1. Rotten Eggs are the New Cupid

In a palace decorated with gold and jade, a man in his late thirties sat on his dragon throne with apathetic eyes, staring at the minister kowtowing before him. His expressionless features were cold enough to freeze the Underworld, his ruthlessness causing many to shiver. The minister that was kowtowing felt the temperature in the court room continuing to drop at an alarming rate and lowered his head more pitifully.

"Your Majesty, for the sake of the people, an heir is needed!" The minister's bravely could only be seen as foolishness among the other ministers. The man that was bowing knew that he'd risk his life with what he was asking, but he bravely continued to push the emperor's nerves with the unavoidable question: will His Majesty take concubines... or even an empress?

The emperor pursed his lips and narrowed his cold eyes, causing everyone to shudder and pray for the idiotic man for bringing up the emperor's unpleasant memories.

"So," the emperor's booming voice faltered, "We need heirs to make the people happy?"

The minister trembled but squeaked a quiet yes.

The emperor chuckled bitterly and slammed his fist on the throne violently, "We have made the empire prosper for many years without complaint, but We have asked our marriage to be left alone. Have We not done enough!?"

The minster paled and shook his head fervidly, "Your Highness is magnanimous! Your Highness is merciful..."

"But?" The emperor roared in anger, awaiting the minister's excuse for his atrocity.

The minister gulped and mumbled, "But a crown prince should be stated properly for stability..."

The emperor laughed sarcastically, "And tell me, Minister Yue," he then proceeded to point at the bowing man with his index finger, "Do you think your daughter should be the mother of Our nation?"

Minister Yue quivered but kept his head bowed. The emperor closed his eyes at his forming headache and ordered, "Take him away."

Minster Yue widened his wrinkled eyes in fear and began begging the emperor for forgiveness as the emperor's guards dragged him away. Unfortunately for him, he had his fate sealed the moment he brought up the taboo topic with the emperor.

The emperor glanced at the shivering court and murmured, "Anyone else caring to share their opinion about Our heirs and marriage? Anyone else willing to showcase their daughter to interest Us?"

The remaining court members fell to their knees as the emperor waved them off, dismissing his morning court. Once the last member left, he left his throne room and began wandering his garden, sighing and looking at the sky, wishing it would swallow him like it swallowed her.

It had been a decade since that incident and he had been haunted by his remorse every moment of it.  He kept thinking: what if he never left the tent? What if he protected her in time? The what ifs swirled around his mind; suffocating his heart.

Suddenly, a beautiful, ghastly woman appeared with a frown. She noticed the aura of melancholy surrounding him and sighed, "Nangong Longwei, how long are you going to grieve for a girl that doesn't and will never belong to you?"

The emperor, named Nangong Longwei, glared at the woman with disgust, "How long are you going to be pestering me, Yu Zhenzhen?"

The spirit, named Yu Zhenzhen, heart ripped to pieces at his gaze. All these years, all these lifetimes... why did he never give her the look that he gave two other women? Albeit the first one he was forced, but how could he fall in love with the second one while she borrowed Yu Zhenzhen's body?

The same woman who caused him to want death to lull him to be together, with her.

"Let me ask you," Yu Zhenzhen's voice rung out, ignoring Nangong Longwei's question. "How long are you going to be wasting on a woman not from our world?"

That's right. After the incident, Nangong Longwei had gone berserk until Yu Zhenzhen appeared before him and explained the whole conspiracy, calming his physical state, but unfortunately, not his mental state.

"She's my destiny."

Three words caused Yu Zhenzhen to smile sadly since deep in her heart, she knew he would answer like that. Truly, he wasn't like this even with Qing Xiaolin. Their 'love' had been superficial while she had seen genuine emotions when he was with Zheng Mimi. But it was ironic for him to fall in love with her, yet not her. All these years, she yearned for him to gaze at her with love, but in the end, it was only her pathetic thinking. He, Nangong Longwei, was not going to be hers, ever!

At that realization, a deep ache filled her heart until she murmured, "Then, would you like to go to where she is?"

Nangong Longwei froze and turned to Yu Zhenzhen, his dead eyes glimmering with a tint of hope. Yu Zhenzhen sighed and pulled out the food she had hidden—a rotten egg.

Nangong Longwei's frowned in disgust and disbelief, giving Yu Zhenzhen a gaze of wonder. She ignored his dark, phoenix eyes and explained, "You wanted to go to her world, did you not? This is your chance, you fool!"

"Yu Zhenzhen... if this is another one of your antics, I swear—"

"Listen!" Yu Zhenzhen pleaded with unshed tears, "I know it may seem strange, but for once, please believe me. I know I omit an aura of negativity," she mockingly pointed at herself, "but I cannot withstand you ruining your life! I will allow myself to suffer in exchange of your happiness! Please listen..."

Nangong Longwei's eyes continued to hold hostility until Yu Zhenzhen snapped her fingers, freezing him. His eyes flashed with anger and he tried to struggle, but it felt like he was being held back by an invisible rope. Yu Zhenzhen took a deep breath and placed a rotten egg in his mouth, despite his struggling. She forced him to swallow and whispered, "Live happy and goodbye. I will get over you." She had repeated this sentence multiple times before, but this time, she meant it. She didn't want to waste anymore time on him, especially after her realization earlier.

Nangong Longwei widened his eyes in shock as a sensation began overwhelming his soul, completely ignoring the terrible taste of the egg. He finally understood that Yu Zhenzhen had been telling the truth—she was sending him where his lover lived.

She snapped her fingers again and he was released. He turned to her and asked, "What's her name?"

Yu Zhenzhen averted her gaze from his intense one and remained silent. He repeated the question, but she continued to ignore him. He understood that she wasn't going to answer him, so with a bona fide look in her direction, he whispered, "Thank you..." and with that, he feel on the ground with an audible thud as his soul disappeared completely.

Yu Zhenzhen sighed in relief and shame. Despite beginning her journey of getting over Nangong Longwei, she didn't have the guts to tell him Zheng Mimi's name. She wanted to see if it truly was true love—would they meet in the new world, completely unaware of each other's identity?

If yes, good for them.

Otherwise, Yu Zhenzhen didn't care. But his final words have been unexpected... Hasn't it been her fault for everything? Anyways, from this moment on, nothing mattered to her. She had lost all association to the duo. The ghost stared at the cracking sky. It seemed like what she had feared was becoming reality—the world was falling apart without a male or female lead. Soon, everyone who existed here would ceased to exist...

A tear escaped Yu Zhenzhen's eye. She pursed her lips and mumbled, "Zheng Mimi... as my apology to you, I'll do one last thing..." the ghost snapped her fingers and rotten eggs appeared in the food of each person she knew cared for Zheng Mimi. From her maid, Er Xi, that Yu Zhenzhen herself never treated with respect to Yu Lijie, the brother she had taken for granted. Even her parents that had suffered because of her selfishness, she allowed a reincarnation. Practically everyone that Zheng Mimi had associated with reincarnated in the real world. She would make sure everyone transmigrated the moment the girl woke up to allow things to progress more smoothly.

Finally, feeling as though she had repented enough for her sins, Yu Zhenzhen smiled nostalgically and closed her eyes, a peaceful aura surrounding her. No longer was she vengeful, now, she was ready to spend her eternity in the Underworld...

With that, Yu Zhenzhen's ghost slowly faded away, destroying the world along with her.

***

Anyone else pity Yu Zhenzhen?

All those that Zheng Mimi had associated with will be in the modern world as a final apology from Yu Zhenzhen...

Many of you will be able to guess majority of the characters based on their personalities, but there will be some new characters that confuse you (since they are originally from the modern world).