"I can’t, I just can’t listen to this anymore," the Divine Emperor sighed, raising a hand in frustration. "Stop making trouble and stay put. Don’t call again, I am very busy."
As he spoke, his figure began to fade. Xiang Yu shouted after him, "Wait wait wait! When will I go back?"
"Two more days," the Divine Emperor replied just before completely vanishing.
Xiang Yu grunted, falling back onto the bed in defeat. The popcorn box and scattered kernels disappeared, leaving him in silence. He missed Han Xin more than anyone could imagine, worry pooling in his chest. He couldn’t wait for the twins to co later and give him an update on what was happening.
However, he knew they hadn’t seen Han Xin or managed to contact Han Zhan. Their grandfather had blocked them from going to the imperial palace, so today they planned to sneak out after school to find Doctor Bai.
Lying on his side, Xiang Yu sighed. Two days felt like forever, a disheartening stretch of ti that kept him from returning to his sweetheart. A few hours later, Lian and i appeared out of thin air and rushed towards him, nearly knocking over a piece of furniture in their haste.
"Master!" they yelled in unison, their voices filled with excitent.
Xiang Yu opened his eyes and sat up, a smile warming his face at the sight of the two familiar faces. They launched themselves at him, engulfing him in a tight hug that almost forced him to fall back onto the bed.
"Okay, okay! You can let go now. You are strangling !" he laughed, breathless from the embrace.
"Sorry!" they chid together, releasing him as they flopped down onto the bed, legs crossed and expressions serious.
"Master, we really can’t find Brother Xin," i said, concern etching lines on her young face.
Lian added, "We couldn’t find Doctor Bai either. The Divine Emperor told us that he was captured by the Imperial Lord the day you fell unconscious."
Anger surged within Xiang Yu, hot and fierce. That old man had been here just monts before and hadn’t ntioned any of this.
"What do you an captured?" he demanded, feeling the familiar worry twist in his gut. The cycle of uncertainty was tightening its grip, and he couldn’t help but feel frustrated at his lack of control of the situation.
His worry deepened, flooding him with unease. He couldn’t shake the feeling, but he also knew that if Han Xin were truly in danger, the Imperial Lord wouldn’t have been so relaxed. "I hope he is okay," he said, the words heavy in the air.
Lian and i nodded, their faces a mix of concern and anxiety. This was the part they hated most, seeing their master hurt and in pain. Lian shifted closer, her expression tight with worry. "Master, we got grounded," she admitted.
"Yeah," i added, her brow furrowing. "The old man was freaking out when he found out we went to the imperial palace."
Xiang Yu sighed, reaching out to ruffle their hair affectionately. "Thank you for risking yourselves. I promise I will make up for it soon," he assured them.
i chuckled as she lay back on the bed, a playful smile creeping onto her face. "I want us to go sowhere fun."
"Yeah, and I want a fancy dinner with a lot of sweet desserts!" Lian chid in, her eyes shining with enthusiasm.
"Okay," Xiang Yu agreed, amusent playing at the corners of his mouth. "Do you have any other demands?"
i thought for a mont, her expression thoughtful. "Um, I also want to get my hair done and my nails done."
Lian jumped in eagerly, adding, "I want my nose pierced!"
Xiang Yu laughed, shaking his head. "Okay, anything else?" He shouldn’t have asked that.
The twins exchanged gleeful glances and began to take turns listing demands, their enthusiasm building. Each request seed to pile onto the last, the list growing longer and longer.
"Master, are you even listening to us?" Lian asked, a teasing lilt to her voice.
"Yeah, master, write it down!" i chid in, her tone playful yet serious.
Xiang Yu laughed again. "I have a great mory," he replied feeling a little bit better.
Once they finished listing all the things they wanted to do, Xiang Yu shifted the conversation. "How about Sienna? Has she left?"
Lian nodded, her expression turning serious again. "Yes, they all left that day."
i added, her voice lower, "We heard that idiot Sirius made unreasonable demands."
Lian chid in, nodding vigorously as she glanced at her sister. "Master, the old man was right, you are a vixen."
Xiang Yu, "???"
i’s voice broke through the tension. "Yeah, he said they can sign a treaty accepting all of the Imperial Lord’s demands but only if you marry Sirius."
Lian nodded in agreent. "Grandpa told us about it. The Imperial Lord was furious. He said there was no way he could give up the heir of the Republic but they could take Peng Xiu in your place."
i leaned in, her eyes bright with mischief. "Sirius was like, then we have nothing to discuss," she said, imitating Sirius’s voice dramatically.
Xiang Yu let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "You are overthinking it. It’s not about charm... it’s about power."
Lian’s expression turned serious. "But you are charming, master! You had that idiot starting wars!"
Xiang Yu considered her words, a frown creeping onto his face. He was right in a way. Removing the heir of the Republic from the equation would significantly weaken them, and cultivating another heir would take ti and resources. But he also didn’t realize that Sirius was genuinely enamoured with him, making decisions that were completely out of character for his usual self.
i shifted again. "Oh, and the Raunet family was arrested on the order of the Imperial Lord. It was a public spectacle."
Lian brushed so hair behind her ear. "They were paraded on Star Net, and all their assets were confiscated."
"And that beast, Peng Xiu," i chid in, her voice low. "She was implicated with the Raunet family for trying to fra you using Xiao He. It was all over Star Net, but it was scrubbed almost imdiately. The Imperial Palace had to issue a statent saying it was false information."
Lian’s eyes narrowed. "No one has seen her since, well, publicly at least."
Xiang Yu had a sinking suspicion that Peng Xiu had been exiled. A grim smile crossed his lips as anger flickered within him. If only he could get his hands on her, he would tear her to pieces and make sure she died a slow and painful death.
"Listen," he said suddenly, his voice firm, "when I co back, we will begin the takedown. It’s ti."
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