My Prince

🏵 chapter 2 🏵

"Come, Yiming, wash the dishes."

"Yes, Aunt Jumei."

Thanks to Wenzhe, Yiming knew that the princess was arriving to his home in just a few days. He had been helping his aunt with chores and tidying up the house. He dusted the simple furniture, wiped the windows clean, and since they did not own a vacuum, he scrubbed the floor (his aunt's house actually had a floor, while some of the other homes/huts did not) with nothing but a mop and a bucket of water.

"Ahh!" Yiming cut his finger on a broken place. Blood squirted everywhere.

"Oh, Yiming, you little troublemaker!" Jumei scolded. She gave Yiming a clean towel and some money for the store, since they had no bandages left.

Yiming applied pressure on his finger as he walked to the store. It was really only a small convenience store, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Fan, who lived as middle-class citizens in Fengye. Yiming used to play with their son Minghe when they were younger.

It wasn't a long walk, really. Only a few minutes on the dusty road until he smelt the familiar scent of penny candy from the store window. He pushed the door open as something attacked him to the ground.

"Aaaah!" He yelled. "Ouch!"

"Sorry, brother."

"Minghe?"

"Hey, long time no see!"

Yiming got up to see his best friend for the first time after 6 years. He wordlessly pulled Minghe into a big hug.

Minghe chuckled. "Guess that means you miss me, huh?"

"Duh...speaking of which, where have you been all this time?"

Minghe didn't answer. Instead, he gasped.

"Yiming! What happened to your hand?! Why is it wrapped in a bloody towel?!"

Yiming glanced at his right hand. "Oh, that's why I came. To buy some bandages. We ran out."

"Oh, we have so much to catch up on...but your hand's more important. C'mon, room now."

—

"No, really, it's okay!"

"No, really, I insist, take it!"

Minghe stuffed the haw flakes in Yiming's uninjured hand as he patched up Yiming's finger.

Yiming sighed and ate the haw flakes silently as he watched Minghe wrap the bandages. "Why are you like this?" He asked.

"Can't a big brother help his little brother?" Minghe asked back, smirking slightly.

Yiming didn't answer.

Minghe was the one to sigh this time. "I know you don't want to be pitied, Yiming. You had a rough childhood, I understand. But I did promise to your mother to watch over you. I owe her. It's the least I could do."

Yiming looked down. "I didn't want anyone to worry about me. But seeing that you're back now...I don't have a choice, do I?"

Minghe rolled up Yiming's right pant sleeve and stopped just below his kneecap. "See this scar? 8 years ago, when you were only 4, we crossed Silver Star Lake together and went to the clearing on the other side, remember? I told you to sit on a rock while I go explore the area a little. You didn't listen and slipped down the rock, cutting yourself. I piggybacked you all the way to this very bed you are sitting on right now, and bandaged your leg. I didn't have to do that. I could've told my parents or yours to. But I did it because I care a lot for you, Yiming. How could I not worry?"

Minghe finished to see that Yiming's eyes were wet. The younger embraced the older in another hug, and they stayed like that for a long time.