Becoming Puppet Emperor of a Paranoid Eunuch - Chapter 79

Ning Qinghong wrapped his arms around Wu Jing and comforted him by patting his back, “Wu Wu, why are you hiding?” He smiled, “Don’t be afraid.”

 

Wu Jing was momentarily stunned. Hearing Ning Qinghong comforting him, he tried to control his breathing and carefully looked back, but he stopped struggling. He swallowed and softly said, “I’m sorry.”

 

He was genuinely scared.

 

Wu Jing lowered his head, anxiously kneeling on Ning Qinghong’s lap, his arms no longer wrapped around him but fiddling nervously. “I really didn’t mean to.”

 

Ning Qinghong pressed down on Wu Jing’s intertwined hands, holding the young man’s slender wrists with his long fingers, and gently placed Wu Jing’s hands on his own cheek.

 

The young man’s fingertips trembled. Without realizing it, he tilted his head up, staring blankly at Ning Qinghong, his body so rigid that he was unable to move, sitting solidly on Ning Qinghong’s lap.

 

Hearing Ning Qinghong’s gentle coaxing and warm smile, “Wu Wu, don’t be afraid.” He repeated softly, “Don’t be afraid.”

 

Not “Don’t be scared” or “It’s okay.”

 

But “Don’t be afraid.” 

 

Even with Ning Qinghong being so reassuring, Wu Jing, still dazed, immediately wanted to retract his hands, shaking his head and saying, “I’m sorry.”

 

Ning Qinghong applied a bit of pressure, “Wu Wu.”

 

Wu Jing immediately ceased his struggling, trembling, and dared not move.

 

Ning Qinghong sighed softly, “You’re so timid.” He asked, “Why did you dare to come see me?”

 

It was not just timidity but also the fear from earlier encounters with this person that had remained buried deep in his heart. When Ning Qinghong was kind, Wu Jing dared to act willfully.

 

But after experiencing Ning Qinghong’s cold and unyielding attitude, Wu Jing retreated.

 

It felt as if he realized his position wasn’t significant enough to act out or be reckless; he had to be obedient and listen.

 

But now Ning Qinghong held his hand, placed it on his own face, and comforted him, telling him not to be afraid.

 

Ning Qinghong was teaching him.

 

But Wu Jing was completely unaware of this. Hearing the question, he could only speak honestly, his voice barely audible, “I don’t know.” On the verge of tears, he said incoherently, “Brother has done so many good things for me. After I realized, my heart felt heavy. I don’t know why it felt heavy.”

 

“And then I wanted to see you more and more.”

 

“I knew you were ill and was very worried about you.”

 

“I missed you, so I came to see you.”

 

Wu Jing babbled, each word coming out spontaneously, with no hint of deceit, almost revealing a heart that was soft and easily affected.

 

He held his breath, “At first, I wasn’t so scared, but later, I noticed you were a bit different from usual, a bit stern, and said things like that.”

 

Ning Qinghong asked gently, “What things?”

 

Wu Jing faltered, opened his lips, but couldn’t say a word.

 

Ning Qinghong smiled, “Is it really because of what your brother said? Wu Wu didn’t lie?”

 

Wu Jing shook his head and nodded, “No, I didn’t lie. I don’t know how, how—” His emotions began to break down, “Because, because you…”

 

How could he express it?

 

Because he had already become so comfortable, only to find that the other person remained indifferent, just watching him with a detached gaze.

 

As if only… only he was embarrassed.

 

Too much.

 

Ning Qinghong said slowly, “Because of me?”

 

Wu Jing stuttered, “Because you, you were the one who kissed me first, and then stopped halfway, leaving me alone to play.”

 

Ning Qinghong murmured softly, “Then brother was indeed unfair.” He lowered his voice, “It’s understandable for Wu Wu to want to hit brother, isn’t it?”

 

Wu Jing’s entire body felt hot, and he nodded anxiously, as if eager to justify himself.

 

As if being reassured that it was not wrong to be angry.

 

He never expected to discuss such personal and sensitive matters so directly.

 

Especially in broad daylight, with the carriage moving through the busy street, surrounded by people.

 

They spoke softly, barely audible to others.

 

But inside the carriage, they could hear the vendors’ calls and the sound of wheels.

 

Ning Qinghong gently stroked Wu Jing’s cheek with his fingertips, caressing the young man’s neck and ear, his gaze affectionate. He asked softly, “Then why did Wu Wu want to find me again after running away for a few days?”

 

Wu Jing exhaled, feeling dazed, “I… I missed you.”

 

Ning Qinghong leaned down and kissed the corner of his lips, “If I ignored Wu Wu, would Wu Wu still miss brother?”

 

Wu Jing, helplessly, said, “I know you… you did it for my sake, not letting me see you—”

 

Before he could finish, Ning Qinghong’s lips invaded his, almost reaching deep.

 

Wu Jing “mmed” a few times, stunned by the kiss, breathing heavily.

 

Ning Qinghong, in the pauses, asked softly, “Wu Wu isn’t unhappy?”

 

Wu Jing, with a tearful tone, said, “Yes, I’m unhappy.” He was so dazed from the kisses that he spoke openly about his feelings, “I’m also very sad, and I missed you so much.”

 

He was kissed again.

 

Wu Jing, almost melting into Ning Qinghong, heard Ning Qinghong gently ask, “Does Wu Wu want to touch brother’s face again now?”

 

During their conversation and kisses, his hands had remained on Ning Qinghong’s face. After a series of desensitizing actions, the young man was no longer so afraid.

 

Wu Jing’s courage grew. He slowly touched Ning Qinghong’s face with his fingertips, but whenever his gaze met Ning Qinghong’s reassuring and encouraging eyes, he quickly looked away, feeling embarrassed.

 

Eventually, he slowly placed his other hand on Ning Qinghong’s other cheek, touched it clumsily, and, seeing Ning Qinghong’s half-closed eyes and bowed head, instinctively straightened his slumped posture and, with moist, shimmering lips, softly pressed a kiss to Ning Qinghong’s thin lips.

 

The sound was clear to both of them.

 

Ning Qinghong laughed softly.

 

Wu Jing snapped back to his senses. When he tried to pull away, he heard Ning Qinghong ask, “No more fear?”

 

For a long time, the young man only nodded slightly.

 

The surroundings had become quiet without Wu Jing noticing, and he realized they must be almost home. When the carriage stopped, he instinctively buried his face, only vaguely feeling Ning Qinghong lift him up and gently get out of the carriage.

 

The autumn wind outside was cold, and he was covered with a warm cloak before being carried inside.

 

After hearing Ning Qinghong say, “No need to follow,” Wu Jing dared to look up only after a while, seeing the familiar face. His cheeks were flushed, his eyelids still wet, and his lips glistening with moisture.

 

He then looked at Ning Qinghong’s profile and hesitantly asked, “Can you tell me…” After a long pause, he asked nervously, “What illness did you have?”

 

He began to tentatively explore the situation, daring to ask.

 

His curiosity was different from before.

 

Ning Qinghong recalled, “Fuchen should have told you before.”

 

Wu Jing pressed his lips together, “I didn’t want him to tell me.” He looked slightly embarrassed, “I wanted to hear it from you.”

 

Ning Qinghong laughed softly, “Then ask Wu Wu.”

 

Wu Jing asked cautiously, “How does it occur? Do you not want to interact with people when you’re feeling down?” His caution was due to the fear of touching on a sensitive topic.

 

In his impression, people with mental illnesses often went through unpleasant experiences.

 

Ning Qinghong explained calmly, “It’s not like that.” He explained clearly, “It comes and goes without any regular pattern.”

 

“It might repeat within a day or last for ten days or more without improvement. It’s not that I don’t want to interact with people during an episode; it’s just that there’s not much energy or stamina, and my appetite also declines.”

 

“This is generally known. Even now, I’m not fully recovered. My energy can be abnormally high. For example, I sleep much less than you, often waking up very early or not feeling tired at all.”

 

“Everything seems… very interesting.”

 

His words conveyed an unusual clarity, stripping himself down but unable to prevent the fluctuating moods from taking control. He could only watch quietly and let himself sink.

 

Ning Qinghong was talking to Wu Jing, and when he finished speaking, he gently kissed the corner of the young man’s eye with a faint smile, “For example, right now.”

 

Wu Jing was taken aback, feeling a sudden warmth, “You, don’t say such things.”

 

He was almost at a loss.

 

Wu Jing turned his face away, “And then?”

 

Ning Qinghong said, “It’s like this in the beginning, but the symptoms become milder later on, though there’s no real calm.”

 

Wu Jing didn’t dare to ask how it was contracted; he only cautiously asked, “What did the palace doctors and the doctors in the mansion say?”

 

Ning Qinghong smiled lightly, “There are no recorded cases in medical books, so they can only prescribe calming medicine. The medicinal diet is also meant to replenish energy and blood when appetite is poor.”

 

Does that mean it can’t be cured?

 

Wu Jing wondered.

 

He found the information somewhat familiar, slowly translating Ning Qinghong’s words into modern terminology, trying to recall if he had come across similar text fragments or videos in the fast-paced world.

 

It seemed he had.

 

But Wu Jing couldn’t remember clearly, only vaguely recalling the term “bipolar” as a complex condition involving both depressive and manic symptoms, occurring in two distinct phases.

 

He wasn’t a professional, but it was already good enough to find related knowledge in his memory.

 

Mental illness had been far from Wu Jing’s experience; he had no personal contact with patients.

 

He felt that even if he knew, it seemed he couldn’t help Ning Qinghong much. In an era without systematic research on such conditions, the chance of curing it seemed minimal.

 

It couldn’t be cured.

 

Although… Wu Jing thought, Ning Qinghong seemed to have been reading medical books. He suddenly felt sad and couldn’t help but hug the person in front of him tightly.

 

He also felt that Ning Qinghong seemed a bit different from his memory. Wu Jing didn’t think that Ning Qinghong was someone who would deny him in his heart.

 

Even during an episode.