Ch88 - (II). Vague memory

“If you try to escape again, I’ll cripple your feet.”

“I hope you’ll remember me for the rest of your life. That would be wonderful.”

“You can only be mine. I love you, Qingqing.”

The voice swirled through Rong Jun’s mind, tormenting him over and over.

He couldn’t tell if he was awake or dreaming. The scenes flashing before his eyes were like broken films, fragmented, distorted, impossible to follow.

The only thing he recognized was Yan Chen’s voice.

His groggy mind barely registered anything. His head throbbed violently, and his heart ached as though someone were squeezing it, spreading an endless pain through his body.

He struggled to escape the chaos, but a series of crisp ringing sounds pierced his ears. His feet felt as though it was crushed by a heavy weight, and he cried out in pain.

Rong Jun fought until he was utterly exhausted. He could only let the noisy, fragmented images replay over and over. Collapsing onto the dark ground, he gradually lost consciousness.

…

“Hmm…” A faint sound escaped as his body stirred.

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“What happened to me? Where am I?”

“You fainted on the way. This is a guest room in the Crown Prince’s Palace. If you feel unwell, I can take you back to our room.”

Rong Jun’s brow furrowed. “Why did I faint?”

“The doctor said your health is fine. They think you may have experienced some kind of trauma.” Yan Chen’s expression darkened. “What happened on the way?”

“On the way?” Rong Jun tried to recall. “I went to find you after leaving the office. Nothing unusual happened… except I saw your brother and your sister.”

Yan Chen frowned. “And then?”

“Then… I heard bells. A whole series of bells!” Rong Jun’s voice rose in urgency.

“They kept ringing in my head!”

“What kind of bells?” Yan Chen asked, concern lacing his tone.

“Your sister had a black anklet with three golden bells.” Recalling the scene, a sharp ache shot through Rong Jun’s ankles.

He jerked back, wincing. “Ah!”

Alarmed, Yan Chen rushed to check him. “What’s wrong?”

“My foot…” Rong Jun groaned.

Yan Chen pulled back the blanket, examining him thoroughly. His feet were completely unharmed, there were no marks, no injuries.

The discomfort soon faded, leaving only confusion.

“That’s… strange. It felt like something pinched my foot really hard.” Rong Jun clutched Yan Chen’s clothes and snuggled closer. “Yan… Yan Chen, has anything strange ever happened in the Crown Prince’s Palace before?”

Yan Chen wrapped the blanket around him again and held him tightly. “Nothing ever happened. If you are okay now, we should go home, I don’t want you to stay longer here.” Panic flashed in Yan Chen’s eyes, his fingertips clutched Rong Jun who had turned white, a subtle sign he was hiding something.

“Okay… I don’t want to stay here any longer either.” Rong Jun swallowed and wrapped an arm around Yan Chen. “I feel weak right now. Is anyone outside?”

“There are two servants here.”

“Can you let them leave? I might not be able to walk by myself right now.”

“Are you worried about your pride? I’m the one who carried you into this room.”

“That’s different,” Rong Jun murmured, adorably protective of his dignity.

Yan Chen laughed softly, the tension easing slightly. “We’ve passed more than two people along the way. At worst, you can just close your eyes and pretend to be unconscious. Then I’ll have to carry you.”

“That’s one way to do it,” Rong Jun replied with a faint smile.

Yan Chen couldn’t resist. He laughed loudly and pressed a kiss to Rong Jun’s cheek.

“Let’s go home then.”