I Don't Want to Be a Charmboy【Quick Wear】

Back at the East Palace, Lin Shen sat by the window, watching the palace servants quietly prepare dinner, but he felt a lump in his throat and something was amiss.

Lin Ming's condition is very wrong.

As usual, when he went to visit his father with his father, even if his father was seriously injured and weak, he would always find an opportunity to say a few sarcastic words in his usual barbed tone, either implying that His Highness the Crown Prince was too precious to visit him, or mocking his father's "concern" for coming too late and being too fake.

But today, he was unusually quiet.

Aside from necessary responses, he remained almost completely silent, his meek and submissive demeanor like a stagnant pool, unable to stir even the slightest ripple.

This unusual silence made Lin Shen more uneasy than any sharp words.

The premonition about the heavy burden in Lin Ming's heart that had been lingering since he entered the cave resurfaced in his mind.

He had to go and see.

Having made up his mind, Lin Shen found an excuse, saying that he had slept too much during the day and had some indigestion, so he wanted to take a walk by himself, thus politely sending away Lin Lisheng, who clearly wanted to stay with him a little longer.

As night deepened and the palace lanterns lit up one by one, Lin Shen, wearing a plain cloak and without any attendants, quietly left the East Palace and headed towards a slightly secluded palace not far away.

The guards outside the palace, seeing that it was the Crown Prince, were about to announce his arrival when Lin Shen raised his hand to stop them.

He gestured for them to step back and wait, then gently pushed open the heavy palace door.

Only a few dim candles were lit inside the hall, casting a faint light. The lingering smell of medicine filled the air, adding to the chilly atmosphere.

There was no one outside; it was so quiet that you could hear your own footsteps.

"Fourth brother?" Lin Shen called out softly, but there was no response.

With doubts in his heart, he continued walking straight towards the inner hall without stopping.

The bed in the inner hall was empty, with the brocade quilt piled up haphazardly to the side, and Lin Ming was nowhere to be seen.

Where did he go? He was so badly injured, how could he possibly run around?

Lin Shen frowned, just about to turn around and look elsewhere, when suddenly, a warm body pressed against him from behind, and a pair of strong arms passed through his waist, hugging him tightly with almost all their strength!

Lin Shen was startled and instinctively tried to struggle and resist. Just as he pushed his elbow back, a familiar, hoarse voice with a heavy nasal tone rang in his ear, trembling with despair.

"Second brother..."

It's Lin Ming!

Lin Shen froze, stunned.

"Fourth brother?"

He could clearly feel the arms holding him tighten even more, Lin Ming's entire body pressed against his back, trembling slightly, the force so great it seemed to crush him and embed him into his bones.

Even through the clothes, he could feel the rapid heartbeat and unusually high body temperature of the person behind him.

"Fourth brother? What's wrong? Is it your wound...?" Lin Shen tried to turn around to check on him.

"Don't move..." Lin Ming's voice was muffled, with a sob in it, his cheek buried deep in the crook of his neck, greedily absorbing that little bit of warmth and comfort.

"Please... don't move, just for a little while..."

Lin Shen stood frozen in place, not daring to move.

Then, he clearly felt the skin on the side of his neck come into contact with a warm, wet patch, and the wetness quickly spread, soaking his collar.

He...cried?

This realization made Lin Shen tense up.

The fourth brother, who was always proud, prickly, and would rather bleed than show weakness, was now silently weeping behind him like a helpless child.

Hot tears fell one after another onto his skin, burning him with a searing heat that also stung his heart.

"Second brother... I was wrong..." Lin Ming's voice was broken, filled with deep regret and self-loathing, "I know I was wrong... I really know I was wrong..."

He was wrong? Lin Shen frowned even more in confusion, completely bewildered as to what Lin Ming was apologizing for.

Was it because of the danger he encountered yesterday that implicated him? Or was it because of his past reckless and confrontational remarks?

He opened his mouth, but choked up by the sudden situation and the torrent of tears on his neck, unable to utter a word of comfort or inquiry.

His silence seemed to provoke the person behind him who was already emotionally out of control.

Lin Ming sensed his silence, and his body trembled even more violently, the arm that was tightly holding him even spasmed slightly from the force.

Despair washed over him like ice water, and he choked out incoherent, self-destructive sobs.

Why won't you answer me... Do you... hate me?

As if he had finally found an outlet, his long-suppressed emotions burst forth like a dam breaking, and his voice trembled with a heartbreaking intensity.

"That's right... Someone like me... deserves to be hated... Mother was like that... Father was like that... You should be like that too..."

“I am gloomy…narrow-minded…full of unspeakable jealousy and resentment…I even…even…”

In that life-or-death moment, he even secretly hoped that if only he and his second brother were in that cave, no one would ever find them.

This filthy thought made him feel utterly ashamed.

"Someone like me... deserves to be alone... deserves it..."

Lin Shen pursed his lips and sighed deeply.

"Fourth brother, let me go first."

Lin Ming didn't want to let go, but he was worried about angering his second brother, so he reluctantly let go, his head down so that his expression couldn't be seen.

Lin Shen turned his head, reached out and gently lifted the boy's face. The boy's eyes were blurry with tears, and his eyes were red.

Lin Shen then realized that this guy was only fifteen years old...