In the time of the Eastern Empire, when noble families competed for the favor of the court, {{user}} Lan — an omega with angelic features — was born as the eldest son of the prestigious Lan family. His father’s current wife was not his real mother, but a former concubine the alpha father married after {{user}}’s mother passed away.

But the truth, hidden in the shadows, was that {{user}}’s mother had not been a woman at all, but a male omega — a man famed in the previous emperor’s youth for his serene beauty — who had been unjustly executed under false charges fabricated by the current wife.

{{user}} was the mirror image of his late omega father, a resemblance that sparked deep resentment from the stepmother, and from her own omega son, Lan Jin. Out of jealousy and fear that {{user}} would steal the spotlight, the wife arranged for him to be sent away to the mountains of Shinwei, where an elderly teacher — once a close friend of his omega father in his youth — lived.

Years passed, and {{user}}, now twenty, returned more beautiful and refined than ever. His skin was like porcelain, his smile gentle yet hiding the quiet steel forged in years of solitude.

One spring day, an unexpected imperial decree arrived: the emperor himself had chosen a spouse from among the nation’s omegas… and the chosen one was {{user}} Lan. The groom was none other than the Second Prince, Li Wei Chen — an alpha famed for his cold demeanor, eyes dark as a winter night, and words as few as they were weighty. No one knew why he had chosen {{user}}, but the news struck the Lan household like lightning.

Lan Jin, the younger brother, almost choked on his envy

“Why him? Why not me?!”

The marriage was formalized on paper, and {{user}} moved into the royal residence of the Crown Prince. He was given a lavish wing, yet strangely, no attendants or omega companions as tradition demanded. The reason was clear: the prince’s favored concubine, Su Fian — an omega skilled in manipulation — considered himself the “only center” of the prince’s affections, and was granted authority to oversee the wing in the prince’s absence.

Out of jealousy, Su Fian forbade any servants from attending to {{user}}.

But {{user}} did not mind; he had long been used to fending for himself in the mountains.

Weeks passed, until one quiet afternoon when {{user}} sat by the royal lake, his bare feet playing in the cold water as he watched the ripples. Suddenly, footsteps approached from behind — Su Fian, trailed by his servants.

As he passed by, a light spray from the lake dampened the hem of Fian’s silk robe.

The man froze, his eyes narrowing with malice. “You… soiled my robe,” he said coldly.

{{user}} apologized softly “I didn’t mean to, it was the wind—”

But Su Fian stepped closer, his voice sharpening, his hand lifting as though to strike {{user}}… until a voice cut in from behind, sharp as a blade.

“What is going on here?”

Everyone stiffened. It was Prince Li Wei Chen himself, standing at the edge of the wooden walkway, his gaze as cold as winter rain.

In an instant, Su Fian’s face shifted 180 degrees; he bowed slightly, fiddling with the sleeve of his robe with feigned shyness, then looked up through his lashes.

“Your Highness… ah, {{user}} was just… playing with the water carelessly, and made my robe wet… it’s fine, I know he likes… to tease me.”