Because he had thought too much before going to bed, Wen Mingyu had a nightmare, and it was about Mu Zhan. Truly, as the saying goes, “What you think about during the day, you dream about at night.”
In the dream, he was in the form of a floppy-eared rabbit, locked inside a cage made of golden bars adorned with beautiful patterns, incredibly delicate and ornate.
He looked around in confusion, patting the bars with his paws and turning in circles to find the door, attempting to escape. However, he couldn’t open the door at all. Instead, he saw a tall figure approaching.
It was Mu Zhan.
He reached out and lifted the cage, his gaze dark and cold as he stared at Wen Mingyu, sneering, “Trying to escape? I’ve locked you up. Let’s see how you run now.”
Wen Mingyu was shocked, realizing that he had failed to escape, and his rabbit form was exposed.
Mu Zhan brought him to the bedside. Along the way, Wen Mingyu’s body swayed with the cage, suspended in mid-air, which frightened the little rabbit. He timidly used his paws to hold onto the bars, and his snowy-white tail ball trembled slightly.
On the low couch by the bed, there was a plate of strawberries, vibrant red and emitting an enticing fragrance.
Wen Mingyu was not far from the strawberries. Unable to resist, he extended his paws, trying to reach them. However, his small short paws couldn’t quite reach, so he could only extend them beyond the bars, making pitiful and cute gestures while looking at the strawberries with longing eyes.
“Do you want to eat?”
Mu Zhan’s voice rang above him.
Wen Mingyu nodded vigorously, and Mu Zhan picked up a strawberry and handed it to him. As Wen Mingyu was currently a small droopy-eared rabbit, only about the size of a palm, the strawberry was quite large for him. He had to use both paws to hold and eat it.
He took a bite, the juice overflowing, and his small tongue licked it, sucking away the juice. Then, happily munching, he ate the strawberry bite by bite, quickly finishing it.
Mu Zhan sat beside him, supporting his chin, watching him eat. After finishing one, he handed over a fresh and juicy strawberry. After eating three in a row, Wen Mingyu was full, looking satisfied with a slightly bloated belly.
Mu Zhan reached out and gently rubbed his little belly, his lips curved in a meaningful smile as he said, “Full now? Then it’s my turn.”
Wen Mingyu, still a bit sluggish from eating, looked at him blankly, not understanding. The next moment, he saw Mu Zhan open the cage, pinched the back of his neck, and lifted him out.
He sat in the palm of Mu Zhan’s hand, and as he lifted his head, his eyes met Mu Zhan’s – pure, black, and deep. Intense and obsessive emotions surged and spread, as if a ravenous beast was glaring at its long-craved prey, unable to conceal its overwhelming desire, wishing to devour him whole.
…!!!
Wen Mingyu broke out in a cold sweat, scared out of his wits, and was abruptly awakened from the dream.
With a sudden snap, he opened his eyes and met a handsome, pale face.
Mu Zhan.
For a moment, Wen Mingyu almost thought he was still in a nightmare, not fully awake. He genuinely believed that Mu Zhan had indeed imprisoned him.
The back of his head felt cool and eerie, and his heart was on the verge of a strike.
“I have finished the morning court, and here you are, still in bed, sleeping soundly.” Mu Zhan sat on the edge of the bed, looking at him, and coolly remarked.
Wen Mingyu finally woke up mostly, blinked a couple of times, got up from the bed, straightened his clothes, and pulled himself together to face the tyrant. He smiled and said, “Thanks to His Majesty, I was thinking of you in my heart, so I slept so soundly.”
Mu Zhan’s expression remained unchanged. “Is that so? Thinking of me, yet you seemed to have a nightmare just now. Am I terrifying in your dreams?”
Wen Mingyu chuckled, thinking that it was not just terrifying; it was like looking at a plate of braised rabbit. If he had woken up a bit later, there might not have been any bones left.
As Wen Mingyu didn’t respond, it seemed to imply agreement with Mu Zhan’s statement. Mu Zhan’s face darkened, becoming impatient and irritable.
Fortunately, at this moment, Wen Mingyu had figured out what to say. He solemnly shook his head, looking sincere. “Of course not. The frightening one in the dream was someone else. Your Majesty is awe-inspiring, with a heroic presence. You rescued me from danger, making me feel safe. Waking up to see Your Majesty, I instantly felt at ease.”
Mu Zhan remained silent, but the hostility around him diminished, as if he was somewhat satisfied with Wen Mingyu’s words.
Wen Mingyu noticed.
As they spent more time together, Wen Mingyu gradually figured out some of Mu Zhan’s temperament. If he spoke boldly, expressing an almost disrespectful closeness to the tyrant, the tyrant didn’t get angry at all, and there was no intention to kill him. On the contrary, if he trembled in fear, looking terrified, the tyrant’s expression would become cold and impatient, and his aura would become terrifying.
It was quite strange. Shouldn’t the emperor, as the most noble ruler, be revered by others? Or was it that there were too many people afraid of him, and he wanted something different?
Regardless, Wen Mingyu had found a method to deal with the tyrant: shower him with flattery. In any situation, praising him seemed to work, making things go smoothly.
However, facing such a powerful tyrant wasn’t easy. Every time Wen Mingyu smiled sweetly, brilliantly, his legs would be shaking underneath. Now, just having woken up from a nightmare, he was trembling even more. To avoid being noticed, he had to press his hands against his legs.
He wasn’t sure if Mu Zhan had noticed, and he hoped he hadn’t.
Mu Zhan, dressed neatly, sat at the edge of the bed, while Wen Mingyu was still in bed, a brocade quilt covering him up to his waist. He was only wearing thin sleeping clothes, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable.
Wen Mingyu smirked, revealing a dimple on one side, looking somewhat shy and very cute.
“I haven’t freshened up and changed yet. It’s quite impolite to be in front of Your Majesty like this. Would Your Majesty allow me to…”
The sentence wasn’t completed, but the meaning was already quite clear; he was trying to usher Mu Zhan out.
Mu Zhan heard it but didn’t leave as instructed. Instead, he reached out, placing his hand on Wen Mingyu’s nape, gently gathering it up and inexplicably caressing for a while, followed by a pinch.
“It was just a dream, yet you got scared like this. You’re really delicate.”
Wen Mingyu froze, barely registering what Mu Zhan was saying. The omega gland was located at the nape, and in the interstellar era, it was an extremely private and special area. Only extremely intimate individuals were allowed to touch it. As Mu Zhan’s fingers caressed the area, a sensation Wen Mingyu had never experienced before surged through him. His mind was completely captured, and he felt a tingling all over, his body trembling beyond his control.
Instinctively, he attempted to pull his neck back, trying to avoid Mu Zhan’s touch. However, Mu Zhan’s hand was forceful and firm, exuding a chilling sensation. As it glided slowly over the back of his neck, it felt like the probing tongue of a snake, leaving Wen Mingyu too afraid to move.
Mu Zhan touched for quite a while before withdrawing and leaving.
Wen Mingyu sat on the bed, unable to recover for a long time. His heart raced, as if it were about to burst out of his chest. His eyelashes trembled, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead, moistening his ink-black hair on the temples. The snow-white fingertips tightly gripped the bedsheet, as if resisting some unbearable sensation.
It wasn’t until Mu Zhan walked away, and the air became less oppressive, that he finally regained composure, letting out a long sigh.
Sanxi brought a basin of water to assist him with washing up, visibly in a good mood. He happily said, “Young Master, His Majesty has shown great favor towards you. When he saw you had a nightmare, he consoled you so gently, comforting you.”
Wen Mingyu was a bit confused. Thinking back on what had just happened, where did the emperor console him? Saying he was delicate for getting scared by a dream, wasn’t that just him expressing disdain for being useless?
Wen Mingyu seriously suspected that Sanxi’s imagination had run wild, adding all sorts of strange filters to the situation.
Sanxi held up the damp cloth in his hands and smiled, saying, “Young Master, your face is flushed.”
He wasn’t making things up. Wen Mingyu’s face did have a faint blush, setting off his skin like white jade. It was more dazzling than the peach blossoms in March, making it hard for people to look away.
For such a beautiful person, it wasn’t surprising that His Majesty would be moved to show more affection.
Sanxi felt happy for his master’s sake.
Wen Mingyu glanced at the delighted Sanxi, realizing he had misunderstood, but with no way to explain. He simply went along with it.
Getting up from the bed, Wen Mingyu’s legs were still a bit weak. Stepping onto the floor, he unintentionally swayed, almost falling heavily. Sanxi quickly reached out to help, but Wen Mingyu grabbed the bedpost in time, steadying himself.
Sanxi breathed a sigh of relief, but there was still a subtle worry lingering in his heart. The young master was so delicate; how would he endure in the future with His Majesty…
Thankfully, Wen Mingyu couldn’t know what was on his mind; otherwise, it would be embarrassing, and he might end up digging a palace out of the floor with his paw.
After finishing his grooming, Wen Mingyu was once again headed to Mu Zhan’s place, as usual.
Wen Mingyu was already reluctant to see the tyrant before, and now, due to the nightmare from last night and waking up to Mu Zhan, his unwillingness had intensified. Even the delicious food didn’t seem as appealing today.
Wen Mingyu sat there with a plate of sweet and sour dried fruits in front of him. Usually, he would have relished eating them, but today, he stared at the wall, lost in thought, contemplating something.
The dream from last night and the events of this morning gave him a sense of crisis. He realized he couldn’t procrastinate any longer. He had trained himself in the past to resist the alpha’s pheromones, preventing his instincts from taking over and submitting involuntarily.
Although the process had been challenging, it proved effective. It allowed him to successfully impersonate a beta for over a decade, and when faced with an alpha, he managed to avoid exposure.
However, now he realized that the impact of Mu Zhan on him seemed significant. Unfortunately, their compatibility was too high, making the danger during the estrus period even greater.
Contemplating this, Wen Mingyu knew he had to quickly familiarize himself with the layout of the palace. After all, planning an escape was challenging, and the sooner he prepared, the better.
So, the key question arose: how could he naturally ask the tyrant for the freedom to wander around the palace?
Wen Mingyu felt frustrated, and his expression became deep with bitterness as he stared at the wall. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn’t even notice Mu Zhan’s gaze falling on him.
Mu Zhan observed his absent-mindedness, frowned, and asked in a cold tone, “What are you thinking about?”
Wen Mingyu was startled and snapped back to reality. However, he didn’t catch what Mu Zhan had said and could only look over with a confused expression. The overly delicate and exquisite face, showing such a look, made it truly difficult to place blame.
But Mu Zhan’s gaze grew even colder. It seemed his mood was not pleasant, and he repeated his previous question in a stern tone.
This time, Wen Mingyu finally heard clearly. Of course, he wouldn’t answer honestly. Instead, he cheerfully said, “I’m thinking about what to have for lunch today~”
Mu Zhan’s expression was inscrutable, and it was unclear whether he believed him or not. However, he didn’t get angry. Instead, he called Wen Mingyu over and casually tossed a stack of memorials into his arms, saying, “Since you have so much free time, sit here and review these memorials for me.”
It seemed like confidential information, and it ended up in his hands so easily, thrown by the tyrant himself. Wen Mingyu was bewildered and a bit at a loss. He felt like the memorial was akin to a hot potato and just wanted to throw it back.
This tyrant really did things as he pleased without any regard.
Wen Mingyu asked, “Your Majesty, am I really allowed to read this memorial?”
Mu Zhan showed no sign of changing his mind and said, “I let you see it, what’s the harm?”
Alright then.
Wen Mingyu lowered his head and looked at it. First, he marveled at the delicacy of the memorial in his heart, and then he opened it… and that was the end of it.
He was completely dumbfounded.
He didn’t recognize a single word written on the memorial.
After crossing over, he became a complete illiterate.
Wen Mingyu suddenly realized that here, he was probably even less knowledgeable than a three-year-old child.
This is truly a heart-wrenching and tear-inducing situation.
Wen Mingyu stood frozen for a while, unable to utter a single word. Mu Zhan looked over, “Why aren’t you reading?”
Wen Mingyu had a complex expression on his face, suddenly recalling a phrase he had read on the star network in the past.
“Brothers may betray you, lovers may leave you, but math won’t, math just won’t.”
Now he realized that the same applied to written words.
These characters, not recognizing them meant not recognizing them. Trying to pretend to know them with a brave face was impossible.
Wen Mingyu used to be an outstanding student who ranked at the top and even received scholarships. Saying such words now made him feel embarrassed, and his face turned a bit red. He lowered his head, handed over the memorial, pointed at it, and reluctantly said, “These… characters, I, I don’t recognize any of them.”
A glance from Mu Zhan, and the first thing he noticed was the crimson ears of Wen Mingyu, fair and lustrous, now adorned with a beautiful shade of red, tempting one to knead and play with them.
Silence lingered for a while.
Wen Mingyu, not hearing a response, looked up with some confusion and found Mu Zhan staring at him with a rather peculiar expression.
Meeting his gaze, Mu Zhan asked, “You can’t read?”
The tone carried a clear sense of surprise, as if finding it unbelievable.
Upon hearing this, Wen Mingyu felt like a sharp arrow had pierced his chest.
Surprised, huh?
I might not have believed it myself until I realized that, indeed, I am illiterate.
Love what you read? You can support me on Ko-Fi~
