The weather changed in an instant.
White clouds mixed with gray; the bright, radiant sunlight gradually faded. Following it came a cool, damp breeze, and light rain slanted against the half-open window.
Rain that couldn’t be shut out wetted the sill and grew heavier, soon pooling into a puddle on the corridor floor of the Federation Hotel.
Ji Shenwen didn’t care and stepped right through it, soaking his shoes. Hidden in a secluded corner beneath the cover of thunder, he pressed the communicator’s call key.
“Your Highness.”
“Yes. How are things on your end?”
“Everything’s going according to plan. I’ve set up interference traps in the passageways — if our movement is discovered they’ll trigger and buy us time. The escape transfer route off the Federation homeworld is arranged. Once Your Highness captures the person, we’ll switch to hovercars with different license brands to confuse the Federation police and members of the Zuo family, then finally reach a covert smuggling channel to leave from here…”
Ji Shenwen reported the next steps in detail, and halfway through reminded, “I’ll coordinate with Your Highness to leave together. There’s one more thing I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“Replying to Your Highness: the Zuo family also placed lifelike robot bodyguards among the human security. I managed to get close to the exterior robots and attach a signal jammer, so those aren’t a big worry — but I couldn’t get into the most heavily guarded engagement banquet hall. Given the Zuo family’s caution, there are probably even more disguised robots inside…”
Gu Heng: “I understand. I’ll handle it then. Thanks.”
Ji Shenwen let out a small, relieved breath. He knew those androids weren’t a match for the Crown Prince, but the lack of full intelligence still left nagging concerns.
Besides the concealed robots at the venue, the Zuo family surely had other unseen arrangements. They were a well-known legitimate arms dealer in the Federation; it would be odd if an important Zuo heir didn’t carry at least a couple of personal defensive weapons or devices.
The intelligence they’d gathered for this operation was scant — the risk was enormous. Kidnapping a young heir who’d only recently joined the Zuo family wouldn’t net much in the way of Federation secrets; it would, however, enrage the Zuo family and the Federation.
Even Ji Shenwen couldn’t figure out why the Crown Prince wanted to act now and not wait until after the engagement banquet. That would greatly reduce the risk and avoid exposing whatever cover had been in place for so long.
Ji Shenwen, who usually trusted the Crown Prince’s commands without question, found himself doubtful.
Why were they taking on such a rash, direct mission against the Zuo family? With so little time and such limited intel, would the payoff justify the danger?
After hesitating for a moment, Ji Shenwen couldn’t help but say tactfully, “Your Highness, I don’t understand whether your plan has some deeper purpose, but shouldn’t we gather more intelligence and act when we’re better prepared?”
There was half a second of silence on the other end; Gu Heng replied with a dry laugh, “I couldn’t wait. I’m sorry, Ji Shenwen. Now I order you to withdraw. Leave this to me alone.”
Ji Shenwen was stunned. “You can’t leave Your Highness here alone. I have to help you.”
“No need. Today’s so-called mission was my selfish, impulsive idea. It shouldn’t have involved the Empire or other powers. Ji Shenwen, you can go… Today I don’t want to be the Crown Prince burdened with imperial duties. I just want to be Gu Heng — the rash man who storms in to snatch a marriage. Just that Gu Heng, who has always acted on whim and folly.”
Gu Heng’s knuckles tightened around the communicator. His dark eyes, deep and calm with a trace of madness, curved slightly at the corners as his blood-red lips lifted in a faint smile. He quietly gazed toward the red carpet—toward that perfect pair of bride and groom who drew the eyes of the entire crowd.
But in his eyes, there was only the man in the white suit—Zuo Shihuan. Tall, steady, and composed, his light brown eyes half-lowered with a cool, reserved dignity—the image of a noble Alpha born into privilege.
But that was only for outsiders to believe.
The Zuo Shihuan that Gu Heng saw was no one’s Alpha. He was just a fool forcing himself to appear strong, standing there motionless because he was lost and didn’t know what to do.
“Zuo Shihuan… Zuo Shihuan… you’re supposed to take my hand and walk forward.”
A deliberately restrained but urgent voice called beside his ear.
Zuo Shihuan came back to himself— It was Yu Lizhu calling him anxiously.
He seemed to have dazed out for a moment. When he lifted his head, everyone at the banquet was watching him—watching them, the dazzling bride and groom.
It was not the time to lose focus. He had to move forward, couldn’t let Yu Lizhu stand there alone in embarrassment.
As the solemn, sacred wedding march began, Zuo Shihuan forced out a smile of happiness and linked his arm with Yu Lizhu’s. Together they walked forward, nodding and smiling to the guests on both sides of the aisle.
But with each step— A strange, prickling sense of being watched crawled up his back. Like fine needles in the rain, it stung sharply, yet when he looked around at the applauding crowd, there was nothing there.
For a fleeting moment, Zuo Shihuan wanted to turn and see if he was there.
But the thought had barely risen before he clenched his palm and forcibly suppressed it, cold reason whispering:
—It’s useless.
—Even if he came, nothing can change now. I already let my reason slip once; I won’t let anyone or anything ruin today again.
And yet Zuo Shihuan felt fear creeping in.
His nerves tensed until his ears rang with a hollow buzzing sound.
The wedding march echoed across the hall, yet to him the entire venue felt unnaturally quiet. The applause and cheers on both sides seemed to fade, as if someone had pressed mute.
The tighter he clenched his palm, the louder he could hear his own restless heartbeat pounding in his chest.
And then—he began to hear thunder. Rain.
Impossible. The weather was fine today.
But Zuo Shihuan didn’t dare turn around anymore. His light brown eyes fixed on the towering chandelier hanging from the ceiling, its crystal lights blazing so brightly they turned his vision white. The glare stung until tears and red veins filled his eyes, but he didn’t dare close them or stop walking.
When he looked again at the people lining the red carpet—
Every face, under the dazzling light, turned pale and indistinct. They wore expensive, elegant attire, yet their expressions—those faces full of human greed and desire—were all so familiar.
Some he knew. Some he didn’t.
His father, cigar in hand, smiling at a beautiful woman he didn’t recognize— That shameless old lecher still living the easiest life; perhaps the more brazen and shameless a man is, the better he gets along.
Not far off, Madam Zuo was different— Her makeup still flawless, elegant, the perfect society matron—yet her eyes stayed sharp and anxious as she watched her three Beta and Omega children. Especially the second son, that frivolous Beta, standing there like he’d just stumbled in after a night of drinking.
Even while sternly scolding his improper posture, she reached out like a worried mother to straighten his collar, pulled the Omega daughter close, and gently reminded the eldest Beta son—now grown and working for the Zuo family—to do his duty well.
Zuo Shihuan’s smile faded. He glanced briefly, then looked away.
Most of the guests were Zuo family business partners, government and military representatives, or upper-class elites of the Federation— Their cool eyes filled with calculation, gauging what profit they might gain from befriending the Zuo family’s Alpha heir.
And those looks of envy, fear, and flattery— They came from other branches of the Zuo family, from people he had disciplined before. They feared his ruthlessness but couldn’t hide their jealousy, their wish to take his place.
Yet when they faced him directly, their fear and jealousy turned instantly into obsequious smiles.
Only a few of his younger siblings clapped earnestly, faces lit with genuine joy. That small flicker of warmth in their eyes made Zuo Shihuan’s perfunctory smile soften—just a little, just enough to look real.
But that moment of comfort rippled away like a drop on water—gone without a trace, never reaching the depths of his heart.
Because deep down, Zuo Shihuan knew—
It was all too fragile.
These relationships were like morning glories, delicate vines clinging to a tall wall to reach the sun. The wall could shelter them from the storm for a day— But when the wall falls, they’ll find another wall to climb.
Zuo Shihuan didn’t want to think about it.
Surrounded by faces of greed and desire, he felt suffocated and weary. A hollow, creeping fear filled his chest, and his forced smile grew harder to maintain.
Everything before him— It was all built upon the fact that he was the Zuo family’s only Alpha heir. Without that, he was nothing.
No one— no one came here for him.
“Your smile’s hideous.”
Gu Heng let out a low laugh, eyes red, as he stepped onto the red carpet.
