CHAPTER 75: SCANDAL

Yu Xi and Jian Ci left the lab together, their footsteps fading down the corridor. The silence that followed was heavy, filled with unspoken thoughts. Jian Wei and Jian Rui exchanged a look, both of them reading the tension in the other’s eyes.

"He’s hiding something, isn’t he?" Jian Rui finally said, his voice low.

Jian Wei sighed. "Something definitely happened last night. Do you want to talk to him?"

Jian Rui rubbed his face, weariness etched into his movements. "No. If it’s important, he will tell us. I just don’t want him to feel like he can’t have privacy."

"I get it," Jian Wei replied. "And Ah-Ci... he seems to be doing way better."

Jian Rui nodded reluctantly. "He does. But I can’t shake the feeling that something is going to go wrong."

Jian Wei patted his shoulder. "Brother, your gut isn’t as accurate as science. And the science says it’s working."

"I hope you are right," Jian Rui muttered. "Otherwise Mum will kill you if you kill her precious baby."

The words made Jian Wei’s blood run cold. "I will make him run another test," he said quickly.

Jian Rui chuckled, following him out of the lab. Just as they reached the kitchen, Jian Ci’s voice rang out, sharp and startled. "Shit!"

Jian Rui froze, then hurried forward. "What? What happened?" he demanded as he stepped inside, bracing himself for whatever chaos awaited.

Jian Wei laughed so hard he nearly doubled over, pointing at the floating screen. "You let yourself be seen with a guide alone! Ah-Ci, you’ve done it now."

Jian Rui’s brow furrowed as he studied the footage. The video was high definition—so sharp that if one looked closely, they could even make out Jian Ci’s eye colour. It wasn’t just one clip either. There was a sequence of him and Alarna standing close, their posture and expressions making them look like a perfect couple. Another showed Alarna hugging Jian Ci, her arms wrapped around him with an intimacy that left little room for doubt.

It was everywhere on Starnet. Headlines blared across the feeds, dripping with scandal: The Tenth Prince in Love—Are There Wedding Bells Soon?

"What the fuck do they mean by in love?" Jian Ci snapped, his voice rising. "I barely know that girl. Fuck!"

Yu Xi stood silently, his chest rising and falling with uneven breaths. His fingers curled into fists, nails digging into his palms as though the pain could numb the storm inside him.

Jian Wei’s laughter faded into a scowl. "Is it that old bastard who orchestrated this?"

Jian Rui shook his head. "No, I checked. Lord Leung has no allegiance to him. He thinks he’s clever, but he’s funding a resistance group in Xeravine while secretly extracting their minerals. If Father knew about it, he would be furious."

"Fuck, what do I do now?" Jian Ci groaned, pacing back and forth, his hair a mess from running his hands through it.

Jian Wei smirked from the couch. "Just get married. You always wanted a happy family, didn’t you?"

Jian Ci lunged at him, furious. Jian Wei burst out laughing and bolted across the room. "You had the balls to say that, so why are you running now?" Jian Ci shouted, chasing him.

Meanwhile, Jian Rui muttered under his breath, "I will have a talk with him." He lifted his head, scanning the room and froze. Yu Xi was gone. His figure had vanished without a sound, leaving only the faint echo of his footsteps.

Startled, Jian Rui looked around, but Jian Ci and Jian Wei were too busy wrestling and shouting to notice. He was about to go and look for Yu Xi when his communicator buzzed.

The name flashing across the screen made his stomach tighten. It was his father.

Jian Rui gritted his teeth, quickly activating his psychic shield so the chaos in the background wouldn’t bleed through. He straightened his posture, smoothing his expression into something polite, harmless, and obedient.

He accepted the call. "Father," he said evenly.

The imperial Lord’s image appeared before him—shirtless, lounging in a steaming bath. A woman stood behind him, massaging his shoulders, while his eyes gleamed with cold amusement.

Thaurion wasted no time with pleasantries. His voice was sharp, cutting through the haze of steam curling around him. "Your brother and Lord Leung’s daughter, is it a thing?"

Jian Rui kept his tone even, though his jaw tightened. "No. They barely know each other."

Thaurion exhaled a long stream of smoke, the curl of it twisting like a serpent in the air. "Barely know each other? I heard this isn’t their first private rendezvous."

Jian Rui shook his head. "Last time they met by chance."

Thaurion’s eyes narrowed, but he nodded slowly. "Deal with the rumors. And after you are done, tell that brat that if he wants to date someone, I should preapprove it."

Jian Rui clenched his fist, his hand hidden from view. He knew exactly why his father was saying this. Thaurion feared alliances—feared that Jian Ci might one day tie himself to a powerful family and use that bond to dethrone him. It wouldn’t be the first time a prince had overthrown his father.

Thaurion himself was rumoured to have murdered his own father, suppressing the chosen heir in the process. He would never admit it, but the ghost of Crown Blade haunted him still. And deep down, Jian Rui knew his father’s greatest fear: that the sons of Seraphyne might one day revive Crown Blade, and exact the revenge.

Thaurion’s voice was cold, final, and absolute. "None of you are allowed to choose your partners without my consent." His image flickered once before the call cut off, leaving silence in his wake.

Jian Rui stood rigid, chest heaving, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles whitened. The air around him seemed to vibrate with suppressed fury.

Seraphyne appeared beside him, her presence soft yet urgent. "We need to initiate our plan. We can’t keep delaying anymore."

Jian Rui’s teeth ground together. "He has taken everything from us, yet he won’t let us go," he said, voice low and trembling with rage.

Seraphyne lowered her gaze. "I am sorry. I failed you."

Jian Rui turned, his eyes red, burning with fury. "Don’t apologise, you didn’t fail us." He strode toward the door. "Ru" Seraphyne called after him.

"I need time to calm the fuck down," Jian Rui snapped, his voice raw.

Seraphyne stood frozen, at a loss, watching him disappear down the corridor.

Meanwhile, Yu Xi sat alone in the simulator room, the glow of his floating screen casting pale light across his face