Chapter 682 – He Held the World in Both Hands, and With One Finger, Raised a Forest - Part 1

“The first time I met you, I felt like we’d known each other forever. As if I’d seen you countless times in my dreams...as if we’d already lived several lifetimes together.”

Li Yuan held the woman in his arms close, his voice soft as his cheek brushed against hers.

Hearing this, Lady Yu felt her heart melt, a wave of warmth and happiness blooming inside her.

In truth, she had doubted herself countless times in the past. The thought that she was Lord Yu’s woman, was it just a fantasy? A delusion born of loneliness? Maybe, in reality, she was nothing at all.

Those doubts crept in most insidiously during her lowest moments.

Every time they surfaced, the pain was unbearable. She had to fight to suppress them because she couldn’t live without that delusion.

Only those who looked up at the stars could find direction. Bow one’s head, and all they could see was mud and dog shit on their shoes.

Lady Yu’s childhood had been nothing but misery. She needed an inner world, some fantasy she could weave into a lie strong enough to carry her beyond the wreckage of her past.

But even after she’d seemingly escaped, the thought that she was Lord Yu’s woman remained buried deep in her subconscious. There was always a whisper in the back of her mind, always reminding her that none of this was real.

So in this moment, Li Yuan’s words, which to any other woman might have been just sweet talk, were something else entirely to her. A revelation. A validation. Proof that she wasn’t crazy, not delusional. That the man she had imagined, the man she dreamed of being with...had dreamed of her too.

“I remember a time,” Li Yuan said softly, “when I used to have the same dream over and over. In it, I had a wife who loved feathered ornaments. We lived together in that dreamworld for what felt like forever. She was perfect. So I told myself I had to become perfect too, only by staying flawless could I be worthy of her.”

Lady Yu blinked, then asked a question she probably shouldn’t have: “And what did you two

do

in those dreams?”

Even before he answered, dread crept into her heart.

Because if he gave the wrong answer...wouldn’t that mean he was lying?

She shouldn’t have asked. But since she had, he had to answer.

And he did without hesitation. He smiled and said, “We did exactly what we’re doing now.”

Lady Yu smiled, closed her eyes with satisfaction, and nestled deeper into his arms. For the first time, it felt like this embrace was truly mutual, intimate, full, and real.

Some embraces felt distant, no matter how tightly two people held each other. But not this one. Not now.

She was content with his answer.

Let the past stay hazy, like smoke in a dream. Let what happened in dreams remain in dreams.

She shifted the topic, her voice losing its usual distant coolness, now sweet and curious like a young girl’s. “You still haven’t told me. What is it you’re obsessed with?”

She wasn’t asking to dig up secrets. She genuinely wanted to know. After all this time, she still didn’t really understand what captivated her man.

If she had to guess...perhaps it was the blade.

But he treated his blade more like a tool than a passion. That didn’t feel like the real answer.

Li Yuan didn’t hide it. He simply said, “

Mu.

”

“

Mu?

As in wood?” Lady Yu’s curiosity flared immediately. But the more she thought about it, the more confused she became.

Her husband had never shown any love for trees or flowers, where did this supposed obsession with

wood

come from? Or...could it be a different word?

Mu

, as in

tomb

? That would be even stranger. Who would become obsessed with

graves

? That wasn’t romantic. That was a red flag.

While her thoughts tangled themselves into knots, Li Yuan clarified, “

Mu

, as in Dusk. The moment when the sun sets behind the western hills and the world sinks into twilight.”

Lady Yu blinked.

What?

Her mind stalled for a beat, struggling to wrap itself around that answer.

Dusk? That was not a thing, not in the way a person could touch or hold or chase after. It was a fleeting vision, a world revealed only when light and shadow met. It was not a single object, but a moment. A feeling. A state of mind.

No wonder, no wonder his eyes had gleamed gold just now. No wonder she’d felt her strength drain, her body turning light and hollow. That wasn’t physical. It was spiritual. Something deep and intangible washing over her.

“Last year, around this time, I dreamed of a face, framed by blooming peach blossoms. Man and flowers, both glowing red in the sunset. I went back to that place later. The peach blossoms were still there. But the person...was gone,” Li Yuan explained.

“In dreams, we see our past and present lives. And when those lives are gone, what’s left is sorrow,” he muttered softly.

Lady Yu narrowed her eyes slightly. “And who was that face among the peach blossoms?”

Li Yuan glanced at her, instantly catching the scent of jealousy in the air.

Of course. This woman, who hadn’t even met him before claiming him in dreams for lifetimes, was fiercely possessive and territorial.

That was, honestly, fair enough. One lifetime, one partner, that’s how it

should

be.

The problem was...

him

. He couldn’t give her that. Yet he also couldn’t tell her the truth.

Living beside Lady Yu day after day, he knew exactly the kind of person she was. In some ways, she was just like Xie Yu, obsessive and stubborn to the bone. Once she believed in something, nothing could dislodge it.

To her, her husband

had

to love only her. Anything less, and he became flawed. If Li Yuan told the truth now, even with all the sincerity and regret he could muster, this sweet, affectionate woman in his arms would turn cold in an instant.

Why ruin this moment?

As for the future...well, he’d figure that out when he got there.

So he furrowed his brow, pretending to think. Then said lightly, “Just some old acquaintances. Like that Divine General from the Western Capital, for example.”

Lady Yu pounced. “That Divine General, man or woman?”

“Guo Xi,” Li Yuan replied.

Lady Yu blinked in recognition. Of course, she’d always considered herself the true Lady Yu and had done her homework. She knew all about Guo Xi and had even met him once. He was a big, burly blade-wielding brute of a man. Definitely not her type.

Privately, she felt relieved. But just to make sure, she added playfully, “His daughter is a beauty though.”

Li Yuan chuckled and shook his head. “Not even close to my lady’s elegance.”

Lady Yu beamed. She knew perfectly well she was prettier than Guo Qin. She’d seen the woman at the wedding, and Guo Qin’s hair had already started graying. But hearing her husband say it aloud made her heart dance with joy.

Li Yuan then shifted the conversation to his time with those rough men—traveling, sparring, drinking. No women in sight.

Lady Yu was pleased. Nestled against his chest like a little bird, she murmured now and then, “Those men were lucky to have the honor of drinking with my husband. And you know, maybe ease up on the wine a little. A man as perfect as you, getting drunk would only tarnish that perfection.”

They chatted a bit longer until the sky began to lighten.