Chapter 4

Zhang Zhao froze for a moment.

He didn’t know much about Chu Xi, and judging by their interactions today, the man was definitely no gentleman. But to say he was completely indecent? He hadn’t actually done anything too outrageous. In fact, he’d already helped him twice in just a few short hours. Reason and emotion both told him he had no grounds to refuse.

But the circumstances were far too unusual. After much hesitation, Zhang Zhao still forced himself to speak up.

“…But I’ve contracted a contagion. I fear I might sully Your Highness.”

The heat in his body was rapidly intensifying, and Chu Xi was starting to feel weak himself. Unlike his usual overbearing manner, he now lacked the strength to press the issue. Hearing Zhang Zhao’s words, he even found himself empathizing: was Zhang Zhao feeling worse than he was? Otherwise, with that quail-like cowardice of his, there was no way he’d dare refuse him.

And so, Chu Xi said nothing more. He simply closed his eyes, preparing to sleep.

Instead, it was Zhang Zhao who found himself staring, somewhat dazed, at Chu Xi’s face. There was no doubt Chu Xi was strikingly handsome: sword-like brows, bright starry eyes, sharp, confident features. When those slightly upturned peach blossom eyes locked onto someone, they carried a kind of quiet intensity that could make people tremble.

Zhang Zhao admitted to himself—he was afraid of him. But that fear wasn’t rooted in the man himself, but rather the infamous rumors he’d heard over the years.

Yet now, Chu Xi lay beside him without a hint of guard, not even saying a harsh word in response to being rejected.

Zhang Zhao’s impression of him changed. He knew it was foolish to draw conclusions from one brief encounter, but in that moment, an impulse rose in him—he actually wanted to lean over and kiss him.

Thankfully, reason won out.

Whether Chu Xi truly was the terrifying figure rumors made him out to be or not, to someone like him, Zhang Zhao was—at best—a fleeting amusement. He had to be careful. Extremely careful.

This knowledge filled his thoughts. His mind wandered—should he get up and find another room to sleep in? But since Chu Xi hadn’t said anything, he didn’t dare move. He couldn’t tell what Chu Xi was thinking, and had no idea how to win his favor.

In truth, he hadn’t interacted with many people over the years. In the beginning, palace eunuchs and maids had bullied them, but ever since he’d “gone mad,” they’d come to see him as unlucky and avoided him completely. Like a rat in the palace: loathed by all, yet considered too dirty to touch. Ironically, that had made his life a little easier.

He only had Dongli and Qingyuan to talk to. The three of them relied on each other, surviving one day at a time. The trick he’d used in the Eastern Palace earlier that night had taken Qingyuan days to teach him.

Chu Xi, sensing Zhang Zhao’s gaze lingering on him, suddenly opened his eyes and asked a lethal question:

“You want to kiss me too?”

Zhang Zhao’s back stiffened instantly. How could Chu Xi say something so outrageous with such a straight face?

He forced himself to respond, “I wouldn’t dare overstep.”

Chu Xi chuckled. “But I wanted to kiss you, and you said no. So… you think I was the one overstepping?”

A wave of helplessness washed over Zhang Zhao. Why was this topic still alive? But he remained unflinchingly polite on the surface. “Your Highness flatters me. I was truly only concerned for your well-being.”

Chu Xi found him adorable. A teasing impulse rose again. “Shao Ning said this illness has no cure. Who knows how long we’ve got left. Might as well enjoy life while we can.”

Zhang Zhao nearly died of fright at those words. He quickly comforted him, “Your Highness is blessed and noble—you’ll be fine. There’ll be plenty of time to enjoy life later. Rest is what matters most now.”

Chu Xi sighed, feigning disappointment. “So in the end, you’re still not letting me kiss you.”

“That’s not it!” Zhang Zhao blurted out in panic, only to immediately regret how rash it sounded. He paused, then added, “Once Your Highness recovers… whatever Your Highness says goes.”

Chu Xi, already growing drowsy, mumbled, “So my words don’t count now?”

“Of course not,” Zhang Zhao reflexively replied, then faltered. He didn’t know how to explain. By the time he looked up again, Chu Xi had already drifted off to sleep.

Zhang Zhao finally let out a long breath.

Relaxing, he realized he was drenched in sweat. He sat there for a while, but sleep soon crept up on him. Clutching the blanket, he curled up in a corner and dozed off.

---

When Feng Li returned with Qingyuan, his expression was grim.

Qingyuan hadn’t developed a fever yet, so Feng Li locked him in one of the guest rooms before going to look for Chu Xi. But no matter how many times he knocked, no one answered.

Feng Li pushed open the door and realized the room was empty.

Where could they have gone?

Shao Ning, hearing the commotion, emerged from the apothecary. Seeing Feng Li’s dark expression, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Where’s His Highness?”

“Not in his room?”

Feng Li shook his head. Shao Ning frowned, then turned toward the eastern wing, disbelief on his face.

Had their Highness, in his twilight years, gone mad and thrown caution to the wind?

Shao Ning rushed over and pounded on the door. “Open up! It’s time for your medicine!”

There was no response.

He exchanged a glance with Feng Li, who promptly kicked the door open. They walked in—only to see both men lying side by side on the bed.

Shao Ning’s lips twitched uncontrollably. He was starting to wonder if Chu Xi had been cursed by Zhang Zhao or something. Otherwise, how else could he explain this madness?

He examined both of them and confirmed they had the same illness.

“Should we move His Highness?” Feng Li asked.

“No need,” Shao Ning replied. “We don’t know what this illness is yet. Keeping them together makes it easier to monitor.”

“What about the other two?”

Shao Ning rolled his eyes. “You want to move all four into one room and get His Highness killed?”

“But you said it’s easier to monitor together…”

“I’m not even talking to you anymore,” Shao Ning snapped. After a pause, he asked, “Where did you find that Qingyuan?”

Feng Li’s face darkened. “At Xiao Hongping’s place.”

“Who?”

Shao Ning rarely dealt with outsiders and had no idea who that was.

“A eunuch in the Imperial Kitchens.”

“A eunuch?” Shao Ning was baffled. “What were those two doing together in the middle of the night?”

Feng Li didn’t even want to describe what he saw. “Probably coercion. I beat Xiao Hongping to a pulp afterward. Won’t recover for at least half a month.”

“Did he catch the sickness too?”

The question reminded Feng Li of the disturbing sight again. His voice turned disgusted. “He looked lively enough. Didn’t seem sick at all.”

Shao Ning grew curious. “What exactly did you see?”

Feng Li was not a talkative man, and rarely showed emotion. It was rare to see him visibly disturbed like this.

He shook his head, trying to erase the image from his mind. “Don’t ask. Just check on the patient.”

Now Shao Ning was really curious, but no matter how he pressed, Feng Li refused to elaborate. With a snort and a curse, he went to see Qingyuan.

---

Qingyuan hadn’t developed a fever yet. Hearing the door open, he immediately dropped to his knees.

“Please forgive me, my lord!”

He wasn’t sure what he’d done wrong, but it was always safer to admit fault preemptively.

Shao Ning paused at the doorway. When faced with strangers, he always felt awkward and tongue-tied. “…How are you feeling?”

Qingyuan was still trying to process being dragged away from Xiao Hongping’s quarters, watching the man get beaten, and then being hauled here. He had heard that this was the residence of the Crown Prince.

But what did this have to do with the prince?

Had their affair been discovered? Was the prince going to punish him?

He didn’t understand what Shao Ning meant, but he didn’t dare hesitate.

“Replying to my lord, I feel fine. Is there anything I can do for you?”

That meant he probably hadn’t caught it. With that confirmation, Shao Ning said nothing more, simply nodded, and left.

Only two people had fallen ill. As long as news didn’t spread beyond the Ruyi Pavilion, it wouldn’t become a scandal. Shao Ning finally felt some relief.

He spent the entire night brewing medicine, poring over medical texts, and preparing a decoction. By dawn, it was ready.

When he delivered it to Chu Xi and Zhang Zhao, both were flushed red and deeply unconscious. There was no way they’d wake up to drink it on their own, so Shao Ning called Feng Li to help administer it.

Feng Li didn’t hesitate—he pried open Chu Xi’s mouth and poured it in. Before he was done, Chu Xi was already coughing violently. Feng Li didn’t pause until the medicine was gone.

Chu Xi coughed so hard it seemed he might hack out a lung—and still didn’t wake.

Shao Ning frowned. “Can you be a little gentler? What if he really does cough his lungs out? Are you going to fix that?”

With Chu Xi as a test run, Zhang Zhao’s turn went much smoother. Not a single cough.

Afterward, Shao Ning checked them over again. No other symptoms—just fever. He and Feng Li finally stepped out.

---

Chu Xi finally regained consciousness just as he was coughing to the verge of suffocation.

Opening his eyes, the first thing he saw was Zhang Zhao cautiously leaning toward him.

“You trying to sneak a kiss?” he blurted.

Zhang Zhao hadn’t expected him to wake up just then. Flustered by the misunderstanding, he hurried to explain.

“Your Highness was coughing so badly… I just thought I’d pat your chest to ease your breathing.”

His eyes still dry and uncomfortable from the fever, Chu Xi blinked a few times.

“Oh. Go ahead, then.”

They weren’t coughing anymore—what was the point? But Zhang Zhao didn’t dare say that out loud. He sat far away and reached his hand out to lightly pat Chu Xi’s chest, arm stiff as a rod.

Chu Xi, seeing him struggle, scooted closer.

The movement brought Zhang Zhao’s hand right to his chest.

His fingers grazed a small, soft bump.

Zhang Zhao froze, breath caught in his throat. Slowly, he looked up to check Chu Xi’s expression.

The sudden tingling sensation on his chest made Chu Xi freeze too.

Their eyes met.

Silence.