Chapter 458: 12.66

[Music Recommendation: Jane Zhang - Painted Heart, Guzheng cover.]

"Yunyu…" 

Huang Shu kept walking to the Palace of Serene Harmony alone. There was nobody around his Palace, which signaled that Prime Minister Xi had planned to bribe the servants and guards in his Palace, so they would let Xi Yue slept with the Emperor. 

Huang Shu gritted his teeth. He never knew that he was surrounded by treacherous bastards. They kept saying that he was the greatest Emperor or that they always supported Master Bai Yunyu to be their Empress.

Turned out, everything was just a lie. Everything in this Palace was a collection of intricate lies.

'Is this what Yunyu experienced in the previous timeline? To be surrounded by so many people scheming against him, he must have been suffering a lot…'

'And I did nothing but blame him for everything, even though Yunyu has been supporting my journey to be the Golden Emperor. He worked tirelessly to help me as much as he could, and he did more than he should be…'

'Huang Shu, how could you replace a diamond with hundreds of pebbles? How stupid can you be?' Huang Shu cursed himself as he kept walking to the Palace of Serene Harmony. 

When he entered, there was still no sign of other servants, as if everyone vanished today. Everyone schemed against him.

Huang Shu's body weakened as he was halfway towards Yunyu's room. At first, his hands and legs got weakened, until his entire body became so weak, it was so hard for him to walk.

He pushed his body to his limit and opened the door. He saw only one maid sitting on the ground, taking care of his unconscious wife. 

Meilan turned her head at the door and saw Emperor Xianliang. His face was ghastly, and his body staggered, but he still had his eyes on Master Bai Yunyu.

"Y—Your Majesty, what happened to you—"

Huang Shu glanced at Meilan. Even in this timeline, this young girl was still loyal to Yunyu. Huang Shu gave her a thin smile and said, "I'm alright. You can leave now."

"But…" 

"It's alright. I will take care of your Master," Huang Shu said.

Meilan left reluctantly. She had worries in her heart. As if she had the feeling that Master Bai Yunyu and Emperor Xianliang would leave soon…

Meilan closed the door, with that, Huang Shu used his last strength, and he fell on the bed, lying beside Yunyu. 

All he could move was just his hand right now. Huang Shu had cold sweat on his forehead, just like Yunyu. 

"Aiya… why are you sweating, wife. I should tell your maid to take care of you better."

Huang Shu could feel the breath from Yunyu's nose. He was relieved that his wife was still alive. At least, he would die earlier here. It was better than the previous timeline when he went mad after having so much guilt in his heart after Yunyu's death. 

"Wife, I've finally realized what truly happened in the previous timeline. I've been blinded by glory, surrounded by dirty pebbles, and threw away the diamond that I've treasured for so long, you."

"Do you know… that I've ruined your life in the previous timeline, and I'm still not careful enough, so I also hurt you and ruin your life in this timeline."

"I threw you away to the Cold Palace, thinking that I don't need you. Since I have everything. Even though my deepest conscience told me everything is empty without you."

"And you died out of starvation and malnourished for two years. I went mad after your death, though… I know it was my undoing. I deserved it, indeed."

…

"That's why I used the rewind stone, thinking that I can hide everything from you, and we can start anew here. I want to love you, trapping you in a fantasy of sweet love in this timeline."

"But it doesn't end like what I want it to be. Now you're unconscious for a week, losing your unborn child and losing your fertility. Rather than giving you the sweet love I promise, I gave you another hell instead."

There was no answer from Bai Yunyu, of course. He was also afraid if Bai Yunyu was suddenly opened his eyes. Because he was a coward, he was afraid that Yunyu would be angry at him for everything he did once Yunyu recovered his memory.

Although he had braced himself for everything, he was still scared of seeing a hateful gaze from his wife.

Huang Shu took the Rewind Stone from his robe. He stared at it for a moment and then smiled at Yunyu, "Wife, I don't want to rewind the time again without you knowing my sins. You've suffered enough. In fact, you've suffered too much that I can't bear to hide everything from you."

"Wife, I will return your memory, everything about us, including my sins, to you. I don't know what you will do with the Rewind Stone. You may leave me here, rotting alone while you leave the Palace, continue with your life."

"I will accept everything because this life belongs to you, not me…"

"I just want you to know… that I do everything for you. I become an Emperor for you, and I used this Rewind stone for you. So if you don't want this life, then please take me with you. I will follow you wherever you go, wife…"

"Please don't hate me. I know it's so egoistic of me, begging you not to hate me after all I did."

"But I'm already a coward who hides the truth from you, so I can also be the scoundrel who demands you not to hate me, right?"

Huang Shu could feel that his body was already severely weakened. He was so close to his second heart attack that it would lead to his death. He used his last strength to put the Rewind Stone in Yunyu's palm and drew his last breath.

"I love you… my ger wife…"

The second heart attack killed Huang Shu instantly, and he closed his eyes, bearing both sadness and relief.