A dark figure slipped in, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and whispered to Yao Bile, "Did it work?"
Yao Bile dared not speak, but only nodded fearfully.
The man suddenly realized something was wrong and was about to run away when he turned around and a figure blocked his way.
"It's you again!" the dark figure said through gritted teeth.
“That’s right. Now that you see me here, you should know you can’t escape!” Jiang Yumin said calmly.
"Have I been bad to you? Why do you always go against me!" Seeing that the situation was not going well, the shadowy figure began to appeal to his emotions.
Jiang Yumin neither looked at him nor spoke.
Before the shadowy figure could speak further, Jun Yilin and the others had already come out.
Anmei lit a few more oil lamps, and the room was suddenly bright.
The dark figure looked around, then suddenly laughed, reaching out to remove the mask from its head. It was indeed Jun Yifeng.
"Great, everything's here now, so my plan is halfway to success! Haha..." Jun Yifeng laughed happily.
Having been hiding and running for so long, I was already tired of this miserable life. I had hoped to infiltrate the palace through the Yao family, but I never expected that woman to be so useless. She discovered my plan to poison the Empress so easily!
Very good! This time, I sneaked into the palace without ever intending to leave alive!
Seeing these people, Jun Yifeng was in a great mood. He calmly patted the dust off his clothes, casually took something out of his sleeve, and quickly picked up a thread from the ground. He brought his hands together, blew on it, and instantly it burst into flame.
It's a tinderbox and a fuse!
Jun Yilin was immediately alarmed and shouted, "Wait!"
Jun Yifeng laughed heartily: "Scared? I've already planted explosives under this house. All I have to do is light the fuse, and we can all go our separate ways!"
Jiang Yumin secretly cursed herself for her carelessness, which allowed Jun Yifeng to exploit her vulnerability once again. Yet, she dared not make a move. For a moment, the air in the room seemed to freeze, the tense atmosphere ready to explode at any moment.
Jun Yifeng was still laughing: "I went to great lengths to have this bitch lure you all here, and now you're all here. It was all worth it!"
After saying that, he looked at Jiang Yumin and said, "Although you are my brother, you have betrayed me time and time again. This time, come with me to see our parents and let them judge the matter!"
Then he said to Jun Yilin, "I can no longer reclaim this empire, but with you all buried with me, I won't be lonely on the road to the underworld."
Jun Yilin and Jiang Yumin stared anxiously at his hand, their own hearts pounding in their ears. Was this it again...?
Taking advantage of Jun Yifeng's inattention, Yao Biluo and Anmei quickly exchanged glances. Years of tacit understanding allowed them to comprehend each other's thoughts without words, and Anmei nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Hehe... When old friends meet, shouldn't we catch up a bit?" Yao Biluo walked forward with a charming smile. Jun Yilin worriedly grabbed her hand, but Yao Biluo gave him a reassuring look. Jun Yilin hesitated and let go of her hand.
"An old acquaintance? We don't seem to know each other, Your Majesty the Empress!" Jun Yifeng said sarcastically. He had intended to control this only woman in the harem with mind-altering drugs, and then assassinate Jun Yilin, but he had failed before he even began. Looking at this woman, Jun Yifeng secretly reminded himself that this woman was not simple either.
"Heh, don't know me! Back then, you were the Emperor Star and I was the Assistant Star. I helped you gain this empire, but you took my life. Now you actually say you don't know me!" Yao Biluo said as if she had heard a funny joke.
A few words revealed the entanglement between the two in their past lives, bringing back their complicated past, enough to stir the hearts of those who had experienced it.
Jun Yifeng froze, his eyes widening as if trying to see the person in front of him more clearly.
"Impossible, impossible, it's you again! Why is it always you! Are you my nightmare?" Jun Yifeng muttered to himself, his face contorted with pain and fear.
Taking advantage of Jun Yifeng's dazed state, Anmei flicked her wrist, and a silver willow-leaf dagger easily emerged from her sleeve. In a flash, it severed Jun Yifeng's hand, blood dripping onto the ground. Jun Yifeng stared blankly at his severed hand, unable to accept it for a moment.
Jun Yilin immediately seized the opportunity, stepped forward and knocked the tinder still in Jun Yifeng's hand away, kicked him away, and at the same time subdued Jun Yifeng.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Yao Biluo finally breathed a sigh of relief. Anmei noticed that her complexion was not good and quickly went over to support her.
Jiang Yumin also stepped forward, pressed Jun Yifeng's pressure points, and glared at him fiercely.
Jun Yifeng's expression shifted unpredictably, seemingly still unable to accept the reality before him: Yao Biluo's identity and his own failure! The period of escape had already made him extremely fragile, and today's events had pushed him to the brink of collapse!
Anmei carefully supported Yao Biluo, but Yao Biluo's face grew increasingly pale. Anmei hurriedly called out, "Master, what's wrong!"
Upon hearing the sound, Jun Yilin and Jiang Yumin quickly looked over. They saw blood staining the ground beneath Yao Biluo's feet, spreading outwards. Their expressions changed...
"Luo'er—"
"elder sister--"
...
☆ Postscript
Ten years later.
Spring has arrived once again. Swallows fly by, cutting through layers of thick clouds and bringing crisp air and warm sunshine.
Under the willow tree, two rosy-cheeked children were playing and frolicking.
To appease them, a young woman broke off willow branches, wove straw hats, and put one on each of the two little figures' heads.
The two were immediately distracted by the new sight, stopped their playful fighting, and happily went off to play hand in hand.
The young woman watched them play and smiled happily.
A man approached, put his arm around the woman's shoulder, and the two smiled at each other.
“Every time I think about when you gave birth to them, it’s a nightmare. Thankfully, you’re all here with me.” Jun Yilin looked at Yao Biluo with longing.
Yao Biluo gently rubbed his furrowed brow and said softly, "I didn't expect a difficult birth, let alone twins. Your painstaking efforts in naming them have paid off, as both names have been used!"
"It's all my fault for not taking good care of you. Jun Yifeng's tricks caused you to have a miscarriage. If he hadn't gone mad, I would have killed him with my own hands!" Jun Yilin still felt lingering fear when he recalled that day. Fortunately, everything turned out alright!
"Oh, why are you doing this to yourselves! Yu Mian has been feeling guilty about this ever since, and she's exiled herself and refuses to come back. You too, aren't you alright now? Stop dwelling on it!" Yao Biluo comforted her, recalling Jiang Yu Mian's guilty and frightened appearance. This lonely child, she wondered where she had wandered off to now.
"Uncle Dark Charm!" Jun Luming and Jun Pinyao shouted joyfully.
They adored Uncle Dark Charm the most. Whenever their parents scolded them, it was Uncle Dark Charm who would plead for them. Whenever they were tired from studying, it was Uncle Dark Charm who would secretly take them out to play.
Anmei held two exquisite dolls in her hands and gave them to Jun Luming and Jun Pinyao, which earned cheers from the two children.
“If you keep indulging them like this, you’ll spoil them. How will they cope if they encounter any setbacks in the future?” Yao Biluo shook her head and said to Anmei.
Anmei still had a playful grin on her face: "What's there to be afraid of? With parents like you and an uncle like me, who would dare to bully them? Let them be free for a few more years! Do you want them to be forced to grow up from a young age like us?"
Yao Bilu smiled helplessly.
Jun Yilin said, "I heard that you met a formidable girl while traveling in the far north. It is said that she kept pestering you all the way to the capital, making you afraid to even leave your house. Is this true?"
Yao Biluo's eyes lit up: "Really? What's that woman like? Bring her here so I can see her!" She looked excited, as if she wanted to see her daughter-in-law.
Anmei's face flushed almost imperceptibly. He stammered as he ran away, "No—no, that's not true. I'll bring it to you next time..." He ran further and further away until his voice was barely audible.
"Hahahaha..." Jun Yilin and Yao Biluo rarely saw Anmei looking so awkward, and they laughed heartily.
"It seems he's serious this time," Yao Biluo said confidently.
“You know him best, so if you say it’s true, then it’s definitely true.” Jun Yilin looked at Yao Biluo tenderly.
"That's good. He has finally found someone he likes, so I can rest easy. But Yu Mian, he..." Yao Biluo leaned gently on Jun Yilin's shoulder.
"Don't worry about it. He will naturally meet his destined partner. Let's just silently wish him well!" Jun Yilin hugged Yao Biluo and lovingly tidied her wind-blown hair.
"Yes, I really hope he finds his happiness soon!"
"It definitely will!"
...
As the sun set, their shadows stretched longer and longer, bathed in golden light that seemed to radiate happiness...