I’ll Give It To You

The absence of his cub made him feel a sense of emptiness he'd never felt before. It had been over a month since Qi Xiu returned to the south, and even if the system reassured him that his cub was doing well, he still couldn't help but to be upset.

He An would sometimes wake up at night and mistake the shadows of the pillows as Qi Xiu, only to be disappointed.

He knew these feelings were abnormal.

Even if he thought of Qi Xiu as a cub, a father's love could only go so far. No parent in the world could feel this lonely even if their child grew and went to college—the loneliness He An was going through felt more like lovers who were separated unwillingly.

He really missed Qi Xiu...

He An frowned and looked at the night sky outside, reminiscing of the time on his birthday which he spent with Qi Xiu.

He gently touched his lips and his heart thumped.

Ah.

He knew what this feeling was.

Yet what was the point of these feelings if the recipient now hated him? Even if he managed to meet his cub again, it would probably be when Qi Xiu conquered the north.

He sighed.

He An: [How long until I'm allowed to leave this world and move onto the next?]

Six counted it's tiny finger and jumped around excitedly, shouting: [Five more years, host! Once Qi Xiu conquers the entire continent, your task will be considered finished and you'll immediately be sent into the next world. ^w^]

Although the system's words were meant to console him, He An felt another wave of emptiness overwhelm him.

[Is it possible to stay until the end of this lifespan?]

Six looked like it had just been crushed by a boulder and contemplated for several minutes before finally saying, [It's not impossible... >_<]

Then it added in a hurry, [But you hurt Qi Xiu, so he shouldn't like you anymore, host! Are you sure you want to stay? You'll have to live for several decades with only being able to look at Qi Xiu... TvT]

He An didn't even hesitate to answer: [That's fine. As long as I can see the cub grow and become a great person, I'll be alright.]

Even if he wanted to accompany Qi Xiu, he was okay if he could only do so by supporting him from the background. He would eventually die and go to the next world eventually anyways, so it didn't matter.

As long as Qi Xiu is happy.

*

On the other side of the continent, Qi Xiu was having yet another episode.

Ever since his departure from the north, he's been upset and holding resentment towards He An, yet he still can't forget that person. Every thought was about him, and no matter how hard he wanted to suppress these ideas, He An's voice and appearance occupied his mind.

Qi Xiu looked at the sight of blood on his wrists, ignoring his own thoughts as he tried to make up an excuse for He An's decisions.

He heard from Lei Wen's big mouth that the Emperor forced them to sign a peace treaty. Did that mean He An knew about his identity since the beginning? He wanted to believe the peace treaty was for his sake, yet he couldn't think of a reason as to why He An sent him away in that manner.

'The south is poor compared to the north.'

Every word He An said to him was running through his mind and he bit his lips harshly, causing blood to pour out from the already red lips.

He couldn't breathe.

His chest hurt.

"Your Highness?!" Qiao Zhou walked in to the scene of Qi Xiu mercilessly hurting himself and screamed in panic, wanting to stop him from causing anymore cuts.

It's been a month since they brought him back, yet none of them knew how to stop their soon-to-be Emperor from self-harming.

Qiao Zhou could only go out to find Yao Xuefeng, since he was the only one among them who could stop Qi Xiu when he was like this.

"What the hell are you doing to yourself? Is this funny to you?!" Yao Xuefeng grabbed Qi Xiu and restrained his arms behind his back so that the latter couldn't scratch himself anymore.

Qi Xiu's thoughts weren't very stable, and in this moment he remembered all the terrible things he'd gone through in his last life and he struggled as hard as he could. The memories of forcefully being touched and restrained like this were rushing in all at once.

"Just because that man abandoned you, you're acting like this?!" Yao Xuefeng yelled as he continued to tightly hold Qi Xiu.

At this rate, their prince would be the one to kill himself.

"He An doesn't want you! You heard him say this, yet you're acting so desperate for his attention!" Yao Xuefeng continued to bombard Qi Xiu with harsh words, unable to hold in his anger.

Qi Xiu stopped resisting upon hearing Yao Xuefeng's words and Qiao Zhou sighed in relief behind them.

"Your Highness, cooperate with us, please?" She softly murmured, unlike her usual demeanor. Whenever she looked at Qi Xiu, she often thought of her younger brother who died in battle.

Yao Xuefeng thought he had finally calmed down and sighed in annoyance, telling Qiao Zhou to bandage his cuts.

Qi Xiu didn't even look at either of them and could only hear He An's voice telling him that he didn't want him anymore.

'Unless you offer the entire continent to me, it's impossible to keep relations with you.'

Qi Xiu's eyes darkened.

Alright.

You said it yourself.

I'll give you whatever you want, so don't refuse me in the future.