He walked straight past the cleaning tools, stepping through knee-deep snow, making his way to his room with uneven strides.
His room was nestled in a corner of the entire Dry East Pavilion Five, with windows that were broken and drafty. The small room contained only a patched thin quilt.
The room was even colder than outside.
For the original owner, getting enough to eat was a challenge, let alone having charcoal for warmth; it was a luxury he could not afford.
Tong Sui closed the door to his room, blocking part of the biting cold wind, and sat on the hard, icy edge of the bed, taking deep breaths.
This body was too weak.
“System, how old am I now?”
The system replied: [Twelve years old.]
Twelve?
Tong Sui couldn’t believe it; he had thought this body looked no older than eight or nine, not realizing it was due to chronic malnutrition.
One could only imagine how much suffering he had endured in this palace.
Always good-natured, Tong Sui couldn’t help but curse, “How could they bully a child?”
Just speaking loudly caused his throat to dry out, and he couldn’t stop coughing.
The system was startled: [Are you alright?]
Tong Sui took a moment to recover, his complexion growing even paler.
The coarse linen clothes and old coat he wore were soaked with snow and warmed by his body temperature, sticking heavily to him, wet enough to drip with water.
His body heat trickled away, and his hands and feet lost feeling from the cold.
Tong Sui initially wanted to take off his clothes, but he searched the room and found no other garments.
The system quickly said: [Host, I can help dry your clothes.]
You can?
Tong Sui had never considered that the system had this function.
He had already prepared to strip down and wrap himself in the quilt to make do.
The system boasted: [Of course, I am now a mid-level system, and I can do more things!]
After the system’s words fell, Tong Sui felt his clothes become dry and warm, the lingering chill dissipating.
The system continued: [I’ve also warmed this room, but only you can feel it.]
Tong Sui tried lying on the bed and indeed felt the once cold and hard bed was now radiating warmth like a heated kang table, cozy and inviting.
He sighed, “This is amazing!”
The system puffed up with pride, [As long as you successfully pass through each world, I will keep getting stronger.]
As Tong Sui lay down, he felt his fatigue; this body clearly hadn’t had a proper rest in a long time. He was so tired he couldn’t keep his eyes open, mumbling sleepily.
He quickly fell into a deep sleep.
Tong Sui slept exceptionally soundly as the light in the room gradually dimmed.
He didn’t even hear the footsteps nearby.
It was the princes returning from their day of study from the Scholarly Chambers.
Young boys, by nature playful, looked around and didn’t see the familiar figure that always hunched in the corner, dressed in rags cleaning.
“Hey? Where is that dirty little fool?”
“It’s so cold these days; he can’t have frozen to death, right? The Grand Teacher said there were more deaths by freezing this year than usual.”
“If he froze to death, so be it. My mother said he is just the emperor’s illegitimate child and doesn’t deserve to live with us.”
The eldest prince, Chu Yunyu, frowned upon hearing this.
“I’ll go check.”
Among the princes, hierarchy was observed; Chu Yunyu was the current empress’s legitimate son, destined to inherit the throne.
The other princes exchanged glances, knowing better than to say another word, and obediently followed him.
For these privileged young princes, although they lived in Dry East Pavilion Five, there was a stark contrast in treatment; they were unaware that such a dilapidated house even existed.
“Can people really live here?”
“This is terrifying. I want to go back…”
The young princes complained softly while Chu Yunyu led the way and pushed open the broken door.
Unlike the warm and exquisite chambers they resided in, the small room was visibly in disrepair, with several large holes in the window allowing the cold wind to gust inside.
The small figure sleeping on the bed seemed unaware of their presence, curled up and unmoving, making it unclear if he was asleep or, as they suggested, frozen to death.
Chu Yunyu’s heart skipped a beat.
He had always been taught to remain calm in changing situations, but being just a teenager, he found it impossible to be indifferent while facing a younger half-brother.
As everyone hesitated, he quickly stepped inside and lifted the grimy thin quilt.
A little face, flushed from the warmth, came into view.
With the faint light filtering in through the cracked window, one could barely see his fair skin, nearly translucent, with long eyelashes clinging to teardrops, resembling a crumpled begonia.
Chu Yunyu was taken aback.
Was this really the Tong Sui he remembered?
It seemed that since he had been brought into the palace, he had never truly looked at him closely; in his memory, Tong Sui had always been a dirty, frail little thing, with his head bowed, hair covering most of his face, silent and bullied.
The shock was not limited to Chu Yunyu; all the other princes behind him widened their eyes, mouths agape as if they could fit an egg inside.
“Is this really that little fool?”
“He looks quite good-looking…”
As if disturbed by their chatter, Tong Sui frowned.
Chu Yunyu whispered, “Everyone, no talking.”
The princes immediately fell silent.
Chu Yunyu reached out, placing his hand under Tong Sui’s nose, feeling the steady rhythm of his breath.
At this point, he should have stepped back and left, but Chu Yunyu did not move, even leaning forward slightly.
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