Chapter 56: “Youyou, Open the Door”

“I mean it, we should throw him a birthday party,” Li Ze said as he walked, circling around Li Ming and Li Weier with animated gestures, describing it vividly. “We should arrange it like a royal celebratory banquet. Youyou deserves it, and we owe him a sincere apology anyway. Trust me, this idea is bound to work.”

“You’re so noisy,” Li Ming said, arms crossed as he strode steadily deeper into the long corridor. He glanced sideways at Li Ze disdainfully. “The idea is good, but forget it next time. Do you think he likes banquets? You forgot how Li You hated attending all those royal banquets the most?”

Li Weier nodded in agreement beside them. “Big Brother is right. He doesn’t like crowds.”

Li Ze grabbed at his hair, stopped in his tracks to think for a moment, then hurried to catch up. “Then how about a small birthday party? We won’t invite too many people—just the three of us, plus Li Ye and Yulian.”

He “humph”ed, sounding a bit displeased. “Though I really don’t want to invite those two.”

The three of them chatted as they walked straight toward the depths of the Imperial Palace. When the Old Butler passed by carrying a tray, he caught sight of the three Your Highnesses hurrying along. He glanced at the light brain on his wrist, confirming it was already early morning. Though puzzled, he just smiled and shook his head. “That’s good. They should have a proper talk.”

“Isn’t it a bit rude for us to come looking for him so late?” Li Ze lowered his voice a little, gazing at Li You’s bedroom door in the distance before looking back at Li Ming, whose brows were furrowed, and the composed Li Weier.

“Correction: We’re not here together,” Li Weier reminded him. “We just happened to run into each other at the main gates of the Imperial Palace.”

“I wanted to come during the day, but I really didn’t have time,” Li Ze said, hands stuffed in his pockets, where he had an expensive wound repair reagent. “You know how insane the workload at the research institute is. I only finished up a dozen minutes ago, and tomorrow’s even worse. I can only check on him now.”

“…” Li Ming kept his arms crossed. His military uniform pocket was also heavy with a portable repair device. “Who isn’t busy? I just finished a mission at the Imperial Military and passed by the Imperial Palace on the way.”

Li Weier looked at the two of them expressionlessly and directly lifted the medical kit in her hand. “Then you two can do whatever. I’m here to drop off medicine for Li You.”

“Why you?!” Li Ze exploded immediately. “I’m giving him something too!”

Li Ming’s lips twitched. He turned his head away with a “humph” and said nothing.

“…” Li Weier saw through them but said nothing. She walked past the two and continued forward. “Even if it’s a gift, there’s no need to hand it to him in person. Just leave it on the shelf outside the door with a message. He’s definitely asleep by now—no need to disturb him.”

Li Ze hurried after her. “How do you leave a message? Do you have his contact info? How do you have his contact info? I want it too!”

“…You’re so noisy.” Li Weier shoved Li Ze aside, placed the medical kit on the shelf, and took out her light brain. “I didn’t say I was messaging him. I don’t have Youyou’s contact info.”

“Then…?” Li Ze looked puzzled.

Li Weier tapped the light screen a few times and looked up. “Just send it to Your Highness Li Ye, right?”

Li Ming and Li Ze both fell silent upon hearing this. Someone “tsk”ed first, but the blunt Li Ze spoke up. “You’re letting him off easy.”

The equally blunt Li Ming surprisingly agreed this time. “Aren’t we the ones who came? Why hand this off to him?”

“Do you two have time later?” Li Weier fired back with pointed questions. “Do you want to disturb Li You’s sleep right now? Do you think even if we saw him, he’d accept the medicine and treatment device from us?”

The two brothers—one hanging his head, the other turning away—both stayed quiet.

Li Weier sighed. “Compared to putting on a show in person, the best we can do now is to protect him and support him as much as possible. The Empire should be his. We should be his blades, protecting and backing him, not just paying lip service while coming up with rotten ideas.”

Li Ze covered his face with one hand. “Stop, stop. Leave me some dignity.”

Li Ming “tsk”ed dejectedly. Though he said nothing, he rationally agreed with Li Weier.

The three placed their treatment items on the shelf outside Li You’s room door and were about to leave when a loud crash suddenly came from the distance—Li Ye’s bedroom.

The three all looked over and saw disheveled-haired Li You push the door open from inside, slam it shut fiercely, and lean back against it, bracing it desperately while panting heavily.

Li You wore an oversized white shirt and ill-fitting dark gray pants that were too big and too long. He was barefoot on the ground, toes curled, heels stepping on the overly long pant legs. The loose clothes made him look like a child who had sneaked into an adult’s wardrobe.

His hair was fluffy and messy, like exploded cotton fluff. Li You’s face was flushed red, all the way to his ears and even spreading to his neck.

He leaned against the door panting, hands pressing tightly against it. After swallowing, he nervously turned to run back to his own room but spotted the three people standing outside his bedroom door not far away. His steps halted abruptly, eyes widening in a ghostly shocked expression.

Li You froze in place, his face turning even redder.

Over there, Li Ze spoke first. “Youyou, why aren’t you asleep so late?”

As he spoke, he glanced at the door behind Li You. “You were in Li Ye’s bedroom? What were you two doing so la—Ow!!”

Li Ze got kicked by Li Weier and yelped in pain. He whipped around to glare at her furiously. “What was that for?”

“Shut up.” Li Weier didn’t even glance at him properly. Her gaze swept over the bite marks on Li You’s left cheek and neck. She grabbed Li Ming with one hand and Li Ze with the other, then said to Li You, “We were passing by the Imperial Palace and brought some medicine for you. It’s on the shelf outside your bedroom door. Go to sleep early. We’re leaving.”

She nodded after speaking, dragging her two brothers away as she turned.

Li You stood rigidly in place. He heard the door behind him open, and his back shivered violently. His legs went weak reflexively. He hurriedly supported himself against the wall to flee to his room but got grabbed by the back of his collar and yanked back.

Li Ye caught Li You like a kitten. His fingertip slowly rubbed the flesh at the back of Li You’s neck, his eyes full of overflowing dissatisfaction, like a ravenous beast.

Li You blurted out in panic, “Bro!”

The three on site froze in action and expression. Li Ye looked down at the crown of Li You’s head. In the distance, Li Ming and Li Ze, who were being dragged by Li Weier, also stopped and turned back to look at Li You.

Li You shrank his neck, face flushed. His eyes widened, expression dazed. His eyelashes blinked slowly, lips closed, and he fell silent.

Li Ming took the first step back, glaring angrily at Li Ye. “Did you bully him?”

Li Ye still looked at Li You. Only after a moment did he lift his eyelids to Li Ming, saying nothing.

“What?” Li Ze was bewildered for a second before striding forward. He finally noticed the marks on Li You’s face and flew into a rage, both furious and hesitant. “Li Ye, aren’t you the one who dotes on Youyou the most? Why bully him? Biting his face—what kind of trick is that? You…”

As he spoke, he quieted down, feeling something off himself. He mulled over “biting face” and frowned, muttering, “…Biting his face?”

That wasn’t right. Why bite the face?

A huge question mark loomed over Li Ze’s head. Li Weier couldn’t stand it anymore and stepped forward to block the two hotheads, lowering her voice. “I really should let Teacher Lisa see how rude you two are being right now!”

She took a deep breath, looked at Li You, then at Li Ye, and nodded. “Good evening, Your Highness Li You, Your Highness Li Ye. We didn’t mean to disturb you. We’ve left the items and we’re going.”

Li Weier’s presence wasn’t aggressive. She was the calmest of the three and knew best how to handle propriety. But that didn’t mean she was weak. On the contrary, her calm perfectly masked her inner strength.

Li Weier looked up, her gaze falling on Li You’s neck. “It’s late with heavy dew, Your Highness Youyou. You should head back to your own room and rest soon, or you’ll catch a cold.”

When she said “your own room,” she emphasized it and met Li Ye’s eyes directly, showing no fear.

Li Ming stared at Li Weier in shock. This was the first time he’d seen the third sibling be so assertive. He even forgot to be angry and just nodded along. “Third Sister is right. Li You, hurry back to your own room and sleep.”

Li You pursed his lips, glanced at Li Ye, broke free from his grasp, and stood in the middle of the group.

He looked at Li Ye again, then at the other three. After a long quiet moment, he said, “I’m going to bed.”

They all kept staring at him, none moving.

Li You knew deep down that his panicked “Bro” just now wasn’t entirely fair. He had indeed been avoiding Li Ye and had anxiously used the others to hold him off. Thinking back, it wasn’t right.

Seeing the four still tense and not dispersing, he annoyedly ruffled his hair, making his already fluffy, lion-like pale gold hair even messier.

Li You faced Li Ming and the others, tone awkward. “I’m fine. He didn’t bully me. It was just a little accident.”

Then he turned to Li Ye. “They’re just worried about me. Though I don’t want to see them, I messed up just now. I shouldn’t have used them to hold you back. It’s my fault. You can’t take it out on them for that.”

With that, Li You sneaked two small steps toward his room and raised his hand. “Alright, that’s it for tonight. Everyone go home. Goodbye.”

Li You scampered back to his room like a rabbit. The bedroom door opened and slammed shut quickly. The long corridor fell silent, leaving the four standing there, the air thick with tension.

Li Ming glared at Li Ye. “He doesn’t want to see us fighting over this. Damn it, when have we ever gotten along?”

Li Ming felt extremely displeased inside, teeth itching with hate. “Li Ye, I don’t care if you misled him or not. Since he likes you, I won’t interfere. But if you dare bully him, I’ll really fight you to the death.”

Li Ye looked at him coldly. “If you’d said that ten years ago, maybe someone would have been moved. But this is ten years later.”

He didn’t hide his malice. “The person he trusts most is me, from beginning to end. The only one who never bullied him is me. You lot are the ones who actually hurt him.”

Li Ming was at a loss for words, face flushing red and purple. “You…”

“Next time, get it straight. The ‘Bro’ he calls is me, not you.” Li Ye turned sideways, coldly sweeping his gaze over them. “Don’t meddle.”

Li Ye turned and returned to his bedroom. The long corridor was left with only Li Ming, Li Ze, and Li Weier. After a long silence, the still-bewildered Li Ze finally caught the key point. “You just said… Youyou likes Li Ye?”

Li Ming and Li Weier both looked at Li Ze silently.

“Good heavens, no way, right?” Li Ze finally reacted fully. “Damn, so the bite marks on Youyou’s face are…”

His eyes bulged in shock. “There’s more on his neck?! Those are all from that guy Li Ye?!!”

Li Ze couldn’t stand still anymore. He jumped up and charged toward Li Ye’s room, yelling as he went. “Li Ye, you bastard! Damn you, how dare you! How dare you! Youyou is only how old this year? Seventeen! Seventeen!! He isn’t even an adult yet!! You’re his brother! My God! This is so against ethics and morals!! Come out—mmph mmph!!”

Li Ze got his mouth covered by Li Ming and Li Weier and was dragged away. In the room, Li You hugged his knees and squatted with his head buried behind the door, body burning hot. He counted on his fingers and muttered softly, “What do you mean? Counting from when I came back until now, I’m clearly already an adult.”

Li You hugged his head with both hands and sat dazedly, feet overlapping and tapping lightly. After a long while, the heat on his body had faded. He was just about to stand when a knock suddenly sounded at the door behind him.

Li You’s heart raced. He heard his brother’s voice.

“Youyou, open the door.”