Ch87 - (II). Black anklet with bells

The moment the office clock struck six, Rong Jun capped his pen, tidied his desk, organized the documents into the drawer below, locked it, put on his coat, picked up his briefcase, and left.

After greeting Wu Lin, he walked down the corridor, pulling out his phone to call Yan Chen.

The call connected almost instantly. Before he could speak, the familiar voice said,“Qingqing, I’ve arrived.”

A smile crept across Rong Jun’s face. “I’ll be right there.”

“I’m walking your way, you’ll probably see me soon.”

Rong Jun’s smile widened. “I see.”

He hung up and quickened his pace, the wind whipping through his hair and the hem of his coat. The biting cold stung his ears and reddened his cheeks.

Suddenly, a roar cut through the corridor:

“What right do you have?! Even Mother has never treated me like this! Let go!! Ahhh!!!”

Rong Jun froze, startled, and glanced down the corridor. A group of people approached, their shouting mingling with the clear, ringing chime of small bells.

“Shut up! You’re completely out of control! Stay in your room and reflect! If you don’t repent, I’ll break your legs! Even Mother can’t save you!”

“IMd tgCw!!”

“xfU’YY ATT QS W BLiT!”

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“Rong Jun… Rong Jun…” Yan Hong appeared in front of him. Yan An had already been led away. He reached out, trying to get Rong Jun’s attention.

“Rong Jun!” he called again, patting his shoulder.

Rong Jun finally came to his senses, shaking violently, stepping back. His wide, panicked eyes didn’t register Yan Hong at all.

“Are you alright? Should we call a doctor?” Yan Hong frowned, worry deepening.

Rong Jun slowly regained composure, concealing his panic. “I’m fine.”

Yan Hong hesitated. “Going back? I can take you there if you want.”

“No need, Your Highness. Yan Chen is on his way. I’ll probably run into him if I walk a little further.”

“Okay, you look ashen, you should take a rest,” Yan Hong urged.

Rong Jun calmed his erratic beating heart, and said in a much calmer tone. “Thank you for your concern.”

After parting ways with Yan Hong, he continued toward the Crown Prince’s Palace gate. The night was quiet, broken only by the rustling of leaves. He tried to convince himself that the earlier sounds had been a strange illusion.

Then it came again:

[Ring~ Ring~ Ring~]

Rong Jun covered his ears instinctively. His briefcase slipped from his hands, hitting his face. Before he could process the pain, terror overwhelmed him.

“Ahhh—” A scream tore from his throat.

Yan Hong, who hadn’t gone far, turned at once, spotting Rong Jun crouched on the ground, clutching his ears. Just as he started to run over, a familiar figure appeared at the corridor corner.

Without hesitation, Yan Chen rushed to his side.

“Qingqing!” he called, suppressing his panic as he carefully examined Rong Jun. His face was pale, eyes bloodshot, his pupils quivering. There were no visible injuries, yet his body trembled violently.

Rong Jun seemed not to hear him at all. Yan Hong hovered nearby, asking questions, but there was still no response.

“Someone! Fetch a doctor!” Yan Hong ordered the guards.

[Ring~ Ring~ Ring~]

“Ahhh—” Rong Jun screamed again, tears streaming down his face. The guards were helpless, unable to help him.

Yan Chen could not bear it. He hugged him tightly, his eyes red with fear, his body trembling. “Qingqing, what’s wrong?”

The suddenness, the inexplicability of it all, nearly drove him mad. He held Rong Jun close, occasionally mumbling things to snap him out of it, he then looked up at Yan Hong, helpless. “What should we do?”

Yan Hong forced himself to remain calm, patting Yan Chen’s shoulder. “The doctor will be here soon. Come into the room with me first.”

For once, Yan Chen obeyed. He picked up Rong Jun and followed Yan Hong to the nearest room.

On the way, Rong Jun’s screaming suddenly ceased. His hands, once tightly covering his ears, fell to his sides, and the tension in his body slowly began to ease.