CHAPTER 623: IF I CAN’T HAVE YOU

The garden was bathed in soft golden light, fairy strands weaving through the trees like constellations caught in silk. Music drifted gently through the air, slow and tender, as if composed for the moment itself.

Han Xin held Xiang Yu close, their bodies swaying in quiet rhythm. His head was lowered, the tip of his nose brushing the curve of Xiang Yu’s neck, where the scent of plumeria clung like memory. Their fingers were entwined, palms pressed together as if sealing a vow.

Han Xin’s gaze, half-lidded and dazzling, flicked to Xiang Yu from the corner of his eye. Affection shimmered there, unspoken, but unmistakable. Xiang Yu whispered something, voice low and teasing. Han Xin’s hand on his waist tightened, pulling him closer, and both their smiles bloomed wider, like flowers unfolding in moonlight.

From a distance, Peng Xiu watched the two of them. She stood in the shadows, her breath shallow, her eyes locked on the couple. Her glare burned through the air, brimming with jealousy so sharp it felt like a blade against her own skin.

That should have been her in Han Xin’s arms. That should have been her he looked at like that... with devotion, with softness, with love.

The dagger in her hand gleamed faintly, its edge catching the light from the garden. Her grip tightened until the hilt rubbed her palm raw, blood threatening to bloom. The obsession in her eyes deepened, twisted, until it was no longer just longing, it was fury.

She couldn’t take it anymore.

***

Han Xin held Xiang Yu close. Their bodies swayed gently, the fairy lights above casting a warm, golden glow over them. Han Xin’s nose brushed against Xiang Yu’s neck, his breath warm as he inhaled deeply.

He always smelled like this, Han Xin thought, like a garden in full bloom, like home. Their fingers were intertwined, a perfect fit, and Han Xin’s hand on Xiang Yu’s waist tightened just slightly, pulling him even closer.

Xiang Yu tilted his head, a soft smile playing on his lips. "You are staring again," he murmured, his voice low and teasing.

"Can’t help it," Han Xin replied, his eyes never leaving the curve of his husband’s jaw. "You are too beautiful to look away." Their laughter mingled in the quiet night, light and carefree.

Peng Xiu’s teeth grind together so hard her jaw ached. Her chest heaved with quiet rage as she stepped closer. How dare he, she thought. How dare he take what’s mine.

She couldn’t stand it anymore. She couldn’t stand the way they moved together, the way they laughed, the way they loved. It was unbearable.

Han Xin leaned in, his lips brushing against Xiang Yu’s ear. "Yu Yu, let’s get out of here," he whispered, his voice husky.

Xiang Yu’s smile widened, and he nodded, his cheeks flushing just enough to make Han Xin’s heart skip a beat. "I am looking forward to be pampered by you," said Xiang Yu as they turned toward the small gate, their steps in sync.

Han Xin hugged his waist and pulled him close while whispering, "I will do whatever you-."

While he was whispering something, Xiang Yu suddenly sensed something. His eyes narrowed, an instinctive pulse of caution sending shivers through him.

He was about to reply when the electric tension fractured. In an instant, his grip on Han Xin tightened, and he spun him around, his face a storm of confusion and urgency.

"What—" Han Xin started, his words caught in the whirl of action, but before he could finish, Xiang Yu groaned, a visceral sound that shot through Han Xin like a lightning bolt.

Peng Xiu’s strike was swift, merciless. Time seemed to stretch as crimson bloomed across Xiang Yu’s chest, his eyes wide with shock, then pain.

The world seemed to tilt. Time froze, and the ringing in Han Xin’s ears engulfed him, drowning out the chaos of the city around them. He stood, rooted in place, staring in horror at Xiang Yu.

"Yu Yu!" Han Xin finally gasped, snapping back to reality as his heart raced. He gripped Xiang Yu tightly, but a wave of weakness washed over him. His muscles felt like water, and he found himself kneeling in the dirt with Xiang Yu in his arms

"Yu Yu..." His voice cracked, flickering like the dying embers of a fire as he looked down at the crimson stain blooming on Xiang Yu’s blue shirt, watching in disbelief as hope faded beneath the weight of blood. "Yu Yu!" he called again, his voice brittle against the weight of anguish that threatened to consume him.

The night erupted around them, the city’s chaos a cacophony that mirrored the turmoil in his soul. "Lian! Mei!" he yelled desperately for help.

Suddenly, a manic laughter cut through the air, shrill and unforgiving. Han Xin’s gaze snapped to the shadowed figure emerging from the darkness, cloaked in malevolence. The figure moved with deliberate grace, pulling down their hood to reveal a face that twisted his stomach into knots.

Peng Xiu grinned, her blood-stained smile wide and cruel. "It’s useless," she taunted, her voice dripping with malice. "That dagger is something out of this world... haha! I meant to drive it into your heart, Xin-ge, but oh well... if I can have you, no one else can have you."

Han Xin’s blood ran cold as he processed her twisted declaration. The world around him blurred for a moment, consumed by the enormity of her threat as he clutched Xiang Yu tighter in despair. He suddenly let out a scream.

It wasn’t a cry of grief. It was something deeper, more ancient. A sound that tore through the fabric of reality, echoing across the city like thunder from the gods.

Then... everything changed.

Han Xin’s body convulsed, his breath stolen by a force older than memory. His eyes flared open, no longer dark but a luminous, searing blue. The glow surged outward, engulfing him in a storm of divine energy. His short hair unraveled, growing longer in a cascade of obsidian silk that shimmered with celestial light.

His clothes dissolved into radiant threads, reforming into a robe of white and gold. The fabric shimmered with divine sigils, each one pulsing with power. The robe clung to him like destiny itself, regal and terrifying, a mantle of judgment and sorrow.

The air thickened. The sky dimmed. A hush fell over the city.