Connected 6

The rain didn't cease even until late into the night. It fell harder somehow. Such a weather was never seen before. It was certainly unusual. Fortunately it happened when they were sleeping deeply so it didn't create any chaos.

When the clock struck midnight, Ouyang Xueqing squirmed uncomfortably in her sleep.

An Zhengnan who couldn't bear to leave had decided to stay until the first dawn break before slipping away unnoticed. He had somehow lowered his guard down in the cold and dark weather as he felt a little sleepy too.

But when he heard her soft cry, his eyes flew open abruptly and his head snapped so fast that it was surprising that he didn't get a whiplash.

"Princess?" He probed cautiously.

A clearer cry was heard. "No…" It sounded weak and full of pain.

An Zhengnan rose briskly and peered into Ouyang Xueqing's face. His voice was panic and distressed as he saw the Princess frowning and mumbling in her sleep. Her face was pale and droplets of sweat could be seen. "Princess! What's wrong?"

He tried to shake her awake, but she didn't move an inch.

"No. Don't…don't die." She muttered between sobs. Tears fell from the corner of her eyes and disappeared into her hair which began to damp in sweat. "No. Please, don't. Don't leave me."

An Zhengnan was so anxious but he tried to remain calm and shook her slightly harder to wake her up from her nightmare.

His mind was buzzing from the Princess' cries and sobs. Throughout the years that he had been by her side, he had never seen this side of her.

Ouyang Xueqing was a bright, cheerful and cheeky child. Even though she was born with bad luck that kept on messing her life up, she had never been sad nor depressed. She would be down sometimes, especially when she saw people getting hurt because of her, but she would quickly recovered and returned to her cheerful self the day after.

Never once did An Zhengnan ever seen her like this. She was crying, calling out to someone in anguish and despair. Her voice was full of grief as she begged someone not to die…but who?

"Please. Don't leave me again…" She begged, more tears spilled from her closed eyelids. Her lips were bitten until they almost bled and she was thrashing violently in her sleep. "Don't leave me. Don't leave me..."

She kept on repeating those sentences which confused him more.

Who was she begging? Who would leave her, moreover…again? Someone had left her once before? Why didn't he know it?

He didn't have time to ponder deeper as the Princess began to wail louder. She screamed and arched her back as if in pain. An Zhengnan was scared shitless at this sight. The Princess began to spasm and her teeth was chattering loudly.

Her fists was balled into a tight ball and An Zhengnan didn't think twice before taking her small figure into his arms and hugged her in his embrace as he kept on calling her. "Princess, wake up! It's just a nightmare, it's not real! Xueqing…Ouyang Xueqing!"

Ouyang Xueqing didn't regain an ounce of clarity as she kept on writhing in his arms which made him tightnened his hold around her body. The Princess' body was cold…it was ice cold and An Zhengnan pulled her to his chest to share her some warmth.

He was so focused on waking her up that he didn't realize Ouyang Xueqing's hands which was clenching the fabric on his chest was slowly transforming. Her nails grew longer and sharper as it slowly turned into a bluish green color.

The skin under her pajamas hardened. The milky smooth surface was rippling and forming scales. It was faint at first, and when she continued to cry, the scales were formed on her skin which had the same color as her nails.

"Don't die…please. Don't leave me."

"Sssh." An Zhengan lulled her with a soft tone. "I'm here. I won't leave you." He whispered on the Princess' ear and wiped her cheeks that was strained with tears.

"No!" Ouyang Xueqing's eyes flew open abruptly as she roared in sorrow. The sound was swallowed by the thunder that strike loudly at the same time. Hence, no one, not even An Zhengnan realized the abnormality of that roar.

It was akin to a beast's roar.

It was a dragon's cry that would shake heaven and earth.

Her pair of eyes turned crystal blue with a golden slits, even her originally normal one. The glint shone brightly against the lightning. But Ouyang Xueqing didn't remain conscious for long before she fainted once again. An Zhengnan had embraced her tightly, thus he didn't saw Ouyang Xueqing's midst transforming.

If he had seen it, An Zhengnan would surely deduced that there was something wrong with her. A beast's full form could never be seen before undergoing heavenly tribulation when they were fourteen. Once again, Ouyang Xueqing had showed signs of transforming even before the tribulation came.

Her body felt limp against his chest. Her scaly skin returned normal, her claws retracted became how they originally were. It was smooth and soft, soaking in cold sweat. An Zhengnan supported her back as he slowly lowered her to bed. "Princess?" He lightly brushed back strands of hair sticking on her forehead.

Ouyang Xueqing was breathing deeply and peacefully. Her eyes were tightly closed. She was asleep again.

An Zhengnan breathed out a sigh of relief as he felt his legs went numb. He fell kneeling while his eyes never left her face. "What's wrong with you?" He asked even though he knew he would never get any answer.

The rain slowly died down until it turned into a soft drizzle. Even the previously fierce thunder calmed down somewhat as only occasional flashes of lightning was seen. The dawn broke in a breathtaking bluish purple hue in the sky as if the storm the night before never exist.

Ouyang Xueqing's pair of eyes slowly opened.

She felt dazed. It took her some moment before she recognized her own bedroom in the Royal Palace. The rain before was loud and scary but she didn't really disturbed by it this time.

As she blinked her sleepiness away, she recalled that she seemed to have dreamed of something.