Chapter 70 "What's a title worth, Xie Qinghe?"
What does this mean?
Ning Lu felt parched and thunderstruck. She scrambled to her feet, but her frail body couldn't support her disorganized movements, and she fell heavily back onto him.
She was already frail and thin as a sheet of paper, and after being hit like that, her face turned even paler, and she frowned and groaned.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
She hurriedly reached out to touch the front of his shirt, accidentally tearing open the loose collar of his undershirt.
The newly formed pink flesh at the wound on the left chest was delicate, making the surrounding old wounds look grotesque and terrifying.
Ning Lu had no mind to look closely. She closed her eyes, straightened her clothes, got up, rolled to the edge of the bed, and sat up straight.
She cleared her throat again and again, but couldn't find her original voice. She rubbed her hands repeatedly on her knees, her face scrunched up, and she groaned helplessly.
Having said everything he needed to say, Xie Qinghe had exhausted all the strength he had accumulated during his coma. He pulled the pillow behind him and shifted into a position that he could barely support, patiently waiting for her to calm down.
He was a master of waiting, adept at observing, skilled at feigning weakness, and waiting for the enemy to lower their guard before striking a fatal blow.
Ke Ninglu is an exception.
She was headstrong, impulsive, kind, and honest at the wrong time.
She waited patiently until he had finally made up his mind to wait and accompany her for a long time, and then told him that she had her own destination in mind.
She even said that her departure would be a one-way trip.
How could he possibly allow such a thing to happen?
The fingertips hidden under the quilt dug into the flesh of her palms. Knowing that her heart was in turmoil and her face was repulsive, Xie Qinghe lowered her eyes, trying to hide the greed and desire in them.
The moment Ning Lu mustered the courage to look at him, she saw the rippling lake water fall into stillness in the mist.
In the past few days, while he was asleep, she had looked at his face hundreds of times.
At this moment, looking at it again from bottom to top, I am still deeply moved.
His breathing was not as continuous as that of ordinary people; he often took a long time to exhale or exhale in one breath.
The trembling of his breath felt like a long whip lashing at his heart.
But this feeling was all too familiar to her.
It started a long time ago...
Perhaps it was the first time I saw him coughing up blood, or perhaps it was when he had a persistent high fever in Ying County, or perhaps even earlier...
Cold sweat soaked his stray hairs, which were scattered messily across his forehead.
With a breath stuck in her chest, Ning Lu covered her face, wailing inwardly.
She had to admit...
Xie Qinghe is someone who can throw her into a state of utter confusion no matter how long she looks at him.
She couldn't do anything about him. So...
She accepted her fate.
"Xie Qinghe."
A warm sensation covered his shoulder, and a pair of small hands held his cheek. Xie Qinghe looked up in surprise, revealing the lingering crimson in his eyes.
Her rosy face was right in front of him, their noses touching, so close they were practically touching.
His hands frantically reached for the edge of the bed, his throat tightened, and his body leaned back slightly.
“Ning Lu…”
Her eyelashes trembled slightly, her lips parted slightly, and she bit his lower lip, cutting off his attempt to dodge.
"Don't speak."
Ning Lu braced herself on Xie Qinghe's sides, her nose tracing the bridge of his nose, and she pressed her cyanotic lips together slightly.
Sucking.
The person beneath her stopped breathing abruptly and instinctively tilted their head back to meet her height.
Her petite body almost aggressively pounced on the bed, holding the person tightly in her arms.
"What's a title worth, Xie Qinghe?" She gently bit her earlobe, her words both a whisper and a seduction: "I'll give you my love, okay?"
Even through the thick winter clothes, Ning Lu could still sense the stiffness and tension in the person in her arms.
She smiled gently, blew a strand of hair behind his ear, and continued to press him for answers.
"Ning Lu's limited edition love, do you want it?"
His body, pinned beneath her, remained frozen in place, his pupils shimmering with starlight, flickering uncertainly.
Xie Qinghe's discerning eyes roamed over her features, and he almost forgot to breathe.
It wasn't until the oxygen carrying Ninglu's scent was delivered into his chest that he belatedly realized he should greedily inhale and exhale deeply.
His trembling hands instinctively wanted to put their arms around her shoulders, his fingers curled up, almost clenching tightly, but then he hurriedly let go, afraid that she would run away, and afraid that she would be in pain.
He opened his mouth several times, but no words came out.
A deluge of tiny kisses rained down from above, landing on my ears, earlobes, neck, Adam's apple, and collarbone...
A person who is usually afraid of the cold suddenly felt burning hot all over, and murmured with his head tilted to the side.
The corners of her eyes are red.
"Ning Lu...cough cough..."
In the brief moment of dodging, her warm forehead pressed against my brow, her warmth seeping into my body little by little from our skin.
As his coughing intensified, Ning Lu slowed down her attack, only to have him tug at her clothes again, leaving her both amused and exasperated.
He was the first to break the ice, and he was also the one who dared not knock on the door.
"Cough...cough cough..."
“Ning Lu…”
Xie Qinghe turned to the side, twisting the handkerchief and shaking it incessantly. His free fingertips, like a child's stubbornness, refused to let go.
Kneel beside him, gently patting his back until he calmed down from his annoying cough.
Swallowing the metallic taste in his throat, Xie Qinghe spoke with difficulty: "Don't lie to me."
His tone was somber, almost threatening.
The words seemed strangely familiar to Ning Lu.
That tone, that manner... she felt like she'd heard it somewhere before...
It seemed to be some thorny thicket where a frantic little beast was baring its teeth to bolster its courage.
"Don't lie to me."
Xie Qinghe repeated it again, his voice low and weak, like a soft murmur.
When she leaned closer, she saw the man frowning, pressing his chest, looking lost and listless, unable to concentrate.
"Xie Qinghe."
So, is it yes or no?
No response was received.
Reaching out, I brushed aside his hair, which was damp with cold sweat; he was already unconscious and disoriented.
Ning Lu was both amused and exasperated, and gently pinched his earlobe.
"I thought it was something really impressive."
The quilt was pulled up, and the corner of the quilt was tucked under him.
As they passed each other, I caught a glimpse of the faint scar beneath his white undershirt.
Apart from the finger-length scar left by the original owner, the rest are all old wounds from years ago.
They come in various shapes and shades.
This must be the trace that others mentioned, that he had been imprisoned by the imperial court.
The rumors I've heard many times overlap with the cries of Prince Jing that day.
She also remembered that Prince Jing said that he had caused his birth mother's death in order to gain special attention, and that he had studied hard in his youth but was not favored by his grandfather.
Ning Lu couldn't understand why a smart and beautiful child like Xie Qinghe wouldn't be liked or favored.
The layers of scars reflected in her eyes, burning like a raging fire, making her eyes dry and sore.
Unable to look directly at them, they fled in panic.
Still being a sick person, Xie Qinghe couldn't withstand emotional fluctuations and remained unconscious for a long time.
With the Imperial Guards withdrawing, all the Xie family's guards recognized her and no longer restricted her comings and goings.
Having grown accustomed to being on duty at the appointed time, Ning Lu suddenly felt uncomfortable with the lack of any taboos.
After waking up and eating, I went shopping with Qinghuai and Qingzhi, then ran to Yu Lanzhou's place and filled the small courtyard to the brim. By the time I rushed back to the inn, it was only noon.
"Has Lord Xie gotten up?"
The first thing she said after getting off the carriage was to inquire about Xie Qinghe. After receiving an affirmative answer, she skipped and hopped towards the main house.
Xie Qinghe had already stood up, and was sitting in a chair in plain clothes, sipping tea.
The person arrived before the voice.
"Xie Qinghe, you're awake?"
The figure in emerald green leaped into the room, and finding no one in the bedroom, immediately turned and headed towards the study.
She deftly took off her cloak and stuffed it into Qingzhi's arms. She circled the charcoal brazier three times to the left and three times to the right. Once the chill on her body dissipated, she hopped over to Xie Qinghe in two quick steps.
"I thought Lord Xie was both scared and ashamed, and was hiding from me, too ashamed to open his eyes."
With curved eyebrows and darting eyes, he was cunning and mischievous.
After only a few hours, Xie Qinghe's tender gaze began to reveal itself without any attempt to conceal it.
"What's there to be afraid of? What's there to be ashamed of?"
"I fear that I am but a beautiful dream, and I am ashamed that I am but a beautiful dream."
Ning Lu leaned against the desk and began to speak without hesitation.
The teacup lid wobbled, and Xie Qinghe remained noncommittal.
"Just kidding, don't take it seriously."
Seeing that he remained silent, Ning Lu took the teacup from his hand and placed it back on the table, glancing at the desk: "What are you looking at?"
Before Xie Qinghe could speak, she had already discerned the contents of the paper.
"It's this thing again. Didn't you see it last night?"
Prince Jing's confession.
"I didn't have time to finish watching it."
"Do you really need to get up and come here to see this? Can't you look at it from bed?"
"I've been lying down all day, and my bones have become limp."
"Please, have some self-awareness as a patient, okay?"
Dissatisfied with his answer, Ning Lu quickly flipped through the confessions: "Is there anything special about them?"
Xie Qinghe shook his head slightly.
"He has committed so many evil deeds, surely His Majesty should punish him this time?"
"not necessarily."
"He plotted a rebellion; so many people heard and saw it with their own eyes. And... he almost killed you." Ning Lu asked, puzzled, "Isn't that enough to put an end to it completely?"
"I'm not... still alive...?"
Upon hearing this, Ning Lu gasped, wishing she could throw those tattered pieces of paper at him.
"Does it really have to be something serious? Who are you? If he wants to kill you, isn't that the same as cutting off the emperor's arm?"
Sensing that Xie Qinghe was already tired, she naturally pulled the cold hands resting on the side of the chair into her bosom and gently rubbed them, moving them along acupoints, pressing the tiger's mouth, and moving the knuckles.
Xie Qinghe watched her movements intently, a slight smile playing on his lips. Then, his strength waned, and his body began to slump.
With his mind relaxed, he said slowly, "If the knife doesn't cut you, you probably won't feel the pain."
These words sent a chill down Ning Lu's spine, and she turned to glare at him with displeasure.
"If I were the boss, and I had such a good employee like you, I would definitely treat you like royalty every day. I wouldn't let anyone bully you."
"Thinking about it that way, the Emperor is really something. Even that Prince Jing knows how to care for you."
Before she could finish speaking, Ning Lu bit her tongue hard again.
"Pah! Prince Jing is no better. He says he values you, but he didn't hesitate to kill you."
"If you ask me, Xie Qinghe, you shouldn't go back to the capital. Wait until the emperor realizes how important you are and begs you to come back, then you can go back. Forget it, don't go back at all."
"Okay... I'll do as you say."
Thinking she had misheard him, and seeing him obediently nodding, Ning Lu had no choice but to reach out and test the temperature of his forehead.
"You're going to listen to me on this?"
"No fever?"
"You're really delirious from your illness; you'll listen to anything."
This wasn't the first time she had said something like that to him.
"Ning Lulu, if I quit my official post, can you take me with you when you go home?"
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