CONTENT WARNING
This chapter contains themes that some readers may find sensitive or unsettling, including complex family dynamics and taboo implications. These elements are integral to the plot and are portrayed as morally conflicted and taboo within the story's world. They are not endorsed or romanticized. Please proceed with care, and feel free to skip if this content is distressing. Your well-being is important. Thank you for engaging with the story thoughtfully.
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Eighteen Mortal Years Later.
"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince has arrived," announced the head eunuch. He shuffled out of the hall, head bowed.
Zhen Hua hadn't seen her son in three years, not since he left to join the army at the border. She sipped her tea, ruminating on how she had painstakingly raised him, all the while maintaining a forced saccharine smile. She was glad he had left for the army. It impressed the Emperor that his round-faced son took an interest in the kingdom and rose through the ranks on his own merits. Now that he was back, she could begin the next phase of her plan.
She had planned to assassinate the Emperor and, as Empress Dowager, wield greater authority. Once her son ascended the throne and produced an heir, she intended to dispose of him too—ruling as a proxy for her grandson.
She stood in the reception hall of the inner court, posing as a loving mother eagerly awaiting her son's return. She forced a saccharine smile but gasped at who entered.
Before her stood a figure that made her heart skip a beat. Had her eyes deceived her? Did Long Fei, the immortal, just enter the hall? The man held his helmet at his side, his hair neatly tied in a bun, and wore a general's armor. She struggled to comprehend the sight, torn between reality and the longing that had consumed her for lifetimes. It couldn't be…
The man before her was undeniably the spitting image of the immortal she had longed for across countless lifetimes. But his gaze was unexpectedly warm. He smiled at her, grinning from ear to ear.
Not once did Long Fei ever smile at her in the Celestial Realm.
Zhen Hua's heart fluttered, and her breath caught. Was this a dream? She had searched for him in the Mortal Realm for so long, and now—after all these decades—he stood before her. She took a step forward, ready to embrace him, but froze the moment he spoke.
"Mother," he greeted her with a dashing filial smile.
What had he just called her? Her heart stopped, her chest tightening. She had waited for millennia to hear her beloved immortal speak to her with warmth—had waited all this life just to meet him again.
But now, hearing him call her "Mother" made her stomach churn. This was filial love, not the love she had yearned for through a thousand lifetimes. She felt so revolted that her hand covered her mouth, stifling her vomit.
No... She reached out to him, her hand trembling as it moved toward his face. This could not be real. She had to touch him. But before her fingers could brush his skin, he stepped back, his brows furrowed.
"I am a grown man now, Mother. It is improper for a woman to be so close to a man. I don't want to blemish your virtuous reputation."
Zhen Hua's heart wrenched. His words were like a slap across her face, and she stumbled back, holding her forehead. Her world spun, her vision blurred. He even had the same values as her beloved immortal.
She wanted to speak, to pour out the truth of her heart—that she had waited for him, loved him through every lifetime, and had never stopped hoping they could be together in this lifetime. But her throat closed, her words choking on the pain of knowing that her yearning would never be returned.
The millennia she had spent longing for the unreachable immortal now felt like an eternity, and the crushing reality of this moment was too much to bear. Tears welled in her eyes as the brutal truth settled in: her son was the reincarnation of Long Fei, the immortal.
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, but the emotional weight of it all was overwhelming. Her legs buckled, and her body betrayed her, collapsing to the floor with a quiet gasp.
Her son caught her before she could hit the ground. His eyes flickered with concern that she wasn't accustomed to seeing on that handsome face; usually, that face would wear an impassive expression.
"Mother," he said again, his voice softening as he gently helped her to a chair. "You need to take care of yourself. I'll call for the Imperial Physician for you."
Her mind raced in a whirlwind of confusion. She rubbed her temples. This was her son, not the immortal she had loved for so many lifetimes. She had sought Long Fei's reincarnation for decades and built this empire for his arrival, not to cradle a child. How did he end up being her son?! Fate had a cruel sense of humor.
Tears streamed down her face as she grieved her bitter unrequited love for millennia. She knew he had taken the Amnesia Elixir: Long Fei's past life, and their connection, all erased. He looked at her with the eyes of a faithful son. The thought of her son being him repulsed her. She pushed him back. "Get away from me!"
He took a step back, placed a hand on his heart, and bowed. "I'm sorry, Mother, if I offended you. I didn't want you to hurt yourself."
The door to the hall burst open, and an urgent voice called out, "Zhen Hua! What happened?"
Her mind spun, and she collapsed with shock. Long Fei's arms wrapped around her, lifting her with ease. His posture was dignified, his movements filled with the quiet respect of a son tending to his mother. Fate had made sure that Long Fei was untouchable to her in this lifetime.
As her son cradled her gently, she caught a flicker of something in his eyes: an unspoken question that made her heart ache all the more. His concerned gaze hardened, his nostrils flaring, as Long Yan rushed in behind him.
Long Fei carefully helped her up to a seat. She shook her head at Long Yan, who was unsheathing his sword as he approached them. Her son's back stiffened. Too late, he had noticed the exchange.
Long Fei did not turn his head to face Long Yan. "How dare you address my mother so impudently!"
This was not the reunion Zhen Hua had planned for. It was her punishment. Fate had played them all.