“Who the hell is it? Hiding for this long and still not coming out—it’s driving me nuts with curiosity!”
Tao Ran let out a long, dramatic sigh. “That guy’s got some serious self-control. I’m dying to know who he is too!”
But Chi Zhan gleaned a much more useful piece of information from that outburst:
His Highness the Crown Prince would be arriving at the waiting room shortly.
Chi Zhan unscrewed the bottle cap and took a sip.
Water really did help take the edge off his nerves.
Naturally, the Crown Prince’s waiting room wouldn’t be anywhere near the students. It was completely private and, more importantly, outside the range of any surveillance cameras. In other words, as long as he managed to return the nameplate before the Crown Prince got back, he wouldn’t be found out.
Sneaky? Maybe. Unnecessary? Probably. But Chi Zhan would rather avoid a confrontation with His Highness altogether.
With someone as sharp as the Crown Prince, there was no doubt he’d already figured something out—he just hadn’t chosen to expose him publicly.
“I’m stepping out for a bit,” Chi Zhan said to Cen Chi. “I’ll be right back.”
Cen Chi gave a mild smile and nodded.
His gaze drifted to the water bottle Chi Zhan had been nervously squeezing out of shape. Thoughtful, he mused:
Did Chi Zhan have the nameplate?
He had overheard part of their exchange, but not enough to catch that detail. When had Chi Zhan managed to take it?
Snatching anything from that difficult-to-handle older brother of his wasn’t exactly child’s play.
And Chi Zhan’s expression—yeah, it was definitely hiding something.
The most obvious clue? He clearly didn’t want anyone to know he had the Crown Prince’s nameplate. But why?
Regardless, it was obvious where Chi Zhan was headed next.
Chi Zhan rose and left. Cen Chi stayed seated, twisting open another unopened bottle of water. He tipped his head back to drink, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly, pale gray eyes tracking Chi Zhan’s departure.
As expected.
Just as he was about to follow, Cen Chi suddenly paused.
Out of the corner of his eye… he caught sight of two familiar faces.
Those two from yesterday—the ones who seemed very interested in Chi Zhan.
Yeah, subtle surveillance wasn’t really his forte.
Chi Zhan sighed inwardly.
He must’ve acted on impulse, drugging the Crown Prince like that. Maybe it was those words—”Is that all you learned in school? Aside from a straight-up fight, you got no other tricks?”—that had stung his pride and driven him to do something so reckless.
Never again.
He walked against the flow of the crowd, skillfully avoiding the surveillance zones. With his agility, it was hardly a challenge.
Slipping inside the waiting room unnoticed was simple enough, especially with all the people around to cover his movements.
The room was luxurious, decorated like a ballroom. Soft curtains created a series of private alcoves, clearly reserved for former royal members. Chi Zhan had planned to just drop off the nameplate and leave, but just as he turned to go, voices echoed from the doorway.
“If my dear gege finds out I stole his toy, he’ll probably lose his mind,” said a brash, arrogant voice dripping with aristocratic disdain. “But hey, we’re brothers. Having similar taste is only natural, right?”
That voice…
“Your Highness, even so, isn’t it a bit too forward to just waltz in without notifying the Crown Prince? If he complains to the old emperor, things could get ugly.”
“What’s the big deal? Father doesn’t even like him much anymore. Sure, he’s good at war, but charming people? Zhou Yanxing’s got a long way to go. If not for his military talents, would he even be Crown Prince? Who wins or loses—that’s still up in the air.”
Chi Zhan darted into one of the curtained alcoves just in time, heart pounding in his chest.
That voice belonged to the Second Prince, Zhou Yi.
Unlike his elder brother, Zhou Yi was known for his decadent, indulgent ways. Who would’ve thought he harbored ambitions to challenge the Crown Prince for the throne?
So the rumors weren’t all baseless—Moy being courted by the Second Prince wasn’t entirely fiction.
Footsteps echoed clearly against the polished floor, each step amplified by the glossy tiles. And from the sound of it, they weren’t alone.
“Will you wait here for His Highness, or go meet that Omega first?”
“I’ll greet my dear brother first. Sooner or later, we’ll—wait, what was that noise?” Zhou Yi suddenly halted, eyes narrowing suspiciously. “Is someone in here?”
The curtains were only semi-transparent. They didn’t fully conceal the silhouette inside. Chi Zhan instinctively backed up, scanning for an exit. But his heel caught on a discarded ashtray someone had left on the floor, and the soft clatter gave him away.
Chi Zhan pressed a hand to his forehead.
“……”
Such a rookie mistake.
“The Crown Prince hasn’t arrived yet. There shouldn’t be anyone inside,” the attendant replied. “Could Your Highness have misheard?”
Zhou Yi’s gaze locked onto one of the curtained alcoves.
“Looks like a little rat snuck in while no one was watching. Heard something it shouldn’t have. What do you think—how should we deal with it?”
The footsteps drew nearer, slow and deliberate, as if savoring the rising tension. They stopped just short of the curtain.
“If you come out now, I’ll spare your life.”
Things were quickly spiraling out of control.
Chi Zhan hadn’t meant any harm, but sneaking into the royal waiting room was serious enough on its own. And the conversation he’d overheard…
That was royal family business—stuff he had absolutely no right to know.
What now?
His hand crept toward his particle sword, fingers curling around the hilt.
The weapons issued for the military exercise hadn’t been collected yet.
There were at least five or six people outside. Could he win? Maybe. But he’d definitely be seen. And laying a hand on a royal was a crime.
What if he used the knockout agent again? Quick movements, the curtain as cover…
But if they had guns?
At this distance, there’d be no dodging a shot.
