Yes, even though he already knew that Tang Ning's agreement to his request was most likely due to her soft heart and kindness, and that she might still have feelings for Xu Sinian, Lu Chen still despicably wanted to keep her by his side.
Is there any reason why it's not allowed?
He didn't believe Lu Chen couldn't do what Xu Sinian could do, especially since Tang Ning wasn't without feelings for him; otherwise, she wouldn't have taken care of him for so long in Dayu Village.
So as long as Tang Ning doesn't go back to Haicheng, but goes to Fengcheng with him instead, he has a chance, a chance to make Tang Ning fall in love with him again.
As the young marshal, he could afford to buy things for Tang Ning that he couldn't afford before, and he was even healthier than Xu Sinian. He believed that they would be very happy in the future.
It definitely will.
As if hypnotized, Lu Chen kept repeating this to himself.
But when he looked up and saw the trouble on Tang Ning's face, his heart sank. His nails, which hadn't been trimmed in a long time, dug deep into the soft flesh of his palm with the force of his movements.
Lu Chen lowered his eyes slightly, trying to keep his voice calm, "What's wrong? Ningning, is there a problem?"
Upon hearing Lu Chen's question, Tang Ning subconsciously bit her lip and responded softly, "Well... the main problem is that we're almost out of money. I even pawned our clothes to come to the clinic for treatment. Even if I wanted to go back to Fengcheng with you, we wouldn't have the money for the journey."
"And then there's the injury to the back of your head. Dr. Qin said you absolutely need to rest, and you can't stop taking the medication. If you stop, even he can't guarantee there won't be any lasting effects. But all our money is in our purse; we can't afford to continue renting a place or paying for medical treatment. I was thinking of discussing it with you before, saying that this place is relatively close to Haicheng, and since you've just woken up, I could go back to Haicheng one day to get some more money, otherwise..."
"If you want me to go back to Fengcheng with you, I need to let the Tang family know, no matter what. Although I'm not their biological child, they raised me after all, and I can't just leave without a word. Also, there's Tang Ruo and Tang Jun; they've always liked me, their older sister, and I want to say a few words to them, so..."
Tang Ning couldn't continue speaking.
In short, she has to go back to Haicheng no matter what.
After hearing the reasons, Lu Chen did not loosen his clenched hands. He wanted to ask Tang Ning if, after saying so much, there wasn't a single reason that she wanted to go back and see Xu Sinian again.
But he was too timid. He couldn't bring himself to ask, nor did he dare to. He was afraid that if he asked such a question, the rare peace and tranquility between him and Tang Ning would be shattered. He didn't even want Tang Ning to think of that man again, not even once...
"So you mean...you want to go back to Haicheng?"
Lu Chen suddenly raised his head, his dark eyes immediately looking over.
Upon hearing this, Tang Ning frowned, then tentatively asked, "...Is that alright?"
Can't!
He doesn't want to go back!
He didn't want her to run into Xu Sinian again because of this!
Looking into Tang Ning's eyes, Lu Chen kept repeating these words in his mind, but unfortunately, these words turned into a knowing smile when he finally spoke them, "Mm..."
He responded softly.
Upon seeing Lu Chen agree, Tang Ning's eyes instantly lit up with intense joy.
With a smile playing on her lips, Tang Ning gave Lu Chen a bright and cheerful one.
Are you planning to go back alone?
"Um."
Tang Ning nodded. "You need to take two doses of your medicine a day; you can't stop. I've also inquired, and there's a train to Haicheng near this town. I heard it only takes eight hours. I've calculated that after buying the train tickets, I still have enough money in my purse for you to eat and live on for three days. I'll try my best to get back within three days. What do you think?"
"good."
"Oh right, and this too..."
Tang Ning subconsciously glanced towards the window and door, then pulled out the pistol that had saved them twice before, and shoved it into Lu Chen's hand before he could react.
"Although Dr. Qin and the people in the clinic seem nice now, you can't judge a book by its cover, so I'm a little worried and will leave this with you for now..."
Before Tang Ning could finish speaking, Lu Chen frowned and looked at her, "I don't want to!"
"You can't refuse."
"Why not? I'm a grown man, how much suffering can I endure? You're different. The train is full of all sorts of people. If you don't bring this, I absolutely will not allow you to go to Haicheng alone!"
"But……"
"No buts."
Lu Chen brooked no argument. One of the reasons he was unwilling to let Tang Ning go back was because he was afraid that with her looks, if she were to encounter someone with ulterior motives, she might...
But in his current predicament, he has no way to contact his subordinates who are still in Haicheng, so it seems that the only way out is for Tang Ning to return to Haicheng.
This predicament made Lu Chen feel a sense of helplessness.
Once the two decided on their next step, Tang Ning went out to buy things. Since she was going to be away for a while, she bought several days' worth of food in one go, and even exchanged some extra copper coins to give to the clinic so that they could take care of Lu Chen a little while she was away.
After dinner that evening, the two of them squeezed together on the narrow little bed.
Perhaps Tang Ning was truly exhausted from these three days, for she fell into a deep sleep shortly after lying down.
Lu Chen, on the other hand, had probably slept too much these past few days and was not sleepy at all. He spent almost the entire night gazing at Tang Ning's face under the bright moonlight, and as he looked at her, he couldn't help but kiss her eyes.
"You'll come back, won't you?"
He asked this softly.
Unfortunately, Tang Ning was asleep, and no one could answer his question.
Because of the tight schedule, Tang Ning tidied up a bit the next day, made Lu Chen his favorite shredded chicken noodle soup, and covered most of her face with a large gray scarf before rushing to catch her train.
Seeing this, Lu Chen reached out and tightened her scarf a little more. After hesitating for a while, he finally spoke, "I'll give you an address. As soon as you get back to Haicheng, go here to find people. The people there are all my men from Fengcheng. When you come back, have them accompany you on the train, understand?"
Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed across Tang Ning's eyes.
"good."
"Be careful on the road. If anyone talks to you on the train, don't talk to them. Tie your scarf tight so that no one can see what you look like, okay?"
"Um."
Tang Ning nodded repeatedly in response to Lu Chen's instructions.
As they were talking, the man suddenly pulled her into his arms. "I'll wait for you. Come back soon. If you don't, I'll come looking for you."
"good."
Tang Ning nodded.
“Ningning…”
"Um?"
"I really like you..."
So please don't disappoint me again, okay?
He couldn't imagine what he would do if he were to fall back into the pain and despair of five years ago.
With a heavy heart, Tang Ning left.
After she left, that very night, Lu Chen couldn't even swallow his medicine. Lying in bed, he could almost feel Tang Ning's long, steady breaths beside him. Unfortunately, when he turned around, all he saw was the cold, icy wall.
Tang Ning had only been gone for a day, and Lu Chen was already starting to miss her terribly.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Tang Ning finally got off the train before nightfall.
At the entrance of Haicheng's train station, you can find all sorts of things, and the sounds of vendors calling out their wares fill the air.
Although Tang Ning was very hungry, she did not stop. Just as she was about to head to the address Lu Chen had given her, she suddenly heard the tea egg stall and the pancake stall next door talking about the name "Master Xu". This made Tang Ning slow down involuntarily.
"Sigh, I really can't go on living like this anymore. I don't know what's going on between Master Xu and Master Shen. They used to keep to themselves, so why did they suddenly start fighting?"
"That's right. Every night I can hear shouts and cries of fighting in the alley where I live. There are even gunshots. I've been so scared that I haven't dared to close my eyes for several nights. I'm afraid that if I fall asleep, I'll be caught in the crossfire and won't even have time to run away."
"I wonder when this will end?"
"Hey, don't you know? I heard from my aunt's cousin's brother that the fight between the two ended yesterday. Master Shen lost, and Master Xu swallowed up most of his business. He's temporarily backing down. But Master Xu's health seems to be failing, so nobody knows who will have the last laugh!"
Next door, a vendor selling candied hawthorns came over and mysteriously joined in, looking like someone who really knew the inside story.
Upon hearing this, Tang Ning finally stopped completely and turned to look at her in disbelief.
A slightly noisy breeze blew off a corner of the gray scarf around her neck, revealing half of her pink and white face. It was this half of her face that made the other two, who were originally going to say something to the candied hawthorn vendor, gape in amazement, and forget what they were going to say for a moment.
Seeing this, Tang Ning immediately tightened her scarf, frowned deeply, and ran towards the Tang family's direction.
The candied hawthorn vendor was left stroking his chin, thoughtfully watching Tang Ning's departing figure. After a while, he exclaimed in surprise, startling the other two who were still somewhat bewildered. But when they turned around to reprimand him, they found that the candied hawthorn vendor who had just been standing beside them had long since disappeared.
About ten minutes later, at the Xu Mansion.
A series of muffled coughs came from the direction of the study, which Ah Sheng and Ah Li, who were standing at the door, could hear. They exchanged a worried glance, then lowered their heads helplessly.
Just then, Ah Sheng saw the Xu family servant who came to report that someone was looking for Brother Sheng and had something to report.
Upon hearing this, Ah Sheng frowned slightly, but still went downstairs.
Within three minutes, Ah Sheng rushed over with great joy, forgetting to even knock on the study door, and pushed it open and rushed in.
"Sir, someone down below reported that Miss Tang was seen at the train station and is now heading towards the Tang family's residence."
Upon hearing this, Xu Sinian used too much force, and the pen in his hand left a deep black hole in the diary in front of him.
Meanwhile, on the other side, after Tang Ning went to the address Lu Chen had given her, she headed straight for the Tang family home. The main reason was that apart from the money for the train ticket, she didn't have much money left, so she couldn't take a rickshaw and had to walk to get anywhere.
As they drew closer, Tang Ning could even see the lights coming on at the Tang family's residence not far away.
A slight smile played on her lips, and she quickened her pace.
She had only just crossed the road and hadn't even reached out to knock on the Tang family's door when she heard the sound of a car stopping behind her.
In an instant, Tang Ning's eyes widened in surprise.
She didn't turn around, because she knew without looking who was behind her.
Then came the sound of a car door opening, the sound of a wheelchair rolling on the floor, and...
"Ningning."
Xu Sinian's hoarse, deep voice.
Unable to resist, Tang Ning turned around.
But the moment she turned around, Xu Sinian pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.
The faint scent of pine mixed with the smell of ink wafted directly into Tang Ning's nostrils, and she immediately widened her eyes.
Then she heard Xu Sinian sigh in her ear, "Ningning..."
Before Tang Ning could even struggle, she felt Xu Sinian's arms suddenly loosen their grip on her.
"do not leave Me……"
After leaving behind only this sentence, Xu Sinian, having completely released his embrace, fainted.
"Xu Sinian!"
"Master!"
Two voices rang out one after the other.
Because of Xu Sinian's sudden fainting, Tang Ning, who had already arrived at the Tang family's door, did not step inside. She only sent Ah Sheng to inform them before following Xu Sinian's car to the Xu family's residence.
About half an hour later, a doctor in a white coat was carefully examining Xu Sinian with a stethoscope at his bedside.
Tang Ning heard Ali's admonition, "Miss Tang, ever since that day, from the moment you were afraid of falling into the river until now, Master hasn't had a single full night's sleep, and he's eaten very little, not to mention remembering to soak in medicine. The doctor said that his body simply can't withstand this kind of torment, but unfortunately, once Master is stubborn, no one can persuade him. In fact, because the person who fell into the water that day was a trap set by Master Shen, our people have already fallen out with Master Shen and offended many other people. Now that you're back, if possible, I hope you can try to persuade Master..."
Even if Ali hadn't said anything, Tang Ning could have seen that Xu Sinian's face had become much paler and more haggard since the day she left, and his lips had lost all color.
Without even thinking, you can tell just how much trouble this person causes.
After the examination, Tang Ning sat down in front of Xu Sinian's bed, frowning, and reached out to touch Xu Sinian's thick, dark eyebrows.
The moment her fingers touched the other's brow, a hand immediately rose from the side and pressed against the back of her hand. The next second, the man's eyes, as cold as stars, looked directly at Tang Ning.
The moment he saw Tang Ning clearly, his eyes softened, and his lips moved as if he was about to say something.
Tang Ning looked at their tightly clasped hands, then immediately pulled them apart, managing a weak smile. "You're awake?"
Xu Sinian felt as if a piece of his heart had been emptied as his hands suddenly went empty. He could still feel the soft warmth of Tang Ning's fingers in his palm, and Tang Ning was sitting in front of him with a smile, yet Xu Sinian felt that the distance between them was so, so far...
"Um."
The man's long, thick eyelashes drooped slightly, concealing all his emotions, and he only responded softly.
"Is anything bothering you? Are you still dizzy? Is there anything else that's making you feel unwell?"
Hearing this, Xu Sinian raised his eyes and smiled reassuringly, "No, did Asheng and Ali talk nonsense to you? I know my own body, it's not like what they said."
"Whether it's true or not, you shouldn't abuse your body like this. Can't you be a little more obedient when I'm not around? Do you have to make me worry?"
Tang Ning scolded.
"It's just that no one was supervising me before. Now that you're back, you can tell me anytime if I do anything wrong."
Xu Sinian said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Tang Ning paused, staring into the other's dark eyes for a long while, as if she couldn't bear it any longer. She quickly avoided his gaze and changed the subject, "Alright, now that you're awake, I should ask Asheng and the others to bring up the porridge and medicine. Have some porridge to fill your stomach first, then take your medicine, okay?"
Upon hearing Tang Ning's suggestion and noticing the evasive look in her eyes, Xu Sinian's heart sank, but he still nodded and agreed.
Tang Ning personally fed Xu Sinian the porridge and medicine.
After they finished eating, Xu Sinian heard that Tang Ning had taken an eight-hour train ride. He couldn't bear to let her stay by his bedside to take care of him any longer, so he told her to go downstairs, take a shower, and get some sleep.
After waiting in the room for about an hour, Ah Sheng, who had received his order, knocked on the door and told him that Miss Tang had already gone to sleep in the next room because she was worried that sleeping next to him would affect his rest.
After hearing this report, Xu Sinian remained silent for a long time before nodding.
Three days.
Three days was enough time for Xu Sinian to understand Tang Ning's meaning, and then he recalled that she had fallen into the river with Lu Chen...
Xu Sinian understood: what is stolen is stolen, and it cannot be kept!
No matter how hard he tried to keep him, he couldn't.
That day, watching Tang Ning finish feeding him his medicine, pack his things, and turn to leave, Xu Sinian spoke without warning, "Tang Ning... do you want to leave me?"
Tang Ning, who was standing with her back to Xu Sinian, was shocked. She was truly shocked.
In the past few days, she has indeed been subtly expressing her rejection and unease in front of Xu Sinian, mainly to lay the groundwork for the development of the subsequent plot.
But she never expected that Xu Sinian would be so perceptive. She turned her head sharply and met the man's deep, ancient eyes.
Their eyes met, and the shock in Tang Ning's eyes was enough to shatter Xu Sinian's last shred of illusion.
"come over."
He suddenly spoke up and said that.
Upon hearing his request, Tang Ning instinctively walked to his bedside. Before she could even ask a question, Xu Sinian pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
The man's kiss was urgent and chaotic, and then Tang Ning felt a sudden pain in her lower lip, and the taste of blood instantly filled her mouth.
Tang Ning cried out in pain, and this sound seemed to suddenly awaken Xu Sinian, who was lost in his own emotions. The man's movements became slower and gentler. When the kiss ended, he still held Tang Ning and refused to let go.
He used to be clueless about love and affection, always thinking only of possession. He would hold onto what he liked and wouldn't let go of anyone.
During the time Tang Ning was missing, he felt a sudden sense of dread. More than seeing her with someone else, he seemed more afraid that she would simply disappear from the world, making even seeing her again a distant dream.
So, when he sensed that Tang Ning wanted to leave, even though his heart ached as if he were suffocating, he still hoped she could be happier, even happier...
Moreover, given the current situation, perhaps it's best for her to go with... him...
Because he received the latest news that Shen San seemed to have made contact with the Ni Kingdom, and Tang Ning was no longer suitable to stay by his side...
He kept thinking this in his mind, but Xu Sinian just couldn't open his mouth.
Because he couldn't say it out loud, and couldn't make a decision, he longed for her to stay by his side for a long, long time, to stay only by his side, and not go anywhere else. He would treat her very well, he could give her anything, anything at all.
He didn't know how long he held Tang Ning, but all of Xu Sinian's chaotic thoughts eventually boiled down to one sentence—
"Leaving is fine, but if possible, come with me to Director He's golden wedding anniversary party tomorrow."
"But your body..."
Tang Ning quickly looked up and asked this question subconsciously.
That's enough.
The first thing she said to him was that she was concerned about his health, and that was enough.
Xu Sinian immediately clenched his fists. "You don't need to worry about this. You can go out now. I need to be alone for a while."
“Xu Sinian…”
"I told you to go out first."
Xu Sinian had already released his arms and closed his eyes, looking as if he was unwilling to say anything more.
Meanwhile, Lu Chen, who was staying at the clinic, had already been found by his men.
He looked again and again, but he couldn't see Tang Ning anywhere.
The disappointment at that time goes without saying, because the medicine still needed to be taken again. Lu Chen patiently waited for three more days, but still nothing. Tang Ning never appeared from beginning to end.
At this moment, no matter what Doctor Qin said about needing rest and taking medicine, Lu Chen couldn't listen to it anymore.
He's going to Haicheng, now, immediately.
Lu Chen said he was going to Haicheng, and no one could stop him.
However, because of the injury to his head, his men had to stop halfway through the journey and borrow a nearby tea stall to brew medicine for him.
Just then, Lu Chen, who was also sitting at the stall, got out of the car, drank a cup of tea, and unexpectedly heard two people at another table holding up a newspaper and starting to comment on each other.
"Hey, did you see that? The newspaper says that Xu Sinian, the big shot of Haicheng, and Li Du, the star of the entertainment industry who recently disappeared and returned, are getting married soon. Seriously... what is Xu Sinian thinking? He's actually willing to marry a socialite who frequents brothels?"
"Didn't you see the photo? That Miss Tang is so beautiful, wouldn't you marry her if you were in her shoes?"
"If I had Xu Sinian's wealth, I wouldn't marry him. Keeping him as a mistress is fine, but as a wife, I'd definitely marry a clean and respectable young lady from a good family. Then, hehe..."
Before the man could finish speaking, the newspaper in his hand was snatched away by a man with bloodshot eyes.
What are you doing!
Just as the man was about to explode, the person standing next to him pulled out a gun and pointed it at his forehead, which frightened him so much that his face turned pale.
Meanwhile, Lu Chen had already seen two photos in this newspaper from an unknown newspaper: one of Tang Ning being held in Xu Sinian's arms at the Tang family's door, and the other of Tang Ning smiling and bending down to straighten Xu Sinian's collar at the hospital entrance.
With just one glance, Lu Chen felt a jolt in his mind, and an unbearable pricking sensation erupted from his brain.
He gripped the newspaper tightly in his hand and forced out a single word through gritted teeth, "Go!"
"But it's the young marshal's medicine..."
"I said, let's go. And you two, smash this man's mouth open."
Lu Chen pointed to the man who had been criticizing Tang Ning while holding up a newspaper, then got into the car.
At this moment, Lu Chen couldn't care about anything else. All he wanted to do was get to Tang Ning as soon as possible and ask her if what was in the newspaper was true, and if she was going to marry... Xu Sinian.
Didn't she say she would come back? Didn't she already promise him?
Did she lie to him again?
Did she abandon him again?
Yes or no?
The journey to Haicheng, which usually takes nearly three hours, was shortened to an hour and a half due to Lu Chen's unusual expression. He then sent someone out to inquire casually and learned that Tang Ning had gone with Xu Sinian to attend some police chief's golden wedding anniversary party. Lu Chen immediately ordered the car to be driven there, and then he saw…
Pushing Xu Sinian's wheelchair, Tang Ning walked out of the so-called party. Perhaps because it was a bit noisy, she smiled and leaned in to listen to what Xu Sinian was saying, letting him gently tuck a strand of hair that had fallen beside her ear behind her ear...
Oh.
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