Hold it Tighly

The morning comes.

The cold dew hovering above the ground, quite high to cover the sight.

It's so cold out there and the activities become slower than they used to be. Some inn workers are busy preparing dry grass for their special guest's horses, while some soldiers and guards are seen taking out the porridge from the kitchen and eating it while it's hot. The situation on the ground floor is quite lively, even if the men don't have any conversation and enjoy the morning quietly. 

While in the largest room on the second floor.

BaiYing still holds up in his bed. He already woke up this morning and was ready to get out until something made him stop. He smiled looking at The Crown Prince who sat in front of him, holding his palms massage it gently since his hand was a little sore from the deep knife wound before. It's so hurt and throbbing that he couldn't move his hand

"It still hurts?" LuoXiang asked.

BaiYing nodded while whimpering every second.

"Yeah, I thought it wouldn't hurt anymore until this morning"

"It's because of the cold, when we get back to the palace I will ask the healer to give you the best medicine ever. It won't be long until the scars disappear and your hands become smooth again."

The Crown Prince lowered his head to kiss the wound, it made BaiYing a little amused. The young man then took the ointment on the table not far from his seat.

"But, how did you get this wound? Isn't that guy taking good care of you? He sure has great martial skills so if he cares about you, you won't get hurt at all."

LuoXiang applied oil to BaiYing's left hand until the pain eased slightly.

"Em, I cut it myself with a knife."

Luo Xiang stopped his movements when he heard BaiYing's answer, he frowned.

"Why? Did you go to kill yourself out of despair? Or because you miss me too much? "

BaiYing glanced at the Crown Prince, that overconfident and narcissistic man who loves to tease him again.

"No, I wasn't, said who? Your Highness to overconfident. It just, I think if I'm hurt Brother YiFang would ask the physician to come, and when that happens, I'll ask him to convey the message to Your Highness about the place where I am all this time"

LuoXiang then raised his hand to stroke BaiYing smooth hair and looked deeply into his eyes.

"Hemm, this little Ying took a big risk, how about if that physician is also one of YiFang's accomplices? Have you thought about that?"

BaiYing frowned, his eyes widened, and realized the Crown Prince's words.

"Oh No, that's right, why didn't I think about that before? Is it all my effort in vain? How about my Jade hairpin and bracelet which I gave to him as a reward? How about the gold hairpin Your Majesty gave to me? All of that is gone now?"

BaiYing's eyes still glared with a confused face, biting his nails occasionally. He didn't think far about what he had done. He was about to knock on his head but LuoXiang stopped him.

"Hey"

"Eh" the young man turned his head towards Luo Xiang who was staring at him while restraining himself from laughing. He grabbed BaiYing's hand and flicked BaiYing's forehead.

"This stupid kid, it turns out to be our very smart YingYing is also a bit stupid. Have you thought about how can we find you if nobody told me about it? This brat" LuoXiang flicked the young man's forehead.

BaiYing touched his forehead, he smiled shyly,

"Yeah, I didn't think about that"

LuoXiang was exasperated, he still wanted to pinch BaiYing's cheek again.

"This kid really"

BaiYing held LuoXiang's hand, it made the Crown Prince speechless. All this time BaiYing had never touched his hand if it wasn't him who held it first. The boy held his palm and looked at it for a long time. He slowly raised his wide palm and brushed it to his cheek. That makes the Crown Prince stunned.

"Eh YingYing"

"Your Majesty's hand is so warm, I like it so much, can I keep holding it?"

LuoXiang smiled and nodded.

"Of course, you can, you can always hold it, and don't ever let it go"

BaiYing closed his eyes, feeling the warmth in the man's big and large palms that touched his soft cheeks.

"Your Majesty, I don't demand much, I know, I can't ask too much. But, once in a while, it would be so nice just to be able to hold your hand. When I'm sad, it feel so calm if I can hold this hand"

LuoXiang didn't move, not even an inch. He pulled his hand away from BaiYing grip slowly, things that made the young man's eyes widen. Maybe the Crown Prince didn't like it, but when he was about to raise his head to look at him, LuoXiang raised his two broad hands and held BaiYing cheeks, shifted the young man's head, and kissed his forehead gently.

BaiYing stunned.

And then he hugged him.

"Not just holding, I will hug you so tight, anytime you want it"

"Your Highness"

BaiYing still stuttered, when Luo Xiang pulled out his hand after reaching into the cloth bag hanging on his waist. He took out something that BaiYing was quite familiar with, the gold colorful hair pick with gold chains hanger that BaiYing loved so much because of its witty color. He then attached it to BaiYing's hair bun.

BaiYing touched, at least the hair pick was something that was given by someone other than his family for the first time, and it was the Crown Prince's first gift to him.

"Here you are, this is yours. And when we arrive at the palace, I will help you wash your hair and scrub your back again. After that I will order the designer to make very beautiful clothes for you to wear, em then ..."

BaiYing smiled at the thoughtful Crown Prince so seriously that his forehead creased.

"I already have a lot of clothes, Your Highness, it's better something else"

"Nope, you only have a few sets of clothes. I'll buy lots of beautiful pieces of cloth from abroad and ask them to make pretty clothes for you"

"Your Highness, the others will get more jealous of me, they will hate me more"

"So, I don't care. How about your shoes? Do you have a pair of shoes to go to the valley? The last time we went there you almost slipped because your shoes were not suitable, you could fall again later"

"Your Majesty, please."

BaiYing still tried to stop the Crown Prince who kept talking, he kept thinking of everything he could.

"Your Majesty"

.....