After speaking, Ryann did not wait for Jiang Jianming’s reaction. He brushed aside his scarlet ceremonial robe and sat down at the bedside on his own. He picked up a small knife and began to prepare to feed the patient.
Jiang Jianming was at a loss with him. “Your Highness, please listen to me first, now this is not…”
Ryann cut off a piece of fruit, peeled it, and held it up to him. “Open your mouth.”
Jiang Jianming: “…”
Communication was difficult. Jiang Jianming looked at the fruit held up to his mouth with a complex expression.
The silver fork had an engraved handle. If broken, it would probably cost more than the lives of several lowly people in the wild areas could afford to pay.
He had not given anything in return.
It was just a coincidence that he had sheltered the little prince for a while in a damp, moldy shack, told some stories that probably wouldn’t be told in the palace, and said some ignorant things.
The little prince personally brought medicine to save his life. He could barely accept it as “repaying a droplet of kindness with a gushing spring”, and that “this child is probably really bored”.
But what did the current situation mean?
Ryann couldn’t possibly be bored for a lifetime. He couldn’t possibly be kept in the hospital room by the little prince forever. The little prince was interested in him now, but could he still peel apples for him like today after ten years?
Jiang Jianming said in a low voice. “… I cannot promise you the future, Your Highness.”
Ryann’s expression darkened.
Such a rejection was too much of a dampener and too inconsiderate. The youth turned his face away haughtily, snorted, and withdrew the fork he had held out.
But after a few seconds of tension, he turned back and said in a stiff tone. “The future can be discussed next time. Eat first.”
Jiang Jianming sighed with a headache, thinking silently… there was really no way out.
The other had already condescended to compromise to this extent, he couldn’t bear to say anything more heartless.
He silently opened his mouth and bit the apple off the fork.
Ryann finally smiled with satisfaction.
As he chewed, the disabled human’s eyes gradually softened, as if coated with a layer of light. He looked up at the little prince and said softly, “Thank you, it’s delicious.”
“Of course, this is the empire’s most precious variety.”
Kaios narrowed his emerald eyes, watching Jiang Jianming take small bites of the food.
The shadow of the curtains swayed between the white cotton sheets, and sunlight adorned the pale bridge of the disabled human’s nose, so beautiful.
“If you like it, it can be your afternoon tea from now on. But there are other more delicious foods here too, you should try more.”
An indescribable, wonderful thrill made his heart leap lightly.
He had never felt so satisfied before, nor had he ever felt such fondness for this world.
This feeling wasn’t unpleasant, perhaps it could be said he liked it very much. How wonderful, his disabled human was so wonderful, and would be his from now on.
“Do you have another name?” Ryann peeled another piece of apple, and during a pause in the feeding, he softened his voice and leaned in close, “Back then on the mecha, Lin Ge called you something.”
“Mm,” the black-haired young man nodded, frankly admitting, “Dawn Aslan is a fake name. The name my mother gave me is ‘Jiang Jianming’.”
He swallowed the fruit in his mouth, “My mother was the former leader of the White Dove Red Leaf Society.”
With this explanation, Ryann understood.
He smiled, curving his eyes, and whispered close to Jiang Jianming’s ear. “It’s a nice name. When the current empire falls, you can go back to using your original name.”
Jiang Jianming didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He patted the youth’s head, “Your Highness should be more careful with your words. How could it be that easy?”
At this moment, a knock sounded at the door. The attending physician who had been in charge of Jiang Jianming during this time entered, respectfully standing by the door and bowing to the prince.
Ryann knew what this person had come for. Last night, he had asked the attending physician to explain the disabled human’s condition to him in detail.
His Highness squeezed Jiang Jianming’s hand, instructing him to finish the apple himself. Then he stood up, gesturing with his eyes for the physician to follow him out.
“Speak.”
Outside the hospital room, the corridor was spacious and quiet. The attending physician lowered his head in trepidation, saying that although the tranquilizer had temporarily controlled the condition, the patient had been ill for many years and his constitution was not very strong, so it was almost impossible for him to recover like a normal person.
“…Daily care must be extremely careful. From now on, he needs to avoid exhaustion, mental strain, and emotional agitation. With gradual conditioning over several years, he might improve somewhat.”
“In addition, there will be some sequelae. Your Highness, please forgive me, but due to the limitations of current medical technology, this is irreversible…”
“Hmm.” His Highness nodded, “Tell me more details.”
Sequelae were to be expected, and Kaios wasn’t too concerned. At worst, he could keep him for life. In the Yongle Garden Star City, there were many nobles who kept beautiful disabled humans.
Of course, he had absolutely no vulgar thoughts about Aslan, absolutely none; by keeping him, he meant simply keeping him.
He was only worried that those sequelae might cause Aslan excessive suffering, or might shorten his lifespan.
“First, what we can be certain of is,” The prince’s attitude was still fairly mild. The physician wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and tentatively said, “Due to the prolonged illness, his nervous system has been damaged by crystal particles…”
“He has basically lost his sense of smell and taste.”
……
In the hospital room, Jiang Jianming lay covered by a blanket, leaning against the headboard lost in thought. There was a hint of weariness in his eyes, but even more so a faint softness.
The apple had already been eaten, with the fork placed neatly back on the plate.
Nothing unexpected happened. He hadn’t been able to taste food for several months, and today was no different. He didn’t know if it would improve in the future, but he guessed it probably wouldn’t.
So, what would the empire’s most precious apple taste like?
Jiang Jianming pondered quietly. He tried to imagine, but he couldn’t find any memory of the sweetness of fruit. Having never tasted it before, he couldn’t imagine it.
It seemed he was destined never to taste it in this lifetime, which was somewhat regrettable.
…But he had underestimated the impact this would have on Ryann.
Jiang Jianming didn’t find out until the next day that last night, His Highness Kaios had frantically wanted to return to Yongle Garden Star City and meet with the head of the empire’s top-secret research base.
The imperial side naturally refused. He directly piloted a military mecha that wasn’t even A-class out of Blue Mother Star City on his own, making several jumps until he was intercepted by the First Star System space station, and then nearly came to blows with the hundred thousand imperial troops stationed in the star domain.
When the news reached the Blue Mother Star official residence, everyone was shocked.
Fortunately, a quick-thinking military officer guessed that it might be related to the mysterious “sick beauty” that the prince was rumored to be keeping, and immediately sent subordinates to inquire.
The little nurse Maria was also quite frightened and hurried to ask Jiang Jianming to persuade him.
After hearing the whole story, the latter found it incomprehensible.
Jiang Jianming struggled to get out of bed. The little nurse hurriedly brought over the light computer connected to communications, almost kneeling down to beg the patient to take it easy – if anything happened to this person now, the entire Blue Mother Star official residence might be blown up.
The royal dignity was supreme, and commoners were not allowed to look directly at it. Maria didn’t dare listen to the communication content, only knowing that the matter was resolved in less than five minutes.
His Highness Kaios turned back, and was grabbed by the hair and pressed onto the hospital bed by this “sick beauty”, scolded fiercely. The prince didn’t resist, his eyes dim, like a wilted golden rose that had lost its water.
—With things having escalated to this point, Jiang Jianming didn’t have the heart to bring up his desire to leave again.
Without guessing, he knew the young man would certainly resist in a hoarse voice, eyes slightly red, glaring at him fiercely yet sorrowfully… it was unbearable.
“Just stay there and recuperate,” Lin Ge persuaded him on the communication. “If the little bastard abandons you, this old lady will take care of you again.”
Lin Ge’s values had already been shaped in Jiang Jianming’s form. The little girl was deeply moved when she was first brought to the official residence, drooling over the fragrant roast chicken, drinking small amounts of alcohol until she was tipsy, and falling into a deep sleep on the soft big bed.
But after staying here to accompany Jiang Jianming until his condition improved somewhat, she still decided to go back and work on that small territory.
Ryann personally sent her back to the Z2 Wild Zone and gave her a wristband for communication – mainly to get her to coax Jiang Jianming.
“Besides, think about it. New life-saving drugs like crystal particle tranquilizers are obviously only available to the royal family and nobility now. Even if they become available to commoners in the future, we definitely won’t be able to afford them.”
Lin Ge argued convincingly. “While the little bastard is head over heels for you now, you should trick him into stockpiling more medicine.”
Jiang Jianming: “…Who have you been learning these idioms from recently?”
After ending the communication, Jiang Jianming looked at the IV in his arm, his gaze somewhat unfocused.
The next day, he subtly hinted to the prince. “Your Highness, lying in the hospital room day after day, unable to see outsiders or go out, is really quite boring. Why don’t you find me something to do?”
Ryann immediately expressed understanding.
In just half a day, this originally clean and simple hospital room had changed completely.
A huge antique redwood bookcase was added against the wall, filled with paper books, chip boxes, and light computers specifically for reading. A small balcony was built outside the window, filled with flowers and plants that wouldn’t harm his health. A massage device and multi-functional entertainment machine were stored in the bedside cabinet, with a small robot waiting under the bed for voice control commands.
When Ryann entered the hospital room in the evening, he was even carrying a black and white puppy in his arms.
“…”
The puppy was very cute and smart, with eyes like black grapes. It didn’t make much fuss, just whimpering and wagging its tail around the hospital bed.
Jiang Jianming wanted to speak but hesitated, then hesitated again.
To say he wasn’t moved would be a lie.
But when he said those words, what he actually wanted to express was “Why don’t you find me something to do?” After being automatically filtered through the little prince’s mind, only the part about him being very bored remained.
“You don’t like it.” Ryann keenly noticed that the disabled human’s expression was off and reached out to take the dog away.
Jiang Jianming hurriedly stopped him, fearing Ryann might throw the dog out the window later, “No, no, no, it’s not that. It’s… um, very nice. Does it have a name?”
“It was chosen from a purebred kennel reserved for the great nobility. The kennel named it ‘Seth Henry’. Of course, you can change it.”
“No need, let’s keep it as is.”
Jiang Jianming called to the puppy, “Seth, come here.”
The puppy put its front paws on the hospital bed, sticking out its pink tongue and wagging its tail rapidly.
Jiang Jianming casually stroked Seth’s fluffy head and turned to ask Ryann, “Is Your Highness now in full control of the entire Star City?”
Ryann fell silent.
The young man pressed his lips together, his gaze deeply fixed on him, as if trying to see through that sickly face into the disabled human’s heart.
After a long while, he spoke in a low voice. “…Is a life of reading books and raising dogs in the hospital really not possible?”
This child was indeed very perceptive. Jiang Jianming sighed inwardly and said softly, “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize to me.”
Ryann stepped to the bedside, using his knee to nudge away the puppy that was clinging to Jiang Jianming. “I don’t like it.”
“Star City already has a complete operational system. I can do nothing.”
“But if you want something, theoretically I have the power to control Blue Mother Star, at least on the surface.”
Ryann’s expression was complex. He suddenly reached out and brushed Jiang Jianming’s cheek with his fingertips. “Next month.”
“When your condition is more stable, I’ll take you to the official residence.”
