Love Lock

Chapter 377 Extra: Zhao Zun and Han Lei

On the sixth day of the fifth lunar month, as summer was just beginning to arrive, the palace was enveloped in a layer of humid air, carrying the steaming scent of plants.

The weather wasn't exactly perfect; although there wasn't a downpour, the leaden-gray clouds hung low over the golden glazed tiles, exuding a somber and solemn atmosphere.

This was not the weather to celebrate, but today, the palace was unusually bustling and colorful because of Emperor Jing's birthday.

Since Empress Han Lei "remained in a deep sleep" five years ago, as if frozen in time in the ice chamber of Weiyang Palace, Emperor Zhao Zun has never had a birthday celebration.

On this day every year, the palace is unusually quiet. The emperor wanders alone in Weiyang Palace, brewing his heart-wrenching longing and hopeless waiting into a bitter cup that no one dares to drink with.

However, this year, an imperial decree was suddenly issued, ordering His Majesty to hold a banquet in the palace, inviting not only members of the imperial family and close ministers, but also civil and military officials, and even the most famous opera troupe in the capital to perform in the palace.

His Majesty's sudden birthday banquet was an unusual move that stirred up a ripple in the long-depressed palace, leaving everyone puzzled and curious.

Only those guards who had followed Zhao Zun through mountains of corpses and seas of blood felt a strange heaviness in their hearts when they received the imperial decree.

The palace banquet was held by the Taiye Pond. The pavilions and waterside terraces were already brightly lit.

The bright red palace lanterns swayed gently in the breeze, reflecting on the shimmering water, trying to dispel the gloom in the sky.

The stage was built on the water, and the melodious sounds of silk and bamboo instruments filled the air. Actors dressed in colorful costumes were singing "Magu Presents Longevity" on the stage, their water sleeves fluttering and their ethereal voices swaying, creating a scene of joy and peace.

The civil and military officials sat in the banquet hall according to their rank, exchanging toasts and auspicious words, but their eyes would occasionally stealthily glance at the emperor in the main seat.

Today, Zhao Zun was dressed in a black casual suit with dark dragon patterns embroidered in gold thread, which made his face look even more handsome. However, his handsome features bore the marks of many years and hardships.

A faint smile graced his face, a rare display of gentleness compared to his usual cold and stern demeanor. Yet, that smile seemed not to truly reach his eyes; within those deep gazes, as if separated by an invisible layer of thin ice, lay turbulent undercurrents, a desolation and resolve unfathomable to anyone.

Sitting to his left was Hua Tianyou, now known as the Duke of Anle. The former playboy had been tempered by the world, and his brows now bore a maturity. Seeing the rare smile on Zhao Zun's face, Hua Tianyou was happy for Zhao Zun as well.

To his right was a portly, smiling man with a large, plump head. He was now a high-ranking official in the court, and his family was all present at the banquet, enjoying themselves immensely.

Hua Tianyou picked up the wine pot and personally poured Zhao Zun a cup of imperial wine, his voice lowered: "Your Majesty, you should have done this long ago. Life is short, like grass and trees in autumn, why... why always make yourself suffer?"

He paused, raised his glass, and raised his voice a few decibels, with a feigned sense of magnanimity, "Since you've finally come to your senses and are happy, come on, I'll risk my life to keep you company today and drink to my heart's content."

The fat man immediately raised his cup, his round face beaming with smiles: "Yes, yes, Your Majesty, today is your special day, you must enjoy yourself to the fullest! It's been a long time since we've had such a lively celebration with you."

Zhao Zun's gaze swept over his two close friends who had been by his side since childhood, and the curve of his lips became slightly more genuine.

He picked up the white jade wine cup, his fingertips lightly stroking the cool rim, his voice calm and even: "Alright, today we'll do as you say, we won't leave until we're drunk."

He tilted his head back and drank the spicy liquid in the glass in one gulp. As his Adam's apple bobbed, it seemed as if he was swallowing down some surging emotions along with it.

The Empress Dowager and Zhao Ling'er sat in the main seats of the women's section, watching Zhao Zun's long-lost smile from afar, and nodded with satisfaction. The Empress Dowager gently patted Zhao Ling'er's hand under the table.

"Look at your brother, he's finally come out of it." The Empress Dowager sighed. "Yesterday, a noblewoman came to me and said that there hasn't been a selection of concubines in the palace for a long time. She has a daughter of marriageable age and asked when the selection would be held!"

Zhao Ling'er glanced at Zhao Zun, who was raising his cup to drink, and smiled lightly. "Mother! I advise you not to meddle! My brother has his own plans. Don't upset him."

The Empress Dowager nodded: "I know, but it's been five years. If your brother is going to participate in the imperial concubine selection, it wouldn't be unreasonable for him to think of himself, would it?"

Zhao Ling'er, now a mother herself, understood her mother's thoughts, but still advised, "Mother! My brother is deeply in love with my sister-in-law. Didn't any of those ministers try to persuade him? Who did he get along with?"

"Yes!" The Empress Dowager's gaze fell on Zhao Zun, her eyes filled with deep sorrow: "He has suffered so much."

Over here, Zhao Ling'er was talking to the Empress Dowager. Over there, Zhao Zun put down his wine cup, looked around, and saw those familiar faces.

Those who had followed him in his campaigns, such as Da Jiu, Lao Meng, and Ma Zi, had all been ennobled and appointed generals. Even the King of Jingzhou, who was far away in Jingzhou, had made a special trip back. As for the civil and military officials, their faces showed reverence, respect, and perhaps some genuine well wishes.

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears: "I am very pleased that you all came to celebrate my birthday today. You all have had a good time. After you sober up tomorrow, go find Li Zhongxin. I have prepared a gift for each of you."

These words made the atmosphere at the banquet even more lively. Everyone expressed their gratitude, and the sounds of drinking games, laughter, and opera music from the stage mingled together, indeed dispelling much of the somber atmosphere that had permeated the palace in the past.

However, Hua Tianyou and Big Fatty exchanged a glance, both seeing the unease in each other's eyes.

The word "gift" coming from Zhao Zun's mouth carried an ominous meaning for both of them on this particular day.

Only Zhao Zun himself knew that this was indeed a farewell.

five years.

For more than 1,800 days and nights, he guarded that cold, sleeping body, speaking to someone who would never respond to him, feeling hope being ground to dust by time.

In the ice chamber of Weiyang Palace, Han Lei's face remained unchanged, as if she were simply asleep, but his outstretched hand could only touch the biting cold.

He tried all the rare medicines in the world, visited all the talented people and extraordinary individuals, and even resorted to some forbidden witchcraft, but all his efforts were in vain.

He is tired!
It's not the emperor's toil, but the exhaustion of the soul tormented by a long wait.

He couldn't wait any longer!

The five-year deadline he set for himself had passed. In those five years, he had managed Dajing and handed it over to his son, and he had no regrets. His only regret was that his beloved had left him.

Since Han Lei isn't coming to him, he'll go find her.

This birthday banquet was the last thing he could do for the empire and for those who followed and cared about him.

A grand and dignified farewell.

After the banquet, he will return to Weiyang Palace, where, in addition to the ice coffin, a pot of carefully prepared poisoned wine has already been prepared.

Colorless and odorless, it seals in your throat upon entry.

He was going to find his girl. The road to the underworld was long, and he feared she would be lonely.

The play on stage was reaching its climax, with the gongs and drums resounding and the female lead's voice clear and stirring.

Zhao Zun smiled, drank another cup of wine, his gaze sweeping over the pavilions and waterside terraces, over the laughing and talking crowd, and finally settling on the direction of Weiyang Palace, that eternal tranquility he was about to head to.

Or rather, that was what he perceived as eternity.

Meanwhile, in another time and space.

Han Lei struggled to wake up from a chaotic dream, suddenly sitting up in her narrow single bed, her chest heaving and her forehead covered in cold sweat.

Outside the window, the gray-white light characteristic of a city morning filtered through the gaps in the loosely drawn curtains, illuminating her haggard face.

The air was filled with the distinctive smell of old rental housing, mixed with dust.

The computer screen was still lit, with countless open web pages, all containing absurd search records about time travel, time tunnels, and parallel universes.

That's it again.

Disappointment, like a cold tide, instantly overwhelmed Han Lei's heart, which had just emerged from the warmth of her dream.

Every time Han Lei wakes up from a dream containing Zhao Zun, Xing Heng, and Yue Yao, the stark contrast with this cold reality feels like a slow, agonizing torture.

She raised her hand and rubbed her dry, swollen eyes hard, her fingertips touching something icy cold.

She looked down at her chest.

The jade pendant she wore close to her body was something she had bought with all her savings.

However, even with this jade pendant, she still couldn't travel through time. Hopes were dashed time and time again. She wore the jade pendant close to her body for months, but apart from occasionally having some exceptionally clear dreams about the Great Jing Dynasty, it didn't bring any substantial "surprise".

Wearing it, she returned time and time again to the place where she had driven off the mountain road and accidentally crossed it.

She wandered around that desolate bend, stood in the stormy night, tried all sorts of strange methods written in books and spread online, and even made a wish upon a shooting star.

Without exception, all failed.

She remains trapped in this modern world without Zhao Zun, without her children, and without a true sense of belonging.

"Could it be... that the jade pendant alone isn't enough?" she murmured to herself, her voice hoarse.

Dark circles were prominent around her eyes, and she looked extremely thin. Her oversized pajamas hung loosely on her body, as if a gust of wind could blow them away.

A profound sense of powerlessness gripped her. "Does it really need a trigger? A specific time? Or a... medium?"

Just as he was sighing and groaning, consumed by despair, and about to crush the jade pendant in his hand, a clear and urgent female voice came from outside the window.

"Han Lei! Han Lei! Are you home? Open the door!"

It's Luo Min.

After leaving the special forces, Han Lei, due to her poor mental state and her focus on finding a way back, gradually lost contact with her former comrades and rented this place alone. Only her college classmate Luo Min, who lived nearby and was warm-hearted, still visited her often. Han Lei got up blankly, shuffled in her slippers, and went to open the door.

Outside the door, Luo Min was dressed in a neat tracksuit, her face flushed from running, her eyes bright and full of energy, a stark contrast to Han Lei's lifeless demeanor.

Upon seeing Han Lei's appearance, Luo Min frowned, her tone filled with concern and reproach: "My goodness, you didn't sleep well again last night? Look at your face!"

Han Lei stepped aside to let her in, without answering.

Luo Min walked into the messy little house, which was filled with a sense of dejection, as if she knew the way well. She picked up a cup, poured herself a glass of water, gulped down a few mouthfuls, and then mysteriously approached Han Lei.

"Hey, I have some good news for you! Do you remember Professor Lin, that really famous psychology professor from our university? The one who published so many papers and even appeared on TV shows!"

"Hmm!" Han Lei's eyes flickered, and she nodded slowly.

Professor Lin, a leading figure in the field of psychology in China, especially renowned for his achievements in the research of hypnosis and the subconscious mind, was someone she certainly remembered.

Luo Min clapped her hands excitedly: "He just happened to be here to give a lecture! There's a three-day public lecture and seminar! I managed to get two tickets through someone!" She took out two beautifully printed tickets and waved them in front of Han Lei. "I'll go with you to talk to him! Professor Lin is very knowledgeable, maybe... maybe he can even help you analyze your... dreams?"

Han Lei's body stiffened instantly.

She looked up, staring directly at Luo Min, her eyes filled with a sense of offended wariness. "You want me to see a psychology professor? Luo Min, do you also think I'm crazy? Do you think I'm... insane?"

"Uh……"

Luo Min's smile froze, and a complex and indescribable emotion flashed across her eyes.

She immediately denied it: "How could that be! What are you thinking! We're good friends, why would I think that?"

But she couldn't help but think to herself: "You think about time travel all the time, and you even bring it into your real life as if it were a real thing. It's affected your job, and you're not even human anymore. It's hard not to think that you have mental problems!"

She took a deep breath, her expression becoming even more earnest. "Han Lei, I just want to help you. I'm so worried about you. Professor Lin is an expert. Maybe he can't explain your dream scientifically, but perhaps he can help you feel better? Help you get a good night's sleep and eat something? Just think of it as a way to clear your head, okay?"

Han Lei silently looked at Luo Min, noticing the genuine worry and barely perceptible pity in her eyes.

She knew how others perceived her: an irrational madwoman lost in a fantasy world.

But that wasn't a dream! That was her real life! Her love, her children, all resided in that distant time and space!
She clearly remembered that the system had given her a notification sound the day she traded all her possessions for the jade pendant. But when she tried to communicate with the system again, that damned system never responded to her again.

She instinctively gripped the jade pendant at her chest again. The warm, smooth touch seemed to give her a strange power. She wondered, perhaps… perhaps this itself was a kind of guidance? Psychology, hypnosis… did these touch the boundary between consciousness and subconsciousness? Were they related to that mysterious “timing”?
An impulse to try anything, mixed with a tiny but inextinguishable hope, began to grow in her heart.

“Okay!” she heard her own dry voice say, “I’ll go with you to take a look.”

Professor Lin was temporarily staying in a suite at a luxury hotel in the city center, a quiet and elegant environment. Heavy curtains blocked out the outside noise, a faint sandalwood scent filled the air, and the lighting was adjusted to a soft, warm yellow, creating a relaxing atmosphere.

Professor Lin himself was around sixty years old, with his hair neatly combed, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and a kind face, yet his eyes were sharp and insightful. He wore a well-fitting suit, and his composed demeanor gave him an air of trustworthy authority.

After listening to Luo Min's general introduction of Han Lei's situation, Professor Lin did not show any surprise or doubt.

He gently invited Han Lei to sit on the comfortable recliner and gestured for Luo Min to wait on the sofa a little further away.

“Ms. Han, relax.” Professor Lin’s voice carried a strange, soothing power. “With me, you don’t need to feel any burden. The human brain is the most complex creation in the universe, and we probably understand less than one ten-thousandth of it. The information stored in the subconscious is far more than what we are consciously aware of.”

Han Lei's tense nerves relaxed slightly as he spoke.

At least, the professor didn't immediately conclude that she was mentally ill.

"Can you tell me about your...dreams?" Professor Lin prompted, "In as much detail as possible, especially how you 'got' into that world, and what you were most attached to in that world?"

Perhaps it was the environment, or perhaps it was Professor Lin's attitude that made her trust him a little, but Han Lei, who desperately needed to confide in someone, began to tell her story in fits and starts.

From the moment she fell into the valley and rescued Zhao Zun from an ambush, to Zhao Zun's relentless pursuit and marriage proposal, to their falling in love and having a child...

She spoke slowly, sometimes smiling, sometimes shedding tears, and sometimes curling up in fear.

Her emotions were so genuine, the details so vivid, and the logic so clear, that it was nothing like the ramblings of a mentally disturbed person.

Professor Lin listened quietly, occasionally interjecting with a question or two about key details to guide her to describe the subject more deeply.

His face remained professionally calm, but his heart was in turmoil.

He has handled countless psychological cases, including patients with various paranoia, but he has never seen anyone like Han Lei.

Han Lei's "dreams" possess a complete and self-consistent worldview, timeline, and emotional logic. Rather than a medical condition, it's more like a...sealed memory?
Meanwhile, Professor Lin was also subtly arranging the environment. He adjusted the light of a desk lamp, making it emit a pale orange glow that was more likely to cause eye strain.

Finally, he took out a delicate little metal alarm clock, wound it up, and placed it on the coffee table next to Han Lei.

“Tick…tick…tick…”

The crisp, rhythmic sound of the clock pendulum was exceptionally clear in the quiet room, slowly synchronizing with Han Lei's breathing and heartbeat.

When Han Lei talked about how much she missed Zhao Zun and how much she longed to return to him and the children, her emotions reached a climax, and her breathing became rapid.

Professor Lin seized the opportunity, his voice becoming even softer, with an irresistible guiding quality: "Ms. Han, it sounds like you love him very much and miss your children very much."

“Yes…” Han Lei’s eyelids had begun to droop slightly, and her eyes were somewhat unfocused. “I love them very much… I want to go back… I want to go back to Dajing.”

"Do you want to see them again?" Professor Lin's voice came in waves, like warm tides.

"I want to... I want to think about it all the time..." Han Lei's voice trembled with tears, her fingers unconsciously gripping the hem of her clothes tightly.

“Then perhaps we can try to say goodbye to them in your subconscious… or, find an answer.” Professor Lin carefully chose his words.

His real purpose was to help Han Lei confront this "memory" through deep hypnosis, so that she could let go of her obsession and return to real life.

"You need to completely relax and cooperate with me, okay?"

"it is good……"

Han Lei agreed almost without hesitation. Her consciousness had begun to blur, and her will to resist gradually crumbled under the combined effect of professional hypnosis techniques and her own strong emotional needs.

“Very good.” Professor Lin’s voice grew lower and slower. “You feel very tired now, extremely exhausted… Your eyelids are heavy, you can barely keep them open… You hear the ticking of the clock, tick-tock… tick-tock… It’s leading you to deep relaxation… You really want to sleep… If you fall asleep, perhaps you’ll see the person you want to see…”

"Okay..." Han Lei murmured, her head involuntarily tilting to the left as she leaned back against the soft cushions of the recliner. Her breathing became long and steady, and the jade pendant that had slipped out of her hand glowed faintly.

Professor Lin gave Luo Min a wink, signaling her to keep quiet.

He continued to guide the conversation with words: "Imagine you are leaving this room... You are walking down a quiet corridor... There is light ahead... You walk towards the light... Tell me, what do you see?"

Han Lei frowned slightly, as if trying to discern: "Light... many points of light... rotating... like... like the starry sky..."

“Try to go through them…” Professor Lin guided, “What are you looking for?”

"I'm looking... looking for the way back..." Han Lei's voice was urgent, "The jade pendant... my jade pendant is getting hot..."

The jade pendant on her chest seemed to emanate a faint warmth.

Professor Lin's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm: "Feel that warmth; it may be guiding you. But remember, whatever you see, remain calm; it's merely a projection of your inner self..."

However, Han Lei's body began to tremble slightly, and her voice was filled with excitement.

"No...it's not a projection! I see it! The palace! I see the palace! It's there! It's right there! I see it!"

Her reaction was far more intense than Professor Lin had anticipated! Under deep hypnosis, the subject would usually obey the hypnotist's instructions completely, but Han Lei's self-awareness and identification with that "memory" were so strong that they exceeded the control of hypnosis!
"Calm down, Ms. Han," Professor Lin tried to reassure her. "Those are just images from the past..."

"No! No!" Han Lei shook her head violently, tears streaming down her face from her tightly closed eyes. "He's calling me! I heard him! Xingheng and Yueyao are calling me too! Mom! They're calling for Mom! Let me go back! Please! Let me go back!"

She began to struggle violently, as if bound by invisible ropes, trying to break free from this body and this space-time.

The warmth of the jade pendant around her neck became increasingly apparent, enveloped in a faint, almost imperceptible glow.

Professor Lin's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat.

He had never encountered this situation before!
The subjects did not relax under deep hypnosis; on the contrary, they exhibited such strong, almost tangible mental energy and physiological responses!

“Miss Han! Listen to me! You need to come back! Come back to this room!” He raised his voice, trying to pull her back with a command.

"No, I'm going to find them." Han Lei's voice was weak, almost like a murmur in her sleep, yet it carried a resolute determination. "I'm going to find them... my jade pendant... the opportunity... is now..."

Suddenly, Han Lei's voice stopped abruptly.

Immediately afterward, under Luo Min's horrified gaze and Professor Lin's incredulous stare, Han Lei tightly gripped the jade pendant that had suddenly become scalding hot. Her whole body seemed to have all its strength drained away, or as if she had been pulled by a tremendous force. She suddenly leaned back and completely lost consciousness, falling into a coma deeper than hypnosis, completely unresponsive.

Inside the room, only the alarm clock continued its ticking, as if nothing had happened. But Han Lei, lying on the chair, breathed weakly and looked pale, as if her soul had already left her body.

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