CHAPTER 60: CHAPTER 60 : THE OMEGA GATHERING

The Heavenly Empress was floating on cloud nine. After trying hard to conceive for fifteen years, she was rewarded with a successful pregnancy!

Endless congratulatory messages flooded both the Golden Dragon Palace as well as the Eternal Spring Palace in the next few days.

The most heartfelt congratulations naturally came from her clan at Ling’an Palace. Her father wrote her a letter, saying that he had never been prouder of her.

That one sentence kept the Empress’ lips curling up in delight for days.

In order to let everyone rejoice in this wonderful news, the Empress held a small gathering in her Eternal Spring Palace. The gathering was to be attended by both single and married omegas from all over the heavenly realm.

Of all the omegas who had the opportunity to get close to her, only one person did not know how to appreciate her goodwill -- Xie Jianshen, her insufferable stepson. As if she wanted him to attend! Their mutual dislike proved to be very convenient on such occasions.

Xie Jianshen was the only person in the entire heavenly realm who dared to show her disrespect. Even his supposedly polite apology note sounded infuriatingly impolite.

The Empress rolled with her eyes when one of her maids read a message from Xie Jianshen out loud that morning.

"Congratulations on your pregnancy, Your Highness. May the dragon bloodline live on."

What was that supposed to mean?

The Empress rubbed her belly on cue, as if ascertaining that her baby was still growing inside her.

Was it supposed to be a well-thought-of insult?

Because Xie Jianshen gave birth to an alpha son within months of getting married?

That insolent man!!!

The maids around the Heavenly Empress could not help but panic when their mistress started to exaggerate through hyperventilation.

"Your Highness, please calm down!"

"Your Highness, please think about the baby!"

The Heavenly Empress let out a burst of cheerless laughter.

Yes. The baby.

The baby was very important.

Never mind that the Emperor was so busy that he had only visited her once after hearing about the pregnancy. Was that an attitude of a doting father? She didn’t think so.

The Empress felt a little spiteful toward the other members of the royal family.

If anything, Xie Jianshen and the Heavenly Emperor should thank her. Her baby was going to ensure the continuation of the dragon bloodline. Not Xie Jianshen. And not Xie Jianyu.

The Empress’ mood became lighter when the omegas started to arrive at the gathering venue. They all brought their spirit companions* with them. How delightful.

Her own spirit companion, a nine-tailed fox cub was curling up under her couch cutely. The Empress extended a hand to stroke its furry forehead and earned an affectionate lick from her spirit companion in return.

"Welcome," the Heavenly Empress said with a bright smile. "Today, we should all relax and enjoy ourselves. No need to be too formal with each other."

After the initial greetings and thank yous for the invitation, a round of congratulatory words rained upon her again. With every congratulatory message, the corners of the Empress’ lips tugged upward higher and higher.

"Pregnancy is great," she said while caressing her stomach. "I hope that all of you experience it soon. No bond is greater than that of a mother and a child."

Shi Qingyue snickered at Liu Wenyuan.

"I think that we are going to congratulate the Ethereal Beauty soon enough. Liu Wenyuan, when are you and Prince Zhang Fengxi getting married?"

Liu Wenyuan turned pink in an instant. He rubbed the wolf pup in her lap awkwardly.

"Ah... we are getting engaged soon. The wedding will take place when I reach the age of eighteen."

All the other omegas squealed.

"Oh, my. Congratulations, Liu Wenyuan! I hope that you are happy with Prince Zhang Fengxi!"

"Was he not the one who came second during the hunt at Mount Qilin?"

"Oh, but the Crown Prince came first. He was so dashing..."

"Aiyah... speaking about the Crown Prince and Prince Zhang Fengxi, did they not have a good relationship with each other?"

Liu Wenyuan’s smile faded as soon as he heard their names being mentioned in the same sentence.

"I heard that Prince Zhang Fengxi saved the Crown Prince many times. The first time when the Crown Prince almost drowned at the Crystal Jade Lake, and then when they were hunting the giant centipede."

Liu Wenyuan’s face turned sour.

Was that so?

An omega giggled.

"Didn’t you all know that Prince Zhang Fengxi has a thing for fellow alphas? He keeps running into the Crown Prince that it doesn’t make sense anymore."

"Oh, I heard about that rumor!"

"Hahahaha, but Liu Wenyuan, no worries. Since Prince Zhang Fengxi already proposed to you, there is no way the rumors are true."

The omegas were chatting happily with each other. Liu Wenyuan forced himself to smile and engage in small talks, but he was unable to concentrate.

Zhang Fengxi liked him.

Liu Wenyuan knew that.

Why would Zhang Fengxi run into the Crown Prince so many times? Was it not maybe the other way around? Maybe the Crown Prince was the abnormal one.

He had his eyes on Liu Wenyuan’s future husband.

He was the one who had been seducing Zhang Fengxi.

Anger boiled in Liu Wenyuan’s heart. He could not let the Crown Prince be. He had to do something.

Just then, a servant hastily approached the small gathering venue with a tense face. He immediately reported to the eunuch in charge. The eunuch then whispered the news to the Empress.

The Empress stopped lying on her couch, tidied her clothing, and sat upright.

The eunuch cleared his throat before he announced, "The Heavenly Emperor and the Crown Prince are here!"

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Author’s note :

*Omegas are given spirit companions after they successfully differentiated. These spirit companions correspond to the animal that their clans represent.

Qifeng Palace’s omegas have small phoenixes to accompany them, Wuyang Palace’s omegas have small wolves to accompany them, etc..