Actually, Jiang Jianming’s plan…To say it was successful, it was indeed successfully implemented.
That night, the enraged young prince, piloting a large mecha, smashed the commander who had been tyrannical for decades into a bloody pulp, blood spilling everywhere.
Meanwhile, Jiang Jianming, soaking wet, was grabbed by Ryann and put into the mecha’s built-in treatment cabin to dry off. Ryann didn’t let him see the final scene, probably fearing it would traumatize the disabled human’s mental state.
Afterwards, Ryann left behind the mess and directly flew the mecha back to Jiang Jianming’s residence.
Throughout this journey, the prince was suppressing his rage. He couldn’t even understand why his emotions were fluctuating so much. Not only was he unable to calm down, but he became more and more scared as he thought about it.
Memories from the beginning of the year kept flashing in his mind. He recalled the emaciated patient lying unconscious in bed, day after day in a coma.
He had barely managed to save the person’s life, nervously nursing him back to health for more than half a year to regain some vitality. Tonight, it was so close… If he had arrived even a little later!!
A disabled human suffering from chronic crystal disorder actually dared to provoke a new human to release crystal bones. Did he want to cough up blood in public for everyone to see? The cold fountain pool was right behind him in late autumn. Was he planning to jump in? Was he intending to drown?
The mecha wasn’t flying fast, but the distance wasn’t far either. In the blink of an eye, it stopped in the backyard of that small sickroom, crushing a large patch of fallen leaves.
Ryann’s face was gloomy as he violently pulled open the treatment cabin door. “We’re here, get out!”
This time he really wouldn’t let it go easily, Ryann thought bitterly. He had already indulged Aslan too much, but the disabled human shouldn’t forget that his primary obligation should be to take good care of himself.
Now, not only did he dare to deceive him, but he even dared to use his life as a bargaining chip in his calculations. He must administer severe punishment, fiercely—
Bang, the treatment cabin opened. Jiang Jianming was curled up inside, lost in thought. His hair still had a hint of moisture. He looked up after a slight delay, appearing somewhat absent-minded.
“…”
Ryann opened his mouth angrily but was choked by this sight. He couldn’t say a word and instead felt a bit uneasy.
The pale disabled human hesitantly reached out, lightly tugging at the prince’s white lace sleeve, as if he wanted to say something but was hesitating, “Your Highness…”
Ryann violently shook his sleeve, throwing off the person’s hand.
Yet he thought to himself: Perhaps Aslan was already reflecting on his actions? Tonight was already dangerous, and there was bloodshed. If he pushed further, what if it really made the person ill?
So, tonight he would first feed him some tranquilizers to make him rest early, and punish him in a couple of days. It wouldn’t be too late.
Moreover, if he truly realized his mistake… punishment wasn’t really important anyway…
The black-haired disabled human poked his head out of the treatment cabin, but his hand that had been shaken off was still suspended in mid-air, as if hesitating whether to speak again. This kind of attitude was rarely seen in someone usually so determined.
Ryann gritted his teeth, but in the end, he turned his face away and said in a hard voice, “If you want to say something, say it.”
Given permission, Jiang Jianming indeed relaxed a bit. He calmly withdrew his hand and said seriously, “Your Highness, I have an unreasonable request.”
“Um, that is, could you teach me how to pilot a mecha?”
“…”
Seeing the situation wasn’t good, the disabled human quickly added sincerely, “Just when Your Highness is free.”
Ryann: “.”
“Your Highness?…Ryann? You… Ah!”
——Many years later, when reflecting on this, Jiang Jianming knew best in his heart: although His Majesty was proud by nature, he was indeed extremely respectful and cautious when it came to dealing with the differences between their races.
The evidence was that, although Ryann would sometimes pretend to lay hands on him, whether in his original body or later two base bodies, he almost never used crystal bones – the symbol of innate racial difference – as a weapon to force him.
Even when truly enraged to the point of losing control, Ryann had choked his neck and twisted his arms, but never tried to use crystal bone pressure to force him to kneel.
… Except for this night.
Jiang Jianming was actually tied up with crystal bones, his hands and feet bound and mouth gagged, whimpering as he was “carried” back to that small sickroom by His Highness the Prince.
At first, he still tried to struggle and plead with his eyes, but soon realized the situation was truly dangerous, and became quiet and obedient.
With a muffled thud, the disabled human was thrown onto the bed, falling face-up into the piled-up quilts.
Ryann was so angry he could barely breathe steadily. He suddenly grabbed Jiang Jianming’s collar and yanked him up, the blood vessels on his arms bulging, “Do you even know what you’re doing, what you’re saying!?”
This fall didn’t hurt Jiang Jianming, but he was too weak. The violent pull made him dizzy and weak in the waist. He gasped slightly, instinctively wanting to push away the forearm pressing on him.
But in the pitch darkness, he couldn’t see clearly. His fingertips brushed past Ryann’s arm, grasping emptily in the air before falling limply, finally grabbing the quilt.
The sickly aura surrounding the disabled human was alarmingly thick at this moment, like last night’s dew hanging on branches, ready to shatter at the slightest shake.
Ryann’s gaze, filled with ferocity, suddenly became unsteady.
The force in his hand hurriedly lessened by three degrees, and the darkness conveniently concealed his reddened eyes.
… Damn it, what was he supposed to do!?
“Ryann.”
So Jiang Jianming finally managed to grasp that forearm, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness, “Calm down, don’t be angry first, listen to me…”
One was in a rage, while the other was softly soothing.
Skin touched in the deep night, the bedding in disarray. The atmosphere that should have been tense suddenly became ambiguous.
“Shut up, I don’t want to hear your reasoning.”
Ryann’s eyes were cold, “You’d better understand clearly, what happened today must never happen a second time.”
“As for the mecha? Absurd, do you want to go to the battlefield!?”
Jiang Jianming hurriedly shook his head. “How could that be possible? It’s just for self-defense.”
“I heard from my mother when I was young that true mecha operators all start learning from childhood. At my current age and physical condition, it’s impossible to learn much, at most I could use a mecha to escape.”
“Your Highness also knows I’m a disabled human, innately powerless against new humans’ crystal bones… The dangers in the future will only increase, not decrease. I don’t want to always place my life in others’ control, that’s why I had the idea about the mecha…”
Jiang Jianming spoke these words seriously, and not without reason. Ryann slowly listened to that cool jade-like voice, finally calming down most of his anger.
But his face still wouldn’t let it go easily. His Highness snorted coldly and said, “For self-defense, you need to fumble around on your own?”
“Within a month, I’ll eliminate those eyesore old forces. Before winter, I can give you an official identity, and then assign as many guards as necessary.”
Jiang Jianming was startled and was about to say how this couldn’t work. Unexpectedly, Ryann’s words weren’t finished, immediately followed by, “Do you want to be a minister assisting the monarch, or the prince’s consort, or both?”
His tone was casual, still carrying a hint of the earlier unspent coldness and arrogance.
The effect was like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
Jiang Jianming’s mind exploded into blankness.
He stared at Ryann, his lips trembling, “Young Highness! What nonsense are you spouting!”
“What consort…How can you joke about that kind of rumor!?”
Ryann coldly raised an eyebrow. “Joke? You think I’m joking?”
“You…”
Jiang Jianming rarely lost his composure. He was first shocked, so shocked that his heart trembled. After a few seconds of numbness, he felt he should gather some of an elder’s dignity.
So, suppressing his rapidly beating heart, his pale face tightened as he said word by word.
“Choosing a spouse is a lifelong matter. Ryann, I don’t know how the royal nobles of Yongle Garden Star City view marriage and fate, nor do I know how many consorts a prince like you should have, but to be so casual…”
Ryann interrupted him. “So, you’re only angry because of my casual attitude, not because you’re unwilling to be my consort?”
The young man curled his lips, lightly tossing his beautiful curls, his voice sweetening, “It’s just a private question, of course a formal proposal would be more solemn. I know all the rules.”
“Of course, it was indeed inconsiderate. I thought you didn’t care much about such formalities… Well, as compensation, I’ll consider your desire to learn about mechas, alright?”
“Okay, rest early. You need to take some medicine before bed tonight. You didn’t eat dinner either, right? Lie down, I’ll go prepare…”
Jiang Jianming drew in a sharp breath, stunned.
As he listened, he felt his temples throbbing with pain.
The problem seemed… to have exceeded expectations.
No, it should be said it exceeded expectations far too much. It was absurd, ridiculous, how could it turn out like this? Had he made some mistake somewhere?
“…Ryann.” Jiang Jianming suddenly grabbed the young prince who was about to turn away, saying with difficulty. “No, I don’t understand, you haven’t explained clearly at all.”
“Why would you think of having me as your…”
“Consort?”
Ryann completed the sentence.
The young man’s expression was sharp, yet pure, as if in his eyes, anything unorthodox would become justified; when he gazed at the pale young man before him, he was sincere, eager, but without a trace of intimacy or lust, only cherishment and pity.
“That’s naturally because,” he said, “I want to take care of you forever, and I want you to accompany me forever.”
Jiang Jianming forced a smile, saying dejectedly. “…That’s not necessarily the love between spouses, Your Highness. You’re too young, you don’t understand.”
“Moreover, your mentality is not yet that of a real person. You may have developed some interest or dependence on me, but human emotions are very complex, and romantic love is the most difficult to explain, which is why I told you not to speak carelessly.”
“Actually, what you want,” Jiang Jianming gradually composed himself, his voice becoming increasingly calm, his eyes softening, “I can fulfill without being your consort – Ryann, I’m willing to accompany you going forward, unless one day you tell me yourself that you no longer need me.”
“…” Ryann frowned. Having one’s confession of feelings denied by the object of affection was certainly not a pleasant feeling.
After all, Aslan’s words weren’t quite right either. He didn’t understand – if one was willing to accompany him for life, why couldn’t they be a consort? If not a consort, what else could they be?
Ryann was unwilling and slightly annoyed, striving to prove himself and refute. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly had a bright idea. “No, I know.”
At this moment, those once-evil eyes from deep within the laboratory were bright, completely like an innocent child, and moreover, a child about to show off to their teacher that they could solve this difficult problem.
He raised his eyebrows almost proudly and said, “I know I like to be close to you, I want to do things with you that only lovers do.”
As he spoke, Ryann slightly turned his wrist, pulling the slightly cool body of the disabled human into his arms.
The young man leaned down, his curls falling like gauze. He parted his lips and moved closer, giving a soft “chu” kiss on the crow-feather-like corner of the eye.
Jiang Jianming’s pupils contracted sharply – his reaction was as violent as a white fish thrown ashore. Using all his strength, he broke free from the young man’s restraint and, with a backhand, slapped him hard.
