721: Swear On My Life

Swear On My Life

"My planet was just like this. Everywhere I saw were meadows and a vast land of colorful flowers. When spring arrived, it would feel like Heaven. Everyone worked together to tend to them so they're always thriving all year long. There were a lot of natural waterfalls as well." Lu Yizhou's eyes were serene, yet hidden beneath them was a deep sorrow which no one could understand but himself.0

Zeke stared at his beloved's wistful side profile, unable to tear his gaze away. This was the first time he had heard Lu Yizhou bring up his destroyed planet. To be exact, this was the first time Lu Yizhou had taken the initiative to open up about his painful past. Zeke instinctively stood up straight and pricked up his ears, his expression as serious as students who were listening to their teacher. He wanted to know. He really wanted to know everything about this person – no matter how trifling it was.

Just by listening to Lu Yizhou's brief description, he could tell that it was a very breathtaking planet, totally different from the Capital Planet that was dominated by steel buildings. The air pollution was high and thus it was not suitable to grow plants. Only in this kind of greenhouse would they thrive and grow up healthily.

"I'm sorry…" Zeke murmured, distressed. He wished he could go back in time and slap his Imperial Father black and blue for the terrifying deeds he had done.

Lu Yizhou was taken aback for a second before a slight smile curved on his lips. He tugged Zeke along as he said, "Everything is in the past. Let's go inside."

Even if it was the past, did it mean that it wouldn't hurt to recall them? Zeke stared at the man's broad back and he almost blurted out what he was thinking. Fortunately, he held himself back in time. The least he could do for Lu Yizhou right now was to stay by his side and not trigger any trauma for him. 

They walked along the stone pathway as Lu Yizhou introduced each tree to him. There were quite a lot of names Zeke had never heard before, and he was sure that it was not the variety that could be found in Capital Planet either. The more he listened, his heart felt even more distressed. How old Lu Yizhou was when he first bought this greenhouse and planted the trees here? Did he do it himself or was there someone who helped him? How much effort had it taken him to gather all of these exotic flora?

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he almost bumped straight into Lu Yizhou's back when the man suddenly stopped. "Here we are."

Zeke lifted his head and an astonished gasp escaped his lips. His eyes flew wide in awe as he took in the scene in front of him. He had known early on that they would be paying respect to the cenotaph. And in his mind, he had already imagined the common and ordinary kind of cenotaph which was often used by people. 

However… there was nothing 'common' or 'ordinary' about this!

In the deepest part of the greenhouse, one side of the wall was covered by a block of black stone whose material he had no idea of. The height of the cenotaph reached the roof, giving off an awe-inspiring and imposing momentum. But it was not the thing that stunned Zeke the most. 

What shocked him the most was the dense writing that covered every inch of the stone. Upon closer scrutiny, Zeke discovered that they were names. Thousand – millions of names were engraved on the surface and he could tell that they were meticulously done by hand. 

They were the names of people on Lu Yizhou's planet. Not a single one was forgotten or left behind.

His mind automatically conjured up the heartbreaking scene. The battered and tender-faced Lu Yizhou, who was barely a teenager, purchased this big greenhouse out of his own pocket money. After planting the trees, he moved to engrave each name on the cenotaph. It might have taken him hours, days or even weeks, but he did not stop until he was done. 

Because this was the least he could do for them. To remember and let them live on in his heart.

"...Why are you crying?" A gentle touch landed on his face and Zeke blinked his moist eyes, surprised. He didn't even realize when he started crying. He glanced at Lu Yizhou who looked faintly concerned and cursed inside his heart. He did not plan to lose control of himself like this. Goodness… why was he such a crybaby?!

"N–Nothing." Zeke hastily wiped his face and sniffled. He patted Lu Yizhou's hand in reassurance, then faced the cenotaph with a solemn look. 

Toward these millions of names, he lowered his head and bowed deeply until he could bend his waist no more. There were so, so many emotions surging in his chest. Sorrow, guilt, anger… but most of all, he was thankful. Thankful for these deceased souls who had protected Lu Yizhou until he managed to grow up safely. Until he could finally meet Zeke.

Thinking up here, he suddenly laughed. 

Lu Yizhou gave him a weird look. Just a second ago, he was crying, but now he was laughing. He worriedly placed the back of his hand to Zeke's forehead to make sure that he did not have a fever.

Zeke also knew that he was acting weirdly, but he just could not help it. He held Lu Yizhou's hand on his forehead and kneaded his fingers nervously. "Say…" he wondered in a daze. "The first person you've ever taken to meet your family is the son of a great enemy. Do you think they will–"

Lu Yizhou placed a finger on Zeke's lips as he had guessed the direction of the latter's thought. "They will like you…" he uttered in a gentle tone and Zeke had no idea why he was holding his breath. Lu Yizhou's tone brooked no argument as he told Zeke seriously, "If they were still alive, I am positive that they would adore you. Very much."

Zeke knew that the most sensible thing he should do right now was to put this topic down and end it here. It was just nonsensical of him to talk about this in front of Lu Yizhou's family, but this was starting to bother him. A lot. Hell, he did not even know this would make him feel so uncomfortable! 

The thought that Lu Yizhou's family would see him as the King's son, as the son of the very person who had ordered their massacre, had him so agitated that he almost broke out in cold sweat. He wished he could deny that the King's blood ran in his veins but sadly, that was one cold truth he could not change in this lifetime.

Panic flashed through his eyes as he let out a laugh that was almost hysterical. "How do you know that? How do you know that they won't—"

"Because I love you."

Zeke choked on his words, stunned. He raised his head and saw Lu Yizhou looking at him with such a tender gaze that was overflowing with nothing but deep love. Lu Yizhou cupped his cheeks and in front of the cenotaph bearing the names of everyone on his planet, he declared his feelings out loud, "I love you, Zeke. And because of that, they will love you too. As simple as that."

"You are Zeke and no one else. Zeke, who has stayed by my side during my lowest moment. Zeke, who has accompanied me through many lifetimes in the simulator…" the rims of Lu Yizhou's eyes reddened and his voice gained a tinge of hoarseness. "Zeke, who has never given up on me and never stopped loving me. It has nothing to do with who you are and where you come from. Do you understand?"

Zeke blinked, and fat droplets of tears rolled down his cheeks. He could not seem to stop them no matter what. He buried his face into Lu Yizhou's chest and sobbed quietly. As he hugged his most important person, a fiery resolution formed within the depth of his golden eyes.

'I'm sorry. Even if you don't approve of me, I will be taking him for myself. I just love him too much… and in this lifetime, letting go of him is not an option. I, Zeke, swear on my life that I will make him the happiest man on the planet – no, the entire galaxy.' He uttered the vow inside his heart.

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