As dusk approached, a torrential rain indeed began, casting a hazy, somber hue over the entire imperial city. The low-hanging clouds pressed down, and raindrops slanted from the sky. The dense, inky clouds squeezed the heavens, growing ever heavier, as if about to crush the rooftops. Water dripped from the eaves, scattering into splashes upon the ground like a beaded curtain. Following peals of thunder and flashes of lightning, the distant sky appeared to be torn asunder.
The Zichen Palace was shrouded by this overcast, misty sky. A layer of standing water gradually formed on the ground. Raindrops struck the branches, and the rose flowers in the courtyard were beaten to the ground. The imperial city, glimpsed through the rain, seemed indistinct and unreal. The saying "the wind is full of the tower before the mountain rain" was an understatement; when the mountain rain arrived, it was far more than just a full tower of wind.
Distant thunder boomed. Nan Zhiyun was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, her entire body restless as she slept.
"No..." Nan Zhiyun mumbled softly. She seemed to be dreaming, with countless bloody scenes flashing before her eyes. She saw Yu Jingchen in her dream raising a saber, saw her father fall to his blade, separated from his beastly form. She saw Yu Jingchen tearing at her clothes, leaving her naked, and forcefully having his way with her. She saw Ci'an Palace engulfed in flames, the Empress Dowager isolated and helpless within.
Was this a dream? Yet, why did it feel so real? Nan Zhiyun writhed restlessly, her hands clenching the quilt tightly. She curled into a ball. Outside, thunder roared, and the candlelight within flickered precariously, as if it might extinguish at any moment, setting the room ablaze. The fear of being consumed by fire and the overwhelming heat made her feel utterly miserable.
"No..." Nan Zhiyun tossed and turned, repeating these two words. The scenes in her dream were too terrifying, as if a god of slaughter had woven a vast net to trap and capture her.
"Help..." Nan Zhiyun did not wake up. This nightmare had plunged her as if she were falling into water and being beaten.
Suddenly, a tremendous crash sounded from outside. The distant lightning seemed to rip the sky in half. A deluge poured from the heavens, as if to drown the entire capital.
Yu Jingchen arrived in haste, his footsteps laced with panic. Nan Zhiyun lay in bed, struggling to wake up, yet unable to fully surface.
"Yun'er?" Yu Jingchen quickly sat down and pulled her into his embrace, attempting to provide a sense of security and rouse the young girl trapped by the nightmare.
"No... no... help..." Nan Zhiyun remained utterly restless, seemingly losing all reason, yet still not awake.
"Good girl, don't be afraid, I'm here, don't be afraid. Good, it's alright." Yu Jingchen held her close, resting his chin lightly on her head, his hands continuously patting her body. Nan Zhiyun was terrified, fear engulfing her from head to toe.
"Yun'er, be good, don't be scared." Yu Jingchen was also anxious. He had guessed Nan Zhiyun might be scared, but had not anticipated it would be so severe.
"No... please..." Nan Zhiyun's pleas did not cease. Yu Jingchen had no idea what she was dreaming about.
Nan Zhiyun felt as if someone were choking her, preventing her from breathing. Yu Jingchen had not loosened his grip, but... her next words caused him to freeze abruptly.
Nan Zhiyun said... "Your Majesty... I never want to see you again... for all eternity..."
Yu Jingchen looked down at the girl in his arms. So... was she dreaming of what had happened in her past life, or had she remembered it now? If it was a dream, would these memories still exist after she woke up?
"Yun'er?" Yu Jingchen whispered the name of the young girl in his arms. Nan Zhiyun seemed to gradually calm down, no longer as agitated as before.
Slowly, Nan Zhiyun opened her eyes, though the terror in them was still evident.
"Yun'er?" Seeing Nan Zhiyun awake, Yu Jingchen's heart leaped into his throat. Had she remembered now?
Nan Zhiyun looked at Yu Jingchen and, in that instant, was clearly startled. She immediately tried to shrink back and retreat, but Yu Jingchen, with his quick reflexes, pulled her back into an embrace.
"Yun'er, be good, don't be scared, it's me." Yu Jingchen was unsure himself. For the first time, he felt such fear and tension.
Nan Zhiyun's body trembled continuously; she dared not look up. She felt completely enveloped by an atmosphere of fear, suffocating her.
"Yun'er, don't be afraid, it's me, it's alright. You just had a bad dream. It's thundering and raining outside, you were scared, weren't you?" Yu Jingchen's voice was very soft.
Nan Zhiyun's gaze was unfocused, but upon hearing Yu Jingchen's words, it slowly began to regain clarity.
Nan Zhiyun looked at Yu Jingchen, her eyes reddened, instinctively drawing his heart into empathy with her emotions.
"Yun'er, it's me..." Yu Jingchen made himself appear as gentle as possible. Though his heart was racing, his outward expression remained calm.
"Your Majesty..." Tears welled in Nan Zhiyun's eyes and instantly fell, dripping onto Yu Jingchen's hand as he held her.
"Yes, I'm here, Yun'er, don't be scared. It was just a dream, don't be scared, okay?" Yu Jingchen comforted her.
"Your Majesty... don't kill my father... don't kill the Empress Dowager... please, Yun'er begs you..." Nan Zhiyun's current state seemed somewhat abnormal.
Yu Jingchen frowned. Nan Zhiyun's present demeanor filled him with immense worry. Furthermore... why was she saying these words to him? Was it because of a dream? When had he ever killed her father or the Empress Dowager?
"It's alright, I won't kill your father, nor will I kill the Empress Dowager. Don't be scared, believe me, okay? You just had a dream, a nightmare, let's not think about it, don't take it seriously, alright?" Yu Jingchen attributed it to her being terrified.
"No..." Nan Zhiyun suddenly burst into tears, as if frightened.
Yu Jingchen pulled her into his embrace and gently soothed her. "It's alright, good girl, don't be afraid. No one can harm you. It was all just a dream, okay? We won't take it seriously. Look, we're both fine now." Yu Jingchen didn't know what else to say, so he could only explain it this way.
Nan Zhiyun cried in his arms. She didn't know if it was a dream. The fleeting images made her head feel like it would explode. She wanted to grasp those memories, but found them becoming hazy upon waking.
"Yun'er, be good, don't be scared anymore, okay? It was just a dream, nothing will happen. Be good..." Yu Jingchen, due to Nan Zhiyun's earlier words, was now unsure of her condition.
He held Nan Zhiyun tightly for a long, long time until she slowly began to calm down. Yu Jingchen's hand continued to pat her gently, trying to provide a sense of security.
"Your Majesty..." Nan Zhiyun finally spoke, her voice still laced with sobs, likely from crying.
"Yes?" Yu Jingchen responded tenderly.
"I want to see Father..." Nan Zhiyun seemed slightly off.
"General Nan will be back soon. Yun'er, can you wait a little longer? Once General Nan returns, I will have him come to see you," Yu Jingchen said patiently.
"Don't kill Father, okay? I beg you... Father, don't die." Nan Zhiyun was terrified by her dream.
Yu Jingchen didn't know what she had dreamed of, nor why she was saying this, but the only recourse now was to comply.
"Alright, I won't kill him. I promise you, General Nan will be perfectly fine, and I won't kill him, okay?" Yu Jingchen said.
Nan Zhiyun fell silent. Fragmented memories continued to swirl in her mind, preventing her from feeling at ease.
"Yun'er, what just happened was just a dream. Things in dreams aren't real. Many things in dreams are the opposite of reality. Let's not think about it anymore, okay?" Yu Jingchen told Nan Zhiyun. Nan Zhiyun, looking somewhat dazed, nestled in his embrace. Yu Jingchen didn't know if she had truly absorbed everything he said.
After about a quarter of an hour, Nan Zhiyun came back to her senses. Her previously calm eyes finally showed a flicker of emotion.
"Yun'er, don't keep thinking about it. Your clothes are damp from sweat. I'll have someone bring water to help you wipe yourself, okay?" Yu Jingchen attempted to change the subject, not wanting Nan Zhiyun to dwell on the current issue.
Nan Zhiyun said nothing, her timid demeanor indicating she had not yet fully emerged from her emotional state.
"Your clothes will be uncomfortable if they're wet with sweat, and the weather has turned cooler today. I'll have someone bring you some hot water, alright?" Yu Jingchen cooed at her, much like he would a child.
Nan Zhiyun looked at Yu Jingchen. "I'm scared... I don't want to sleep anymore," she said, afraid of having nightmares again if she fell asleep.
Just then, another loud thunderclap sounded outside, and lightning illuminated half the sky, making Nan Zhiyun's small face appear even paler.
Yu Jingchen felt a pang of sympathy but didn't know how to dispel Nan Zhiyun's fear, so he simply held her tightly.
"It's okay, I'll be here with you, alright? If you're scared, I can ask someone to make the room even brighter. I won't go anywhere, I'll just sit here, okay?" Yu Jingchen said.