The morning air in the general’s wing smelled aggressively expensive, carrying a heavy blend of aged sandalwood and cold mountain pine.
Wen Yu stood in the middle of a sunlit chamber that made his old studio apartment look like a shoe box. "Is this whole wing just for one person?" he muttered under his breath, stepping toward the window. Thick embroidered tapestries swallowed up every bit of noise from the estate grounds, insulating the space in total, quiet luxury. But no amount of expensive woodwork could cure the cold, heavy knot twisting in his gut.
A sudden, sharp knock cut through the silence.
The carved double doors groaned open, and in marched three senior estate servants led by a head housekeeper whose hair bun was pulled so tight it looked painful. "Set the cedar chests by the lacquered table," she commanded the younger maids, her voice sharp and icy. The junior maids carried stacks of silk robes in deep plum, ivory, and midnight black, their movements stiff, rhythmic, and practically dripping with silent resentment.
"His Excellency’s direct orders," the housekeeper, Steward Ma, said, her tone flat enough to scrape paint off a wall. "Your quarters are relocated, former servant Wen. You live in the inner chambers right next to the master suite from today onward."
Wen Yu clutched a stray blanket around his shoulders like body armor. "Relocated?" he repeated, his eyes darting between the silk robes and the ominous connecting door.
[Relocated? You mean dragged straight into the tiger’s cage without so much as a probation period?]
"Ah," Wen Yu offered, forcing a weak, trembling smile that fit the meek male omega servant role he was supposed to be playing. "Is that... completely necessary, Steward Ma? I really wouldn’t want to mess up the household routine. The servants’ wing was actually... pretty cozy."
Steward Ma’s eyes narrowed into tiny slits. "The General’s word is law," she snapped, jerking her chin toward the maids.
The servants dumped the heavy wooden chests onto the lacquered table with a loud, deliberate thud that rattled the teacups.
"Dress at once," Steward Ma ordered, stepping back toward the hallway. "The General expects you in his private study before noon. Do not make him wait."
"I won’t! I’ll be fast!" Wen Yu called out as she turned on her heel and marched away, the other maids trailing behind her like a line of annoyed ghosts. The heavy doors slammed shut with a heavy bang.
Wen Yu let out a long breath, letting the blanket drop to the floor. "Unbelievable," he sighed. "Not even ten minutes to digest my new identity."
"Adjusting well to the new room, I see."
Wen Yu yelped, his foot catching on the hem of his oversized robe as a low voice came out of nowhere. "Whoa—hey!"
Xie Yan was standing right by the entryway. He had traded his heavy steel armor for a loose black silk robe with silver dragon embroidery around the collar, his dark hair left unpinned over his shoulders. Even without the metal plate, the man took up an absurd amount of space in the room.
"General!" Wen Yu stammered, scrambling into a crooked bow. "You... you walked in without making a sound!"
[Why does he move like a ghost? One of these days he’s going to give me a cardiac arrest and I’m going to die before I even outline an escape plan.]
Xie Yan stopped a few paces away. A faint, dangerous look flickered in his eyes as he folded his broad arms over his chest. "If you die of fright before noon, Wen Yu, the marriage certificate becomes a widow’s registry. That creates unnecessary filing delays with the Ministry of Rites."
Wen Yu felt heat flush straight up his neck. "A... widow’s registry?" he repeated, blinking fast.
[Did he just guess my exact thought? Or is he just ridiculously good at reading terrified faces?]
"I am simply drawing a logical conclusion from your face," Xie Yan said smoothly, keeping his posture perfectly still. He took a slow, deliberate step forward. "Besides, you use strange phrasing when you panic. 4K resolution. Freelance salary. Patch notes. None of these belong to the dialect of a household servant."
Wen Yu’s pulse spiked violently. "I... I say those things?"
[Shit. My mouth ran away with me again! I’m talking like a modern forum editor instead of an imperial servant. If he flags me as a spy or an evil spirit, I’m getting executed by lunchtime!]
"It’s... just regional slang from my hometown, General!" Wen Yu babbled, waving his hands frantically in front of his chest. "Very far away! Deep in the countryside! You know how weird regional dialects get!"
"Is that so?" Xie Yan murmured, his eyes locking onto Wen Yu’s frantic expression. A faint, sharp smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth, the kind of look that made Wen Yu’s brain immediately go blank.
The general crossed the remaining floor in two quick steps. Before Wen Yu could back away, Xie Yan slammed one broad hand flat against the mahogany desk right next to Wen Yu’s hip, trapping him completely against the heavy wood.
That overwhelming smell of pine sap and cold stone hit Wen Yu like a physical wall.
"Remote provinces," Xie Yan whispered, leaning down until his voice buzzed right in Wen Yu’s chest. "Fascinating. Do these remote provinces also train common maids to stare at a superior officer’s facial features with such... intense focus?"
Wen Yu’s breath hitched. His back hit the edge of the desk hard as Xie Yan leaned closer. "I... I wasn’t staring!"
[Oh man. Oh no. His shoulders are literally blocking out all the morning light! If I look down, I’m staring at his chest, if I look up, those cheekbones are an absolute visual hazard. Why is the main antagonist of a trashy webnovel so aggressively handsome in person?!]
Behind his completely deadpan expression, Xie Yan absorbed every single chaotic, simping word echoing inside his skull. A subtle amusement stirred in his chest, though he kept his face strictly neutral so the omega wouldn’t catch on.
"You’re shaking, Wen Yu," Xie Yan noted softly, his gaze dropping briefly to the omega’s mouth before tracking back to his eyes. "Are you terrified of the politics of this marriage, or are you just nervous standing this close to your husband?"
Wen Yu gripped the carved wood behind him, his knuckles turning white as he tried to force his voice into something humble. "I am... just overwhelmed by your generosity, General. A low servant like me could never dream of a position like this."
[Liar. Total liar. I am screaming internally! If you touch me with those hands again I am going to faint directly onto this overpriced desk!]
Xie Yan let out a short, quiet laugh that vibrated in his chest, thoroughly entertained by the massive gap between the omega’s squeaky outward excuses and the frantic noise inside his head. He didn’t back off. Instead, he leaned in a fraction closer, his breath warm against the side of Wen Yu’s ear.
"Then let us see how well you play the humble servant," Xie Yan said quietly, his fingers lightly brushing the edge of the silk robe at Wen Yu’s waist. "Because the imperial auditors arrive tomorrow morning. If they suspect our marriage is a fake cover-up for a public scandal, you will be the first person they drag in for questioning."
Wen Yu swallowed hard, his editor’s brain finally prioritizing survival over the general’s face. "The auditors? Tomorrow?!"
"Indeed," Xie Yan replied. "They are thorough, and they do not tolerate deceit."
"I understand, sir," Wen Yu said quickly, squaring his narrow shoulders. "I will be the most convincing, terrified spouse in the empire."
"Good," Xie Yan said, his eyes sharpening. "Because your tongue seems to run loose when you get anxious. You will learn to control it, Wen Yu. Or I will have to find more creative ways to keep you quiet."
"I’ll control it! Completely locked down!" Wen Yu promised, holding his breath as Xie Yan finally stepped back.
The sudden draft left Wen Yu feeling abruptly cold. The general straightened his sleeves, turning toward the heavy double doors without looking back.
"Put on the plum robes," Xie Yan called over his shoulder as he reached the exit. "We have a very convincing public performance to maintain."
Wen Yu stood frozen against the desk for a long time, watching the heavy doors click shut, his hand flying straight to his hammering heart. "Creative ways to keep me quiet?" he whispered to the empty room.
[Did he just... flirt with me while threatening me with imperial auditors?! I am so dead! I am going to completely lose my mind inside this book!]