Chapter 43: Acting Showdown

Chapter 43: Playing It Up

"What's wrong?" Liu Mian asked with concern, turning to Su Zhiyu.

Su Zhiyu's face froze, and he shook his head. "Nothing, my leg's a little numb. You two go ahead and look first—I'll go sit over here for a bit."

"Captain, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine."

Su Zhiyu stood up, sneakily swatting Qin Yan's paw away, and walked off to the side without a word.

Qin Yan: ...

Oblivious Liu Mian could only sidle over to Qin Yan. "Qin Yan, let's check it out first. We'll tell the captain later."

Qin Yan didn't bat an eye. "Alright."

The story was about the forbidden love between a young emperor and his new consort.

Back when he was still the Crown Prince, the emperor had met an Alpha scholar while traveling incognito.

The two hit it off immediately, and after enduring countless hardships together, they slowly fell for each other—until the scholar sat for the imperial examination and came out on top.

At the Qionglin Banquet, the emperor arranged for his other Omega children to pick their husbands. The Seventh Prince took one look at the scholar and selected him on the spot. The two traded verses in a battle of wits, which became a celebrated tale.

The Seventh Prince immediately requested the emperor's blessing for their marriage, and with a wave of his hand, the emperor made the new top scholar the Seventh Prince's consort.

The scholar sought an audience with the emperor to request the cancellation of the betrothal, only to discover upon leaving that his Omega beloved was none other than the Crown Prince himself. The two met again at the entrance to the imperial study.

One thought the other had found someone new; the other believed the first had had a brief fling.

Later, the emperor passed away, and the Crown Prince ascended the throne.

The young emperor, out of filial duty, followed the late emperor's last orders and officiated the wedding of the Seventh Prince and his consort.

On the wedding night, the consort, drunk, ran into his beloved and furiously demanded to know why he had pushed him to someone else. As the two grappled with each other, the Seventh Prince witnessed the scene—and the tangled conflict of the three was about to explode that very night.

And the scene they had to perform was exactly this one from the wedding night.

"This is so over the top?"

Liu Mian's eyes went wide, and he flipped through the script and character profiles again and again in disbelief before finally confirming that it was really like this.

Qin Yan tsk-tsked repeatedly as well. "Gotta hand it to our production team—they really can write. It's definitely a bit soapy. Now I'm dying to know what the idol drama's like."

"This plot... well, let's show it to the captain."

"Alright, give it to him."

They both had complicated looks on their faces as they handed the script to Su Zhiyu. "Take a look."

—'I'm so curious what the plot is! Why are they all reacting like that?'

—'I think the production team used every cheesy script they had. I just peeked at the idol drama group next door—you know what they're doing?'

—'Me, me, me! I just went to check too. Captain Yi Zhou told me their plot is about a CEO falling in love with his nanny, hahahaha. The CEO's got a fiancée too—I'm dead.'

—'Oh my god, these scripts are making me want to poke my eyes out. And the group next door—a city kid and a rugged country guy, plus an evil uncle.'

—'Help me, bro. I'm really curious about what the ancient drama group's plot is. Why won't they say anything?'

—'Exactly! How are they holding back from talking about it? Spill it already—why's it taking them so long to read?!'

—'I'm curious too. Just waiting here.'

The bullet comments were going wild with speculation about each group's script. Meanwhile, Su Zhiyu had finished reading the script.

He stared at it looking pretty troubled, suddenly wishing he hadn't picked this one.

He hesitated and looked at his two teammates. "Are we... really gonna act this out?"

—'Do it, do it! Tell us, what's the plot?'

—'Yu Bao, tell me now—don't make me get on my knees and beg. Spit it out!'

Qin Yan bit his lip to hold back a laugh, then volunteered himself. "Let's do it. I'm the only Alpha, so of course I'll play the top scholar. The emperor should be you, Captain, and Liu Mian, you're perfect for the Seventh Prince. How about it?"

Liu Mian nodded. "Sounds good. The young emperor suits the captain's vibe, so we'll leave that to him. Should we start running lines?"

"Sure."

Su Zhiyu took a deep breath, like he was facing his doom. "Alright, let's do it."

Wedding night.

The top scholar, dressed in his groom's attire, stumbled and pushed open the courtyard gate, immediately spotting the young emperor standing with his hands behind his back.

The emperor, clad in a python robe, tilted his head up to gaze at the moon. His slim, frail figure looked refined and lonely, as if gradually merging with the crescent in the sky—chillingly cold.

Though the man was right before him, he might as well have been a world away.

Bitterness welled in the scholar's throat. His hands, hidden beneath his wedding sleeves, slowly clenched as he stared at that silhouette, his eyes full of grief.

"Your Majesty."

He walked up behind the emperor, said softly, and gave a slight bow.

The young man's back tensed. He turned around slowly, and the sight of that glaring red wedding robe almost made him stumble. His eyes were full of intense, unwilling attachment.

He raised his hand but stayed quiet for a long time.

In his selfish heart, he wanted to take this moment for himself—on the scholar's wedding night, to steal this brief window and stay with him, just the two of them, with no one to disturb them.

Let him pretend... that they'd also gotten married today.

"Your Majesty?"

The scholar's voice was low and heavy. He didn't wait for the emperor to speak, but with sheer audacity raised his head on his own.

What he saw in those eyes was all imperial majesty gone—only the familiar, lingering affection from before, the look of someone gazing at their lover.

Your Majesty... why are you looking at yourself with such eyes?

A suspicion slowly took shape in his mind, and he could barely keep from trembling as he called out again, "Your Majesty."

The emperor's heart slammed back into place.

Now.

They were sovereign and subject, kin... but by no means lovers.

The emperor's regal bearing returned, and he gave a slight nod, his eyes cold and distant, with no trace of impropriety.

"The hour is late; the consort should be making his way to the bridal chamber. Why do you linger here?"

The top scholar's lips curled into a faint smile as he stepped forward, breaching the safe distance between sovereign and subject. The emperor's pupils flickered almost imperceptibly.

"And why is Your Majesty here... gazing at the moon?"

The top scholar looked up at the crescent moon in the sky—far from full, much like his own life. Marrying someone he did not love could hardly be called fulfillment.

"You dare!"

"And what if I overstep just once?"

The Alpha stepped forward again, closing the distance until their breaths nearly mingled.

Throughout history, most emperors had been male Alphas, but the late emperor had no Alpha heirs. Deeply devoted to his empress, he had overruled all opposition to make an Omega the crown prince.

As emperor, the Omega now bore an added air of majesty and coldness, along with the loneliness of one who looks down on all beings.

The young emperor faced his former lover expressionless, his brows slightly furrowed. "You've overstepped."

"And so what?"

The Alpha raised his hand, curling his index finger to hook the emperor's dragon robe, pulling him gently closer. "Will Your Majesty punish me? Why... are you so heartless as to push me onto someone else?"

"?"

The emperor's pupils dilated, a flicker of panic flashing in them. He turned away in haste. "What nonsense are you talking?"

"Is it nonsense, or is Your Majesty afraid to face your own heart?"

"..."

"You know well that the one I have always loved is Your Majesty. Why, then—do you not trust me, or do you not want me? Why push me away?

After the late emperor's passing, I braved the charge of disloyalty to seek an audience with Your Majesty, yet you refused to see me. The memorial I submitted requesting the cancellation of our engagement—why did you not approve it?"

His accusations, steeped in blood and tears, struck the emperor's heart. The sovereign above all others swayed, his face going pale.

"I..."

The moment he uttered a single word, his throat seemed to close up, and he could not speak another.

What could he say now?

Was he to admit that, seated on the throne, he could not indulge in personal affections, and that he had believed the top scholar and his seventh brother were a better match?

"Enough. It's late; I must return to the palace."

With that, he turned to leave.

"Tang Xiyu!" The top scholar angrily called the emperor by his given name, and the Alpha's possessiveness exploded in an instant. He seized the emperor by the waist without hesitation, pressed him against the pillar nearby, and bent his head to kiss him.

A clatter.

The sound of something hitting the ground came from the other side of the corridor.