In his previous life, Ji Yuan was kept in the palace by the emperor as a stand-in.
It was all because his eyes looked so much like those of the emperor’s dearly departed beloved.
He was humble, patient, and cautious at every turn, yet in the end he was sentenced to death.
Given another life, he watched coldly as the emperor brought him into the palace once again.
But this time, his eyes were full of pity and distance.
At first, the emperor paid him no mind. He was just another stand-in.
Until one day, he saw Ji Yuan standing in the snow without an umbrella.
Snowflakes drifted down into his hair. He looked back, his gaze cool and clear, exactly like the image of the beloved from his memories in the moments before his death.
The emperor rushed over like a madman and pulled him tightly into his arms.
“It’s you... isn’t it? You’ve come back...”
Ji Yuan gently pushed him away. His eyes were rimmed with red, but his voice was cold.
“Your Majesty has mistaken me for someone else.”
“I am merely... a stand-in.”
Later, the emperor knelt before the long palace steps, weeping as if his heart were bleeding.
He begged Ji Yuan to look at him just once more.
Ji Yuan stood above him on the steps, looking down at the ruler who had once held all the power.
Behind him stood the memorial tablet of the true beloved.
