Although the four had not arrived yet, news of their attendance at the ball had already been posted on the royal spokesperson’s account. How could that not excite all the men and women present?

Alina watched many people at the banquet whispering and discussing the events of that day, her eyes full of curiosity, and she felt a little proud.

After all, even if the knowledge of everyone present were combined, they still did not know as much as she did.

She thought this while accepting the attentive service of other friends.

A round-faced girl, with a flattering expression, approached Alina and said: “Good, Alina~ just tell us, what exactly happened after the livestream ended that day? And did Ye Wangxing really—”

As the girl spoke, she started winking and gesturing at Alina. Although she had a cute face, her expression suddenly looked somewhat sleazy.

Others quickly joined in, all giving puppy-eyed looks, begging Alina silently with their gaze.

They all knew whose ex-boyfriends those few people were. So when the livestream ran into trouble, while the viewers panicked, they remained calm, holding all the leverage.

They even mocked Woden, treating him like a naive kid who had never seen the world, screaming in shock over a few words.

—Until the information revealed in the livestream surpassed what they had known.

Alina looked at her friends’ pleading eyes and felt the intensity of the massage she was receiving. Finally, she raised her chin and mercifully told them the aftermath of the livestream.

From the moment Ye Wangxing covered the post until he never returned to the project office, to the confirmation of the hickeys on that day, Alina spoke cheerfully, and her friends listened in shock.

“…Now I understand why those few were photographed recently looking like they could grace a magazine cover,”

the girl murmured.

So it had been a contest of beauty all along!

The girl snapped back to reality and looked at the ambitious men and women around her, her gaze now full of pity.

However, the officials and elite men and women present did not feel disappointed. They all stared at the four golden bachelors, their eyes full of competitive spirit.

Under the determination of these men and women, the atmosphere of the ball became tense. Though they continued talking with others, their peripheral vision never left the door.

By the time, it was nearly the moment for the four to enter.

Soon after, a group of people appeared at the door. The eyes of all the men and women present lit up, and then…

They saw the Minister of Finance entering the ballroom, arm in arm with his wife.

Two children followed behind them.

Although the eldest Ye son was also considered a prime bachelor, and the Finance Minister’s family had a normal family atmosphere, the men and women present still sighed.

“Ahh…”

Finance Minister: ?

The many sighs left the Minister confused. Fortunately, he soon understood the situation, which made him chuckle helplessly.

“These young people, really…”

The Finance Minister shook his head, smiling as he spoke with the Deputy Minister. He noticed his youngest son running excitedly toward Crown Prince Woden.

—Ye Bai, as usual, chased after Crown Prince Woden as soon as he arrived at the banquet.

However, due to the Crown Prince’s recent bad temper, he did not approach immediately, only watching Woden with a saddened expression.

Combined with his delicate, doll-like face, everyone nearby glared at Woden with disapproval.

In the interstellar era, the Emperor could at most reduce an official’s score via the central brain. Want to take their lives?

Impossible. Every life was precious. Even the Emperor could not arbitrarily take one. Since life could not be deprived, and since the current Emperor would not punish someone over a glance, why not scold Woden?

So, even though veins bulged on Woden’s fist, he still held onto his female companion and did not look at Ye Bai.

The Finance Minister also ignored Ye Bai’s masochistic display.

He knew it was impossible to call Ye Bai back now. It was better to let him stay near Crown Prince Woden. After all, with so many people present, the Crown Prince certainly would not harm Ye Bai. Woden had caused a huge commotion previously, and now it was time to regain public favor.

The Finance Minister thought numbly. But when he shifted his gaze to his obedient eldest son behind him, he felt no relief.

Instead, he began to worry.

He remembered something—

Tonight, all four men would be present. Would his son mess up?

The thought made the Finance Minister tense. With his eldest son’s puzzled gaze on him, he looked at the crowds and the drones filming, and dared not discuss the four men with his son.

He could only pray that the four would be busy and not watch the recent livestream.

While the Finance Minister prayed, another figure approached the wide-open doors of the banquet hall.

This time, the crowd was less tense but still watched with their peripheral vision.

And this time, their anticipation was not in vain.

The moment they saw the newcomer, many men and women sighed in admiration.

“…Truly, he was the most handsome man in the entire Empire.”

The newcomer was tall, standing around 1.9 meters, like a walking fortress of hormones.

He wore a deep gray suit, cut sharply like the streamlined lines of a warship, perfectly fitting his awe-inspiring physique. Broad shoulders and a narrow waist, his muscles subtly visible under the fabric, radiated restrained power, as if he could charge into an interstellar battlefield at any second.

His tight waist contained incredible explosiveness, and the tailored trousers outlined his firm buttocks and long straight legs perfectly.

His deep green eyes resembled a hunting python, yet in the next moment, they looked like a hidden spring in bloom, shifting with a blatantly seductive intent.

The most eye-catching detail was the golden serpent ring on his index finger. The coiled serpent, with intricately carved scales, reflected mysterious light under the lamps, polished to a brilliant shine—a clearly cherished possession.

Everyone admired General Ortas’s attire that day, but Martha frowned.

She felt that something was off and said to Alina: “…Why does he seem so flirtatious tonight?”

Alina looked at Martha with slight confusion and said: “When has General Ortas ever not been flirtatious?”

“…True.”

Martha nodded, still frowning, but she continued to feel that something was not quite right.

Just as she tried to organize her words, other friends interrupted them first.

They said in shock,

“…Why would you think General Ortas is flirtatious every day?”

Alina and Martha fell silent.

Yes, when had that impression even formed?

“…Probably because we only looked at three pages of the contract that day,” Alina said solemnly.

Martha nodded along with her.

Other friends: ?

Before anyone could ask further, Martha seemed to remember something and gestured with her hands.

“I remember now. Previously, his flirtatiousness had little aggression, but today it feels like his entire body is bursting with hormones…”

Before Martha could finish, they saw General Ortas, exuding hormones, notice someone and walk decisively in one direction.

—They saw him stop in front of the Finance Minister’s family.

The Finance Minister looked as if he was about to faint, but his wife remained calm and exchanged a formal greeting with General Ortas.

Remarkably, General Ortas restrained his hormones and performed the greeting properly.

—Then he moved close to the eldest Ye son.

The previously restrained hormones burst forth completely, bombarding the Ye eldest son.

Alina watched as the young man blushed deeply.

General Ortas seemed satisfied with the effect. With a faint, mischievous smile on his thin lips, he leaned close to the young man’s ear, whispered a few words, then embraced him.

—The young man was nearly overwhelmed.

Fortunately, General Ortas seemed to remember the occasion and did not overstep. After the embrace that enveloped the young man, before leaving, he lightly touched the back of the young man’s hand.

He even added a meaningful look.

Alina watched the entire sequence of General Ortas’s actions until he left, then said: “You were right. He really is flirtatious tonight.”

Alina looked at the young man, whose blush had not faded, and spoke to Martha beside her.

Martha regained her composure. She had a premonition that a grand performance was about to unfold tonight.

“Prepare yourselves, friends. Tonight will definitely be a sleepless night.”

Although Martha and Alina had judged General Ortas this way, only someone like Alina, who knew the truth, would perceive his actions as ambiguous.

Those who did not know the truth would only wonder when the eldest Ye son had established a connection with General Ortas.

After all, all of General Ortas’s actions remained within social norms. Even the hug was brief and proper.

And the young man’s blush seemed natural—who wouldn’t blush when embraced by General Ortas?

Soon, those unsure if they were overthinking or convincing themselves sensed that something was off with the young man.

—After all, why did all the protagonists from the rumors immediately approach the Finance Minister’s eldest son upon entering?

The second to enter was Lord Semos.

The moment he arrived, the surrounding air seemed to drop several degrees. Tall and lean, he wore a steel-gray suit that covered him completely, with minimalistic lines and no unnecessary decoration. The fabric was stiff and matte, exuding a distant, unapproachable aura, perfectly matching his usual icy demeanor.

His hair was neatly combed back, revealing a smooth, full forehead, not a strand out of place, which made him appear even more stern and serious.

However, such a serious Lord Semos seemed to melt like ice when he faced the eldest son of the Minister of Finance, even wearing a smile on his face.

…Even his beautiful cat-like eyes looked somewhat pitiful.

After Lord Semos lingered, talking to the Minister of Finance’s young master for quite some time—enough that even people unaware of the situation felt the word fit—he turned to leave, and his face returned to its icy expression.

Everyone present began to speculate, though some people simply could not read expressions anywhere.

—Lord Semos unceremoniously scolded the approaching person harshly, then turned toward the people from the research institute.

This contrast of extremes left the onlookers stunned. The crowd started murmuring again, but this time, all eyes turned toward Ye Wangxing.

The Marshal, however, did not notice anything unusual. He was chatting with the Minister of Finance but did not see that the minister’s face had begun to pale.

What followed made the minister’s face look even paler, almost as if he had a single breath left.

Fortunately, Count Uno’s arrival temporarily silenced the crowd. Tonight, he wore a custom deep-black suit, its texture like the finest dark matter in the night sky, silently exuding nobility.

The handcrafted patterns appeared faintly under the light, hinting at luxury hidden within restraint. Though he was already forty, time had given him a mature and captivating charm, with no sign of fatigue, only a rich allure.

The suit featured a classic British peak lapel, sharp and structured lines outlining his broad shoulders perfectly. The tailored waist subtly showcased a firm midsection, not overly tight, yet revealing years of disciplined self-care.

The trousers fell straight, slightly covering polished leather shoes that gleamed with every step. Each step was steady and confident, without a hint of haste.

‘A perfect British “daddy” style,’ Ye Wangxing thought to himself. He could not believe 19 taste could be this refined.

Especially those golden, fluid-like eyes, Ye Wangxing momentarily felt as if 19 had appeared in real life.

By the time Ye Wangxing realized it, his face had already turned red, before 19 even made a move.

The Minister of Finance, observing his own son, thought: “…”Could this be the boy’s true love?

While the minister pondered, Count Unobert walked toward him, exchanged a few polite words, and then took Ye Wangxing along, claiming he wanted to introduce him to some business partners.

The minister did not object, after all, his son was still young in politics. At least until he turned thirty and gained experience, he would be less vulnerable to manipulation.

Moreover, Count Unobert seemed well-matched with his son.

His gaze toward partners was cold yet polite, softening only when looking at Ye Wangxing.

As he guided Ye Wangxing through the crowd, he subtly shielded him from the pressing crowd and quietly asked if he felt tired.

He displayed an unquestionable sense of control, but this was beneficial to Ye Wangxing. Mr. Ye certainly did not want to hear that his son had yet another boyfriend, just these four major figures were already overwhelming enough.

Yet…

“By the way, does Count Unobert even know how many ex-boyfriends Wangxing has…”

Mr. Ye whispered to his wife.

Director Fei, already aware of the truth but powerless to intervene, looked gravely at his son and sighed deeply and long.

“All we can do now is pray.”

“Pray that it resolves peacefully?” Mr. Ye asked in confusion.

Director Fei shook his head, his expression resolute.

“Pray the palace survives.”

Soon after, apart from the Emperor, all nobles arrived at the ball. Strangely, Prince Janus was absent.

“Her Majesty has arrived—!”

The herald’s voice made the guests bow as the Emperor’s gown passed over the red carpet.

When the Emperor finally sat on the throne, everyone looked up in shock.

—Prince Janus stood beside the throne.

Guests bowed their heads, controlling their expressions to hide surprise, yet their gaze focused on one direction.

Woden pursed his lips, stiffly staring at Prince Janus standing next to his mother.

He could not understand what was happening. Could his mother truly intend to interfere with his crown prince position?

And the person she chose was Prince Janus?

Even the Emperor’s announcement to start the ball did not improve his expression. —And Prince Janus ignored Woden’s approach, rushing instead to Ye Wangxing, which made Woden’s face darken like the bottom of a pot.

The attendees lost all joy of the ball, wearing solemn expressions, wondering what was happening.

Everyone understood it as a signal.

A very clear signal.

They also knew that although the capital planet seemed colorful and vibrant, under the surface, tensions ran high.

Previously, something had happened in the palace, leading to martial law, yet neither commoners nor nobles had any information. They only knew that, due to the livestream incident, Crown Prince Woden had been beaten by the Emperor.

Afterwards, the Emperor acted as if nothing had happened, stripping Woden of his position and arranging a tutor for him to continue studying.

This left the nobles puzzled about the Emperor’s intentions. Normally, the crown prince’s mistakes would be met with loud reprimands, showing he had been punished, preserving the royal reputation while eliciting public sympathy.

But now, the Emperor did nothing. Were the nobles to believe she considered the public outcry unimportant—or…

She was playing a very large game?

The nobles looked again at Crown Prince Woden, whose dark expression led their gaze to follow his line of sight.

—Then they saw Prince Janus cheerfully circling the eldest son of the Minister of Finance.

The 19-year-old was tall and strong, like a young wolf king just grown. His fitted suit highlighted his broad shoulders and narrow waist, muscles subtly visible under the fabric, exuding youthful energy.

The open collar revealed a small patch of tanned skin, his Adam’s apple moved as he spoke, full of innocent yet alluring masculine charm.

His slightly silly expression, combined with clear, icy-colored eyes, slightly ruined the atmosphere. Fortunately, his physique compensated.

However…

Everyone felt this scene seemed familiar.

And this person seemed familiar too…

Smart attendees quickly realized the key, and someone in the crowd whispered shakily: “Do you think… all four ex-boyfriends could be the same person…”

“How likely?”

“Shh—”

Everyone gasped.

They immediately forgot the signal from the Emperor and began scrutinizing the four men.

Yet, since it was a royal ball, their actions were not exaggerated.

Still, the tense atmosphere made some timid guests sit in corners, afraid to approach.

Zhang Qi was one of them, hiding in a corner, fearful of being caught in that strange tension.

Watching online gossip was one thing, offline, it was terrifying.

Until her cousin came to pull her along, she reluctantly left the corner.

She had not wanted to come, being a commoner, but coincidentally had an aunt married into a noble family.

Her aunt had risen through skill and scheming and now managed the noble family’s company.

The aunt happily supported their relatives, hoping someone capable would arise to help her gain more resources.

Zhang Qi had learned of a good internship opportunity within Count Unobert’s group thanks to her aunt’s support and had successfully passed the probation period.

So when her cousin was sent into the royal ball, Zhang Qi naturally agreed to watch over her, ensuring no harm from other nobles.

Zhang Qi disliked the atmosphere, but her cousin thrived in it, making Zhang Qi admire her aunt’s child.

“Cousin, why are you here? Come meet more people!”

Seeing her cousin hiding in the corner, her cousin scolded her silently: “This is a great opportunity! All top nobles are here. Even if you don’t plan to marry, at least make connections. You never know when a brief meeting will matter!”

When Zhang Qi followed her cousin’s advice, she stared at the four glowing figures. Her cousin tugged her lightly and whispered: “Stop staring. Those people aren’t within our reach right now.”

Zhang Qi snapped out of it and shook her head furiously: “I’m not coveting them, I was just curious from watching the livestream.”

Her cousin relaxed and added: “Who wouldn’t be curious? Especially dressed like that today. Let’s stay low-key and avoid that whirlpool, political scandals often hide behind rumors.”

Zhang Qi nodded quickly, keeping her face down, afraid to glance over. Her cousin sighed in relief that she obeyed, at least not aiming to climb the social ladder.

Her cousin also planned to introduce Zhang Qi into the Crown Prince’s circle.

Even though he had declined, his resources were still unimaginable to ordinary people.

And the Crown Prince, though arrogant, was easy to appease for investments.

Just then, a loud bang occurred, followed by chaos.

When the crowd dispersed, Zhang Qi and her cousin were stunned.

Crown Prince Woden was holding an empty wine glass, splashing it forward.

The person drenched was his fiancé, Ye Bai, falling in disbelief, covered in red wine.

His head was tilted to one side, looking as if he had been struck.

—That was indeed Crown Prince Woden’s fiancé, Ye Bai.

 

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