The Alpha Regent’s Sudden Affection for Me [Transmigration | GL, ABO] - Chapter 1

The mist was light, the night breeze was cool, and two figures moved swiftly through the moonlit woods ahead.

Wen Ningwan immediately crouched in the nearby bushes. Not long ago, she had learned from a late-returning woodcutter that she had somehow traveled through time into the world of a book.

“Big Sister Yun, why did you bring me here? It’s so scary at night.”

A delicate female voice rang out, startling Wen Ningwan. She quickly covered her mouth and didn’t dare breathe. The two women were standing under a tree just five steps away from her.

A clear, crisp voice responded, “Caier, didn’t you say you wanted to run away with me? Let’s go now to a place where no one knows us. We can start over and stay together forever.”

As the voices faded into the distance, Wen Ningwan finally let out a quiet breath of relief. In this world, Alphas and Omegas could be together regardless of gender.

Alphas held important positions in the court, society, and family. Omegas stayed home to care for their spouses and children. They were not allowed to work outside, much less hold official titles.

There were also ordinary people who were neither Alpha nor Omega. Most of them lived hard lives at the bottom of society.

Under the pale moonlight, Wen Ningwan made her way toward the capital. Judging from the two lovers who had just eloped, she figured it couldn’t be far.

As dawn approached, Wen Ningwan, worn out and starving, saw the faint outline of a city gate through the thick fog. The words “Jinling” were boldly carved above the entrance. This was the capital.

She smiled to herself in joy, but her happiness was short-lived. The sound of galloping hooves behind her made her turn around.

A woman dressed in dark, luxurious robes rode toward her. Her long hair flowed like a waterfall. She looked like an immortal who had descended from the heavens. Her presence was overwhelming and hard to look at directly.

Wen Ningwan froze, stunned. She forgot to move out of the way.

The rider didn’t try to avoid her. As the horse passed close, Wen Ningwan snapped back to her senses.

The woman leaned down from the saddle, and in a swift motion, she lifted Wen Ningwan off the ground and threw her onto the back of the horse. They galloped off at once.

Terrified, Wen Ningwan kicked and screamed, “Help! Robbery! Someone save me!”

The rider ignored her completely. After exhausting herself from the struggle, Wen Ningwan began to calm down. She looked behind them and saw a group of assassins dressed in black chasing after them, each holding a bloodstained sword.

Fear stole her breath. She immediately stopped struggling.

Suddenly, the rider pulled hard on the reins. Wen Ningwan lurched forward so violently that her stomach turned and her vision blurred.

Ahead, near the city gate, a group of ambushers appeared. They quickly surrounded the assassins and blocked any chance of escape.

Wen Ningwan looked over and shuddered. She saw bl00d flying and someone’s throat slit open.

The rider dismounted with ease and elegance.

The assassins had already surrendered.

“Don’t let them kill themselves,” the woman’s sharp voice rang out. Her tone was filled with quiet satisfaction.

She walked over cheerfully, but stopped in her tracks when she noticed the figure still sprawled on the horse. “She…”

The one who had dismounted raised a hand, and a firm grip yanked Wen Ningwan off the horse.

She stumbled and almost fell, catching herself against the wet ground. Her head spun and her stomach still churned as she slowly stood up.

“Are you crazy? What did I ever do to you?”

The nearby attendants froze. Their eyes flickered nervously toward their silent master.

Wen Ningwan, staring at the cold and distant figure before her, grew angrier by the second.

“Are you mute? Why won’t you say anything? Don’t you know how to apologize?”

“You…” One of the guards reached for her sword.

Someone raised a hand to stop her. Wen Ningwan was startled. The woman who had smiled sweetly just moments before was now glaring at her with eyes full of murderous intent.

“Grand Preceptor, should we throw her in the dungeon as well? It’s already suspicious enough for someone to appear alone outside the city gates at this hour. A proper beating should clear up any confusion.”

“Gr… Grand Preceptor?” Wen Ningwan backed away in fear. The Grand Preceptor held more power than even the queen. To offend her was to die a hundred deaths.

She quickly waved her hands and forced a flattering smile.

“Greetings, Grand Preceptor. What apology? There’s nothing to apologize for. Riding with you is the greatest honor I could ever receive. It’s a blessing I could never earn in several lifetimes.”

“Silver-tongued flatterer.” The voice was cold and distant, just like the woman herself. She seemed as unreachable as an immortal high above the mortal world.

Wen Ningwan promptly shut her mouth, watching with wide, starry eyes as the Grand Preceptor mounted her horse with effortless grace.

“Let’s return,” the Grand Preceptor said, looking down at Wen Ningwan from her high position.

The overwhelming, icy aura and those deep, unreadable eyes pierced into her with just one glance, sending a chill down her spine.

Behind her, the massive city gates creaked open. Wen Ningwan snapped out of her daze and hurriedly stepped aside.

As the entourage passed, the Grand Preceptor turned slightly to glance back at the stunned Wen Ningwan before riding into the city.

Grand Preceptor Feng Lie Lan had been born into the prestigious Feng family of elite Alphas. Like her ancestors, she showed outstanding talent from a young age and had already earned military honors by her teenage years. By the age Wen Ningwan was now, Feng Lie Lan had been named a decorated marquis.

Wen Ningwan couldn’t help but admire her.

Yet her personality was dark and withdrawn. Years of battlefield experience had left her radiating a natural hostility, and her martial arts skills were both terrifying and strange.

The book had mentioned how Omegas were sometimes taken into her tent during military campaigns and never seen again.

Some were later found in mass graves—mummified corpses drained of bl00d, their scent glands destroyed in horrific ways.

A shiver ran through Wen Ningwan as the thought crossed her mind. “No, no, that couldn’t be true,” she muttered, trying to convince herself.

“My lord, what are you mumbling about?”

Wen Ningwan nearly jumped out of her skin when a face suddenly appeared beside her. “Aaaah!”

“My lord! Lord Assistant Minister!” the girl cried out.

Wen Ningwan quickly closed her mouth and blinked at the girl in confusion. She was dressed in traditional Miao attire, her silver head ornaments chiming softly in the wind.

“What assistant minister? What lord?” Wen Ningwan’s heart dropped with a dreadful sense of foreboding.

In the beginning of the novel, there had been an unnamed Assistant Minister of the Court of Judicial Review—a background character who died almost immediately.

“That would be you, my lord,” the girl answered, sounding helpless.

“Then do you know my name?”

The girl froze, unable to reply.

Seeing her hesitation, Wen Ningwan felt a cold sense of despair. She really was that nameless assistant minister—the expendable character who died in the first chapter.

“My name is Wen Ningwan,” she said weakly.

The girl gave an awkward smile. “Greetings, Chief Minister Wen. I’ve finally found you.”

“Hmm?”

“You’ve been missing for two days while investigating the case.”

“Oh.” Wen Ningwan had no interest in asking for details. Right now, her only concern was how to escape her doomed fate.

In the original story, the Chief Minister had gone out alone to investigate and died under mysterious circumstances. So, if she simply stayed inside the city and never went anywhere alone, she should be safe.

“Chief Minister Wen, did you discover anything over the past two days?”

Wen Ningwan glanced at the curious girl. To be honest, she had no idea what case she was investigating. The original novel hadn’t explained it at all.

“Let’s talk after we return,” she said and immediately turned toward the city. Right now, being outside the walls felt extremely dangerous.

“Alright.” The girl lowered her voice, sensing her unease.

Just as they reached the gates of the Dali Temple, they saw the Imperial Preceptor’s guards escorting a group of assassins.

The girl beside her stepped forward and sneered. “Isn’t that Miss Youran from the Imperial Preceptor’s residence? Has the Imperial Preceptor uncovered another major case of treason?”

Youran’s eyes immediately locked onto Wen Ningwan. “If only it were a major case of treason. Turning them over to your Dali Temple would at least give you something to report to His Majesty. Otherwise, your temple, which hasn’t solved a single case, might as well start catching pickpockets on the streets.”

Her words caused laughter to ripple through the crowd.

Seeing the girl beside her look embarrassed, Wen Ningwan stepped forward and pulled her back gently.

“Now, now, how could we at Dali Temple possibly compare to the brilliance of the Imperial Preceptor? The Preceptor went to such great lengths, setting traps and risking her life, even using her own body to lure out these…”

She cast a mocking glance at the assassins.

“…these master assassins who struck once and then ran. The Imperial Preceptor must have suffered terribly.”

The girl burst into laughter.

Wen Ningwan continued, smiling playfully, “To bring them back to the Dali Temple so quickly… it seems the Imperial Preceptor didn’t get any useful information. What a waste of effort.”

She shook her head and laughed cheerfully.

“You really should help lighten the Preceptor’s burden. For her to go personally and lure out the enemy like that… how pitiful for our beautiful Imperial Preceptor.”

Clutching her chest in mock sorrow, Wen Ningwan let out a dramatic sigh. “It breaks my heart.”

“Thank you.”

A cold voice sounded behind her.

Wen Ningwan froze and spun around to see the furious expression on the Imperial Preceptor’s face. Her legs nearly gave out beneath her. The girl beside her immediately supported her and bravely glared at the dark-faced Imperial Preceptor.

“What do you think you’re doing? She’s the Chief Minister of the Dali Temple, a fourth-rank court official. Do you think you can get away with murdering a fourth-rank official in broad daylight?”

The Imperial Preceptor strode forward. Wen Ningwan felt the bl00d drain from her face. Was this the fate of a cannon fodder character? Was she really going to die? She hadn’t even caught a glimpse of the beautiful Empress yet.

But the Imperial Preceptor walked straight past them without a word.

Wen Ningwan finally exhaled in relief.

Then his footsteps stopped.

He turned slightly and glanced at her, his unreadable eyes sweeping over her face before he repeated in a low voice, “Chief Minister?”

A chill ran down Wen Ningwan’s spine. She swallowed hard and trembled as she watched the Imperial Preceptor turn and enter the Dali Temple.