IF line: Color vision arises because of you.
Lou Jin was born different from ordinary people. His world consisted only of black and white, like the oldest ink painting, which had shades of light and dark but no vitality.
The majestic palaces were a somber gray, the blooming flowers in the imperial gardens were shades of ink, and even the magnificent sunsets described by others were nothing more than pale hues about to merge into the night.
He was considered an oddball and was privately mocked by other princes and relatives as a "colorblind freak".
He was used to loneliness, used to building high walls with indifference and alienation, closing himself off in a silent and colorless world, until he was seven years old, when he met the little boy who was chasing a butterfly and fell and got covered in mud by the rockery in the Imperial Garden.
Just as the little boy raised his dirty little face and glared at him angrily, a miracle happened.
A bright light suddenly burst into Lou Jin's field of vision!
The color came from an inconspicuous red ribbon tied in the little boy's hair.
Then, the little boy's bright eyes were brown, the grass beneath him was emerald green, and the sky was azure blue...
At that moment, the world gained meaning.
Lou Jin stood frozen in place, his heart pounding, barely able to breathe.
He stared intently at the little boy, as if he were the only lighthouse in this gray world.
He learned from the palace servants that it was Ye Xunyang, the young master of the General of the State's Mansion.
Since then, Lou Jin has become a completely different person.
He no longer stayed alone in the corner, but tried every means to get close to Ye Xunyang.
He awkwardly offered what he thought was the best thing, silently but stubbornly following behind Ye Xunyang.
Ye Xunyang initially thought that this Third Prince was a bit strange, but seeing that he was handsome and that his eyes, though straight, were not malicious, he let him follow him.
He would even take Lou Jin's hand and lead him to climb trees, raid bird nests, and run wildly in the training ground.
Only when Ye Xunyang is by Lou Jin's side is Lou Jin's world colorful.
Once Ye Xunyang is out of his sight, the vibrant colors will fade like the tide, and the world will return to a suffocating black and white.
This dependence, instead of weakening with age, has intensified.
Ye Xunyang wanted to join the army at the border and make contributions like his father and brothers.
For the first time, Lou Jin showed near panic in front of him, clutching his sleeve tightly, his face pale: "Don't go... it's dangerous there."
Considering Lou Jin's habitual clinginess to Ye Xunyang, and given the inherent dangers of the border region, the Ye family rejected Ye Xunyang's request.
Ye Xunyang wanted to travel to Jiangnan, and Lou Jin silently followed, never leaving his side.
The trip ended abruptly due to Lou Jin's inconvenience.
Once, twice, three times... all of Ye Xunyang's plans were shelved because of Lou Jin.
He was invisibly bound to Lou Jin's side, becoming a refined companion.
"Your Highness! I just want to go to the camp outside the capital for a few months of training! Just a few months! You won't even allow that?" Ye Xunyang finally couldn't hold back anymore, and the grievances that had been building up for many years burst out at this moment.
His handsome face was filled with suppressed anger. "I am not your appendage! I have things I want to do!"
Lou Jin was stunned by his unprecedentedly harsh words and looked at Ye Xunyang's eyebrows and face.
That was the most vibrant and colorful picture in his world, but now, that picture has been shrouded in shadow because of him.
He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, wanting to tell him that leaving him would mean returning to darkness.
Seeing the almost overflowing pain and longing in Ye Xunyang's eyes, all the words stuck in his throat.
He... really is a burden to Xunyang.
Lou Jin slowly released his hand, which had been gripping Ye Xunyang's clothes again without him noticing. The light in his eyes dimmed, and he whispered, "...I'm sorry."
Then, he turned around and slowly walked away, step by step.
From that day on, Lou Jin began to deliberately avoid Ye Xunyang.
He no longer actively seeks him out; in fact, when Ye Xunyang appears in his line of sight, he forces himself to look away or simply turns and leaves.
The world has lost its color once again, turning back into a monotonous, cold, and despairing black and white.
At first, Ye Xunyang felt extremely relaxed!
No one followed him around anymore. He could go to the camp outside the capital, ride horses and drink with his friends, and do whatever he wanted.
But soon, he realized something was wrong.
As he galloped on his horse and saw the magnificent sunset on the horizon, he instinctively wanted to turn around and share it, but there was no one behind him.
When he drinks and chats with his colleagues, laughing heartily at something funny, he always feels that there should be a quiet figure beside him, watching him with focused eyes.
When he returned to his empty room at night, the loneliness he felt, with no one to confide in, almost overwhelmed him.
I have freedom, but my heart feels empty.
That quiet, dependent figure, who had grown accustomed to his presence, had unknowingly filled every crevice of his life.
He began to miss Lou Jin, to miss his silent companionship, and to miss the eyes that seemed to hold the entire galaxy when Lou Jin occasionally looked at him.
That day, Ye Xunyang was feeling down and returned home from the camp ahead of schedule. As he passed a garden, he heard a mocking laugh.
It was the Fourth Prince Lou Shang and his henchmen.
"Oh, isn't this our esteemed 'colorblind' third brother?" Lou Shang held several pebbles of extremely similar color in his hand and deliberately waved them in front of Lou Jin.
"Come on, help your little brother take a look. Which of these stones is red? Oh, by the way, you don't even know what red is, do you? Hahaha!"
Lou Jin stood there expressionless, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, his knuckles turning white.
His world was black and white; the colors of those stones were indistinguishable to him.
He had experienced this kind of humiliation too many times and was already numb to it.
However, when the colors disappeared as Ye Xunyang moved away, the sense of powerlessness in this black and white world became even sharper and more piercing.
"I bet this one's red!" Lou Shang shoved a drab gray stone into Lou Jin's hand, grinning maliciously. "Here you go, you freak, this is a treasure you can't see!"
Just as Lou Shang's hand was about to touch Lou Jin's chest, a hand with distinct knuckles suddenly grabbed Lou Shang's wrist, causing Lou Shang to cry out in pain.
"Fourth Prince," Ye Xunyang's voice was as cold as ice. He pushed Lou Shang aside, shielded Lou Jin behind him, and swept his sharp gaze over the people present.
Is it satisfying to bully someone who can't choose their own flaws?
Lou Shang was intimidated by the fierce look in his eyes, and said with a fierce but weak tone, "Ye Xunyang! Mind your own business!"
"His business is my business." Ye Xunyang said firmly, stepping forward and staring intently at Lou Shang. "If I ever see you bullying him again, don't blame me for being ruthless! Get out!"
Lou Shang and his group were intimidated by his imposing manner. They glared at him resentfully and slunk away.
Only the two of them remained in the garden.
Ye Xunyang turned around and looked at Lou Jin, who was bowing his head and remaining silent, and felt a pang of pain in his heart.
He softened his voice: "Your Highness, are you alright?"
Lou Jin slowly raised his head, his beautiful eyes filled with dependence and grievance.
He shook his head, his voice low and hoarse: "...Thank you. You don't need to worry about me."
Seeing his feigned strength, Ye Xunyang's emptiness, restlessness, and longing over the past few days suddenly found their answer.
He sighed, reached out, and gently brushed away non-existent dust from Lou Jin's shoulder, his gesture carrying a tenderness he himself was unaware of: "How could I possibly abandon you?"
The two walked to a stone bench and sat down.
After a long silence, Ye Xunyang spoke first, his tone filled with remorse: "Your Highness, that day... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lost my temper with you."
Lou Jin shook his head, still keeping his head down, his voice muffled: "You're right... I've been a burden to you. You can be better off without me."
"No, you're wrong." Ye Xunyang interrupted him, his tone firm. "Without you, I'm not doing well at all."
Lou Jin looked up in astonishment.
Ye Xunyang looked at his gaze, which was now refocusing on his face.
He continued, "I'm free now, but when I encounter trouble, no one listens to me. Back in the manor, no one waits for me. Lou Jin, I'm used to having you by my side. Without you, here..."
He pointed to his chest, "There's a big empty space there."
Lou Jin's pupils trembled slightly as he looked at him in disbelief.
Ye Xunyang took a deep breath and finally asked the question that had been hidden in his heart for many years: "Your Highness, tell me, why... have you followed me like this since I was a child?"
Lou Jin stared at Ye Xunyang, watching the serious expression on his face. The colors of the world were gradually becoming vibrant and full again as Xunyang approached and his focused gaze became more intense.
He no longer hesitated, nor was he afraid.
He reached out and carefully touched the red ribbon binding Ye Xunyang's hair with his fingertips.
That was the first splash of color he ever saw in his life.
"Because...only you can let me see colors."
He slowly recounted the secret buried for over a decade, that gray world, and the vibrant colors that only Ye Xunyang could bring.
Ye Xunyang was completely stunned.
He never imagined the truth would be like this!
After the initial shock came an overwhelming wave of heartache.
It turns out that he was such a unique existence to Lou Jin.
“So,” Lou Jin looked at him, his eyes filled with desperate courage and deep longing.
“It’s not that I want to trap you, Xunyang. It’s that I… can’t live without you. You are my eyes, my entire world of color.”
Ye Xunyang looked at him and suddenly laughed. His smile was like sunlight breaking through the dark clouds, bright and warm.
He reached out and firmly grasped Lou Jin's slightly cool hand.
"Who said you've trapped me?"
“I didn’t understand before, but now I do.” Ye Xunyang looked at him, his eyes clear and firm. “If you want to come, then come. Wherever you want to go, I’ll take you with me. Whether it’s the border or Jiangnan, we’ll go together.”
"Your world is colorful because of me, and my world is also complete and meaningful because of you?"
He moved closer and saw his own clear reflection in Lou Jin's eyes.
"Lou Jin, I can't live without you either."
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