The commotion on the spacecraft quickly reached Song Ke’s ears. Unable to swallow his anger, he returned to the palace that very night to complain to the King.

“Father, look at my face. Would an ordinary person strike their own brother so fiercely?” Song Ke said, his cheeks swollen and his words slurred, looking utterly wronged. “I think he’s becoming more and more mentally unstable.”

The King frowned, his gaze falling on Song Ke’s face. He waved for his attendant to call a doctor. “What happened?”

The King’s exclusive aide, Yin Rong, put down his work and approached the desk, respectfully stating, “The First Prince and the Second Prince had a verbal conflict on campus. The First Prince was the first to make a physical move.”

“Who the hell is fabricating information?!” Song Ke snarled at the aide. “He clearly started hitting and cursing me the moment we met! Was I supposed to just stand there and let him beat me?”

Yin Rong respectfully replied, “From what I understand, you first insulted the Second Prince’s partner, and he retaliated when provoked.”

“Partner?” the King asked.

Yin Rong: “Yes. Young Master Qin was also present but did not get involved.”

Song Ke interjected, “What is that Qin fellow, daring to lay hands on a prince?”

Yin Rong respectfully added, “However, the Young Masters Lin and Liu, who were with you, did lay hands on the Second Prince.”

Hearing this, the King generally understood. His gaze at Song Ke was unreadable: “You lost a three-on-one fight?”

Song Ke’s face flushed with exasperation: “I didn’t try to kill them like he did! It’s not that I couldn’t beat them, it’s that I wasn’t fighting seriously! If it weren’t for him—”

“Enough,” the King said impatiently, “He’s already married an Alpha, what more do you want? Stay away from him.”

Song Ke: “What do you mean, ‘what more do I want’? It’s not like I forced him to marry an A—”

“It’s getting late, Yin Rong. Have someone send him back to school,” the King said, opening a file, no longer wanting to listen.

Yin Rong: “Yes.”

Song Ke felt a lump of anger in his chest. He had thought his father would discipline Song Yu for him, but he never expected this outcome. 

Walking out of the study, he looked at Yin Rong walking ahead, his eyes dark. Yin Rong had been the King’s assistant for longer than Song Ke had been alive and was the King’s most trusted confidant. If Yin Rong had simply changed his words, the outcome wouldn’t have been like this.

Song Ke quickened his pace to catch up, walking beside Yin Rong with a smile. “Uncle Yin, I just acquired a batch of top-grade Qishan Red Tea. I’ll have some sent to you later for a taste.”

Yin Rong, dressed in a sharp, well-fitted black suit, looked far from his over fifty years of age. Instead, he exuded the competence and composure that came with accumulated years. “Thank you for your kindness, but I’m accustomed to drinking tea grown on my own estate.”

Before Song Ke could reply, Yin Rong opened a door and gestured for him to enter. Song Ke stared at him for a few more seconds, then scoffed and left. 

Yin Rong was always impervious to bribes; no matter what methods he used over the years, he couldn’t buy him off. After Song Ke left, Yin Rong turned back. As he rounded a corner into a blind spot in the surveillance, he sent a message.

---

At the temporary lodging, Qin Luo’s terminal suddenly rang. He sprang up like a carp jumping out of water and rushed into the training room. “Brother, you really guessed it right. Uncle Yin said that person went to badmouth you.”

In the training room, Song Yu was sparring with Rong Shi. Sweat beaded on their foreheads, trickling down their faces, their shirts damp at the collar and back. Song Yu dodged Rong Shi’s attack and scoffed, “What else can he do besides go home and cry to his dad?”

Qin Luo leaned on the platform, watching them fight: “But the King—Uncle’s attitude this time was quite strange too. He actually didn’t help Song Ke vent his anger. How come he seems to treat you better after you left? Is it ‘distance makes the heart grow fonder’?”

“People instinctively lean towards the weaker party,” Song Yu retreated to the edge of the platform and launched a counterattack. “Song Ke has every advantage now, so Father will naturally lean a bit more towards me. After all, I am his son.” Although their conversation didn’t explicitly state it, Rong Shi understood perfectly.

The King’s reasons for not pursuing the matter were multifaceted. Primarily, Song Yu had acted against Song Ke because of his same-sex partner. The core message conveyed by this incident was that Song Yu deeply cared about this partner. This signal would please the King and the First Prince’s faction. 

Regardless of anything else, as long as Song Yu didn’t divorce, he would be excluded from the line of succession. 

Secondly, Song Yu hadn’t relied on others for help, giving Song Ke no opportunity to seize leverage, fighting three people alone. 

Regardless of the outcome of the fight, purely in terms of numbers, Song Yu was at a disadvantage and was the one being bullied. If two sons were equally matched, parents would certainly favor the beloved one, but if their situations differed greatly, parents would also show a little concern for the weaker party.

Qin Luo laughed: “Wouldn’t that person be furious?”

After sparring for half an hour, Song Yu stopped and walked to the edge of the platform. He habitually sat down and took the towel Qin Luo handed him. “This is just the beginning,” he said, wiping sweat and turning his head to smile at Rong Shi, who was walking over.

 “After all, my delicate wife is too fragile to take care of himself. The league hasn’t even started, and there’s plenty of time for him to get beaten.”

Qin Luo: “…” Fragile? Unable to take care of himself?

Rong Shi casually picked up the towel hanging nearby and sat down next to Song Yu. He had no particular comment on Song Yu’s assessment of him but brought up another matter. “Sleep with me tonight?”

Song Yu smoothed back his sticky bangs and took a large gulp from his water bottle. “If not you, then who? The loving couple image we just established can’t crumble.”

Rong Shi’s water bottle was also placed on Song Yu’s other side. He was about to ask him to grab it when his peripheral vision caught sight of water trickling from Song Yu’s mouth down his chin. As he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbed on his pale neck. Rong Shi unconsciously swallowed too, his gaze suddenly fixed there, unable to move.

Qin Luo was very surprised: “Brother, aren’t you sleeping in my room tonight?” 

The temporary lodging had limited conditions, with two people per room. He had naturally assumed Song Yu would share a room with him.

Song Yu: “No, I can’t stand your snoring.”

Qin Luo: “…” I don’t snore.

Noticing Rong Shi’s gaze, Song Yu twisted the cap tightly and casually tossed the water bottle over. “If you want water, just say so. Why are you staring at me?”

Rong Shi instinctively caught the water bottle: “…” 

He never thought that one day his heart would race out of control because he shared a water bottle with an Alpha. He twisted the cap open and, without touching the rim, poured a mouthful into his mouth from a distance. Why was this water sweet?

---

That night, Qin Luo reluctantly went to his own room. Since Song Yu wasn’t with him, his roommate became Liu Hong, and he ended up not sleeping all night due to the loud snoring.

In the other room, Rong Shi had already showered and was sitting by the window reading. But ten minutes passed, and he hadn’t turned a single page. The occasional sounds from the bathroom made it impossible for him to concentrate. Another five minutes passed, and the bathroom door opened. Song Yu emerged, wearing his rabbit-printed silk pajamas, radiating warmth.

“Still in the mood to read at this hour?”

Rong Shi: “…I usually read before bed.”

Song Yu walked over, drying his hair, and glanced at the book in Rong Shi’s hand, then sat in the opposite chair: “Reading ancient texts in the middle of the night, it’s indeed very sleep-inducing.”

Rong Shi: “…” He calmly closed the book and set it aside.

There were two beds in the room, separated by less than a meter. Rong Shi casually chose the left bed and was about to sleep when he saw Song Yu walk out and return with a rabbit plushie.

Rong Shi: “…You usually sleep hugging this plushie?”

Song Yu: “What, is there a problem?”

Rong Shi’s heart fluttered. He pretended to be disgusted: “You’re such a big Alpha, aren’t you afraid of being laughed at for sleeping with a plushie?” 

Song Yu was completely unaffected by this and even kissed the rabbit plushie on the face. He said smugly: “Not only do I hug it, I kiss it too. Who dares to laugh at me?”

Rong Shi: “…”

Rong Shi: “…It seems you really like him.”

Song Yu snuggled into the quilt, burrowing into the rabbit plushie’s embrace, bursting with happiness. “No need to repeatedly confirm, I definitely like him more than you do.”

Rong Shi: “…”

After the lights were out, Rong Shi lay on his side, facing away from Song Yu. They were going to A8 Satellite tomorrow. If he didn’t get enough rest tonight, he’d be even less able to sleep well at the competition. He knew this perfectly well, but Rong Shi just couldn’t sleep.

Rong Shi hesitated: “Hey, are you asleep?”

Song Yu’s voice was husky and lazy: “No.” 

In the dim light, visibility was hindered, but hearing was sharper than usual. Is his voice that pleasant? This thought kept flashing through Rong Shi’s mind.

Rong Shi: “I’ll allow you to sleep in my bed.” 

He was right there, what was the point of hugging a plushie substitute? Rong Shi couldn’t see his expression, but he clearly heard his voice turn cold.

“Go get treated if you’re sick.”

Rong Shi: “…”

Song Yu: “If you really can’t sleep, I can help by giving you a few punches.”

Rong Shi: “…”

---

The next morning, everyone gathered to head to the A8 arena. Qin Luo, with dark circles under his eyes, yawned endlessly. After a night’s sleep, he felt even worse. Song Yu looked at him in disgust: “Were you out stealing last night?”

Qin Luo’s eyes were glazed: “My roommate’s snoring got me.” Seeing Rong Shi approach, also looking like he hadn’t slept well, Qin Luo casually asked, “Chairman Rong didn’t sleep well either?”

Rong Shi: “Snoring got me.”

Song Yu: “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Qin Luo: “My brother snores too?”

Rong Shi: “Snores, grinds teeth, talks in his sleep.”

Qin Luo patted his shoulder sympathetically, looking like a fellow sufferer. “Brother, you’ve had it rough.”

Song Yu scoffed: “You’re listening to his lies.”

Rong Shi: “It’s true.”

Song Yu: “I don’t believe it.”

Rong Shi: “Then you sleep with me tonight. I’ll record my sleep-talking for you.”

Qin Luo: “…” Brother, don’t you feel like something’s off here?

It took only five hours from Capital Star to A8 Satellite. On the spacecraft, the team leaders from both schools announced the grouping information. This time, it was a free grouping method, where they could choose their own teammates, up to ten people. The fewer people, the higher the reward each person received after winning.

Liu Hong, Chen Chen, and the others were there just for fun, and Rong Shi and Song Yu had no interest in the rewards whatsoever. A group of them formed the “Salted Fish Squad.” Before even landing, the cabin was already discussing which animals tasted better grilled.

Rong Shi closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat, trying to catch up on sleep. 

Last night, after Song Yu fell asleep, let alone snoring, he didn’t even move a muscle. 

During new recruit training, Rong Shi had also eaten and lived with Song Yu for several days. At that time, he hadn’t felt anything, but now, every little thing bothered him. Was it really just because he was the little cat?

Liu Hong: “I wonder if there are any wild buffalo in the Class 3 danger zone? I’ve been wanting to try grilled wild buffalo for a long time.”

Chen Chen: “Yeah, wild boar meat should also be good. I even brought seasonings.”

Qin Luo: “I brought some too, hahaha, and double the antidote.”

The group chatted cheerfully about what to eat, not at all like they were there for a competition, but more like they were on a picnic.

Rong Shi: “The wild beasts in Class 3 danger zones are deadly poisonous.”

Everyone else: “…” Did we bring seasonings for nothing?

---

Entering the A8 atmosphere, all teams boarded small helicopters and descended to the ground. A8 was a planet specifically used for various survival competitions, with many strange mechanisms and traps. They also had to constantly guard against highly aggressive and poisonous Class 3 mutated beasts, making the difficulty very high. This time, their mission was simple: safely reach the designated target location, ranked by arrival order.

Rong Shi and his seven companions landed at the starting point. It was a maple forest, the ground covered with red maple leaves. Liu Hong and Hu Feng formed one group, Chen Chen and Old Bai formed another, and Rong Shi, Song Yu, and Qin Luo formed a third, first scouting the surrounding terrain. The wind blew, sending maple leaves dancing through the air.

Rong Shi finished surveying the terrain in his direction and turned to see Song Yu fiddling with tools, a red maple leaf resting on his golden hair. Just as his hand reached out, Song Yu grabbed his wrist, looking up with a wary expression: “What are you doing?”

Rong Shi: “You have something on your head. I’ll take it off for you.”

Song Yu narrowed his eyes and released his hand. Rong Shi took off the leaf, his hand touching soft hair, and casually ruffled Song Yu’s head. Although the little cat and Song Yu had no similarities, their hair was both soft and felt good to the touch.

“You damn—”

Qin Luo heard the commotion, turned his head, and saw the two fighting again.

Qin Luo: “…”