Lover Number 8.1 ― Lookalike

"Mom," Li Jie whispered, leaning into her comforting presence, his voice carrying a heaviness that was impossible to miss. "I feel so much lighter now."

Han Yasheng pressed a loving kiss to the top of his head, her eyes shimmering with a combination of pride and worry. "My Li Jie, everything will be alright. I've always told you this."

"I know," Li Jie replied, his laughter tinged with a touch of sorrow. It wasn't happiness that danced in his eyes but a growing acceptance of the changes life had wrought upon him. "It feels like everything's falling into its rightful place."

"As long as you're happy, you can do anything," Han Yasheng remarked, her eyes gleaming with a hint of danger. "You can reshape the world as you see fit. You have an army at your command."

Li Jie chuckled, a sound that held more complexity than his earlier laughter. He was no longer content to play the role of the naive and innocent prince, bound by duty and tradition. He had grown, evolved, and now possessed the power to be the person he truly was, the person Parsa had fallen in love with.

"Mom," Li Jie turned to face Han Yasheng, a question burning in his eyes. "Have you always been watching over me?"

"Of course," Han Yasheng replied, her smile warm and reassuring. "I've never stopped, and I never will."

Li Jie hesitated, his heart heavy with emotions he had held within for far too long. "Then, did you... Did you know him?"

Han Yasheng's expression softened, and she continued to stroke his hair, offering both comfort and support. "Not as well as you did, but I observed him from afar. He seemed like a remarkable man, a shining light in the darkness of the palace, much better than the treacherous snakes that inhabit that place. He was worthy of my child's love."

Li Jie swallowed the lump in his throat, his gaze distant, lost in a sea of memories. "He was... He was a truly great person, Mom. He loved me with all his heart, just as I loved him. Perhaps even more."

Han Yasheng shifted to sit on the bed, inviting Li Jie to join her. He laid his head on her lap, cherishing the rare sensation of her soothing touch as she continued to pat his head gently. It was a maternal embrace that he had longed for, one he had never received from his birth mother.

"Sometimes I... Well, most of the time, I..." Li Jie began, his voice shaking with the weight of his emotions. He choked on his words, tears of frustration welling up in his eyes. "I... I knew that he would... he would... Ugh!"

A guttural cry of anguish escaped his lips, his sobs tearing through the heavy air of the room. He cursed himself for his weakness, for his inability to articulate the turmoil within him.

Han Yasheng, her own eyes glistening with the pain she felt for her child, fought back her own tears. She had to be the pillar of strength for Li Jie, to bear the weight of his agony as he finally opened up about the grief that had festered for so long. There was no time for her own tears; her sole focus was on being there for him, to help him.

"I was so selfish," Li Jie continued, his voice quivering, as if each word was wrestled from his soul. He gasped for air, feeling as if he had been running a marathon. "I should have let him go. I... I..."

Han Yasheng's comforting hand continued to glide across his hair. "No," she reassured him, her voice soft and consoling. "Things happen for a reason. I heard that phrase so many times when my husband passed away. I despised it. I couldn't fathom how his death could have a 'greater reason' when the best scenario would have been to spend our days together until the end.

"But with time, I began to think maybe it was for the best. The physician assured me that my husband passed without pain, and after months of sorrow, I started to believe that perhaps it was the way of the heavens, a form of mercy. Maybe he would have suffered more, maybe he would have left in agony. Maybe, maybe, maybe... There were a lot of maybes that gave me solace and many that fueled my resentment.

"Li Jie, you never truly know what might have transpired. Maybes are futile. I know that young man fell in love with you much more quickly than you did with him. You can't erase his love, so even if you acted 'selfishly,' what assurance is there that he wouldn't have been equally 'selfish'?

"That boy understood the implications of your affair, yet he loved you enough to take the risk, because that's what love does. Now tell me," Han Yasheng grinned gently, her eyes soft but determined. "What if the roles were reversed? What if you were in his shoes? Would you have met with him if he had warned you not to, while desperately in love with a prince?"

"I... I wouldn't," Li Jie admitted, his voice strained with emotion.

"Exactly," Han Yasheng nodded. "Would you have taken any risk to be with him? To be by his side?"

"I would," Li Jie replied, his voice more certain now.

"If you had seen his father attempting to harm him in the dead of night, would you have put yourself in harm's way to protect him?" Han Yasheng's voice was gentle, but her words carried immense weight.

"I... I would," Li Jie whispered. The memory of his father's fury and Parsa's lifeless body lying on the ground flashed before his eyes. The tears were flowing, but they no longer held the same sorrow as before.

They were tears of understanding.

"Sometimes, my dear, all you need to do is let go of those painful memories," Han Yasheng said, turning her gaze to the window, where the moon bathed the world in its soft light. She wore a small smile. "If seeking vengeance is your way of releasing those memories, then do so. Pursue it until you find peace, and then come back here. You know he's waiting."

Of course, Li Jie thought as he drifted off into sleep, exhaustion pulling him under. He's waiting for me... He's always there, everywhere...

As Li Jie's breathing steadied and he succumbed to sleep's embrace, Han Yasheng remained there, her fingers gently stroking his hair, her thoughts a tumultuous sea of emotions.

She had known Li Jie since he was a child, and her affection for him ran deeper than the official role of a maid. Han Yasheng was no ordinary servant; her presence in the palace was shrouded in mystery and purpose. She had witnessed the torment the emperor, Li Jie's father, had inflicted on his own son. And she had borne witness to Parsa's tragic fate.

The flames of her resentment toward the emperor burned fiercely beneath her seemingly tranquil exterior. His callousness, his political machinations, and his brutal treatment of Li Jie had not gone unnoticed. Yet, she remained silent, biding her time, knowing that her role was far more complex and significant than it appeared.

The night was silent, save for the faint rustling of leaves outside the window. Han Yasheng's eyes never left Li Jie's peaceful face. Despite the darkness that enveloped her life, he was the singular light that remained. Her loyalty to him was unwavering, and her mission was deeply entwined with his fate.

For Han Yasheng, the young prince wasn't just a victim of his circumstances; he was a beacon of hope and change in a kingdom mired in corruption and deceit. She saw in Li Jie the potential to become a just and compassionate ruler, a monarch who could mend the wounds of a broken land.

As the hours slipped by, Han Yasheng's thoughts danced between the past and the future. Her duty was clear, but the path to guiding Li Jie to his destiny was fraught with danger and uncertainty.

The moon cast long shadows across the room, bathing it in an ethereal glow. Han Yasheng knew that the challenges ahead were daunting. The emperor's power was formidable, and the court was a viper's nest of treachery. She had secrets of her own, skills that she had honed over the years, and knowledge of the palace's hidden passages.

While Li Jie was poised to embark on a journey of vengeance and redemption, Han Yasheng would be there, ever watchful in the shadows. Her love for him was a driving force, her determination unyielding.

The room remained peaceful, and the night unfolded in its own way, with both the living and the shadowy guardian bound by their destinies, each with their role to play in the unfolding chaos of the kingdom.