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

Chapter 57: 57. Never make princes fight for love!

SEVERAL MINUTES LATER

XAVIER

Song Hue had remained silent throughout my conversation with Lang Li. Then he finally looked toward the space where the system screen had disappeared.

"I have a question."Song Hue said.

"What?"I immediately became nervous.

Song Hue’s expression was calm, but his eyes were fixed on the system.

"Why was my number only twenty one percent?"He asked.

I froze.

"Oh, no."Ana slowly whispered.

"QUERY RECEIVED. SONG HUE and WEI: 21%."The system suddenly flickered back into existence.

Song Hue waited.

"EXPLANATION: HOST DOES NOT CURRENTLY KNOW SONG HUE."Then the system added another line.

Silence. Song Hue’s expression stiffened.

"CHILDHOOD MEMORIES: INCOMPLETE. CURRENT PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF SONG HUE: MINIMAL.

EMOTIONAL CONNECTION: LIMITED."The system continued mercilessly.

"That was... surprisingly blunt."I stared at the screen.

Huan winced.

"So even though I remember him..."Song Hue began as he looked toward me. "He doesn’t remember me."

"I remember pieces."My chest tightened.

"Pieces aren’t memories."He said, but his voice wasn’t angry. That somehow made it worse.

"LANG LI and WEI: 55%. WEI and LANG LI: 60%. REASON: HOST HAS EXTENSIVE CURRENT LIFE INTERACTION AND EMOTIONAL FAMILIARITY WITH LANG LI."A system explained.

Lang Li glanced at Song Hue, Song Hue stared at the numbers.

"So that is the difference."He said.

"Apparently."I nodded slowly.

"The childhood connection may be real, but Xavier hasn’t recovered enough of it to feel the same emotional familiarity."Mei Lin folded her arms.

Song Hue was quiet for several seconds, then he looked at me.

"Then I suppose I have to let you remember."He said.

"You don’t have to force anything."I blinked.

"I know." He gave a faint smile. "I will simply be patient."

For once, Lang Li didn’t look jealous, he looked thoughtful and somehow, that was much more unsettling.

"At least it didn’t embarrass anyone this time."Huan sighed.

"Give it five minutes."Ana nodded.

"Please don’t encourage it."I groaned.

Before anyone could say another word, the throne room doors suddenly opened.

"Everyone!" Shen stood there with an enormous tray balanced in both hands.

He looked completely unconcerned about the fact that the room had just been dealing with reincarnation, broken plotlines, forgotten childhood memories, and two jealous princes.

"Dinner."He said.

"Dinner?"I blinked.

"Snacks, actually." Shen lifted the tray proudly. "I was told everyone needed to calm down."

"Finally, someone sensible."Ana immediately stood.

"I brought enough food to stop an army."Shen nodded.

I followed everyone into the dining room. Within minutes, the terrifying atmosphere had completely changed. There were pastries, steamed buns, fruit, sweet cakes, tea, and enough little snacks to make me suspicious Shen had emptied half the palace kitchen.

"This is exactly what I needed."I picked up a bun.

"I agree."Ana immediately grabbed two.

"Food solves most problems."Hin took one.

"Not reincarnation."Huan nodded.

"Give it time."Hin said.

Then Song Hue quietly sat beside me as I looked at him.

"I remembered you used to like these."He smiled.

"Did I?"I stared at the pastry in his hand.

"You did." He placed it on my plate.

"Thanks."My eyebrows rose.

Across the table, Lang Li slowly lowered his teacup, his eyes moved toward the pastry and then toward Song Hue. I immediately recognized that expression.

"You should try this one too."Song Hue calmly picked up another pastry.

"He already has enough."Lang Li spoke.

"I was only offering."Song Hue looked at him.

"He’s eating."Lang Li said.

"So?"Song Hue asked.

"He needs to finish what he already has."Lang Li said.

I looked down at my plate, I had three pastries.

"I think I’m capable of deciding whether I want another one."I said.

Both princes immediately looked at me.

"Of course. Naturally." They said it at the exact same time.

I slowly looked between them.

"They are doing it again."Ana whispered to Hin.

"They are competing over pastries."Hin nodded.

"Then perhaps I should give you tea instead."Song Hue leaned slightly closer.

"I will pour it."Lang Li immediately reached for the teapot.

"I can."Song Hue’s hand paused.

"I know."Lang Li said.

"I can pour my own tea."I sighed and took the teapot myself. "Both of you princes."

Both princes looked mildly disappointed. The Empress Dowager, sitting at the opposite end of the table, was having the time of her life.

"This is wonderful."She said.

"Please don’t encourage them."Lin Rui sighed.

"I am not." The Empress Dowager took a bite of cake. "I am merely observing."

"That word has become dangerous whenever you say it."Zhao Rui muttered.

"You liked these as a child."Meanwhile, Song Hue picked up a small fruit tart.

"I don’t remember."I said.

"You will." He smiled softly.

Something about his confidence made me nervous. Before I could respond, Lang Li reached over and placed one of my favorite savory buns on my plate.

"You like these more." He said.

"How do you know?"I stared at him.

"You eat them whenever they’re served."Lang Li explained.

Song Hue looked at the bun, then at Lang Li.

"Interesting."He said.

"I pay attention."Lang Li met his gaze.

"So do I."Song Hue smiled.

The atmosphere immediately became tense again.

"This is better than theater."Ana slowly reached for another pastry.

"Much cheaper too."Hin nodded.

"Can we please have one meal without political tension?"Huan looked exhausted.

"No."Shen appeared behind him with another tray.

"Why?"Huan stared at him.

"Because I brought dessert."Shen said.

"Fair."Huan sighed.

I tried to focus on my food. Unfortunately, both princes apparently decided that dinner had become a competition.

"Try this."Song Hue pushed a sweet cake toward me.

Before I could reach for it, Lang Li placed a different cake beside it.

"That one is too sweet."He said.

"He likes sweet things."Song Hue raised an eyebrow.

"Not excessively sweet." Lang Li said.

"You two realize I’m sitting right here?"I stared at both cakes.

"Yes."Lang Li said.

"Then stop arguing about what I like."I said.

Both immediately became quiet. I took a bite of Song Hue’s cake, then Lang Li’s. I considered them carefully.

"They are both good."I said.

Song Hue smiled and Lang Li smiled too. For three peaceful seconds, everything was fine.

"Which one would you choose if you could only have one?"Song Hue asked.

Lang Li looked at him.

"Oh, absolutely not."I slowly put my fork down.

Ana burst out laughing. The Empress Dowager nearly choked on her tea. Even Hin was struggling not to laugh.

"I was only asking."Song Hue looked innocent.

"Then ask a less ridiculous question."Lang Li calmly replied.

"I wanted to know his preference."Song Hue smiled. "And I wanted to know whether he had eaten enough."

"You are both impossible."I stared at them.

"Are they always like this?"Shen leaned toward Huan.

"They’ve gotten worse."Huan sighed.

"Fine. New rule."I grabbed another bun.

Both princes looked at me.

"No flirting over food."I said.

"Understood."Song Hue smiled.

"Agreed."Lang Li nodded.

I relaxed.

"For later."Then Song Hue quietly pushed another pastry toward me.

"And this one too."Lang Li immediately placed a second one beside it.

I stared at the two pastries as the entire table went silent.

"They lasted eight seconds."Ana whispered.

"New record."Hin nodded.

"I should never have made that rule."I buried my face in my hands.

The Empress Dowager laughed so hard she nearly dropped her teacup, and somehow, despite the chaos, the dining room felt warmer than the throne room had. For once, nobody was discussing conspiracies, nobody was talking about reincarnation. Nobody was trying to solve the broken novel. They were just eating and watching two princes desperately compete for one chef’s attention. Which, honestly, might have been even more dangerous.

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