Noah Causes Trouble Again

The flowers Shi Sheng had planted in Carlos's garden had already begun to bud.

But at this moment, he did not think of those flowers.

He felt guilty toward everyone for using such an extreme method as starving himself to force Elaine to return.

But he was too exhausted. Before he could find Merico and the others to apologize, he fell deeply asleep in Elaine's arms.

Elaine did not put Shi Sheng back under the covers. Instead, he held him as he sat on the sofa, letting the Omega's soft cheek rest against his neck.

It reminded him of the battlefield many years ago, when he had carried Shi Sheng back.

Yes, he had not yet told Shi Sheng that he was not the only one who still remembered their first meeting that year.

When Elaine dug through the mountain of corpses and found him, the little Omega's face was filthy. His lips were pursed, tears hung at the corners of his eyes, yet his eyes were as clear and beautiful as amber beneath the sunlight.

When he carried the child out, Elaine thought of Yumian. In truth, after his younger brother was born, he had held him only a handful of times. That gentle yet somewhat neurotic stepmother had guarded her youngest child closely.

Elaine had not had much inclination to care about a child who could so easily be strangled to death.

So when he held Shi Sheng, his movements had actually been somewhat clumsy, merely concealed by the calm expression on his face.

Shi Sheng had been a soft little bundle, chattering away like a little bird.

He wrapped his arms around Elaine's neck as though hugging a utility pole, wanting to know this older brother's name.

Elaine thought that once the child truly knew who he was, he would cry and run away.

So until he returned Shi Sheng to the anxious couple, Elaine never told him his name or surname.

He watched Shi Sheng run back into his mother's arms, where she tearfully kissed him again and again and asked whether he was hurt.

Before Shi Sheng could turn back to look for him, Elaine turned and left.

At that moment, he had thought Shi Sheng was a child dearly loved by his family.

An Omega like that was destined to have only an accidental and brief crossing of paths with Carlos. Perhaps this would be their only encounter in this lifetime.

But another year later, the Galactic Legion had already been established.

As Elaine hurried out of the capital on his mechanical warhorse, he passed through the broad streets of the central district.

A red-haired boy followed behind a vaguely familiar noblewoman, still chattering away about something.

Elaine merely gave them another glance.

And immediately saw that something was wrong.

Inside the car they had gotten out of was another face identical to Shi Sheng's.

That red-haired child had been left alone in the car, quietly watching his mother take the other child farther away.

He sat obediently, and when he looked up, his eyes met Elaine's.

When Elaine began having people investigate Shi Sheng, the information delivered to him came as a surprise.

His fingers brushed over the skin of the Omega's neck, pausing lightly beneath his throat.

Elaine's golden eyes turned cold.

What exactly had caused Shi Sheng to lose his ability to speak?

He did not believe it was some illness. If it had merely been a short-term sickness, Shi Sheng would not have been so skilled at using sign language and a voice synthesizer.

The Shi family had actually concealed it so well.

The person in his arms suddenly stirred.

Elaine lowered his head, took Shi Sheng's hand, and leaned close to his ear to soothe him softly.

"I'm here. Go to sleep."

Inside the Imperial Palace.

Orderly footsteps approached the room.

Noah stood inside, tugging nervously at the curtains, forcing himself to think through the repeated motion.

Not long ago, a guard he knew had told him that the Crown Prince intended to have someone send him back to Carlos.

But he had gone to so much trouble to come to the side of Ning Zhao, that terrifying devil, not to be sent back and left for Carlos to slaughter!

The footsteps drew near, and someone knocked on the door.

He was running out of chances.

Noah gritted his teeth.

He could not let Carlos go. He had already taken too many risks for revenge; he could not lose at this point.

Besides, Ning Zhao had already become suspicious of his glands.

He had to come up with a way to pull the rug out from under them!

A trace of determination flashed in Noah's eyes.

"Your Highness, since you refuse to let me go and cannot use me for your own purposes—"

Then he should not blame him.

That evening in Carlos, the sunset was almost pink.

Shi Sheng had not slept very well. In his dreams, Elaine kept returning and leaving again.

He woke up clutching Elaine's hand, momentarily unable to tell where he was.

The Alpha's hand gently covered his eyes, letting him adjust to the faint light after waking. "Getting up?"

Shi Sheng finally came fully awake. He caught Elaine's hand and stared at him steadily.

His amber eyes sparkled with expectation.

Elaine shared an inexplicable understanding with him. He lowered his head and gently kissed Shi Sheng's lips.

Shi Sheng was satisfied. He sat up and scooted a little closer to Elaine.

His fingers landed on the faintly upturned corner of Elaine's lips, finding it somewhat novel.

[Elaine is smiling... at me.]

[Ah, because I'm his Omega now!]

[Because Elaine likes me too!]

Shi Sheng giggled to himself, not noticing that Elaine's eyes also held a smile.

[I'm so happy.]

[Elaine isn't being so politely distant with me anymore.]

[This is what an Alpha-Omega couple should be like!]

Elaine patiently listened to Shi Sheng's little ramblings in his heart. Only when those thoughts gradually calmed did he ask, "Should I have Merico bring dinner over, or do you want to go to the dining room?"

Shi Sheng hesitated a little. He wanted to be alone with Elaine, but he also wanted to show all of Carlos that Elaine liked him now.

The perceptive Imperial Marshal naturally saw through that little thought of his. "Let's go to the dining room. Yumian was asking about you just now."

Shi Sheng nodded hard, slid out of Elaine's arms, and stood on the carpet.

When he changed clothes and came out of the inner room, Elaine was standing at the bedroom door, turning his head and extending a hand toward him.

Shi Sheng's eyes lit up. He took Elaine's hand, only for the Alpha to clasp it in his palm in return.

[Confessing is so nice. We can hold hands too.]

[I should confess to Elaine more often from now on!]

After thinking that, Shi Sheng looked up and happened to see Elaine's upturned lips.

When they reached the dining room, Yumian was indeed there, but his expression was grave.

The moment he saw them enter, before he could even ask after Shi Sheng, he blurted out, "Big Brother, something happened!"

"I know." Elaine was calmer than Yumian. He pulled out a chair for Shi Sheng. "Eat first."

Yumian said, "But A-Zhao..."

Elaine spared him a glance, then sat beside Shi Sheng and kept placing food on the Omega's plate.

Yumian felt as though he had seen a ghost.

He sat down anxiously, randomly ate a few bites, and bit on his spoon as he looked at Shi Sheng's blissful expression.

He was no longer starving himself. He was eating so much!

Yumian thought speechlessly.

As though sensing his gaze, Shi Sheng looked at him curiously and asked through his voice synthesizer.

"Yumian, what, happened?"

Yumian said irritably, "Go look at the Star Network yourself."

As soon as he spoke, his eldest brother's cool gaze swept over him. Yumian shrank his neck and added,

"It's royal news. It's spread everywhere. Open any website and you'll see it."

Shi Sheng grew curious and opened the gossip forum on his wristband. Sure enough, he immediately knew what Yumian meant.

The entire page had been taken over by the Crown Prince.

[Scandal! The True Face of the Empire's Heir!]

[Commoner Candidate for Crown Princess Alleges Abuse—Crown Prince Has Violent Tendencies?]

[The Royal Family Has Yet to Respond!]

Shi Sheng's eyes widened in shock.

He casually opened one post, where photo after photo displayed the shocking marks of beatings on Noah's body.

Violent tendencies... Ning Zhao?

Thinking of the Crown Prince's gentle and courteous face, Shi Sheng could not believe it.

Seeing Shi Sheng's expression, Yumian said, "A-Zhao definitely isn't that kind of person. Noah is lying!"

Shi Sheng naturally knew this was Noah's scheme.

But even if the public wanted to believe the Crown Prince, Noah had provided far too much evidence.

Everyone subconsciously believed that Ning Zhao had always had a good reputation. Who would have the nerve and ability to frame him?

Besides, the news had broken nearly a day ago, and the royal family had yet to respond.

Seeing Shi Sheng become absorbed in the news, Elaine reached out and closed the page for him.

He said gently, "Eat properly. None of this is important."

His attitude toward the matter was so calm it bordered on indifference. Yumian did not understand, but Shi Sheng could.

Elaine was loyal to the Empire and its people, but he was not the royal family's babysitter.

In fact, just as Shi Sheng thought, the Military Department had sent Elaine a message the moment it happened, and he had only replied that he knew.

Nothing related to the royal family was more important than letting Shi Sheng sleep well.

But Yumian did not understand that. "I'm going to the Imperial Palace later."

Elaine said, "With His Majesty's usual style, you won't get to see Ning Zhao."

"Even so, I can't just stand by and do nothing." Yumian's temper flared. "I want to help A-Zhao."

Elaine ignored him. He had never wasted effort trying to persuade Yumian about anything.

Once Yumian hit a wall at the Imperial Palace gates, he would naturally come back.

Yet his eldest brother's cold attitude unexpectedly hurt Yumian. He threw down his spoon with force, making a sharp clatter.

Shi Sheng froze for a moment. Seeing Yumian turn to leave, he hurried after him and grabbed his hand.

Yumian instinctively wanted to shake him off, but halfway through the motion, he forcibly pulled back his strength.

"Don't, be, angry." Shi Sheng comforted him through the voice synthesizer. "The Crown Prince, will, be, fine."

Yumian said, "You don't need to comfort me. Go eat your dinner."

He gently removed Shi Sheng's hand and turned away.

As he walked out of the dining room, he saw from the corner of his eye that Shi Sheng was still watching him worriedly, while Elaine took Shi Sheng's hand and led him back to the table.

The sight left Yumian feeling conflicted.

But he had no time to think about it. He had to save Ning Zhao.

Over the years, Yumian had had neither friends nor a lover. Only Ning Zhao had been more like an older brother to him than either of his two actual brothers.

After Yumian disappeared from sight, Shi Sheng was still a little worried.

He asked Elaine in sign language, "Will it be okay to let him go out?"

"Don't mind him," Elaine said. "You trust the Crown Prince that much?"

Shi Sheng nodded.

[The Crown Prince is the male lead. How could he be a bad person?]

[Ah, wait, but Noah is also a protagonist...]

[This is so complicated. I feel like I'm going to grow a brain.]

Elaine gently patted Shi Sheng's head. "Don't trust people too easily."

Shi Sheng shook his head and signed, "I only trust Elaine."

After thinking for a moment, he added, "And my brother, and Yumian, Izel, little brother Lindsay, and Merico..."

Seeing him sign as though he were reciting a menu, Elaine chuckled.

Shi Sheng was immediately bewitched by the Alpha's smile and stared blankly at him for quite a while.

Elaine kindly reminded him, "Your ice cream is going to melt."

Shi Sheng hurriedly picked up his little spoon and enjoyed his favorite after-dinner dessert.

[Merico has such good taste in desserts. Elaine is really good at choosing a butler. He's amazing.]

No matter what it was, in the end it was always Elaine's credit—Shi Sheng blindly admired this Alpha that much.

After happily finishing the sweet ice cream, Shi Sheng's attention returned to their previous topic.

"Doesn't this matter require Elaine to step in?"

Elaine explained, "Under Imperial law, the first stage is handled by the Capital Police Bureau, followed by the courts. Only if other matters become involved during that time will it be transferred to the Military Department, depending on the circumstances."

After saying that, he curved his lips slightly. "Shengsheng, I'm not a prosecutor. I can't handle every matter."

Shi Sheng liked that intimate form of address and immediately forgot everything else.

He held his spoon between his teeth and grinned for quite a while before raising his head and tapping Elaine's arm with one finger.

Elaine leaned toward him, clearly waiting for him to "speak."

Shi Sheng signed, "I might have a way to prove the Crown Prince's innocence."