The prince was precocious, and Jiang Qingyue was sent to the palace as a companion when he was just over four years old.
He was a rosy-cheeked little bundle, sticking close to Ren Shuhan like a little tail, overly adorable that anyone who saw him wanted to hug and kiss him.
“Don’t be rude.” But little Ren Shuhan was very protective, not allowing anyone else to kiss him.
Jiang Qingyue got tired of being kissed by people, so he would hide behind Ren Shuhan.
“Why are you so domineering?” The Crown Prince’s elder brother, who was ten years older than him, could already play with his younger brother. He often tried to pinch Jiang Qingyue’s cheeks, “Are you only allowed to be kissed by him?”
Little Ren Shuhan nodded calmly.
“I have a betrothal with the Second Prince, so only he can kiss me.”
Everyone burst into laughter at his words.
Originally, the childish promise of a peck seemed like a casual remark, but seeing how close the two children were, the Empress decided, “During Qingyue’s coming-of-age ceremony, he wouldn’t let go of Yan’er. When Yan’er becomes a prince and establishes his own manor in the future, let’s make Yan’er’s little prince his consort.”
Jiang Qingyue shyly lowered his head, and Ren Shuhan tightened his grip on his hand.
At that time, Jiang Zhe’s first wife was still alive. Although she kept Jiang Qingyue close to her, she naturally treated him more distantly compared to her own children. The Empress treated little Ren Shuhan in the same way, showing even more favor to the elder brother, the beloved Crown Prince.
So, the two children became each other’s closest companions.
Wherever Ren Shuhan went, he would hold Jiang Qingyue’s hand. When it was naptime, they would sleep together, and during heavy lessons, Jiang Qingyue would stay in the palace, sleeping and waking together with him.
When they were twelve or thirteen, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Ren Shuhan secretly took Jiang Qingyue out of the palace to see the lanterns. On their way back, while buying a sugar figurine, they ran into a libertine teasing Jiang Qingyue, asking, “Which family’s young lady is dressed as a boy?”
The young man was more than a head taller than Ren Shuhan, and he had several servants with him, but in the end, his face swelled from being punched.
Ren Shuhan led Jiang Qingyue to a secluded bridge, running quite untidily, with a strand of hair falling on his forehead and his clothes somewhat disheveled. He comforted the little boy with a serious tone, “We weren’t discovered by the palace guards.”
Jiang Qingyue was happy to see him stand up for him, and he giggled shyly, lowering his head.
Ren Shuhan, who had been raised in the deep palace since childhood, was very well-behaved and somewhat introverted, only asking him in a silly manner, “Did he hurt you?”
“No.” Jiang Qingyue pointed to his shoulder with his fingers. “He pushed me here.”
Ren Shuhan clumsily reached out and wiped his clothes for him. “Is it dirty?”
Jiang Qingyue shook his head, originally worried that he would dislike being touched by someone else, but now he felt completely at ease, only finding the places touched by him inexplicably warm.
That year, Jiang Qingyue thought to himself: He likes me.
Later, they went out to play together several times, listening to many stories and seeing many sights, and exchanged a bunch of little trinkets with each other.
Compared to Ren Shuhan, who was granted the title of prince at the age of fifteen and left the palace, Jiang Qingyue had a little less freedom as he grew older. On ordinary days, he could only wait at home, counting the days until Ren Shuhan came to find him.
The scholars didn’t demand much from a lazy prince, and as Jiang Qingyue’s companion, he usually only had to cover Ren Shuhan with a blanket when he nodded off.
Instead, Ren Shuhan, who was good at archery and riding, taught Jiang Qingyue hand in hand, using these excuses to take him out on excursions and play polo.
Jiang Qingyue didn’t really enjoy the games he liked, but he loved watching him play.
The young man was like a jade tree in the wind, splendidly dressed and drawing attention wherever he went. Every time someone threw flowers and fruits at him, Jiang Qingyue would instinctively throw himself at Ren Shuhan, too shy to buy flowers to give him, so he pretended to no longer want them and threw them to him instead.
Occasionally, Jiang Qingyue mustered up the courage to throw his own handkerchief into the mix. Even if it was blown away by the wind, Ren Shuhan would accurately find it in a pile of handkerchiefs, chase after it on horseback, and catch it in his arms.
“What’s mine is mine.” Ren Shuhan said solemnly.
Jiang Qingyue turned his head, blushing, thinking: When will I be able to give myself to him?
After waiting eagerly until the age when they could marry, unfortunately, they encountered two national mournings one after another. Soon after, Ren Shuhan became the Regent, and Jiang Qingyue heard some not-so-good rumors.
“Can a commoner’s son from the Jiang Manor become the Prince Consort?”
“A concubine would be more appropriate, I think.”
Such rumors were soon debunked by Ren Shuhan’s several visits.
He still likes me. I knew it. Every time Ren Shuhan made excuses to visit the manor and see him, Jiang Qingyue thought, he is a very loyal person.
And he’s getting more and more handsome.
Tall and broad-shouldered, his appearance becoming more outstanding with time. Jiang Qingyue didn’t dare to sneak glances too often, afraid of losing control. Deep down, there was also a small sense of satisfaction: Someone like him actually likes me.
Until one day two years ago, Jiang Qingci appeared in front of Ren Shuhan.
On that day, Ren Shuhan had just returned from the north and brought some things to the manor. Coincidentally, Jiang Qingci went to a nearby temple to pray, and just as he entered the gate, the two met at the door.
Ren Shuhan was stunned, and Jiang Qingyue, who had just heard of his arrival and ran out, was also stunned.
So, this is what love feels like.
Jiang Qingyue thought, all the kindness he had shown me before was just like treating a younger brother.
He quietly retreated to his room, feeling a pain in his chest.
Jiang Qingyue didn’t want to believe it. He kept telling himself that perhaps Ren Shuhan had only seen Jiang Qingci a few times because he often visited here, but had never seen him before. However, for some reason, this scene was like a nail, constantly piercing his heart, forcing him to admit – he didn’t love him.
The script belonged only to the two real male leads, but here, a foreshadowing was buried without hesitation.
Two years later, the King of Qin suddenly fell seriously ill.
The Emperor was concerned and sent imperial physicians. After diagnosing that he wouldn’t be able to leave his sickbed for the rest of his life, the court immediately rearranged its cards. In order to show loyalty, the manor immediately broke off the engagement and decided to send the eldest son, who was not favored, to the wedding. They said that it was more dignified for the legitimate son, and the Emperor was very pleased.
Jiang Qingyue didn’t know what was going on, so he nodded.
He was anxious, heartbroken, and wanted to cry, but he couldn’t speak, and tears wouldn’t come out.
The person he loved was there, suffering alone. Even if he didn’t love him, so what?
He wanted so much to go to him, to take care of him, to tell him it’s okay, you’re still as handsome as before, I still like you as much as I did before, we’ll always be together. I’ll marry you, you don’t have to move, it’s okay, I’ll hold your hand, just like when you held mine and taught me how to shoot arrows when we were kids. I’ll be willingly by your side forever. I can even chew food for you and feed it to you, bathe you, and massage you, but fate sealed his lips, and he couldn’t say a word.
Jiang Qingyue had fantasized countless times about wearing a red wedding dress and becoming one with him, kissing his lips, and embracing him tightly. But now he could only watch helplessly as someone else sat in the sedan chair and left.
Can my older brother take care of you? Jiang Qingyue wanted to ask his childhood sweetheart, do you like him, but does he like you? His older brother was always indifferent, and somewhat fastidious. Would he find fault with him for not being able to move? Jiang Qingyue anxiously speculated in his heart. If his older brother accidentally showed disgust and fear, would it hurt his self-esteem? If he couldn’t cook well, were there still capable people in the manor? Would he not eat well or dress warmly?
But even though his heart had already gone to the King of Qin’s manor, his body couldn’t move an inch, not even out of his own room.
Please, anyone, Jiang Qingyue thought in his heart, just let me say what’s on my mind.
Even if I can only see him one last time.
But no one answered.
In fact, even shedding a tear for the person he loved had become a luxury.
During this period of memory, although it was just a setting, it was so dark that when the system arrived and flooded his mind, Jiang Qingyue couldn’t help but collapse onto the bed, covering his chest, feeling the pain so intense that his fingers were sore.
The memories of the previous lifetimes gradually smoothed out this pain, and gradually, only bitterness remained.
None of this is real, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He likes me, that’s what’s real.
He’s come to marry me, that’s real too.
“My darling,” on the wedding night, he playfully placed the red bridal veil over his head, a tradition usually reserved for brides in this world, and then jokingly lifted a corner, half kneeling in front of him. With his head tilted upward, he looked at him and said, “I’ve come to marry you.”
He smiled, but tears streamed down his face.
Ren Shuhan was momentarily at a loss, throwing off the veil. “Darling, what’s wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?”
He wrapped his arms tightly around his neck, pressing close to him, unable to hold back his sobs.
After a while, he managed to utter a complaint through the tears.
“You promised to marry me a long time ago.”
Ren Shuhan immediately confessed and sought forgiveness, kissing away the tears on his cheeks. “I’m sorry for being late, my darling, it’s my fault.”
“It’s not your fault,” He shook my head. “It’s my fault for taking it seriously.”
Ren Shuhan, confused and anxious, crumpled the clothes in his arms. “What shouldn’t you have taken seriously? You must take it seriously!”
He cupped his face, looking at him with a heartache in his eyes. “Do you know, life is just a play? You’re the leading man, and I’m just a supporting role.”
“I know, but I don’t care,” Ren Shuhan smiled as he wiped away his tears.
Jiang Qingyue’s tears continued to silently roll down his cheeks as he softly asked him, “Why? Why are you so good to me?”
Ren Shuhan looked at him with great tenderness, wishing he could shrink him and keep him safe in his heart. Helplessly, he chuckled, “I’ve just married the most beautiful person I’ve ever loved. How can that not be good enough for you? Aren’t you too easily satisfied?”
But he shook my head, his tear-streaked face wearing a melancholic expression as he said, “I’m talking about the original world. You promised to marry me a long, long time ago. You’ve always been so good to me, even back then.”
Aaaaaaaaaaahhh we actually got this part in the synopsis :’))))) It’s the first time we got to see things from Qingqing’s side when he was suppressed by the halo… that’s sad >_
