Chapter 16

In the Tongxin Hall of the imperial palace of the Zhuque Empire, a handsome man in white was reading the memorials with remarks.

The man was 27 or 28 years old. Viewed carefully, he looked quite like Duanmu Xi, his eyes full of sorrow.

“Your Highness, the empress is awake,” a servant reported in a low voice.

“Put these away and I will handle them tonight.”

Huangfu Che hurried towards the bedroom inside.

On the empress’s bed, a beautiful woman was lying, her face ghastly pale and feeble.

“Xue, you are awake. How are you feeling?”

Huangfu Che held Duanmu Xue up carefully and made her lean against him.

“Che, I dreamt about Xi again. In my dream, she was chased by others and then…”

Duanmu Xue’s face turned ghastly pale. It seemed that she hadn’t come around from the horrid dream, her dark purple eyes simmering with horror.

“Xue, don’t think too much. It was a dream only. Xi must be fine.”

Huangfu Che suppressed his worries and held Duanmu Xue into his arms.

“Che, I’m so afraid. I’m afraid that Xi will…”

“No. Xi will come back for sure. She will be back soon.”

…

“Mom…”

“Xi, wake up.”

Xuanyuan Mo tapped Duanmu Xi’s face gently, trying to wake her up.

“Mom…”

Duanmu Xi suddenly sat up in sweat.

“Did you have a bad dream?”

Patting Duanmu Xi’s back gently, Xuanyuan Mo looked so worried.

Duanmu Xi shook her head and couldn’t tell whether what she saw in the dream was the memory of the old Duanmu Xi or her own thought.

“Xi, I cannot be with you today. You can wait for me here or leave first. I will catch up with you tomorrow.”

Although he couldn’t bear to part from her, Xuanyuan Mo still spoke.

Duanmu Xi was slightly dazed. She was a bit surprised that he should be leaving but she didn’t ask anything. Everyone had his own secret.

“Okay. I will leave first.”

At night, Duanmu Xi who was not sleepy at all lay on the thick branch of a tree, looking at the round moon in the sky.

It was Mid-autumn Festival again. She missed her grandpa so much. She was the only one who could keep him company on the Mid-autumn Festival, but now, she was “dead”. How lonely he would be! And Ying, she didn’t know when she could wake Ying up.

In a secluded cave, Xuanyuan Mo was sweating and regulating his breath with a deadly pale face and closed eyes, seeming to try his best to suppress something.

While Duanmu Xi was staring at the dazzling starry sky and getting more and more sleepy, she suddenly heard Lanze’s voice in her mind.

“Mistress, someone is approaching. Wake up.”

Duanmu Xi instantly woke up, held her breath and listened quietly and attentively.

Indeed, many people were approaching.

“We haven’t found him after so many days. He is really good at hiding. Is he still in the Shangqi Forest?”

What a familiar voice! Oh right! They were the assassins in black. It seemed they hadn’t found the man they wanted yet.

“He must be still in the forest. We must find Xuanyuan Mo tonight. Otherwise, after tonight, we may not be able to kill him even if we find him.”

“Yes, sir.”

Xuanyuan Mo! They were after Xuanyuan Mo! Duanmu Xi was so startled that she almost fell off the tree.

As their talking gradually went far, Duanmu Xi jumped off the tree and looked in the direction where the people in black vanished with a frown.