Alpha Li's eyes narrowed at Wang Yuan again because of his reaction.
Even though Xiao Feng didn't react outwardly and kept his posture steady, his astonishment rose with the same sudden intensity that flashed through Yuan.
"Alpha Wang Yuan, is there a problem with that?" Alpha Li asked, his voice deep, but carrying that unreadable tone he always used when he wanted to see past someone's words.
Nothing in his expression shifted. His features remained controlled, with no hint of irritation or amusement.
"No," Yuan answered, forcing his voice to sound calm even though the tension in his shoulders betrayed him for a second. "I didn't mean that it's a problem staying here. It's just that… I didn't expect, because I was not informed of that."
The attempt at composure was clear, but Xiao Feng could hear the strain that pushed beneath the surface of his words.
As Yuan spoke, Xiao Feng knew instantly that this wasn't the truth. He didn't even need to look twice. The reason behind Yuan's reaction was not simply the surprise of staying at the palace or the lack of prior notice.
That kind of surprise wouldn't have made Yuan freeze the way he had. That reaction had everything to do with the two of them, staying under the same roof.
The news got Xiao Feng off guard too, and it sent a rush of different emotions through him.
Fear rose first, crawling up from the back of his mind. It was the fear of everything he had been running from, the fear of what being near Wang Yuan did to him.
But right beneath it, tangled tightly, was a flicker of excitement that he wished he could tear out of himself.
He knew how dangerous that excitement was.
He should not feel anything even remotely close to that. That excitement could cost him everything. It could expose the secret they have kept between the two of them for three years.
And also, it could pull him away from the mission his father had sent him into when he was still too young to fully understand how heavy it would become. It was the same mission he had started years ago, the one that had already failed once because of Wang Yuan.
Sitting here now, Xiao Feng felt the possibility of failure closing in again, just as sharply as before, because Yuan was still part of the same world he was supposed to destroy.
Because even now, after so long, Xiao Feng still felt exactly what he had once felt for Yuan, and even stronger this time.
The same pull that had taken over his heart and crushed his purpose until the mission had fallen apart in his hands.
"I had discussed this with your fathers, and they thought it would be fine and effective if you two stayed around the palace. That way you can learn and prepare for leadership easily." Alpha Li explained, sitting down again.
"You are aware that after I decide to step down, you are going to lead alongside Yue Yue, and you are going to lead the whole empire." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in before he continued. "So don't you think it's effective that you stay around and learn early about this?"
"I think so. It's actually the best way to learn," Yuan answered immediately.
His voice steadied as he spoke, but Xiao Feng heard the way each word was shaped with effort.
Hearing that their fathers had been the ones to suggest this arrangement, Xiao Feng's mind sharpened, he knew with absolute certainty that it must have been his own father who insisted on it.
It made too much sense, keeping him close to the palace, close to the target, close to everything he was supposed to focus on.
Every time he thought of what he was sent to do always made something bitter rise inside him.
He forced himself to straighten his thoughts and concentrate on the moment. Allowing himself to think deeper about it would only pull him into bitterness and frustration he didn't want to acknowledge.
As Wang Yuan spoke and answered Alpha Li with that composed tone, Xiao Feng finally allowed himself, for the first time during this entire conversation, to look at him fully.
He turned his eyes toward him and felt a heavy, unwanted recognition press through his chest the moment he took in Yuan's appearance.
Wang Yuan had not aged even slightly. Three years had passed, yet nothing about him reflected time. He was twenty-three now, and Xiao Feng had just turned twenty-one.
The red robe he wore blended so perfectly with his skin that it was impossible not to notice the warmth it gave his features. His face was still unbearably attractive in the exact same way that had once made Xiao Feng lose every sense of direction he had.
His long black hair was styled and held in place with a pin, gleaming faintly under the lantern light. His bluish eyes still carried that same striking clarity, more beautiful than anything Xiao Feng had ever been able to compare them to.
His throat the same defined line, the subtle rise of his Adam's apple moving when he spoke and swallowed. And then there were his lips.
Xiao Feng's heart beat violently when his gaze dropped to them.
Their color had always been the one thing he could never forget. They looked soft, full, and impossibly inviting, resembling ripe raspberries in a way that always made him crave them more than he had ever admitted to himself.
Seeing them closely today pulled him back into sensations he had spent years trying to bury.
What was he doing?
The thought struck him sharply. He scolded himself, trying to pull his eyes away, but before he could turn his head, Alpha Li's voice cut through the room and snapped him back so quickly that it left a physical jolt in his chest.
"Xiao Feng…?"
"Yes?" His back straightened instantly, and his eyes snapped toward Alpha Li. His heart raced so hard that he felt it thudding against his ribs. For a moment he feared Alpha Li had noticed how longingly he had been staring at Yuan.
"You're too quiet. Is there something on your mind?"
"No. Not really." Xiao Feng answered with the same practiced calmness he used when he wanted to sound composed. His tone remained level, carrying politeness expected from a noble, even though nothing inside him felt calm at all.
"Well then. I do not want to keep you here with these boring talks. I get that you're tired. It's almost morning, the celebration is starting to slow down, and I'm sure in a few minutes everyone will be out. So I will have your guards and maids lead you to your residence," Alpha Li said, rising from his seat.
Both Yuan, Xiao Feng, and Li Yue stood as well. They followed Alpha Li out of the room. When they stepped outside, a line of maids stood waiting in orderly rows, with guards positioned behind them.
When the carriage was brought forward, Xiao Feng assumed for a moment that their residence must be far from where Alpha Li lived.
It followed the polished path that stretched across the palace grounds. The palace itself seemed to expand endlessly, occupying a space so large that even walking through it felt overwhelming.
But after less than a few minutes of moving through the lantern-lit grounds, the carriage stopped. Less than even five minutes.
The lanterns placed along the paths and around the houses cast enough light for them to see clearly. The glow made everything look breathtaking. When they stepped inside the residence, Xiao Feng felt the air change, the space radiated luxury in every direction.
Almost everything inside was made of gold or trimmed with it. The floors gleamed, the walls were polished, and the faint scent that drifted through the air was clean and refreshing.
It smelled faintly like Yuan's scent.
He only ever caught it once in a while, but he never forgot it. It was understandable, though. Alphas always kept absolute control over their bodies and their scents.
Unlike Omegas, whose scents easily spread everywhere, especially during heats, when their bodies were flooded with an overwhelming, uncontrollable sexual desire- someone hiding their identity, like Xiao Feng, had to take measures to constantly suppress their scent.
A maid led them down a hallway and opened the first door. "Luna Yue," she said respectfully, bowing slightly. "This is your room."
Li Yue stepped inside briefly, her eyes moving over the space. A faint smile tugged at her lips, showing she liked it even without saying anything.
They continued through another hallway where the maid showed Wang Yuan his room, then Xiao Feng's room next. Both were spacious and arranged with the same level of care and refinement.
Finally, the maid guided them up a staircase.
They climbed to the upper floor, where she led them to another door. This one was wider, and when she opened it, the room inside was larger than all the others. The bed alone was enormous, the kind of size that said exactly what the room was meant for without a single explanation.
No one needed to ask.
The purpose of the room was obvious the moment they saw it. The faint blush on the maid's face confirmed everything. She didn't speak this time. She bowed quickly, her face burning, and hurried out of the room, leaving the three of them standing in the center of the space, the meaning hanging heavily in the air around them.