Tian Chen slowly woke up when the sunlight fell onto his eyes. He opened them to see the peaceful face of the man he loved sleeping next to him.

Ever since that incident with Zhou Ye, the two of them started constantly sleeping together.

Sometimes Xue Lan invited him to his chamber, but most of the time he would lure him to the Dragon Palace. Right now, they were sleeping on his dragon bed.

Everything was perfect.

He had his lover in his arms, the dam was about to be completed, the winter wasn’t as cold as the previous years, and his preparation for crowning the first male empress of Qian Jin was ready.

Today was his birthday and Xue Lan actually knew. He congratulated him right at midnight last night and blessed him with sweet words. He even said that he prepared a gift for him.

Tonight, in exchange for Xue Lan’s gift, he would propose to him. The dowries and wedding garments had been prepared and Xue Lan’s exclusive throne had already been finished.

Xue Lan, his fated love.

His figure brightened his world. His name was his favourite word. His voice strummed into his heart.

He could love him for eternity. He would beg heaven to have their reincarnation cycle bound to one another. He refused to live a future without him.

He knew himself he had fallen mad. Xue Lan would certainly be scared to know how deep and boundless his love for him was.

Every day, a new depth was added.

Even finding out how messy and dishevelled Xue Lan’s morning state was only increased his adoration. That day, when he first saw Xue Lan in the morning, he must’ve tidied himself up upon his arrival.

Another thing he found was that Xue Lan needed someone to wake him up in the morning or else he would oversleep until noon.

He liked taking bath in the morning rather than at night.

He preferred tea to plain water. He didn’t like blowing into his tea and would wait for it to cool down in his cup naturally. On that matter, he had a pretty high tolerance to heat.

He slept on his right side and would naturally be tossed to that position however he initially slept. Also, he was susceptible to cold, so he would subconsciously hoard the blanket to himself.

He was fond of purple, the colour of wisteria. It reminded him of his parents.

He would start his meal by eating the furthest dish from him and tried one round of everything before deciding which one to save last.

He could eat spicy food very well but he didn’t particularly like it. He preferred sweet and savoury food but he wasn’t a fan of pastries. He liked fruits better.

When he was happy he had the most tranquil eyes. When he was angry his lips lowered several degrees. When he was sad his shoulders dropped while in his excitement they rose.

Every single thing about Xue Lan was embedded deep into Tian Chen’s memory. He liked listing them early in the morning and proved his memories correct throughout the day. Even in his death, he would never forget.

He left the bed to prepare to go to his morning court. The servants knowingly silenced their steps and movement as they dressed the Emperor in the dressing room next door.

Once Tian Chen was gone, Xue Lan’s eyes fluttered awake.

“Good morning, My Lord,” Mo Shen smiled at him from the side of the bed. “Today is the big day.”

Xue Lan stared at Mo Shen groggily for a while before sitting up, “I know you have no need to sleep, but you’re too lively in the morning.”

“And that is why I am perfect to wake you up,” Mo Shen carried Xue Lan to the bath.

He leisurely avoided all eyes until they reached the bathroom and directly jumped from outside on their return.

“I have found the perfect place to get a clear view of everything,” Mo Shen wrapped Xue Lan in a fluffy winter cloak on top of his robe. “Doing it at sunset will be spectacular.”

“Sunset…huh?” Xue Lan hummed. “Mn, it’s indeed befitting.”

He looked out the window as plum blossoms were starting to bud. It was a pity that he wouldn’t be able to see them bloom.

“You have been preoccupied with the Emperor these past 2 months. This is your last day,” Mo Shen climbed up the window and offered his hand. “Let’s do everything you want today.”

“…”

Xue Lan took Mo Shen’s hand and he was swiftly pulled into Mo Shen’s embrace as they dropped to the ground.

With him in Mo Shen’s arms, they secretly left the palace grounds.

When they arrived in the city, Mo Shen put Xue Lan down and the two of them strolled with Xue Lan’s hand hooked on Mo Shen’s arm.

Their faces were covered with their cloak. At a glance, people wouldn’t think they were masters and servants.

With Mo Shen’s unlimited supply of counterfeit money, they ate many snacks, watched a couple of shows, and bought some useless toys.

Xue Lan was curious about a gambling house and Mo Shen won them a box of real gold.

He wanted to try being a bandit and Mo Shen readily changed their clothes. They ended up robbing several local young masters.

They visited the Academy of Arts where male courtesans were and the Hall of Grace where female courtesans were to compare them. 

Sneaking into the auction house, they broke and damaged the items that were about to be auctioned.

Several houses suffered as well as they stole some of their things and sold them to different trade shops.

As the final touch, Mo Shen cornered Xue Lan in a tea house’s private room and screwed with him by the wide opened window. Xue Lan had never experienced such a thrill and preferably never again.

All in all, the day was liberating and satisfying. 

On the contrary, Tian Chen was restless the entire day. Xue Lan was gone when he returned to the bedroom and he was missing until now. He wanted to send people to search for him, but he was afraid that Xue Lan was preparing his gift and would get mad at his interference.

But what if something like in the mid-autumn festival happened again?

What if Xue Lan had unknowingly got abducted again?

Just as he was about to lose his mind, Xue Lan returned safe and sound in the evening. When his figure entered his study, he rushed to him.

“My Love, where have you been? Please don’t disappear wordlessly like this ever again,” Tian Chen anxiously said.

“I was looking for a suitable place to give you your gift,” Xue Lan hooked their fingers, “Your Majesty, have you finished your work for the day?”

Hearing his words, Tian Chen’s heart drummed in anticipation, “Yes, I have.”

“It’s a bit far from here. Would you mind?”

Tian Chen kissed Xue Lan’s forehead, “I would never mind going anywhere with you.”

Xue Lan gave him a slight smile and led him out.

Going by carriage, they exited the city gate and headed to a hill quite further away from the city. Tian Chen carried Xue Lan up the old stone steps until they reached the very top.

From there, a breathtaking view of the city and golden sunset welcomed them. It was the first time for Tian Chen to see the full view of the capital he had been living in for 33 years.

“It’s beautiful,” Tian Chen faintly sighed.

“It is, isn’t it?” Xue Lan gazed down at it. “When the Jin clan built Qian Jin, they had expected that their country would grow to this extent. Perhaps larger.”

Tian Chen looked at Xue Lan, “Did you study Qian Jin’s history?”

“Just some parts that interested me,” Xue Lan returned Tian Chen’s look. “Do you know that the Jin Period is the most technologically advanced era of Qian Jin?”

“Really? Which false history book did you read that from? I will have to stop its distribution,” Tian Chen chuckled in amusement.

Xue Lan continued, “The Jin clan was a clan of mystical scientists and engineers. They found a sunken ground upon their escape from the northern invaders at that time and built a flat land above it to hide them who were hiding below.”

Tian Chen helplessly shook his head and stroked Xue Lan’s head, “If that is what you said, perhaps it could be true.”

Xue Lan held Tian Chen’s hands. He kissed Tian Chen on his cheek which softened the other’s gaze.

“Happy birthday, Tian Chen,” Xue Lan whispered. “This is my present for you.”

The ground trembled beneath them and Tian Chen grabbed Xue Lan close to him in reflex. He saw that Xue Lan was fixated on the city and he followed his gaze to witness what could only be described as a nightmare.

A very real nightmare.