How To Hide The Tyrant's Child In The Apocalypse

AT THE SAME TIME

MEI SHEN'S POINT OF VIEW:

A heavy thud shattered the quiet of the village edge. I whipped around, heart leaping. A man, no, a stranger, was collapsing onto the wooden footbridge, skin burning with fever and face pale as winter frost.

"Help!" The word slipped from my lips before I could stop it.

I hurried forward, hands shaking as I caught him, steadying the weakening body against me. His breath was shallow, ragged, like he was drowning in air. Sweat slicked his brow, and his eyes fluttered open, faintly storm, green but glazed with pain. I didn't recognize him. Not a traveler I had seen before.

"Stay with me." I whispered fiercely, fear tightening my chest. "You can't die here."

His fingers twitched weakly, and a cough tore from his throat, harsh and rattling. My mind raced, panic blooming. I needed to get him somewhere safe, somewhere warm. I gathered him carefully into my arms, the weight of his burning body almost too much to bear. Every shallow breath he took sounded like a battle, and I felt my chest tighten with helplessness. Villagers watched in silence, whispers trailing like ghosts, but I barely noticed. All that mattered was getting him somewhere warm, somewhere safe.

The path was rough and slippery, but I didn't slow, not even when his body sagged heavily against me, nearly slipping through my fingers. Finally, I crossed the threshold of my small home and set him down gently on the narrow cot, the familiar walls suddenly feeling too empty, too quiet for the storm raging inside me.

I pressed a cool cloth to his fevered forehead, fingers trembling as I searched my shelves for anything that might help, a bitter root, a healing balm, water. His storm green eyes fluttered open again, momentarily clearer, but still clouded with pain and confusion. He looked like he was drowning beneath his own skin and I didn't know who he was. But he needed me and that was all that mattered. I pressed a cool cloth to his fevered brow, hands trembling but steady. His breathing was ragged, caught between life and something darker.

"Just hold on." I murmured, gathering herbs from the shelf with shaking fingers. 

I crushed the leaves, mixing them with water, then gently fed the bitter tonic to his cracked lips. His eyes fluttered open briefly, storm green, clouded with pain and locked onto mine.

"Mei… Shen…"He whispered.

I froze, heart skipping. How did he know my name? We'd never met before. I never told anyone where I came from, not even my closest friends.

"Who… who are you?" I asked, voice barely steady. My fingers tightened around his wrist.

He coughed harshly, then blinked at me, confusion clouding his gaze.

"I… I know you." He said, voice weak but desperate.

My breath hitched. Why did he say that? What was going on? Was he delirious from the fever, or was there something more? I stared down at the stranger I had saved, my heart twisting in a knot of fear, suspicion, and something I didn't want to admit, hope.

THE NEXT MORNING

EMPEROR LIANWEI POINT OF VIEW:

The first light of dawn slipped through the cracks of the cabin walls, soft and quiet. My eyelids fluttered open, heavy but no longer drowning in fever. The air smelled faintly of herbs and earth. I turned my head slowly, muscles weak but awakening. She was there, close enough to feel the faint tremor in her hands as she adjusted the blanket around me. Her eyes were wet, shining with tears she tried to hide.

For a long moment, I just watched her. The curve of her jaw, the way her brow furrowed in worry. A sharp pang hit my chest, something aching, raw. Her lips parted as if to speak, but she stayed silent, afraid or unsure. I tried to speak, voice cracked and barely above a whisper.

"Are you… all right?"I whispered.

She blinked, startled by the sound, and quickly wiped a tear away.

"I—I'm fine." She said, voice small, uncertain. "You're waking up."

I swallowed, heart pounding.

"You've been… crying."I muttered.

Her gaze dropped, cheeks flushing faintly.

"I was scared. I didn't want to lose you."She muttered nervously.

A flicker of something I hadn't felt in years stirred deep inside me.

"Thank you." I whispered.

She bit her lip, looking away. I could almost feel the weight of those unspoken words between us. Outside, the wind stirred, carrying the scent of pine and rain. The day was beginning, but all I wanted was to stay here a moment longer, close to her, safe, without questions or fear. Zeyrith's voice slithered into my mind, smirking as always.

"Look at you, soft already. This is going to be fun."Zeyrith muttered.

I ignored him, focusing on the fragile warmth beside me. For now, that was enough. Her eyes searched mine, wary but gentle. 

"What's your name?"She asked.

The question felt heavier than I expected. My throat was dry, words thick with fatigue and something deeper, the weight of all I had lost.

"Lian Wei." I said, voice low but steady. 

The name felt strange on my tongue, like stepping into a shadow I hadn't visited in years. She nodded slowly, committing it to memory, but I saw the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.

"Lian Wei…" She repeated, testing the sound. "It's a good name."

I gave a faint, tired smile. 

"Thank you."I said.

The morning light painted soft gold across the rough wooden beams of the cabin, but all I could see was her. Mei Shen. The woman who had haunted my every waking thought for four long years. And here she was closer than I ever dared hope. But I was no emperor here. Not yet. Just a stranger with a borrowed name: Lian Wei. It was a cruel irony. The crown weighed heavy on my shoulders even now, but I had to shed it like a second skin. To earn her trust again, I had to be someone else someone quieter, humbler. Someone who wouldn't frighten her away.

I watched her from my weak perch on the cot. Her brow furrowed in worry, lips trembling as she cared for me with those skilled, gentle hands I remembered so well. Inside, a storm raged. Hope, fear, love, doubt, they all tangled together like wild vines.

I wanted to tell her who I really was. To reach out and say, I am your emperor. I have searched for you across every corner of this empire. But I couldn't. Not yet. Not when everything was still so fragile. Instead, I let the name slip quietly from my lips, Lian Wei. My voice rough, barely steady. She caught it, eyes narrowing as if testing its truth. I saw the flicker of suspicion, the cautious hope. Good. That meant I was breaking through. For now, I would be patient. I would be Lian Wei. But soon enough, the emperor would return. And when he did, Mei Shen would never be able to hide from me again.

"So." I began carefully. "How long have you lived here? This village… it's peaceful."

She glanced at me, eyes guarded but willing to share. 

"A few years now. Longer than I planned. Life has a way of settling you where you least expect."She said.

I nodded slowly, trying to memorize every detail, every word a thread that might unravel the mystery of her exile.

"And the people? Are they kind to you?"I asked.

A small, almost shy smile tugged at her lips. 

"They are. But I keep mostly to myself. Healing those who come, nothing more."She siad.

I watched her closely, searching for signs of the woman I once knew, fierce and gentle, wounded but unbroken.

Then, a sound at the cabin door made me turn sharply.

A small boy, no older than four or five, rushed in, eyes bright and filled with fierce concern.

"Mother!" He called, bounding to her side without hesitation.

Something inside me cracked wide open. She has a son. A son I never knew existed. My breath caught as I looked from the boy to her, this fierce, protective love in her eyes when she smiled at him. The weight of lost years pressed down harder than ever. He is part of her world now, part of the life I was so desperate to return to.

The boy's small hands clung to her dress as she knelt down, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead with a tenderness that made my heart ache.

"Where have you been, Huan? I told you not to wander near the forest alone." She scolded softly, though her eyes shone with relief.

Huan huffed, a stubborn little fireball wrapped in dirt smudged clothes. 

"I wasn't alone! I was with Tao!"He said.

"Tao?" I asked, curious despite myself.

She nodded. 

"A friend from the village. He's teaching Huan how to track animals."She said.

The boy puffed out his chest proudly, then suddenly noticed me. His eyes widened, and a shy smile broke across his face.

"Are you feeling better, mister?" He asked, his voice innocent but full of concern.

I managed a weak smile in return. 

"Yes, much better. Thank you."I said.

Zeyrith's voice echoed inside my mind, dripping with amusement.

"So, emperor, you've finally met your son. Surprised? Bet you didn't even know he existed."He said.

I clenched my jaw, not ready to admit how much the god's words stung.

"Come on, don't be so gloomy. This is going to be fun. You and your unexpected family reunion."He said.

I ignored him, focusing instead on Huan's bright eyes and Mei Shen's protective stance. This was a new chapter. One I had to navigate carefully, one where every step mattered. Because now, it was making sure that I not loosing them again.