Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Silence hung in the bed curtains for a long while.

Gao Zhen guessed that Qi Shangren might have initially thought he was sent by the emperor, only to have his hopes dashed, leaving him at a loss. Unexpectedly, after all these years, Qi Shangren still harbored unrealistic fantasies about the former crown prince. Gao Zhen didn't know what to say to him.

Truthfully, Gao Zhen had no intention of judging Qi Shangren. After all, everyone's experiences hold profound personal significance, something outsiders cannot fully grasp, and thus have no right to judge. Gao Zhen merely felt a pang of wistfulness—he hadn't expected Qi Shangren to be so nostalgic, clinging to events from so long ago. It seemed his feelings for Zhou Yundu were indeed extraordinary.

For a moment, Gao Zhen was lost in thought and remained silent. Qi Shangren, behind the curtain, also made no sound.

The room's excessive quiet created an awkward atmosphere.

Qin Lelang, unable to bear it any longer, cleared his throat, about to speak, when a faint, weary voice emerged from behind the bed curtain: "I don't want treatment. You can leave."

No sorrow is greater than a heart that has died. Was Qi Shangren truly giving up on life?

Gao Zhen frowned and said, "Is it really right to give up on yourself at such a young age?"

"…"

Qi Shangren’s silence only intensified the already tense atmosphere. Gao Zhen even sensed a subtle surge of anger emanating from behind the curtain.

Was Qi Shangren angry?

But even if he was, there were some things Gao Zhen still had to say. Because if he didn't say them today, no one would ever say them to Qi Shangren, and he would spend the rest of his life living in confusion.

So, Gao Zhen said, "Let me tell you a story. Once, there was a person who was perpetually stuck on something that happened many years ago, clinging to that memory and refusing to let go. He had no idea that the other person in that memory had long since discarded it—not just the memory, but the person in it as well. Now, that person has many new companions, surrounded by different beauties every day, living a life of pleasure and revelry. If I were the owner of that memory, I would never cling to such a moldy, rotten memory, wallowing in self-pity, nor would I waste away waiting to die. It’s simply not worth it."

"You—" Qi Shangren was so enraged he choked, breaking into a violent coughing fit.

The atmosphere in the room seemed even more strained than before. Qi Shangren’s anger was palpable even through the curtain. Qin Lelang tried to ease the situation, quickly interjecting: "Qi Shangren, please don't be angry. A Zhen is young and speaks bluntly, but he means no harm."

"Yes, he’s young. What does he know?!" Qi Shangren’s sharp voice came from behind the curtain. "But what can I do? Am I that old? Trapped in the cold palace, enduring humiliation and illness—what meaning does my life have? Wouldn’t it be better to die? Death would be a release, wouldn’t it?"

"Of course not." Gao Zhen stepped forward, feeling that Qi Shangren was trapped in a deep negative spiral and needed to be pulled out. Urgently, he said, "What’s so bad about being trapped in the cold palace? Aren't we all trapped here? Am I not? Isn’t Qin Lelang? But look—isn’t everyone trying their best to live? No one is seeking death. Because they all understand that the life given by heaven isn’t meant to be wasted. One must first strive for self-reliance, and then heaven will help! Don’t give up!"

"You’re not me—you don’t understand!" Qi Shangren shouted, tears welling up in his eyes as his voice carried a tone of utter despair.

Gao Zhen sighed and said, "Indeed, I'm not you, so I don't understand. Because I have hands and feet, a mind, and beauty. If the person in my memory no longer likes me, I’ll find someone else. Would I cry over someone who doesn't care for me anymore? I wouldn’t."

"Yes, you have everything…" Qi Shangren’s voice sounded distant. "I once… might have had them too. But now—"

"Now you can have them again," Gao Zhen said. "If I help you, at the very least, I can help you regain your beauty. As for the rest—well, you’ll have to work for them yourself!"

Qin Lelang smiled, looking at Gao Zhen and thinking how adorable this child was—no wonder the Ninth Prince liked him so much.

Qi Shangren: "…"

He was speechless. But his silence also indicated hesitation. Undeniably, Gao Zhen’s passion had affected him. And Gao Zhen’s willful words had revealed another possibility for life, one that he found himself yearning for. He wanted to live that freely too.

He thought, he also had hands and feet, a mind, and beauty, but no one had ever told him not to cry over someone who no longer loved him. From a very young age, those around him had constantly admonished him to always depend on the crown prince, to please him, or else he would have no value. In the end, he had given his whole heart, only for the crown prince to give him to the former emperor like a gift.

That night, he had promised to come for him, but after all these years of waiting, it amounted to nothing.

The bed curtain was slowly drawn aside.

Qi Shangren sat on the bed, bundled in a blanket. The blisters on his face had burst, oozing a yellow, transparent fluid. Only his lifeless eyes stared at Gao Zhen as he calmly asked, "In this state, can I still be saved?"

"First, let me check your pulse," Gao Zhen said.

…

Gao Zhen spent a full two hours in Qi Shangren’s courtyard. He performed acupuncture and cleaned his wounds. The ointments had been delivered by the eunuchs last time, and there were plenty.

Qi Shangren’s injuries were originally self-inflicted to avoid serving the emperor. Now, swayed by Gao Zhen’s words, he decided to stop harming himself. As long as he cooperated, treatment wouldn’t be too difficult.

However, Qi Shangren’s physical condition was extremely poor. Gao Zhen had arrived just in time—a few days later, and he might have truly managed to destroy himself.

Because of this, not long after Gao Zhen left Qi Shangren’s courtyard, the system automatically popped up a notification: "[Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda · Qi You] Progress: 10%. Please quickly match the patient with suitable medication to prevent the condition from worsening."

"Match? Yes/No"

Gao Zhen selected "Yes," and the screen in his mind automatically jumped to Shennong Mall, where the system recommended a full page of medications.

Gao Zhen browsed and compared prices—he had no choice. Qi You was the first patient the system had prompted as requiring medication. Currently, Gao Zhen only had just over 6,000 Karma Points on his account, so he couldn’t afford anything too expensive. Moreover, he didn’t know if he would encounter other patients requiring medication in the future, so he didn’t dare spend all 6,000 Karma Points.

After looking them over, Gao Zhen finally settled on a pill worth 3,000 Karma Points called "Melancholy-Relieving and Fluid-Producing Pill." This pill could quickly clear up long-held emotional blockages while nourishing the energy sea and kidney energy. There were ten pills in total, to be taken one per day.

Using his privilege card, Gao Zhen could save 360 Karma Points, bringing the price down to the same as the prescription he bought last time—something he could grudgingly accept.

After purchasing the medication, Gao Zhen immediately turned back halfway.

Qi Shangren sat down at the dressing table and pulled the cloth off the bronze mirror that had covered it for who knows how many years. All these years, feeling dirty after being favored by the former emperor, he had never looked in the mirror. Today, after Gao Zhen had helped him untangle his emotional knots, he wanted to see himself again. But when he truly saw the person in the mirror, he was startled.

What is this ugly thing?!

How had he become like this?! So ugly, so disgusting! Resentment welled up in his heart, and regret poured out. Tears streamed down silently. Then, he buried his face in the table and wept bitterly, feeling that all these wasted years of youth were not worth it. He regretted it so much!

Just as he was crying, Gao Zhen rushed in energetically.

Qi Shangren: "!" He hurriedly wiped his tears, annoyed at being interrupted before he could cry his fill.

Gao Zhen: "…"

He was glared at by Qi Shangren but understandingly smiled and said, "Stop crying. I have something good for you…"

After listening carefully to Gao Zhen’s explanation of the pill’s effects, Qi Shangren hesitantly reached out and said, "This medicine must be expensive, right? I have nothing to repay you with."

As if he had already thought of a solution, Gao Zhen waved his hand dismissively: "It didn’t cost anything. Take it without worry. It was given by the palace. The Ninth Prince heard I was saving someone and directly provided it."

"Such noble generosity," Qi Shangren said, recalling some things from the past. He accepted the medicine and told Gao Zhen, "Thank the Ninth Prince for me."

"Mm. Remember to take it—one pill a day." After giving these instructions, Gao Zhen prepared to leave.

But Qi Shangren quickly stopped him: "Gao Zhen."

"What? Is there something you don’t understand?" Gao Zhen paused.

"No." Qi Shangren took a deep breath and said, "Great kindness need not be spoken—I will remember today’s grace in my heart."

Gao Zhen thought for a moment and asked, "Was there anything you weren’t good at in the past?"

"Not good at?" Qi You thought for a while and said, "I’ve always hated needlework the most. Even though I’m a male consort, I was also the son of a minister. I never learned needlework, but they forced me to embroider. Every time, I’d prick my fingers full of holes—it was so annoying."

Gao Zhen chuckled and said, "If you really want to thank me, just embroider me a peony. Let's call it even for today. I don’t want you going on about debts and favors—it’s exhausting! Let’s keep things simple between us."

"You—" Qi You was momentarily at a loss for words, eventually shaking his head and remarking, "You're really something else."

"Of course," Gao Zhen said cheerfully. "I only live once, so I do what feels right for me."

…

After leaving Qi Shangren’s courtyard, Gao Zhen walked along the official road. The sunset in the west was especially vibrant that evening. Whistling a tune, he made his way back to Ninth Prince’s courtyard, threw the bolt on the door, and climbed over the wall to the west courtyard.

He felt certain Ninth Prince was waiting for him.

Hopping down from the wall, he pushed open the door to the east room without hesitation. Just as expected, not only was Ninth Prince waiting for him, but he had also prepared hot water for them to wash their feet together.

Gao Zhen’s eyes crinkled into happy slits, and his heart swelled with warmth. He instinctively went to fetch the wooden basin, but Ninth Prince waved him over, saying, "Leave that for later. Come here, A Zhen—look, why is this egg cracked?"

"Huh?" Gao Zhen hurried over and, upon seeing it, almost leapt with excitement. He grabbed Ninth Prince’s hand and exclaimed, "This is hatching! Your Highness, the chick is about to be born. Ah, come to think of it, it’s just about time!"

"Good."

Ninth Prince smiled as well.

This was something he had been looking forward to for a long time. The thought of possibly having our own supply of eggs in the future made him genuinely excited.

Some chicks can't break through the shell on their own and need human assistance. Ninth Prince had no experience, so Gao Zhen stayed by the incubation box the whole time. Once the chicks hatched, they needed to be moved to a clean box promptly to avoid illness.

This busy task lasted until midnight. By the time all the chicks had successfully hatched, Gao Zhen had fallen asleep leaning against the wall. Ninth Prince didn’t wake him; instead, he just scooped him up and carried him back to the east courtyard using the ladder.