“Could I be the only one in your harem?” His plea was earnest, his face set in determination, interrupting her work.
Looking up, their eyes met, and she tried to gauge his intentions. At that moment, she agreed. After all, she had no interest in romantic affairs; having one man in the harem was enough. He loved her, loved her to the point of humility, to the point of pain. He admitted to himself that he was selfish, wanting to monopolize her, to be the only one favored in the harem. Yet, who could know? Night after night, they shared a bed in silence, and every day, looking at her face, he endured torment. Day by day, year by year, their relationship subtly shifted. She had let him down, unable to keep her promise as more male consorts entered the harem. This was the helplessness of a ruler.
He had disappeared, along with his sister, gone without a trace… She thought his feelings for her had faded. In the cycle of reincarnation, she left the throne to Murong Youxue, hoping they could live happily and that someone else would fill the void she couldn’t… Reflecting on the past, it was indeed hard to look back. Little did she know the entanglement between her and Mo Li, such a bond…
“Immortal Sister.” A sweet voice brought her back to the present. At the entrance stood the pure and elegant figure, Ying Li… Ah, Ying Li…
“Come, come here.” Seeing the adorable child, who had grown taller after days apart, her delicate face even more beautiful, yet her innocent smile remained unchanged.
“Xiao Fen, come!” With a call, the fire phoenix flew into the hall, and they mounted it together, flying towards the entrance. They all got onto the phoenix’s back, with Xiaotu smiling at her husband, Shui Shui, Wang Xie, and there was Liu Qing, who had been waiting foolishly for a long time, this “lovable” man.
“Liu Qing, aren’t you coming up?” She blinked her innocent eyes at him.
“Me? Xiaotu, do you want me to come up?” Liu Qing couldn’t believe his ears.
“Ha ha, with such a handsome man before me, how could I not?” Saying this, she pulled him up, and the five of them sat together on the phoenix’s back, blessed by thousands, soaring into the sky with a phoenix cry.
“Hey! Ai Xiaotu, how could you forget me? I want to ride the big bird too!” Lian Lian shouted, waving her hands.
“Dead girl, they’re having a family reunion! What does it have to do with you?” Gudong retorted.
“Hmph! I’m family too!” Lian Lian glared at Gudong, disgruntled by Xiaotu’s apparent favoritism.
“Dead girl, you and I are family!” Gudong turned her face to him, his expression serious. Ambiguity flowed between them…
“Doll, you have such a cruel heart!” In the sky, the silhouette of a man in white seemed so lonely, blocking the path of the phoenix, heedless of the danger of being burned by the phoenix’s flames, full of resolve.
“Xia Yu Ye…” She murmured, recognizing him. After days apart, what had happened to him? He looked so thin, so haggard.
“Why did you leave without saying goodbye?” His silver eyes were full of anger as he watched her with her family, his heart feeling as if it were being torn apart.
“Leave without saying goodbye? Didn’t you see the handkerchief I left?” She was puzzled. She had left him a token, promising to return after three years, and now, after three months, she had come back. Why was he still upset?
“Handkerchief?” He was confused, what handkerchief?
Xiaotu understood. With a wave of her hand, an illusion appeared, showing the moment of their parting, where she encountered a drunken Xia Yu Ye in the kitchen, and the handkerchief that was supposed to be left for him was blown away by a gust of wind, causing this misunderstanding. Watching the scenes in the illusion, Xia Yu Ye’s furrowed brows finally relaxed. She hadn’t abandoned him… His heart found peace at that moment…
“I, Doll, I…” Suddenly, Xia Yu Ye blushed, embarrassed by his rash actions in intercepting everyone.
“Does the Master of Xia have any interest in joining us?” Shui Shui stepped forward to mediate the awkward situation. Xia Yu Ye was the first person Xiaotu met when she arrived here; their bond was deep. This pair of lovers, no one could… Here is the English of the provided Chinese text:
I thought they would never come together, both so stubborn. “Sister, this brother is so handsome, Li’er likes him, can he come up and ride the big bird with us?” The innocent and sweet voice rang out, leaving everyone amused. “Alright, since Li’er says so, Yu Ye, join us.” With a slight smile, in her heart, Xia Yu Ye was still special. That call of “Yu Ye” made it clear to us both, she had accepted him… The inner ecstasy… uncontrollable… “Haha, Li’er is really something.” Shui Shui laughed, gently touching Li’er’s hair, winking at her as if in praise. The people looked up in reverence, seeing their goddess and her consorts soaring in the sky, cherry blossoms scattering down, looking down, the entire Wang Yue Dynasty was awash with pink, an ocean of flowers. The faint scent of cherry blossoms filled the air. Hand in hand, they would journey through life together…
In a secluded paradise, a woman in pink moved gracefully among the flowers, her pink robe fluttering, the faint scent of peach blossoms lingering around her. With the morning dew and thin mist, her face, like a peach blossom, radiated warmth. Looking towards the peach grove, there lay an exceedingly beautiful man on a recliner, his breath as gentle as an orchid, his face serene yet pale, eyes tightly shut. If not for the slight rise and fall of his chest, one might not realize he was still alive… He was too serene, devoid of any worldly concern; too still, without a hint of movement; too pale, almost translucent… In this peach grove, he seemed like an incarnation of the peach blossoms, about to be carried away by the wind in the next moment. “Miss, do you think that young master will ever wake up?” The little maid Lian’er sighed helplessly, glancing at her mistress. Yue Lian Yi put down the flower she was holding, turned around, and with a smile that dazzled, said with hints of happiness and sweetness, “He will, he will wake up.” Even if he doesn’t, it’s fine; they could live a peaceful life. The brewed medicinal soup, thick with the scent of herbs, was carefully fed into his mouth spoonful by spoonful. These herbs were all personally gathered by Yue Lian Yi from the Tianshan Mountains, enduring hardships to collect and care for him daily.
“How do you feel? I don’t know if you’ll ever wake up, or even your name.” She gazed at him, her eyes full of longing. “Goddess, we’ve found the whereabouts of the Hundred Flowers Prince.” Elder Huohu presented a Mirror of Heaven to Xiao Tu. “What? Really?” Recently, things had settled down, but her heart still ached slightly; every night before sleep, the tragic smile of Hundred Flowers haunted her, constantly reminding her… Looking into the Mirror of Heaven, she saw a peach grove, a valley, a sea of flowers, a recliner, a man, and a woman… That man! Such a familiar face, pale yet breathtakingly beautiful! Hundred Flowers… Her vision blurred with tears, her heart ached slightly, it’s good, he’s not dead, it’s really good… Hundred Flowers…
“Tu’er, don’t cry, let’s go find him together! Even if we have to search the ends of the earth, we’ll bring him back!” Wang Xie gently wiped away her tears, his heart aching. “Doll, we should be happy, at least we know Hundred Flowers is not dead! He’s still alive, isn’t he?” He playfully tapped her nose, full of affection.
