The Untouchable Prince | A Norenmin FanFiction

一百四

One Hundred Four
Updated: January 1, 2024

The sloshing of water and the screeching of white birds, seagulls, overhead drew Renjun awake. A soft grittiness seeped between his toes as he took one step forward—he wasn't wearing any shoes. When he looked around, he found he was at the ocean, a beach, was what it was called. The water in front of him washed up white foam, almost kissing his feet in greeting.

The ocean.

Renjun had come here once before; he remembered. He was only a toddler when his father insisted on coming here. Xuxi was there, too, and so was his mother. It was an impromptu trip after his father had settled some business with the nearby fishermen village. The trip was only a few hours before they immediately set back to the Imperial City, but it was nice. Renjun barely remembered much of what happened, only that it was fun.

Renjun had come here once before; he remembered. He was only a toddler when his father insisted on coming here. Xuxi was there, too, and so was his mother. It was an impromptu trip after his father had settled some business with the nearby fishermen village. The trip was only a few hours before they immediately set back to the Imperial City, but it was nice. Renjun barely remembered much of what happened, only that it was fun.

Ahead of him, there was a tall figure dressed in white mourning clothes, standing knee-length in the ocean waves and water soaking his clothing to his thighs.

"Father..." Renjun recognized him, taking a step into the water to follow the figure. "What are you doing here?"

The person didn't say anything, only turned his head to him, confirming that it indeed was his father.

"I... Father..." He continued to walk into the water until he was only a few meters away.

"You're here..." Xinyue had a warm smile on his face, one that was peaceful like he was enjoying himself. He then turned to look back out into the distance again. "Father is glad that you're home."

You're home.

Those words shook Renjun's entire being, and he finally remembered. It was like his blank mind was flooded with every memory of his entire life. He remembered that he was locked up and abused for eight months, and he remembered that when he came back... his father had moved onto Heaven. His father had passed away...

"I'm sorry for leaving so soon..."

When Renjun looked back at his father, his father had started wading deeper and deeper into the water, not once looking back at him.

"Father!" Renjun tried to go after him, wanting to grab his sleeve and stop him from going any further, but the deeper he went, the harder it was to catch up with his father. "Wait! Father!" Before he knew it, his father had completely disappeared into the ocean, not even the white robes he wore could be seen in the darkness. "Father!"

The water was waist deep by the time his father had disappeared, and Renjun only stood there blankly, staring into the distance. "Father... come back... I don't know what to do without you..."

Lost... that's how he felt and that's how he looked.

He was home, but recovery wasn't an overnight process. He had spent years trying to recover from his trauma as an eight-year-old, and with how much he suffered in those eight months. He would need centuries to even be a normal person, and to add on to that, he was the new Huang Emperor...