Yunyu mumbled as he was sleeping with a good dream. He returned back to the time where he was younger, and was a free man with so many things to do in the future.

Yunyu also had so many suitors who wanted his hand-in marriage. But Yunyu always rejected them because he felt marrying wasn't worth his time. Though he was a Ger man, he was much more capable than many regular men, he was well-versed in almost everything, how could he trade his freedom to tie himself with a man, when he could get as many achievement as he wanted in the future.

Well, that was his first plan, until a powerful young man suddenly kneeled in front of him when they had a walk beside the spring river.

--

'Bai Yunyu, just like the spring flower blooms in this garden of desire, I have fallen in love with an elegant warrior who defeated me in a battle once.'

Yunyu smiled when he heard that confession. He looked at Huang Shu, the Seventh Prince, who kneeled in front of him, still with his war armour as he just returned from a war in the border.

'Your Highness, Seventh Prince, I am but a humble son of a merchant, don't you see the disparity between us? You're the legitimate prince of the Emperor, while I'm just a commoner and a Ger man too. You should marry someone from the same social status,' Yunyu replied wisely. Though he also liked the Seventh Prince, they were obviously not from the same status.

'That doesn't matter. I will be the Emperor, so I will be able to choose anyone that I love. Bai Yunyu, I promise that I will make you my Empress,' Huang Shu said assuringly.

'No, Your Highness, it's even worse if you're the Emperor. As much as I like you, I cannot share my husband with anybody else. I want my husband to be loyal to me. I want him to be mine and mine only,' Yunyu turned around, refused to accept the Seventh Prince's proposal.

But just before he walked away, Huang Shu suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him closer. He trapped Yunyu's waist with his other hand tightly, ignoring the custom that they couldn't touch each other as Yunyu was currently having so many suitors waiting for him.

Huang Shu then replied courageously, 'Then I will never take any concubine. You're mine. I'm yours. There will be only two of us.'

Bai Yunyu stared at Huang Shu's who didn't have a single doubt in his eyes. Many of his suitors were promising to make him their only spouse. But Yunyu never believed any of them, but when he saw Huang Shu, his cold heart started melting like spring after winter.

Yunyu gulped and asked, 'Do you… really love me? If you become an Emperor, you will have to marry many concubines, find an Empress that could rule with you, so noble background is preferred. I cannot share.'

Huang Shu gently planted a kiss on Yunyu's cinnabar mole between his brows and said, 'I will be the most powerful Emperor ever in this nation, and I will make sure you will be my Empress.'

Yunyu knew that was a big promise, which might be the reason that attracted him in the first place, an Emperor who promised that he would never marry anyone else.

Yunyu was silenced for a moment before he finally nodded, 'I will be your wife, Huang Shu. But you have to keep your promise.'

'I will.'

Huang Shu had become the Emperor for a while now. Even Yunyu attended his ceremony back then because he was also a promising ministry in the future since Yunyu ranked top three in the annual national exam.

Their wedding celebration was beautiful indeed, with many blazing red and sparkling gold and yellow thread, the dragon dance, the flowers, the music, everything was amazing. It was definitely the best time in Yunyu's life.

Everything seemed to be going well until…

…

…

'Yunyu, how could you poison my son!? He is just five years old! How could you be this vile!' Huang Shu pushed Yunyu to the ground. Yunyu could fight Huang Shu, his husband, of course, but he was tired, too tired after his husband kept on accusing him of many things. Huang Shu was too suspicious, thinking that Yunyu had a lot of jealousy in his heart that he even planned to kill Huang Shu's first son, Crown Prince Guowei.

Yunyu wanted to say that he would never do such a heinous act, even though he always got jealous of Huang Shu kept adding more and more women and Ger men to the harem and spending time with Imperial Concubine Xi, but he would never kill an innocent child.

'I would never do such a thing! They're scheming against me!'

'You just deny things! Everyone accused you, and everyone confirmed it. Yunyu, how could you turn into something like this? Is it because I keep adding my harem? Yunyu, you know that I didn't touch many of them! I just needed some heir to secure the throne! Don't you know my position right now? I am the Golden Emperor!'

'But how about your promise of making me your own and only spouse! Huang Shu, you lied to me!'

Huang Shu massaged his temples. He really couldn't handle so much stress right now, 'You're already my Empress! Don't be greedy. You already have everything an infertile ger could ever dream of! Be more self conscious about your condition!'

Those words hurt Bai Yunyu so much that he clenched his fist and punched Huang Shu's face.

Huang Shu staggered, and he glared at Yunyu full of rage, 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?'

'You called me an infertile ger just now,' Yunyu replied coldly. 'A good husband would never call his wife an infertile so easily! Do you know how much it hurt me?!'

Huang Shu felt so humiliated, he had so many concubines and harem members who obeyed him and lived in harmony, but Yunyu was really like a nail sticking out. He came to the Palace of Serene Harmony because he wanted Yunyu to repent and beg for forgiveness. This kind of offence was punishable by death! He wanted to give Yunyu leeway since he was still his beloved wife and Empress in the end.

But what he got was a punch on the face, 'REPENT NOW, BEG FOR FORGIVENESS IN MY FEET, OR I WILL BANISH YOU TO THE COLD PALACE!'

Bai Yunyu was unyielding. He wished his husband would trust him. But no matter how many times he said that he had been schemed by everyone, including Empress Dowager, but Huang Shu never believed him.

After he got the glory and was busy with managing the expanding empire, Huang Shu was too busy acting as Emperor Xianliang, the Golden Emperor.

He almost never came to the Palace of Serene Harmony, and their banter as Emperor and Empress turned out just like a working colleague instead of lovers. He started spending more time in Concubine Xi's courtyard. However, his reason was always that he wanted to play with his first son, Guowei.

Yunyu had expected that he had fallen out of favour, but he couldn't believe that his beloved husband would be cruel enough to threaten of banishing him to the Cold Palace. Thus, he yelled out of stubbornness, 'I would rather be banished in that Cold Palace rather than begging for forgiveness to filthy dogs!'

'FINE! I WILL BANISH YOU TO COLD PALACE UNTIL YOU REPENT YOUR MISTAKE AND BEG FOR FORGIVENESS!'

…

Bai Yunyu had a miserable life in the Cold Palace. Nobody cared for him except Meilan, and his food was rationed. His health worsened every day, and his heart was grieving out of the broken heart.

It worsened that Huang Shu was so cruel that he forbade anyone to contact him in the Cold Palace. Not even Yunyu's parents could contact him. His body couldn't persevere any longer as he died during cold winter. With Meilan still preparing for his lunch, he still remembered his last word before he drew his last breath.

'The warm soup… I don't want it… drink it for your health, Meilan…'

Yunyu closed his eyes and he slowly lost his consciousness as his body couldn't persevere any longer. Then he saw a man with the same face as him with Larva without wig suddenly appeared out of nowhere and entered his body, then the man took over his body as if he was alive once more.

He wanted to ask something, but he didn't have much time, all he wanted to say was that... he wished things could turn out differently...

Bai Yunyu's soul floated high until,

Poof.

He disappeared.

--