After spending the whole day working A-Xuan decided to go relax in the spring before dinner. His husband will need him as a backup.

Actually, he knows he doesn’t but he’s just going in case Zhao Wei touches more than she should and things can unexpectedly change. A-Xuan smiled when ripples appeared in the water.

He turned around and acted shocked.

"Your majesty."

Yizhen looked at him amused.

"You came in our hot spring again."

A-Xuan looked down and started to walk out but Yizhen pulled him in his embrace.

"What’s ours is yours."

A-Xuan looked down not saying anything. Yizhen was lost, he should just see now once and for all if he has feelings for him or if he’s willing to try.

No matter what he says he’s not letting him go.

"We are having dinner with your sister in an hour."

A-Xuan looked up, Yizhen could see annoyance in his eyes when he said that.

"It’s true that we’ve been neglecting her lately."

A-Xuan frowned and looked away, Yizhen smiled and said:

"I’ll invite her to stay in our imperial chambers."

A-Xuan tried to get out of his embrace but Yizhen wouldn’t let go.

"It would be wonderful to wake up with her in our arms."

A-Xuan pushed him fiercely and got out.

He used the hidden passageway again to get into his chambers unnoticed. He took a deep breath and paced around.

This is stupid, he knows he won’t do anything to her but he doesn’t want to hear any of that. The worst is that he knows he’s doing that on purpose to see how he feels about him but it’s still annoying.

His husband is 100 times more jealous than he is and he dares play that game. Now he’ll pay even more especially if he is who he thinks he is.

When his door opened he ignored it and turned his back to it. Yizhen walked to him and held him by the waist.

He put his head on his shoulder and asked:

"What’s wrong?"

A-Xuan pushed him and looked at him with red angry eyes. You still dare play?

Yizhen looked at his angry eyes and was a little worried he went too far. But at least now he knows he has feelings for him or he wouldn’t be this angry.

He faced him and said:

"We were just teasing."

A-Xuan crossed his arms and said:

"I don’t care you can say or do whatever you want your majesty."

Yizhen felt guilty, he went way too far.

"You’re the only one we want."

A-Xuan smirked.

"And yet his majesty was willing to let me die."

Yizhen took a step back as sadness passed through his eyes. A-Xuan knows it’s a low blow.

He can see how guilty he feels and how he tried to protect him since he entered this world. Still, he is pissed and he still has to pay for the original.

"I know that I..."

Yizhen genuinely doesn’t know what to say.

What is he supposed to say? I know that I was willing to let you die to get rid of my enemies but now that I love you I’m not? A-Xuan didn’t say anything letting him fend for himself.

After a while he said:

"We were willing to let you die before and we felt no qualms about it. But then you came to court two weeks ago and you felt different but somehow familiar. We don’t know how to explain it but since that moment we had this fear that you would disappear. We don’t want to live without you and we can’t. We know what we did was cruel but we hope you can forgive and give us a chance."

A-Xuan looked at him and said seriously:

"You’re the Emperor."

Yizhen approached:

"It doesn’t change anything."

"It does and you know it. I don’t want to have a relationship that’s not equal and have to call the person that I love your majesty."

Yizhen’s eyes light up and he held him in his embrace.

"So you love us?"

A-Xuan looked away.

"That’s not the point."

Yizhen is the happiest he’s ever been. He loves me, the person that I love loves me.

He kissed his nose and said:

"You don’t have to call me your majesty, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. I just want you by my side."

A-Xuan felt better hearing him not talking at the royal person. He said I instead of we.

"I won’t share you with anyone and your harem better stays empty after Zhao Wei dies."

Yizhen laughed and said:

"You won’t, I’m yours."

A-Xuan smiled and circled his neck.

"Good."

"I’ll name you my Imperial noble consort."

A-Xuan nodded and said:

"I don’t want to be a minister anymore."

"I know, I could see it."

A-Xuan smiled and threatened:

"If you dare lay a hand on Zhao Wei tonight you’re dead. Do you understand?"

"I won’t as long as you don’t have lunch with any random person who sits with you."

A-Xuan smirked, typical. He dares tease when he’s more jealous and possessive than he is.

"I don’t, I knew it was you."

Yizhen looked away guiltily. A-Xuan added:

"I also knew you had your secret guards following me every day."

Yizhen looked at him and saw that there was no anger in his eyes.

"I was just worried something would happen to you."

He pulled out the puppy eyes and A-Xuan laughed. He caressed his cheek and said:

"I know my love, that’s why I’m not angry."

Yizhen smiled and kissed him.

He leaned back.

"You should lea..."

Before he finished A-Xuan cut him.

"I’m not going."

Yizhen looked at his stubborn face and said irritated:

"I’ll only be okay if I know you’re away safe so don’t make things difficult for me."

A-Xuan pushed him back and crossed his arms.

"Oh, I’ll make things difficult for you. If you dare send me away I won’t come back. Your choice."

So it’s okay for Yizhen to be worried about him but not for him? There’s no way in hell he’ll leave with Ding Liren trying to kill him and those men he hired.

Yizhen yelled angrily:

"Do you think this is a game? Why are you doing this to us? Can’t you just leave until tomorrow? I told you it’s the only way we’ll be okay."

A-Xuan smiled sadly.

"So this is just about you and your feelings. Is this what this relationship is going to be? I’m so stupid."

He thought that things could work and that he would still listen to him and have a partnership but he should have known better. Yizhen is the emperor he is used to everyone doing his bidding.

He even reverted to the royal person without realizing it. If he can’t agree to that then does that mean he is the one who... A-Xuan swallowed with difficulty and left to get changed but Yizhen pulled him.

A-Xuan pulled back his hand angrily.

"There’s nothing to talk about anymore. I’ll leave your majesty."

He’ll leave and come back in secret to make sure all his enemies die and leave for the next world.

"A-Xuan."

Yizhen looked into his angry eyes, he felt like he somehow touched a sensitive chord. He could see his eyes shining with unshed tears.

He pulled on his hand again but A-Xuan pushed him and yelled:

"We’re done, I was a fool to think that my words or choices would have any kind of bearing. I’ll never go through that ever again, I’d rather die!"

A-Xuan tears fell as he took a deep breath to calm himself. He felt like he was about to explode.

He’s been forced to do so much he never wanted to do and no one listened to what he had to say. When he became free he swore that no one would ever stop him from doing or saying what he wants.

When he entered this world he realized that his husband is the Architect. That’s why his status in every world is always high, he has more power than A-Xuan.

When he started to transmigrate he knew that the ruler of all those universes was the Architect but he never knew his name.

If he’s the ruler then is he the one who bounded him to the system? Why is his soul scattered in all the worlds he created? Why would he fall in love with him over and over again?

He’s been keeping everything in those past few days but hearing Yizhen basically saying he has no choice was the tipping point.

Then does that mean that the person he loves more than anyone is the one who forced him to die over and over again?

Does that mean the person he can’t live without is the one who made him suffer for more than 20 000 years? Is he in love with his abductor?