The Emperor Reads Storybooks Hidden in His Official Reports 61

Chapter 61: I Am Not Afraid

“Xiao Yu, you can be discharged from the hospital tomorrow.”

Li Jianyu leaned against the head of the bed and watched Yuan Feiyang, who was packing his luggage for him.

Yuan Feiyang said with a grin, “We’ll set off for the US tomorrow to discuss the capital turnover with Anderson.”

Li Jianyu nodded blankly. He had been in the hospital for three days, and after this, he just needed to come back for regular check-ups.

“Xiao Yu…” Yuan Feiyang put down the clothes in his hand and sat down beside Li Jianyu, holding his hand. “What’s wrong? Are you unhappy?”

Yuan Feiyang thought that Li Jianyu was still sad about what had happened before. He sat beside him apprehensively and said in a low voice, “It was really my thoughtlessness before. I was wrong. I will definitely protect you in the future.”

Li Jianyu looked up at Yuan Feiyang.

Had he forgotten something…?

Li Jianyu was full of doubts, but he heard a few loud bangs from outside.

Bang!

Bang, bang!

A few fireworks suddenly exploded in the night sky outside the window, painting the night sky with brilliant colors. One after another, it was a dazzling sight. Although it was a fleeting moment, it was as beautiful as a dream.

“Xiao Yu, today is your birthday.”

Li Jianyu lowered his head, his lips curling into a smile. “Did you set them off?”

“Because I didn’t know what to give you,” Yuan Feiyang said a little apprehensively. “So I just gave you a surprise. Do you like it? Don’t be angry anymore, okay?”

Li Jianyu looked up at Yuan Feiyang.

“Xiao Yu! Why are you crying?!”

Yuan Feiyang was startled when he saw that Li Jianyu’s eyes were red. He immediately took a tissue to wipe his tears, but the more he wiped, the more they fell. Li Jianyu’s shoulders shook as his tears fell silently, drop by drop.

How could he have forgotten…

This whole illusion was him.

Li Jianyu closed his eyes and fainted.

XXXXXX

“How is he?”

In the room, Chong Xi held Li Jianyu, letting him lean against him.

Just now, Li Jianyu had suddenly had a convulsion. Chong Xi had been so scared that he had quickly held him down and had Xue Ni press on his acupuncture points to stabilize his pulse. Although Li Jianyu had quieted down, it was only a temporary measure.

Now that Dan Xi had arrived, the few of them breathed a sigh of relief.

“The illusion is broken…” Dan Xi held Li Jianyu’s hand and closed his eyes. “It has collapsed.”

“Does that mean the City Lord is about to wake up?” Chong Xi’s eyes lit up.

“No, it’s very complicated.”

Dan Xi pondered for a moment and frowned. “After the City Lord’s illusion was shattered, he fell into an even deeper illusion. It seems that his subconscious has rebounded and created a more realistic illusion. Now, unless the City Lord has some kind of awakening, I’m afraid it will be even harder for him to wake up…”

The few of them immediately fell silent.

This…

Chong Xi sighed and smiled bitterly. “The City Lord is very much like I was in the past.”

Escaping, being afraid.

He had a cheerful personality, while Li Jianyu was cold and indifferent, but it was all to cover up the weakness in their hearts. It was the shadow left after being hurt, and from then on, they would just shrink into their shells and never dare to come out again.

At this moment, Li Jianyu’s soul was not only disturbed by the explosive secret art waves, but he was also too weak to face the loss. Therefore, he was escaping, hiding in a beautiful and happy illusion.

“The City Lord’s situation is getting more and more dangerous. My formation is already prepared. We will begin tonight.” Dan Xi put a heart-protecting pill into Li Jianyu’s mouth.

“Mm,” Chong Xi said in a low voice to Li Jianyu. “The Prince and Qianli have already settled things here and are preparing to lead the army out to wipe out the remnants. Everyone saw you transform into a phoenix that day, and now their morale is high. You should get up quickly, boost the soldiers’ morale, and let us end this beautifully.”

“And Linxu, you have to see him. Otherwise… it will be too late.”

XXXXXX

Li Jianyu vaguely remembered things from the past.

At that time, he and Zhao Linxu had just gotten together. He had chased him to the border on a phoenix in a flurry.

On the first night in Huanyue City, Zhao Linxu had held Li Jianyu in bed, being intimate.

“Little Carp, tell me, when did you fall in love with me?” Zhao Linxu held Li Jianyu with one arm and played with the stray hairs by his ear with the other.

“If you like someone, you just like them. If you don’t, you don’t. There’s no need for so many reasons.”

“Tell me, tell your husband, hmm?” Zhao Linxu held Li Jianyu and nuzzled him, acting spoiled, insistent on getting an answer.

Li Jianyu buried himself in his embrace for warmth, too lazy to speak.

“Tell me, tell me. If you don’t, I’ll take off your clothes.”

Li Jianyu was so annoyed that he had no choice but to roll his eyes. He pondered for a moment and said, “Probably after you set off fireworks for me.”

“Does Little Carp like this kind of thing? Then I’ll give you a surprise every day in the future.”

“No.”

I’m not a romantic person, Li Jianyu thought. But for him, setting off fireworks was not some exaggerated, high-profile declaration of love, but a sign of his thoughtfulness.

This fireworks show had made Li Jianyu suddenly realize that Zhao Linxu cared about him very much.

No one had ever cared about him so much.

And at this moment, Li Jianyu stared blankly at the man before him.

“Zhao Linxu?”

The surroundings were no longer the beige and white of the hospital, and the smell of disinfectant in his nose had also dissipated, replaced by a luxurious room. The room was filled with the faint scent of incense, the calming incense that Li Jianyu liked to use.

Li Jianyu blinked. Although it was not his room in the City Lord’s manor, nor was it a tent, he had at least returned to this era.

“Jianyu… you’re finally awake.”

This time, the one by his side was not Yuan Feiyang, but Zhao Linxu.

Li Jianyu was stunned, then he suddenly sat up and hugged Zhao Linxu tightly.

“I had a dream. I dreamed that I lost you, and I also dreamed that I left this place…” Li Jianyu buried his head in the crook of Zhao Linxu’s neck and murmured in a low voice.

“Little Carp, don’t be afraid. No matter where you are, I will always be with you.” Zhao Linxu smiled and gently patted Li Jianyu’s shoulder.

“Mm.”

“Jianyu, it’s all over. Will you wear it?”

Zhao Linxu patted the neatly folded wedding robe that had been placed by the head of the bed.

Li Jianyu blinked.

What?

“From now on, you will be my Empress,” Zhao Linxu said with a childlike smile. “Quick, put it on.”

“Alright.”

And after Li Jianyu had put on the clothes, Zhao Linxu held his hand, and the two of them slowly walked up the steps to the main hall, their two hands held together.

Li Jianyu looked ahead. He couldn’t see the road and the scenery around him clearly. It was a blurry haze. Only the person beside him was clear.

The main hall was full of people. The round pillars were carved with dragon patterns, and the floor was paved with golden bricks.

“First bow to heaven and earth—”

Li Jianyu and Zhao Linxu turned and bowed to the blue sky outside the hall door.

“Second bow to the elders—”

Then it was the high dragon throne.

“Husband and wife bow to each other—”

Li Jianyu turned around and saw Zhao Linxu slowly bend down before him, lowering his body.

Zhao Linxu was an emperor. He was always high above, looking down on everyone from his horseback. In front of him, Zhao Linxu had always been within his reach, and had even bent down to rub his feet.

“What’s wrong, Little Carp?”

Seeing that Li Jianyu had not bowed, but was just looking at him with a smile, Zhao Linxu also smiled. “Nervous?”

“I want to be a real husband and wife with you,” Li Jianyu said, lowering his eyes. “It can’t be anyone but you.”

Zhao Linxu looked at him and smiled gently. He reached out and tucked a stray hair by his ear, and said warmly, “Alright.”

“A fake one won’t do either.” Li Jianyu’s eyes were red, and he forced himself to smile. “This bow, I want to save it for the real Zhao Linxu. I belong to Zhao Linxu.”

“Alright.” Zhao Linxu’s gaze was still gentle.

This was enough.

No matter how beautiful this place was, the person opposite him was not Zhao Linxu.

“Zhao Linxu… I won’t be afraid or run away anymore.”

“Goodbye…”

Yuan Feiyang had made him weak, but Zhao Linxu had made him brave and no longer run away.

He had to wake up and face reality. And no matter what the result was, he would not be afraid anymore, because he had said his goodbyes properly.

Li Jianyu went forward and hugged Zhao Linxu, gently touching his forehead with a kiss. The dagger in his hand pierced Zhao Linxu’s chest.

Then, Zhao Linxu and everything around him began to shatter into fragmented pieces, disappearing one by one.

Li Jianyu felt a little tired, as if he had been holding on for a long time but had suddenly relaxed. So, fatigue swept over him, and his vision gradually fell into darkness.

And when Li Jianyu opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in a huge formation. Li Jianyu squinted at the scenery around him, trying to determine where he was, but there was not enough light, as if he were in a closed, empty room.

“You’re finally awake,” Dan Xi said with relief, standing at the side. “It’s been hard on you.”

Chong Xi went forward and hugged Li Jianyu.

“Jianyu, you…”

Chong Xi seemed to want to comfort Li Jianyu, but Li Jianyu’s face was expressionless, looking no different from usual.

Li Jianyu patted Chong Xi with a calm expression. “Take me to see Zhao Linxu.”

At that time, they couldn’t stop Qing Luo, and the gunpowder had been detonated. At the last moment before he completely lost consciousness, Li Jianyu had cast a phoenix curse on Zhao Linxu. The so-called phoenix curse was the seven souls and six spirits of his secret art. It was like lodging his phoenix divine soul in Zhao Linxu’s body. This way, although Zhao Linxu had lost his breath, he was not considered a “dead person.”

This secret art had been taught to him by Dan Xi.

He didn’t know if Zhao Linxu could be saved now, but he knew that phoenixes had a secret art that could bring people back from the dead. It was a pity that the price was extremely high.

But Li Jianyu had already made his decision. Even if he had to pay with something of his own, he would not let Zhao Linxu die.