Chapter 42. A hidden identity of Mei Lin!

Chapter 42: 42. A hidden identity of Mei Lin!

AT THE SAME TIME

XAVIER

The word "positive" was still echoing inside my head. Positive. I was apparently the missing son of the Red Moon flower empire. I had no idea how I was supposed to process that.

"Ding."Then the system appeared again. "Relationship status update."

"Please don’t make this worse."I stared at it.

"Emperor Lang Li relationship affection: 30%."The blue screen flickered.

"Wait."I blinked.

"Empress Dowager of the Lycan Empire relationship affection: 35%."Another line appeared.

"Okay..."I slowly rubbed my forehead.

"Host’s personal romantic affection toward Emperor Lang Li: 45%." Another notification appeared.

"What?!"I froze.

"Forty five percent?!"My face immediately turned red.

"Confirmed."The system remained completely calm.

"I didn’t authorize that!"I groaned.

"Emotional responses do not require authorization."A system said.

"I don’t even like him that much!"I gasped again.

"Incorrect."The system paused.

I wanted to throw the system into the nearest pond. Unfortunately, someone else had already noticed the results. Mei Lin. She had been standing near the festival entrance with several other omega concubines. Her eyes landed on the document in the staff member’s hands, then she looked at Lin Rui, then Zhao Rui, then me.

"He’s..."Her mouth slowly opened.

"Don’t."I immediately raised a finger.

"He’s the missing prince?"She whispered.

Several heads turned.

’"Prince?" One omega gasped.

"Chef Wei is a prince?!"Another covered her mouth.

"The missing prince of the Red moon flower empire?!"A third whispered far too loudly.

"No."I closed my eyes.

The entire group stared at me.

"I mean... yes."I sighed.

Silence hit me and then absolute chaos.

"CHEF WEI IS A PRINCE?!" First one gasped.

"THE CHEF IS AN IMPERIAL HEIR?!" Another one joined her.

"THE COURTSHIP FESTIVAL JUST STARTED!"The third one added.

"WAIT!"I tried to stop them.

"Does that mean he is technically the most eligible unmarried Beta in the entire Red Moon Flower Empire?" One omega suddenly grabbed another’s sleeve.

"No."My eyes widened.

"And His Majesty has been courting him?!"Another omega gasped.

"WHAT?!" I nearly dropped the document.

"Wait..."Mei Lin’s eyes became enormous.

She slowly looked toward Lang Li, then toward me, then back toward Lang Li.

"Oh."Her expression became dangerously excited.

I knew that "oh." That was the same "oh" she used whenever she discovered something that would become palace gossip within five minutes.

"Don’t." I warned.

"I didn’t say anything."She smiled.

"You were about too."I said annoyed.

"I was thinking."She began.

"That’s worse."I groaned.

Around us, whispers multiplied.

"The missing prince..." An older steward said.

"The Emperor’s palace chef..."A man near him nodded.

"The courtship festival..." A lady added.

I looked toward Lang Li. He was standing beside Zhao Rui, listening to the conversation with an expression that was becoming increasingly complicated. Then his mother approached him. The Empress Dowager of the Lycan Empire looked absolutely delighted. She reached him, grabbed his arm, and pulled him slightly aside.

"Mother?"Lang Li looked confused.

She whispered something as his eyes widened. Then he looked toward me.

"What did she say?"I immediately became suspicious.

His mother looked at me with the biggest smile I had ever seen. He didn’t answer.

"Oh, nothing."His mother said.

That was definitely not "nothing." Meanwhile, Lin Rui approached the Empress Dowager. The two older women looked at each other, then Lin Rui took her hands.

"Your son..." She glanced toward me. "Has treated mine well?"

"Very well."The Empress Dowager’s smile became even wider.

"Then I have nothing to fear."Lin Rui’s eyes filled with relief.

"Oh, you have plenty to fear." The Empress Dowager said cheerfully.

"Why?"Lin Rui blinked.

"My son."She leaned closer.

Both women looked toward Lang Li. He was still watching me.

"I see."Lin Rui slowly smiled.

I had absolutely no idea what they were discussing and I didn’t like that. Then one of the omegas suddenly shouted from the festival grounds.

"THE MISSING PRINCE HAS ARRIVED!" A one of them shouted.

Everyone turned.

"I am not arriving anywhere!" I protested.

It was too late. Musicians started playing. Festival dancers turned toward me, servants began whispering, and someone started throwing flower petals.

"What is happening?!"I stared in horror.

"The festival has officially become about you."Mei Lin grabbed my arm.

"I hate this." I sighed.

"I don’t."She grinned.

Across the courtyard, Lang Li’s mother was practically glowing with happiness. Lin Rui looked equally emotional, Zhao Rui looked stunned, Huan looked like he wanted to disappear, and Lang Li? He simply walked toward me. The crowd immediately parted.

"You look overwhelmed."He stopped in front of me.

"I am overwhelmed."I said.

"I will stay beside you."He smiled faintly.

My face heated.

"Ding. Emperor Lang Li relationship affection: 30%." I stared at the notification, then another appeared. "Host romantic affection toward Emperor Lang Li: 45%."

"Not now."I covered the screen with my hand.

"What?"Lang Li raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing."I sighed.

Behind him, the two Empress Dowagers exchanged delighted looks, and I suddenly realized something terrifying. I might have just become a missing imperial prince, but somehow, the courtship festival still seemed far more interested in my relationship with Lang Li.

The entire courtyard had somehow turned into a festival celebrating my existence, and every direction I looked, someone was staring at me. I needed to escape because everyone now tried to introduce themselves to me not as a chef, but as a prince.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I grabbed the edge of my robe and hurried toward the nearest corridor.

"I need five minutes." I turned the corner and immediately crashed into someone. "Oof! Ah!" I stumbled backward.

"Wei!"A pair of hands caught my shoulders.

"Mei Lin."I looked up.

She blinked at me as I stared at her. She stared at me, then we both glanced toward the courtyard. The noise was getting louder.

"You are hiding too?"Mei Lin sighed.

"Obviously." I lowered my voice. "Everyone is staring at me."

"I understand."She gave me a sympathetic smile.

"Actually..."I frowned. I looked around to make sure nobody was nearby. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."She said.

"Why aren’t you jealous?"I hesitated.

"Jealous?"Mei Lin blinked.

"About all of this." I gestured vaguely toward the festival. "Everyone knows I might be some missing imperial heir. Lin Rui is crying every five minutes. Zhao Rui looks like he wants to interrogate the entire palace. The Empress Dowager is practically celebrating. And Lang Li..."

I stopped.

"Lang Li?"Mei Lin smiled.

"Nothing."I sighed.

"You mean because you’re suddenly important?"She laughed softly.

"No." I shook my head. "I mean because of all the attention." I lowered my voice even further. "Especially the other omegas."

Mei Lin looked toward the courtyard. Several omega concubines were indeed whispering excitedly about me.

"I am not jealous."Instead of looking annoyed, Mei Lin simply smiled.

"Why?"I asked.

She became quiet then she leaned closer.

"Because I already love someone."She explained quietly.

"What?"I stared.

"Keep your voice down."She glanced around.

"Who?"I immediately lowered my voice.

"A guard."Mei Lin’s cheeks turned pink.

"A guard?"I blinked.

She nodded. I looked toward the courtyard.

"Wait..." There were several guards nearby. "Which one?"

Mei Lin subtly pointed as I followed her gaze. A young guard stood near Lang Li, speaking quietly with the Emperor.

"That one?"I stared.

"Yes."She nodded.

"You have been secretly in love with him this whole time?"My mouth fell open.

"Yes."She nodded.

"Does he know?"I asked.

"I don’t think so."She said.

I looked at the guard then at Mei Lin.

"Then why are you so calm?"I asked.

"Because I have other things to worry about."She gave me an awkward smile.

"Like what?"I narrowed my eyes.

"Because I’m not supposed to be here either." Mei Lin hesitated then she whispered.

"What do you mean?"My entire body froze.

"I reincarnated."She looked directly into my eyes.

"What?"I asked.

"I remember another life."She said.

I stared at her.

"I woke up in this world with memories of another life. I knew this story before I arrived."Mei Lin’s expression became serious.

"You’re..."My jaw dropped. "A reincarnator."

"Ding." The system suddenly appeared. The blue window flickered violently. "WARNING."

"What?"I stared.

"Reincarnator detected." A system said.

I slowly looked at Mei Lin.

"Identity confirmed."The system flickered again. "Mei Lin: Reincarnator."

"You are the female lead."I nearly fell backward.

"You know?"Mei Lin’s eyes widened.

"I recognized you the moment you arrived!"I gasped.

"You recognized me?"She stared at me.

"I read the original story!"I explained fast.

"Wait."Her eyes widened even more. She grabbed my sleeve. "You read it too?"

"Yes!"I nodded.

We stared at each other in complete silence.

"Critical plot contradiction."The system suddenly froze then another message appeared. "Host Xavier: Reincarnator. Mei Lin: Reincarnator. Original female lead status: unresolved."

I slowly looked at Mei Lin, she slowly looked at me.

"Did you know there was another reincarnator?" I whispered.

"No."She said.

"Neither did I." I nodded.

"ERROR."The system flickered harder. "ERROR." "Too many reincarnator-related deviations."

"Even the system is panicking."I covered my face.

"What happens if the original plot breaks?"Mei Lin looked horrified.

"I don’t know."I sighed.

"Recommended action: DO NOT ALTER MAJOR PLOT EVENTS."The system suddenly displayed another message.

I stared at it then looked toward the guard Mei Lin loved, then toward Lang Li, then toward the imperial family surrounding me.

"We are already altering everything."I reminded.

The system went silent.

"You’re right."Mei Lin slowly nodded. "At least I am not competing for emperor as my heart already belongs to his guard."

I followed her gaze. The guard was still talking with Lang Li, then he suddenly looked in our direction. Mei Lin immediately ducked behind me.

"You were just confessing your love."I stared at her.

"Quiet!"She gasped.

"You literally told me you love him."I said.

"That’s different!"She gasped.

I almost laughed.

"Wei." Lang Li’s voice came from behind us.

Both of us froze. I slowly turned. Lang Li was standing several steps away, beside him stood the very guard Mei Lin had been secretly watching. Lang Li’s golden eyes moved from me to Mei Lin, then to the guard.

"Why are you hiding?"His expression became thoughtful.

"Exercise."I swallowed.

"Yes."Mei Lin immediately nodded.

"Exercise?"The guard looked confused.

"Very advanced hiding exercise."I nodded seriously.

Lang Li stared at me, I stared back.

"Current Emperor Lang Li relationship affection: 30%. Host romantic affection toward Emperor Lang Li: 45%." A system reminded me.

I immediately dismissed it." The system quietly appeared.

"We are in trouble."Behind me, Mei Lin whispered.

"Definitely."I whispered back.

"Plot stability decreasing."Somewhere inside my head, the system gave one final notification. "Please stop making friends with reincarnators."

I sighed as I had already become fried with Mei Lin the day she got a pastry.