As the core zone served as the inner circle surrounded by District One, the closer ordinary people tried to approach the center, the more they found that each step forward was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
Looking inward from the outer edge of District One, one would see the shape of the core zone rising like the tower of Babel. The blue-violet rays from the energy pillars spiraled around the central axis like a double helix structure of DNA. To the naked eye, only layers upon layers of building shadows could be seen, with no way to glimpse the concrete details inside.
The current Federation was divided into thirteen regions. While most areas were mired in poverty, decay, and chaos, where even the neon lights on the streets flickered in struggle due to wiring problems, the core zone was a totally different world of drunken indulgence and extravagance.
One after another, aircrafts found their designated floor numbers in the tower-like core zone and docked at the parking positions on the outer edges.
The space extended endlessly inward, brilliant with lights and bustling with scenes as beautiful as blooming flowers on a silver sea.
Any wedding hosted by any one of the three major conglomerates could easily be titled “Wedding of the Century” in news headlines.
Major media outlets that received entry approval had drones floating in the air, filming the live status of the wedding.
Dressed in suits and leather shoes, exchanging toasts and pleasantries, the well-bred elites of the core zone wore appropriate smiles on their faces.
“Thank you, Young Master Pei, for honoring us by attending my elder sister’s wedding.”
Xi Zhengqing said with a smile.
The heir of Nuwa Bionic Manufacturing stood tall among the crowd in a black suit. The high-end custom fabric and tailoring perfectly showcased the Alpha’s broad shoulders and narrow waist.
His refined temperament and the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose made him look like the typical elite scholar.
Even under the white inner shirt was a completely semi-mechanized torso. The serratus anterior on the outer chest was covered with precise devices and patterns, with biological tissue and mechanical structure intricately interwoven.
Pei Guangji’s short black hair had been styled with hair gel before arriving. Combed back, it revealed his cold and stern brows and eyes.
This was nothing more than necessary socializing between conglomerates.
Pei Guangji responded with indifference, “Mm, it’s been a while. I think I saw your nephew last time.”
Xi Zhengqing ranked second among his generation in the family, with an elder sister who was eight years older than him.
Hearing this, Xi Zhengqing waved to the young boy in the distance. “Xiaode, come and greet your Uncle Pei.”
Xi Xiaode had grown up in District Six and rarely faced such occasions. He said timidly, “Little Uncle, Uncle Pei.”
Pei Guangji gave a slight nod.
Xi Zhengqing didn’t make things hard for his nephew. “Alright, you can go play now.”
Xi Xiaode, who was dressed in a little white suit as the flower boy, ran off to look for his mother.
Xi Zhengqing watched his back and said, “That Beta from the slums is dead. When I went to handle the aftermath, Xiaode was covered in injuries.”
Affairs between wealthy families weren’t exactly airtight. Pei Guangji had heard some things, but he had no intention of commenting on someone else’s family matters and simply said politely, “The child looks fine now.”
The eldest daughter of the Xi family was an Omega. According to the usual trajectory of fate, she would have been matched with an heir from one of the other two conglomerates or a mid-tier wealthy family in the core zone, forming a political marriage.
But she fell in love with a Beta from the slums of District Six, severed ties with her family, and eloped for love.
It was not a good decision.
Because that Beta was only greedy for wealth and beauty.
Long-term domestic violence caused the Omega, who was already a mother, to erupt. In order to protect her child, she successfully fought back and killed him.
Although the Xi family had been very disappointed in their eldest daughter at the time, they absolutely would not tolerate their bloodline being left out in the world.
She had a powerful family behind her, so handling the aftermath was extremely easy.
Now, she had returned to her original path of destiny.
“Xiaode has undergone two months of psychological treatment.” Xi Zhengqing still showed the basic concern an uncle should have toward his younger relative. “He still isn’t well adjusted to life at the new school. The doctor recommended we get him a comfort dog.”
As if remembering something, he took out his communicator and showed it to Pei Guangji. “Based on Xiaode’s wishes, we adopted a stray dog he really liked at school.”
Xi Zhengqing’s gaze was subtly probing. “Its fur is yellow. After being cleaned, it’s really beautiful, right?”
Pei Guangji looked at the familiar photo of the little yellow dog and responded noncommittally, “Mm.”
Xi Zhengqing said in a gentle voice, “What a pity. It’s a stray dog, without the basic qualities of a comfort dog. Even though Xiaode likes it, that can’t change its low-grade breed bloodline.”
The man spoke slowly, refined and gentle. Beneath the gray mechanical prosthetic eye, there flashed the arrogance that belonged to someone of the upper class.
His words seemed to carry a hidden meaning.
Pei Guangji frowned and didn’t agree. “You’re talking a lot today. What are you trying to say?”
Xi Zhengqing: “That’s something you should ask Old Master Pei. You’ve been secretly keeping someone, haven’t you? He probably thinks we’ve been close friends since childhood and sent someone to probe me for information.”
Pei Guangji’s eyes darkened.
Ever since he brought Xin Hexue back to the southern city villa, from summer to early winter, five months had already passed.
During these five months, Xin Hexue had left the house only a handful of times, probably even only once, and that was when he went to attend a parent-teacher meeting on his behalf for Pei Ying.
It was likely that his frequent comings and goings to the villa in District One, along with his reduced visits and stays at the Pei family estate, had stirred the old man’s suspicion.
Previously, everyone the old man had sent to snoop around the southern city had been intercepted and turned back by him without exception.
Now that he had no other way, the probing reached Xi Zhengqing, but he had really overestimated the surface-level friendship among the four childhood friends.
Hearing a message notification, Pei Guangji lowered his head.
Seeing him check the communicator habitually, Xi Zhengqing said, “A message from your lover? Since the banquet started, you’ve looked at that communicator no less than ten times.”
The banquet had only begun an hour ago.
Pei Guangji checked his communicator almost every five or six minutes.
Xi Zhengqing: “Omega?”
Pei Guangji shook his head. “Beta.”
Xi Zhengqing looked on with interest as Pei Guangji replied to the message. Even though he couldn’t see the content, he could guess from the suddenly softened expression in his friend’s eyes.
This childhood friend of his was probably already head-over-heels, caught in the trap of a lower-class person.
Just like his eldest sister, who had fallen in love with a Beta from the slums.
Xi Zhengqing casually asked again, “That mechanical cat from before…you gave it to him, right? Did it please him?”
Pei Guangji: “It was acceptable.”
At the time, he had brought the mechanical cat back to the villa and, following his assistant’s suggestion, used a red and white gift box for the wrapping.
After unwrapping the package, the young man looked at him, hesitated as if wanting to say something, but in the end smiled gently and thanked him.
He even took the initiative to hug him.
It must have pleased him.
Although the young man once had an acute bout of gastritis, and he hadn’t been there by his side.
But after all, they were just lovers. There was no need to go that far. Pei Guangji only left behind a black card as compensation.
That mechanical cat was also a gesture of reconciliation from him.
After that, their life together had been quite harmonious.
Pei Guangji thought.
Whether it was the good morning kiss before work, the sandalwood-scented hug after coming home, or the intimate contact before and after his rut periods, everything made him feel satisfied with the decision he had made.
Spending just one million star coins to pay off the gambling debts of the young man’s adoptive father and signing a contract with him in return…this was the most worthwhile deal he had ever made in his life.
In contrast, he had invested eighty million into the laboratory but still hadn’t seen even a splash of results from the heat suppressants.
There was just one thing Pei Guangji still didn’t understand.
He had almost no memory of the times during his rut periods.
It was like a blackout.
All he could remember was that before his consciousness completely drowned, he had kissed and bitten the young man’s nape, branding every part of his body with his own mark.
After replying to the message, Pei Guangji suddenly wanted to hear Xin Hexue’s voice. Because of this, he had the urge to leave the banquet to make a call.
Clearly, it wasn’t his rut period, but he missed him terribly, even though they had just said goodbye at the door that morning.
Xi Zhengqing spoke up, “With messages this frequent, he must be really in love with you, right?”
‘Love?’
Pei Guangji was slightly stirred.
He scrolled up through the message history…
8:00
[Pei Guangji: I’m heading to the company first. You slept too late last night. Remember to eat breakfast when you wake up.]
9:00
[Pei Guangji: I had the smart butler send you milk. Don’t forget to drink it.]
[Xin Hexue: cat nodding.gif]
12:00
[Pei Guangji: The head chef of Zuixian restaurant is on leave this month. They replaced him with a temporary one. Even if it doesn’t taste good, you still need to eat. I’ll ask Jiang Jing to arrange another chef.]
[Xin Hexue: Okay.]
15:00
[Pei Guangji: Did you wake up from your nap? Don’t sleep too long, or your head will feel groggy.]
16:00
[Pei Guangji: I had the smart butler set up afternoon tea. You can have it in the first-floor garden.]
For the following four hours, Xin Hexue didn’t reply.
Five minutes ago.
Xin Hexue sent a photo of his dinner.
[Pei Guangji: Is this the new chef’s cooking?]
[Pei Guangji: Does it suit your taste?]
[Pei Guangji: Should I have Jiang Jing switch to another chef?]
[Xin Hexue: cat eating fish.jpg]
Pei Guangji’s eyes softened.
The young man always replied with clarity, wanting him to immediately understand his emotions. He even chose some cute emoji images.
He knew Xin Hexue’s personality and that he was usually very quiet.
But probably clingy and afraid of being alone, which was why he constantly sent him messages.
So when he was out, he made sure to check his communicator in time and maintain a stable signal.
That being said, Xi Zhengqing was right…Xin Hexue must have been madly in love with him.
Pei Guangji was immersed in his thoughts, not even realizing that he had stipulated in the contract that Party B was not to develop unnecessary feelings for Party A.
A handsome Alpha with a cheerful temperament walked over. “Xi-ge, what are you talking about? Who’s madly in love with whom?”
Zuo Yongyan was a childhood friend of both of them.
The only difference was that his family ran a major media conglomerate in the Federation, still a notch below the three top financial clans, the Pei family, the Xi family, and the Qiu family.
Zuo Yongyan probed curiously, “Pei-ge, I heard you’re secretly keeping someone? Is that true or not?”
Pei Guangji’s eyes darkened but he gave no reply.
Xi Zhengqing smiled gently. “Aren’t you going to bring him out so us brothers can meet him and say hello?”
Pei Guangji: “He has face blindness, mild social anxiety disorder, and is afraid of strangers.”
‘Face Blindness?’
Xi Zhengqing casually sipped his wine. “What a shame.”
………
When they left the banquet, Jiang Jing was driving the aircraft while reporting the itinerary for the upcoming week to Pei Guangji.
There would be three days of business trips.
Pei Guangji’s expression tightened. Some parts of the Federation couldn’t even guarantee communication signals.
After finishing, Jiang Jing added, “Young Master, we were contacted by the guards from the Federation’s First Prison. Xin Bao was bullied by his cellmates, and the guards there asked if we should arrange a change of cell for him.”
It was actually an email from ten days ago.
The secretary handling it was new and had missed the message, only remembering to report it to Jiang Jing today.
After all, it was Pei Guangji who had submitted the evidence to the Prosecutor’s Office and instructed that Xin Bao be sent to the First Prison.
Of course they would seek Pei Guangji’s opinion.
Pei Guangji: “Unnecessary. Ignore it.”
Jiang Jing hesitated. “Should we not consult Mr. Xin Hexue about it?”
Pei Guangji asked in return, “Why should we consult him?”
Jiang Jing didn’t say another word. “Yes, sir.”
Still, doubts lingered in his heart.
In a way, Mr. Xin had signed the contract to repay his adoptive father’s gambling debt.
But the Young Master didn’t seem to have even told Mr. Xin about sending Xin Bao to prison, right?
Thinking of that email delayed by ten days, Jiang Jing felt a bit uneasy.
