Chapter 55 The sunlight pierced through; she not only had money, but even a place to live…
"Why?"
Xie Qinghe looked puzzled by her unusually relaxed and proactive demeanor.
"Weren't you protecting me too?"
This has happened several times in the past, and it's happening again today with Pan Xingxue.
Because she said she was Ning Lu, Xie Qinghe had been trying his best to let her appear in this world only as Ning Lu.
Whether for your own safety or for your own conscience, it seems like there's nothing wrong with thinking a little more about him.
Anyway, she doesn't know when she'll be able to go home.
In this world, Xie Qinghe and Yu Lanzhou are among the few people who can help each other.
She naturally wanted to do her best to maintain the relationship.
Perhaps because her tone was so natural and candid, Xie Qinghe relaxed slightly and lowered his head to think.
In any case, he still didn't want her to get too involved in this farce.
Seeing that he remained silent, Ning Lu thought she had said too much.
I got up and poured two cups of hot water, one for him and the other for myself.
He took a sip and peeked over; the person was holding the cup in one hand, looking down as they took a small sip, their hair swaying gently.
A refined and elegant gentleman.
Just then, Ning Lu suddenly realized that she hadn't marveled at his good looks in a long time.
The longer she knew him, the more she felt that her impression of Xie Qinghe was that his good looks were only the most superficial aspect.
His profile was gaunt, his eyes lowered and silent, exuding a profound loneliness.
Ning Lu's nose tingled with emotion: "It's snowing outside, and it's very cold. You'd better stay home on days like this."
“I only knew you were afraid of the cold before, but today the doctor said you have a cold constitution and can’t stand the cold at all. I’ll remember that.”
She didn't know what she was promising, but she carefully tucked him in.
"Go back to sleep. I'll come find you later."
"where did you go?"
"Go back and change your clothes, then go to the kitchen and find something to eat."
Xie Qinghe wanted to say something, but then he felt so tired that he didn't even have the strength to ask her to stay.
Fearing that her own weakness might cause her further discomfort and make her even more anxious, she simply went along with her arrangements.
Fortunately, Ning Lu did not rush to leave, but sat down and carefully read the two documents again.
After repeatedly checking the letter to make sure there was nothing too upsetting to him, he put it back on the table. Once he was fast asleep, he tiptoed out the window and back to the east wing. He changed into a warm, brightly colored coat and then went out.
Instead of going to the kitchen to find food as Xie Qinghe had suggested, they rode their horses through the streets towards the dungeon.
She had a very bold guess about the key that Liu Yunying left behind.
Moreover, despite having met so many times before, Yu Lanzhou had never mentioned to her that the original owner intended to help her redeem herself.
"I heard from Qingzhi that Xie Qinghe kept you by his side. What brings you here today?"
"Naturally, it's because something big is happening today."
Ning Lu pretended to be relaxed and made two rounds of inspections in the cell.
Because of her relationship with Xie Qinghe, Yu Lanzhou's cell was not shabby; it even had a brazier.
Besides that, there were several books and some popular sheet music next to the straw mat.
At first glance, it was better than the place she lived when she first came to the ancient world.
No wonder some people like to commit crimes and go to jail.
Ning Lu shook her head, squeezing those strange thoughts out of her mind, and sat down with a thud next to Yu Lanzhou.
"I have great news for you: Pan Xingxue has been brought to justice."
Yu Lanzhou stopped pouring water for her, her eyes widening slightly.
"real?"
"Really. Xie Qinghe said you'll be released soon."
Yu Lanzhou was pleased for a moment, then composed himself.
"Although Pan Xingxue has fallen, he still has Prince Jing behind him. You still need to be careful."
"I know," Ning Lu replied helplessly, then, recalling the portrait Xie Qinghe had given her, she turned to ask, "That Prince Jing, he's really troublesome, isn't he?"
"You've forgotten how he used me to blackmail you. Those people are incredibly cunning."
"Is Xie Qinghe inferior to him?"
"In the end, it all comes down to who has the best luck in the world. The reason why Prince Xian died was because the Emperor wanted him dead."
“If the emperor cannot bring himself to be ruthless, Xie Qinghe, despite his power, may find it difficult to act.”
"So complicated." Ning Lu slumped back, turned her head to look at Yu Lanzhou, and changed the subject: "Why do I feel that your complexion has improved after you've been in the dungeon for a while?"
"I eat well and sleep well. I don't even have to entertain guests. Apart from not being free, it's not so bad."
"So, you don't need to rush to rescue me."
Ning Lu couldn't tell if she was comforting herself or if she truly meant it. But once she said those words, the burden that had been weighing on her heart for days felt lighter, and she reached out and took the last piece of candied fruit from in front of Yu Lanzhou and stuffed it into her mouth.
"You have such a big heart."
"What else can I do? I was a disgraced official before, and now I'm a courtesan. I can't beat Pan Xingxue, and I can't beat Xie Qinghe either. If I keep wallowing in self-pity every day, I'll really go crazy."
"That's not entirely unreasonable."
That sounds discouraging, but there's nothing inherently wrong with it.
This aligns with Ning Lu's philosophy of "since we're here, let's make the best of it."
"There's something else I wanted to ask you this time." She brushed the fructose off her hand and pulled out the oddly shaped key from her pocket.
Do you know which lock this thing is used to open?
Upon seeing the key, Ning Lu thought of Old Man Miao again, and her tone changed from its previous flippant manner.
"You still have the key?"
"You know that!"
"You even forgot this?" Yu Lanzhou said, seemingly reproachful, but her tone carried a hint of disappointment.
"Good Lanzhou, this is very important to me, please don't beat around the bush!"
Ning Lu grabbed her hand and shook it twice, her eyes widening slightly.
"This should be the box you hid in your suburban house. You designed the lock yourself and even went to the capital to find a locksmith to make it."
"The capital?"
"Yes, you are cautious in your actions, saying that although it is troublesome, the risk is low."
"Wait, you mean, I own a house?"
Suddenly realizing something, Ning Lu snapped back to reality and grabbed Yu Lanzhou to confirm again.
"Yes, it's in the suburbs in the direction of Yongning Temple. The house isn't big, only two rooms. But there are quite a few of your things inside."
"I didn't intend to hide it from you, I just wanted to wait until things calmed down before going with you."
Yu Lanzhou was afraid that she would misunderstand, so he quickly explained.
Ning Lu didn't have time to think much; she was almost stunned by the sudden joy.
She arrived here all alone, homeless, and lived off counting a few hundred coins each day.
In the blink of an eye, Wei Zhan said that Prince Jing had given the original owner a thousand taels of silver as a deposit, and now Yu Lanzhou said that she also had a house.
Does that mean that the thousand taels given by Prince Jing might also be in that house?
Not only did she become wealthy, she even found a place to live?
As her thoughts wandered, she realized that the short-term rental apartment she had left for the original owner was actually rather shabby.
“Lanzhou, I didn’t misunderstand you, but it’s urgent, and there’s something I need to verify first. We can go together again after you get out of prison.”
In her excitement, she spoke a little faster. Yu Lanzhou gradually got used to her expressive manner and nodded gently without being surprised.
Upon receiving such shocking news, Ning Lu couldn't wait to leave the city and head to the outskirts immediately.
Once outside the dungeon, I realized it was completely dark.
Under the heavy snowfall, the sky turned bluish, and the snow on the ground gradually thickened.
If I leave the city now, I probably won't be able to make it back tonight.
I suddenly thought of Xie Qinghe...
She didn't tell him she was going out. If that stubborn guy thinks she's just trying to make him happy so she can run away, she'll be in deep trouble.
They spurred their horses and galloped towards the post station.
Ice pellets kept hitting my face, and my head, which had been slightly feverish from excitement, cleared up considerably.
She seemed to have gotten a little closer to the original owner of this body.
Her martial arts skills, her friends, her past, and the space she is about to intrude into...
The original owner, a meticulous and rarely mistaken assassin, would probably not have sought death even if it was to redeem her sisters.
Before that, she would definitely try to find a way out.
Recalling the day he fell off the cliff, the original owner's expression and mood seemed to reflect a firm belief in facing death without fear and being willing to perish together with his loved ones.
Xie Qinghe wanted the list.
Zhao Yue wanted the jade pendant.
There must be some kind of relationship between these two.
She remembered that before leaving Uncle Miao's shop, he had shown her several defective products that had failed to be replicated.
At that moment, she felt that something was wrong.
What exactly is wrong...?
Upon returning to the inn, Ning Lu barged straight into the main room.
"Xie Qinghe! I've thought of a possibility! Guess..."
Pushing open the door, I saw Xie Qinghe leaning against the bed, his shoulders trembling as he vomited a mouthful of dark liquid.
Wei Chun and Wei Zhan knelt on the ground, and neither of them dared to raise their heads, let alone step forward.
His hair was hanging down, his face was pale, and his breathing was heavy.
"Xie Qinghe?"
I rushed forward in a panic to check, but thankfully it was just herbal medicine.
Ning Lu glanced at the half-bowl of cold medicine left on the table and supported his shoulder.
"Can't you take this medicine?"
He just said this afternoon that drinking these herbal decoctions would be enough.
She was riding her bike in the snowy night, and her hands were cold. She was torn between worrying that he would feel cold and also worrying that if she suddenly stopped, he would fall.
Only after he shook his head slightly and sat up straight did Ning Lu dare to stop her movements. She rubbed her hands together and took half a step back, pouring him some tea to cleanse his mouth.
"What's up?"
Glancing at Wei Chun and Wei Zhan, who were still kneeling on the ground, she sensed something was amiss and pointed to the door: "It's nothing important, why don't you two talk first, I'll go out..."
"They're alright."
Upon hearing this, Wei Chun quickly pulled Wei Zhan along, and the two stood up, picked up the unfinished medicine and basin from the bedside, and stepped out of the room.
Ning Lu met Wei Zhan's almost threatening gaze as he left, instinctively shrinking her neck and forcing a smile as she waved goodbye.
The door creaked shut, and Xie Qinghe tilted his head slightly inward, silently exhaling a breath of stale air.
She stood a few steps away from the bed, took off the cloak from her shoulders, moved to the brazier to warm her hands, and then approached him.
"Xie Qinghe."
He looked unwell, and she didn't dare to raise her voice.
“Ji Amin”.
"Didn't you have something to say?"
"Um."
She remembered her guess.
“I was thinking, is it possible that… the list of traitors you wanted is hidden inside the jade pendant?”
Xie Qinghe raised his eyebrows, but did not respond.
“I’ve seen a few defective pieces at Uncle Miao’s place. The jade pendants all had a small crescent-shaped groove in the center. I’m thinking there might be some trick to it. If the paper strip isn’t too big, it should be fine to place it in the center of the jade.”
Did you hear that?
She brought her face close, her big eyes fixed on him.
Xie Qinghe raised his eyes and lightly wiped his forehead.
In the courtroom, the image of her haphazardly hugging and yelling flashed through his mind again, and his expression softened slightly for no apparent reason.
"Xie Qinghe."
Ning Lu gritted her teeth and called out to the absent-minded adult.
"Um?"
"I said, the list of traitors you're investigating might be in the jade pendant. Did you hear me?"
He nodded, noticing that she seemed dissatisfied with his reaction.
Xie Qinghe said, "Just those few imitations?"
"Not entirely."
Ning Lu moved a stool over and sat down by the bed, telling him her analysis along the way: "Here's what I think. That day at the bottom of the cliff, I woke up and met you. The only thing I had that was related to the original owner was that jade pendant. And you and Zhao Yue were both convinced that the list was on me."
"Then the jade pendant and the list must be related."
Seeing him deep in thought, Ning Lu quickly added, "And do you remember, when Zhu Dacheng went to pawn the jade pendant, he said it wasn't worth anything? Later, when Zhao Yue saw me again, he also said the jade pendant was fake. And, Uncle Miao..."
Ning Lu.
Xie Qinghe's fingers, hanging by the bedside, turned bluish-white from the excessive force, and she suddenly cried out in alarm, interrupting her eloquent speech.
Ning Lu, unaware of what was going on, stopped talking and looked at him.
Did she... say something wrong again?
What does it mean that you met me after you woke up?
"Who was the original owner of this body?"
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