Chapter 26: CH 23

Sui Yan felt muddle-headed after seeing Gengxue. He nearly bumped his head into an incense burner when asking for a peace amulet, and he would’ve started bleeding if Duan Mingchong hadn’t used his hand to cushion the impact.

On the way back, Duan Mingchong supported a pale Sui Yan, worried that Sui Yan would fall and roll down the mountain steps if he let go. 

Sui Yan’s face was pale, and he barely managed to smile at Duan Mingchong, “Many-Many thanks to Your Highness.”

Duan Mingchong didn’t respond.

After a while, the two finally got off the mountain, but Sui Yan didn’t start chattering again. He was so quiet that everyone felt uncomfortable.

The carriage was waiting at the side of the road. 

Sui Yan paused, turning to look back at that long mountain road. He seemed absentminded as he thought about something.

Duan Mingchong gently said, “Let’s go back.”

Only then did Sui Yan nod and step into the carriage.

On the way back, Sui Yan closed his eyes and leaned against the side of the carriage sullenly, as if he were taking a nap, in stark contrast to how cheerful he was on the way here. Duan Mingchong wasn’t used to how quiet Sui Yan was.

There was a small charcoal basin on the carriage, but because they didn’t dare to close the curtains too tightly, cold wind blew in through the crack in the curtains, ruffling Sui Yan’s hair.

Duan Mingchong was afraid that Sui Yan would get sick again, so he leaned forward and gently pulled Sui Yan over to rest on his shoulder. Duan Mingchong wrapped his arms around Sui Yan and patted him softly as if he were coaxing a child.

Sui Yan had been awake the whole time, but he didn’t want to open his eyes. He didn’t resist as Duan Mingchong moved him and leaned against the Crown Prince’s shoulder, smelling his unique scent as he thought, If he dies, I might as well accompany him. Anyways, those three princes will fight for the throne again, just like they did in my previous life. It’s so disgusting and boring.

If there is any difference between his previous life and this one, it would be the Crown Prince sitting in front of him. 

If Duan Mingchong hadn’t died, no matter what the other princes did, they wouldn’t have been able to replace him as Crown Prince.

Sui Yan’s mind wandered before he suddenly said, “Your Highness……”

Duan Mingchong turned to look at him and gently replied, “En? You woke up?”

Sui Yan didn’t move as he murmured, “Why does Your Highness treat me so well?” 

Duan Mingchong hadn’t thought that Sui Yan would ask this question and looked at him in surprise.

Since Sui Yan was well enough to speak, he didn’t have any excuses to lean on someone else anymore, so he sat up and quietly looked at Duan Mingchong as he waited for an answer.

Duan Mingchong thought for a bit before he smiled, “Probably because of……admiration.”

Sui Yan hadn’t expected this reply. He froze and blankly asked, “Admiration? What do you admire about me?” 

Duan Mingchong thought for a while before he answered, “I grew up in the palace at Father Emperor’s knees. Since I was a child, I had to behave properly so I wouldn’t be an embarrassment to the title of Crown Prince. Thus, I have always been self-disciplined and never dared to break any rules. The first time I saw you……”

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The little Crown Prince pouted, but he didn’t dare to say anything, so he sat back down and continued to listen to the cicadas chirp as he memorized that boring book. 

Suddenly, a shout sounded outside the window, and the imperial tutor shot up.

The little Crown Prince froze, blinking as he gazed outside.

There was a cherry tree outside his window, and a child dressed in purple was scrambling up the tree. His face was scratched by a branch and he laughed while shouting. He was very lively.

The imperial tutor saw him and immediately opened the door, walking out angrily. 

“Sui Yan! Get down from there! What kind of behavior is this!?!”

Duan Mingchong clung to the window lattice, his eyes wide as he peered out curiously.

When little Sui Yan heard the imperial tutor’s voice, he began to climb even quicker. He soon climbed onto a branch, his little hands clinging onto the tree trunk and refusing to let go.

He laughed as he told the imperial tutor, “Imperial Tutor, reading books is too boring, so I’m catching a cicada to relieve my boredom. Please don’t tell Imperial Uncle.” 

The imperial tutor was furious, “Get down from there! Is the East Palace somewhere for you to act so wildly!?!”

Sui Yan was surprised, “Oh! This is the East Palace? I’ve never come here before.”

As he spoke with the imperial tutor, his hand flashed out. He quickly grabbed a cicada from the branch and placed it into a small glass bottle in his sleeve——this action was so fluid that it was clear that he had done it frequently before.

The imperial tutor, “Get down from there!” 

Little Sui Yan giggled, holding onto the tree as he slid down. The imperial tutor was about to grab him when Sui Yan suddenly jumped the rest of the way down, his size allowing him to run into the bushes and disappear.

During one of the hottest days of the summer, the imperial tutor was sweating profusely from anger. Facing the bush, he angrily scolded things like “he’s so little but so mischievous” and “he must be the devil incarnate” for a long time before returning.

Duan Mingchong was awestruck. This was the first time he realized someone could make the unperturbed imperial tutor this angry.

The imperial tutor was drinking water in the outer hall, and Duan Mingchong cautiously held onto the window lattice as he peered at the bush Sui Yan disappeared into. Before he could figure things out, a figure suddenly sprang out from under the window frame and shouted, “Boo!” 

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Duan Mingchong was so shocked that he nearly fell off the window lattice.

Once Sui Yan saw that he had startled Duan Mingchong, he giggled. Sui Yan was cute, to begin with, like a porcelain doll carved from jade. When his eyes were curved, he looked even better.

Duan Mingchong was stunned.

Sui Yan stood on tiptoes and leaned against the window to face him, a blade of grass in his mouth as he curiously asked, “Are you the Crown Prince?” 

Duan Mingchong had never spoken to someone his age, so he froze for a moment before flusteredly replying, “Y-yeah.”

“You seem pretty lost.” Sui Yan smiled as he placed the small glass bottle in front of Duan Mingchong and said, “Here, you can play with this.”

Duan Mingchong curiously stared at the cicada in the bottle and reached a hand out to poke it as he asked, “How……do you play with this?”

Sui Yan shook the glass bottle, and the cicada inside was so scared that it chirped nonstop. 

Sui Yan giggled, “Isn’t this fun?”

Duan Mingchong, “Uh……”

He didn’t know what was so fun about it. It was noisy.

But this was the first time Sui Yan talked to him, and the prince didn’t want to ignore Sui Yan’s kindness, so he nodded and answered, “En, it’s fun.” 

Sui Yan seemed to have finally found a kindred spirit, so he shook the bottle again. The golden cicada kept chirping, and it was exasperating.

This sound finally attracted the attention of the imperial tutor sitting in the outer hall. He lifted the bead curtains between the two rooms and saw Sui Yan lying on the windowsill. He immediately yelled, “Sui Yan!”

Sui Yan exclaimed, “Shoot!” He kicked his short legs and jumped down. While escaping, he didn’t forget to wave at Duan Mingchong, “I’m leaving! I’ll play with you again when I have time.”

Duan Mingchong widened his eyes and rushed to wave back, “Okay!” 

The imperial tutor was furious, “Okay? What’s okay about that? No! Sui Yan isn’t a good student. He never focuses and doesn’t make any progress. Your Highness shouldn’t associate yourself with people like that.”

Duan Mingchong suddenly felt dejected and secretly stuffed the small glass bottle into his sleeve as he murmured okay.

That was the first time Duan Mingchong knew that someone could live so freely. Sui Yan seemed like a blazing fire, so bright that nobody could stare at it directly.

Since then, Duan Mingchong kept wondering when Sui Yan would come to play with him, but that bastard was too playful and completely forgot about this encounter within a few days before he found something new to play with. 

When Duan Mingchong saw him again, Sui Yan had become Duan Zhisu’s study companion, and he stuck with Song Xian and the others every day, completely ignoring the Crown Prince.

Duan Mingchong sadly thought, He forgot about me. He said he was going to play with me……

However, the little Crown Prince was very understanding. He only felt dejected for a while before moving on.

I’m too boring. The little Crown Prince thought. He won’t have any fun playing with me. Someone as fun as him should play with someone else to be happy. 

Since then, the two only encountered one another in the imperial tutor’s morning class. After a while, Duan Mingchong didn’t feel hurt anymore, but he would sometimes think about the willful child who lied on the window that year and smiled at him.

Up until once, when Duan Mingchong left the palace on official business and saw a group of people crowded on a bridge, pointing at the river bank below. He inadvertently glanced over, only to see a soaked and panicking Sui Yan, along with Song Xian, who seemed to be shouting at him.

Duan Mingchong froze before rushing over.

But before he got there, the youth seemed to have been possessed as he pushed Song Xian away and leaped into the icy river. 

Daun Mingchong was so scared that he immediately jumped in to save Sui Yan.

Once Duan Mingchong thought about this, he smiled in embarrassment as he said, “I’m very boring, and I’m completely different from you, so……my admiration for your willfulness and unyielding behavior is probably only natural.”

Sui Yan choked up, “I……”

Sui Yan didn’t remember seeing Duan Mingchong when he was little. When he saw how seriously Duan Mingchong recounted this encounter, he felt embarrassed and murmured, “I……I didn’t know anything when I was a child. I’m sorry for offending Your Highness.” 

Duan Mingchong seriously replied, “There was nothing to be offended over. I was…..very happy.”

Sui Yan looked at him in amazement before realizing that Duan Mingchong had started talking informally.

Sui Yan murmured, “Your Highness……”

Duan Mingchong said, “When I saw you in a daze by the river a few days ago, trying to commit suicide, I started to wonder whether you were happy or if something was troubling you……” 

Sui Yan finally understood why Duan Mingchong kept visiting Sui Manor afterward and bringing gifts to cheer him up.

Duan Mingchong looked at him seriously, “If something is troubling you, you can look for me. I’m serious. No matter what, as long as it’s within my capabilities, I will help you.”

Sui Yan looked at him in shock, and suddenly, his nose felt sour. He quietly said, “Then does Your Highness……trust me?”

Duan Mingchong replied, “Of course I trust you.” 

Duan Mingchong said these words so gently that it sounded like a promise. Sui Yan knew that once someone like Duan Mingchong said this, he would naturally follow through.

Sui Yan suddenly smiled. His eyes were filled with light as he hoarsely said, “Alright.”

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