[Pupa: Why are you so soft? He is still grieving, but really, you have to meet him. We cannot let this drag on.]

[Pupa!]

Yunyu was surprised when he saw Pupa suddenly popped out from a portal in front of him. Pupa stared at Yunyu nonchalantly.

[Pupa, are you alright?! I saw your shell cracked before you disappeared. I really thought you've turned it into an art piece hanging in a modern exhibition!]

[Pupa: Honestly, I'd rather be an art piece in exhibition rather than staying with you, so troublesome.]

[Pupa: I transferred the pain you had before to my shell, so it cracked. I have to repair myself in Headquarter for a while. At least you don't get into trouble while I was out.]

[Pupa: Also, don't hesitate. The Breakmeter has been stuck at -20% for a while. We cannot stay like this forever. We need Huang Shu to use the Rewind Stone. I think we can uncover a hidden plot once he used that Rewind Stone of his.]

[I'm just worried if Huang Shu will be too saddened when he found me again. He must be in so much emotional turmoil right now. Imagine grieving for eight months to the point of depression and insanity.]

[Pupa:… stay focused on the mission.]

…

Bai Yunyu nodded as he accepted Xu Jiansheng's hand, and they left the carriage. Yunyu was shocked when he saw the countless amount of dead soldiers in the main hall. Even the long stairs leading to the main palace was filled with dead bodies.

Bai Yunyu wasn't a stranger to war and deaths, but it was the first time for him to see so many dead bodies in the Forbidden City, let alone inner Imperial Palace. Xu Jiansheng held Yunyu's hand as they climbed the stairs and was guarded by soldiers around them. Their main target was the fallen Emperor, who wasn't even bothered about leaving the Palace of Serene Harmony.

"Don't worry, Yunyu, we will end this together," Xu Jiansheng said as he tightened his grip around Yunyu's hand.

**

'How long has it been?'

'Too long, I already forgot outside world…'

Huang Shu put down his book as he heard the commotion from outside. Probably a rebellion or revolution that couldn't be suppressed anymore.

Either way, he didn't care. He didn't care if this place had to burn down. He didn't even care if everyone here died, including him.

He had been staying in this Palace of Serene Harmony with his sleeping beauty for a while. And according to a servant who brought his Emperor meal before, it was already eight months since Bai Yunyu had been sleeping peacefully.

Huang Shu sighed, and he caressed the glass case again. Bai Yunyu still looked beautiful even for so long. The embalmment really persevered his corpse. But for Huang Shu, Bai Yunyu wasn't dead. He was just sleeping.

"My sleeping beauty, please wake up soon. You see, our country is in peril because I haven't been able to rule with a clear mind," Huang Shu said. He smiled at Bai Yunyu and continued, "But how can I rule with a clear mind while you're still here, sleeping like a log."

"Tell me, Yunyu, what are you dreaming of right now? Are you dreaming about our first date? Or about our wedding day? Or are you dreaming about the first time I proposed to you after I returned from that one year war?"

"Maybe you're dreaming about the time when I became the Golden Emperor. I remember seeing you looking at me so proud. I wonder why I didn't pull you closer with me on the dragon throne instead of just letting you stand on the side."

"Bai Yunyu, why don't you wake up now? What do you want? I will give you everything as long as you wake up. My wife, Bai Yunyu, it has been so long. Do you know that sleeping for too long isn't good for your health?"

…

SLAM!

"Your Majesty, we need to run away now!" a soldier suddenly slammed the door open, surprising Huang Shu, who was still talking with his beloved wife.

Huang Shu glared at the soldier who dared to disturb him, "Don't you see that Zhen is busy?!"

The soldier trembled a bit. The fallen Emperor still had his charisma even after he hadn't sat on that dragon throne for eight months.

But the situation was dire right now. There was no time for formality, "Your Majesty, we need to leave the Imperial Palace now! The rebels have surrounded the palace. Our soldiers have fallen!"

"Don't worry about Her Highness Empress Dowager and Imperial Concubine Xi alongside the princes! They all had escaped. It's only you who is still staying in this palace alone!"

Huang Shu finally realized the severity of this rebellion. He thought, at least the soldier would be able to hold the forbidden city for at least a few days. Because he needed a proper carriage to move Bai Yunyu's corpse with him.

Who would've expected the rebellion to absolutely defeat the Imperial army?

Huang Shu darted his eyes at Yunyu's corpse and then said to the soldier, "Go gather soldiers to escort Empress Xiuying. Don't you dare to drop him! He is sleeping so peacefully right now!"

The soldier was stressed out by his Emperor's mad behaviour. He still refused to believe that Empress Xiuying was dead and even punished those who said so.

"Your Majesty, we don't have more time! We don't even have enough soldiers for that! We need to now before they—ACK!"

The soldiers felt a sharp pain in his chest as he looked down. He saw a sword pierced his chest. He looked at this Emperor with a face full of horror before dropped dead.

"There is no escape for you and your cronies, you bastard," the man said while he pulled the sword out of the dead soldier's body.

Huang Shu was stunned. He stared at the dead soldier, then he looked up to the owner of the sword.

He was a handsome young man in his twenties whom Huang Shu couldn't recognize. His gaze was full of wrath, and he glared at Huang Shu.

"Who are you?" Huang Shu asked.

Xu Jiansheng scoffed, "I am just the son of someone whom you kill in the name of glory, and I'm here to avenge my family, you ruthless bastard."

Huang Shu didn't respond to that. He just kept staring at the young man and shook his head, "I don't remember you, but you have won nonetheless. You can kill me, but you should spare my wife. He has been sleeping for a while." Huang Shu said while pointing at the glass case with Yunyu's corpse in it.

Xu Jiansheng laughed at Huang Shu's behaviour, "You sorry case of an Emperor. I can't believe my father and everyone died for a madman like you."

Xu Jiansheng had a malicious grin on his face, and he called, "My beloved, please come, let this bastard knows what an idiot he is."

A man slowly walked to Xu Jiansheng's side. His slow step and rhythmic step suddenly evoked a nostalgic feeling in Huang Shu. And when the man finally showed up, Huang Shu was stupefied to the bone.

…

"No, No, that can't be…"