When Li Xinyuan came to himself later, the sting in his eyes — though somewhat ebbed now — drew a sharp hiss from him. Hands flying to his face, the surgeon touched them gingerly, breathing a sigh of relief after determining the pain to be simply from crying too long.

Crying. Oh heaven, he had cried last night. Not just cried, but completely broken down sobbing.

Because of the pain in his eyes and head and every part of his body.

The memory of him crying so pathetically in Liu Mingyun’s arms sent a surge of electric current under his skin; blood rushed up his neck, a pink flush spreading across his cheeks. Covering his face, Li Xinyuan let out a low, rumbling groan, wishing he could dig up a hole, crawl in it and bury himself in it forever.

Shoulders hunched, he shook his head, embarrassment suffocated him, its claws digging deep in his chest. Why did he have to cry like that? Why? Why? Why had he let his pain and emotions get the best of him last night?

Internally, he screamed in mortification, a little part of him slowly shrivelling up into a ball, trying to make itself as small as possible while actively dying of shame.

Silently, he spiralled into a crisis headfirst, reconsidering every single choice he had ever made in his life, ears aflame; he was just short of rolling in the rickety bed. Suddenly, a slow, raspy grunt stole away his attention, making him freeze in place. The surgeon turned his head to the direction of the sound, neck stiff. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

There he was, Liu Mingyun, slumped on the side of the bed, arms folded under his head, snores leaving his lips in soft puffs. Why was he here?

Cautiously, the surgeon looked around, face taut. Sure enough, this tent was the one allotted to the Crown Prince. How had he found his way here? Burying his face further into his hands once more, Li Xinyuan stewed in his embarrassment in silence, unwarranted as it may be.

In a distant and dark corner of his mind, he was well-aware of having little need to be ashamed or embarrassed over the predicament he was in at the moment, given the circumstances were out of his control—though not entirely.

He had performed an overlong surgery, pushed his body — riddled with pre-existing issues that had somehow managed to follow him deep into the second life — to its limits time and again, refused food and water continuously for a prolonged period of time.

After the surgery was over with, he had been miserable, his body on the verge of falling apart and his mind deafening with screams unbidden. It was only natural that he was overwhelmed and thus, reacted in the only way he could in that situation.

Yes, crying, sobbing, and breaking down in these conditions was nothing to be ashamed of. Or so, Li Xinyuan tried to rationalise and convince himself with these thoughts, numb as he was.

Beside him, perhaps due to his movements, the Crown Prince began to stir awake, letting out a small noise, half-daze and half-reluctant. Dazed, Liu Mingyun rose, humming to himself; he rolled his neck and rubbed his face with his hand as wakefulness set in.

"Xin’er?" He murmured, blinking a few times to get rid of the blur in his sight. "How do you feel now?"

Li Xinyuan watched the youth awaken by the second, brows furrowed and a complicated mix of emotions roiling in his chest. On one hand, he was extremely grateful towards the Crown Prince for taking care of him in that state, on the other, he could not help feeling sorry for him, just imagining what he thought of the surgeon’s ails as he tried, in vain, to provide what little comfort he could.

"Thank you for taking care of me, Your Highness." Guilt welled in his lungs, the surgeon looked away, throat bobbing. "I am ashamed to show such a side of me."

For a few moments, Liu Mingyun was silent, trying to process and decipher why he was being thanked, before his brain caught up. Then, with a mournful sigh, he canted his head ever so slightly. "I was not aware that our relationship was shallow enough to compel you to thank me for something I ought to do."

Hearing that, the surgeon flinched as if stuck. "No— I— that was not my intention, Your Highness!"

Silence followed his words, tension rose in it, simmering slowly. Until, finally, Liu Mingyun stood up, chuckling mirthfully.

"At ease, Xin’er." Reaching forward, he smoothed down a few strands of hair out of place on the doctor’s head. "I jest."

Li Xinyuan glanced up at him, watching as he picked something from the tray and walked over. "If Your Highness says so."

Leisurely, the Prince nodded, the false visage hiding his true features masterfully. "However, let this be a lesson. You need not thank me for something so minimal. While, yes, you may be taking care of the weak, the sick, and the wounded; you too need taking care of."

As he spoke, he sat beside the surgeon, carefully unwrapping the object in his hands, eyes cast down. "I would not find myself too pleased, should you land yourself in a predicament such as this too often."

Well, thought Li Xinyuan, derisively. I am making no such promises.

But there was no need to say that aloud, was there? Why should he give Liu Mingyun any more reason to be worried?

His gaze, weary but clear, wavered down to the Crown Prince’s hand, curiosity making him steal a glance of the wrapped article. Then, he froze, stunned.

Candy. It was a candy. Well, candied hawthorns and some other berries he did not recognize.

The sight of the candied fruits sent a jolt of warmth curling deep within his chest, filling his lungs until they felt ready to burst, combusting into something terrible. Terribly beautiful, mayhaps.

"Here," said the Crown Prince, acting as if acquiring a sugary snack in the midst of an active war was something of a tremendously easy task. Especially so whilst in possession of a commoner identity, high ranking in the military as he may be, "have some of this first, then I shall make you some tea. How is your headache now?"

Li Xinyuan nodded sluggishly, reacting a second too late, his heart feeling warm enough to melt away the winter. "It... It is much better now."

Somehow, coming from Liu Mingyun, the barest minimum of remembering and caring for his ailments; it felt like something truly special. Was this the fabled ’love putting a rose filter’? Or was it the fact that Liu Mingyun — being a prince — never had any pressing need to care for and remember someone’s pains, and yet, for Li Xinyuan, he did. That too, without the latter having to ask

He still cared.

Cared enough to go through the pains of getting candied fruits and tea for Li Xinyuan — not knowing if it would be effective at all — yet hoping to give him some measure of comfort. It made him feel special.

As the Crown Prince fed him, his clumsy movements appearing unexpectedly cute, the surgeon bit back a giggle and leaned forward, biting into the candies. At first glance, the surgeon could tell the former had no experience feeding anyone prior to this.

It was not much. But it certainly was something Li Xinyuan would never truly forget.

Cute. He thought, mind strangely silent. In absence of haywire thoughts, his head was a serene place. Maybe not completely likeable, but it was far from the most unbearable space to be in, as it usually was.

"Thank you, My Liege," he said, words muffling from the fruits in his mouth, "It must have been hard."

Liu Mingyun scoffed, his fingers tracing from his lips to his cheek. Gently, he pinched the doctor’s cheek, the blood rushing under his fingers, leaving the skin flushed pink. "Silence."

Immediately, Li Xinyuan closed his mouth, mimicking a zipping motion across his lips. Only to stop short, the Crown Prince would not understand him, would he?

Liu Mingyun raised a quizzical brow, confused at the action as he struggled to decipher his betrothed’s meaning. "Mn?"

Swift, Li Xinyuan shook his head, making his hair sway along. "It was nothing."

Though curious, the Crown Prince decided not to press further, instead turning his attention to the tea. The cup held in his careful hands, the youth held it out to the surgeon. "Drink this, you must rest after."

Li Xinyuan glanced up at him, lips pursed at the firm command. "But I must return to the camp, they need my help—"

Liu Mingyun glanced down at him, eyes flickering in exasperation as he interjected, voice even. "The camp will not collapse in your absence, Xin’er. What you need is to be well rested."

The surgeon’s shoulders tensed at the retort. For a brief moment, protests rose to his lips, dancing right on the tip of his tongue. But a single glance up at the Crown Prince’s expression made him reconsider.

Liu Mingyun’s eyes were stern, ruby irises shining with an expectant light. As if he was ready for Li Xinyuan to argue.

Conceding at the last second, the surgeon swallowed his argument and nodded slowly, the tea cup held between his palms. "... Hmph."

"Splendid." With a smile, the Crown Prince hummed, evidently pleased at Li Xinyuan’s step back. "Rest well, beloved."

He bent forward, a hand braced on the back of the golden-eyed youth’s head as he pressed a kiss on his forehead, the touch light as a dragonfly grazing on the surface of water. And then, he was gone, leaving the surgeon to rest.

"I will return in the afternoon."

...

"Your Highness," greeted Cheon WuHui, his voice as languid as it had ever been. "What brings you to Us?"

Liu Mingyun remained silent, eyes trained on the man who stayed seated in his presence, without a care. "This Prince wonders if the Heavenly Demon is truly incorrigible?"

Cheon WuHui raised an eyebrow, intrigue building within him as he watched the Crown Prince approach him, lacking even a single speck of fear. "Incorrigible? We are inclined to say yes. Irredeemable? We don’t think so."

Slowly, he stood, leaning forward as he stood before the Crown Prince of the kingdom, a general under his command, and a nobody in the vast abyss of JiangHu. "Reverence." He drawled, dragging the word out as he leaned forward, reducing the distance between them. "Wherever did you leave your reverence for Us, Your Highness?"

If the mockery in his voice bristled the Crown Prince, he made no show of it. "This Prince needs no reverence towards a man like you." His face was stone-cold, gaze on the numerous maps strewn on the table as he walked over. "You shall — perhaps — receive my reverence when you put an end to this war."

At that, Cheon WuHui stilled, the pupils in his carmine gaze shrinking. With a deep breath, he strode to stand beside him, fingers brushing against the lines scribed on the coarse sheet.

"Do you presume this is an easy war?" He inquired, voice low. "Or perhaps, do you believe it to be something of senseless nature?"

Liu Mingyun looked over his shoulder, crimson eyes narrowed. "Hardly any war is ever meaningless. If even the most minor skirmishes have some reason to them. Then how could something this devastating be without?" Turning slightly to face the crimson-haired man, he added. "It is merely that I am left unaware of the reason."

Calloused fingers dragging along the sprawling lines, he breathed out. "Which, I find" —sharply, his crimson eyes flicked to meet the Heavenly Demon’s— "as your ally, to be exceedingly distasteful."