"Eat." Mu Qi pulled Yun Shuniang onto his lap, feeding her as dutifully as always.
"Mu Qi, why did you stop feeding me?"
A moment later, Yun Shuniang looked at Mu Qi groggily, her crescent eyes filled with grievance.
"Because Niannian is full."
Mu Qi kissed Yun Shuniang's forehead.
"Oh." Yun Shuniang buried her face in Mu Qi's neck.
At this moment, Xiu Yong, outside the villa, was lost in thought.
Since His Highness was infatuated with Zhaoxue, he would start with Zhaoxue.
...
That night, Yun Shuniang lay in bed, staring blankly at the cold moonlight. She was wondering what kind of surprise to give Mu Qi.
In a daze, Yun Shuniang found the answer.
Flowers, cliché, but beautiful.
She wanted to give Mu Qi so many.
...
Right, would Xiu Yong enter her dream tonight, as he had before?
The moment before losing consciousness, Yun Shuniang frowned, then quickly relaxed.
Yes, this time Yun Shuniang's dream was of Mu Qi, surrounded by countless flowers.
Yun Shuniang was satisfied both in and out of her dream, but she had not expected Xiu Yong to enter Mu Qi's dream.
Mu Qi: "Who exactly are you?"
"You'll know soon enough," Xiu Yong didn't intend to say more to Mu Qi.
In an instant, Mu Qi entered the time when he was Zhaoxue.
Everything seemed no different.
Zhaoxue in this timeline also loved Niannian so deeply.
She was his desire, his only hope in this world.
Until Mu Qi personally watched himself plunge a dagger into Yun Shuniang's heart, watching tears spill from the corners of Yun Shuniang's eyes.
At this moment, Xiu Yong's voice echoed in Mu Qi's ears: "You were never meant to be together. Leave, or the outcome will only be this."
...
"Mu Qi, Mu Qi..."
Opening his eyes again, Yun Shuniang's face appeared before him.
Mu Qi's eyelashes fluttered, and he raised a hand to touch Yun Shuniang's lips. Then his finger slowly slid down to Yun Shuniang's heart.
"Mu Qi, it's early morning..." Yun Shuniang shyly tugged at her clothes.
"Niannian, I'm going to kill you," Mu Qi interrupted Yun Shuniang, his voice trembling slightly.
As Mu Qi spoke, Yun Shuniang's previously rosy face turned pale.
"No, you were just dreaming," Yun Shuniang murmured.
Mu Qi remained unresponsive. Throughout the day, besides taking care of Yun Shuniang, he was distracted.
Yun Shuniang didn't know if Mu Qi had also dreamt of that world, but she knew she only wanted to be with Mu Qi.
Another night passed. Yun Shuniang woke up in the sunlight. She habitually looked beside her, but Mu Qi was no longer in bed.
"Young Master, has Madam released you?"
At this moment, in a top-floor VIP room at "Nightfall," Mu Qi was downing drink after drink.
Upon receiving news from his subordinate, Shan Gong rushed over immediately.
Shan Gong didn't want to say anything that would undermine his Young Master's dignity, but seeing Mu Qi guzzling drinks, he felt he had to say something.
"When did Niannian ever imprison me?"
Mu Qi frowned, slamming his glass onto the table.
Shan Gong was helpless and fell silent.
Would he really betray his goddess? Would he really kill Niannian?
Mu Qi couldn't accept this reality.
If he became a threat to Niannian, he would never allow himself to keep Niannian by his side.
If he couldn't be with Niannian, he would rather end himself.
After finishing a bottle of liquor, Mu Qi stopped.
"Shan Gong, find the Mu family's lawyer."
Shan Gong: "Yes."
...
Two hours later, the lawyer drafted a contract according to Mu Qi's requirements.
Mu Qi nodded, then waved for Shan Gong and the lawyer to leave.
"Madam?" As soon as Shan Gong stepped out, Yun Shuniang's call came through.
"Where is Mu Qi?" Shan Gong, recalling Mu Qi's obviously disturbed state, truthfully told Yun Shuniang.
Upon receiving Shan Gong's answer, Yun Shuniang immediately hung up.
In the VIP room, Mu Qi smashed a wine bottle and held the broken edge to his heart.
Simultaneously, Yun Shuniang was speeding her SUV on a mountain road. At a turn, two sports cars blocked her path head-on.
Like a theatrical twist of fate, as Mu Qi plunged the broken bottle towards his heart, Yun Shuniang was in a car accident.
Shan Gong, waiting outside the VIP room, frowned slightly, feeling a growing unease.
With a bang, the VIP room door opened by itself.
Shan Gong turned around and his pupils constricted.
"Young Master! Quick, someone!" Shan Gong immediately rushed in.
After a day and a night of resuscitation, Yun Shuniang and Mu Qi, both unconscious, were placed in the same hospital room by Shan Gong.
"Xiu Yong, do you know your mistake?"
Outside the hospital room, Xiu Yong stared blankly at the seemingly lifeless pair within. A voice full of authority echoed in his ears.
Xiu Yong stiffly turned his head and saw the figure in imperial robes. He immediately bowed his head in kowtow.
The Jade Emperor pulled Xiu Yong up: "This is the mortal realm, no need for formalities."
"Xiu Yong, I ask you, do you know your mistake?"
Xiu Yong's face was pale, and a trace of stubbornness remained: "If, if it weren't for this spirit, the Imperial Daughter wouldn't have met such an end."
The Jade Emperor asked coldly: "Then what should her end have been?"
"As long as the Imperial Daughter's soul returned to the furnace in time, she would have been reborn, and she would still be the Imperial Daughter of Heaven."
"Is the end you speak of what Zhu Xu wanted?"
Xiu Yong moved his lips, his gaze fixed on the hospital room, and finally fell silent.
The Jade Emperor followed Xiu Yong's gaze: "Phoenix nirvana is a natural cycle. Zhu Xu's soul has yet to return to the furnace, which can only mean that the one in her heart has long surpassed her instincts."
Xiu Yong was silent for a moment, then lowered his head: "Xiu Yong knows his mistake."
"Now, it is time to return that complete memory to them."
As the Jade Emperor spoke, with a wave of his hand, two golden butterflies flew through the hospital room glass and into their foreheads.
Everything began with Zhaoxue plunging the dagger into Zhu Xu's heart.
...
"Zhaoxue, quickly take the glazed heart! What are you hesitating for?"
The Qingqiu Imperial Daughter looked at Zhaoxue, who was holding Zhu Xu, motionless as if dead, and became anxious.
Zhaoxue whispered, "Puppets do not shed tears."