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

Chapter 376 His Highness the Crown Prince is Outstandingly Talented (4)

At midnight, a strong wind, carrying large raindrops, pounded hard on the glazed tiles, making a loud crackling sound.

Suddenly, a pale white flash of lightning tore through the inky night sky, almost at the same instant.

"Boom—!"

A deafening thunderclap exploded overhead, its terrifying force seemingly shaking the entire Eastern Palace.

On the bed, Lin Shen suddenly opened his eyes, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, almost as if it would jump out.

He was breathing heavily, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead, and his undergarments were soaked with sweat, sticking stickily to his skin.

He just had a dream.

Even in my dreams, it's a rainy night like this, with lightning, thunder, and torrential rain.

But the air in the dream was filled with a heavy, nauseating smell of blood, which even a torrential downpour couldn't wash away.

He held a cold, heavy longsword in his hand, its blade covered in thick, dark red blood, which dripped slowly from the tip.

He was covered in blood, it was hard to tell if it was his own or someone else's, and he stood there all alone in a spacious and familiar hall. At his feet... there seemed to be some things lying haphazardly at his feet, indistinct and unclear, yet chilling to the bone.

The feeling was so real, as if he had truly stood amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, wielding a sharp blade.

Lin Shen raised his hand and rubbed his throbbing temples hard, trying to dispel the palpitations and confusion brought on by the nightmare.

"Your Highness! Your Highness, what's wrong?"

Chunyue, who was keeping watch outside, was awakened by the thunder and the commotion inside, and hurriedly put on her coat and ran in.

By the occasional flashes of lightning outside the window, she saw Lin Shen sitting on the bed, his face pale. She immediately frowned with worry, hurried to the bedside, and asked anxiously, "Were you frightened by the thunder?"

Lin Shen shook his head, his voice still a little hoarse, carrying the confusion of just waking up and the weakness left by the nightmare: "It wasn't thunder..."

He felt dizzy and heavy-headed, as if his head was filled with lead. He subconsciously lowered his head and didn't want to say anything more.

At this moment, Li Mao also heard the commotion and rushed in in a panic. When he saw Lin Shen's appearance, he was terrified. "Oh my Your Highness! What's wrong? Why do you look so pale!"

He paced anxiously, cold sweat instantly pouring down his back. "This servant will go and fetch the imperial physician right away! Right now!"

Li Mao was about to rush out when Lin Shen stopped him.

"Where is Father?" Lin Shen raised his head, a hint of dependence in his voice, and asked softly.

On such a rainy night, after experiencing such a terrible dream, he subconsciously wanted to seek the protection of his closest loved ones.

Upon hearing this, Li Mao paused, a hint of embarrassment on his face, and cautiously replied, "Your Highness, His Majesty... His Majesty stayed with the Imperial Concubine tonight and has already retired. Should... should this servant go and invite His Majesty over now?"

He knew full well how much His Majesty doted on the Crown Prince. If he knew the Crown Prince was unwell, he would surely rush over immediately. But it was late at night and the rain was heavy, and His Majesty had already retired to the Consort's residence. Going to invite him rashly would inevitably lead to trouble...

Lin Shen's eyes dimmed for a moment, then he shook his head, lowered his head again, and said in a muffled voice, "No need. It's too late, don't disturb Father's rest."

He paused, suppressing the disappointment and inexplicable unease in his heart, and ordered, "Go and fetch the imperial physician."

"Yes, yes! This servant will go right away!" Li Mao dared not delay when the Crown Prince spoke. He quickly bowed and agreed, then hurriedly rushed into the pouring rain outside the palace.

The bedchamber was temporarily quiet, with only the sounds of the raging wind and rain and thunder outside the window.

Lin Shen sat silently on the bed, letting Chun Yue drape an outer robe over him.

He frowned, trying hard to recall the dream he had just had.

The scene was fragmented, yet it carried a strange sense of familiarity, especially the feeling of holding a sharp sword and being covered in blood—cold and real, as if… as if it had really happened before.

“It’s very strange…” he muttered to himself.

He had never experienced such a bloody and terrifying scene. This dream was simply too absurd.

The more he thought about it, the more his head ached, as if a needle was constantly pricking it.

Seeing that his brows were furrowing more and more and his complexion was getting worse, Chun Yue quickly stepped forward, stretched out her fingers and gently massaged his temples, softly comforting him.

"Your Highness, please don't overthink it. Perhaps the thunder was too loud and startled you, or perhaps you were tired from reading during the day. The imperial physician will prescribe a calming medicine when he arrives. Please relax and don't worry too much, lest you feel unwell."

Feeling the soothing pressure from his temples and listening to Chun Yue's gentle advice, Lin took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

He knew that overthinking would be pointless and would only cause him more trouble.

He had no choice but to force himself to suppress the chaotic, bloody fragments of his dream, as well as the inexplicable unease in his heart, and stop thinking about it.

But that feeling of palpitation lingered like the cold, damp air outside the palace.

Under the same torrential rain and thunder, in another palace not far away, Emperor Qi, who had just lain down fully clothed, was also startled by the deafening thunder and inexplicably opened his eyes.

The flashes of lightning outside the window made him furrow his brow, and a sudden, inexplicable panic gripped him.

"Li Quan!" He sat up abruptly and called out in a deep voice towards the outside of the hall.

Li Quan, the eunuch who had been waiting outside the palace, immediately bowed and jogged in: "Your Majesty, this servant is here."

"Is anything wrong at the Eastern Palace? Is the Crown Prince alright?" Emperor Qi's voice carried an urgency he himself was unaware of. He always felt that in such terrible weather, his not-so-daring Bao'er would be frightened.

Li Quan was taken aback by the question. He had not received any news from the Eastern Palace, but he seemed to have glimpsed lights in the direction of the Eastern Palace just now, so he reported the truth.

"Your Majesty, this servant has not received any report from the Crown Prince's Palace. However... just now, from a distance, it did seem as if the Crown Prince's Palace had lit up. Perhaps Your Highness was also awakened by the thunder?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Emperor Qi's expression changed drastically. He sprang up from the bed almost instantly, grabbed the outer robe casually draped over the rack next to him, and put it on with such speed that it created a gust of wind.

"It's lit up? Why didn't you report it if something happened!"

The emperor's voice was filled with obvious anger and dissatisfaction that the crown prince might have been frightened but no one had come to report it. He didn't even have time to put on his boots properly, and shuffled out, his tone resolute, "Prepare the carriage for the Eastern Palace!"

His sudden action naturally woke up Consort Yu, who was sleeping peacefully on the bed.

Consort Yu, still half asleep, saw Emperor Qi about to rush into the rain, his clothes disheveled. She quickly reached out and grabbed his sleeve, her voice soft and worried, as if she had just woken up.

"Your Majesty! There's thunder and lightning outside, and the rain is so heavy. Be careful not to get wet and harm your health! If anything happens to the Crown Prince, someone from the Eastern Palace will come to report..."

At this moment, Emperor Qi was preoccupied with the lights lit up in the Eastern Palace and his son who might be frightened. He couldn't hear her words at all. He frowned, shook off her hand without any mercy, and spoke in a cold and hard tone.

"Your Highness, please rest well. I'm leaving now."

After saying that, he didn't look at her again, and strode out of the bedchamber without turning back, his back view carrying an undeniable determination.

Consort Yu's hand froze in mid-air as she watched the bright yellow figure disappear into the rain without a trace of regret. In the end, she simply closed her eyes slowly, a bitter smile spreading across her lips.

She knew that His Majesty easily lost his composure when it came to matters concerning the Crown Prince; his imperial health and the rules were no match for His Highness the Crown Prince.

Outside the palace, torrential rain poured down, and a strong wind whipped the rain into their faces.

Li Quan hurriedly held up a huge oil-paper umbrella, trying to shield the emperor from the wind and rain, but the Qi emperor walked very fast, his heart filled with anxiety.

Li Quan, being heavy and clumsy, and also having to hold the umbrella, couldn't keep up. He could only chase after him, panting, shouting, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty, slow down! Watch your step! The umbrella... the umbrella!"

Emperor Qi ignored him, and the cold rain instantly soaked his hair, cheeks, and thin outer robe, leaving him completely drenched.

Rain dripped down his jawline, but he was oblivious, feeling only a growing palpitation in his chest and regret creeping up on him like vines.

If only I hadn't come to the Consort's place tonight, I should have stayed with Abao! What if Abao got scared…

He dared not think any further, and quickened his pace, almost running towards the East Palace.