Chapter 63 (The eve of the Lunar New Year)
"Xiaoxi!"
On the eve of the Lunar New Year, Xie Xiyue arrived early, dressed in a smart and capable outfit.
Ning Xi was doing her hair and makeup when she asked in surprise, "Why are you here so early?"
"I've come to see Xiao Sui. There's a banquet at the palace tonight, and I plan to enter the Ten Thousand Demon Cave early to complete my mission," Xie Xiyue said.
Ning Qi felt really embarrassed. She knew that Xie Xiyue had also joined the team to help her find flowers, and she couldn't be persuaded to go either. She didn't even know when they had developed such a deep friendship.
"Have you ever considered that the white moonlight and the villain might have fallen for each other? She didn't go in for you, but rather to spend more time with Xiao Sui?" the system whispered in my mind.
Ning Qi was startled and stammered to herself, "Is...is that possible? They don't seem to have any romantic relationship in the original book!"
"You and the villain don't have any romantic relationship yet," the system said.
Ning Qi: "..."
"By the way, are you going to marry Yan Chongyan?" Xie Xiyue asked, blinking her big eyes.
Ning Qi nodded.
"You still chose him." Xie Xiyue sighed, shook her head, looked at her hesitantly, and finally asked, "What about Xiao Sui?"
"Look, she's already taken a liking to the villain," the system added fuel to the fire.
After hearing what she said, Ning Qi did feel that she was implying something.
She lowered her eyes, concealing her true emotions, and said in a cold tone, "We'll probably send these servants away when we're tired of them."
Xie Xiyue frowned. "Xiao Qi, what happened to you again!"
"What do you mean by 'it's become like this again'?" Ning Qi asked.
"Never mind, it's nothing." Xie Xiyue couldn't help but feel indignant on Xiao Sui's behalf. "He risked his life for you, you shouldn't treat him like this."
“I didn’t make him do these things; he brought it on himself,” Ning Qi said ungratefully.
Xie Xiyue looked incredulous, probably because she hadn't expected her to say such outrageous things.
Zhizhi came in and told them that Xiao Sui was waiting for Miss Xie in the courtyard.
Xie Xiyue hurried out the door, and after arriving at the Ten Thousand Demon Cave with Xiao Sui through the teleportation array, she said, "Has the princess been possessed again? Why is it so strange?"
“No,” Xiao Sui said firmly.
"Then why is she suddenly treating you so badly?"
Xiao Sui had already taken to the air on his sword, stirring up a cold wind above her head.
She seemed to be in a bad mood. Xie Xiyue wisely shut her mouth and followed behind on her sword.
“Young Master Xiao has been getting quite close to Miss Xie lately,” Zhizhi said, looking at Ning Qi’s expression.
Ning Qi adjusted the position of her hairpin in front of the bronze mirror and said without changing her expression, "That's good. If they are in love, I can destroy Xiao Sui's indenture and give him his freedom."
"You really don't have anything for him..."
"No." Ning Xi denied it directly, ignoring what she was about to say. "He doesn't listen to me and is never home. What use is such a servant to me?"
“But…” Zhizhi opened her mouth, hesitated, and finally said nothing.
Ningqi busied herself decorating the courtyard, adding a festive atmosphere, and soon it was evening.
The palace banquet was held in a side hall. Ning Qi was led to her seat by a palace maid and looked at Xie Xiyue at the table behind her.
She dressed much more formally than usual, which made her originally cool features more glamorous.
Strange, she should have returned from the Demon Cave some time ago, but Xiao Sui has not returned yet.
Ning Qi muttered to himself in confusion.
After a while, once the emperor was seated, the banquet officially began.
The palace maids filed in and began serving the dishes. The dishes were much more exquisite than those prepared in her usual small kitchen, but Ningqi had little appetite.
She watched the dancers perform with little interest, feeling somewhat tired.
To liven up the atmosphere, a small game of reciting and composing poems was added during the meal.
Ning Qi racked his brains and recited a few lines, which, regardless of their quality, received unanimous praise.
It's simply because of her status.
Ever since she learned that Xie Xiyue was the emperor's biological daughter, she noticed that things were indeed different. The emperor's loving gaze towards Xie Xiyue now held a touch of sincerity, something she had never noticed before.
The banquet ended at 9 PM. Seeing that she looked tired, the emperor told her to rest in the palace and return the next day.
Ning Xi thought about it and still refused. She was worried about Xiao Sui and planned to go back to see him.
Before getting into the carriage, she saw Xie Xiyue, who had decided to fly back to Huaguang Sect on her sword and was invited into the carriage by Xie Xiyue.
"Where's Xiao Sui? Didn't he come back with you?" Ning Qi asked casually as they passed through the teleportation array.
Xie Xiyue shook her head, "Every time we went in, we looked for our own places. I didn't see him when I came back."
Ning Qi looked at the scenery outside and didn't ask any more questions.
Back in her courtyard, she couldn't wait to ask if Zhizhi and Xiaosui had returned.
"No." Zhizhi was also a little worried. "Young Master Xiao should usually be back by this time. What's going on today?"
Ning Qi frowned. The reason he had to come back was because today was the eve of the Lunar New Year, the day he and Niannian met.
On such an important day, she thought he would definitely come back early and return to her side, but now he is nowhere to be found.
Where could he have gone? Could something have happened to him?
"Probably not. The system didn't give any indication that the villain was in trouble. He's probably still in the Demon Cave," she reassured herself. She washed up and rested as usual, but tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.
The moonlight outside dazzled her eyes, making her restless. She put on a thick coat, called over Zhizhi who was keeping watch, and asked again if Xiao Sui had returned.
Zhizhi still shook her head.
It was already past midnight.
"I'll contact him using a communication talisman," Zhizhi said, channeling spiritual energy into the talisman.
The talisman remained completely still.
Zhizhi then contacted the owner of Nanfeng Pavilion, who stammered that Xiao Sui was not with him.
Ningxi's heart sank uncontrollably.
"Should we send someone to look for them?" Zhizhi asked.
“You don’t have the teleportation array for the Ten Thousand Demon Cave, so we’ll have to send A-Ying to Yandu to look for it.” Ning Qi said, then suddenly thought of a place and called out to Zhizhi, “Wait, come with me to a place first.”
Zhizhi was about to call for a carriage, but Ningxi shook her head, "No need, we'll stay at Huaguang Sect."
She was going to Xiao Sui's former courtyard, the place where he and Niannian had met.
His courtyard was in a very remote location, far from the main peak and the disciples' quarters, sitting alone in the sparsely populated back mountain.
As they approached the courtyard, they noticed that the dilapidated gate was slightly ajar, occasionally creaking open.
Dark clouds obscured the moon, plunging the surroundings into utter darkness. Apart from the patch of land illuminated by lanterns, the rest of the land was pitch black, amplifying the fear to its maximum.
Zhizhi swallowed hard. "Princess, did Young Master Xiao used to live here? That's terrifying!"
Ningqi carefully pushed open the courtyard gate and asked Zhizhi to hold the lantern higher.
She could barely make out the furnishings in the courtyard, which were roughly in the same place as she remembered. In the center was a small house with a small plaque on it that read "Nian Nian Zhi Jia" (meaning "Home of Every Year").
It was her old house when she was making cats. The woodwork was exquisite, and it must have taken a lot of effort to make it.
The dust on it looked like it had been wiped clean; it was noticeably cleaner than other areas.
Suddenly, a loud thud was heard not far away, as if something had fallen to the ground. Zhizhi trembled in fright, and the candlelight in the lantern flickered, revealing a dark figure darting past.
"What is this...?" Zhizhi asked in a trembling voice.
“A big fat cat,” Ning Qi said without changing his expression.
She lifted her foot and walked into the main house as if she knew the way well. As soon as she entered, she smelled a strong smell of alcohol.
Ning Qi frowned and continued walking inside. The furnishings were even simpler, allowing her to spot the dark figure sitting by the bed at a glance.
"Xiao Sui!" She walked over quickly, the smell of alcohol even more obvious, and there were several bottles of wine on the ground.
Zhizhi helped her light the candles so she could see Xiao Sui's condition.
His cheeks were flushed, his head was bowed, and his eye mask was askew on his face; he looked extremely drunk.
Ning Qi lifted his chin and called his name again.
Xiao Sui took a heavy breath, and after a long while, he moved his lips and said hesitantly, "Princess?"
Ning Qi was furious. "Who told you to drink so much?"
His chest heaved, his head tilted back slightly as if he couldn't support it, revealing his beautiful Adam's apple, and his voice was filled with grievance, "The owner of Nanfeng Pavilion said that if you get drunk, you can see the people you want to see."
Ning Qi chuckled coldly twice and patted his face. "Now you've seen it?"
"I saw him," Xiao Sui replied obediently.
"If you want to see me, go home and see me. Why get yourself drunk and try to see me in your imagination?"
"You don't want to see me." Xiao Sui looked aggrieved, his eyebrows drooping, a stark contrast to his previous taciturn demeanor.
"So cute," Ning Xi couldn't help but think to herself.
But what he said made sense. He had indeed deliberately avoided him and had Yan Chongyan come over to annoy him.
Knowing she was in the wrong, she changed the subject, saying, "Come back with me first."
As she spoke, she reached out to grab his arm, but in the next instant, Xiao Sui tightened his grip, and she saw a blur before her eyes, suddenly falling into his lap with her hands braced against his chest.
The two were very close, their breathing was somewhat rapid.
Zhizhi tactfully withdrew.
Without warning, Xiao Sui lowered his head and kissed her urgently, as if a long-awaited rain had fallen on a parched land, a faint sigh escaping his throat.
Ning Qi wanted to push him away, but the sensation of his lips and hands was too good, making her reluctant to let go. After a moment's internal struggle, she closed her eyes. Anyway, he was drunk, and he would forget about it tomorrow.
The house, which had been uninhabited for a long time, was not lit with charcoal fire. It should have been freezing cold in the depths of winter, but Ning Qi, trapped in Xiao Sui's arms, felt as if a large furnace was scorching her, and she didn't feel cold at all.
Her fingers started to itch, and she couldn't resist pulling open his collar, tearing off his shoulder, and pressing directly onto his full muscles.
Xiao Sui let out a muffled groan.
Ning Qi opened her eyes, and the sensation in her hands was different from usual. She pulled away from Xiao Sui's lips and lowered her head.
His body, covered in wounds, was laid bare before her eyes. From front to back, new and old wounds overlapped, and there was hardly a patch of flesh on his body that was intact.
The latest wound is on my abdomen. I've applied ointment, but the edges are already swollen and white.
Ning Qi only pressed on the spot of his old injury, and he cried out in pain. He was usually silent when he was awake. He was really good at enduring pain.
She pressed his nearly healed scabs angrily, wanting to teach him a lesson, but then she felt a dull ache in her chest and her nose started to sting. "If it hurts, don't go. No matter what I say, it won't work, will it?"
Xiao Sui looked up, his long hair cascading over the bedside. He took a few breaths, then reached out and grasped her wrist, guiding her hand to his heart and pressing it firmly against his chest. He looked up and said earnestly, "Princess, I'll enjoy any pain you give me."
Ning Xi could say nothing. She couldn't utter a single word. She closed her fingers and gently kissed his wound with her lips.
Xiao Sui's heartbeat quickened considerably, and the swaying muscles in front of her made her dizzy. She quickly sensed his change and a wicked thought arose in her mind.
She liked him so much, she should at least do something before leaving, so that neither of them would have any regrets.
Besides, he's drunk now and can be manipulated by her; he'll forget about it tomorrow.
This is the perfect opportunity.
Ningxi grabbed his hand through the fabric.
Xiao Sui gasped, his body trembling slightly.
He looked so pitiful. Ning Qi looked at him with pity, her fingers tightening. Xiao Sui's muscles tensed up, his bloodless lips turned red, and he looked like he was about to explode.
"Princess..." he called out to her pleadingly.
Ning Qi lowered her head, her heart pounding rapidly. Her body clearly told her that she craved him and wanted to devour him whole.
Xiao Sui kissed her haphazardly, as if trying to relieve the heat in his body. Ning Qi ripped off his belt and hurriedly grabbed her hand, "No... Princess."
Ning Qi snorted in dissatisfaction, "Why not? I don't mind, what are you hesitating about?"
“No,” Xiao Sui shook his head. “We’re not married yet, I can’t…”
“We’re married,” Ningqi coaxed him.
"No." Xiao Sui frowned and denied, "If we had gotten married, I would never forget it for the rest of my life, but... but I can't remember it at all right now."
I didn't expect him to be so hard to coax when he was drunk.
Ning Qi was a little angry. Her initial desire gradually cooled down, and she suddenly felt a jolt in her heart.
What is she doing?! She clearly agreed to distance herself from him, to make him quit and return to a normal life without himself.
Now, however, he has become fickle because of his infatuation with him. If he remembers this, wouldn't his previous indifference have been in vain?
No, simply being indifferent to him isn't enough; the injuries on his body have clearly told her that.
She wanted him to completely give up on saving her.
Ning Qi summoned the system and asked for two things: a pill that could erase Xiao Sui's memories of tonight, and a fake five-petaled Netherworld Flower.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com