Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT)
Chapter 316: He is taken

Chapter 316: He is taken

"It’s nothing," Xiang Yu replied, forcing a lightness into his tone, hoping to ease their fears. "I just need to take my medicine, and it will be fine." The words tumbled out, a desperate attempt to comfort them even as he felt the weight of his own truth pressing down on him.

In reality, the situation was far more complex. The original Xiang Yu’s natural physique had been forcibly altered, leaving him in a precarious state where no amount of Pheromone Regulation Therapy or medication could truly soothe his disorder, not even in higher doses. They could have sifted through the database when they found that no omega could help him.

Any other alpha with a high match rate would have sufficed but his father’s insistence to keep the nature of his condition a secret had led him to exploit someone close to Xiang Yu instead. It was a precarious solution, one that felt like walking a tightrope.

Lian and Mei weren’t convinced, but they didn’t want to keep insisting and risk angering their master. Mei spoke up, "Master, we brought you food. We picked according to your taste."

"Thank you," Xiang Yu replied, pulling the plate over. They had indeed chosen dishes he would normally eat, but the food was far from appetizing. Mei and Lian looked every bit as dissatisfied. Not a day in their lives had they settled for bland food, even when they were low on money and bought cheap meals.

At least the cheap steamed buns looked more appetizing than this. The food on their plates looked like it had been taken out of a can and slapped onto the plate.

Lian was even more disgusted by the vegetables, pushing them away in hopes her master wouldn’t notice. Mei wasn’t any better, staring at her food touching and looking unhappy. Xiang Yu sighed and pulled her plate towards him. He separated her food so it wouldn’t touch and said, "There, you can eat it now."

Lian, who didn’t want to eat this at all, whined, "Master, can’t we use your crown prince privileges and eat something better? I was looking forward to eating something yummy, not to be tortured. I would rather die."

Mei scolded her, "Stop complaining and eat. We still have class after this."

Xiang Yu picked up his chopsticks and began to eat. He had eaten far worse things than this, so he ate with no problem. When he saw Lian picking up her vegetables and sneaking them into Mei’s plate, he said, "Noa, eat your own food."

Lian pouted, muttering, "But it smells like a wet dog."

Xiang Yu smelled the stir-fried greens. They didn’t smell delightful, but they smelled nothing like a wet dog. "Eat them first and end your suffering early. If you finish your food, I will take you somewhere nice after classes."

Well, that did it. Lian and Mei were so motivated they ate through the terrible taste. This entire interaction was witnessed by the tables nearby, their expressions colourful. They couldn’t help but ask themselves why this interaction looked more like a doting father and his children having a meal.

Suddenly, two figures approached and sat down beside them, their familiarity evident in the casual way they joined the table.

Luther, a young man with long, flowing hair, and Celeste, a petite woman with striking golden eyes, settled in. Despite Luther being a beta, and Celeste being an alpha, their similar heights made it hard to distinguish at a glance.

"So, you two ditched us when you made friends with His Highness," Luther remarked his tone light but with a hint of reproach. Celeste, meanwhile, was inching closer to Xiang Yu, her eyes gleaming with interest. Xiang Yu noticed but chose to remain silent, his expression unreadable.

Mei, slipping seamlessly into her role, responded, "But you two were still in class. How were we supposed to wait for you?" She was right. Their schedules differed significantly. While Lian and Mei were in the mech division, Luther and Celeste were in the mech design and engineering division.

Celeste’s gaze shifted to Xiang Yu, her eyes practically devouring him like a piece of juicy pork chop. "I thought you two didn’t get along with His Highness," she said, her voice dripping with curiosity and something more.

Xiang Yu’s brow arched at her boldness. Lian, sensing her master’s discomfort, wanted to intervene but Mei quickly replied, "We recently settled our differences. From now on, we will be friends."

Luther’s excitement was palpable. His hands twitched with the urge to study Xiang Yu’s mech, Valkyrie, a masterpiece crafted by the legendary grandmaster Zie. It was a rare opportunity to examine such a renowned creation up close.

Celeste, however, was more interested in Xiang Yu himself. Leaning in even closer, she said, "I heard that His Highness is looking for a new partner."

Xiang Yu was about to respond when Lian interjected, "What’s it to you?"

Celeste pouted, looking genuinely hurt. "Why are you being so mean?" she asked, her voice softening as she turned to Xiang Yu. "You are single, and so am I. You like alphas, and so do I. So, how about it, Your Highness?"

Xiang Yu was taken aback by her straightforwardness, his surprise evident in his widened eyes.

Mei’s eyes narrowed as she leaned forward, her voice sharp. "Who told you that His Highness likes alphas?"

Celeste, unfazed, pulled out her communicator and brought up a forum. "This," she said, showing the screen. It was an alpha x alpha secret group, a place where alphas sought relationships with other alphas, shared advice, and posted various things.

On it was a recent post claiming that the crown prince’s dalliances with Omegas were just a cover. His reputation as a playboy alpha was a façade, hiding his true relationship with Han Xin. The post went on to say that they had recently broken up, and Han Xin was now being pursued by Fang Aungier, leaving the crown prince heartbroken. The comments were filled with alphas eager to be Xiang Yu’s rebound, which explained Celeste’s sudden boldness.

Xiang Yu chuckled, a deep, resonant sound that sent shivers down Celeste’s spine. Her alpha heart pounded at the sight of his handsome face up close. But his laughter ceased when he noticed the glares from Lian and Mei, who looked like children catching their mother being flirted with in their father’s absence.

"He is taken," Mei blurted out, her tone firm.