Young Prime Minister, a Hermit

Chapter 186

Suddenly I felt a pair of cool hands stroking my face. After a moment, the temperature slowly changed, with icy fingertips and scorching palms. When it was cold, I shivered, and when it was hot, it made me thirsty.

In a daze, I seemed to hear Xu Lie's mournful voice in my ear again, saying, "What do you want from me? Is it only when I'm dead that you'll turn around and look at me?"

He stared at me with a madness, his smile turning tragically beautiful. Suddenly, he raised the knife and stabbed it into his chest, again and again. Blood gushed out, blooming on his snow-white shirt like a field of wildflowers. I don't remember if I opened my eyes, nor can I tell if what I saw was real or a hallucination. I only felt an extreme heartache, and panic and fear surged through my chest.

I grabbed his hand holding the knife and choked out, "Xu Lie, why do you have to degrade yourself like this? I used to love you so deeply, but now..." it's all gone. Even if you hurt yourself to make me suffer, that love will never come back!

Suddenly I felt a tightness in my chest, as if cold chains were binding my body, or as if thick cotton was tightly covering my head and face, making it impossible for me to breathe in or out, or even to make my heart beat.

One moment it was as cold as ice, the next as hot as fire. I felt as if I were drowning in this long, agonizing pain, unable to groan, unable to cry for help, unable to breathe. But for some reason, this agonizing torment also seemed to carry a familiar, a sorrowful feeling, making me feel both reluctant to leave and exhilarated, even yearning for it.

Finally, I escaped from suffocation. In my dazed state, I felt a pair of hands stroking my face, gentle, fearful, and careful, as if protecting a precious treasure. A soft, fragrant blanket was draped over me, and those hands tucked the corner of the blanket in, brushed my hair away, and placed a kiss on my forehead with their chapped lips.

The kiss was as light as a feather, so brief as a touch of water that I barely had time to savor it, yet it dispelled all my anxieties, leaving only a gentle yet real warmth and happiness lingering in my heart…

When I woke up, I couldn't remember why I had come out of the dream. I only felt that my throat was dry and my wrists were aching, but I didn't feel uncomfortable all over.

I opened my eyes, but the blinding light made it impossible for me to see anything clearly for a moment. I waited quietly for the stinging pain to subside, remaining motionless and savoring this pleasant moment, until a muffled sound reached my ears.

"...Your Majesty, perhaps I should allow you to investigate why such an unidentified person is kept by your side..."

The voice sounded somewhat familiar. I glanced to the side, but only saw his back. He was wearing a gray scholar's robe and was rather thin, but I couldn't tell who he was. On the other hand, Qin Li, sitting opposite him, was staring intently at Yi Han. His face, no longer young, was etched with the marks of time and appeared cold, but the tension mixed with expectation in his expression softened the murderous aura considerably.

I could only see Yi Han's face from the side, half of his lips were tightly pursed, his expression was cold and stern, his nose was high and straight, and his body was tense. It seemed that every line of his face was cold and aloof, yet he was so arrogant, cold and proud, indifferent and ruthless.

He said in a cold, emotionless voice, "I will only give you three days."

The gray-robed strategist knelt on one knee, acknowledged, and then turned to leave. As he passed through the palace gate, his gaze fell upon the spot where I lay, meeting my eyes. Yet, he showed no sign of panic, instead offering a chilling smile.

I almost wanted to slap my forehead and shout: It's you! No wonder that voice was somewhat familiar yet not quite. It turned out to be Han Ning, the strategist who swore allegiance to me five years ago.

The image of that handsome and elegant face, as clear as bamboo dew and a gentle breeze, unconsciously surfaced in his mind. He thought to himself: Han Ning is under Yi Han's command, but I wonder where Han Jue is now.

Han Ning left with a smile, but Qin Li opposite her showed a clear expression of disappointment and sadness. She gave Yi Han a somewhat awkward bow and then left dejectedly. My heart ached, and my gaze followed that stiff, straight back to the door, only to be suddenly blocked by pure blackness. I then came to my senses and found that Yi Han was already sitting on the edge of the bed.

I struggled to sit up, and Yi Han quickly reached for a cushion next to me to put behind my back, then pulled my hand to help me sit up. But I used too much force, and a sharp pain shot through my arm. I let out a soft groan and fell headfirst into his arms.

He looked at me with a helpless expression, his hands resting on my arms, completely unsure whether to help me lie down or hold me tighter. I couldn't help but laugh out loud. I used to think Lin Yu was frail, far less petite than Lin Jialan. But now, standing in front of Yi Han, I even felt that he could wrap me completely in his clothes if he opened them, no wonder he couldn't control his strength.

Yi Han sighed, pulled me closer, and gently rubbed his slightly stubble-covered chin against the top of my head. His voice was low and husky, yet possessed a sexiness he had never shown before: "Lin Yu, is it really you? I'm afraid it's not."

I reached out and wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing my body against his strong, well-proportioned frame. Beneath his thin clothes, I felt an immense power emanating from him. I suddenly blushed; never before had I felt the masculine aura emanating from Yi Han so intense.

"This is who I really am." I sighed. "Yihan, will you be disappointed? I don't have Lin Yu's beauty, Lin Yu's integrity, Lin Yu's talent. I'm just an ordinary person. Will you be disappointed?"

Yi Han's body suddenly stiffened, growing colder inch by inch. My heart also slowly grew colder, as if an ice pick was chiseling holes in my chest.

My chin was suddenly gripped tightly, a sharp pain, but bearable. I was forced to look up and meet those purple eyes, illuminated by the candlelight of the entire hall, their brilliance radiating outwards, yet revealing only anger and heartache: "Asking such a question truly disappoints me!"

It was clear that Yihan was truly angry, angry at my lack of understanding and my distrust. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he refused to back down, sighing as he said, "After all, it's been five years, and you've become an emperor who commands respect throughout the land. Who knows if Fengyin's harem is filled with countless beauties, and if he only wishes the nights were too short?"

Yi Han's face turned pale and then red. Although his snow-white hair was like silk and his purple eyes were bright, I felt as if I had returned to the way the man in green was gritting his teeth, so angry at me that he could neither love nor hate me. My heart softened inch by inch, turning into water and into threads, and I just wanted to surround him.

"Lin Yu!" Yi Han suddenly scooped me up and pressed me against his chest, his grip so tight that my nose was almost flattened. I cried out in pain and begged for mercy. But he suddenly buried his face in my neck and said in a hoarse voice, "You're such a heartless woman!"

"I didn't," I mumbled, about to speak, but stopped abruptly because of the sudden wetness on my neck. Yi Han's voice still lingered in my ears, yet it seemed to rush in from a thousand miles away.

"I've always tried so hard not to love you, but you just had to come and provoke me. We can't be together, yet you still pursue me. I never had any improper thoughts, I only wanted to quietly stay by your side, but you casually threw a fatal temptation at me. Lin Yu, I've shattered my heart and fed it all to you, how could you bear to leave me? You said you loved me, but then... you closed your eyes... and left without a care in the world for five years. Do you know how I've spent these past five years? You..."

The scalding liquid slid down my neck and into my body, burning my skin. I held him tightly, letting tears stream down my face. His choked voice was like a bright red cigarette butt, stabbing at my heart, hissing and churning with unbearable pain.

"Lin Yu, you clearly said you would chase me to hell. But for the past five years, I've been in hell every day, why haven't you ever come to see me?"

Without realizing it, we both looked up, tears streaming down our faces, as if we had met again after a lifetime apart. Recalling the pain of separation and the heart-wrenching wounds of the past, we felt that all the years and beautiful moments had become illusions, and only the person in front of us was real.

He gently kissed my lips, tenderly and carefully as if afraid of shattering a beautiful dream. The close embrace of our lips as we sucked and kissed, the intertwining of our tongues, the gentle caress of our saliva—all the sensations felt so beautiful they seemed unreal.

Yet, we've traversed two worlds, endured sorrow and pain, all for this one moment of perfect harmony. Just thinking about it, looking back on the future, sends a sharp, persistent ache through my chest.

Chapter 38 Years Later (Part 2)

I gulped down water, and Yihan couldn't help but pat my back gently, saying softly, "Drink slowly."

But he couldn't control his strength, and I choked and coughed repeatedly. However, when I looked up and saw his flustered expression, I just found it funny. Yi Han turned his head away and ordered someone to bring up dinner. This time, however, he didn't dare to approach me again and just sat aside silently watching me eat.

As I ate the exquisite dishes, I asked, "Where is this?"

“Liu Licheng,” Yi Han replied succinctly.

I looked up in surprise: "How long have I been asleep? Where is Soku?" He had already seized Luoli City, and Jinyao had already lost a third of its territory to him.

Yi Han suddenly reached out and rubbed my face, his rough fingertips tickling me: "You've been asleep since yesterday afternoon. Soku has already returned to Izumo."

My face flushed slightly, and I lowered my head to continue eating. Realizing that seven days had passed and I would be returning to the modern world tonight, I hesitated, unsure how to begin. I changed the subject, asking the question that had been weighing on my mind: "Where's Feifei?"

Yi Han's gentle expression faltered slightly. His silver hair fell down, partially obscuring his eyes and brows, making him appear somber. He simply uttered a casual remark: "Dead."

With a clatter, the spoon in my hand fell into the bowl. I was stunned, feeling a sharp pain in my chest for a long time before it subsided. My mind cleared instantly, and I whispered, "He's regained his memory?"

Yi Han remained silent for a long time before slowly and coldly saying, "In fact, I haven't seen him since you left. Qin Xue returned two months later to report that he had disappeared. More than a year later, the long-dormant Fire Feather Kingdom suddenly launched an attack and completely annexed the Qimu Kingdom, and then launched an attack on the border of Jinyao. In the past two years, on the surface, it seems that I am encroaching on Jinyao's territory, forcing them to the point of national ruin. However, the Fire Feather Kingdom in the west has silently forced Yang Yi to cede three important border cities to them in just three years. To achieve victory without losing a single soldier is truly remarkable. And it's unlike Jun Wuhen's arrogant and domineering style."

I listened quietly, but then I couldn't help but look up and say, "You seem to know Jun Wuhen very well?" I felt a vague sense of unease about Feifei's disappearance, but I carefully hid it because I didn't want Yihan to worry, feeling suffocated and depressed.

Yi Han paused, frowning as he looked at me. I couldn't help but sigh and said, "Yi Han, who exactly are you? What kind of existence is the Heavenly Star Flowing Sword Sect? What happened during those three days when Fu Yu took you away seven years ago? Even now, you still won't tell me everything?"

Yi Han stared at me blankly, his face pale, the contrast of his snow-white hair making my heart ache. I reached out and gently twirled a strand of his hair around my fingertips, whispering, "Was all this black hair dyed white for me?"

His gaze, like water, lingered with mine, a tender comfort, yet also a deadly provocation. I felt my stomach was already full, but certain parts of me were thirsty—a thirst born from the pain of longing. I couldn't help but rise and nestle into his arms, deeply inhaling that familiar scent.