Chapter 300 - Comforting Solitude (2/2)

Lei Xing found herself in a happy dream or at least one that started off that way.

She was little again and happily strolling through what looked to be a night market or perhaps a festival, much like the one she went to with the Emperor, it definitely seemed to be in the same time period as she everyone was dressed in long robes like they wore now but different.

There were people everywhere, children with their parents happily enjoying their time and Lei Xing was one of those children with her parents. Although she could not make out their faces, Lei Xing was certain she was looking up at her parents.

Her father handed her coin and she happily turned to the street vendor and handed the coin over to him. The vendor smiled down at her and then passed her a stick candy. Lei Xing smiled and then turned back to her parents and her smile fell when they were not behind her.

Lei Xing glanced about trying to locate them and then began to feel panicked when she could not see them. She called out for them but got no response back.

The crowd had now stopped and all heads were raised up to the sky watching the sky fill with lanterns. But Lei Xing could not pay attention to the show, instead, she was too busy trying to find her parents, she pushed her way through the crowd and kept calling for them but still got no response back.

She finally saw what looked to be the backs of her parents and began racing towards them but then suddenly the crowd all began running in the opposite direction, trying to sweep her along. Little Lei Xing desperately tried to keep rushing forward as the backs of her parents seemed to be getting farther and farther away, fading, merging with the scenery somehow.

Lei Xing naturally frantic and was screaming for them at the top of her lungs at this point. But they did not turn around and did not stop. She kept trying to push against the tide of the crowd, and suddenly felt herself be knocked back to the ground by an unseen force.

She sat up and anxiously glanced around, but she could not see anything through the sea of legs. She could not even make out which way she had last seen her parents, she just sat there confused and anxious as the sea of people sped past her, all the while parting around her, as if she were in a bubble that was protecting her from the stampede.

Lei Xing was now on the verge of tears and she bit her inner lip hard to stop the tears blurring her eyes from falling. Then all of sudden, she felt warm arms wrap around her from behind. She froze in place and then felt a hand pat her head and a familiar voice say, ”It'll be alright... I'm here.”

Lei Xing blinked and turned to look at the person but then no one was there, she was still alone.

”Xing er', come over...” Lei Xing heard the same soothing voice say again. She looked up and then saw the silhouette of a familiar man standing on the edge of the crowd. She could not make out the face but she knew that she knew him and he knew her.

She had to get there, so Lei Xing rose to her feet again, using all her strength she dashed towards him. The crowd and scenery fell away as she focused on reaching the man and the warmth of the bright light that was illuminating the darkness surrounding her. But the harder she ran, the farther away she seemed to be away from him and the light.

Lei Xing's panic began to set in again as she raced even harder but then it was happening again, no matter how much she tried, she could not reach the light or the ones she wanted. She would be alone again, abandoned.

As they moved farther and farther away, Lei Xing heard her name echoing all around her from the darkness in the same calm voice, mocking her, ”Xing er'...Xing er', wake up...Xing er' -”

It was driving her so mad, she screamed her head off and she shot up in bed, gasping for breath and pushing at the clutches of darkness that were trying to grip her, ”Leave me alone!”

”XIng er', calm down, calm down! It's alright, it's me! Xong er', open your eyes and look at me!” The Emperor urged, holding onto her arms tighter before she would end up falling over and hurting herself in her panic. Lei Xing stopped and just stared at him wide-eyed, taking deep breaths as she realized it was just the Emperor.

Lei Xing held on to the Emperor's arms to steady herself and glanced around and realized where she was. She gulped and took another shaky breath and looked back at the Emperor, who was looking at her with concern.

She shakily brought up a hand and ran it through her hair, ”I'm sorry...it was just a...just a bad dream.” She said with a raspy voice.

”A dream that brought you to tears...” The Emperor said, as he used the back of his hand to wipe the tears from one of her wet cheeks.

Lei Xing promptly touched her other cheek to feel it soaked and immediately frowned in confusion and annoyance with herself.

{...What the hell - ?...}

”Xing er'... what exactly is bothering you?” The Emperor softly asked as he gently tucked her hair behind an ear and then warmly caressed her cheek. This was supposed to their happiest time but Lei Xing was behaving abnormally right now.

He could not understand her right now.

Even the servants had noticed she was being strange. He had been in an off mood since Lei Xing left him and then when he came over this evening, Xiao Ruo reported to him about how Lei Xing had been a bad mood all day.

He had thought his announcement would make her happy, but the happiness she had derived from it seemed to have been only momentary, fleeting. Since the main hall, she seems to be more bothered than happy, he could see it even she smiled for him. And now it was even to the point of her being haunted in her dreams.

He had entered the room to find her in cold sweat, tossing and turning in her sleep and just about to fall off the bed, but luckily he got there in time and caught her. But then she woke in a frenzy which was even more concerning. He had never seen her so agitated by anything, much less by a simple dream.

Lei Xing blinked at him for a bit and then wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest, ”It's nothing...I'm fine, just a bad dream.” She said as she closed her eyes.

{...It's just a stupid dead dream...I'm fine, doesn't matter, none of it matters, no one, nothing, I'm fine. Always fine...}

Lei Xing meditated on the words while tightly clutching to the Emperor. The Emperor looked down at her, he did not like it when she got like this, it made her seem too fragile. He kissed the top of her head and reassuringly caressed her hair and pat her back, ”It's alright...I'm here.”