Chapter 493 : A Way Out
The Heavenly Emperor’s preoccupation that morning was evident. Thankfully, no pressing matters demanded his immediate attention. With a knowing smile, the court officials took their leave, allowing him to gather his emotions before his younger brother’s arrival.
Despite requesting Head Eunuch Lu to head to Fuxi Palace first thing in the morning, two hours elapsed before the eunuch and the Crown Prince arrived at the Golden Dragon Palace. The delay took the form of the Supreme General, who hung himself from Xie Jianyu’s waist, begging him to stay.
Those intervening hours found Xie Jianshen diligently tending to his duties. Petitions were reviewed; the worthless discarded, and the important signed. Yet, a restless energy thrummed beneath the surface. For fifteen minutes, he paced his study, a disquieting mix of anxiety and anticipation warring within him.
Until finally Xie Jianyu arrived.
"Big Brother."
Xie Jianshen slowly raised his head.
Years of yearning coalesced into a single, weighty moment as Xie Jianshen met his younger brother’s gaze. How many sleepless nights had he spent consumed by his disappearance, each dawn a fresh agony? How many anguished pleas for forgiveness had echoed unanswered in the vast emptiness?
Now, Xie Jianyu stood before him, a tangible embodiment of a memory long-grieved. Yet, a suffocating fear rendered Xie Jianshen immobile. He held his breath, his gaze locked on Xie Jianyu like a man transfixed by a phantom. The specter of loss loomed large, threatening to snatch this fragile reunion away if he dared to reach out.
Terror choked his voice, a desperate plea trapped in his dry throat. He couldn’t speak, too afraid that this beautiful apparition might vanish, leaving him once more in the desolate wasteland of his grief.
Before prolonged agony could take root, Xie Jianyu crossed the space between them in a rush of long strides. In a single, fluid motion, he enveloped his elder brother in a tight embrace. Only the warmth of Xie Jianyu’s body pressed against his own finally coaxed a gasp from Xie Jianshen’s starved lungs.
"Big Brother..."