Hou Dingfeng would rather that His Highness the Crown Prince had told him it was just for fun, and not true love.
These days, true love was far more dangerous and serious than playing with fire.
Back when he had fancied himself clever and used his looks to toy with people’s hearts, he had nearly stepped into a fire pit, never to see the light of day again. Even though he had escaped by sheer luck, he was still tormented to the point of being skinned alive.
From then on, he no longer dared to take anyone’s feelings lightly.
Now, given His Highness the Crown Prince’s sensitive and special status, even marrying an ordinary Federation citizen could stir up a tremendous uproar in the Empire, let alone a Federation Zuo family Alpha heir.
Was he going to see an Imperial Alpha crown princess in the future?
Hou Dingfeng considered himself open-minded.
As a Beta, as long as there was chemistry, he would date, never caring about the other party’s race, nationality, or whether they were Alpha, Beta, or Omega.
But that was also because he knew these were only short-term relationships, not destined partners meant to walk together for a lifetime.
To put it bluntly, it was just for fun.
He never thought there would be any outcome with the people he dated. As long as he lived in the moment, no matter how willful or crazy it was, it was fine, which was why he didn’t mind everything that lay behind his partners.
But if the other party brought up marriage, that was completely different.
After marriage, from a social perspective, husband and wife become an inseparable family; legally, they become partners who share interests and risks.
No matter how open-minded Hou Dingfeng was, he understood that dating and marriage carried completely different meanings.
Yet His Highness the Crown Prince had already made it clear that that Federation citizen was the only lover he acknowledged, that he would love him whether he was Imperial or Federation.
If two people truly loved each other, could they endure a lifetime without marriage?
Hou Dingfeng claimed that he had once been a scumbag who toyed with people’s hearts, and it wasn’t as if he had never been moved or softened by sincere feelings, but he would recognize that his feelings were not deep enough to accept being bound by marriage to the other person.
But not everyone was a scumbag like him. At the very least, the closest example to him was his own father and mother, who had once truly loved each other, come together, and given birth to him.
Even if, because of various lifestyle customs and personalities, they couldn’t get along and peacefully broke up, that would still be a dignified, proper parting between adults.
That is what normal people are like.
Because Hou Dingfeng had personally taught His Highness the Crown Prince, he could all the more deeply feel the seriousness of this matter.
Back then, when he had been assigned by His Majesty the Emperor to teach the Crown Prince, he had also harbored concerns, worried that with his once-unrivaled, devastatingly beautiful looks, the Crown Prince, still relatively young in age and experience, might not be able to resist being bewitched by his appearance.
In fact, the first moment he laid eyes on His Highness the Crown Prince, the one who was stunned was him.
He never expected the Crown Prince’s looks to be something that could be compared with his own. Yet unlike his own beauty, like a tempting forbidden fruit, the Crown Prince possessed instead a kind of majestic, powerful presence. His noble and handsome features were like those of a god, inspiring awe and fear, making it impossible for anyone to feel even the slightest hint of irreverence or closeness.
The courses had not been conducted for very long before Hou Dingfeng was able to completely put his mind at ease, and even began teasing the Crown Prince.
He told His Highness the Crown Prince that rather than worrying about the day when the Crown Prince might be tempted and seduced by some faction’s beautiful spy, it would be better to worry about whether that beautiful spy would instead be attracted and bewitched by the Crown Prince, and in the end, because of falling in love with him, be turned and surrender herself.
But when he made such joking remarks back then, it was based on his confidence in the Crown Prince.
Now it seemed that it would have been better for the Crown Prince to be tempted by some so-called beautiful spy, rather than truly fall in love with an enemy Federation citizen, especially a Federation Alpha man.
If His Highness the Crown Prince were truly determined to marry a Federation Alpha man, who could stop him?
Even though Hou Dingfeng was not originally an Imperial citizen, after gradually developing a sense of belonging to the Empire, merely foreseeing such a future scene was enough to make his heart pound in terror.
One Alpha marrying another Alpha?
Imperial law does not prohibit Alpha–Alpha marriages, but in practice, every pair of Alphas who submit a marriage application must pass government review.
There is a very high possibility that the review will not be approved.
Because, to a certain extent, Alphas are a strategic resource of the Empire.
Two Alphas cannot produce offspring.
Even Omega and Beta pairs can have descendants, but Alpha–Alpha pairs not only are physiologically incapable of reproducing, their pheromones will also oppose and torment each other. Especially for Alphas who lose the soothing influence of Omega pheromones, the estrus-sensitive period becomes even more unbearable and violent.
Over the long term, both Alphas will gradually weaken and suffer, and may even die from an outbreak during their sensitive period.
It was not as though there had never been cases in history of two Alphas being together, especially during the most intense periods of life-and-death war between the Zerg and humanity, when comrades who shared hardship were most likely to develop feelings.
But the outcomes of two Alphas being together were never very good.
A peaceful breakup was already a relatively good ending.
The bad endings were…
There had once been two Alphas who could not accept pheromone soothing from anyone other than their lover, yet during susceptible period outbreaks they were also unable to approach or embrace their Alpha partner.
In the end, one of the Alphas could not hold on and died during a susceptible period outbreak.
The other Alpha, as the partner, anxiously waited in the neighboring room. By the time he realized something was wrong, his partner had already died from a susceptible period riot, just separated from him by a single wall.
The Alpha partner, collapsing in despair, directly became emotionally agitated, prematurely triggering an abnormal susceptible period pheromone upheaval, and in the end starved himself and drank nothing, holding his lover’s corpse and dying in a double suicide.
From then on, both the Empire and the Federation explicitly forbade Alpha–Alpha relationships.
If not for the development of pheromone soothing agents, which can to the greatest extent simulate Alpha/Omega pheromones, allowing both Alphas and Omegas to safely pass through susceptible periods and heat periods, this ban would probably still be in effect.
Now it seemed that he had been happy too early back then, thinking that once the Crown Prince completed the courses, everything would be fine.
Hou Dingfeng sorrowfully closed his eyes and sighed.
Then why not have the Crown Prince falling for some beautiful spy, at least such people were usually Omegas or Betas.
No matter how bad it got, it wouldn’t be worse than the Crown Prince liking an Alpha.
Hou Dingfeng sighed heavily and, with a grave expression, advised, “Your Highness, do you really understand what it means to fall in love with an Alpha?”
Gu Heng lowered his deep, dark eyes, yet without the slightest hesitation or struggle said, “Of course I know.”
How could he not know?
He had once warned himself of the consequences of falling in love with an Alpha, countless precedents and tragic outcomes, pressures and obstacles from all sides, to the point that it could be said no one in the world would support him.
Falling in love with an Alpha was such a useless, laughable thing.
Again and again he brainwashed himself like this, telling himself that there would be no outcome between him and Zuo Shihuan, that it would be better to let go sooner rather than later.
Lying to himself like that and leaving Zuo Shihuan.
And the result?
All of it was lies and bullsh*t.
So what if you say countless grand principles and analyze pros and cons?!
Everyone could tell him that Alpha and Alpha could not be together, except that this was not the true answer in his heart!
If he fooled himself, that would be the real stupidity!
He had nearly prided himself on being some top-tier Alpha, yet almost became the biggest fool under heaven, just a little more, just a little more, and he would have lost Zuo Shihuan.
When he saw Zuo Shihuan dressed in a pure white, flawless suit and formal wedding attire, standing on the high platform as the groom of another Omega woman, the false lenses of the world shattered and exploded in an instant.
Gu Heng completely stopped considering and worrying about all secular notions and obstacles, breaking through the heavy fog and barriers within his heart, truly understanding what he truly wanted.
But it seemed it was already too late.
He had lost Zuo Shihuan.
Zuo Shihuan didn’t want him anymore, instead marrying someone else.
In that instant, Gu Heng felt the world spin, felt a pain so crushing it was as if the world itself were collapsing into an apocalypse. Boundless regret nearly drowned him.
He was beaten awake by the pain.
Gu Heng gazed at Zuo Shihuan walking toward a blissful marriage on the high platform. No longer hesitant or wavering, he firmly stepped forward, carrying a ruthless resolve of staking everything and leaving no way back, climbing step by step up the stairs.
If he were to personally witness Zuo Shihuan marrying someone else and exchanging rings, then that day would only come when he died!
He had already made it through the most painful and most difficult times.
How could Gu Heng now give up the treasure he had fought so desperately to reclaim just because of a few careless words from others? Just losing Zuo Shihuan once by accident had already made his whole body go cold, as if he had died once.
Another time…
He wasn’t stupid. If it happened again, he would probably truly die of heartbreak.
Gu Heng lifted his gaze toward Zuo Shihuan not far away.
He stood by the balcony window, his back to him, wearing off-white loungewear that made him look gentle and somewhat slender. Warm sunlight shone into his light brown eyes, as if golden light were dancing within them. His refined, handsome profile and the faintly upturned smile were so beautiful and moving.
Just one glance was enough to give rise to warmth and beauty in the heart.
Zuo Shihuan didn’t need to do anything, just standing there was enough to easily seize Gu Heng’s weakest point, his life and death.
Gu Heng unconsciously lowered his head and let out a soft laugh. With release and tender affection in his eyes, he curled his lips and lowered his voice as he said, “Minister Hou, you taught me, and I respectfully call you teacher, so you should understand even more clearly, there is no one in this world who understands better than I do.”
“I am already prepared, and I have no regrets.”
When these words were spoken, they were accompanied by a burst of hearty laughter.
Yet Hou Dingfeng grew even more uneasy, chills running through him as sweat broke out. Unwilling to give up, he attempted to sow discord and said, “Your Highness, how can you be so sure that the Federation person approaching you doesn’t have ulterior motives?”
Gu Heng smiled faintly. “I completed teacher’s course. Teacher, how do you think my performance was?”
Hou Dingfeng could not lie or quibble. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Your Highness, you completed it exceedingly well.”
Gu Heng laughed freely. “Teacher, there’s nothing left you can teach me anymore, rather than coming to trouble me, teacher, you might as well first find your own lover and partner, lest the world’s most outstanding emotional swindler end up deceiving himself, deceiving the person he truly cares about, and finally grow old accompanied by regret and remorse.”
Minister Hou had no way to refute him. He lowered his eyes and fell silent.
Only occasionally did streaks of dark light pass through his misty blue eyes, as if drifting back into memories of the past, polished by the years into something hazy and beautiful.
Suddenly, he couldn’t help but laugh.
He couldn’t manage it anymore.
He really couldn’t manage it anymore!
He hadn’t expected that in the end, he seemed to have been taught a lesson by the Crown Prince instead.
Hou Dingfeng took a deep breath and sighed, then smiled lightly and said, “Your Highness, you truly are outstanding. Then I have nothing more to say, only to wish that Your Highness will surpass the blue and be better than the blue, and that you won’t crash and burn like your teacher did.”
Gu Heng rubbed his chin with his fingers, lowered his eyes, and smiled. “Teacher Hou, that doesn’t sound much like a blessing.”
Hou Dingfeng smiled meaningfully. “How is it not a blessing? For people like us, not crashing and being able to steadily get through each day is the most important thing.”
Gu Heng was slightly puzzled. “Alright, that makes some sense too.”
Hou Dingfeng returned to business and sighed as he asked, “Your Highness, seriously speaking, when will you return to the Empire? You’re not really planning on never coming back, are you?”
Gu Heng said, “Of course not.”
Hou Dingfeng relaxed a little and continued asking, “May I ask how long you plan to stay in the Federation?”
Gu Heng replied, “Once I’ve handled matters here, if there are matters on the Empire’s side, I’ll take time to go back from time to time. If there’s anything urgent, I’ll use spatial jump technology to rush back immediately.”
Hou Dingfeng thought for a moment, then said, “Your Highness, the traces of your movements last night have already been dealt with. Do we need to dispatch a ship to escort Your Highness elsewhere to lie low?”
Gu Heng frowned slightly. “No need for now. I need to stay on the Federation’s main star for the time being.”
Hou Dingfeng asked in confusion, “Your Highness, is there still something you haven’t handled? Or is it that that person doesn’t want to leave the Zuo family?”
Gu Heng denied it. “No. Zuo Shihuan is willing to leave with me, but his father has taken his friend hostage to threaten him, so he can’t abandon his friend and leave right now.”
Hou Dingfeng knitted his brows. “I see. Then what are Your Highness’s plans next, so that this subordinate can make arrangements?”
Gu Heng said, “Hold position. My false identity in the Federation can’t be discarded yet. After I deal with those people from the Zuo family, we’ll make further plans.”
Hou Dingfeng said, “Understood. Please be mindful of your safety, Your Highness. The Zuo family has dispatched many people to capture you, blocked roads, and placed a high-priced bounty on you in the black market. They may also notice the scale of our operations and affect our mission. There’s concern they might even discover the identities of our Empire agents infiltrated in the Federation.”
Gu Heng’s gaze sharpened. “I know. Is there any other intelligence? For example, Zuo Zoujian’s recent movements?”
Hou Dingfeng hesitated and asked, “Your Highness, what do you mean?”
Gu Heng’s expression was indifferent and icy. “The Zuo family power behind Zuo Zoujian cannot be underestimated. If he discovers even the slightest trace of Imperial forces lurking in the Federation, I’ll eliminate him in advance and replace him with another head of the Zuo family.”
Hou Dingfeng immediately smiled in relief. “Understood. If there’s any situation, I’ll inform Your Highness promptly.”
After that, they discussed and arranged several other matters.
When they were nearly finished, Gu Heng suddenly said, “Oh, right, there’s one more thing. Help me pass this along to Ji Shenwen.”
Hou Dingfeng’s expression tightened. “Your Highness, what is it?”
Gu Heng frowned slightly, pressed his lips into a straight line, and said, “The friend that Zuo Zoujian captured to threaten him, the one I mentioned earlier, is Ji Shenwen’s Federation Omega girlfriend.”
Hou Dingfeng relaxed his brows and chuckled softly. “Alright, I’ll pass it along.”
In truth, he didn’t care about any Federation person, much less Ji Shenwen’s Federation Omega girlfriend who had brought so much trouble.
Gu Heng clicked his tongue coldly and added, “Forget it. Tell Ji Shenwen to rest assured, if anything really happens, I’ll go to the Zuo family and help rescue that woman.”
Hou Dingfeng was slightly surprised, but still replied, “Understood, Your Highness.”
And then this call finally came to an end.
Hou Dingfeng’s expression was cold as he returned the communicator to Ji Shenwen and said, “You already know, right? There’s no need for me to repeat it.”
Ji Shenwen’s expression was blank and stunned as he took the communicator. “I know.”
But the hands holding the communicator were trembling slightly.
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