Chapter 26
Chapter 26
“Siran Ming, do you understand what you’re doing?” Shengsheng Zhou demanded.
He stood beside the bed in a red wedding robe embroidered with dragons. His ceremonial crown glittered in the candlelight.
Backlit by the flames, Siran gave her a smile that made her heart lurch.
“You know that today is our wedding, so Wife has stopped calling me Your Majesty and uses my name instead?”
He lowered his eyes. One finger emerged from his sleeve and lifted a strand of dark hair that had fallen across Shengsheng’s chest.
She retreated.
The chains restraining her rang together, and pleasure narrowed the man’s eyes.
“Shengsheng, shall we stay together forever?”
He leaned over her.
The bed offered nowhere to escape. No matter how Shengsheng tried to evade him, Siran finally pinned her beneath him.
“You’ll regret this, Siran Ming.”
She glared with all the hatred she could summon.
He laughed softly.
“Shengsheng, your voice is trembling.”
Siran drew aside the red gauze curtain and slowly bent closer.
Shengsheng’s limbs were already powerless, and his arms held her immovably against him.
Was there truly no other way?
She did not want this.
His lips touched her neck, cool and soft. Shengsheng shuddered violently.
*Someone, please save me.*
Hearing her inner voice, Siran’s gaze darkened.
Was she truly so unwilling?
He suppressed the ache inside him and hardened his resolve.
No matter how fiercely she resisted, she would belong to him.
Just as despair closed around Shengsheng, a clear, piercing birdcall sounded overhead.
The man restraining her went still.
Then he collapsed directly on top of her.
Shengsheng jolted. It took nearly all her strength to shove the unconscious Siran aside.
With tears in her eyes, she looked at the disdainful bird hovering before her. She caught him and covered him with kisses.
“Pecky, I’ll never complain about your fussiness again! From now on, you’re my own brother. I’ll cherish you like the apple of my eye!”
Duan-bird struggled twice, failed, and surrendered lifelessly to the barrage.
He should have grown numb to this by now.
He had been hiding from the rain inside Shengsheng’s sleeve. Who could have guessed that this witless fool would inhale drugged incense without noticing?
He patted her hand with one wing. The instant her grip loosened, he flew onto her head and groomed his feathers with open disgust.
Shengsheng knew how fastidious he was. Sniffling, she turned to inspect Siran.
Pecky had scratched him with one talon, and Siran had immediately collapsed.
Yet no matter how carefully Shengsheng searched the back of his neck, she could find no wound.
How strange.
Could Pecky be some divine beast rather than an ordinary bird?
*A-Pang!*
She tried calling again. There was still no response.
Duan-bird opened one eye and stepped on Shengsheng’s head.
“Don’t rush me. I’m almost finished.”
Shengsheng searched Siran’s clothes.
“Found it!”
A tiny silver key appeared in her hand.
She tried it against the locks several times. With a click, the chains warmed by her body finally opened.
Shengsheng climbed from the bed without hesitation. Frowning, she removed the crown that seemed to weigh ten pounds and carried it in one hand.
It was a phoenix coronet.
Her brows drew together.
Then she smiled.
Excellent.
It could probably be melted into a considerable number of gold bars. The jade and gemstones alone would sell for a fortune.
Shengsheng Zhou would treat the phoenix coronet as compensation from Xiao Ming for her emotional suffering.
At present, however, it had a more important purpose.
It was a weapon.
Shengsheng threw open the door and, without looking, swung the massive coronet at the head of whoever stood outside.
She hit nothing.
The heavy crown continued through empty air and nearly dragged her off balance.
No guards?
Shengsheng stared.
Had Siran Ming truly been that confident in his ability to keep her imprisoned?
*Shengsheng!*
A tiny, round figure flew toward her, their face crumpled with grievance.
Shengsheng lit up.
*A-Pang!*
*Where did you go?*
She caught the returned A-Pang in both arms and nearly wept like an old woman.
*I don’t know!* they sobbed. *When I woke up, I was trapped outside the door. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get back in.*
That made no sense.
Shengsheng had lost consciousness because she possessed a human body. A-Pang was a System, not a person. Why had they fallen unconscious as well?
After this disaster, Shengsheng decided she could no longer use A-Pang like an invincible pocket containing every solution.
Even Doraemon could be lost when carried everywhere. A-Pang was alive and capable of wandering off.
She needed to keep defensive tools on her own body from now on.
*Never mind that for now. I want the medicine that restores memories.*
A-Pang floated out of her arms.
*Have you decided? Once his memories return, Siran Ming won’t be Xiao Ming anymore.*
Shengsheng nodded.
*I’d rather have him want to kill me than lust after me. Besides, if he stays amnesiac forever, how can the plot continue?*
A-Pang nodded.
A transparent syringe filled with green liquid soon appeared in Shengsheng’s hand.
Duan-bird stood atop her head, watching this impossible scene with an unreadable expression.
Without hesitating, Shengsheng closed the door again and returned to the bed.
Siran lay there breathing steadily, though his brows remained faintly furrowed.
She smoothed the crease with her fingers and gazed down at him for a long time.
Then she slowly pushed the needle into his flesh.
At that exact instant, Siran’s closed eyes opened without warning.
Shengsheng’s hand jerked.
Feeling the sting at his neck, he turned his head.
His dark, bottomless gaze settled on Shengsheng’s face. Then he smiled.
“Shengsheng, are you abandoning me?”
Her hand trembled.
She lowered her head without answering and slowly depressed the plunger.
Siran fell silent as well. He merely watched her.
When the final drop of medicine disappeared, pain contorted his face. Still, he stubbornly reached for Shengsheng’s hand.
She placed it in his.
“Goodbye, Xiao Ming,” she whispered.
A tear slid from the corner of Siran’s eye.
His lips moved, but no words emerged.
Slowly, he closed his eyes.
Still dressed in her red bridal gown, Shengsheng knelt beside the bed in silence.
There would be no more Xiao Ming.
Only Siran Ming.
Night deepened. Outside, only insects and leaves stirred in the wind.
Shengsheng’s head began to droop. She was desperately sleepy.
Just as she slipped into a doze, movement came from the bed.
She looked up.
The unconscious man braced one hand against the mattress and pushed himself upright. He rubbed his forehead, brows drawn, then looked directly down at Shengsheng.
Confusion, humiliation, fury, and regret flickered in his eyes.
Shengsheng understood.
The Yong Kingdom’s supreme war-god emperor had returned.