The hotel where the Star Crown Sect was staying stood in the heart of Mingdu, with a ceaseless stream of traffic flowing through the streets outside its windows.
Dai Youheng stood before the window, gazing down at the vast city built from metal and soul power, his eyes calm and untroubled. Xu Jiujiu had just left, and her distinctive, delicate fragrance seemed to linger in the air.
Although Her Highness the Princess had wanted to share his room, she had ultimately considered the Star Luo Empire's dignity and the sensitive circumstances of being in an enemy nation's capital, and had not stayed the night. Still, the look of words left unspoken in her eyes as she departed would have been enough to set any man's heart fluttering.
Unfortunately, although Dai Youheng appreciated Xu Jiujiu's beauty and intelligence and did not reject physical intimacy, all of it rested on a clearly defined scale of value.
As for feelings, there truly wasn't much there.
Just as he was about to turn out the lights and rest, a cautious knock broke the silence.
Dai Youheng raised his brows slightly. Who could it be at this hour?
He walked slowly over and opened the door. Outside stood a young man whose face carried a hint of urgency and worry: Huo Yuhao.
"Brother..." Huo Yuhao's voice was somewhat dry as he looked at him with conflicting emotions in his eyes.
In Huo Yuhao's mind, although Dai Youheng had changed, becoming powerful and unfamiliar, deep down he still stubbornly clung to that trace of warmth from his childhood. He believed his older brother was kind at heart, merely blinded by power and love.
"Yuhao? It's so late. Did you need something?" Dai Youheng stepped aside to let him in, his gentle tone revealing just the right