Song Chaoyu genuinely didn't understand, "A dream? What kind of dream?"
Mu Changxi smiled slightly, then took Song Chaoyu's hand. "I'll tell you, but you mustn't laugh at me."
Back when he was still Han Xi, he had never spoken so hesitantly.
Song Chaoyu couldn't help but chuckle, "Just say it."
Mu Changxi's gaze grew distant.
He said that the dream occurred perhaps a year ago. At that time, news of friendly relations between the two nations had already arrived from the southern kingdom, and the Imperial Consort had also sent him a message, indicating that he would soon return to the palace.
Perhaps he had been thinking too much then, or perhaps he was reluctant to leave the carefree life at the manor, which was why he had such a terrible nightmare.
Mu Changxi said he dreamt of... it seemed like another world, yet it also seemed like something that would happen in the near future.
He said he dreamt that Song Chaoyu died.
Song Chaoyu froze, a strange fear rising in her heart. "You dreamt I died?"
"Yes."
Even thinking about it now, Mu Changxi still felt scared. "I dreamt that, for some reason, you married Prince Ning. You were his official consort, yet he did not treat you well. Instead, he confined you to a small courtyard. Spring turned to autumn, and no one paid you any mind."
What?!
What had he dreamt?!
It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck Song Chaoyu's heart!
She couldn't help but tighten her grip on Mu Changxi's hand. "And then?"
Recalling the dream, Mu Changxi's eyes darkened. "Then... one day, he seized the throne from Crown Prince Brother and ascended to that supreme position. He no longer needed you; he felt you were the most superfluous person in his life. He wanted to kill you."
A dream... had he truly just had a dream?
Mu Changxi also sensed something was amiss with Song Chaoyu. He clasped her hand tighter. "Then, he brought someone with him. They forced poison down your throat, and that person set fire to the courtyard. From then on, you, Song Chaoyu, ceased to exist in this world."
Song Chaoyu was truly terrified by Mu Changxi's dream!
She even wondered if only Mu Changxi had had this dream, or if someone else had experienced this "dream" alongside them.
Had everything she had experienced also been a dream?
No, that was absolutely not a dream!
The burning sensation of the poison in her throat still felt incredibly clear to Song Chaoyu.
How could that have been a dream?
However, Mu Changxi's dream did not end with Song Chaoyu's death.
He continued, "Upon hearing the news of your absence, I was despairing. At that moment, I knew that I would have to kill him one day. Even if he were the most noble emperor in the world, I could not let him live peacefully!"
The hatred in his eyes was genuine, not a shred of falsehood.
He said, "But I had no choice. He had already killed the Crown Prince and imprisoned my mother. The only thing I could do was risk my life to take his life!"
Recalling everything from the dream, his eyes ignited with a fierce flame. "So, one day, under the guise of delivering gifts, I brought the tinder into the palace. I set fire to his imperial chambers, to everything he owned. I was determined to take his life; that was my only thought."
He lowered his head and sighed softly. "At the end of the dream, he and I perished together in the inferno. He suffered greatly, but I was happy. I knew that this was what I wanted, the ending I had longed for."
He paused, took a deep breath as if to compose himself.
Then he looked up at Song Chaoyu and gave a wry smile. "Do you find my dream a bit strange?"
No, not strange at all!
That was what she had experienced in her previous life!
Song Chaoyu now believed that what Mu Changxi had "dreamt" was what had happened after her death in the previous life.
Therefore, Mu Hansu's reign as emperor had not lasted even two days, but he had been burned to death in the palace by Mu Changxi!
But Mu Changxi had also died with him; this was something Song Chaoyu had never anticipated.
Someone would avenge her past self!
Someone had kept her in his heart all along!
Song Chaoyu gave a bitter smile, her eyes reddening.
Mu Changxi hadn't expected that his dream would bring tears to Song Chaoyu's eyes.
He fumbled for a handkerchief and gently wiped away her tears. "Why are you crying? A'yu, it's just a dream! Please don't take it to heart!"
Song Chaoyu shook her head. "Yes, as you said, it's just a dream. Are you going to make an enemy of Prince Ning because of this dream? I am still alive and well, and His Highness the Crown Prince still controls everything in the capital, isn't that right?"
Mu Changxi's brow furrowed slightly, but he gripped Song Chaoyu's hand even tighter. "I also thought things would turn out this way. But I remember clearly, in the dream, within a year of my return to the palace, the Crown Princess Consort would fall into the water. This was all orchestrated by him. That young eunuch was also his man."
He looked at Song Chaoyu. "On the day I returned to the palace, I stayed with the Crown Princess Consort and discovered that young eunuch who appeared in the dream! It's just that I didn't expect you to save the Crown Princess Consort."
His gaze towards Song Chaoyu held a hint of scrutiny. "I didn't think much of it then. Later, the Crown Prince told me that the young eunuch was Prince Ning's man, and his objective was to cause the Crown Princess Consort to fall into the water. At that moment, it felt like everything suddenly became clear to me! From that moment on, I knew I had to protect you, and also protect His Highness the Crown Prince."
Mu Changxi's gaze grew distant again. "Later... I also confirmed that he indeed harbored such intentions and was plotting against the Crown Prince. If that's the case, why shouldn't I strike first?"
So... that incident, he had also dreamt it!
Therefore, if she hadn't been there that day, after seeing the young eunuch, Mu Changxi wouldn't have let the Crown Princess Consort be harmed, right?
Song Chaoyu breathed a sigh of relief.
Mu Changxi, however, looked at Song Chaoyu with even more bewilderment. "A'yu, why did you save the Crown Princess Consort that day? Was it just a coincidence? Or did you also have the same dream as me?"
How could Song Chaoyu explain to Mu Changxi that it wasn't a dream?
Even though Mu Changxi had had that dream, would he still think of her as a madwoman or a fool?
As Song Chaoyu hesitated, Mu Changxi patted her hand. "If you don't want to talk about it, then don't. It's alright. We have a lifetime ahead of us to discuss my dream, to discuss why you have changed so much in just one year."
Did he... dislike her changes?