Chapter 33 Giving her medicine

On the last day before arriving at Ye City, the ship encountered storms and thunderstorms.

This sea voyage was uneventful in the middle, but thrilling at the beginning and end.

Having had the experience before, both of them were much more composed when dealing with the ship's rocking again, especially Bai Hua. She still couldn't help but feel a pang of fear when she heard the sudden clap of thunder, but at least she no longer appeared so panicked.

The package contained only two portions of braised beef and dry biscuits. After seven days, the meat had dried out and was difficult to chew.

Ning Jue had been traveling the world for many years, and his ability to adapt to the elements was far greater than that of ordinary people. Therefore, he ate without changing his expression and did not find the dried meat hard to swallow or the coarse bread choking.

Bai Hua frowned slightly, her chewing movements becoming slower and slower until she stopped completely. She tilted her head back and drank a whole bowl of seaweed soup to finish her dinner, feeling a slight pain in her cheeks.

Ning Jue looked at her and comforted her, "There are no more fish skewers. These are the best things to eat to fill your stomach right now. When we arrive in Ye City early tomorrow morning and the ship docks, we'll go ashore and find a good restaurant so you can have a good meal."

Bai Hua thought for a moment, then shook her head and replied, "Young Master has important business to attend to in Ye City. Everything should be done in the important matters first. There is no need to pay special attention to me."

Ning Jue insisted: "Making sure you're well-fed is also an important matter."

Bai Hua didn't refuse again, and softly hummed in agreement. A warm feeling welled up inside her; no one could resist the taste of being cared for.

The ship will dock tomorrow, and the seven-day sea voyage feels like an unreal dream.

During these seven days, she did not have to rack her brains to spy on others' private affairs and explore secrets. Without the psychological burden, her emotions would not be passively trapped in the quagmire of struggle and guilt.

She briefly cast aside all the shackles that bound her, ignoring her cousin's admonitions, wishing only to spend time purely with the young master, and cherishing it all the more.

This was the most relaxed and carefree time she had spent since getting close to the young master, a time free from scheming and plotting, filled only with mutual support and understanding.

Unfortunately, dreams always come to an end.

Once the ship docks, it will be time to wake up.

Seeing Bai Hua lost in thought, Ning Jue asked, "What's wrong?"

Bai Hua gazed at the dark clouds outside the porthole, the deep night sky, and replied listlessly, "The rain outside just won't stop, it seems like it will never stop."

Ning Jue assumed that Ning Jue was worried because she was afraid of thunder, so she comforted her, "No, the last time the rain was even heavier, but it stopped before dawn. Go to sleep early, and when the sun shines tomorrow, you'll know it will be a sunny day again."

Bai Hua nodded: "I hope so."

After packing their belongings for disembarking the next day, the two went separately to the cabin's water room to wash up and prepare for an early rest.

According to the crew's reminder, the ship will dock at dawn tomorrow. Since it is early, we need to prepare to disembark when it is just getting light. If we do not pack our bags in advance, there is a risk of leaving out or forgetting some luggage.

Bai Hua went out to wash up first, but she wasn't as fast as Ning Jue and returned a step later.

Upon opening the hatch, Bai Hua paused in surprise, seeing the young master bending over and straining to push the two small beds together again.

Realizing his intention, Bai Hua's heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks flushed uncontrollably.

Looking at the gradually subsiding rain outside the porthole, Bai Hua hesitated before speaking, "Young Master is taking care of me, so I can't sleep soundly myself. How about tonight... A Peng tries to sleep by herself?"

Hearing the sound of the door opening and closing, Ning Jue did not turn around and continued what he was doing. Just as Bai Hua finished speaking, he finished putting the small bed together and straightened up.

Bai Hua avoided looking at him, suppressing her embarrassment.

Ning Jue replied calmly, “You think the rain is light now, the thunder is sparse and not loud, so it’s not a problem. But when the ship enters the real storm zone in the middle of the night, and the thunder and rain intensify, we won’t be close together. If you’re scared and want to call me then, that will be really bothersome. If you really want me to sleep more soundly, why not do it all at once? What do you think?”

Upon hearing this, Bai Hua lowered her head in thought, somewhat troubled, as she truly could not guarantee her reaction to being startled while half-asleep.

After hesitating for a while, her face flushed, she finally nodded slightly, half-heartedly, to indicate her agreement.

Ning Jue said no more, took off his outer clothes, and lay down first.

Bai Hua took a deep breath, reminding herself not to overthink it; it wasn't the first time the two of them had tried the same position.

Everything was done in an emergency, just to avoid the terrifying thunderstorm.

Just like that day, she lay down and deliberately turned her back to him. The two of them remained silent, without exchanging any words.

The only movement was when she leaned close to his chest, he naturally let his arm fall down, just like last time, without any offense, simply placing it lightly on her waist.

The cabin was pitch black, with not a speck of moonlight or any light. In the eerie silence, the sound of breathing was distinctly clear.

Bai Hua closed her eyes, unable to fall asleep for a moment.

If she holds a position for too long, she inevitably has to move around, but she doesn't dare to move too much so as not to disturb the young master.

But after she shifted slightly a few times, she sensed a faint force gathering in her lower back, ready to strike.

Since it wasn't the first time she'd experienced this, Bai Hua almost immediately figured out the reason. She opened her eyes, sighed, and wondered why she'd forgotten to remind the young master.

It's not advisable to carry the Qingying Sword around, especially while sleeping, otherwise it will be uncomfortable to touch or poke, just like last time.

Bai Hua couldn't help but call out to him, "Young Master, are you asleep?"

Ning Jue's breathing was heavy and irregular, unlike the peaceful state of someone who is sound asleep.

After a short wait, a slightly impatient voice replied, "What?"

The tone was not friendly; it clearly conveyed a sense of being disturbed.

Feeling apologetic, Bai Hua quickly explained the situation concisely: "Young Master's Qingying Sword... is near me, and A Peng can't sleep. Can we put Qingying aside and keep it away from her for a while?"

She tried to reason with him, but Ning Jue refused her without hesitation.

"No."

Bai Hua was stunned, not expecting him to reply like this. The young master had always been gentle with her, and rarely treated her so harshly.

Perhaps it was because he was too sleepy that he became impatient?

Unable to figure it out, Bai Hua remained silent.

Ning Jue sighed from behind and added, "It can't be moved, not because I don't want to."

Bai Hua whispered, "Why?"

Ning Jue said no more.

Bai Hua was left speechless by his half-finished words, especially since the discomfort she felt this time was significantly greater than last time. Last time, she only felt an itch in her lower back, but this time, it was her buttocks that were being poked—such a strange contact.

She thought that as a top swordsman with unparalleled martial arts skills, he would inevitably have habits that ordinary people could not understand, such as the rule of never leaving his sword. She should understand the young master more.

After a while, Bai Hua finally felt her eyelids getting heavy. At this moment, she vaguely sensed that the young master let go of her, turned over, waited for a while, and then got out of bed and went out.

The cabin door closed with a creak, and she wondered where the young master had gone. But she couldn't keep her eyes open, and before he returned, she didn't notice when the storm that raged in the latter half of the night had started or ended.

...

The next day at dawn, the ship arrived at Ye City.

Seven days later, when her feet touched the ground again, Bai Hua felt a strong sense of security.

The dawn was breaking and it was still early, but the cargo port was already bustling with activity. As soon as their passenger ship arrived, a merchant ship was already raising its sails and hoisting its horns, preparing to set sail.

As Bai Hua followed the young master through the crowd off the dock, she craned her neck to curiously observe the surrounding coastal scenery.

Almost exactly as described in the travelogue, within her field of vision were fishing boats moored at the shore, torn fishing nets, billowing white sails, and boatmen sitting on the shore diligently repairing ropes and lines, as well as dockworkers with exposed bronze skin, shirtless, carrying goods, whom the young master deliberately blocked her view of.

Having satisfied her curiosity, Bai Hua looked away and stopped craning her neck.

Ning Jue turned his head, looked at her without understanding the meaning, and said, "Have you seen enough?"

Bai Hua blinked: "What?"

Ning Jue's tone wasn't serious, but his question was quite compelling: "Is it pretty?"

After two questions, Bai Hua belatedly realized that the young master's words had a hidden meaning.

He was referring to the muscular transport workers who had just passed them in the unloading area of ​​the dock.

Bai Hua pursed her lips, recalling the scene just now, and felt that she had done nothing wrong.

She did look, but only with a casual glance, her eyes meeting briefly before looking away. In such a short moment, what could she possibly see?

Bai Hua, unaware of any impropriety in her behavior, defended herself: "Young master, we've already disembarked. As you said, we no longer need to pretend to be husband and wife. Even if I just saw it, it shouldn't be considered giving myself away, right?"

Ning Jue remained expressionless, his voice cold: "You're already trying to distance yourself from me before we've even left the dock."

Bai Hua protested, "It was the young master who told me that everything would be as before once I got off the ship."

Ning Jue: "Like what old?"

Bai Hua: "Of course, we'll revert to a master-servant relationship. Right now, I'm a maidservant by your side, but when we travel with you to meet guests, I'll dress up as a man and become your servant."

Ning Jue's tone was flat, making it impossible to discern whether he was in a good or bad mood: "You're quite thorough, you've thought of everything."

After saying this, without waiting for Bai Hua's response, he suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist, leading her away from the dense crowd and towards a grassy clearing on the side of the riverbank.

Bai Hua was bewildered, thinking that it couldn't be just because of those two eyes that the young master would get angry and lose his temper with her.

However, it turned out that she was indeed overthinking things.

Ning Jue simply led her up the stone steps on one side of the wall, to a higher vantage point, where they could easily gaze at the sunrise in the east.

Between the sea and the sky, a fiery red sun is burning itself as it rises, casting a hue of orange and red across the azure sea.

Bai Hua couldn't help but sigh, "I used to only watch the sunrise with my brother on the mountaintop. Today, watching it again by the sea, I feel that the view is even more expansive."

Ning Jue thought to herself that she had made another oversight.

Despite her false identity as a peasant girl, her own brother only showed her the viciousness of forcing her into marriage; there was no tenderness between them.

Bai Hua didn't notice anything amiss. After blurting it out, she couldn't help but miss her brother and worry about the suffering and wasted time he was in prison.

The two stood on different stone steps, she on top and he on the bottom, but even so, Ning Jue was still taller than her, and their line of sight was only level.

Ning Jue looked at her and asked, "Which time was the happier?"

Bai Hua pondered for a moment, but couldn't tell the difference.

She originally thought she would miss the time she spent with her brother when she was young more, but when she really compared the two, she cherished everything she saw right now just as much.

So he replied sincerely, "I like them both and will remember them."

Ning Jue turned his gaze back to the distance: "I'm glad you like it. Now that I've brought you here, we should try everything we can and see everything we can, otherwise I don't know if we'll ever have the chance to sail the seas together again."

His sudden remark left Bai Hua feeling a sudden emptiness in her heart.

Parting ways was the inevitable outcome for the two of them.

However, after spending these past few days together, she became so engrossed in the peaceful and comfortable life that she almost forgot her identity as a spy and began to believe that she truly belonged to the young master.

They are on opposing sides, and even their initial acquaintance was fraught with scheming. How can they continue to stand side by side? Where will they find another opportunity?

From now on... the two of them will probably never watch the sunrise at sea together again.

Thinking this way, Bai Hua felt depressed and her emotions became even more uncontrollable, making her feel terrible.

Ning Jue turned his head and noticed her dark eyelashes trembling slightly and her eyes dimming. He asked, "Why are your eyes red?"

Bai Hua raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye, looked straight ahead, and said in a low voice to cover up her embarrassment, "The sunlight is getting stronger and stronger, it just feels a bit dazzling."

Ning Jue raised his hand to block her eyes, preventing the direct sunlight from shining into them.

"Then don't look anymore, it's not that precious. If you want to come again in the future, just tell me, and I will definitely bring you here again."

Bai Hua nodded in response, but in her heart she thought, that day will never come.

Once the young master learns of her true identity, he will no longer admire her, but only feel fear and disgust.

At that time, all warmth was gone.

...

As we left the dock, it was broad daylight; it was a beautiful day with clear skies.

Ning Jue took her to the largest and most popular seaside restaurant in Yecheng. The restaurant had an elegant environment and good food, but the prices were not very reasonable.

After the two went up to the third floor and sat down, the waiter eagerly handed them the menu, which Ning Jue gestured for Bai Hua to look at first.

Bai Hua flipped through the menu from front to back but didn't order a single dish.

Because each dish has an exceptionally elegant name, you can't tell what the main ingredient is just by looking at the name.

Even though she had seen a lot in Beijing, this was the first time she had ever seen such a fancy menu.

Bai Hua pushed the menu to Ning Jue, not wanting to rack her brains herself.

Ning Jue had the same idea, so he put down the menu and asked the waiter, "What are your restaurant's signature dishes?"

For them, this set of words has been repeated hundreds or thousands of times when facing gourmets, so they simply put their lips together and begin to introduce the product in a practiced and fluent manner.

"Is this your first time visiting Ye City, sir? Ye City is surrounded by the sea, and its seafood delicacies are the best. Our Jinglan Restaurant, in particular, is famous far and wide for its flavors. We have various methods for cooking seafood, both raw and cooked, and if it's not fresh, you don't have to pay."

Ning Jue: "Please introduce yourself."

Waiter: "First up is our secret-recipe grilled shrimp, roasted over a high flame. The seasonings are flavorful without overpowering the original aroma of the shrimp, and each one is plump and juicy. Next is the clams stew, with plump clams and a rich, fragrant broth that's so delicious it's practically a street-side culinary sensation. Oh, and the steamed croaker is also a must-order. As for raw fish, there's also a very popular cold dish: Golden Carp Slices..."

The waiter recommended a number of dishes, and Ning Jue ordered almost all of them.

Bai Hua reminded him, "It's just the two of us eating, young master, please don't waste money."

Ning Jue did not intend to be extravagant; his reason was simple: "Everything is new to you, and I want you to try it all."

Bai Hua lowered her head, remained silent, and did not continue to decline his kindness.

After these few days, once she returns to Jiling from Yecheng, regardless of whether she has completed the task assigned by her cousin, she will probably have to sneak away from Ning Jue's side as the time for the arena competition approaches.

These are the last moments they have together, and she wants to cherish them.

Bai Hua suggested, "Would you like some wine?"

Ning Jue smiled and agreed, "I'll do as you say."

Bai Hua was pleased and waved to call the waiter over to give him instructions.

This was the first time she had drunk alcohol since her drunken outburst. Having learned her lesson from the last time, she dared not order any strong liquor this time. So she had to ask the young master to cooperate with her and choose some fruit wine with a fruity taste.

Ning Jue didn't mind; he wasn't addicted to drinking, he was just keeping her company.

The two had endured seven arduous days at sea, barely surviving except for the time they ate fish skewers, when they were somewhat satisfied.

The two felt satisfied with their first meal after disembarking today, and their appetites were more than twice as big as usual. The sweet fruit wine further whetted their appetites, and Bai Hua felt that her stomach was round and full.

Ning Jue and Duan Yi have agreed to meet the day after tomorrow, so it's alright to relax and get drunk today.

So he let Bai Hua drink more, and when he saw that she was getting restless again, she got up and went to sit by the window. He got up after her and supported her waist, afraid that she would fall.

The two leaned against each other by the window, unaware of their intimacy.

Ning Jue gently stopped her from tilting her head back to gulp down the wine, not allowing her to drink so aggressively, so as to avoid irritating her stomach.

Bai Hua smiled sweetly at him.

The two of them stood by the window, gazing at the vast, azure sea. Drinking wine, enjoying the scenery, and feeling the sea breeze made it a truly pleasant experience.

In this way, the money wasn't wasted, and at least she was happy.

After a satisfying meal, Ning Jue helped the half-drunk Bai Hua to her feet and left. The inn where they were resting was not far away.

However, not long after the two left, a young man dressed in gorgeous brocade robes went straight to the private room where Ning Jue and Bai Hua had just been and sat down, specifically in the seat that Bai Hua had been sitting in.

The waiter kindly reminded them that the table hadn't been cleared yet, and if they had chosen this private room, they could wait in the lobby first.

The man ignored him and gestured for his men to drag the person away, so that he could have some peace and quiet and not be bothered to smell the familiar fragrance.

After recognizing the man's identity by the jade pendant he was pointing at, the waiter dared not speak out against his anger and left dejectedly, no longer trying to stop him.

Let alone him, even if the shopkeeper himself came forward, it probably wouldn't make a difference against the local bullies.

The man in brocade averted his eyes and sniffed for a moment, confirming that it was indeed that smell.

On the boat, she greeted him, and the two looked at each other closely. She exuded a faint, elegant fragrance.

He felt refreshed all over after smelling it...

Opening his eyes, the man solemnly instructed his subordinates, his eyes revealing an arrogant and lawless demeanor: "Even if she is a married woman, I, this young master, have money to make the devil turn the millstone. This person... I'm determined to have her."

The subordinate hesitated, saying, "But the swordsman beside that beautiful woman... his martial arts are truly remarkable. I'm afraid I'm not entirely confident that I can hold him back so that it will be convenient for you to carry out your plans, young master."

"Who told you to fight him openly? What kind of place is Yecheng? What kind of business do we do? Use your brain!"

Ye City borders the Southern Min Kingdom, and trade flourishes here. Many strange and unusual items from the southern regions can be found here.

Two things in particular: various poisons and aphrodisiacs.

Therefore, what the young master meant was—to use medicine.