Chapter Thirty-Two
Ye Nanxun soon learned what Yan Beiyou had meant by Song Ren having plans that evening.
After leaving Yan Beiyou's study, Song Ren took the disguised Ye Nanxun to a nearby palace for afternoon tea, and they discussed some work matters.
Ye Nanxun had previously thought Song Ren and Jiang Yuenian had similar personalities, but after sharing a cup of coffee, he discovered that Song Ren's gentility was merely superficial. In truth, he was far more carefree.
The two leisurely finished their coffee when a staff member called Song Ren.
"Your formalwear has arrived." Song Ren hung up.
Ye Nanxun paused slightly. "Formalwear?"
Song Ren was already on his feet as he spoke. "That's right, formalwear for tonight's New Year's Eve banquet."
There was a lounge upstairs from the café, and a brand-new black formal outfit had been laid out inside.
Song Ren picked up the clothes, gave them a look, and said with a smile, "His Majesty chose these. Try them on and see if they fit. I'll wait for you at our usual table downstairs in the café."
After saying that, Song Ren reminded Ye Nanxun to lock the door from the inside, then shut the door and left.
Ye Nanxun locked the door behind him and walked over to the bed, quietly looking at the black formalwear laid out on it.
The clothes fit him unexpectedly well, practically as though they had been custom-made.
Not an inch too much, not an inch too little.
After finally changing into the leather shoes with emerald buckles, Ye Nanxun stood before the full-length mirror.
The omega in the mirror had long, slightly wavy hair, black and silky. His originally distinctive emerald-green eyes had become aqua blue.
Ye Nanxun raised a hand and touched his face. When he had left Yan Beiyou's study, he had used the Emerald Earring to alter his appearance.
Even after changing his appearance, the omega still carried that cool, detached air.
When Ye Nanxun emerged from the lounge and went downstairs to the café, he spotted an alpha in formalwear standing near Song Ren from a distance.
That alpha sat brazenly across from Song Ren, letting out a few carefree laughs now and then.
Song Ren occasionally nodded and smiled, offering a few responses.
The moment he looked up and saw Ye Nanxun, Song Ren immediately stood. "The clothes fit perfectly, Ye Nanxun."
"Ye Nanxun?" The alpha froze at first. When he turned and saw Ye Nanxun, the smile vanished completely from his face, replaced by an appraising, displeased look in his charming, carefree eyes.
Ignoring the displeasure in the other man's gaze, Ye Nanxun walked over. "Brother Song."
Though the alpha was smiling when he heard the words "Brother Song," his brows furrowed even more deeply. "Song Ren, who is this?"
Song Ren introduced them. "Ye Nanxun, this is Ji Yunqi."
Yan Beiyou's three closest friends were Zhu Yucheng, Song Ren, and Ji Yunqi.
Ye Nanxun had now met all of them.
He did not know that Ji Yunqi had already met him several months ago at the omega coming-of-age ceremony. Top-tier alphas possessed astonishing memories; if he had not changed his appearance, Ji Yunqi would have immediately remembered who he was.
To everyone except Yan Beiyou and Song Ren, the only two people who knew the truth, the disguised Ye Nanxun was a stranger they were meeting for the first time.
Yan Beiyou and Song Ren had kept their promise. Even with someone as close as Ji Yunqi, they had not revealed Ye Nanxun's true identity.
Ye Nanxun stood two meters away from the two men.
Ji Yunqi said, "Song Ren, don't you dare leave me alone for the New Year's Eve celebration!"
Song Ren said, "Haven't you been dating House Zhou's eldest young master lately?"
Ji Yunqi clicked his tongue. "When have I ever not spent it with you?"
Their conversation reached Ye Nanxun's ears clearly.
Song Ren said, "We'll talk about it later. Keep Young Master Zhou company for now. I'll take Ye Nanxun around."
Ye Nanxun felt Ji Yunqi glare at him again.
Ji Yunqi's phone rang. Turning slightly to the side, the alpha answered, "I'm at the café on the east side... You're coming over too?"
Song Ren lowered his eyes slightly when Ye Nanxun suddenly said, "Brother Song, could you take me to the library?"
Ji Yunqi shot Song Ren a swift glance.
Song Ren smiled. "Of course."
"I'll wait for you at the entrance." Ye Nanxun turned and headed toward the café doors.
Just as he was about to reach the entrance, two meticulously dressed omegas entered the café together amid the staff's greetings.
Ye Nanxun's expression tightened, his gaze sweeping coolly over the two of them.
At the same time, the pair cast appraising looks at the unfamiliar blue-eyed omega.
Song Ren quickly caught up. "Let's go."
Ye Nanxun said, "All right."
After leaving the café, Ye Nanxun looked back.
The two omegas who had just entered were walking toward Ji Yunqi.
Xu Wenyan affectionately linked his arm through Young Master Zhou's.
After learning that House Zhou's eldest omega young master had been in close contact with Ji Yunqi lately, Xu Wenyan had spent this period racking his brains. He had finally won the favor of the naive, sweet omega young master and become Young Master Zhou's close friend.
Ji Yunqi was one of Yan Beiyou's closest friends.
Yan Beiyou had already confirmed that he would attend the New Year's Eve banquet that night. By then, Xu Wenyan might not only get to see the alpha in person, but could perhaps even rely on Young Master Zhou's connection to exchange a few words with Yan Beiyou.
At the thought that the alpha who ruled the star system might very well fall in love with him at first sight after they met, Xu Wenyan's heart churned like boiling magma, unable to calm down.
The Royal Library was as vast as a maze.
Song Ren casually showed Ye Nanxun around for a while.
When Ye Nanxun saw a book he liked, he took it from the shelf, sat on a nearby sofa, and began reading it carefully.
Song Ren had also picked out a book that interested him, but before he had sat down for long, the phone beside him began ringing incessantly.
Song Ren lowered his head to check the messages several times. Seeing that Ye Nanxun was still reading intently, he said helplessly, "Ye Nanxun, I have something to take care of, so I'll leave first. His Majesty will probably arrive in about an hour."
Ye Nanxun said, "All right." After bidding Song Ren farewell, he lowered his head and continued reading.
Most people in the Imperial Palace were busy preparing for the approaching New Year's Eve banquet. Other than the omega seated on the sofa, there was not another person in the entire library.
Compared to a lively banquet, Ye Nanxun preferred quietly reading a book in a peaceful environment where no one would disturb him.
All his thoughts were immersed in the sea of words within the book, while a transparent film of water seemed to silently form around him.
When Yan Beiyou found Ye Nanxun, the omega's slender, pale fingers held the page. With a soft rustle, he turned to the next page.
His disguised aqua-blue eyes did not blink as they remained wholly focused on the book.
Rather than sitting straight as he had in the study, he was casually, comfortably sunk into the coffee-colored sofa.
Even in such a lazy posture, he remained noble and elegant.
Ye Nanxun lowered his head slightly, his thoughts immersed in the book, unaware that someone else had arrived.
Yan Beiyou slowed his steps. The soft, thick carpet swallowed the sound of his boots entirely.
The distance between them gradually shortened.
As Ye Nanxun lowered his head, a stretch of his long, pale nape was revealed. A faint silver gleam flashed across his fair neck.
Upon closer inspection, it was an exceedingly thin silver chain.
Yan Beiyou halted, his gaze falling upon that silver chain.
The omega who had just been reading seemed to sense something. He turned his head and met the alpha's eyes.
Ye Nanxun stood. "Your Majesty."
The exceedingly thin silver chain ran down the omega's long neck and disappeared beneath the collar of his white shirt.
Hidden there was a small pendant vial containing alpha pheromones.
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