Chapter 132
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The next moment, a gentle breeze picked up.
Leaves rustled, and sand was kicked up, rolling lightly on the ground. Yuan Li’s robes fluttered like wave patterns, and he widened his eyes, watching the incredible scene before him.
Chu Hechao was still kneeling, having finished kowtowing three times to his parents.
After the last kowtow, he tried to rise by supporting himself on the hilt of the knife, but a hand covered his head.
Chu Hechao seemed to sense something and raised his lowered eyes, revealing two pairs of feet in front of him.
One pair belonged to a woman’s round-toed shoe, and the other belonged to a man’s footwear.
These shoes seemed strange yet familiar. Chu Hechao’s heart trembled, and he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He looked up, and there he saw his mother’s plain clothes, and beside her, the clothes his father, Chu Hengpin, loved to wear.
His gaze continued to rise, passing the waist, the chest, until he saw two faces that were supposed to be dead.
Chu Hechao’s pupils dilated, half-bent on the ground, frozen in position.
Lady Yang’s appearance was identical to when she was alive. Her eyes were moist, and her face wore a gentle smile as she gently stroked Chu Hechao’s hair, as if she were still alive.
But the hand that touched Chu Hechao brought no sensation, signaling that she was already dead.
“Mother…” Chu Hechao’s mouth opened, staring fixedly at her face, and he struggled to call out this word.
“Ciye,” Lady Yang smiled, “Since your father and I left, have you been doing well?”
“Hmph,” Chu Wang, standing beside him, snorted coldly, scrutinizing Chu Hechao up and down, “Are you injured again? The great General doesn’t know how to take care of himself.”
Lady Yang scolded Chu Wang with a slight frown, “Say less.”
Yuan Li, watching from the side, marveled at this.
It was so realistic, unbelievably realistic.
If he didn’t know this was the system’s ability, he would almost believe that the real Chu Wang and his wife were standing in front of him.
He only requested the presence of Chu Wang and his wife for twenty seconds, but the system not only reproduced their appearance but also perfectly simulated their tone, expression, and movements without any inconsistencies.
Even Yuan Li didn’t know what Chu Wang and Lady Yang would say next.
Yuan Li glanced at the system, which was counting down the remaining twenty seconds.
Twenty seconds seemed short, like the time it takes to sneeze or take a sip of tea, but when time was truly counted in seconds, each second became exceptionally heavy, and the flow of time visibly slowed down.
But even so, only the last ten seconds were left.
Chu Hechao stared at them, his brain blank, his throat blocked, not knowing what to say.
The hand holding the large knife trembled.
Chu Wang and Lady Yang seemed to know that time was running out. Lady Yang looked at Chu Hechao with an unprecedented tender gaze, full of remorse and nostalgia, and said softly, “Ciye, remember, your mother and father have always been proud of you. We regret not having looked at you more before we died.”
Chu Wang also succinctly said, “Live well with your wife, and I’ll break your dog legs after you die.”
After saying this, Chu Wang and Lady Yang’s figures suddenly disappeared with the wind.
Chu Hechao instinctively reached out to grab them, but he only caught the wind without a trace of Chu Wang and Lady Yang.
It was like an illusion.
Chu Hechao looked blankly at his empty hands.
He had seen his parents, and they also knew about him and Yuan Li.
There was no scolding, no disappointment; they had accepted it.
Chu Hechao’s eyes became moist, and his heart ached.
Soon, he quickly hid the moisture in his eyes and suppressed the surging emotions. He looked at Yuan Li and said cautiously, “Yuan Li, did you see it?”
His voice was hoarse and careful. Yuan Li couldn’t help but feel a bit teary-eyed and nodded without hesitation, smiling, “I saw it.”
It wasn’t an illusion.
With that realization, Chu Hechao’s heart finally settled. He couldn’t describe his current emotions; his throat moved, and he couldn’t speak for a long time.
Yuan Li came over and helped him up. Chu Hechao embraced Yuan Li, his voice hoarse as he whispered in Yuan Li’s ear, “They didn’t blame me.”
Yuan Li replied softly.
“They were proud of me,” Chu Hechao’s voice choked, barely audible, and he murmured, “Yuan Li, I finally saw them for the last time.”
Yuan Li’s nose felt sour.
He was happy for Chu Hechao, but also felt sorrowful.
With just two or three sentences, the royal couple managed to remove the thorn lodged in Chu Hechao’s heart. However, they never said these two or three sentences to Chu Hechao while they were alive.
Yuan Li knew that the AR special effects he used to create the appearance of the royal couple were not the real royal couple. For Chu Hechao, it was a deception. But so what?
Chu Hechao would never know that it was a deception, and no one else would ever know either.
Only Yuan Li and the system knew.
And Yuan Li would bury this matter deep in his heart for a lifetime.
Chu Hechao never believed in ghosts and gods, even though he just saw his parents with his own eyes. It didn’t change his perspective. He held Yuan Li tightly, and his warm, moist breath sprayed on Yuan Li’s neck as he asked, “Yuan Li, was it you who allowed me to see them for the last time?”
Chu Hechao had an almost instinctual intuition when it came to Yuan Li. Yuan Li calmly nodded in response.
“I knew it,” Chu Hechao’s breathing was heavy. “Does it have any negative consequences for you?”
Yuan Li’s lips curled up. “No. But they can only come to see you once.”
“Once is enough,” Chu Hechao muttered, “once is enough.”
He cradled Yuan Li’s face in his hands and smiled gently, “Thank you, Yuan Li.”
Yuan Li covered his hand with his own.
After paying respects to the royal couple, it was as if Chu Hechao had finally rid himself of the last piece of rotting flesh. Although he looked pale, his spirit was more vibrant than it had been all these days.
Yuan Li could clearly sense that the burden in Chu Hechao’s heart had lightened considerably.
In the afternoon, the two returned to Chu Wang’s residence.
As soon as they returned, Yuan Li arranged for the court physicians to change Chu Hechao’s bandages and inspect his wounds. Fortunately, the wounds had not reopened and were healing well.
The court physicians stood by the bed, amazed at the recovery speed of Chu Hechao’s wounds, feeling very satisfied with the progress.
Outside the room, Chu Hechao’s guards gathered around the bed, sticking their heads in to observe the general’s injuries, their eyes filled with surprise.
The fact that the general could recover so quickly from such injuries meant that if they were to sustain similar wounds, they might also recover faster.
After changing the bandages, Chu Hechao straightened his clothes and impatiently said, “Alright, everyone get out.”
The guards and court physicians respectfully withdrew. Once they were gone, Chu Hechao reached out to Yuan Li and said, “Yuan Li, close the doors and windows. I want to talk to you.”
Yuan Li closed the doors and windows, walking to the bedside with a puzzled expression. “What do you want to talk about?”
Chu Hechao pulled him to sit down, holding his hand for a while before he couldn’t help but say, “My parents know about us.”
If there was one regret that Chu Hechao had, it was not being able to tell his parents about him and Yuan Li becoming a couple. Now, with his parents knowing in their spirit form, Chu Hechao felt almost content.
Yuan Li’s smile remained unchanged as he teased, “Yeah, they even said they would wait until you die to break your dog legs.”
Chu Hechao gave a cold smile, mockingly saying, “If he can, then let him come.”
Yuan Li couldn’t help but laugh and cry, “Is this the way you talk to your father normally?”
Chu Hechao lazily responded, “Mmm.”
Yuan Li chuckled, “I remember now. When I first met you, you had such a cold and tough temperament, like a stone.”
Chu Hechao was afraid that Yuan Li would bring up old matters, so he tried to appease him without changing his expression, “Those were all things of the past. I dare not be harsh now. If I say something stern, I have to quickly make amends.”
He squeezed Yuan Li’s waist, but Yuan Li smacked his hand away irritably.
Yet the man’s hand reached out again, “Le Jun…”
“No way,” Yuan Li ruthlessly refused, glancing at Chu Hechao’s abdomen, “You’re still injured.”
However, Chu Hechao was unusually excited today. He smiled and patted Yuan Li’s back, “But I still have you, don’t I?”
Yuan Li hesitated.
Chu Hechao raised an eyebrow, teasing, “Scared?”
Yuan Li chuckled twice but remained silent.
Chu Hechao patted his thigh playfully, “Sit here and do it yourself.”
With a sly tone, Chu Hechao said, “While I’m injured and can’t move, this is a rare opportunity for you to take control of the situation.”
Yuan Li’s heart wavered and was unsure.
Chu Hechao smiled mischievously at him.
In the end, Yuan Li couldn’t resist the temptation and surreptitiously climbed onto the bed.
…
Afterward, Yuan Li laid on the bed, frowning and regaining his strength. His body was covered in sweat, and his hair was sticking to his back.
Beside him, Chu Hechao gently rubbed Yuan Li’s back with rough fingers, soothing his sore spots. He looked content and blissful, as if he were in heaven.
When Yuan Li regained his strength, he propped himself up and bit Chu Hechao’s shoulder.
Chu Hechao hissed in pain, his expression suddenly changing, “Ancestor, ease up, quickly let go.”
Yuan Li released his grip after tasting blood, looking expressionless as he stared at Chu Hechao, “You tricked me.”
Chu Hechao pretended not to understand, furrowing his brow, “Tricked you? When did I trick you?”
Yuan Li was so angry that he couldn’t even say a word, just glaring at Chu Hechao.
Amused by the situation, Chu Hechao pinched his face and kissed him on the lips, “I was just lightly bumping you a bit. Don’t be mad.”
“Get lost,” Yuan Li sneered, giving Chu Hechao a push and turning over to sleep.
In his heart, he thought, if he ever believes Chu Hechao’s words like this again, then he, Yuan Le Jun is a dog.
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