Chapter 92 (Chapter 92) Shutting His Mouth

Ning Jue probably sensed Bai Hua's concerns, and didn't carry her to the bed the whole time, soaking the hard-won Shu brocade. After the door was closed, Ning Jue carried her to the carved low table by the window. On the other side of the table was a Boshan incense burner, with wisps of smoke rising. Bai Hua glanced at the thin wisp of smoke, her clothes loose and swaying with it, her mind unsettled.

Leaving the window, Ning Jue lifted her buttocks with his palm, instructing her to wrap her legs around his waist. He then walked slowly but steadily until he pressed Bai Hua against the cold wall.

The wall behind me was unusual, painted with exquisite murals of ladies. Several beautiful maids were depicted, some picking flowers and chasing fireflies, others turning the zither and plucking strings, their expressions lifelike and vivid.

Bai Hua leaned against the wall, her gaze quickly sweeping across the mural, paying no attention to the details. Ning Jue, on the other hand, was directly opposite her, able to see the painting of the lady clearly and observe Bai Hua's dazed expression—her eyes half-closed, her head tilted back, panting. Unable to suppress his own panting, he exerted himself even more vigorously.

He thought to himself that although the ladies in the murals were depicted as pretty, their beauty was far less than one ten-thousandth of what Hua'er was doing beneath him at this moment.

Beauty cannot compare.

Even more so than charm.

Bai Hua's brows furrowed slightly, as if she were filled with unease.

Ning Jue leaned close to her ear and whispered soothingly, "The clothes on the table were my clothes, and now you're wearing my clothes that are wet. Let's do our thing and not bother anyone else. No one will notice."

Bai Hua reached out and tightly gripped Ning Jue's collar by the back of his neck, her voice melancholic and gentle: "...Are you trying to wake everyone in the courtyard with this overwhelming force?"

Ning Jue said frankly, "I have already restrained myself by half, but Hua'er can't feel it, which really hurts my heart."

After saying this, he deliberately lunged forward, to let her experience the power of his attack, and to prove himself.

Caught off guard, Bai Hua's pupils contracted sharply. In her haste, she unintentionally scratched several bloody marks on Ning Jue's shoulder, a shocking sight.

Ning Jue hissed in pain, lowered his head, gritted his teeth, and narrowed his eyes with a dangerous glint in them. Then he spoke in a deep, hoarse voice, "It doesn't matter if you scratch me, just bite me gently. I can't take this kind of biting from Hua'er..."

"..."

Bai Hua's eyes reddened, and without thinking, she leaned back and kissed him.

She didn't want to hear those shameful words anymore. She felt ashamed and embarrassed. The only thing she could do to stop him was to shut him up with her own mouth so that he couldn't utter a single word!

...

The next day, Bai Hua woke up quite late. Not only was she going to miss breakfast, but lunch was also almost here.

She was sleeping in the inner chamber, making no sound of getting up. The maids serving her outside dared not knock on the door to disturb her, so they waited patiently with their heads bowed.

Even though Bai Hua was pampered and spoiled, she couldn't enjoy being served with a clear conscience while living in someone else's house.

She looked up at the bell by the bed curtains, raised her hand to reveal her fair wrist, then grasped the beaded string and shook it to produce a crisp sound.

Soon, three maids dressed in blue entered the room one after the other.

Each of them carried an item in their hands: a washbasin, a clean towel, and a brand-new, elegant dress.

Having received permission, they lowered their eyes and stepped forward one by one. One of them helped Bai Hua with her washing and dressing, another carefully helped her with her makeup, and the third stepped onto the ground, bent down and helped her tidy up the bedding. They were all very quick and efficient.

Seeing this, Bai Hua felt a lingering fear and secretly thought to herself that it was fortunate that she had insisted on not making love with the young master in bed yesterday, otherwise, if she had left any trace, she probably wouldn't have escaped the eyes of these maids.

"Miss, you may dine alone after you have finished washing up. Young Master Ning, who accompanied you, is not at home."

The maid who was applying makeup to her was choosing hairpins and accessories for her while speaking softly to her.

Bai Hua wanted to ask Ning Jue where he had gone, but after thinking about it, she felt that the girls probably didn't know the details, so she replied and then had lunch after washing up.

If you get enough sleep in the morning, you can skip the afternoon nap.

She was worried about her sister-in-law and Xiao Yi, and had originally planned to visit them today, but Ning Jue was not there, and she didn't know whether she should leave the palace alone.

Out of caution, she did not act rashly and stayed idly in the pine garden until evening, but still did not see Ning Jue. She felt uneasy and could not sleep at night. Just before midnight, there was a knock on the door. Bai Hua's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly got up, dressed, and opened the door.

It is Ning Jue.

The servants in the courtyard had all gone to rest, so Ning Jue entered the room with light steps without disturbing anyone, and then turned around and bolted the door shut.

Bai Hua asked him where he had been, and Ning Jue's brow relaxed as he told her, "I received news this morning that there has finally been progress in your brother's case. It's a fact that the disaster relief funds were embezzled, and these dozen or so boxes of silver couldn't have simply vanished into thin air. The officials in charge of the case may have already found some clues, but due to the high status of the other party, they have been hesitant to investigate further. I had Zang Fan secretly gather evidence, and we finally found out where the embezzled money went."

"Today, I led men to raid the mine of He Chong, the nephew of the Princess Consort of Rui, in the northern mountains on the outskirts of the capital. In front of the people of the capital, I threw more than a dozen boxes of silver at the gate of the Dali Temple. Under the watchful eyes of the people, how can this case not be judged fairly? Whether to insist on protecting a playboy or to take the risk of disturbing the hearts of the people, the people above will decide which is more important."

Upon hearing this, Bai Hua felt a sense of surprise and doubt: "Is it possible to do this...? I've never heard of such a thing."

Ning Jue smiled, looking relaxed: "I'm new here and don't care about career advancement, so I'm not afraid of offending people. If I want to be efficient, I'll inevitably have to use some unorthodox methods. If I'm not in a hurry, your brother probably won't be able to get out by the Lantern Festival."

Bai Hua frowned slightly, looking somewhat worried. "I have some impression of He Chong. His father died early, and he was taken in and cared for by his aunt, the Princess Rui. He has been pampered and spoiled since childhood. In addition, the Princess Rui has no children of her own, so she treats this nephew extremely well, as if he were her own son. This time He Chong has made a mistake, and he will inevitably be protected by the Prince Rui's mansion. The Prince Rui is also the most respected uncle of the current emperor. Given the stakes involved, it's no wonder that the people at the Dali Temple have been unable to make any progress in their investigation and only want to force his brother to confess and sign a letter of apology to take the blame..."

At this point, Bai Hua's chest heaved, and she couldn't help but feel indignant, speaking out for her brother.

Ning Jue comforted her in a low voice, placing his palm on Bai Hua's shoulder and reassuring her, "Don't worry, things have gotten out of hand, and no one can protect him now. If my estimate is correct, your brother and sister-in-law will be reunited in three or four days."

Bai Hua hugged Ning Jue with gratitude, unable to express her feelings in words, she just wanted to be close to him like this, to be intimate with him.

But the more tender the moment, the more Ning Jue couldn't help but make suggestive remarks.

"Hua'er won't let me go now, but yesterday she kept pushing me away. This push-and-pull dynamic is making me restless."

Yesterday, he even dared to mention yesterday...

Bai Hua's cheeks flushed, and she pursed her lips, glaring at him with annoyance and embarrassment.

Yesterday, he broke into her room and made love to her wantonly. He played all sorts of tricks on the table and in front of the door, making her feel like her soul was leaving her body and she was in a state of utter depravity. When they finally fell asleep, her knees were so sore and swollen that she could not close them. Yet today, he has the audacity to complain that she is sometimes close and sometimes distant and hard to understand.

They're even worse than robbers!

Bai Hua calmed herself down and forced herself to stay calm, then steered the conversation back on track: "You led a group to raid the mountain and steal silver, and you came with great force. I'm sure He Chong and his gang won't just sit idly by. You and Zang Fan... even if we add Chen Fu and his men, we don't seem to have the advantage in numbers."

Ning Jue nodded, put away his joking tone, and explained to her seriously: "I need to be 100% sure about this matter, otherwise I'm afraid I'll alert the enemy. If He Chong becomes alert and changes the location of the hidden silver, it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack to find it later... Therefore, I have no choice but to bring the soldiers that General Wang sent me to completely overwhelm them in terms of numbers, in order to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Upon hearing this, Bai Hua's eyes widened instantly, her face filled with undisguised astonishment: "What...isn't this an abuse of power? Besides, the Grand General and Prince Rui are brothers. Your rash actions have caused trouble for the Grand General. How can he not be furious..."

Ning Jue truthfully replied, "I am not satisfied."

Bai Hua became nervous and quickly asked, "You came back so late, did something happen? What is the attitude of the Grand General? Is he still willing to keep you by his side? The matter of the Sword Saint is not over yet. I don't want you to miss the opportunity to find out the truth because of helping my brother. If you can't stay in the palace from now on, it will definitely be a big obstacle in your actions in the capital."

Her voice was full of worry, and her eyes held a hint of self-blame.

After Ning Jue finished speaking, he dispelled the unease that lingered in Bai Hua's heart: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. The Grand General has long disapproved of Prince Rui's favoritism. Before, the two of them barely managed to get along on the surface, but that was only to save face for the Emperor. Today, I've used the Grand General's hand to make Prince Rui's mansion lose the hearts of the people. I'm afraid the Grand General will resent my recklessness to the extent, but he will also appreciate my decisive actions to cleanse the court of a deep-seated problem."

"As for why I came back late... it was because the Great General insisted that I stay for drinks. During the banquet, I cleverly pretended to be drunk, which allowed me to escape and return at this time."

Bai Hua blinked, thought about it seriously for a moment, and asked him for confirmation, "Really? Or are you just trying to reassure me and bluff me?"

Ning Jue replied without hesitation, "Of course I mean it."

Bai Hua sniffed, still suspicious: "You said you just went drinking, but how come there's no unpleasant smell of alcohol on your body or around your nose and mouth?"

This girl.

Ning Jue smiled upon hearing this, his tone showing no impatience, and continued to explain to her slowly and deliberately: "You said it smelled bad, would I deliberately go to bed to smell you? Before entering the room, I had already taken a bath and rinsed my mouth carefully. I didn't smell any alcohol on myself before stepping into your room. However... I can't guarantee that there wasn't even a trace of alcohol. If Hua'er were closer to me, or if she leaned in for me to kiss her, she might have noticed the slightest bit."

He's not serious!

Bai Hua glared at him, feigning annoyance.

Ning Jue wasn't afraid of being glared at. Not only did he glare back, but he also... lowered his head and kissed Bai Hua's soft lips.

Bai Hua was unable to dodge him and was entangled by him skillfully. She was powerless to resist and could only give in to his demands and be bullied by him.

Every now and then, panting would escape her lips, a helpless pleas for mercy after she couldn't withstand the onslaught. Ning Jue loved to hear her playful moans, which made his nerves feel both relaxed and tense, and his lower abdomen burning with heat.

After the kiss, neither of them wanted to part.

Even without mentioning Ning Jue, Bai Hua felt weak all over and only remembered to let him go a beat later.

Ning Jue took her hand again, stroking it as he said in a hoarse voice, "Hua'er, you don't need to keep worrying about saving your brother, weighing the pros and cons. Helping you is actually helping myself. I know you're concerned about your brother's safety. If he's not cleared of wrongdoing, how can you be willing to marry me? Only by completely exonerating him can I truly get what I want, right?"

Bai Hua was at a loss for what to do. She held Ning Jue's hand tightly, unable to utter any eloquent words.

But I was deeply moved, filled with gratitude towards him, and... a strong pang of heartache.

Ning Jue raised his hand and brushed Bai Hua's nose. After a while, he thought of something and said with a smile, "Actually, if Rong Linyan hadn't been secretly suppressing a crucial clue, this matter would have been resolved a few days earlier. I had originally thought that if things went smoothly, I would go to the capital first to make arrangements, so that when you arrived, your brother could personally greet you at the city gate. That would definitely make you happy."

It turns out that Ning Jue had considered all of this for her.

Bai Hua sighed wistfully, looking deeply at Ning Jue, and couldn't help but lament the encounters and serendipities between people.

Before she met Ning Jue, she always regarded Rong Linyan as her lifeline and the only hope to save her brother. However, she did not expect that this hope would slowly grow into a shadow and eventually become a miasma that blocked her way.

The relationships between people are actually quite complex.

We are close in some ways, living under the same roof, yet far apart in others; if we were to meet again, we would probably be strangers.

"It's so good to have met you..."

After a long silence, Bai Hua only managed to utter this one sentence, but for Ning Jue, it was more than enough.

He hugged Bai Hua tightly, thinking to himself that he was the one who should be grateful to fate.

Meeting you is just as... wonderful.