chapter 15

Xingchen opens his bloodshot eyes after long hours. He came back. He was reborn but what's the point of his rebirth when he didn't remember a single thing from his past life.

And when he finally remembered... the history has been repeated already. Zemin is dying and he is back in prison again along with .... He looks at the tied figure beside him. "How long have you been here ?"

"Since the day, they spread rumours about my escape. It's been more than two years." Yang Xi replies in a calm tone.

"You didn't escape then ?"

"What do you think ?"

Xingchen sits on the ground slowly "Why ? What's the reason for keeping you here ?"

"To use me as a scapegoat. They have plans to murder Zemin , Zixuan and Yuzu. One by one they will hunt all of them down. Then put the blame on my name. Because I was the one who wrote threatening letters to Yaad."

They didn't have any plan to frame you but you were at the wrong place in wrong time and took a share of my blame."

"Why did you write those letters ?Why are you helping him ?" Xingchen asks in disbelief.

"I am tired of their tortures. I need to drink water until I die. I can't do anything about it. But I deliberately wrote hutalang soup which Zemin can't eat in the threat. How ..."

"He didn't eat the entire soup. Just three spoons."

Yang Xi sighs "Then there is a chance of survival."

Xingchen closes his eyes in frustration "Le gui wants me to stay silent to protect you. But I don't have any intentions of protecting you. You know that , right ?"

Yang Xi chuckles "You don't need to protect me. Protect yourself first. If you open your mouth to anyone, do you think that person will step out of this prison alive ?

I don't want to be protected. I will die. If I die but I will kill Le gui and Afreen first before my death."

Xingchen looks at Yang Xi. "You are tied here for two years and you dream about killing them ?"

"I survived here for two years." Yang xi's face forms a wicked smile.

"You are no different from them."

"I am not and I don't need to be different from them. You can stay different and watch your husband die."

"He wouldn't." Xingchen glares at Yang Xi.

Yang xi smirks "I am curious. How it escalated to this point ? You love Zemin ? That man whom you should hate the most !"

"Don't talk nonsense."

Yang Xi laughs out loud. "Nonsense huh ? Anyways ! Let me tell you one thing clearly. As long as Afreen and Le gui live , they wouldn't let your husband live. So if you don't want your husband to die, then you have to kill."

***

"I don't think his highness are the entire bowl of porridge." The healer confirms after checking Ze-min's pulse.

"Is there any improvement?"

"No but ... With this entire bowl, his highness would have been ...." The healer stops in the middle.

"So, there is a change of his recovery, right ?" Yuzu asks the healer.

"There is !"

Zixuan gives out a breath of relief. "Do anything! Just save him."

"Then, I better go and talk with Xingchen !" Yuzu informs Zixuan before leaving the room with Meimei.

***

"Healer said there is a chance of recovery." Yuzu informs as soon as he sees Xingchen.

Xingchen blinks. "Thank you." He whispers after a long time.

"Now, tell me Xingchen .. what do you know ? You know something about Yaad, right ?"

Xingchen stays silent. "I thought his hutalang soup had the poison."

Yuzu frowns "You thought ?"

Xingchen grips the prison bars tightly "yes ! Except me , he was the only one.."

"You said that the bowl was changed ?"

"I am not sure." Xingchen whispers.

Yuzu blinks. "You can't say anything to me then ?"

Xingchen nods. He understood the words that Yuzu indicated. He has so many things to say but he can't say anything.

Yuzu looks around instinctively. "Ok then , I will try to get you out of here."

Xingchen smiles thinly. "Tell me .. when he wakes up."

***

Le gui comes out of the shadow after Yuzu leaves the prison. "Good job. You have brain. Or you still have heart for your ex. Lover, huh ?"

Xingchen glares at Le gui "Take that snake away from Yang Xi. You.. how dare you hide him here for two years and use him as your scapegoat."

Le gui laughs out loud "Feeling sorry for your ex. Lover ?"

"If his highness knows about your and Afreen's plan , he would kill both of you." Xingchen shouts as loud as he can.

"How would he know ? No one would know!" Le gui grins.

"Come in and remove the snake from him." Xingchen shouts.

"I wouldn't." Le gui laughs.

"I didn't say anything to Yuzu." Xingchen shouts.

"Oh did you not ?" Le gui whistles before throwing a knife at the black shadow.

"Aahhh!" Meimei falls on the ground with a knife on her shoulder.

Xingchen's blood runs cold. He looks at Le gui in fear.

Le gui laughs wiping his tears "Useless chief minister of useless emperor who has an useless empress. How can his maid be useful ?"

Xingchen looks at Meimei crying in pain "Meimei .. don't touch the knife."

"Meimei .. pull out the knife or it will hurt more." Le gui mimics Xingchen's tone.

Xingchen shakes his head. "Meimei stop .. I will pull it out for you. You don't."

"Yes Meimei .. your chief minister has magic power. He will evaporate out of his prison cell to reach you then he will help you."

Meimei screams in pain.

Xingchen grips the prison bar tightly "LE GUI, DON'T CROSS YOUR LIMITS. DO YOU THINK , EMPRESS YUZU WOULDN'T NOTICE THAT MEIMEI IS MISSING ?"

"Of course, he would. And guess what , he will be back here in search of Meimei. And when he comes back I will be ready for him." Le gui pulls out another snake from his pocket.

Xingchen looks at the grey snake wrapped around Le gui's wrist.

"Black mamba ! I don't usually use him but that doesn't mean I wouldn't use him." Le gui raises his hand with the snake like a trophy. "Do you know how fast it can kill ?"

Xingchen looks at the snake. He knows. He was killed by this snake in this last life.

ㅁㅁㅁㅁㅁㅁㅁ