(BL) Reborn as Lycan's Emperor's abandoned Beta concubine?!

Chapter 29: 29. ’Gay panic’ activated!

AT THE SAME TIME

XAVIER

My head spun. The system’s words echoed inside my skull.

"Ownership event initiated. Do you agree?"A system asked.

"No." I answered so fast I nearly bit my tongue. "No. Absolutely not."

"Choice confirmed. Ownership event rejected."A system said.

Relief washed over me for exactly half a second. Because Lang Li was still standing far too close, his hand still rested against the wall beside my head, and his eyes searched my face as though trying to understand something I hadn’t said aloud.

"You refused."He said.

"What?"I blinked.

"You look terrified."His voice was quieter now.

Of course I did! I was a straight guy from Earth.

Yesterday I had been worrying about overcooked dumplings, today the Emperor had me cornered against a wall. How was this my life?

"I..." My mouth opened. Nothing came out.

My brain had completely shut down. The room felt unbearably small.

"Your Majesty. I don’t want to leave the palace."I said nervously.

That wasn’t even what I meant to say.

"I mean, I don’t want to leave because of Lady Hua Jin. I mean-. That’s not-" My words tangled together until I wanted to hide forever.

Lang Li remained silent. Knock. Knock. A sudden knock was heard at other side of the door.

"Your Majesty." Shen’s voice came from outside the door. "I have an urgent report."

The silence shattered.

"Enter."Lang Li’s eyes closed briefly.

The door slid open as Shen stepped inside. He took exactly three steps, then stopped. His expression froze. His eyes moved from Lang Li to me, still backed against the wall, my face burning bright red and my clothes slightly rumpled from my panicked struggle to get away.

For the first time since I had met him Shen looked completely speechless.

"Your Majesty." His usually calm voice cracked ever so slightly. "I appear to have arrived at an unfortunate time."

The moment Lang Li’s attention shifted I slid away from his grip.

"I-I’ll leave the dinner here!"I escaped.

Without waiting for permission, I slipped past Shen, nearly tripped over the doorway, somehow caught myself, and sprinted down the corridor as fast as my legs would carry me. I didn’t stop running until I reached the kitchen. I slammed both hands onto the counter, my heart was pounding and my face felt like it was on fire.

"What... was... that..."I gasped.

"Ding." The system appeared. "Host has successfully avoided Ownership Event. Current emotional state: Extremely flustered."

"I know I’m flustered!"I groaned.

"Host’s heartbeat exceeds normal levels." A system said.

"I KNOW!"I gasped.

Meanwhile, back inside the Emperor’s chambers, Shen quietly closed the door. He looked at Lang Li, then at the untouched dinner, then back at the Emperor. After a very long silence, he asked only one question.

"Should I pretend I didn’t see anything?"Shen asked nervously.

Lang Li said nothing while I practically sprinted through the palace corridors. No, not sprinted. I fled. My heart refused to slow down, my lips still tingled, and every time I remembered what had happened inside the Emperor’s chambers, I wanted to bury myself alive.

"What... what is wrong with him?" I muttered.

"Ding. The Host’s heart rate remains elevated."A system said.

"Shut up."I said.

"Host’s lips remain swollen."A system said again.

"I SAID SHUT UP!"I shouted.

The system finally disappeared. Good. Because I didn’t need a magical blue screen reminding me that the Emperor had just kissed me. Deeply, without asking and without warning.

"I am a straight man..."I rubbed my face with both hands. My voice sounded pitiful. "I got hit by a truck, woke up in another world, became a palace chef, and now an Emperor kissed me. Truck-kun, you really hated me."

By the time I reached my courtyard, I thought I had calmed down. I was wrong. The moment I opened the door.

"Wei!" Ana jumped to her feet. "There you are!"

"Master Wei."Hin looked up from the table.

Both of them froze. Their eyes slowly moved toward my face.

"..." Ana narrowed her eyes.

"...." Hin blinked.

Neither of them spoke. That somehow made it worse.

"What?" I asked.

"Your."Ana slowly pointed.

"My what?"I asked.

"Lips."Ana said.

"My... lips?" My heart stopped.

"Master Wei..."Hin stood and hurried over. She leaned closer. "Why are they..." Her eyes widened. "Swollen?"

"They are not!"I instinctively covered my mouth.

"They are." Ana said.

"They are absolutely not!"I gasped.

"They absolutely are."Hin said.

"And your face is so red it could replace a tomato."Ana crossed her arms.

"I walked fast!"I said quickly.

"In the middle of the night?"Ana asked.

"Yes?"I said quickly again.

"You also keep avoiding eye contact."Hin tilted her head.

"I am looking at both of you."I said.

"No." She pointed. "You’re looking at the floor."

I immediately looked up.

"Now you’re staring at the ceiling."Ana said.

"I like ceilings."I said.

Ana slowly walked around me like an investigator examining a crime scene.

"Wei."Ana began.

"Yes?"I asked.

"What happened."Hin said.

"Nothing."I said and looked away.

"Lie."Ana shook her head.

"I bumped into a wall."I said.

"You bumped into a wall with your lips?"Ana said.

"Did someone hurt you?"Hin gasped.

"What?!"I gasped.

"Who?"She looked genuinely worried.

"I-I wasn’t hurt!"I said quickly."Wei."

"..." Ana suddenly grabbed both of my shoulders. "Did. Someone. Kiss. You?"

"W-WHAT?!" I nearly exploded. My voice cracked so badly even I was embarrassed. "N-No!

Absolutely not!" Impossible! Ridiculous!"

"He kissed you."Ana slowly smiled.

"I DIDN’T SAY THAT!"I gasped.

"You didn’t have to."Ana said. She pointed at my face. "Your reaction did."

I wanted to cry. Hin covered her mouth.

"Master Wei." Her cheeks slowly turned pink. "Was it..." She whispered dramatically. "His Majesty?"

Silence. Dead silence. My entire body froze. Ana’s eyes widened. Hin’s eyes widened, they looked at each other. Then looked back at me, then back at each other.

"Oh."Ana slowly inhaled.

"No."I said.

"Oh."She inhaled again.

"No!"I said.

"Ohhhhh."She gasped.

"I SAID NO!"I gasped.

"I KNEW IT!"Ana suddenly grabbed a pillow and screamed into it.

"You knew NOTHING!"I shouted.

"The hand holding yesterday!"She shouted.

"Master Wei..."Hin quietly walked to the mirror hanging on the wall. She gently turned it toward me. "Perhaps you should look."

I glanced at my reflection. White hair, red face, slightly swollen lips, messy collar.

"Oh no."I gasped.

"Oh yes."Ana nodded sympathetically.

"I am never leaving this room again."I buried my face in both hands.

Ana laughed so hard she almost fell off her chair. Hin tried to stay serious. She lasted exactly four seconds before giggling.

"Ding." The system appeared one last time. "Current embarrassment level: Critical."

"I know."I said.

"Recommendation: Hide underground."A system said.

"Can I?"I asked.

"Negative."A system said. "Host is scheduled to cook breakfast in seven hours."

I hated this world.

I had one mission in the morning. Survive breakfast. That was it. Cook, serve and leave. Avoid the Emperor, avoid eye contact, avoid thinking about last night. Simple, but it was not simple. I walked into the imperial dining hall carrying the morning tea. The Empress Dowager was already seated, smiling as elegantly as ever. Lang Li arrived a moment later, looking as composed and untouchable as always. Unlike me. I kept my head down.

"Your Majesty. Your Majesty." I bowed.

"Mm." Lang Li answered calmly.

I placed the tea before the Empress Dowager first. She looked up at me, then her eyes stopped. Right on my lips. A slow smile spread across her face. Oh no.

"Oh, Wei."She said.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"I asked.

"You seem... different this morning."She said.

"I-I do?"I asked.

"A little."She said.

"I don’t feel different." I said.

"No?"I said nervously.

"Then why are your lips swollen?"She leaned forward slightly.

My soul left my body.

"I... I..."I nearly dropped the teapot.

"They look rather" She hid a smile behind her fan. "Well kissed."

"Cough!" I choked on absolutely nothing.

Lang Li calmly sipped his tea without saying a word. The Empress Dowager glanced at her son, then back at me, then at her son again.

"Oh my..." She looked positively delighted. "So my son finally stopped glaring and actually did something."

"Mother." Lang Li warned.

"What?"She asked.

"You are smiling."He said.

"I certainly am."She said.

I wished the floor would open.

"I think Chef Wei simply burned his mouth." I blurted.

"On what?"The Empress Dowager laughed.

"Hot soup."I argued.

"You served cold dishes yesterday."She reminded.

"I see."I looked down.

She was absolutely enjoying this while I wanted to disappear. As soon as I saw an appropriate moment, I ran. I needed to escape both of them and now.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!