Chapter 51 A Word to the Tune: What if she is unwilling to take root? ...
It was late at night when Ning Lu followed Xie Qinghe onto the carriage back to the post station.
Since Commander Zhu left, this guy has met several people she doesn't know and discussed classical Chinese texts that she doesn't understand until now.
Wei Chun sent someone to bring him food, but he didn't touch a bite; instead, she devoured it all.
He was discussing matters, while she closed her eyes to rest.
When they finally got into the carriage, the man was so tired he could barely lift his eyelids, but Ning Lu was full of energy.
She touched this and looked that, exploring every detail she hadn't had time to observe during her first carriage ride.
Ning Lu glanced at Xie Qinghe, who was resting with his eyes closed, then picked up a pastry from the low table and stuffed it into her mouth, her eyes widening silently.
As expected of the Grand Chancellor's carriage, the pastries prepared were also top-notch.
Even though he never eats it...
Ning Lu lowered her body, making no chewing sounds.
The quieter she was, the more uncomfortable Xie Qinghe felt.
I glanced up and saw her profile as she focused on swallowing.
That flat, unremarkable little face was stuffed full of sweets, and her eyes were sparkling.
A hint of radiance appeared on his face.
The phrase "beauty that could topple kingdoms" is merely an atmosphere and a feeling.
He suddenly became interested: "Is it delicious?"
"It's delicious. Haven't you tried it before?" Ning Lu shrank her neck, turned her head leisurely, and handed the plate to him: "Try it."
Unable to refuse such hospitality, Xie Qinghe lowered his eyes, hesitated for a moment, then broke off a small piece, leaving most of it for her.
Under her expectant gaze, he took a small sip and tasted it.
"How about it?"
Having taken too much medicine, his taste buds were no longer as sensitive as others'; all that came out of his mouth was a dull, unpleasant sweetness.
Xie Qinghe nodded, almost as if possessed.
"If you like it, then eat it all. You haven't even had dinner yet."
Her brow furrowed, and the corner of her mouth turned to the right, her tone tinged with regret.
Xie Qinghe rarely saw this expression on the faces of those around him, and for a moment he couldn't tell whether she was concerned about him or heartbroken over the pastry.
Under her gaze, he felt as if he had returned to the days of Zhujia'ao, and he inexplicably had the urge to eat a few more bites.
Seeing that he was obedient, Ning Lu was satisfied. She clapped her hands, leaned back on the soft cushion behind her, and tilted her head to look at him.
No wonder people say that elegance comes from within.
Back when Ji Amin was eating coarse food and wild vegetables, she felt that the rice in his bowl was more valuable.
Actually, if none of these things had happened later, it wouldn't have been so bad to live in the village forever.
At least back then there weren't so many troublesome things.
Looking back now, she realizes that from the moment they arrived in Ying County, a series of events occurred that made her feel panicked and overwhelmed.
In that case, what Lord Cen said to her was quite straightforward.
Don't risk your own life to save others.
After arriving in this world, it seemed that every time she fell into a trap, it was for this reason.
If Lord Cen isn't seeing things from God's perspective, then he's incredibly farsighted.
He seemed to say something else.
He seemed to say last night that Xie Qinghe is a shrewd schemer, and that it's not a good thing for him to be too prominent.
A jinx.
He also called him Xie Jiming...
"Now that it's clear..."
Ning Lu unconsciously muttered to herself.
Xie Qinghe slowed down his chewing motion accordingly.
Suddenly realizing what she had said, Ning Lu was startled and reflexively leaned back.
She quickly waved her hand apologetically, "It's okay, you eat first."
Without missing the frustration in her eyes, he silently swallowed the last bit of food in his mouth and put the food back on the tray.
The day he rescued her from the dungeon, he told her that she could call herself that.
But she was like a startled sparrow, hopping around and never settling down, stubbornly addressing him by his official title.
"What's wrong?"
Xie Qinghe wiped his fingertips with a handkerchief, then slowly raised his eyes and looked at her shoulder.
"I just remembered that Lord Cen also called you that."
Ning Lu glanced at him, then looked at the food on the plate that was missing a corner, and sighed silently.
Looks like I'm not going to eat it again.
“Cen Wei and I are from the same school. You should have heard of him.”
Ning Lu nodded guiltily.
"What else have you heard?"
Um?
This was done on purpose, wasn't it?
He then turned his head and glanced at Xie Qinghe.
As long as her life isn't at stake, there's nothing to be afraid of.
"I heard you two don't get along." Ning Lu squinted, then shook her head.
It doesn't seem so innocent.
The atmosphere between the two of them was subtle.
“Just as you heard.” Xie Qinghe nodded, his expression unchanged: “The Sima family was imprisoned because of me, and Cen Wei was also demoted because of me.”
I didn't expect him to be so honest.
Ning Lu felt a lump in her throat and nodded silently.
Looking at the dark circles under his eyes, I felt a sudden pang of tenderness in my heart.
"Is what he said true? Are you also in a difficult situation?"
She leaned over.
Xie Qinghe came to her senses and looked at the small face that was close to hers. She subconsciously wanted to ask her, "What does 'difficult' mean?"
Meeting her nervous gaze, a playful thought suddenly arose within him.
After a moment of hesitation, he pretended to be troubled and nodded helplessly.
His face, which couldn't hide his thoughts, immediately clouded over.
Xie Qinghe was the most formidable person she had ever met in this world. If even he faced difficulties...
Ning Lu slowed her breathing and frowned, as if a great calamity was about to befall her.
"Just kidding." He raised his hand and lightly flicked her forehead, then took advantage of Ning Lu's groaning and explained, "Cen Wei has suffered losses in court intrigues, so naturally he thinks things are complicated."
His smile was faint, and his tone was weak.
This guy's truth is more precious than gold, and Ning Lu listened, but dared not believe it entirely.
But for some reason, this matter made her more uneasy than anything else.
But after a moment, she tilted her head slightly in his direction: "If you can't make it in this world, could you resign and retire early? If I still can't find a way home by then, we can share an apartment."
“If you pay me a salary, I might consider taking care of you the same way I took care of Giam.”
Before the words were finished, both of them were startled.
There were too many hidden messages in her words, and Xie Qinghe didn't know where to begin asking.
The Taoist priest at Yongning Temple said that she was dust from another world.
He wasn't afraid of ghostly tales about worldly dust and fleeting life.
He has plenty of ways to get her to settle down.
But he never dared to think about what would happen if she was unwilling to settle down.
It was these words that finally confirmed to him that he could distinguish between Ning Lu and Liu Yunying, and that she could also clearly distinguish between Ji Ming and Xie Qinghe.
The carriage came to a stop.
The attendant's announcement broke the awkward silence between the two.
"I spoke without thinking, it was just something I said offhand, sir, so please take it with a grain of salt. It's getting late, sir, you should get some rest."
She hastily got up, gave an improper greeting, and fled in panic.
The sound of hurried footsteps faded into the distance.
The fingertips resting on the soft couch tightened silently, while the other slender hand pressed against the stomach, and the breath paused slightly.
The panting subsided.
Wei Chun gently knocked on the sedan door: "Master."
"Summon her to the government office at Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow."
Wei Zhan and Wei Chun were slightly taken aback, but quickly reacted and agreed in unison.
"yes."
Ning Lu strongly suspected that he did it on purpose.
Since that day, every day before dawn, Xie Qinghe's men would come to the east wing to "invite" her.
From then on, day after day, he discussed matters while she stood guard; he approved official documents while she ground the ink and poured tea.
Forget about going to the dungeon to find Yu Lanzhou to get information; even if she was a little slow pulling up her pants while using the toilet, she would be greeted with a knock on the door.
The threats and mental torture that once flowed from their lips have disappeared, replaced by unseen physical torture.
After staying up for several days, her dark circles were practically drooping to the ground.
The ink stick in her hand fell onto the inkstone. Ning Lu yawned for what seemed like the umpteenth time, glancing resentfully at Xie Qinghe.
Despite his frail appearance, which makes him look like he could be blown away by the wind, he is also a high-energy boy.
Putting aside his physical stamina from sitting from morning till night, she was also amazed by his ability to maintain a sharp mind and readily seize upon loopholes in others' situations.
Because of this, she probably won't have the chance to sneak away and see Yu Lanzhou.
"grown ups."
"Um?"
Can I take the day off tomorrow?
"What's wrong?"
“I’ve already worked seven days. What you’re doing is illegal where we live. Besides…”
He didn't even promise her a salary.
Ning Lu knew that this person was number one in terms of being a ruthless tyrant, so she swallowed the second half of her sentence.
"Pan Xingxue will be interrogated tomorrow."
He placed the purple-tipped brush back on its rest, then turned to look at her: "If you need anything..."
Seeing new hope, her listless eyes suddenly widened, and her voice became much stronger.
"It's alright! I'm alright." Ning Lu squatted down, resting her head on the edge of the desk, and smiled, "Sir, what do you plan to do with Pan Xingxue?"
Xie Qinghe raised an eyebrow slightly and turned to look at her.
"How would you like me to deal with him?"
"He's a high-ranking official in charge of a region; my word doesn't count for him."
What she was more concerned about was whether Yu Lanzhou would be released after Pan Xingxue's trial.
If she can't go to her, maybe she can find a way to get Lanzhou to wait for her in the east wing.
Who she spends her time with at night is none of this man's business.
It's the end of Hai hour (9-11 PM).
The sounds of people outside had subsided, leaving only the rustling of leaves in the wind.
Upon seeing the servant carrying the medicine in, Ning Lu's half-dead, mournful appearance vanished. She adopted a submissive and obedient demeanor, stood up, and jogged over to take the bowl of medicine.
The spoons clinked against the rim of the bowl, producing a crisp sound, while steam rose from the dark medicine.
The fingertips trembled, dispelling the heat.
Looking at her smiling and focused profile, Xie Qinghe's heart softened: "He hurt you, and he'll have to pay for it."
Ning Lu, who was just figuring out how to cheer him up, was thrown off balance by these words and stared at him in surprise.
He didn't seem to be joking.
Thinking he had scared her again, Xie Qinghe was about to explain when Ning Lu quickly composed herself and spoke righteously.
"The heavy taxes levied on the people of Changzhou were caused by him, and countless women were harassed and tormented by him. But physical injuries are too lenient on him."
The soup was handed to him.
Ning Lu gestured for him to drink the medicine.
He still had many complaints he wanted to voice, but he held them back before speaking, afraid that if he were distracted even slightly, he would put the matter of taking the medicine aside again.
Having spent the past few days by his side, Ning Lu has figured out quite a few of his strange habits.
After Xie Qinghe finished drinking the bitter medicine in the bowl, she promptly replaced it with clear tea for him to rinse his mouth.
"Be careful, it's hot."
The other person took it naturally, their cooperation was so seamless, it seemed as if they had been working together for a long time.
His words earlier were for her benefit, which made her feel embarrassed to make a request now.
This person was the first to notice her unusual attitude and guess that she had something on her mind.
How much salary do you want?
"It's not about salary."
His fingers, which were fiddling with the teacup, paused. He rarely looked puzzled and looked up at Ning Lu.
"I wanted to ask, after interrogating Pan Xingxue, can we release Lan Zhou... that is, Su Yun, from the dungeon?"
After a long silence, Xie Qinghe finally remembered that such a person existed.
His gaze darkened slightly, a chill creeping into his eyes.
What do you want with her?
“She’s my friend, of course I have to find her.”
Ning Lunuo spoke softly, her eyes blinking innocently.
"Ning Lu, I warned you." Xie Qinghe's face turned cold: "Stay away from anything related to Liu Yunying."
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