The palace, once a model of serene elegance, had transformed into a whirlwind of pandemonium. The frenzied efforts of courtiers, servants, and officials were palpable as they worked tirelessly to restore order and tranquility. The news of the crown prince's sudden malaise had ignited a frenzy of anxiety that coursed through the palace halls like wildfire.
In the midst of the tumult, the august figures of the emperor and the empress emerged, their countenances etched with concern. They strode purposefully toward Feng Li's courtyard, a retinue of palace physicians in tow.
Amidst the chaos, Yu Xin's world had narrowed to a singular focus: Feng Li. Racing through the palace halls, his heart pounded with trepidation. Bursting into the chamber, his eyes fell upon the sight that chilled his very soul—Feng Li, his complexion an ashen pallor, lay upon the bed, his body wracked with perspiration. His slender fingers clutched the bedsheets with an iron grip, the tension evident in the stark pallor of his knuckles.
The torrent of emotions overwhelmed Yu Xin, and unbidden tears welled up in his eyes. He rushed to Feng Li's side, casting aside decorum and formality in his distress. There, he grasped Feng Li's clammy hand, his own tears mingling with the sweat on their intertwined fingers. The maids, initially poised to intervene, found themselves paralyzed by the unprecedented sight of the boy's anguish.
In the wake of the tumultuous entrance of the emperor and empress, the royal physician, ever composed, stepped forward to assess the crown prince's condition. With practiced precision, he examined Feng Li's pulse, his features gradually relaxing from their initial furrowed concern. He addressed the monarchs in a voice that exuded assurance, "Great emperor and empress, the crown prince is in no immediate danger. He appears to have endured extreme fatigue and encountered a shock of sorts, but there is no lasting harm."
A collective sigh of relief rippled through the chamber, washing away the heavy tension that had gripped all who had gathered. The empress, her heart stirred by the sight of the forlorn boy at her son's side, inquired gently, "And who is this young gentleman?"
The housekeeper, ever the embodiment of decorum, stepped forth, his tone respectful as he elucidated, "Empress, this gentleman is an acquaintance of the crown prince."
A subtle nod from the empress acknowledged the explanation. As the emperor and empress took their leave, the room gradually emptied, leaving Yu Xin alone by Feng Li's side. His eyes remained fixed upon the crown prince, his features etched with relief and lingering concern.
As a maid approached with an intent to usher him away, Yu Xin hesitated. In a soft, beseeching voice, he inquired, "May I... stay here for a while longer?"
The maid was initially inclined to refuse, but a gentle intervention from the housekeeper swayed her decision. "You may stay, for you are an acquaintance of His Highness," she conceded.
Unbeknownst to Yu Xin, it was at Feng Li's behest that he had been granted this privilege—to remain by his side, to linger in the solace of his presence, yet all the while, concealing the true depth of their connection.
The room fell into a tranquil hush as the housekeeper and the maids departed, leaving Yu Xin alone with Feng Li. A subtle, tender smile graced his exquisitely handsome countenance as his fingers delicately traced the contours of Feng Li's face. It was an intimate gesture, a mirrored reflection of the gentle caresses he himself had received from the crown prince.
But beneath this newfound affection stirred a tempest of emotions that Yu Xin grappled to comprehend. He had crossed paths with Feng Li only a few days past, a chance meeting that had since turned his world upside down. He couldn't deny that, somewhere along the line, his heart had surrendered to the allure of the enigmatic crown prince. What had started as a pragmatic desire to enlist Feng Li's aid in locating his father had metamorphosed into an all-consuming longing.
Yet, he was under no illusion. He knew the intricacies of the court all too well, particularly for someone of Feng Li's station. The crown prince, heir to the throne, was bound by the expectations of nobility and politics. A love as profound as Yu Xin's was not something that could be readily reciprocated.
Tears welled up in Yu Xin's eyes, a testament to the overwhelming emotions that coursed through him. He wept when Feng Li had caught him by the neck, when the crown prince had succumbed to his fainting spell, when he realized that his affection for Feng Li was unrequited, and when he contemplated the future, filled with potential concubines vying for Feng Li's favor.
Each drop of his tears fell upon the bedsheets, an unspoken manifestation of his anguish. He felt adrift, like a wanderer lost in the vast expanse of a desert, who had stumbled upon a shimmering oasis. Yet, he remained uncertain, questioning whether this newfound sanctuary was real or merely a mirage.
Yu Xin could no longer contain his sorrow, and his voice trembled as he wept. He yearned for someone to hold him close, to wipe away his tears, to bestow loving kisses, and to provide him with an unwavering sense of security. But who was this elusive figure he longed for? Who was the person who had embedded himself so deeply within Yu Xin's heart, providing solace in his presence and torment in his absence?
With a heart heavy with the weight of his emotions, Yu Xin sought refuge in Feng Li's embrace, curling himself into the crook of the crown prince's arm. It was here, in this safe harbor, that he found respite, like a lost traveler who had stumbled upon his long-sought haven.
As Yu Xin drifted into slumber, his tears ceased, replaced by the tranquility of rest. Yet, as his eyes closed, Feng Li's own gaze grew dim with unshed tears. In his unconsciousness, he revisited a world he had once known—a world where he had fallen in love with Yu Xin at first sight, where they had shared laughter and affection, where they had pledged their lives to one another, and where they had grown old together, their love enduring through the passage of time.
As the weight of despair settled upon him, driven by Yu Xin's deteriorating condition, Feng Li found himself entangled in the threads of his own desires, a web he had woven in haste. In his moments of desperation, he had implored the system to forge an unbreakable connection, to tether Yu Xin's very soul to his own, ensuring that their fates remained entwined across the vast expanse of realities.
Yet, the consequences of his plea had escaped his memory in the midst of his turmoil. The intricacies of the pact he had struck with the system remained shrouded in the recesses of his consciousness, eclipsed by his concern for Yu Xin's fragile well-being.
But as his memories began to flood back, a deluge swifter and more overwhelming than the system had predicted, Feng Li found himself grappling with a torrent of information. His mind was a battlefield, a realm ill-prepared for the onslaught of knowledge it now bore. The data, more voluminous than his physical vessel could accommodate, coursed through him with unrelenting force.
In the end, the strain proved too much for him to bear. His consciousness faltered and dimmed, plunging him into the abyss of unconsciousness, his senses drowning in the unfathomable depths of the data surge.