Chapter 18 : Love Emerges In The Darkness

After Feng Nan returned from Qingxiu Temple, he’d been feeling a constant tremor in his heart, and he was terribly worried about his young master. He’d mentioned this a long time ago: they would never be able to cleanse themselves after dipping in the muddy waters of Prince Heng’s seizure of power. If those people in the imperial court got to know that his young master was secretly assisting Prince Heng, they would surely find ways and means to eliminate him, thereby striking at Prince Heng.

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. Feng Nan couldn’t wait to visit the prince’s mansion, so he put down what he was doing and rushed out.

When he came to the mansion’s entrance, the guards overseeing the gate already knew him, but they still needed to report on his arrival. Feng Nan stood outside the gate, but after waiting for what seemed like ages, no one came out. Deep inside, he sensed that something bad must have occurred, so he directly made his way inside.

Naturally, he was obstructed by the mansion guards, but since they were aware that he was Shen Ci’s attendant, they didn’t dare do anything to him, merely blocking his way. But Feng Nan paid them no heed and continued walking in.

Murong Heng was inside the room when he heard Feng Nan’s voice. He frowned slightly, then gently tucked in the quilt before standing up. He walked around several folding screens to reach outside.

Just as he opened the door, Murong Heng caught sight of Feng Nan’s anxious look. He turned around and closed the door behind him to prevent the outside noise from disturbing Shen Ci, who was resting inside. Then he walked up to Feng Nan, threw him a glance, and turned to head towards the pavilion.

“Your Highness, this lowly one has come to escort my young master back to the mansion. I wonder if that’s possible.” Feng Nan didn’t follow him and remained standing in the same place. He perceived that Murong Heng wanted to bring him somewhere else to talk, and he straightaway had a sense of foreboding.

Upon hearing what he said, Murong Heng immediately thought back to the dangerous episode on the mountain. He muttered to himself for a moment before saying, “Not possible.”

As he watched Feng Nan’s confused expression, Murong Heng made all the guards withdraw and relayed what happened on the mountain in a low voice. Once he finished speaking, he saw Feng Nan’s eyes widen before turning around and running towards the house.

Young Master is injured!

He rounded the folding screen and entered the inner room. There he saw Shen Ci lying quietly on the bed. His face was as white as a sheet, his eyes were closed, and his black eyelashes looked like small fans. His lips were dry and pale—an obvious sign that he’d suffered a serious injury.

Feng Nan’s feet instinctively walked quietly to the bedside, and he sat down at the edge. He fixed his gaze on Shen Ci, lying on the bed, unwilling to look away for even a moment. No wonder he felt unsettled when he was at the residence. As it turned out, such a dangerous incident occurred after he’d left!

Without a doubt, just as he’d predicted, those people knew about the existence of his young master and had begun to strike at him! This time it was just an injury; what about next time? Who could ensure that the next time his young master was in danger, he would have such luck as this to hang on to his life?

His young master doesn’t care, but he does! He’d promised the late master that he would never let the young master be trapped in a crisis! With these thoughts, Feng Nan stood up, went outside, and closed the door.

When he saw Murong Heng standing outside the door, Feng Nan could no longer control his emotions. “Your Highness, you said you’d protect Young Master and not let him get hurt!” He shouted at him impetuously, forgetting his place and the fact that Murong Heng is a prince. That was considered a crime according to the law, and he ought to be beheaded as punishment for disrespecting superiors.

But at this moment, there was only Shen Ci in his heart. He was very young when he arrived at the Shen residence. At that time, when he saw Shen Ci, who was younger than himself, a protective feeling emerged in his heart. Even though their relationship was that of a master and a servant, he would do his utmost to protect him.

Subsequently, Shen Ci was the only one remaining in the Shen residence. Feng Nan had knelt in front of Shen Mo Heng when he was alive, promising him that he would take good care of the young master and never let him get involved in anything related to the imperial court. They’d lived in peace for so many years. Incidentally, Murong Heng still managed to ruin everything.

Feng Nan losing his composure like this was already an act of insubordination. Murong Heng could have had him killed based on that principle. Despite that, he didn’t quarrel with him because he’d originally been the catalyst of Shen Ci’s injury and others shouldn’t be blamed.

“This lowly one promised the late prime minister that I would protect the young master completely for a lifetime. Your Highness knew that this would come to pass. Everyone will take aim at Young Master now. Back then, why did you insist on having him get caught up in the middle of this scheme?” The more Feng Nan said, the more aggrieved he felt. If he hadn’t listened to Young Master to leave immediately and instead had stayed there to protect him, would he not have gotten injured?

Murong Heng’s face turned passive when he heard the words, then his expression instantly grew perceptive. The thought of Feng Nan’s previous display and the extent of how much he cared about Shen Ci came to mind. Without warning, a smile appeared on his lips, and he said bluntly: “Feng Nan, you like him.”

Feng Nan instantly froze and denied on instinct: “I don’t!” He lowered his head guiltily after he spoke. Could it be that his actions had been too obvious of late and were consequently noticed by Murong Heng?

He and Shen Ci had been living together since childhood. Unusual feelings had gradually emerged, but he didn’t dare tell the young master. He feared that if he said it out, everything would become awkward, and from then on, the young master would no longer be as close to him as he used to be. He trusted him, so he would rather keep it in his heart than say anything. As long as he could remain by the young master’s side, being with him was a form of happiness, and he was content.

Despite everything, this unspeakable affection had been so bluntly highlighted by Murong Heng, just like that. Feng Nan fervently wished he could find a hole in the ground to hide in. Right now, he was extremely grateful that his young master was still asleep and couldn’t hear what Murong Heng said. If not, he wouldn’t know how to face him in the future.

“Feng Nan, you know in your heart whether you do or don’t.” When he observed Feng Nan’s expression, Murong Heng knew that what he’d guessed was correct, but at this moment, he had no intention of getting entangled with him on this matter. Shen Ci was still inside, waiting for him to tend to him, so he said in a deep voice, “Ah Ci is heavily injured, and it’s not convenient for him to be moved. He shall reside here for these few days. This Prince will personally take care of him and dispatch people to increase the defences. You can rest assured.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Feng Nan’s expression immediately change. He appeared as if he had something to say, then decided against it.

Feng Nan didn’t want Shen Ci to live in the prince’s mansion, but if they returned to their own residence, they would not be as safe as they were here. Moreover, it was inadvisable for the young master to move due to his injuries, so he had no choice but to relent. Once Murong Heng left, he merely headed to the kitchen and happened to encounter the doctor decocting the medicine. He took the initiative and went over to assist, keeping watch over the fire from the side.

When Murong Heng returned to the house, he heard an odd sound, like someone was hyperventilating. He rushed to the bedside only to detect that Shen Ci’s complexion had changed from previously being pale to a consistently flushed colour. Sweat was dripping from his forehead, and it was clear he was having a fever.

Murong Heng instructed Lian Jin to fetch cold water and a clean towel. He soaked the towel in the water, wrung it dry, folded it, and placed it on Shen Ci’s forehead himself. He then took another towel and carefully wiped away the sweat from his face.

Once he was done, Murong Heng sat on the edge of the bed. Every now and then, Shen Ci would stretch out his hand, and he would just hold it. The palm was hot and sweaty. As Murong Heng held his hand, a feeling of not wanting to let go unexpectedly arose in him.

Earlier, when he’d witnessed Feng Nan lose his composure, he was terribly vexed. It wasn’t due to Feng Nan’s attitude, but because he discovered that Feng Nan liked Shen Ci. How could he like him?!

When he considered that, Murong Heng was abruptly startled by his own thoughts. He gazed at Shen Ci, who was still asleep on the bed, with a complex look. At that point, he hoped no one liked him and wished that he was the only one in his heart.

Murong Heng was surprised. Why would he have developed such sentiments?!

Just as he was contemplating it, the door was gently pushed open, and Feng Nan came in with the medicine. When he saw Murong Heng holding Shen Ci’s hand, his expression changed a few times. In the end, he didn’t say anything and withdrew outside.

Murong Heng held the medicine bowl and stirred it with a spoon. The thick, black medicine liquid exuded an extremely bitter smell, and he couldn’t help frowning. If it weren’t for his carelessness, Shen Ci wouldn’t have met with such an affliction. It was all his fault.

Once the medicine had cooled somewhat, Murong Heng reached out to gently support Shen Ci, letting him lean against his chest. Shen Ci’s head tilted and pillowed onto his shoulder. His scorching breath sprayed on Murong Heng’s neck, causing his gaze to stop and his movements to automatically freeze.

A moment passed before he regained his senses. He took the medicine bowl from the bedside, scooped up a spoonful, and brought it to Shen Ci’s lips to feed him. However, he didn’t expect that his lips and teeth were tightly closed, refusing to take the medicine by any means. Murong Heng grew anxious, so he lowered his head to Shen Ci’s ear and said softly, “Ah Ci, be obedient. Drink the medicine, and you’ll get better.” He was dazed after he finished speaking. Why did it have that kind of feeling similar to coaxing one’s beloved?

He uttered a few more words. It wasn’t clear whether Shen Ci, who was in a stupor, heard it or not. His head slowly turned until his dry lips brushed against Murong Heng’s cheek, stunning him there and then.

At this point, he felt like a naive young man, not knowing what he should do. After some time, he instantly reacted by lowering his gaze to Shen Ci at his chest. Something loud went off in his head.

He understood!

He finally knew why he was so vexed when he guessed that Feng Nan liked Shen Ci, and he also realised why it felt more painful to see Shen Ci get hurt than to get injured himself. He understood once and for all.

Murong Heng had lived two lifetimes and had never experienced what it had felt to like someone. Right now, he’d finally identified these thoughts he’d been harbouring for Shen Ci. If it wasn’t “like”, what else could it be?

When he thought of this, happiness spontaneously blossomed in Murong Heng’s heart. He looked down at the person in his arms, and his gaze gradually turned gentle. Although he truly wished to confess his feelings to Shen Ci, now still wasn’t the time. In order to protect him from harm, he must restrain himself.

In addition to that, he wanted to speed matters up and ensure Murong Cheng paid the price for what he deserved. He hurt Shen Ci, and he won’t let him get away that easily. He didn’t want to wait any longer. He must finish him off as soon as possible!

Murong Heng’s expression was determined, and he secretly clenched his fists as he hatched a plan in his heart. He then bent towards Shen Ci, who was still in his arms, and drew closer. He hesitated for a moment before gently kissing him on the cheek. Despite not being able to express the feelings in his heart yet, he could still steal a kiss. One day, he would tell him he liked him and that he would protect him for the rest of his life.

He lifted his head and inhaled deeply. Murong Heng was elated. He held the medicine bowl and continued to feed it to Shen Ci. Perhaps his earlier words had an effect, for this time Shen Ci obligingly opened his mouth and slowly drank the medicine.

Meanwhile, in the crown prince’s palace within the imperial palace:

“Useless! You’re all a bunch of worthless trash! What’s the point of This Crown Prince having you?!” Murong Cheng was throwing a temper tantrum in the hall. The ground was littered with broken pieces of porcelain. He glared at the undercover guards who’d managed to escape and flew into a rage. This lot of bungling idiots were actually incapable of killing him. If this person wasn’t eliminated, he wouldn’t be able to rest!

“Imbeciles! Get out of my sight!” With a fierce fling of his sleeves, he returned to his chair and sat down. Murong brooded over the information that the undercover guards had brought back. Another group of men in black had struck? Could it be Murong Chong’s forces?

It appears that, like him, Murong Chong wants to get rid of Gentleman Wan Ting. However, this incident made Murong Heng strengthen the guards of the mansion. A surprise attack would be even more difficult; therefore, he needed to give this matter further thought before deciding.

It’s just that he didn’t expect misfortune to happen in the blink of an eye, catching him off guard. But this would be revealed later.