The dilapidated house was cluttered with miscellaneous furnishings; on one side were some thatched roofs, and on the other side were several boxes stacked together.
"Your Majesty, the letter has been delivered, so please rest assured." A strange man's voice sounded in his ear. Chu Heng had never heard it before, so he was not familiar with it. However, the way the man addressed him made him prick up his ears.
"Alright, go and make preparations. Set up an inescapable trap. I'd like to see how he and Meng Wan plan to escape!"
Chu Heng's face stiffened. Your Majesty, a net of heaven and earth, Meng Wan? What does that mean?
Just as he was still in shock, footsteps sounded outside the door, and then the door was pushed open, and a strong light rushed in. Chu Heng squinted uncomfortably, and a woman's figure appeared in his line of sight as the door opened and closed.
"Heh, you're awake." The words were spoken casually, yet carried an unsettling chill. Chu Heng's face immediately darkened: "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
"Hehe, so you really have amnesia? But it doesn't matter, I will soon send you and Meng Wan to the Yellow Springs. Whether you have memories or not then doesn't matter. Go ask Meng Po for a bowl of soup, and be smarter in your next life, so don't go against me again!"
With a cold snort, his tone filled with resentment, Chu Heng listened quietly, his brows furrowing tightly.
Hearing this, and recalling his previous investigation into Lanling, he could deduce the man's identity: the Empress of Lanling, who had fled the palace due to a rebellion and had unexpectedly come here, even capturing him to lure Meng Wan.
But... "You also said I'm Huangfu Mi? Are you sure?"
"What do you think?" The Empress sneered, "Thinking about it, you're really pathetic. You fell off a cliff that day and didn't die, but you lost your memory. If I hadn't followed the trail, I would never have guessed that you were him! But it's all thanks to Meng Wan and the others that I was able to make that conclusion. Now you just wait patiently for her to come and reunite with you as husband and wife! Hehe, I wonder what a touching scene it will be then!"
Upon hearing this, Chu Heng was taken aback.
Will she come? He was so cold to her that day, she must have been heartbroken.
Yes, don't come.
He said to himself in his heart!
The empress clearly intends to kill both of them. Regardless of whether he is Huangfu Mi or not, since they both insist, let one of them die instead of making Meng Wan pay with her life.
Just then, a voice came from afar, shouting loudly, "Huangfu Mi, where are you?"
It was undoubtedly Meng Wan's voice, calling out urgently, and Chu Heng's heart sank immediately.
"Haha, they've arrived." The Empress laughed, tilting her head back. "It seems Meng Wan truly cares for you. Now, even in the underworld, you won't be alone. Haha, hahaha--"
She laughed wildly, not as if she were talking to Chu Heng, but more like she was talking to herself. Chu Heng was horrified when he saw this, but he pretended to be calm and looked at her, saying, "What are you going to do?"
"Hehe--" Upon hearing this, the Empress laughed even more heartily: "Look over there..." She 'kindly' pointed to the box by the door and explained with great patience: "It's full of gunpowder. If you light it, all this gunpowder will explode at once. Then, this place will become ruins, and the people inside will only have one way out: death..."
Chu Heng exclaimed in horror, "You can't do this..."
"Why not? Not only you, Your Majesty, but I will also personally destroy the entire Lanling. Do you believe me? Do you believe me?" The Empress laughed loudly, her voice grating.
After speaking, she turned around, pulled the door open, and saw Meng Wan's figure appear in her sight. Her smile widened.
"You really came. All my efforts have been worthwhile."
"It really was you." Meng Wan narrowed her eyes and quickly stepped forward: "Where's Huangfu Mi? What did you do to him?"
"Haha, what can I do to him? He's perfectly fine inside, isn't he?" Meng Wan gestured towards the house, making way for him, and then stepped forward in a few strides.
"Don't come in, Meng Wan, don't come in!" Chu Heng couldn't help but shout to stop her, fearing that Meng Wan's approach would bring utter disaster.
"What's wrong?" Meng Wan stood at the door, her body stiffening.
"It's gunpowder! She's set off gunpowder to blow us up! Don't come in! Go! Go!" Chu Heng shouted desperately to stop him, determined not to watch her come in and die.
To everyone's surprise, Meng Wan only paused for a moment before striding forward. Chu Heng couldn't help but shout, "Meng Wan, what are you doing? Get out! Get out of here!"
"I don't want to." Meng Wan quickly went to her side, looked her up and down, and seeing that she was unharmed, she breathed a sigh of relief: "Huangfu Mi, don't be afraid, I'll take you back, it's alright, it's alright..."
Despite his frail appearance, his words were resolute, as if his small body supported immense energy.
"You..." Chu Heng sighed helplessly. This person...
"Even now, do you still believe I'm the person you're looking for? Even if I don't remember?"
"Yes, I believe you are him, without a doubt." Meng Wan nodded firmly and held his hand tightly.
This left Chu Heng completely astonished.
He couldn't remember anything at all, but this woman truly moved him to the extreme. What kind of deep affection could make her persist like this?
"Such a scene is truly touching. It's just a pity that you will soon become two charred corpses, and go to the Yellow Springs together to express your feelings to each other!"
The Empress watched from the side and couldn't help but sneer. This Huangfu Mi really is just like his father, a romantic!
But the more this happens, the more likely one is to die!
As she spoke, she strode forward and quickly lit the candle on the box containing the gunpowder. Then, watching the flickering flame, her smile deepened: "If you want to save him, you have to untie the rope, but the candle connected to the rope will fall, and the gunpowder will explode, and you will both die here. Of course, you can also choose not to save him and escape on your own. In that case, the candle will burn out and ignite the gunpowder, but you can save your own life, Meng Wan. Think it over carefully."
She leaped out the door, closing it behind her. Through the crack, she caught a glimpse of the last figure and clenched her fists: "Huangfu Shenghua, just watch how your most beloved son dies. I want to make you suffer!"
--
"Meng Wan, please leave! I beg you, please leave!" Chu Heng shouted hoarsely from inside the door.
Even if he couldn't remember, he still felt something in his heart during this critical moment, just like when Meng Wan was arrested, he was just as anxious as she was. He didn't want anything to happen to her either!
Meng Wan held his hand firmly: "Don't say anything, Huangfu Mi, I won't leave. You are my husband, and you always will be. Even if you don't remember, I will never abandon you. Absolutely, absolutely not!"
"Meng Wan--" Her words almost brought tears to Chu Heng's eyes. Looking at her resolute face, he felt a stirring of emotion within him.
He closed his eyes briefly.
"I'm sorry, Meng Wan, I'm so sorry."