Daddy, don't die! Please don't leave, Huan alone even if you hate me!"

Huan’s face was gloomy and his eyes were filled with tears that he refused to let fall. Even though he knows his daddy hates him, but he doesn’t blame his daddy for it. He knows perfectly well that it is his father who has made daddy suffer like this.

"When Huan becomes stronger he will set daddy free,” Huan promised in a desperate whisper, “so please daddy, live! Don't leave Huan!"

Huan could no longer hold back the tears. Every child wants their parents’ love but he has accepted that he’ll never get that from his daddy. He learned some time ago that his father forced his daddy to marry him and forced daddy’s true love to his death. He’s young but he knows that his father’s actions are unforgivable. All he wants is to see his daddy free, smiling, and no longer trapped in this place of misery.

Xiao Si was awakened by the sound of weeping and immediately pushed Huan away when he saw him. Huan didn’t try to get close again and only looked at him sadly.

"Daddy, you’re sick and weak. You need to eat now to get strong and healthy," he urged the man on the bed.

Xiao Si didn't say anything and just silently stared at Huan. Huan brushed his tears away and pasted a smile on his trembling mouth.

"Daddy, you’re sick. You should eat. Let me get you some porridge," Huan tried again.

Xiao Si didn't say anything and just got up from the bed. As he walked past Huan, he noticed that Xiao Si’s eyes were even more depressed than they had been in the past. It was as though all light in Xiao Si’s life was gone. Huan felt an icy chill run down his back. Daddy had never been so bad before.

"Your Imperial Highness, that room hasn’t been cleaned yet," a servant warned Xiao Si as he headed for the study Xiao Si had destroyed in his despair. Xiao Si ignored the man and went in the messy room. Sitting next to the window, he grabbed the servant’s hand, opened the palm, and then wrote on his hand with his finger. After a few tries the servant understood that Xiao Si wanted him to bring some things.

As Xiao Si waited in the wrecked room, he held the framed painting of his true husband in his arms. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he stared blindly out the window and grieved. Not long after, the General rushed in. His face was sad and distressed but it blanked out as he saw Xiao Si under the dim light of the night candle. The misty light of the candle and the moonlight shining through the window enhanced Xiao Si's icy exquisiteness. Xiao Si looked like a marble statue and the epitome of untouchable beauty.

The General’s throat moved as he swallowed, lust sparking in his eyes. Then he saw the dead look in Xiao Si’s eyes and the lust died in an instant. Xiao Si’s face was as lifeless as the statue he resembled. It was like looking at a dead person.

The General’s gaze fell on the picture in Xiao Si’s arms.

"You've finally given up on him?" he asked hopefully. Xiao Si didn’t respond – didn’t even glance the general’s way. He just continued staring out at the stars.

The General shook with fury and walked up to Xiao Si, grabbing the picture from his arms. Xiao Si finally reacted, lunging towards the General to reclaim his painting, but the General held it high and out of Xiao Si’s reach. Xiao Si pulled desperately on the General’s arm.

"Are you that desperate for it? It's just a picture. You can always paint another,” the General snarled angrily.

Xiao Si merely continued his efforts to reclaim the picture. His eyes still devoid of reason and the only thing he saw was the picture held out of his reach. The General hated this look. This was not the prince he fell in love with! This was an empty shell of a man.

Rage filled the General and he started to tear the painting but Huan grabbed his arm to stop him.

"FATHER, DON'T!" Huan cried desperately.

The General didn’t want to hurt Huan so he stopped but he wasn’t resigned to leaving the picture intact.

"Let go of me! What do you think you are doing?!?" he growled at Huan.

"Don't do it, Father! That painting is very important to daddy! Don't hurt daddy any more, please!”

The General glared at Huan. “Stupid boy, he doesn’t even like you! Why do you keep crawling after him?”

“Father! Enough is enough!" Huan shouted, "let daddy have little peace, please!” his voice fell to a near whisper, “that's all I ask, Father. Just give daddy a break. He is sick, Father… He’s sick."

The General moved his arm violently and Huan couldn’t keep his grip on the General’s arm and stumbled back a few steps before falling down.

"You unfilial brat! I, the one who has always taken care of you, you abandon?!?”

He threw the painting at Huan and marched out. Huan picked up the painting and was stunned at what he saw.

"Dage?" he asked, looking up at Xiao Si.

Xiao Si shook his head “no” and got up, searching the scattered scrolls for another painting. He found it and unrolled a painting of a baby with white hair, rosy, cheeks, and phoenix eyes. Xiao Si put the painting into Huan's hands and pointed at the baby.

"Hmm? I don't understand."

Tears falls down Xiao Si's eyes and he tapped the paintings impatiently – first one, then the other.

"M-minister Liang?" Huan guessed as Xiao Si’s finger tapped on the painting of the man.

Xiao Si nodded and then took Huan’s palm. Using a long forefinger, he started to write in Huan’s palm. Huan’s brows furrowed as he focused on interpreting the words being written on his palm.

"The baby's name is Liang Meng Yao and his nickname is Yaoyao. That’s your big brother."

Huan blinked slowly, completely astonished.