The desert where his body was never buried might hold the answer to whether Ou Yunchen was truly dead.
With the clanging of chains on his feet, Ou Yunchen was confined in a sealed space. It had been one hundred and eleven days since he last saw the sun, all to make people believe he had perished in Kobetia.
With a bang, the sandbag finally burst.
At the same time, a small window in the iron door slid open for mealtime.
To prevent Ou Yunchen from escaping, this place had become a heavily guarded prison. It was ironic, really, that Mo Qingyun designed this cell so meticulously to imprison her lover.
Ding—
The distant security door's alarm blared, a piercing sound that alerted everyone whenever someone entered.
Mo Qingyun: "This is a Michelin-star meal."
Mo Qingyun stood at a height, overlooking Ou Yunchen's every move through the large glass. It was evident he had no interest in the gourmet food offered.
Ou Yunchen: "Come down and see me."
Mo Qingyun: "Tell me what you need, and as long as you don't think of escaping, I can send you any woman you desire."
Ou Yunchen: "Since you killed the people in the Eagle Eye Court, why don't you let me go!!!"
Mo Qingyun: "The outside world is too dangerous. This is the only safe place."
In his rage, Ou Yunchen lifted the table in his cell and hurled it at the tall glass wall. However, the glass remained completely unscratched.
Ou Yunchen: "Kill me!!! If you hate me so much, kill me!!!"
Mo Qingyun: "No, my dear. I haven't hated you for a long time."
Ou Yunchen: "How long are you going to keep me imprisoned!!!"
Mo Qingyun: "You know, today, me and—"
Michelle: "Don't worry about him!"
But those 'cleaners' were no joke. It wasn't just Michelle's people who thought of escaping through the stairwell; the 'cleaners' had also anticipated this and were already blocking it...
Hearing the gunshots, Ou Yunchen instinctively slowed his pace. Several times, he wanted to turn back...
Could that group of people really protect Mo Qingyun?
Ou Yunchen also had a strange thought: did he really want to escape and leave Mo Qingyun in danger?
For some reason, memories of their past, brought up by Mo Qingyun, replayed endlessly in Ou Yunchen's mind. They had loved each other so deeply; it was a past that couldn't be erased with a single word of hate...
Perhaps, in Ou Yunchen's subconscious, he didn't want to escape. He didn't want to succeed in escaping at all...
The days of captivity weren't so bad. They still spoke across distances, sometimes sharing their thoughts like friends. Mo Qingyun needed him...
Just as his advice repeatedly helped Mo Qingyun resolve problems in the empire...
The empire needed him too...
Ou Yunchen: "I can't abandon Xiao Yun... I haven't given up on her... This time, I choose her!!!"
It turned out that mental preparation was useless at this moment. He would still rush towards Mo Qingyun to mend their past regrets.
The sudden attack by the 'cleaners' left the Tang Empire's forces reeling. Even with a top figure like Lin Yi, they couldn't withstand so many enemies.
At a critical moment, Ou Yunchen knocked down a 'cleaner' who was about to aim a gun at Mo Qingyun.
Mo Qingyun: "You ran away, why did you come back!!!"
Ou Yunchen: "To save you!"
Mo Qingyun: "I already set you free, and you came back to die!!!"
Ou Yunchen quickly picked up the dropped handgun and fired two shots behind Mo Qingyun.
Ou Yunchen: "There are too many of them. This situation is unsustainable."
Mo Qingyun: "You go, I don't need you to worry about me!"
Ou Yunchen: "You are Axe's sister, the most important person in the Tang Empire. I can't leave you."
Mo Qingyun: "Heh, yes. I have so many identities, any one of them could make you stay..."
Ou Yunchen: "Is this the time to argue about that!"
Mo Qingyun: "You don't love me anymore, do you?"
Was the reason for staying love?
Or was it Stockholm Syndrome at play?
Lin Yi: "Careful!!!"
Ou Yunchen immediately pulled Mo Qingyun, and the sudden force sent her falling into his arms.
Ou Yunchen: "Lin Yi, take her and go. I'll distract them."
Lin Yi nodded, and Ou Yunchen handed Mo Qingyun over to her.
Mo Qingyun: "Say you love me..."
It was as if she had said it ten thousand times in her heart. The sound of gunfire through the wall drowned out the sincere words that no one heard...
Lin Yi: "Let's go!!!"
But Mo Qingyun, tears in her eyes, looked at Ou Yunchen, her hand reaching out to grab his clothes. She feared this departure would be a final farewell.
Ou Yunchen turned his head, looked at Mo Qingyun who was reluctantly leaving, and began to sign to her...
Mo Qingyun cried even harder, as if Umbrella had vanished in an instant. But they could never return to the happy times filled with lies...
Ou Yunchen rushed out, firing back at a few nearby 'cleaners', successfully drawing their fire and buying time for Mo Qingyun to escape.
***
Lin Yi: "We have to go!"
Mo Qingyun looked anxiously into the distance. She had already escaped to the car, but she was unwilling to drive away immediately...
Mo Qingyun: "Let's wait a bit longer!"
Yes, if she waited just one more second, could she see Ou Yunchen who had escaped death?
Lin Yi: "There's no time!!! We need to get back to the empire quickly!!!"
Mo Qingyun: "Ou Yunchen will come!!!"
Lin Yi: "He won't. He's dead!!! He's alone, and without enough ammunition, he can't break through!!! Be rational, please!!!"
Mo Qingyun: "If you don't wait, get out of the car!!!"
Lin Yi: "Do you think you're the only one who loves him in this world?"
Mo Qingyun was stunned. What did that mean?!
Lin Yi: "I met him when he returned to the sanatorium after a mission. His eyes were almost blind back then!"
"And I was just an intelligence thief. When I was impersonating a nurse, I met Ou Yunchen. From then on, I became his friend. He and I are very similar; we both knew we shouldn't have love, so I never said the word 'love'..."
Lin Yi: "I stayed by your side to protect him. More than you, I don't want to see him die!!!"
Mo Qingyun: "Then you..."
Lin Yi: "Yes, he never remembered me. Because during the time he was blind, he never saw my face. It doesn't matter if he doesn't recognize me. It's enough for me to love him silently!"
Mo Qingyun: "..."
Lin Yi: "The time he bought for you was so you could escape this place alive, not for him to waste his life in vain..."
Mo Qingyun: "..."
Lin Yi: "He used his life to protect you. Don't you understand his feelings yet!!!"
Mo Qingyun: "Let's go..."
Mo Qingyun took one last look at the empty ground in the distance. No one would ever rush towards her again...
As Mo Qingyun slowly closed her eyes, choked with emotion, she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, not wanting Lin Yi to see her crying...
Lin Yi: "People like us, in this line of work, have to sacrifice so much. Many people die without ever knowing what love feels like..."
Lin Yi: "But do you know?"
Lin Yi: "A bloody romance is the best answer we can give you..."
Mo Qingyun: "Do you think he loves me?"
Lin Yi: "His life is yours. Are you still concerned about the unspoken love?"
***
A month later, the Tang Empire underwent another reform. Perhaps the pursuit by the Eagle Eye Court had made her realize a severe problem...
An empire without adopted sons was vulnerable. It was no wonder that in the era of the Old Tang, they focused on cultivating 'cleaners' to serve them.
Only then could they resist external attacks at any time!
***
"When new adopted sons are cultivated, that will be the beginning of a new era for the empire."
***
As for Ou Yunchen, Axe, and countless old adopted sons who were submerged by the tides of time...
Perhaps in many years, people will have forgotten the names of those legendary figures.
But in the era that belonged to them, there were countless unsung heroes.
With Ou Yunchen's help, Mo Qingyun exposed the Umbrella laboratory, and more people bravely came forward to resist the war.
Who says justice must appear in the open?
Sometimes, resistance from the mud is also justice!
***
One year later, on a rainy day, just like that year.
Su Ruiyi: "You must be good and obedient. I'll go see an aunt first, then I'll come back and take you to the hospital for a shot, okay?"
A small white cat licked its paws, sitting on a cushion next to Su Ruiyi. It was truly a noble kitten, wearing a diamond-studded collar, and it even had its own dedicated seat in the luxury car.
Su Ruiyi carried the gift for Sister Hong. She had a banquet to attend that evening, so she was wearing a red dress.
The butler alighted from the car to open the door for Su Ruiyi.
But just as Su Ruiyi stepped out, the kitten suddenly jumped out of the car and ran away.
Su Ruiyi: "Ruyi!!!"
Butler: "Miss, the cat ran away..."
Su Ruiyi: "I know!!!"
Sister Hong: "What's wrong?"
Su Ruiyi: "My cat ran away again. Why is it that every time I come to your place, the cats I raise jump out of the car!!!"
Sister Hong took the gift box from Su Ruiyi's hand and smiled faintly.
Sister Hong: "Perhaps you should check the back alley again."
Su Ruiyi: "That's the only way. I hope Ruyi, like Jixiang, will obediently hide in a corner of the back alley and wait for me."
The butler was about to follow Su Ruiyi when Sister Hong stopped him.
Sister Hong: "What are you afraid of? What could be in the back alley? Let her go by herself."
The butler hesitated but still handed the umbrella to Su Ruiyi.
Su Ruiyi, calling out Ruyi's name, cursed, "You really are your mother's child. She also ran here back then and I caught her. When I find you, I'll spank your butt!"
Su Ruiyi: "Ruyi, come out!!!"
Su Ruiyi lowered her head, hunched her back, and searched carefully, not missing any dark corners...
But as she walked, she saw a pair of shiny, high-end handmade leather shoes. Before she could look up, she heard a man's voice from above her head...
"Are you lost, little kitty?"
A rainy night, a reunion.
—The End—