Chapter 56

Wen Biesang was someone who genuinely liked to be close to people.

When he was a little child, he always loved lingering in his mother's or father's arms. He loved being held, having his head patted, receiving praise, and any action through which he could feel cherished.

And he never felt any shame for it.

At the age of ten or so, many children began to subconsciously distance themselves from their parents, keeping their own little secrets and carving out private worlds exclusively belonging to their peers.

Yet even at twelve, no matter what Wen Biesang did, he would report back to his parents about everything. Whether the string of his kite had snapped, whether he had been scolded as a little fool by Zhou Lianqiong, or if he had achieved an overwhelming victory in a pitch-pot game.

He shared every single detail with his parents, and always made sure to end with their praise or comfort.

It was only after he turned twelve, when his parents passed away, that he was bound in iron chains, reduced to a lowly insect in the Prime Minister's Mansion that anyone could trample upon at will.

Apart from his demented grandmother, there was no one left who could offer him reassuring touches, nor anyone upon whom he could lavish his reckless affection.

That drunken night, with lips and teeth intertwined, had given him a long-lost comfort and relaxation—much like snuggling beside his parents in his early childhood, being embraced and soothed.

Clearly, he did not particularly like the person named Gong Chengyun, yet he somehow found himself growing attached to his body temperature.

Once sober, he could not help but feel a strong wave of curiosity about it.

Wen Biesang was not someone who dwelled on right and wrong, nor was he the type to constantly turn over past events and future uncertainties in his mind.

He did not ponder whether engaging in such intimate acts with Gong Chengyun was a betrayal of his former, scar-ridden self upon their first meeting; nor did he consider how the Crown Prince would manage when he eventually left in the future.

He wanted to be close to Chengyun because being close to Chengyun made him feel incomparably comfortable in the here and now.

That was all.

He knew the Crown Prince's arms were strong; when held by him, he didn't actually need to tightly wrap his neck around the man's, nor did he need to worry about suddenly falling.

He knew the Crown Prince's fingers had a mind of their own, establishing a friendly diplomatic alliance with his skin and body. They communicated—heavy or light, pulling or tugging, grinding or teasing, thrusting or hooking—all in seamless coordination.

Having experienced it a few times, Wen Biesang trusted this implicitly.

When the other said he could, he had no reason to refuse.

Only today was slightly different.

What communicated with his body was no longer just the other's fingers, but something else entirely.

Wen Biesang half-closed his eyes, not particularly caring either way.

Until...

A sharp pain suddenly interrupted all that comfort. Wen Biesang first furrowed his brow and struck out at the man.

He felt as though his ears were losing their hearing again—not entirely deaf, just filled with a buzzing sound. Perhaps because his mind was somewhat muddled, he observed the other's lips and saw him say: "Bear with it a little..."

The pain intensified.

With his waist gripped, Wen Biesang was suddenly pulled forward sharply, and at the same time, he kicked out hard.

He kicked the man viciously off the bed.

The bed curtains violently rose and fell. Wen Biesang curled up, knitting his brows as he felt the entire world had turned exceptionally unfriendly.

There was no movement from outside. He didn't look, keeping himself curled up for a moment before reaching down to rub the spot, biting his lip.

Outside the bed curtains, Chengyun sat in his inner robe, his brow-hair slightly damp, lowering his gaze to stare at himself.

...Being kicked off the bed in a dream turned out to be because of this.

He sat quietly, his mind reduced to a blank slate.

Inside the bed curtains, Wen Biesang tossed and turned a few more times before gradually growing still.

The next day, as daylight broke brightly, Wen Biesang opened his eyes to find the bed curtains empty.

***

He rolled over, feeling his body somewhat different from usual.

It was much like the sensation of eating too much by accident, stretching the stomach so that it was hard to recover for a while. Only this time, what had been stretched was not his stomach.

He tossed and turned back and forth, deliberately making a loud commotion.

Outside, Chengyun, who had sat in meditation all night, looked expressionlessly toward the inner chamber, listening to the movements on the bed without approaching for a long time.

Wen Biesang stopped moving. He guessed that Gong Chengyun must not be in the bedchamber; otherwise, having thrashed about for so long, the other would have come over to apologize by now.

He got out of bed, walked out of the inner chamber, and immediately caught sight of Crown Prince Chengyun sitting cross-legged on the long couch, eyes closed in meditation like a seated monk.

Pausing slightly, Wen Biesang frowned anew, walked over, and climbed onto the soft cushion, sitting cross-legged as he stared down at him with a critical gaze.

Chengyun's breathing was steady and even, not even his eyelashes fluttering.

Wen Biesang lowered his eyelashes, feeling gloomy.

He glanced at him every now and then, but obediently refrained from making a sound to disturb him, growing increasingly disappointed instead. His expression visibly grew more and more unhappy.

Lowering his head, he reached for a teacup. As he poured water, a sudden sound startled him; he released his grip abruptly, causing the porcelain cup to tilt over, spilling water across the tabletop in a meandering trace.

Chengyun immediately opened his eyes and grabbed his hand. "What is it? Did you burn yourself?"

"The water has been sitting out all night, why is it still hot?"

Chengyun didn't answer. Instead, he stepped off the couch, walked quickly into the inner chamber, and soon returned holding a box of ointment. Sitting beside him, he took his hand back, blew on it gently, and said, "It's alright, just a bit red. Applying some medicine will make it stop hurting."

Wen Biesang let him apply the medicine and asked, "Did you change the water?"

"...I finished drinking it." Chengyun's tone was somewhat helpless.

The medicine applied to his hand felt cool, effectively neutralizing the burning heat. Wen Biesang propped up his scalded finger and said, "You hurt me a lot yesterday."

Chengyun said weakly, "I'm sorry."

"I was tossing and turning in bed this morning, didn't you hear? Why didn't you pay attention to me?"

"I fell asleep."

"Why didn't you sleep in the bed? I thought you deliberately didn't want to bother with me."

"How could I not bother with you..."

"Because I kicked you down," Wen Biesang said. "Did I hurt you when you fell?"

"..."

After a few breaths, Chengyun said, "Can we change the subject?"

"I don't feel well."

"Where does it hurt?" Chengyun said, "I'll have Lou Zhao come over and take a look."

Wen Biesang now understood that Lou Zhao also dabbled in medical arts, but only superficially. For more serious injuries, he would still summon the imperial physicians from the palace.

"You know where it doesn't feel well," Wen Biesang said. "Why did you stuff things in there yesterday?"

"..."

Chengyun couldn't even meet his gaze, keeping a deadpan face as he muttered, "I'm sorry."

Silence filled the room before Wen Biesang suddenly asked, "Then should I show this injury to Lou Zhao?"

Chengyun's eyelid twitched. "What do you think?"

"I think if he finds out, he'll definitely laugh at you."

"..." Chengyun lifted one eyelid, lowered it again when he looked over, and said, "Asang, have you ever read... those kinds of books?"

***

"What books?"

"..." It seemed he hadn't read them.

"Or would you like me to show you?"

Wen Biesang processed this for a moment before replying, "You don't even know medicine."

"Although I don't know medicine, in my dream, I..." He extended his fingers, gesturing meaningfully twice in front of Wen Biesang, his voice low, "...treated you."

Wen Biesang understood, but shook his head instead. "I'm hungry."

During breakfast, Chengyun began trying to feed Wen Biesang, and Wen Biesang accepted it unconditionally. Pang琦 (Pang Qi), watching from the side, wore an expression tinged with faint relief. Chengyun no longer showed much resistance to feeding him.

Previously in his dreams, he not only felt that he was lowly, but also thought Wen Biesang was completely unreasonable. After all, among normal adults—whether men or women—how many would ever need someone else to feed them?

Yet now, even if Wen Biesang were to climb over his head, he probably wouldn't find the other unreasonable.

...Just like how he had wronged him for humiliating himself before, there must have been a reason for it.

And if he couldn't find a reason, it didn't matter; at least the man definitely had no malicious intent.

Besides, watching Wen Biesang eat was actually a deeply pleasant experience. He finally understood why Xie Lingshu fed Wen Biesang so naturally.

This fellow was exceptionally single-minded when eating, eating whatever was given to him with intense focus. Even so, if someone spoke to him, he would immediately lift his face and treat the person speaking to him with the exact same focused dedication he gave to his meal.

The rabbits kept in the Palace of Everlasting Joy were cute when eating, but they wouldn't like him, ready to give their complete response whenever someone needed it—after all, those creatures didn't understand human speech.

Yet some people, though capable of understanding human speech, were not necessarily as purely endearing as small animals.

Even... healing. Just looking at him and letting one's mind go blank for a simple moment brought a sense of quiet peace through the years.

He wanted to keep him for a lifetime.

Chengyun watched him quietly, his gaze gradually darkening.

The two had tossed and turned for half the night yesterday, and Wen Biesang hadn't slept well. After the meal, he went back to bed to catch up on sleep.

Chengyun stood outside the bedchamber and beckoned to Pang Qi.

The latter trotted over. "What are your orders, Your Highness?"

"..." This was a step that had to be taken.

Just as there would come a day when he ascended to that supreme throne, Wen Biesang was now a part of his life's plan.

Therefore, there was nothing to hesitate about.

He simply liked Wen Biesang, wanted him, wanted to share a bed with him, wanted to be in mutual affection, grow old together hand in hand, and stay with him forever and ever before death descended.

"Your Highness?"

Chengyun fell silent for another moment before saying, "Help me buy some things."

He whispered into Pang Qi's ear. Pang Qi wore a look of astonishment before quickly smiling and nodding repeatedly, replying cheerfully, "This servant will go right away."

A hurdle had originally existed in Chengyun's heart, but seeing how easily the other agreed, he suddenly realized he might have been making a fuss over nothing.

The shame, humiliation, and even lowliness and humbleness he had imagined seemed to exist only in his imagination.

No matter how he resisted, those close to him already understood that he was firmly within Wen Biesang's grasp... Or rather, that sooner or later, he would hopelessly fall in love with him.

Only he himself was still futilely fighting the entire world, as if trying to strike down a nonexistent enemy.

Wen Biesang slept for nearly an hour. When he woke up in a daze, through his hazy vision, he vaguely saw Crown Prince Chengyun sitting quietly by the bedside, gazing intently at him with total focus.

Wen Biesang rolled over, placed his hand on the man's lap, and felt it gently taken and held.