Reborn To Be The Imperial Consort [BL]

Edited,Trigger Warning: Scenes depicting vomiting. Emetophobics please exercise caution.

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Slowly, Li Xinyuan’s eyes raked over the Crown Prince’s bloodstained clothes, golden irises flicking up and down his person whilst keeping his smile. Internally though, his stomach rolled, a nauseating dizziness blurring his vision every other second.

The combination of feverishness with the repugnant musk of blood did the wounded doctor no favours, and yet, he did not have the heart to ask Liu Mingyun to leave. He must have returned recently, perhaps stopped by the Heavenly Demon’s tent to report the success of the assignment too.

He watched — with as rapt of an attention as he could focus whilst feigning well-being — the Prince’s face gain a rosy tinge visible even in the minimal light as he looked away, feeling his heart soften. The wholly unsubtle bags under the young Crown Prince’s eyes made the surgeon’s chest tighten, a dawning sense of discomfort unfurling cold in his stomach.

"Your Highness?" softly, he called out, the coy smile on his face receding as he reached forward, wrapping a hand around Liu Mingyun’s wrist, stroking the rapid thrumming of his pulse.

Liu Mingyun raised his gaze, his strikingly crimson eyes painfully dull for a fraction of a second. "Mn?" His hand wrapped around the surgeon’s wrist in turn, and squeezed, as though he wanted to say something but could not find his words. "What is it?"

Li Xinyuan inched forward, ignoring the sharp ache from his tugging wounds, still unhealed. For how great of a healer he was, the surgeon was quite hesitant to use qi for his own healing, choosing to save it for those in greater need.

It was his own fault for letting his guard down and getting injured, after all.

Li Xinyuan glanced down, skin tingling in the Crown Prince’s hold.

"Are you well?"

"I am unharmed. No wounds, Xin’er." Li Xinyuan did not trust or find the hollowness of his voice to be riveting.

"No." With a sharp headshake, to signal his dissent and banish the blur in the edges of his vision, the surgeon pressed his lips into a thin line. "That was not the intent of my question."

The Crown Prince knew it well, too. He was simply feigning willful ignorance at the moment. His averted gaze, racing pulse, and tightening hands around his wrist were obvious signs.

"Why do you ask, Xin’er?"

No. Li Xinyuan blinked a few times, pressed his eyes close harshly, vision swimming. I’m not falling for this gentle tone! Stay awake, Xinyuan, stay awake.

"You know very well why, My Liege." Tugging his wrist closer, the surgeon shifted, hoping to find a more comfortable place on the bed to ignore his buzzing mind. "I ask for your well being. That does not pertain to physical well-being alone. You can confide in me."

Liu Mingyun’s gaze fell to their joined hands, eyes hooded as he inhaled deeply, eyelashes trembling imperceptibly. The air in the tent was fraught with anticipation, thick enough to cut yet so brittle a single movement could shatter it.

The doctor watched him, vision blurring in and out of focus as he tugged the Crown Prince’s hand with a muted urgency. The silver-haired youth seemed to not notice, too deep in his own mind as he was.

"Perhaps I could," nodded he, the action slow and absent-minded, the pad of thumb stroking the surgeon’s wrist, "but it is not the time— Xin’er."

Li Xinyuan’s drifting attention snapped back to the Crown Prince, the sound of his name distant, and thoughts as though cushioned. "Yes, yes?" Replied he, a touch too fast, a sliver of alarm leaking through.

To that, Liu Mingyun’s eyebrows creased, furrowing. Leaning closer, he observed his betrothed’s pale and flushed face, trepidation pooling in his stomach. "Heaven," pressing the back of his hand on Li Xinyuan’s forehead — feeling the heat radiate, burning into his own skin — the Crown Prince’s eyes widened, "you are burning, Xin’er."

Turning his head away stiffly, the surgeon cleared his throat, feigning nonchalance. "It is nothing, My Liege."

"It is not. You have come down with a fever, whilst wounded, for heaven knows how long."

"Your Highness—"

"Silence." The Crown Prince frowned, expression dark as he pulled his hand back, fingers curling into a fist, allowing it to fall on the bed. "I will not have you be careless of your own health."

Saying so, he clasped his hands on the surgeon’s shoulders and gently pushed him to lie down again, eyebrows drawing together. The surgeon’s recurring habit of ignoring himself in favour of others was extremely concerning.

The surgeon tried to squirm out of his grasp, shifting on the bed as he grunted. But the Crown Prince would not relent. In the end, after struggling futilely for a few moments, Li Xinyuan tired himself out and relented, laying still whilst savouring the taste of defeat.

As the dust of their power struggle settled, a comfortable silence lingering in its wake, the surgeon let out a hum, voice measured.

"Uhm, Your Highness?"

From his bedside, the Crown Prince hummed quietly. "?"

"I feel— nauseous."

He did not need to say anything more before the Crown Prince was up and bolting to the corner of the tent to bring the bucket to him.

Li Xinyuan pushed himself upright on the bed, one hand pressed on his mouth as he breathed in and out, vision flickering in and out. With a shudder wreaking down his spine as a bone-chilling cold settled under his skin, the surgeon bent forward, spine curving.

Liu Mingyun poised the bucket below the surgeon, lips pulled into a grimace as he hurled, bile rushing up Li Xinyuan’s throat as it burned, making the youth tremble as he retched. Holding the bucket with one hand, the Crown Prince stepped closer and rubbed loose, soothing circles on his back.

Li Xinyuan glanced at him, tears welling in his eyes as he jerked forward, barely stopping himself from falling over on his face. As he sucked in a desperate breath, stomach clenching tight, the surgeon clawed at the blanket over his lap, heaving.

Liu Mingyun’s face pinched, blinking a few times as he threaded his fingers through Li Xinyuan’s hair and pulled it away from his face. "Ease, Xin’er."

The surgeon shuddered, bitterness spreading on his tongue as more bile rose. "I despise this."

The Crown Prince’s softened further, pupils quivering as he looked away from his betrothed’s sickly visage, running his fingers on his scalp gently, making the surgeon lean closer. "Rightfully so." He murmured. "Do you need to still..."

Li Xinyuan’s head dropped, a few locks of hair dangling loosely, taking a few long breaths whilst turned away from the bucket. As the carrion birds screeched across the sky, their calls shrill in the frigid air, he gave himself a few moments.

When the nausea did not return, the surgeon shook his head mutely.