Chapter 6
Yi Ze, originally possessing a tall and straight posture, was now clad in a well-fitted suit, emphasizing his lean waistline. It softened his usual military rigidity, revealing an elegant and handsome gentleman. His black hair was combed back, exposing his forehead and attractive eyes. Although his face remained expressionless, just standing there made him look like a living artwork.
Ella, seeing him in this manner, felt as though she might swoon from the sheer sight.
Yi Ze slightly tilted his head, and for that brief moment when he caught sight of Ella, his gaze also flickered.
Ella wore a white satin gown with a delicate floral pattern and adorned with diamonds, which sparkled as she moved. Her makeup enhanced her somewhat youthful face, making it appear mature and seductive.
Yi Ze walked over to Ella, took her hand, and guided her into the vehicle, sitting beside her.
In the driver's seat was the same soldier Ella had seen before, but today he did not look around or smile. It seemed that having a General on board provided the motivation to present himself well.
As the vehicle took off, within the confined space, Yi Ze felt a faint sweet scent lingering in the air, the fragrant aroma of plants in the sunlight. It made him feel entirely comfortable. Omega individuals naturally had a strong dependency on their Alpha's scent, especially when they had recently passed through their heat cycle, their bodies becoming more sensitive. Yi Ze struggled to keep his impulses in check, not allowing himself to be too close to Ella.
Ella, too, was quite uncomfortable. The allure of an Alpha with such a high compatibility index had a strong effect on her. Right now, she just wanted to pull Yi Ze closer to her in various ways.
Eventually, when the unhealthy scenarios in Ella's mind threatened to become real, the vehicle finally arrived at its destination.
On a perfectly even meadow, a meticulously arranged wedding setup awaited them, enchantingly beautiful and dreamlike, capable of fulfilling the fantasies of any Omega in the Empire.
Yi Ze took Ella's hand as they disembarked from the vehicle. Both of them felt a sense of release.
The invited guests offered their applause and congratulations. Only Yi Ze's aunt, Zhao Bi, who had observed Ella's appearance, stood there, shocked and speechless. It was only after a glance from her husband, Yi Ze's uncle, Yi Ting, that she managed to maintain a smile on her face.
The wedding ceremony proceeded smoothly, with the couple exchanging rings before reaching the final stage: the kiss.
Ella had thought that Yi Ze would merely go through the motions, but to her surprise, he embraced her naturally and kissed her lips.
The two of them remained locked in that passionate embrace for an extended moment before reluctantly parting.
To outsiders, their love seemed profound, but in reality, it was the magnetic pull of their information pheromones that they struggled to resist.
"Oh, this is so hard," Ella muttered helplessly. The more they restrained themselves, the harder it became to resist wanting more.
Following the wedding ceremony, the grand ball was set to begin, with the bride and groom dancing the first dance.
Yi Ze held Ella's hand and led her onto the dance floor. Ella, looking down, whispered softly, "I haven't really learned this..."
Yi Ze gently held Ella's waist and whispered in her ear, "It's okay, just follow my lead."
As the young master of the Yi family, Yi Ze was well-versed in these social etiquettes. Under Yi Ze's guidance, Ella found the social dance to be less challenging.
They danced until late into the night, and once all the wedding rituals had been completed, Yi Ze escorted Ella back to the house they had visited earlier. Inside, he looked at her and said in a formal tone, "You've had a long day."
Ella gazed at the handsome man before her and rubbed her hands together, softly responding, "Thank you, sir?"
Yi Ze...
Ella mentally chastised herself with a slap. "Ahem," she dryly continued, "Well, get some rest."
Yi Ze nodded, saying, "Yes."
Ella lifted her skirt and hurried up the stairs.
Back in her room, she removed her makeup and took a shower before lying on the soft, large bed. She opened her terminal and found a barrage of messages from Ahong. It turned out that multiple media outlets within the Empire had broadcasted the wedding ceremony.
Ella replied, "I'm exhausted."
Ahong immediately initiated a video call. Ella answered.
Ahong scrutinized Ella through the terminal and sighed regretfully. "Ah, I've removed my makeup, and I still wanted to get a close look. You look amazing. I nearly used half a bottle of eye drops to figure out that the woman standing next to Yi Ze was you."
"Your poor eyes," Ella rolled her eyes.
"Yi Ze is really a handsome one," Ahong remarked. "What kind of luck have you stumbled upon?"
Ella scratched her face. "Maybe because I'm beautiful?"
"Don't be shameless!" Ahong scolded. "The entire StarNet is criticizing you now! Go and see for yourself. It'll save me the trouble of explaining."
Ella accessed StarNet and indeed found many people criticizing her under the wedding news. Everyone seemed to think her looks and figure were quite ordinary, making her an unworthy match for the Yi family's master, not to mention Yi Ze, who was an attractive High General.
What angered the citizens of the Empire even more was that they had only found out three days ago that this general was actually an Omega, and before they could fully digest that information, they were informed of the Omega's rapid marriage!
Enraged Imperial citizens began digging into Ella's identity.
But the results left them even angrier because they couldn't find anything on this person!
The name Ella was so common in the Empire that it seemed like there were countless people with that name. Ella herself never shared her personal updates on social media, leaving no traces on the Interstellar Web, making it impossible to uncover her.
Ella looked at the online comments calling her a freeloader, an inexperienced dancer, and more.
Ella seemed completely at ease, replying, "I'm quite satisfied with the results; your skills in hiding online information are impressive."
Ahong replied, "Don't praise me too much. I can't make things this clean; your General Yi Ze had a hand in it as well."
Ella said, "You can call me 'Invisible Hero' from now on."
Ahong quipped, "Enjoying the fruits of others' labor, you sly dog."
Ella thanked him, saying, "Thanks for the compliment."
Ella continued to browse through the comments online, and she realized that these people were simply envious and jealous of her. She concluded that there were probably many Alphas within the Star Empire who wished to be taken care of by General Yi Ze, enjoying the life of a "kept man."
Ella rubbed her nose and thought that she wasn't too keen on that idea either.
Meanwhile, Yi Ze was also monitoring the trending topics and public opinion on the Interstellar Web. He had achieved his goal, but it seemed he might have gone a bit overboard. Seeing his newlywed wife unfairly maligned online must be distressing for her.
Yi Ze put down his terminal, undid the buttons on his shirt one by one from top to bottom, took off his shirt, revealing his muscular and well-defined physique. Standing in front of the mirror, he examined himself from every angle.
After he had finished, he breathed a sigh of relief; the marks on his body were no longer so visible.
Finally, he could dress more casually.
The weather was quite hot...
Fulfilling Duties
Ella, having gone to bed early the previous night out of boredom, woke up early the next day. She drew back the curtains and looked outside.
It was a beautiful day with clear skies and bright sunshine, and Ella felt her mood lifting.
Ella looked downstairs and was surprised to see Yi Ze, who was wearing a black sports T-shirt while jogging. The black shirt made his fair skin appear even paler.
His short black hair, with a slight curve, was not neatly combed but casually tousled. This gave Ella the impression that the owner of that hair was rather cute.
Ella's gaze then fell on Yi Ze's well-toned forearms. She suddenly thought of the rumors circulating on the Interstellar Web – even though Yi Ze was an Omega, he seemed to have the muscular physique typically associated with Alphas.
Ella couldn't help but chuckle to herself, recalling that when he relaxed and let her explore his body, he was incredibly soft and his skin felt amazing to touch.
Just as Ella was unabashedly admiring the beautiful sight, Yi Ze suddenly looked up, and their eyes met.
Ella: "!"
Her immediate reaction was to quickly close the curtains and pretend to be asleep.
Ella played dead in her room for a while. She initially considered going downstairs in her pajamas, but the thought of a man outside made her choose a modest pink dress from the closet.
It wasn't her preference to wear something so girlish, but the closet seemed to offer an array of elegant, feminine choices, leaving her with limited options.
Ella entered the dining room and found Yi Ze sitting at the table in a clean, light gray shirt. His cheeks were slightly flushed from the morning jog. When he saw Ella come down, he nodded at her.
Ella sat down, smiling, "Good morning."
Yi Ze replied, "You're up early too."
Ella: ... What a stingy man. He can't even compliment me.
The servants brought breakfast to the table, and Ella eyed her generous meal with satisfaction, her eyes narrowing.
Then, she glanced up at Yi Ze's breakfast and blushed slightly. Compared to her hearty and diverse breakfast, Yi Ze's meal was filled with nutritious items, clearly tailored to maintain his physique and muscle mass.
It looked less appetizing, but Yi Ze was eating it naturally.
Clearly, a good physique wasn't just for show. Ella looked at her own full table of food and dug in heartily.
Having grown up without regular meals, she had a mentality of eating as much as she could, not taking her body shape into account. She never knew when she'd eat another meal.
Ella ate voraciously, savoring every bite.
Yi Ze had received dining etiquette training from a young age, and even though he had served in the military, his posture was exceptionally elegant.
Aside from the sounds of Ella eating, the entire dining room was surprisingly quiet.
Ella wanted to break the awkward silence, so she decided to make small talk. While chewing, she said, "The chef in your family is really good."
Yi Ze calmly corrected, "Our family."