The story of Zhang Fengxi pleasuring himself while Liu Wenyuan was staying under the same roof was both delightful and scandalous.
The positive-thinking folks believed that Zhang Fengxi did a good job restraining himself from making love to the love of his life before they tied the knot. Prince Zhang Fengxi was an honorable young man, they said. Prince Liu Wenyuan was lucky to have him.
Liu Wenyuan and his mother did not share the same sentiment.
After all, they were the ones who put the love potion into Zhang Fengxi’s cup. They wanted Zhang Fengxi to stop being the honorable young man he was and just claim Liu Wenyuan as his mate at last.
Not only that did not work, Zhang Fengxi even ended up taking care of himself throughout the night.
A thorough investigation and a carefully-placed bribe finally revealed that it was not all there was. Zhang Fengxi did not just serve himself by using his hand. He made love with a ball of clothing and ended up shooting his essence into it.
More persistent questioning revealed what kind of clothing it was.
Of all kinds of clothing that Zhang Fengxi could have used, it just had to be the inner robe that bore a roaring dragon sigil. It was unmistakably Xie Jianyu’s inner robe.
If Lady Wen did not hear from a maid in Longjing Palace herself, she might think that she had gone crazy.
The mother and son were silent while they rode in a cloud carriage back to Wuyang Palace. As soon as they arrived back home, Lady Wen grabbed Liu Wenyuan’s wrist and pulled him into her bedroom.
"Tell Mother the truth," she demanded. "Does Prince Zhang Fengxi have an abnormal liking for fellow alphas?"
Liu Wenyuan swallowed hard.
"Mother, I don’t know," he said truthfully. "But there were a few incidents that supported the rumor."
Such as, Zhang Fengxi’s disinterest in omegas until Liu Wenyuan’s name came up.
Such as, Zhang Fengxi rolling around with the Crown Prince on many occasions.
Such as, the time when Zhang Fengxi and the Crown Prince emerged from the Great Sage Valley in each other’s inner robes...
"Preposterous!!!"
Lady Wen slammed a hand against the tea table, her face meanwhile purplish from anger. She looked like she was about to suffer from a cardiac arrest.
"Mother, calm down," Liu Wenyuan said. "Prince Fengxi said that they didn’t do anything."
"They have not done anything," Lady Wen snapped. "But why must he masturbate by using the Crown Prince’s inner robe??? And that was after we drugged him, too!"
Understanding flickered in Liu Wenyuan’s eyes, dotted with disbelief.
"Mother, you don’t mean that.."
Lady Wen dropped herself on top of a nearby couch. Rubbing her aching temple, she wearily said, "The love potion amplifies an alpha’s obsession for the person he loves. Based on what happened last night, we can safely say that the person in Zhang Fengxi’s heart is not you, but the Crown Prince."
Liu Wenyuan sucked in a deep breath. He then slowly sat down next to his mother.
"Mother, how could that be? It was Prince Zhang Fengxi who pursued me first!"
Lady Wen groaned into her palms.
"My son, I don’t know. Some alphas simply tick differently. He probably likes you the most among all omegas out there. Look at you. You are beautiful and intelligent. You are the Ethereal Beauty of the year. Any alpha wants to own you."
"What Mother wants to say is that he likes me the most of all omegas, but not of all people?"
"Yes."
A heavy sigh escaped Liu Wenyuan’s lips.
"I don’t know what to do."
Lady Wen peered at Liu Wenyuan.
"Wenyuan, love is but a fleeting emotion. Alpha and omega marriages rarely happen out of love. Since the Crown Prince is not interested in pursuing anyone at the moment, you need to tighten your grip on Zhang Fengxi."
"But Mother..."
That Zhang Fengxi was obscenely interested in that Crown Prince!
"The Crown Prince is an alpha," Lady Wen reminded her son. "It does not matter what the dynamic of their relationship is. None of them can bear children. Wenyuan, your rival is an alpha, not an omega. Do not be stubborn, just pretend that Zhang Fengxi has nothing to do with the Crown Prince."
"..."
Lady Wen grabbed Liu Wenyuan’s upper arms and looked deep into her son’s eyes.
"Wenyuan, an omega’s worth is in bearing male alpha babies. It doesn’t matter who Zhang Fengxi fancies. At the end of the day, he has to settle with someone who can bear his heirs. Longjing Palace Master and Mistress both like you so much. Wenyuan, you must never give up."
"... Yes, Mother."
Liu Wenyuan did not dare to defy his mother openly, but his heart remained restless.
He might just be an omega, but he too was prideful. He was a prince of Wuyang Palace. He refused to let himself be outshined by an alpha. He was the Ethereal Beauty of the year! How could Zhang Fengxi even overlook him and fall for the Crown Prince instead???
Liu Wenyuan’s grudge went deep, digging into the depth of his heart. Unlike his mother, he was not willing to accept that Zhang Fengxi had someone else in his heart.
He had to eliminate Xie Jianyu from Zhang Fengxi’s life, no matter how.
Every year, the high-ranking heavenly realm residents gathered at the Golden Dragon Palace’s Snow Upon The Branch Pavilion to celebrate the Winter Solstice together.
This event was attended not only by the noble families but also all the prominent gods, goddesses, and deities from all layers of heaven.
While all manners of attractions and shows took place during the night for entertainment purposes, tradition demanded three of nine palaces to come up with their very own, unique performances to impress the guests.
All palace masters gathered two weeks before the banquet at the Golden Dragon Palace to draw lots.
The decision was quickly made.
Head Eunuch Gao smiled when he looked at the three palace masters who drew the shorter lots, "This year, all banquet participants may look forward to the contributions from Fuxi Palace, Ling’an Palace, and Juhua Palace."