Chapter 42 Identity

Sui Yan rolled around in the quilt for a few times and nearly rolled himself under. He was too exhausted from all the exertion last night and soon fell into a deep sleep after nestling in the quilt.

Duan Mingchong tucked the quilt tightly for him, sat beside the couch and looked at his sleeping face quietly for a while, then got up and went to the small kitchen to check Sui Yan's medicine.

Ever since Sui Yan fell into the water years ago, he has been given medicine all the time. Sui Yan hates taking medicine so much that every time he has to go through a lot of trouble to coax and persuade him to drink half a bowl. Duan Mingchong has heard from people in Sui An Marquis's mansion that Sui Yan has made many embarrassing remarks because he didn't want to take medicine, so he is particularly worried.

Before daybreak, she sent someone to fetch spring water from Xiangguo Temple to boil medicine, and told the palace maids to add more licorice to prevent Sui Yan from going through more trouble.

After Duan Mingchong gave some instructions, he went to the study to call someone to give instructions.

Just after noon, Duan Mingchong was about to go to the side hall to wake up Sui Yan, but he saw the palace maids from the East Palace leading in a man in a household guard's uniform.

The two of them came closer and saluted.

The palace maid said, "Your Highness, I am from the Sui'an Marquis's Mansion. I was too hasty to pack up yesterday and forgot a lot of small items. So I came here to make up for them for the young marquis."

Duan Mingchong glanced at him and seemed to find it a little strange, but he was busy looking for Sui Yan, so he didn't think much about it. He nodded and left.

In the side hall, as soon as Duan Mingchong came in, he saw Sui Yan sitting on the couch, dressing himself.

When Sui Yan got up, his mind would always be fuzzy for a moment. At this time, he slowly fastened his waist belt, and his legs hanging on the edge of the couch kicked back and forth unconsciously. His long hair was loose and had not been tied into a crown yet - perhaps because it was too troublesome when getting dressed, he casually rolled his wrists a few times, twisted it into a bunch, and held the end of his hair with his teeth.

Duan Mingchong couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Sui Yan paused while tying his waist belt and looked up blankly.

He was half asleep and thought he was still in the Marquis' Mansion, so he was stunned when he saw Duan Mingchong's hilarious face.

Sui Yan struggled to recall where he was. When his eyes cleared up, he froze in place. The teeth that were holding the end of his hair loosened, and his hair fell down in pieces, scattering on the golden embroidered crabapple on his left shoulder.

Duan Mingchong suppressed his laughter and said softly, "Now that you are awake, come and have something to eat. Someone from your residence is here to bring you something. Wait and see if you need anything."

I don’t know why, but ever since he met Duan Mingchong, Sui Yan’s embarrassing moments have increased day by day. Being seen acting coquettishly with his brother was one thing, but now he has been seen from all sides by everyone when he was drug-addicted.

Sui Yan has been trying hard to comfort himself these past two days. Duan Mingchong knew that he got sick because of saving him, and he would definitely not abandon him. He is still the flamboyant and willful young marquis, and his graceful and elegant image in Duan Mingchong's heart has not been damaged at all.

Until now...

Sui Yan didn't want to say anything, nor did he want to see anything. He just wanted to find the crack in the ground.

"Ah, how should I put it? Actually, I just... really want to die."

Sui Yan thought with a trembling heart.

Because of this incident, Sui Yan, who was always talkative, didn't say a word until he finished his breakfast.

Duan Mingchong was gentle and knew that he was shy, so he was very considerate and didn't tease him. He watched him drink the medicine obediently, then said, "I'm going to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. I'll be back at noon to have lunch with you. If you feel bored, you can ask someone to accompany you to the Yu Garden."

Sui Yan almost buried his head in the bowl, nodded hurriedly, and said in a muffled voice: "Okay, Your Highness, take care."

No, don't go slow, go faster!

Duan Mingchong then stood up and left.

After Duan Mingchong left, Sui Yan felt better. His appearance in the morning was really unsightly, and he was too embarrassed to talk too much to Duan Mingchong.

Sui Yan put the medicine down and asked someone to bring him the rattan rocking chair from Sui Anhou Mansion and put it in the yard, where he sat down to bask in the sun.

The palace maids who served him were afraid that he would catch a cold, so they hurriedly handed him a small hand warmer and a cloak.

After a while, the servant from the Marquis' Mansion who had delivered something to Sui Yan was brought to see Sui Yan.

The servant knelt on one knee and said softly, "Hello, young marquis."

Sui Yan held the small hand warmer in his arms, and said vaguely without blinking, "Yue Jian, push this rocking chair for me, it won't shake anymore."

Jun Jingxing: “…”

Sui Yan didn't like being served, so the people from the East Palace kept a distance and didn't dare to get close, which made it convenient for them to talk.

Jun Jingxing cursed softly and said in a low voice: "Can you recognize me even if I'm disguised like this?"

Sui Yan kicked his legs and said unhappily, "You smell like medicine, you can even go and smoke mosquitoes directly, no one would recognize you - stop talking nonsense, shake it for me."

Jun Jingxing didn't want others to notice anything unusual, so he remained kneeling on one knee and stretched out his hand to exert force on the armrest of the rattan rocking chair.

The rattan rocking chair was specially made by Sui Yan and asked the craftsmen to make it. It would rock for a stick of incense when pushed. It was originally a small item to help people sleep, so there was no way it could withstand the strength of Jun Jingxing.

Jun Jingxing just pushed it, and the rocking chair started to rock back and forth like crazy.

Sui Yan screamed "Ah" and was almost thrown away.

Jun Jingxing asked: "Is the force moderate?"

Sui Yan hurriedly held onto the armrest to sit still, holding his chest and glaring.

"See you in the moonlight!"

If Jun Jingxing had his original beautiful face, Sui Yan might have forgiven him a little, but now he had disguised himself into a face that couldn't be more ordinary, and his smile was extremely provocative. He pretended to be innocent: "The young marquis asked me to push it."

Sui Yan was frightened and pissed off by him, and he wanted to kick him in the face.

He took a few deep breaths and said impatiently, "Why don't you stay in the mansion? What are you doing here? Are you looking for death?"

Jun Jingxing almost rolled his eyes to the back of his head. He stretched out his hand: "Give me your hand - if I wasn't worried about you, why would I come to the palace to take risks for no reason?"

Sui Yan glared at him for a few more times before lying back on the rattan rocking chair and not arguing with him.

"It seems that your medical skills are not very good. I have been through the drug addiction attacks these days by myself. Now I am fine."

Jun Jingxing said: "Don't talk nonsense, just give me your hand."

Sui Yan groaned, handed him his hand, squinted his eyes and lay there for a while, suddenly as if he thought of something, and asked, "Has the Fifth Prince been looking for you recently?"

Jun Jingxing impatiently stabilized the rocking chair, put his hand on Sui Yan's pulse, and said, "I haven't looked for him since I left Wanhua Tower. Maybe he thought I couldn't make any waves no matter how hard I tried, so he gave up."

Sui Yan looked around, then suddenly leaned over and whispered in Jun Jingxing's ear: "Wait, I will avenge you."

Jun Jingxing raised his eyebrows slightly: "Didn't I tell you that you don't need to interfere in this matter. I can handle it myself."

Sui Yan crossed his long legs, swayed while humming an unknown tune, and continued to rock the rocking chair, smiling slyly with his eyes crooked.

Jun Jingxing felt frightened when he saw him smiling like that, and he even lost focus when taking his pulse.

After searching for a while without finding anything, the drug addiction didn't seem to be a big deal. After giving Sui Yan a few words, Jun Jingxing couldn't help himself, so he pulled his hand back and sighed, "What on earth do you want to do?"

Sui Yan tapped his slender fingers on the armrest and smiled harmlessly, "I originally thought that when Duan Zhisu and Duan Ruwang wanted to murder the crown prince, Duan Xichen also intervened. Later, I checked carefully and found that he really had nothing to do with it."

Jun Jingxing: "So?"

Sui Yan added, "I had someone tell Duan Zhisu about Duan Ruwang's little plan. Given his cautious nature of preferring to kill by mistake, he must have killed the servant who drugged the person."

Jun Jingxing was stunned for a moment, and his expression suddenly became indescribable.

Sui Yan leaned back on the chair, and the rattan rocking chair began to rock again.

He maintained this comfortable posture, sighed deeply, and said quietly as if singing, "There is no evidence in death."

Jun Jingxing held onto the last glimmer of hope and said, "You won't... let anyone tell the Crown Prince that it was Duan Xichen's people who poisoned him, right?"

Sui Yan stretched his back lazily, gave him an admiring look, and said lazily: "It seems that you still understand me well."

Jun Jingxing didn't want to understand him at all. He held his forehead with a headache and said with difficulty: "What grudge does Duan Xichen have against you?"

According to Sui Yan's personality, it is impossible for him to harm Duan Xichen just for Jun Jingxing. Jun Jingxing is self-aware of this.

Sui Yan smiled but did not answer.

Jun Jingxing asked again: "Then how can you be sure that the prince will really deal with Duan Xichen and Duan Ruwang because of this matter?"

Sui Yan smiled and said, "If he knows about this and still doesn't take action, he should just hand over the position of Crown Prince to someone else. And this time..."

Jun Jingxing raised his eyebrows: "What?"

Sui Yan said calmly: "The one who suffered for him was me."

Jun Jingxing suddenly fell silent.

If Duan Mingchong had really been disgraced but luckily survived, according to his gentle nature of being taught to be friendly and respectful to his brothers since childhood, even if the matter was reported to the emperor, the emperor might just brush it aside and it wouldn't cause any waves, and Duan Mingchong would have to swallow the loss.

However, the person who suffered from the poisoning was the most innocent person, Sui Yan.

Just because he was filled with guilt, Duan Mingchong would never be able to just brush it off lightly, not to mention...

Sui Yan blinked his eyes: "What's more, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince likes me so much."

Jun Jingxing: “…”

Jun Jingxing really wanted to push the rocking chair again to shake out the water in this person's head that was stirred up by Duan Mingchong.

He was about to stand up and say goodbye in a bad mood, but Sui Yan suddenly pressed his shoulder, glanced at him with a half-smile, and said, "Do you know my identity?"

Jun Jingxing was forced to kneel down by him. He raised his head and looked into Sui Yan's glass-like eyes, stunned for a moment.

Sui Yan had never been arrogant in front of him, and sometimes he would even shamelessly act like a child, causing Jun Jingxing to almost forget the difference in status between them.

He is a criminal on the run, while Sui Yan is a high-ranking and extremely noble young marquis.

Sui Yan, is this a reminder for him to be aware of his identity and words and deeds, and not to be so rude to him again?

Jun Jingxing suddenly realized this, and his heart trembled. He lowered his head slightly and whispered: "Young Marquis, it's me..."

Before Jun Jingxing could finish the words "I overstepped my bounds", he heard Sui Yan reach out and gently lift his chin. She glared at him with her beautiful eyes and said in a proud and unruly manner, "I am no longer the same person I was before, because..."

Jun Jingxing's eyes moved.

Sui Yan said: "I am the one protected by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Jun Jingxing: “…”

Jun Jingxing shook off his hand expressionlessly and stood up.

He turned around and was about to leave, but Sui Yan quickly grabbed his sleeve and said forcefully, "Don't, don't go. You haven't asked me why the prince is protecting me? You haven't asked yet!"

Jun Jingxing stopped and looked down at him.

Sui Yan gave him a flattering smile and blinked his eyes, his eyes full of “just ask quickly”.

Jun Jingxing stood beside the rattan rocking chair and suddenly smiled at him gently. Then he put his hand on the armrest of the rattan chair and applied hard force.

The rattan rocking chair began to rock madly.

Sui Yan screamed into the sky immediately.

“Ahhh—”