Winning the male lead

Lin Le Tian coldly said, “It’s just a puppy, its teeth aren’t even fully grown. Stop talking and treat me.”

“Your Excellency, this is caused by blood stasis. Let me brew some hot medicine and apply it. Use it for seven days and you’ll be fine.”

Seven days?! Lin Le Tian tightened his grip on Han Qi’s hand even more, thinking, Did you hear that, wild dog? Seven days!

His face darkened to the point that it seemed like water could drop from it. He coldly said, “Hurry up and brew the medicine.”

The bruise medicine was readily available. Zhang Yuanpan had the imperial doctors deliver the medicine, and they quickly heated it up in the side hall. Using a jade knife, they applied the medicine to Lin Le Tian.

He screamed internally: Pain, pain, pain, can’t take it anymore! Help, help! He gripped Han Qi’s arm tightly, his pale face contorting in agony.

The system calmly responded, “Endure it, this is just rehearsal for future tormenting with Han Qi, both physically and emotionally.”

Lin Le Tian: “….”

Unable to hold back any longer, he pulled Han Qi’s arm closer and bit down on his thumb.

Han Qi was startled by the sudden bite and opened his eyes. Immediately, Lin Le Tian’s body was fully exposed before him.

The hot medicine was applied to his pale skin, and it looked as though large red plum blossoms were blooming, a striking yet disturbing sight, with an almost masochistic beauty. For a moment, Han Qi couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Zhang Yuanpan noticed him staring and quickly said, “Sir, you have a strong grip. Could you please assist the him in pushing the medicine’s potency through?”

Lin Le Tian, still biting Han Qi’s hand, couldn’t say anything in protest.

Han Qi, with one hand held by Lin Le Tian’s bite, placed the other on his injured waist as instructed by Zhang Yuanpan. The medicine was hot, and the skin that wasn’t injured was cool, soft, and slippery—like the finest silk, the kind that would make anyone who touched it unwilling to let go.

Han Qi closed his eyes and cleared his mind, focusing all his energy on rubbing the medicine in.

As soon as he applied force, Lin Le Tian’s pain increased, and he bit down harder, filling his mouth with the taste of blood.

When the medicine took effect, Lin Le Tian felt as though half his life had been drained away. Han Qi followed Zhang Yuanpan’s instructions to adjust his inner shirt and wrap him up in the blanket. Lin Le Tian, overwhelmed by pain, was losing consciousness. Before the excruciating pain ended, he opened his mouth.

Han Qi withdrew his hand, his thumb bitten to the point that the flesh was torn, and Lin Le Tian’s lips were stained with traces of blood, like rouge. His white teeth were perfectly hidden behind his red lips, still carrying faint bloodstains, making him look fragile and pitiful.

“Sir, your hand?” Zhang Yuanpan asked softly.

“It’s nothing.” Han Qi picked up the still unconscious Lin Le Tian, carrying him to the inner hall and gently placing him back down on the dragon bed.

Lin Le Tian remained silent, allowing him to arrange him, his black hair scattered around him as he tilted his head and fell into a deep slumber.

Han Qi stared at him for a moment, thinking: Such a ruthless person, yet so afraid of pain.

There was no need to stand guard for the night. With Lin Le Tian looking so frail, it was unlikely he would even be able to get up. Han Qi exited the inner hall and told Zhang Yuanpan, who was still waiting outside, “he doesn’t want His Majesty to worry. Please come early tomorrow to change his medicine.”

“Yes, we will listen to him,” Zhang Yuanpan sighed lightly, “Sir, should I bandage your hand?”

“No need, it’s just a small injury.” Han Qi tucked his hand into his sleeve, cupped his hands in respect, and turned to leave.

Zhang Yuanpan watched his retreating figure in the night, muttering to himself, “I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before.”

The palace roads were silent, with the night guards standing still like statues, as if they had grown into the palace walls. The hand Han Qi had used to hold the knife stung with the cold of the handle, but he remained expressionless as he walked, his steps growing more decisive.

He’s back, he’s finally back!

After walking down the long palace path and reaching a deserted area, Han Qi finally stopped. He pressed his hand against the cold palace wall, his emotions surging in his eyes.

When he was still a prince, he lived in Bo Hai Pavilion, one of the many inconspicuous buildings in the palace. His biological mother, Consort Shen, passed away shortly after giving birth to him, and his experiences with Zong Yan were similar in many ways, though their circumstances were entirely different.

Before the age of twelve, he was an unnoticed prince. Though he wasn’t destined for the throne, he lived peacefully and happily. But at twelve, he was sent away from the capital, bearing the curse of killing his mother. On the way, he was ambushed and nearly killed—an arrow pierced his chest, and his leg was almost burned off. After reaching the battlefield, he experienced countless bloody battles.

He struck the wall with force, causing the flesh of his injured palm to tear open. The blood that had just clotted began to seep out again. The pain was almost nothing to him.

Lin Le Tian… The suffering I endured, you will repay it a hundred, a thousand times!

Lin Le Tian didn’t sleep well that night, plagued by dreams of strawberries being squashed. He woke up startled, “System, am I paralyzed?” His lower body was completely numb, stiff, and unresponsive.

The system replied, “How’s the body and heart tormenting going?”

Lin Le Tian: “Wuwuwu… I was wrong…”

The system snorted lightly. “You’re not paralyzed. The medicine you applied is calming and numbing the pain.”

Lin Le Tian let out a sigh of relief. “Zhang Yuanpan truly deserves his position as the head of the Imperial Medical Bureau. He must be rewarded.”

Just as he finished speaking, Zhang Yuanpan arrived with a small medicine box, tiptoeing into the inner hall, his round head swaying as he looked for people.

Han Qi returned to the hall, covered in night mist, and saw Zhang Yuanpan bending over at the door, clearing his throat.

Zhang Yuanpan turned around and whispered, “Sir.”

Han Qi nodded and entered the inner hall. His heart was calm as he bent down to pick up Lin Le Tian, only to find that he had already opened his eyes, staring blankly ahead. His black eyes lacked focus, as if he were lost between dreams and reality.

Lin Le Tian turned his head slightly. “What is it?”

“It’s time for the medicine change,” Han Qi said softly.

With great effort, Lin Le Tian pulled his hand out from under the blanket and slapped Han Qi’s left cheek. He didn’t have the strength, and the slap was so light it was almost imperceptible, like the scratch of a cat. Han Qi’s face didn’t even flinch as he silently picked him up.

When changing the medicine, Lin Le Tian’s waist suddenly regained sensation, and the pain was so intense it felt earth-shattering. He grabbed Han Qi’s hand and bit down hard, crying to the system: “I don’t want to be tormented by Han Qi anymore, it hurts too much!”

The system responded, “Heh, isn’t the elephant’s skin thick?”

Lin Le Tian: “Wuwuwu…”

After the ordeal, he felt as if he were paralyzed again. He ordered Han Qi to take him back to his private quarters so that Zong Yan wouldn’t see him in this state and make a scene. He also called in Zhu Chuchu and instructed her on what to say.

Zhu Chuchu, tears in her eyes, listened carefully and bit her lip. “Your Excellency, I’ll go back and serve you.”

“No need. You should serve His Majesty properly,” Lin Le Tian said coldly, patting Han Qi’s arm to signal him to leave.

Back in his own quarters, he finally let out a sigh of relief. He glanced at Han Qi’s hand, which was covered in bite marks from him.

After lying down, he asked, “Does it hurt?”

Han Qi shook his head. “It doesn’t hurt.”

“Look down,” he said lazily.

Han Qi did as he was told, only to receive another slap from Lin Le Tian. He suppressed his rising anger, bowing his head so he wouldn’t notice the humiliation in his expression.

“I was wrong,” Han Qi gritted his teeth.

After a long silence, Lin Le Tian’s soft voice floated down.

“Go to the Imperial Medical Bureau and have it bandaged. I don’t want to see the wound on your hand.”

Han Qi’s heart jolted, and he quickly suppressed his emotions. “Understood.”

At the Imperial Medical Bureau, Zhang Yuanpan wasn’t there. The attending doctor was bandaging Han Qi’s hand and asked in confusion, “Sir, what was this bite from?”

Han Qi carelessly replied, “A wild dog.”