Male?

At the same time, the young man indeed brought Su Luoheng to a medical clinic.

The old physician carefully examined him and found that it was just a case of weakness caused by excessive exertion. Given Su Luoheng's physical condition, a night's rest would be sufficient for a full recovery.

"Are you sure there are no other issues?"

"Yes, this child will be fine after a night's rest."

"See, I told you I'm fine..."

Receiving the professional's confirmation, Su Luoheng spread his hands in exasperation.

Seeing this, the young man smiled warmly, finding the little guy in front of him quite amusing.

"Can I leave now?" Su Luoheng yawned sleepily. This eventful night had exhausted him, and all he wanted was to get back to the hotel and sleep in a nice, comfortable bed.

The young man gave a mysterious smile and said, "No rush, just wait a moment."

"Hmm?"

As Su Luoheng was feeling puzzled, the guard who had left earlier returned, holding something wrapped in an oil-paper bag with both hands. "Young master, here is what you asked for."

The young man took it from the guard and handed it to the wide-eyed Su Luoheng.

"This is for you, little brother. Open it and have a look."

"…"

Su Luoheng hesitated for a moment before accepting the oil-paper bag and opening it. Inside were ten shiny, crystal-clear candied hawthorns.

Little Luoheng's curiosity was piqued, and he asked with interest, "How did you know I like these?"

"I guessed."

The young man smiled brightly and explained, "Earlier, I noticed your eyes never left them, so I guessed you might like these. So, I sent someone to buy some for you."

"Seems like I guessed right."

"Thank you, big sister~"

Su Luoheng nodded in thanks, then picked up one of the skewers to taste.

He took a bite with a crunch.

The sweet and tangy flavor filled his taste buds, making Su Luoheng squint his eyes in delight as he chewed with pleasure.

"Big sister?"

At the same moment, hearing himself being called "big sister," the young man was stunned.

A complex expression briefly flickered across his face before he feigned helplessness, raising his chin. "Little brother, take a good look. You should call me 'big brother,' not 'big sister.'"

"Huh?!"

Su Luoheng was slightly taken aback and began to carefully examine the young man in front of him.

The beautiful features and the faint fragrance he noticed when he was in his arms earlier had led Su Luoheng to instinctively assume the person was a woman without a second thought.

But now, upon closer inspection, he finally noticed the differences.

Although his skin was fair, there was a prominent Adam's apple on his neck.

And his facial features were more angular and defined.

Who could have guessed this without a closer look?

Su Luoheng suddenly felt like a herd of a thousand alpacas was running wild in his heart. Even the candied hawthorn in his hand seemed less tasty.

So, he's a man, really a man!

The beautiful big sister he thought he had seen had suddenly turned into a man, leaving Su Luoheng feeling very conflicted.

How to put it...

Such a pity for such a pretty face~

Thinking of this, Su Luoheng couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.

"What's wrong, little brother?"

"N-nothing, I'm just a bit surprised by... big brother's appearance."

Su Luoheng smiled awkwardly and pulled out a skewer of candied hawthorn from his pocket to hide his embarrassment. "Big brother, would you like to try one? Candied hawthorns are really delicious~"

The young man smiled warmly, just about to decline, but in the end, he accepted the candied hawthorn from Su Luoheng, appreciating the gesture.

"By the way, at such a young age, why are you out on the street alone? Aren't your parents with you?"

"I'm here in Mingdu for Academy, sneaked out tonight."

"I hope you achieve what you wish for."

"…"

For the sake of the candied hawthorn, Su Luoheng continued chatting with him.

After some conversation, their relationship seemed to warm up quite a bit. The young man didn't take Su Luoheng's talk of attending the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy seriously, thinking it was just a child's joke. After all, being the capital of the Sun and Moon Empire, not just anyone could attend the academy here.

After a while, a servant whispered something to him.

"Young master..."

"I understand."

The young man nodded slightly, and his expression turned serious.

Looking down at Su Luoheng, he forced a smile and said, "Little brother, I have some matters to attend to. If we are fated, we will meet again."

"Goodbye, big brother."

"Goodbye~"

"…"

After a brief, "friendly" exchange, the young man turned and quickly followed the servant away.

"Darn it..."

"Once again, I'm treated like a little kid!"

Su Luoheng sighed and ran his fingers through his slightly messy hair.

If it were a pretty lady, he might reluctantly endure it, but no matter what kind of man it is, he absolutely can't stand it!

'Forget it, I'll let it go for the sake of the candied hawthorn~'

…

…

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the same city.

The young man, now seated in a carriage, suddenly sneezed.

"Are you alright, young prince?"

"I'm fine, Uncle Chen."

The elder known as Uncle Chen breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled and said, "Young prince, I noticed that you seem much happier today than usual, almost like… the way you were in the past."

"Really?"

Hearing this, the young prince paused for a moment.

Suddenly, he remembered something, and a flash of blue appeared in his hand as the candied hawthorn reappeared in his palm.

The young prince looked at the candied hawthorn and murmured softly to himself, then asked, "Uncle Chen, is this really that good?"

"Everyone's taste is different; you should try it yourself," Uncle Chen replied with a smile.

"It does look pretty good."

With a tentative attitude, he imitated Su Luoheng's actions and bit into a piece of hawthorn. It melted in his mouth, the flavor a perfect balance of sweet and sour, with a faint hint of bitterness and sweetness lingering on his palate.

It tastes surprisingly good~

The flavor was far more complex than he had imagined.

In no time, the young prince finished off the remaining candied hawthorn.

Upon reflection, he realized that ever since he met that child, today had indeed been different from usual, though he couldn't quite understand why he felt so delighted chatting with a young boy he had never met before.

Perhaps it was because he had been so isolated for so long without contact with outsiders?

Thinking of this, he smiled bitterly and thought to himself: Maybe that really is the case…

Ever since that incident, he had completely closed off his heart, never again truly expressing any emotions.