate relationship with someone else, then one should inquire less into other people’s affairs, know when to stop.
That sense of distance might have become less clear on the wasteland star because of special circumstances, but once returning to this kind of environment where freedom could not be obtained, it was still difficult to cross.
Wang Luan knew very well that, in the world of geniuses, she, as nothing more than an utterly ordinary person, could only be a “tool person.”
The flames of war on the Imperial Capital Star had not spread here. It looked as though it had nothing to do with them, while the person pushing all of this forward rose in the night and went to find the steward Yun Li, whose features were soft and beautiful.
“Young Master Yan has some instructions?” Seeing him, Yun Li asked in mild surprise.
Yan Qiongyu stepped out of the darkness into the hazy lamplight and said, “An omega from ‘Utopia,’ hello.”
Yun Li revealed a puzzled expression and asked calmly, “‘Utopia’? What is that? Has Young Master Yan misunderstood something?”
However, Yan Qiongyu was even more composed than she was, and he was not surprised by her outright denial. “It doesn’t matter. You don’t have to admit it. I only trouble you to report back to your ‘god,’ my dear mother. Tell her that I am about to complete our past agreement, and that in the near future I will carry the results of the trial she gave me and head to Utopia. Please ask her to send someone to receive me at a suitable place.”
After speaking, he gave a slight nod and turned to leave.
Yun Li stood where she was, biting her lip, her expression dark.
She was certain she had not revealed any abnormalities. She had stayed with Prince Luxin for nearly ten years; her identity should not have been exposed in any way. How had he been so sure? Could it be that this was a talent inherited from that person?
Yan Qiongyu left for a moment, returned to his room without drawing anyone’s attention, and unexpectedly discovered that the person who had still been sleeping when he left was already awake.
She sat at the edge of the bed, gazing somewhat absently at the flower branches swaying in the night beyond the window.
“You woke up?” Yan Qiongyu walked over.
Wang Luan: “It’s a habit I picked up on the wasteland star. When I notice the space beside me is empty, I’ll naturally wake up.” Because she worried that something might happen to him.
Wang Luan: “This isn’t a good habit… should still change it, right?” She seemed to be asking herself, and also seemed to be seeking Yan Qiongyu’s opinion.
Like before, it would be fine if she didn’t know what he went to do, or simply pretended not to know.
Yan Qiongyu only tapped his knee and said, “I just went to test someone and confirmed something.”
Wang Luan lay back down to rest. “Mm.”
They stayed on Luxin Star for two days. The battle situation in the Imperial Capital Star Ring grew increasingly tense. The legion led by the Fifth Prince launched the first attack, but the Fifth Prince himself never appeared.
The head of the Li family led his legion to the outer perimeter of the Imperial Capital Star Ring, and Luxin Star finally became part of the edge of the war; once the flames expanded, it could be affected at any moment.
Because of this, the death-fearing Prince Luxin had, these past two days, even lost his former enthusiasm for indulgent pleasures.
It was at this time that Yan Qiongyu came alone to seek an audience.
Prince Luxin still remembered this omega’s overly outstanding appearance; it even made him feel very familiar, yet no matter what, he could not recall where he had seen him before.
His interest was piqued. He dismissed the omegas surrounding him, whom he had already grown more or less tired of, and had the steward Yun Li bring the person in.
As Yan Qiongyu slowly walked into the room, Prince Luxin had still been imagining some romantic scenes, until this excessively beautiful young man smiled at him and called out, “Father.”
Prince Luxin had never left behind any offspring in his life, not for any other reason, but simply because his elder sister, their Emperor, did not allow it.
He felt momentarily dazed, but soon remembered something and abruptly widened his eyes.
He suddenly recalled why this young man’s appearance felt so familiar.
He looked very much like that person.
Prince Luxin recalled how, back then, under that person’s few words of incitement, he had given rise to ambition. He unconsciously sat up straight.
There was no joy on his face at seeing a child of his own blood, only fear and anxiety rising from his memories.
“You… you—how did you… what did you come to me for!” He had been unable to return to the Imperial Capital Star all these years, and had long since abandoned that bit of ambition from back then. Having fled for so many years was nothing more than fear of death. To him, Yan Qiongyu was plainly a huge trouble.
“I don’t know how you found out, but remember this: we have no relationship whatsoever. Don’t call me by that title again!” His turbid eyes were full of rejection.
Yan Qiongyu smiled as he watched him desperately trying to sever their relationship.
Prince Luxin shouted, “Leave at once. Don’t come looking for me again.”
“That won’t do.” Yan Qiongyu not only did not leave, he even walked closer to him. “I still need you to help me with one thing.”
“Although it seems a bit too rushed. To be absolutely foolproof, I should first conduct a test for us, but there’s no helping it. Unexpected events arrived suddenly, so I can only be this hasty.”
Prince Luxin did not listen carefully to what he was saying at all, and impatiently tried to drive him away. “I won’t help you. You people will only drag me down!”
He opened his mouth, wanting to call someone in. However, the moment he opened it, he felt his tongue and lips go numb—he couldn’t make a sound, and couldn’t even close his mouth. Panic seized him, and he jerked twice on the bed.
He had once been a highly gifted alpha, but clearly, the him of today had long since turned into a puddle of rotten mud wrapped in fine clothes.
The door opened, and Steward Yun Li walked in. Ever since receiving news from “Utopia” a day ago, her expression had been somewhat unpleasant.
Seeing Prince Luxin sprawled there, eyes wide as he struggled, she did not spare him a second glance, only saying, “How should we handle the butler His Majesty sent to monitor the prince? With that butler present, the moment the prince leaves this planet, the news will be reported to the Imperial Capital Star.”
“Just make it so that he isn’t around.” Yan Qiongyu said lightly. “And besides, with the war situation so intense right now, how would our Majesty spare much thought for this useless younger brother?”
“Understood. Then I’ll go make preparations.” Yun Li did not leave. After hesitating for a moment, she asked again, “Miss Wang Luan of the Wang family—will you also be taking her to ‘Utopia’?”
