When Stars Align

Updated every other day. Over-the-top melodrama, including some verbal abuse and violence. Read with caution.

One day, Feng Xuan heard a science video at home explaining that adult mandrills were temperamental and ferocious fighters, capable of battling medium-sized predators. Even leopards and venomous snakes feared them. They were among the animals in nature most easily provoked. He took a closer look and realized they did have a lot in common with Qiao Xingyao, at least in terms of temperament. Their appearances were a different matter.

Qiao Xingyao was much more handsome.

In this life, Feng Xuan had encountered two stars. One fell into the ocean, while the other shone brilliantly.

Love is only beautiful when it leaves you unrecognizable.

Over-the-top melodrama.

Read with caution.

If you're interested in one of my upcoming stories, please add The Palace Harem's Happy Slacker to your collection.

Kang Wusi had spent thirty years as a corporate drone. When he transmigrated, he became a young lord. He thought he could finally lie flat and enjoy the decadent life of the exploiting class.

But he barely had time to enjoy himself before he was packed off abroad, supposedly for an educational exchange. In reality, he was being sent to a neighboring kingdom as a hostage.

So now he could lie even flatter.

The neighboring kingdom saw that he had no ambition and posed no threat, so they couldn't be bothered to make life difficult for him. They gave him a courtyard and sent him food and drink on schedule, as if they were keeping an idle man as a pet.

Kang Wusi was perfectly happy with this arrangement. He really did spend his days lying in the courtyard sun, wondering what to eat and how late to sleep the next day, committed to lying flat to the very end.

If he couldn't sleep one night, or slept poorly, he'd go sit in the academy and listen to the old teacher lecture about the classics. The droning delivery helped him get a decent nap.

If he ever got tired of living as a pampered parasite in a foreign land, there was one excellent place to find inspiration: he could watch the ninth prince, Li Xin, the emperor's most despised son, left to fend for himself in the Cold Palace, living on scraps and leading a life more pitiable than a little cabbage.

After watching, he would immediately realize that life as a hostage, with food, drink, a roof over his head, and people to keep him, was practically heaven.

Then he could lie flat with a clear conscience once more.

He thought this balanced arrangement, with the other guy suffering while he lay flat, would last forever.

Until one day, the tides shifted within and beyond the palace walls, and shouts of battle filled the air.

The pitiful ninth prince, his source of inspiration, fought his way through a storm of blood and slaughter to the Dragon Throne, and was crowned emperor.

Dressed in a dark imperial robe and crown, the new emperor found Kang Wusi hiding in the humble courtyard where the hostage had once lived, still trying to make sense of what was happening.

Li Xin dismissed his attendants.

"Kang Wusi, I will give you two choices."

"Become a member of my harem, or serve in the court."

Kang Wusi was dumbfounded for a moment.

A member of the harem? That sounded like he'd have to use his looks to please someone, and his backside would be in danger.

A court official? That meant attending court and holding office, didn't it?

He'd have to get up before dawn and head for the palace gates under the stars, waiting in line through bitter cold or scorching heat to attend court...

No. Absolutely not.

Court started far too early.

He couldn't get up that early!

*

And so he lay even flatter. Before, life had been screwing him; now, Li Xin was screwing him.

Later, bored, Kang Wusi decided to write a biography. Remembering that he was a member of the harem, he picked up his brush and wrote The Palace Harem's Happy Slacker. As he kept writing, he realized that apart from Li Xin, he was the only person in the harem.

The shou lies flat all the way to the pinnacle of life.

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