Chapter 167: Dream
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The tent was dark, and Mingzhu nervously clasped her hands to protect her chest, listening intently to Yuwen Chu’s movements. The bed sank slightly, and the silk rustled, indicating that Yuwen Chu had turned over gently. Though she couldn’t see, Mingzhu knew he was now facing her, so she began to organize her words of refusal nervously—she had to say it nicely and reasonably, but firmly… Mingzhu silently recited, slowly moving to the other side.
A hand reached out in the darkness, gently touching her face, fingertips warm and tender. Mingzhu was startled and instinctively grabbed her collar, trying to make her voice sound gentle and tactful, “I’m so tired, dizzy…”
“Are you tired? Just go to sleep and stop overthinking. I just miss you.” Yuwen Chu gently stroked her cheek twice, sighed, withdrew his hand, and turned over. Soon, the room was filled with the soothing, rhythmic sound of his breathing.
He actually fell asleep like this… Many words that Mingzhu had prepared were stuck in her throat. He just missed her! Mingzhu widened her eyes and stared at Yuwen Chu’s back, trying hard to see more clearly. Her consciousness gradually blurred, and she fell into a deep sleep.
The sound of weapons striking against armor was cold and crisp, each strike feeling like it pierced her heart. The thick smell of blood mixed with the nauseating stench of burnt flesh filled the air. Several crows circled down, pecking at the unrecognizable pieces of flesh without a care in the world.
Mingzhu saw herself running over, futilely chasing away the hateful crows. The crows, however, weren’t afraid of her. Just as she shooed one away, another one would land and continue pecking at the flesh on the ground. The crows flapped their wings joyfully, making coarse, unpleasant “cawing” sounds.
Her heart suddenly clenched with pain, as if someone had grabbed it and squeezed it hard. She fell to the ground, feeling as fragile as a thread, while mocking laughter echoed in the distance: “Isn’t that Fu Mingzhu? The entire Fu clan is destroyed, yet she still has the audacity to live? Why doesn’t she just die? Why doesn’t she just die?”
No, she wasn’t afraid of death. She was only alive because she hadn’t avenged her family yet, and she still had her Mother and nephew to protect. She didn’t want to cling to life for no reason. She fell to the ground, digging her fingers into the soil, which soaked up the blood and turned black and red. With a forceful effort, dark brown, foul-smelling liquid oozed out between her fingers.
That was the blood of the Fu clan! She struggled to sit up and saw a half-faced figure not far away, with one eye silently looking at her, filled with pity and resentment. It was her second brother’s face, shattered by a giant bed crossbow!
She couldn’t help but cry out, stumbling over to try to embrace her second brother. But before she could reach him, a hand reached out and grabbed her brother’s hair, lifting him up.
“See, this is the fate of the traitorous Fu clan.” Yuwen You sneered coldly, forcefully throwing her brother’s half head into the distance, where a hungry dog barked and ran off with it.
She chased after it from behind, but she could never catch up to the dog’s speed. She had to beg Yuwen You, “Please, give my brother back to me. He’s already like this. He didn’t do anything wrong to you. Have mercy.”
Yuwen You’s cold and cruel smile showed no mercy. He asked her, “Why should I? Just because you’re the daughter of my enemy? Just because you’re willful and ruined my marriage and life?”
Yes, he hated her. He hated her so much that he wouldn’t show any mercy. She raised her dagger, filled with hatred, and stabbed it into Yuwen You with all her strength. But before she could succeed, he pushed her away, and the dagger pierced into her left chest. It was bone-chillingly painful.
She looked up at the sky, her eyes wide open, knowing that she was about to die. She hated herself for being so impulsive. She was going to die, but what about her Mother and nephew? They were all still counting on her.
A pair of black embroidered boots, adorned with coiling dragon patterns, halted before her. Despite being filled with a sense of bloodshed, she also caught a faint, cool fragrance of agarwood. She struggled to look up at the person standing before her, seeing Yuwen Chu gazing down at her with neither joy nor sorrow, his eyes dark and somber. She vaguely remembered that he had no grudges against the Fus’. Clinging to a glimmer of hope, she reached out to him, hoping to plead for him to save her mother and nephew.
But he merely took a step back expressionlessly, and said lightly, “Regret now? It’s too late.”
Jiang Shanshan, dressed in the attire of the Ying Wangfei walked gracefully over the blood-soaked ground, her exquisite phoenix-headed shoes stepping on the hand of the protagonist, disdain and contempt evident in her voice, “After becoming a traitor and rebel, you still dare to flirt? Do you still think you are the same Fu Mingzhu from before? People like you are just a waste of food!”
The pearl-embroidered golden phoenix-headed shoes trampled over her hand, pressing down on the dagger at her heart, and pushed forcefully. A sharp pain surged through her, and she screamed unwillingly, “No!” She couldn’t die yet. What about her parents, her brother, and her aunt? She refused to accept it, but her body gradually stiffened and cooled down. A crow flew towards her, its cold beak mercilessly pecking at her eyeballs.
“Wake up, wake up! You’re having a nightmare! Fu Mingzhu, wake up!” Someone slapped her cheeks hard. Yes, she was dreaming. She didn’t die like this. She had already come back to life. This wasn’t real! It wasn’t real! It was just a nightmare! Mingzhu took a deep breath, grabbed the hand slapping her cheeks, and struggled to sit up, gasping for breath and opening her eyes forcefully.
The room was hazy, and the horned palace lamp at the bedside emitted a bright and warm light. The bright red curtains were embroidered with hundred children motifs and lotus roots with gold threads. Yuwen Chu was in his middle garment, his chest open, frowning worriedly at her. “Are you okay?”
It was just a dream.
Mingzhu breathed a sigh of relief, slumped back, subconsciously curling up her knees and hugging them tightly, resting her chin on her knees. It was just a dream, but her heart was still pounding violently, unable to calm down. The icy coldness and pain she felt when the poisoned hairpin pierced her chest became more and more pronounced, unbearable.
“Are you okay?” Yuwen Chu held her face with some fear, trying to keep his voice as gentle as possible. “Look at me, it was just a dream.”
Mingzhu struggled to see him clearly, but he seemed to blur more and more. She exerted all her strength but could only manage to say, “I… I’m in pain.” Suddenly losing all her strength, she collapsed into his arms. She heard his heartbeat suddenly accelerate and become erratic, then heard him panic and shout loudly, his voice hoarse and harsh, quite unpleasant. Then many people rushed in, the curtains were lifted, and every light that could be lit was turned on.
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