Ryann had completely lost his ability to speak. He had never seen Jiang Jianming like this before, the aura around him was different, it even gave him a distant feeling that he dared not touch.
Yet, Jiang Jianming took the initiative to walk towards him. The non crystal race young man was wearing a long white patient gown, his slender bare feet touching the ground, his vulnerability was even more pronounced than usual.
Ryann: “You…”
“Your Highness did well this time.” Jiang Jianming reached out to the Crown Prince, his eyes were very gentle, his fingertips traced the contours of Ryann’s cheek.
“But you still need to learn to control your emotions. Losing control of your crystal bones is not a trivial matter, there can’t be a next time.” His tone was casual, but his words were serious praise and criticism.
The doctors and nurses behind didn’t dare to watch, they quickly hid, leaving His Highness the Crown Prince Ryann standing in shock.
“You…” Ryann’s voice was hoarse as he stared at Jiang Jianming, “What’s going on with you?”
A few seconds later, the absurdity filled his heart, “Are you lecturing me? Jiang Jianming…you almost died on the enemy ship, and now you’re talking about me losing control over my crystal bone!?”
Jiang Jianming just looked at Ryann with a smile, his eyelashes flickered in the bright daylight, perfectly hiding the overflowing emotions in his eyes.
This attitude made Ryann even more annoyed, but Jiang Jianming’s physical condition made him unable to just stand by. After a few seconds of stalemate, the Crown Prince stepped forward and gently lifted the patient into his arms.
His actions were not as forceful as usual, they carried a hint of hesitation.
Jiang Jianming did not resist, instead, his arm draped over Ryann’s neck, and he was obediently placed back on the bed in the treatment cabin.
The well-behaved disabled human was rarely willing to be confined, Ryann’s mood improved slightly. He reached out his thumb to wipe away the remaining tears from Jiang Jianming’s eyes, his gaze slightly heavy, he asked, “Why were you crying just now?”
Jiang Jianming, resting on a soft pillow, shook his head and didn’t speak. His chest silently rose and fell, his pale face looked very weak.
Even in the treatment cabin, he always seemed to be on the verge of a life-threatening condition.
Ryann finally spoke. After a moment, he reached out and brushed Jiang Jianming’s black hair from his forehead, his voice hoarse, “How can you ignore me? What do you want, just say it.”
His eyes were cold and slanted, and he added, “Did my crystal bone scare you?”
“Well, okay. But this time you made the mistake first. If you scared me first, how could I lose control?”
Ryann glanced at the red gold on his wrist and said expressionlessly, “It used to hold you, everything was normal then.”
“…”
Ryann cleared his throat, “Of course, since this problem has arisen, there can indeed be a next time. I will ask the Black Shark Base about the crystal bone problem, you don’t have to worry… don’t be afraid.”
Jiang Jianming’s expression was indescribable.
In the face of his silence, His Highness the Crown Prince successfully transitioned from annoyance and mockery to compromise and soothing all by himself.
He then threw out a rhetorical question without waiting for an answer, and repeated the process from righteous indignation to compromise and comfort.
Jiang Jianming: “I’m not afraid, Your Highness.”
Ryann: “Really? Well, that’s also possible.”
Then he began to change the subject. Ryann picked up one of Jiang Jianming’s hands, warmed it between his own, and said thoughtfully, “We’re going back to Star City. If you really want to be hospitalized, you can go to the White Jade Palace, but you can’t stay in the treatment cabin.”
“You behave a little, now you are the Crown Princess, you have military merits, you can say whatever you want.”
“I will accompany you, but you must obey, rest well, recover as soon as possible… However, I might go crazy and lose control, if innocent people are hurt, it’s still your responsibility.”
Jiang Jianming listened quietly for a long time, the more he listened, the tighter the corners of his lips became. In the end, he finally couldn’t listen anymore, half helpless and half amused, he sighed, “Your Highness.”
He slowly raised his arm, the wide sleeve of the patient’s gown slipped down a bit, revealing the slender bone lines.
The cool fingertips passed through the curled platinum long hair.
Ryann’s eyes widened slightly, he was pressed down by the weak patient in front of him, suddenly a shadow fell like a curtain.
Jiang Jianming propped up his upper body, closed his eyes devoutly, and lightly kissed the Crown Prince’s brow.
“You can say such things.”
In the interlaced gap, the hoarse voice whispered, “No one in this world is worth losing control for, including me, remember that.”
“Please go forward fearlessly, I will…I will always…”
Suddenly, Jiang Jianming’s pupils dilated, a sudden headache hit, he only had time to let out a very light groan, his fingers lost strength and fell.
“Jiang!?”
Ryann’s face changed abruptly, he raised his arm and pulled the person who was falling backward into his arms. The incident happened without any warning, Jiang Jianming didn’t know when he closed his eyes, and quietly fell asleep.
And that unfinished sentence, like a fleeting illusion, dissipated the tail sound, and might never be heard again.
****
The flying vehicle made by the Black Shark Base skimmed over the long wind, Emperor Lin Ge leaned back in the rear seat, casually draped a black fur coat over her shoulder, her expression was inexplicably complex.
“So, what will he be like after the new connection?”
The chief sat in the driver’s seat and said lightly, “The original body’s memory may be maintained in the base for a long time. After the connection is stable, the commander’s consciousness will return to the current base, and those past memories will be forgotten.”
Lin Ge narrowed her phoenix eyes and suddenly lowered her voice, “Is that so, then will Zhen still have time to see him?”
Sylph: “There’s still time, and even His Highness Ryann will be able to see him, you don’t have to worry.”
“…”
Lin Ge’s eyes twitched, “Heh, what a lucky break, that little bastard got off cheap.”
She casually messed up her thick black hair, “Ask you again, what if he faints halfway through, will our Crown Prince go mad?”
Sylph shook her head helplessly, sighing, “I’ll drive faster then.”
By the time Lin Ge and Sylph’s aircraft rendezvoused with the starship, a large number of starships had already landed in unison at the military starship port.
The soldiers filed out of the starships, some looking back at the charred and broken mechas, some excitedly kneeling down to kiss the ground of the empire, this was the place they had fought to protect.
Others raised their faces to look at the distant blue sky, their eyes lost, as if they could see the far reaches of the universe…where the ashes of their comrades still floated.
——Even if it’s difficult to bury the bones in the homeland, the sky and the universe can be the burial ground. I see the heroic souls flying to the star sea, like white birds returning to their nests.
In the early years of the New Imperial’s Calendar 64, this sudden imperial defense war, at the cost of thousands of soldiers’ lives, finally ended with a hard-won victory.
But behind this war, people could vaguely see that a thick darkness was slowly approaching with secretive steps.
Inside the Changhai Hao, the officers and soldiers had already left, only the medics were still guarding a very important patient.
The movement of the treatment cabin had to be careful, after evacuating the personnel and taking all protective measures, they dared not be careless.
When the Emperor and the base leader arrived, the Crown Prince was standing outside the ward, motionless like a sculpture.
He obviously saw the newcomers out of the corner of his eye, but didn’t turn his head, his eyes staring straight at the door of the ward, his voice hoarse, “Lin Ge.”
The Emperor spat out a word, saying lightly, “How do you address your mother?”
Ryann: “I have something to ask you.”
The chief glanced at the two of them, whispered “Don’t fight, you two,” and pushed the door to go into the ward to ask about the situation.
“He was seriously injured this time, not a common injury,” the Crown Prince’s finger pressed against the door of the ward, slightly bending with force, “He… was tortured by the Crystal Cult on the enemy ship.”
“The doctor judged that the other party used crystal bone to repeatedly gouge his flesh, combined with the light beam treatment device to heal the wound. Tranquilizers and wake-up needles were used in large quantities, there may be sequelae, further observation is needed.”
“…” Lin Ge opened her mouth but couldn’t make a sound, she was stunned, the comforting words she had prepared were knocked back into her stomach.
“When I received him, his body temperature had already risen above forty degrees, the doctor said he should have had a high fever for at least four or five hours. The other party locked him in a cold cabin, gave him medicine and water…”
The Crown Prince said hoarsely, “He woke up once just now, but his condition was a bit abnormal, and he soon fainted. Abnormal brain waves were detected, he was originally a chronic crystal disorder patient, now we have to be prepared for psychological trauma or even mental damage.”
Lin Ge’s throat rolled, she rushed over in a hurry, originally to follow up with a “It’s okay,” but now she couldn’t say a word.
If it was a coma caused by the projection of mental consciousness itself, indeed, a person could wake up in a moment, but…
Her face gradually turned green, she stared at Ryann as if she had seen a ghost in broad daylight, “He can fall into the hands of the enemy with you, are you a decoration!?”
“The matter of crystal particles and the Crystal Cult,” the Crown Prince slowly turned his cold emerald eyes, answering the question with a question, “Did Her Majesty know about it early, why hide it?”
“The Crystal Cult?” Lin Ge said, “This thing has only emerged a few years ago, I don’t know.”
Ryann said sternly, “What about the life form of crystal particles!? The matter of the Crystal Nest, the matter of three years ago!?”
“Why, didn’t tell him at the beginning.” Ryann turned around with a gloomy expression, the crystal bone on his right wrist quietly sharpened, “Why, Her Majesty neglected him in the three years after my death.”
Even if it was forced by the situation at the time, Jiang Jianming took this risky action partly because he wanted to save Xie Yinxing, but his obsession with the truth had been burning in his heart for a long time.
If Her Majesty had neglected him at the beginning, let him suffer alone, tormented in front of the huge mystery, forced him to a dead end, and developed crystal disorder…
Ryann’s hatred surged up.
“Lin Ge, did you use him?”
“—I pooh, are you out of your mind, if your mother wants to use someone, she’ll use you!”
Lin Ge laughed lowly with her arms folded, but there was no hint of laughter in her eyes, “A little monster created by a person, what’s there to be arrogant about.”
In the blink of an eye, with a clang, the condensed red gold crystal bone collided with the three-inch drawn Thief Slaughter! The Crown Prince and the female Emperor were almost nose to nose, exerting force at a very close distance. These two people, one cold and restrained, the other wild and unrestrained, were originally like a needle pointing to wheat awns, but now each of their pupils seemed to be burning with flames, they actually started a real fight.
(t/n: needle pointing to wheat awns-It is a metaphor that the two sides are tit for tat in terms of words and actions, and are equally matched)
Ryann’s face was cold, “You know, I just couldn’t be bothered to fight with you before.”
“Good, little thing, you want to fight, then mother will teach you today.”
Lin Ge’s lips curled up, her eyes showing a wild look, “You’ve got some nerve, you’ve failed, you haven’t been beaten down and tasted what it’s like to be powerless!”
The blade and the crystal bone each trembled with a clanging sound, then suddenly separated. Almost simultaneously, the Emperor sheathed her sword, and the Crown Prince’s crystal bone also dissipated–then he swung his empty hand at her.
After all, they were in a ward, fighting was fighting, using a crystal bone weapon and crystal bone to fight, if by any chance the crystal particles lost control, whoever hurt the patient inside would not be able to bear it.
With a bang, both of their shoulders hit the wall at the same time. Lin Ge’s eyes were about to bulge, but her voice was very low, she quickly said, “Let Zhen ask you, if Zhen had told him all the truth early on, told him that the Crown Prince went to his death for the survival of mankind–with his constitution, could he go to the Crystal Nest!?”
“A non crystal human, wanting to go deep into a high concentration crystal particle environment, what’s the only way, hmm?”
Ryann’s expression changed slightly, he seemed to have lost his strength. Lin Ge squinted her eyes, freed a hand to pat Ryann’s cheek, and walked away, “Crystal disorder, right?”
“What’s the matter, I should have helped him develop this terminal illness early on, taking him to the battlefield?..He was only eighteen that year, he hadn’t finished military academy yet, let him face all this?”
“…”
“We once thought of leaving him a way out, this was also your wish before you died,” Lin Ge said, “If he chooses to pursue it again, it’s a bit aggrieved, but at least he can still live a normal and stable life.”
Ryann: “But if he chooses this path, he will never be him again.”
“Ah…so,” Lin Ge casually brushed her hair, looking at the door of the ward, her eyes filled with a sad color, “It’s unsolvable, unavoidable. This person, it seems like he’s destined to suffer.”
Suddenly, a gust of wind sounded in her ears, the Emperor was suddenly choked by the throat, Lin Ge grunted as she was thrown against the wall, opening her mouth to curse first.
The Crown Prince held her with one hand, his eyes looking down from above, “Trying to muddle through? Since you knew he already had crystal disorder, why didn’t you say it at the festival?”
“What else are you hiding?”
Lin Ge looked deeply at him, her lips lightly pursed. Ryann immediately confirmed his guess–the truth about the crystal particles was still far from the end of this cloud of mystery.
But the next moment, the sudden sound of a door opening broke the frozen silence between the two.
The chief poked her head out and said in a low voice, “Stop fighting.”
“Little Excellency woke up, asking what’s going on outside.”
In the blink of an eye, the Crown Prince and the Emperor simultaneously withdrew their hands, each quickly tidying up their disheveled clothes and hair, then pushed the chief aside and rushed anxiously into the ward.
Chief: “…”
Inside the ward was a picture of brightness, Jiang Jianming had indeed woken up, leaning dazedly in the bed of the treatment cabin.
In the corner, the doctors and nurses were all showing happy faces, chattering excitedly.
“Assessment status is good, no obvious mental trauma has been found.”
“He can recognize people, his speech is clear, and his thinking is also very clear.”
“I can hardly believe…this…this is good, we were all prepared for the worst…”
“Your Highness!”
Seeing the person at the door, Jiang Jianming called out and waved to Ryann.
When he first woke up, his memory was a mess, as if he wanted to remember something but couldn’t, lying in the treatment cabin with a splitting headache.
In his daze, he heard the chief say that the Crown Prince was fighting with the Emperor outside, which scared him into being 80% awake.
…And then he thought it was simply unbelievable.
Ryann rushed over hurriedly, pulling Jiang Jianming into his arms with one hand.
His spine was trembling, his eyebrows tightly furrowed and continuously twitching, only tightly holding the patient’s hand, as if holding a lifesaving straw, “Are you still dizzy when you wake up this time?..How many more times do you have to torture me before it’s enough?”
“It’s okay, it’s okay…I’m fine, aren’t I?”
Jiang Jianming helplessly rubbed his back gently, his voice was still somewhat weak, but very soft, “My good Highness, how could you start a fight with Her Majesty?.. How is your body, has the crystal bone injury healed yet?”
Ryann kept his head down and didn’t speak, nor did he move, as if he was afraid that the person in his arms would suddenly fall ill and faint the next moment.
“It’s okay, it’s like this, can you lift your head and let me see, Your Highness?”
Jiang Jianming was at a loss for what to do with him, he struggled to shift his position a bit. The bed in the treatment cabin was quite spacious, he lifted the blanket and said, “You come in first… lie down and hold me?”
Ryann quickly took off his shoes and crawled in, wrapping the blanket tightly around him, and then closed the cover of the treatment cabin.
…And Lin Ge was still standing at the door, looking as if she wanted to come forward but couldn’t, her face was full of frustration.
The chief leisurely patted the stiff Emperor, “You don’t have to think about it, you are now the Emperor, the Little Excellency may not coax you.”
“..…”
Lin Ge’s eyes were as dead as ashes, she banged her forehead against the chief’s black armor shoulder, cursing, “Damn it.”
