Chapter 242 -

Chapter 242: Chapter

The Empress smirked, pulling her hand away from his jaw and slowly pacing around him. The thin silk of her robe rustled softly in the quiet, scented room.

"If you want to blame someone for this chaos, Duke Xi, blame the Emperor," she said, her voice turning cold and venomous. "He is supposed to be sensible and make my son the next Emperor. My son is fitting for the title! He is already the Crown Prince, isn’t he? Yet the Emperor wants that useless Third Prince to take the throne instead."

She stopped in front of him again, her eyes burning with ruthless ambition.

"If I cannot get what I want peacefully, then I will take it with blood," she whispered dangerously. "I do not care what it takes. My son will rule this empire. And you, along with your entire army, will help me do it. Do I make myself clear?"

Duke Xi kept his eyes locked firmly on the floor. His fists trembled slightly at his sides, but he swallowed his burning pride and bowed his head low.

"Understood, Your Majesty," he said, his deep voice heavy and completely emotionless.

"Good. Now get out of my sight," the Empress said dismissively, turning her back on him.

Duke Xi didn’t waste another second. He straightened up, turned around, and walked out of the grand chamber with heavy, loud steps.

His face was dark as night as he stepped back out into the freezing courtyard. He mounted his warhorse without saying a single word to his two men, slapping the reins hard. They galloped out of the palace gates, disappearing into the dark, silent streets of the capital.

Meanwhile, back at the Xi estate, the night had grown late and still.

Inside Yueqing’s bedchamber, the single candle on the table had burned down low, casting soft, warm shadows across the quiet room.

Yueqing lay under the heavy silk blankets. Her mind was far from peaceful as thoughts of her 89 remaining days kept racing through her head, but her body was exhausted.

She carefully shifted her legs and tried to sit up against the headboard, but the movement pulled sharply on her wounded shoulder.

"Ah..." she gasped softly, wincing from the sudden pain.

Right beside her bed, Wenzhe’s dark eyes snapped open instantly.

He had been sitting on the wooden stool with his head resting lightly on the edge of her mattress, sleeping lightly out of sheer exhaustion. The second she made a sound, he was instantly alert.

"Yueqing!" Wenzhe said, his voice deep and raspy from sleep. He quickly stood up, reaching out with broad, gentle hands to hold her steady. "What’s wrong? Do you need water? Is the shoulder hurting again?"

Yueqing looked at his messy dark hair, his tired eyes, and the deep worry etched across his face. Her heart warmed, and she shook her head softly.

"No, I don’t need anything," Yueqing whispered, giving him a gentle, reassuring smile. "I just... I just wanted to talk to you."

Wenzhe let out a quiet sigh of relief. He sat down on the edge of the bed, carefully taking her hand into his warm palms and wrapping his fingers around hers.

"I’m listening," Wenzhe murmured softly, staring deeply into her eyes. "Tell me whatever is on your mind."

Yueqing took a shallow breath, her fingers trembling slightly inside Wenzhe’s broad, warm hands.

"I want to tell you a story," she whispered, her eyes fixed on their joined hands. "About a girl..."

Wenzhe leaned in a little closer, his dark eyes filled with gentle concern. "A girl? Is she someone I know?"

Yueqing shook her head slowly, a faint, melancholic smile touching her pale lips. "You may not know her... but you know someone that’s similar to her."

She paused, swallowing past the lump in her throat before continuing in a soft, steady voice.

"This girl grew up sick and extremely fragile," Yueqing murmured. "From the moment she was born, her life was nothing but bitter medicine, sharp needles, and endless days trapped inside a silent room. Her parents spent every single coin they had on top doctors and grand physicians, desperately trying to keep her breathing."

She let out a faint, dry laugh that sounded full of old pain.

"Because of her illness, she was never allowed to eat sweet cakes, pastries, or anything good," Yueqing added softly, her voice dipping. "All she ever tasted were dark, foul herbal teas that burned her throat. She spent her whole youth watching other children run outside and eat sweets through a small glass window."

Wenzhe didn’t interrupt. He kept his grip firm and steady around her fingers, his heart aching at every single word.

"Because she was so sickly, she spent her entire life feeling like a heavy burden," Yueqing said, a stray tear silently tracking down her cheek. "She felt like a liability to everyone around her. Every time her mother cried over medical bills, or her father bowed his head to borrow money, she wished she had never been born at all."

She shifted slightly, wincing as her shoulder throbbed, but her gaze remained raw and honest.

"Eventually, her frail body gave out completely. She died quietly in that cold bed," Yueqing whispered. "But deep down inside her heart, she didn’t want to die. She desperately wanted to live. She wanted to run under the open sky, taste sweet pastries, laugh with friends, and experience what it truly felt like to be alive."

She looked straight into Wenzhe’s dark, intense eyes.

"She didn’t know if the heavens had heard her silent prayers or what... but when she opened her eyes again, she wasn’t in heaven or hell. She was in a vast, dark void," Yueqing revealed softly. "A strange entity appeared before her and made a deal."

Wenzhe’s heart thudded heavily against his ribs, his breath catching in his throat as the dark pieces of the puzzle slammed together in his mind.

"The entity told her that if she played different roles in different worlds, taking over the bodies of tragic, doomed women to fix their fates.. she would earn points," Yueqing explained, her voice shaking with emotion. "And in exchange for completing those missions, she would finally be granted a second chance at a real, healthy life of her own."

Wenzhe stayed completely frozen, his jaw locked tight as he stared down at her pale, delicate face.

He didn’t blurt out that he knew the story was about her.

Wenzhe remained silent, gently brushing his thumb over her knuckles. "Is she happy now? Wherever she is, did she get her happy ending, or is she still fighting for it?"

Yueqing looked down at their joined hands. "She’s still fighting. This is supposed to be her last mission. If she succeeds, she gets her own life back, a healthy body and freedom."

"Then why does she sound so sad?"

"Because getting what you want means leaving things behind," she whispered. "People, perhaps."

Wenzhe’s fingers went still. "Does she regret accepting the deal?"

"No," Yueqing answered softly. "She experienced things she never imagined. She even learned she’s good at causing trouble."

Wenzhe’s mouth twitched. "A rather unfortunate talent."

"It’s very useful!"

"Of course, Madam Xi."

Yueqing smiled softly, resting against her pillows. Wenzhe adjusted her cushions, his face turning serious. "Does she have someone she wants to stay with?"

"Maybe," Yueqing admitted quietly, avoiding his eyes. "Someone unbearable, stubborn, and arrogant, who carries every burden alone."

"Does she care about him?"

Yueqing looked up, her heart beating fast. "Why are you so interested?"

"Because you’re telling me about her."

He squeezed her hand gently. "If she had the choice, would she stay?"

"I don’t know, Wenzhe," she whispered. "She wanted freedom for so long, but now she wonders if a life is really happy just because it’s free. What if she goes home, but has nowhere she truly wants to be?"

Wenzhe lifted her hand to his chest. "If she stays, I hope it isn’t out of fear. And if she leaves for her own happiness, she shouldn’t feel guilty. She deserves to choose."

Yueqing stared at him, overwhelmed by his understanding. "That’s a surprisingly sensible answer."

"One more question," Wenzhe murmured softly. "If she gets her happy ending, will she remember the people she met?"

Yueqing’s smile faded. "I don’t know. The entity never told her."

Wenzhe tightened his grip, his gaze heavy. "And she still wants to go?"

"She has wanted to go home for a very long time."

Silence fell over the room. Yueqing swallowed hard before asking, "If she leaves... will the people left behind be alright?"

"They will miss her," Wenzhe said honestly. "They will move forward, but that doesn’t mean she was unimportant. I hope she finds happiness, wherever she ends up."

Yueqing’s eyes stung. She held his hand tighter. "You’re a good man, Wenzhe."

"Don’t ruin it," he murmured, tucking her blanket in gently. "Get some sleep."

Yueqing caught his sleeve. "Will you listen if I finish the story later?"

"Of course," he promised softly.

Holding onto his sleeve, Yueqing closed her eyes, her mind filled with the reality that she only had eighty-nine days left and no longer knew if going home was truly what she wanted.