Chapter 18 A Message from the Wind: Ji Ming lowered his eyes, most of his strength waning...
The warm, bitter scent wafted onto Ning Lu's cheeks. She clenched the button, her fingers and earlobes flushed a deep pink.
Ning Lu stammered for a while, then gave him a light push: "How dare you call me Ning Lulu?"
The man didn't seem to care, shrugging and spreading his hands, still appearing harmless and frail.
Seeing that she was ashamed, Ji Ming raised an eyebrow with pride and quickly smoothed out her clothes.
"Someone's watching; I'm just helping you complete the act."
Turning around, the villagers who had been watching the commotion all smiled and looked away.
You have to fill the hole you dug yourself.
Ning Lu stepped forward to support Ji Ming, secretly pinched his arm, and whispered through gritted teeth, "Ji Ming, do you know, you are really petty."
"Let me tell you, you took advantage of my kindness today, and you'll regret it."
"good."
Ji Ming lowered his eyes, putting most of his strength on her: "I'm a little tired, please excuse me."
"you……"
Ning Lu was speechless, not knowing how to refute.
The sense of worthyness was too low back then.
If she had known she would end up supporting him with her own money, she should have told the villagers from the beginning that he was her lover.
She gritted her teeth as she helped him walk slowly forward.
“Ji Amin”.
"Um?"
Has anyone ever told you that you are petty, mean, and shameless?
"Um……"
He thought about it seriously for a moment and then answered earnestly, "Yes, a lot."
"The eyes of the masses are discerning."
Despite their bickering and arguing, outsiders only saw them as inseparable, deeply affectionate.
Farmers have always disliked scholars, finding them pedantic and pedantic. But this Ji Ming was quite different from the poor scholars in the village. Not only was his handwriting elegant, but he could also always get to the point in a few sentences, which made people respect him for no reason.
Ning Lu found a sheltered spot among the men and left him there, then huddled with her group of girlfriends to watch the fun. She would try to embroider something and ask curious questions about everyday matters.
As night fell, someone lit a brazier, and everyone, regardless of gender, sat together in one place.
It's nothing more than trivial matters, gossip and bickering, utterly vulgar.
Ji Ming was exhausted and uninterested, so he simply gathered his clothes, leaned against the tree trunk, and closed his eyes to rest.
There were quite a few more people now than before. Several men were chatting about trivial, vulgar things, and Ning Lu remained silent.
Suddenly, her voice was absent from the crowd. Ji Ming tilted his head and slowly looked up to find her figure.
I spotted her and a few girls huddled behind the lamplight, cracking sunflower seeds. They would occasionally bump shoulders with the children next to them, exchange smirks, and grin mischievously.
She was talking animatedly and enthusiastically when there were a group of young women earlier. Now that there are more people, she's seeking some peace and quiet.
He had assumed she would enjoy all lively occasions.
"No one can say that the idea of ghosts and monsters doesn't exist at all. Take Zhu Qi's wife's sister, for example. Her soul was taken away by someone that year, and there's still no explanation for it."
Someone started a new conversation, and Ning Lu, who had been silent, suddenly perked up, her eyes shining as she squeezed back into the crowd.
"I don't know, could you tell me, brother?"
The firelight danced, making Ning Lu's face appear rosy and lovely. Ji Ming smiled wryly, closed his eyes again, and pricked up one ear to listen to the idle gossip.
"I knew Ning was a bit superstitious. Whenever she hears about these weird things, she's always the first to join in the fun."
"Brother, tell me, what does it mean to be possessed? What are the symptoms?"
"It's not like being possessed, it's more like having a different soul." Aunt Li, who was sitting in the middle, waved her hand to signal everyone to be quiet and began to tell Ning Lu.
"This happened two or three years ago. Zhu Qi's wife's family only had two daughters. They had no able-bodied men and were always poor, unable to afford food or drink. Her parents had no other choice but to marry their eldest daughter off to Zhu Qi, who had some money but was mentally challenged. The younger one was sold to the city to work as a maid."
"Later, the little girl somehow fell seriously ill and survived, but when she woke up, she was like a different person. She wouldn't respond when called by her name and insisted that she had another name and came from a place a hundred miles away, and she kept shouting that she wanted to go home."
"Then what?"
Ning Lu stopped eating her melon seeds, threw her things into the fire, and squeezed next to Aunt Li, urging her to continue the story.
"Then, then it seems some people said she had gone mad, and she started seeking out monks and Taoist priests to consult."
"Looking at things?"
"It's called 'calling back the soul,' and you have to choose an auspicious day with a full moon for the ritual."
"Did it work? Did the girl come back?"
"Who knows? If you ask me, she's either gone mad or she was harmed by her master. That girl was pretty, but after only a few months as a maid, she displeased the mistress and was sold into a brothel."
"Yes, yes, I heard that brothel was the biggest in Changzhou City. Many high-ranking officials and nobles passed through there."
They drifted further and further apart, and Ning Lu squatted to the side, listening with a frown, and couldn't help but ask again.
"And what happened to her in the end? Did she get it back?"
“Ning, I think you’re a smart person, how could you believe this? Her parents died a long time ago, and Zhu Qi’s wife doesn’t care about her anymore. Nobody knows where she went.”
"Yes, young girls shouldn't always believe these things. How can someone suddenly turn into another person? Either they've encountered a ghost, or they're still dreaming."
"I wish I were still dreaming."
Ning Lu squatted down, resting her chin on her hand, gazing at the flickering lights with a somewhat bewildered and lost expression.
Whispers drifted through the crowd, reaching Ji Ming's ears. He opened his eyes again, staring intently at her.
"But that's not entirely true. The legend also says that if a person has two identical or paired items, they can sense each other."
"Yes, yes, I've heard that too. It's either a jade pendant or a bronze mirror or something. That's the kind of thing they say."
Jade pendant?
The crowd chatted about it as a joke, but Ning Lu took it seriously. Her previously dejected and hunched figure suddenly straightened up.
He met Ji Ming's gaze precisely through the firelight.
Their eyes met, and Ning Lu felt a chill run down her spine for no reason. She gave an awkward smile and walked around the crowd to his side.
"You're awake? Do you want to go back?"
"Are you interested?" He raised his chin slightly, his tone languid.
"A little."
Ning Lu crouched down on the twisted tree trunk, holding a small stick and drawing talismans in circles.
This kind of thing is just a joke, and the truth of the rumors is long gone.
Normally, one could just listen and forget about it. But right now, she's right here, she's really inside another person's body, so there's no way to say it's fake.
Just now, when they mentioned the dissociative identity disorder and the jade pendant, Ning Lu was reminded of the one she had pawned back then...
The original owner hid it so well; it might really be related to her background. If she knew the original owner better, perhaps she could know more about returning home.
She squatted there listlessly, her thoughts already far away.
Ji Ming felt inexplicably irritated and stood up abruptly: "This is boring, let's go."
"Ah? Oh, okay."
Ji Ming carried the stool and walked ahead, his shadow stretching out long.
Ning Lu followed slowly behind, stepping on his shadow one step at a time.
"Ji Amin, wait for me a moment, I have another question to ask, I'll be right back."
Before she finished speaking, she shouted and ran towards Aunt Li.
Her hair swayed, lively and cheerful. Ji Ming stared at her receding figure, his fingers clenching tightly.
In just over a month, he found himself feeling as if this had been going on for a long time, as if everything was always supposed to be this way...
I don't know when it started, but he started dreaming.
"Hey! What are you thinking about! Are you getting impatient?" She came back with a clear sigh of relief and patted him lightly on the shoulder.
"What did you ask?"
"Did you ask where that girl is now?"
Ji Ming stopped and turned to the side.
"At Yanchun Tower in Changzhou."
Ning Lu sighed mournfully and jumped onto his shadow. Not noticing that he had already stopped, she naturally bumped into his shoulder.
It was precisely the wound on the left side; the man's face instantly turned deathly pale, and he frowned and stepped back.
His bony frame, devoid of any fat cushioning, also caused Ning Lu considerable pain upon impact. She clutched her forehead and screamed even before he did.
"Ooh-woo—"
Ning Lu shook her head, looked up and grabbed his arm: "How are you?"
"It's nothing." He shook his head, his gaze falling on her dazed little face, and teased, "You and Changzhou seem to have a special connection."
"A tragic fate?" Ning Lu said dismissively, rubbing her head and then lifting his robe to check his wounds. "As long as Xie Qinghe is there, I will not set foot there unless I have no other choice."
"Besides, these kinds of rumors are so exaggerated, who knows if they're true or false."
She took two steps forward, then turned back and asked him with a smile, "Young Master Ji, you are a man of great experience, what do you think?"
“I don’t believe in ghosts and gods.” Ji Ming paused, “But no matter how absurd the rumors in the world may be, there is bound to be some truth to them.”
"Only three points?"
Ning Lu had assumed he would be a staunch atheist, but the unexpected reply dispelled her apprehension and lifted her spirits.
There's no smoke without fire. Three points are enough.
After he said that, Ning Lu counted on her fingers and seemed to think it was enough.
The fact that she's here proves it's true. If there's a rumor, it might actually be true.
His temperament changed drastically, his habits were completely altered, and he claimed to be a visitor from afar—all of which fit the bill.
It seems that it can indeed be checked!
She perked up and walked alongside Ji Ming, saying, "Ji Ming, you're right about some things."
"I think you can be quite wise at times."
She nudged Ji Ming's arm, causing the unsuspecting person to stumble a couple of steps. He glared at her helplessly and pretended to raise his hand to knock her on the head.
Ning Lu slipped away, sliding several meters to the side, and teased, hands on her hips: "Ji A-Ming, to be honest, you're quite funny. If I could go home, I promise I'd turn our story into a joke."
She initially considered giving him a share, but then thought, what kind of copyright awareness could people in ancient times have? He couldn't protect his rights even if he wanted to, so she decided to keep it all for herself.
Ji Ming was used to her habit of rambling when she got excited, and silently listened to her chattering like a bird.
The two shadows, one long and one short, were cast on the ground.
When they arrived at the door, Ning Lu glanced to the side and noticed that Ji Ming had been carrying the small wooden stool himself the whole time.
This person usually has a serious expression, but when he's holding the little stool, he looks very focused and earnest, which is especially endearing.
"Pfft—"
"Let me hold it for you for a bit."
Ning Lu took the stool from his hand and casually slung it over her shoulder. Remembering something, she asked him curiously, "What did the village chief just say to you?"
"Just thanking you."
"Seriously? You two look so solemn, like you're plotting some important national affair. Is this just a thank you?"
"Otherwise what?" Ji Ming retorted.
Ning Lu hesitated for a moment, then thought, "Could it be that the village chief has seen through your true identity?"
Ji Ming paused slightly, seemingly lost in thought.
"When that man surnamed Wei came to the village looking for someone, he had already described the characteristics very clearly. Although not many people knew you at that time, you—were too conspicuous."
"You still need to keep your sensitive identity well hidden."
Ning Lu looked him up and down: "If you ask me, you're dressed too flashy. Tomorrow, mess up your hair, grow a beard, and smear some mud on your face."
A small hand patted his back: "And your back is hunched, don't straighten it so much."
"That's right, fugitives should act like fugitives, and stop being so meticulous."
Ji Ming silently brushed the dust off her clothes and asked another question: "Why did the magistrate of Pingcheng County suddenly leave?"
I knew he would ask.
Ning Lu glanced sideways, patted her chest triumphantly, and presented the information she had gathered: "They said that it was because that man surnamed Xie secretly visited Changzhou that the governor of Changzhou panicked and summoned these people to discuss countermeasures."
"However, some say that Prince Jing was kind and could not bear to see the people suffer because of his harsh policies, so he summoned the county magistrate to discuss matters."
“I don’t think the second one is authentic. Wasn’t Prince Jing under house arrest? How could he still have such great abilities?”
Ji Ming lagged half a step behind, watching her nimbly cross the threshold, muttering in confusion, then shaking his head with a chuckle.
He is Prince Jing.
If what she says is true, and she is indeed a subordinate of the Wise King, then it makes sense that the two of them are both foolish.
The lights flickered at the entrance of the courtyard, far from the noise of people, and the rustling of leaves in the wind made it even more tranquil.
The distant mountains, layered upon each other, were hidden behind the clouds and mist. Gazing at each other, they felt a dark, oppressive mass looming over them, eerie and terrifying.
As his gaze swept past the bushes and then swept over a swaying shadow, Ji Mingfeng narrowed his eyes and suppressed his smile.
Ning Lu had already entered the house, but not seeing him follow, she jumped back and grabbed his sleeve, her eyes full of eager curiosity.
"Hey! Ji A-ming, who do you think is more capable, Prince Jing or Xie Qinghe?"
A note from the author:
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