Chapter Text
A bright, blue cloudless sky is upon Dachen and a familiar blonde opens his fan and waves his hair back as he sighs contentedly. "Today will be such a beautiful day!" He thinks.
"JINYUN!!!!!!" He leaps in the air to his brother's arms, but instead, is met with cold hard wood floors as he narrowly dodges the flying child-like prince. The act earns Jinming a smack on the head from his older brother. "You, what do you want now? I thought you would be out reading the court appeals like I told you to?"
"Jinyuunn, but isn't that your job? I'm so tired of reading so much stuff I can't even understand! Can you save me this one time?? Pleaaaseeee?" He pleads. "I won't ask you for anything else today and I won't cause trouble." "Fine. Find something else to do, and do not bother me. Understand?" Jinming nods eagerly. "Thank you so much!! I'm so lucky to have a brother like you Jinyun!!" He goes in for a hug but the doors have already shut him out and hit him right in the face.
-
Jinming strolls about the palace thinking about what he should do, but he always ends up in the same place. The astrologer's sky observing pavilion. From the moment he enters in the curtains, he sees the astrologer meditating in silence and his thoughts of chatting of his whole day are cut off. His eyes were closed, a few strands of hair was covering half of him. His face looked like he was a resting angel, he doubted whether Hanying was actually asleep. He stands there, waiting for him to finish to not disturb his peace. The astrologer opens his eyes and those bright lavender orbs meet his.
Jinming freezes in place, on second thought maybe he shouldn't disturb him right now. But Hanying catches him before he could think to leave. "Your Highness, why have you come to visit?" "I wanted to have my luck predicted today" The silver haired man replies. "Are you sure you're not just here to talk?" "N-no! My luck has been bothering me, I'm here to be serious..." Jinming rarely acted serious. "If it's bothering you so much, let's talk." Hanying smiles.
Suddenly, he feels his heart beating faster and he can't seem to look the astrologer in the eye. But he's always talked to him? Why was it any different that Hanying initiated the conversation? Whatever it was, it made his heart skip a beat. The astrologer got his materials on the table and started to read into Jinming's luck. Without thought he approached closer and sat next to Hanying, peering over his shoulder. Hanying was focused on his work and did it carefully. Jinming's eyes wandered and he began to stare at the nape of the astrologer's neck. His chin was resting comfortably on his shoulder, and he could see clearly his jawline tracing up to his earlobe. The astrologer's skin looked so smooth and soft, smelling like lavender. His heart started beating faster and faster, his hot breath brushing Hanying's neck like a warm breeze.
Oh no, was Jinming starting to get too comfortable right now? Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Maybe this is way too intimate!
His body started moving on it's own, without any regards for physical boundaries whatsoever. His hands delicately creeped up around Hanying's waist and once they met, their finger's intertwined with one another. It was very light, but he could feel the faint rising and falling of Hanying's chest. Jinming felt like he was playing with fire right now, but for some reason he couldn't pull away. They both stayed there in such an endearing embrace. Surely, Jinming would be questioning h̶i̶s̶ s̶e̶x̶u̶a̶l̶i̶t̶y̶ their relationship after this. After what felt like a never-ending silence that both haunted him and comforted him, Hanying slowly turned his head.
"Your Highness, it's done." Jinming snapped back in to reality. "Ah, yes. Did it take too long?" the astrologer giggles softly. "No, it only took 2 minutes. But I was afraid you might have fallen asleep already, you seemed so comfortable." He immediately straightened up and gasped. "T-two minutes?! How long has it been?" "30" Jinming quickly pulled away and his face had turned furiously red, from his cheeks spreading out to his ears. Hanying chuckled at the sight. He thought that it made the prince look very cute. "Do you still want to find out about your luck Your Highness?" "O-oh, yes!" He subconsciously moves close to the astrologer again.
"The reading says that 'you have been unknowingly in love for many years.' "
"HUH?!?!?!?!?!?"
"What is the matter Your Highness? I believe its about time, you are quite handsome, every lady in Dachen loves you, all over central plains. It is natural that you will find someone you adore too."
"Me?!" He already knew he was handsome, and that women did too. But to find someone he likes? He has never had that before despite having such a promiscuous personality.
"I figured you were at that age already my Prince, the Empress Dowager also visits me for your fortune of whom you should marry."
"M-marry..." He sputtered out, just that one word made him faint. Marriage haunted him like an evil omen. He did NOT want to marry, he thought he was too young. If he married, he would have so much responsibilities to do. The prince enjoyed the idea of having fun, prancing around the palace, getting spoiled by his mother, although he could be serious and solve many cases if he needed to. He pitied his brother sometimes having such a big responsibility starting from a young age. Anyway, he never saw the rush to get married. He lived a good life and was content by it. He bid the astrologer goodbye and pondered his thoughts by the pond.
"Little fishy, do you love anyone?" The fishes swam around the food that was slowly sinking into the water. He pouted and pulled his knees to his chest. " 'I'm unknowingly in love with somebody'? What does that mean?" He carried those thoughts with him all the way to bed. He laid awake staring at the ceiling thinking about who the hell was he in love with?!
-
"Your Highness... are you okay?" it was unlike of the prince to be so tired. He was always full of energy. But the usually excited prince was replaced with a drained and sleep-deprived Jinming. "I think his His Highness is not feeling like himself" the maids whispered. There were dark circles underneath his blue eyes that had seemed to have faded as well. "Jinming! Why are you so stressed? Are you sick? Quick, get him some warm soup and medicine!" said the Empress Dowager. He was sent back to bed with some tea. Despite not even sleeping a wink last night, Jinming could not fall asleep until now for the life of him. The Empress Dowager pressed the back of her hand to his forehead and checked his temperature. He leaned forward to sit upright but she pushed him back to lie down. "You need to rest" "But mother I can't" He wails. "I need to see Astrologer Luo." "In this state? Rest for a moment." "No mother, it's urgent" He gets up out of bed and bolts out the door in his nightgown before the Empress Dowager could say another word.
As he runs across the palace with maids chasing right after him, he starts to run out of breath and his legs feel like jelly. Maybe mother was right, he was probably sick or something. But he makes it to the astrologer's tower just in time. He pants and tries to catch his breath as he sits on the staircase. Just as he feels like he's about to collapse, a familiar face looks down on him as he's sprawled on the floor. "Your Highness?" The sun shines from the skylight and lands on his face. Jinming winces from it like he's going to start burning on the spot. Hanying helps him up and Jinming clings to his leg. "I couldn't sleep last night and it's all your fault!" "Why is it?" "Because you didn't give a clearer reading yesterday and it burdened my mind so much thinking about you, I couldn't fall asleep! Look at how wrinkly my face is, and I winced at the sight of sun. I might turn into a vampire!!" He sobs.
Hanying laughs and wipes away Jinming's stray tears. "I'm sorry Your Highness, but I feel quite flattered. You were thinking about me?" "I-I was not!!" He hides his face away, only leaving his red-tinged tip of his ears visible. Its quite fun teasing him, the astrologer thought. "Oh? But you just said so." He felt that Jinming might curl into a ball of shame if he kept teasing him, so he stopped. "If that's the case, you should rest." Already? Jinming didn't want to leave so soon. "B-but I want to know my reading for today" Hanying smiled. "Okay, just rest here if you want to. Make yourself comfortable." It was his fault he couldn't sleep the other night anyway. He placed another cushion for him to sit on. As he started to work, Jinming watched him carefully and payed attention to his skillful hands as they did their job. Each curved finger working with grace. The owner of these hands were just as graceful, he thought. The way the astrologer's eyes lowered down in focus, his lashes battering slowly but beautifully. The astrologer looked very respectable. His demeanor was calm and stoic. He propped his head up on his hands and continued watching him.
"Your Highness, I might make a mistake with you staring at me like that." He said calmly. "Oh, sorry" He yawned. Jinming returned to his usual position and rested his head on Hanying's shoulder. Within seconds, he had fallen asleep. He leaned his face gently to him. "How cute." Hanying smiled. He tucked the stray strands of hair out and gently caressed Jinming's face. "You never make me feel lonely, thank you. " When he was younger, Hanying was left alone. After all, every Imperial Astrologer had no family, but he believed the gods could only protect him now. He figured he wouldn't be able to tell him the prediction right now. He carried Jinming's body, which was still in deep sleep and tucked him in a mattress. Unfortunately, Hanying was wrong. Jinming was not asleep, he was still awake. And it took every force of his body to stop himself from curling into a ball of embarrassment again. But finally, he had cracked the case.
"I'm no longer unknowingly in love, I'm in love with Luo Hanying."