Chapter 7 — Even Hell Can't Stop You

I stood dumbfounded. My head was a mess of chaotic sounds, I didn't know whether to cry, laugh, or scream. It turns out... Lam Viet was actually waiting for me. Two years ago, when I was desperately looking for him, he was still... standing here, looking towards me. 9 From that day on, Lam Viet began to be guided by the previous King of Hell, step by step, teaching him everything a King of Hell must do. He learns very quickly. In just a short time, Lam Viet has mastered all the necessary rules and magic, completely replacing the position of the King of Hell. In the past, the old King of Hell had a habit of wearing a mask during trials, so when the two people switched identities, almost no one recognized them. The souls that accidentally discover... have their memories erased by the King of Hell. However... this King of Hell has a fatal flaw. He... forgot to tell Lam Viet something important. When he becomes the King of Hell, his successor will lose all memories of his previous life. All. Not a single piece left. So... the day Lam Viet officially accepted the seal and took on the identity of King of Hell, he also lost all his memories of me. The person who died because of me. The person who said he would wait for me. The person who promised... would find me in the next life. However, he no longer remembers. Black White Impermanence knew all of this from the beginning. But because the previous King of Hell used magic power to seal the memories, they themselves forgot everything. It wasn't until the battle with the devil, when Lam Viet lost consciousness, that the seal on Hac Bach Vu Thuong's memories was cracked, and pieces of truth returned like a flood. As for the red cinnabar note on Lam Viet's forehead... Hac Vu Thuong explained: During that battle, he forced himself to overcome his limits, summoning the full power of Hell's Fire. That power tore the seal on the King of Hell's memory, opening up forgotten memories of his previous life. I took care of him for a month. Every day and every night, I wiped the sweat, covered myself with a blanket, cooked soup, and sat by the bed waiting for him to wake up. Every morning when I wake up, I ask myself: "If one day... you remember everything, will you still recognize me?" And then, that day... Lam Viet opened his eyes. His breathing was slow, his fingers moved slightly. When those deep black eyes fell on me, he called softly, his voice gentle, still exactly the same as two years ago: "Nhat Nhat." My heart felt like a firecracker exploded. My eyes were stinging, I trembled and whispered: "Ah... Viet..." At that moment, I couldn't hold back anymore, rushed to hug him tightly, choking: "A Viet... I miss you... I miss you so much that I'm crazy..." Lam Viet also hugged me tightly, his whole body trembling slightly, his voice was hoarse in his ear: "I miss you too... I've been waiting for you for a long time." My tears fell on his collar, wet and cold. In a confused breath, I whispered, my voice broken like glass: "A Viet... I'm sorry... If it weren't for your impulsiveness... I wouldn't have died..." I trembled, the memory of that fateful night returned like thunder - That night... it wasn't Lam Viet who was driving. It's me. I just got my driver's license and was excited to drive for the first time. He advised me many times: "Slow down, Nhat Nhat... This road is dangerous..." But I... didn't listen. Halfway there, a truck rushed out from a small alley, its headlights blinding. I panicked, my brain went blank, and mistakenly stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake. Can't avoid it anymore. In that moment - Lam Viet grabbed the steering wheel, turned it sharply towards me, and grabbed his body I block all impact force. The sound of metal hitting each other was deafening. Blood splattered all over the car windshield. The car rotated, each shock crushing nerves. When the car tilted, I saw his eyes... still gentle, as if whispering to me: "Nhat Nhat... Don't be afraid." And then — he stopped breathing. My tears fell like rain, each drop as heavy as a knife. I sobbed, once again chokingly called his name: "A Viet... It's my fault..." But Lam Viet just squeezed me tighter, put his hand behind my back, didn't say a word, just gently kissed my hair. As if whispering: "I never blamed you." After a serious illness, I woke up with a chaotic memory, every piece of memory felt like someone had torn it apart, I thought... the driver that day was you. But it's not. It's me. Lam Viet sat beside the bed, a cloth in his hand gently wiping away the tears on my cheeks. His voice was deep and soft like velvet: "Don't cry anymore... It was an accident, not your fault." He slightly curled the corners of his lips, his eyes seemed to contain a trace of sadness: "I thought... I would have to wait for you for a long time, but I didn't expect... you wouldn't be so careful." Hearing that sentence, the anger in my heart melted into tears. I wrapped my arms around him tightly, my voice trembling and choking as if I was afraid of losing him again: "A Viet... I just... feel lucky to still be able to see you." Lost and found again - only after going through life and death do you understand clearly that whether in the underworld or the world, as long as you can still hold my hand, it is pure bliss. I have thousands of questions to ask you. I want to ask, why did you forget everything about me, yet you still spared your life to protect me, even if you had to endure the fiery backlash, you didn't hesitate. Wanted to ask, if those nights dreaming about the third watch, have you ever... like me, seen a familiar figure, standing under the dim light, quietly waiting for you But... suddenly I realized - All those questions... were no longer important. Because, he loves me. And I… love you. That is the only answer, the solution to all mysteries and all confusion. I raised my head and looked deeply into Lam Viet's face, feeling like I couldn't see enough. Those eyes, that nose, the curve of those lips, all make me long to touch them. I leaned forward, gently placed a kiss on his eyelids, then the bridge of his nose, and finally... fell on his lips. These things, when I was alive, I could only wish for... now, in the endless darkness of the underworld, I can hold you tightly.

"A Viet... I... love you." "I love you too."

In the underworld, where there is no difference between day and night, where eternal darkness covers us, we... passionately hugged and kissed, our breaths intertwined, our hearts beating as one. The darkness... is no longer scary. Because we have each other. Even if we enter the deepest hell, as long as we are together, we are no longer afraid of anything. After that, Lam Viet finally told me the truth about everything. He said, the first time he met me at Diem La Palace, as soon as he saw me, he felt... very familiar. However, at that time, I pointed my finger straight at him and scolded him so much that... he just felt angry and annoyed. So angry that... just wanted to tie me up next to me, so I wouldn't bother others anymore. Only later did I learn that the "coincidental" reason why the Photography Department, the Honors Department, and other departments all "ran out of space" for accepting me... was because Lam Viet had arranged it in advance. He deliberately let me become his personal assistant. I remember at that time smirking and pompously teasing him: "If you admit that you're attracted to me, will you die? Even if you lose your memory, you can still love me." Lam Viet smiled, his hand gently pinched my nose, his voice was deep and hoarse, mixed with affection: "Yes... You are so charming, I can't help but fall in love with you over and over again." The position of King of Hell is not easy to escape, it takes at least a hundred years to retire, this is a hard rule, even the Jade Emperor cannot interfere. As for me... now my work in the underworld is far from enough, so I have to continue staying next to Lam Viet as my personal assistant.