Mu Zhan, unexpectedly, really did host a birthday feast, but because of the circumstances, it was arranged in the Xing Palace. Rather than making a big show out of it and inviting too many random individuals, who would make the feast monotonous, only people close to Wen Mingyu were invited.
There were only three guests: Wei Yingwu, Wen Changlan, and Huo Hongyu, yet the mood of the party was perfectly preserved as it should be.
Despite the modest number, the venue was immaculately adorned. The exquisite cuisine and watery wine were on par with a prince’s birthday. A quick glance around the venue indicated how highly regarded the birthday star was.
Because of the abundance of nutrients, it was simple to take in the vitamins needed by the human body in the old interstellar age where Wen Mingyu lived, leading to a substantial fall in the number of chefs. Normal food became considerably more expensive, at least for the children in the institute, and was unlikely to be eaten liberally.
Children who have households can complain to their parents about how horrible the nutrients are and how much they want to consume sweets. After they sobbed, their parents would instantly console them and offer them sweets to eat.
Wen Mingyu, on the other hand, had no one in whom he could confide.
“Have you ever had cake? I don’t have to guess; you don’t even have parents who would buy it for you. What a poor thing.”
With the exception of Wen Mingyu, his tablemate brought a cake, split it into parts, and shared it with the class on his birthday. Since Wen Mingyu didn’t provide him with a copy of his test answers, his tablemate felt he was haughty when he was merely an orphan who wasn’t loved.
When Wen Mingyu heard this, a switch in his head flipped, and he instantly looked like a pissed-off wolf cub. He pounced on the boy and wrestled with him.
Finally, the situation was sent to the teacher, and parents were contacted. Because Wen Mingyu had no parents, the director of the orphanage was summoned.
The parents at the same table were alarmed about their child’s injuries and sought the teacher for an answer. They defended their children as if they were chickens, claiming that they could not allow their children to be bullied.
Wen Mingyu then noticed that his tablemate, who had been so smug and unrestrained in class, was now being held by his mother’s arms and being baby-coddled.
The director naturally sought to minimize the impact of the situation and let Wen Mingyu to apologize.
What Wen Mingyu realized after this episode was that he could not cause any inconvenience. When he was bullied, he would try to hide and consider alternative possibilities rather than fight back. This may appear cowardly, but it was the best approach. After all, he lacks the guts to act wildly and willfully, since no one will come to his aid.
And now, he surprisingly had a birthday celebration of his own, complete with the blessings and presents of his friends and a table full of delicious food.
He got to eat a lot more delectable foods than just cake.
When he was a little younger, he used to buy a cupcake with the money he earned from his part-time job. He stuffed a scoop of sweet cream into his lips; it was tasty, but not as amazing as he had hoped.
It wasn’t until he ate Mu Zhan’s longevity noodles that he came to his senses.
What he longed for, rather than a cake, was for someone to remember his birthday and celebrate it for him.
Wen Mingyu’s entire existence felt out of sorts after his birthday party.
When he used to read novels, he came across a depiction of the protagonist’s heart collapsing. He couldn’t understand how a good organ could fail like an old home. Was it a slapdash building project? He felt the description was bizarre and strange.
But he looked to be feeling the same way this time. If the heart chamber were a formidable fortress, it would plainly have a small corner breached presently. And, at this rate, the opposing army would most likely be on its way to conquer it.
Wen Mingyu, panicking slightly, attempted to keep it hidden on the surface. He covered it up and smiled pleasantly at Mu Zhan, as if nothing was wrong, nothing was unusual.
The roundup hunt was coming to a conclusion, and they were already planning the closing banquet. After the banquet, they would return to the Imperial Palace in two days.
Mu Zhan seemed to be in the midst of something and was very occupied, frequently pushing back his meals.
Mu Zhan would first let him eat on his own, and when he returned, after he had been working and there were only the two of them, he remarked sullenly, “These days, remain by this one’s side as much as possible.”
Wen Mingyu’s heart pounded, and he realized right at once that there was something wrong.
If he had only recently crossed over, his first thought would undoubtedly be that he could use the pandemonium to his advantage and leave. But at this moment, he was oddly thinking whether Mu Zhan would be in harm’s way.
Wen Mingyu felt that he might really consider Mu Zhan as family.
Wen Mingyu nodded, but he couldn’t sleep that night. He couldn’t sleep since Mu Zhan was sleeping next to him, so he worked hard to keep himself from flipping and rolling. His unsteady breathing, though, was still audible.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Pa kjrc’a ibcu yfobgf Qfc Zlcuse ofia rbwfatlcu qgfrrlcu jgbecv tlr kjlra jcv kjr vgjkc lcab j ygbjv, olgw fwygjmf.
Ze Itjc fcmlgmifv tlw, qjaafv tlw aklmf, jcv rjlv, jr lo mbjzlcu j xlv, “Xb ab yfv; vbc’a kbggs, atlr bcf lr tfgf; P kbc’a jiibk jcsatlcu ab tjqqfc ab sbe.”
He probably thought he felt nervous about what was to come.
Wen Mingyu wasn’t worried about it, but he had to admit that Mu Zhan’s words of comfort did have an impact on him. Before long, he gradually closed his eyes, cuddled into Mu Zhan’s arms, and fell asleep.
The hunt was over, and what followed was the closing banquet.
The singing and dancing, the revolving exhibition of martial arts competitions, the merrily drinking and eating of meat, the prizes for the aristocrats who placed highest in hunting—all of it was grand and bustling with activity. To those in the know, however, it was the quiet before the storm, and the danger was just around the corner.
As it turned out, the ambience dramatically altered halfway through the meal.
Individuals collapsed one after another, as if inebriated, yet it was definitely abnormal for so many people to pass out virtually simultaneously.
Someone had tampered with the food and wine.
A troop clad in helmets and armor and equipped with weapons stormed the palace.
This was the remnants of the former Crown Prince’s ousted clique, who staged a place insurrection in the name of the former Crown Prince’s posthumous son, the imperial family’s rightful lineage, far more just than Mu Zhan’s slaughter of his father and brothers to ascend the throne.
They plotted and bribed the servants of the Xing Palace in order to make use of Mu Zhan’s presence. Because the guards here were not as strict as those in the Imperial Palace, they could lead soldiers to break in and compel Mu Zhan to renounce the throne.
And yet, Mu Zhan sat there, his demeanor unchanging, no sign of urgency or bewilderment on his face, as if he had expected this.
Just as the leadership was ready to lunge forward with his sword, Wei Yingwu directed a swarm of forbidden guards to pour out and encircle the rebels at once. The action was impressive and organized, and he was clearly prepared.
The leadership’s visage transformed abruptly, becoming incredibly ugly. How could he not realize at this point that they were already turtles trapped in the jar.
Even if they did, with the forbidden troops as a deterrent, it was pointless for them to revolt.
This so-called insurrection to force the emperor’s hand to abdicate was, in the end, a total farce.
Their party had hardly moved when they were led by forbidden guards and forced to kneel on the ground.
Mu Zhan peered down at them from above, his visage tranquil and bland, not at all like an emperor who had recently gone through palace upheaval.
The rebels, knowing that they would only end up dead, did not ask for compassion. After they were nailed to the ground, they likewise looked pompous and made harsh remarks, refusing to die in vain.
He yelled that Mu Zhan was cruel and unkind, that he murdered his father and seized the throne, that he would not be allowed to die a natural death, that when he arrived at the Yellow Springs, evil spirits would tear him apart and devour him, and that he would go to the 18th level of hell.
Mu Zhan listened to his frenzied speech but didn’t become upset, instead saying unconcernedly, “You people are far too slow. This one, in particular, set up multiple good opportunities on purpose, but none were used, and you still want to launch a palace revolt. How long will you really have after sitting in this position?”
A few simple words, without much intensity, but the slight ridicule drew blood in one prick, infuriating the sprawled guy whose face darkened. He bounced wildly and with wrath, but the forbidden guard quickly pushed him back to the ground.
It was only reasonable for him to feel furious. After all, the palace insurrection that they expected to be a success ceased as quickly as it began. Mu Zhan had planned everything and had dug a trench for them to leap into.
It was quite offensive.
But he wouldn’t have to deal with any more insults for long.
Because—
“All rebels are to be executed,” Mu Zhan ordered flatly.
They were sentenced directly to capital punishment and were to be executed before the public.
The medicine that had been mixed into the meals and drinks had already been replaced with another. It didn’t take long for the ministers who had fainted to awaken one by one.
Then, as soon as they opened their eyes, they saw the execution scene.
The floor was splashed with fresh blood.
The whiff of fishy odor was so repulsive that it made the stomach flip and gag.
A torment of sight and smell, a surge of panic in the heart—and a shudder in the body that wasn’t caused by the cold.
At this time, Mu Zhan addressed the two ministers openly and stated, “The accomplices are to be executed with the rest.”
Their complexions had gone pallid. They tried to deny it and plead for mercy, but Mu Zhan had irrefutable proof, so they couldn’t resort to sophistry.
Even if the rest of the ministers had any rippling ideas, they were all stupefied at this point and didn’t dare to consider anything unless they didn’t want to die. They lowered their heads and looked stiffly at the execution scene, making no sound.
Mu Zhan, who was in the most honorable seat in the center, was resting his cheek on his hand. His expression was dark and oppressive. His eyes were so black and peaceful that they didn’t appear to reflect anything living, and so cold that they seeped through.
It was as if an unseen line had been drawn in front of him, splitting it in half. It cut out the outside light, leaving only shadows and darkness. The surrounding throng of pale, decaying hands gripped him and tried to drag him down into the deep, bottomless sludge.
At that moment, a ray of warmth struck him, entering arrogantly and unfairly into his world, blazing like the sun.
Wen Mingyu took his frigid hand in his and murmured, “Your Majesty?”
His eyes were filled with worry.
He was close enough to see that Mu Zhan’s condition was not right.
He sat there with lifeless eyes, like a soulless shell, roaming through the world of the living.
Mu Zhan, because of his low call, recovered his bearings and looked over, reacting rather slowly. He lowered his gaze to examine his clasped hand before slowly raising his gaze and focusing on Wen Mingyu’s face.
“…Are you uncomfortable?”
Mu Zhan scowled. This was the first thing that sprang to mind.
Wen Mingyu’s complexion was fine, translucent with little pallor. After all, he had arrived from a time of calm and had never witnessed such a gory scene. For a second, the person was confused, before turning his head and averting his gaze. The stench of blood, however, continued to wash over him in a constant stream, rendering his mind unable to suppress the image of horror that was conjured up.
Mu Zhan cast a glance down and easily determined the source of the problem.
“You go back first, since this one still has some business to attend to,” he said.
The tone was flat, but with a rare touch of gentleness, as if he were comforting a kid, explaining that he couldn’t run away from this momentarily and would be there for him when he was done.
Wen Mingyu stared at him and noticed that he was back to his usual self. He indeed couldn’t stand what was going on before him and had already faintly retched, so if he remained any longer, he’d surely throw up.
It was pointless for him to remain here, and, in the end, he felt the dining scene and returned to their bedchamber.
But he had no clue that this decision of his would haunt him beyond measure.
After stepping out and away from the banqueting palace, it was now easier to not smell the blood and to breathe freely without that sticky, sinking feeling.
Everything was normal on the way there. Wen Mingyu didn’t anticipate anything going wrong.
Until he entered the bedchamber.
His sight was met by a familiar face, his garments splattered with blood. After locking eyes with him, his face, which was as pale as a sheet, paled even more, wrinkling in panic.
The eunuch froze for a second before frantically grabbing Wen Mingyu’s hand. “Why has the young master arrived? Please hide quickly and avoid making any noise.”
Before Wen Mingyu could respond, the eunuch had pushed him into a nearby cupboard, closed the door hurriedly, and fled.
Wen Mingyu’s mind was blank. He’d just returned from the gruesome banquet and assumed he was in a safe place, but to his surprise, something had also occurred in the bedchamber.
In a flash, he recalled catching sight of several traces of blood on the screen, on the soft cushion, and on the floor.
Did the rebels break off and some of them come here?
Wen Mingyu’s thoughts were racing. Everything happened so quickly that no one had time to react. He also didn’t have any weapons on him. If he was apprehended, he would be slain instantly because he lacked anything to defend himself with.
There was a loud cry outside.
Wen Mingyu shivered slightly.
That could have been someone he knew.
When the rebellion broke out, the main contingent of guards naturally moved over to the banquet place. As a result, it was simply impossible to resist in this situation.
What should he do?
His hands were trembling, and his legs were shaking.
The lingering thoughts he had managed to suppress at the banquet coalesced and erupted now.
He shouldn’t be here, hiding. People were being slaughtered out there.
But he was so terrified that he couldn’t move. His limbs and legs felt foreign to him, as if he didn’t have control over them.
He clenched his teeth, attempting to stop the chattering. He peered through the cupboard door seam to see what was going on outside.
A little distance away, a rebel in armor struck the pale-faced man’s abdomen with a sword, and blood spewed out. The pale-faced man, unable to fight, collapsed to the ground and became a rigid body.
The rebel proceeded right by the cupboard where he was hiding, which was only a few feet away and quite close.
At this point, Wen Mingyu seemed to be a character from a horror film. A character who was hidden in a cabinet, with a malevolent ghost floating outside, waiting to be discovered.
He tightened his hand and watched, striving to keep himself from being too scared. He searched the seams for anything that could be used as a weapon, then grabbed the opportunity and shoved open the cupboard door, not daring to hesitate for a second—and pierced the rebel’s heart through the back with all his might. Fearing that it would not be enough, he stabbed again and again until he saw the man slumped to the ground, devoid of breath.
Warm blood spilled on his face, but he was so strained that his five senses seemed to vanish for a split second; he couldn’t smell anything fishy, and he didn’t gag; just his hand trembled violently.
After a couple of seconds, footsteps approached from the hall, and there was more than one person.
Wen Mingyu squeezed the sword hard in his fist. He turned back and dashed into the cabinet after a little pause—there was no way he could handle so many people on his own.
He shrank into a ball, his breath light. He tried his best to hide his existence for fear of being detected.
He couldn’t help but worry about how many rebels were present. Is he going to die here? Is Mu Zhan aware that there are rebels here as well? What if he comes over unprepared and is attacked in the dark?
He was thinking a lot, and his brain felt bloated and painful—so much had occurred at once. He had even just slain someone. It was surreal, like a dream.
It would be nice if he was dreaming.
As he was thinking this, the cupboard door in front of him jerked and made a noise.
ChiFu: Sorry for the sudden delay. I was bitten by the neighbor’s cat, so I went for a shot last week and will go again, and then my not well cat’s stomach seems to be swelling on one side for some reason. This month, I think, will be a sad one. Not really a nice gift for a birthday—I feel so lost, but thank you for understanding.
From here on, I will split the chapters into two parts for the sake of my sanity and try to get the update schedule back to Friday again. I will observe the situation first since I will be attending classes again(not online anymore).
The next part will be on Sunday
Oh my god what a cliffhanger! And I’m so sorry this month is so shitty for you. I really hope your cat will recover. I lost mine this year because of a tumour and it’s horrible. So please take care of yourself and treat yourself extra kindly.
And thank you for the chapter!
Wow, this is all so unexpected
I hope that very soon you will have a white streak
Thank you very much for the translation 🤍🤍🤍🤍
I’m so sorry for your cat, that is such a hard thing to go through. Sympathies to you and your family.
I feel you, my cat also had swelling on his tummy, he was unable to pee at all, had to spend a few days in the vet and when we thought he was finally okay, he got worse…
Thank You for the new chapter (´,,•ω•,,)♡ Sad to hear that things went wrong for You, hope everything will be alright soon~! Take care and don’t worry about updates ^^ Splitting chapters is OK! ❤
Ah… so many cute, funny chapters and you just happen to get stuck with this one while you’re already struggling! I can only hope there’s fluff coming up both in your life and for Wen Mingyu. Maybe after this he’ll empathize with Mu Zhan, who seemed to be reliving some other bloody battles. I imagine Wen Mingyu sticking to Mu Zhan like bunny Velcro for a while. I hope so anyway.
Thank you for the update ❤️💯
Thanks for the chapter
Thanks for the update ❤️
Oh no! I’m sorry that this month has been so hard on you. I hope things get better soon!
Thank you for the chapter. Take time for everything, having a sick pet and having to make decisions about their care is so hard.
Hello my dear shitty-monthers, it’s me …. A shitty-monther 🙃
GOSH AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Will he turn into a bunny? I hope he turns into a bunny (๑╹ω╹๑ )