ISMW Chapter 21.2

Yu Chen’s urge to mark was particularly severe this time. He was like a patient with a psychological fixation stemming from unfulfilled oral needs in childhood. He had barely drunk a quarter of the nutrient solution before chewing the straw to bits, unaware of his actions as he continued to torture the poor straw. His thoughts were entirely preoccupied with one question—

 

Why had Yun Xunlan become cold towards him these past two days?

 

Yu Chen was certain this wasn’t his imagination.

 

The prince now stood five steps further away when listening to his daily “vow,” his gaze no longer lingering on him, let alone summoning him for private meetings. If it weren’t for the lychee rose still soaking in his cup, its petals blooming more each day, Yu Chen would have thought that ambiguous night had never existed.

 

A few nights ago, he was thinking about how he should act colder towards Yun Xunlan, maintaining the right “balance” in their interactions.

 

Now, there was no balance to maintain. He might even have to find ways to get closer to Yun Xunlan, to increase his presence and gain the young man’s trust. Only then could he get access to the SSS mecha.

 

“Crack—”

 

Yu Chen bit through the straw out of frustration and had to get a new one.

 

Just as he sat back down, he heard Gui Yan and Fu Yanxi campaigning: “Quick, quick! The ‘Galaxy’s Most Desirable Alpha to Marry’ ranking poll ends tomorrow. Have you voted for the Third Prince yet? If not, vote now!”

 

Song Tingxiao looked up from his bowl, confused: “Isn’t that poll supposed to be for omegas and betas?”

 

Gui Yan retorted: “Who said that? The poll doesn’t restrict voter gender. Alphas can vote too. Fu Yanxi and I both voted.”

 

Song Tingxiao immediately opened his light brain: “Then I’ll vote too, right now.”

 

Gui Yan, the vote-gathering leader, wouldn’t allow anyone not to vote for Yun Xunlan. After finishing with the Song brothers, he turned to Yu Chen: “Yu Chen, have you voted?”

 

Yu Chen’s voice was low and cold due to his susceptibility period: “No.”

 

Fu Yanxi came over to urge: “What are you waiting for? Vote quickly!”

 

Hearing this, Yu Chen paused his canine teeth’s torment of the new straw, then opened his light brain. He found the poll’s voting entrance but hesitated to press the vote button.

 

He looked down at the poll’s title and said: “But I don’t want to marry him.”

 

Fu Yanxi looked at him as if he were an idiot: “Is your susceptibility period clouding your judgment? Do you think you could marry the Third Prince even if you wanted to?”

 

Gui Yan also emphasized: “You can’t even think about it! It’s a crime to think about it! How could a mountain chicken match a phoe…”

 

He swallowed the rest of “phoenix” under Yu Chen’s cold gaze, as he couldn’t provoke an alpha in susceptibility period, let alone beat Yu Chen.

 

Fu Yanxi cleared his throat: “Anyway, it’s impossible. We just need you to vote. The Third Prince’s first place position must not be shaken.”

 

Yu Chen glanced at the rankings again: “It won’t be shaken. The second and third place combined don’t have as many votes as he does.”

 

Gui Yan punched Yu Chen’s shoulder: “Still, you have to vote. The voting is anonymous. Just move your finger, it won’t affect you at all.”

 

Annoyed, Yu Chen raised an eyebrow and clicked the vote button, saying impatiently: “Fine, fine, I voted. Now get away and stop bothering me.”

 

Satisfied, Fu Yanxi and Gui Yan left to “bother” others.

 

However, just as they left, another alpha sat down in front of Yu Chen with his meal tray.

 

Yu Chen looked up to see it was Zhou Shun, the ninth-ranked guard in combat assessment among their elite team.

 

He had never met this person before becoming colleagues, and they hadn’t spoken much since. They weren’t familiar at all, so Yu Chen hadn’t planned to speak. But Zhou Shun chatted casually: “Yu Chen, why are you drinking a nutrient solution instead of eating?”

 

This was a concerned question.

 

Out of politeness, Yu Chen briefly explained: “I took suppressants. No appetite.”

 

Zhou Shun was surprised: “You took them even with the harsh side effects of third-generation suppressants?”

 

His gaze then swept over Yu Chen’s chewed-up straw, and he put on a knowing expression: “Oh~ Couldn’t hold back when you saw an omega, huh? Can’t be helped. Everything’s great here with the Third Prince, except for the lack of time off. Usually, you can only take care of it yourself.”

 

Yu Chen: “?”

 

What nonsense?

 

Yu Chen didn’t understand at first.

 

“There’s not a single omega in the North Imperial Palace, but the omegas here are all quite good-looking,” Zhou Shun’s features were actually quite handsome, but his smile had an indescribable sleazy feel. “No wonder the Third Prince is developing the ninth-generation omega heat suppressant.”

 

Yu Chen understood these sentences—all of Yun Xunlan’s attendants in the North Imperial Palace were betas, but many engineers and researchers in the Seventh Military Experimental Base were omegas. Zhou Shun was making lewd jokes about these omegas and Yun Xunlan, implying they were always in heat, forcing Yun Xunlan, an alpha, to develop omega heat suppressants.

 

Yu Chen was already feeling nauseous, and after hearing Zhou Shun’s words, he lost his appetite completely.

 

If it weren’t for Zhou Shun’s status as a “colleague,” the nutrient solution in his hand would have been poured over Zhou Shun’s head.

 

Though he didn’t openly confront him, Yu Chen couldn’t hold back his harsh words. Looking into Zhou Shun’s eyes, he sarcastically said with a double meaning: “Yeah, why did the Third Prince start making omega suppressants? I really hope he has time to make alpha susceptibility period suppressants too. After all, the side effects of the third generation are too damn awful. The nausea level is comparable to facing an idiot, making me feel twice as sick now. I’m about to vomit. Can you move away? Be careful, I might throw up on you.”

 

However, it seemed he spoke too subtly, or Zhou Shun’s emotional intelligence was too low to understand. He waved his hand and said: “The Third Prince won’t make those. If he did, the omegas would cry.”

 

Yu Chen again couldn’t understand Zhou Shun’s words. He felt like an illiterate: “What do omegas have to do with making alpha susceptibility period suppressants?”

 

Are all the researchers omegas?

 

If they really developed it, shouldn’t they be happy instead of crying?

 

“Are you still a virgin? You don’t even understand this?” Zhou Shun clicked his tongue. “No wonder you don’t know how much those omegas enjoy being f*cked during an alpha’s susceptibility period. If you knew, you’d understand.”

 

Yu Chen was astounded.

 

He looked back and saw Fu Yanxi, Gui Yan, the Song twins, and Lodi engrossed in discussing the ranking poll votes. Zhou Shun, who couldn’t talk about the “Third Prince,” couldn’t fit in with them and had to resort to talking to him, an alpha in susceptibility period. Yu Chen instantly understood something.

 

“Allow me to ask bluntly—”

 

Yu Chen brought his gaze back, leaned back, lowered his right arm, and rested his left arm on the chair back, adopting a relaxed posture. His blue eyes fixed on Zhou Shun as he asked: “Were you born from an omega?”

 

Zhou Shun said: “Yes, I was born from an omega and…”

 

“Indeed, an animal,” Yu Chen interrupted, speaking with unprecedented civility. “I was also born from an omega, so Zhou Shun, please try to understand me.”

 

“Understand what… F*ck?!”

 

Before he could finish, Zhou Shun’s nose was hit hard by Yu Chen’s right fist.

 

Due to Yu Chen’s previously relaxed posture, Zhou Shun wasn’t on guard. Not only could he not dodge the punch, but the massive impact almost knocked him off his chair. However, 2S-class alphas have incredibly strong recovery abilities. After a brief half-second of dizziness, Zhou Shun straightened up, supporting himself on the table, and tried to grab Yu Chen’s neck.

 

But Yu Chen was a step ahead. He kicked the edge of the table with his leg, sliding away in his chair, causing Zhou Shun to miss.

 

“Yu Chen, are you f*cking crazy?! Even the bite inhibitor can’t shut your dog mouth?!”

 

Zhou Shun swept his arm across the table, smashing Yu Chen’s unfinished nutrient solution and his own meal tray to the ground as he cursed loudly.

 

The commotion they caused was significant, and Zhou Shun’s leather-scented pheromones spread to every corner of the cafeteria along with his nosebleed. Fu Yanxi, Gui Yan, the Song twins, and Luo Di quickly stood up and rushed over to stand between them, preventing further fighting: “What are you doing? What’s going on here? Why are you fighting?”

 

Fu Yanxi also stood in the middle, arms spread in a calming gesture, asking: “Let’s talk this out. Don’t fight or swear. What happened?”

 

“It’s not ‘what happened to us,’ it’s what happened to me!” Zhou Shun wiped the blood that had flowed to his philtrum, shouting loudly. “Yu Chen, this mad dog, hit me for no reason!”

 

Fu Yanxi first looked at Yu Chen with a frown, then wagged his index finger at Zhou Shun, saying seriously: “Zhou Shun, calm down. I’ve known Yu Chen for years as classmates. I understand him. Although he has poor manners, he would never hit someone without reason. Did you argue?”

 

“Did you insult him?” Gui Yan also drew on his and Fu Yanxi’s past experiences of fighting with Yu Chen, first asking Zhou Shun, then Yu Chen, “What did he say to you?”

 

Zhou Shun said: “I didn’t insult him. He called me an animal!”

 

Fu Yanxi looked back at Yu Chen: “Yu Chen, did you call Zhou Shun an animal?”

 

“Not just that,” Yu Chen defended himself. “I also called him a nauseating idiot.”

 

“Zhou Shun, Yu Chen not only called you an animal, he also called you a nauseating idiot,” Fu Yanxi turned his head towards Zhou Shun, repeating Yu Chen’s words like a useless messenger. Finally, he sighed and concluded, “Sigh, I said not to use foul language. It’s impolite and uncivilized. Why do you both love using such language? It’s so uncouth.”

 

 

“I’m talking about your mother!” Zhou Shun shoved Fu Yanxi aside and pointed at Yu Chen, “You orphan idiot, did your dead parents not teach you manners? You just hit people for no reason?”

 

“Zhou Shun, you’ve gone too far,” Even Luo Di couldn’t stand it anymore. “Didn’t we all graduate from Anlos Military Academy? Yu Chen was famous for his poor manners at our school, but even his insults are more civilized than yours. What’s wrong with you?”

 

Gui Yan also said: “Exactly, we’re all schoolmates, and now colleagues. Is it necessary to be so petty? You even cursed at Yanxi when he tried to mediate. That’s too much.”

 

Fu Yanxi tried to smooth things over as a peacemaker: “It’s okay, I’m good-natured. Zhou Shun, I forgive you magnanimously. I’ll take the lead in letting it go. You and Yu Chen should listen to me, after all, I’m doing this for your own good. You two should apologize to each other, shake hands, and let this matter pass. Don’t say things that harm unity, or we’ll all suffer if this reaches Commander Dike.”

 

Zhou Shun retorted to Fu Yanxi in disbelief: “He insulted and hit me, and I still have to apologize to him?”

 

Yu Chen also said: “I won’t apologize, and Zhou Shun doesn’t need to apologize to me either.”

 

His tone was leisurely, his deep voice showing no anger, and his lips even curved into a smile, but his deep blue eyes were cold: “Zhou Shun’s manners are too poor. I, being such a well-mannered person, personally taught him how to have manners. He should thank me, not apologize.”

 

“What?! His manners are even worse than yours?” Gui Yan was shocked and quickly asked Zhou Shun, “What exactly did you say to him?”

 

Zhou Shun thought for a moment: “Because I said he was a virgin?”

 

“That’s really bad manners,” Song Tingxiao clenched his fists, whispering to his brother Song Tingyan, “We are too, why did he have to say it so loudly?”

 

Song Tingyan: “…”

 

Yu Chen laughed as if hearing something ridiculous: “You mean you don’t think there’s anything wrong with the other things you said?”

 

Zhou Shun, either evading the real issue or truly unaware of his problem as Yu Chen suggested, said without any shame: “What could be wrong with chatting about the Third Prince with you?”

 

Yu Chen opened his mouth with a cold smile, but another slow, slightly hoarse voice reached everyone’s ears before he could speak—

 

“What were you chatting about me?”

 

They turned towards the voice and were met with a pair of dazzling golden eyes.

 

“May I have the honor of hearing it?”

 

The tall, slender alpha spoke as he walked in from outside. His previously loose silver hair was now tied back, and he wore an immaculate white uniform without a single wrinkle. Behind him followed several researchers also in white coats, but he was the most eye-catching among them, like how you can’t see other shining stars in the bright daylight when the sun is high.

 

Everyone came to their senses and bowed their heads in greeting: “Your Highness.”

 

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