Night had fallen, and the sky was filled with stars.
A cold wind poured through the narrow alleyway, its mournful whistling unceasing. A dark blue carriage stood at the entrance to the alley.
Gu Yun stepped down from the carriage and looked around. Everything was pitch black. Suddenly, a light flared behind him. Carrying a lantern, Chao Yan descended from the carriage, handed the lantern to an attendant, and walked into the alley.
Gu Yun hurried after him, thoughtfully supporting him, or so he believed. They walked side by side until they arrived before a residence.
Gu Yun raised his head and, by the warm glow of the lantern, saw the plaque above the door. Upon it were written the words: “Healing Hands.”
After a light knock upon the courtyard gate, a thin woman came out to greet them and invited them inside.
The courtyard was not large. Several bundles of dried medicinal herbs were stacked near the wall, and a bitter scent permeated the air.
The physician was in the main hall. A middle-aged man with a small moustache, he sat soaking his feet while casually leafing through a medical text.
Upon seeing visitors arrive, he asked the reason for their visit, set aside his book, dried his feet, instructed the woman to take away and empty the water, slipped into his cloth shoes, and came before Chao Yan. First, he took Chao Yan’s pulse, then examined his head.
Gu Yun stood nearby, watching the physician. Once the examination was complete, he asked, “Doctor, is he alright?”
The physician replied, “He’s fine. He merely knocked his head and has raised a lump on the side. Apply some medicated oil for a few days and the swelling will subside.” As he spoke, he instructed Chao Yan to remove his clothing so that he could inspect the wounds on his body.
Gu Yun glanced at Chao Yan. Seeing him nod, he ran to the doorway and swiftly shut the door.
The physician jumped at the sound and looked at him warily. “What are you doing?”
In a low voice, Gu Yun asked, “Doctor, is it possible he might lose his recent memories because of this?”
The physician frowned. “How could that happen? He’s in excellent condition. It’s nothing more than a superficial injury. Why make such a fuss?”
Gu Yun said, “Then is it possible for his earlier memories to return? A physician previously diagnosed him with memory loss due to blood stasis in his head.”
The physician looked surprised. “Such a thing happened?” Turning back, he carefully examined Chao Yan’s head again and asked detailed questions about his current condition. Finally, he concluded, “As for blood stasis, I cannot say when it might dissipate. It may never disappear in a person’s lifetime. Still, so long as there is no serious harm, that is enough. Let the past remain in the past.”
Gu Yun understood the implication.
This meant Chao Yan had not recovered his memories.
Joy welled up within him, though he quickly suppressed it out of caution. He stood silently to one side, watching as the physician treated Chao Yan’s wounds.
The candle shed waxen tears and burned down a little further.
Gu Yun accepted the ointment the physician handed him and carefully memorised the instructions for its use. He was just about to fetch Chao Yan’s outer robe and help him put it on when he heard Chao Yan say to the physician, “Please remove the bandages from my wife’s wounds and prescribe something to reduce scarring.”
“You and your wife are both injured?” the physician muttered. “What sort of life are you living, for both of you to end up hurt?” After his grumbling, he readily agreed and gestured for Gu Yun to find a seat while he fetched a pair of scissors to remove the bandages.
Gu Yun’s brow twitched, but he maintained his composure. “The wound still feels a little itchy. Perhaps it hasn’t fully healed. We can leave it a few more days.”
The physician said, “In that case, the bandages may simply be smothering the wound. Either way, we should remove them and have a look. If it hasn’t healed properly, we’ll apply fresh medicine and bandage it again.”
“No need.”
The physician paused and turned towards Chao Yan.
Having fastened his belt and straightened his robes, Chao Yan said, “This is hardly the first time you’ve seen a doctor. Why make such a fuss? The physician who treated you when you were injured before was also the first physician who examined you. Doctors do not distinguish between men and women. Besides, I’m right here with you.”
Only then did Gu Yun understand why his identity had not been exposed when his wounds were treated previously. It turned out that the physician who had treated him was the same physician who had examined him before.
Gu Yun remembered clearly that the man had discovered his sex the very first time he examined him.
Perhaps he wished to avoid trouble, or perhaps he had misunderstood something. Whatever the reason, he had kept silent, his lips sealed as though glued shut.
Gu Yun was trying to learn from such an admirable quality.
Putting on an especially shy expression, Gu Yun said, “Not while I’m awake. I simply can’t. I’ll deal with it myself and won’t trouble anyone else.”
Chao Yan looked at him calmly.
Gu Yun then thought of something. A few days ago, when he had caught a cold, Chao Yan had summoned an imperial physician to examine him. It must have been an imperial physician. Had that physician not discovered his true identity? Even ordinary doctors could tell. How could an imperial physician fail to notice? Yet judging by Chao Yan’s behaviour these past few days, he did not seem to know the truth.
There were only two possibilities. Either the imperial physician was the quack Chao Yan had mentioned, lacking the skill to notice such things. Or he had never taken Gu Yun’s pulse at all, merely felt his forehead, confirmed he had a fever, and prescribed medicine to reduce it.
Gu Yun relaxed slightly. Looking directly into Chao Yan’s eyes, he stubbornly insisted, “This is how I want it. I don’t believe I’ve done anything wrong.”
“Come here,” said Chao Yan.
Gu Yun glanced at him and slowly shuffled over.
“You can’t force me. You said before that if I came with you, I could do as I pleased…” Gu Yun complained softly.
Before he could finish speaking, Chao Yan flicked him lightly on the forehead with a bent finger.
Chao Yan said, “Don’t start crying if it hurts.”
“I’m not hurting at all,” Gu Yun retorted.
Like any ordinary patient, Chao Yan paid the fee and headed outside. Gu Yun followed him. As soon as they stepped through the door, he grabbed Chao Yan’s sleeve and lowered his voice.
“Husband, shall we find another physician to have a look?”
Chao Yan said, “What? You don’t trust this physician? I asked around beforehand. His medical skills are quite good.”
Gu Yun replied, “There’s no harm in having another physician take a look, just in case.”
Chao Yan did not answer immediately. Worried that he might refuse, Gu Yun was already thinking of stronger arguments when Chao Yan finally said, “Very well. But at this hour, where are we supposed to find another physician?”
Gu Yun immediately said, “There should be one nearby. We’ll look around the area. If there isn’t, we can ask where the nearest medical hall is and find a physician there.”
Chao Yan agreed.
Gu Yun secretly rejoiced.
Chao Yan lowered his eyes to look at him. After a moment, amusement surfaced in his gaze. Reaching out, he ruffled that fluffy head of hair.
Gu Yun struggled twice to push his hand away but failed. Resigning himself to his fate, he allowed Chao Yan to knead his hair into a complete mess, as though it had been ravaged by a force-eight gale.
“There’s something wrong with you,” Gu Yun muttered under his breath.
Chao Yan laughed. “What was that? Were you insulting me?”
Gu Yun sheepishly shook his head in denial. Lowering his head, he began tidying his hair. Chao Yan tried to help, but the more he helped, the worse it became. Gu Yun found him increasingly irritating and very nearly smacked away his damned paw.
His irritation did not improve even after his hair was finally restored to order. It only disappeared once they found another physician nearby and received confirmation from him that Chao Yan truly had not recovered his memories.
According to the physician himself, he had once served as an imperial physician in the Imperial Medical Academy during the reign of the late Emperor. Unable to tolerate the scheming and infighting within the Academy, he had left and returned home to establish his own medical hall, treating the sick and helping those in need.
The first physician might have been mistaken, but surely this second physician, once an imperial doctor, could not be wrong.
“This time, do you believe me?” Chao Yan asked.
Gu Yun’s eyes shifted slightly to the left. “Husband, it’s not that I don’t believe you. I’m simply worried about your health.”
The two of them were seated in the carriage returning to the Eastern Palace. Gu Yun eagerly moved closer and began massaging Chao Yan’s shoulders.
Chao Yan chuckled softly, lowered his head to drink his tea, and said nothing.
Gu Yun observed his expression from the side. After a while, he sat down beside Chao Yan’s feet, the pale folds of his robes spreading around him like flower petals.
Lowering his hand, he lightly touched Chao Yan’s wrist. Seeing no reaction, he slowly traced along the bones of his hand until his fingers reached the spaces between Chao Yan’s fingers.
Still, Chao Yan did not react.
To Gu Yun, a lack of reaction meant that Chao Yan did not object.
He slipped his fingers into the gaps between Chao Yan’s and clasped his hand, their fingers interlacing.
Then, leaning against Chao Yan’s leg, he said, “Husband, if I confess everything to you, will you release Master Xu?”
Chao Yan looked at him. “Who told you that I had Master Xu arrested? I merely invited him here as a guest, so that the two of you could have a proper reunion. Stop sneaking about behind people’s backs. What sort of conduct is that? If someone were to see you, who knows what kind of trouble might arise?”
Gu Yun had long since guessed that Chao Yan knew about his secret meetings with Xu Jingzhou, so he was not surprised by the answer. Resting his chin upon Chao Yan’s thigh, he tilted his head and gazed up at the young Crown Prince before him.
“Husband, I know. I want to see Master Xu at Cining Temple.”
He was being so obedient that it seemed as though one need only spread one’s fingers to gather him entirely into one’s grasp and do with him as one pleased.
Chao Yan set down his teacup with his free hand and caressed Gu Yun’s cheek. His skin was soft and smooth. Chao Yan’s hand slid from cheek to chin, grasped it gently, and tilted his face upwards.
“It isn’t impossible.”
Gu Yun understood what he meant.
“Xu Jingzhou and I have been friends since childhood.”
“Childhood sweethearts?” Chao Yan’s smile deepened. “Mm. What else?”
“Xu Jingzhou and I truly are not from Great Xuan. We come from a country far, far away.”
“One of the northern kingdoms?”
“No. Beyond them. Further north still. Our country lies at the very edge of the world. If one day you pass beyond those northern kingdoms, you’ll be able to see it.”
“If what you say is true, then your country must lie tens of thousands of li from Great Xuan. Such a journey might take more than a year to complete. How did you get here? Neither of you shows any sign of having travelled such a distance. If you were fleeing disaster, why not seek refuge in those northern kingdoms? Why come to Great Xuan? What purpose do you have here? To stir unrest within Great Xuan? Do you realise that is a capital offence?”
Gu Yun met his gaze directly.
“We never intended to stir unrest within Great Xuan. If I told you we came to Great Xuan because of a god, would you believe me?”
Chao Yan bent down, his breath brushing against Gu Yun’s face.
“Who told you that I was overseeing the construction of the Tower of Ascension?” he asked coldly.
Gu Yun replied steadily, “I didn’t know you were overseeing the construction of the Tower of Ascension. Didn’t you ask for the truth? This is the truth.”
Their reflections were mirrored in each other’s eyes.
The atmosphere nearly solidified.
Gu Yun stretched his neck upwards and kissed him. Between touching and parting lips, he pleaded softly, “I’ve already confessed, Husband. You must honour your promise. Don’t make me think you’re a man who breaks his word.”
Chao Yan remained silent.
“Husband,” Gu Yun whispered. Reaching towards his abdomen, he pressed kiss after kiss against those thin lips. “Please.”
…
The sun was hidden from sight. The sky was as blue and clear as a mirror, and the clouds were light and delicate, like the feathered robes of an immortal maiden.
Gu Yun got his wish.
He saw Xu Jingzhou once again, within the Eastern Palace.
Shaking off Li Lan, who had been watching him at every moment, Xu Jingzhou rushed over to Gu Yun. He wanted to spread his arms and embrace him, but after remembering where they were, abandoned the idea.
In a low voice, he asked, “How did you get that fellow to let me out?”
A faint flush spread upwards from behind Gu Yun’s ears. Lowering his head, he said: “Don’t ask. Let’s talk business.”
