Young Prime Minister, a Hermit

Chapter 46

Day after day, night after night, all we could see was the endless desert, and Yihan and I grew weaker and weaker. There were no camels, not enough water, and eventually even food ran out.

I looked up at the blazing sun obscured by the yellow sand, and felt a tearing pain in my head. I knew I was suffering from acute dehydration, and if I didn't replenish my fluids soon, I would be close to death. I used to be unafraid of death because even in death, I could live happily in another world; now I fear death because that world is even more terrifying to me than this devilish desert.

But fate is arranged by God, and I have no say in it. My heart was more determined than ever to live, but my body could no longer hold on. "Thump—" I heard myself fall to the ground.

"Young Master! Young Master!" Yi Han called out to me anxiously. I was conscious and tried to answer by squinting my eyes, but I couldn't say a word.

I felt him lift me up, give me a sip of water, and then carry me on his back as we continued walking forward.

Then, how long did we walk? So long that I couldn't feel my pain anymore, as if my soul was being ripped away. I heard Yihan's joyful cry: "Young Master! There's an oasis!"

I opened my eyes in a daze and saw a lake, cattle and sheep, food... things I had longed for in my dreams. I wanted to reach out, I wanted to laugh, but my smile froze. The devil's temptation... a mirage.

I wanted to shout, "Yihan, don't go any further!" But no sound came out of my throat. I wanted to stop him from wasting his life, but I was powerless. Suddenly, I heard Zimo shout in panic, "Watch out for quicksand!!"

However, it was too late. I felt a violent jolt in my body, and Yihan let out a soft groan. We both slowly sank into the quicksand, which resembled a swamp. Perhaps it was the shadow of death that jolted me, or perhaps it was a final burst of energy before death, but I suddenly opened my eyes and shouted in a hoarse voice, "Yihan, don't panic! Don't struggle! Put me down first."

Yi Han's face gradually calmed down, and he stopped struggling, but due to the weight of the two of them, we were still sinking.

"Lay me flat on the quicksand." My cheeks felt unnaturally hot, as if they were burning with the flames of life, but my heart was surprisingly calm, peaceful, and even resilient. "Remember, try to use only your hands and don't struggle."

Yi Han did as he was told and laid me flat on the quicksand. I crawled awkwardly on the sand like a toad, making my way towards the firmer sand. In the blink of an eye, I could see Yi Han's cool expression and warm, gratified eyes. He was still slowly sinking, the golden sand covering his chest.

I used all my strength to finally crawl onto the sand. Ignoring the sand in my mouth, I turned around and shouted, "Yihan, listen to me, don't be nervous, everything will be alright."

He was still mostly in the sand, his face covered with a beard (I told him not to shave, to protect his face from sunburn), and he looked haggard, but a faint, gentle smile appeared on his lips as he said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Of course I believe in you, young master."

A pang of emotion welled up in my chest, a strange feeling of gratitude and emotion growing within me. I spat out the sand in my mouth and raised my voice, “First, pull your right hand out… yes… don’t move your body… then your left hand… be careful! Okay… then try to lift your body forward and upward… like this… lean forward, let your body touch the sand… try to maximize the contact area… don’t worry, you won’t sink!… keep this position and crawl forward…”

I watched as Yihan rolled over to my side, sand scattering from his clothes all over the ground, and sticky, dirty damp earth covering us both. But we didn't care about anything else; we hugged each other tightly, tears soaking his clothes.

However, as I cried, my head gradually spun, my body went limp, and I leaned against him. Yi Han seemed to be calling my name anxiously, and Zi Mo was calling too. I wanted to respond, but I couldn't. My head ached so much I couldn't feel it anymore. Had my path finally come to an end? Zi Mo, I'm sorry, I ultimately disappointed you again.

Even though my life was slipping away, I still felt Yihan carrying me step by step across the scorching desert. Come to think of it, I remember his shoes weren't any more valuable than mine; they seemed to be worn out long ago, and his clothes were...

It was a long yet short journey. The body that carried all my weight suddenly and slowly collapsed. I thought: Finally, Yihan, even you can't hold on anymore. However, even as he fell, he still held me tightly in his arms.

In the last moments before losing consciousness, I seemed to feel several rough hands trying to separate us, but no matter what I did, I couldn't pry open Yihan's stiff hands. Then I heard several unfamiliar women talking.

"They're two ugly freaks... Why are they hugging so tightly... Two grown men, disgusting..."

"Miss, this...this looks like a woman..."

"Never mind, let's carry them both back... It's better to have a man among them..."

Xiao Yi

2007.8.31 18:50

Chapter 31: Struggling in Desperation (End)

Chapter 32 Nightmare

Chapter 32 Nightmare

I had a dream. I dreamt that Xu Lie took me to an amusement park. I was sitting on a pirate ship, laughing with my arms outstretched. Xu Lie grabbed my hand nervously and said something to me. I leaned closer to listen, but Xu Lie's face suddenly transformed into Shao Junyi, twisted and terrifying. I screamed and was pushed off the pirate ship. In the endless descent, I saw Xu Lie on the ground, his arm around Xue'er's waist, looking at me with a cold smile and disdain, before turning and leaving.

I suddenly opened my eyes. How long has it been since I last dreamed? It seems that ever since I came to this ancient world, I've lost track of how long I've slept each day, and whether I'm dreaming or in reality. Or perhaps, I've simply lost my mind, and everything—including Yi Han, Zi Mo, Xu Lie, and Xue Er—is just a dream.

"Awake?" A voice colder than a venomous snake rang in my ears.

I turned to face Shao Junyi's cold smile. There were several wounds on his face and neck, the blood still fresh. I could feel that we were sharing a blanket, our skin pressed together beneath it, both of us completely naked.

I should have screamed, cried and fought him, even contemplated suicide. But all I did was weakly ask, "Has Xu Lie been here?"

He paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, a twisted smile on his face: "Of course he came. He opened the door and saw the two of us getting all worked up, then slammed the door and left. That cowardly man, I thought he was going to come and beat me up, but instead he just turned around and left with a look of fear on his face..."

With a loud "slap," I slapped him across the face and looked at him coldly. "Try insulting him again."

He growled "bitch," and I was slapped hard onto the bed. He grabbed my hair and yelled, "So what if I insulted him? Huh? Do you think your husband is so virtuous? When I was sleeping with you, he was already having an affair with Xue'er. Or do you think he would remain chaste for a filthy woman like you?"

"You're talking nonsense—!!" I punched him repeatedly, tears finally streaming down my face. They were tears of humiliation, sorrow, and unbearable despair. The sheet covering us slipped off, and two naked people wrestled on the bed.

He threw me roughly onto the bed, tossed me a set of clothes, and sneered, "If Mrs. Xu can't forget the ecstasy I gave you, she can come find me anytime!" With that, he strode away.

I pulled the blanket over my face, my whole body trembling uncontrollably, tears streaming silently down my face. It turns out, reality is the real nightmare.

I got home at nine in the morning. The Xu family home was quiet. Huanjie greeted me as usual, saying that Xu's father and mother had gone on a trip to Europe and their flight was this morning.

I rubbed my throbbing head and walked upstairs step by step. I pushed open the door and turned on the light, but was startled by a scream. Xu Lie was sitting on the bed with his head down, holding something in his hand, which was already crumpled from his grip.

“Xu Lie…” I called him softly.

He looked up at me, his face haggard, his eyes sunken, and his expression filled with despair and hatred. I could no longer maintain my composure; I abruptly covered my eyes, suppressing the scalding tears.

He said slowly in a hoarse voice, "I only found out yesterday why you refused to let me touch you, why you fell asleep under me, and why you would rather take sleeping pills than be alone with me. It's all because you already had someone who could satisfy you. And I, your husband, have been nothing but a cuckolded fool from beginning to end."

Why are there so many tears? They seem endless, no matter how hard I try to wipe them away. I wanted to speak to him calmly, but I couldn't stop sobbing and choking back tears: "Xu Lie, could you... please listen to me one last time?"

He stared blankly at my sorrow, my tears, then sneered—a sneer of utter self-mockery, utter loneliness, utter desolation: "Speak!"

I wiped away my tears and walked up to him, saying each word carefully, "Xu Lie, I really did go to another world in my dream, and I became the Prime Minister. A friend and I were trapped in the desert, unable to get out. I was afraid of that hell, so I ran back and refused to sleep. That's why I only slept during the day for those two days. As a result, that night, you didn't wake me up, but I still went back. I saw my friend was seriously injured protecting me, yet he still used his own blood to save me. I couldn't leave him unconscious any longer, so I started coming back to research desert survival techniques. I had to fall asleep before dark because once the moon rises, time in that world also begins to flow, and Yi Han alone... in the desert would be in danger. I absolutely, absolutely do not hate you touching me, not even a little bit. This afternoon, I was supposed to go find you, but Yingying dragged me to her house halfway there." I sobbed, closing my eyes in despair and pain, and continued, "But she drugged my drink... Xu Lie..."

I reached out to touch his face, but he grabbed my hand tightly halfway. His eyes, once brimming with doting affection, were now filled only with hatred and disgust. "You think I'd believe such a childish lie? Lin Jialan, you're ruthless. The night before last, I was so disappointed and resentful of you, yet even with Xue'er's advances, you were still on my mind. I thought, maybe you're just childish, and I might as well give you and myself another chance. But what did I see when I pushed Xue'er away to go to you? What did I get in return?" He abruptly stood up, gripping my shoulders and shaking me violently without a shred of pity. "You vicious woman. Are you happy to play with me like this? Are you pleased to watch me slowly sink deeper and fall into your trap?"

"I didn't! I didn't!" My whole body felt like it was being shaken to pieces, but I didn't feel any pain. Tears streamed down my face like a broken string of pearls. "Xu Lie, everything I said is true, why won't you believe me?!"

"Stop crying." Xu Lie released my hand, staring at me expressionlessly, his voice filled with utter exhaustion. "You've completely fooled me. I've easily fallen into your trap. Why bother pretending anymore?"