Page 65

Unaware of Zhou's distress, thinking he was simply missing his mother, Fu Yicen soothingly stroked his back, murmuring, "Still searching."

"Still searching..."

Zhou Rendong stiffened, the light in his eyes dimming momentarily. He slowly lowered his head, releasing Fu Yicen's attire.

"What about the jade pendant? Can it be retrieved?"

"Of course." Fu Yicen gently tousled his hair, "Once affairs in the southwest ease, I'll personally deal with those remnants from the Fei Kingdom and retrieve the pendant for you."

Zhou Rendong blinked, tears silently streaming down.

The remnants of the Fei Kingdom...

He was fully aware that the man he held was of the Fei Kingdom's royal lineage, yet he described them with such words.

Biting his lip, wiping away the tears, after a brief pause, Zhou Rendong inquired, "I... I heard from Gu Huo that before the Fei Kingdom's fall, a palace was built with a treasure trove, and... a mine."

"Don't listen to his nonsense." Fu Yicen's voice rose involuntarily.

"Isn't it?" Zhou Rendong raised his head, looking at him with rabbit-like reddened eyes, "You said it yourself."

"Regardless of its existence, it has nothing to do with you," Fu Yicen said. "Stop overthinking. Rest well. Otherwise, Chu Yu will jest about your late mornings."

Zhou Rendong noticed the change in topic and dared not mention the treasure. His heart cooled, and he found himself trusting Gu Huo even more.

Was Fu Yicen being kind just to exploit his identity?

Gu Huo mentioned that the treasure could rival the wealth of a nation, and the mine was a rich iron deposit, perfect for forging weapons.

Fu Yicen must undoubtedly desire it.

Zhou Rendong should have realized this sooner and wouldn't have been so foolishly captivated by Fu Yicen's tender gestures.

He never yearned for affection in the past, merely grinding through every day, clinging to life.

Now accustomed to a life with Fu Yicen, his heart had entirely given in. But, if... all of this was a deception.

What would he do?

Lifting his eyelids, he glanced at Fu Yicen. The man seemed oblivious, fetching his inner clothes, removing his outer robe, and dressing him personally.

Memories flashed – Fu Yicen's attentive care for him.

Could these mundane moments be staged?

Without a single slip?

If it began as a deceit, did Fu Yicen... genuinely grow fond of him over time?

Thoughts raced in Zhou Rendong's mind. He finally comforted himself with a meager excuse, allowing himself to rest in Fu Yicen's embrace.

Yet, burdened by worries, nightmares plagued his night.

In the dream, he was still residing in the servants' quarters of the General's Mansion, with Fu Yicen returning to his cold demeanor.

Master Rong took him away, skinned his thigh, restoring Fu Rushuang's appearance.

Fu Yicen showered even more affection upon the transformed, beautiful Fu Rushuang, barely giving Zhou Rendong a glance. He stayed distant, taking solace in the briefest glimpses despite his pain.

Dream-time was disjointed. Somehow, Fu Yicen seemed betrayed, lying bloodied in a damp, dark dungeon.

Xia Zhijin laughed maniacally, demanding the treasure and the mine, or Fu Yicen would die.

Like a fool in his dream, Zhou Rendong crossed rivers and climbed mountains, journeying long until he met a handsome man in red.

After persistent pleading, the man finally revealed the treasure, allowing Zhou to barter for Fu Yicen's life.

Moments later, the dream shifted.

Struggling, Zhou Rendong carried Fu Yicen, fleeing. Xia Zhijin and Fu Rushuang were in pursuit, intending to kill them both.

A dense barrage of arrows fell like rain, unavoidable.

A sharp arrow pierced his chest, blood spilled from his mouth, pain so intense he could barely breathe...

"Ah—"

The dream abruptly ended!

Zhou Rendong jolted awake, sitting up in alarm. Wide-eyed and panting heavily, he clutched his chest, his forehead slick with sweat.

"Rendong?" Fu Yicen, roused by the scream, quickly sat up and rubbed Zhou's back. "Another nightmare?"

When he had first brought Zhou from the servants' quarters of the General's Mansion, such midnight disturbances were frequent.

But after he had bared his heart to Zhou, these occurrences ceased. What happened tonight?

Noticing the pale dawn light, and no longer feeling sleepy, Fu Yicen embraced Zhou, whispering, "It's alright, I'm here."

It took Zhou a while to fully extricate himself from the dream.

For some reason, this dream felt more real than any before.

So vivid it felt like a lived experience, as if after endless tribulations he finally found his destiny with Fu Yicen.

Suddenly, Zhou tightly embraced Fu Yicen, burying his head into his chest, listening to the reassuring heartbeat. Tears streamed uncontrollably.

There was no apparent reason.

He just felt the need to cry.

It was a cathartic release, akin to surviving a near-death experience.

Fu Yicen, with infinite patience, comforted him for a long time until Zhou's sobbing subsided and he fell back into a deep sleep.

As dawn approached, Fu Yicen prepared to rise, but any movement caused Zhou, like a frightened animal fearing abandonment, to cling to his clothes, murmuring as if about to wake.

Fu Yicen patiently comforted him for another half-hour until Zhou finally relaxed.

He instructed Yuan Yue to inform Chu Yu that Zhou would head to the mountain later in the day, before hurrying off to attend to his military duties.

When Zhou finally roused from his daze, the spot beside him had long grown cold.

Rubbing his eyes and about to get out of bed, his hand brushed against something beside the pillow.

Picking it up, he recognized the sachet he hadn't yet gifted.

After a moment's thought, he placed the sachet back, got ready, shouldered his small medicine box, and obediently headed to the mountain.

Throughout the day, despite his busyness, the haunting nightmare and lingering doubts about Fu Yicen persisted. While tending to patients, he nearly made mistakes several times.

Chu Yu couldn't bear to watch any longer and urged him to rest.

Recently, Zhou Rendong had treated many patients. With his constant cheerful demeanor, soft-spoken nature, and patience with the sick, he was noticeably gentler than the occasionally irritable Doctor Chu. Everyone grew fond of him.