After being thoroughly violated, he ran away with the enemy emperor's child.

he himself.

In the dream, Chu Ling finally had a clear face. He was wearing a red fox fur coat, exactly the same as the one he wore on the cliff edge of the hunting ground.

They stood face to face, as if looking into a bronze mirror.

"..."

Chu Junci was stunned, his lips trembling as he didn't know what to say.

Chu Ling spoke first: "Don't you remember me?"

"I am--"

"You in the future."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Junci suddenly woke up.

His forehead was covered in sweat, and he was panting heavily as Mo Yan helped him up: "Aci, what's wrong?"

Gently wiping the sweat from his forehead, Mo Yan's voice was full of pity: "Did you have a nightmare?"

"..."

Chu Junci remained silent, many scenes flashing before his eyes: countless corpses, blood everywhere...

Lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky; the torrential rain could not wash away the acrid stench of blood, nor could it drown out the screams coming from all directions…

Everything was so clear, as if it had actually happened, that he couldn't quite distinguish between dream and reality.

The sound of horses' hooves rang out. On the palace road, he saw Mo Yan riding Ta Xue, his sword still dripping blood. He was expressionless, without sorrow or joy, like a demon god.

"A-Ci? A-Ci?"

The cold profile and the terrified voice overlapped, and Chu Junci came back to her senses, seeing Mo Yan's worried face.

"Aci, did you have a nightmare?"

Carefully pulling the person into his arms, Mo Yan gently patted his back: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

"..."

"I will protect you."

Mo Yan's voice was very soft, as if afraid of startling the person in his arms, "Don't be afraid."

The warmth emanated from Mo Yan, and Chu Junci leaned against him, slowly closing her eyes.

After a while, he pushed him away: "Mo Yan."

"Um?"

"you……"

Chu Junci desperately wanted to ask Mo Yan a question, even though reason told him not to. But at this moment, emotion overcame reason, and he blurted out, "You won't attack Yong, will you?"

He almost trembled as he grabbed Mo Yan's sleeve, stubbornly asking, "Isn't it right?"

He felt like he must be crazy, otherwise why would he ask such a question?!

Even if Mo Yan really wanted to attack Yong, what he needed to do wasn't to ask him here, but to prepare for defense...

A moment of reason returned, and he withdrew his hand, only to have it grasped by Mo Yan: "Was Aci's nightmare about the two countries going to war?"

"..."

Chu Junci remained silent, which implicitly acknowledged this point.

"I will not start a war."

Mo Yan held his hand to his lips: "Don't be afraid, dreams are all just illusions."

As long as Aci stays obediently by his side, and as long as Chu Ling doesn't compete with him, Mo Yan can give up the idea of ​​unifying the world.

"Don't be afraid, Aci."

He coaxed gently, "I'll do whatever you say, whatever you tell me to do."

"This is my promise to you."

As long as he remains in power, and as long as his Aci does not want war, he will never do anything to hurt Aci.

Of course, all of this is based on the premise that his Aci is by his side, taking care of him and watching over him.

If one day, Chu Ling takes Aci away from him...

Mo Yan had no idea what he was going to do.

Dark thoughts flashed through his mind, but he didn't say them aloud, afraid of frightening his Aci.

"...Mo Yan, you must remember the promise you made today."

"certainly."

He kissed Chu Junci's hand and wiped the sweat from his face: "Are you feeling better?"

"Um."

Feeling sticky from sweating, Chu Junci pulled away from Mo Yan's hand. "I want to wash up."

Upon hearing this, Mo Yan immediately found a cloak, draped it over Chu Junci, and then carried him to Muchun Pavilion.

The hood completely covered him, and Chu Junci leaned on Mo Yan's shoulder, her arms around his neck.

For the last seven days, let him... do whatever he wants just this once.

Mo Yan walked at a decent pace and soon arrived at Muchun Pavilion.

The hall was filled with mist and the temperature was just right. Mo Yan put the person down by the pool and then took off his robes one by one.

In the end, Chu Junci was left with only a pure white undergarment.

"Go down, I'll watch over you on the shore." Mo Yan's eyes were clear, completely devoid of his usual lecherous demeanor.

Since Chu Junci was injured, he has been thinking about how to help him recover quickly every day, and has thought less about that kind of thing.

The King of Chu took his leave...

He had a feeling that something was wrong, but he didn't know what it was or why.

All he knew was that he... wanted Mo Yan a little.

His thoughts became clear in his mind, and he was suddenly startled. Could it be that he had really gone mad?

Swallowing the unspeakable thought, he turned and went into the water. Mo Yan stood on the shore, his eyes fixed on him.

Under the intense gaze, Chu Junci felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles. "Mo Yan..."

"Um?"

"Turn around."

"Is Aci shy? What part of you haven't I seen before?"

Mo Yan chuckled: "Your injuries haven't healed yet, I need to keep an eye on you to feel at ease."

Mo Yan insisted, and Chu Junci had no choice but to speed up his washing. He turned his back to Mo Yan, his long black hair covering his slightly reddened ear tips.

After finally finishing washing, he breathed a sigh of relief, went ashore, and put on his robe.

Mo Yan helped him dry his long hair and chuckled softly, "Aci is so fast, anyone who didn't know better would think there was a raging flood or a ferocious beast."

Chu Junci glanced at him and said, "Aren't you just a ferocious beast?"

"In your heart, am I a ferocious beast?"

Hearing Chu Junci address him like that for the first time, Mo Yan was somewhat intrigued: "If I were a wild beast, you would be the wild beast's wife."

"In the end, they are my people, Mo Yan's people."

"..."

Chu Junci ignored him, but Mo Yan became even more enthusiastic: "Whether you live or die, you are mine. In life you are Mo Yan's person, and in death you are Mo Yan's ghost."

"…boring."

Pulling back her long hair, Chu Junci picked up the cloak from the soft couch beside her. "Let's go back."

"it is good."

He helped the man put on his cloak, shoes, and socks without complaint, and then Mo Yan carried him back to the Zichen Palace.

Standing in the courtyard, Chu Junci looked around but didn't see that familiar figure: "Where's Lu Shu?"

He had been feeling sleepy these past few days, and with Mo Yan doing everything himself, he hadn't spoken to anyone else except Mo Yan.

This is why he only just realized that Lu Shu was missing.

"Lu Shu's relative has fallen ill, so I have granted him special permission to leave the palace to take care of his relative."

"So that's how it is."

Chu Junci nodded without doubt.

He knew that Lu Shu had a seriously ill mother, and that she had even cried in Qiyue Palace because of this. It was on that occasion that Mo Yan secretly accepted the jade pendant that Lu Shu was supposed to give away from the palace.

Recalling the past, he pursed his lips and thought to himself: Mo Yan is always so childish and clingy, not at all like a monarch.

It was completely different from the terrifying figure he had in his dream...

Perhaps, it really was just a nightmare.