“Where’s Daddy?”

As soon as Wen Yuzhi returned to the temporary palace, he immediately asked Mond.

“The King is in the study upstairs.”

As Mond spoke, he carefully looked little highness over.

Only after confirming that their cub looked exactly the same as before going out, without so much as a single hair missing, did the old chief affairs officer finally show a smile.

Wen Yuzhi, however, only took the handkerchief and casually wiped his face, then impatiently carried the gift box containing the brooch and ran upstairs.

His little leather shoes stepped on the stairs, the heels tapping against the floor with a da-da-da sound.

Mansendis had sensed his cub the moment he returned.

But he sat behind the desk without moving.

Sure enough, before long, a set of light, hurried footsteps approached the study.

With a click, the study door was pushed open.

A fluffy head peeked in.

It was Wen Yuzhi.

“Daddy... are you busy?”

He pushed the door open quietly and called inside in a small voice.

“Come in.”

Mansendis’s words were still extremely brief.

Just those two short words made the young master, who had been so bold and willful outside, obediently walk in.

Wen Yuzhi walked to Mansendis’s side and sat down.

Like Mond, Mansendis’s gaze first swept over Wen Yuzhi.

From the outside, the cub was not injured, and the expression on his face did not look like he had been bullied outside and come back to complain. Only then did Mansendis relax slightly.

However, when he saw Wen Yuzhi’s hair and eyes, Mansendis’s gaze paused almost imperceptibly.

He frowned with some displeasure.

“Why did you make yourself look like this?”

Wen Yuzhi froze for a moment before realizing that Mansendis meant his hair color and eyes.

He touched his blackened hair and explained, “This was done with dye. For my eyes, I put in lenses. My original hair and eyes are too conspicuous outside.”

As he spoke, Wen Yuzhi secretly glanced at Mansendis again.

“Daddy, do you not like the way I look right now?”

When he said the last sentence, Wen Yuzhi’s voice was noticeably much smaller.

“I don’t.”

Mansendis’s tone was indifferent.

The cub’s hair color and pupils had been inherited from his bloodline. When they walked together, with the exact same silver hair and golden eyes, no one would doubt the father-son relationship between them.

And that most obvious feature of their appearance was also a kind of bond between their blood.

But now the cub had changed back to the black hair and black eyes from before, losing that obvious resemblance. Although their blood connection would not change in any way because of this small alteration, Mansendis still felt displeased.

Hidden beneath that displeasure was panic.

He had not forgotten that Wen Yuzhi had once had a pair of adoptive parents.

When he was beside those adoptive parents, Wen Yuzhi had looked like this, with black hair and black eyes. Back then, Wen Yuzhi had looked more like a human than a Saint Clan member.

Of course Mansendis did not want his child to resemble humans too closely. He hoped even more that Wen Yuzhi would remember that he was Saint Clan, royal-blood with the Salilaino bloodline.

He did not mind Wen Yuzhi continuing to think about that pair of adoptive parents, but only because that couple was already dead.

Besides, even if they came back to life, Mansendis would absolutely never allow them to take his child away.

No one could.

“Then I’ll go remove it.”

Wen Yuzhi did not ask why Daddy disliked it. He ran into the bathroom, washed off the dye, and only came out after returning to his original appearance.

Sure enough, when Mansendis saw him restored to his previous look, the silver-haired sovereign’s tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed.

The cub still looked more pleasing like this.

Mansendis took a towel and wiped the water from Wen Yuzhi’s hair.

His movements were very practiced when he did this. Clearly, wiping Wen Yuzhi’s hair was not something he had done only once.

From childhood to now, the ones who took care of the cub had always been him and Mond.

From small things like dressing and eating, to major things like sickness and discomfort, Mansendis had participated in every part of raising the cub.

Wen Yuzhi sat obediently on the chair, like an incomparably well-behaved doll.

But a doll would also offer up surprises at the right time.

“Daddy, this is for you!”

Wen Yuzhi lifted the gift box and held it up before Mansendis.

Mansendis opened it and saw a brooch inside.

The material of this brooch was only ordinary. The only unique thing about it was that gemstone—it was the same color as his eyes.

“This is the gift I brought back for Daddy from outside.”

As if asking for praise, Wen Yuzhi deliberately emphasized that this was something he had brought back, something he had chosen himself.

“It’s called Emperor’s Heart. The moment I heard it...”

Mansendis raised an eyebrow. “You chose it especially for me?”

Wen Yuzhi nodded.

“Only bought it for me?”

The watch...

But Wen Yuzhi did not mention Izeer.

He only kept nodding, frantically hinting that this gift was something he had chosen with great care, unique and one of a kind.

Mansendis was satisfied.

He took out the brooch and placed it in Wen Yuzhi’s hand.

“Zhizhi, put it on Daddy.”

Mansendis was wearing a military dress uniform today, with no decorations on his chest.

Wen Yuzhi carefully pinned the brooch in the place meant for medals.

The effect was close to what he had imagined. The golden gemstone adorned the silver-haired sovereign’s chest, echoing those sunlike eyes.

When they went to dinner that evening, Mansendis was still wearing the brooch.

As his attendant, Mond noticed the suddenly added brooch at a glance.

After all, every piece of clothing and every accessory on Mansendis came from the Esoris workshops that served the Salilaino line specifically. Because they supplied the royal bloodline, the workshops selected only the best materials and the most precious gems.

Those gemstones were chosen from the very top batch of ore mined by the Saint Clan each year. Every single one was incomparably rare.

But the brooch on Mansendis was clearly not the work of those workshops. The material and gem were both relatively ordinary. With Mond’s eye, there was no doubt that this brooch looked cheap to him.

However, since such a “cheap” brooch had appeared on Mansendis, and combined with little highness’s earlier action of running upstairs with a gift box, Mond already had a faint guess in his heart.

Soon, that guess was confirmed.

Sensing the curiosity in Mond’s eyes, Mansendis said casually, “This is a gift from Zhizhi.”

Mond was not surprised at all.

Only little highness would still think about them at every moment even when he went out to play.

Thinking of the way those royal guards had returned carrying big bags and small bags, Mond’s eyes also filled with a faint smile.

“Little highness has very good taste.”

An ordinary brooch, simply because it had been chosen by Wen Yuzhi, instantly gained many, many merits in Mond’s eyes.

For example, its shape suited Mansendis very well. For example, that golden gemstone was also very unique.

Among the Saint Clan, as long as something was connected to the words little highness, no matter what it was, the Saint Clan would immediately start praising it without using their brains.

And when Mond followed Mansendis into the dining room, he discovered that there were still more surprises waiting ahead.

Wen Yuzhi had brought gifts for everyone.

“This pen is for Mond.”

As the chief affairs officer, Mond often needed to work and handle all kinds of trivial matters. A pen was something he frequently used.

When Wen Yuzhi placed the fountain pen he had bought into his hand, Mond smiled so widely his eyes nearly disappeared. “I like it very much.”

Since the first two gifts had both received approval, Wen Yuzhi became even more motivated.

He then took out a plush kitten doll and gave it to Alvin.

He had bought it from a handmade goods shop. Wen Yuzhi had long since discovered that Alvin loved fluffy things. This adjutant, who looked calm and steady on the outside, liked cute things very much.

And Alvin’s eyes immediately lit up after receiving the gift.

“I also like this gift very much.”

Next was Selet. Wen Yuzhi gave Selet a pair of leather gloves.

Selet liked using firearm-type weapons, and wearing gloves while using that kind of weapon could reduce friction against the skin.

Selet was also very happy to receive this gift. Although Selet’s face remained expressionless, judging from the way Selet tightly held the bag, Selet was clearly very satisfied with little highness’s gift.

Merita was similar to Selet. Both of them loved firearms and combat. Wen Yuzhi gave her a gun holster. This holster could be worn at the waist or on the leg.

That way, whether Merita wanted to wear pants or a skirt, she could draw a weapon anytime, anywhere.

“Thank you!”

Merita’s eyes were a little red.

After that, there were Kasha, Mu Luo, his thirty royal guards...

Wen Yuzhi had brought a gift for every Saint Clan member. The gifts he chose were not especially valuable, but every single one had been picked carefully by him and suited the person receiving it.

After the round of gift-giving, everyone was very happy.

Wen Yuzhi was happy to give gifts to his family, and these Saint Clan members were also happy to receive little highness’s gifts.

While the other races were busy making connections, busy scheming, and busy seeking benefits, everyone on the Saint Clan’s side spent a warm evening together.

..........

When Izeer returned to the hotel with his things, the King of Spades happened to be walking out of his room.

They met in the hallway.

The King of Spades lowered his head and glanced at what the other person was holding. There was a bag with the dessert shop’s logo, and also a... The King of Spades recognized that brand too. It was a famous jewelry brand.

“So... our Young Master Izeer, when you said you had something to do today, you meant you were going shopping?”

Izeer... no, Xi Heyan wiped away the bio-factor covering his face, revealing his original appearance.

The black-haired young man’s expression was very cold.

He ignored the King of Spades’s teasing and unhurriedly put the watch on his wrist.

“Starverse? This watch isn’t cheap.”

And...

The King of Spades’s gaze circled the watch.

What he did not say was that this watch was the most popular style this year, known as the best gift choice for a boyfriend.

The metal on it was taken from metallic particles inside meteorites drifting through the universe, so the meaning of this watch was also something like giving the whole universe to you.

Giving a watch was already a little ambiguous to begin with. Add this watch’s special meaning, and the King of Spades could not help thinking a little too much.

For example, had their young master perhaps gone out on a date?

After all, he was also carrying a dessert bag.

Xi Heyan did not look like someone who liked sweets.

The King of Spades guessed that the person was most likely a cute and beautiful girl or boy, probably not very old.

Oh, right. One more thing.

From a good family.

At the very least, someone willing to spend two hundred thousand star coins on a gift was not an ordinary big spender.

Thinking this, the King of Spades’s gaze toward Xi Heyan became rather subtle.

That look seemed to say: Did you go out and trick some other family’s rich beauty?

Xi Heyan: “...”

He chose to close the room door with an icy expression, shutting the King of Spades’s mocking gaze outside.

After hesitating for a moment, Xi Heyan still searched online for this watch named Starverse.

And the moment he opened the page, the watch advertisement prominently displayed the line: Give you the ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) whole universe, and hide the love words that cannot be spoken inside the hands.

When the hands moved, it was also like a heart beating.

The comments below were all saying they had bought it for their boyfriends, so when the other person wore the watch, he could feel his lover’s heartbeat at every moment.

Xi Heyan: “...”

He looked at the burning-hot love lines above, and the corners of his lips pressed together slightly.

But Xi Heyan knew very well that Wen Yuzhi probably did not know about any of this. He had given him this watch purely out of thanks.

Yet perhaps because of the King of Spades’s look and those advertising lines he had just read, Xi Heyan felt the place where the watch touched his skin grow a little hot.

It was as if every vibration of the hands really gave him the feeling of hearing the young man’s heartbeat.

Xi Heyan opened his hand and swept up the hair on his forehead. He took a deep breath, then placed the cake and gift bag on the table.

But in the end, he still did not take off the watch on his wrist. Instead, he used that hand, the one wearing the watch, to unfasten his collar, push open the door, and walk to the balcony.

The view from Wemm Hotel was very good. To the left was the conference hall, and ahead was the street they had wandered through during the day.

When the cold night wind blew over him, the heat on Xi Heyan’s body finally seemed to cool a little.

He finally had time to think about what had happened during the day.

Today, he had only wanted to go out and walk around. Every time he arrived at a new place, Xi Heyan always habitually familiarized himself with all the surrounding routes first.

That was also because he had spent years taking bounty missions alone. Without help from companions, he had to arrange the evacuation routes in advance.

This time was the same. The King of Spades had stayed in the hotel to continue gathering intelligence.

Xi Heyan used his identity as a hotel waiter to move around outside.

When he approached the dessert shop, he saw a very familiar figure.

At that moment, some inexplicable intuition made him follow that person into the dessert shop.

The instant he saw him, Xi Heyan recognized him immediately.

It was Wen Yuzhi.

Even though his hair color and eyes were different, Xi Heyan was certain that the other person was Wen Yuzhi.

The facts proved that he was right.

The young man bought him cake and even took the initiative to greet him.

Only, at that time, Xi Heyan was using the identity of “Izeer.”

Considering that he would still need to continue moving under this identity next, Xi Heyan did not tell Wen Yuzhi who he was. Instead, he pretended not to know him and interacted with the young man as “Izeer.”

What Xi Heyan had not expected was...

Wen Yuzhi would be that good even to a stranger.

So good that he could not help feeling a little envious of “Izeer.”

Until Wen Yuzhi said that he looked very much like a friend of his.

Although Wen Yuzhi did not say who that friend was, Xi Heyan had a feeling.

The young man was talking about him.

That friend was him.

In that instant, Xi Heyan felt his heartbeat suddenly lose balance for a moment.

His mind went a little blank, and his thoughts became chaotic.

Before asking that question, Xi Heyan had never imagined that the answer would actually have something to do with him.

...Because he looked like him, Wen Yuzhi had treated him a little more specially.

When Wen Yuzhi said that, he did not realize how easy it was to let one’s imagination run wild when he described it in that slightly downcast tone.

Nor did he realize how ambiguous the meaning of those words was.

Even though Xi Heyan knew that Wen Yuzhi did not mean anything else, his heartbeat still became disordered.

It took very strong willpower for him not to reveal his identity on the spot.

He had so many, so many things he wanted to say to Wen Yuzhi.

He wanted to ask what his relationship with that cloaked person was, what had happened afterward, whether he had been hurt, and how he had been living over the past half year.

Yet in the end, all those questions became Xi Heyan’s single sentence: Are you doing well?

When the young man smiled and said he was doing very well, Xi Heyan felt that all those questions were no longer so important.

In the end, the only thing he wanted to confirm was Wen Yuzhi’s safety.

Thinking this, Xi Heyan took the cake out of the bag.

He tasted a bite.

It was sweet.

..........

The next day, Wen Yuzhi arrived at that dessert shop at the agreed time.

He discovered that Izeer was already standing at the door, waiting early.

The other person had clearly dressed up carefully.

He had changed into a new outfit, tidied his hair, and even sprayed on some perfume before leaving.

His excellent build and figure meant that even with an ordinary face, the aura on him could not be hidden. Standing at the entrance of the dessert shop, passersby could not help glancing at him once or twice.

Wen Yuzhi walked up. “Why did you come so early?”

Izeer pointed at Wemm Hotel not far away. “The place where I work is nearby.”

As he spoke, he handed the dessert bag he had been holding to Wen Yuzhi.

“This is...?”

Wen Yuzhi opened the bag and looked, only to find that inside was actually a vanilla ice cream cake.

“Did you buy it ahead of time?”

Wen Yuzhi asked in surprise.

“I made it.”

Izeer seemed a little embarrassed as he lowered his head slightly.

“There’s a dedicated dessert area in the hotel kitchen. It had the ingredients, so I tried making one.”

He had never made desserts before.

He had learned this cake on the spot. The hotel had pastry chefs, and they guided him from the side. Izeer learned while making it, wasting many cakes before finally producing this one complete piece.

After spending the whole day together yesterday, Izeer had also discovered that Wen Yuzhi was not truly interested in those jewels or clothes. He seemed to choose them only for the sake of buying them and bringing them back.

Only when facing food did the young man’s eyes light up.

Izeer sharply captured that point, and so when they met on the second day, he chose to bring a cake he had made with his own hands.

Wen Yuzhi had not recognized it at first and had thought Izeer had bought it from the shop in advance.

Izeer did not know what he had been thinking either.

He had not said it from the start. Instead, only after Wen Yuzhi assumed it had been bought from the dessert shop did he use a calm tone to say that he had made it himself.

As expected, he saw surprise appear on Wen Yuzhi’s face.

And that surprise quickly turned into a smile.

Wen Yuzhi curved his brows and eyes and said with a smile, “What a coincidence. I also brought you little cookies I baked.”

He took out the little cookies he had hidden behind his back.

The transparent bag was tied with a red ribbon, and inside were pieces of small cookies baked crisp.

Now it was Izeer’s turn to be surprised.

“I didn’t know you would make a little cake. I was also thinking of bringing you little cookies.”

Wen Yuzhi had found some berries near the temporary palace. He had used them to make little cookies of different flavors, and since he was going to meet Izeer again today, he had specially left some for him.

And so, by such coincidence, the scene of two people exchanging desserts appeared.

Wen Yuzhi accepted Izeer’s cake, and Izeer also accepted the little cookies Wen Yuzhi had baked.

During the exchange, Wen Yuzhi saw the watch on Izeer’s wrist.

He politely praised it. “This watch suits you very well.”

However, the moment Izeer saw it, he thought of those direct and passionate advertising lines. Combined with what Wen Yuzhi had just said, the tips of his ears could not help turning red.

“We... cough... There’s a food street nearby. That food street also leads to the central plaza. Do you want to go take a look?”

Izeer immediately tried to change the subject.

Wen Yuzhi did not notice anything. As soon as he heard there was a food street, he quickly nodded.

However, before going, Wen Yuzhi still asked Izeer to take him to yesterday’s street to buy some things.

“???”

Still buying?

Izeer was somewhat puzzled.

Wen Yuzhi shook his head and sighed faintly. “You don’t understand. Having too many family members is also a kind of trouble.”

If he gave one, he had to give another.

Wen Yuzhi had only finished giving out gifts yesterday, and early this morning, he had run into those Saint Clan members who had not received gifts. They did not say it outright, but every single one of them looked at him eagerly.

Only then did he learn that after Mond and the others received their gifts, they had quickly posted them on their own accounts, claiming beautifully that it was to record them, when in reality they were showing off.

And so the entire Saint Clan learned that little highness had brought them gifts.

They wanted gifts from little highness too...

Under those expectant gazes, Wen Yuzhi had no choice but to promise again and again that everyone would have one.

At least, every Saint Clan member who had come out this time had to have one.

Izeer watched Wen Yuzhi’s method of practically clearing out every shop he entered. After a moment of silence, he asked with some difficulty, “...How many family members do you have?”

Wen Yuzhi thought for a moment. “Just... a tiny bit more than average.”

Only the number of an entire race more. That was not too much, right?

Izeer, whose family had only himself left: “...”

For some reason, a very heavy feeling rose in his heart.