The Untouchable Prince | A Norenmin FanFiction

特殊章节四

Special Chapter 4: Plum Flower Wine
(Alternative Title: Let's Not Talk About That...)
Updated: April 18, 2022

With a deep breath, Jaemin walked up to the closed doors, holding the three pots of wine close to his chest as he calmed his heartbeat.

It was dark out, hours past dusk. All of the lanterns and lights were lit as if the sun had never set in the palace. It was a cooler yet warmer night, comfortable enough where it wasn't too humid but also not too cold. The sky was clear, the stars and moon hanging clearly above.

It was the perfect night, Jaemin had concluded, to drink.

And so, here he was, standing in front of Renjun's closed doors, where yellow candlelight emitted through the rice paper doors. There were already two figures inside; Jaemin could see their silhouettes sitting beside each other, and he could hear their voices, speaking gently to each other about a painting.

Then, lifting a hand up, he gently knocked on the frame.

"Who is it?" It was Renjun, whose voice was clear and soft. His silhouette was seen walking up to the door, slowly growing in size until it was just slightly shorter than Jaemin.

When the doors slid open, Jaemin smiled, lifting up the three small pots of wine. "Want to drink a little?"

The older's mouth hung open, opening and closing, not knowing what he was supposed to say. "I- uh... I can't-"

Jaemin reached downward and grasped Renjun's sleeve, inviting himself inside. "It's only a little bit. Plum flower wine isn't as strong as your baijiu. It won't hurt to take a few sips, right?" He had remembered Renjun saying that he was a lightweight and couldn't drink too much liquor. But, just earlier, Jaemin compared the alcohol concentration between baijiu to plum flower and found that baijiu was at least three times as strong as the latter, so of course, Renjun would be a lightweight when drinking the former.

"You brought plum flower?" Jeno asked, placing his brush down on his rest.

"Mhm!" Jaemin placed the three bottles onto the table with a soft clinking sound before he sat Renjun down. "Come have some. I had Jeowon get me the aged ones too!" He reached across the table, taking the teacups from the tray and turning them over.

"But-" Renjun began to protest until one of the pots was opened and the sweet aroma drifted into the air. He sighed; it was just too tempting, "I-I'll have a little."

When Jaemin gently pushed a filled cup towards the oldest, he noticed the way Renjun's eyes widened excitedly as the scent grew stronger. He was almost drooling over the small cup. "Drink slowly," he reminded with a chuckle.

Without being told twice, Renjun grasped the small cup and brought it to his lips, his eyes glittering with excitement as the scent grew strong.

"Don't stare it to death," Jeno commented as he walked over, sitting on the other side of Renjun.

Renjun gazed worriedly up at him. "I-I- I wasn't, was I?" He looked over at Jaemin for confirmation.

The youngest only shrugged, focused on pouring Jeno a cup.

"Just drink it, Hyung," said Jeno. "You've had it once before."

The oldest squinted at him, still have not taken a sip of the wine, holding it gingerly in his two hands. "That was when I was drunk! I didn't properly enjoy it that time!"

Jaemin sat down after he poured himself a cup, gazing over at the beautiful prince beside him. Staring intently—not in a creepy way, more admiringly—at him, he noticed the way Renjun pouted his lips and furrowed his brows when he was angry, and it momentarily made him forget that Renjun was five months older than he was. He just looked so pure, so innocent. The older had a baby face that was rare among eighteen-year-olds, even rarer among eighteen-year-old princes who've seen dozens of wars and thousands of deaths in their three years of battlefield experience. Seeing Renjun, Jaemin could only admire him, finding him luckier than others. All Jaemin wanted to do was protect him. From wars, battles, death, loss, and especially from Yimu and danger himself.