Chapter 46 It's hard to let it go. After going through such a long and winding road, we're just waiting here...
46
The person in the chair was barely moving, yet remained completely silent.
Ning Lu watched with trepidation.
Isn't he the best at feigning weakness and illness to advance by retreating?
If there's no audience, does that mean we shouldn't perform at all?
She doesn't care.
Ning Lu found a corner where Wei Chun and Wei Zhan wouldn't easily notice her and climbed out the window.
They landed safely without alerting anyone. They then dusted themselves off and headed east.
Looking back sideways, Wei Chun and Wei Zhan, the two gatekeepers, were still focused on their posts, completely unaware of the situation inside the house.
Looking up at the banyan tree in front of the courtyard, Ning Lu bent down to pick up two pebbles, then leaped into the branches, curling up among the leaves and the night.
She skillfully concealed herself in the shadows of the trees, first aiming at the study door, and with a little force, threw it out. Before the two men could react, she quickly threw a few stones at the study window.
Wei Chun and Wei Zhan indeed acted separately; one pushed open the door and entered, while the other led soldiers to guard the entrance.
Immediately afterward, a noise came from inside the study, and Wei Chun immediately turned around and rushed in.
Ning Lu finally breathed a sigh of relief and returned to her room.
She admitted that he was very good at manipulating people.
She just couldn't stand by and do nothing.
In other words, Xie Qinghe has the ability to make her obey even when she knows she's in a situation.
She crawled into bed fully clothed and looked up at the exquisite wood carvings on the ceiling.
She recalled the simple and cramped bed in Zhujia'ao.
The first time I lay on it, it was drafty from all sides, and the ceiling was covered in cobwebs.
In this unfamiliar world, only Ji Ming is a living, breathing person with warmth.
They were wary of each other, yet they also kept each other company.
Although she proclaimed her kindness, only she knew how much security Ji Ming's slow, weak breathing had given her during countless dawns when she was awakened by the howling of wolves.
Circumstances are different now, and people's feelings are gradually changing.
She accepted the fact that Ji Ming was not just Ji Ming in a very short time, but she couldn't reconcile Ji Ming and Xie Qinghe into one for a long time.
Just now, she saw the same loneliness in Xie Qinghe as she did in Ji Ming.
Do people in high positions of power also feel lonely and helpless?
She couldn't understand it.
sleep.
Ning Lu kicked off her shoes and turned to the inside.
The eyes that had just closed suddenly opened.
We're doomed.
"I didn't take my clothes."
She casually placed the coarse linen coat on the cabinet by the window.
Ning Lu covered her eyes with both hands and wailed inwardly.
Someone as careless as her is definitely not cut out to be an assassin.
"Let's just forget about it. He's vomited so much blood, he probably doesn't have time to care about this. Tomorrow morning..."
He vomited a lot of blood...
never mind.
Ning Lu rolled out of bed and put her shoes back on.
As dawn broke, Wei Zhan stood guard at the door, but Wei Chun was nowhere to be seen.
She found Xie Qinghe's bedroom window with ease and opened it a crack without much effort.
Luckily, Wei Chun wasn't in the room.
But that piece of clothing is no longer by the window.
Squinting at the room, I noticed that someone had moved the garment to the table closest to the bed.
My gaze swept to the bedside and saw Xie Qinghe sitting up halfway up the headboard.
She held her breath and shivered, wishing she could run away as fast as she could.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the person had their eyes closed, brows furrowed, and head tilted to the side, indicating they were not sleeping soundly.
He had slept like this for a while in Zhujia'ao, and could only breathe smoothly when he sat up a little.
Ning Lu felt a lump in her throat, leaped into the room, closed the window tightly, and slowly moved to the bedside.
Xie Qinghe's lips were cyanotic, and cold sweat beaded on his temples.
It's not a pleasant thought.
She stood at the foot of the bed, silently looking at him through the curtains.
I haven't seen him in a long time.
Or rather, she hadn't looked him in the eye in a long time.
After a few days apart, his jawline became even more defined, making him appear even more aloof.
The crease between his brows deepened with each labored breath, as if even in his dreams he couldn't escape the relentless pursuit of illness.
She pursed her lips, her feelings a jumble of emotions.
The person on the bed had their neck bent backward and their head tilted to one side, coughing intermittently.
Seeing him like this, Ning Lu felt uneasy.
I quietly went up and checked her temperature; she didn't have a fever.
After hesitating for a moment, she followed the example of those doctors and climbed onto the man's wrist.
She hadn't studied traditional Chinese medicine and couldn't tell what was wrong.
I had no choice but to use my own pulse as a control group and try it repeatedly.
Very light...
It's a mess...
It suddenly became very fast.
Is it okay for my pulse to be this fast?
Ning Lu frowned, looking puzzled.
What's wrong with it?
"The pulse is too weak and erratic..."
Ning Lu suddenly looked up and met his eyes.
The man had woken up at some point, his eyes glazed over, staring blankly at her.
"Why are you awake?"
She glanced outside, and within a second accepted the fact that she had been discovered again, lowering her voice.
Did I disturb you?
Xie Qinghe gently shook his head, obediently looking down at her fingertips, but was caught coughing the moment he opened his mouth.
Ning Lu immediately let go of his hand and sat down properly to the side.
Once he had caught his breath, she quietly loosened her grip on the corner of the blanket, moved back a little, and sat at the foot of the bed.
The man was perceptive and didn't miss her subtle movements. His eyes darkened slightly, and he lowered his head even further.
Perhaps it was because Xie Qinghe was too well-behaved that she felt uneasy.
Ning Lu cleared her throat: "It's still early, you can sleep a little longer, I'm going back now."
Before the words were even finished, the person had already stood up and habitually headed towards the window.
Ning Lu.
Turn around at the sound.
He was staring intently at her.
That gaze was like a gentle, large hand, brushing across her eyebrows and eyes, across the tip of her nose, and lightly touching her lips.
The room was so quiet you could hear your heart pounding.
Ning Lu subconsciously licked her lips, clasped her hands together in front of her, and waited for what was to come.
The man's chest rose with difficulty, his Adam's apple bobbed twice with difficulty, before he finally spoke haltingly.
"If there's nothing else... sit down for a while..."
She's fine.
However, the few times I spent alone with Xie Qinghe were not pleasant memories.
Ning Lu wanted to refuse, but seeing his pale face in the moonlight, she softened.
Take a step back and sit back at the foot of the bed.
Whether it was her imagination or not, the man seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as she sat back down beside him.
"Don't you want to sleep a little longer? Just now..."
Ning Lu glanced at the man's pristine white undergarment and swallowed the rest of her words.
It really was her.
Xie Qinghe slightly curved his lips, tilted his head and smiled faintly, a hint of mischief reflected in his tired eyes.
Ning Lu happened to catch this glint in his eyes, and remembering his scheming from a while ago, she silently cursed him as a cunning man.
She thought he was trying to trick her by asking her to stay, but she didn't hear him speak for a long time.
Ning Lu secretly turned her head to look at him.
The guy was lying down in a languid manner, and his expression was not as tense as it had been a few days ago.
Breathing shallowly, chest rising and falling slowly.
Noticing her gaze, he turned his head slightly to meet her eyes, revealing a hint of a smile and tenderness.
The moonlight poured down, softening the outlines of his surroundings.
Ning Lu vaguely saw Ji Ming's shadow in him again.
Unable to contain her courage, she whispered, "Why don't you ask me why I'm here?"
Recalling the time she was caught peeping at him from the roof beam, she voiced her guess: "Did you foresee this too?"
Why do you ask that?
"I don't know." Ning Lu straightened up in his direction, her gaze falling on his right hand covered by the blanket, and she pursed her lips nervously.
In the past, Xie Qinghe usually disliked responding to other people's speculations, but recalling her frightened doe eyes that day, she hesitated for a moment and then responded softly.
"no."
It's less about foresight and more about waiting.
It's less about waiting and more about anticipation.
The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he added with a slight tremor, "I've always been a light sleeper. It's just a habit."
"You're a light sleeper?"
Unexpectedly, Ning Lu seemed to have heard some incredible news.
Her originally calm and indifferent features shifted, and she looked at him with suspicion.
How come she didn't know about this after sharing a bed with me for so long?
Was she sleeping too soundly?
Ning Lu blushed as she recalled how she used to secretly count money after Ji Amin fell asleep.
Xie Qinghe couldn't help but smile, guessing what she was thinking.
"It's not what I think..."
"What?" he asked with a smile.
Ning Lu stammered for a long time, but couldn't come up with a coherent explanation.
Finally, Xie Qinghe raised his hand and pointed to the cabinet by the door.
"Excuse me."
In the center drawer of the cabinet, a simple money bag sat peacefully, its worn fabric carefully mended.
"You brought it?!"
Ning Lu recognized it at a glance as the treasure she had hidden under the bed. She poured the money into her palm, counted it, and walked back to the bedside.
You're beholden to those who feed you; you're obligated to take their money. Having money in your own pocket is the only right thing to do.
"I didn't touch your money."
Seeing her miserly demeanor, the man rubbed his temples and said helplessly.
"I know, I know."
After ordering, not a single penny was missing.
Ning Luxin put on a fawning smile, completely satisfied: "Lord Xie is a man of high moral character and prestige, how could he possibly haggle over a penny or two with a commoner like me!"
"This money... cough cough..."
Seeing her sit back down beside him, Xie Qinghe turned slightly and joked, "This money... I should get a share too, right?"
Ning Lu stuffed the copper coin back into her purse and looked up in surprise.
Does he still covet her money?
Xie Qinghe doesn't look like some impoverished, honest, and upright official...
Ning Lu stuffed the money pouch behind her back, pretending not to understand and looking at him blankly.
Xie Qinghe, however, was unconvinced. He coughed softly, covering his mouth, and then used his hand to count on his fingers as he discussed things with her: "Let's not even mention the profit sharing for the letters and plaques I wrote for you… I didn't ask you for a single penny for my food and lodging at the Bamboo Garden for over a month, and…"
"Wait, wait!"
If this continues, she'll end up owing him money.
"Thank you, sir."
Ning Lu emphasized the word "adult," trying to awaken the conscience of the person in front of her.
Xie Qinghe looked down at his nose and mouth, and said leisurely, "I can make it all off because you saved me."
Seeing the joy on her face, the man's words took a turn: "These few hundred coins... if it weren't for me, they would probably have stayed in the bamboo garden."
Although reluctant, Ning Lu realized that what he said made sense. She opened the money bag and hesitated before speaking.
"Then...then I'll share half with you?"
Her expression was so pained that anyone who didn't know better would think she was being asked to give up ten thousand taels of gold and silver.
"The money I made back then, which I gave to you, is yours now."
He spoke at length and was slightly out of breath, but he still forced himself to reason with her.
"Money is like that... things given away should be the same, shouldn't they, Miss Ning?"
Turning my head to follow his gaze, all I could see was that coarse linen garment.
Ning Lu suddenly realized.
After going through such a long and winding road, we're here waiting for her.
She gave a sheepish smile and nodded repeatedly, "Of course!"
As he spoke, he quickly took two steps, picked up the clothes on the table, and put them back in the wardrobe.
It's just a piece of clothing.
It's just a tapping, isn't it?
It's okay, as long as it's not about her money, everything is negotiable.
While Ning Lu had her back to him, she secretly put the money bag into her bosom.
When she walked back to his side, Xie Qinghe had already closed his eyes, his chest was heaving, and he was breathing heavily.
No matter how much she resented him, Ning Lu still couldn't bear to ignore him when she thought of the pool of blood he vomited that night.
She bent down, took his wrist, and put him back under the covers, muttering under her breath.
"Instead of saying what you mean directly, you have to beat around the bush like that. No wonder you get tired of using your brain like that..."
Xie Qinghe frowned upon hearing the sound and stared intently at her.
"Would it make any difference if I just said it directly...?"
"Of course it's useful!"
Ning Lu nodded, her mind flashing back to the scene of Pan Xingxue being stunned by his sarcastic remarks, and she choked slightly.
"It works for me."
She added sheepishly.
Xie Qinghe curled his lips into a smile, but he was too exhausted to manage a genuine one.
He stared at her blankly, then asked in a hoarse voice, "So... are you still afraid of me?"
Lately, he has consciously started to appear in front of her less often.
It's nothing more than fear.
He was afraid she was afraid of him, afraid she would want to run away because of her fear.
He had rarely felt such timidity in the past twenty years, but after meeting her, it happened again and again...
The girl's features magnified silently, her movements stiff.
Xie Qinghe swallowed the metallic taste in his mouth and changed his approach.
"You don't like it... I won't say those things again."
He paused, his pale purple lips parting slightly: "Don't be afraid of me, okay?"
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