Xie Jianyu’s body went stiff in Zhang Fengxi’s embrace.
"Zhang Fengxi, what are you doing??" he then cried out after a while. "Unhand me!!!"
Xie Jianyu raised a leg to kick Zhang Fengxi away from him, but the latter swatted his leg away and hugged him like a mother bear.
"Shush. Can you just stay quiet? Let me hug you for a while."
"....."
Zhang Fengxi discovered that holding a living, breathing, and warm Xie Jianyu was the only cure for the trauma that he experienced beneath the Abyssal Ice Pond’s frozen surface.
The Xie Jianyu in the scenario was nothing but an illusion. And yet, the Three Realm Spear was able to produce such a vivid, realistic recreation of the omega.
If Xie Jianyu from his past life was given another chance at life, he most likely would say the exact things he said today.
To make it even worse, Zhang Fengxi knew that he deserved any reproach that came out of Xie Jianyu’s lips.
"Xie Jianyu..."
"... What....?"
"Can you ever forgive me?"
"No."
"..."
"Hmph."
Xie Jianyu shoved Zhang Fengxi away from him. The alpha almost fell from the bed.
"What are you still here for, Zhang Fengxi?" Xie Jianyu asked with a frown. "Did Mingyu not relay my message to you?"
"She did. There is no wedding."
Xie Jianyu stared at him.
Zhang Fengxi sighed.
"I mean, it is delayed for a year."
"..."
Zhang Fengxi clawed into his head.
He did not know anymore. Both his mind and heart were in a complete mess. He did not know what to feel or what to do.
He knew that he loved Liu Wenyuan.
He longed after Liu Wenyuan for two lives.
But why was his shadow so easily replaced by Xie Jianyu?
And why did Xie Jianyu replace Liu Wenyuan in the trial’s scenario?
Had it been Liu Wenyuan, maybe Zhang Fengxi would not have hurt that much.
It was a horrifying discovery. He was a horrifying future husband. How could he think that way about his future wife?
"Zhang Fengxi, what’s wrong with you?"
Xie Jianyu stretched out a hand to touch Zhang Fengxi’s shoulder, but he then quickly retracted it.
It was improper. Liu Wenyuan was going to be upset.
"I..."
Instead of finishing his sentence, Zhang Fengxi threw himself at Xie Jianyu again.
"Please," he begged when Xie Jianyu started kicking at him. "Don’t ask. Just let me hold you for a while."
"... Do I need to tell you that this is highly improper?"
Zhang Fengxi burrowed his face into Xie Jianyu’s neck stubbornly and inhaled his faint scent.
"I don’t know what you are talking about. We are both alphas."
Xie Jianyu groaned. He pressed both hands at Zhang Fengxi’s face in exasperation.
"..... Even between alphas, this interaction is not normal."
"It’s normal for me."
Xie Jianyu’s mouth dropped open.
Did Zhang Fengxi just admit to him that he had an abnormal inclination toward alphas?
Not that it concerned Xie Jianyu at all.
It just gave Xie Jianyu goosebumps all over.
Zhang Fengxi refused to leave and Xie Jianyu was too soft-hearted to kick him out of his palace. In the end, they ate dinner together.
Tonight, the Fuxi Palace’s kitchen prepared more dishes to entertain their sole guest.
For dinner, there was a huge bowl of miso and seaweed soup; steamed mackerel in soy sauce, mushroom, and ginger; stir-fried vegetable mix; and also fried dumplings.
Zhang Fengxi’s eyes shone brightly when he saw the delicious spread. If Lady Song saw the look on her son’s face, she would be quite offended.
Xie Jianyu took a piece of the steamed mackerel and placed it into Zhang Fengxi’s rice bowl.
"Eat, no need to stand on ceremony."
"Thank you."
Zhang Fengxi then started to gobble everything down. He was no different from a hungry ghost tonight.
Xie Jianyu ate in silence. After swallowing a few mouthfuls, he was unable to eat anymore.
"If you had a fight with Liu Wenyuan, you should sort it out as soon as possible," Xie Jianyu said after he put down his chopsticks.
Zhang Fengxi’s hands shook for a while in the air, but then he shook his head.
"We did not fight."
"...."
Zhang Fengxi decided that the best way to shut Xie Jianyu up was to feed him. He thus took a dumpling and dumped it into Xie Jianyu’s bowl.
"Eat."
Xie Jianyu shook his head.
"I am full."
Zhang Fengxi stared at Xie Jianyu.
"You are a grown man. You should eat a lot more."
Xie Jianyu shook his head again.
"It’s enough."
Zhang Fengxi grabbed the dumpling using his chopsticks and held it in front of Xie Jianyu’s mouth.
"Be good. Eat."
"..."
Xie Jianyu reluctantly opened his mouth and ate the dumpling.
"Very good," Zhang Fengxi praised with a bright smile. The smile made Xie Jianyu want to spit the dumpling at his face.
Bit by bit, Zhang Fengxi fed all sorts of food to Xie Jianyu. The omega ended up eating twice his usual amount. Mingyu was especially happy to see the empty bowls and plates when dinner was over. Zhang Fengxi was able to coax her master to eat! Just as she thought, they had a good relationship with each other!
It was quite late at night, so Zhang Fengxi excused himself to go home.
"Wait, what did you come here for?" Xie Jianyu asked in confusion.
"I just wanted to see you."
"... Why?"
Zhang Fengxi gave him a sad smile that tugged on his heartstrings.
"I just did."
Xie Jianyu pressed his lips together.
"Stop it," he said. "Stop treating me like an omega."
The warmth in Zhang Fengxi’s eyes cooled down at Xie Jianyu’s words.
"Xie Jianyu, tell me honestly. Do you want to become an alpha so bad?"
Xie Jianyu scoffed.
"I have no choice," he stated as-a-matter-of-factly. "Good night, Prince Zhang Fengxi."
Zhang Fengxi stood at the gate, watching Xie Jianyu’s back as he went back into his palace.
"Then, I will give you another choice," Zhang Fengxi whispered softly in return.