Mid-afternoon, Yan Si sat before the doorway, gazing into the distance, while Xiao Yi was inside, peeling fruit.
He felt rather listless, tinged with a faint yearning. The urge to seek out RongCheng arose, yet he quickly dismissed it, finding himself troublesome: "Though he speaks no ill of it, will my sudden presence truly please him?"
He was lost in idle thoughts for a good while, when suddenly, RongCheng approached from afar. Seeing Yan Si slumped listlessly at the entrance, he hastened his steps and inquired, "A-Si, what ails you? Why do you sit here?"
Of late, RongCheng had taken to addressing him by his given name; the two of them had seemingly grown much closer.
Upon hearing the question, Yan Si merely turned his face away and offered no reply. What a strange state! A moment ago, he had been pining for the man, even contemplating a visit, yet now he found himself utterly speechless.
RongCheng smiled, extending his hand, and said, "Quickly, give me your hand. I shall help you up to rest inside."
RongCheng's demeanor was clearly as gentle as ever; there was no sign of vexation, and he even seemed quite cheerful.
After gazing silently at the hand before him for a long moment, Yan Si timidly stretched out his own and grasped RongCheng's, allowing himself to be pulled upright. As he settled back onto the bed, he asked in a quiet, hesitant voice, "Elder Brother, do you... do you find me... much of a bother?"
Upon hearing this, RongCheng slightly furrowed his brows and questioned, "Who told you such a thing?"
"No... no one told me... It is..." Yan Si suddenly sighed. "It is merely what I think myself... Is it... is it true?"
At this, RongCheng felt a sudden surge of temper. The smiling look on his face abruptly gave way to a hint of anger, and he instantly gave Yan Si a hard rap upon the head, chiding, "Nonsense! You must not think such things!"
That rap on the head was clearly not administered lightly, as if he were venting the accumulated frustration of many past days.
The sudden blow momentarily stunned Yan Si, making him see stars; the spot where he was struck immediately swelled... It was true, then... he truly detested him.
Realizing his harshness, RongCheng gently rubbed the bump on his head, offering a soft, comforting smile: "Do not let your thoughts run wild and needlessly bring yourself distress. How could I ever feel such a way? You merely need to rest well and eat sufficiently. Speaking of which..."
Changing the subject, RongCheng lifted Yan Si's chin, turning his head from side to side to observe him, and chuckled, "I see... your complexion has improved significantly these days."
Moreover, he had heard that Yan Si had started eating more, no longer needing to divide his meals into seven or eight small portions as before.
RongCheng's smile was both tender and gentle... beautiful enough to truly melt one's heart. Was this not a case of striking the wound and then applying the balm? To inflict pain and then pour honey into the heart, making it truly difficult to remain angry.
Suddenly, Yan Si leaned forward to embrace RongCheng's waist, and, in a spoiled tone, said, "Since I have tried so hard, should you not reward me with something?"
"Demanding a reward, is he?" RongCheng mused for a moment, then asked, "How about... another rap on the head, would that suffice?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Si instantly released RongCheng, clutching his own head as he vehemently refused: "No! I do not want it!"
Yet all he truly desired was a brief embrace from his brother...
At this moment, Xiao Yi approached from a distance, bearing a plate of peeled fruit. Witnessing the scene, he clearly wanted to laugh but managed to suppress it, and bowed respectfully, saying, "Your Highness, Master, the fruit is prepared."
RongCheng nodded, accepting the plate while motioning for Xiao Yi to withdraw. He then turned his gaze to Yan Si and said, "Come, quickly partake of this fruit."
Yan Si immediately accepted with delight. Every day, this afternoon snack was the meal he enjoyed the most.
Gazing at Yan Si for a long while, RongCheng could only shake his head, silently musing that despite all the tonics and rare delicacies brought forth, the boy only favored fruit. How peculiar.
Perhaps Yan Si was still suffering from a lack of appetite and thus had no interest; who knew if things would change on the morrow? If he continued to nourish him thus, the boy might even become a greedy pig.
As Yan Si ate, he furtively glanced at RongCheng, and after a long while, he hesitantly asked, "Elder Brother, in the future... may I frequently come to visit you?"
The chambers of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were not places where one could simply come and go at will; this request was perhaps slightly presumptuous. Yan Si expected RongCheng to surely refuse, but to his surprise, the latter nodded in agreement instantly: "If it is you, then of course you may."
Following this, RongCheng even bestowed upon him a passing token, so that the eunuchs and guards would not bar his way nor interrogate him needlessly.
Receiving the token, Yan Si was utterly overjoyed.
Just as the two were conversing cheerfully, a voice suddenly announced from outside: "His Imperial Majesty has arrived!"
Upon hearing this, Yan Si was momentarily startled, unsure of what to do. RongCheng promptly said, "You simply lie still upon the bed; I shall go out to receive His Majesty."
With that, he immediately departed and, shortly after, returned with the Emperor entering the room.
Seeing the two approach, Yan Si attempted to rise and perform the customary salute, but the Emperor instantly stopped him: "You are gravely ill and need not perform the ceremony; simply lie still."
The Emperor's imposing presence caused Yan Si to feel slightly dizzy, and he stammered in response: "Thank... thank you, Imperial Father."
The Emperor nodded, then sat down by the bedside, looking at Yan Si, and said, "We have heard of your grave illness for many days. Today, We finally found the time to come and see how you fare."
It was indeed unexpected that the Emperor would pay Yan Si such close attention, even taking the initiative to visit him. This truly astonished all who heard it.
Yet, this was perhaps not so strange, for Yan Si had saved RongCheng's life on multiple occasions and was the object of RongCheng's special care and attention. Thus, the Emperor taking notice was but a normal occurrence. It was also possible that His Majesty feared Yan Si might become a second Shang Yuan, thereby impeding his son from acquiring more wives and concubines and thus obstructing his future prospects.
However, upon observing Yan Si's current appearance, His Majesty felt reassured, deeming the aforementioned possibility unlikely. He merely inquired perfunctorily with a few questions, bade Yan Si to rest and recuperate with a peaceful mind, and then departed straightaway.