“What?” Cen Yan laughed. He really couldn’t hold it in. Zhuang Dongqing, looking like he had lost his soul, read out loud, “Please, big brother, sir, ancestor, just drink it.” Cen Yan couldn’t stop laughing. Zhuang Dongqing was calm. To be more precise, he was numb. It wasn’t the first time; he would always get used to it.

Cen Yan stopped laughing and said softly, “You’re making progress.” His smile was unrestrained, not serious at all, but instead carried a hint of intimacy. Zhuang Dongqing mumbled, “Yeah, no, you’ve known for a while now.” He raised his head, holding a bowl, looking pitiful. His eyes were bright, clean, and pure. Cen Yan felt complicated. Zhuang Dongqing seemed to sense something, handed the bowl in front of him without saying a word, and looked at him eagerly.

“…Give it here.” Yay! Zhuang Dongqing rushed to Cen Yan’s side, feeding him water. His movements were hasty, bringing the bowl to his lips, then slowing down, “Take it slow, don’t choke.” “Drink it in three sips.” “Yeah, slowly.” Zhuang Dongqing murmured, afraid Cen Yan would drink too quickly. The expression in his peripheral vision was sincere; Zhuang Dongqing didn’t look into Cen Yan’s eyes, his attention was all on his mouth. Cen Yan, however, was focused on Zhuang Dongqing, finishing the water.

“Ah—” After swallowing the last sip, Zhuang Dongqing let out a long sigh, as if he had completed some task. Cen Yan felt a stir in his heart, but his words weren’t very pleasant as he reminded, “With so much water, you’ll have to get up again later…” Get up for a little relief. “Yeah, yeah, right, get up a few more times.”

“?” Zhuang Dongqing put down the water bowl, focused, and said, “You need to go a few more times for the fever to go down quickly.” After saying that, he continued to himself, “This bowl of water has gone cold; I’ll bring in some hot water later.” Cen Yan: “It’s fine.” “Yeah, I’ll go wash the bowl first.” After saying goodbye, he hurried out.

Watching Zhuang Dongqing’s cheerful steps, those who knew would know it was a successful water encouragement, while those who didn’t would think something joyful had happened. Thinking of this, his thoughts paused. Was this… considered a joyful event in Zhuang Dongqing’s eyes? Cen Yan wasn’t sure. And he didn’t want to think too much. But influenced by Zhuang Dongqing, his mood improved a lot, and he inexplicably felt soft inside. It was a strange experience, but not unpleasant.

After this exchange, Zhuang Dongqing seemed to have broken some barrier; although he would still blush and feel awkward, the tingling sensation on his scalp was much better. Perhaps having exposed himself, with all his cards on the table, there was no greater face to lose. Anyway, he had already told Cen Yan; if Cen Yan disliked him, there was nothing he could do. He could only be like this!

By the afternoon, Zhuang Dongqing was tired, and Liu Fu, having rested for a while, was also thinking of him and came over to switch shifts. After switching, he let Zhuang Dongqing lie down on the bed. Zhuang Dongqing looked pitiful, “Is that okay?” He asked this while rubbing his eyes, clearly tired from sitting for too long. After asking, Zhuang Dongqing looked at Cen Yan, who replied, “It’s fine. It’s warm now, no need to take off your clothes. Didn’t you just change to a clean blanket this morning? Use that to rest; I’ll go have Liu Fu call you.”

Zhuang Dongqing, feeling a bit dazed, thought it was feasible, “Okay.” When he climbed onto the bed, he swayed a bit, and Liu Fu quickly steadied him, fearing Cen Yan would dislike it. He added, “Young Master walked too long yesterday, and given his current condition, it’s different.” Cen Yan listened, his brows slightly moving, but he didn’t say anything.

When he heard Zhuang Dongqing’s breathing even out, he asked Liu Fu, “Is he very tired today? Is there anything uncomfortable?” His voice was light, and Liu Fu answered lightly, “He didn’t say he was uncomfortable, just that he has no appetite and rubs his eyes from time to time.” That indeed meant he was very tired. Yesterday’s journey was still too much for Zhuang Dongqing. Understanding this in his heart, Cen Yan knew there was nothing to be done, so he didn’t think too much.

After just a couple of exchanges, Zhuang Dongqing probably hadn’t slept too deeply, thinking of Cen Yan, his heart was anxious. When he heard movement, he groggily asked Liu Fu if he needed to get up, and upon receiving a “no,” he fell back asleep. Before falling asleep, he mumbled, “When we return to the capital, I’ll take you to the most expensive restaurant, and we’ll have a good meal.” Liu Fu readily agreed, coaxing him to sleep.

Cen Yan, however, was attentive. After Zhuang Dongqing fell into a deep sleep, he asked what they had eaten today. After answering, Liu Fu suddenly realized, “It’s my fault; he probably doesn’t like vegetables. He’s been eating too blandly at the Zhuang family, and when he saw so many greens on the table, he frowned.” Cen Yan picked up on something from this and thought about Bi Shuyu’s personality; it was indeed unlikely she would treat a concubine’s son too well, especially one conceived during her pregnancy.

Cen Yan asked again, “Do you have a good relationship with him?” “I see that he treats you not like a servant, but more like a brother.” When he wasn’t around, Zhuang Dongqing would always eat with Liu Fu, never distinguishing between master and servant. But to say he treated all the servants so well, it was also not true; he didn’t invite other servants from the inner courtyard to eat with him.

Moreover, he had previously asked for property, saying it was under his name, and wanted Cen Yan to consult the accountant, but it was just him and Liu Fu, indicating Zhuang Dongqing had long planned to manage the accounts with Liu Fu. Liu Fu wouldn’t miss the chance to speak well of Zhuang Dongqing: “The young master treats me very well. When leaving the Zhuang residence, he even asked the lady for my contract and bond. If he didn’t want me, he could have asked for more silver.”

Cen Yan: “He has always treated you this well?” “Before, he was quite good, but ever since he hit his head, he’s been especially good,” Liu Fu said with a simple smile. “Although the young master always says he can’t remember those things after hitting his head and worries about it, I think the current young master is just fine, and… if the young master remembers, I will always follow him.”

Cen Yan knew that Zhuang Dongqing’s personality had changed after he hit his head. But for him, it didn’t matter because the current Zhuang Dongqing was definitely the same one he met that night. Not wanting to say more, Cen Yan closed his eyes to rest.

This time, after Zhuang Dongqing woke up, he took Cen Yan to the toilet. Feeling that Cen Yan had been inside for a bit too long, he was just about to ask when he suddenly realized something, and Zhuang Dongqing closed his mouth, feeling it was unrealistic. But he also thought, waiting for him to wake up wasn’t entirely impossible, right? Hmm. Actually, he was quite a good person. He treated the servants well and was also understanding towards others.

When Cen Yan came out, Zhuang Dongqing reached out to pull the blanket over him, afraid he would catch a chill. The whole afternoon went on like this until it got dark. In the countryside, the lights were dim; only the oil lamp in their room was lit, and finding oil was already a hassle, let alone extra candles for lighting. Even if they had money, households couldn’t scrape together much.

Before dinner, Zhuang Dongqing stopped urging Cen Yan to drink water and started to control it. He was afraid that if Cen Yan got up at night, he wouldn’t be able to see and would fall. That was quite likely. The host had fried chicken and made chicken porridge. Zhuang Dongqing ate a big bowl of rice, fearing the guards wouldn’t feed him. Just as the porridge was boiling hot, he finished eating and then brought a bowl inside, thinking of something, he also took a small plate of fried chicken.

Cen Yan couldn’t eat the heavily oiled and salted fried meat, and Zhuang Dongqing didn’t force him, letting him drink porridge instead. “Can I eat the chicken in the porridge?” “I’ll give it a try.” Zhuang Dongqing waited for Cen Yan to eat a few bites before getting a response, “It’s okay.” “If it’s okay, then eat more. Try to eat the chicken first; once you finish the chicken, let me know, and I’ll go get you more porridge.”

Afraid Cen Yan wouldn’t understand, Zhuang Dongqing explained, “You should eat some meat now; it’s more nutritious.” “Try to eat as much as you can; what you can eat will help you recover better.” After saying that, he added, “But don’t force it; if you don’t want to eat, don’t push it, or you’ll end up throwing up later.”

These were all strange reasons Cen Yan hadn’t really heard before, but he didn’t ask too much and just followed along. He drank two bowls of porridge, and in each bowl, Zhuang Dongqing tried to scoop out as much chicken as possible. By the time he got to the second bowl, he couldn’t eat any more meat, so Zhuang Dongqing only let Cen Yan drink porridge, not forcing him. Watching Cen Yan finish, perhaps he had fully recovered, when he went out to put the bowl away, Zhuang Dongqing still wanted to eat a few more bites.

Liu Fu heard this and brought him chopsticks, letting him drink a bowl of chicken porridge too. At night, Cen Yan went out once, and Liu Fu accompanied them, needing someone to hold the lamp. Fortunately, it was only that one time. They went to bed early, and the next day when Zhuang Dongqing got dressed, he went to feel Cen Yan’s forehead. When he placed his hand, Cen Yan woke up.

“Eh?” Zhuang Dongqing was still a bit dazed, uncertain, and didn’t see Cen Yan had woken up, so he casually touched Cen Yan’s neck a couple of times. Cen Yan just looked at him. Zhuang Dongqing reached out to touch his forehead again, lowered his head, and when he saw he was awake, he wasn’t embarrassed, not caring. “Don’t move!” Zhuang Dongqing said seriously, lowering his head, using his eyelids to touch Cen Yan’s forehead.

At that moment, Cen Yan felt the fluttering eyelashes brushing against his heart, inexplicably causing a tingling sensation. The two looked at each other again, and Zhuang Dongqing’s eyes sparkled, “The fever is gone! You’re fever-free!!” “No, I need to call Liu Fu to check.” Liu Fu hurried over, placed his hand on Cen Yan’s forehead, and confirmed, “Indeed, the fever has gone down.”

“Great!!” Zhuang Dongqing was overjoyed. He smiled wider than Cen Yan, the sick one. Since the fever was gone, there was no need for someone to watch over him all the time. But to prevent a relapse, he still needed to rest and drink water as much as possible that day. Cen Yan got dressed and sat up. After washing up, Zhuang Dongqing changed the bandage on his wound. Yes, it still needed to be disinfected with strong alcohol. Cen Yan didn’t say anything.

After the change, he was sweating profusely from his forehead, big drops of sweat. Zhuang Dongqing silently twisted a handkerchief for him. Cen Yan took it. There was also good news; with the fever gone, his strength had slightly recovered, and Cen Yan walked much more steadily. His calves had reduced swelling, but as for the remaining discomfort, Zhuang Dongqing still attributed it to his immunity issues. There was nothing to be done; he was too severely injured, and everything was a problem, the body couldn’t keep up. Just let it heal like this.

On the third day, Cen Yan no longer needed support to walk. Zhuang Dongqing’s appetite had fully returned, and he was eating heartily. After another two days, feeling achy from lying down, Cen Yan got up to walk around the yard. His appetite improved a bit, and for dinner, fearing it wouldn’t digest well, he still drank porridge, but for lunch, he ate with Zhuang Dongqing and the others.

“This one.” “Here.” “This piece.” At the dining table, Zhuang Dongqing not only served himself but also occasionally served Liu Fu, only serving meat. Cen Yan said, “Eat your own; Liu Fu has hands.” Zhuang Dongqing said with righteous indignation, “Liu Fu has a thin skin and doesn’t want to take meat, but he’s still growing; how can he not eat meat?”

Cen Yan looked at Liu Fu, who lowered his head shyly but didn’t refute much, so it seemed to be true. Just a couple of days ago, he had said Zhuang Dongqing treated Liu Fu well, and it was indeed true. But Zhuang Dongqing misunderstood, thinking Cen Yan didn’t like it, and with a chopstick, he picked up rabbit meat and directly placed it in Cen Yan’s bowl, “You should eat more meat to recover well!”

For a moment, it was hard to say whether this was a bribe. Cen Yan looked at the bowl, and Zhuang Dongqing, fearing it wouldn’t be enough, added a few more pieces to his bowl, all boneless and easy to chew meat chunks. “Here, let’s eat.” Zhuang Dongqing said nervously. After saying that, he thought of Cen Yan’s cleanliness and proactively added, “If you think my chopsticks are dirty, you can just throw it away; it’s nothing…”

Before he finished speaking, Cen Yan ate a piece of meat and said lightly, “Eat.” After that, every time Zhuang Dongqing served Liu Fu, he would also add two pieces to Cen Yan’s bowl to show equality. Actually, he could have said it wasn’t necessary, but for some reason, Cen Yan didn’t refuse.

By the seventh or eighth day, Cen Yan’s leg had healed completely, and the wound had started to scab over, finally allowing Zhuang Dongqing to relax. “I wonder what the situation outside is like.” Leading Cen Yan to walk around the village, Zhuang Dongqing looked towards the village entrance. Cen Yan thought for a moment and confidently said, “No one has chased us in the past couple of days; it should have settled down.”

Zhuang Dongqing was surprised, “Really? Then can we go out?” Cen Yan replied, “Not in a hurry.” “Let’s stay a few more days.” Zhuang Dongqing didn’t understand but knew Cen Yan must have his own considerations, so he nodded. Cen Yan added, “When we return to the capital, the decree to execute the废太子 will probably come.”

Zhuang Dongqing nodded again and asked him, “Can we send the guards to town then?” Cen Yan thought he wanted to gather information. But Zhuang Dongqing’s next sentence was, “To buy some ingredients and things to improve our lives.” “…” Cen Yan chuckled. That was indeed something Zhuang Dongqing would say. Since Zhuang Dongqing didn’t care about the underlying issues of this incident, Cen Yan didn’t bother to bring it up; talking about it would only ruin his mood.

Zhuang Dongqing would still ask, but with a different focus. “By the way, what exactly did you encounter that day?” He blinked, “And, was the Sixth Prince with the Emperor?” He had thought Li Yang would also end up here; in the first couple of days, Zhuang Dongqing had worried about where they would stay. Unexpectedly, there was none. It seemed the plot had changed. He didn’t know whether these changes would be good or bad for Li Yang’s predetermined life.

Cen Yan didn’t hide it from him: “Some remnants of the废太子’s forces attempted a coup. Xu Si, the guard, took the Emperor away first, and I stayed behind with Hao San to hold them off. Unexpectedly, they didn’t move at first; they had set many traps in the hunting grounds, luring us into their schemes while retreating.” To set up so many arrangements in the hunting grounds, it couldn’t just be done by someone in the Imperial Guard.

If Cen Yan guessed correctly, there were still forces in the court loyal to the废太子 that hadn’t been exposed. But that wasn’t something he needed to worry about. A game within a game was all part of that person’s calculations; once they returned to court, it would be uprooted, as was his usual style. However, this time, he didn’t want to get involved. Lowering his gaze, Cen Yan didn’t say these thoughts out loud and continued, “After my leg was bitten, I thought I was doomed. I fled on horseback, and Hao San covered for me. The horse died from poisoning on the way, but the tiger talisman of the fief couldn’t fall into the hands of the wicked…”

If the personal guards of the fief moved, they would probably think he had treasonous intentions. “When I saw the bodies of the Imperial Guards floating on the river, I simply jumped into the water, swam for a distance, and the swift current made me lose consciousness, carried away by the river… After that, I ran into you guys.” “As for Li Yang, he was with the Emperor when we separated.”

Zhuang Dongqing: “Oh.” “I wonder how Liu Qi, Hao San, and Xu Si are doing now…” Cen Yan, however, felt reassured, “As long as they didn’t fall into an ambush in the hunting grounds, they should be fine.” Zhuang Dongqing: “Yeah, hopefully!”

For dinner, they made fish, and Zhuang Dongqing enjoyed it immensely. In the evening, Liu Fu prepared hot water for him to bathe, and Zhuang Dongqing obediently waited. After washing up, Liu Fu helped him dry his hair, and Zhuang Dongqing lay on the bed, letting Liu Fu do as he pleased. Smelling the clean soapwort scent brought in by Zhuang Dongqing, Cen Yan for a moment couldn’t tell if they were escaping or on vacation.

Quietly watching Zhuang Dongqing, perhaps he noticed Cen Yan’s gaze, Zhuang Dongqing opened his eyes in a daze and asked, “What’s wrong?” “Does the prince want to take a bath too?” Before Cen Yan could speak, Zhuang Dongqing answered himself, “No, no, the wounds on your body have just scabbed.” “But you can wipe down; there’s still water.” Cen Yan: “…” He hadn’t thought of that.

But once Zhuang Dongqing mentioned it, Cen Yan felt itchy all over. Except for the first day when Zhuang Dongqing helped him wipe down, he hadn’t touched water since then for the sake of recovery. Cen Yan stood up, “Okay, I’ll go wipe down.” “Do you need help?” “No need.” “Alright.” Zhuang Dongqing was eager for that. His cheerful tone made Cen Yan glance at him.

After a good clean, taking some effort, feeling dirty, he also washed his hair. Having led troops and fought battles, as long as he could move, Cen Yan didn’t need anyone to worry about his living arrangements; he could take care of himself. When he returned to the room, Zhuang Dongqing was already asleep, waiting for his hair to dry. He touched Zhuang Dongqing’s hair, which was already dry, and pushed him gently, “Wake up, don’t sleep here, go to bed.”

After pushing him a couple of times and seeing no response, he lightly patted Zhuang Dongqing’s cheek. Drowsily opening his eyes, Zhuang Dongqing looked confused. In the next moment, Cen Yan understood why, because he heard Zhuang Dongqing mumble, “Why do you smell nice again?” Cen Yan froze.

Before he could react, Zhuang Dongqing, like a little dog, pressed his nose against Cen Yan’s palm, his shallow breaths fanning against his skin, trailing all the way to his pulse point, exclaiming, “Eh, how come it seems to be coming from your skin?” “How strange.” Taking a deep breath, his nose pressed against Cen Yan’s wrist, his lips brushed against it as if they were there.

Cen Yan’s senses became extremely fragmented. His heart was shocked, and he quickly realized— Zhao Ye hadn’t given Zhuang Dongqing acupuncture for seven or eight days, and they had been together day and night… the toxins had been drawn out again. He knew he should push Zhuang Dongqing away now. But, from the palm of his hand to his wrist, the places Zhuang Dongqing had rubbed against… felt tingly all over. Cen Yan swallowed hard, feeling inexplicably dry in his mouth.