Everything came too suddenly. When Jiang Jianming fell, he had only one thought in his mind: Damn it, how could this happen in front of His Highness…
Garcia was a beat late to hold the trembling body tightly. His face was first blank, then quickly turned into panic – he finally realized what had happened.
It was an intermittent attack of the chronic crystal disorder.
“——Jiang!!”
“Ah…” Jiang Jianming was sweating coldly from the pain, slumped in Garcia’s arms. He began to cough violently, as if he was going to cough up his lungs.
Layers of black fog rose in front of him, his vision swaying more and more severely, and his consciousness was rapidly withdrawing.
This attack was more violent than before. But it was a chronic disease that was getting worse, he knew this was just the beginning.
In a blur, the surroundings changed dramatically. He was wrapped in Garcia’s coat and laid flat on the sofa.
Jiang Jianming couldn’t lie down, he was in so much pain that he curled up on his side. His eyes were wide open and unfocused, he was gasping chaotically, like a fish thrown ashore, jumping in agony.
“Your…Your Highness…” His fingers trembled as he fumbled for Garcia’s sleeve, “I…”
“Don’t move! I’m here.” The crown prince knelt in front of the sofa, gripping his hand tightly, and took out a small bottle of medicine from the inner pocket of his own coat.
He vaguely saw Garcia’s red eyes. His Highness quickly bit open the medicine, holding up his neck with one hand, “It’s medicine, open your mouth… open your mouth!”
Jiang Jianming was delirious, and he thought to himself: After carrying a tranquilizer spray with him, has this man started carrying his emergency medicine with him…
He tried to swallow the medicine with Garcia’s hand, but accidentally choked on it, coughing even worse. Then he started vomiting blood, vomiting until he couldn’t breathe, his slender fingers crumpled the front of his shirt, his lips were purple from suffocation, and he almost fainted.
Garcia’s face was ashen, his teeth chattering, he didn’t realize he was also shaking, even more violently than the patient in his arms.
…Why, why did this suddenly happen?
Was it because the remote interstellar conference put too much physical and mental strain on him, or because he didn’t get enough rest last night.
Was it because the military situation was too stressful, or because of the blow of the contraction strategy; was it because those people bullied him, or because he worried too much about himself.
“It’s… cough, it’s okay… Your Highness,” Jiang Jianming was still trying to comfort him, his black hair wet with cold sweat.
His lips were stained with blood, his voice growing weaker, “Don’t be afraid, it’s…”
“Don’t talk, save your strength.” Garcia simply threw the medicine bottle away, Jiang Jianming was in no condition to be fed medicine, he directly picked up the sick man and rushed out of the room.
“No…”
Jiang Jianming was already not very conscious anymore, he weakly opened his eyes slightly, murmuring in a barely audible voice, “…don’t…go out.”
But as soon as the door of this small conference room opened, they were greeted by a crowd of people.
It was the generals of the headquarters who were meeting in another room, led by the old Marshal Chen, followed by Major General Tang, General Celine and others.
“Your Highness Ryann!?”
“This…”
The generals were shocked, the person clearly being held in the crown prince’s arms was the young man with crystal disorder who had been sitting next to them during the meeting, both of them were covered in blood.
Seeing this situation, Old Marshal Chen’s face changed, the old man quickly stepped forward, turned Jiang Jianming’s face in Garcia’s arms, “Is he having an attack?”
Jiang Jianming closed his eyes and had no reaction, he had already fainted. Garcia didn’t dare to stop, he said sternly, “He can’t drink the medicine, call for medical help!!”
The surroundings were in chaos.
Garcia’s nerves were jumping, he was panting. His soul seemed to have left his body, numbly watching everything that followed.
He watched as medical staff quickly arrived, Jiang Jianming was put into a mobile treatment cabin, an oxygen mask was placed on his pale face, an IV needle was inserted into his skin, and the treatment cabin was pushed away.
The last thing deeply engraved in his vision was the first line of text flashing on the diagnostic display of the treatment cabin – Intelligent Diagnosis Result: Early Onset of Chronic Crystal Disorder.
Isn’t it early?
Is this the extent of the symptoms of an early onset?
Garcia followed the medical staff, halfway through he seemed to be held by Chen Hanke by the shoulder, saying something like please calm down, but he had already lost this ability.
In a blur, it seemed like huge waves were coming from all directions, tearing at him.
The voices of the senior generals behind him came again, mixed with regret and pity:
“So he is a patient with chronic crystal disorder, no wonder he is so sensitive to crystal disorder at the general meeting.”
“How could someone so young have this?”
“He must have contracted the disease voluntarily in order to go to the Far Star… alas, for a non crystal race wanting to stay on the Far Star battlefield, this is indeed the only way.”
“What a pity, I’ve heard some things about Colonel Jiang, he’s a rare talent. It’s a pity….I don’t know if he has five more years.”
Why? Garcia was caught in this chaotic wave, but what was torn apart was not his flesh and blood, but the person he wanted to protect in his arms.
That, why was that sentence swallowed down his throat with rolling blood? He was afraid that he hadn’t taken good care of Jiang Jianming, but he was even more afraid that he had already taken good care of him. He was afraid that everything was helpless, irreparable, and he could only watch his lover shatter in his palm.
Like a snowflake, it must melt under the sun.
That day, Jiang Jianming was directly sent to the Aslan Military Headquarters Hospital located in the third district.
This place used to be a medical research institute of the old empire, but now it was a secret hospital dedicated to the royal family, nobles, and important military and political leaders, and high-level talents.
In theory, Jiang Jianming’s identity and qualifications do not qualify him to be admitted here.
But he was a patient personally escorted by the crown prince and the grand marshal of the empire.
About an hour later, the young lady of the Bei family and His Excellency Lance came to visit one after another, and several officers from the Golden Sun Wheel also came. In the afternoon, there was a consultation by experts, and an emergency surgery was performed. By evening, the emperor himself came, a situation that was unprecedented, even the old dean of the military hospital couldn’t help but sweat.
As for Jiang Jianming himself…
He woke up when he was sent to the hospital.
It was just an early onset, not so exaggerated, at least Jiang Jianming himself didn’t think it was a problem.
He used to vomit blood before, but he never fainted. This time… this time it might have been a little worse, but it’s still not a problem.
He could still move, so he had to keep going.
“Your Highness.”
The next morning when he woke up, Jiang Jianming lay on the hospital bed with no desire to live, “I want to be discharged…”
At the window by the bed, Garcia sat there peeling an apple for him, but ignored him.
After a night, the crown prince’s eyes were dark, his hair was messy, and his mental state had become worse.
The wall opposite the ward was made into an embedded TV screen. At the moment, the program being broadcast was an interview with the Non Crystal Race Protection Association, a semi-official program.
“His Excellency Jiang is the hope of our non crystal race,” in the picture, a young woman spoke passionately, her eyes slightly moist, “It is he who proved to the entire empire that the non crystal race is not an inferior race!”
“Without crystal bones, we can also fight in blood, we can be invincible – we are not a burden to the empire, we can become heroes who illuminate the empire!”
Jiang Jianming insisted, “I’m fine, I’m cured. Even if I’m not cured, you can’t force me to lie down, I still promised the general to sort out the historical materials at the general meeting…”
“You also know that if it can be proven that the Great Emperor Kaios of that year did indeed return to the Crystal Nest, then it can be inferred that there are indeed urgent problems to be solved in the Crystal Nest – Your Highness? Are you listening to me?”
Garcia turned his head slowly, and said hoarsely, “…What?”
Jiang Jianming sat up, he calmly repeated, “I said, I want to be discharged, I want to go to the library.”
The program on the TV was still going on, after several rounds of dialogue, the interviewer asked with a smile, “One more thing, Miss Yang, what are the expectations of the association and the vast number of non crystal imperial citizens for His Excellency Jiang’s future?”
The young woman firmly said, “He just needs to stand there, because his existence itself is the guiding star that inspires us——”
Ding. The screen went dark, it was Jiang Jianming who turned off the TV with a raise of his hand.
The black-haired young man got out of bed, his face was still a bit pale, but his movements were already very neat, just like a normal person.
He walked over in his slippers, touched Garcia’s cheek with his cold fingers, “Your Highness.”
“Your Highness….You should be calmer, these attacks will only become more frequent and severe.”
Jiang Jianming sighed, “You are His Highness the Crown Prince, it’s not good for others to see you panic like this for me.”
“…His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Garcia put down the apple and the fruit knife, he repeated it, then said in a low voice, “You teach me to think more, teach me to compromise and give up, teach me to be calm…Do you want to turn me into the person who once hurt you?”
Jiang Jianming didn’t speak, Garcia hummed, “What if I say I want to go back on my word again?”
Jiang Jianming laughed, “Really?”
Garcia thought for a moment, at this time, he seemed to be more like His Highness Ryann. A few seconds later, his highness slowly shook his head, “Of course it’s fake.”
The road in front of them could only go forward, not backward. The road ahead was thorny, looking back was the abyss, he knew.
Ryann stood up, as soon as he stood up, he was immediately taller than Jiang Jianming. The crown prince held his lover’s back of the head, his fingers went through the soft black hair, he bent down slightly…as if to give a kiss.
But just before his lips touched his lips, he suddenly stopped.
Jiang Jianming was already prepared to accept that kiss, but Garcia suddenly grabbed his arm, put his lips to his ear, and said in a low, hoarse voice, “…Why don’t you ever take the initiative to kiss me.”
His tone was too heavy and sad, and extremely suppressed, “And don’t even say you love me.”
“…..” Jiang Jianming was speechless.
“That day at the Black Shark base, I said I love you, you just acquiesced, you didn’t agree.”
Garcia’s jaw was tense, he was trembling slightly, “Do you still think deep down that I am not him?”
“You misunderstood…” Jiang Jianming opened his mouth to speak, but Garcia suddenly kissed his lips at this moment, “Hmm…!”
It was not deep, probably out of concern for his body, the invader was still just a light touch, a shallow taste with a hint of tenderness.
“Do you prefer the kiss from three years ago?” Then this person’s eyes turned red, he pressed against him stubbornly, unwillingly leaning in.
“Hugs? Care? And other things…”
At this point, Garcia suddenly fell into a strange silence.
Jiang Jianming was pushing him away with a bitter smile, “No, no, Your Highness, let go of me – huh? What other things?”
Garcia looked up at him, grinding his teeth, hesitating to speak, “You…you guys…you like… him to you?”
Jiang Jianming was stunned for a while, then suddenly understood from this person’s expression.
His pale face suddenly flushed, he was both annoyed and amused, turned his head and sat back on the bed, “Your Highness, wake up, the crown prince of the empire was not of age when he sacrificed himself three years ago!”
Garcia: “.”
“Ryann was often very busy, young, didn’t even understand dating, and didn’t have time. Our most…intimate action, was just… kissing.”
Jiang Jianming said with embarrassment, and as he spoke, he blushed and crawled back into the quilt, “And the young crown prince back then actually didn’t dare to kiss me casually, these few days you’ve kissed me, it’s almost more than half a year for us.”
But Garcia still stubbornly leaned over to his bed, looking down at him with a serious interrogation, “So why don’t you kiss me, don’t say you love me.”
