Love Lock

Chapter 378 Extra: Zhao Zun and Han Lei

Han Lei's consciousness floated in an endless vortex, with sharp whistling winds in her ears and broken, flowing light and shadows before her eyes, as if she had been thrown into a high-speed spinning kaleidoscope.

A feeling of weightlessness gripped her heart, as if her internal organs had shifted. In this moment of chaos and disorientation, all sound vanished, replaced by a clear voice, seemingly emanating from the depths of her soul—

"Ding--!"

Immediately afterwards, a long and helpless sigh rang out, the sound ethereal and familiar, as if it had traveled through countless ages.

“Alas! The Buddha said: All encounters are predestined, and predestined relationships have varying degrees of depth. Debts have karmic causes and effects. When predestined relationships end, they disperse; when debts are exhausted, they are repaid. Why are you so unable to let go? What is the point of all this suffering?”

That familiar system voice, which Han Lei had tried to communicate with for a long time but had never heard from, now echoed so clearly in the depths of her consciousness!
Sure enough, this damned system only appears when you travel through time and space.

Five years of pent-up grievances, anger, resentment, and despair erupted at this moment.

Han Lei steadied herself amidst the torrent of consciousness, her anger flaring: "It's the Buddha's teachings again! Since the Buddha spoke of the arising and ceasing of causes and conditions, why did you have to bring me back to the modern world at that time? Forcibly separating my own flesh and blood?!"

The light and shadow shifted and gradually coalesced into the phantom of a monk in a robe. He floated in the chaos, his face compassionate yet tinged with helplessness.

"Sigh! I already told you it's over!" The system's avatar clasped its hands together, its tone carrying a detached indifference, but this indifference deeply stung Han Lei.

"Pah! How can a relationship end after only two years?" Han Lei retorted indignantly. "Then why are you able to show yourself now? Why can you speak to me?"

Han Lei pressed on aggressively, her gaze sharp as a knife, fixed on the light and shadow. "Do you find pleasure in watching me struggle in pain?"

"Alas!" The system's light and shadow sighed again, this time with a touch of human emotion. "I'm the one who's been dying and distraught when I see you. Your man has been waiting for you in your body for five years, suffering from lovesickness, and now... he's even prepared poison for himself, just waiting for the right opportunity to go with you."

At this point, the system sighed again: "Alas! What a tragic love story! If my bringing you back to the modern world to settle a karmic debt has resulted in both of you suffering a terrible end and your souls being scattered, then I have truly committed a great sin, a sin, a sin indeed!"

Upon hearing the words "poisoned wine," Han Lei's consciousness trembled violently, as if it were being torn apart.

Zhao Zun! That proud man, driven to such a desperate situation! How did he endure five years of waiting? How utterly desperate he must have felt, guarding that soulless shell of a body!
Heartbroken, Han Lei's voice choked with sobs, yet all the more resolute: "Yes! It's your fault for breaking up this loving couple! If you have even a shred of compassion, send me back right now!"

The monk in the light and shadow swayed slightly, as if weighing his options.

"Alas! It was your unwavering devotion and kindness that touched me. You used all your accumulated wealth to exchange for this ancient jade containing a trace of the power of time and space, tirelessly seeking a way back. This obsession has even loosened the rules." The light and shadow paused, its tone becoming serious. "Sending you back is not impossible. But I have one condition. Otherwise, if I forcibly reverse the course and interfere with the predetermined trajectory, I will surely suffer a backlash from the Heavenly Dao, and I may even be annihilated, body and soul."

"Tch!" Han Lei scoffed. "You, a monk who should be detached from worldly desires, are now doing the 'job' of traveling through time and space with a system. Are you afraid of divine punishment? Tell me, no matter the conditions, even if it means going through fire and water, or having your soul scattered, I will agree!"

She was no longer afraid in order to return to Zhao Zun and her child.

"You must exchange it for the 'system' itself," the monk of light and shadow's voice carried an undeniable power of rules. "Upon this return, you will lose all system functions and will no longer be able to borrow my power to exchange for items. You will reintegrate into that world as the purest Han Lei, where birth, aging, sickness, death, honor, disgrace, rise, and fall will all depend on your own will. Are you willing?"

"It's just a system, right? I'm willing!" Han Lei answered decisively without hesitation. "Even without the system, Zhao Zun and I can still protect each other and create a life with our own hands and wisdom! The system is just icing on the cake for me!"

She had absolute confidence in Zhao Zun, their relationship, and her modern knowledge. Even without the system, she could still thrive in ancient times.

“Since you’ve agreed,” Guangying nodded slowly, “Alright, I’ll take you there now.”

"Wait a minute!" Han Lei suddenly remembered something and hurriedly asked, "There's still a lot of gold I earned in the system that I haven't had time to use. You can't take it all back, can you? That's what I deserve!"

She earned that gold; why should she return it to the system?

The illusory monk seemed amused by her "money-grubbing" appearance, and the corner of his lips curved almost imperceptibly: "Amitabha! That gold was all accumulated from your good deeds, and this humble monk would naturally not embezzle it. It is still within the system. You need to decide as soon as possible what you want to exchange it for. Maintaining the spacetime passage is not easy, and the time you have left... is not much."

The surroundings of the chaos began to tremble slightly, the speed of the flowing light increased significantly, and a powerful pulling force came again.

Han Lei was utterly shocked! There was no time to hesitate!

Losing the system means losing the ability to access knowledge and resources that are ahead of their time.

The Great Jing Dynasty is not an absolutely peaceful and prosperous era. There are internal power struggles and powerful enemies surrounding it. If she and Zhao Zun want a stable future, or even want to make some changes, they must be prepared.

Weapons! The most direct guarantee of power! Buying ready-made ammunition and guns won't last long; she must have her own means of generating her own resources.

It is better to teach people to fish than to teach them how to fish!

Her fingers flew across the system panel—

"Exchange for a complete set of modern basic lathes, milling machines, and drilling machines! The most robust, durable, and relatively easy-to-operate models are required!"

"Exchange for key blueprints and core molds for the bullet production line!"

"Exchange for basic gunpowder improvement formula and stable production process data!"

"Exchange for basic metallurgy introduction, detailed explanation of mechanical principles..."

"Exchange for high-yield, drought-resistant grain seeds!"

"Exchange for some rare medicinal herb seeds that don't exist in this era..."

"Let's get some more practical first-aid medicines and surgical instruments..."

She frantically sifted through and confirmed the gold, which rapidly diminished like melting snow.

She did not choose the most advanced weapons, but rather the knowledge and tools that could lay the industrial foundation for an era.

With these, given time, Dajing will be able to produce its own powerful tools to protect its home, instead of forever relying on external "divine artifacts".

As the light of the last ingot of gold faded in the space, the exchange list instantly turned gray.

At the same time, a large number of machine blueprints, heavy books, boxes of precision parts, and packaged seeds and medicines were neatly piled up in every corner of the space, as if collected by an invisible force.

Thankfully, the damn system didn't say it would take back her spatial watch.

"Transaction complete. Karma settled." The system's voice grew extremely faint, and its form began to fade into nothingness. "I hope you cherish this opportunity and do not forget your good intentions... The rest of the journey is up to you..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the monk's image shattered completely into starlight and vanished without a trace.

In that instant, Han Lei felt her feet suddenly sink into the ground, losing all support.

"what--!"

She screamed, her body swept away by an irresistible force, plummeting madly towards the ever-brighter, more familiar light at the bottom of the vortex...

No longer a light, floating consciousness, but a real, heavy physical body, feeling the tearing pain and the panic of a rapid descent. The sound of the wind filled my eardrums again, and the light and shadow stretched into straight lines, as if piercing through endless barriers.

She could feel the jade pendant hanging on her chest, burning hot like a branding iron, and in this extreme temperature, it was slowly shattering and turning into dust...

The light magnified rapidly in her eyes, gradually outlining the contours of eaves and brackets, filling the air with the familiar scent of sandalwood, and she seemed to faintly hear the laughter of children...

At the edge of Taiye Pond.

"Good! Good singing!"

"another one!"

"Clap clap clap..."

The performance of "Magu Presents Longevity" on the stage was nearing its end, and the performers were making their final appearance, winning cheers and rewards.

The atmosphere of the banquet reached its climax thanks to the deliberate efforts of Hua Tianyou, Da Pangtou, and others.

Today, on his thirty-third birthday, Zhao Zun accepted all the wine offered by his ministers and friends, one cup after another. His face was flushed with the wine, but the icy depths of his eyes seemed to crack, revealing deep-seated pain and reluctance.

He laughed as he reminisced with Hua Tianyou about embarrassing incidents from his youth at the Imperial College, teased Big Fatty about his increasingly rounded figure, and accepted his brothers' blessings.

However, his hands, clenched tightly within his sleeves, had nails digging deeply into his palms. He was calculating the time, waiting for the grand palace banquet to come to an end.

Just then, three small figures, laughing and joking, made their way through the bustling crowd and carefully approached the emperor.

It was the five-year-old Crown Prince Zhao Xingheng and Princess Zhao Yueyao, with Hua Tianyou's chubby-faced son Hua Dongchen between them.

The plays on the stage went on and on, but the children couldn't understand the lyrics at all. The adults were busy drinking and talking, so the children were taken care of by the palace servants and played in the Imperial Garden.

Zhao Xingheng wore a small, apricot-yellow dragon-patterned casual robe. He walked with his back ramrod straight, trying his best to imitate his father's usual majesty. He looked both childlike and already showing the bearing of a crown prince. However, the hem of his luxurious robe was still stained with mud left from playing.

Zhao Yueyao was dressed in a pink palace dress, with her hair styled in cute double buns. Her big, bright eyes held a hint of shyness as she clung tightly to her brother.

The three children walked up to Zhao Zun's seat, chatting and laughing. Zhao Xingheng gently nudged his younger sister and whispered, "Yaoyao, you go and say it."

Zhao Yueyao shrank back, pushed her brother with her little hands, and said in a childish voice, "Brother, tell me, tell me."

Watching his two children interact like this, Zhao Zun was touched in the softest part of his heart.

His smile became much more genuine, filled with the loving kindness of a father. He turned slightly to the side and patted Zhao Xingheng's head, his voice gentler than he himself realized: "Heng'er, Yao'er, what's wrong? Didn't you say you were going to play in the Imperial Garden? Do you need to see your father?"

Zhao Xingheng raised his small face, trying to make his voice sound calm: "Reporting to Father, today is Father's birthday, uh... Your son and sister... have prepared a gift for Father."

Zhao Zun was slightly taken aback, then a warm feeling mixed with bittersweetness welled up in his heart. The children had grown up and even knew to prepare gifts for him.

He got up from his chair, squatted down, and said softly, "Oh? You two little ones have also prepared gifts for your father? What rare things are they? Show them to your father."

No sooner had Zhao Zun finished speaking than Hua Dongchen, who was not yet four years old, grinned and blurted out, "Can't lift it, hehehe!"

"Ok?"

Zhao Zun was stunned. What kind of gift had his children given him? Was it iron?
Zhao Xingheng and Zhao Yueyao exchanged a glance, a mysterious smile appearing on their faces.

Zhao Xingheng took Zhao Zun's hand. "Father, the gift is a bit large, so it's in the Imperial Garden. Father, could you... come with us to retrieve it yourselves?"

Zhao Yueyao nodded her little head vigorously, looking at Zhao Zun expectantly: "Father, please, please go and see!"

On any other day, Zhao Zun might have thought it was just children playing around and laughed it off. But today was the last day he planned to spend with the children. He didn't want to, and couldn't bear to, spoil their fun. Even if it was just to see a flower they thought was pretty, or a strange stone they found, he was willing to accompany them.

“Very well!” Zhao Zun stood up, his tall figure casting a long shadow in the sunlight. “I will go with you to see what kind of ‘grand gift’ my Crown Prince and Princess have prepared for me.”

He took Zhao Xingheng's hand in one hand and Zhao Yueyao's hand in the other. Hua Dongchen skipped and hopped along beside them.

Four figures left the noisy banquet and walked slowly forward along the corridor adorned with palace lanterns. The further they walked, the farther away the sounds of music and voices became, and the surroundings gradually quieted down. The air was filled with a rich floral fragrance, especially the intoxicating aroma of peonies.

Finally, the three little ones led Zhao Zun to the most famous peony garden in the Imperial Garden.

It wasn't peak season for peonies, but the carefully cultivated late-blooming varieties still displayed their elegant and luxurious beauty under the sunlight. Layer upon layer of petals shimmered like solidified brocade in the sun.

“Father, it’s right there!” Zhao Yueyao pointed her little finger into the depths of the peony bushes.

Zhao Zun looked in the direction she pointed.

Beside a cluster of the most vibrant "Yaohuang" flowers, a slender figure stood with her back to him.

The figure was dressed in a pale yellow dress, simple in style and not in the style of palace attire, the hem of which fluttered slowly in the breeze.

She was petite and slender, with her long, black hair simply tied up and adorned with a white magnolia hairpin.

It was just a silhouette.

A back view that was so familiar, so familiar that it was etched into his very bones and soul!
Zhao Zun's steps abruptly halted! As if struck by lightning, he froze on the spot, his blood seemingly stopping for a moment, then surging wildly in the next instant, crashing against his eardrums with a deafening roar!
impossible!
His maid is still lying in the cold ice chamber of Weiyang Palace, fast asleep!

Is it an illusion?

Was it because he drank too much and became obsessed with his lover, eventually experiencing hallucinations on the verge of collapse?

But that silhouette was so clear, so real! Even the graceful curve of her neck when she tilted her head slightly was exactly the same as he remembered!
His heart began to pound uncontrollably, like the beating of a war drum, making his chest ache.

His eyes quickly reddened, and a wave of hot steam uncontrollably rose up, blurring his vision instantly.

"Father, that aunt is our gift to you!" Zhao Xingheng shook his hand, his voice filled with childlike pride.

"Auntie? A gift?" Zhao Zun murmured.

Could it be that some daring woman bribed the two children, or found out about Han Lei's appearance somewhere and wanted to imitate the maid's mannerisms to seduce him?
This is utterly absurd! Don't they want to live?
The joy on Zhao Zun's face flashed by, but it instantly turned gloomy again.

Seeing him stunned and speechless, Zhao Yueyao looked up at him with a timid yet expectant expression and asked, "Father, do you like this gift?"

The two children tugged at his hands, trying to pull him forward.

Just then, perhaps hearing the noise behind her, the woman standing by the peony bushes slowly turned around.

The bright sunlight fell on her face, illuminating her eyebrows and eyes.

Curved eyebrows, clear and bright eyes, a pert nose, and lips that always carry a hint of slyness and a sweet smile...

is her!

It's really her!

Han Lei! His girl!
Zhao Zun's breathing suddenly stopped! His mind went blank; all his thoughts and reason vanished in that instant!
He stared intently at that face, the face that had appeared in his dreams a thousand times, now vividly standing before him!
He saw the woman give him a sweet smile.

That smile, tinged with the weariness of life's trials, the ecstasy of something lost and found, and endless longing, was as charming and sweet as ever, yet it seemed as if separated by mountains and rivers, by a long stretch of time.

No! This is not true!
He abruptly shook off the children's hands, as if trying to escape the deadly temptation before him. He turned around abruptly and ran wildly toward Weiyang Palace with an almost frantic speed!
"Father!"

"Father!"

The children cried out in panic behind him, but he paid no attention. He only wanted to know immediately whether the person in the ice room was still there!

He ran wildly, crossing the palace road and stepping over the threshold, startling the palace servants and eunuchs along the way who all knelt down, bewildered.

He rushed straight into the backyard of Weiyang Palace, to the heavily guarded ice chamber!
The icy chill hit him, sending a shiver down his skin, which was burning hot from running and excitement.

He rushed to the crystal-clear ice coffin.

The coffin was empty.

Han Lei, who should have been lying there quietly with a lifelike face, was nowhere to be seen. Only the soft brocade quilt that had been laid out there still retained a faint human-shaped imprint.

Zhao Zun was struck dumb, standing frozen in front of the ice coffin, motionless.

She... really disappeared.

And then, by the peony bushes in the Imperial Garden, there stood the woman who smiled sweetly at him…

Is it...

Zhao Zun felt an indescribable force explode from his chest. Before he could even think, his body reacted before his consciousness could.

He turned around abruptly, no longer caring whether what was standing in the Imperial Garden was an illusion or reality, a spirit or a soul; he just wanted to get back there as quickly as possible!

Her clothes fluttered, creating a sharp gust of wind.

He barely touched the ground, displaying the lightness skill he had learned throughout his life to its fullest extent, sweeping past the astonished kneeling palace servants, passing through the flower-filled corridors, his eyes fixed only on the path leading to the Imperial Garden ahead.

His heart pounded like a drum, almost bursting out of his chest; the cold fear and burning hope intertwined, nearly tearing him apart.

Closer, closer... The rich fragrance of peonies once again filled the air.

Just as his figure reappeared at the entrance of the Imperial Garden, the pale yellow figure was still standing in the same spot, slightly bowing down and softly comforting the two children who were somewhat at a loss because of his sudden departure.

Sunlight shone on her profile, casting a warm glow that made even the finest downy hairs clearly visible.

She seemed to sense his return and looked up.

Eyes facing each other.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

He saw a layer of mist quickly fill her clear eyes, which were filled with too many emotions that he could understand yet could not decipher.

There is a sense of vicissitude that feels like a lifetime ago, an indescribable weariness, the ecstasy of something lost and found again, and the deep-seated attachment and love that have never faded.

She parted her lips slightly, and that familiar, soft, gentle voice, which made his heart tremble, pierced through the silent air and clearly reached his ears.

“Brother Zun…”

This call was like a spell breaking a seal, instantly shattering all of Zhao Zun's carefully maintained rationality and composure.

On his cold, stern face, tears welled up uncontrollably in his deep, sharp eyes, streaming down his resolute cheeks.

All imperial majesty and composure vanished at this moment!

Like a trapped beast that has finally found its lost treasure, he rushed forward, opened his arms, and fiercely embraced that slender, frail figure that carried all his longing and pain!
His strength was so great that it seemed he wanted to crush her, embed her into his own bones and blood, and never separate them again.

Han Lei was knocked back half a step by his bump, but she did not struggle. She simply stretched out her arms and hugged his strong waist tightly, burying her face deeply in his broad and slightly trembling chest, greedily breathing in that familiar and reassuring scent.

"Girl...girl...it really is you...it really is you...what a close call. We almost missed each other again."

Zhao Zun buried his face in her neck, his voice hoarse and broken, murmuring repeatedly, his hot tears soaking the fabric of her clothes.

His broad shoulders trembled violently—the ecstasy of something lost and found, the catharsis of a long wait finally ending, the redemption after countless days and nights of despair and torment.

This elation was tinged with lingering fear; if Han Lei had arrived a few hours later, he might have "slept forever."

"Yes! I'm back. Brother Zun, I missed you so much, I missed the children so much." Han Lei hugged him even tighter, her tears soaking his dragon robe as well.

All the unspoken words between them melted away in this almost suffocating embrace.

Everything around them seemed to stand still, with only the two people embracing each other and the surging emotions between them flowing and colliding silently.

After a long while, or perhaps just a moment, a timid and slightly aggrieved child's voice broke the stagnant silence.

"Father...do you like...do you like this gift? Do you like this aunt?" Zhao Yueyao looked up at the two people who were embracing tightly, her big eyes still showing some unease.

Zhao Zun and Han Lei were able to detach themselves from each other's worlds for a while.

Zhao Zun took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions. He looked down at the tearful yet smiling eyes of the person in his arms, then looked at his daughter, his voice hoarse and tender like never before: "I like... Father... I like it very much..."

Every word he spoke seemed to carry a heavy weight.

At this moment, Zhao Xingheng, who was standing next to her, seemed to have finally been unable to bear his sister's "dullness" any longer.

He clicked his tongue like a little adult, gave Zhao Yueyao a slightly disdainful look, then put one hand behind his back, stroked his chin with the other, shook his little head, and said in a knowing tone, "I've seen it all before":
"What auntie? Silly Yao Yao, that's our mother!"

The voice was young, yet it was firm and resonant.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zun and Han Lei were both shocked. They then looked at each other and smiled. Their smiles were tinged with tears, bittersweet, and overflowing with boundless happiness and fulfillment.

They embraced tightly again, this time also taking their two innocent yet joyful children into their arms.

All around, magnificent peonies bloomed in profusion, their layers of petals swaying gently in the breeze, their rich fragrance permeating every corner of the Imperial Garden, as if offering the grandest and most silent congratulatory gift to this reunion that transcends life and death.

Time may have brought separation and pain, but at this moment, in the Imperial Garden, the family is reunited, which is the most beautiful scenery in the world and the most perfect ending to this long story.

Han Lei's timely return bought Zhao Zun another fifteen years.

Over the past fifteen years, Zhao Zun has worked diligently, utilizing the resources Han Lei had finally retrieved from the system to propel the Great Jing Dynasty to its full rise on this continent, leaving the once-powerful Dongming Empire far behind. He also personally mentored Zhao Xingheng with Han Lei, transforming him into an emperor with the world at heart.

On Zhao Xingheng's twentieth birthday, Zhao Zun formally abdicated, and Zhao Xingheng ascended the throne.

After a lifetime of hard work, Zhao Zun and Han Lei rarely saw each other. Finally, after relieving themselves of their burdens, the couple rode a three-wheeled vehicle together, leaning on each other, enjoying the beauty of nature and living a carefree life...

(End of the article)

This article is dedicated by Dao fans to the singers Dao and Lang, from their hometown. Twenty years of suppression, twenty years of rise—how many twenty-year periods does one have in a lifetime?

That concludes today. Thank you all for your continued support and companionship! The next story will likely be released around the Spring Festival. I hope you will continue to support me! Thank you! Thank you!