Chapter 22 He still has to apologize to us.
“Princess, we are only thinking of your safety and have absolutely no intention of doubting you,” the leading guard said.
Ning Qi's eyes flashed with a cold light. "Is that so? Then I will report this matter to my father in detail and see what he thinks."
Xie Jingyan frowned, "Princess, please don't go too far..."
"Too much what?" Ning Qi pressed.
Xie Jingyan took a deep breath, swallowed back what he wanted to say, and said again, "I apologize to you. I shouldn't have disturbed your rest at night."
Ning Qi curled the corners of her mouth and raised her chin. "That's more like it. You should also apologize to my servants. He's already insecure about his appearance, and you guys are going to expose his wounds in public. In the end, I'll have to coax him."
Xie Jingyan turned pale upon hearing this. As the Imperial Preceptor and the highest-ranking True Person in the Huaguang Sect, how could he apologize to a mere male concubine? Wouldn't that be a slap in his face?
His eyes darkened, and the corners of his mouth turned down. "Princess, please don't push people too far."
"You were the ones who were being aggressive, how can you turn around and blame others?" Ning Qi asked, puzzled. "It seems I still have to report to my father that Master Jingyan not only failed to take good care of his disciples, but also deliberately made things difficult for them and took his anger out on others!"
Her tone grew increasingly harsh, and Xie Jingyan's thin face bulged noticeably with his jaw muscles. Finally, he looked at the man and said, "It was our fault. Please forgive us."
He sounded quite reluctant, but that was all he could do. Ning Qi didn't press him any further and waved her hand, "Alright, you guys should go now."
Xie Jingyan glanced at her, lowered his head to hide the disdain in his eyes, and left with the other guards.
Ning Qi watched as Zhizhi closed the courtyard gate and breathed a sigh of relief. She quickly pulled the man wearing a veiled hat into the house, took off his hat, looked him over, and said with satisfaction, "My pills are quite effective. Even Master Jingyan didn't recognize you. He even apologized to us."
“Princess…” The man opened his mouth, and it was clearly Xiao Sui’s voice.
He looked at her with a complex expression, appearing both touched and guilty, but it was clear that his eyes were lifeless.
"Just repay me properly." Ning Qi gestured twice on his chest.
She already sensed something was wrong when Xie Jingyan sealed off the entire academy. When she heard that her brother was still alive, alarm bells went off even faster. She first sent A Ying to retrieve the coat she had thrown into the water vat, and then quickly bought a high-grade disguise pill from the system. She changed Xiao Sui's appearance according to her wishes, and the effect lasted for a month.
Although the pill cost her 100 points, which was painful, she was still quite pleased that Xie Jingyan had apologized to Xiao Sui.
As for the woman she rescued from that small courtyard, she had Zhizhi place her in a pavilion not far from the dormitory to avoid any further complications.
The next day, she asked Zhizhi to inquire about the woman's last memory of her, which was that Qin Xiao handed her a cup of fermented rice wine.
So her guess was correct. Qin Xiao was facilitating the rape of young girls for Prince Jing.
She didn't have much affection for Prince Jing himself; on the contrary, she felt that he deserved his current fate.
Xiao Sui clearly didn't think so. He once again clasped his hands on the legs of the daybed, confining himself to a space with a radius of one meter, and said to her earnestly like a prisoner, "My life belongs to you."
Ning Qi chuckled and said, "What would I do with your life?"
Xiao Sui lowered his head and added something, but Ning Qi didn't hear him at all. She leaned closer to his lips and asked, "What?"
Xiao Sui's breathing became erratic. He grabbed the edge of the bed and whispered again, "You can do whatever you want."
With each word spoken, his ears turned a shade redder.
Ning Qi observed his changes and found them amusing, so she couldn't help but smile. "You don't need to take your medicine anymore?"
Xiao Sui's face turned crimson.
Ning Qi chuckled to himself, thinking, "Teasing Xiao Sui is so much fun!"
The system's voice was cold and indifferent: "Have you completely forgotten our mission?"
"No," Ning Qi said innocently. "Isn't it because the male lead isn't here? I have nowhere to fawn over him. Besides, I went to the crime scene, so this matter is inextricably linked to me. Of course, I have to do everything I can to help Xiao Sui get away with it."
"So you just brazenly announced that you were keeping a male lover?" the system said. "The male lead will find out about this soon, and your infatuation level will definitely drop. Be prepared."
Ning Qi calculated that she now only had 1715 points, which was about the same as when she first arrived. If the male lead found out and her score continued to drop, then all her hard work would have been for nothing.
Her mood instantly soured, and her physical discomfort immediately became apparent.
Perhaps due to the extreme fright that day and the constant escape, she has been coughing a bit these days and often feels dizzy and lightheaded.
During her last few days at the academy, she spent almost all her time resting in her room. She heard from Zhizhi that Xie Jingyan had quickly caught the murderer, but the man had already committed suicide out of fear of punishment.
He probably found a scapegoat.
Before returning to Huaguangzong, she visited Prince Jing.
Ning Xuanzhou barely had the strength to get up, his whole appearance was ashen, his lips were dry and chapped, a far cry from his usual image.
He was no longer of any value as a prince, and in just a few days, the servants had already begun to neglect his care.
She offered a few words of comfort and then took her leave. Ning Xuanzhou will likely stay here to recuperate for a while before returning to Yandu.
——
Upon returning to Huaguang Sect, even though Yan Chongyan had not yet returned, Ning Qi had already heard rumors about her keeping male lovers.
She hadn't expected Master Jingyan and his guards to keep her secret, but this was just too gossipy.
Xie Xiyue had obviously heard about this as well, and insisted on going back to the courtyard with her after school.
Zhizhi welcomed them in and asked, "Princess, what would you like to eat for dinner?"
Ning Qi had been having a poor appetite lately, but she blurted out, "Grilled dried fish."
Zhizhi looked at Qianyu with some difficulty, and Qianyu pulled her to the small kitchen.
"Why does the princess suddenly want to eat dried grilled fish? I've never made it before," Zhizhi said, troubled.
Qianyu frowned as well; she didn't know either.
At this moment, Xiao Sui groped his way in and said, "Perhaps I can."
Zhizhi looked at her with disbelief, "Can you do it? Are your eyes even capable now?"
Xiao Sui nodded, and said with some nostalgia, "I used to make this for my kitten all the time."
"How could you compare a princess to your kitten?" Zhizhi exclaimed.
Xiao Sui was also taken aback for a moment, then immediately said, "I'm sorry."
Qianyu pulled Zhizhi back, "Let him try it. If it's not good, we won't serve it to the princess."
——
Xie Xiyue followed Ning Qi into the house, glanced around casually, and then asked in a seemingly casual manner, "Xiao Qi, I heard you've been keeping a male concubine?"
Ning Qi guessed that this was why she had come, and nodded.
"Then...aren't you afraid that Senior Brother Yan will mind?" she asked.
Of course she wasn't afraid, but for the sake of her "love points," Ning Qi cautiously asked, "Could you please not tell him?"
Xie Xiyue looked troubled. "But this matter is probably known throughout the entire Huaguang Sect."
Ning Qi paused for a moment, then lowered her eyes and said, "I will explain it to Brother Yan properly."
Actually, she had already thought of an excuse.
"Where is your male lover? I'd like to see him."
Xie Xiyue looked around curiously, her words showing even more concern than when she spoke to Yan Chongyan.
Ning Xi's disguise pill hadn't worn off yet, so she didn't mind letting Xie Xiyue see Xiao Sui.
So at dinner time, Xiao Sui brought in a plate of dried roasted fish.
Xie Xiyue immediately stared at him and looked him over carefully.
She had long heard that the princess's male favorites were not good-looking, and now it seemed that this was indeed the case, although their figures could somewhat make up for it.
But she was still dissatisfied: "Princess, if you want to find male concubines, you should find men who are both handsome and have excellent figures, how could you..."
Xiao Sui paused in his preparation to leave.
Ning Qi said absentmindedly, "This is good enough."
She didn't notice Xiao Sui's ears turning bright red instantly. Holding chopsticks in her hand, she had only one thought in her mind: why did this dried grilled fish taste so good to her?
It's as if she loved to eat a lot in her past life.
A note from the author:
----------------------
When Yan Chongyan found out... [doge emoji]
Please add my next book, "The Arrogant Dragon Who Cultivated the Path of Ruthlessness Became My Furnace (GB)," to your collection!
A fearless country bumpkin × an emotionally detached overbearing protagonist
Xun Yuexue, the despised junior sister of Huaguang Sect, the number one sect in the Upper Immortal Realm, comes from a humble background and has no talent. She only entered the sect because her mother saved the sect leader of Huaguang Sect many years ago and she wanted to repay the favor.
Fortunately, she was willing to work hard and, despite lacking talent, she managed to reach the Foundation Establishment stage and enter the threshold of becoming a cultivator, but she was still the one with the worst cultivation among her fellow disciples.
After returning from a mission, she unexpectedly obtained a superior furnace cauldron. Even with her face covered, her alluring figure was still evident, making her fellow disciples extremely envious.
At the same time, a major event occurred in the sect: the young sect leader, Yang Yubai, went missing, and all sects set out to search for his whereabouts.
Only Xun Yuexue spent all her time with her furnace and cauldron, parading around in public, which inevitably attracted criticism.
After the crowd dispersed, Xun Yuexue stepped on the kneeling furnace cauldron's shoulder, lifted his veil, and said ambiguously, "Young Sect Master, they're all looking for you."
Her furnace cauldron was none other than Yang Yubai.
The proud young man concealed the hatred in his eyes, his expression becoming more alluring. He obediently held her feet, like a docile slave, and said with lowered eyes, "Ah Yue, I just want to stay by your side."
——
Yang Yubai was originally the most talented cultivator in the Immortal Realm, but he fell into the trap of the Demon Clan and lost all his spiritual power. He was picked up by the country bumpkin he despised and used as a furnace, who not only drained his energy every day but also shattered all his dignity.
He vowed to make her pay the price, and after regaining his spiritual power, he set fire to her house. However, the girl, who was supposed to be out on a mission, returned early and perished in the flames.
Three years later, Yang Yubai's cultivation level rose higher and higher, and he became quite influential not only in Huaguang Sect but also in the entire Immortal Realm. He was kind and generous to others and had a bright and upright character, making him someone that other cultivators could only look up to.
Having regained her body, Xun Yuexue heard these rumors and looked down to see the man putting on a dog leash, stuffing a dog tail in his mouth, crawling to her feet, and calling her "master" in a fawning manner.
She lifted his chin, gazed at his expectant face, and said with disdain, "Immortal Lord, how can you be so shameless?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com