Under the silver veil of the moon, on a balcony kissed by the wind of forgotten stars, Li Xuanyin stood alone—an immortal wrapped in despair. His eyes were fixed on the heavens as if they could weep for him.
"Yue Lusi," he murmured, voice barely above the breeze, "just hold on. Even if I must flip the cosmos on its head—I will bring you back. Even if it tears me apart."
A month passed like a bleeding wound left to fester. The realms groaned under the weight of his fury. Mortals trembled. Immortals whispered. The heavens turned away.
Li Xuanyin, the once serene guardian of souls, had become a blade forged in grief. With every strike of his wrath, demons shrieked their final cries, fox spirits howled in agony, and the rivers ran red with the blood of vampires. His fury was godlike. His pain, cataclysmic.
"Where is the soul revive clock?!" he thundered, dragging high council members to their knees.
"We do not have it!" the Tiansheng elders cried, their voices shattered glass beneath his boot. "It was lost eons ago!"
But mercy had long fled Li Xuanyin 's heart. One by one, the mighty fell. The Tiansheng Clan—a name once feared—was reduced to a memory bathed in carnage. Their temples burned. Their blood stained the earth.
Then, in the stillness after the storm, destiny whispered.
An old man stood on a mountain path, draped in robes as white as winter's first breath. His back hunched, yet his presence commanded stillness.
Li Xuanyin halted, blade drawn, eyes narrowed.
"Why block my path, old man?"
The elder bowed his head. "Because your journey leads here. To truth."
Li Xuanyin lowered his weapon—but not his guard. "You know the clock?"
"I do. I hold its secret. But the price is cruel. What you cherish most—must be surrendered."
A heartbeat passed. Then another. The wind stopped breathing.
"Yue Lusi is gone," Li Xuanyin said. "I have nothing left."
The old man smiled, and the world seemed to darken. "You have one thing. Your soul."
Without flinching, Li Xuanyin stepped forward. "Then take it."
With blood, he signed a celestial contract. His lifespan—once eternal—was reduced to four fleeting years. The soul revive clock materialized in his palm: an ancient artifact forged from starlight and sorrow.
And so, he returned—to the realm of death and cold and memories.
__________
Elsewhere...During the ancient time 975 years ago
In the grand halls of the Eastern Palace, within the polished obsidian walls of Prince Li Xuanyin 's private chamber, friendship simmered with unspoken ache.
"Xuanyin," Wu Tianye said, his eyes filled with the weight of longing, "Everyone loves you. I just… I wanted to be like you. A hero."
The prince looked up from his book, the firelight painting soft shadows across his face. "You don't need to be me," he replied quietly. "You're admired too. In ways I never will be."
A knock interrupted the moment. A servant bowed low. "Your Highness. Princess Yue Lusi requests an audience."
A tension like ice settled over Li Xuanyin's shoulders. "Let her in."
Yue Lusi entered—every step controlled, every movement concealing the storm inside her. But Li Xuanyin didn't even rise.
"Why are you here again?" he asked, eyes fixed on the window. "The Emperor's favor doesn't entitle you to trespass daily."
"I came to see you," she whispered. Her voice trembled—but didn't break.
"You know my feelings." His voice was a winter blade. "They haven't changed. I do not like you."
Wu Tianye winced. "Li Xuanyin …"
"She knows what she is," Li Xuanyin snapped, nodding toward her. "A manipulator. A shadow in silk."
"I apologize," Yue Lusi said, bowing low. "I won't trouble you again."
She turned to leave, her eyes betraying a sliver of broken hope.
"Wait," Wu Tianye offered gently. "Let me walk you out."
She smiled thinly. "No need, Lord Wu Tianye. I've imposed enough."
_________
Back to present time
That night, in a room where time stood still, Li Xuanyin held Yue Xianying 's body one last time. She was a statue of cold beauty—silent, still, and gone.
The room smelled of lavender and loss. Candlelight flickered across ancient books and velvet curtains. A sanctuary of death and memory.
He laid her gently upon the bed, fingers brushing strands of her hair. Then, with breath trembling like a prayer, he pressed the soul revive clock against her chest.
A pulse. A glow. A shudder of reality.
Her soul was gone—sent into another universe where she might awaken. But she would never return to this one.
Li Xuanyin stood in silence.
And wept.
___________
Two Months Later...
The world returned in fragments of color and sound.
"Thank heavens, you're awake!" Yue Chuchu cried, clutching Yue Lusi's hand.
Yue Lusi was shock to see Yue Chuchu alive again,this time she thanked the heaven for giving her Chuchu another chance.
"You scared us!" Mira added, blinking back tears. "You've been asleep for two whole months!"
Yue Lusi blinked at the ceiling. She pinched her cheeks. "I... I was dead…"
Her eyes found Li Xuanyin, standing in the corner like a sentinel.
What happened? her eyes screamed.
Later, his gaze whispered back.
"Hey," Mira muttered to Fang Si Chang, who stood dumbfounded. "What's up with those two?"
"I don't know," he whispered, "but something's definitely weird."
Then Mira's voice sharpened. "Oh—and while you were out, your uncle Mr. Yue and his scheming brat tried to steal the company."
Yue Lusi's jaw tightened. "Not happening."
She turned to the others. "Give us a moment. I need to speak with Li Xuanyin. Alone."
Once the room emptied, she looked at him with eyes full of fire.
"Tell me everything."
"You were dead," he said, voice low and ragged. "I found the soul revive clock. I brought you back. But… you can't go back to that universe. There, you're gone."
She gasped, tears threatening. "You... gave up something, didn't you?"
He looked away. "Yes" His voice barely a whisper
"What did you give in return?" she asked
"you will know when the time came but all i know that it worth it because it's for you." he looked at her with a smile
She launched into his arms, sobbing against his chest. "You idiot…"
"Then… can I get a kiss?" he teased gently, brushing her hair back.
"You pervert," she muttered—but pressed her lips to his cheek.
Then—
A knock. A doctor entered.
"Congratulations, Miss Yue. Let me check your vitals."
But as he removed his mask, Li Xuanyin's heart froze.
"Wu Tianye?"
Yue Lusi blinked. "You two know each other?"
Li Xuanyin stared into eyes that no longer belonged to the friend he once knew but an enemy.
Wu Tianye's lips curled into a devil's grin. "No," he said, his tone shifting like venom in silk.
But when he turned to Yue Lusi, his smile was angelic.
"No," he repeated, softly this time. "We've never met."