Yizhen looked at A-Xuan wide-eyed. His tears kept pouring and he was breathing heavily. He was on a verge of a panic attack. Yizhen grabbed him and sat him on the bed.

He knelt in front of him and wiped his tears.

"I’m sorry please don’t cry. I never want you to feel like I’m taking away your choices or words. You’re right I was only thinking about how I would feel if anything happened to you when your feelings are just as important. If you want to stay then stay if anything happens to you I’ll die and we’ll be together in our next life."

A-Xuan’s breathing started to regulate and he looked at Yizhen. He could see immense fear and worry in his eyes. No, he wouldn’t do that to me.

The Architect can’t be the one who bounded him to the system, he knows that no matter how possessive he is he would never do anything to hurt him.

In all those years slaving for them he never saw him he only heard that everything was created by him. That means someone has scattered his soul-flakes in all the worlds he created and taken control of them.

Then he just needs to keep receiving them every time he gains the world’s power and he’ll be able to find him.

He could see from the last world the two halves of the soul were just soul-flakes from something bigger he just didn’t know who it belonged to.

If he found a world where two soul-flakes were hidden does that mean he’ll find more worlds like that? God please no, I can’t do this again.

Yizhen caressed his cheeks when he saw that he was calmer. He looked into his eyes and said:

"I’m sorry this relationship doesn’t have to be equal. You’ll be the Emperor and I’ll follow your Majesty."

If anyone heard the emperor say that they would be horrified. A-Xuan laughed, when Yizhen heard it he felt like he could breathe again.

"I just don’t want anyone to take away my right to speak or choose."

Yizhen kissed him on the cheek and said:

"I’ll never do it again I swear."

A-Xuan nodded and his eyes moistened.

Yizhen hugged him and he tightened his hold when he felt A-Xuan tremble slightly.

After letting go A-Xuan said:

"I just won’t be able to bear it if anything happens to you. You’re my soulmate I can’t live without you."

Yizhen pressed his forehead against A-Xuan’s.

"And you’re mine. We’ll do everything together from now on I promise."

A-Xuan smiled feeling relieved after hearing that promise. It’s like magic at this point every time his husband makes a promise he feels at peace.

There’s no way his husband is the one who bounded him to the system and now he’s sure of it.

All his doubts he tried to forget because it would be devastating to find out that the only person you ever fell in love with and can’t live without is the one who made you so miserable for so long.

He held it in and it all cumulated to tonight when Yizhen told him he had no choice. Maybe the Architect managed to free him from the system’s hold before his soul was scattered.

Why would he do that? He doesn’t know him. Either way, he’s free and he knows the identity of the man he loves.

His husband promised that he would find him in every one of their life and he did, he would never hurt him. Now that he’s sure and he knows who he is he’ll do anything to find him...

A-Xuan stood up and picked something underneath his pillow. He sat back in front of the kneeling Yizhen and handed it to him.

Yizhen looked at the vial and asked:

"What is this?"

A-Xuan looked at it.

"This will stop the effect of the drug she’ll give you. You’ll have to pretend to be drowsy and fall asleep 20 minutes after drinking it."

Yizhen drank it in one go. He circled A-Xuan’s waist.

"You know my guards will be there hidden, everything will be fine."

"I know but it’s just insurance in case something goes wrong, I won’t take any chance."

Yizhen kissed him and A-Xuan wrapped his arms around him. After his tongue invaded his mouth he pushed A-Xuan onto the bed but he pushed him away midway through.

"Don’t! You have to get ready, she’ll be there in 30 minutes."

Yizhen smirked.

"We can do plenty in 30 minutes."

A-Xuan smiled and pushed him up. Yizhen got up pouting, he walked to the door and looked back at A-Xuan. He had an amused smile on. A-Xuan got up, ran in his arms, and wrapped his legs around him.

Yizhen held onto him tightly and he kissed him. They stayed there for a while and A-Xuan pulled back with misty eyes.

"I’ll let you do whatever you want to me once this is finally done I promise."

Yizhen put him down and said before leaving.

"You better not forget your promise."

A-Xuan laughed and started to get ready.

Zhao Wei entered the room wearing magnificent red robes. The message she was sending was clear for the entire palace to see. The Emperor was already sitting behind the table waiting for her.

She moved forward and bowed.

"Your Majesty."

She sat and looked at the Emperor with adoration.

Yizhen looked back with a sweet smile. A-Xuan was looking at this whole scene and felt like throwing up. She’ll die soon enough.

The couple discussed while eating and after a while, the Emperor dismissed everyone so he could give Zhao Wei the occasion to drug him.

When Zhao Wei saw that he had his back to her she poured the drug into his wine. She watched stressed as Yizhen drank it all. When she knew for sure he wasn’t aware she took a breath of relief.

As time passed his movements became lethargic. She gazed into his unfocused eyes and heard him say:

"I need to retire to my chambers I feel hot."

Yizhen got up and swayed, he almost fell but Zhao Wei held him. She smiled and said:

"Your majesty I’ll help you."

Yizhen nodded and said through hiccups.

"I want to lie down."

"I’ll lie down with you your majesty."

"Mmh."

That was all the confirmation she needed to go forward with her plan. She entered the room and the Emperor fell limp on the bed.

She thought at first it was weird that she didn’t see any guards along the way but this is actually a good thing.

She looked at Emperor sprawled on the bed and licked her lips. She approached him but she stopped immediately and looked backward when she heard fighting outside. She could hear metal clanging and men screaming. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

She took a step back frightened and watched a man enter the room, she heard him laugh and say:

"You did very well, time for me to kill him."

Zhao Wei looked at Liren with furrowed brows and asked:

"What are you doing here?"

Ding Liren rubbed his hands and said:

"Didn’t your father tell you the plan? You drugged him so I could kill him and we’ll finally be together in the open."

Zhao Wei frowned and took a step back near the bed.

"No, you can’t kill him."

Ding Liren said with half a smile:

"What you love him now?"

"I do and I won’t let you kill him."

Ding Liren laughed.

"It’s typical of brother, he always gets everything he wants or doesn’t."

Liren walked to the bed, he pushed Zhao Wei and pointed the dagger at Yizhen. Before he could stab him Zhao Wei jumped between them and the dagger pierced through her heart.

Ding Liren looked at her incredulously and grabbed her body. He put it on the floor.

He knelt and said:

"Just two days ago you said you loved me now you sacrifice yourself for him? You’re pathetic, but don’t worry now that you died because of him I’ll get revenge for you."

"She didn’t die because of Yizhen she died because of you, oh, and because she’s stupid."

Ding Liren got up and looked around, he couldn’t see anyone. He looked at his pass-out brother and frowned.

"It’s me, fool."

He looked where the sound came from and saw A-Xuan appearing out of nowhere after pulling down his hood. He looked at him surprised.

"What are you doing here? How did you get past my men?"