Chapter 22

When Lu Yongzhang arrived to wait for her, Zheng Tianlei followed the two of them out the door like a little monkey.

He quickly noticed that Zheng Xiaorou seemed a bit down. “Xiaorou, why do you seem so distracted?”

“Brother Lu, my sister had a nightmare,” Zheng Tianlei said without any hesitation. “She woke up crying this morning—no idea what kind of nightmare she had, but she cried so sadly. I asked her about it, but she wouldn’t say a word! I told her that dreams are the opposite of reality.”

Lu Yongzhang looked at Zheng Xiaorou, his voice unconsciously taking on a soothing tone. “When someone gets woken up from a nightmare, it’s hard for them to tell the difference between reality and the dream. But it’s a good thing to be awakened from a nightmare, Xiaorou.”

Zheng Tianlei looked sideways at him, watching how he comforted his sister. With an exaggerated shiver, he quickened his pace. “I’m off to school,” he announced.

With that, he headed toward another direction at the end of the alley.

The weather in Haishi was gradually cooling, and more fallen leaves littered the roads. On streets not swept in time, the leaves rustled underfoot as one walked over them.

Her emotions gradually settled as Zheng Xiaorou listened to the crunching sounds of their footsteps on the leaves. Yet, the images from her dream still haunted her, lingering in her mind.

She hadn’t wanted to say a word to her family during breakfast. But now, a sudden and intense urge to share overwhelmed her.

Walking side by side with her, Lu Yongzhang occasionally lowered his gaze to look at the top of her head, savoring the rare feeling of relaxation and peace.

It was as if only when he was with her could he momentarily let go of the intricate social networks and endless work that filled his mind and simply think of nothing at all.

During this time, everything he had been planning, whether quickly or slowly, was coming to a close. He had dealt with almost everyone who had made her unhappy, and as for her education, he was already thinking of other solutions. 

That was why he needed to be deeply involved in the beverage factory project. Not only could it provide employment opportunities for others, but it might also help solve her education issues. 

Lu Yongzhang felt that all his painstaking efforts had been worthwhile, making this rare moment of relaxation feel especially precious. 

Suddenly, Zheng Xiaorou stopped in her tracks, staring down at her toes. “I dreamt about… you,” she whispered. “In the dream, it was terrifying—there was fire everywhere. You were protecting me, and it felt like we were running for our lives, but… but…” 

Her voice trembled, and she couldn’t bring herself to describe the horrifying scene. 

The moment Lu Yongzhang clearly heard her words, he froze. He grabbed her arm, pulling her in front of him. His usually deep and steady black eyes instantly narrowed, and even his breath and voice became urgent. “What did you say? Say that again!” 

The two of them stood at an intersection, the green light glowing in front of them, but neither moved.

A few people behind them began to cast glances their way. 

In the past, Lu Yongzhang would never have acted this way in public—crossing the line like this.

But today, his shock had made him lose control. 

Zheng Xiaorou bit her lip and tugged his hand, pulling him toward the road leading to the publishing house. They didn’t speak again until they had crossed the street, and she finally let go of his hand. 

His palm was broad and firm, and in those brief seconds when their hands had clasped, there had been a trace of sweat. Zheng Xiaorou’s face reddened slightly. “Actually, this isn’t the first time I’ve dreamt of you. But last night… I saw so much that I’ve never dreamt of before.” 

She recalled the vivid moment in her dream when she saw him collapse, the overwhelming panic she had felt then tightening her voice now. “I dreamt of you falling to the ground, surrounded by flames. You called me ‘Empress,’ and you told me to leave first… It felt so real like it was actually happening.”

“It’s real…” 

These words were stuck in Lu Yongzhang’s throat.

He stared at her, his eyes filled with shock, his Adam’s apple moving as if trying to swallow the weight of it all.

After a brief moment of restraint, he finally said, “Go to work first. Don’t think too much about it.”

“I understand.” Zheng Xiaorou knew her words sounded somewhat absurd. 

Noticing her unusual mood, Fu Dongyun didn’t ask any questions. Instead, she assigned some less urgent proofreading tasks to her. 

Once Zheng Xiaorou immersed herself in her work, she felt freed from the dream’s grip.

But as the end of the day drew near, she eagerly awaited seeing Lu Yongzhang again. 

Xiao Rujuan invited her to go to the night market after work, but Zheng Xiaorou turned her down. 

Unexpectedly, as she stepped out onto the small road in front of the office, she saw Lu Yongzhang waiting at the corner. 

The sounds of traffic and chattering people seemed to fade into the background as she quickened her pace, her expression becoming animated. 

“Why are you here?” she asked. 

“Hmm, I’ve finished my work. I can come pick you up after work from now on.” 

Lu Yongzhang pressed his thin lips together, holding back a thousand words. “Let’s go. Tonight, it’s just the two of us for dinner. I’ve already sent someone to inform your family.” 

Meanwhile, Pan Pangzi, who had just left Sanzhu Town Lane in a rush, sneezed. 

Lu Yongzhang took Zheng Xiaorou to Weizhizhai, where he reserved a private table on the upper floor.

Zheng Xiaorou nervously tugged at the hem of his jacket, and in response, Lu Yongzhang took her hand without hesitation, leading her up to the second floor.

At this time of day, there were few people in the private dining area. Only two or three tables were occupied, all positioned near the restaurant’s glass windows facing the street.

Lu Yongzhang chose a secluded corner table before finally letting go of her hand.

The waiter, accustomed to seeing young couples on dates, showed no surprise at their behavior.

Holding the menu handed to him, Lu Yongzhang glanced at Zheng Xiaorou as he discussed their order with her. “You don’t like picking out fish bones, so let’s get a silverfish soup. As for the meatballs, we can have those next time at my place. Let’s go with braised pork belly and some stir-fried greens for today. Does that sound good?”

Seeing Zheng Xiaorou’s surprise, the tension on his face relaxed briefly, and he smiled faintly. “I’ve seen everything you dreamed about, too.”

With that one sentence, he explained how he knew her preferences.

The two sat quietly, gazing at each other before Lu Yongzhang tightened his grip on her hand. “You are Empress Zheng, and I… I am the Chief Eununch Lu Yongzhang. The scene you saw was the fall of Heaven’s Gate. The emperor’s nephew gathered rebel forces from the frontier and marched all the way to the capital. After seizing the Heaven’s Gate, the next step was to take the throne. As a former imperial eunuch, my fate was sealed—death. But you were different. If you could escape and change your identity, you still had a chance to live a peaceful life.”

Without realizing it, Lu Yongzhang had said more than he intended.

He desperately wanted to know whether she had managed to escape in that dream—or perhaps in a previous life.

Though it was supposed to be just a dream, Zheng Xiaorou’s heart sank as she listened. The image from her morning dream still haunted her, making her chest tighten. “There was no peaceful life… In the dream, I died too.”

When Zheng Tianlei woke her up, she was just about to tumble off a horse and land in Lu Yongzhang’s arms. She had already seen the spear aimed at her from a short distance away.

Had she not woken up, she would have died in the dream.

“How did you die?” Lu Yongzhang’s grip on her hand was firm.

Zheng Xiaorou couldn’t refer to herself as he did with such ease. She replied, “She fell off the horse and landed in front of… Lu Yongzhang, who was lying on the ground. Then, the rebel forces charged forward… That’s how it ended.”

She hadn’t witnessed her own death, but in that critical moment between life and death, there was no possibility of turning the tide.

Lu Yongzhang remained silent for a long time, his anger momentarily suppressed.

Fortunately, the dishes began to arrive. After they were served, Zheng Xiaorou asked him, “Do you believe in this dream?”

He smiled calmly, but Zheng Xiaorou could discern an underlying sorrow in his expression. “Xiaorou, do you believe that people might indeed have past lives and future lives?”

In the past, he had mocked the people at the Astronomical Bureau for their mystical nonsense, claiming they were merely using tricks to manipulate people’s hearts, that the so-called genuine skills were just deceptions. But now, having experienced both past and present, he found himself unable to dismiss such beliefs.

Zheng Xiaorou recalled the fragments of dreams she had intermittently experienced during this time, feeling a sense of wavering. “I do.”

Lu Yongzhang skillfully prepared her dish, his pair of chopsticks moving with remarkable finesse. He separated the fatty parts and pig skin from the braised pork, leaving only the lean meat.

He chose only the tender hearts from the greens, resulting in a visually pleasing plate with red, green, and pale yellow colors.

Observing his adept movements, Zheng Xiaorou hesitated and asked, “Did you do this before?”

“This is a basic skill. Even though I was chosen for the inner study, I still had to master these servant skills just like the other little eunuchs. Not a bit could be left out. Try it; the food here doesn’t seem bad.”

Lu Yongzhang took a couple of bites, then looked at her and continued, “Let me tell you your past. You entered the palace for the selection and were chosen to serve in the Imperial Garment Bureau. Actually, you were only thinking about saving a sum of silver to leave the palace by the age of 25. I was thinking that if you hadn’t found a good man to marry by 25, I would find a way to leave the palace and accompany you.”

Who could have anticipated what happened later?

“What happened later?”

Unknowingly, Zheng Xiaorou was drawn into the scenario he described, a situation she had never dreamed of.

After a long pause, Lu Yongzhang finally spoke with difficulty, “Once, during the Empress Dowager’s birthday, you were suddenly called to the Empress Dowager’s palace to supplement the embroidery on her belt. The Fourth Prince, having gotten drunk, went to the side hall to rest and forcefully demanded you in his drunken state.”

“Before long, you were taken into the Imperial Harem and bestowed a low-ranking concubine title that was not valued. Your father was very pleased as he was promoted one rank higher due to this, and the Zheng family gradually rose to prominence because of you, all gaining lucrative positions in the government.”

He seemed to recall an unpleasant memory, his expression darkening. “The Fourth Prince was a lifetime wastrel. Who would have thought that the other princes would die in their struggles for the throne, leaving him to inherit the great authority? And you, as the only woman beside him without a powerful maternal family, became the Empress in a muddled way.”

In truth, it wasn’t muddled; it was the result of his careful maneuvering step by step.

But she couldn’t recall it, so there was no need for her to know.

“Just like that, I became the Chief Eunuch, and you became the Empress. There was no longer any hope of leaving the palace by 25; we were destined to waste our lives behind the palace walls.”

He scoffed a few times. “The most ironic thing is that this throne came in such a strange way, and its departure held no suspense, yet it doomed both you and me.”

After hearing this, Zheng Xiaorou felt a heaviness in her chest. She wanted to disbelieve it, but a deep voice urged her to accept that these things were true.

Those bizarre dreams appeared one after another after meeting Lu Yongzhang.

“Do you mean to say that my dreams really happened?”

“Yes, they did happen.” He smiled bitterly and rubbed the back of his head as if lingering pain remained.

As the long-held secret suddenly spilled out, Lu Yongzhang didn’t feel any relief.

He had long been accustomed to bearing everything alone. In contrast, he found himself feeling constrained regarding his future plans.

“Let’s not talk about this anymore. How’s your revision going?” Lu Yongzhang shifted the topic.

Zheng Xiaorou’s face fell. “Not well at all. I definitely won’t be taking the exam this year.” Her knowledge base was like a fishing net, full of holes everywhere.

He pulled out a book from his briefcase. “This is a basic question book I found; take a look and see if it’s useful.” Then he looked at her and asked, “If—I’m saying if—there was another chance to study but in a different place, would you consider it?”