The Emperor’s Favorite Imperial Concubine is an O

Wen Mingyu was summoned by Mu Zhan again and sat on the side.

Over this period, he had come to realize that the rumors of the tyrant might not be entirely trustworthy. For example, Mu Zhan was tirelessly devoted to state affairs, working as hard as a diligent office worker.

He woke up at four in the morning, got ready, and attended the morning court session. After finishing in the late morning, he continued discussing state affairs with important ministers. Then, he had lunch, took a short break, and delved back into reviewing memorials, working until nightfall.

Comparatively, Wen Mingyu felt like an unscrupulous overseer, sitting on the side, eating snacks, akin to a capitalist exploiting the workers.

Wen Mingyu sighed silently, picked up a melon seed, and was about to crack it open. However, considering the potential noise, he changed his mind and decided to break it with his hands. Unfortunately, the room was too quiet, and the crisp sound of the seed cracking was still somewhat noticeable.

Wen Mingyu promptly tossed the melon seed back into the plate, adopting a solemn expression, as if he had done nothing, completely unrelated to the noise.

Both the chief eunuch and Wen Mingyu glanced in Mu Zhan’s direction, only to find him still engrossed in reviewing memorials, showing no reaction as if he hadn’t heard anything. They both let out a sigh of relief simultaneously.

Then, the chief eunuch approached, silently expressing an apology. He pushed another plate of snacks towards Wen Mingyu and indicated that he would bring a plate of his favorite pastry. After that, he picked up the plate of melon seeds and walked out.

Wen Mingyu thought he might be going to reprimand the palace servant who had brought the melon seeds to the emperor.

Not long after, a young eunuch brought a new plate of snacks. Wen Mingyu quietly enjoyed two of them, feeling a bit dry in the mouth. He took a sip of tea.

It had to be said; the food here was too good. If it weren’t for the unpredictable explosive device called Mu Zhan, he wouldn’t want to leave.

After a while, Mu Zhan raised his head from the memorials, pressed his forehead wearily, indicating that he planned to take a break. He turned his head to look in Wen Mingyu’s direction.

Wen Mingyu happened to be chewing on a piece of cherry pastry, half-closing his eyes, cheeks slightly puffed, thoroughly enjoying the treat. Suddenly feeling a gaze, he turned his head, promptly closed his mouth, wiped off the powder at the corner of his lips, and then raised the corners of his mouth, silently smiling sweetly. He looked like a little sun, radiating warm light.

Mu Zhan watched him for a brief two seconds, then got up and walked over, sitting down on the lounge chair beside him. He casually leaned back, closed his eyes.

Wen Mingyu took another bite of the pastry, quietly observing him.

Mu Zhan lay on the couch, his eyelashes drooping, his ink-black hair scattered, giving off a somewhat lazy and casual air. With those deep and cold eyes hidden, his facial features seemed to soften, devoid of the usual intimidating aura. Instead, he exuded a hint of youthful charm.

If one were to consider it, Wen Mingyu found it somewhat unbelievable at first. The tyrant before him was only eighteen years old, just two years older than him. In the future, he might still be a student, perhaps not even having taken the college entrance exam. Yet, here he was, having ascended the throne several years ago, already proving to be a capable ruler.

Setting aside the tyranny, he was evidently an extremely capable individual.

Wen Mingyu pursed his lips, involuntarily staring at the peacefully sleeping face. The man was exceptionally handsome, a stunning beauty. Such a flawless face, it would be a shame not to throw a couple of punches at it.

Wen Mingyu had heard a few days ago that when the tyrant first went to see him, he had intended to kill him, but for some reason, he changed his mind. The tyrant was unpredictable, doing things on a whim, unrestrained, and no one could fathom what was going on in his mind.

After hearing that, Wen Mingyu felt a shiver down his spine. Combined with being scared by the tyrant every day, it was impossible not to feel a bit resentful.

His face smiled, but inside, he was thinking, mmp…¹an internet slang expressing frustration or helplessness

This expression was definitely a true portrayal of his feelings.

One uppercut, a sweeping kick, and then another kick.….

In Wen Mingyu’s imagination, a little figure was vigorously retaliating against the tyrant with punches and kicks, seeking satisfying revenge. However, in reality, he certainly couldn’t do such a thing. Taking such action would be like courting death.

Though he kept his thoughts to himself, his eyes were deep and fixed on Mu Zhan. To someone unaware, it might seem like the gaze of an ardent and passionate love story unfolding.

Even with closed eyes, it seemed that Mu Zhan could sense the intense gaze. He slightly furrowed his brows, showing signs of waking up.

Wen Mingyu quickly turned his head, concentrating on eating the dried fruits.

However, Mu Zhan only stirred a bit and didn’t wake up. Wen Mingyu let out a small sigh, put down the dried fruits, rubbed his eyes. Perhaps the prolonged tension had made him a bit drowsy.

He blinked, trying to wake himself up, but after a while, he ended up lying on the table, asleep.

During this nap, he didn’t know how long he slept. When he woke up, he glanced around in a daze. It was already dark, and nearby were flickering candlelights.

Who am I? Where am I?

Wen Mingyu, still not fully awake, had a bewildered expression.

Chief Eunuch Zhao Dequan walked up to him, bent over, and smiled kindly, “Young Master Wen, His Majesty has instructed that when you wake up, I should escort you back.”

Wen Mingyu, still in a daze, replied, “Oh, okay.”

Then, he followed behind the eunuch, yawning and sluggishly making his way back.

On the way, he was still puzzled. When he woke up, the tyrant was already gone. Where did he go? Was he working again? Surprisingly, he didn’t get angry or punish him when he saw him sleeping?

While feeling relieved and frightened, he also found it quite strange.

The tyrant’s heart, like a needle at the bottom of the sea.

Indeed, it was still incomprehensible.

Upon returning to the palace where he resided, Zhao Dequan bowed and saluted Wen Mingyu before turning to leave.

Wen Mingyu had dinner, took a bath, and finally collapsed onto the bed.

Perhaps due to the nap in the afternoon, he was quite energetic and couldn’t fall asleep immediately.

So, he lay on the bed, contemplating life.

During this period of frequent visits to the tyrant’s palace, as things settled down gradually, he felt uneasy in his heart and developed many doubts and speculations.

He complained that even when the tyrant was sleeping, someone had to be by his side. However, according to his inquiries and contemplation, such a situation had never occurred before. He was the only one who was assigned to be beside the tyrant, even during the review of memorials.

Why?

Wen Mingyu felt that there must be a reason for this. Memorials were confidential, and normally, the emperor wouldn’t act in this way. It made him seem quite special, as evidenced by the reactions of Chief Eunuch Zhao Dequan. Now, Zhao Dequan’s respect for him seemed to be growing.

Of course, Wen Mingyu didn’t think the tyrant had fallen for him at first sight or anything like that. He believed that being kept around must have some important purpose.

For example, being by his side seemed to help the tyrant sleep soundly.

After several similar instances, this could be considered confirmed. As for the reason, he had thought about it. The most likely and least desirable possibility for him at the moment was that his pheromones had a soothing effect.

In general, only alphas and omegas can smell pheromones, and regular people are completely unaffected. No matter how much he wanted to deny it, from the first moment he saw the tyrant, the overwhelming dominance and aggression he perceived indicated that the tyrant was an alpha, and a very powerful one at that.
The last time the tyrant got angry and smashed the memorial, the oppressive and terrifying atmosphere, coupled with the powerful low pressure, was further evidence. He was scared at that moment, and upon reflection, he realized that he actually smelled a scent that wasn’t present in the palace – intense and dominant. It invaded his body, somewhat resembling the smell of alcohol he encountered in his previous life, but compared to those cheap liquors, this scent was more refined and intense, like the legendary nectar.

Although ABO is a common phenomenon in the future world, previously, experts studied when humans evolved into ABO individuals. One speculation proposed by experts is that it might trace back to ancient times, when the number of such individuals was extremely small, and people of that era might not have been aware of it due to its rarity.

Because of the lack of self-awareness, there would naturally be no conscious control of pheromones.

The tyrant always gives off a terrifying oppressive aura, partly due to his murderous intent, and another part is the pheromones. The fact that even ordinary people can feel threatened by him indicates how frightening his pheromone dominance is.

If Mu Zhan is indeed an alpha, then it would be troublesome for Wen Mingyu.

Wen Mingyu transformed into a small droopy-eared rabbit, paws covering his head, and he repeatedly bumped his head against the pillow. The plushy ears swayed with his movements.

In the end, he collapsed on the bed, rolling around in a self-indulgent manner. His short legs kicked at the air haphazardly.

There’s a reason why he feels so conflicted and restless.

He is sixteen this year, and the omega’s heat generally occurs at the age of seventeen or eighteen. In this era, without suppressants, he had initially planned to tough it out on his own. The process would be painful, but once that period passed, everything would be fine.

However, if there’s an alpha around, the situation changes completely. During the omega’s heat, they emit a strong and alluring scent of pheromones, which has a powerful attraction to alphas. Especially since he used suppressants frequently in the past, the rebound would be even more intense. He’s sure to be unable to resist getting close, and if that happens with Mu Zhan, it would be disastrous.

In ancient times, people were unaware of the heat cycle. If he were to endure it on his own, others might just think he’s seriously ill. But if he encounters Mu Zhan, people might misunderstand, thinking he has given the emperor some potent aphrodisiac and is seducing him.

Wen Mingyu rolled from the top to the bottom of the bed, then back from the bottom to the top, bumping into the pillow and grabbing it with his little paws.

His round bunny eyes squinted, and he bit the edge of the pillow, looking cute but a bit fierce.

He had to escape from the imperial palace within a year.

---

 

Love what you read? You can support me on Ko-Fi~

• 1
  an internet slang expressing frustration or helplessness