Chi Yao had come into contact with a motley crew of people and had attended his fair share of cocktail parties, but this was the first time he had attended one among nobles. It felt like being trapped in a magnificent birdcage.

Upon entering the main hall, Jing Xi released the magnetic lock on their bracelets.

Li Bo was chatting and laughing with several high-ranking officials alongside his father.

The moment he saw Chi Yao enter, Li Bo’s expression changed instantly.

“How did he get in here?!”

Li Bo’s father, busy with the officials, hadn’t noticed. Hearing his son say he was going to greet other guests, he nodded in agreement.

“So you’ve graced us with your presence today?” Li Bo said, walking up to Jing Xi with a wine glass. “This is your first time at my family’s party, isn’t it?”

Nobles held parties every other day, but Jing Xi was usually not on the Capital Star. Even when he was, he would decline if he could.

Jing Xi replied coolly, “Grandfather had a chess match with an old friend and couldn’t make it, so I had to come in his place.”

Playing chess was more important than attending his family’s party?

Hearing this, Li Bo’s face darkened further.

“You came, fine, but why did you bring your supervision subject along?” Li Bo’s gaze swept over Chi Yao, his disdain unconcealed. “This is a private party.”

No matter how many times he was checked, they couldn’t find what Chi Yao had injected him with, leaving Li Bo in a constant state of irritation and panic.

Chi Yao gave him a nonchalant glance. “What, are you saying I can’t be here?”

The three of them stood at the entrance, and with Chi Yao and Jing Xi being so conspicuous, they quickly drew the attention of others, including the officials who had been speaking with Li Bo’s father.

Li Bo’s father, still smiling, followed their gazes. The smile on his face twisted instantly.

That Jing family brat dared to bring such a lowly star pirate in here? He was trampling the Li family’s face on the ground!

“Isn’t that Chi Yao from Extreme Shadow?”

The officials began to talk amongst themselves.

“My apologies, a small issue has come up. Please excuse me for a moment.” Li Bo’s father apologized profusely before turning and stalking angrily towards them.

Not only was Chi Yao a star pirate, but he had also kidnapped his son! For such a person to appear at a celebratory party was the ultimate irony!

“What’s going on?!” Li Bo’s father beckoned the butler at the door. “Didn’t I tell you to check the invitations? Why are you letting just anyone in?!”

The butler was baffled by the scolding.

“I have already checked the invitations.”

“I’m talking about this star pirate!”

Li Bo’s father pointed his chin at Chi Yao. In such a formal setting, this gesture was not only rude but also showed extreme disrespect.

Jing Xi frowned, his face showing displeasure.

“He has an invitation.”

“How could he possibly have one?” Li Bo scoffed.

The group of young masters and ladies who had followed Chi Yao and Jing Xi in were also stunned.

Chi Yao had come without an invitation?

“I was just wondering why the Li family was being so generous all of a sudden. Turns out they weren’t.”

“I was thinking the same. What’s the big deal? It’s not like it’s a super important party.”

“Kicking someone out to their face is so classless, isn’t it? Chi Yao hasn’t even done anything.”

The whispers of the younger generation made Li Bo’s father’s face turn crimson.

It would have been one thing if it were anyone else crashing the party, but this was the criminal who had kidnapped his son!

“Why don’t you just check if I have an invitation or not?” Chi Yao said unhurriedly. “But with this kind of attitude from the Li family, I’m not really in the mood anymore.”

While they were talking, the butler handed the invitation to Li Bo’s father.

Li Bo’s father glanced at it and nearly had an existential crisis.

The young man General Pei mentioned was actually Chi Yao?!

Li Bo leaned over to look and froze as well.

The father and son were suffocating from embarrassment. However, seeing Chi Yao, everyone else showed basic courtesy, especially the high-ranking officials, who even took the initiative to strike up a conversation.

“You are indeed different from other star pirates I’ve met.”

“I watched your interview. The philosophy is very novel. Perhaps you can subvert the image of the words ‘star pirate’ in the minds of the common people.”

“If the entire star pirate circle could be rectified, this would be a powerful force to protect the empire. Shall we have a chat sometime?”

Jing Xi’s gaze swept over them. These three were all key members of the council. After the military elections concluded, the council would also face a major election next year.

And Chi Yao had undoubtedly become a prize in their eyes.

These people, who had been in high positions for years, cared most not about the “people’s livelihood,” but about “political achievements.”

To them, it didn’t matter if Chi Yao was a murderer. As long as he could add to their political achievements, everything was negotiable.

Seeing that even the high officials looked upon Chi Yao favorably, the Li family father and son could only swallow their anger.

Chi Yao had never cared about politics, so naturally, he didn’t recognize any of them.

All he saw were old men.

And he hated old men the most.

“Sorry, I’m here to have fun today,” Chi Yao said with a flippant smile. “Let’s talk about these headaches later, shall we?”

The Li father and son, listening from the side, could hardly believe it.

Daring to speak like that, did this star pirate think he owned the sky?!

As they were talking, another person entered through the door.

Chi Yao glanced over, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The newcomer wore a brown suit with a snow-white silk shirt, the open collar revealing a hint of collarbone.

This male omega was their target—Ruan Lingyun.

Whether by coincidence or because Chi Yao was just that conspicuous, the other person looked over at the same time, their eyes meeting across the crowd.

Chi Yao’s lips curved up, and he gave a slight nod as a greeting.

The other person was taken aback, and a blush quickly spread across his cheeks.

The party began, and the Li father and son had to give an opening speech.

Chi Yao leaned against the wall with a glass of wine, standing in a corner of the crowd, observing Ruan Lingyun’s movements from the corner of his eye.

He had no interest in the political figures; so far, he had only greeted military officers.

When Li Bo faced him, his expression seemed a bit unnatural.

After the opening speech, a flock of young ladies and masters came to ask Chi Yao and Jing Xi to dance.

Jing Xi had a perennial ice-cold face, and being more beautiful than them, most people didn’t dare to even get close, let alone ask for a dance; they would stutter just trying to speak to him.

But Chi Yao was different. Although he had a strong presence, he always had a smile on his face, giving people the illusion that he was easy to get along with.

Jing Xi said expressionlessly, “Sorry, I don’t know how to dance.”

Chi Yao: “…”

At least make up a believable lie.

Listening to these people chattering, Chi Yao noticed something out of the corner of his eye and looked over.

Ruan Lingyun had accepted an invitation from a military officer and stepped onto the dance floor, but his gaze was directed here.

Chi Yao gave a slight nod, and the other person smiled shyly, a dimple appearing for a fleeting moment.

“So Mr. Chi likes that type.”

The young masters and ladies in their twenties around him noticed his gaze and became sour.

“Isn’t that the famous social butterfly? My father even invited him to our house as a guest. I think he sells arms.”

“His methods are quite something. A bullet that costs 20 star coins, he sells for 25, and they still sell like hotcakes.”

“With that face, it’s hard for any alpha to resist, right?”

“You all know a lot about him?” Chi Yao chuckled lightly.

Seeing him take the initiative to ask, these people completely opened up.

Jing Xi looked at Chi Yao chatting with a group of people on the sofa and simply moved further away.

There were many people at the party, many of whom were Jing Xi’s colleagues.

Without exception, all who came to greet him cast him a pitying look.

Huang Hao came over after finishing his dance, casually picked up a glass of champagne, and leaned against the windowsill with Jing Xi.

“Aren’t you going to manage him?”

Jing Xi’s brow twitched. “Why should I manage him?”

Huang Hao: “A little later, and those kids are going to have their hearts stolen by the big bad wolf.”

Jing Xi: “…”

Jing Xi: “What does that have to do with me?”

“You’re still so cold.”

Huang Hao clicked his tongue and shook his head, looking to the other side. He nudged Jing Xi, signaling for him to look. “That’s Ruan Lingyun from Xingbang Arms. Have you bought arms from him?”

Jing Xi glanced at Ruan Lingyun, who was chatting with someone, and shook his head. “It’s too much trouble to buy from others. Have you?”

Huang Hao: “He approached me for a while. Good-looking and smells good, I almost couldn’t hold back.”

The attraction between alphas and omegas is natural.

Jing Xi glanced at Chi Yao and asked casually, “So how did you hold back?”

Huang Hao leaned closer to his ear and lowered his voice, “I heard that sleeping with him for one night requires placing a 1 billion star coin arms order. I went soft.”

Jing Xi: “…”

Huang Hao smacked his lips with a lecherous look.

“But his scent is really special. I’ve never encountered an omega with such an attractive pheromone. Could it be that my compatibility with him is very high?”

Everyone’s pheromone scent and intensity are different. The higher the pheromone compatibility between an AO, the stronger the sexual attraction.

There’s no such thing as compatibility between AAs, but the higher the pheromone intensity, the stronger the repulsion.

Jing Xi thought about his last susceptible period. If Chi Yao hadn’t controlled his own pheromones so well, they might have fought incessantly.

Chi Yao was trying to get information, but his attention was always on Jing Xi.

The other person was chatting about something, getting so close to someone else.

“Chi Yao, you like Ruan Lingyun?” an omega young master asked.

Chi Yao came back to his senses and smiled, “He’s quite my type.”

The omega young master secretly pointed backward and said in a low voice, “Then if you don’t make a move, someone else will get him first.”

Chi Yao looked up and saw Ruan Lingyun walking towards the garden with a uniformed alpha.

After seeing the direction they were heading, Chi Yao smiled apologetically at them. “Sorry, I have to excuse myself.”

As it turned out, these innocent kids even gave him a thumbs-up gesture.

Chi Yao placed a finger to his lips, making a shushing gesture. “Don’t tell anyone, okay?”

The kids nodded, their faces flushed red, their eyes sparkling as they watched him leave.

“Ah—! He’s so handsome!”

“Jing Xi is obviously much prettier than that Ruan whatever.”

“Even if he’s straight, I don’t have a chance, boo-hoo—”

Chi Yao used the excuse of going to the restroom and took a detour to the back garden.

The Li family’s garden was huge, with stretches of hedge walls.

At night, it was easy for someone with a poor sense of direction to get lost.

Chi Yao wandered for ten minutes but still couldn’t find Ruan Lingyun.

Was he taken outside?

Walking past a hedge wall, he faintly heard a gasp.

Chi Yao frowned and moved over silently.

By a small fountain surrounded by hedge walls, Ruan Lingyun was kissing the uniformed alpha passionately.

From the looks of their disheveled clothes, it seemed they were planning more than just kissing.

Chi Yao waited for two minutes, his ears filled with Ruan Lingyun’s panting.

Losing patience, he stepped on a leaf, intentionally making a rustling sound.

A flustered sound immediately came from inside.

Soon, the uniformed alpha strode out, quickly tidying his messy shirt and hurrying away.

Ruan Lingyun followed but didn’t rush to leave. Instead, he walked straight towards Chi Yao.

“Did I interrupt your business?”

Chi Yao leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, not at all surprised that he had come over.

“What a nasty thing to say,” Ruan Lingyun said, brushing the hair from his shoulders with a light laugh. “I didn’t expect Mr. Chi to be a prankster.”

Chi Yao looked down as he approached.

The omega before him had good features, and now he was exuding a lazy, sexy aura.

His flushed cheeks, slender white neck, and the sweet pheromone scent that rushed to his nose were all full of temptation.

This omega knew how to use his advantages.

“My meaning is that the officer looked very willing to buy your arms,” Chi Yao smiled. “I’ve always heard that the quality of your arms is top-notch. I wonder if you’re willing to cooperate with a weak group like us?”

Ruan Lingyun leaned against him and chuckled softly. “Mr. Chi is too modest. Even an outsider like me knows Extreme Shadow’s reputation in the star pirate circle. If you want to cooperate, Xingbang would be more than happy.”

Chi Yao looked at him: “I don’t want to cooperate with Xingbang, I want to cooperate with you.”

Ruan Lingyun was taken aback, then smiled and put his arm on his. “How do you want to cooperate?”

Chi Yao glanced at his hand: “This is not the place to talk. Shall we set a time to chat?”

“Alright, but—” Ruan Lingyun tapped the bracelet on his wrist. “Can you move freely?”

Chi Yao scoffed: “If I can’t even deal with a small thing like this, how can I get by?”

When Chi Yao left, Jing Xi noticed.

But when he was about to follow, he was stopped by the group of young ladies and masters.

“Major General Jing, Mr. Chi has gone to pursue his happiness. You should wait for a moment.”

“What would you like to eat? I’ll get it for you!”

“With the wireless handcuffs on, he can’t run away.”

“You’ve been working hard all night. Sit down and rest.”

Jing Xi: “…”

It wasn’t hard to guess what Chi Yao had told them, but pursuing happiness?

Jing Xi narrowed his eyes, his face growing even colder.

The young ladies and masters had gathered their courage to stop him, but now seeing his expression change, they didn’t dare say anything more.

When Jing Xi found Chi Yao, he saw the disheveled Ruan Lingyun pressed against him, seeming to be about to kiss his neck.

Jing Xi’s steps faltered, his hands by his side tightening into fists.

If Chi Yao didn’t refuse, it would be useless even if he stopped him a million times.

He turned around and left silently.

Just pretend he didn’t see.

As long as Chi Yao stayed by his side, it was enough.

But after taking only one step, Jing Xi’s steps faltered again.

Pretend he didn’t see—impossible!

His eyes grew cold, and he turned and strode towards them.

“Mr. Ruan, the stench of alpha on you is so strong,” Chi Yao said, pushing Ruan Lingyun away and fanning the air. “I’m about to suffocate from the smell.”

Ruan Lingyun’s face stiffened.

Jing Xi’s steps faltered.

Chi Yao looked down at Ruan Lingyun: “You should go take a shower. As for the cooperation, we can schedule another time?”

Ruan Lingyun forced a stiff smile: “Alright.”

“Then I’ll be leaving.” Chi Yao put his hands in his pockets, leaving Ruan Lingyun alone and flustered in the wind, and left just like that.

Back in the hall, Chi Yao saw Jing Xi sitting in a corner eating cake and felt upset.

Did this guy not care about him at all?

Feeling wronged, Chi Yao wanted to find a punching bag.

He looked around the hall and quickly locked onto his target.

To avoid remembering being kidnapped, Li Bo had been trying his best to avoid Jing Xi and Chi Yao. He didn’t expect Chi Yao to come looking for him.

“Major General Li’s skills are exquisite. I’ll find you again next time I need them.”

Chi Yao clinked glasses with him and drank his own drink.

Li Bo’s face was dark, but he didn’t dare to lash out in front of everyone, so he could only swallow his anger.

Suddenly, a sweet scent wafted into his nose, and his face darkened.

“The Capital Star is really a good place. Even the omegas are sweeter and more delicious than those outside,” Chi Yao leaned close to his ear and chuckled lightly. “Sorry for using your back garden, but he was really too hot. It’s hard for any alpha to resist, right?”

After he finished speaking, he heard a soft click.

The wine glass in Li Bo’s hand had broken.

Getting the desired effect, Chi Yao walked away coolly.

He grabbed a plate of desserts on his way past the dessert table and sat down next to Jing Xi to eat.

“Is it good?” Chi Yao hummed.

Jing Xi finished his food unhurriedly and took a sip of tea.

“The stench of omega on you is too strong. You should go take a shower first.”

Chi Yao: “…”

By the time the party ended, it was almost dawn when they got home.

Chi Yao rubbed his sore temples, feeling irritable.

“What’s wrong? Not feeling well?” Jing Xi pulled his hand away to check his forehead. His temperature was normal.

Chi Yao took the opportunity to hug him, burying his face in his shoulder.

“Headache.”

“How many glasses of wine did you drink tonight?” Jing Xi held him and walked step by step towards the bedroom bathroom.

“Didn’t even finish one glass.” Chi Yao inhaled the scent of his body. “It’s that person’s pheromones. I feel sick after smelling them.”

“Ruan Lingyun?” Jing Xi frowned. “Why would you feel sick?”

Between an AO, even if the pheromone compatibility was low, it would only mean not much attraction, not to the point of feeling sick after smelling it.

“I don’t know, maybe it’s mixed with too many alpha pheromones. Smelling too much makes me want to puke,” Chi Yao’s voice was muffled.

Jing Xi: “…”

He thought it would get better after a shower, but Chi Yao’s head started to feel dizzy.

Jing Xi pulled him to lie down and massaged his head.

“If it still hurts before bed, I’ll go get you a suppressant.”

“Mmm.”

Chi Yao pillowed his head on his thigh and opened his terminal.

As soon as he switched to a page, strange panting sounds came from inside.

Jing Xi’s fingers twitched: “…What is this?”

“The listening device I installed on Li Bo,” Chi Yao smiled.

[Didn’t you promise you wouldn’t seduce anyone else?!]

Li Bo’s angry voice came from inside.

[I didn’t—nothing happened—ah!]

[Who else to provoke but that Chi Yao! What, you think he’s better than me?]

[How can he compare to you?]

The sounds were unbearable, making Jing Xi’s scalp tingle.

“Li Bo and Ruan Lingyun are lovers?”

“Secret lovers,” Chi Yao added. “Obviously, Li Bo doesn’t want anyone to know about this relationship.”

There was too little useful information, so they both couldn’t help but listen attentively.

When they came to their senses, they looked at each other, and the air suddenly froze.

In the middle of the night, two alpha lovers listening to an omega’s moans—what was this?

Chi Yao turned off the monitor, cleared his somewhat dry throat, and sat up: “We’ll talk about it next time we see him. Go to sleep.”

Jing Xi glanced at his slightly uncomfortable expression: “Your head doesn’t hurt anymore?”

Chi Yao pulled him to the bedroom: “I can bear it.”

Lying in bed, the two stared at the ceiling, neither of them feeling sleepy.

“Chi Yao.”

“Hmm?”

Jing Xi’s voice was low: “If one day, you feel that omegas are better after all, you have to tell me.”

Chi Yao turned his head to look over.

In the darkness, Jing Xi looked into his eyes: “I will beat you until you change your mind.”

Chi Yao: “…………”

This wife was more violent than him.

Chi Yao held his hand, their fingers intertwined.

“I won’t give you a chance to hit me.”

Jing Xi: “But you were clearly moved just now.”

Being found out, Chi Yao was a little embarrassed.

“Hearing that kind of sound, any normal alpha would have thoughts.”

Jing Xi’s voice was calm: “I didn’t.”

Day after day, so much jealousy.

So cute he could die.

Chi Yao pulled the person over and hugged him.

“But I was thinking of you in my mind—”