Chi Zhan buried his face in the crook of his arm and gave a muffled hum.
“I’m trying.”
It was the first time Cen Chi had ever heard someone phrase it like that. He couldn’t help but chuckle. Leaning forward to focus on locating the sample points, he suddenly caught the faintest trace of something unusual—woven into the sharp tang of the alcohol from the spray, something subtle, almost like an illusion.
Cen Chi frowned slightly. Chi Zhan didn’t seem to notice, so he leaned in again and inhaled.
This time, there was no mistaking it.
Cen Chi was certain—it was the Crown Prince’s pheromone.
But why… why would it be on Chi Zhan?
***
Chi Zhan lay face down on the bed, the muscles of his back taut. Years of intense training had given his body clean, defined lines. It was the fear of the unknown that gnawed at him—especially with a needle like that, long and sharp, intimidating just to look at.
But the expected sting never came.
Unable to help himself, Chi Zhan turned his head slightly to peek. Just then, a cool sensation brushed his shoulder. It felt like a cotton swab dipped in chilled alcohol, passing lightly over his skin with the gentleness of a breeze brushing through leaves.
Every movement was painstakingly careful.
Yet the room felt too quiet. Only the soft mechanical hum of the device broke the silence, which somehow made the tension worse.
“The school was buzzing today,” Cen Chi said mildly, his voice breaking the stillness. “Everyone’s talking about how the Crown Prince personally came to oversee the secretary selection. He even stopped by the Etiquette Division.” He paused briefly, then added, “People are guessing he’ll choose a beautiful Omega as his secretary.”
Historically, the royal secretary corps had been made up entirely of Omegas. The previous Crown Prince had lived a life of decadence, tangled in affairs with his secretaries—it was a well-known, unspoken truth.
But the current Crown Prince… he was different.
Chi Zhan objected silently. Would the former Crown Prince have ever led a fleet into battle himself? He’d reviewed the combat footage from that day dozens of times. The Prince’s tactical skills had stunned even the Academy’s instructors—his maneuvers were textbook-perfect, worthy of being immortalized in the curriculum. Someone that disciplined and precise could never be a frivolous philanderer.
He didn’t respond aloud, but Cen Chi easily picked up on the faint furrow between Chi Zhan’s brows and the subtle tension in his lips.
His eyes darkened slightly, but his voice remained light.
“Besides, the Crown Prince is at the age where his first susceptibility period could hit at any moment. If he doesn’t take a consort soon, his pheromones could spiral out of control. His mental strength might even suffer.”
“…Really?”
Chi Zhan didn’t know much about Alpha physiology, but it sounded serious.
If the Crown Prince truly intended to pick an Omega, then why had he said those things to him? But… he never actually said he would choose him. Maybe those words had just been meant as encouragement.
While Chi Zhan was lost in thought, he suddenly felt a sharp prick in his shoulder. It wasn’t unbearable, but his body tensed instinctively.
“Deep breaths. Relax,” Cen Chi said gently. “If you’re too tense, I won’t be able to extract a proper sample.”
Chi Zhan obeyed, inhaling and exhaling slowly. Just then, he felt Cen Chi’s fingers slide down to his lower back.
The muscles beneath his skin tensed again.
Cen Chi didn’t rush him. He simply spoke again, casually.
“Though it’s not certain. Students from the Intelligence Academy are quite popular with the royal court too. They’re trained in multiple disciplines, and in a place like the palace—where one wrong move could get you killed—that kind of caution is invaluable.”
“The Crown Prince did visit our division today and watched part of the assessment,” Chi Zhan said, puzzled. “But… why would the palace be dangerous? Isn’t it supposed to be the safest place?”
“Just rumors. Idle gossip, really. Who knows what’s true or not?” Cen Chi’s eyes lowered, his lashes casting a faint, unreadable shadow. “But based on what you’ve said… you must’ve met the Crown Prince today, haven’t you?”
Chi Zhan didn’t know why, but he suddenly felt a flicker of caution. Although his new roommate seemed warm and gentle, something about his question felt… probing.
It’s probably just my imagination.
After a moment, Chi Zhan said vaguely, “Just happened to run into him.”
Cen Chi caught the evasiveness in his tone, but didn’t press further.
Chi Zhan’s skin was already pale to begin with, and his upper body, rarely exposed to sunlight, was smooth as porcelain. But as Cen Chi worked, he spotted an abnormal patch of bruising on his lower back. Pressing it lightly, Chi Zhan winced with a soft hiss, then fell silent.
It was a bruise from blunt force impact.
Injuries like these were common at the military academy, part and parcel of student life. But among his fellow cadets—most of whom were rough around the edges—Chi Zhan’s body stood out… unusually delicate.
“Hurts? You should’ve scheduled a treatment session after your assessment. Healing sprays only work for surface wounds.”
Of course Chi Zhan knew that.
But the treatment device wasn’t covered by the academy—it was an extra expense, and a single session cost nearly half a month’s meal allowance. It wasn’t serious anyway, and he was still young. He’d heal quickly.
“Mm… it’s fine. Doesn’t hurt that much,” Chi Zhan murmured. “I’ll be okay.”
Out of his line of sight, Cen Chi studied him with a curious gaze, clearly deep in thought.
Since moving into the dorms, he hadn’t paid much attention to his two roommates. One was always noisy, the other extremely quiet. He hadn’t formed much of an impression.
But now, at such close range, Cen Chi realized something—Chi Zhan was actually very good-looking. Not the kind of face that dazzled at first glance, but more like an ancient wine sealed deep in a cellar. It was only when the cork was popped that its intoxicating aroma revealed itself.
He had a gentle temperament. And he was… very pure.
But he was just a Beta.
He couldn’t emit pheromones. He couldn’t soothe someone during susceptibility. He couldn’t even mark a partner—only leave behind traces of his scent, like a child pretending at adulthood.
Had he really become so careless in his actions?
Still, if he was a Beta, he wouldn’t be able to detect the Crown Prince’s pheromones. Only a nearby Omega or Alpha could.
