With a dark expression, Jun Yichen glanced down at Gu Ci, who was still grinning away with an absolute lack of care, a lingering irritation smoldering deep within his chest.
Before long, Grand Physician Li hurried into the room. Upon taking in the scene, another wave of alarm jolted through him; through his interactions with the Seventh Prince over the past few days, the old man had somehow developed a lingering dread toward this young man.
Prior to his arrival, two other imperial physicians had been sent to treat Lord Gu’s injuries, only to be banished to the Supreme Court’s prison by the Seventh Prince under the pretext of incompetence and attempted harm to the heir.
Furthermore, according to his colleagues back in the capital, those two physicians had literally been beaten to death, yet for reasons unknown, the Emperor had chosen to turn a blind eye to the matter.
He had originally assumed the Seventh Prince would only show a semblance of normality when in the presence of Lord Gu.
Now, looking at the situation, it seemed Lord Gu was likely about to meet a grim fate as well.
Sigh.
Though his mind raced with worries, his hands moved with practiced efficiency. Within moments, he had applied fresh ointment and gently re-bandaged the wound with clean gauze, finally letting out a long breath.
He had intended to advise the two young masters to travel at a gentler pace so that they wouldn’t arrive in the capital with torn wounds and raging infections, turning a recovering injury back into a critical one. His old bones simply couldn’t withstand such a fright.
However, a discreet glance at the dark, terrifying scowl clouding the Seventh Prince’s face caused those words of caution to freeze on his tongue and swallow themselves right back down.
Never mind, he thought. Preserving his own life came first for now; whether these two would survive unscathed later on was entirely up to fate.
Noticing that only the two of them remained in the room, Gu Ci slipped back into his cheerful demeanor and asked uncertainly, “Your Highness, are you angry?”
Without a word of response, Jun Yichen simply reached out to the clothes rack, picked up a thick, heavy cloak, and draped it gently over Gu Ci’s shoulders. The garment enveloped him like a pair of warm wings, sealing out every trace of the chill. Bending down then, Jun Yichen scooped Gu Ci up in a horizontal carry with practiced firmness, cradling him carefully as he walked steadily out the door.
The sudden maneuver caught Gu Ci entirely off guard, leaving him stunned and bewildered.
Blood rushed straight to his face, dyeing it crimson as he muttered under his breath, “Your Highness, I can walk on my own.” But Jun Yichen acted as though he heard nothing, carrying him straight out of the bedchamber. Left with no other choice, Gu Ci could only bury his face deep into Jun Yichen’s chest. Along the way, the soldiers standing guard dropped their jaws at the sight of the Seventh Prince carrying Gu Ci, though not a single soul dared utter a stray syllable.
Moments later, Jun Yichen brought him right to the carriage. He gently deposited Gu Ci inside before climbing in to join him.
Only then did Gu Ci realize that thick, plush quilts had already been laid out across the carriage floor. Lying down upon them felt soft and comfortable, completely absorbing the bumps of the road.
It would be a lie to say Gu Ci wasn’t moved; surviving a near-death ordeal by the boss’s side certainly had its perks, his treatment had skyrocketed.
A towering powerhouse overflowing with such boyfriend-material charm really ought to have a sweet, attentive beauty by his side to keep him company.
Otherwise, what sense did it make spending all his time cooped up with a grown man like him?
Should I try negotiating with the system? Gu Ci wondered to himself. Deciding to give communication a shot, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and began calling out in his mind: “System? System, are you there?”
“Ho… st,” a broken, intermittent static echoed inside his head.
Startled by the system’s frail state, a sudden realization hit him, and he asked dubiously, “System, are you alright? Don’t tell me that voice I heard right before I passed out from my injuries wasn’t just a hallucination?” So it really was this system that had saved him. It possessed that kind of capability, but did it actually have the kindness to use it?
The system.
“Host, did you forget that I can hear your thoughts? Besides, saving your life cost me ten years of vital energy.”
Hearing this, Gu Ci felt so grateful he was practically ready to kowtow to it.
In all fairness, his reaction wasn’t entirely unjustified. He had first discovered the system’s existence when he was six years old.
Even though he had known from birth that he had transmigrated into a novel, having some entity suddenly take up residence in your mind and try to manipulate your thoughts were two entirely different matters.
Consequently, he had fiercely resisted the system’s presence at first. Day in and day out, it nagged in his ear about reforming the villainous, warning that his life would otherwise be cut short. Naturally, he hadn’t believed a word of it, so…
That period of his life had been an absolute living hell, filled with endless torment.
For instance, the time he went fishing at the pond, only for the fish to act as though they had personal grudges against him, surely fish had mouths, but did they have to bring so many friends? A whole swarm of them had clamped onto his backside and refused to let go.
Or the time he fell inexplicably ill, aching all over as he rolled around on the floor in agony, utterly devoid of any detectable medical cause. Or when he walked past the kitchen and found the hearth fire actively chasing after him. And the time he was inexplicably struck by lightning, the kind that actively hunted him down across a field.
In short, that wretched system had accompanied him through a thoroughly complete and bloody childhood.
Therefore, for over a decade, he generally avoided bothering the system unless necessary. Their dynamic had remained reasonably harmonious, provided, of course, that he kept up his end of the bargain regarding reforming the villainous.
“Host, there is actually something I need to tell you.”
A sudden, ominous premonition seized Gu Ci.
The system even managed to project a wronged, aggrieved tone: “Host, our lifelines are actually bound together.”
Gu Ci nodded in quiet comprehension. He had known the system wouldn’t have saved him out of pure altruism. Wait a minute, does that mean if I get hurt, the system gets hurt too? What about back when I was a kid?
Catching the drift of his thoughts, the system offered an apologetic explanation: “Host… when you get injured, only you get injured. But if you die, I cease to exist.”
A fierce urge to throw punches welled up inside Gu Ci. So the rule was specifically tailored to torment him alone.
“Oh right, Host, what made you summon me?”
Languidly, Gu Ci muttered, “I wanted to ask if you have any leads on Jun Yichen’s years spent trapped in the cold palace. Do you have any files on that?” Dog of a system though it was, work still had to be done.
The system replied with a digital shake of its head: “As for the villain’s specific experiences in this world, I don’t have detailed records either. You’ll just have to unearth them yourself.” As its voice trailed off, a harsh, grating beep rang out, mimicking the warning tone of an appliance shutting down due to a dead battery.
Well, it appeared that the system, that wretched mutt, had lapsed back into hibernation mode.
Meanwhile, resting his chin in his hand, Jun Yichen stared blankly and helplessly at Gu Ci’s peaceful sleeping face.
This little scoundrel really had a heart of stone. Even after he had personally carried him into the carriage, aside from a brief initial embarrassment, the fellow hadn’t even bothered to ask why he did it, acting as though Jun Yichen was some casual flirt who would treat anyone with that level of care.
It seemed he had been far too lenient with him lately; he definitely needed to give him the cold shoulder for a few days.
The moment Gu Ci fluttered his eyes open, he found Jun Yichen staring straight at him with an unreadable gaze that carried a mildly unsettling chill. Cycling through a flurry of thoughts, he hastily plastered on what he hoped was a sweet smile, eagerly trying to curry favor: “Your Highness, are you busy? I mean. Your Highness, would you care for something to eat? Heh-heh.” Right, well, that was slightly awkward, I’ll just feed myself instead.