DS Extra 17

They Swam Through the Dawn and Dusk Boundary (2)

A long, long time later, when Commander Jiang privately reflected on the “three phases” of his lover, he would sigh with emotion: the original body and the two Base Bodies did have some subtle differences after all.

This was normal. Even the same person placed in different external environments would grow in different directions. As the saying goes, orange trees growing south of the Huai River bear oranges, while those growing north of it bear bitter fruit—it’s the same principle.

For example, all three phases of Ryann in the same situation would certainly shatter the teaching building’s glass for him.

But after that—the first Base Body was the most pure and kind. After all, he was the white moonlight Little Highness cultivated by the Empire, and would take the initiative to pay the Military Academy out of his own pocket, along with an explanation and apology.

If it were the second Base Body instead, especially during the early Garcia period when he was quite rebellious toward the Empire, he would probably sneer and walk away without a care, forcing the royal family or some other poor soul to foot the bill. It wasn’t because he was stingy, purely boring malicious amusement.

As for the original body, Great Emperor Kaios would certainly speak sternly: allowing the situation to develop to this point is entirely the Military Academy’s fault. Who told you the teaching building’s emergency measures were inadequate?

The next day, His Majesty would order the Military Academy to reform itself and demand they compensate Jiang Jianming’s medical expenses and his own emotional distress fees—the latter was a joke, but if it were to amuse the Commander, it wasn’t impossible.

Of course, at that time, the two first Base Bodies still knew nothing about their past and future.

Jiang Jianming was hooked up to an IV drip. After settling down on the hospital bed, he quickly fell asleep, his thin half-face buried in the snow-white pillow, the other half covered by scattered black hair. His breathing was shallow, making him appear quiet and fragile.

Ryann kept watch by the bedside. He gently held Jiang Jianming’s hand that didn’t have the needle, gazing absent-mindedly at the medicine dripping from the IV bag.

Only at this moment did he feel afraid in retrospect.

Ryann had asked the medical staff and learned that today there had been a chain car accident in District Three. The emergency hotline had been flooded with calls, and ambulances couldn’t be dispatched right away.

Fortunately, Jiang Jianming had contacted him.

But what if, at that time, he had refused that call… Would Jiang have made a second call to him?

Even if he had answered the call, what if he had said “I’m busy right now” first? Would Jiang have still insisted on asking for his help?

If not, what would Jiang Jianming have done? What could he have done?

“…” Ryann took a deep breath, frowning, running his fingers through his loose curls.

His chest felt swollen and sore. Ever since meeting Jiang Jianming, it often hurts here.

At this moment, the setting sun was sinking west. The twilight first rippled like water waves in the hospital room, then night slowly rose up.

Suddenly, a soft rustling sound came from beside him. Ryann looked up, and his gaze met a pair of hazy black eyes.

Jiang Jianming had woken up. Wrapped in his blanket, he smiled at Ryann.

“Thank you for helping me, Your Highness,” he said softly. “I didn’t disturb you, did I… At the time, there was no one around me…”

Jiang’s voice was even weaker and hoarser than usual. Ryann’s heartbeat quickened, and he hurriedly said, “No, I was very free.”

His wrist device rang at that moment, and Ryann quickly pressed to dismiss it.

The smile faded from Jiang Jianming’s face. “…Very free?”

“Don’t worry about those. The doctor said you’re suffering from overwork.”

Ryann stiffly changed the subject. He reached out to check Jiang Jianming’s temperature—his forehead was still a bit hot. “What happened?”

Jiang Jianming: “There’s an exam after the break ends.”

Ryann: “Is it worth studying until you collapse?”

Jiang Jianming didn’t speak. The truth was, he had been somewhat insensitive to low fevers since childhood. Several times, by the time he realized something was wrong, it had already become serious. It was probably quite a strange constitution.

Seeing him fall silent, Ryann assumed he felt guilty. Just as he was about to speak, his wrist device rang for the second time.

Jiang Jianming: “Am I keeping you from something important?”

Ryann said stiffly, “No.”

He was about to dismiss the wrist device again when Jiang Jianming said anxiously, “Don’t…”

This person actually forgot he was still receiving an IV and instinctively tried to sit up and reach out to grab His Highness’s arm. Fortunately, Ryann was quick-eyed and fast-handed, rushing over to press him down. “Jiang!!”

Thus, inertia caused the Military Academy student’s upper body to lose balance and tilt.

The next second, his pale forehead lightly bumped into the Crown Prince’s embrace.

Instantly, both Jiang Jianming and Ryann froze.

Beep beep…

The wrist device kept ringing.

“…”

Ryann was speechless. His arm half-circled the disabled person’s slender waist, and he was so nervous that cold sweat broke out in his palms.

Jiang Jianming also stiffened. He lifted his head as if scalded, saying frantically, “Your… Your Highness, I… I’m sorry.”

So close, his nose was filled with the faint scent of roses from Ryann’s collar—so fragrant. He knew that golden roses bloomed everywhere in the White Jade Palace, but he had never had the chance to see them with his own eyes.

So why isn’t he letting go?

Jiang Jianming was confused, thinking to himself: How long is he going to hold me? After all, why is he holding me right now?

The sound of the wrist device had already stopped. Ryann was gazing at him with that downward look, like rolling magma, like raging waves.

The Crown Prince’s chest heaved violently several times, as if something was about to burst out, yet was forcibly restrained on the tip of his tongue.

Jiang Jianming didn’t know what to say. He didn’t think he had done anything wrong. At least he hadn’t shattered glass all over the ground, nor deliberately failed to answer a call, nor was he the one holding onto someone else without letting go.

But Ryann’s expression made him feel an inexplicable sense of guilt out of nowhere, as if he had bullied the other person.

But clearly he…

Knock knock knock!

Suddenly, there was a knock on the hospital room door. A nurse pushed it open: “Hello, Room 412 routine check-up—”

Instantly, the two young men separated at the fastest speed possible. The dim light after sunset conveniently covered the slight redness at the tips of their ears, and the nurse didn’t notice anything unusual.

Ryann stood up and moved away from the bed. He pressed his lips together and glanced at Jiang Jianming, his eyes rippling with indescribable emotions.

That single glance made Jiang Jianming’s whole body tingle for a second. As if possessed, he suddenly sat up and spoke, “Your… Your Highness, tonight—”

He actually regretted it as soon as he said it, but Ryann suddenly whipped his head around, his eyes bright as fire.

“…” Jiang Jianming groaned inwardly, wanting to slap himself, but could only bite the bullet and finish. “Are… are you also very free?”

…..

The answer need not be said.

Jiang Jianming earnestly persuaded for a long time before getting Ryann to call back the earlier communication and give a brief explanation.

Ryann completed this task in less than thirty seconds.

Leaning against Jiang Jianming’s headboard, he said his friend was sick, so he would stay tonight to take care of him.

Jiang Jianming’s regret value had already reached its peak. He could only lie in bed with vacant eyes, the heat on his face still not quite dissipated.

He now understood clearly—when getting along with this Crown Prince, it was simply impossible to carefully consider everything back and forth, then slowly open his heart like a shy clam shell opening a crack.

Because as soon as he showed even a hint of “that intention,” Ryann would quickly rush over—squeeze a paw through that crack and pry his shell open.

After prying it open, he would innocently nuzzle the exposed pearl, acting cute, enough to make his heart soften so he couldn’t even get angry.

“…”

Jiang Jianming stared at the IV bag that was now less than half full, thinking: Does this Little Highness treat all his friends this way, or just me?

He had never seen anyone resembling a friend appear around Ryann, so he subjectively believed that he probably wasn’t on a high enough level to get to know Ryann’s friends.

“See, I’ve already arranged my affairs, it’s that simple. I’ll be here all night.”

Ryann ended the communication and moved closer to ask him, his attitude almost eager, “Are you hungry? What do you want for dinner? I’ll go buy it later.”

Jiang Jianming looked at him quietly.

Suddenly he said, “I know Your Highness is actually very busy.”

Ryann was about to pull over a stool to sit down, and his fingertips trembled at these words.

He thought Jiang Jianming was going to regret it and send him away, but then heard the man say softly, “If we’re together, is there anything… I can help you with?”

Ryann looked up abruptly for the second time, looking at Jiang Jianming in astonishment. His curls bounced on his shoulders with his movement, like messy waves.

“What I mean is,” the black-haired military academy student pressed his lips together, his voice soft, “this way, it would also make up for the wasted time… right?”

He pinched his palm, deliberately looking not at Ryann but at the night scene outside the window, yet his tone was even gentler than the night sky.

“Wasted?” Ryann frowned instead. “Saying such things again.”

“I may not be very free normally, but you can be the top priority. I rushed over to help you during the day because you’re far more important than meetings and affairs; as for my willingness to stay tonight, it’s also because I want to be by your side.”

“Because I want to,” Ryann stubbornly repeated, “Jiang, it’s because I want to, I want to.”

After saying this, he paused, then asked, “What about you? Jiang, when you just asked me to stay, was it because you really wanted me to? Or was it to make me happy?”

Jiang Jianming raised his eyes. He seemed not to have expected Ryann to ask this way. But those eyes remained gentle and calm. “If it’s the latter, it’s also because ‘I want’ to make you happy.”

He reached out to grasp Ryann’s sleeve and opened his mouth. “For dinner, I want something sweet and warm. Let me think… would tangyuan be okay?”