Chapter 97 - Let Go of That Girl and Come at Me!
Translated by Eve
Edited by Serefina, Kitty
14. Let Go of That Girl and Come at Me!
Lance saw the hatred in Xie He’s eyes. His heart that had just healed recently was ripped open again. However, it was his own fault things got to this point. They had originally stood on opposite sides.
He had been the one who was stubbornly heading in the wrong direction, willfully wanting to love someone who would never love him.
Someone who had originally come to kill him.
Xie He had never changed. Lance was the one who changed.
However, he actually felt that it was fortunate that Xie He had come to kill him that day. Otherwise, they would never have crossed paths.
How regretful would that be?
At least they met.
Lance slowly walked over to Xie He and reached out.
Xie He instinctively shrunk back. He looked at Lance with hate and loathing in his eyes. “Don’t touch me.”
Lance felt his chest squeeze. However, his expression remained calm and unchanging. He strode forward in big strides, pressing Xie He against the wall. One hand pushed against the other’s shoulder and the other hand touched Xie He’s neck. Clack. The metal collar opened with a sound.
“I can’t say that you’re free but…” Lance said slowly, “You’re not a slave.”
His eyes dimmed. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but he didn’t in the end. He turned and left.
Xie He rubbed his naked neck. He felt a bit unaccustomed to suddenly being free of his restraints. He stared in the direction Lance had gone off, as if he had yet to come back to himself.
【Xie He：Ai….】
【444：(⊙v⊙) Hm?】
【Xie He：It looks like I won’t have much of a s.e.x life in the near future. Sigh.JPG】
【444：Do you want to watch a movie or eat something good, or maybe play a game? Do you want me to recommend the most recent entertainment that the System Store has in stock? O(∩_∩)O~】
【Xie He：Baby, how come you’ve been so considerate lately? Tell me what you want, ba.】
【444：I haven’t gone shopping for a long time./(ㄒoㄒ)/~~】Last time, 666, that scoundrel, even made fun of him, asking him if his host disliked him recently. 555555
【Xie He：Go, ba. Since your performance has been quite good recently, I’ll pay for your expenses. ? 】
【444：Host dada, I love you. QAQ】
………………………………
Lance hadn’t had it easy recently. Every night, he would return very late at night. When he came back, Xie He would already be asleep. He couldn’t bear to wake Xie He, so he would only gently hold him and sleep. The next morning, he would leave before Xie He woke up.
Although they had almost no interaction, so long as he could still hold this person in his arms, Lance felt like he could face any difficulty before him.
At this time, it was as if billowing storms gathered within the Empire.
Since the Emperor chastised Lance last time, his body had deteriorated. He was too old. It was time to transition into a new dynasty. At this time, Milne became restless. He contacted the other two princes who had been expelled by Lance. The three of them teamed up to face off against him.
A week later, the Emperor died. Foul wind and b.l.o.o.d.y rain befell the Empire.
Very few people knew about these proceedings. However, in the end, Milne and the other two princes lost terribly. One died and two were injured. The survivors were convicted of treason and sentenced to eternal □□. The dust finally settled over the struggle for the throne and Lance was crowned as the new Emperor.
Lance received countless n.o.bles coming to express their allegiance to him. After dealing with all of this work, he had Xie He brought to the Imperial Palace.
From then on, he was the new lord of the Empire. He could use all the resources he wanted at will to save his beloved. He didn’t have to worry about some clown coming to make things difficult for him.
Compared to the palace of the Crown Prince, the Imperial Palace was much bigger. However, to Xie He, this place was nothing but a more luxurious cage.
Xie He had acted calm throughout the changes. So long as Lance didn’t do anything to the Federation, he didn’t care how he treated him. He was willing to use his dying body until the end.
This was the reason he came back.
Compared to Xie He’s indifference, Lance felt tormented inside. His medical officer told him that Xie He’s situation was not optimistic. He had already developed resistance to the medication. The medication and Life Support System’s efficacy were becoming worse and worse. Even if Lance was the Emperor of the Empire right now, even if he had the universe in his hands, he had no way to save this one person’s life.
In the end, they were only human. They were not G.o.d. Even his Emperor Father had died. There was no need to talk about Xie He, who was already at the end of his rope….
What was more painful than an unrequited love was probably the death of your beloved.
He couldn’t even silently watch the other live.
Today, Lance had returned from the main hall and headed directly to his Qin Palace. Recently, he was under great pressure. As the new Emperor of the Empire, he was responsible for protecting the Empire’s regime, safeguarding the interests of the Empire’s n.o.bles. Sawyer’s betrayal and the Federation’s occupation of the Empire’s northern part had already hurt many n.o.bles’ interests. Those n.o.bles together held significant influence. Furthermore, Lance had just ascended the throne, so his position was not yet steady. Therefore, the pressure he faced only grew increasingly heavy.
With the clear hierarchical system of the Empire’s n.o.bility, a single move could affect everything else. Even if it was Lance, he could not do as he wished because the Royal Family that stood at the top of this pyramid still relied on the base to survive. It was the tangled and complicated mutual interests between the Royal Family and the countless Empire n.o.bles that consolidated the Royal Family’s rule.
When Lance returned, he saw Xie He sitting inside the Imperial Palace’s botanical gardens. He stared at the verdant greenery before him, looking absent-minded. He seemed to really like this place. He spent the majority of his waking hours here.
Lance watched for a while before slowly making his way over.
He hugged Xie He from behind, saying into his ear, “Do you like it here?”
Xie He didn’t look back. He chuckled. “How could that be? I just have nowhere else to go.”
Not even a single blade of gra.s.s or tree was free of the vile scent of blood on this dirty planet.
The Empire was the criminal that made him homeless.
Lance fell quiet for a while. He said, “Isn’t it good to be by my side? I won’t treat you like that again. Stay with me. You will be the most honourable person in the entire Empire.”
“I don’t care for it.” Xie He’s voice was cold.
Powerlessness and disappointment flitted through Lance’s eyes. Although he was holding this person and they were together, he would never be able to get close to this person’s heart. He would never really have him. Even though he already knew this, the human heart was a greedy thing, after all. It was insatiable, and his was no exception.
The feeling of powerlessness suffocated him. He could neither save this person nor obtain his heart.
Since it was like this, what was the point of having everything? All that was left was emptiness and solitude.
Lance tightly held the person in his arms and shut his eyes. Pain overflowed from them. “Then what do you want? I will give you anything you want.”
Xie He finally turned his head around and said with a smile, “I want your life. Are you willing to give it to me?”
Lance gazed into Xie He’s eyes. Those deep blue eyes were resolute, without any hesitation. This was what Xie He wanted. He was willing to give anything, but from the beginning until the end, the only thing he wanted was his life.
“OK. I’ll wait for you to come take it,” Lance slowly said. He then placed a hand on the back of Xie He’s head, kissing him deeply.
………………………………
Lance was as busy as always. However, he would always spend time with Xie He whenever he was back. Even if Xie He only ever looked at him with a cold gaze, he didn’t care.
【444：Host dada, what do you plan on doing? Your body won’t be able to hold on for long.】
【Xie He：I’m waiting for an opportunity.】
【444：(⊙v⊙) Hm?】
【Xie He：Don’t fret. Wait patiently. An opportunity will soon arise.】
【Xie He：Lance isn’t the only one concerned for me. ? 】
【444：@[email protected]】
A few more days pa.s.sed. Xie He received an unexpected guest.
Joanna was clad in a glamorous floor-length dress. Her golden hair was fastened with a lace headband. Her beautiful eyes, however, contained faint gloominess. She looked at Xie He and sighed, “So you really are here.”
Since the matter with Xie He last time, Joanna had gradually become distant to Lance. When she went back, she asked her father to annul their engagement. However, her father, Duke Gallagher, who had always doted on her to the extreme, would not allow it. He even chastised her severely. At that moment, Joanna realized that to her father, his authority and status were more important than her. For the sake of an alliance via marriage, he would even sacrifice her happiness and marry her to a coldhearted person.
Joanna suffered a huge hit from this. Her perfect, happy life was like an imaginary bubble, suddenly bursting. Who she thought was a perfect, deeply affectionate fiance was actually a horrifying demon. And the father, who she revered the most, thought that the position of the Empress was more important than her happiness.
Joanna had shut herself at home and did not leave for a very long time. She didn’t even want to see her father, let alone Lance.
She couldn’t not think about those terrible things… and it was even harder not to think about Xie He.
She would always recall that man’s sea-like, gentle, and determined eyes. However, that kind of person was only humiliated like a slave. Meanwhile, she herself was being forced to marry someone who she didn’t love and who didn’t love her.
Even if Joanna didn’t go out, with Lance’s ascension to the throne as the new Emperor and Duke Gallagher’s rise in power, their marriage became the hottest topic in the Empire. Many people around her gossiped. They said that Lance had hidden away a slave in the Imperial Palace. Furthermore, this slave was extremely favoured. Lance had even been willing to go against his principles and let off Sawyer, that traitor, as well as that ragtag Federation. Those people had all tried to talk Joanna into chatting with Lance. As Lance’s fiance, who was about to become the Empress, how could she let a slave sit above her?
They had to get rid of that slave!
When Joanna heard this, she didn’t want to talk to Lance at all. She didn’t think that there was anything for them to talk about. She did wonder… was that slave Xie He?
Didn’t he escape? It couldn’t be that he had been re-captured by Lance?
She hesitated for a few days. Finally, she decided to come have a look. She knew that Lance absolutely would not let her see Xie He, so she took advantage of the fact that Lance had gone to discuss with the cabinet ministers and used her ident.i.ty to force her way in.
Xie He seemed like he hadn’t been expecting to see her again. He looked startled before smiling, eyes becoming gentle. “It’s you, ah.”
This girl was the only warmth he’d seen in the Empire.
Joanna softly went over to Xie He’s side. Her lips parted, and there was overflowing concern in her eyes as she said, “Did Lance re-capture you?”
“No, I came back myself,” Xie He said.
Joanna looked incredulous, “Why?”
Xie He didn’t want to say much more. Helplessness flickered through his eyes. He looked at Joanna insipidly. “When you want something, you must pay the price. You wouldn’t understand.”
Joanna’s eyebrows furrowed as she thought about this. She angrily said, “He threatened you, didn’t he? I’m not completely ignorant!”
Xie He seemed to have no intentions of continuing this subject. He only said, “Go, ba. If Lance sees you here, he won’t be happy.”
Joanna said in a slightly wronged tone, “I just want to help you.”
“Why do you want to help me? We’re enemies, aren’t we?” Xie He looked at her calmly. “Moreover, you cannot help me.”
“I…” Joanna stared at Xie He in a daze, eyes red.
That’s right. She was useless. She couldn’t help Xie He at all. She couldn’t even help herself. Although she was a n.o.ble aristocrat of the Empire, she felt like they were in similar, miserable circ.u.mstances. They were both helpless, unable to control their own fates.
Xie He saw that Joanna looked like she was about to cry. He felt a bit distressed for her. He just didn’t want to implicate her. However, he wasn’t willing to make her feel sad or hurt. He rubbed her head. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that to you.”
Feeling Xie He’s warm palm rub the top of her head, Joanna could finally no longer bear her grievances. She cried, “My father wants to marry me to Lance but I don’t want to. But I can’t go against my father… wuwu… I don’t want to marry him….”
She felt like she was about to go mad. These words had been pressed down into the depths of her heart at all times. However, she couldn’t confide in anyone. Everyone around her was urgently longing to see the day she married Lance. The rest of the people had feelings of schadenfreude, hoping for her to lose favour. No one cared about whether she was happy or willing…. But her instincts told her that Xie He cared. He was the only one who cared about what she wanted.
She finally understood why she wanted to see this person. She missed his warmth. Only when she was at his side did she feel at ease, relaxed, and happy.
Xie He’s movements froze. He then slowly wrapped his arms around Joanna. His voice had a doting tone to it, like he was coaxing a child, “Then don’t marry him.”
Joanna sobbed and shook her head, eyes red, “I-I can’t….”
She had never felt so frightened and alone before.
Xie He stared firmly into her eyes. “I will help you.”
Joanna mumbled, “Why do you want to help me… we’re not even familiar with each other….”
Xie He laughed in spite of himself. His voice had a tint of helplessness, “Then why did you say that you wanted to help me earlier? Silly girl.”
He looked at Joanna. His gaze was reminiscent, as if he was thinking about something from a long time ago. He lowered his head to look at the person in his arms and was just about to place a kiss on her forehead….
Xie He paused and then let go of Joanna. He looked up.
At that moment, he saw that Lance had returned.
There was a layer of darkness shrouding Lance’s eyes.
Again, it’s like this again…. Lance looked at the gentle gaze Xie He used to look at Joanna. The jealousy in his heart seemed to scorch him. He finally realized why he had been so angry about Joanna and Xie He’s trysts at the time. It was because he had already placed this person in his heart back then. Because he cared about him, he would not tolerate anyone coveting him. Because he loved him, he did not allow Xie He to fall for anyone else.
Just thinking about how this person might fall in love with someone else and be with them, he would feel the urge to destroy everything!
Xie He’s expression changed. He didn’t care how Lance tormented him, but he wasn’t willing to let Joanna get hurt.
Joanna was scared silly seeing Lance’s sudden return. She stood in place, unsure of what to do.
Lance came over in big strides and grabbed Joanna’s wrist. He smiled gently and said, “Did you go the wrong way? I’ll send you back.”
Joanna looked at Lance, trembling in fear. She had already prepared herself to face Lance’s anger. Who would have expected that Lance had no intentions of flaring up? For a moment, she was bewildered.
Xie He looked at Lance angrily, “Let go of her.”
The furious fire in Lance’s heart flared. Why do you want me to let go of her? Because you fell for this woman? Lance wanted to just kill Joanna, but he knew that it would only make Xie He hate him all the more. He forced down the fury in his own voice and slowly said, “Duke Gallagher is very concerned over Joanna’s sudden departure from home. He had just come looking for me. I just want to take her home. Relax.”
After saying this, he stopped paying Xie He any attention and directly dragged Joanna out.
As soon as they left Xie He’s line of sight, Lance’s eyes grew cold. His icy, golden eyes gave off a merciless glint. “I remember having warned you before. Don’t harbour any indecent thoughts towards him.”
Joanna had been extremely afraid of Lance. But when she thought of Xie He who was being imprisoned here, courage somehow began to bubble up. Why did she have to always be weak?! Xie He was clearly in straits many times worse than her, but he had never yielded or acted afraid. He even comforted her gently. Meanwhile, she was always trying to escape. She couldn’t do anything. She really wanted to do something for Xie He! Couldn’t she also be a little brave?
Joanna looked up at Lance. Her voice trembled but it was full of determination, “You’re wrong! You shouldn’t treat him like this! He’s not your slave!”
Lance narrowed his eyes dangerously. “He’s not my slave.”
Joanna didn’t believe him. She glared at Lance. “Don’t try to trick me. At that time, you personally told me that he was your slave. You even told me… I wasn’t allowed to sympathize with him! Why won’t you let him off?!”
Lance saw the way Joanna was clearly very afraid, and yet she rallied her courage to face off against him. What had given her the courage to defy him? Was this how much she liked Xie He? She was obviously a harmless little white rabbit, but she was trying to brandish her fangs and claws at him.
When did their relations.h.i.+p get so good…? They were like a couple that loved each other dearly. A murderous look appeared in Lance’s eyes.
Lance reached out and choked her. He looked down into her eyes. “Don’t think that I won’t do anything to you, hm?”
Joanna’s throat was squeezed by Lance. Breathing was difficult. She was terrified.
Lance stressed each word, “He isn’t my slave. He’s my sweetheart. If you dare approach him, even if you are Gallagher’s daughter, I won’t let you off. This is my last warning.”
After saying this, he let go and gave her a cold look.
Joanna knelt onto the floor, holding her neck. She looked at Lance in disbelief.
What did she hear just now? Sweetheart? Lance actually said that Xie He was his sweetheart?! This callous person would actually say such words…?!
“How could that be…” Joanna looked up at Lance, voice trembling, “Someone like you doesn’t know how to love someone.”
“Why wouldn’t I?” Lance’s tone was frosty.
“You don’t respect him. You don’t know what he likes or what he cares about. You don’t treat him as your equal. You force him. With what you’ve done, how could you call it love?” Joanna’s fists clenched tightly, voice shaky.
Lance’s expression froze. He was silent for a long time…. He then instructed some people to send Joanna back to the Duke’s residence. Afterwards, he returned to the palace where Xie He was.
………………………………
Xie He tried to chase after them but was blocked by the guards. Right now, seeing that Lance was back, his expression became anxious and he shouted angrily, “What did you do to her?”
Faced with Xie He’s interrogative expression, Lance felt like his heart was stabbed. He replied in a cold voice, “You care about her so much.”
Xie He gave him a frigid look. “There’s nothing between us. You don’t have to do anything to her. She’s just an ignorant child.”
Lance walked over. He recalled the gentle and doting expression Xie He used to look at Joanna as well as how he had almost kissed her on the forehead. Jealousy scorched his nerves. “But you like her.”
Nervousness flitted through Xie He’s eyes. He shook his head. “I don’t like her.”
Although Xie He had very quickly covered it up, Lance still noticed it. His fists clenched tightly. At this moment, he knew that he would soon be unable to control himself and that he would lose his rationality. The person he could not obtain despite doing his utmost liked another.
“Really?” Lance gently caressed Xie He’s cheek. He suddenly pressed him down onto the gra.s.s, one hand pinching Xie He’s chin. At this extremely close distance, he peered into those deep blue eyes.
Xie He could not throw off Lance’s hold. There was anger flas.h.i.+ng through his eyes. “Let me go!”
Recently, Lance hadn’t touched him. This sudden action made him feel furious and disgusted!
“It’s that expression…” Lance gazed at him deeply, “You loathe me this much but like her.”
He had been hypnotizing himself. He thought that it was because Xie He hated him that he would look at him like that. It was only normal. It was his fault, so he should bear it.
However, when there was someone else for contrast, when he had seen the soft way Xie He would look at Joanna, he suddenly realized that he could not continue bearing this! This pain made him want to go insane!
Xie He broke free and also became angry. He glared at Lance icily. “Yes, I like her. So what? I like her, so I seduced her. This is reality. Are you satisfied now? Everything is my fault.”
Since there was no reason to hide it, he might as well admit it. At least this way, Lance would not continue venting his anger on Joanna.
Oh… their love was truly touching. Clearly, he had no freedom, but he was still willing to give up everything for the other, undaunted by danger.
Lance chuckled. The pain in his eyes acc.u.mulated, seemingly tangible. He was the villain standing between their love.
But… he had no choice but to act as the villain to the end.
Lance kissed Xie He, tone slightly cold. “It’s truly a pity. She’s mine. She is about to marry me. I won’t help the two of you get what you want.”
Xie He recalled how Joanna lamented. He twisted his head and dodged Lance’s kiss. With hatred, he said, “She doesn’t want to marry you! As the Empire’s Emperor, it can’t be that you lack women? Must you force her?”
Lance said, “I don’t lack women. I lack an Empress. Her ident.i.ty is very fitting.”
Xie He looked at him, furious. “You b*stard!”
Lance’s expression was indifferent. “But if you don’t like it, I don’t have to marry her. But I have a condition.”
Xie He asked, “What?”
Lance peered into Xie He’s eyes and slowly said, “Be my Empress and I’ll let her go.”
He never had any intentions on marrying Joanna. He hadn’t annulled their engagement before in order to keep Gallagher, that greedy old fellow, in check for the time being.
His Empress could only ever be his sweetheart.
That was Xie He.
【Ding, the target Lance’s Favourability Value +3. The current Favourability Value is 96.】
Eve: Getting close to the end~ Joanna is so cute. I really feel bad for her. Loren x Joanna is one h.e.l.l of a star-crossed lovers situation. Although it’s not BL, I would love an AU where Joanna helps Loren escape and we watch her gradually become more and more bada.s.s, until the two of them take over the Empire and free everyone.
sere: oh mood. +1 for Joanna
Kitty: Joanna deserves so much better… But I do love what she ends up doing for herself at the end of this arc