After being granted his new title, Yan Si followed a eunuch to the Imperial Medical Academy, the residence of the palace physicians. There, another eunuch arranged for him to stay in the finest house.
It stood apart from the other quarters, surrounded by flowers and greenery—a place of serene beauty.
Yan Si slowly stepped inside and looked around. This room was even better than the one from yesterday, far more spacious. He immediately walked to the bed and lay down.
"So soft." The mattress yielded beneath him, while the blankets and pillows carried a faint, pleasant fragrance. Yan Si buried his face in the pillow and drew a long breath.
"This place is truly wonderful, except…" RongCheng wasn't here. After so many days together, his absence left Yan Si unbearably empty. "Where is he right now?"
He must be with his imperial consort. Perhaps at this very moment, that person was blissfully happy—because RongCheng was by his side.
"Brother… Brother…" The ache of longing was almost unbearable.
But no matter how much Yan Si yearned for him, RongCheng only thought he had arranged everything perfectly, unaware of what lay hidden in his heart.
Yan Si clutched the pillow and tossed about until, without realizing it, he drifted into sleep…
He was awoken by a voice, though the figure before him appeared hazy.
A beautiful woman was patting him, calling, "My child, wake up, wake up and eat some cakes! I've made so many delicious cakes for you!"
Startled by the familiar voice, Yan Si scrambled up in panic, crawling deep into the bed, frantically shouting, "No! No! I won't eat! Go away! Go away!"
Yet the woman refused to relent. She climbed onto the bed, trying to seize him, and hissed through gritted teeth, "Eat! Eat the cakes! Quickly, eat them!"
The more she pressed, the more agitated Yan Si became, screaming wildly, "I won't eat! I won't eat! Go away! Go away!!!"
After a desperate struggle, a hand suddenly pulled him out of her grasp. He was gathered tightly into an embrace as a gentle voice soothed him: "Little brother, calm down! It's me… it's me!"
Hearing the familiar tone, Yan Si snapped back to awareness, gasping for breath. His heart still pounded violently, refusing to settle.
Seeing him in such a state, RongCheng grew furious. Holding Yan Si close, he turned a sharp glare on the palace maid beside them and demanded through clenched teeth, "What did you do to him?"
Terrified by His Highness's wrath, the maid dropped to her knees, pressing her forehead to the ground. "Your… Your Highness, please calm your anger! This humble maid only wished to wake the young master for dinner. I… I never expected—"
Why would he react like this just from being called to dinner? Clearly, she had bullied him for being frail! Thinking so, RongCheng's voice turned icy. "You dare to lie? Guards!"
At his call, the maid's face went pale. She kowtowed desperately, crying, "Your Highness, have mercy! Please, Your Highness, have mercy!"
The guards rushed in and seized her, ready to drag her away. At that moment, Yan Si, now more lucid, saw the danger and quickly intervened, "Brother… Brother, please don't! Please don't!"
Seeing Yan Si fully awake, RongCheng looked at him with concern. "Are you alright? What did she do to you? I am here, you don't need to be afraid. Tell me, and I will see justice done for you."
Yan Si shook his head quickly. "No… no… she didn't do anything to me. Please release her."
RongCheng studied him, suspicious. Was Yan Si hiding something out of fear? Could the maid have threatened him? His glare grew sharper, as though trying to force her confession.
Realizing RongCheng didn't believe him, Yan Si gripped his hand tightly and pleaded, "Brother, please let her go. Please have everyone leave. I… I will tell you."
RongCheng nodded and gestured for the others to withdraw.
Once they were gone, Yan Si calmed himself and recounted the nightmare that had haunted him for years. Though hazy, he knew it had happened. When he had once asked Yi Chang Hua, his master only replied, "When you were three, you ran off alone to bathe in a stream and were captured by a female demon."
RongCheng felt a headache coming on. He was only three—what could he possibly have understood? Why hadn't that master watched over him instead of letting him wander to bathe alone?
And what was this "female demon"? From what Yan Si described, he barely remembered any details, only the recurring dream of a woman forcing him to eat mud cakes…
Perhaps something terrible had indeed happened when he was a child, scarring him ever since. Still, RongCheng harbored doubts. He had never seen a ghost, let alone a female demon.
Regardless of his disbelief, Yan Si continued, "Just now, while I slept, I saw her again… trying to make me eat cakes… so… so…"
In truth, the palace maid had done nothing wrong. Seeing his distress, she had only tried to wake him.
It was a misunderstanding, blown out of proportion. RongCheng felt a twinge of guilt and ordered her release. She was utterly shaken.
As for Yan Si, RongCheng truly did not know how to comfort him. He simply stroked his hair and said, "In any case, it's all in the past. Don't dwell on it. Come and eat."
Yan Si gave a faint nod, rose from the bed, and followed RongCheng to the table. RongCheng pulled out a chair and helped him sit.
The gentleness in RongCheng's every action was such a contrast to his earlier fury that it seemed like two different men. When angry, he was terrifying; when calm, he inspired reliance—the very embrace Yan Si had always longed for.
Yet Yan Si did not realize that only two people in this world had ever witnessed that tender side of RongCheng. There were still many facets of him he had never seen.
Once Yan Si was seated, RongCheng sat down beside him, filled a bowl with rice, and placed it before him, piling food on top until it resembled a small mountain. "You must eat plenty."
Yan Si stared at the overflowing bowl, speechless. Glancing at RongCheng, he noticed his place was empty and asked, "But… Brother, aren't you eating?"
RongCheng shook his head, hesitation clouding his face as if words weighed on him. Seeing this, Yan Si pressed gently, "Is something wrong?"
Only then did he sense something unusual. Shouldn't RongCheng be with his consort now? Why was he here, merely watching him eat?
After a pause, RongCheng finally said, "Once you've eaten, why not come see Yuan? It's been a full day, and he still hasn't woken. I'm truly worried."
So that was it… In the end, RongCheng was only here because of his consort. He had stumbled upon the scene and saved him almost by accident.
Yan Si sighed and rose to his feet. "Then let me go and see."