Nearly two months passed in such a manner, and Yan Si indeed was gradually regaining his strength...
In the late afternoon, Yan Si sat before the door looking into the far distance, while meanwhile Xiao Yi was peeling fruit inside.
He possessed a rather despondent feeling as well as a bit of longing; at the moment when he thought of wishing to go find RongCheng, he stopped. He felt his own self to be truly troublesome: "Even though eldest brother does not say it straight to my face, seeing me arrive, it is not certain that he would be pleased."
Sitting and thinking aimlessly for a long time, at this time RongCheng walked over from afar; catching sight of Yan Si sitting dejectedly before the door, he stepped over in haste and asked, "A Si, what is amiss with you? Why are you sitting here?"
Lately, RongCheng frequently called him straight by his given name; it appeared the relationship between the two people had become much closer.
Hearing the question, Yan Si immediately turned his face away and did not reply...
Strange indeed; just a moment ago he said he felt he missed the person and even wished to go meet him, yet now he conversely knew not what to say.
RongCheng smiled and reached his hand out, saying, "Quickly give me your hand, I will assist you inside to rest."
RongCheng's countenance was clearly still gentle as before, not appearing annoyed in the slightest, and was even rather cheerful.
After a period of silently looking at the hand that was before his face, Yan Si only then timidly reached his own hand out, caught hold of RongCheng's hand, and let the man pull his person up. The moment he returned to the bed, he asked softly and cautiously, "Eldest brother, do you... do you feel that I am... very troublesome?"
Hearing the question, RongCheng's brows knitted slightly for a fleeting moment, and he asked, "Who spoke to you in such a manner?"
"No... no individual spoke... It is..." Yan Si suddenly let out a breath in a sigh: "It is my own self who thought thus... Is it... true or not?"
Speaking up to here, RongCheng suddenly felt a desire to flare up in anger; upon his face which bore a trace of a smile, there was abruptly a bit of irritation; he instantly flicked Yan Si's head hard, scolding, "Nonsense! You must not think in such a manner!"
The head-flick just now was clearly not light of hand, resembling his wishing to vent the annoyance on behalf of the past many days.
Abruptly being struck caused Yan Si momentarily to be dazed, as though stars were flying all over the sky; the spot that was flicked instantly swelled up...
It was indeed exactly like this... the person truly loathed him.
Knowing he had been heavy-handed, RongCheng again stroked upon his swelling, smiled tenderly, and comforted him, "Do not think wildly and blindly to court sadness for your own self; how could I feel in such a manner. It is enough to merely strive to rest and eat sufficiently, and speaking of which..."
Speaking of this matter, RongCheng shifted to raising Yan Si's chin up, turning it this way and that to look and gaze, saying with a smile, "I see... your countenance lately is much better already."
Furthermore, he had also heard report that lately the boy had begun to be capable of eating more, not having to divide it into seven or eight small intervals as before.
RongCheng's smile was both gentle and tender… beautiful to the point of causing a person's heart truly to melt away... Was this man hitting and then soothing him? Making him hurt and then pouring honey into his heart; it was truly difficult to be angry.
Suddenly, Yan Si lunged forward to embrace RongCheng's waist, speaking in a coquettish manner, "I have striven in such a manner, ought not the person to reward me with something?"
Furthermore demanding a reward? RongCheng pondered for a short while, and asked, "How about this... would another head-flick be acceptable to you?"
The moment he heard such, Yan Si instantly released RongCheng and simultaneously clutched his own head, vehemently refusing, "No! I do not want it!"
A person merely wished to be held by you for a bit...
At this time, Xiao Yi walked over from afar carrying a plate of fruit; beholding such a scene, he clearly wished greatly to laugh yet still strove to suppress it, and bowed his body respectfully, saying, "Your Highness, master, the fruit is finished being peeled."
RongCheng nodded to receive it and simultaneously signaled for Xiao Yi to withdraw; afterward, he shifted to looking at Yan Si, saying, "Come, quickly eat the fruit."
Yan Si instantly and happily received it. Each day, this exactly was the late-afternoon meal and was also the meal that he felt he liked most.
Gazing silently at Yan Si for a long time, RongCheng merely shook his head, thinking in his mind that however many nourishing items and delicacies of mountain and sea were brought over, in the final analysis he solely liked eating fruit alone; what a strange creature.
Perhaps at this very moment Yan Si was still in a phase of losing appetite so he had not yet found interest; who could know whether tomorrow would be different? Continually nurturing him like this might turn him into a gluttonous pig.
Yan Si while eating also cast his eyes to stealthily look at RongCheng; a long time later he asked haltingly, "Eldest brother, in the future may I... frequently come to visit the person?"
The palace of the Eldest Prince and the Imperial Consort was inherently not a place where whomever said they wished to come could come; this request was perhaps a bit excessive. Yan Si thought that RongCheng would definitely refuse, but never expecting the man to nod his head and agree straight away, "If it is you, then of course it is acceptable."
Following that, he also gave him a transit medallion, so that the eunuchs and imperial guards would not bar him or question him with difficulties and the like anymore.
Receiving the medallion, Yan Si truly was happy to the point of dying...
In the midst of the two people happily conversing, suddenly from outside a voice carried in, "The Emperor arrives!"
The moment he heard it, Yan Si momentarily was thrown into a panic, knowing not what to do; RongCheng spoke, "Just lie still, let me go outside to receive the imperial carriage."
Having spoken, he instantly departed, and not long afterward he entered together with the Emperor.
The moment he saw the two people coming over, Yan Si intended to raise his person up to perform the rites, but was barred by the Emperor, "You are bearing a grave illness, there is no need to perform the rites; just lie still."
The majesty of this individual caused Yan Si to be a bit dazed, replying haltingly, "Gra... gratitude to Imperial Father."
The Emperor nodded, then sat down beside the edge of the bed looking at Yan Si and spoke, "Throughout the past many days I heard report that you fell gravely ill; today I only just possessed leisure time to come visit to see how things are."
Truly beyond expectation that the Emperor would place his mind upon Yan Si to such an extent, even taking the initiative to come visit; it genuinely caused a person to be astonished to the utmost.
But thinking back, because Yan Si had multiple times saved RongCheng's life, and was specially shielded by him, therefore the Emperor placing his mind upon him was a matter of ordinary reason. It could also be due to his fearing Yan Si would become a second Shang Yuan, obstructing his son from taking further wives and concubines, and hindering his future prospects.
Nonetheless, when catching sight of Yan Si's appearance, he felt it was lacking in capacity and thus set his mind at ease, merely asking perfunctorily a few sentences and then telling him to peacefully nurse his health, afterward departing straight away.
After the Emperor departed, RongCheng silently let out a sigh. Before the actions of his Imperial Father, he naturally saw through the intent. Even so, between him and Yan Si there was inherently nothing excessive, merely regarding him purely as a pitiable younger brother.
The sole matter that caused RongCheng vexation was the continuous pressure from his Imperial Father and Imperial Mother regarding the matter of taking a secondary consort to give birth to offspring to continue the lineage.
He had already spoken of not liking it; however many times, he spoke of not liking it. Apart from Shang Yuan, he wished to share this affection with no individual whatsoever, nonetheless...
The atmosphere which was happy suddenly became somber; RongCheng's countenance was dark, merely telling Yan Si to strive to nurse his health and then instantly departing straight away.
The schemes of the people within the imperial household were inherently immensely complex; how could Yan Si understand anything? His mind at present was as blank as a sheet of white paper. It was gradually being adorned with strokes of vermilion color, yet the person holding the brush was precisely RongCheng.