Hanging Sword

The moon already was high in the sky, but Mu Luming had no signs of wanting to sleep. Yawning, Kesi felt her eyelids growing heavier with each passing moment. Just as she motioned to leave, she suddenly remembered that the room was hers to begin with.

"It's time to leave, you little kid. Your grandma needs her beauty sleep." Half-pushing Mu Luming from the seat, she stifled another yawn.

If only there was coffee in this ancient time. She could taste the bitter taste at the tip of her tongue and the inviting and rich aroma.

Snapping out of it, she looked back down at Mu Luming.

With wide eyes, he made no motions of leaving.

"Out." She dropped her tone.

"I want a bedtime story." Purring, he scrambled on top of her bed, careful not to let his slippers touch the blankets.

"Have you even washed yet?" Rolling her eyes, she pried the little boy's claws away from her flattened pillow.

He only nodded triumphantly, gesturing to his loosely fit cream-colored inner robes. Only then did Kesi realize that those were supposed to be pajamas.

Groaning, she tried to think of another excuse, barely able to control herself from falling straight onto the pillow and sleeping.

Perhaps it was her extreme sleep deprivation or something else, but she suddenly was hit by a brilliant idea.

Storming out of the room, she marched into his room instead.

Seeing her leave the room, almost immediately, he scampered behind her.

Groggily, she made out the shape of the bed frame in the darkness.

Especially since she had barely gotten a good night's sleep ever since she arrived in this world, she didn't even know how she managed to stay awake at all during these past few days.

Pushing the little boy aside with a clean swipe across the hard mattress, she flopped onto his bed. She felt entirely like a desiccated limp fish, and the inviting bed was like the vast lake.

Although the mattress was firm, rock hard almost, she never felt like she had ever lain so comfortably in her two lifetimes before.

"Kesi, have you even washed yet?"

Without responding, she flipped around, burying her face into his pillow. It had the soft scent of jasmine.

As a matter of fact, unlike Mu Luming, she was too busy staring into the mirror that she hadn't washed yet.

"Go wash and brush your teeth!" Mu Luming sounded like he was coaxing a small child or little animal. "Go on now! You don't want your teeth to turn yellow and then fall off now, do you?"

In response, Kesi only kicked off her shoes and rolled herself into his blankets until she resembled a plump burrito.

"Kesi! My bed!"

Feigning a snore, she teetered on the verge of actually falling asleep at any moment.

"Fine. Fine. Sweet dreams."

With a sigh, Mu Luming loosened his grip on the blankets, motioning to slide off the bed.

Hearing the increasing soft footsteps fade away, she slowly flipped herself around and opened her eyes. The little figure crept out the door, almost as if scared to wake her.

For a moment, her gaze lingered on his shadow.

Sometimes, she had to admit that she didn't know whether she was the adult or the child in this relationship. And she had to confess that it felt nice enjoying someone's care for one in her life.

His touch, although hot to touch, warmed every last inch of her body. Despite being wrapped in a layer of blankets, she still felt cold now that he had left.

As he motioned to open the door, she had to stop herself from yelling out.

She couldn't remember the last time she had enjoyed human contact, but she almost wanted to ask whether the kid wanted to bring over another quilt and stay for the night.

Shaking her head, she leaned back onto the pillow.

A cold glimmer of silver flashed in the air. Immediately, all groggy signs of sleep left her.

Her muscles tensing, she turned her head to the side slightly. And there it was again, the same flash of metal.

"Mu Luming!"

Hissing, she signaled for him to return, and he spun around, the look of pleasant surprise obvious on his face.

"Light a candle!"

Doing as he was told, Mu Luming made sure that multiple candles were lit in all corners of the room.

The scene was very clear. A long broad sword dangled from the bed frame, positioned for her throat. A medium-sized leather strap hung the sword from the ceiling, but if there was a single snap, she would have been impaled squarely in the throat.

No, this sword was not intended for her. This was Mu Luming's room after all.

Sliding off the bed, she unfastened the sword from its bind, letting the heavy piece of metal sit solidly in her grasp. It was a sizable weapon, and there would be no mistake that it would sever her neck in half if it had slipped from its position.

A single peony was pinned against the hilt, a few speckles of blood on its otherwise bright petals. If Kesi wasn't mistaken, this was the exact flower Mu Luming cut his hand on.

Kesi didn't know what to tell Mu Luming about the weapon lying in wait above him, but it seemed like he already caught on.

"The Empress truly wants me dead, doesn't she?" He whispered quietly, a desperate smile on his face.

Before Kesi could comment, he added, "I know this was only a warning. If she really wanted me dead, this would be the last thing she would do."

Twirling the peony between his fingers, he closed his eyes.

"Why do you think she wants to keep you in check?" Fully awake, all Kesi wanted to make sure now was that Mu Luming knew the true dangers of his situation.

"Because when I become emperor, she would be the first to be sentenced." Against the flickering candlelight, Mu Luming's eyes glittered dangerously. "I'm the sword hanging above her head. And unlike this one, I will find my intended target."

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